 CAG has announced that Comptroller and Auditor General Rajiv Mehrishi has become the Vice-Chair of the UN Panel of Auditors. The United Nations Panel of Auditors consists of External Auditors of the United Nations and its agencies. Currently, the panel is chaired by the Comptroller and Auditor General of the UK, Sir Amyas Morse. The panel also elected the Comptroller and Auditor General of the UK as Chair of the Panel for another term (2019). |
| Source- The Hindu Business Line |
 President Ram Nath Kovind is on a state visit to Myanmar. He dedicated – India assisted project ‘Advanced Centre for Agricultural Research & Education’ (ACARE) – to the people of Myanmar. The project focuses on Genetics, Post Harvest Technology, Participatory Knowledge Management and capacity building for farmers in Myanmar. Earlier, President Ram Nath Kovind dedicated the Advanced Centre for Agricultural Research and Education to the people of Myanmar. It was established as per an MOU between both the countries for research and capacity building of Myanmar students and scientists. The programme is run by IARI. The President also dedicated the Rice Bio-Park to the people of Myanmar. |
| Source- DD News |
 Manika Batra won the ‘Breakthrough Table Tennis Star’ award at the prestigious International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Star Awards in Incheon, South Korea. India coach Massimo Costantini won Table Tennis Star Coach award. Achievements of Manika Batra So Far: In Gold Coast, Manika guided India to their first-ever gold medal in the Women’s Team event and then went on to win the first gold in women’s singles category. She even bagged a silver with Mouma Das in women’s doubles and a bronze with Sathiyan Gnanasekaran in the mixed doubles category. |
| Source: India Today |
 India signed an ascension pact to the 30-member Trans-Regional Maritime Network that will give it an access to the information on ships passing through the Indian Ocean Region. India already has bilateral White Shipping Agreements with 36 countries. The pact will give India the access to information on ships which pass through the Indian Ocean region that will greatly help the security forces in keeping a tab on any suspicious activity, an official said. |
| Source- The Economic Times |
 A Swedish think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)announced that Russia has emerged as the world’s second-largest arms producer after the United States. Russia surpassed Britain, which had held that spot since 2002 and remains Western Europe’s No. 1 arms maker. SIPRI announced in its annual report on the world’s 100 biggest armaments groups that the combined arms sales of Russian companies amounted to $37.7 billion in 2017, an 8.5 percent rise from a year earlier. Russia’s sales accounted for 9.5 percent of a worldwide total of $398.2 billion. |
| Source- The Economic Times |
 The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2018 was released on the sidelines of a UN summit on global warming. As per the Index, Sweden has topped the list while India was on 11th position. The European Union as a whole rose from 21st to 16th place, but its biggest economy, Germany, fell from 22nd to 27th because of its reliance on lignite coal, a big source of greenhouse gas emissions. Saudi Arabia came last, in 60th place, partly due to its obstructive role during international climate negotiations. |
| Source- Times Now |
 Indian Navy inducted its first Submarine Rescue System with Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV) along with associated equipment at western naval dockyard in Mumbai, Maharashtra (west coast of India). It is first of the two non-tethered DSRVs ordered by Indian Navy. With this, India joined select list of international navies (US, Russia, Japan, South Korea, China, Singapore UK, Sweden and Australia). Its induction will enhance Indian Navy’s operational capabilities for search, locate and provide assistance to downed or disaster-struck or distressed submarines at high sea. |
| Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV) The vehicles are developed by Scotland-based JFD, a part of James Fisher and Sons Plc In March, 2016. JFD had won the contract of 193 million pounds for supply of two sets of non-tethered DSRV and 25 years of maintenance. These DSRVs are third-generation system, considered to be most advanced system currently in operation globally. It is capable of undertaking rescue from a disabled submarine up to 650 metres depth. It is operated by a crew of three, can rescue 14 personnel from disabled submarine at time. DSRVs complete with associated kit in fly away configuration, can be crucial in quickly locating submarines through vast expanse of sea and can be mobilised by air and water for rapid rescue. It can be deployed at short notice for providing assistance to submarines in distress. Indian Navy two DSRVs will be based on West and East Coast of India respectively. The first DSRV will be operated and deployed by crew of Indian Navy’s newly formed Submarine Rescue Unit (West) from its base in Mumbai. The second DSRV is out for delivery and is expected to reach Visakhapatnam soon. It will be operational by April 2019. |
