Relevance IN - Prelims (facts about the bifurcation)
What's the NEWS

• The government on Saturday, 2 November, issued a notification specifying the newly marked boundaries of the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The notification results in a new political map of India.
• The development comes two days after the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was officially bifurcated into the two UTs.
• Following the bifurcation, India now has 28 states and nine Union Territories.
• According to the notification, the UT of Ladakh will comprise the territories of Kargil and Leh districts, while all the other districts of the erstwhile state will fall under the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The bifurcation of the state also marked the end of President's rule imposed in the undivided Jammu and Kashmir.

Know! about New Map of India

• According to the new map, Mirpur and Muzaffarabad districts of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) have been described as part of Jammu and Kashmir. There will be a total of 22 districts in Jammu and Kashmir regarding these two districts.
• Ladakh includes two districts Kargil and Leh, while the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory has 22 districts included.
• This map was prepared by the Survey General of India depicting the new Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
• The new map of the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory includes 22 districts, including areas of Muzaffarabad and Mirpur which were under the PoK in the previous map.
• Apart from this, Kupwara, Bandipora, Baramulla, Poonch, Budgaam, Shopian, Kulgam, Kishtwar, Udhampur, Doda, Samba, Jammu, Kathua, Ramban, Rajouri, Anantnag, Pulwama, Srinagar, Reasi and Ganderbal districts will be a part of Jammu and Kashm

Relevance IN - Prelims (about the MoUs signed) + Manis (GS II Bilateral relations)
What's the NEWS

• Seventeen agreements have been signed between India and Germany in the fields of agriculture, maritime technology, ayurveda and yoga among others

• The joint declarations of intent included cooperation on strategic projects, partnership for green urban mobility, research and development on artificial intelligence and cooperation in the field of prevention of marine litter
• Agreements have a been signed to promote, establish and expand scientific and technological research cooperation, academic collaboration in ayurveda, yoga and meditation
• An MoU has also been signed in the field of occupational diseases, rehabilitation and vocational training of insured persons and workers with disabilities
• Another pact was signed for cooperation in inland, coastal and maritime technology.
• Other agreements signed between the two countries include collaboration in agricultural technical and professional training, cooperation between the National Museum, the National Gallery of Modern Art, the Indian Museum, Kolkata, the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation and the Stiftung Humboldt Forum in Berliner Schloss and between All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Deutscher Fu ball-Bund e.V (DFB)

• The 8^th meeting of the Indo - German Energy Forum concluded on 1^st November, 2019 in New Delhi.

• Sub Group-I : Flexibilization in Thermal Power Plants.
• Sub Group-II : Renewable Energies
• Sub Group-III : Demand side energy efficiency and low carbon growth strategies
• Sub Group-IV : Green Energy Corridors
• The Forum also finalized the roadmap for future collaboration between the two countries which, inter-alia, include Flexibilisation of existing coal fired power plants, promoting niche markets for Solar Energy, promotion of energy efficiency in buildings through ECBC, building materials and credit lines for financing corresponding measures and RE evacuation through state-of-the-art intra-state and inter-state transmission grid infrastructure.
• Ministry of Power and Ministry of New & Renewable Energy signed 8 Implementation Agreements/ MoUs with the German counterparts.

Relevance IN - Prelims (about UCCN)
What's the NEWS

• UNESCO has designated Mumbai as a member of UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in the field of FILM and Hyderabad in the field of GASTRONOMY

Know! about UCCN

• UCCN, created in 2004, is a network of cities which are thriving, active centres of cultural activities in their respective countries. The UNESCO Creative Cities Network now counts a total of 246 cities.
• The member cities that form part of the Network come from all continents and regions with different income levels and populations.
• They work together towards a common mission: placing creativity and the creative economy at the core of their urban development plans to make cities safe, resilient, inclusive and sustainable, in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• Ministry of Culture is the nodal Ministry of Government of India for all matters in UNESCO relating to culture.

The 7 categories for recognition under UCCN are as follows-

• Crafts and Folk Arts
• Design
• Film
• Gastronomy
• Music
• Media Arts
• Literature

Previously, 3 Indian cities were recognized as members of UCCN, namely-

• Jaipur-Crafts and Folk Arts(2015)
• Varanasi-Creative city of Music (2015)
• Chennai-Creative city of Music(2017)

Defence
Curtain Raiser of the first-ever India-Uzbekistan Joint Exercise ‘Dustlik 2019'

Relevance IN - Prelims (about Dustlik 2019)
What's the NEWS

• The first-ever India-Uzbekistan joint military exercise - Dustlik-2019 will begin at Chirchiq Training Area near Tashkent.

Know! more about the exercise

• The exercise, which will focused on counter-terrorism, will continue till November 13.
• During the exercise, an Indian Army contingent will train along with Uzbekistan Army.
• The exercise will enable sharing of best practices and experiences between the Armed Forces of the two countries and will lead to greater operational effectiveness.
• India and Uzbekistan have signed three Memoranda of Understanding in the fields of Military Medicine and Military Education.
• The MoUs were signed following a meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Uzbekistan counterpart in Tashkent
  
  

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