Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
1. Social Issues
2. Polity Issues
3. Government Schemes
4. Economy Issues
5. International Relations
6. Summits
7. Science
8. Environment
9. Defence
10. Culture
11. Miscellaneous
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 1
SOCIAL ISSUES
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 2
business), perceived freedom to make life decisions, and generosity (as measured by
recent donations).
Devised and launched in 1990, HDI is a statistic which ranks countries into four tiers of
human development on the basis of indicators like life expectancy, education and per
capita income.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 3
It was released by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women, on the sidelines
of 61st Commission on Status of Women, the largest inter-governmental forum on
womens rights and gender equality.
The theme for this year: womens economic empowerment in the changing world of
work.
Top 10 countries with highest women in parliament: Rwanda, Bolivia, Cuba, Iceland,
Nicaragua, Sweden, Senegal, Mexico, Finland and South Africa.
8. Government signs Financing Agreement with World Bank for Tejaswini Project
India signs Financing Agreement with World Bank for Tejaswini: Socio-Economic
Empowerment of Adolescent Girls and Young Women Project.
The project seeks to empower the adolescent girls with basic life skills and thereafter
provide further opportunities to acquire market driven skill training or completion of
secondary education, depending on the inclination of the beneficiary.
The project will be delivered in 17 Districts of Jharkhand.
The project has three main components, (i) Expanding social, educational and economic
opportunities (ii) Intensive service delivery (iii) State capacity-building and
implementation support. The closing date for the project is 30th June, 2021.
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9. Cabinet approves ratification of 2 ILO conventions on prohibiting child labour
The government has approved ratification of two fundamental conventions of
International Labour Organization (ILO) to address concerns related to child labour.
The Cabinet approves ratification of -- Minimum Age Convention (No 138) concerns
minimum age for admission to employment and Worst Form of Child Labour
Convention (No 182) concerns prohibition and immediate action for elimination of the
worst form of Child labour.
India would be legally binding to comply with the provision of the two conventions. India
would join countries who have adopted the legislation to prohibit and place severe
restrictions on the employment and work of children.
India is a founder member of the International Labour Organization (ILO), which came
into existence in 1919. At present, the ILO has 187 members.
India by ensuring proper implementation of the provisions of the Child and Adolescent
Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 which now completely prohibits
employment or work of children below 14 years in any occupation or process, which is
also crucial for the attainment of elimination of child labour as a Sustainable
Development Goals by 2030.
10. Iceland set to become worlds first country to neutralise gender pay gap
Iceland is set to become the first country in the world to neutralise gender pay gap.
In this regard, a bill was introduced in Icelands parliament that makes mandatory for
public and private businesses to prove they offer equal pay to employees. The bill entails
companies and institutions of a certain size (25 or more employees), to undertake a
certification of their equal-pay programmes.
According to World Economic Forum (WEF)s 2015 Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI),
Iceland was ranked first and was followed by fellow Nordic nations Norway, Finland and
Sweden
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 5
National Programme for Containment of AMR is under implementation in 12th Five Year
Plan.
12. First malaria vaccine to be tested in Kenya, Ghana and Malawi in 2018
The World Health Organization has announced that it is ready to test the first malaria
vaccine in the real world setting in 2018.It will be tested on people from three African
countriesGhana, Kenya and Malawi.
The injectable vaccine, called RTS,S or Mosquirix, was developed by British drugmaker
GlaxoSmithKline to protect children(5-17 years) from the most deadly form of malaria in
Africa.
In 2015, the vaccine received approval from the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
The RTS, S vaccine works by targeting the liver phase of the malaria parasites life cycle
as the parasite multiplies inside the liver after getting introduced into the body by a
mosquito bite.
Malaria remains a major health challenge, infecting more than 200 million people every
year and killing about half a million. Children in Africa are the most vulnerable. In 2015, 88
per cent of global cases and 90 per cent of global deaths occurred in Africa
The WHO is hoping to eradicate malaria by 2040 despite increasing resistance to anti-
malarial drugsa problem that exists not just in Africa but also in India.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 6
15. Swachh Sarvekshan-2017: Indore is the Cleanest City
Indore has been declared the cleanest city in India among 434 cities surveyed for the
government cleanliness ranking by the Quality Council of India, according to the Swachh
Survekshan 2017 report.
Report was released by Union Urban Development Ministry .
Madhya Pradeshs capital Bhopal came second. Mysuru, which had topped the list
in 2016, came fifth this year. State-wise, Gujarat has the highest number, with 12 of its
cities among the top 50 clean cities followed by Madhya Pradesh with 11 and Andhra
Pradesh with eight. Union Territory Chandigarh, which had stood second last year,
slipped to the eleventh position this year.
The worst performing cities are: Gonda of Uttar Pradesh (434th), Bhusawal of
Maharashtra (433rd), Bagaha of Bihar (432nd), Hardoi of Uttar Pradesh (431st), Katihar
of Bihar (430th), Bahraich of Uttar Pradesh (429th), Muktsar of Punjab (428th), Abohar of
Punjab (427th), Shahjahanpur of Uttar Pradesh (426th), Khurja of Uttar Pradesh (425th).
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 7
POLITY ISSUES
4. Union Defence minister Arun Jaitley has given the green light to widespread
military reforms.
The reforms are based on a report by the Lt General (retired) DB Shekatkar committee,
which made recommendations on enhancing the combat potential of Indias three
armed forces, rationalising the defence budget, and improving the teeth-to-tail
ratio.
The panel wants the military to move out of non-core areas such as the National
Cadet Corps (NCC), remove duplicity among the three services, and make
institutions such as the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)
and ordnance factory boards more accountable through project audits and by
shelving outdated concepts.
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A major recommendation is that the defence budget should be 2.5% to 3% of the
GDP. The committee called for redefining the revenue and capital heads in the budget.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 9
mother has been defined as biological mother who uses her egg to create an
embryo planted in any other woman.
10. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved amendments to the New
Urea Policy2015
The amendment is related to the production beyond Re-Assessed Capacity (RAC), to
protect the production beyond RAC by urea units and boost indigenous urea
production in the country.
It also raises ceiling imposed on production beyond RAC during the year 2016-17 to
enable all urea unit to produce additional production.
Department of Fertilizers has been authorized to take appropriate decision in
consultation with Department of Expenditure to address any future fluctuation in Import
Parity Price (IPP).
11. The Union cabinet approved the setting up of a regulator for the railwaysthe Rail
Development Authority (RDA).
The long-awaited regulator will perform four primary functionstariff determination;
ensuring fair play and level playing field for stakeholder investment; setting
efficiency and performance standards; and dissemination of information.
The RDA will be an independent body with separate budget. The independence is
ensured through separate budget, appointment and removal process.
The regulator, to be headed by a chairman and comprising three members, will have
a five-year term and be empowered to engage experts.
12. The Union Cabinet has approved MoU between India and Bangladesh for fairway
development on two stretches.
They are Ashuganj-Zakiganj stretch of Kushiyara river and Sirajganj-Daikhawa
stretch of Jamuna river, the dreging would be jointly done.
The MoU will considerably help to reduce the logistics cost of cargo movement to
North Eastern states of India.
It will also reduce the dependence and congestion through the narrow Siliguri
Chickens Neck corridor.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 10
13. Centre sets up National Board of Electric Mobility
Centre notified the constitution of the National Board of Electric Mobility (NBEM). It also
nominated six members of eminence and expertise from the automobile industry
into it, including Vikram Kirloskar (Toyota Kirloskar Motors), Vinod Dasari (Ashok
Leyland), Pawan Goenka (Mahindra & Mahindra) and Sudarshan Venu (TVS Motors)
The NBEM will examine, formulate and propose short- as well as long-term plans
and contours of the mission programme on electric mobility.
One of its key functions will be to explore and recommend collaborations and tie-ups
for technology acquisitions, obtaining technical experts and explore possible agreements
with leading R&D centres globally to facilitate availability of technology to the domestic
industry.
14. The Lok Sabha has passed the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2016
The bill seeks to amend the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 that provides for legal standards
for motor vehicles, grant of driving licenses, and penalties for violation of these
provisions. It proposes Aadhaar-based verification for grant of online services
including learner's licence.
He said the government has also proposed compulsory vehicle recall, amendments
like third party insurance, relief to good Samaritans, stricter punishment and fines
to traffic rule violators.
The bill specifically targets traffic offenders with stringent penal provisions. The bill
has identified priority areas for improving road safety. Stricter penalties are proposed
for high risk offences such as drunken driving, dangerous driving, overloading,
non-adherence to safety norms by drivers.
16. Lok Sabha has passed Constitution 123rd Amendment Bill, 2017
It seeks to insert a new article 338B in the constitution which provides for NCBC, its
composition, mandate, functions and various officers. Insert a new article 342-A which
empowers the president to notify the list of socially and educationally backward
classes of that state / union territory. Since the National Commission for Backward
Classes Act, 1993 becomes irrelevant once this bill becomes an act; Lok Sabha has
also passed a separate bill to repeal that act.
17. The government has reduced the number of centrally sponsored schemes to 28
umbrella schemes from 66
The 28 schemes have been classified further, wherein six schemes have been
categorised as core of the core, 20 schemes as core and the remaining two as optional
schemes.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 11
Core Schemes: For these schemes Funding pattern is generally 60:40 for general
states and for North Eastern and himlayan states, it is 90:10.
Core of The core Schemes: These schemes are fully funded by the centre.
19. The agriculture ministry has unveiled The State/UT Agricultural Produce and
Livestocks Marketing (promotion and facilitation) Act, 2017
It will introduce features such as a single market within a state, private wholesale
markets, direct sale by farmers to bulk buyers, and promotion of electronic trading.
traders will be able to transact in all markets within a state by paying a single fee
and sell perishables such as fruits and vegetables outside existing mandis (wholesale
markets).
The state governments as per the draft law are required to appoint an independent
entity director of agricultural marketing who would function as a sole authority to
grant the licence for the establishment of a new market yard in the state concerned.
20. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik)
Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik means the common man flies. The PM flagged of the
first UDAN flight under Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) on Shimla-Delhi sector.
Around 45 unserved and under-served airports are set to be connected under
UDAN scheme to make flying more affordable. The airports to be connected under
UDAN include Bhatinda, Bhavnagar, Durgapur, Jaisalmer, Puducherry, and
Shimla.
Under this scheme, five operators will operate flights services on 128 routes that will
connect 70 airports through 19-78 seater aircrafts. The operators are Air India
subsidiary Airline Allied Services, Air Deccan, Air Odisha, Turbo Megha, and Spice
Jet.
As per the modalities of the scheme, airfare for a one-hour journey of 500 km has
been capped at an all-inclusive charge of Rs. 2,500. For longer routes and flight
duration, the pricing will vary
only 50% of the seats will be sold at Rs 2500 per seat per hour. The airlines can sell
the rest of the tickets at market rates.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 12
21. Assam declared as Disturbed Area Under AFSPA for 3 More Months
As per the notification, the entire Assam besides bordering areas of Meghalaya
has been declared as Disturbed Area.
The government has cited various violent activities carried out by certain insurgent
groups like ULFA, NDFB and others as a reason behind the extension of AFSPA.
The AFSPA has been under force in the three Arunachal Pradesh districts since
January 2016.
AFSPA is collective name of several acts passed by Indian parliament for
providing special powers to the Indian Armed Forces and to provide army officers
and jawans legal immunity for their actions in disturbed areas.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 13
GOVT. SCHEMES & PROGRAMMES
4. Jharkhand police initiates Tare Zameen Par programme for underprivileged kids
To enlighten children in naxal-affected areas of Jharkhand's Palamau district, Jharkhand
Police has initiated Tare Zameen Par program to encourage children to lead happy lives.
