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Daily Current Capsules - 16th October 2019

International Organisations
Piyush Goyal attended the 9th RCEP Intersessional Ministerial Meeting in Thailand
Relevance IN - Prelims (about RCEP) + Mains (GS II Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests, Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

What's the NEWS
  • Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Railways, Piyush Goyal attended the 9th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Intersessional Ministerial meeting held on 11-12 October 2019 at Bangkok in Thailand.
  • This will be the last Ministerial before the 3rd Leaders Summit to be held on November 4th 2019 in Bangkok.
  • The Prime Minister of India is expected to attend the Summit. The 9th Intersessional Ministerial Meeting comes at a crucial stage where the RCEP is scheduled to be announced as concluded in November 2019.
28th round of negotiations for RCEP
  • The 28th round of negotiations for RCEP at the expert level had concluded at Da Nang, Vietnam, held from September 19 - 27, 2019.
  • Trade Negotiating Committee meeting was held in which senior officials participated in negotiations regarding market access on Trade in Goods, Trade in Services and Investment as well as on other areas like Rules of Origin, Intellectual Property and Electronic Commerce.
  • Out of 25 chapters 21 chapters have been concluded. Crucial chapters of Investment, Electronic Commerce, Rules of Origin and Trade Remedies are yet to be settled.
India's concern and stand
  • In preparation for the crucial Bangkok Ministerial round this month, Commerce and Industry Minister held several consultations with Indian industry for firming up India's position and for taking into consideration industry concerns and sensitivities.
  • The focus and emphasis of the meetings chaired by the Commerce and Industry Minister was on putting in place appropriate safeguards including auto-trigger mechanism against sudden surge in imports from RCEP countries.
  • The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with six partners namely People's Republic of China (ACFTA), Republic of Korea (AKFTA), Japan (AJCEP), India (AIFTA) and Australia and New Zealand (AANZFTA).
Know! about RCEP
  • The RCEP negotiations were launched by leaders from 10 ASEAN member states (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) and 6 ASEAN FTA partners (Australia, People's Republic of China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea and New Zealand).
  • The objective of launching RCEP negotiation is to achieve a modern, comprehensive, high quality and mutually beneficial economic partnership agreement among the ASEAN member states and ASEAN's FTA partners. The RCEP negotiations commenced in early 2013.
Prelims Factoids
Kamini Roy Honoured by Google Doodle on her 155th Birth Anniversary
Relevance IN - Prelims (about Kamini Roy)

What's the NEWS
  • Kamini Roy was a Bengali social activist and India's first woman honours graduate.
Know! all about Kamini Roy
  • Kamini Roy was a Bengali poetess, activist and educationist
  • She has dedicated her life to women's education and rights during British India. Kamini Roy was the first woman who received a graduation degree in pre-independence India.
  • Kamini Roy supported Ilbert Bill as it was introduced in 1883 during the tenure of Viceroy Lord Ripon. According to the Ilbert Bill, Indian judges were also empowered to hear cases in which European citizens were involved.
  • In order to give women the right to vote in the then Bengal, she ran a long campaign.
  • Finally, women were given the right to vote in the 1926's general election. She died in 1933.
Government Schemes
38th India Carpet Expo in Varanasi
Relevance IN - Prelims (about CEPC) + Mains (GS II Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation
What's the NEWS
  • The Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC) is organizing the 38thIndia Carpet Expo (15thin Varanasi) with an aim to promote the cultural heritage and weaving skills of Indian hand-made carpets and other floor coverings for the visiting overseas carpet buyers.
Know! more about India - Carpet Expo
  • India carpet expo is a platform for international carpet buyers, buying houses, buying agents, architects and Indian carpet manufacturers and exporters to meet and establish business relationship. The Expo is organized twice a year in Varanasi and Delhi.
  • India Carpet Expo is one of the largest handmade carpet fairs in Asia. India's unique capability in adapting any type of design, colour, quality and size as per the specifications of the carpet buyers has made it a household name in the international market.
Know! about Carpet Export Promotion Council
  • The Carpet Export Promotion Council has 2700 members from all over the country and the prime objective of the Carpet Export Promotion Council in holding the India Carpet Expo in the major carpet producing belt of Varanasi is to provide unique pick and choose business opportunity to all overseas carpet buyers.
  • It is the endeavour of the Council to provide exclusive business environment to the both carpet importers as well as manufacturer and exporters. Around 200 members from all over India are participating in this Expo.
  • The major carpet producing centres in India are in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, North East Region of India, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
Prelims Factoids
Indian Railways launches 09 ‘Sewa Service' Trains

