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INDIAN AFFAIRS
India’s first railways disaster management centre in Bengaluru
India’s first railways disaster management village is expected to come up near Bengaluru by December 2018, where situations like trains falling into rivers and coaches catching fire will be replicated and mock rescue operations will be carried out in real time.
More Details about India’s first railways disaster management village in Bengaluru:
- The Railways Ministry has earmarked the 3.32-sqkm village of Hejjala, with a population of 3,483 people for this purpose.
- This Disaster Management Institute and Safety Village will be set up at a cost of Rs 44.42 crore.
- The village, about 25 km from Bengaluru, will also have a virtual reality centre for analysis of railway accidents….Click here to view more details
First tri-service “Indra” exercise to be conducted by India and Russia in Oct 2017
India and Russia will hold a major bilateral military exercise in October 2017 involving their armies, navies and the air forces for the first time to further ramp up defense ties. The exercise ‘Indra’, which will be held in Russia from 19th to 29th October 2017, will primarily focus on achieving coordination between forces of the two countries in a tri- services integrated theater command scenario.
Background Information:
- Russia has been a long-standing defense partner of India and both the countries are now eyeing to further deepen the ties.
- During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia in June 2017, both countries had decided to upgrade and intensify defence cooperation through joint manufacture, co-production and co-development of key military hardware and equipment.
- A vision document issued at the time of PM Modi’s visit to Russia stated that both the countries have decided to work towards a qualitatively higher level of military-to-military cooperation….click here to view more details
IMMSAREX: India, China to join Indian Ocean exercise in November
Despite growing tensions with China, the Indian Navy would join the Chinese Navy in the maiden International Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise (IMMSAREX) to be chaired by Bangladesh at the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) in November 2017.
i.International Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise (IMMSAREX) will be held in Bay of Bengal.
ii.In addition, Bangladesh is also scheduling an “extraordinary conclave of Chiefs,” a meeting of chiefs of Navy before it hands over the Chair to Iran next year.
About Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS):
i.The ‘Indian Ocean Naval Symposium’ (IONS) is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime co-operation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region by providing an open and inclusive forum for discussion of regionally relevant maritime issues.
ii.Countries are represented at IONS by their respective Navy chiefs.
iii.It was launched by India in February 2008.
iv.IONS presently has 23 members and nine observers.
India’s first online course on Infusion Therapy launched
Infusion Nurses Society (INS) is a global authority in infusion therapy has launched India’s first online course on Infusion Therapy for nurses on 13th of August 2017.
Key Points:
i.Under this programme it aims to train over 3,000 nurses in the vital medical procedure.
ii.Infusion therapy means the administration of a drug intravenously. It also refers to situations where drugs are provided through other non-oral routes, such as intramuscular injections and epidural routes.
iii.It will boost nurses even in rural parts of India. According to INS utilising the reach and ease of the digital platform, the course will enable members to access the various infusion therapy modules and presentations through its website.
iv.Nine of ten patients admitted in hospitals receive infusion therapy during the course of their stay for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes.
v.Infusion practices may lead to complications, causing an increase in mortality, morbidity, duration of hospital stay and healthcare costs.
vi.Such initiative is to provide healthcare professionals to intensify the best safety and quality practices in infusion management across the country.
GABRIEL CHUNDAN (SNAKE BOAT) is the winner OF 65TH NEHRU TROPHY BOAT RACE 2017
Gabriel Chundan, the snake boat powered by oarsmen of Thuruthippuram Boat Club has won the 65th edition of the prestigious Nehru Trophy held at the Punnamda Lake.