People from all sections of society took part in the program for contributing basic
amenities for children. Locals are appealed to donate bags, shoes, books and clothes
that would be distributed among poor children.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 14
Its aiming to make a passengers complete Air Travel experience digital/ paperless.
In addition, the ministry is also in the process of coming up with an approach to have a
no-fly list based on safety.
The government has decided to come with a no-fly list in the wake of instances of unruly
behaviour by air passengers that endanger the safety of all passengers in an aircraft.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 15
ECONOMY
3. CCEA approves Policy for Early Monetization of Coal Bed Methane Gas
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved Policy for Early
Monetization of Coal Bed Methane (CBM) Gas Marketing and Pricing Freedom for CBM
Gas.
Coalbed methane (CBM or coal-bed methane), coalbed gas, coal seam gas, or coal-
mine methane is a form of natural gas extracted from coal beds. The term refers to
methane adsorbed into the solid matrix of the coal.
It is called 'sweet gas' because of its lack of hydrogen sulfide. Coalbed methane is
distinct from a typical sandstone or other conventional gas reservoir, as the methane is
stored within the coal by a process called adsorption. The methane is in a near-liquid
state, lining the inside of pores within the coal (called the matrix).
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Unlike much natural gas from conventional reservoirs, coalbed methane contains very
little heavier hydrocarbons such as propane or butane, and no natural-gas condensate. It
often contains up to a few percent carbon dioxide.
The policy provides marketing and pricing freedom to the CBM Contractors to sell
the CBM at Arms Length Price in the domestic market.
While discovering the market price for Arms Length Sales, the Contractor has to ensure
a fully transparent and competitive process for sale of CBM with the objective that the
best possible price is realized for the gas without any restrictive commercial practices.
CBM contractors have also been permitted to sell the CBM to its any affiliate, in the
event contractor cannot identify any buyer.
Royalty and other dues to the Government, however, shall be payable on the basis of
Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell (PPAC) notified prices or selling prices, whichever
is higher.
The policy is expected to incentivize the CBM operation in the country to boost gas
production and will generate economic activities.
It will in turn be beneficial for creating more employment opportunities in CBM operations
and related activities.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 17
The selection of oil blocks will be based on seismic and well data provided by
Directorate-General of Hydrocarbons in National Data Repository which offers total of
160TB data of Indias 26 sedimentary basins.
The OALP auction will be held under the overhauled exploration licensing policy,
allowing pricing and marketing freedom to operators and shifts to a revenue sharing
model.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 18
9. Japan has officially recognized bitcoin and digital currencies as legal money along
the lines of other fiat currencies
The recognition means regulations governing banks and financial institutions will be
applicable to crypto-currency and digital currencies exchange platforms.
They will be also required to comply with strict Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know
Your Customer (KYC) requirements, along with annual audits.
Bitcoin is a form of digital currency or virtual currency created and held
electronically. No one controls it i.e not regulated by any central bank or government.
It is also called a cryptocurrency since it is decentralized and uses cryptography
to prevent double-spending, a significant challenge inherent to digital currencies.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 19
13. World banks Power Accessibility List: India jumps 73 Spots to be ranked 26th
India has jumped 73 spots to be ranked 26th in World Banks electricity
accessibility list. The country was ranked 99th in 2014.
A person applying for new electricity connection would be able to get the connection
within 24 hours in areas where power infrastructure is available and in areas where
there is no power infrastructure, electricity connection would be given in a week.
The Ministry of Power has also launched a new app, GARV-II to provide real-time
data of all six lakh villages of the country.
14. The government has released new-look index of industrial production (IIP) and the
wholesale price index (WPI).
Instead of the earlier 2004-05, base year for the IIP and the WPI will be 2011-12.
Already, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and
gross value addition etc., have 2011-12 as the base year.
The new series of IIP will include technology items like smart phones, tablets, LED
television etc.
Under the mineral group, new items like copper concentrate, lead concentrate and
garnet have been added and other items like copper ore, gypsum, kaolin, dolomite,
and magnesite have been dropped.
Introduction of the new series would make all the key macroeconomic
indicators such as IIP, WPI, CPI and national accounts to have a common base of
2011-12, paving way for easier comparisons among them.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 20
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
2. The US Senate voted to approve Montenegro as the 29th member of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
The move to add Montenegro as the 29th member was backed by President Donald
Trump.
NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance, based on the North Atlantic Treaty,
which was signed on 4 April 1949, headquartered at Brussels, Belgium.
The organization constitutes a system of collective defence whereby its member
states agree to mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party.
5. Beijing-backed Carrie Lam won a triangular electoral contest to become the first
woman chief executive of Hong Kong
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 21
Hong Kong is a special administration region of China, which rules it under the
one country, two systems principle. Under the system, Hong Kong enjoys a
degree of autonomy and rights not seen in the mainland.
The Hong Kong election is not a direct one; candidates are voted by an election
committee, mostly comprising pro-Beijing members.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 22
10. Kazakhstan opens consulate in Chennai
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations
between India and Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan is rich in natural resources, minerals, oil and gas and chemical products. It
is the largest exporter of Uranium to India.
11. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has been re-elected with an emphatic victory
Mr Rouhani, a moderate who agreed a deal with world powers to limit Iran's nuclear
programme won 57% of the votes.
While oil exports have rebounded and inflation is back at single-digits, unemployment
remains high, especially among the young people.
12. China, ASEAN agree on framework for South China Sea code of conduct
China and the ASEAN members had committed to sign a code of conduct around 15
years ago. But the pace of the negotiations was slow as China claimed the South China
in its entirety.
In the absence of the code of conduct, each country followed a separate document
called the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China
Sea (DOC), which has a provision committing parties to explore ways to build trust and
confidence based on the principles of equality and mutual respect.
With this agreement ,a legally binding code of conduct, disputes in the strategic South
China Sea are bound to go down.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 23
SUMMITS & ORGANISATIONS
First Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Leaders Summit was held in Jakarta,
Indonesia from March 5 to 7, 2017.
