WBCS Current Affairs 17/06/2017 to 23/06/2017 for WBCS Exam

The Importance of Current Affairs in W.B.C.S examinations is immense.Success inW.B.C.S  Prelims and W.B.C.S Mains Exam is mainly subjected to how well an aspirant is aware of the important current affairs. Preparation of current affairs for W.B.C.S is the key to unlock the exam.Continue Reading WBCS Current Affairs 17/06/2017 to 23/06/2017 for WBCS Exam.

1. According to the World population Prospectus: The Revision released by the United Nations, India with 1.3 billion inhabitants would surpass China’s population of 1.4 billion by 2024, to become the World’s populous country.Despite the drop in universal fertility rates, the UN report expects the world’s total population to hit 9.8 billion by 2050. As per the report, the world’s population is at present 7.6 billion up from 7.4 billion last year. The increase in population was spurred by the relatively high levels of fertility in developing countries. With an addition of 82 million people every year, UN expects a continuation of the upward trend in population size. At this rate, the world population is expected to reach 8.6 billion in 2030, 9.8 billion in 2050 and surpass 11.2 billion in 2100. As per the report, the concentration of global population growth in the poorest countries is presenting a challenge. The population growth is expected to come from the 47 least developed countries where the fertility rate is around 4.3 births per woman. At this rate, the population in these countries would reach 1.9 billion people in 2050. It presents a challenge as the world seeks to implement the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, which is aimed to end poverty and preserve the planet. Further, the birth rates in African countries are expected to at least double by 2050, despite fertility rates falling from 5.1 births per woman up to 2005 to 4.7 births in the five years following. In contrast, birth rates in Europe are seeing an increase which has increased up to 1.6 births per woman, up from 1.4 births in 2000-2005. As per the report, the overall reduction in fertility rates is expected to result in the ageing population, with the number of people above the age of 60 or over is likely to become more than double by 2050 and triple by 2100, from the current 962 million to 3.1 billion. Africa which has the youngest age distribution for any region is expected to experience a rapid ageing of its population. According to the report, Nigeria which is currently at the seventh place is expected to become the third most populous country by 2050 replacing the US. World population Prospectus: The Revision The 2017 Revision of World Population Prospects is the twenty-fifth round of official United Nations population estimates prepared by the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat. The findings are presented for each development group, income group, region, subregion and country or area for the period 1950-2100.

2. China has launched a research project aimed at compiling historical data obtained during earlier expeditions conducted by its teams to the disputed South China Sea since the late 1950s.

The research project is one among the 14 resource investigation programmes approved by China’s Ministry of Science and Technology. Under the project, Chinese researchers will collect and compile valuable data and materials which were obtained by China during its major ocean expeditions to the South China Sea and its affiliated islands and reefs. China expects that a comparative analysis and research done into the data will offer insight into the resources, environment and changes related to the South China Sea and its affiliated islands and reefs.

3. The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has appointed Russian diplomat Vladimir Voronkov to head the newly established UN Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT), despite growing tensions between the US and Russia. The Vladimir Voronkov has been given the rank of Under-Secretary-General. The new Under-Secretary-General would Chair the Task Force and Executive Director of the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre. The newly established UNCCT has been mandated to oversee the counterterrorism efforts of 36 UN-funded programmes under the ambit of a variety of UN agencies, 12 inter-agency working groups, Interpol, and the World Customs Organisation. Voronkov has an experience of more than 30 years in Russia’s foreign service, serving primarily on UN-related issues. He had served as Russia’s ambassador to Vienna and has been serving as an ambassador to UN organisations since 2011.

4. This year, India and Russia are celebrating 70 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between them. Joint cooperation in science and technology was one of the important pillars of the bilateral relationship between both the countries. Also, India’s Department of Science & Technology, New Delhi and Russian Foundation for Basic Research, Moscow are celebrating their 10th year of their partnership.

To expand the joint cooperation, India’s Department of Science and Technology and Russian scientists held discussions to enhance their cooperation in the fields of big data and cyber physical systems. Subsequently, a MoU on the India-Russia unified technology assessment and accelerated commercialization programme, was concluded in Moscow between Department of Science & Technology (DST) and Russia’s Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises (FASIE). The MoU is expected to improve closer interaction between scientists of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the scientists of India. It was also agreed to work for start-up companies and entrepreneurs in order to establish Indo-Russian Bridge for Innovation. The meeting also concluded with an Addendum to the Agreement between DST and Russian Science Foundation (RSF) on coordinated competition for conducting collaborating research. DST and RSF have agreed to support young achievers who are less than 39 years of age in a competitive mode for joint collaborative research. As of now, DST and RSF have jointly supported over 17 projects. With the closure of the Integrated Long Term Programme (ILTP) between both the countries in 2007, the DST-RFBR has emerged as a robust platform for bilateral scientific cooperation in Basic Sciences. The first call under the DST-RFBR programme was awarded in 2008. In the last decade, DST and RFBR have jointly supported 254 research projects. Under the ambit of this programme, projects have been undertaken in the areas of basic sciences Physics & Astronomy, Chemistry & Material Sciences, Biology & Medical Sciences, Earth Sciences, Mathematics, Engineering Sciences and Computer Sciences and Telecommunications.

