9446331522 TPS 18 DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS...
Transcript of 9446331522 TPS 18 DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS...
World Affairs
Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) ...................................................... 1
World Conference on Tourism and Culture .................................................................. 2
International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development ......................................... 2
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank ........................................................................... 2
2+2 dialogue process .................................................................................................... 3
Economy
National Highway Authority of India ............................................................................. 3
Blue Chip Companies .................................................................................................... 4
Science and Technology
Juno Mission ................................................................................................................. 4
Also in news
Hezabollah .................................................................................................................... 5
Tuberculosis .................................................................................................................. 5
1. WORLD AFFAIRS 1.1. INDIAN TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION (ITEC)
Why in news?
India had increased training slots under Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC)
Programme from 200 to 310 annually to Nigeria, which also include short-term training
programmes in agriculture and allied sectors.
More about ITEC
The ITEC Programme, fully funded by the Government of India and its sister
programme SCAAP (Special Commonwealth African Assistance
Programme), facilitate the development of 161 countries in Asia, Africa, East
Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean as well as Pacific and Small Island
countries.
These countries are invited to share in the Indian developmental experience through
different initiatives.
The ITEC/SCAAP Programme has the following components :
o Training (civilian and defence) in India of nominees from ITEC partner
countries
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TPS 18 DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS Date: 13-12-2017
o Projects and project related activities such as feasibility studies and
consultancy services
o Deputation of Indian experts abroad
o Study Tours
o Gifts/Donations of equipment at the request of ITEC partner countries
o Aid for Disaster Relief.
The ITEC Programme is essentially bilateral in nature. However, in recent years,
ITEC resources have also been used for cooperation programmes conceived in
regional and inter-regional context.
Ministry of External Affairs oversee the program.
1.2. WORLD CONFERENCE ON TOURISM AND CULTURE
Why in news?
UN World Tourism Organization/UNESCO organized the World Conference on Tourism and
Culture in Muscat (Capital City of Oman), with focus on sustainable development.
More about the Conference
The conference aims to bring together Ministers of Tourism and Ministers of Culture as
well as private sector stakeholders and experts with the objective of building and
strengthening partnerships between the Tourism and Culture sectors and enhance their
role in the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
This Conference is a sequel to the First UNWTO/UNESCO World Conference on
Tourism and Culture, held in Siem Reap, Cambodia in February 2015
In this context, the second UNWTO/UNESCO World
Conference on Tourism and Culture features prominently
as one of the official events on the calendar of activities of
the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for
Development.
1.3. INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM FOR DEVELOPMENT
2017 was declared as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development
by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 relating to sustainable tourism
toward Sustainable Development Goals.
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the United Nations Specialized
Agency for Tourism, has been mandated to facilitate the organization and
implementation of the International Year.
1.4. ASIAN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT BANK
Why in news?
India to host 3rd Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank. 2018 Annual Meeting theme is - Mobilizing Finance for Infrastructure:
Innovation and Collaboration.
More about AIIB
AIIB is a multilateral development bank (MDB) designed to provide financial
support for infrastructure development and regional connectivity in the Asia-Pacific
region.
The bank was proposed by China in 2013 and the initiative was launched at a
ceremony in Beijing in October 2014.
Nature of the Loan
AIIB offers sovereign and non-sovereign finance for sound and sustainable
projects in energy and power, transportation and telecommunications, rural
infrastructure and agriculture development, water supply and sanitation,
environmental protection, urban development and logistics.
Governance
All powers of the Bank are vested in our Board of Governors, which is the highest
decision-making body under the Bank’s Articles of Agreement.
The authorised capital of AIIB is $100 billion. It is equivalent to 2⁄3 of the capital of
the Asian Development Bank and about half that of the World Bank.
AIIB’s headquarters is in Beijing.
India is the second largest shareholder in the Bank after China.
Members' voting power is the sum of their Basic Votes, Share Votes and
where applicable, Founding Member Votes.
Membership
AIIB welcomes all regional and non-regional countries, developing and
developed countries, to become its members and to contribute to Asian
infrastructure development and regional connectivity.
The bank currently has 56 member states.
Major economies that are not members include Japan and the United States.
Please don’t get confused with the New Development Bank BRICS (NDB BRICS).
1.5. 2+2 DIALOGUE PROCESS
Why in news?
