Current Affairs 21st-23rd August 2019
Important Current Affairs
Current Affairs 21st-23rd August 2019
President of India launches tree plantation drive at Rashtrapati Bhavan
President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind planted a sapling of Maulsari in the Rashtrapati Bhavan Estate. They launched a plantation drive as part of Van Mahotsav celebrations. The President met students and urged them to encourage fellow citizens to plant more trees and reaffirm our commitment to a greener and sustainable planet.
As part of Van Mahotsav celebrations, the President's Secretariat, over the next few weeks, will be planting 3,252 trees and 2,962 shrubs in the President's Estate. They include ornamental and fruit trees like Peepal, Neem, Maulsari, Champa, Gul Mohur, Mango, Chiko, Anjir and Amrud.
President’s Estate spread over 330 acres harbours rich biodiversity. Noted trees of the Estate include Sita Ashok, Bistendu, Shisham, Gab, Gourd Trees, Wild Almond, Lemon-Scented Gum, Doon Siris.
Van Mahotsav History
Van Mahotsav is an annual tree-planting movement in India It began in the year 1950. The national importance that millions and millions of saplings are planted all across India in observation of the Van Mahotsav week. It is generally celebrated in the first week of July or from 1st of July till the 7th of July. 7th of July is the ending of the first week.
Karnataka Government categorized Nicotine as Class A poison
Government of Karnatakaamended the Karnataka Poisons (Possession and Sale) Rules 2015. He notified Nicotine as “Class A poison”.The main aim is to strengthen the enforcement of the ban on production and sale of electronic cigarettes. The new rules are called the Karnataka Poisons (Possession and Sale) Rules, 2019.
The ban imposed after the study conducted the High Powered Committee on Tobacco Controlheaded Additional Chief Secretary of Karnataka, Vandita Sharma.
The Government ordered the suspension of all kinds of promotion of e-cigarettes, including online promotion.
Class A Poison
Class A poison is “Highly toxic chemicals”, even in very small quantities as gas or vapour in the air is dangerous to life (such as cyanogen, hydrocyanic acid, nitrogen peroxide, and phosgene).
Highly toxic chemicals in very small quantities as gas or vapour in the air are dangerous to life (such as cyanogen, hydrocyanic acid, nitrogen peroxide. A gazette notification published last month and the new rules are called the Karnataka Poisons (Possession and Sale) Rules 2019.
Electronic cigarettes are small battery-operated devices that evaporate liquid nicotine to provide the same experience as to smoking tobacco.
The ban imposed after a study by the State Health Department. The two milligrams of nicotine is permitted only in chewable chocolates to help with de-addiction, e-cigarette manufacturers misuse this clause for their sale.
Nepal to hold SAARC Foreign Ministers informal meeting
Nepal plans to hold SAARC Foreign Ministers informal meeting on the sidelines of the 74th UN General Assembly (UNGA) session in September 2019. The aim is to prove the country's role in creating an environment for the commencement of the regional summit.
India and SAARC summit::
The 18th SAARC summit was held in Kathmandu, Nepal in 2014. India is the largest member of SAARC forum. The 19th SAARC summit was supposed to held in 2016. But the summit was canceled after India boycotted the meeting. India protested after the terror attack at the military base in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir on September 2016. The attack killed 19 soldiers. After India boycotted the SAARC summit countries including Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan walked out. India's decision is to set up diplomatic pressure on Pakistan. India also declared that it will participate only if Pakistan took steps to tackle terrorism.
Iceland commemorates the first glacier lost due to climate change
Iceland marked its first-ever loss of a glacier to climate change. Iceland’s Okjokull glacier. The people commemorated with a plaque - An ornamental tablet, typically of metal, porcelain, or wood, fixed to a wall or other surface in commemoration of a person or event.
The plaque ceremony attended by scientists and locals at the Okjokull glacier in west-central Iceland to fulfill the criteria to be classified as a glacier after melting throughout the 20th century.
The plaque bears the inscription “A letter to the future”.
Glaciologists stripped Okjokull of its glacier status in 2014, a first for Iceland, as the glacier ice covered that 16 square kilometres but by 2012, measured just 0.7 square kilometres in 2017.
