Important Current Affairs 8th November 2017

Important Current Affairs 8th November 2017

Current Affairs 8th November 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Shri Radha Mohan Singh to inaugurate the three-day Organic World Congress – 2017 in Greater Noida 

Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh will inaugurate the three-day Organic World Congress – 2017 being organized at India Expo Centre in Greater Noida. 
●    It will see the participation of 1,400 representatives from 110 countries, and 2000 delegates from India. 
●    The Organic World Congress (OWC) is organized once every three years in a different country and this time it is being organised in India. 
●    The last edition of the Organic World Congress took place in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2014. 
●    The International Federation of Organic Farming Movements (IFOAM) and OAFI are organizing the event where 55 seeds group from 15 Indian states will showcase 4,000 varieties of seeds.
●    The goal is to move from organic India to the organic world. 
●    Shri Singh said it is important to understand that India is one of the oldest organic agricultural nations of the world. 
●    Even today, large areas and regions of the country practice traditional organic farming. 
●    One of the highlights of the event is the exhibition of carefully preserved diverse indigenous seed varieties over generations.

IDA approves holistic development of 9 islands 

The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh chaired the second meeting of Island Development Agency (IDA) here today. 
●    The Island Development Agency reviewed the concept development plans and detailed master plans for holistic development of 09 islands (four in A&N Islands i.e. Smith, Ross, Long, Avis) and (five in Lakshadweep i.e. Minicoy, Bangaram, Thinnakara, Cheriyam, Suheli).  
●    The project being steered by NITI Aayog aims at promoting and implementing development based on sustainable approach to building a thriving maritime economy of the project islands. 
●    The Union Home Minister expressed satisfaction at the progress made since its last meeting held on July 24, 2017, when directions were given to identify and execute infrastructure and connectivity projects together with provisioning of water and electricity.  
●    It was noted that site development potential reports have clearly mapped and delineated environmentally sensitive zones in the project islands and considering the unique maritime and territorial biodiversity of the islands, enhanced connectivity has been recommended as one of the key priorities.  
●    Accordingly, it was decided that the Naval air station at Shibpur near Diglipur in northern Andaman & Nicobar Islands would be co-used as Joint User Airport.  

Experts Discussed Employment Generation Strategies in India 

 Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Union Minister of State (I/C) for Labour & Employment, while he addressed the experts in a brainstorming session on employment generation strategies organized by VV Giri National Labour Institute (VVGNLI) in Noida. 
●    He said our Ministry do not directly creates employment but creates suitable environment to facilitate employers and employees. 
●    He further added that our government and Ministry are moving in right direction on the path to skill development and employment generation. 
●    He also referred to the historic decision of Demonetisation which has yielded lot of good results during the last one year. 
●    Shri Gangwar said beneficiaries of EPFO and ESIC have increased to one crore in the last one year. 
●    At the occasion Shri Gangwar also released four publications published by VVGNLI and inaugurated the renovated seminar block of the institute.
●    Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Smt. M. Sathiyavathy said that 10 million youngsters are added every year in the race to search a job. 

She-Box Online Complaint Management System for working women to lodge complaints of sexual harassment at workplace launched by Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi 

WCD Minister Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi today launched a comprehensive She-Box online complaint Management System for women working in both public and private organizations to lodge complaints of sexual harassment at workplace. 
●    The SHe-Box was launched in New Delhi today to ensure the effective implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act (the SH Act), 2013.
●    The new SHe-Box portal offers the facility of making online complaints of sexual harassment at workplace to all women employees in the country including government and private employees. 
●    Those who have already filed a written complaint with the concerned Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) or Local Complaint Committee (LCC) constituted under the SH Act are also eligible to file their complaint through this portal.
●    Launching the online facility, the WCD Minister, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi said that this is a historic step since it is probably the first ever time that the government of any country has launched an online portal to receive complaints of sexual harassment at workplace. 
●    The government is completely committed to provide a safe and fair environment to working women. 
●    It is for this reason that the WCD Ministry has made efforts to make the setting up of Internal Complaint Committees mandatory at all workplaces, the Minister explained. 
 