5. Saudi Arabia’s king has appointed his son Mohammed bin Salman as crown prince and heir to the throne replacing his nephew, Mohammed bin Nayef. This also means that Prince Mohammed bin Salman will become the kingdom’s deputy prime minister while continuing as defence minister. Significance Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s appointment as the first in line to the throne is seen by the younger generation as a sign that things are changing in the kingdom. Before his appointment, Prince Salman was responsible for leading Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen. Prince Salman who is only 31 years old could lead Saudi Arabia for decades which means the kingdom will have a long period of internal stability. However, at the same time Mohammed bin Salman’s closeness to US President Donald Trump could increase pressure against Iran, which has the potential to raise tensions in the region. Saudi Arabia’s Royal Succession The founder of Saudi Arabia is King Abdulaziz. He had dozens of sons and there exists as many as 15,000 princes and princesses in the royal family. In 2006, the royal kingdom proclaimed a decree under which a committee responsible for electing the king and crown prince was set up. This committee is made up of senior princes of the royal family and is known as the Allegiance Council. Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s appointment has received the approval of 31 out of 34 members of the council. In Saudi Arabia, those in power has the habit of promoting their sons to the roles which will improve their chances of being promoted. Saudi Arabia is one of the most influential Arab country. It is the world’s leading oil producer and the Saudi Royal family is one of the richest ruling families in the world.

6. Concerned over the complaints received from the public over the premium trains of Indian Railways like Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express, Railways have decided to launch “Operation Swarn (‘gold’)“. The operation is aimed at improving the services in these premium trains. The Railways have decided to launch this operation after it received complaints from passengers regarding the sanitation, food quality and delay in train arrivals etc. Under the operation, in the first phase, Mumbai-Delhi Rajdhani Express and Mumbai-Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express will be upgraded. More trains will be identified for upgradation in a phased manner Under the initiative, Indian Railways will work towards improving 10 aspects, namely, punctuality, cleanliness, linen, coach interiors, toilets, catering, staff behaviour, security, entertainment, housekeeping and regular feedback.Under the operation, a sum of Rs 50 lakh would be allotted to Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains on various routes for the purpose of revamping. Under the operation, a sum of Rs 50 lakh would be allotted to Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains on various routes for the purpose of revamping. Indian railways will constitute two committees to monitor the revamping work under ‘Operation Swarn’.

7. NASA is testing the effectiveness of a flexible solar array, the Roll-Out Solar Array, or ROSA, on space station for the very first time. ROSA is expected to one day power satellites and spacecraft. NASA had earlier tested the ROSA technology in vacuum chambers on the Earth but this is the first time it is testing the technology in space. ROSA is an advanced, flexible solar array that rolls out like a tape measure. The ROSA is very much flexible so that it can be adapted to different sizes including very large arrays. ROSA is expected to provide power for a variety of future spacecraft and satellites. ROSA will be an asset for satellite radio and television, weather forecasting, GPS and other services used on the Earth. The NASA engineers remotely attached the ROSA to the International Space Station’s robotic Canadarm2. ROSA will remain attached to the Canadarm2 over seven days to test its effectiveness. Scientists will test the effectiveness of ROSA in the microgravity and extreme temperatures of space. ROSA is smaller and lighter than the traditional panels and has a centre wing build of a flexible material containing photovoltaic cells to convert light into electricity. The narrow arm extends on both the sides of the wing to provide support, called a high strain composite boom. These booms are like split tubes made of a stiff composite material. The technology of the booms will be a boon for communications and radar antennas and other instruments. Unlike the traditional solar array panels, ROSA has the potential to make solar arrays more compact and weigh lighter. The traditional solar panels which are at present used to power satellites are very bulky with panels being folded using mechanical hinges. ROSA with significantly less mass and volume can offer substantial cost savings and increase the power for satellites. ROSA is 20% lighter and 4 times smaller in volume than the traditional panels. In addition, ROSA technology can provide solar power to remote locations.

8. June 21st is annually celebrated as International Yoga Day since the year 2015. This year, the 3rd International Day of Yoga is being observed. The purpose of the yoga day is to promote yoga and make it as a part of people’s daily routine. The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee has inaugurated a mass yoga demonstration to commemorate the 3rd International Day of Yoga at Rashtrapati Bhavan. According to UN, this year Yoga Day’s theme is “Yoga for Health“. The theme has been chosen to highlight the fact that yoga can contribute in a holistic way to achieving an equilibrium between mind and body. To mark the celebrations, massive Yoga practice sessions and demonstrations were being held in several places across the country and the world. This year many organisations are organising events to create a Guinness World Record by forming longest human chains and other Yoga related activities. In total, around 5,000 events have been scheduled to take place in about 180 countries. Some of the countries in which yoga day are celebrated are China, UK, the US, Bangladesh, South Africa etc. Indian high commissions around the world have organised many mass yoga demonstrations at various parts of the world. To mark the occasion, the headquarters of the United Nations in New York has been lit up with images of yoga postures.

The first International Yoga Day (IYD) was celebrated across the world on 21 June 2015. The idea of celebrating the International Yoga Day was pitched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2014. In December 2014, UNGA had unanimously adopted an India-led resolution to observe 21st June as ‘International Day of Yoga’. This resolution was adopted under the agenda of ‘Global Health and Foreign Policy’. The date 21st June was selected because it represents one of the two solstices and is the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere which has special significance in many parts of the world.

9. China has unveiled world’s first train that runs on a virtual track making use of sensor technology instead of metal rails. The new trains are non-polluting as they are battery powered. The train is capable of reaching a top speed of 70 kmph and can travel a distance of 25 km by just charging for 10 minutes. The train which is only about 32 metres long can carry up to 307 passengers. The new trains are fitted with sensors which are capable of detecting the dimensions of the road permitting it to follow the routes without the need for metal rails. So it can run without the presence of tracks. The new trains will make use of rubber wheels on a plastic core and can be automatically guided without rails. This new technology has been copyrighted by the Chinese rail corporation. The train will be rolled out for public use in 2018. It will be launched in the Chinese city of Zhuzhou in a bid to help to deal with traffic in the area. The new train is expected to have a lifespan of around 25 years. The cost of the new train is only a fifth of the price of a traditional subway system.

