दैनिक करंट अफेयर्स 17 अप्रैल 2023
Important News: International |
UAE is India's second biggest export destination, third biggest source for imports
Why in news: According to the annual trade data released by the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, the UAE remains the second most important export destination for India.
A.During the financial year 2022-23, the US and UAE have retained the first and second positions respectively in this category.
B.India's total exports crossed the target of $750 billion (about $770 billion) for 2022-23. India's merchandise exports and imports have now declined in three of the last four months.
C.Major commodities exported by India: Petroleum, electronics goods, rice etc. And the major items of import: petroleum and coal.
D.Major export destinations: United States, United Arab Emirates, Netherlands and China. and major import destinations: China, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and Russia.
E.India's total exports of goods and services grew by 6 per cent during the last fiscal. The Netherlands moved up to the third position in this category, replacing China during the same period. The importance of the Netherlands was to the high levels of refined petroleum products through the maritime nation last year.
F..Among India's export destinations, the UAE was ranked second after the US. On India's import graph, the UAE was ranked third after China and Russia last month. Among the GCC states, only Saudi Arabia is among India's top export destinations and sources of imports. The Kingdom was ranked eighth for Indian exports and fifth as an import source.
(SOURCE – LIVEMINT)
World Food Programme
Why in news: India has signed an MoU with the World Food Programme (WFP) to send 10,000 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan.
- As per WFP, nine out of 10 Afghan families could not afford enough food at present, and at least 20 million Afghans were facing the threat of starvation.
- The World Food Programme is an international organization within the United Nations that provides food assistance worldwide. It is the world’s largest humanitarian organization and the leading provider of school meals.
- Its headquarters’s is in Rome, Italy.
- World food programme has been found by FAO & UNGA. The objective is to end hunger by protecting access to food, improving nutrition and achieving food security, supporting SDG implementation and partnering for its results.
- It is Funded entirely by voluntary donations from governments, corporations, individuals, and not-for-profit entities. WFP has been working in India since 1963. Working to improve the efficiency, accountability, and transparency of India’s subsidized food distribution system, fortification of government-distributed food, and mapping and monitoring of food insecurity.
(SOURCE – ECONOMIC TIMES)
Buzi Bridge in Mozambique
Why in news: The Buzi Bridge in Mozambique was virtually inaugurated by External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar. It has been built by India as part of the 132 km Tica-Buzi-Nova-Sofala Road project. This newly constructed bridge is a practical example of India-Mozambique solidarity and friendship.
- During his visit, Dr Jaishankar took a ride in a Made in India train from Maputo to Machava with Mr Magala, and CMD of Rail India Technical and Economic Service RITES Rahul Mithal joined them on the journey. This journey highlights the significance of India’s contribution to Mozambique’s rail infrastructure development.
- The Indian side reiterated its support for Mozambique’s sustainable development. The focus of the meeting included counter-terrorism and disaster resilience.
- The External Affairs Minister also had talks with Mozambican Minister of Transport and Communication and Chairman, Mozambican Port and Rail Authority Mateus Magala regarding expanding train networks, electric mobility, and waterways connectivity. He emphasized that India is a reliable partner in this regard.
- Mozambique Capital: Maputo.
(SOURCE – INDIAN EXPRESS)
Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor (OL3)
Why in news: The Olkiluoto 3 is western Europe's first new reactor in more than 15 years. It is the first new-generation EPR, or European Pressurized Reactor, plant to have gone online in Europe. It was developed in a joint venture between France's Areva and Germany's Siemens.
- It is the most powerful nuclear reactor in Europe, with a capacity of generating 1,600 megawatts.
- The EPR was designed to relaunch the European nuclear industry after the Chernobyl catastrophe of 1986, and was touted as offering higher power and better safety.
- It will help Finland to achieve its carbon neutrality targets and increase energy security at a time when European countries have cut oil, gas and other power supplies from Russia
- The final price for Olkiluoto 3 is set at around 11 billion euros ($12 billion) – nearly three times the initial estimate. Finland now has five nuclear reactors at two power plants located on the coast of the Baltic Sea. Combined, they cover more than 40% of the country's electricity demand.
