Current Affairs

 India Women's Cricket Team Coach Tushar Arothe has stepped down from the role citing personal reasons, as per the announcement by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Under his stint, the team reached the final of the ICC Women's World Cup in 2017. In 2018, the team won the three-match One Day International (ODI) series and five-match T20I series in South Africa.
Source- ANI News

 Satyarup Siddhanta has become the second Indian mountaineer after Malli Mastan Babu to climb Mt Ojos del Salado, the highest volcano in the world. Ojos del Salado is a stratovolcano (a volcano built up of alternate layers of lava and ash) in the Andes on the Argentina-Chile border and the highest active volcano in the world at 6,893 metres (22,615 ft).  Satyarup is also set to be the first Indian to climb Mt Sidley, the highest volcano of Antarctica, which will help him realise the dream of scaling seven summits and seven volcanic summits.
Source- The Economic Times

 Gujarat Government’s Industries and Mines Department has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) to strengthen trade, industrial relations. KOTRA is national trade and investment promotion organisation operated by South Korea Government.
  • Key Facts
The MoU was signed with aim to recognize mutual desire to further enhance and strengthen India (Gujarat) and South Korea trade and industrial investment relations and encourage ongoing dialogue and cooperation. Under this MoU, both Industries Department of Gujarat and KOTRA will assist each other to provide in-market support. The priority sectors in focus under this MoU are chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceuticals; new and renewable energy; start-up ecosystem; textiles and apparels; urban infrastructure; Food Processing and Agro related industries; Skill Training and Development; Automobile, etc.
  • Background
Gujarat is a leading destination for foreign investment and bilateral trade. It is a key contributor to India-South Korea economic relationship. Gujarat’s export to South Korea was around $1 Billion in 2017-18, which is approximately 25% of India’s total export to South Korea. In recent past, South Korean companies in the field of manufacturing, textiles and chemicals have also expressed interest in investing in Gujarat.

World Population Day was established by the then-governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989. The theme of WPD 2018 is 'Family Planning is a Human Right'. This day seeks to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues.  This year marks the 50th anniversary of the 1968 International Conference on Human Rights, where family planning was, for the first time, globally affirmed to be a human right. 
Source- The United Nations

 India has become the world's sixth-biggest economy, pushing France into seventh place, according to updated World Bank figures for 2017. India's gross domestic product (GDP) amounted to $2.597 trillion at the end of 2017, against $2.582 trillion for France.
The world's top 3 economies are:
  •  The United States, 
  •  China, 
  •  Japan. 
  • Source- The Economic Times

     For the second year in a row, Andhra Pradesh has been ranked as the easiest Indian state to do business in, according to a survey. The Chandrababu Naidu-led state took the pole position in the rankings for Ease of Doing Business that was released by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion and Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Delhi. Telangana came second followed by Haryana, Jharkhand and Gujarat. The north-eastern state of Meghalaya was ranked lowest at 36th. 
    Ease Of Doing Business Rankings: 
    Sl.No. STATE SCORE
    1. Andhra Pradesh 98.4
    2. Telangana 98.3
    3. Haryana 98.1
    4. Jharkhand 98.0
    5. Gujarat 98.0
        Source- The Livemint

     The Global Innovation Index (GII) has ranked India as the 57th most innovative nation in the world. The country has improved its ranking from 60th position in 2017. India has been improving steadily since it was ranked 81st in 2015. Meanwhile, China improved its ranking from 22 in 2017 to 17 this year.  The GII is being developed jointly by Cornell University, the Paris-based business school Insead and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in Geneva. GII ranks 126 economies based on 80 indicators.
    The Top 3 Countries in Global Innovation Index are: 
  •  Switzerland, 
  •  The Netherlands, 
  •  Sweden. 
  • Source- The Economic Times 

     India’s first private sector unit for manufacturing Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV) and light bullet proof vehicles (LBPV) will be set up by DCM Shriram Industries Group on the campus of Shriram Rayons in Kota, Rajasthan. The new defence unit of Shriram Rayons in Kota is being set up under ‘Make in India’ initiative of the union government. 
    Source- The Hindustan Times

     The Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has organised a two-day International Round Table Conference on 'Data for New India' in New Delhi. The objective of the Round Table Conference was to identify innovative ideas for improving the statistical system in India, taking cue from the best practices followed in advanced countries like Canada, UK and Australia. Such a Conference was organized in India for the first time. The Conference was inaugurated by D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Union Minister of Statistics & Programme Implementation.
    Source- Press Information Bureau (PIB)

     The telecom ministry approved the merger of Vodafone India and Idea Cellular Ltd. that will create thecountry’s largest mobile services operator. The Department of Telecom has cleared the Vodafone-Idea merger, but both companies will have to meet conditions for final approval. The department has asked Idea Cellular to pay Rs 3,926 crore in cash for Vodafone spectrum and furnish a bank guarantee of Rs 3,342 crore. The combined operations of Idea and Vodafone will create the country’s largest telecom operator worth over $23 billion (or over Rs 1.5 lakh crore). Vodafone will own 45.1% stake in the combined entity, while Kumar Mangalam Birla-led Aditya Birla Group and Idea shareholders would have 26% and 28.9%, respectively.
    Source- The Bloomberg


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