DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: July 21, 2023

India and ASEAN Conference on Traditional Medicines in New Delhi

Tags: Summits

The Ministry of AYUSH in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Mission in ASEAN organized a conference of India and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Traditional Medicines in New Delhi on 20 July 2023.

An Overview of the news:

• Re-held a decade later, the conference pledged to strengthen sustainable and resilient health care systems to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and universal health coverage.

A total of 75 delegates included:

• A total of 75 delegates from India and ASEAN including two ASEAN countries participated in the conference through virtual mode.
• The Conference on Traditional Medicine between India and ASEAN countries provides a platform to deliberate on various dimensions of traditional systems of medicine to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and strategize on ways and means to take forward traditional systems of medicine.

Emphasis on Act East Policy:

• India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the 'Act East Policy' at the 12th ASEAN India Summit in Myanmar in November 2014, giving a new impetus to the strategic partnership. The Act-East policy emphasizes connectivity, commerce and culture.
• ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Cao Kim Horn highlighted three key points that reflect the synergy between ASEAN and India, covering various aspects, including cooperation on public health through traditional and complementary medicines.

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN):

• It was established to accelerate economic development, social progress and cultural development for a prosperous and peaceful community of Southeast Asian countries.
• Origin: Established in 1967 with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration).
• ASEAN Day: 8 August.
• Founding countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
• Motto: 'One Vision, One Identity, One Community'.
• Secretariat: Jakarta, Indonesia.
• Member States: 10 (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia).
• India and ASEAN celebrated the 30th anniversary of their dialogue relations.

Cough syrup kills six children in Cameroon

Tags: International News

Cough medicine has killed six children in the African country of Cameroon in the past months. In this context, the World Health Organization (WHO) has sought help from the Indian authorities to find out where it was prepared.

An Overview of the news:

• The UN health organization WHO issued a warning on 19 July 2023 that the recent deaths of six children in Cameroon may be linked to a cough syrup sold under the name Naturcold.

Toxic chemical called diethylene glycol:

• A large amount of a toxic chemical called diethylene glycol has been found in this cough syrup.
• According to the World Health Organisation, the amount of diethylene glycol in the medicine should not be more than 0.1 per cent, but its quantity has been found up to 28.6 per cent in Naturecold.

Fraken International (England) mentions:

• The manufacturer's name on the bottle of the drug is Fracon International (England), but health officials in the United Kingdom have told the WHO that there is no company with that name in their country.
• After this WHO has contacted Indian authorities and requested to talk to Indian drug manufacturers and find out where this drug is being manufactured.

These medicines have also been related to India:

• Over the past few months, several cases of toxic chemicals in cough medicines have been reported, some of which have been related to medicines made in India.
• In the year 2022, more than 300 children in Gambia, Uzbekistan and Indonesia were reported to have died due to cough medicine. In most cases the drugs were manufactured by Indian companies.

Strict rules apply on these drugs in India:

• In May 2023, the Government of India had issued an order that cough medicine to be exported would have to take a certificate. Which will be issued after very stringent tests and this test will be done in a government laboratory.
• The Ministry of Commerce had issued this directive in May, which has been implemented from June 1.

India's $41 billion pharmaceutical industry:

• The $41 billion pharmaceutical industry in India is one of the largest drug manufacturers in the world.
• But for the past few months, India's pharmaceutical industry has been embroiled in international controversies as people have died due to drugs made in India in Gambia, Uzbekistan and the US.
• In the year 2023 itself, poisonous elements were found in some medicines in Marshall Islands and Micronesia, but there was no case of death.

India leading in manufacturing of cheap toxic chemicals:

• Many medicines of the world are manufactured by different companies of this type of cheap toxic chemicals, but in three out of four cases, the medicines are manufactured in India.

Stuart Broad, the second fast bowler to take 600 wickets in Test cricket

Tags: Sports News

England's Stuart Broad became the second fast bowler to achieve the feat of 600 wickets in Test cricket.

An Overview of the News

• Broad achieved this feat during the fourth Ashes Test against Australia at Old Trafford.

• He took the crucial wicket of Travis Head to reach the 600 wicket mark on the first day of the match.

• The only other fast bowler to achieve this remarkable feat is Broad's England teammate James Anderson.

• Currently, Stuart Broad is fifth in the all-time list of highest wicket-takers in Test cricket, while James Anderson is third.

• The top spots in the list are occupied by spinners:

1. Muttiah Muralitharan

2. Shane Warne

3. James Anderson

4. Anil Kumble

5. Stuart Broad

• Stuart Broad made his Test debut in 2007 against Sri Lanka in Colombo.

• He has played 166 Test matches so far and has been a part of four Ashes winning teams for England.

Adrian Mardell appointed as CEO of Jaguar Land Rover

Tags: Person in news

Adrian Mardell has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) for a period of three years. The appointment was made by Tata Motors, which owns JLR.