Key Points:
i.The oarsmen of ‘Gabriel Chundan’lifted the Nehru Trophy Boat Race.
ii.The members of the Ernakulam-based boat club dipped their oars in unison, leading the majestic ‘chundan’ (snake boat) to the finishing point, pushing fellow competitors behind.
iii.While‘Mahadevikkad Kattilthekkethil ‘came second, ‘Payippad’ and ‘Karichal’, last year’s winner, secured the third and fourth spots respectively as thousands of spectators gathered on the banks to cheer them, organisers said.
iv.Of the 78 boats, 24 were ‘chundans’ (snake boats), each with a carrying capacity of about 100 rowers.
v.Around 20 snake boats, known as ‘chundanvallam’ in local parlance, took part in five heats in the event, which is held on the second Saturday of August every year.
vi.A large number of spectators including foreigners thronged the banks of the lake to get a glimpse of the event, which is considered as one of the biggest water-sport events in the country.
vii.The Nehru trophy was instituted to commemorate the visit of the first Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to the area and his boat ride in the lake.
viii.Kerala Chief Minister PinarayiVijayan inaugurated the boat race.
Fete de Puducherry’ Festival celebrated in Puducherry
A three-day annual cultural festival named ‘Fete de Puducherry’ organized by the Government of India begins in Puducherry.
Key Points:
i.The festival is held in association with the South Zone Cultural Centre (Tamil Nadu) every year to bring to focus the multi-faceted cultural features of various states.
ii.Artistes from 11 states and the union territory of Puducherry will take part in ‘Fete de Puducherry.
iii.The festival holding started since 1985 as part of celebrating Independence Day and also Liberation Day of Puducherry.
iv.The fete is celebrated annually on the occasion of liberation day and the Independence Day of Pondicherry and India respectively.
v.From August 15th to August 17th the days are regarded as the Fete De Pondicherry and this create a heavy inflow of tourists in the Union Territory.
About Puducherry
Lieutenant Governor: Kiran Bedi
CM: V. Narayanasamy
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
African country to release Lord Krishna coin on Janmashtami
African country, The Republic of Chad will release a limited edition Lord Krishna silver coin on Janmashtami in commemoration of the 5,244th birth anniversary of the Hindu God.
- Numismatist Alok K Goyal, the designer of the coin informed that this full-dimensional 3D coins weighs 100 grams and is made of pure silver.
- He added that there will be 251 pieces made available for sale in the Indian market out of a total of 501.
- The price has been kept at Rs 25,555 per coin with free shipping within India.
More information about Lord Krishna coin to be released by The Republic of Chad:
- The Lord Krishna-themed coin has been decorated with more than 50 pieces of Swarovski crystals. It has a 3D figure of baby Krishna on a leaf. It is 65 mm in diameter and of 40 mm height.
- A special container made of bamboo has also been designed and made by artisans hailing from a small village of Malda, in West Bengal.
- Minted in Switzerland, the coin has been packed in an air tight dome shaped capsule.
Quick facts about The Republic of Chad:
Capital: N’Djamena
Currency: Central African CFA franc
Current President: Idriss Deby
World Health Organisation declares Somalia free of polio
UN World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared that in the last three years Somalia had not recorded any case of polio disease and announcing the country polio free on 13th of August 2017.
Key Points:
i.The WHO announced the country recorded the last case of polio in 2014 in the central part of the country but has since then remained free of the paralyzing disease.
ii.The head of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean, which covers Somalia, Mohamed Fiqiannounced that massive vaccination campaigns and commitment from government and international actors had ensured the polio virus did not recur in the Horn of Africa country.
iii.The polio programme in Somalia needs to continue to work to maintain and improve the level of population immunity against polio through target vaccination campaign.
iv.Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan are the remaining countries where polio is still being recorded.
v.On the other hand, the WHO chief warned Somalia remains at risk of importation of the virus from these countries.
vi.No child was affected by this disease from last 3 years.
About Somalia
Capital: Mogadishu
President: Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed
Prime Minister: Hassan Ali Khayre
BUSINESS
IIP output contracts 0.1% in June 2017
India’s Factory output fell to a four-year low and contracted by 0.1% in June 2017with poor performance of manufacturing and mining sectors.
