INDIA & WORLD
India, Pakistan to hold talks on hydropower projects under Indus Waters Treaty
India and Pakistan will hold talks on two hydrpower projects, namely Kishenganga and Ratle, under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) at the World Bank headquarters in Washington. Union Water Resources Secretary Amarjit Singh is leading the Indian delegation during the talks. The delegation will include officials from ministries of external affairs and water resources. World Bank Vice President for South Asia resion Annette Dixon – in a letter to the Indian Ambassador to the US, Navtej Sarna – has welcomed the participation of both the countries in the dialogue. The meet at Washington is being held as part of efforts by the World Bank to resolve the issues raised by Pakistan over India’s hydroelectricity projects.
Delhi Metro declared as world’s first green metro
The Delhi Metro Railway Corporation (DMRC) was declared as the owrld’s first green metro after it added a green certification for all its major buildings and installations. Apart from depots and sub stations, DMRC was also awarded the platinum rating for its 10 residential colonies for adherence to green building norms by the IGBC. The declaration was made during National Conference on Green Metro Systems by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC). The conference was attended by delegates from all other Metro systems in the country.
India, Bangladesh sign pact to connect both countries by waterways
India and Bangladesh have signed a pact to connect both the countries by waterways. The waterways will facilitate movement of passengers and goods between India’s northeast and West Bengal with Bangladesh. Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Mansukh Mandaviya said in Agartala that infrastructure for the services would be set up along the major rivers in Bangladesh, West Bengal and Brahmaputra in Assam. He said, the services are expected to start by the end of this year.
India ranks 132 in commitment to narrow income inequality
India has ranked 132nd out of 152 countries on the inaugural “Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index” released by international NGO Oxfam in association with Developmental Finance International. Sweden topped the index while Nigeria took the bottom most spot. Sweden is followed by Belgium, Denmark, Norway and Germany. Among India’s neighboring countries, China’s rank is 87; Pakistan fared worse than India at 146 while Bangladesh ranked at 148.
India, Japan civil nuclear deal comes into force
India-Japan agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy has come into force recently. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Ambassador of Japan to India Mr. Kenji Hiramatsu exchanged diplomatic notes in this regard. The agreement was signed on 11th November 2016 in Tokyo during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan. The agreement is a reflection of the strategic partnership between the two sides and will pave the way for enhanced cooperation in energy security and clean energy.
Australia joins International Solar Alliance led by India & France
Australia became the 35th country to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA), an initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2015 in Paris. It is co-led by India and France. The aim of ISA is to support developing countries to boost their solar production capacity. India on its part through the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) and Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) is contributing $1 million to the ISA fund. The larger aim of ISA is to mobilize over $ 1000 billion by 2030 towards promoting solar power on all fronts generation and storage. The solar alliance, whose head office is in India, has grown stronger in the past two years with more countries joining the group and signing the agreement.
India & Sri Lanka sign MoU to develop village in Sri Lanka
India and Sri Lanka have signed a MoU to develop a village in Anuradhapura District in Sri Lanka at a cost of 30 crores Sri Lankan rupees. The village in the name of a famous Buddhist monk Sobitha Thero, envisages construction of 153 new houses, a multi-purpose community building, internal water supply system and renovation of monk’s quarters & library. The project is in line with Government of Sri Lanka’s policy of rehabilitation of rural villages for economic development. It will benefit 153 families residing in the village.
India launches solar project to electrify the remote village of Agaween in Egypt
India has launched a solar project with state-of-the-art technology to electrify a remote village in Egypt. The Solar Electrification Project is an off-grid system that is ideal fr remote locations. The project has been launched at Agaween village in the Western Desert in Matrough Governorate, close to the Libyan border. The project was inaugurated by India’s Ambassador to Egypt Sanjay Bhattacharya and Major General Alla Fathi Abou Zeid, Governor of Matrough. To successfully launch the Solar Electrification Project, India provided all the solar panels and sub-systems, machinery, equipment and technical support, as well as training for technicians. The Egyptian Government provided the location for implementation of the project.
India ranks 116 out of 157 nations on 2017 SDG index
India is ranked 116 out of 157 nations on a global index that assesses the performance of countries towards achieving the ambitious sustainable development goals (SDGs). The SDG Index and Dashboards Report produced by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the Bertelsmann Stiftung shows that world leaders need to strengthen their joint efforts to realise the 17 global goals. India is ranked 116th on the index with a score of 58.1, behind countries such as Nepal, Iran, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and China. Pakistan is ranked 122. Sweden leads the list, followed by Denmark and Finland. The United States ranks 42nd on the Index, while Russia and China rank 62nd and 71st respectively.
