Important Current Affairs 3rd November 2017

Important Current Affairs 3rd November 2017

Current Affairs 3rd November 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Hyderabad will host a three-day conference to discuss urban traffic challenges and their solution

Nearly 1000 policymakers, including the Mayors and the Municipal Councilors from five southern states, from tomorrow in cities , during the three-day conference in 20 states and administrators of 25 countries, experts, urban planners, researchers and technology and service providers, in Hitec City, Hyderabad. 
●    Vice President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu will inaugurate the 'Urban Dynamics India Conference & Exhibition' tomorrow.
●    The Chief Minister of Telangana Shri K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri will also address the inaugural session.
●    When Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu was the Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation at the Center, last year he had selected Hyderabad for the 10th UMI Conference and the exhibition.
●    Hyderabad is hosting this conference for the first time since the launch of UMI Conference in 2008.
●    The conference is being organized jointly by Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Telangana Government and France's Transport Institute 'Kodatu'.
●    The objective of the UMI Conference is to provide information on traffic, mobility topics and traffic conditions in different cities of the whole world and exchange ideas.
●    During the conference, various aspects of traffic related to 86 cities of India including 36 foreign cities will be discussed in detail.

Meeting with Radha Mohan Singh and Minister of State for Agriculture and Food, Germany Mr. Peter Blazer

Welcoming Mr. Peter Blaser, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Germany, Shri Radha Mohan Singh,  said that India’s relations with Germany have always been close and friendly.
●    These relations are based on common democratic values, fundamental rights and mutual trust.
●    Shri Singh said that he is particularly happy that cooperation between agriculture and allied sectors is progressing rapidly between the two countries.
●    Shri Singh said that 6 meetings of the Joint Working Group have been held since 2008; The Indian Agricultural Skills Council (ASCI) and the German Agricultural Trade Alliance (GAA) have agreed on mutually agreeing to set up a center of excellence in the field of agriculture.
●    Shri Singh said that the cooperation being done in the Seed area is particularly remarkable.
●    As the project implementation agreement for the next phase (January 2017 to December 2018) was signed in May 2017.
●    The Union Agriculture Minister said that while briefing about the various initiatives taken by the government in the agriculture sector, he said that the current level of bilateral trade can be further extended in agricultural products.
●    Mr. Singh urged the Minister of Germany to use his post to resolve promptly the Tricyclazole (TCA) issue related to Indian rice exported to Germany and other countries of the European Union.

Prime Minister launches investment portal 'Investment Bandhu'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the World Food Bharat-India in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi today.
●    This three-day event has been organized by the Ministry of Food Processing, under the guidance of Union Food Processing Minister Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal.
●    Armenia President H. S. Srpson, Latvia Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Peter Blaser, Deputy Minister for Economic Development of Italy, Mr. Peter Blaser of Italy, Mr. Asben Lunde Larsen, Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture of Germany and the Environment and Food Minister of Denmark were also present.
●    For the first time in India, World Food Conference has been organized. On this historic occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Investment Bandhu' portal or investor friend.
●    This Portal will contain information about the policies of Central and State Governments and the concessions given under the Food Processing Zone.
●    It will be a common platform for businessmen, farmers, traders, processing people and logistic operators.
●    This portal has included publications with the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, which will help investors to make decisions.
●    The Prime Minister released a memorial ticket and a coffee table book on Indian cuisine.

Successful test of guided bombs

The successful light-weight guided bomb 'Saw' (SAAW, Smart NT Airfield Weapon) developed in indigenously, successfully tested from IAF aircraft in the ITR range in Chandipur, Odisha.
●    Guided bombs coming out of the aircraft, with precision, achieved the target, located 70 kilometers away using the micro-navigation system.
●    Keeping in mind the different conditions and distances, three tests were conducted and all were successful.
●    This guided bomb has been developed by the DRDO Research Center Building (RCI) with the help of other departments of DRDO and Indian Air Force.
●    Defense Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman congratulated the Indian Air Force and DRDO scientists for these successful trials.
●    Dr. S.Christopher, President of DRDO and Defense R & D Department congratulated the team and said that Saawe will soon be included in the Armed Forces.
●    Dr. G. Satish Reddy, Director General of Missile and Strategic Systems said that guided bombs are a milestone in indigenous capacity development.

