GK and Current Affairs Updates

The World Leaders on 19 September 2016 adopted the New York Declaration at the opening of the United Nations General Assembly's (UNGA) first-ever Summit for Refugees and Migrants.
•    Protect the human rights of all refugees and migrants, regardless of status. This includes the rights of women and girls and promoting their full, equal and meaningful participation in finding solutions.
•    Ensure that all refugee and migrant children are receiving education within a few months of arrival.
•    Prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence.
•    Support those countries rescuing, receiving and hosting large numbers of refugees and migrants.
•    Work towards ending the practice of detaining children for the purposes of determining their migration status.
•    Find new homes for all refugees identified by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as needing resettlement.
•    Expand the opportunities for refugees to relocate to other countries through labour mobility or education schemes.
•    Strengthen the global governance of migration by bringing the International Organization for Migration (IOM) into the UN system.
 

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare today here signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ministry of Water Resources, Water Development and Ganga Rejuvenation to promote organic farming on the banks of river Ganga. According to this agreement, villagers situated on the banks of river Ganga will be encouraged for organic farming.
•    As per agreement, under the Namami Gange project 1657 gram panchayats situated along the course of river Ganga starting from Uttarakhand to West Bengal, organic farming will be developed in 1657 clusters under the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY). 
•    Under this project, Ministry of Agriculture along with cluster formation, will provide training on Integrated Nutrient Management and micro-irrigation techniques.
•    To promote organic farming on the banks of river Ganga, clusters of gram panchayats will be formed, awareness campaigns will be launched and self help groups will be formed by the Ministry. 
•    Apart from this, related information will be provided through mobile applications and awareness will be created among the masses about the side-effects of using chemicals, fertilizers and insecticides in farming will be created. Initiatives will be taken to promote the improved ways of irrigation for water rejuvenation in Ganga valley. 
•    Also, organic farming and livestock based livelihood will be promoted on the banks of Ganga river. Ministry of Agriculture is promoting organic farming under the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana throughout the country especially in north-eastern states.
•    Memorandum of Understanding programme was chaired by Sushri Uma Bharti, Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. Shri Radha Mohan Singh, Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare was the guest of honour in the programme.

India and Nepal on 16 September 2016 signed three MoUs and agreements to enhance the bilateral agreement between the two nations.
•    The agreements were inked during the four-day-visit (from 15 September to 18 September 2016) of Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda to India.
•    MoU for project management consultancy services for upgradation/improvement of road infrastructure in Terai area of Nepal – The services will be provided by NHIDCL in pursuance of the MoU signed on 20 February 2016.
•    First Amendatory Dollar credit line agreement between Nepal and EXIM Bank: Amendatory agreement to 1 billion US dollar Line of Credit agreement signed on 25 November 2014, enabling reapportioning of unutilised funds for post-earthquake reconstruction projects in Nepal.
•    Dollar Credit line agreement between Nepal and EXIM Bank: New Line of Credit agreement for 750 million US dollar for post-earthquake reconstruction projects in Nepal.

India declared itself free from the highly contagious avian influenza (H5N1) or bird flu from 5 September 2016. 
•    The declaration was made by the Department of Animal Husbandry under the Agriculture Ministry.
•    The Department in a statement said that it had notified the same to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). 
•    The outbreak of the avian influenza was notified on 9 May 2016 at Humnabad, Bidar district, Karnataka. 
•    In areas on the one-kilometre radius of the outbreak location, the government took measures, including culling, disinfection and clean-up, to contain the spread of avian influenza.
•    Bird flu affects mainly the domestic poultry. 
•    The disease spreads from infected birds to other winged creatures through contact with nasal and respiratory secretions and also due to contamination of feed and water.
•    Avian influenza (AI) is an infectious viral disease of birds. 
•    Highly pathogenic viruses result in high death rates (up to 100% mortality within 48 hours) in some poultry species. 
•    Low pathogenicity viruses also cause outbreaks in poultry but are not generally associated with severe disease. 
 

