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  • Current Affairs 17th April 2018

    Updated : 17-Apr-2018

    Current Affairs 17th April 2018 - Important Points

    • Generalized System of Preferences: US announces eligibility review of – India
    • e-FRRO scheme launched by government to facilitate - Hassle-free travel for foreigners
    • Indian mosquitoes susceptible to Zika virus: NIV study
    • India-Wiesbaden Conference 2018 held in - New Delhi
    • Beta portal for comparing telcos’ tariffs launched by - TRAI
    • Plastic-eating enzyme developed by - Scientists
    • $48 million Loan agreement inked with World Bank for - Meghalaya Landscapes Management Project

    Current Affairs 17th April 2018 - Details

    Generalized System of Preferences: US announces eligibility review of – India

    The United States Trade Representative has officially declared that it is revising eligibility of India, Indonesia and Kazakhstan in Generalized System of Preferences based on concerns about nations’ agreement with programme. The revaluations are grounded on Donald Trump administration’s new Generalized System of Preferences nation eligibility valuation process as well as Generalized System of Preferences nation eligibility petitions

    Key Points

    For India, Generalized System of Preferences nation eligibility review is grounded on apprehensions connected to its compliance with Generalized System of Preferences market access criterion and 2 petitions connected to same criterion. The appeals were filed by United States dairy industry and United States medical device industry demanded review of India’s Generalized System of Preferences welfares, given Indian trade barriers affecting United States exports in those segments.

    For Indonesia, Generalized System of Preferences nation suitability review is grounded on concerns related to its compliance with Generalized System of Preferences market access criterion and Generalized System of Preferences services and investment criterion. Kazakhstan’s suitability review is grounded on apprehensions related to its compliance with the Generalized System of Preferences worker rights criterion.

    Generalized System of Preferences

    Generalized System of Preferences is largest and oldest United States trade preference programme announced in 1976. It is intended to promote economic development by permitting duty-free entry for thousands of goods from elected beneficiary nations. Under it, a widespread range of industrial and agricultural goods initiating from certain developing nations are given preferred access to United States markets.

    e-FRRO scheme launched by government to facilitate - Hassle-free travel for foreigners

    Ministry of Home Affairs has initiated web-based application e-Foreigners Regional Registration Office to permit overseas tourists and travellers to avail of paperless and cashless visa services.

    e-Foreigners Regional Registration Office removes requirement for any human interface and using it overseas touring India will be no longer require to substantially visit office of Foreigners Regional Registration Office for visa services including registration and visa extension.

    e-FRRO scheme Objectives

    Sized centralized, transparent online platform for overseas to benefit visa related services. Provide faceless, cashless and paperless facilities to overseas with user friendly practices.

    Salient features:

    Online Foreigners Regional Registration Office Service delivery process without the need of visiting Foreigners Regional Registration Office barring exceptional cases.

    In this online system, overseas can avail as many as 27 visa and immigration concerned services in India from their place of stay. Overseas now can apply online on web portal and obtain services through email and post without their physically presence at FRRO office.

    Using this app, overseas are needed to generate their own User-ID by registering themselves. After that, they can apply online for various visa and immigration services in India.

    The e-Foreigners Regional Registration Office scheme is being implemented on Immigration, Visa, Foreigners Registration and Tracking with negligible added spending, taking cue from previously successfully running e-visa scheme that has received revenue of over Rupees 1400 crores since its initiation in November 2014.

    Indian mosquitoes susceptible to Zika virus: NIV study

    Recent National Institute of Virology study has studied that Indian Aedes aegypti mosquito that transmits dengue and chikungunya viruses, is easily vulnerable to zika virus. During the investigation it was revealed that Indian Aedes aegypti mosquito disease-ridden with African strain MR-766 of zika virus can simply transmit infection.

    Key Points

    This investigation shows that Indian mosquitoes receives ZIKV in natural way. They were contaminated with zika virus experimentally via orally feeding. These contaminated mosquitoes, harbour the virus in their saliva glands were further were permitted to bite on infant and suckling mice.

    The organs of sick mice were exposed to 3 detection tests histopathology, real-time RT-PCR, and Immunohistochemistry to checked for existence of virus. The results of tests indicated clinical symptoms of ZIKV including trembling, lonely behaviour, nervous indications, nil movement, and lethargy in mice after four to five days after being bitten by the contaminated mosquitoes.

    Importance

    Zika virus is developing danger unless contained especially in areas where vector Aedes aegypti mosquito is in huge numbers, including India. So, there is necessity to discover possibilities for containing virus. This observation will assist to explore appropriate model for understanding Zika virus’s natural transmission and disease progression.

