Current Affairs 16th May 2019

Current Affairs 16th May 2019 - Important Points

• US places Chinese, Pakistani companies on entity list on - 13th May 2019
• Rapid and Cheap Diagnostic test for - Haemophilia A developed
• International Day of Families celebrated on - 15th May 2019
• Who has been appointed as the Chairperson of NBSA ? - Justice A K Sikri 

Current Affairs 16th May 2019 - Details

US places Chinese, Pakistani companies on entity list on - 13th May 2019

The USA on May 13th, 2019 placed 12 overseas companies, including numerous entities from China and Pakistan in its entity list to make sure that sensitive technologies do not fall into the hands  of those who would portend its national security.
The 12 entities that have made it into the United States debar consist 4 organisations with
locations in both China and Hong Kong along with 2 Chinese, 1 Pakistani and 5 Emirati persons.
Key Highlights

• Apparently, the 4 new entities situated in China and Hong Kong attempted to acquire commodities of United States origin, with an attempt to backing Iran’s weapons of mass destruction program, in
  violation of United States export controls.
• The 2 blacklisted Chinese companies apparently contributed in the forbidden export of controlled
  technology, which was then delivered to organisations associated with the People's Liberation
  Army.
• The Pakistani entity was included in the list for allegedly attempting to obtain controlled
  technology on behalf of the nation's unsafeguarded nuclear happenings.
• The 4 Emirati persons were also included for procuring United States-origin items for an current
  entity list member without a license and for a denied party, Mahan Air.
• Another entity from the United Arab Emirates was comprised in the list, after it rejected to support
  a BIS end-use check, which is cause for admission to the entity list.

Rapid and Cheap Diagnostic test for - Haemophilia A developed

Indian Council of Medical Research’s National Institute of Immunohaematology, in Mumbai, has progressed a cheap Point-of-Care rapid diagnostic test for unadorned genetic disorders Haemophilia
A/Von Willebrand Disease.
Key Features of POC Diagnostic Test

• Earlier Concern due to lack of diagnostic facilities and awareness and high-costs of tests it resulted into under diagnosis of bleeding disorders.
• The newly developed Point-of-Care test kit can be utilised for diagnosis of undiagnosed patients, post-partum haemorrhage, menorrhagia cases, recovery of factors in the transfused Haemophilia-A patients, gynaecological difficulties with bleeding history, and also for differential analysis of both diseases.
• According to Indian Council of Medical Research, working cost of these kits is below Rs.50 which is too much less in comparison to present conventional tests available for the diseases that costs about Rs.4000 to Rs.10000.
• With help of Point-of-Care test, diagnosis can be done within 30 minutes of blood sample collection.
• This is World’s 1st POC test for specific diagnosis of any common bleeding disorder.
• Patients with unadorned Haemophilia-A/Von Willebrand Disease can have severe life threatening
  spontaneous/post-traumatic bleeding including GastroIntestinal bleed and Brain haemorrhage / bleeding into joints/superficial bleeding from gums/nose.

International Day of Families celebrated on - 15th May 2019

The International Day of Families is celebrated on 15th May every year. Its yearly observation reflects
the status international community recognizes and attaches to families and roles played by them in
development.
Key Facts
The UN recognizes family as basic unit of society. Therefore, in 1992 the United Nations General
Assembly with resolution A/RES/47/237 announced 15th May as The International Day of Families. In
many nations, this International Day of Families assists as an opportunity to lime-light various areas of
interest and importance to families.
Objective
It pursues to encourage awareness of problems relating to families and also goals to increase data of
demographic, economic and social processes affecting them.
International Day of Families observation is planned by Division for Inclusive Social Development, which is part of United Nation’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs and Global Communications Civil Society.

About International Day of Families 2019

The Theme for International Day of Families 2019 is ‘Families and Climate Action: Focus on Sustainable
Development Goals 13”.
The theme remembers the day to emphasis on various roles of families for accomplishment of
Sustainable Development Goals from SDG1 to SDG5 and SDG 16.
SDG-13 target 13.3 states to spread awareness, advance education and human and institutional capacity on climate change early warning, adaptation, impact lessening and mitigation.
SDG-13 target 13.2 states to assimilate climate change measures by countries into their national
planning, policies and strategies.
The Families and family-oriented policies, programs are imperative for achievement of many of the
Sustainable Development Goals, which were implemented by 193 member states of the UN in 2015.

Who has been appointed as the Chairperson of NBSA ? - Justice A K Sikri 

Former Supreme Court judge, Justice A.K.Sikri is designated as the chairperson of News Broadcasting
Standards Authority by the News Broadcasters Association.
He will succeed existing Chairperson Justice (Retd) R.V. Raveendran and also a previous Judge of Supreme Court, who finishes his term on 25th May. He will assume office of Chairperson of News Broadcasting Standards Authority from 26th May 2019.
About Justice Sikri
In 1977 he registered as an Advocate and began his practise in Delhi. In 199 he was promoted as Judge to Delhi High Court.
In 2011 for a very short time, he was designated as acting Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court. Later in
2012 he was selected as Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court.
In April 2013, he was further promoted as judges to Supreme Court of India. He worked as Supreme
Court judge for about 6 years and retired in March 2019.
About News Broadcasting Standards Authority

• It is an autonomous body for self-regulation of 24×7 news channels, who are members of News
  Broadcasters Association. It is basically a self-regulatory process which was formed by NBA.
• The purpose behind forming News Broadcasting Standards Authority was to advance broadcasting standards and obey to Code of Ethics that were accepted by News Broadcasters Association in November 2007.
• News Broadcasting Standards Authority works as an in-house regulator discharges function as a watchdog which elects about complaints made against any member broadcasters who might have allegedly violated Code of Ethics, Guidelines and Advisories that are released from time to time.
• News Broadcasting Standards Authority is authorized to deprecation, warn, express disapproval, reprimand, and punish the broadcaster with a fine of up to Rupees One lakh for violation of Code.