10. Larsen & Toubro has launched the first indigenously built Floating Dock (FDN-2) to repair Indian Navy ships at its Shipyard at Kattupalli, north of Chennai. The floating shipyard would be handed over to the Indian Navy after conducting three to four months of trial. After the trials, FDN-2 will be moved to Andaman & Nicobar Islands. There it would be used for repairing assets of the Indian Navy and also of other services. These floating docks are capable of being installed either along a jetty, moored in calm waters and also moved to high seas enabling round-the-year operation. FDN-2 will be capable of repairing up to 8,000-tonne ships with draught up to 7 metres, including submarine FDN-2 will be capable of simultaneous docking of multiple ships. In addition, off-center docking options were also feasible. It has hauling-in system to handle a ship’s docking and undocking operations. It can also cater to the ships berthed along its side. At any point of time, FDN-2 can cater to six ships for repairs or refit. The FDN-2 is a wholly Made in India product. The 468 crore FDN-2 was lowered into the Bay of Bengal by Anjali Deshpande, wife of the Vice-Admiral Controller Warship Production and Acquisition of Indian Navy, DM Deshpande. FDN-2 is the first Naval shipbuilding project for L&T. L&T has been undertaking repairs and refits of Naval and Coast Guard ships. It has delivered six ship refits including the largest Logistics Tanker ship INS Jyoti. L&T has so far invested around Rs 5,000 crore in the Kattupalli Shipyard.

11. Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute, Pune has become the first recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award for outstanding contribution to promotion and development of Yoga. PM’s Yoga Award was instituted at the 2nd International Day of Yoga celebrations at Chandigarh by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Prime Minister had instituted the award for promoting the ancient Indian spiritual discipline. The Ministry of AYUSH framed guidelines for the awards and constituted two committees, namely, screening committee (for preliminary evaluation) and evaluation committee (Jury). The Institute has been selected from among 85 nominations and 15 more recommended by the Screening Committee. The Award was recommended by an Evaluation Committee (Jury) under the Chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary. Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute has worked to spread Yoga both domestically and internationally over a period of four decades. It has also published a number of books on yoga which has been translated into multiple languages.

12. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to launch earth observation satellite Cartosat-2 series weighing 712 kg and 30 nano-satellites using Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). Out of the 30 nano-satellites, 29 will be of foreign origin and one will be of India’s. The 29 nano-satellites will be from 14 countries such as Austria, Belgium, Britain, Chile, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, and the US. These 29 satellites will be launched by ISRO as part of the commercial arrangements between ISRO’s commercial arm, the Antrix Corporation Ltd with these nations. The 30 satellites will together weigh 243 kg. The total weight of the 31 satellites would be 955 kg. The PSLV-XL will be launched from the Sriharikota rocket port. The rockets will be placed into a 505 km polar sunsynchronous orbit (SSO). This will be the seventeenth flight of PSLV in ‘XL’ configuration. It uses solid strap-on motors. PSLV Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is the third generation launch vehicle of India which is hailed as the reliable and versatile workhorse launch vehicle of India. PSLV’s first successful launch took place in October 1994. Since then the launch vehicle has 38 consecutively successful missions by February 2017. It has launched 46 Indian satellites and 180 foreign satellites between 1994-2017. PSLV is also India’s first launch vehicle to be equipped with liquid stages. There are three variants of PSLV, namely, PSLV-G, PSLV-CA, PSLV-XL. PSLV was used to successfully launch Chandrayaan-1 in 2008 and Mars Orbiter Spacecraft in 2013.

13. India and Portugal have signed a protocol of cooperation in the field of archives. The agreement has been signed between the National Archives of India and the Ministry of Culture of the Portuguese Republic in Lisbon, Portugal.

As a part of the Cooperation, the Torre do Tombo (National Archives of Portugal) has handed over digital copies of 62 volumes of the collection known as ‘Moncoes do Reino’ (Monsoon correspondence) to the National Archives of India. These volumes were originally part of over 456 volumes which is the largest of all record collections in the Goa State Archives. The collection consists of direct correspondence from Lisbon to Goa and covers the period from 1568 to 1914. These volumes serve as the most important primary source for the study of the Portuguese expansion in Asia and their trade rivalries with the Arabs and European powers as well as their relations with neighbouring Kings in South Asia and East Asia. In 1777, 62 volumes out of the 456 comprising over 12,000 documents, belonging to the period from 1605 to 1651 were shifted from Goa to Lisbon. At Lisbon, these volumes were subsequently got printed under the title ‘Documentos Remetidos da India’(Documents sent from India) by the Academy of Science at Lisbon between 1880 and 1893. Since then the original volumes had remained in Lisbon. After a gap of 240 years, Director General of Books, Archives and Libraries has handed over a set of digital images of the missing volumes of the Moncoes do Reino series to India.

From 1505 to 1961, some territories of India remained under Portuguese State of India (Estado da India) or Portuguese India (Índia Portuguesa). The Indian empire of Portuguese was mainly confined in isolated colonies in both East and West Coast of India and was part of Portuguese possessions in Asia, East Africa and Pacific. Earlier, during the visit of Prime Minister of Portugal to India as the chief Guest of 2017 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in January, India and Portugal had signed sixmemorandam of understandings (MoUs) including in defence cooperation.

14. Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence Ammunition which is a subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure has entered into a strategic partnership with Serbia’s state-run Yugoimport to manufacture ammunition in India. The joint venture is expected to target business opportunities worth Rs 20,000 crore from Indian armed forces in the next 10 years.

