Current Affairs 2nd February 2018

Current Affairs 2nd February 2018 - Important Points

• PM Narendra Modi launches Khelo India  School Games  on - 31st January 2018
• Sale of 20 insecticides banned by - Punjab Government
• New tunnel at Sela Pass to boost Defence Preparedness in border areas declared by - The Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
• India joined Ashgabat agreement on - 1st February 2018
• Mary Kom clinched gold medal at India Open Boxing tournament on - 2nd February 2018
• Cochin Shipyard Limited signed MoU with USC for development of vessels on - 2nd February 2018

Current Affairs 2nd February 2018 - Details

PM Narendra Modi launches Khelo India  School Games  on - 31st January 2018

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the initiation of 1st edition of Khelo India School Games at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.
Key Points

• The 1st KISG were organised under the Khelo India Program to highlight India’s youth sporting talent and showcase India’s sports future. It was organised across 16 disciplines in Under-17 age group.
• 5,000 school children from 29 states and 7 Union Territories took part in biggest sporting program held from January 31st to February 8th, 2018. Total of 199 gold medals, 199 silver medals and 275 bronze medals were honoured at 1st KISG.
  Khelo India Program
• The Khelo India program was launched by Ministry of Sports and Youth affairs to refresh sports culture in India at root level.
• Its aim is to establish strong framework for all sports played in our nation and build India as great sporting nation.
• It is supposed to help scout youth talent from schools in different disciplines and groom them as future sports champions.
• Talented players will be recognised under it in priority sports disciplines at different ranks by High-Powered Committed and everyone will be given an annual financial assistance of Rupees five lakhs for eight years.

Sale of 20 insecticides banned by - Punjab Government

Punjab Government’s Department of Agriculture has released instructions to discontinue the sale of 20
pesticides and insecticides including Endosulfan, harmful to health of humans and environment
immediately.
This provision was made based on the suggestions of Punjab Agricultural University, Registration
Committee and Punjab State Farmers’ Commission.
Key Points

• The insecticides that are restricted includes Tricholorofon, Phosphamidon, Kasugamycin, Alachior,
  Bifenthrin, Endosulfan, Chlorfenapyr, Carbosulfan, Dazomet, Diflubenzuron, Fenitrothion, Ethofenprox, Phorate, Triazophos, Dicofol, Methomyl, Thiophanate Methyl, Benfuracarb, Metaldehyde and Monocrotophos.
• Few of these pesticides Phosphamidion, Triazophos, Methomyl, Phorate and Monocrotophos are
  believed class I pesticides by World Health Organization and are further classified into extremely-
  hazardous as class Ia and highly-hazardous class Ib to human health. Many of these are already restricted in various nations.
  Did you know?
• In India, usage of vrious class I pesticides are still utilised which are restricted by other nations. In 2015, related to the suggestions of Anupam Verma committee, Union Agriculture Ministry via an order of December 2016 had decided to restrict only 3 out of these 5 class I pesticides and that too, beginning from 2021.

New tunnel at Sela Pass to boost Defence Preparedness in border areas declared by - The Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley

The Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley declared during the Union Budget 2018 presentation that the
government would be manufacturing a tunnel through the Sela Pass in Arunachal Pradesh.
The manufacturing of the tunnel will safeguard faster movement of troops in Tawang, a town in Arunachal Pradesh-China border area. As per the Defence Ministry, the sanction for the construction of Sela pass in Arunachal Pradesh has facilitated further impetus to the defence readiness.
Did you know?
The progress is a part of the Union Government’s effort to form connectivity infrastructure in border locations to secure India’s defence.
The plan to manufacture the Sela Pass comes amid concerns in the defence establishment over China's
increasing assertiveness along the approximately 4,000 kilometres long Sino-India border.
The Indian Army has been geared-up for the fast development of infrastructure along the border with China to ensure fast displacement of ammunition and troops.
More about Sela Pass

• The Sela Pass is situated at a height of 13700 feet between the Tawang and West Kameng Districts of Arunachal Pradesh.
• The Pass is thought crucial from strategic view. It crosses a sub-range of the Himalayas that splits Tawang District, which borders China, from the remaining India.
• While the Border Roads Organization of India works to hold the Pass open for the whole year, it closes temporary basis during landslides and heavy snowfall.
• The suggested Sela Pass tunnel would be an all-weather transport tunnel and thus, would enable motion throughout the year.

India joined Ashgabat agreement on - 1st February 2018

India on February 1st, 2018 united with the Ashgabat agreement, which predicts the formation of an international transport and transit linking Central Asia with the Persian Gulf to remarkable ramp up business and investment.
The agreement was originally signed on April 25th, 2011, between the 4 founding members - Iran,
Turkmenistan, Oman and Uzbekistan with an objective to form a trade and transit passage between them. 

