Current Affairs : July 23, 2011

Polio campaign: International experts exalts India

• International experts have praised India for having just one case of polio in the first 6 months of 2011
  
• As per them, India has run very high quality vaccination campaigns
  
• They, however, added that a plan to rid the world of polio by the end of next year is off track
  
• The report by independent monitors, warned that Pakistan risks becoming the last global outpost of this brutal disease
  
• Polio also resurfaced in four other countries
  
• There were around 1,000 cases of polio worldwide last year
  
• The virus remains present in Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan
  
• In the countries where it has resurfaced there, have been twice as many cases – 162 – as there were in the endemic countries. The experts are also particularly concerned about new cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Chad
  

GAGAN : Safety System launched by AAI

• GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN)
  
• The Airports Authority of India, AAI launched the process of implementing a critical safety system for safe navigation of flights
  
• GAGAN safety system will improve air navigation, not only over the Indian airspace but also over the airspace over the Indian Ocean region from Southeast Asia to the African shores
  
• An accord to employ the Ground-Based Augmentation System (GBAS) as a pilot project at Chennai airport was signed by the AAI and the US Trade Development Agency recently in New Delhi
  
• India 4^th country in the world to adopt this system
  
• It will augment information for satellite navigation to aircraft flying over Indian airspace and routes over high seas with high level of accuracy, integrity and continuity during the entire flight operations – from take-off to landing
  

Delhi celebrates Indian Broadcast Day July 23, 2011

July 23, 2011: A symposium and cultural programmes are being organized in New Delhi to mark the Indian Broadcast Day

Government approves two projects for National Highways

• Government approved two highway projects
  
• Projects worth over Rs. 2,330 Crore
  
• Cover Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Kerala
  
• Objective: with a view to expediting the infrastructure work in these states
  
• Includes the project for development of 4 laning of 150 km long Chhattisgarh-Odisha Border – Aurang section on National Highway-6 in Chhattisgarh
  
• This is also aimed at helping reducing the time and cost of travel for traffic, particularly heavy traffic, plying between the two states
  
• The Cabinet Committee of Infrastructure also gave its nod to the development of four laning of 54 km long Walayar -Vadakkancherry section on National Highway-47 in Kerala
  
• Both these projects are expected to raise the employment potential for local laborers
  

Haryana bans virgin and recycled plastic

• Haryana State Government prohibited the manufacturing, sale, supply and use of virgin and recycled plastic carry bags and recycled plastic containers
  
• Step taken after considering the undesirable effects of its use on the environment, health and local ecology
  
• No person would be allowed to manufacture, sale or use containers made of recycled plastic for storing, carrying, dispensing or packing of food stuffs
  
• Only containers made by using natural color or white plastic and recycled plastic using pigments and colorants as per standards and specifications of BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) are allowed
  

Perfect landing by Atlantis

• The space shuttle Atlantis made a perfect landing, bringing an official end to 30 years of U.S. space shuttle missions
  
• At 0556 Local Time, the space ship with a crew of 4 astronauts on board touched the ground at the Kennedy Space Center in the southern state of Florida
  
• Perfect weather conditions and a crowd of hundreds welcomed the shuttle home
  
• Atlantis’ 13-day mission capped off its 33^rd and final flight after 26 years in service
  
• The 4^th shuttle in NASA’s fleet, Atlantis first flew into space in October 1985. The crew departed from the ISS (International Space Station) after an 8-day visit to deliver a year’s worth of supplies, and haul trash and used equipment back to Earth
  

To Develop Kankesanthurai port India and Sri Lanka sign MoU

• Kankesanthurai (KKS) harbor: In Sri Lanka in the Jaffna peninsula
  
• KKS soon to be developed with the aid of India
  
• India and Sri Lanka signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop the Kankesanthurai (KKS) port
  
• The Kankesanthurai Harbor was earlier destroyed during the 30 year war with the LTTE
  

India: 10^th in Global Export of Services

As per latest WTO (World Trade Report) report, 2011:

• India attained 10^th rank in export of services worldwide
  
• India emerged as the 20^th biggest merchandise exporter in 2010
  
• In 2009, India stood 12^th and 22^nd Globally in Services and Goods Exports, respectively
  
• In value terms, India exported Services worth $ 110 bn and merchandise exports worth $216 bn last year
  

Month: Current Affairs - July, 2011