Current Affairs 14th August 2017

Current Affairs 14th August 2017 - Important Points

• ‘Gaj Yatra’ launched to mark World Elephant Day 2017 on - 12th August 2017
• Who has been appointed Chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification? - Prasoon Joshi
• Somalia declared free of polio by - World Health Organization
•  Warmest year recorded on Earth - 2016
• Legendary sprinter Usain Bolt retired on - 13th August 2017
• Iran responds to US sanctions by voting to boost military defence on - 13th August 2017
• First online course on Infusion Therapy launched on - 13th August 2017
• Religious Freedom Bill passed by Jharkhand Assembly on - 12th August 2017
• Indian Coast Guard Ship Shaurya commissioned in Goa on -12th August 2017
• Odisha government launches Facebook program ‘SheMeansBusiness’ on - 10th August 2017
• 91 volcanoes discovered underneath Antarctica by - Scientists
• Fruit bat "Yoda" officially recognized as - New species

Current Affairs 14th August 2017 - Details

‘Gaj Yatra’ launched to mark World Elephant Day 2017 on - 12th August 2017

On the occasion of the World Elephant Day, on 12th August 2017, the Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has launched ‘Gaj Yatra’.  It is a nationwide campaign to protect elephants and is planned to cover 12 elephant range states.

 Key Highlights

• During the period of the campaign, artists and craftsmen will be creating life-size works on the theme of elephants in places along the route of the roadshow, covering 12 states that have wild elephants, using local craft and art.
• Specially fabricated vehicles will also be deployed to display these on pre-determined routes with campaigners.
• The ‘Gaju’ mascot, which was released by the Ministry in 2012, will be a tiller for this campaign.
  The Wildlife Trust of India will be leading this campaign.
• Along with the children, Actor and wildlife enthusiast, Dia Mirza, participated in the walk and run event organised on the occasion .
• After launching this nationwide campaign to protect elephants, Dr. Vardhan urged people to prepare a strategy for a better even distribution of the elephant population in all the states of the country.

Who has been appointed Chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification? - Prasoon Joshi

The Union Government appointed lyricist Prasoon Joshi as Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on 11th August 2017 for a period of three years.
Other than this, the government has also reconstituted the existing CBFC with an immediate effect for a period of three years or until further orders.
Government has made this decision by exercising its powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Cinematograph Act, 1952 (37 of 1952) read with rule 3 from the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 1983.
Information and Broadcasting Ministry stated in a release that there are 12 members of the new board including Vivek Agnihotri, Gautami Tadimalla, Naresh Chandra Lal,Narendra Kohli and Vidya Balan.
Key Highlights

• The Board consists of non-official members and a Chairman, all of them are appointed by Central Government. It functions with headquarters in Mumbai. Any Film can be publicly exhibited in the country only after they have been certified by this board.
• Prasoon Joshi was born on 16th September 1971, Prasoon Joshi is an Indian lyricist, screenwriter, poet, marketer as well as an ad Guru.
• He is a recipient of Filmfare Best Lyricist Award three times, in 2007, 2008 and 2014.
• He has also won the National Film Award for Best Lyrics twice, for his work in Taare Zameen Par (2007), and Chittagong (2013).
• He was awarded with Padma Shri by the Government of India for his contributions towards the field of Arts, Literature and Advertising in 2015.

Somalia declared free of polio by - World Health Organization

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Somalia free of polio on 13th August 2017.
As per agency, there is no record of any case of polio disease recorded in Somalia in the last three years. The WHO stated that Somalia recorded the last case of polio in 2014 in the central part of the country. However, since then it has remained free of the disease.
On the other hand, the WHO also warned that Somalia remained vulnerable, calling for continued vaccination campaign.

More about Polio

• This disease is caused due to the infection by the poliovirus.
• It was first recognized as a distinct condition by Michael Underwood in 1789 and Karl Landsteiner identified the virus in 1908.
• In about 0.5 percent of cases, there is muscle weakness which results in an inability to move.
• The weakness mostly comes to legs but sometimes to the muscles of the head, neck and diaphragm.
• Due to muscle weakness, near around 2 to 5 percent of children and 15 to 30 percent of adults die.
• It is spread through food , water, saliva of the infected person.
• The disease is preventable with the regular and no. of polio doses vaccine

 Warmest year recorded on Earth - 2016

Scientists around the globe have compiled an annual report which has stated that the year 2016 was the warmest on record for the planet as a whole.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its annual checkup of the Earth on 10th August 2017, revealing ample records including highest sea level, hottest year and lowest sea ice in both Arctic and Antarctica.
The Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society published this report of 299 pages.