Leading the campaign from the front, Hon’ble Minister for Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu launched Swachhta Saptah under the Swachh Rail Swachh Bharat Mission from New Delhi Railway Station today(17.9.2016). In order to spread wider awareness on sanitation and cleanliness in rail premises and make hygiene a habit amongst the travelling public, the Indian Railways is organizing a special nine-day long public outreach programme scheduled from 17th September to 25th September 2016. Stating that this day coincidentally marked the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shri Prabhu said that it is befitting that the Swacchta Saptaah should commemorate his lofty vision and goals. Commencing the Swachhta Saptaah today (17th September 2016) as Swacch Paryavaran Diwas(Clean Environment), the Hon’ble Minister spelled out the Railway’s commitment by recounting the initiatives taken under the Swachh Rail Swachh Bharat Mission. 
•    He also felicitated railway employees Shri Jagdeep Hooda, Coach, Indian Boxing Team & Shri Lalit Mathur, Athlete Player of the Indian Relay Team at Rio Olympic 2016 on the occasion. 
•    Lending their valuable presence to this cause, the sportsmen who were honored participated with enthusiasm accompanied by cheers and gusto from Railway officials and crowd of rail passengers at the venue. 
•    Commencing with ceremony on a big note and with great enthusiasm General Manager, Northern Railway Shri A.K.Puthia launched the the Swachhta Saptah today at Dehradun station. 
•    Various activities held at the station include Nukkad Natak by Scouts and Guides, Cleanliness drives and awareness campaign by SNCF Volunteers. He inspected equipment, materials & machines used for cleaning at stations & in trains and interacted with passengers and with press and media. 
•    In keeping with the program, Indian Railways undertook intensive cleanliness drives on all stations. All stations wore the ceremonial look with posters and banners spelling the message loud and clear to the travelling public that the Railway is their travelling home. Railway officer and staff donned the ceremonial caps interacting with the travelling public and conducting inspections at station premises. 
•    Anti-littering slogans were posted at various locations. Dustbins for garbage were provided and awareness programmes were undertaken. All major stations on the Northern Railway were inspected by all levels of hierarchy from top executives and supervisory cadres.
•    A drive on garbage handling and disposal was also undertaken at railway stations, Trains and Depots. Tree plantation ceremonies were held at various places. 
•    Earmarking each day with specific focus area for spruce-up, the cleanliness programme has certain defined thrusts like Swachh Stations (Clean Stations), Swachh Rail Gaadi(Clean Train), Swachh Neer(Clean Water), Swachh Parisar(Clean Complex), Swachh Sahyog(Cleanliness Participation), Swachh Samvad (Cleanliness Dialogue), Swachh Samarpan (Dedication for ensuring Cleanliness), Swachh Aahar (Clean Food) upto 25th September 2016. Indian Railways is committed to continue this Cleanliness drive on sustained basis. 
•    The Indian Railways appeals to all rail users to express their solidarity through greater public support and an active public co-operation to make the Railways a place of pride and rail journey a pleasant experience.

Vice President Hamid Ansari today held talks with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on a host of issues of mutual interest after arriving here to attend the 17th NAM Summit.
•    Ansari called on Maduro in his first official engagement in Venezuela after arriving here as the leader of the Indian delegation at the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
•    In his call on with Maduro, Ansari was accompanied by Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar and Secretary West Sujata Mehta.
•    The meeting between Ansari and Maduro came less than a month after Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez visited India to personally hand over an invitation for India’s participation in the 17th NAM Summit.
•    The two countries had also agreed to finalise a number of key pacts including double tax avoidance agreement.
•    The two sides had agreed to move ahead for an early finalization of a number of agreements in different areas, including Extradition Treaty, Double Tax Avoidance Agreement (DTAA), Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) on Criminal Matters and Air Services Agreement.

The government has developed a scientific tool based on a UN model which will use satellite imagery and on-ground assessments to measure direct and indirect damages besides the 'opportunity cost' lost due to disasters. 
•    This will help the Centre make a more accurate and scientific assessment of relief and reconstruction packages for disaster-hit regions, and not be dependent on the arbitrary claims made by states.
•    The scientific tool, called the Post-Disaster Need Assessment (PDNA), has been developed by the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), a part of the home ministry. 
•    It is ready for trials and a pilot will run in a calamity-hit region. The tool has been designed to meet Indian conditions, though modelled on the lines of a similar tool used by the UNISDR for Latin American countries. 
•    The UNISDR tool was developed by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and is known as ECLAC tool for disaster risk reduction and loss assessments.

105-year-old Kunwar Bai, who was felicitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for building toilet by selling off her goats, has been chosen as the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ mascot.
•    Prime Minister Modi will felicitate Kunwar Bai at a function in the national capital to mark `Swachhta Diwas’ on September 17. 
•    Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in February touched her feet during a rally in Rajnandgaon.
•    The Prime Minister, who was in Chhattisgarh to launch the ambitious Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban (rural-urban) Mission, felicitated Kunwar Bai from Kotabharri village of Dhamtari and then touched her feet to seek blessing.
•    Kunwar Bai had sold-off her 8-10 goats to build two toilets at her home. Subsequently, she started showing other villagers the toilets at her home while informing them about its importance.

India has approved an ambitious $1.04-billion project for constructing and upgrading 558 km of roads to link it with Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal and ease the movement of passengers and cargo, as part of the larger effort to increase inter-regional trade by 60 per cent. 
•    The new project has been given an official nod by India's Department of Economic Affairs with 50 per cent funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), officials told IANS, adding that the road project will cover West Bengal and Manipur on the Indian side, as of now. 
•    The project as per a list accessed by IANS includes, among others, an upgrade of the 122km Siliguri-Mirik-Darjeeling ($15 million) and the widening of the 60-km National Highway-35 (Kolkata-Bangaon) on the border with Bangladesh ($130 million). 
•    It also includes a new 123-km road to connect with Diamond harbour, on the outskirts of Kolkata, at a cost of $250 million. 

A group of Keralite women on Saturday created history by taking part in 'Pulikali', a famous folk art which has been an exclusive bastion of male artistes, along with over 500 male counterparts, donning the garb of symbolic tigers.
•    Breaking the conventional gender barriers, they performed along with men on the streets, dancing to the beat of drums wearing tiger masks and body painted with the face of big cat. 
•    The participation of women added colour to the annual folk fiesta, held in front of the famed Vadakkunnatha Siva temple in the city as part of the Onam festivities.
•    A large number of trained artistes, painted as tigers and hunters, danced to the beats of instruments such as 'udukku' and 'takil'. 
•    Three women are N A Vinaya, Divya and Sakheena -- members of Women Integration and Growth through Sports (WINGS).
•    Vinaya said it was an opportunity for them to leave a mark in an area in which only men were till now involved.