Relevance IN - Prelims (about Sewa Service trains)
Sewa Service trains
  • These Sewa trains will provide connectivity to the far-flung areas where stoppages of premiere trains were not possible
  • Sewa Service' trains have been planned with spare rakes as a part of ‘sweating of assets' initiative by the Indian Railways to have better utilization of the rolling stock
  • Indian Railways launches 09 ‘Sewa Service' Trains today to connect smaller towns around major cities.
  • These services were launched by the Minister of Railways by inaugurating Delhi-Shamli passenger train.
  • These trains will run on the "Hub and Spoke" Model, thereby facilitating passengers to use these trains to reach the "Hub" for availing onward journey to other major stations.
  • Indian Railways plans to run more trains on similar model to serve the passengers of smaller towns and cities. These measures are also expected to boost the earnings of the Indian Railways to help in strengthening the economy.
Map Bases Facts
Vice President returns after a two-nation tour to Africa
Relevance IN - Prelims (about the geographical locations of Comoros and Sierra Leone) + Mains (GS II bilateral ties signed + bilateral relations

What's the NEWS
  • Seeking to expand India's footprint and forge closer ties with Africa, the Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu concluded his tour to Comoros and Sierra Leone
India- Comoros
  • It was the first-ever visit by such a high-level Indian dignitary to Comoros, an archipelago situated off the Southeast coast of Africa and to Sierra Leone.
  • The President of Comoros, in an extraordinary gesture of friendship, conferred the ‘Order of the Green Crescent', the highest civilian honour of the Union of Comoros on the Vice President.
  • Accepting the honour "with utmost humility on behalf of 1.3 billion Indians", Shri Naidu declared that he was touched by the extra-ordinary gesture and said: "a common vision unites us, a common ocean joins us--it is an ocean of friendship and a vision of growing together".
  • The two countries signed six MoUs for cooperation in various fields including defense, health and medicine, arts and culture and tele-education (e-Vidya Bharati) and tele-medicine (e-Arogya Bharati).
India - Sierra Leone
  • The Vice President appreciated Sierra Leone's role in international affairs, especially as the Chair of the African Union Committee of Ten on UNSC reforms (C-10 group).
  • India and Sierra Leone signed 6 agreements to expand the bilateral relations in various fields and also agreed to push for UNSC reforms so that one-third of mankind residing in Africa and India occupy their rightful place in decision making bodies of the UN.
  • The Vice President announced to establish a High Commission in Sierra Leone
  • The Vice President expressed his happiness on Sierra Leone joining the International Solar Alliance in which India is playing a leading role to enable rapid deployment of solar energy globally and to facilitate the transfer of technology.
Defence
Dilli Series' Sea Power Seminar - 2019 to be conducted at Indian Naval Academy
Relevance IN - Prelims (about Dilli Series sea power seminar) + Mains (GS III Security challenges and their management in border areas)
What's the NEWS
  • Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala will host the the prestigious Dilli Series Sea Power Seminar on 17th and 18th of October 2019. The theme for this year's seminar is "Role of Sea Power in Shaping of Nations".
  • The seminar will be covered under three sub - themes, Sea Power Vs Land Power - A Historical Perspective, Sea Power and Geo Economics and Centrality of Sea Power to Global Politics.
Know! more about Dilli Seminar
  • The seminar, named after the historic Mount Dilli located within the INA, with considerable historical importance, has witnessed five earlier editions conducted to date.
  • The annual Dilli seminar helps young officers and cadets to keep an eye on developments in the maritime domain whilst simultaneously laying a strong foundation of history.
  • The Dilli series of seminar has always been an intellectually stimulating experience for all participants especially the young cadets and college students.
  • The sixth edition of the Dilli Series Sea Power seminar promises to be equally informative.
Health Sector
Release of two diagnostic kits developed under ‘Make in India' initiative by Indian Council of Agricultural Research - Indian Veterinary Research Institute
Relevance IN - Prelims (about the two diagnostic kits developed by ICAR and IVRI) + Mains (GS II - Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources
What's the NEWS