NASA scientists fly over Greenland to track melting ice
NASA scientists are crossing Greenland on a mission to track melting ice. Greenland melting faster in the last decade and this summer it has seen two of the biggest melts on record since 2012.
Global warming is the chief culprit of the melting ice issue. Both warmer air and warmer water are eating away at Greenland it causes to lose billions of tons of ice daily in the summer. A team of scientists and engineers aboard a research plane are dropping probes into the ice to help figure out which is the bigger cause. If water is playing a bigger role than scientists had thought, that could mean seas will be rising faster than expected.
MHRD launched NISHTHA
The Ministry of Human Resource Development launched the National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancements (NISHTHA). It aimed at training over 42 lakh teachers to boost education and employment focusing on reskilling the teaching workforce.
HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank launched the initiative’s website, training modules, primer booklet and mobile app built for the purpose.
The programme was launched in the presence of Smt Rina Ray, Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy and other senior officers from MHRD, all States and UTs, Senior Policy Makers and Heads of Institutions.
About NISHTHA:
NISHTHA is the world’s biggest project. The objective of this massive training programme ‘NISHTHA’ is to motivate and equip teachers to encourage and foster critical thinking in students. As the teachers are the powerhouse of the nation, the teachers deserve worldwide respect.
Under NISHTHA, the teachers will develop their skills on Artificial Intelligence, Health, School Leadership qualities, Environmental Concerns in a joyful learning manner.
About Training:
National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancements (NISHTHA) programme is a100 days programme of the Government. The training modules are developed at the national level for all States and UTs with their own material. The integrated programme will train all teachers as first-level counselors and responsive needs of the students in promoting joyful learning.
The training Modules for NISHTHA have suggestions from the States and UTs and CBSE, KVS, NVS, School Principals and Non-Governmental Organizations such as Kaivalya Foundation, Tata Trust, Azim Premji Foundation and Aurobindo Society.
World Senior Citizens Day is celebrated on 21 August
World Senior Citizens Day is celebrated on 21 August across the world. The day is observed every year. The day aims to increase awareness about the issues that affect older adults. It also provides an opportunity to appreciate the elders for their dedication, accomplishments, and the services they give throughout their lives.
The day also reminds the governments of its commitment to work for the welfare of older persons.
United Nations report says that by 2050, 2 billion people, over 20% of the world's population, will be 60 or older with Asia having the largest number of older persons.
History:
Former president of United States Ronald Reagan officially announced the day as the 'World Senior Citizens Day' after he had signed Proclamation on August 19, 1988. He declared August 21 as National Senior Citizens Day in the US. The day aims to pay respect to the elderly community. On 14th of December 1990, United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed to observe 21 August as World Senior Citizens Day.
The 2 plus 2 intercessional between US and India is being held in California
The 2+2 intercessional and the Maritime Security Dialogue between India and the U.S. officials are being held in the Naval Postgraduate School at Monterey, California.
Aim:
The intercessional meeting aims to strengthen the strategic partnership. The meeting will discuss ways to advance the security priorities and the cooperation on critical diplomatic between the countries including the shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
Participants:
The U.S. delegations will be led by Alice Wells, the Acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia and Randall Schriver, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Affairs.
From Indian side Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary, Americas, and officials from the Indian Embassy in Washington and five officials from the Ministry of Defence, the Joint Secretary of International Cooperation and the Joint Secretary of Navy, the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (ACNS) Foreign Cooperation and Intelligence (FCI) and a one-star officer from Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) as well as the Director International Cooperation (IC) are participating in the Security dialogue.
2+2 Dialogue:
The first 2+2 Dialogue was held in September 2018. After the dialogue, India and the U.S. have had intense ties in the trade, strategic and defence aspects of the relationship.
Russia sends a humanoid robot to ISS
Russia has sent a humanoid robot to the International Space Station (ISS) on a 10-day mission. The aim is to support the astronauts on board. The name of the humanoid robot is Fedor. TheSkybot F-850 became the first humanoid robot to be sent to space by Russia after it was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on 22 August. The spacecraft has been scheduled to stay until September 7, 2019.