Preparation of Assam and two new plants in India by Prabhat Dairy

Prabhat Dairy, a dairy-based milk producing company based in Maharashtra, said today that it is in the process of setting up new plants at two places including Assam.
●    The company plans to increase its sales by 40 percent by the year 2020.
●    Prabhat Dairy Chief Marketing Officer and Business Head Nidhi Nirmal told , "We are in talks with the government to set up a plant in Assam."
●    We are also talking to some private companies to outsource production work for post-production.
●    He said that the talks are in its initial phase.
●    Nirmal said, "We are talking to some people for the establishment of a plant in Umar India.
●    These new plants will depend on the size of the market and the top management will make a final decision about this.
●    At present, the company has two plants in Maharashtra, which have a daily processing capacity of 10 lakh liters of milk and 30 tonnes is produced from here.
●    Nirmal said, "We aim to achieve a business of Rs 2,000 by 2020, which was Rs 1,400 crore in the last year.
 

Current Affairs 8th November 2017: ECONOMIC

India Signs Loan Agreement with World Bank for US$ 119 Million for “Odisha Higher Education Programme for Excellence and Equity (OHEPEE) Project 

A Financing Agreement for IBRD loan of US$ 119 million (equivalent) for the “Odisha Higher Education Programme for Excellence & Equity (OHEPEE) Project” was signed with the World Bank here today. 
●    The Financing Agreement was signed by Mr. Sameer Kumar Khare (Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs) on behalf of Government of India and Mr. Hisham A. Abdo Kahin, Acting Country Director, World Bank (India) on behalf of the World Bank. 
●    A Project Agreement was also signed by Mr. G.V.V. Sarma, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Government of Odisha and Mr. Hisham A. Abdo Kahin, Acting Country Director, World Bank.
●    The Objective of the project is to improve the quality of 'students’ equitable access to selected institutions and enhance governance of the higher education system in Odisha.
●    Project Component : Result Areas are (I) Improved quality of and students’ equitable access to selected institutions of higher education : Institutional Development Plan (IDP) Grants (performance –based Financing (II) Enhanced governance of the higher education system: (i)Improvement of governance in colleges (ii)Improvement of financial and procurement management and accounting in all government and government-aided colleges.
●    The closing date for the project is 30th November, 2022.

Third Protocol to the Convention between Government of India and New Zealand notified. 

The Third Protocol for amendment of the Convention between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of New Zealand for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income was signed by both countries on 26th October 2016. 
●    The Protocol entered into force in India on 7th September 2017.
●    And it has been notified in the Official Gazette on 2nd November 2017. 
●    The Protocol updates the existing framework of exchange of tax related information to latest international standard.
●    It  will help curb tax evasion and tax avoidance between the two countries and will also enable mutual assistance in collection of taxes.
 

Current Affairs 8th November 2017: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 

India’s Second Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) Established at Anna University, Chennai 

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, has signed an Institutional agreement with Anna University to establish India’s second Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) at the Centre for Intellectual Property Rights (CIPR), Anna University, Chennai, under the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) TISC program. 
●    WIPO’s Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) program provides innovators in developing countries with access to locally based, high quality technology information and related services, helping them to exploit their innovative potential and to create, protect, and manage their Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs). 
●    CIPR has an experience of filing more than 185 Patents, 29 Trademarks, 39 Copyrights, 25 Industrial Design and has also assisted in filing 12 International Patent Applications. 
●    Anna University has been accredited with 6th rank among Universities, 8th rank among Engineering Colleges and 13th rank in the overall category in India, by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) ranking of the Ministry of Human Resource Development. 
●    CIPR has also organized IPR awareness programs as well as six certificate courses on IPR related subjects.