The two companies will work jointly in the field of ammunition amongst others. Both the companies would undertake joint development of next generation ammunition to cater to the needs of the future requirements of the Indian armed forces. The proposal also involves the transfer of technology by the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and indigenous manufacturing in India. Reliance Defence Ammunition will set up a greenfield facility for the production of ammunition. India at present imports around 50% of its ammunition with an annual spending of more than Rs 10,000 crore. Yugoimport is Serbia’s state-owned defence major and is a market leader in the field of ammunition production. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make-in-India initiative requires building a domestic industrial base in India. This is aimed at cutting outright imports. Accordingly, Yugoimport has offered a fully compliant technical solution to meet the Make in India requirements of the Indian government.

15. NASA’s Kepler Telescope has identified 10 Earth-like planets outside the solar system that are expected to host life due to their right size and temperature. This finding is a boost in the hope for life elsewhere. Exoplanet: It is a planet that does not orbit the Sun and instead orbits a different star, stellar remnant, or brown dwarf. It is also termed as extrasolar planet. After an extensive search carried out for four years, NASA’s Kepler space telescope has detected a total of 49 planets in the Goldilocks zone. This number is set to increase as Kepler telescope has so far looked only in one quarter of one percent of a galaxy that holds about 200 billion of stars. Goldilocks Zone refers to a habitable zone where the temperature is neither too high nor too low. NASA has announced the discovery of 10 planets as a part of 219 new planets identified by the Kepler telescope as part of the final batch of planets since Kepler was launched in 2009. Kepler’s main mission got ended in 2013 after two of its four wheels that control its orientation in space got failed. Kepler has identified more than 4,000 planet candidates and confirmed more than half of them. The number of potentially habitable planets could be lot more as Kepler was only able to identify only those planets that move between the telescope vision and its star. By using Kepler and other methods, scientists have discovered around 3,600 exoplanets and about 62 potentially habitable planets. With the launch of James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) by NASA in 2018, chances of studying planets and detecting a familiar atmosphere will increase manifold. JWST will succeed the Hubble space telescope. Kepler Space Telescope Kepler Space Telescope (KST) is an unmanned space observatory launched in 2009 by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). It is tasked with determining how many Earth-like planets occur throughout the Milky Way galaxy. It has been designed for a statistical mission and not to probe into the environmental conditions of planets that exist in the so-called Goldilocks zone (Habitable zone) of their stars.

17. Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Palace hotel has acquired an ‘image trademark‘ under the Trademark Act of 1999, making it is the first building in the country to acquire intellectual property rights protection for its architectural design. Henceforth, the image of Taj Mahal Palace hotel’s dome and exterior can be used only with the consent of Taj Hotels Palaces Resorts Safaris. The hotel which was opened on December 16, 1903, has a distinctive red-tiled Florentine Gothic dome and sits 240 feet above the street level. The dome for a long time has been used by the Indian Navy as a `triangulation point’ which guides its vessels to the harbour. The architects of the dome have modelled it on the dome of the Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus). The Taj Mahal Palace hotel has hosted many celebrities like Neil Armstrong, John Lennon and Barack Obama. The other trademarked properties around the world include Empire State Building in New York, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and Sydney Opera House in Australia. Trademark Act of 1999 ‘The Trade Marks Act of 1999‘ replaced the ‘The Trade and Merchandise Marks Act of 1958‘ as the current governing law relating to registered trademarks. The Act deals with the precise nature of rights one can acquire in respect of trademarks. Henceforth, as the Taj Mahal Palace hotel has acquired image trademark, no one can use the Taj Mahal Palace’s images for commercial purposes without paying the company a licensing fee. Violators are liable to be prosecuted. However, the locals and tourists can click pictures of the iconic building as long as they do not use it for commercial benefits.

18. Minister of State for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines has launched the Energy Conservation Building Code 2017 (ECBC 2017). This updated version of the Code prescribes the energy performance standards for new commercial buildings to be constructed across India.

The Energy Conservation Building Code 2017 (ECBC 2017) has been developed by Ministry of Power and Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) with technical support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the U.S.-India bilateral Partnership to Advance Clean Energy – Deployment Technical Assistance (PACE-D TA) Program. The code provides present as well as futuristic advancements in building technology to cut down building energy consumption and promote low-carbon growth. The code sets clear criteria for builders, designers and architects to integrate renewable energy sources in building design through the inclusion of passive design strategies. ECBC 2017 aims to optimise energy savings with the comfort levels for occupants. The code aims to achieve energy neutrality in commercial buildings. Apart from the current and futuristic advancements in building technology, the new code takes into account market changes, and energy demand scenario of the country. The code has been set in such a way that it will set a benchmark for Indian buildings to be amongst some of the most efficient globally. To be ECBC-compliant, the new buildings should be able to demonstrate minimum energy savings of 25%. Energy savings of 35% and 50% will enable the buildings to achieve higher grades like ECBC Plus or Super ECBC status respectively. The adoption of ECBC 2017 is expected to achieve a 50% reduction in energy use by 2030 which will translate into energy savings of about 300 Billion Units by 2030. It will result in expenditure savings of Rs 35,000 crore and reduction of 250 million tonnes of CO2.