Important highlights of the annual report

• According to the annual, peer-reviewed State of the Climate report, the 2016 was an year of extremes and records, including the highest sea levels and lowest sea ice in the Antarctica and Arctic including one of the worst years for droughts.
• The report relies on the work of hundreds of scientists of 60 countries.
• It shows that 2016 was "very extreme and it is a cause for their concern."
• 2016 has also witnessed new records for the greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane. The increase in carbon dioxide of 3.5 PPM globally was the largest year-over-year increase observed in the 58-year measurement record.
• In 2016 Giant downpours were up and heat waves struck all over the globe, including India due to the extreme weather everywhere.
• There were 93 tropical cyclones across the globe among them around 13% are more than normal including Hurricane Matthew that killed about 1000 people in Haiti.
• The world's glaciers have shrunk by an average of about 3 feet.
• Greenland's ice sheet in 2016 lost 341 billion tons of ice. Since 2002, it has lost 4400 billion tons of ice.

Legendary sprinter Usain Bolt retired on - 13th August 2017

Usain Bolt, the greatest sprinter of modern times, retired from the Athletics world on 13th August 2017. Unfortunately his last race ended in pain as he injured himself while running the last lap of the men’s 4x100m relay race at the World Athletics Championships in London.

While chasing down his rivals in the race with the baton he took from his Jamaican teammate Yohan Blake, 30 year old Bolt suffered cramps on his left hamstring. Bolt went down on his knees with hands on his head in pain and was then lying alone on the tracks for a while before Blake and the other teammates gathered around him.

From the Athletics World Britain won the gold in 37.47 seconds, United States bagged silver in 38.01 seconds and Japan took bronze respectively. Earlier on 5th August 2017, the fastest man on earth, Usain Bolt stunned the world after finishing third in the 100 meters Final of World Athletics Championship at London.
In his farewell 100 meters relay race, Usain clocked a time of 9.95 seconds but he was left behind by veteran American sprinter Justin Gatlin who clocked 9.92 seconds to claim Gold, his fellow countryman Christian Coleman came second with 9.94 seconds.
In 2008, when Bolt set his first world record, he had never lost a championship race and collected 19 gold medals in 100, 200 and 4x100 meters. The only time, he did not win the gold was in 100 meters in the 2011 world championships, when he was disqualified for a false start and the 2008 Olympic 4x100, a gold won by Jamaica that was subsequently stripped because a teammate tested positive for banned substances in sports.

Iran responds to US sanctions by voting to boost military defence on - 13th August 2017

Iran's parliament voted in favour of boosting investment in its missile defence and foreign operations programmes by more than $500 million on 13th August 2017. Among 244 parliamentarians present, 240 voted in favour of passing the bill resulting to pass the bill with an overwhelming majority.

The move is in response to the latest round of sanctions imposed by the United States of America on Iran after it conducted ballistic missile test in January 2017. According to Iran, the sanctions violated the 2015 nuclear deal, which has been referred to as the worst ever by US President Donald Trump, who has also threatened to tear it up.
The Iranian legislation must pass a second vote before submission for the final approval. Iranian MPs were reported to have shouted "death to America" after Speaker Ali Larijani announced the voting results.
This new 27-point bill proposes that the Iranian government should allocate an additional sum of $260 million each for the development of the missile program and for Iran's Quds Force which is a branch of the country's Revolutionary Guards Corps.
Other than this, the bill will also impose sanctions on US military and intelligence officials in the region.
According to Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Abbas Araqchi, the new bill is not in the violation of the 2015 agreement limiting the country's nuclear program.
Do you know?
The nuclear deal was a preliminary framework agreement between Iran and major world powers reached in 2015.

First online course on Infusion Therapy launched on - 13th August 2017

The Infusion Nurses Society (INS), a global authority in infusion therapy launched India's first online course on Infusion Therapy for nurses on 13th August 2017. Under the online course, the Infusion Nurses Society are aimed to train more than 3000 nurses in the vital medical procedure. INS stated that due to the reach and ease of the digital platform, the course will be enabling members to access the various infusion therapy modules and presentations through its website.

More on Infusion Therapy

• It deals with all aspects of medication infusion and fluid, through intravenous or subcutaneous application.
• The therapy has a range of medical applications including post-operative analgesic pain management, anesthesia /sedation, treatment of infectious diseases and chemotherapy.
• Nine out of ten patients admitted in hospitals receive infusion therapy during the course of their stay for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.
• Improper infusion practices may lead to complications, causing mortality increase, duration of hospital stay, morbidity and healthcare costs.

Religious Freedom Bill passed by Jharkhand Assembly on - 12th August 2017

The state assembly of Jharkhand passed the Religious Freedom Bill 2017, which aims to stop forced conversions in the state on 12th August 2017. The BJP-led government brought this bill of anti- conversion bill and now this will be sent to the Governor, after his approval it would be sent to the President for final assent.