The theme of the summit was Strengthening Maritime Cooperation for a Peaceful,
Stable and Prosperous Indian Ocean.
From India, Vice President attended the two-day summit.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 24
It discussed issues of regional interest such as maritime security, disaster relief and
humanitarian assistance, fisheries management, people-to-people exchanges, trade and
investment and tourism.
Three documents were adopted during the Summit. The first was the IORA/Jakarta
Concord that lays out the vision for the cooperation among the 21 IORA member states
on maritime safety and security. The two other documents adopted were the
"Declaration on Preventing Violent Extremism and Countering Terrorism" and the
"Action Plan of IORA for the next 5 years".
IORA is an international organisation consisting of coastal states bordering the Indian
Ocean, established in 1997 to promote cooperation in the IOR.It is based on the
principles of Open Regionalism for strengthening Economic Cooperation particularly on
Trade Facilitation and Investment, Promotion as well as Social Development of the
region.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 25
It talked about the need for greater availability of affordable broadband connectivity,
broader adoption of digital technologies and services improved digital skills and literacy,
greater digital entrepreneurship for the digital economy to achieve the Sustainable
Development Goals.
The ministerial conference was held according to the G20 Task Force on the digital
economy established in G20 summit held in Hangzhou, China in 2016.
It comprises total 19 countries plus the European Union (EU), representing 85% of global
GDP, 80% of international trade, 65% of worlds population. Its members include
Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, India, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy,
Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Turkey, South Africa, UK, US and
EU.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 26
SCIENCE
2. ISRO has developed lithium ion battery for satellite and launch vehicle
applications.
Four types of batteries have been developed 1.5Ah, 5Ah, 50Ah and 100Ah. Out of
these, 1.5Ah & 50Ah have been used for space applications and 5Ah & 100Ah batteries
are qualified and is ready for induction in space applications.
ISRO has supplied 50 Ah lithium-ion cells to Automotive Research Association of
India (ARAI). Lithium-ion battery developed by ISRO was successfully
demonstrated in a prototype two-wheeler.
Technology is ready for transfer to Indian industries for undertaking the production of Li-
ion batteries. BHEL has expressed interest in the transfer of technology.
Batteries are the key component of any electric vehicle. At present, all lithium-ion
batteries are imported and it's very expensive.
Such batteries have high-power, but these weigh less and their volume is much
less as well in comparison to conventional batteries.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 27
5. ISRO commissions worlds third-largest hypersonic wind tunnel
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) created history by commissioning the
worlds third-largest hypersonic wind tunnel , next only to the ones in the United
States (US) and Russia ,at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
These tunnels have wide spectrum of simulation capabilities in terms of Mach
number, Reynolds number and re-entry velocities.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 28
The ISRO lost communication with Chandrayaan-1 on August 29, 2009, almost a year
after it was launched on October 22, 2008.
Finding a derelict spacecraft at lunar distance that has not been tracked for years is
tricky because the moon is riddled with mascons (regions with higher-than-
average gravitational pull) that can dramatically affect a spacecrafts orbit over time,
and even cause it to have crashed into the moon.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 29
14. Drug price regulator National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has
increased price of stents by around 2%
A coronary stent is a tube-shaped medical device placed in the arteries that supply
blood to the heart.
It keeps the arteries open in the treatment of coronary heart diseases.The Procedure of
Placing the stents in an artery is called Angioplasty.
In February 2017, the NPPA had brought stents under price control and capped ceiling
price of coronary stents. It was the first medical device to be brought under price control.
NPPA is nodal government regulatory agency that controls the prices of pharmaceutical
drugs in India. It functions under the aegis of Union Ministry of Chemical and Fertiliser.
16. Department of Science and Technology (DST) has launched Cyber Physical
Systems (CPS) programme
CPS is an interdisciplinary field that deals with the deployment of computer-based
systems that do things in the physical world, such as, for instance, the self-driven
cars produced by Google and Tesla.
Autonomous unmanned vehicles (UAVs) and aircraft navigation systems and
smart grids (where electricity is optimally distributed on the basis of calculations in real
time by micro-processors) also qualify as CPS.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 30
help in monitoring and utilising but also be extremely useful in formulating schemes for
development in the agricultural sector.
It will also help in avoiding duplication. utilisation of space technology would help farmers
get access to pesticide testing labs, storage infrastructure, and market-related
information.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 31
21. MOAB
The official name used by the US Air Force for GBU-43 is the Massive Ordnance Air
Blast bomb (MOAB). GBU-43 is nicknamed as the Mother of All Bombs.
GBU-43 is one of the largest non-nuclear bomb ever used in the battlefield. The
bomb has been dropped to destroy a system of tunnels and caves used by the ISIS
fighters to move around freely making easier for them to target US military advisers and
the Afghan forces.
The idea behind an "air burst" weapon, as opposed to a weapon that explodes on
impact with the ground, is to increase its destructive range. A bomb that penetrates
the ground and then bursts tends to send all of its energy either down into the ground or
straight up into the air. An air burst
weapon sends a great deal of its energy
out to the side.
MOAB, however, is not the largest bomb
ever made. Russia in 2007 tested Aviation
Thermobaric Bomb of Increased Power,
nicknamed as the Father of All Bombs.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 32
With the launch of James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) by NASA in 2018, chances
of studying planets and detecting a familiar atmosphere will increase manifold.
JWST will succeed the Hubble space telescope.
24. NASA's Cassini spacecraft is back in contact with Earth after its successful first-
ever dive through the narrow gap between the planet Saturn and its rings.
Launched in 1997, Cassini arrived at Saturn in 2004. Following its last close flyby of
the large moon Titan on April 21, Cassini began what mission planners are calling its
"Grand Finale."
During this final chapter, Cassini loops Saturn approximately once per week, making
a total of 22 dives between the rings and the planet.