US House of Representatives passes Bill on defence co-operation with India
The United States House of Representatives has passed an amendment to National Defense Authorisation Act (NDAA), 2018, a $621.5 billion defence expenditure bill to advance defence cooperation with India. India related amendment in the bill was adopted by a voice vote in the House by 344-81. Now, NDAA needs to be passed by the US Senate before it can be sent to US President Donald Trump to sign into law. The India-related amendment in NDAA 2018, requires the US Secretary of Defence, in consultation with the Secretary of State to develop a strategy for advancing defence cooperation between US and India. The NDAA is a United States federal law specifying the budget and expenditures of the United States Department of Defence. Each year’s NDAA also includes other provisions. The US Congress oversees the defence budget primarily through two yearly bills: the NDAA and Defense appropriations bills.
India Rise to 96th in FIFA World ranking, Best in Two Decades
India has moved four places up to the 96th position in the FIFA World Ranking released recently. This is the country’s second-best ranking and its previous best was the 94th position in February 1996. India has moved 77 positions up from the 173rd rank on March 2015. The team has now won 13 of its last 15 matches and is unbeaten in the last eight games (including the unofficial match against Bhutan).
India ranked 23rd in second Global Cybersecurity Index
India has been ranked 23rd out of 165 nations in the second Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) that measures the commitment of nations across the world to cyber security. The Index has been released by the UN telecommunications agency International Telecommunication Union (ITU). India has been listed in the “maturing category” of the index with a score of 0.683. Around 77 countries have been placed in the maturing category as they have developed complex commitments to cyber security and engage in cybersecurity programmes and initiatives. Singapore has topped the index with a score of 0.925. Singapore is followed by United States (2nd), Malaysia (3rd), Oman (4th), Estonia (5th), Mauritius (6th), Australia (7th), Georgia (8th), France (9th), Canada (10th) and Russia (11th). China has been placed at 34th.
India and Israel sign 7 Agreements
India and Israel have signed 7 agreements on areas including space, tech and agriculture during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel. Also, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit marks the 25 years of establishment of diplomatic relationship between India and Israel.
MoUs between India & Israel are:
MoU for setting up of India-Israel Industrial R&D & Technological Innovation Fund (I4F).
MoU for conservation of water in India.
MoU on State Water Utility Reform in India India-Israel Development Cooperation- 3-year work program in Agriculture (2018-2020).
Plan of cooperation regarding cooperation in atomic clocks.
MoU regarding cooperation in GEO-LEO optical link.
MoU regarding cooperation in electric propulsion for small satellites.
India’s TERI ranked second among world’s climate think tanks
New Delhi-based The Energy Resources Institute (TERI) was ranked second among world’s best climate think tank by the International Centre for Climate Governance (ICCG). TERI was ranked number two under the category ‘2016 Top Climate Think Tanks in the Rest of the World-Absolute Global Rankings’ during ICCG’s 23rd annual conference of the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE) in Athens, Greece. ICCG is an internationally-renowned body whose activities focus on the design of climate policy and related governance issues. It rankings helps to highlight the scale and magnitude of work done by the think tanks working in the field of climate change.
Indo-Thai joint military exercise Maitree 2017 begins in HP
A 14-day joint military training exercise between India and Thailand started in Himachal Pradesh. The joint exercise of the Indian Army with the Royal Thailand Army commenced at Bakloh in Chamba district. The aim of this exercise is to build and promote closer relations while exchanging skills and experiences between the two armies. ‘Exercise Maitree 2017′ is a continuation of a series of joint exercises between the Indian Army and the Royal Thailand Army. The previous edition of the exercise was held at Krabi in Thailand in 2016. The Maitree series of bilateral exercises has been one of the major defence cooperation initiatives between India and Thailand.
Two Indian-Americans to be honoured with Great Immigrants award
Two Indian-Americans, Adobe Chief Shantanu Narayen and former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy are among 38 immigrants to be honoured this year for their role in helping advance the country’s society, culture and economy. Narayen and Murthy will be honoured with the prestigious ‘Great Immigrants’ annual award on US’s Independence day. Murthy, born in the UK and a Harvard and Yale alumnus, was appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2014, becoming the first-ever Indian-American to occupy the post and also the youngest ever surgeon general of the country. Narayen, a native of Hyderabad has an undergraduate degree in electronics engineering, a master’s degree in computer science, and an MBA from UC Berkeley.
India contributes Rs. 3 Crores to UN Peacebuilding Fund
India has contributed $500,000 (Rs. 3 Crores) to the UN Peacebuilding Fund, expressing hope that more funding by nations will boost efforts by the world body to build and sustain peace. India has been a member of the Peacebuilding Commission since its inception in December 2005 and has so far contributed $5 million to the Peacebuilding Fund. The fund was launched to support activities, actions, programmes and organisations that seek to build a lasting peace in countries emerging from conflict.
Read more: Current Affairs July 2017 Study Material | FreeJobAlert.com http://currentaffairs.freejobalert.com/july-2017-current-affairs-study-material/22892/#ixzz5TsrkmnTJ
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