DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 15 OCT 2018

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 15 OCT 2018

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

                                     SHARED BY: WWW.DAILYGK.IN

1.      INDIA AND SRI LANKA SIGN TWO MOU FOR CONSTRUSTION OF 1200 HOUSES

i. On October 13, 2018, India and Sri Lanka signed 2 Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) for construction of 1200 houses.

ii. India and Sri Lanka sign two MoU for construstion of 1200 housesi. It will be done through 50 model villages, using Indian grant assistance of 60 crore Srilankan rupees.

iii. As per the new MoUs, 600 houses each will be constructed in the Southern and Northern Provinces.

iv. It will target low income landless and homeless beneficiaries with additional assistance of 5 lakh Sri Lankan rupees to each in installments, linked to the stages of construction of the house.

v. Indian financial commitment, under grant, for housing in Sri Lanka currently stands at around  350 million US dollars.

vi. And with this, India’s collaboration with Srilankan government under Model Villages Housing Program stands at 2400 houses in 100 model villages.

vii. SRI LANKA:- Capital: Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Currency: Sri Lankan rupee.

2.      INDIA REMAINS POLIO FREE, ALL VACCINES USED IN GOVERNMENT IMMUNIZATION PROGRAMME SAFE: UNICEF, WHO

i. On October 13, 2018, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) announced India’s status as a polio-free country.

ii. The risk of children getting vaccine derived poliovirus was “minimal” in India which came up in the backdrop of oral polio vaccine vials being found contaminated with the type-2 polio virus.

iii. They also asserted that all vaccines provided under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) are safe.

iv. This was achieved by high routine immunization coverage being achieved in India under Universal Immunization Programme (UIP).

v. The India Expert Advisory Group advises the country to conduct mass vaccination campaigns against polio, using bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV), to maintain high immunity Background:

vi. Certified polio-free in March 2014, India continues to remain vigilant against all three types of polioviruses. The last polio case due to wild poliovirus in the country was detected on 13 January 2011.

vii. UNICEF: Full Form: United Nations Children’s Fund, Executive Director: Henrietta H. Fore, Headquarters: New York, USA, Member: 190 countries.

3.      ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY RELEASES ANALYTICAL REPORT OF THE NATIONAL HEALTH PROFILE-2018

i. Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, released an Analytical Report of the National Health Profile-2018.

ii. It covers demographic, socio-economic, health status and health finance indicators, comprehensive information on health infrastructure and human resources in health.

iii. The Analytical Report of National Health Profile – 2018 indicates the progress made in India in various health related sectors.

iv. The significance of National Health Resource Repository , India’s first ever national healthcare facility registry, was also discussed at the event.

4.      INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE FUTURE OF THE INDIAN OCEAN HELD IN COLOMBO

i. The Indian Ocean: Defining our Future” Conference was held at Temple Trees, in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

ii. The conference aimed to explore strongest challenges in the Indian Ocean region.

iii. Discussions were focused on four thematic areas, namely:The Indian Ocean Economy: The New Global Growth Pole;Life below Water: Reframing the Oceans as Development Spaces; An End to Uncertainty: Safety and Security at Sea; andReinforcing International Law in the Indian Ocean

iv. This Conference is held at a time when the Indian Ocean has emerged as one of the world’s busiest and most critical trade corridors, carrying two thirds of global oil shipments and a third of bulk cargo and hosting the most critical Sea Lanes of Communication , directly impacting global trade and economy.

5.      STANFORD UNIVERSITY NAMED WORLD’S MOST INNOVATIVE UNIVERSITY: REUTERS

i. Stanford University has been named the World’s Most Innovative University for the fourth consecutive year in Reuters’ ranking of World’s Most Innovative Universities.

ii. This list ranks educational institutions based on new technologies they have invented and new markets and industries they have powered.

iii. The top 5 of the list are: Stanford University, followed by  Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University,University of Pennsylvania, University of Washington.

6.      SIKKIM’S 100% ORGANIC FARMING WINS FAO’S FUTURE POLICY GOLD AWARD

i. Sikkim won the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation’s  Future Policy GoldAward for its achievement in becoming the world’s first totally organic agriculture state.

ii. The award is nicknamed the “Oscar for best policies”.

iii. Sikkim has completely banned the sale and use of chemical pesticides.

iv.  ABOUT UN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANISATION’S:- Director-General – José Graziano da Silva,  Headquarters – Rome, Italy

7.      MARYSE CONDE WINS NEW ACADEMY PRIZE IN LITERATURE

i. Novelist Maryse Condé has been announced as the winner of the New Academy prize in literature.

ii. This award was created after the Swedish Academy postponed this year’s Nobel prize for literature following a rape scandal.

iii. Maryse Conde is from Guadeloupe, France.

8.      PRITHVI SHAW YOUNGEST INDIAN TO HIT A CENTURY ON TEST DEBUT

i. 18-year-old Prithvi Shaw became the youngest Indian to score a hundred on Test debut against West Indies in Rajkot, Gujarat.

ii. He is also the second youngest Indian to score a Test century after  Sachin Tendulkar.