(SOURCE – THE HINDU)
Important News: National |
Vande Metro Trains
Why in news: Vande Metro services, a mini version of the Vande Bharat Express trains, will soon be launched in the country.
- The design and production of Vande Metro will be completed this year. The Vande Metro services will be launched with an aim to help people in big cities to travel to and fro comfort between their place of work and hometowns.
- A sleeper version of the semi-high speed Vande Bharat trains is being developed by the railway department.
- These trains will be of eight coaches and will be like a metro train.
- Vande Bharat Metro will be like rapid shuttle-like experience for passengers.
- Vande Metro” will operate on a short distance metro rail network that will connect major cities with a distance of less than 100 kilometers.
- The Ministry of Railways has directed the General Managers (GMs) of Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF) and Lucknow-based Research Design and Standard Organisation (RDSO) to roll out the rakes of eight-car Vande Bharat trains at the earliest.
(SOURCE –NEWS ON AIR)
DRDO Industry Academia Centre of Excellence inaugurated at IIT Hyderabad
Why in news: DIA CoE IITH is the largest centre among all 15 CoEs in the country and DRDO team will work with IIT-H to identify the target projects in each of these domains and execute to complete in a period of 3-5 years.
- The centre will take up futuristic projects towards long-term directed research needed for DRDO.
- The research cell, which marked the beginning of the collaboration between DRDO and IITH in 2020 has now been transformed into a Centre of Excellence.
- The are seven verticals of technology projects that will be undertaken at DIA-CoE at IIT
- Ultra-High Temperature materials
- Additive manufacturing,
- Space Technologies,
- AI for defence,
- Image processing,
- Seekers and Homing Technologies,
- Nano-ornithopter Technologies
(SOURCE – INDIAN EXPRESS)
Canara Bank, Bharat BillPay tie up for cross border bill payments for Indian diaspora in Oman
Why in news: Canara Bank and NPCI Bharat BillPay (NBBL) have launched a cross-border inward bill payment service for Indians in Oman. Through the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) platform offered by NBBL and Musandam Exchange, the platform will enable non-resident Indians (NRIs) to conveniently pay bills for their families back home.
- Canara Bank is the first public sector bank in India to offer inbound cross-border bill payments via BBPS.
- NRIs can now leverage the robust platform offered by the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) to make bill payments on behalf of their families through the Musandam Exchange,
- The cross-border bill payment service is already live in Kuwait, facilitating inbound remittances across utilities like electricity, water, mobile phone, gas, credit card bills, and more.
- Now Indians living in Oman will now be able to make quick, simple and secure payments of bills for services back home.
(SOURCE – NEWS ON AIR)
Important News: Days |
World Hemophilia Day 2023
Why in news: World Hemophilia Day is a global healthcare event celebrated on the 17th of April every year.
A.World Hemophilia Day is a global healthcare event celebrated on the 17th of April every year, started by the World Federation of Haemophilia (WHF) with the intention to raise a call for the government authorities and local policymakers for the provision of a better treatment and care in addition to promote better control and prevention with haemophilia.
B.This year 2023, World Hemophilia Day 2023 Theme is "Access for All: Prevention of bleeds as the global standard of care”,
C.World Hemophilia Day was first observed on April 17, 1989 by the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) to honor the birthday of WFH founder Frank Schnabel.
- Haemophilia is a medical condition, mostly inherited, in which the ability of blood to clot is severely reduced, so that even a minor injury can cause severe bleeding. Haemophilia is caused by a mutation or change, in one of the genes, that provides instructions for making the clotting factor proteins needed to form a blood clot.
- The most common type of Haemophilia is called Haemophilia A. This means the person does not have enough clotting factor VIII (factor eight). Haemophilia B is less common. A person with Haemophilia B does not have enough factor IX (factor nine).
(SOURCE – TIMES OF INDIA)
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