SH- Current Affairs Update 23rd, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants,

 India ranks 81 in global corruption perception index

The 2017 corruption perception index, released by anti-graft watchdog Transparency International, has ranked India at 81 among 180 countries and territories.

• India’s score in 2017 is 40 — the same as 2016, and an increase since 2015, when it was 38.
• The index says New Zealand and Denmark are the least corrupt countries, while Syria, Sudan and Somalia figure are ranked the most corrupt.
• Among BRICS nations, South Africa has been ranked the least corrupt (71), while Russia (135) is the most corrupt.

International Mother Language Day

International Mother Language Day (IMLD) is a worldwide annual observance held on 21 February to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and promote multilingualism.

• First announced by UNESCO on 17 November 1999, it was formally recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in a resolution establishing 2008 as the International Year of Languages.

Indian scientists develop next generation technology loop to generate clean energy

Indian scientists have developed a super critical carbon di oxide Brayton test loop facility that would help generate clean energy from future power plants including solar thermal.

• This next generation technology loop was developed indigenously by Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
• This is India’s first test-bed for next generation, efficient, compact, waterless super critical carbon dioxide Brayton cycle test loop for power generation.
• The technology is perhaps the first test loop coupled with solar heat source in the world. 

SH- Current Affairs Update 22nd, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants,

 India, Indonesia joint military drill begins

The Indian and Indonesian armies began the sixth edition of their annual military exercises in the West Java province of the archipelago country.

• The opening ceremony of the two-week Garuda Shakti military drill between the Special Forces of the Indian Army and the Indonesian Army was held at Bandung.
• Indian Ambassador to Indonesia Pradeep Kumar Rawat attended the opening ceremony along with Indonesian military officers.

Nadda addresses Global Digital Health Partnership Symposium at Australia

“Digital health has great potential towards reducing inequity in provisioning and distribution of healthcare resources and services and it can greatly facilitate proactive treatment for disabled patients, children with developmental delays and deformities and people suffering from mental health illnesses and for those suffering from stigmatic infections such as HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis.” This was stated by Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare during his address at the Global Digital Health Partnership Symposium at Sydney, Australia.

• The Union Health Minister spoke on the topic: The role of digital health in supporting improved health outcomes in India.
• The Union Health Minister informed the participants that the National Health Policy (2017) of India clearly articulates the healthcare aspirations of people of India with three distinct goals.

Government sets up the “NITI Forum for Northeast”

The Union Government has issued order setting up the ‘Niti Forum for North-East’.

• The forum will be co-chaired by the Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog and Minister of State (I/C), Ministry of Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER).
• The forum will have its Secretariat in the Ministry of DoNER.
• The NITI Forum for Northeast is tasked to identify various constraints on the way of accelerated, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in the North East Region of the country and to recommend suitable interventions for addressing identified constraints.   
• It will also review the development status in the NER.

SH- Current Affairs Update 21st, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants,

 World Day of Social Justice: 20 February 

Social Equality Justice day is observed every year on 20th February. 

• It is a day recognizing the need to promote efforts to tackle issues such as poverty, exclusion and unemployment.
• The theme of World Day of Social Justice 2018 is “Workers on the Move: the Quest for Social Justice.”

Mandarin approved as official language of Pakistan

The Pakistani Senate has approved a motion to declare Mandarin as one of the official languages of Pakistan.

• The motion said the step was necessary in view of ties between Pakistan and China.
• Punjabi, which is widely spoken in Punjab province of Pakistan, Pashto and many other native languages have not been declared official languages of the country.

Prime Minister to inaugurate Uttar Pradesh Investor’s Summit in Lucknow

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate two–day Uttar Pradesh Investors’ Summit 2018 in Lucknow.

• While the PM will inaugurate the summit on February 21, President Ram Nath Kovind will be present at the closing ceremony. 
• The event has been organized by Uttar Pradesh Government to showcase the investment opportunities and potential in the state.
• Seven nations – Finland, Netherlands, Japan, Czech Republic, Thailand, Slovakia and Mauritius have been identified as country partners for the event.

SH- Current Affairs Update 20th, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants,

 J P Nadda addresses Global Digital Health Partnership Summit

“Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has great potential towards improvement of delivery of healthcare services. This was stated by Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare during his address at Global Digital Health Partnership Summit, at Canberra, Australia.

• India is committed to reforms in health service delivery using ICT under Digital India Program of Government of India.”
• The Union Health Minister spoke on the topic: Making Digital Health Services a Priority in Healthcare Reform.

UK and India upgrade joint research on clean water and clean energy  

UK-India research projects on ‘Water Quality Research’ and ‘Energy Demand Reduction in Built Environment’ were launched by Dr V K Saraswat, Member, National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog, Professor Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST) India and Daniel Shah, Director, Research Councils UK (RCUK) India.

• The ‘Water Quality Research’ programme has eight projects and ‘Energy Demand Reduction in Built Environment’ programme has four projects, with a total joint investment of up to £15 million.
• These projects aim to deliver mutual benefits and research solutions not only to the UK and India but also to address shared global sustainable development goals – clean water and clean energy.

