Daily Current Affairs for Competitive Exams: October 16, 17, 2016

Hello readers,

Here are today's important headlines with key details for UPSC, SSC, IBPS and other competitive examinations.

Indo-Pak Border to be completely sealed in two years

The Government has decided to completely seal the International Border (IB) with Pakistan by physical/non-physical barriers by December, 2018. There is about 181.85 km stretch in which construction of physical barrier is not feasible due to geographic constraints like riverine, low-lying, creek, marshy etc.

• In this stretch, advance technology solutions including cameras, sensors, radars, lasers, etc will be deployed. BSF is testing the available technologies through pilot projects in Jammu, Punjab and Gujarat.
• Announcing this during Regional Editors’ Conference in Chandigarh today, the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that Border Security is a very sensitive issue and India is engaging all the neighbours except Pakistan diplomatically to ensure peace on the borders.

Sourabh Verma wins men's singles title at Chinese Taipei Open

• Indian shuttler Sourabh Verma on October 16, 2016, clinched the men's singles title at the Chinese Taipei Open badminton. In the summit clash for the USD 55,000 Grand Prix tournament in Taipei City, Saurabh defeated Malaysia's Daren Liew, 12-10, 12-10, 3-3.
• World No. 82 Verma rallied to grab the first two games 12-10 and 12-10 and emerged victorious after his opponent World No. 106 Liew retired at 3-3 owing to a problematic shoulder.

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty observed

• International Day for the Eradication of Poverty was observed on October 17, 2016, with the theme, 'Moving from humiliation and exclusion to participation: Ending poverty in all its forms'. 
• Apart from this, fighting poverty remains at the core of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the development of the post-2015 development agenda.

World Food Day 2016 observed across the world

• World Food Day 2016 was observed across the world on October 16, 2016, with the theme Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too. 
• Growing food in a sustainable way means adopting practices that will produce more with fewer inputs in the same area of land. It also means reducing food losses before the retail stage through a number of initiatives including better harvesting, storage, packing, transport, infrastructure and market mechanisms. 

About World Food Day (WFD)

• World Food Day is celebrated every year on October 16, globally.
• The day was established by Food and Agriculture Organisation's (FAO) Member Countries at the 20th General Conference of FAO in November 1945. 
• Since then, it is being observed every year in more than 150 countries, raising awareness of the issues behind poverty and hunger.  
• World Food Day was first celebrated in 1981.

India, Russia signs 16 MoUs including procurement of the S-400 airdefence system

• India and Russia signed 16 agreements during India-Russia Annual Summit across multiple sectors, on October 15, 2016. The MoUs were signed in Goa during India-Russia Annual Summit co-chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin. President Putin is on a visit to India to attend 2016 Goa BRICS summit. 

 List of agreements/MOUs exchanged 

•  Memorandum of Understanding proposed to be executed between EDB, Joint Stock Company Аlexeev’s Central Hydrofoil Design Bureau, Joint Stock Company Radar Mms, Joint Stock Company Morinsis-AGAT and Elcom Systems Private Limited for developing the following: 
• A single integrated Transport Logistics System
• Concept of Smart city
• An intellectual monitoring system for the areas of high responsibility, in the State of Andhra Pradesh.

MoU on the expansion of Bilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation:

• It was inked between the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation and the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Goernment of India.
• MoU between Department of Science & Technology (India) and FASO (Russia)
• Programme of Cooperation in Oil and Gas Sector for the period 2017-18
• Protocol for consultations between the Ministry of External Affairs & Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia for the period 2017-18.
• Agreement on cooperation in International Information Security
• Signing of IGA to purchase/construct four additional 1135.6 frigates through partnership between Russian and Indian shipyard.
•  The signing of IGA for the procurement of S-400 Air Defence System.

They also decided to adopt a Roadmap of Events' to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Russian in 2017. They also released a joint statement partnership for global peace and stability.

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Israel suspends cooperation with UNESCO after it passed resolution on Jerusalem

• Israel suspended co-operation with the UN's cultural agency, UNESCO, accusing it of denying Judaism's connections to the religion's holiest sites. It also notified the Israel National Commission for UNESCO to suspend all professional activities with the international organization.
• The action came after UNESCO approved a draft resolution, which repeatedly used only the Islamic name for a hilltop complex, which is also the holiest site in Judaism. The draft was passed at committee state by 24 votes in favour, six against and 26 abstentions, in October 2016. Now, the draft resolution will be sent to UNESCO’s executive body which will decide via a vote that it should be adopted or not.

About UNESCO's draft resolution

• The resolution, sponsored by several Arab countries, refers to occupied Palestine. It seeks to safeguard the cultural heritage sites in the Palestine region.
• It used the Islamic name, al-Haram al-Sharif/al-Aqsa Mosque, for the hilltop compound, which includes the Western Wall. The wall is a remnant of the biblical temple and the holiest site where Jews can pray.
• For Muslims, Haram al-Sharif is the place from where the Prophet Muhammad went to Heaven. It is the third holiest site in Islam.
• It also criticizes Israel’s activities at holy places in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.
• Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett said a UNESCO draft decision concerning Jerusalem denies history and encourages terror. He also said that UNESCO is aiding Islamist terror by ignoring thousands of years of Jewish ties to Jerusalem. East Jerusalem, with sites holy to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, was captured by Israel during the 1967 Mideast war.

Maldives to leave Commonwealth after Warnings over Democracy

• The Government of Maldives in October 2016, decided to leave the 53-member Commonwealth of Nations. The decision came weeks after the organization warned it of suspension by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) if it failed to take further steps to promote the rule of law and democracy.
• Maldives had decided to leave the Commonwealth saying it was treated unjustly and unfairly by the Commonwealth. The organization also asked Maldives to encourage political dialogue and release its opposition leaders and improve the democratic institutions.
• The nation was put on CMAG’s formal agenda on September 23, 2016, and cautioned that if it fails to see progress in the six identified priority areas, then it will be suspended from the council of Commonwealth at its next meeting in 2017.
• The decision to quit the Commonwealth has invited concern from several quarters within and outside the country. Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland expressed disappointment over the decision and hoped the move will be a temporary one.

Background

• The country came under international scrutiny after its crackdown on opposition leaders, mainly after it jailed several members of different parties along with former President Mohamed Nasheed. Nasheed who was released on medical leave went to London where he was granted asylum.