UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY MARCH 2017 ENGLISH CURRENT AFFAIRS March 1, 2017 4th India-CLMV Business Conclave held in Jaipur 01-Mar-17 The fourth edition of India – CLMV (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam) Business Conclave was held in Jaipur, capital of Rajasthan. The two-day conference organised by Department of Commerce and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) held deliberations on manufacturing, renewable energy, agriculture and skilling among others sectors in the region. About World Health Organization (WHO) WHO is a specialized agency of the UN that is concerned with international public health. It was established in April 1948. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It is member of the United Nations Development Group. It is responsible for the World Health Report, a leading international publication on health, the worldwide World Health Survey MEITY to promote digital transactions in place of NITI Aayog 01-Mar-17 The Union Government has shifted the responsibility of promoting digital transactions in the country to the Union Ministry of IT and Electronics (MEITY) from NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog the Government. Madras HC orders TN Government to enact law to remove Seemai Karuvelam trees 01-Mar-17 The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has ordered Tamil Nadu government to enact a law with prohibitory and penal clauses to eradicate Seemai Karuvelam (prosopis juliflora) trees within two months the Government. About Seemai Karuvelam tree Seemai Karuvelam tree species are native to West Africa. It was brought to Tamil Nadu in 1960s as fuelwood Government signs Financing Agreement with World Bank for Tejaswini Project 01-Mar-17 The Union Government has signed a Financing Agreement with World Bank for IDA credit of $63 million for the Tejaswini Socio-Economic Empowerment of Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) Project Unique IAS Academy , 1st street, Gandhipuram, Coimbatore, 9884267599 Page 1 UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY MARCH 2017 ENGLISH CURRENT AFFAIRS About Tejaswini Project It seeks to empower adolescent girls with basic life skills to acquire market driven skill training or completion of secondary education, depending on the inclination of the beneficiary. Its three main components are Expanding social, educational and economic opportunities: Support AGYW to achieve greater social, educational, and economic empowerment at community level and institutional level. Three Forest Research Institutes develop High-Yielding Varieties of Plant Species 01-Mar-17 Three institutes of Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Dehradun NFHS 4 shows improved sex ratio, decline in infant mortality rate 01-Mar-17 The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare unveiled last National Family Health Survey-4 (NFHS- 4) for 2015-16. It has shown positive trends in key health indicators, including an decline in infant mortality rate (IMR) and improvement in sex ratio at birth during 2015-16. The survey was conducted after collecting information from 6 lakh households, 7 lakh women and 1.3 lakh men. For the first time it provides district level estimates. Key Highlights from NFHS-4 Infant Mortality Rate (IMR): It has declined from 57 to 41 per 1,000 live births between NFHS-3 (2005- 06) and NFHS-4. IMR has declined substantially in almost all the states during the last decade. It dropped by more than 20% in Tripura, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Odisha. It reflects that concerted efforts and focussed interventions in the sector can translate to improved outcomes. Sex ratio at birth (number of females per 1,000 males): It has improved from 914 to 919 at the national level over the last decade. It is highest in Kerala (1,047), followed by Meghalaya (1,009) and Chhattisgarh (977). Haryana also witnessed a significant increase from 762 to 836. Institutional births: Increased by 40 percentage points from 38.7% in NFHS-3 to 78.9% in NFHS 4. There was an increase of 34.1% institutional births in public facility, while Assam has experienced more than a 40 percentage point increase. Proportion of women who received at least 4 antenatal care visits for their last birth has increased by 14 percentage points from 37% to 51.2% over the decade (2005-15). Total Fertility Rate (TFR): It also has declined to 2.2 children per woman from 2.7 in NFHS-3. Thus, it is moving closer to target level of 2.1. There was considerable decline in TFR in each of the 30 states/UTS, Unique IAS Academy , 1st street, Gandhipuram, Coimbatore, 9884267599 Page 2 UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY MARCH 2017 ENGLISH CURRENT AFFAIRS maximum decline was observed in Uttar Pradesh (1.1 child), Nagaland (1.0 child), Arunachal Pradesh (0.9 child) and Sikkim (0.9 child). Bihar failed to register substantial decline. Full immunization coverage: Children within the age of 12-23 months have been fully immunized (BCG, measles and 3 doses each of polio) and DPT increased by 18 percentage points to 62% in NFHS-4 from 44% in NFHS-3. It has increased in