PM addresses at the World Conference on IT

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on February 19, addressed World Congress on Information Technology in Hyderabad via Video Conference.

• This event is being held in India for the first time.
• It has been organized in partnership with NASSCOM, WITSA and the Government of Telangana.

SH- Current Affairs Update 19th, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants,

PM Narendra Modi lays foundation stone of Navi Mumbai International Airport

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone of the New Mumbai International Airport.

• He performed the Bhumi Poojan ceremony for the upcoming airport.
• The prime minister highlighted the importance of transportation in the faster growth of the economy. He said that to keep with globalisation it is important to get top quality infrastructure.
• On Sagarmala project, he said it will help in ushering in port-led development.

PM Narendra Modi opens Rs 7,900-crore fourth terminal at JNPT 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the first phase of the Rs 7,900-crore 4th terminal project of the JNPT to the nation, which will raise the cargo handling capacity of the nation's largest container port by 50 per cent.

• The fourth terminal project seeks to double JNPT's capacity to nearly 10 million standard container units and will make it the 33rd biggest port globally.
• The nation's largest port JNPT has a capacity of 4.8 million standard container units capacity now. On completion of the second phase by 2022, total capacity will go up to almost 10 million.

MP govt to host Khajuraho Dance Festival

Myriad forms of classical dance in India will be on dispaly at a festival beginning in Khajuraho from February 20.

• The week-long Khajuraho Dance Festival at the temple town in Chhatarpur district is being organised by the culture department of the Madhya Pradesh government.
• The February 20-26 festival will showcase classical dances including Kathak, Odissi, Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali and Mohiniattam.

Magnetic Maharashtra investors summit inaugurated

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Global Investors’ Summit at “Magnetic Maharashtra: Convergence 2018 at the MMRDA grounds at Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex.

• This summit is Maharashtra’s first Global Investors Summit and is said to be on the lines of Make In India initiative by PM Modi.
• PM will next inaugurate the Wadhwani Institute for Artifical Intelligence at the University of Mumbai.

SH- Current Affairs Update 18th, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants,

 China's Qingdao to host SCO summit in June

East China's Qingdao City will host the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in June this year.

• Shandong is the birthplace of many ancient Chinese thinkers, including Confucius. In 2017, its GDP exceeded 7.2 trillion yuan.
• The summit has China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan as full members.

List of MoUs signed during the visit of President of Iran to India

President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani arrived in India on a three-day State visit. He has signed these MoUs with India:

• Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation
• MoU on Exemption from Visa requirement for holders of Diplomatic Passports.
• Exchange of Instrument of Ratification of Extradition Treaty.
• Lease Contract for Shahid Beheshti Port- Phase 1 of Chabahar during Interim Period between Port and Maritime Organization (PMO), Iran and India Ports Global Limited (IPGL).
• MoU on Cooperation in the field of Traditional Systems of Medicine.
• MoU on the establishment of an Expert Group on Trade Remedy Measures to promote cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
• MoU on Cooperation in the field of Agriculture and Allied Sectors.
• MoU on Cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine.
• MoU on Postal Cooperation.

India's defence budget breaks into world's top 5: UK report

India's defence budget broke into the world's top five, beating the UK for the first time, a new report by a London-based global think-tank has said.

• India overtook the UK as the fifth-largest defence spender in the world in 2017 at $52.5 billion, up from $51.1 billion in 2016, according to the 'Military Balance 2018' report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
• In contrast, the UK's defence budget fell from $52.5 billion in 2016 to $50.7 billion last year.
• World's top five defence spenders are the US, China, Saudi Arabia, Russia and India.

SH- Current Affairs Update 17th, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants,

 MoU between Botanical Survey of India and Natural History Museum, UK  

Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and Natural History Museum (NHM), UK signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in the field of genetic/taxonomic studies, research and training, conservation in India, including species and habitat conservation assessments, etc. 

• NHM will help BSI in capacity building in areas of systematic botany and long-term conservation of plant genetic resources in India.

ISRO planning to launch Chandrayaan-2 mission around April this year

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said that Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to launch Chandrayan-2 Mission around April this year.

• Chandrayaan-2 is the country's second mission to the moon, he added.
• He was addressing a press conference on the achievements of Department of Space and Department of Atomic Energy. 
• Chandraayan-2 is a challenging mission as for the first time we will carry an orbiter, a lander and a rover to the moon.

National Conference “Agriculture 2022- Doubling Farmers’ Income”

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) is organizing a National Conference under the title of “Agriculture 2022 – Doubling Farmers’ Income” at National Agriculture Science Complex (NASC), Pusa, New Delhi. 

• It is a two days conference scheduled on 19th and 20th February, 2018.
• The Conference is being organized on the advice of the Hon’ble Prime Minister with a view to identify various critical issues relating to agriculture and farmers’ welfare and finding appropriate solutions.
• The main aim of the conference is to build a consensus around appropriate recommendations that will help in shaping and sharpening the vision of the Government on Doubling Farmers’ Income by 2022 into actionable points.