Current Affairs - 2019-20

Notes:
The 2nd annual meeting of the board of governors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will be held in Jeju, South Korea from June 14-15, 2017. The purpose of the AIIB is to promote economic development of the region by supporting major infrastructure projects. From India, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will attend the meeting. AIIB is headed by Jin Liqun, the former Assistant Chinese Finance Minister. D J Pandian from India is the Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of the organization.

Notes:
The American Cancer Society presents the Luther L. Terry Awards. The awards recognize individuals and organizations that continue the work of Dr. Luther Terry. Dr. Terry was the ninth Surgeon General of the United States from 1961 to 1965. He is known for his warnings against the dangers of tobacco use.  The Luther L. Terry Awards recognize those who carry on Dr. Terry’s legacy and the importance of continuing his work. For example, in 2018, Professor Elif Dagli and Dr. Constantine Vardavas were recognized for their work on tobacco control.  Dr. Terry released the Smoking and Health-Report, which became one of the most important and widely quoted documents in medicine.

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Also known as Convention concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor, it is convention number 182 and is most widely-ratified international labor convention, it has set a global target of eliminating the WFCL by 2016

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National Highway Authority of India was awarded with Best Design Pavilion Award in the recently concluded 105th Indian Science Congress held in Imphal.

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In recent report of World Bank titled “South Asia Economic Focus – Globalisation Backlash”, it said eliminating tax evasion and corruption-the most talked objectives of junking old 500 and 1000 rupee notes. The report said that the demonetisation move will limit tax evasion and corruption, will help to curb black money, to eliminate counterfeit notes, increase transparency and promote the use of electronic payments in India.

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United Nations declared 2016 as the International Year of Pulses (IYP). It provides an unprecedented opportunity to raise awareness and to celebrate the role of beans, chickpeas, lentils and other pulses in feeding to health, nutrition and sustainability.

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The Helsinki Rules are an international guideline that regulate how rivers and their connected groundwaters that cross national boundaries may be used. The International Law Association (ILA) adopted the Helsinki Rules in Helsinki, Finland in 1966. The Helsinki Rules established a common legal framework guiding the use of surface water and connected groundwater in international drainage basins. The Helsinki Rules describe in detail the relevant factors to be considered, including the drainage area within each basin state, hydrology, and climate in the basin. These factors determine basin water resources within each state and their variability.
The Helsinki Rules were succeeded by the Berlin Rules on Water Resources in 2004. The ILA adopted the Rules on International Groundwaters, also known as the Seoul Rules, in Seoul, Korea in 1986.

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Pehchan Initiative was launched by the Ministry of Textiles on 7 October 2016. Under this scheme, Pehchan identity cards are issued to artisans. It aims at the better targeting of artisans to enable their easy and smooth access to the benefit they are entitled to. All state governments and union territories are involved in the identification and authentification of the Pehchan ID Cards.

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“Bali Declaration” was adopted at the “World Parliamentary Forum on Sustainable Development”, in Indonesia. Indian parliamentary delegation refused to be a part of the Bali declaration adopted recently. India objected the part of declaration highlighting deep concern on the ongoing violence in the Rakhine State of Myanmar. India reiterated its stance that purpose of convening Parliamentary forum was to arrive at a mutual consensus for implementation of SDGs which required inclusive and broad-based development process.

Notes:
Rajni Kant Mishra, a 1984 batch Indian Police Service officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, has been appointed the new Director-General of Border Security Force (BSF). He will succeed K.K. Sharma, who is superannuating on September 30, 2018. Mr. Mishra has been shifted from the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). He will head the BSF till August 31, 2019. Special D-G (BSF) S.S. Deswal, will replace Mr. Mishra in SSB.