| Background Indian Navy currently operates 16 submarines of Sindhughosh, Shishumar and Kalvari classes as well as nuclear powered submarines. The operating medium and nature of operations undertaken by submarines expose them to high degree of inherent risk. In such eventuality, traditional methods of search and rescue at sea are ineffective for disabled submarine in deep waters. To overcome this capability gap Indian Navy has acquired third generation, advanced Submarine Rescue System considering of Non-tethered Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) and its associated equipment. |
 According to data released by Central Statistics Office (CSO), factory output measured in terms of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) grew 8.1% in October 2018 as against 4.5% in September 2018. The growth was aided by favourable base effect and robust output in all key sectors—manufacturing, electricity and mining. IIP is the closest approximation for measuring economic activity in the country’s business landscape. |
| Breakaway of October 2018 IIP Sector wise Performance: Manufacturing sector output grew 7.9% in October 2018 from 4.6% in September 2018 and 2% a year ago. Electricity production growth grew to 10.8% in October from 8.6% in September 2018 and 3.2% a year ago. Mining activity grew to 7% in October 2018 from 0.2% in September 2018 from de-growth of (-) 0.2% last year. Use-based Performance: Primary goods grew by 6.0%, intermediate goods by 1.8% and infrastructure/construction goods by 8.7% as compared to growth in October 2017. Consumer durables output also grew 17.6%, from 5.2% in September 2018, indicating higher production during the festive season. Consumer non-durables grew 7.9% in October 2018 as compared to 6.1% in September 2018. |
| Index of Industrial Production (IIP) IIP is composite indicator that measures short-term changes in volume of production of basket of industrial products during given period with respect to chosen base period. It is compiled and published monthly by Central Statistical Organization (CSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). Its base year is 2011-12. It comprises 407 individual items. Sector wise, the items included falls into 3 categories viz. Manufacturing (405 items), Mining (1 items) & Electricity (1 item). he weights of the three sectors are 77.63%, 14.37%, 7.9% respectively. The combined weightage of 8 core Industries in IIP is 40.27%. In use wise composition 407 individual items are divided into basic goods, capital goods, intermediate goods and consumer goods. Further, consumer goods is divided into consumer durables and consumer non-durables. In this case maximum weight is of basic goods, followed by Consumer Goods, followed by Intermediate and Capital Goods. |
 Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its Outlook Supplement has retained India’s growth forecast at 7.3% for current fiscal (2018-19) and 7.6% in following financial year (2019-20). It held that India is maintaining growth momentum on rebounding exports and higher industrial and agricultural output. |
| Key Facts India saw GDP growth moderate to 7.1% in Q2 of FY2018 (ending March 31, 2019) from 8.2%in Q1. The slowdown came mainly from food prices, rising oil prices delivering negative shock in terms of trade, lower rural consumption, and rising costs for raw materials. But growth forecasts of 7.3% for 2018-19 and 7.6% for 2019-20 are retained from update despite some downside risks. |
| Asian Development Bank (ADB) ADB is a regional development bank based out of Asia. It aims to promote social and economic development in Asia by achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. It was established in December 1966. It is headquartered at Ortigas Centre in Manila, Philippines. It has total 67 members, of which 48 are from within Asia and the Pacific and 19 outside. |
 Uttar Pradesh based startup HelpUsGreen has been honored by UN for its works to clean River Ganga by recycling tonnes of floral waste. UN presented the award to the 14 other countries along with India at the Nations Climate Action award ceremony during the UN Climate Change Conference in Katowice. |
| How It Works? The startup collects the floral waste daily from the temples. These flowers are then recycled to produce charcoal free incense, organic vermicompost and biodegradable packaging material through Flowercycling technology. According to UN the startup flower cycled 11060 metric tonnes of temple waste by the women working with the startup. According to data, more than 800 million metric tonnes of flowers are used in temple and these flowers are thrown into the Ganga river. The river filled with lots of waste, toxins and pesticides dumped into it, eventually lead to pollution and water borne diseases. |
| HelpUsGreen HelpUsGreen started as world’s first profitable solution to the waste problem created by flowers in monumental temple. Total of 8.4 tons of floral waste is collected by the startup everyday from the temples in Uttar Pradesh. The startup helped 1260 women who have been supporting the startup and 19 children whose mother works at manual scavengers started going to school. |
You need to login to perform this action.
You will be redirected in
3 sec
