Current Affairs 29th March 2019
Current Affairs 29th March 2019
Current Affairs from PIB, The Hindu, Indian Express
UN panel passes a separate resolution on terror financing
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on March 28, 2019, unanimously passed the first-ever resolution to suppress the funding of terror groups worldwide.
The “Resolution 2462 on Countering the Financing of Terrorism” clearly states that all the member states shall make sure to establish laws and regulations that regard funding to terrorist groups or individual criminals a serious criminal offense.
The resolution combines all the previous resolutions to create a consolidated document for strong collaboration and targeted efforts against terrorism.
Background:
The move comes weeks after the 1267 Sanctions Committee failed to designate Azhar as a terrorist after China placed a hold on a listing request that the U.S., the U.K., and France had brought before the Committee.
Nobel prize recipient Amartya Sen awarded with Oxford University's Bodley Award
The 85-year-old winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences was awarded the prestigious Bodley Medal, the highest honour granted by the University of Oxford's world-famous Bodleian Libraries, for his contribution in literature, culture, science and communication.
This year's other winner of the Bodley Medal is Nobel Prize-winning novelist Kazuo Ishiguro.
Past winners of the honour include physicist Stephen Hawking, novelist Hilary Mantel and inventor of the World Wide Web Tim Berners-Lee.
Israel unveils world's longest salt cave.
Israeli cave explorers discovered the cave named Malham, the world’s longest salt cave with striking stalactites near the Dead Sea. Previously, Iran's N3 cave held the record.
Malham Cave: The cave named Malham is stretched over 10 km. It runs through Mount Sodom, Israel’s largest mountain, and spills out to the southwest corner of the adjacent Dead Sea. Pale salt stalactites hang from the ceilings, and some of the walls sparkle with salt crystals. Drops of salty water are visible at the tips of some of the stalactites. Iran's N3 cave: But in 2006, researchers mapped over 6 km off the N3 cave in southern Iran’s Qeshm island, granting it the widely recognized status of the world’s longest salt cave.
African Union
India and the African Union signed MoU to strengthen cooperation in the healthcare sector. The agreement aims to formalize this partnership by establishing a framework. It will pave the way for cooperation in research and development, capacity building, health services, pharmaceutical trade and manufacturing capabilities for drugs and diagnostics.
The programme would focus on training and strengthening capacity of health professionals, researchers, regulators and industry staff, support research collaborations for developing preventive tools and improved diagnostics for diseases which are regional priorities in India and Africa.
About African Union:
The African Union (AU) is a continental union consisting of 55 countries of the continent of Africa, with the exception of various territories of European possessions located in Africa.
- The bloc was founded on 26 May 2001 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and launched on 9 July 2002 in South Africa.
- The intention of the AU is to replace the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), established on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa by 32 signatory governments.
- The most important decisions of the AU are made by the Assembly of the African Union, a semi-annual meeting of the heads of state and government of its member states.
- The AU’s secretariat, the African Union Commission, is based in Addis Ababa.
GI Certification for five varieties of Indian coffee
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India has recently awarded Geographical Indication (GI) to five varieties of Indian coffee. They are:
- Coorg Arabica coffee is grown specifically in the region of Kodagu district in Karnataka.
- Wayanaad Robusta coffee is grown specifically in the region of Wayanad district which is situated on the eastern portion of Kerala.
- Chikmagalur Arabica coffee is grown specifically in the region of Chikmagalur district and it is situated in the Deccan plateau, belongs to the Malnad region of Karnataka.
- Araku Valley Arabica coffee can be described as coffee from the hilly tracks of Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha region at an elevation of 900-1100 Mt MSL. The coffee produce of Araku, by the tribals, follows an organic approach in which they emphasize management practices involving substantial use of organic manures, green manuring and organic pest management practices.
- Bababudangiris Arabica coffee is grown specifically in the birthplace of coffee in India and the region is situated in the central portion of Chikmagalur district. Selectively hand-picked and processed by natural fermentation, the cup exhibits full body, acidity, mild flavour and striking aroma with a note of chocolate. This coffee is also called high grown coffee which slowly ripens in the mild climate and thereby the bean acquires a special taste and aroma.
The Monsooned Malabar Robusta Coffee, a unique specialty coffee from India, was given GI certification earlier.
In India, coffee is cultivated in about 4.54 lakh hectares by 3.66 lakh coffee farmers of which 98% are small farmers. Coffee cultivation is mainly done in the Southern States of India:
- Karnataka – 54%
- Kerala – 19%
- Tamil Nadu – 8%
Coffee is also grown in non-traditional areas like Andhra Pradesh and Odisha (17.2%) and North East States (1.8%).
India is the only country in the world where the entire coffee cultivation is grown under shade, hand-picked and sun-dried. India produces some of the best coffee in the world, grown by tribal farmers in the Western and Eastern Ghats, which are the two major bio-diversity hotspots in the world. Indian coffee is highly valued in the world market and sold as premium coffee in Europe.
The recognition and protection that comes with GI certification will allow the coffee producers of India to invest in maintaining the specific qualities of the coffee grown in that particular region. It will also enhance the visibility of Indian coffee in the world and allow growers to get the maximum price for their premium coffee.