Daily Current affairs - August 17th, 2017 for all competitive exams
Researchers have discovered a new tectonic plate off the coast of Ecuador. There were
56 plates; now, there are 57 — and researchers think there could be one more to
find.
- Scientists discovered the
microplate — which they’ve dubbed “Malpelo” — while analyzing the
movements of what they believed to be the convergence of a trio of plates.
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Sweden on
IPRs
The Union Cabinet has given its approval to the
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Sweden on cooperation in
the field of Intellectual Property (IPRs).
- The MoU establishes a
wide ranging and flexible mechanism through which both countries can
exchange best practices and work together on training programs and
technical exchanges to raise awareness on IPRs and better protect
intellectual property rights.
India signs Global Environment Facility (GEF) Grant
Agreement
A Grant Agreement from the Global Environment
Facility (GEF) of the World Bank of USD 24.64 million for “Ecosystem Service
Improvement Project” was recently signed between India and the World Bank. The
size of Project is USD 24.64 million which entirely will be financed by the
World Bank out of its GEF Trust Fund.
- Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) will implement the Project in the
States of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh through Indian Council of
Forestry Research & Education under the National Mission for Green
India.
- The objective of the
Project is to strengthen the institutional capacity
of the Departments of Forestry and Community Organisations to enhance
forest ecosystem services and improve the livelihoods of forest dependent
communities in Central Indian Highlands.
India home to 27, 312
elephants: Census
Preliminary
results from the All India Synchronised Elephant Population Estimation released
by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change on August 12 pegs
India’s Asian elephant population at 27, 312.
- The current estimate,
derived from the sighting-based direct count method alone, will be
confirmed with estimates from the indirect dung-count method in three
months.
- According to the report,
Karnataka has the highest number of elephants (6,049), followed by Assam
(5,719) and Kerala (3,054). Of the four regions in India where elephants
are found, the Southern Region – comprising the states Kerala, Karnataka,
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Andaman and Nicobar – have the
highest number of elephants at 11, 960.
Long Term Irrigation Fund
Cabinet has approved raising Extra Budgetary
Resources upto Rs. 9020 crore for Long Term Irrigation Fund during the year
2017-18.
- To cater to the large
fund requirement and ensure completion of the projects, the Union Finance
Minister, during his Budget speech 2016-17, announced creation of
dedicated Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF) in
NABARDwith an initial corpus of Rs.
20,000 crore for funding of Central and State share for the identified
ongoing projects under PMKSY (AIBP and CAD).
- Corpus would be raised by
way of budgetary resources and market borrowings to fund fast tracking of
implementation of incomplete major & medium irrigation projects.
- PMKSY has been conceived
amalgamating ongoing schemes viz. Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme
(AIBP) of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga
Rejuvenation (MoWR,RD&GR), Integrated Watershed Management Programme
(IWMP) of Department of Land Resources (DoLR) and the On Farm Water
Management (OFWM) of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC).
New Metro Rail Policy
The Union Cabinet has approved a new Metro Rail
Policy that seeks to enable realization of growing metro rail aspirations of a
large number of cities but in a responsible manner.
- The policy opens a big
window for private investments across a range of metro operations making
PPP component mandatory for availing central assistance for new metro
projects.
- In view of inadequate
availability and even absence of last mile connectivity at present, the
new policy seeks to ensure it focusing on a catchment area of five kms.
Corpus fund for Secondary and Higher education
The Union Cabinet has accorded its approval for
creation of a non-lapsable pool in the Public Account for secondary and higher,
education known as “Madhyamik and Uchchtar Shiksha Kosh”
(MUSK) into which all proceeds of “Secondary and Higher Education Cess” will be
credited.
- Administration and
maintenance of the above pool will be done by Ministry of Human Resource
Development.
- The MUSK would be
maintained as a Reserve Fund in the non-interest bearing section of the
Public Accounts of India.
- The funds arising from
the MUSK would be utilized for schemes in the education sector which would
be available for the benefit of students of secondary and higher
education, all over the country.
Govt.
clears T.N.’s NEET ordinance
The
Union Law Ministry forwarded to the President the Tamil Nadu government’s
proposed ordinance on one-year exemption from NEET. The ordinance will be
applicable for only government medical colleges in the State.
