Daily Current Affairs for Competitive Exams: November 18, 2016

Hello readers,

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

National

Indian Navy inducts four new SONARS into service

• The Indian Navy has formally inducted four types of indigenously developed sonars that will boost its underwater surveillance capability. The sonars have been designed and developed by NPOL Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), a Kochi based laboratory of DRDO.

Highlights

• Abhay: It is an advanced hull mounted active-cum-passive integrated sonar system. It is designed and developed for smaller platforms such as shallow water crafts and coastal surveillance/patrol vessels. It is capable of detecting, classifying, localizing and tracking sub-surface and surface targets in both its active and passive modes of operation. Indian Navy has proposed to induct this Sonar on three of the Abhay class ships.

• Humsa UG: It has been designed for upgrading the existing Humsa sonar system for intensifying the command over the high seas. This system is proposed to be installed on seven ships of three different classes of ships.

• AIDSS: It stands for Advanced Indigenous Distress sonar system for submarines. It is distress sonar is an Emergency Sound Signaling Device. It is used to indicate that a submarine is in distress and enable quick rescue and salvage. It is also provided with a transponder capability.

• NACS: It stands for Near-field Acoustic Characterisation System. It is used to measure the magnitude and phase characteristics of SONAR transmission and reception electronics and the transducers. The NACS has been integrated with HUMSA-NG SONAR array and proved on-board Naval platforms. It will be fitted on all frontline ships.

President launches National Student Startup Policy

• President Pranab Mukherjee launched the National Student Startup Policy (NSSP) to promote technology-driven student start-ups. It was launched during the second Visitor’s Conference held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.

Highlights:

• The NSSP has been formulated by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). It aims to create 1 lakh technology based student start-ups and a million employment opportunities within the next 10 years. It also aims to propel Indian youth to contribute to the nation’s socio-economic progress through promotion of technology-driven student start-ups. NSSP seeks to develop an ideal entrepreneurial ecosystem by lending crucial soft skills like decision-making in the students. It also seeks to promote strong inter-institutional partnerships among technical institutions.

• Visitor’s Conference: It is a conference of Vice Chancellors/Directors/Director Generals of Institutions of higher learning for which the President is a visitor. This is for the second time that the President has convened such a conference which brought together all heads of higher education institutions in one forum. Earlier, separate conferences were held for Vice Chancellors of Central Universities, Directors of IITs, IISERs, NITs and IISC.

Jammu and Kashmir Government launches Jhelum-Tawi Flood Recovery Project

• Jammu and Kashmir Government has launched Jhelum-Tawi flood recovery project to give push to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure post-2014 floods in the state. The project which is funded World Bank was formally launched Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in Srinagar.

Highlights:

• The project was conceptualised and pursued by former Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed in the aftermath of devastating floods of 2014 in the state. It aims at reconstructing and recovering support in flood-affected areas in which public infrastructure and livelihoods were impacted severely. It will focus on 20 flood-affected districts in state.
• As a follow-up, the Union Government and World Bank had signed a $250 million credit agreement for the project. The loan was provided by International Development Association, the World Bank’s concessionary lending arm. It has maturity of 25 years, including a 5-year grace period.

International

Russia withdraws from International Criminal Court

• Vladimir Putin, President of Russia signed an order on November 16, 2016,  withdrawing Russia’s signature from the International Criminal Court treaty (ICC).
• Russia signed Rome statute, the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court in 2000 but its capital Moscow never made it officially valid, which means Russia was never its member and could not be subjected to its jurisdiction. This move came on the opening day of the general assembly of member states.
• On November  14, 2016, ICC passed a ruling calling Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 an international armed conflict. This action angered Moscow, as it claims Crimea joined Russia after a popular vote.
• Russia is facing a lot of criticism for its air strikes in Syria in support of current Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
• The court is also looking into allegations of war crimes committed by forces of Russia and Georgia during their conflict in 2008.
• Russia does not see ICC as a genuine independent authoritative organ of international justice.  Russia claims that in 14 years, the ICC has just given four verdicts and spent nearly 1 billion US Dollars.