Current Affairs - October 26, 2018 Current Affairs

Senior diplomat Saurabh Kumar has been appointed India's ambassador to Myanmar. Saurabh Kumar, a 1989 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is currently serving as the Indian envoy in Iran. Kumar will succeed Vikram Misri who has been serving as Indian envoy in Myanmar since August 31, 2016.

A Group of Ministers (GoM) has been constituted by the government of India to strengthen the legal and institutional frameworks to deal with and prevent sexual harassment at the workplace. The Group of Ministers will be chaired by the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. It will recommend action required for effective implementation of the existing provisions related to sexual harassment.

Russia has successfully launched a Soyuz-2.1B rocket for the first time since the failure of a similar rocket aborted a manned take-off to the International Space Station (ISS). According to Russia's space agency chief Dmitry Rogozin, this was the first launch of a rocket from the Soyuz family since the October 11 accident.

India's first engine-less train "Train 18" is set to hit the tracks for trials on October 29, which is designed and manufactured by the Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF) at a cost of Rs 100 crore. It is being regarded as a successor to the 30-year-old Shatabdi Express. The swanky 16-coach prototype without a locomotive (engine) will cut travel time by 15% compared to the Shatabdi.Train 18 is driven by a self-propulsion module sans a separate locomotive & is capable of running at a speed of up to 160 kmph. It comes with technical features for enhanced quick acceleration. The train 18 has diffused lighting, automatic doors and footsteps besides GPS-based Passenger Information System. The footstep in a coach's doorway slides outward when the train stops at a station enabling passengers to alight safely with comfort in view of the variation in height between a train's floor and the platform. Shatabdi was introduced in 1988 and is presently running on over 20 routes connecting metros with other important cities.

The 2018 WETEX (Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition) has started at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre in Dubai from October 23. It is considered as one of the leading sustainability exhibitions in the Middle East and North Africa region. More than 40 Indian exhibitors having expertise in the field of water, solar and renewable energy, electrical, oil and gas, wire and cables etc. are participating in the three-day exhibition. The India Pavilion at WETX 2018 is in line with the vision and commitment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to have sustainable and inclusive growth for all with access to clean water, electricity and housing. The 2018 WETEX shows the latest solutions in conventional and renewable energy, water, sustainability, and conservation.

International Coral Reef Initiative has declared 2018 as the International Year of the Reef. IYOR 2008 was a year-long campaign of events and initiatives hosted by governments and non-governmental organizations around the world, to promote conservation action and strengthen long-term collaborations for coral reef conservation.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development, launched two schemes, Impactful Policy Research in Social Sciences (IMPRESS) and Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC). The aim is to promote higher education research in India. IMPRESS deals with social science research projects and coordinated by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) SPARC involves the foreign collaboration mainly in science research, coordinated by IIT Kharagpur.

Reliance Naval and Engineering (RNEL) launched a 3,000-tonne training ship for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). The state-of-the-art training vessel will be delivered to the ICG in May next year. The 105-metre long training vessel, the largest ship ever built for the ICG. The ship, built at a cost of Rs 220 crore, was named by Urmila Singh as ICGS Varuna at a ceremony attended by a large gathering of Coast Guard officers and government officials.

The Supreme Court banned the sale and registration of motor vehicles conforming to the emission standard Bharat Stage-IV in the entire country from April 1, 2020. Bharat stage (BS) emission norms are standards instituted by the government to regulate output of air pollutants from motor vehicles. The BS IV norms have been enforced across the country since April 2017.

The Punjab government has banned the sale of glyphosate. Glyphosate is a herbicide which is extensively used in the State to control a wide variety of weeds in almost all the crops. The chemical has been observed to be a Group 2A cancer-causing material. This chemical is also known for causing other health problems and has the potential to damage human DNA.

Malayalam author Benyamin has bagged the inaugural 'JCB Prize for literature' for his book 'Jasmine Days'. The book explores the lives of South Asians in the Middle East. Benyamin was awarded a cash prize of ₹25 lakh and a trophy. JCB Prize for Literature is an Indian literary award established in 2018 and the award is funded by the construction manufacturing group JCB.

Supreme Court Collegium on Friday recommended Justice Ramesh Ranganathan's name for the post of Chief Justice in Uttarakhand High Court. Justice Ranganathan is the senior-most Judge from Telangana & Andhra Pradesh High Court. Where as Vijai Kumar Bist, a judge of the Uttarakhand High Court, has been appointed Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court.

On 24 October, President of India has appointed Justice Naresh Harishchandra Patil as the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court. Justice NH Patil is the senior-most Judge from Bombay High Court and at present is functioning as Acting Chief Justice of that High Court. And Vijai Kumar Bist, a judge of the Uttarakhand High Court, has been appointed Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court.

India installed 4.9 GW of solar power, consolidating its position as the second largest solar market in the world, during the first half of the calendar year 2018, according to a report by Mercom Communications India. According to the report, China topped the list. Adani remained the largest project developer in terms of total cumulative installations and top installer in terms of capacity installed through the end of the first half.

India will become the world's third largest aviation market around 2024 surpassing the UK, according to global airlines' body International Air Transport Association (IATA). It projected total air passenger numbers to touch 8.2 billion in 2037. Releasing the latest update to IATA's 20-year Air Passenger Forecast, the grouping also cautioned that growth prospects for air transport and the economic benefits driven by aviation could be curtailed if protectionist measures are implemented by governments.

China and Japan to partner in building Asia infrastructure. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has arrived in China. His visit is expected to trigger significant collaboration between Tokyo and Beijing in developing infrastructure in Asia. He was received by his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang, at the Great Hall of the People. The function was held to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the China-Japan treaty of friendship. The leaders, Dr.Abe with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li, are expected to discuss areas of convergence between China's Belt and Road Initiative and Japan's concept of a free and open Indo-Pacific. They are also expected to discuss joint development of infrastructure in Asia and Africa.

Most of the international migrants in 2017 were from India, followed by China and Bangladesh, according to an Asian Development Bank (ADB) report titled 'Asian Economic Integration Report 2018'. As per the report, as many as one-third of international migrants were from Asia in 2017. India had the most outward migrants in 2017 (17 million), followed by China (10 million) and Bangladesh (7.5 million).

The Global Agriculture Leadership Summit 2018 opened in New Delhi. The theme of the 2-day summit is, 'Connecting Farmers to Market'. The summit was inaugurated by the Secretary Agriculture and Co-operation, Sanjay Agrawal.

Ethiopia appointed diplomat Sahle-Work Zewde as its first-ever female President. The position of the President is largely ceremonial in the nation. Zewde was appointed by the Ethiopian lawmakers through a unanimous vote. She would be replacing Mulatu Teshome Wirtu. Prior to her appointment, she was serving as the UN's top official at the African Union.

Gogha- Dahej Ro-Pax Ferry service will be inaugurated in Gujarat on 27 October 2018. The ferry service is a part of Sagarmala programme of the Ministry of Shipping. The ferry service has a carrying capacity of 100 vehicles and 500 passengers. The ferry will travel through the sea route by crossing the Gulf in Cambay.