Key Points:
i.Since June 2013 this is the lowest growth when the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) contracted by 1%. In June 2016, it had grown 8%.
ii.Manufacturing sector: It shows negative growth of 0.4% in June from previousMay 2017 as 1.2% .
iii.In Mining output: It signs positive by 0.4% in June.
iv.Electricity generation: It showed slow as 2.1% from May 2017 growth recorded 8.28 %.
v.Consumer durables output: It slow down by 2.1% in June 2017 from May 2017.
vi.Consumer non-durables production: It rose by 4.9%.
vii.Capital goods output: is a barometer of investment. It reduced by 6.8% in June 2017.
About Index of Industrial Production (IIP)
The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is an index for India which details out the growth of various sectors in an economy such as mineral mining, electricity and manufacturing.
The all India IIP is a composite indicator that measures the short-term changes in the volume of production of a basket of industrial products during a given period with respect to that in a chosen base period.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
New-found TRAPPIST-1 is older than our Solar System
As per new study published in The Astrophysical Journal, researchers have found that the TRAPPIST-1 star is between 5.4 and 9.8 billion years. This is up to twice as old as our own solar system, which formed some 4.5 billion years ago.
About TRAPPIST-1:
i.TRAPPIST-1 is a system of seven Earth-size planets orbiting an ultra-cool dwarf star about 40 light-years away.
ii.Three of the TRAPPIST-1 planets reside in the star’s “habitable zone,” the orbital distance where a rocky planet with an atmosphere could have liquid water on its surface.
iii.At the time of its discovery earlier this year, scientists believed the TRAPPIST-1 system had to be at least 500 million years old.
Norway has world’s fastest mobile Internet: Ookla
On August 15,2017 ,According to the global leader in broadband testing Ookla declared that Norway has the fastest mobile Internet in the world.
Key Points:
i.The Netherlands and Hungary are ranked number two and three on the list of the world’s fastest mobile networks.
ii.In only 13 months, Norway has jumped from 11th to first place on the list of world best providers of fast Internet connection.
iii.Ookla created the popular application Speedtest.net, where the users can measure the speed of their Internet connection at any time.
iv.According to their statistics, the average Internet connection speed of Norwegians’ mobile phones has increased by 69% during the last year and has speed of 52.6 megabits per second.
v.Telenor is one of the three operators in Norway that have built their own mobile networks which other operators are hiring.
About Norway
Capital: Oslo
PM: Erna Solberg
Currency: Norwegian Krone
US scientists develop first plant-based vaccine against Zika virus
Scientists have been successful in developing a plant-based Zika vaccine that could be more effective and economical to produce than other Zika medicines.
Key Points:
i.According to the researchers, experiments of immunisation on mice have showed a 100% success in triggering antibody and cellular immune response to protect against multiple Zika virus strains.
ii.According to reports, currently, there are no licensed vaccines or therapeutics available to combat Zika.
iii.The vaccine developed by researchers from Arizona State University (ASU) in the U.S.
iv.The new plant-based vaccine is safer and more economical than any other current alternative with equivalent effectiveness.
v.The vaccine is developed using tobacco plant, which targets a key protein called DIII.
vi.The domain III has a unique stretch of DNA for the Zika virus.
vii.It forms an envelope around the Zika virus and plays a vital role in helping the virus to infect people.
viii.The first world wide Zika virus in 2015, affecting millions as it targeted populations of America and led to birth of babies with microcephaly.
APPOINTMENT & RESIGNS
Santosh Sharma was appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL).He is at present Director (Operations) in the HCL.
Key Points:
i.The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved his appointment to the post for a period of five years, an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
ii.Emandi Sankara Rao has been appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of IFCI Ltd.
iii.He is at present working as Director and Chief Executive Officer of IIFCL Asset Management Company Ltd.
iv.Rao has been appointed to the post for a period of three years.
v.The ACC has also approved appointment of Debasis Jana as CMD of Andrew Yule and Co. Ltd (AYCL), Kolkata. He is working as Director (Planning) in the same company.
vi.He will serve for a period of five years.
