Current affair of 18th August 2019

1. Two-day International Conference on Teacher Education by NCTE held in New Delhi

2 day International Conference titled “Journey of Teacher Education: Local to Global” was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Human Resource Development Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ in New Delhi. It was organized by the National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) as a part of the silver jubilee celebration of its establishment in 1995 (August 17).

Key highlights:

1. Ministry of Human Resource Development will launch the world’s biggest project for teacher training named NISHTHA (National Initiative on School Teachers Head Holistic Advancement) on August 22, 2019.
2. 40 renowned experts from India and abroad deliberated on the areas like the present scenario of teacher education in the Indian context; innovations in teaching practices; integration of information and communications technology in teaching; inclusive education in teaching-learning environment; and internationalization of teacher education.

2. MoCA forms committee to rationalise additional taxes on ATF

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) constituted a committee to rationalise additional taxes that airlines have to pay while uplifting Air Turbine Fuel (ATF) at airports across India. It is formed to develop a direct billing mechanism between airline companies and airport operators so that the multiple taxes can be removed.

Key highlights:

1. At present, airlines have to pay charges such as ‘throughput charges’, ‘into plane charges’ and ‘fuel infrastructure charges’ when they take ATF at any airport for their planes.
2. The panel comprises of the representatives from airlines, airport operators, oil companies, among others.
3. If direct billing mechanism is implemented, airlines can save around Rs. 400 crore per year.

3. Lucknow’s iconic Hazratganj Chauraha renamed as Atal Chowk

Famous ‘Hazratganj Chauraha’ of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh has been renamed as ‘Atal Chowk’ in memory of former Prime Minister of India, Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the occasion of his first death anniversary, from August 16, 2019.

Key highlights:

1. He was a five-time Member of Parliament (MP) from Lucknow. 
2. A memorial named “Atal Smriti Upvan” will also be built on his name.

4. 28th BASIC Ministerial Meeting 2019 on Climate Change held in Sao Paulo, Brazil

The 28th session of BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India, and China) Ministerial meeting 2019 on Climate Change was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil from 14 – 16  August 2019. Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar represented India for this meeting. This comes ahead of United Nations Framework for Climate Change (UNFCC) Conference of Parties (COP-25) meet scheduled to be held in Santiago, Chile from 2 – 13 December 2019.

Key highlights:

1. Javadekar’s statement: While addressing the meeting, Mr. Prakash Javadekar stated that the BASIC Group coming & putting views together is an important aspect of the UN (United Nations)negotiations.
2. The group has one-third of world’s geographical area and nearly 40% of the world’s population, can play a crucial role in ensuring that all countries accept the Paris climate agreement.
3. Furthermore, he stated that BASIC will be united and will speak in one voice.
4. Affirmation:  The group reaffirmed member countries’ constructive engagements and significant contributions to implement UNFCC, its instruments, Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement and further the process under the UNFCCC(United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change). These actions will promote low carbon transition, tackle climate change (including in the urban environment) to safeguard the future of mankind.
5. NDC: The Ministers highlighted the development of pre-2020 and achievement of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), even the multiple challenges like social and economic development and poverty eradication they face. They adopted to share the best practices and support each other through south-south cooperation as they can further promote their domestic climate policies and actions.

5. IITM develops Multimodal Robotic System called “GraspMan” with a human-like grasp

A team of researchers led by Asokan Thondiyath at Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) have developed a new class of Robotic System called “GraspMan’, which has a human hand like grasping, manipulation and locomotion abilities.

Key highlights:

1. Climate action:  The group highlights the global climate action that should promote climate justice by recognition of the fundamental right of all people in accessing economic growth and sustainable development.
2. GraspMan: It comprises a pair of graspers which provides morphological adaptation& allows it to confirm the geometry of the object. The graspers have the capability to hold objects securely and manipulate them much like the human hand.
3. Application: The Robotic System will be used in industrial applications such as pipe climbing and inspection, which involve climbing, holding and assembling. Machines used in search&rescue purpose and locomotory applications will get benefit from this robotic platform.
4. The research has been published in Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics.

5. India clinched gold at Under- 12 Asian Tennis Team Championship 2019 in Kazakhstan

In the Under- 12 Asian Tennis Team Championship 2019 held in Kazakhstan, India defeated Chinese Taipei by 2-1 in the summit clash and clinched the gold medal. The final was a tie of three matches – 2 singles and one double. India won both the singles matches but lost the doubles match.

Key highlights:

1. Manas Dhamme and Tamil Nadu’s Pranav Rethin won their singles matches.
2. Manas Dhamme & Arnav Paprakar lost in the doubles match. They are trained at the Adar Poonawalla Maharashtra Tennis Academy under coach Aditya Madkekar and trainer Kaifi Afzal.
3. U12 Asian Team Championship is a team based event with every tie consisting of three matches including 2 singles and 1 doubles.

6. AIG Ashish Kapoor strikes 2 gold medals for India at WPFG 2019 held in Chengdu, China

Ashish Kapoor, an Assistant Inspector General (AIG) in Vigilance Bureau of Punjab has clinched 2 gold medals for India in both singles and doubles Tennis events during the 18th edition of World Police and Fire Games (WPFG) 2019, held at Chengdu in China from August 11-17,2019.