19. India has become the 71st nation to join the United Nations TIR (Transports Internationaux Routiers) Convention. India’s decision to join the convention is part of its multi-modal transport strategy that aims at integrating Indian economy with global and regional production networks through better connectivity. In March 2017, Union Cabinet had approved India’s accession to the Customs Convention on International Transport of Goods under TIR Convention. The UN has confirmed that the TIR Convention will enter into force in India in 6 months

The Customs Convention on International Transport of Goods under Cover of TIR Carnets, 1975 (TIR Convention) is an international customs transit system under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) with the widest geographical coverage. It is more than a transport convention. At present, there are 70 parties to the convention including the European Union. The TIR is managed and developed by International Road Transport Union (IRU) which is the world road transport organisation. The TIR procedure facilitates movement of goods under customs control across international borders without the payment of the duties and taxes. It provides a robust guarantee mechanism facilitating the higher growth of Intra-regional trade. Significance Accession to TIR will help India in implementing the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement which it has already entered into this year. With China’s ambitious ‘One Belt One Road’ (OBOR) project, India has no other option other than to join TIR if it wants to be counted as a serious rising power. China is already a TIR member. Accession to TIR will ensure enhanced security in the supply chain as it allows only approved transporters and vehicles to operate under the terms of the Convention. The Indian traders will get access to fast, reliable and hassle-free international system for movement of goods by road or multi-modal means. It will improve India’s cross-border road transport. On the eastern front, it will help in integrating with Myanmar, Thailand, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. On the western front, it will help in transporting cargo along the International North-South Transport Corridor via Chabahar port in Iran. Further, it will give access to landlocked Afghanistan and the energy-rich Eurasian region. It can help in implementing the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement by addressing policy incompatibility issues among the BBIN nations.

20. Lockheed Martin and India’s Tata Advanced Systems have signed a pact to produce F-16 fighter planes in India. The two companies have announced their agreement at the Paris Airshow. Lockheed Martin’s move to forge a joint venture with Tata is aimed at winning billions of dollars worth order from the Indian military. Lockheed Martin is one of the largest aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technologies companies having worldwide interests. It is headquartered in Maryland. The company was formed after the merger of Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta in 1995.

India’s airforce is in requirement of hundreds of aircraft inorder ro replace its soviet-era aircrafts. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make-in-India initiative require the foreign suppliers to forge partnership with a local partner to make planes and build a domestic industrial base in India. This is aimed at cutting outright imports. But Make-in-India initiative appears to be in conflict with President Donald Trump’s America First campaign under which Trump wants the companies to invest in the United States and create jobs instead of establishing factories abroad. To allay these concerns, both the companies have said that moving the production base to India would still retain jobs in the United States. Establishing a production base in India for the manufacture of F-16 will create new manufacturing jobs in India and is expected to position Indian industry at the centre of the most extensive fighter aircraft supply ecosystem in the world, Sweden’s Saab is the other contender to supply aircraft to the Indian Air Force. The company has offered to make its Gripen fighter in India. However, it is yet to announce a local partner In India. Gripen fighters are pitched as a modern alternative to the F-16s. US and India have built a close defence relationship in recent years. US along with Russia and Israel has emerged as a top three arms supplier to India. F-16s are flown by air forces by 26 countries around the world. In addition, Lockheed Martin is offering model Block 70 which is the most modern of all F-16s.

21. India has been ranked 75th out of 102 countries in a list that ranks the countries in terms of the human impact on environment per person. The ranking has been done by MoneySuperMarket, a UK-based financial services website. The ranking has been made based on the impact the citizens have on the environment by taking into account energy consumption, air pollution, waste production, reliance on non-renewable energy, the carbon dioxide emissions per capita, wastewater treatment capacity, municipal solid waste generated and tree cover loss etc. Of all the parameters, the most weight has been given to Carbon dioxide emissions, municipal solid waste and energy consumption.

Top 10 Performers: Mozambique (1st), Ethiopia (2nd), Zambia (3rd), Latvia (4th), Kenya (5th), Albania (6th), Ghana (7th), Tajikistan (8th), Nepal (9th), Colombia (10th). Worst Performers: Trinidad and Tobago (102nd), United States (101st), Sri Lanka (100th), Ireland (99th), Canada (98th), China (97th), Australia (96th), South Africa (95th), Cyprus (94th), Malaysia (93rd). Mozambique has topped the list as it derives almost all of its energy from green sources. India, on the other hand, has been placed at 75th place as its renewable energy sources make up only 15.2% of all energy sources used. The US has been placed second last on the list at the 101st position as the U.S. per capita carbon dioxide emissions are 17 tonnes per capita. Further, the country generates 2.58 kgs of municipal solid waste per person, and the energy consumption is 312.79 BTU per capita. Also, its reliance on renewable sources are even lower than India at 12.56% India, on the other hand, generates 1.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide per capita (between 1990 and 2011), 0.34 kgs of municipal solid waste generated per day per person, and energy consumption at 19.75 BTU (British Thermal Unit.) India has been ranked poorly due to its low reliance on renewable energy (15.2%). Trinidad and Tobago has been ranked last as it hardly relies on any green energy sources. Africa as a continent has topped the list.

22. Minister for Science & Technology Dr. Harshvardhan has launched a Mobile App “Celebrating Yoga”. The Mobile App has been developed by Department of Science & Technology, Ministry of Science & Technology on the occasion of International Yoga Day 2017. The aim of the app is to popularise Yoga and encourage people to practice yoga for a scientifically healthy living. In 2015, the Department of Science & Technology (DST) had also launched a research programme “Science and Technology of Yoga and Meditation (SATYAM)” under its Cognitive Science Research Initiative (CSRI).

Celebrating Yoga App provides a platform to share information and create awareness into the participation of yoga events on the occasion of the International Yoga Day 2017. The mobile app will help in capturing mass yoga events being organised in public places, schools and office complexes across the country. The app will be connected with Google Map where shared information can be viewed by the app users.The information gathered by the mobile app will be shared with the Ministry of AYUSH to complement their efforts. The information gathered by the mobile app will be shared with the Ministry of AYUSH to complement its efforts.

23. The GST Council headed by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley comprising of state finance ministers as members have decided to set up a five-member anti-profiteering authority to decide on levying the penalty if businesses do not pass on the benefit of price reduction to consumers under GST regime. The GST Council has also approved the anti-profiteering rules.