Punjab, Bihar and Meghalaya by 29 percentage point each. In Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh it increased by 28 percentage points each. Underweight children: There was a decline by 7 percentage points, a consequence of improved child feeding practices and focus on nutritional aspects of children. There was “substantial” decline of anaemia from 69% in NFHS-3 to 58% in NFHS-4 among children aged 6-59 months. The maximum decrease was reported in Assam with 34 percentage points followed by Chhattisgarh (30% points), Mizoram (26% points) and Odisha (20% points). Contraceptive prevalence rate among currently married women: It has increased by 7 percentage points from NFHS-1 (41%) to NFHS-2 (48%), 8 percentage points from NFHS-2 to NFHS-3 (56%). However, the rate decreased by 2 percentage points from NFHS-3 (56%) to NFHS-4 (54%), but pills and condom usage have shown increasing trend. Complete list of winners of BCCI annual awards 2017 02-Mar-17 The BCCI Awards are a set of annual cricket awards given by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). These awards in various categories recognise and honour the best Indian international and domestic cricketers of the past year. The awards were first given in 2006–07. Recipients of 2015-16 BCCI Awards are CK. Nayudu Lifetime achievement award: Padmakar Shivalkar, Rajinder Goel. BCCI Lifetime achievement award: Shantha Rangaswamy. BCCI special award: Late Ramakant Desai, VV Kumar. Polly Umrigar Award: Virat Kohli. For third time, he was conferred with this award after 2011-12 and 2014-15 season. Thiruvananthapuram tops city governance ranking: ASICS 02-Mar-17 Thiruvananthapuram, capital of Kerala has topped in city governance ranking of the Annual Survey of India‟s City Systems (ASICS) 2016 conducted by Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy. This year it was the fourth edition the annual survey which had evaluated 21 major cities from the 18 states Government Panel recommends legal framework to protect interests of migrants Unique IAS Academy , 1st street, Gandhipuram, Coimbatore, 9884267599 Page 3 UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY MARCH 2017 ENGLISH CURRENT AFFAIRS 02-Mar-17 Government appointed „Working Group on Migration‟ headed by Partha Mukhopadhay has recommended necessary legal and policy framework to protect the interests of the migrants in the country. According to census 2011 and National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), migrants constitute about 30% of the country‟s population and also of the total working force. 2016-17 Economic Survey also noted that annual migration in the country increased to 9.00 million in 2016 from 3.30 million in 2011. Supersonic interceptor missile successfully test-fired 02-Mar-17 Indigenously developed supersonic Advance Area Defence (AAD) interceptor missile was successfully test-fired from launch complex III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Abdul Kalam Island in Balasore, Odisha. The supersonic interceptor missile is capable of destroying any incoming enemy ballistic missile at low altitude. Indian Navy successfully test-Fires anti-ship missile from Kalvari Submarine 02-Mar-17 Indian Navy successfully test-fired an anti-ship missile for the first time from an indigenously built INS Kalvari submarine. During a test firing in the Arabian Sea, the missile successfully hit a surface target at extended ranges. March 3, 2017 Half of India-Bangladesh border fenced: Government 03-Mar-17 The Union Government has announced that half of the 4,096-km long border India shares with Bangladesh has been fenced. The remaining half will be fenced by 2019 deadline. Background India and Bangladesh share a 4,096 km land boundary, largest among the international boundaries that India shares with its neighbours. The border runs along five states, West Bengal (2,216.7 km), Assam (263 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Tripura (856 km) and Mizoram (318 km). Indigenously developed weapon-locating radar SWATHI handed to Army 03-Mar-17 Unique IAS Academy , 1st street, Gandhipuram, Coimbatore, 9884267599 Page 4 UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY MARCH 2017 ENGLISH CURRENT AFFAIRS The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) formally handed over an indigenously developed Weapon Locating Radar (WLR) system dubbed as „SWATHI‟ to Indian Army. The DRDO also handed over a Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) recce vehicle Mk-I and NBC treatment drugs to the Indian Army. About SWATHI Developed by DRDO‟s Electronics & Radar Development Establishment (LRDE). It has a range of 50 km which brings all artillery guns presently in service worldwide under its coverage. Performs two roles i.e. Weapon Location Mode for enemy Artillery and Direction of Own artillery Fire (DOOAF) Mode for Artillery. March 3: World Wildlife Day WCCB’s Operation Thunderbird and Operation Save Kurma for fight against wildlife crime 03-Mar-17 Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has successfully coordinated Operation Thunder Bird from January 30 to February 19, 2017 in its fight to end poaching of India‟s wildlife animals.