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  • Current Affairs 29th April 2017

    Updated : 29-Apr-2017

    Current Affairs 29th April 2017 - Important Points

    • Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare 2017 observed on - 29th April
    • ISRO launching 5 satellites to improve - India’s communication system 
    • First Indian actor to deliver Ted Talk - Shah Rukh Khan

    Current Affairs 29th April 2017 - Details

    Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare 2017 observed on - 29th April

    The Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare 2017 was observed on 29th April 2017 by the United Nations (UN). It will provide an opportunity to pay tribute to the victims of chemical warfare, as well as to reaffirm the commitment of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to the elimination of the threat of chemical weapons.

    The Third Review Conference of States Parties to the Chemical Convention held in April 2013 in the Hague, the Netherlands, adopted a political declaration that  confirms the unequivocal commitment of the States Parties to the chemical weapons ban globally.

    Important Highlights

    • The United Nations' Conference of the States Parties at its 10th Session on 11th November 2005 decided that a memorial Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare would be observed on 29th April, the day on which the Chemical Weapons Convention entered into force in 1997.
    • The OPCW Member States represent about 98 percent of the global population and landmass, as well as 98% of the worldwide chemical industry.

     ISRO launching 5 satellites to improve - India’s communication system 

    The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is going to launch five communication satellites by 2017 end. The same was confirmed by the organisation’s chairman, A S Kiran Kumar on 27th April 2017.

    Kumar stated that the main objective behind the launch is to improve the communication system within the country.  The specific use of the satellites would be made to improve the number of available transponders for communications. This move is expected to significantly enhance India’s communication capability.

    Important Highlights

    • The announcement was made by the ISRO chief on the sidelines of a lecture that was organised on the occasion of the centenary celebrations of the Osmania University,Hyderabad.
    • Kumar’s lecture at the University included an overview of the number of satellites launched by the space organisation and the purpose of each satellite in the areas of disaster management, weather forecasting, space exploration, education, agriculture and geo-spatial applications.
    • ISRO chief also revealed that India is the only country to achieve this accomplishment of having a large number of satellites.
    • Kumar announced that ISRO along with the government has made it mandatory for all aircrafts to have a GPS-aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) system by 2019 to ensure safety and precision landing.
    • ISRO plans to make an inventory and site management plan for 4000 heritage sites in India. 
    • The organisation also helped India break the record for launching most satellites from a single rocket by launching 104 satellites in one go in February 2017.

     First Indian actor to deliver Ted Talk - Shah Rukh Khan

    Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan became the first Indian actor to deliver TED speech in Vancouver, Canada on 27th April 2017. He spoke out on various issues beginning from his stardom to the changes world has experienced with the Internet introduction. He left the audience in splits with his amusing one-liners. Shah Rukh has also delivered some motivational and inspirational speeches earlier when he was conferred with honorary doctorate from Edinburg University  and Hyderabad's Maulana Azad National Urdu University.

     Interesting Highlights

    • TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, it was founded in 1984.
    • It is a media organisation dedicated to post online talk shows under the slogan of ‘Ideas Worth Spreading’. 
    • The annual TED conference takes place in Vancouver, Canada yearly where speakers are given a maximum time of 18 minutes to express their ideas in the most innovative ways they can. 
    • Shah Rukh Khan also partnered with TED to host the Hindi version of that famous talk show.