An Overview of the News

• Prior to becoming CEO, Mardell served as interim CEO through November 16, 2022.

• With the appointment of Adrian Mardell as CEO, Richard Molyneux was announced as the new Chief Financial Officer of JLR.

• Richard Molyneux was previously the Acting Chief Financial Officer from December 12, 2022. Prior to this, he held the position of Finance Director of Operations at Jaguar Land Rover for six years.

• Adrian Mardell's journey with Jaguar Land Rover began in 1990, and he held various financial positions within the company until 2008.

About Tata Motors Limited

• It is an Indian multinational automotive manufacturing company.

• It operates as a part of the Tata Group conglomerate.

• Tata Motors produces a wide range of vehicles including passenger cars, trucks, vans, coaches and buses.

Establishment - 1945

Founder - Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata

Headquarters - Mumbai, Maharashtra

Chairman - Natarajan Chandrasekaran

Japan becomes second Quad partner to sign semiconductor agreement with India

Tags: International Relations

India and Japan recently signed an agreement to jointly develop the semiconductor ecosystem, strengthening their partnership and resilience in the global supply chain.

An Overview of the News

• The memorandum signed by Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnav and Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura covers various areas of cooperation.

• This marks Japan as the second Quad partner after the United States to collaborate with India to enhance the semiconductor industry.

• The agreement covers various areas of cooperation, including semiconductor design, manufacturing, device research and talent development, with the aim of ensuring a robust and reliable semiconductor supply chain.

• To facilitate efficient cooperation, the two countries will set up an "implementing organisation" to promote government-to-government and industry-to-industry partnerships.

Recognizing Japan's Semiconductor Expertise

• Japan holds a significant position in the semiconductor industry with nearly 100 semiconductor manufacturing plants, making it one of the top five countries with a strong semiconductor ecosystem.

• The projected growth of the semiconductor industry from US$650 billion to US$1 trillion requires talent development in multiple locations around the world, and Japan sees India's complementary strengths as a valuable opportunity for mutual benefit.

• Japan has expertise in critical semiconductor elements such as raw wafer materials, chemicals, gases and chip manufacturing equipment and display technologies.

• By transferring this knowledge and expertise to India, both countries aim to achieve significant milestones in the semiconductor industry.

About Japan

• It is also called Nihon or Nippon and is an archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean in East Asia.

• It is made up of four main islands Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu and Honshu is the largest island of Japan.

• Its highest mountain is Mount Fuji.

• It is the third largest economy in the world after the United States and China.

• Capital - Tokyo

• currency - yen

• Prime Minister - Fumio Kishida

Hacker Kevin Mitnick passed away at the age of 59

Tags: Person in news

Renowned hacker Kevin Mitnick in the history of cyber security has died at the age of 59 after battling pancreatic cancer for over a year.

An Overview of the News

• Mitnick gained notoriety for his hacking exploits, which inspired several films, including "WarGames". Some claimed that as a teenager he had successfully hacked the North American Aerospace Defense Command's computer systems, but Mitnick denied the allegation.

• In 1988, Mitnick was arrested for stealing $1 million in proprietary software from Digital Equipment Corporation.

• He received a one-year prison sentence and three years' probation, but a new arrest warrant was issued in 1995 for violating probation.

• After his release in 2000, Mitnick became a white-hat hacker, and legally used his expertise to help businesses protect their systems.

• He became the chief hacking officer and partial owner of the tech security firm KnowBe4, which was founded by his close friend and business partner, Stu Sjouverman.

• In 2011, Mitnick published a memoir detailing his hacking career titled "Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker".

India wins silver medal in ISSF Junior World Championships skeet mixed team event

Tags: Sports

On July 20, 2023 India won the Silver Medal in Shooting during the ISSF Junior World Championships held at Changwon, Korea.

An Overview of the News

• The silver medal in the skeet mixed team event was won by the Indian pair of Harmehar Singh Lali and Sanjana Sood.

• Harmehar and Sanjana won 26-24 in a challenging 52-shot shoot-off to reach the final.

• In the final, the Indian pair faced the Italian team of Andrea Gallardini and Sara Bongini, in which the Indian pair lost by a score of 38–43.

• With this silver medal, India's total medal tally reached four gold, four silver and three bronze medals, taking it to the second spot on the leaderboard.

• China retained its position at the top of the medal tally with six gold, eight silver and four bronze medals.

• Italy finished third with two gold, one silver and three bronze medals.

ISSF Junior World Championship:

• The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) introduced the ISSF Junior World Championship in 2017.

• The championship comprises a diverse range of shooting events in both Olympic and non-Olympic categories.

• The ISSF Junior World Championships comprises competitions in the rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines.

• Participants get the opportunity to participate in both individual and team events.

International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF)

• It is the governing body for both Olympic shooting events and non-Olympic shooting sports.