Continuing with the strategic bilateral discussion, Australia and India underlined the need
to maintain the AsiaPacifc region as a “free” and “open” zone under the “2+2” dialogue
model. The discussion was the first 2+2 dialogue between India and Australia.
More about 2+2 dialogue
“2+2” dialogue model includes the foreign and defence secretaries of both sides.
India employs the 2 + 2 format only with Japan other than Australia.
The ‘2+2 dialogue’ format was first proposed by then Australian Prime Minister Tony
Abbott during his 2014 India visit.
2. ECONOMY 2.1. NATIONAL HIGHWAY AUTHORITY OF INDIA
Why in news?
NHAI making all out efforts to speed up award and construction of highways.
More about NHAI
The National Highways Authority of India was constituted by an act of
Parliament, the National Highways Authority of India Act, 1988.
It is responsible for the development, maintenance and management of
National Highways.
The total length of NH (including expressways) in the country at present is
1,00,087.08 kms. While Highways/Expressways constitute only about 1.7% of the
length of all roads, they carry about 40% of the road traffic.
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is mandated to implement National
Highways Development Project (NHDP) which is India’s Largest ever highways
project.
2.2. BLUE CHIP COMPANIES
Why in news?
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is probing whether some individuals
were allegedly leaking pricesensitive information, related to blue chip companies to a
select group through social media.
What are blue chip companies?
A blue chip is a nationally recognized, well-established, and financially sound
company.
Blue chips generally sell high-quality, widely accepted products and services.
A blue chip company can be a multinational firm that has been in operation for a
number of years. Examples can be Tata Consultancy Services, Bharti Airtel Limited,
ITC, Coal India, HDFC Bank etc.
Blue chip stocks are seen as a less volatile investments than owning shares in
companies without blue chip status because blue chips have an institutional status in
the economy.
Blue chip companies are also characterized as having little to no debt, large market
capitalization, stable debt-to-equity ratio, and high return on equity (ROE).
3. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 3.1. JUNO MISSION
Why in news?
According to data collected by NASA’s Juno spacecraft, Scientists have found that the
Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, the solar system’s most famous storm, is almost oneanda half
times wider than the earth and penetrates about 300 km into the gas giant’s atmosphere.
More about the findings
Juno found that the Great Red Spot’s roots go 50 to 100 times deeper than the earth’s
oceans and are warmer at the base than they are at the top.
Other revelations from the mission include that Jupiter has two previously uncharted
radiation zones.
What is Great Red Spot?
Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is a giant oval of crimsoncoloured clouds in Jupiter’s
southern hemisphere that race counterclockwise around the oval’s perimeter with
wind speeds greater than any storm on the earth.
More about the Juno Mission
Juno is a NASA space probe orbiting the planet Jupiter.
It is launched in August 2011 and arrived at Jupiter orbit in October 2016.
Juno is the second spacecraft to orbit Jupiter, after the nuclear powered Galileo
orbiter, which orbited from 1995 to 2003.
The Juno mission is also the second spacecraft designed under NASA's New Frontiers
Program. The first is the Pluto New Horizons mission, which flew by the dwarf planet
in July 2015 after a nine-and-a-half-year flight.
Unlike all earlier spacecraft sent to the outer planets, Juno is powered only by solar
arrays, commonly used by satellites orbiting Earth and working in the inner Solar
System, whereas radioisotope thermoelectric generators are commonly used for
missions to the outer Solar System and beyond.
The purpose of Juno Mission
Determine how much water is in Jupiter's atmosphere, which helps determine which
planet formation theory is correct (or if new theories are needed).
Look deep into Jupiter's atmosphere to measure composition, temperature, cloud
motions and other properties.
Map Jupiter's magnetic and gravity fields, revealing the planet's deep structure
Explore and study Jupiter's magnetosphere near the planet's poles, especially the
auroras – Jupiter's northern and southern lights – providing new insights about how
the planet's enormous magnetic force field affects its atmosphere.
4. ALSO IN NEWS 4.1. HEZABOLLAH
The leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah vowed to return the group’s focus to
fighting Israel after years of battling rebels in neighbouring Syria.
Read more in Neo IAS November 12th Current Affairs.
4.2. TUBERCULOSIS
About 35 lakh identified Tuberculosis patients across the country will soon get Rs.500
every month from the Centre as social support.
Read more in Neo IAS 1st November Current Affairs about TB government schemes.