Current Affairs 1st March 2018

Current Affairs 1st March 2018 - Important Points

• CSIR signs MoU with IORA to designate CSIR-CIMAP as Coordinating Centre on Medicinal Plants on - 26th February 2018
• Nitin Gadkari lays foundation stone for NTCPWC on - 26th February 2018
• UN Security Council adopts Russian-drafted resolution on Yemen sanctions on - 26th February 2018

Current Affairs 1st March 2018 - Details

CSIR signs MoU with IORA to designate CSIR-CIMAP as Coordinating Centre on Medicinal Plants on - 26th February 2018

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research on February 26th, 2018 inked a MoU with the  regional Centre for Science and Technology Transfer of Indian Ocean Rim Association for labelling Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow as Coordinating Centre on Medicinal Plants.
MoU Details

• The Memorandum of Undertaking was hired by Director of CSIR-CIMAP, Anil Kumar Tripathi and Director of IORA-RCSTT, Dr.A Sedrpousan.
• The signing programme was held in the office of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran at Tehran. 
  CSIR-CIMAP as Coordinating Centre on Medicinal Plants
• The Indian Ocean Rim Association Coordinating Centre at CSIR-CIMAP will start a database on the significant medicinal plants, their value-added goods, specialists and industries of the Indian Ocean Rim Association member-states and establish meetings and training schedules to promote commerce, trade and scientific exchanges.
• It will encourage assistance in the area of traditional information associated to medicinal plants for the well-being of the individuals of IORA-member states. 
• It will also deliver a chance for 2 important member states of IORA India and Iran to improve cooperation among them.
• The Iranian stressed the historical reputation of this enterprise and uttered their happiness and hopefulness on this new programme. This is a chief development to enhance the relationship among India and Iran.

Nitin Gadkari lays foundation stone for NTCPWC on - 26th February 2018

Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, River Development &Ganga Rejuvenation, Shipping and Water Resources, Nitin Gadkari, on February 26th, 2018 placed  the foundation stone for creation of a National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts at IIT Chennai. The Union Ministry of Shipping and IIT Chennai also inked a MoU in this favor.
National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts

• National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts will be formed under the Union Shipping Ministry’s flagship “Sagarmala Programme”.
• It will work as a skill branch of the Ministry of Shipping for giving engineering and technological participations and funding for Ports, Inland Waterways Authority of India and extra institutions. 
• It will continue applied research in the areas of 2D and 3D Modelling of coastal and estuarine flows, navigation, ocean, sediment transport, port and coastal engineering-structures, independent platforms and vehicles, siltation and hydrodynamics of ocean renewable energy.
• It will deliver Indian-developed software and technology and will discourse port and maritime matters with models and imitations.
• It will not only aid producing new technology and innovations but also effort towards their positive commercialization.  

Funds allocation

• NTCPWC will be built at a price of Rupees 70.53 crores. This price will be shared by IWAI, Ministry of Shipping and the Major Ports. 
• Ministry of Shipping’s fund is towards capital spending for generating facilities including Ship Simulator, Field Research Facility and Sedimentation and Erosion Management Test Basin.
• The centre will be self-sustainable in 3 years with industry consultancy projects for port and maritime area.

UN Security Council adopts Russian-drafted resolution on Yemen sanctions on - 26th February 2018

The Russian-drafted determination on a technical roll-over of the Yemen approvals rule was accepted by the United Nation Security Council- UNSC on February 26th, 2018. According to the resolution accepted, for a year till February 26th, 2019 it will repeat the approvals against designated individuals and things, and widens the mandate of a Panel of Specialists, which is tasked to contribute in the implementation of the approvals rule, until March 28th, 2019.
Britain-drafted resolution

• United Kingdom-drafted text promise for future action against Iran and criticisms it for giving missiles and drones to the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
• Freshly, UN’s independent specialists found that ballistic missiles fired from Yemen into Saudi Arabia in 2017 were manufactured in Iran.
• Throughout the vote of this United Kingdom-drafted resolution in the United Nation Security Council, 11 followers were in favour, the 2 nations Russia and Bolivia were against, and China and Kazakhstan withdrawn.
• Since Russia is a life-long member of the UNSC, the Britain draft was unsuccessful to be adopted.
  Russian-drafted resolution 
• The Russia banned the United Kingdom-drafted text that consisted of language of Tehran’s ‘non-compliance’ with the UN’s approvals and appealing in acts that threaten the peace, stability and security of Yemen. 
• Russia’s draft suggested to broaden the approvals against Yemen, but it makes no indication of the United Nation report's answers on Iran and possible action pointing Tehran. 
• The UNSC put to vote the Russian-drafted, after the Britain-draft was unsuccessful to get accepted, and it won undisputed care of the 15 members of the UNSC.
  Yemen sanctions 
• The accepted resolution on Yemen approvals consists an asset freeze against elected individuals and entities and a travel restriction.
• Yemen has been in civil war since 2015, fighting Houthi forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and forces faithful to the government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi.
• In December 2017, battle erupted between Houthi rebels and Saleh followers, that lead to the murder of Saleh.