• The primary role of the ISSF is to regulate the sport of shooting, ensuring adherence to rules and standards at all levels of competition.

Establishment - 1907

Headquarters - Munich, Germany

President - Luciano Rossi

Secretary - Willie Grill (General Secretary)

Anshuman Jhingran: Youngest person to cross the North Channel

Tags: Person in news

Anshuman Jhingran, an 18-year-old open water swimmer from Navi Mumbai, achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the youngest person to cross the North Channel.

An Overview of the News

• The North Channel is a challenging strait located between the northeast coast of Northern Ireland and the southwest coast of Scotland, which serves as the end of the Irish Sea and flows northwest into the Atlantic Ocean.

• Anshuman accomplished this incredible feat in just 125 days, earning him a place in the prestigious Guinness World Records.

• His successful crossing was the 114th of its kind since 1947, showing the difficulty of swimming the North Channel.

First Indian to swim across the English Channel: Mihir Sen

• Mihir Sen has the distinction of being the first Indian to successfully swim across the English Channel, completing the challenging Dover to Calais route.

• He achieved this impressive feat in a remarkable time of 14 hours and 45 minutes, earning him the fourth best time for this gruelling endeavour.

• Additionally, Mihir Sen holds the unique and extraordinary record of being the only person to swim across the oceans of all five continents within a single year, which shows his unparalleled dedication to open water swimming.

First Indian to cross the North Channel: Elvis Ali Hazarika

• Prior to Anshuman Jhingran's achievement, Elvis Ali Hazarika was the first Indian to successfully cross the North Channel, adding to India's legacy in the world of open water swimming.

Origin of the Ocean Seven Challenge

• The Ocean Seven Challenge was devised in 2008 and has since become one of the ultimate tests for open water swimmers looking to push their physical and mental limits.

List of Ocean Seven Swims

1. North Channel

2. Cook Strait

3. Kaiwi Channel

4. English Channel

5. Catalina Channel

6. Tsugaru Strait

7. Strait of Gibraltar

Ground water law implemented in 21 states and union territories

Tags: National News

On 20 July 2023, the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti informed the Parliament that 21 states and union territories have implemented the Ground Water Act.

An Overview of the news:

• In this law, provision has been made for rain water harvesting. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Bishweshwar Tudu informed that the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti has prepared a model bill to enable all states and union territories to enact appropriate groundwater laws.

States implementing rain water harvesting model:

• According to the ministry, the 21 states/UTs which have so far implemented groundwater laws on the lines of the Model Bill include Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.

Tap water to 60% rural households in SC areas:

• Under this, tap water has been provided to 60 percent rural households in Scheduled Caste (SC) dominated areas.
• Out of 2,18,06,280 rural households in SC-concentrated/dominated habitations, 1,32,64,760 have been given tap water connections.

Extensive use of groundwater in agriculture:

• India is mainly dependent on groundwater for irrigation and it is using a major part of the total global amount of groundwater. Because about 70% of food production in the country is done with the help of tube wells.

Ground water crisis:

• This excessive dependence of agriculture on ground water is giving rise to the ground water crisis. There is a need for a comprehensive action plan for groundwater conservation.
• In this context, in the 'World Water Development Report' in 2018, UNESCO had described India as the world's largest groundwater user.

DPIIT and Government of Gujarat jointly launch 'One District One Product' wall

Tags: place in news

One District One Product (ODOP) programme, an initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry collaborated with the Government of Gujarat to promote indigenous crafts and artisans of the state.

An Overview of the News

• The ODOP Wall was jointly inaugurated on 20 July 2023 by Manmeet Nanda, Joint Secretary, DPIIT and Aarti Kanwar, Resident Commissioner and Secretary (Economic Affairs), Government of Gujarat, at Garvi Gujarat Bhawan, New Delhi.

• Gujarat, with its 33 districts, offers a wide range of unique products, including traditional crafts such as Gamathi block prints and Mata-ni-Pachedi, as well as agricultural goods such as groundnut and cumin.

• The collaboration between ODOP and the Government of Gujarat includes product tagging and story cards to enhance the promotion and recognition of Gujarat's unique products.

• The partnership aims to increase the visibility of Gujarat products at the national level and drive consumers towards the emporia, thereby boosting sales.

• Specific interventions have been made to enhance the market presence of certain products in Gujarat. For example, Sujani Handloom, Jamnagari Bandhini, and Patan Patola have been onboarded on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), and support from the National Institute of Design (NID) workshop has been provided for Agate Stone in Khambat district and Sujani from Bharuch district.

About Gujarat

• Formation - 1 May 1960

• Capital - Gandhinagar

• Chief Minister - Bhupendra Bhai Patel

• Governor - Acharya Devvrat

• District - 33

• Rajya Sabha - 11 seats

• Lok Sabha - 26 seats