- Union Law Minister Ravi
Shankar Prasad cleared the proposed ordinance based on the opinion of
Attorney General K.K. Venugopal.
MOUs signed for distribution of Energy Efficient
appliances
Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), under
the Ministry of Power, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Oil
Marketing Companies (OMCs) under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
(MoPNG) for distribution of energy efficient appliances under the flagship
Unnat Jeevan by Affordable LEDs and appliances for All (UJALA) scheme.
- According to the
agreement, Oil Marketing Companies- IOCL, BPCL and HPCL will take up
distribution of LED Bulbs, LED Tubelights and energy efficient Fans from
select retail outlets across the country.
- The main objective of the
scheme is to promote efficient lighting, enhance
awareness on using efficient equipment which reduce electricity bills and
help preserve environment.
- The scheme is being
implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture
of PSUs under the Union Ministry of Power.
North Koel Reservoir Project
The Union Cabinet has given its approval to the
proposal to complete the balance works of the North Koel Reservoir Project in
Jharkhand and Bihar at an estimated expenditure of Rs.1622.27 crore to be
incurred during three financial years from the start of the project.
- The Cabinet also approved
storage of water in dam restricted at lower level than envisaged earlier
to reduce the submergence and to protect Betla National Park and Palamau
Tiger Reserve.
- The project is situated
on North Koel river which is a tributary of Sone river finally joining the river Ganga. The
North Koel Reservoir is located in the most backward tribal areas in
Palamau and Garhwa districts of Jharkhand State.
101 Indira canteens opened
in Bengaluru
Invoking
former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s ‘garibi hatao’ slogan, Karnataka Chief
Minister Siddaramiah made the humble ‘Vaangibath’ (brinjal rice).
- The canteens, 101 of
them, had been opened to provide low cost and hygenic food as in Tamil
Nadu’s Amma canteens. They were a continuation of schemes like Anna Bhagya
which are aimed at making Karnataka hunger free.
- The canteens have been
named after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi because she was the first
to give the call ‘garibi hatao.
Melbourne named ‘World’s Most Liveable City’
Melbourne has been named ‘The World’s Most Liveable City’
for the seventh consecutive year by the annual Economist Intelligence Unit’s
(EIU) Global Liveability Index.
- The EIU’s Liveability
Ranking assesses living conditions in 140 cities across the globe by
assigning a rating across five broad categories.
- The rating quantifies the
challenges that might be presented to an individual’s lifestyle in any
given location, and allows for direct comparison between locations.
Origin of modern apples
traced to Kazakhstan
The
modern crisp apple originated in a mountainous region of Kazakhstan, according
to a study which reveals a surprising two-way journey on the Silk Road for one
of the world’s most popular fruit.
- As travellers journeyed
east and west along the Silk Road, they brought with them apple seeds from
the choicest fruit they took from wild trees, researchers said.
- This early selection
would eventually lead to the 7,500 varieties of apple that exist today.
Israel to revoke
journalist’s credentials
Israeli
authorities were moving to revoke the press credentials of a journalist for
Al-Jazeera, after having announced plans to close the news network’s offices in
the country.
- The government press
office distributed video of an interview last year in which the
journalist, Elias Karram, called his work an “integral part” of
Palestinian resistance.
SpaceX ‘Dragon’ docks
in ISS
A
SpaceX shipment arrived at the International Space Station, delivering a
bonanza of science experiments.
- The SpaceX Dragon capsule
pulled up following a two-day flight from Cape Canaveral. NASA astronaut
Jack Fischer used the space station’s hefty robot arm to grab the Dragon
400 km above the Pacific, near New Zealand.
- The Dragon holds 3 tonnes
of cargo, mostly research. The extra-large science load includes a cosmic
ray monitor, a mini satellite with cheap, off-the-shelf scopes for
potential military viewing, and 20 mice for an eye and brain study.
Daniel Craig confirms
return as James Bond
Daniel
Craig has confirmed that he will return as James Bond in the 25th Bond movie.
- The 25th movie will be Craig’s fifth outing as the fictitious secret agent.