The External Affairs Ministry in its formal release informed that Turkmenistan, as depository state of Ashgabat agreement, gave information to India on February 1st that all the 4 founding members have sacntioned to the addition of India to the agreement. 

As per to the Ministry, India’s addition to the accordance would diversify India's connectivity solutions with Central Asia and have a positive impact on India's business and commercial relations with the region. India’s addition to the accordance will come into effect on February 3rd, 2018. India had submitted the Instrument of Addition with Turkmenistan in April 2016 after getting acceptance from the Union Cabinet.
More about Ashgabat Accordance

• The accordance is a Multimodal transport accordance between founding members Iran, Oman, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
• The main aim of the accordance is to develop an international transport and transit passage provision transportation of goods between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf.
• In October 2016, Pakistan had formally united the Ashgabat Accordance in addition to the Lapis Lazuli passage.
• Kazakhstan is also a part of the arrangement.
• The Indian government on March 23rd, 2016 had requested approval for accepting the accordance.
• The addition to the accordance would facilitate India to use the transport and transit passage to enable business and commercial interaction with the Eurasian area.
• Further, this would synchronise with India’s try to implement the International North South Transport Passage for enhanced connections.

Mary Kom clinched gold medal at India Open Boxing tournament on - 2nd February 2018

The 5-time World Champion and Olympic bronze winner, Mary Kom on February 2nd, 2018 won the gold medal in the India Open International Boxing tournament at Thyagraj Indoor Stadium, New Delhi. 
Kom defeated Josie Gabuco from the Philippines in a split 4-1 conclusion to grab the gold in the women's 48kg weight class. The 12th seeded boxer had earlier finalised her place in the finals after defeating Mongolian Altansetseg Lutsaikhan in the semi-final game.

Key Highlights

• In the 64 kg class, the earlier world and Asian bronze winner Pwilao Basumatary was the 1st among the women to gripping gold by claiming a 3-2 win over Thailand's Sudaporn Seesondee.
• Pinki Rani also collected gold for India after defeating Mongolia’s Jargalan Ochirbat in the final of fly in 48-51 kg class.
• In other classes, Lovlina Borgohain defeated Pooja to grab the welterweight gold, while L Sarita Devi grabbed silver after she lost to Finland’s Olympic bronze-winner Mira Potkenon in the 60 kg class.
• On the other hand, the Indian men boxers, were denied a whole sweep by traditional powerhouses of Cuba and Uzbekistan on the final-day of the India Open Boxing Tournament.
• While Sanjeet grabbed India's 1st gold of the day in 91 kg weight class after getting the better of Uzbekistan's Sanjar Tursunov, in the 60 kg class, National Champion Manish Kaushik was given a easy victory by his Mongolian opponent Battumur Misheelt, who pulled out owing to an injury during his semi-final fight.
• Asian Games bronze-medalist Satish Kumar, however, had won silver in the +91 kg weight class after losing to Uzbekistan's Bakhodir Jalolov in a split 4-1 conclusion. Dinesh Dagar also took the welter-weight silver after going down to Uzbekistan's Bobo-Usmon Baturov.
• In tha past, top-seeded Shiva Thapa had won the bronze medal after going-down against fellow Indian Manish Kaushik in the semi-finals of the 60 kg class.

Cochin Shipyard Limited signed MoU with USC for development of vessels on - 2nd February 2018

The Cochin Shipyard Limited and  joint stock company United Shipbuilding Corporation, Russia on February 2nd, 2018 signed a MoU to coordinate and engage in Design, Development and Execution of modern watercrafts for Inland and Coastal Water-ways.
The MoU was signed by Madhu S Nair, Chairman and MD Cochin Shipyard Limited and Alexey Rakhmanov, President of United Shipbuilding Corporation.
Key Highlights of the MoU

• CSL and USC will collaborate for development of High-Speed Watercrafts, River-Sea Cargo Watercrafts, Passenger Watercrafts, Dredgers, and various other watercrafts for inland waterways and coastal shipping.
• The MoU will be giving a boost to the Government’s Make-in- India program as it is intended to develop eco-friendly and economic transportation along India’s inland waterways and coastal shipping routes under SAGARMALA Project.
• Once the infrastructure for water-based transport is in place, there will be a requirement for various kinds of specialized watercrafts and the MoU is an attempt to get organized to cater this requirement.
• United Shipbuilding Corporation, a Joint Stock organization, is the huge shipbuilding holding in Russia.
• It includes about 40 enterprises containing shipyards which have been main contributors to the expansion of inland waterways in Russia. 

On the other hand, CSL has freshly incorporated a JV Company called Hooghly Cochin Shipyard Limited at Kolkata, West Bengal with programs of setting up an complete facility for building and repair of watercrafts for inland and coastal waterways.