The robot is travelling in an unmanned Soyuz MS-14 spacecraft. Fedor is expected to dock at the ISS on 23 August. The spacecraft holds more than 650kg of cargo, including medical supplies and food rations for the crew waiting at the station. It is also expected that Fedor will eventually carry out more dangerous tasks, like spacewalks.
Chandrayaan 2 sent the first image of Moon
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) released the first visuals of the moon captured by Chandrayaan-2 from a distance of 2,650 km from the lunar surface on 22 August. The photograph was taken on 21 August. In the image sent by Chandrayaan-2, ISRO has identified two landmarks on the moon, Mare Orientale basin, and Apollo crater. The first Moon image was captured at a height of about 2650km from the Lunar surface.
The Mare Orientale is shaped like a target ring bull's-eye. It is located on the Moon's extreme western edge which is difficult to see from an earthbound perspective. It is over 3 billion years old, about 950 km across and was formed by the impact of an asteroid sized object.
Apollo is a 538km diameter double-ringed impact crater in the southern hemisphere of the far side of the Moon.
Amazon inaugurates its worlds largest campus in Hyderabad
E-commerce company Amazon inaugurated its single-largest campus in the world in Hyderabad, Telangana. The campus was inaugurated by Mohammed Mahmood Ali, MLC(Member of Legislative Council), Minister of Home, Prisons, Fire Services, the government of Telangana. This Hyderabad campus of Amazon is the only one, placed outside the US(United States).
There are 62,000 employees in India, this campus alone can accommodate more than 15,000 employees.
The other members are Amit Agarwal, SVP(Senior Vice President) and Country Head, Amazon India.
John Schoettler, VP(Vice President), Global Real Estate and Facilities.
NASA confirms Europa Clipper Mission
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States (US) space agency confirmed the next phase of development of the Europa Clipper Mission. It is an interplanetary mission to Jupiter’s smallest moon Europa with the target. It is conducting an in-depth exploration of Jupiter’s moon Europa whether the icy moon can have suitable conditions for sustaining life and increase our insights into astrobiology.
The space agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, the development of the Europa Clipper mission in partnership with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory for the Science Mission Directorate.
The mission is managed by the Planetary Missions Program Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Jupiter’s Galilean moon Europa consists of a huge ocean of liquid water beneath its icy shell.
The water is in contact with the rocky core of the moon, which according to space scientists, make a range of interesting chemical reactions possible. The astrobiologists consider 1,940-miles-wide (3,120 kilometres) Europa moon to be one of the best bets to host alien life in the solar system.
Iran unveiled Bavar 373 system
Iran has unveiled the Bavar-373 system, a defence missile system, on 22 August. The missile was unveiled by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Iran's National Defense Industry Day. The country has developed a large domestic arms industry despite several international sanctions and barring it from importing many weapons.
Bavar-373 system:
Bavar-373 system is an indigenous long-range, surface-to-air missile air defense system. The missile is capable of targeting planes at more than 300 km, lock it at about 250 km and shooting down targets at a distance of 200 km. This missile is a competitor to the Russian S-300 missile system.
Iran and the US:
Iran has introduced the system amidst the rising tension between Iran and the United States. Earlier, in the month of June, Iran shot down a U.S. military surveillance drone with a surface-to-air missile in the Gulf.
International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition observed on August 23
Santo Domingo Haiti and the Dominican Republic the beginning of the uprising play a crucial role in the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.
International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is observed on 23 August.
This International Day is intended to inscribe the tragedy of the slave trade in the memory of all peoples. The intercultural project "The Slave Route,'' should offer an opportunity for collective consideration of the historic causes. The methods and the consequences of this tragedy, and for an analysis of the interactions to given rise between Africa, Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean.
Director-General of UNESCO invites the Ministers of Culture of all Member States to organize events every year on that date, involving the entire population of their country and in particular young people, educators, artists and intellectuals.
International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition celebrated in a number of countries, in particular in Haiti (23 August 1998) and Goree in Senegal (23 August 1999). The cultural events and debates were organized.
The year 2001 saw the participation of the Mulhouse Textile Museum in France in the form of a workshop for fabrics called "Indiennes de Traite" (a type of calico) It served as currency for the exchange of slaves in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
The UNESCO Executive Board adopted Resolution 29 C/40 at its 29th session.