The anti-profiteering committee would be headed by a retired secretary-level officer. The authority would ask the businesses to pass on the benefit of price reduction on a proportionate basis to consumers. Apart from the chairman, the other members of the committee will be joint secretary-level officers who have been commissioners in central excise and service tax either at the Centre or states. The government will constitute a search-cum-selection committee for finalising the members of the anti-profiteering authority. In cases where consumers cannot be identified, the amount would be credited to the consumer welfare fund. The committee would be given powers to take Suo Motu action, besides acting on complaints of profiteering. The complaints of profiteering will initially come to the Standing Committee constituting of tax officials from states and the Centre. Then the complaint will be forwarded to the Directorate of Safeguards (DGS) for investigation, which will take about 2-3 months to complete the inquiry. After the investigation, the report would be submitted to the anti-profiteering authority which will take a decision on the penalty. The anti-profiteering authority will have a sunset date of two years and will decide on the penalty to be levied. Section 171 of the Central GST Act provides that reduction in tax rate has to be passed on to the customers by way of commensurate reduction in prices.

24. Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind has been chosen by the National Democratic Alliance as its Presidential Candidate. Facts The 71-year-old lawyer turned politician Ram Nath Kovind is a commerce graduate and LLB from the Kanpur University in Uttar Pradesh. Kovind practised law in Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court for 16 years. He practised in the Delhi high court from 1977 to 1979 and became an Advocate-on-Record of the Supreme Court of India in 1978. He was also the central government’s standing counsel in the Supreme Court from 1980 to 1993. Kovind stepped into politics in 1984 after elected to Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh. He had served for two consecutive terms till March 2006. During his parliamentary tenure, Kovind stepped into politics in 1984 after elected to Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh. He had served for two consecutive terms till March 2006. During his parliamentary tenure, Kovind has served in several parliamentary committees including the Parliamentary Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes/Tribes, Parliamentary Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment, among others. Kovind has represented India in the United Nations and addressed United Nations General Assembly in October, 2002. On August 8, 2015, Kovind was appointed as the governor of Bihar. He had also served as the member of the Board of Management of Dr. B.R Ambedkar University, Lucknow and the Board of Governors of Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata. Presidential Election-Facts For the election of the President, the electoral college comprises of the elected members of both Houses of Parliament and elected members of the legislative assemblies of all states, besides Delhi and Puducherry. In a total, 4,896 voters will vote in the election. Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies will not have voting rights in the presidential election. Polling for Presidential elections will take place in Parliament House and on the premises of legislative assemblies. The election shall be by secret ballot. For the presidential elections, political parties cannot issue any whip to their MPs and MLAs. The nomination paper of a candidate has to be subscribed by at least 50 electors as proposers and another 50 electors as seconders. MPs and MLAs do not have one vote each but their votes are equal to the average number of people they represent. Since MPs represent the whole country they have more votes, and MLAs have fewer votes than MPs as they represent only the people in their states. This is called “proportional representation”. The president is elected for a term of 5 years. He may terminate his own term by writing a resignation addressed to Vice President. He can be removed from the office ONLY by impeachment. He is eligible to re-elected for the same office for unlimited times.

25. ISRO’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) completes 1000 earth days in orbit. The orbiter has outlived its lifespan which is more than 5 times the number of days the orbiter was designated to last in orbit. The MOM has at present completed 388 orbits of Mars and has sent 715 images back to earth. According to the scientists, the MOM is in good health and shows no signs of slowing down. India has plans to send Mangalyaan 2.0 and a new mission to Venus after 2020.

The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) was launched into space on November 5, 2013, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre using a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket C25.The MOM entered into the orbit of Mars on September 2014. The Mangalyaan was built in a fraction of the cost of similar space missions launched by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). It was indigenously designed, built and launched by ISRO in a record period of fewer than two years in 450 crore rupees (73 million US dollars) budget which is considered as cheapest inter-planetary mission till date to reach Mars. The spacecraft has five instruments mounted on it for collecting scientific data of Mar’s morphology, atmospheric processes, surface temperature, surface geology and atmospheric escape process. These five instruments are Lyman-Alpha Photometer (LAP), Methane Sensor for Mars (MSM), Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyser (MENCA), Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (TIS) and Mars Colour Camera (MCC)In September 2014, India created a space history by becoming In September 2014, India created a space history by becoming the first nation in the world to successfully launch an interplanetary mission to Mars in a maiden attempt. ISRO also become first Asian and fourth space agency in the world to reach Mars orbit after the Roscosmos of Russia, NASA and European Space Agency.

26. China is planning to send mini-ecosystems comprising of potato seeds and silkworm eggs to the Moon by next year. The move is aimed at studying how the organisms develop in Moon.
The 3-kilogramme mini-ecosystem will be developed by research teams under the leadership of Chongqing University in China. The mini-ecosystems would be sent to the moon by Chang’e 4 which is scheduled to be launched in 2018. The potato seeds and silkworm eggs would be placed in an 18-centimetre-tall cylinder. According to the researchers, the silkworms will hatch and create carbon dioxide, while the potato plants will generate oxygen. The main objective behind this mission is to prepare for future moon landings and possible human inhabitants. China is preparing for a planned mission to the Moon. In addition, the researchers have decided to live stream the development of plants and insects to the whole world.

27. NASA’s Orion Spacecraft which has been designed to carry astronauts to deep space destinations like Moon and Mars has successfully carried out a series of tests to test its critical safety systems.

NASA test fired Orion’s launch abort system by firing the 17-foot tall motor for five seconds. The test was successful as the motor produced enough thrust and thus qualifying for future missions with astronauts. The launch abort system which is positioned on top of the Orion crew module is a vital component of Orion’s spacecraft making sure crew members remain safe on the launch pad. It plays a critical role in making sure the crews travelling to deep space destinations remain safe inside the Orion spacecraft. The launch abort model is responsible for propelling the crew module away from the Space Launch System rocket in case of an emergency, The launch motor will send the crew module to a safe distance away from a failing rocket and will orient the module for a safe descent into the Atlantic Ocean in case such an eventuality ever occurs. During the test, the researchers also evaluated the performance of the parachutes which will ensure that the crew module safely descends to earth.