The spacecraft is on a trajectory that will eventually plunge into Saturn's atmosphere
-- and end Cassini's mission -- on Sept. 15, 2017.
26. The Union Cabinet cleared the proposal to construct 10 indigenous pressurised
heavy water nuclear reactors with a total capacity of 7,000 MW
Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors use natural uranium as fuel and heavy water as
both moderator and coolant.
The ten reactors will be part of Indias latest design of 700 MW PHWR fleet with state-of-
the-art technology meeting the highest standards of safety.
Cabinet also approved a new coal linkage policy called the Scheme for Harnessing
and Allocating Koyala Transparently in India (SHAKTI) that will award fuel supply
agreements (FSAs) to coal plants already holding letters of assurance (LoAs).
28. Ransomware Cyber Attack Plays Havoc in Several Countries including India
A global cyber attack has crippled nearly hundred countries, including India. A cyber
gang called Shadow Brokers, which is a mysterious organisation is held responsible
for this massive cyberattack.
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The organisation has carried out the attack by stealing a hacking tool called Eternal
Blue from the National Security Agency (NSA), Americas powerful military
intelligence unit.
Hackers have spread ransomware known as WannaCry, WanaCrypt0r 2.0, WannaCry
and WCry, often through emails. The files in the infected computers gets locked up in
such a way that the user cannot access them anymore.
It then demands payment in cryptocurrency Bitcoin to retrieve the locked files.
Ransomware is a type of malicious software when infected restricts the user
access until a ransom is paid to unlock it.
In India, Andhra Pradeshs police computers have come under the cyberattack.
Computers in 18 police units in Chittoor, Krishna, Guntur, Visakhatpatnam and
Srikakulam districts have been affected.
30. THAAD
The US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system is
operational in South Korea to guard against missile threats emanating from North
Korea.
THAAD is a missile defence system capable of intercepting and destroying short and
medium-range ballistic missiles in their final flight phase.
The interceptor by using its kinetic energy destroys the incoming ballistic missile.
Hence it is considered safer as it does not make use of warheads to destroy
missiles.
The THAAD system in many ways is similar to Israels missile defence system
called Iron Dome. Iron Dome helps Israel to prevent Gaza attacking Israels urban
and highly sensitive areas. Iron Dome has a much shorter detection range than
THAAD.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 34
The South Asia Satellite, also known as GSAT-9, is a geosynchronous
communications and meteorology satellite operated by the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
region.
The standalone satellite has a liftoff mass of about 2,230 kg. GSAT-9 is the first
Indian satellite to use electric propulsion albeit partially. It carries only 25% of the
normal chemical fuel package compared to other Indian satellites, a xenon based
electric propulsion system is used for orbital functions of the spacecraft.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 35
ENVIRONMENT
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6. Assam Government launches SaCReD initiative to make Majuli carbon neutral
island
Government of Assam launched Sustainable Actions for Climate Resilient Development
(SaCReD) initiative to develop Majuli, the worlds largest river island, as the countrys
first carbon neutral district and a biodiversity heritage site.
It was launched on the occasion of International Day of Forests (observed on March 21).
SaCReD Initiative will also ensure that infrastructure in Majuli has less carbon. It aims to
battle climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Forests are Lives campaign was also launched to underline the importance of Assams
rich forest and biodiversity. It urges people to take a pledge to conserve its biodiversity to
make the state pollution free.
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10. Odisha, Jharkhand ,West Bengal and Chhattisgarh to conduct joint Elephant
census
First such attempt by the States of Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and
Jharkhand have decided to conduct a synchronised elephant census between May 9
and 12.
The four States together have the maximum number of human-elephant conflict-
prone regions in India.
The States will conduct the census based on an identical set of rules using the direct
and indirect counting methods. The dates have been chosen specifically as the
sighting of elephants is expected to be easier on the night of May 10 a full moon
night.
The direct counting method is based on sighting of elephants while the indirect
method uses the dung decay formula, in which the the analysis of elephant dung is
used to estimate the population.
11. Mass coral bleaching occurring in Great Barrier Reef for 2nd year
For the second consecutive year, Australia's Great Barrier Reef is experiencing
mass coral bleaching.
Coral is composed of thousands of small creatures called polyps that can only thrive
in a very narrow range of temperatures.
Warmer water temperatures can result in coral bleaching. When water is too warm,
corals will expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues causing the coral to turn
completely white. This is called coral bleaching. When a coral bleaches, it is not dead.
Corals can survive a bleaching event, but they are under more stress and are subject to
mortality.
The back-to-back bleaching is also an indication that the coral is losing its ability to
recover from extreme heat.
This year more bleaching is being observed in this central part of the Reef, which last
year escaped widespread severe bleaching.
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HCFCs are used in various sectors like refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) and
foam manufacturing.
India has secured $44.1 million from Multilateral Fund for implementation of
Montreal Protocol for phasing out 8,190 MT of HCFC consumption between 2017 to
2023.
The Montreal Protocol seeks to cut the production and consumption of ozone
depleting substances in order to protect the earths fragile ozone layer. It also aims
at phase out HCFCs by 2030.
Ozone-depleting substances (ODS) generally contain chlorine, fluorine, bromine, carbon,
and hydrogen in varying proportions and are often described by the general term
halocarbons. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), carbon tetrachloride, and methyl chloroform
are important human-produced ozone-depleting gases that have been used in many
applications including refrigeration, air conditioning, foam blowing, cleaning of electronics
components, and as solvents. Another important group of human-produced halocarbons
is the halons, which contain carbon, bromine, fluorine, and (in some cases) chlorine and
have been mainly used as fire extinguishers.
14. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has
launched the web portal for obtaining Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearances.
The portal is a web-based system for obtaining clearances required from the Ministry
under the (CRZ) by the Project proponents for ease of doing business.
The user-friendly portal enables submission of applications for CRZ clearance in a
single-window interface and facilitates quick flow of information related to CRZ
clearances.