ENVIRONMENT
Earths largest volcanic region discovered in Antarctica
The largest volcanic region on Earth, with nearly 100 volcanoes, has been discovered 2 km below the surface of the vast ice sheet in west Antarctica.
Key Notes:
i.These newly discovered volcanoes range in height from 100 to 3,850 metres, with the highest almost as tall as Switzerland’s 3,970 meters Eiger Mountain.
ii.These active peaks are concentrated in a region known as the west Antarctic rift system- which stretches 3,500 km from Antarctica’s Ross ice- shelf to the Antarctic Peninsula.
iii.Researchers from the University of Edinburgh in Britain found a staggering 91 previously unknown volcanoes, adding to the 47 others that had been discovered over the previous century of exploring the region.
El Nino aided in massive carbon dioxide release
On analysing data collected by National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) satellite, which measures level of carbon dioxide in atmosphere, scientists have found that the monster El Nino of 2014-16 caused over 3 billion tonnes of carbon to get released into the atmosphere, pushing carbon dioxide concentration to record levels.
What is El Nino?
- El Nino meansThe Little Boy, or Christ Child in Spanish. It is a complex phenomenon that causes waters to warm up in east-central Pacific Ocean, which in turn causes huge changes in wind directions bringing less rain to south-east Asia and the Indian subcontinent, while increasing rain in other parts of the world.
- El Nino effect typically last 9 to 12 months.
- It occurs on average every two to seven years…click here to view more details
SPORTS
On August 14, 2017, India claimed their first ever 3-0 series win overseas, beating Sri Lanka in the third and the final Test at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka by an innings and 171 runs.
- In the third and the final test match, Indian openers Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul set the tone with an aggressive 188-run partnership. In the lower order Hardik Pandya came up with a brilliant knock of 108 off 96 balls.
- On the third day of the final test match, Indian bowlers did not take much time to wrap up Sri Lanka’s second innings.
- Earlier, India won the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle by 304 runs and the second by an innings and 53 runs in Colombo. ..Click here to view more details
IMPORTANT DAYS
Pakistan hoists ‘largest’ national flag to mark 70th Independence Day
Pakistan on 14th of August celebrated its Independence Day. Pakistan hoisted a 400-feet high national flag, the largest in its history at the Attari-Wagah border to mark its 70th Independence Day.
Key Points:
i.Pakistan Army chief Gen QamarJavedBajwahoisted the flag at the border after midnight last night.
ii.The flag is 400-feet high and 120 feet by 80 feet in size. The flag is said to be the highest in South Asia and the 8th highest in the world.
iii.According to GeneralBajwa 77 years ago, Pakistan resolution was passed in the same city (Lahore).
iv.He also said the country is progressing on the path of the law and the constitution and all institutions are working properly. Pakistan will become the country of Quaid-e-Azam and AllamaIqbal.
v.Other speakers also paid rich tributes to those killed during migration to Pakistan.
vi.Earlier in March this year, the India hoisted a 360-foot-tall tricolour at the Wagah border.
vii.The flag could be spotted from Lahore in Pakistan. An estimated Rs 3.50 crore was on the flag by Punjab government.
viii.However, days later, strong winds tore down the flag and the authorities decided to take it down.
About Pakistan
Pakistan is officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistanis a country in South Asia and on junction of West Asia, Central Asiaand East Asia. It is the sixth-most populous country.
Capital: Islamabad
Largest city: Karachi
President: MamnoonHussain
PM: Shahid Khaqan Abbasi
Social Security Day
The Social Security day is being observed on 14th of August 2017.
Key Points:
i.Wherever a person and whatever a person do a small part of a greater society and there’s no better indicator of togetherness than a social security system, that is why everyone should celebrate Social Security Day.
ii.A good way to celebrate Social Security Day is to think about the more unfortunate members of society and do something for them.