The Orion Multi-purpose Crew Vehicle was announced to be built by NASA on May 24, 2011. The new spacecraft is currently under development. NASA has named the Orion spacecraft after the largest constellation in the night sky. NASA is building the Orion spacecraft by making use of its 50 years experience in spaceflight research and development. The Orion spacecraft will be designed to cater to NASA’s deep space exploration programs. According to NASA, it will be the safest and most advanced spacecraft ever built and will offer emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and will offer safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.

28. India’s Kidambi Srikanth has lifted the Indonesia Open Super Series badminton title at Jakarta by defeating Japan’s Kazumasa Sakai in straight sets 21-11, 21-19. For Srikanth who is currently World No. 22 this is a big title win. It is Srikanth’s third Super Series title after 2014 China Open and 2015 India Open. Indonesian Open Super Series is an annual badminton tournament organised by Persatuan Bulutangkis Seluruh Indonesia (PBSI). The tournament was first conducted in 1982. It has become part of the BWF Superseries in 2007 and earned the Superseries Premier Status in 2011.

29. Mission officials for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have announced the initial science targets for the James Webb Space Telescope. The JWST has been scheduled to look at a large number of things in the universe including icy moons, distant exoplanets and galaxy clusters. It will look at very first galaxies after the Big Bang, search for fingerprints of life on Enceladus, Europa, and exoplanets like TRAPPIST-1e etc. As a part of the initial observations, 2100 observations has been planned for the JWST by the mission handlers. JWST, being the most powerful telescope designed and built on Earth is scheduled to be launched in October 2018 on an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana.

JWST is a joint project of the NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore will conduct Webb science operations. The JWST will be the successor of 26-year-old Hubble Space Telescope. JWST is 100 times powerful than the Hubble Space Telescope and will be the largest telescope ever sent into space. JWST will have a very large infrared telescope with a 6.5-meter primary mirror. Its sun shield is 22 metres which is roughly the size of a tennis court and has a mirror 6.5 metres which is over twice the size of the Hubble Space Telescope. The JWST is named after the former NASA administrator, James Webb. JWST was formerly known as the “Next Generation Space Telescope” (NGST). In November 2016, The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had completed the construction of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) after more than 20 years of work. Instruments of JWST include Cameras and spectrometers that are able to record extremely faint signals. NIRSpec having programmable micro-shutters for observation of up to 100 objects. Cryocooler for cooling the mid-infrared detectors.

30. The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed every year on June 17 to promote public awareness to combat desertification. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) had designated June 17 as the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought in 1994. It was observed for the first time in 1995. The day is observed globally to promote public awareness on the issue, and the implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in those countries experiencing serious desertification or drought, particularly in Africa. This year’s theme for World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is “Our Land. Our Home. Our Future“. This edition will examine the link between land degradation and migration. Among others, Poverty, political instability, deforestation, overgrazing and bad irrigation practices are responsible for desertification. They have increased the number of international migrants worldwide who have increased from 173 million in 2000 to 244 million in 2015. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development especially the Goal 15 emphasises the need to halt and reverse land degradation.

Desertification refers to degradation of land in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas due to an array of factors. The direct impact of desertification is reduced biodiversity. The reasons are many such as climatic changes such as drought, or human such as overgrazing. Desertification is a major economic, social and environmental problem of concern to many countries in all regions of the world. In 1977, the United Nations Conference on Desertification (UNCOD) adopted a Plan of Action to Combat Desertification (PACD). On 17 June 1994, on the basis of the direct recommendation of Agenda 21, “United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa” was adopted in Paris. The permanent Secretariat of the UNCCD was established during the first Conference of the Parties (COP 1) held in Rome in 1997. It has been located in Bonn, Germany since January 1999.

31. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has inaugurated Know India Programme (KIP) for NRI and PIO youth with a view to provide them with an exposure to the country of their origin so that they can understand India better and more closely. External Affairs Minister has also launched a portal for the Know India Programme (KIP). The government has also announced the openings of 149 new post office passport seva kendras in the country (POPSK). The Ministry has announced that it is taking measures to open more passport seva kendras so that a person need not travel more than 50 kilometeres to get his/her passport. POPSKs is an initiative undertaken jointly by the MEA and the Department of Post.

Know India Programme is an initiative of the Ministry of External Affairs for the Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) between the age group of 18 to 30 years. The Know India Programme is a three-week orientation programme which is aimed at promoting awareness on different facets of life in India as well as the progress made by the country in fields such as economic and education. The KIP offers a platform for the young PIOs to visit India share their views, expectations and experiences and forge closer bonds with the India of present times. The scheme was launched in 2004 and has so far had 40 editions in which some 1,293 PIO youths have participated. In the year 2016, the scheme was revamped to extend the number of days from 21 to 25 days including a 10-day visit to one or two states. Also from 2016, six KIPs are being organised by the Ministry of External Affairs in a year.

32. India and Afghanistan are set to operationalize their first air-freight corridor in the coming days. The first flight will be operated by Ariana Afghan Airlines, which is the Afghanistan’s national carrier. The flight which will initially operate once or twice in a month will carry commodities to and from Delhi. Depending upon the supply needs, the frequency of the flight will be increased.

India-Afghanistan discussed the idea of commencing the air-freight corridor during the visit of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s visit last year. The key elements of India’s Afghanistan policy include – friendly relations with afghan factions, tacit support for anti-Taliban forces, more focus on economic engagement than military engagement, humanitarian and development assistance etc.

