Current Affairs 8th July 2017

Current Affairs 8th July 2017 - Important Points

• United Nations to adopt treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons on - 6th July 2017
• MRP on packaged consumer products going to be same from - 1st January 2018
• Panchsheel Pact between China and - India
• India's ranks in 2017 Global Cyber security Index - 23rd among 165 nations
• Historic Center of Vienna inscribed on List of World Heritage in Danger
• Great Barrier Reef omitted by from List of World Heritage in Danger by - UNESCO
• G20 Summit calls for action against  - Terrorism
• Who has been appointed as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Autism in South Asia? - Saima Wazed Hossain

Current Affairs 8th July 2017 - Details

United Nations to adopt treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons on - 6th July 2017

The United Nations announced on 6th July 2017 that the Member States will adopt a legally-binding treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons. The treaty was be adopted on 7th July 2017 and is the first multilateral nuclear disarmament treaty to be concluded in more than 20 years.
This treaty is described as a historic achievement. However, the nuclear-armed states have dismissed the ban on treaty as unrealistic, arguing and it won't have any impact to reduce the global stockpile of 15000 nuclear weapons.

Important highlights

• As per the drafted text, the treaty will be covering the complete range of nuclear-weapons-related activities, prohibiting undertaking by any State party to manufacture, develop,acquire, test, possess, produce, or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.
• The prohibitions also includes any undertaking to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.
• The treaty will be open for signature to all States at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 19th September 2017.
• The treaty will be entering into force 3 months after the 50th instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession has been deposited.

MRP on packaged consumer products going to be same from - 1st January 2018

Union Consumer Affairs Ministry has amended the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 (PCR) with an objective to benefit the consumers and protect them from paying different prices at different locations.

The new rules seek to regulate the pre-packed commodities all over India.
After this amendment, which was notified on 23rd June 2017, the rules will be known as the Legal Metrology Amendment Rules, 2017.
In accordance with the new rules, which will be coming into effect from 1st January 2018, the price of packed goods would no longer depend on where the product is purchased irrespective of a mall, a five-star hotel, an airport or a local Kirana store.
Important Highlights

• MRP: As per the amended Legal Metrology Rules 2017, the retail sale price of any packed product will be the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) inclusive of all taxes.
• The rule will be having the provision to round off the price to the nearest rupee or 50 paise.
• Legal provision on MRPs: A new legal provision has been inserted to make sure that no person will be able to declare different MRPs on an identical pre-packed commodity.
• This provision was inserted with an objective to curb the possibility of any vendor charging differential prices of the same product.

Panchsheel Pact between China and - India

Panchsheel Pact, also known as Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, was in news recently in the months of June-July 2017 as China accused India of trampling on the Panchsheel principles by allegedly entering into the Chinese territory. Both the nations are engaged in a diplomatic standoff in the Doklam or Donglang area near the Sikkim-Tibet-Bhutan tri-junction from the last 20 days after a Chinese army's construction party came to build a road in that region.

India blamed China's aggressive road building for the crisis, Indian side thinks that the construction of the road in Donglang will going to affect the status quo of the country. Other way round, China is criticising India for misleading the public by alleging that a road being constructed near the Sikkim border could endanger Delhi's access to the region.

China also stated that the region where the road is being built is a part of its territory according to the 1890 Sino-British Convention, which was a treaty signed with Britain when it was under a colonial power. Bhutan is also already engaged in talks with China over the resolution of the area. However, Bhutan has no diplomatic ties with China and it is supported militarily and diplomatically by India.

This ongoing dispute of border has also affected the Kailash Mansarovar yatra after China closed the Nathu La pass in Sikkim for 50 pilgrims.

India's ranks in 2017 Global Cyber security Index - 23rd among 165 nations

India ranked a high 23rd out of 165 nations in the 2017 Global Cyber security Index (GCI), a global index that measures the nations commitment across the world to cyber security.
The second Global Cyber security Index was released by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN telecommunications agency on 5th July 2017.
India ranked 23rd on the index with a score of 0.683 and has been listed in the maturing category that refers to 77 countries that have developed complex commitments to cyber security and engage in cyber security initiatives and programs. Singapore ranked first in the Global Cyber security Index with a 0.92 GCI score.