CRZ is the zone along the coastal stretches of seas, bays, estuaries, creeks, rivers
and backwaters along the coastline specially demarcated for regulated development
activity.
The regulations in this zone are governed by the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ),
2011 issued under the under Section 3 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
15. WCCBs Operation Thunderbird and Operation Save Kurma for fight against
wildlife crime
Operation Thunderbird is the code-name for INTERPOLs multi-national and multi-
species enforcement operation for wildlife protection.
Preceding this operation, WCCB had convened a species specific operation on
turtles, code named OPERATION SAVE KURMA from December 15 last year to
January 30, this year.
The operation brought about awareness among the enforcement agencies to focus on
the existing trade routes and major trade hubs in the country, which will be
specifically focused in future.
It has resulted in huge seizures of 2, 524 Live species of scheduled animals, 9 wild
animal carcasses, 19.2 kg elephant ivory, 1 tiger skin, 1 organ pipe coral, 1 jar snake
venom, 8 leopard skins and 1 Indian Mujtac skin.
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16. World wildlife Day:3rd March
This year's theme for 2017 World Wildlife Day is "Listen to the Young Voices". The
idea behind the theme being that the youth, who will be the future leader and the
decision maker of the world, should be encouraged to act at both local level and global
levels to protect endangered wildlife.
World Wildlife Day is observed in order to celebrate and raise awareness of the
world's wild animals and plants and recognise the important role of CITES in
ensuring that international trade does not threaten the survival of species.
The 2016 theme was "The future of wildlife is in our hands", with a sub-theme "The
future of elephants is in our hands".
17. Madras HC orders TN Government to enact law to remove Seemai Karuvelam trees
Seemai Karuvelam (prosopis juliflora) is invasive species of tree harmful to the
environment as it sucks lot of water ultimately affect the environment and agricultural
activities.
Seemai Karuvelam tree species are native to West Africa. It was brought to Tamil
Nadu in 1960s as fuelwood. It is an invasive species that has infiltrated the water
bodies and dry lands of Tamil Nadu.
State Government should enact a law with prohibitory and penal clauses to eradicate
this hazardous species.
18. A river in New Zealand has become the first in the world to be granted the same
legal rights as a person.
After 140 years of negotiation, Mori tribe wins recognition for Whanganui river- the
third-largest in New Zealand, meaning it must be treated as a living entity.
The new status of the river means if someone abused or harmed it the law now sees
no differentiation between harming the tribe or harming the river because they are
one and the same.
Two guardians will be appointed to act on behalf of the Whanganui river, one from
the crown and one from the Whanganui iwi.
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Trains in the green corridor have been fitted with bio-toilets, which ensure zero discharge
of human waste on the rail tracks thereby improving cleanliness and hygiene
Bio-toilets store the discharge in a bio-digester tank, which has anaerobic bacteria,
fitted underneath the train coach in a small space.The bacteria has the ability to convert
human faecal matter into water and small amount of gases like Methane.
21. India, UK to set up Green Growth Equity Fund under NIIF for green energy
India and Britain agreed to jointly set up a fund with corpus contributions of 120 million
pounds each to finance Indian infrastructure projects.
It came after the ninth India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue.
The Green Growth Equity Fund will be a sub-fund of National Infrastructure and
Investment Fund (NIIF) to finance energy needs in India.
India set up the NIIF in December 2015 as an investment vehicle for funding
commercially viable Greenfield, Brownfield and stalled projects.
Last year, the government announced that it is in the process of setting up two sub-funds
under NIIF -- one in clean energy, which will primarily focus on renewable energy and
another with focus on highway project.
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They also shared their ideas and researches on Forests for Prosperity and Posterity in
consonance with Aichi targets of the UN Convention on Conservation of Biological
Diversity (UNC-CBD) and Sustainable Development Goals.
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26. Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Tripura chosen for Krishi Karman Awards,
2015-16
The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has selected Tamil Nadu in
large category (production more than 10 million tonnes), Himachal Pradesh in
medium category (1 to 10 million tonnes) and Tripura in small category (less than 1
million tonnes) for the Krishi Karman Award2015-16 for commendable increase in
food grain production.
Tripura gets this national award for the second time. The northeastern state first received
the award in the 2009-10 fiscal.
Meghalaya too gets commendation prize for total food grain production.
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The award is given to six persons, one from six geographical regions of the world,
namely, Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, North America, and South &
Central America.
The prize is given by Goldman Environmental Foundation having its headquarters in San
Francisco. The prize is also called as the Green Nobel.
30. Study on Common Risk Mitigation Mechanism (CRMM) for Solar Power Generation
Projects in Solar Rich Countries Commissioned
Argentina, Burkina-Faso, Chad, France, India, Ivory Coast, Mali, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria,
Senegal, Uganda and Yemen have jointly supported commissioning of a study to define
and structure a Common Risk Mitigation Mechanism (CRMM) for solar power generation
projects in solar rich countries.
Involved ministry is New and Renewable Energy.
This is a major step in the implementation of the Paris Declaration of the International
Solar Alliance (ISA) adopted on November 30, 2015, on the side lines of COP21and of
the ISA programme aimed at mobilising affordable finance.
Under the ISA, solar rich countries lying fully or partially between the Tropics are invited
to share and aggregate data regarding their needs and objectives; emulate successful
practices; and set up common mechanisms and instruments, in order to address
obstacles to deployment at scale of solar energy.
32. Purnima Devi Burman and Sanjay Gubbi Wins Prestigious Whitley Awards
Sanjay Gubbi of Karnataka and Purnima Barman of Assam have won the prestigious
Whitley Award for their contributions in wildlife conservation. Whitley awards are
popularly known as Green Oscars.
Purnima Devi Burman has been selected for her efforts for the conservation of greater
adjutant storks and its habitat.
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Sanjay Gubbi has been selected for his contribution to protect tiger corridors in
Karnataka.He helped to increase the size of protected areas in Karnataka by 37%.