This development has assumed significance at the backdrop of Pakistan’s denial to use its land for trade between India and Afghanistan. The air freight corridor will be used by the private sector in Afghanistan to increase its exports to the vast Indian market by air with minimum costs. It will also enable the traders to circumvent the obstacles posed by Pakistan in the land route.

33. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated Kochi Metro, which will be Kerala’s first metro line. The Construction of the Kochi Metro which was entrusted to the DMRC has been completed in a record four-year period. Prime Minister has inaugurated the first phase of the metro with 13.2 km out of the total 25 km stretch. The Kochi Metro will be the country’s eighth inter-city metro rail project.

Kochi Metro is India’s first integrated multi-mode transport system. The system will also provide boat rides with water transport as a feeder service to the rail corridor. Kochi Metro is the first public transport system that has reserved jobs for the transgenders. The Metro has so far employed 23 transgenders in various departments. Further, a majority of the staff in Kochi Metro will be women. Nearly 1,000 women have been selected to work in Kochi Metro. The trains will also be driven mainly by women drivers. The first phase of the metro with 11 stations covering 13km is the longest first phase of a metro to be inaugurated. The Kochi Metro is the first in the country to use Communication Based Train Control technology for maximising train frequencies and minimising errors. Each station of the Kochi Metro will showcase a theme, such as maritime history, western ghats etc. With the help of solar panels, the Kochi Metro plans to meet 35% of its power requirements. With this, it has become the first metro in the country to use solar power to meet a quarter of its electricity requirement. The project cost of Kochi Metro is Rs 5,180 crore. The Kochi Metro is the county’s first fully integrated metro. By purchasing a single ticket, commuters will be able to travel in feeder services along road and water. In a first, Kochi Metro will offer free wi-fi in its coaches and its stations.

34. The World’s largest festival of light, music and ideas, Vivid Sydney has entered into Guinness World Book of Records. The Guinness World Record have given the Vivid Sydney installation Dreamscape the title for the ‘Largest interactive lighting display’. Vivid Sydney installation Dreamscape has been made up of 124,128 lights and links the entire Circular Quay precinct beginning from the Sydney Opera House to the Sydney Harbour Bridge into one cohesive canvas of light. Moreover, 3D interactive modelling present in the control room in Circular Quay allows the participants to change the color, texture and pattern of the lighting across the cityscape.With this record, the Vivid Sydney has trumped its own 2016 predecessor, Dress circle that Circular Quay. This year the Vivid Sydney had added an additional one km of lights to achieve the record. With this record, the Vivid Sydney has trumped its own 2016 predecessor, Dress Circle which also illuminated the Circular Quay. This year the Vivid Sydney had added an additional one km of lights to achieve this record. Vivid Sydney Vivid Sydney is an annual outdoor lighting festival held in Sydney city of Australia. The festival includes immersive light installations and projections as well as performances from local and international musicians. The festival takes place over a period of three weeks in the winter months of May and June. The highlight of the festival are the light sculptures and multimedia interactive works that will transform various buildings and landmarks around the Sydney Central Business District such as Opera House, Harbour Bridge into a cohesive canvas of light.

35. Switzerland has ratified automatic exchange of financial account information with India and 40 other countries. This will facilitate Switzerland to share information about suspected black money with India and other 40 nations. According to the Swiss Federal Council, the implementation of the exchange sharing agreement has been planned for 2018 and hence the first set of data is likely to be exchanged in 2019. The Swiss Federal Council is a top governing body of Switzerland. The exact date of automatic information exchange would be notified by the Swiss Federal Council soon as there were no procedural delays for the implementation. However, the Swiss banks have started seeking new safeguards so as to protect the details of their clients against misuse that could expose them to crimes such as kidnapping or blackmail. So, the Swiss Council had stated that they will prepare a situation report before the first exchange of data. As per thr process, it will be ascertained whether the states and territories concerned have put in place a standard, especially those concerning confidentiality and data security. It will be assessed whether the democratic processes in these states and territories are robust or not and whether corruption is high or not etc.

36. Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who is hailed as the father of German unification has passed away. He was responsible for unifying Germany after the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall despite facing stiff resistance from Margaret Thatcher and Mikhail Gorbachev. East and West Germany were separated post World War II. After Soviet Union relinquished control of Eastern Europe, Helmunt Kohl worked towards unifying East and West Germany by giving constant assurances to the Western leaders that a united Germany posed no threat. Helmunt Kohl was the longest serving post-war chancellor of Germany since 1945. He served as chancellor for 16 years from 1982 to 1998. Initially Helmunt Kohl served as the chancellor of West Germany in 1982 and later became the chancellor of Germany after reunification in 1990. He was also the driving force behind the introduction of the euro currency in the Germany at a time when Germans were sceptical to give up their cherished deutschemark.

37. According to Reserve Bank of India (RBI), India’s current account deficit (CAD) narrowed during 2016-17 fiscal owing to a contraction in the country’s trade deficit. The CAD for the last fiscal narrowed down to 0.7% of the GDP from that of 1.1% in 2015-16 due to contraction in the trade deficit. Country’s trade deficit narrowed down to $112.4 billion in 2016-17 from $130.1 billion in 2015-16. Further, the net FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) inflows in 2016-17 also got narrowed to $35.6 billion from $36 billion during 2015-16.

The current account is the net difference between inflows and outflows of foreign currencies. Current Account transactions increase or decrease national income. It includes all transactions of export and import of goods and services, investment income, and unilateral transfers. It consists of two major items (a) merchandise exports (credit to home country) and imports (debit to home country) (b) invisible exports (sale of services) and imports (purchase of services). If the sum of all these transactions is negative then it is called as current account deficit (CAD)

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