Main objectives of GCI

• To measure the type, level and evolution over time of cyber security commitment in countries and commitments related to other countries.
• To measure the progress in cyber security commitment of all countries from a global point of view.
• To measure the progress in cyber security commitment from a regional point of view.
• To measure the cyber security commitment divide, i.e. the difference between countries in terms of their level of engagement in cyber security initiatives and programs.

Historic Center of Vienna inscribed on List of World Heritage in Danger

The World Heritage Committee inscribed the Historic Center of Vienna on the List of World Heritage in Danger on 6th July 2017. The step was taken due to high-rise projects in the middle of the historic city.
The Committee states that the Vienna Ice-Skating Club—Intercontinental Hotel project has failed to comply fully with previous Committee decisions,  especially the concern of the new constructions height that will have adverse effects on the Austrian capital.

More about the Historic Center of Vienna

• Vienna is Austria's capital and largest city and one of the nine states of Austria.
• The city center was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year 2001.
• The city is rich in architectural ensembles, including Baroque castles and gardens,the late-19th-century Ringstrabe lined with monuments, grand buildings and parks.
• The Historic Center of Vienna is also called as the City of Music because of its musical legacy.
• It is also considered as The City of Dreams because it was home to Sigmund Freud, the world's first psycho-analyst.

Great Barrier Reef omitted by from List of World Heritage in Danger by - UNESCO

The World Heritage Committee decided not to include the Great Barrier Reef in the List of World Heritage in Danger during its annual meeting in Poland in July 2017.
The Committee voted to endorse the Australian Government’s Reef 2050 Plan that includes several measures designed to manage and protect the ecosystem.
In the draft document later adopted without debate, the World Heritage Committee noted with "serious concern" coral bleaching along the Great Barrier Reef, and asked for an overall report on the state of conservation by the end of 2019.

Though, the World Heritage Committee decided to keep the Great Barrier Reef listed as World Heritage out of Danger, but still the Reef has been on the warning list for nearly three years.
However, it is not entirely evident why UNESCO decided not to list the Reef as in danger
at the 2017 meeting, given the many ongoing threats to its health.
However, the Committee has strongly made it clear they remain concerned about the future of the Great Barrier Reef – one of the Earth’s great natural wonders.

More about Great Barrier Reef

• The Great Barrier Reef is composed of over 2900 individual reefs and 900 islands and is the world's largest coral reef system.
• The reef is located in the Coral Sea and is so vast that it can be seen from outer space at off the coast of Queensland, Australia.
• It is also the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms called as coral polyps.
• It was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981.

G20 countries leaders agree for action, targeted exchange of information on terrorism on - 7th July

G20 leaders on the first day of G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany, agreed to facilitate swift action and targeted exchange of information on terrorism and it’s financing
on 7th July 2017.

G20 Summit calls for action against  - Terrorism

The information exchange that will include operational information-sharing, criminal justice and preventive measures response will happen between intelligence, law enforcement and judicial authorities. In a statement released at the end of the first day of the 12th G20 Summit in Hamburg, the member countries decided to take concrete steps to prohibit funding of the terror activities.
For this, they called to strengthen measures against the financing of international terrorist organisations in particular Al Qaida,ISIL/ISIS/Daesh and their affiliates.
The G20 leaders also re-affirmed their commitment to tackle all sources, techniques, channels of terrorist financing and calls for a swift and effective implementation of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and UNSCR standards worldwide.

In addition to this, the leaders also decided that the private sector will be involved in the global efforts to counter terror-financing. Seeking to fight radicalization, the G20 group will be taking measures to counter terrorist propaganda.
Simultaneously, the countries will also seek to promote political and religious tolerance and social inclusiveness to facilitate reintegration.
The leaders of G-20 also underlined to fight internet and social media exploitation for propaganda inciting terrorism and radicalization.
Steps would be taken to detect,filter and remove content that incites terrorists’ activities.

Who has been appointed as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Autism in South Asia? - Saima Wazed Hossain

Saima Wazed Hossain was appointed as the WHO's Goodwill Ambassador for Autism in the South-East Asia region on 6th July 2017. In the last one year while championing for the cause of autism for WHO, Hossain facilitated the 'Thimphu Declaration' on autism and other neuro developmental disorders at an international conference in April 2017 in Bhutan.

Hossain will going to promote the Thimphu declaration as a Goodwill Ambassador emphasizing on integrating the needs of autism affected people into national health and socioeconomic developmental plans. In May 2016, Hossain was designated as WHO Regional Champion for Autism.