03 October 2017 Current Affairs
Global Wildlife Programme Conference held in New Delhi
The Global Wildlife Programme (GWP) Conference was recently held in New Delhi. It was jointly hosted by Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), World Bank and United Nations Development Programme. The Theme of the conference was – “Peoples participation in wildlife conservation”.
President appoints Commission to examine sub-categorisation of OBCs
President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed a Commission to examine the sub-categorization of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The sub-categorization of the OBCs will ensure that the more backward among the OBC communities can also access the benefits of reservation for educational institutions and government jobs. The Commission will examine the extent of inequitable distribution of benefits of reservation among the castes or communities included in the broad category of OBCs with reference to such classes included in the Central List.
Meenakshi Temple named Best ‘Swachh Iconic Place’ in India
The Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple has been adjudged best ‘Swachh Iconic Place’ in India. Madurai District Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao and Corporation Commissioner S. Aneesh Sekhar will receive the award from Uma Bharati, the Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation. A total of 63 compact bins have been placed and four compactor trucks do the rounds around the temple premises. There are 25 e-toilets and 15 water ATMs for tourists to use. There are two road sweepers and battery operated vehicles specifically purchased to clean this stretch.
Govt unveils third National Wildlife Action Plan for 2017-2031
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has unveiled third National Wildlife Action Plan for 2017-2031 to chalk out future road map for wildlife conservation. The plan was unveiled by Environment Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on inaugural day of Global Wildlife Programme (GWP) conference. It is third action plan after first released in 1983 to 2001 and second from 2002 to 2016, that had protected area-centric approach to wildlife conservation.
GIFT City’s IFSC bags 10th place in Global Financial Centres Index
Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City)’s International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) has bagged the 10th spot in the latest edition of Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI), London. GIFT IFSC is ranked tenth, ahead of Luxembourg, Seoul, Abu Dhabi, Toronto and Beijing in the list of the GFCI report, which has 15 centres that are likely to become more significant in the next few years. Including GIFT City’s IFSC, six of the top ten emerging centres are in Asia.
LS Speaker to lead Indian delegation at 8th Conference in Sri Lanka
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will attend a special parliamentary session in Sri Lanka that is being convened to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Parliament. The association of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Speakers and Parliamentarians is a platform for the parliamentarians of South Asia to work together to reach the 2030 agenda for “Sustainable Development”. It promotes parliamentary diplomacy and open Parliament in the digital age, encourage parliamentarians’ role in preserving cultural and archaeological heritage in South Asia, support women to uplift themselves from poverty and build a better future for their communities, and attempts to counter violent extremism among the youth to prevent terrorism among other things.
Chandrababu Naidu launches ‘Swachh Andhra Mission’
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu launched Swachh Andhra Mission on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. Shuttle Player PV Sindhu chosen as the brand ambassador of Swachh Andhra. The government is working hard to achieve the seven-star scheme that includes current, gas, drinking water toilet, CC roads, schools, playground, Anganwadi center and internet facility, pond, and planting, at least Rs. 10,000 income for every family in the village.
Jagan Wins sixth title in a row at National Motorcycle Racing
TVS Racing’s mascot Jagan Kumar notched his sixth straight title in the premier Super Sports Indian class on a rain-affected day to bring down the curtain on the MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The event was organized by Madras Motorsports Club. It was sponsored by MRF Tyres.
2017 Nobel Physics Prize awarded to Gravitational Wave Detectors
The 2017 Nobel Physics Prize has been awarded “for decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves” to Rainer Weiss, Barry C. Barish and Kip S. Thorne of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory. The Prize announced by Sweden’s Royal Academy of Sciences comes with 9 million kronor ($1.1 million). For the past 25 years, the prize has been shared among multiple winners.
Baishya elected as Chairmen of two sub-committees of IWF
Indian Weightlifting Federation President, Birendra Prasad Baishya has been elected as the chairman of two sub-committees of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). Baishya was elected as the chairman of International Weightlifting Federation’s Ethics Commission as well as of Anti-Disciplinary Commission at the world body’s Executive Committee Meeting, which was held at Bucharest, Romania.
India to be guest country at World Government Summit
India will be the guest of honour during the sixth edition of the World Government Summit scheduled from February 11th – 13th, 2018 in Dubai. The summit is the largest movement to review and share the best experiences, and the first global forum for governments, countries, organizations and private sector leaders interested in the industry of the future.
UP Govt removes Taj Mahal from Tourism list
Taj Mahal has been dropped from the list of tourist destinations published by the government of Uttar Pradesh. The new booklet issued by UP government has removed Taj Mahal and instead carries the name of temples from Mathura, Ayodhya and Gorakhpur in the list. UP Govt also neglected the World Heritage site by not including it in the special section ‘Hamari Sanskritik Virasat’ (Our Cultural Heritage) of the annual budget for 2017-2018. The exclusion faced criticism from all sectors of the nation, especially from academicians and historians who slammed the government for not promoting the multi-cultural faith of the country.
Nepali version of Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography released
On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti the Nepali version of Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography ‘The Story of My Experiments’ with Truth was released at Kathmandu. Renowned Gandhian Pradeep Giri, Former Prime Minister of Nepal Lokendra Bahadur Chand and Indian Ambassador Manjeev Singh Puri jointly released the book. The autobiography of Gandhiji is translated by Shri Shekhar Giri. The event was organised by the Embassy of India and BP Koirala India-Nepal Foundation.
Viswanathan Anand finishes second at Isle of Man Championship
Five time World Champion Viswanathan Anand finished second at the Isle of Man Chess Championship at Douglas. He defeated the Chinese grandmaster Hou Yifan in the 9th and final round. Anand shares second position with America’s Nakamura Hikaru. World Champion Magnus Carlsen won the title with 7.5 points after a short draw against Nakamura.