Whitley Awards are instituted by the U.K.-registered charity Whitley Fund for Nature.
These awards are given annually to recognise national and regional conservationists in
wildlife and nature.
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MISCELLANEOUS
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The rake (group of coaches) costs Rs.43.23 crore, approximately Rs. 1 crore less than
imported German-made Bombardier rake. It will save foreign exchange worth $50 lakh
per EMU rake along with 25% manufacturing cost.
10. Sachin Tendulkar appointed as official ambassador of womens World Cup 2017
Indian cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar was announced as the official ambassador of
Women's Cricket World Cup 2017 by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on the
occasion of International Women's Day.
12. DawitIsaak selected for 2017 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize
DawitIsaak, Eritrean-Swedish journalist, has been chosen to receive the 2017
UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.
The UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, created in 1997, honours a
person, organisation or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the
defence and promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world.
The prize, worth US$45,000, is awarded each year on the occasion of World Press
Freedom Day on 3 May.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 47
13. American singer & song writer Bob Dylan accepts Nobel literature award
American singer and song writer Bob Dylan has accepted 2016 Nobel Prize for
literature since December 2016 awards ceremony.
He is the first song writer to win this prestigious award.
He was awarded for creating new poetic expressions within the great American song
tradition. He is first American to win the prize since novelist Toni Morrison in 1993.
14. Germany becomes first NATO member to launch cyber command unit
Germany has become the first North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member to
launch a self-contained cyber command unit, which is designed to shield IT and
weapons systems from growing attacks.
The Cyber and Information Space Command (Kdo CIR) will have a status equal to that
of the army, navy, and air force. The Kdo CIR is the youngest branch of Germanys
military Bundeswehr.
It will operate and protect the militarys own IT infrastructure and computer-assisted
weapons systems, and tackle online threats. The center would also focus on war-game
offensive skills and capabilities.
15. India ink defence deals with Israel for advanced MRSAM
India and Israel have inked defence deals worth over $2 billion for advanced medium-
range surface-to-air missile (MRSAM) systems.
As part of the deal, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will provide the Indian Army with
Barak-8 advanced MRSAM systems.
It has been developed jointly by IAI and Indias Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO).
Using its Multi-Function Surveillance and Threat Alert Radars (MF-STARs), as well as
weapon control systems with data links, it can detect and track hostile aerial threats at a
range of 100-km and destroy them at 70-km.
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Yousafzai, will help in promoting girl's education around the world as part of her
new role.
18. 12th Indo-Mongolian Joint Military Exercise Nomadic Elephant held in Vairengte
The 12th edition of Indo-Mongolian Joint Military Exercise Nomadic Elephant 2017 has
begun at Vairengte in Mizoram.
The first joint Nomadic Elephant was held in 2004 and since then it is annually held.
The exercise is aimed at training the troops in counterinsurgency and counter-terrorism
operations (CICT Ops) under the United Nations mandate.
19. Colson Whitehead wins 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Underground Railroad
Colson Whiteheads celebrated novel The Underground Railroad has won the 2017
Pulitzer Prize for fiction. The novel is about an escaped slave that combined liberating
imagination and brutal reality.
Earlier in November 2016, the novel had received the National Book Award of US.
This makes Colson Whitehead first person to win Pulitzer and National Book Award for
fiction in last 20 years.
The Pulitzer Prize is an annual award for achievements in newspaper, magazine and
online journalism, literature, and musical composition in the United States.
23. Newton wins Jury Prize for Best Film at the Hong Kong International Film Festival
Hindi film Newton has won the Jury Prize for Best Film at the Hong Kong
International Film Festival.
The film had its world premiere at Berlinale and got its first global recognition by winning
the Art Cinema award for the Forum section at Berlinale. The film also went to 16th
Annual Tribeca Film Festival.
The Hong Kong International Film Festival was founded in 1976 and is Asias oldest
international film festival.
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27. China launches first indigenously built aircraft carrier
China launched its second aircraft carrier and, the first to be developed and built
indigenously from the Dalian shipyard in Liaoning Province.
The new aircraft carrier will be able to operate Chinas Shenyang J-15 fighter jets and
will be more dedicated to military and humanitarian operations.
29. India successfully carries out fresh user trial of Agni-III ballistic missile
India has successfully carried out a trial of Agni-III ballistic missile from Abdul Kalam
Island.
The missile has a two-stage solid propellant system and is capable of re-entering the
atmosphere at a very high velocity.
Missile Agni-III is an intermediate range (3,000 km to 5,000 km) missile with two stages.
It is surface-to-surface nuclear capable intermediate-range ballistic missile indigenously
developed by DRDO under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme
(IGMDP).
31. Bilateral Exercise SIMBEX-17 between Indian & Republic of Singapore Navy
Commences
The bilateral exercise involving Indian Navy and Republic of Singapore Navy has
commenced in South China Sea.
SIMBEX stands for Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercises.
The major thrust of the exercise will lie on Anti-Submarine Operations (ASN), Integrated
operations with Surface, Air and Sub-surface Forces, Air Defence and Surface
Encounter Exercises.
The Indian & Republic of Singapore Navy began participating in the bilateral exercises in
1994.
The earlier edition of the bilateral exercise, SIMBEX-16 was held atVisakhapatnam in
Bay of Bengal.
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32. Indian Scientist ShrinivasKulkarni Wins Prestigious Dan David Prize
Indian scientist ShrinivasKulkarni has won the prestigious Dan David prize as
recognition for his contributions made in the field of astronomy.
He is a pioneer in the field of time-domain astrophysics.
The Dan David Foundation was established in 2000 by the late Dan David, an
international businessman and philanthropist.
Dan David prizeawarded each year in the categories of Past, Present and
Future to people who have made exemplary contributions to humanity in the field of
sciences, humanities, or for their work in civil society.