JWGCTC's fourth meeting was organized in India

Under the Indo-US Defense Trade and Technical Initiative, the fourth meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWGCTC) on Aircraft Carrier Technical Cooperation was held from 29 October to 03 November in India.
●    A 13-member US delegation led by Rear Admiral Brian Antonio, Chief of Aircraft Career Program, visited the testing facility center located on the coast of Goa, Naval Center at Karwar, INS Vikramaditya in the sea, visiting the headquarters of Mazagon Dock Limited and the Western Naval Command. 
●    The concluding meeting of the Joint Working Group was held in New Delhi on November 03, 2017, headed by Rear Admiral Brian Antonio, Chief Admiral D.M. Deshpande, Chief of the Aircraft Carrier Program, and the controlling warship production and acquisition.
●    At the meeting, both sides discussed the achievements of the Joint Working Group and in the future agreed on mutual cooperation on different dimensions of aircraft carrier technology such as design, construction, testing process and project management.
●    A joint statement was signed on 03 November 2017.
●    This meeting reflects the growing mutual cooperation between the two countries in the aircraft carrier technology. 
●    Both sides agreed to hold a meeting in the United States next year.

Launch of Deendayal 'touch' scheme to encourage stamp collection

Communications Minister Mr. Manoj Sinha today launched Deendayal Touch Scheme to promote postal stamp collection.
●    This is a scholarship scheme for school children across India.
●    Under the 'touch' scheme, class VI to IX will be given scholarships annually to those children who have good academic results and who have chosen the postal stamp collection as an interest.
●    Based on a competitive process to be held in all the post circles, students interested in postage stamp collection will be selected.
●    After introducing the scheme, giving information to the media, Mr. Sinha said that under the scheme, there is a proposal to provide 920 scholarships.
●    Each postal circle will select a maximum of 40 students.
●    In class VI, VII, VIII, and IX, 10 students will each be selected.
●    The amount of scholarship is Rs 500 per month (Rs 6000 per annum).
●    The Minister said that in order to get scholarship, the child should be a student of the registered school, the school should have a stamp collecting club and the child should be a member of this club.

Current Affairs 3rd November 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATION

Armenia President meets President

Armenia President Serge Sargsyan met President Ramnath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan today (03 November, 2017).
●    Welcoming President of Armenia on his first visit to India, congratulated Armenia on successfully guiding President of the Presidential system in the parliamentary system.
●    The President thanked Mr. Sargsyan for his presence at World Food India Festival.
●    The President said that India and Armenia share a very special relationship.
●    The roots of our warmth and friendly relations are rooted in history. Our citizens have been associated with each other for centuries.
●    In other cities of Kolkata, Chennai and India, citizens of Armenia are lovingly living with Indian citizens.
●    We feel very proud about this shared legacy.
●    The President said that our bilateral relations are strong.
●    Health sector is a potential area of bilateral cooperation.
●    He expressed confidence that this visit would give a new impetus to India-Armenia relations.

Current Affairs 3rd November 2017: DAYS AND DATES

Bureau of Indian Standards celebrates 48th World Standard Day

The Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Ram Vilas Paswan has said that the Department of Consumer Affairs is working on bringing the certification regulations under the new BIS Act 2016.
●    Mr. Paswan appreciated the amendment of standards on gold ornaments with only three sections, namely, 14, 18 and 22 carats under the certification.
●    Mr. Paswan today expressed his gratitude while inaugurating the seminar on 'Making cities and smart' organized by the Bureau of Indian Standards on the occasion of 48th World Standard Day in New Delhi.
●    Shri Paswan gave special emphasis on consumer protection, which will be promoted through new consumer protection and BIS act.
●    Shri Ram Vilas Paswan released a pre-standardization report for the integrated, safe and flexible method for smart cities.
●    Mr. Paswan said that building a smart city is a very complex obligation, which has its own challenges and the standard is the only integrated separator, which can simplify this obligation.
●    National standards make the work related to Smart City safe and easy.