Key highlights:

1. In his debut in 2009 in WPFG games at Vancouver, he had won a bronze medal in tennis singles. In New York games, 2011 he got Silver whereas in Belfast, Ireland (2013), Fairfax USA (2015), and Los Angles USA (2017) he grabbed Gold medals.
2. He is an all India police champion in Tennis singles events for the last 15 years and a top-seeded in this event.
3. It is a biennial sporting event, in which officers or officials from police and Fire Departments from all over the world compete in the different events.

7. 2019 Bombay Gymkhana Youth Snooker Open title won by Kreishh Gurbaxani

Mumbai based Kreishh Gurbaxani who is currently at the no. 2 spots in the India junior snooker rankings won the 2019 Bombay Gymkhana Youth Snooker Open title on August 14, 2019. He defeated Odisha’s Asutosh Padhy for 5-4 in the 4-hour final contest.

Key highlights:

1. The winner, Kreishh, was awarded the champion’s trophy and a cheque of Rs 30,000.
2. The runner up trophy and a cheque of Rs 20,000 were given to Asutosh Padhy.

8. NZ’s Tim Southee equals India’s Sachin Tendulkar’s record

New Zealand’s fast bowler Tim Southee now equaled former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar’s record tally of sixes in Test cricket, on the first day of the Test match between Srilanka and New-Zealand that was held at Galle, Srilanka. Both Tendulkar and Southee have made 69 sixes in the Test cricket.

Key highlights:

1. Tendulkar had 69 sixes in 329 innings. But Tim Southee made it in just 89 innings. They both are now tied at the 17th spot.
2. Tim Southee who came to bat at no.10 scored 14 off 19 balls and achieved the feat by hitting off-spinner Dhananjaya de Silva for a six.
3. Southee is just one six away to equal former Pakistan batsman Younus Khan who made 70 sixes in 213 innings.
4. The record is topped by former New Zealand captain and currently appointed coach of Kolkata Knight Riders(KKR) team Brendon McCullum. He made 107 sixes in 176 innings. KKR is a team in the Indian Premier League(IPL).
5. The only cricketer apart from McCullum to score century of sixes in test series is Former Australian wicket-keeper batsman Adam Gilchrist who has 100 sixes in 137 innings.
6. Others following Gilchrist are west Indies’s Chris Gayle(98), South Africa’s Jacques Kallis(97) and India’s Virender Sehwag (91).

9. Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel announces formation of Lemru Elephant Reserve

The Chief Minister of Chattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel in his independence day speech in Raipur announced the formation of ‘Lemru Elephant Reserve’ (LER) in the state, over an area of 450 square kilometres. It will minimize human-elephant conflict and destruction of property, with the provision of a permanent habitat for the wild tuskers.

Key highlights:

1. It will be set-up as per the report and recommendations of the Special High-Power Technical Committee (SHPTC) which was constituted by the Government of India.
2. Permission was granted by the Union Government to set up two reserves in October 2007. The first reserve was formed in 2011 namely Sarguja-Jashpur Elephant Reserve.
3. National Parks: Indravati (Kutru) National Park, Kanger Valley National Park, Guru Ghasi Das (Sanjay) National Park
4. Wildlife Sanctuaries: Achanakmar WLS, Badalkhol WLS, Bhoramdev WLS, Sarangarh-Gomardha  WLS, Semarsot WLS, Sitanadi WLS, Tamor Pingla WLS, Udanti Wild Buffalo WLS, Pamed Wild Buffalo WLS, Bhairamgarh WLS, Barnawapara WLS

10. Manipur Govt launches “School Fagadaba” scheme to improve infrastructure of government schools

Chief Minister (CM) of Manipur, N Biren Singh has launched “School Fagadaba” (Make education better) scheme with the aim to improve the infrastructure, quality education and overall improvement of government schools.

Key highlights:

1. In order to ensure regular attendance of teachers, biometric devices would be installed in every Government schools in the state.
2. Once the teachers posted in these schools, they would stay at the place of their posting for at least 3 years.
3. One Higher Secondary School from each of the 60 Assembly constituencies in the state has been selected under the 1st phase of the scheme.
4. The state also set a target to increase enrollment of students from 26,000 at present to around 44,000 in the next academic session. Additional infrastructures like a modern school campus, sufficient school furniture, outdoor gymnasium, separate toilets for boys and girls, drinking water facilities will be provided to these schools as per the Right to Education (RTE) norms.

11. Nagaland State police Department gets its first Laboratory-cum-Training centre at Dimapur

The deputy chief minister of Nagaland Yanthungo Patton (Y. Patton), inaugurated the first Cyber Laboratory-cum-Training Centre of the Nagaland State Police Department at Chumukedima of Dimapur district. This training centre was inaugurated for the prevention of Cyber Crime against Women and Children.

Key highlights:

1. The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) from the Crime Investigation Department (CID) – Zekotso Mero delivered the welcome address.
2. About 50 police personnel from different police units will be trained on specific topics related to cybercrimes and also ways to assist women and children victims in those crimes.