Relevance IN - Prelims (about Poonch Link Up Day)
What's the NEWS

• Poonch Link Up Day, marking the Operation Easy conducted by Indian Army in 1948 to defend the border district from the invading Pakistani raiders was celebrated with traditional gaiety

• Poonch withstood a siege by the Pakistanis from November 1947 till relieved by the Indian Army.
• The White Knight Corps and the Awaam (people) of Poonch celebrates the historic Poonch Link Up Day with gaiety and fervour every year
• The Poonch district is bounded by Line of Control on all three sides. In 1947-48 war, the district was divided between India and Pakistan. A part of the district went to Pakistan and the other part became a part of the then Indian state Jammu and Kashmir.

Relevance IN - Prelims (about the bilateral exercise) + Mains (GS II bilateral relations)
What's the NEWS

• A maiden bilateral exercise between the Indian Navy and the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) on explosive ordnance disposal and mine counter measure

Know! more about the exercise

• Personnel of the Indian Navy and from the warships Bungo and Takashima of JMSDF's Minesweeper Division 3 took part in the exercise

Minesweeper

• A minesweeper is a naval ship that is deployed in removing naval mines. They do not detect them. On the other hand,
• There are three categories of minesweepers in Indian Navy. It includes Ham-class minesweepers of Indian Navy, Pondicherry-class minesweepers, mahe-class minesweepers.
• The naval ships that are designed to locate and destruct the naval mines are called MCMVs. They play the combined role of mine sweeper and mine hunter.

Minehunter

• A minehunter, detects and destroys naval mines

Naval Mines

• A Naval Mine is an explosive device that is placed under water to destroy submarines and surface ships.

Science & Technology
Global Bio-India 2019

Relevance IN - Prelims (about global bio - India) + Mains (GSIII biotechology)
What's the NEWS

• Biotechnology sector is recognized as the key driver for contributing to India's USD 5 Trillion economy target by 2024. As India progresses on this transformational journey, Global Bio-India 2019, the largest Bio event, would showcase opportunities in Indian Biotechnology sector to the world.

Know! more about Global Bio-India

• Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India and it's Public Sector Undertaking, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) are organizing Global Bio-India Summit 2019, a mega international congregation of biotechnology stakeholders, including international bodies, regulatory bodies, Central and State Ministries, SMEs, large industries, bioclusters, research institutes, investors, and the startup ecosystem.

Objective

• Global Bio-India aimed to develop India as a world-class Biotechnology and Bio-manufacturing hub. India is among the top-12 destinations for biotechnology in the world, with approximately 3% share in the global Biotechnology industry.

Indian Biotechnology industry

• Indian Biotechnology industry's economy is valued at $51 billion during 2018-19 which improved from 2017-2018.
• The Bio economy registered 6.8% change from 2016 valuation of $41.64 billion.
• According to World Bank's Doing Business Report 2014-18, India is now ranked 1st among South-Asian countries compared to 6th rank in 2014. India was ranked 52nd according to the Global Innovation Index Report 2019.
• Recognizing the importance of this sector, Global Bio India 2019 is going to deliberate on the opportunities and key challenges in the areas of bio-manufacturing, clinical trials & drug discovery, capacity-building, creating global supply chains for achieving a growth-oriented road-map for biotechnology sector in the country.

Prelims Factoids
India's Travel & Tourism competitiveness Index ranking has improved since 2013
Relevance IN - Prelims (about Travel & Tourism competitiveness Index)
What's the NEWS

• India's Travel & Tourism competitiveness Index ranking since 2013 has improved. The details are as follows:
  
  

• Improvement in India's ranking in Travel & Tourism competitiveness Index is an encouragement for tourism sector in the country.

Steps taken by the Tourism Ministry to promote tourism and tourism infrastructure

• Launch of two flagship schemes: Swadesh Darshan - Integrated Development of Theme-Based Tourist Circuits and PRASHAD- Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive.
• Ministry has identified 17 sites in 12 clusters in the country for development as Iconic Tourist Sites.