    Zika virus -

    Zika virus is vector borne disease communicated primarily by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the similar mosquito that transmits dengue. It can also spread via blood transfusion and sexual contact. It causes serious birth defects including neurological disorders and foetal deformation in which new born babies are born with abnormally smaller heads. Besides a possible link between virus and Guillain-Barré syndrome is also alleged. There is no specific vaccine presently available to treat Zika virus. The best form of prevention is protection against mosquito bites and clearing dump areas of mosquitoes breeding.

    India-Wiesbaden Conference 2018 held in - New Delhi

    The India-Wiesbaden Conference 2018 was organised from April 16th-17th, 2018, in New Delhi. The
    label of conference was ‘Securing Global Supply Chains through Government-Industry Partnerships
    towards Effective Implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540’
    Key Points

    • The Wiesbaden Process was introduced by Government of Germany in 2012 to fortify implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 via Government-Industry corporations.
    • India-Wiesbaden Conference 2018 was presented by Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with Government of Germany and United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs.
    • Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry was industry partner.
      Members from Government and Industry of 39 nations and specialists from United Nations Security Council 1540 Committee and United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs had took part in tconference.
    • The Conference delivered prospect to members to share experiences on their export control systems and classify legal and technical assistance, achievement plans and challenges in national implementation of United Nations Security Council 1540.
      UN Security Council Resolution 1540
    • It starts legally binding responsibilities on all states to accept and enforce suitable and effective
      measures to avoid to propagation to non-state performers of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons.
    • India has recognized legally backed robust export-control system to device United Nations Security
      Council 1540 as part of its long-standing promise to international non-proliferation.

    Beta portal for comparing telcos’ tariffs launched by - TRAI

    Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has revealed beta version of portal www.tariff.trai.gov.in to
    permit users see tariffs of different telecom service providers and various Licensed Service Areas at
    solitary place. The 1st of its kind platform to be supported by the government focuses to bring on single
    platform telecom tariffs offered by various operators and in various service areas.
    Key Points

    • The web portal is projected to deliver extra transparency and news on multiple tariff offerings by telcos and assist users at large.
    • The portal’s beta version exhibits regular tariffs, special tariff vouchers, promotional-tariffs and value-added service packages among others.
    • The web portal will not only profit users but also assist other shareholders do a comparative analysis.
    • It also delivers various tariff plans and various another tariff information in a downloadable format.
      Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
    • Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is an independent regulator of telecom occupations in India.
    • It was recognized in 1997 through TRAI Act, 1997. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India also studies the tariffs plans for telecommunication services in India.

    Plastic-eating enzyme developed by - Scientists

    A scientist team freshly established a enzyme that can eat plastic, which further can be utilised to combat one of the world’s mega pollution issues. 

    The research was done by the scientists from Britain's University of Portsmouth and the United States Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory while investigating the building of a natural enzyme that was located in a waste-recycling centre a few years before in Japan.

    Key Findings of the study

    • The enzyme - Ideonella sakaiensis 201-F6, is capable to eat plastic in the 1940s.
    • The plastic is presently utilised in millions of tonnes of plastic bottles.
    • The key objective of the scientists was to observe its structure to support protein engineering, however, they unintentionally structured an enzyme that was much better at breaking down plastics.
    • The discovery could deliver a re-cycling solution for the tonnes of plastic waste that presently persist in the environment for many years.
    • Apart from this, the enzyme can destroy polyethylene furandicarboxylate which is a biodegradable standby for plastics that is being known as a standby for glass-beer bottles.

    $48 million Loan agreement inked with World Bank for - Meghalaya Landscapes Management Project

    The Union Government Finance Ministry has inked Loan Agreement with World Bank for IBRD loan of
    US $48 million for Meghalaya Community– Led Landscapes Management Project. The plan focuses to
    fortify community headed landscapes management in designated landscapes in Meghalaya by 2023.
    Key Points

    1. Meghalaya’s natural resource such as land, water sources and forests are source of income for majority of state population. The plan contains 3 components:

    -   Solidification of information and capacity for natural resource management.
    -   Community headed landscape planning and implementation.
    -   Project management and domination.
    Significance of Project

    • It will assist in managing these reducing resources, by solidifying communities and traditional
      institutions.
    • The Restoration of dishonoured and highly inferior landscapes under the plan will rise water for native communities and upgrade soil productivity which will in return upsurge incomes and reduce poverty.