Current Affairs

 South Korean President Moon Jae-in was in India on a four-day visit from July 8 to July 11, 2018. This was his first visit to India. He was accompanied by First Lady Kim Jung-sook. 
Here are the main events that took place during the visit: 
  • President Moon attended the India-Korea business forum: Korean President Moon Jae-in spoke at the India-Korea Business Forum. This was organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). 
  • Inaugurated World's Largest Mobile Factory In Noida: PM Narendra Modi and South Korean President Moon Jae-in visited Noida and inaugurated the New Mobile Manufacturing Plant of Samsung at Noida. Notably, it is the world's largest mobile factory. Samsung has Invested close to 5,000 Crore Rupees in this plant and aims to Manufacture 12 Crore Mobile Handsets annually which will result in massive job creation. 
  • India & South Korea Signed 5 MoUs In Field Of Science and Technology: India and South Korea have signed five MoUs in the field of Science and Technology in New Delhi. Science and Technology Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan and his South Korean counterpart You Young Min signed three MoUs which are Programme of Cooperation 2018-21, Establishment of Future Strategy Group and Cooperation in Biotechnology and Bio-economy. 
  • India, South Korea Ink 11 MoUs: India and South Korea signed 11 MOUs during South Korean President Moon Jae-in's visit to India. The MoUs signed between the two countries are:  i. Upgraded Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) was signed to facilitate ongoing negotiations on upgrading the India-RoK (Republic of Korea) CEPA by identifying key areas for trade liberalization (including shrimp, molluscs and processed fish). ii. An MoU on trade remedies was signed for cooperation in the area of trade remedies such as anti-dumping, subsidy, countervailing and safeguard measures through consultations and exchange of information.
  • India-Korea Technology Exchange Centre Inaugurated: The India-Korea Technology Exchange Centre was inaugurated by the Minister of State (I/C) MSME Giriraj Singh and Minister of SMEs and Start-ups of Republic of Korea, Hong Jong- hak in New Delhi. The purpose of the Technology Exchange Centre is to create a platform for micro, small and medium enterprises of India and Korea where they can be assisted to identify and exchange latest technologies, share management expertise, product development and technology applications for product development.
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     The Telecom Commission has approved the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) net neutrality recommendations that bar service providers from discriminating against internet content and services by blocking, throttling or granting them higher speed access. The decision that aims to ensure open and free Internet in the country was taken at a meeting of the Commission, the highest decision-making body in the Department of Telecommunication in New Delhi.  
    • What is Net Neutrality?
    Net neutrality is a principle that requires the Internet service providers to treat all content on the Internet equally without favouring or withholding access to certain websites, services or apps or charging differently based on the user, content, website or platform. The rules aim to give consumers equal access to web content and prevent broadband providers from favouring their own content. 
    Source- The Times of India

     The Railways has launched its first consolidated Bridge Management System, a web-enabled IT application to store data on its one lakh 50 thousand bridges. Railways Minister Piyush Goyal launched the service in New Delhi for “meaningful assimilation, analysis and dissemination of information related to various activities” about its bridges. Mr Goyal also distributed awards to the Station Beautification competition. Balharshah and Chandrapur railway stations in Maharashtra from the Central Railway were awarded the first prize while Madhubani station of the East Central Railway and Madurai station of Southern Railway were the co-winners of the second prize.
    Source- DD News

     Reliance Industries Chairman and India's richest person Mukesh Ambani dethroned Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba's Co-founder Jack Ma to become Asia's richest person as RIL shares hit an all-time high. Ambani's net worth now stands at $44.3 billion as compared to Jack Ma's $44 billion wealth, according to Bloomberg. Ambani has added $4 billion to his wealth this year.
    Source- The Bloomberg

     Airtel Payments Bank has received requisite approvals from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to begin taking new customers. Also, Aadhaar-issuing authority UIDAI has allowed it to use the 12-digit unique identification number-based e-KYC. The development comes nearly seven months after Airtel, along with Airtel Payments Bank, came under fire for allegedly opening payments bank accounts of its mobile subscribers without their consent. RBI thereafter had directed Airtel Payments Bank not to on-board new customers while Aadhaar-issuing body UIDAI had suspended the e-KYC licence of both Airtel and the payments bank. 
    Source- The Livemint

     Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has launched fortnightly video contest “Jal Bachao, Video Banao, Puruskar Pao”. The contest aims to engage with people of the country on the important issues of water conservation and water management. For running this contest, Ministry has joined hands with MyGov portal (www.mygov.in). The contest will last till 4th November 2018 and three winners will be chosen every fortnight.
    • Jal Bachao, Video Banao, Puruskar Pao
    In this contest, participants can make and upload videos by capturing efforts, significant contributions, best practices in the field of water conservation, water resource development and management and optimum water utilization in different parts of the country. They can also submit any innovative advertisement or commercial on water Conservation. It should be uploaded on YouTube and share publicly accessible link of it on video link section of MyGov contest page. The duration of video should be minimum 2 minutes and up to 10 minutes. It should be either in Hindi, English or any other regional language. It must not violate any provision of Copyright Act, 1957 or Intellectual Property Rights of any third party. The participants will be judged on basis of elements of creativity, originality, composition, technical excellence, artistic merit, quality of video, content and visual impact. The prize amount for first, second and third positions is Rs 25,000, Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively.

     According to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) latest ‘Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/ GM Crops in 2017’ report, India with 11.4 million hectares (mh) has world’s fifth largest area cultivated under genetically modified (GM) crops in 2017.  India’s entire GM crop area is under single crop BT Cotton incorporating genes from Bacillus thuringiensis or Bt soil bacterium coding for resistance against heliothis bollworm insect pests.
    • Key Highlights of report
    United States has highest area under transgenic crops, at 75 mh. It is followed by Brazil (50.2 mh), Argentina’s (23.6 mh) and Canada (13.1 mh). In 2017, farmers across the world have planted 189.8 mh under transgenic crops. This is as against 1.7 mh in 1996, the year when transgenic crops were grown commercially for the first time. The highest share in world’s total 189.8 mh GM crop area in 2017 is of soyabean (94.1 mh), followed by maize (59.7 mh), cotton (24.1 mh), canola (10.2 mh), alfalfa (1.2 mh) and sugar-beet (0.50 mh). The GM traits of these crops (due to introduction of alien genes into host plants) included both insect-resistance and tolerance for application of glyphosate herbicide.

     Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoUHA) has launched Technology Challenge: Identifying solutions for cleaning of Sewerage Systems and Septic Tanks to promote suitable techniques for cleaning sewers and septic tanks it to eliminate need for human entry in them.
    • Key Features of Challenge
    The main objective of the challenge is to eliminate human intervention in cleaning of sewers and septic tanks. It also aims to identify technological as well as business process innovations to avoid human intervention in cleaning of sewers and septic tanks. It will also endorse viable business models that are suitable for different size, geographies, and class of cities. The challenge will be conducted for two separate categories. Category A: technological solutions for cleaning and maintenance of sewerage systems to eliminate need for human entry, Category B: technological solutions for cleaning and maintenance of septic tanks to eliminate need for human entry. The challenge will be part of Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention that will be held on October 2, 2018. Individual innovators, consortium partners, companies, academic institutions, R&D centers, NGOs, Parastatal and municipal bodies can participate in this challenge. Special jury comprising experts from MoUHA, faculty from IITs/IIMs and representatives of leading civil society groups will evaluate and scrutinize the technological solutions submitted by participants. They will broad criteria for evaluation of proposals will take into considerations, operational effectiveness of technology, life or durability of machinery, ease of use (automation), ease of availability and economies of scale, adaptability and Versatility, made in India and lastly environmentally sustainability.

     The UN Security Council adopted a resolution 2427, aimed at a framework for mainstreaming protection, rights, well-being and empowerment of children throughout the conflict cycle. Resolution 2427, which won unanimous approval of the 15 members of the council, strongly condemns the recruitment and use of children by parties to armed conflict as well as their re-recruitment, killing and maiming, rape and other forms of sexual violence, abductions. The council was chaired by Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven. 
    Source- The Livemint

     India and the United Kingdom signed an agreement on the exchange of experience by legal professionals and government functionaries for resolution of disputes before various courts and tribunals. The agreement was signed by Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and UK’s Secretary of State for Justice David Gauke in London.  The MoU sought to enhance bilateral cooperation in legal affairs which would provide a framework for promoting greater cooperation between the judicial and legal professionals in both countries through the exchange of expertise and training. 
    Source- AIR World Service


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