The Adopt A Heritage:

• Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan - a collaborative effort by Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), State/UTs Governments, envisages developing heritage sites and making them tourist friendly, to enhance tourism potential and cultural importance in a planned and phased manner.

Restricted Area Permit(RAP)

• Ministry of Home Affairs and as a result Ministry of Home Affairs has relaxed the Protected Area Permit(PAP)/Restricted Area Permit(RAP) for a period of 5 Years i.e. till 31.12.2022 in the states of Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland and for 29 Islands of Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Know! about TTCI

• The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) is produced by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and measures the factors and policies that make a country a viable place to invest within the Travel and Tourism sector.
• The TTCI provides a means to measure a country's performance, and utilizes three sub-indices and their component parts to represent the overall quality, future potential and long-term sustainability of the tourism sector within each country assessed.
• The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) analyzed 139 countries and scored each according to three sub-indices: Regulatory Framework; Business Environment and Infrastructure; and Human, Cultural and Natural Resources.
• These sub-indices are, in turn, composed of fourteen "pillars" of Travel and Tourism Competitiveness.

Energy Sector
World Energy Outlook 2019

Relevance IN - Prelims (about World energy report and its findings) + Mains (infrastructure development - energy)
What's the NEWS

• The International Energy Agency (IEA) released the ‘World Energy Outlook 2019,' which provides a set of scenarios that explore different possible futures.

Know! about the report findings

• As part of the Outlook, IEA also released ‘The Africa Energy Outlook 2019,' which highlights the potential for Africa's energy sector to pursue a less carbon-intensive development path that delivers full access to electricity and clean cooking facilities while also delivering on the SDGs by 2030.
• The World Energy Outlook's ‘Current Policies Scenario' finds that energy demand will increase by 1.3% each year to 2040, with increasing demand for energy services and a "relentless upwards march in energy-related emissions" and growing strain on nearly all aspects of energy security.
• Energy demand is predicted to increase by 1% annually to 2030.
• Half of this growth could come from low-carbon sources, primarily solar photovoltaics (PV) and natural gas.
• In ‘Stated Policies Scenario' energy demand rises by 1% annually to 2040, with oil demand flattening out in the 2030s and coal use edging lower.
• Countries with net zero aspirations "go far" but the momentum behind clean energy technologies is not sufficient to offset the growing population and expanding global economy.

Know! about International Energy Agency

• Founded in 1974, the IEA was initially designed to help countries co-ordinate a collective response to major disruptions in the supply of oil, such as the crisis of 1973.
• While this remains a key aspect of its work, the IEA has evolved and expanded significantly.
• India is not a member of IEA.
• It is at the heart of global dialogue on energy, providing authoritative analysis through a wide range of publications, including the flagship World Energy Outlook and the IEA Market Reports; data and statistics.
• The four main areas of IEA focus are: Energy Security, Economic Development Environmental Awareness: and Engagement Worldwide.

Prelims Factoids
MoS DoNER inaugurates 'Destination North East' festival in Varanasi

Relevance IN - Prelims (about Destination North Eat Festival)
What's the NEWS

• The 4-day North East festival will offer an opportunity for the fusion of the two rich cultures of Ganga and Brahmaputra, represented by Varanasi and North East respectively.
• This will bring India's cultural diversities together and help people across India to understand what Northeast is all about.

Know! more about the fest

• The festival is being organised by the Union Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER)
• It is a 4-day event from 23rd to 26th November 2019 at IIT BHU grounds, Varanasi. The previous editions of ‘Destination North East' were held in Delhi and Chandigarh.
• "Destination North East" 2019 is providing live experience to the audience. All the eight North Eastern States are participating in the event along with their respective handicrafts, handloom, organic products and cultural troupes.
• The festival will provide an opportunity to create awareness and the people will learn about the rich culture of North East here. He encouraged youth to participate in the festival and find opportunities for economic development.
  
  

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