34. AnshuJamsenpa:
First Indian
Women to scale
Mount Everest
Four Times
AnshuJamsenpa,
a native
ofBomdila in
Arunachal
Pradesh has
scripted history by
becoming the first
Indian woman to
scale Mount
Everest for the
fourth time.
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36. Amitabh Bachchan appointed as Goodwill Ambassador for Hepatitis in South-East
Asia Region
World Health Organization (WHO) has appointed Amitabh Bachchan as its Goodwill
Ambassador for Hepatitis in South-East Asia Region.
He has been appointed to boost awareness to stop the spread of hepatitis, which is one
of the leading causes of liver cancer and cirrhosis.
Hepatitis viruses is one of the common cause of liver damage but other infections, toxic
substances such as alcohol, certain medicine, food contaminants, bad lifestyle and
autoimmune diseases may also result in chronic hepatitis.
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40. Agni-II Ballistic Missile Test Fired Successfully
India has successfully carried out a trial of Agni-II ballistic missile from a defence test
facility in the Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.
Agni-II missile is a nuclear-capable, surface-to-surface missile which forms a part of
Indias strategic forces arsenal for nuclear deterrence with a range of over 2000 km. It
can carry a payload of 1000kg.
Agni-II weighs 17 tonnes and the range of the missile can be increased to 3000 km by
reducing the payload. It can be fired from both rail and road mobile launchers.
42. Tejas Express: New Premier Train between Mumbai and Goa
Indian Railways rolled out the luxurious feature-packed Tejas Express, fully air-
conditioned train,to bear speeds of up to 200 kmph but for now the train will ply at a
maximum speed of 130 kmph.
Tejas Express has also been proposed for Delhi-Chandigarh and Surat to Mumbai
route.
The facilities in the train include coaches with bio-vacuum toilets, water-level indicators,
tap sensors, hand dryers, and integrated braille displays.
The train has got all the ultra-modern amenities like on-board infotainment, wi-fi, CCTV,
fire and smoke detection facilities, tea and coffee vending machine etc.
The train coaches are manufactured in Kapurthala and will have automatic entrance
door, a first for non-suburban trains in the Indian Railways.
43. Indian Navy successfully test fires Barak missile from INS Vikramaditya
India's navy successfully fired its first surface-to-air Barak missile from its aircraft
carrier INS Vikramaditya.
INS Vikramaditya is the countrys sole aircraft carrier (after retirement of INS Viraat in
March 2017).
It was built in 1987 and had served the Soviet navy (named as Baku).
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 54
45. Indo-Nepal joint Military exercise Surya Kiran-XI held in Uttarakhand
The Indo-Nepal Joint Military Exercise Surya Kiran XI commenced at Pithoragarh,
Uttarakhand.
The Nepal Army is being represented by the officers and troops of the elite Durga Baksh
Battalion. The Indian Army is represented by the Ekta Shakti Battalion of the Punjab
Regiment.
It will focus on skills required for natural disaster management, counter-insurgency and
jungle warfare.
46. India-Oman joint military exercise Al-Nagah-II 2017 held in Himachal Pradesh
India and Oman army conducted their second joint exercise Al Nagah-II 2017 at
Bakloh in Himachal Pradesh. This will be the second joint military exercise between
the two country.
The first edition of the exercise was held at Muscat, Oman in 2015.
Joint exercise aims to acquaint both forces with each others operating procedures in the
backdrop of counter insurgency, counter terrorism environment.
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50. Iran successfully tests ballistic missile Hormuz 2
Iran successfully tested a ballistic missile Hormuz 2.
Hormuz-2 is a naval strike ballistic missile intended to hit moving targets at sea with high
precision.
It has a range of nearly 300 kilometers. It is similar in appearance to the anti-ship Khalij-
e-Fars (Persian Gulf) ballistic missile. Earlier, Iran successfully tested the S-300 surface-
to-air missile defence system purchased from Russia.
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CULTURE
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The objective of the conference is to highlight Dara Shikohs contributions to
bring about spiritual homogenisation of Hinduism and Islam .
Dara Shikoh dedicated himself to create a bridge of Hindu-Muslim Unity and was so
learned that translated 50 Upanishads from Sanskrit to Persian for
the Muslim Scholars.
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Santhali, Munda and Hoe languages belong to the Austro-Asiastic family, while the
languages spoken by the Lepcha, Tamang and Bhutia tribes of the Darjeeling hills
were of the Tibeto-Burman group.
The Kurukh script is called Tolong Siki. It resembles that of any Dravidian language.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 59
PLACES IN NEWS
3. Salma Dam
Salma Dam, officially the Afghan-India Friendship Dam, is a hydroelectric and
irrigation dam project located on the Hari River in Chishti Sharif District of Herat
Province in western Afghanistan.
The Water and Power
Consultancy Services (India)
Ltd (WAPCOS), a company
owned by the Indian Ministry of
Water Resources, constructed
the dam.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 60
5. Mogao Caves
The Mogao Caves also known as the Thousand Buddha Grottoes form a system of
492 temples 25 km southeast of the center of Dunhuang, an oasis strategically located
at a religious and cultural crossroads on the Silk Road, in Gansu province, China.
The caves may also be known as the Dunhuang Caves.
7. Gilgit Baltistan
Pakistan wants to make it its 5th province.
During Tribal rebellion in 1947, British Gave
this region to Pakistan on lease.
Mostly inhabited by Shia, Noor and Sunni
groups.
8. Baluchistan
45% land area of Pakistan;5% population
Borders with Iran and Afghanistan; Quetta
capital , stronghold of Taliban
CPEC passes through this province
Has resources like Natural Gas, atomic
minerals and also has a nuclear research
facility.
Current Affairs Quick Revision For 2017- (Mar 2017 to May 2017) Page 61
It is India's longest road tunnel with a length of 9.28 km. It is the first tunnel in the country
with a fully integrated tunnel control system.
The tunnel reduces the distance between Jammu and Srinagar by 30 km and cut travel
time by two hours. The all-weather tunnel bypasses snowfall and avalanche prone areas
in winter.
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