Current Affairs July 08, 2017

1. India ranks 23rd in Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2017

The second Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) has placed India at a high 23rd position out of 165 nations.

• The Index measures the commitment of nations across the world to cyber security.
• The GCI was released by the UN telecommunications agency International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
• Singapore ranked first in the Index.

2. Informal BRICS Leaders Meeting in Hamburg

The leaders of the 5 BRICS countries held an informal meeting on the sidelines of G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany.

• This was in run up to the forthcoming 9th BRICS Summit in September in Xiamen, China.
• In their interventions, the leaders discussed preparations and priorities for the forthcoming Xiamen BRICS Summit.

3. UNESCO puts city of Hebron on its heritage in danger list

UNESCO has declared the Old City of Hebron an endangered world heritage site, sparking outrage from Israel in a new spat at the international body.

• Meeting in Poland, the UN’s cultural arm voted 12 to three — with six abstentions — to give heritage status to Hebron’s Old City in the occupied West Bank, which is home to more than 200,000 Palestinians and a few hundred Israeli settlers.

4. Scheme for IPR Awareness – Creative India; Innovative India

Taking forward the National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy 2016, a ‘Scheme for IPR Awareness – Creative India; Innovative India’ has been launched by Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM) under the aegis of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.

• The Scheme aims at raising IPR awareness amongst students, youth, authors, artists, budding inventors and professionals to inspire them to create, innovate and protect their creations and inventions across India including Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3 cities as well as rural areas in the next 3 years.  

5. Regional Conference on “Good Governance and Replication of Best Practices”

A two-day Regional Conference on “Good Governance and Replication of Best Practices” involving 12 States and 4 UTs of Northern, Western and Central Region of India was held, at Nainital.

• The Conference was organized on July 7-8, 2017, by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India, in collaboration with the Government of Uttarakhand & Administrative Training Institute (ATI), Nainital.

6. Nalco, IDCO to set up Aluminium Park in Odisha

Nalco, in collaboration with Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO), is setting up the first of its kind Aluminium Park in Angul, Odisha.

• Investment to the tune of Rs 180 crore will be made on infrastructure of the project which is expected to generate 15,000 jobs. 
• Odisha currently contributes about 54 per cent of India’s total aluminium smelting capacity.

7. Indian Ambassador to Peru appointed New York Consul General

India’s Ambassador to Peru Sandeep Chakravorty has been appointed as the head of the Indian consulate in New York.

• The 1996 Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer will replace Riva Ganguly Das as Consul General in one of the busiest Indian diplomatic missions overseas.

8. Indian-origin man awarded Australia's highest civilian award

Guruswamy Jayraman, a 69-year-old Glenwood resident who migrated from Delhi to Australia in 1991, has been awarded Order of Australia for community work, the highest civilian award in Australia.

• He works as a senior accountant with Woollahra Municipal Council for a living and has been devoting most of his spare time in community work for the last 25 years.