Provisions of the Bill

• The bill comes with provision of three years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50000 or both.
• It has provision for four year- imprisonment and Rs 1 lakh fine, or both, if the person converted is a minor, woman or a member of Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe.
• In the case of a person who has converted willingly, the bill says that he/she will have to inform the Deputy Commissioner about details such as time, place and the person who did administer the conversion proceedings.

Indian Coast Guard Ship Shaurya commissioned in Goa on -12th August 2017

The Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Shaurya was commissioned in Vasco, Goa by Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on 12th August 2017. It is the fifth in the series of six 105-meter offshore patrol vessels (OPVs).
This vessel will be based under administrative and operational control of Commander Coast Guard Region (East) at Chennai.
The ship will be deployed extensively for Exclusive Economic Zone surveillance other than  safeguarding India’s maritime interests. Currently, the Indian Coast Guard has a fleet of 129 ships and boats, and 72 ships and boats are at various stages of construction at different shipyards in India.

Key features of the Ship

• Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) has designed and built ICGS Shaurya and is propelled by 9100 kilowatt diesel engine.
• It is fitted with state-of-the-art navigation, sensors, communication equipment and machinery.
• The vessel is powered with integrated bridge system, 30mm CRN 91 Naval Gun, integrated machinery control system, power management system and high-power external fire fighting system.
• It has been designed to carry one twin engine light helicopter, swift boarding operations, and five high-speed boats, including two quick reaction inflatable boats for the search and rescue, law enforcement and maritime patrol.

Odisha government launches Facebook program ‘SheMeansBusiness’ on - 10th August 2017

Odisha Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik has launched Facebook's program called 'She Means Business' for women entrepreneurs in the state on 10th August 2017. It was launched in partnership with Odisha’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) department and Project Mission Shakti.
Important Highlights

• Under this scheme, around 25000 women entrepreneurs and Self-Help Group (SHG) members will be getting training on digital marketing skills by the end of 2018.
• The training will be involving teaching of basic types of digital marketing like how to make it real-time business, how to start your business on Facebook, how to give quick response to queries and ensure timely delivery and quality assurance for the customers.
• The social media platform, Facebook, will be monitoring the growth of the MSMEs in Odisha after providing training to them in the next one year.
• It will also be preparing a data base of the MSMEs through registrations in which they would be taking down the email ids and the mobile phone numbers of entrepreneurs in all the workshops.
• Speaking on the occasion, Patnaik said that the state government’s partnership with Facebook is aiming to reduce the digital divide.
• He further said that it is the government job to empower people to aspire high with the faith that their aspirations will be ensured to turn into reality.

Do you know?
The SheMeansBusiness program has been launched in 16 countries globally including India.

91 volcanoes discovered underneath Antarctica by - Scientists

A group of scientists have uncovered the largest volcanic region on Earth, only two kilometers
underneath the surface of the vast ice sheet covering west Antarctica.This report is published by a research team from Edinburgh University revealing that there are 91 volcanoes under the ice sheets in the west of Antarctica. These were already 47 known volcanoes in the area.

 The largest volcano stands at almost 4000 meters, which is taller than New Zealand's highest peak Aoraki Mount Cook (3.724 km tall). In this regard, Geologists are confirming that this huge region is likely to dwarf that of east Africa’s volcanic ridge, currently rated the densest concentration of volcanoes in the world. The discovery added to the growing concern for a region already affected by climate change. The scientists have added that if one were to erupt it could further destabilize the ice sheets leading to mass destruction.
Key highlights

• These newly discovered volcanoes range in height from 100 meters to 3850 meters.
• All these volcanoes are covered in ice, which sometimes lies in layers that are more than 4 km thick in that area.
• The active peaks are concentrated in the area also known as the west Antarctic rift system, which stretches 3500 km from Antarctica’s Ross ice shelf to the Antarctic peninsula.

Fruit bat "Yoda" officially recognized as - New species

This unusual fruit bat breed has now officially been recognized as a new species.
This bat was previously nicknamed 'Yoda' due to its resemblance to the Star Wars Jedi Master now has been renamed to happy (Hamamas) tube-nosed fruit bat. It's formal name, Nyctimene wrightae sp. nov., is named after the conservationist Deb Wright, who devoted 20 years to build conservation programs and long-term scientific capacity in Papua New Guinea.
Important highlights

• It was discovered in a remote rain forest of Papua New Guinea.
• After thorough research examining literature and some 3000 specimens in 18 museums globally,
  a University of York researcher now formally has distinguished and registered this new species.
• The species is very difficult to tell apart from other tube-nosed bat species as they often look similar to each other;  however, they differ significantly in feeding, behavior and history.