  • Two diagnostic kits developed by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) - Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) under the ‘Make in India' initiative, namely the Bluetongue sandwich ELISA (sELISA) and the Japanese Encephalitis lgM ELISA kit for the control of Swine and Detection of Antigen
  • This indigenous technology will not just help save foreign exchange as the newly developed kits cost ten times lesser than the imported ones but also has the potential to earn foreign exchange.
The Japanese Encephalitis (JE) ELISA Kit (IgM) for Swine -
  • The JE is a re-emerging viral zoonotic disease leading to death of children every year in the country.
  • The kit developed by the ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute is really helpful for assessing the active infection of JE virus in the swine population which predicts the outbreak of JE in the humans.
Bluetongue: Sandwich ELISA for detection of Antigen
  • The Bluetongue (BT) virus is an insect-transmitted viral disease of domestic and wild ruminants that includes the camelid species.
  • The disease is widespread among the sheep, goats, cattle, buffaloes and camels in the country.
  • With the help of the Kit, the Bluetongue Virus can be controlled with the vaccination of susceptible animals, vector control and quarantine of infected animals with the good management practices.
  • Apart from the vaccination, the early diagnosis and isolation of the infected animals are one of the commonly suggested preventive methods for controlling the spreading of the disease.
Government Schemes
10th edition of Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav
Relevance IN - Prelims (about Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav' + Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat
What's the NEWS
  • 10th edition of ‘Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav' inaugurated by Madhya Pradesh Governor Shri Lalji Tandon in Jabalpur
  • Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav under the Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat initiative will be celebrated till 21st October 2019
Know! more about the Mahotsav
  • To Celebrate India's plural traditions and culture, Under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Matrix, 10th edition of Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav was inaugurated
  • Ministry of Culture, Government of India is organizing week long diversified cultural carnival in the cities of Jabalpur, Sagar and Rewa of Madhya Pradesh from 14th to 21st October 2019.
  • Madhya Pradesh, being the cultural capital of India is hosting the 10th chapter of the biggest cultural event of the country and a considerable count of craftsmen-artists-culture practitioners of different states of India are coming together at the heart of the country to showcase their art forms, works and exhibitions'.
Bilateral Relations
India and Netherlands launched the second phase of the LOTUS-HR (Local Treatment of Urban Sewage streams for Healthy Reuse plant )
Relevance IN - Prelims (about LOTUS-HR) + Mains (GS II bilateral relations)
What's the NEWS
  • India and the Netherlands jointly launch the second phase of the Local Treatment of Urban Sewage streams for Healthy Reuse (LOTUS-HR) program was done by the Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan,.
  • The launch programme was held during the visit of Netherlands King & the Queen to the India-Netherlands water laboratory at the Barapullah drainin Delhi.
Know! about LOTUS -HR
  • LOTUS-HR for treatment of sewage water is going to enter into the second phase, wherein 10 thousand L sewage water will be treated per day.
  • Dutch and Indian companies are contributing to the project by sharing their existing technologies and will showcase how one can treat urban waste water into clean water for various purposes.
  • The project was initiated in July 2017 and aims to demonstrate a novel holistic (waste) water management approach that will produce clean water which can be reused for various purposes.
  • The innovative pilot scale modular plant upon commissioning will treat 10,000 L sewage water per day and will showcase a self-sustaining model for the end user.
  • This pilot scale facility will employ multiple technologies so that the data generated at the pilot scale becomes a tool-box of treatment technologies for replication at other sites in Delhi as well as other parts of India where similar drains exist.
  • The rationale is that the mixing and matching of technologies from this tool-box will depend on the quantity (flow rate) and quality (pollutant load) of drain water, land availability, site accessibility as well as topography.
  • The LOTUS-HR project is jointly supported by Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India and Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research /STW, Government of Netherlands.

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