Current Affairs of Today are
1) India and Netherlands launched the second phase of the LOTUS-HR (Local Treatment of Urban Sewage Streams for Healthy Reuseplant ) as a part of joint collaboration.
- Joint launch of the second phase of the Local Treatment of Urban Sewage Streams for Healthy Reuse (LOTUS-HR) program was done by the Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, and Health & Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan.
- The launch program was held during the visit of Netherlands King Willem-Alexander & the Queen Maxima to the India-Netherlands water laboratory at the Barapullah drain in Delhi.
- The project was initiated in July 2017 and aims to demonstrate a novel holistic (waste) water management approach that will produce clean water which can be reused for various purposes. The innovative pilot-scale modular plant upon commissioning will treat 10,000 L sewage water per day and will showcase a self-sustaining model for the end-user.
- The LOTUS-HR project is jointly supported by the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India and Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research /STW, Government of Netherlands.
Werlab
Wetlab a Design challenge jointly supported by DBT-BIRAC and Netherlands Enterprise Agency is a novel way of competition which provides a unique learning and networking platform for both Indian and Dutch young professionals and students to think differently for innovative ideas to solve India’s urban water challenges and contribute to cleaning up India’s rivers.
2) DPIIT launches website and mobile app for IPR
- Secretary Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Guruprasad Mohapatra launched the website and mobile application [Learn to Protect, Secure and Maximize Your Innovation] on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) in New Delhi. The website and app has been developed by Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM)-DPIIT in collaboration with Qualcomm and National Law University (NLU), Delhi.
- The modules of this e-learning platform [L2Pro India IP e-learning Platform and the L2Pro India Mobile App] will aid and enable youth, innovators, entrepreneurs and small and medium industries (SMEs) in understanding IPRs for their ownership and protection, integrate IP into business models and obtain value for their R&D efforts.
- The L2Pro India IP e-learning platform will have 11 modules for three different levels: Basic, Intermediate and Advanced.
3) Economics Nobel prize 2019 to Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo, and Michael Kremer
4) IMF trims growth rate to 3% in 2019
The World Bank International Monetary Fund (IMF) annual meetings, with the IMF downgrading global growth in 2019 to 3%, the slowest since the financial crisis.
India’s growth projections have also been downgraded to 6.1% and 7% in 2019 and 2020, down by 1.2 percentage points and 0.5 percentage points relative to April projections, owing to weaker than expected domestic demand.
Reason for slowdown
Globally, rising trade barriers heightened uncertainty around trade and geopolitics, idiosyncratic factors that have strained emerging markets and structural factors, such as an aging population in advanced economies, were the causes of a “synchronized slowdown”
5) Dr. Harsh Vardhan launches Food Safety Mitra (FSM) scheme for strengthening and scaling up ‘Eat Right India’ movement
- Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare commemorate World Food Day 2019.
- The theme for this day was ‘Healthy Diets for a Zero Hunger World’.
- To mark the occasion, Dr. Harsh Vardhan also launched the ‘Food Safety Mitra (FSM)’ scheme, along with the ‘Eat Right Jacket’, and ‘Eat Right Jhola’ to strengthen food safety administration and scale up the ‘Eat Right India’ movement.
About Food Safety Mitra (FSM)
The ‘Food Safety Mitra' (FSM)’ scheme will support small and medium scale food businesses to comply with the food safety laws and facilitate licensing and registration, hygiene ratings, and training. Apart from strengthening food safety, this scheme would also create new employment opportunities for youth, particularly with food and nutrition background.
About Eat Right Jacket and Eat Right Jhola
- The ‘Eat Right Jacket’ launched today will be used by the field staff. This jacket has a smart design to hold tech devices like tablets/smartphones, a QR code and an RFID tag for identification and tracking.
- The ‘Eat Right Jhola’, a reusable cloth bag shall replace plastic bags for grocery shopping in various retail chains. Since on repeated use, bags are often contaminated with microorganisms and bacteria, proper and regular washing of cloth bags is essential to ensure safety and hygiene.
6) China leases The island of Tulagi for 75 years
The island of Tulagi gi, part of the Solomon Islands, is about to move into Chinese hands.
Under a secretive deal signed last month with a provincial government in the South Pacific nation, a Beijing based company with close ties to the Chinese Communist Party has secured exclusive development rights for the entire island of over 1,000 people and its surroundings. The lease agreement has shocked Tulagi residents and alarmed U.S. officials who see the island chains of the South Pacific as crucial to keeping China in check and protecting important sea routes.
Reason
The geography tells you that this is a good location, China is expanding its military assets into the South Pacific and is looking for friendly ports and friendly airfields just like other rising powers before them
Effect on the USA
The South Pacific region is rich in natural resources, and China’s investments
have provoked worries in the U.S. and Australia that the projects could give Beijing an opening to establish a military foothold for everything from ships and planes to its own version of the GPS.
7) India ranks 102 in Global Hunger Index
In the 2019 Global Hunger Index, India ranks 102nd out of 117 qualifying countries. With a score of 30.3, India suffers from a level of hunger that is serious.
These country are collectively ranked at first
Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Estonia, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Romania, Slovak Republic, Turkey, Ukraine, and Uruguay
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