Daily Current Affairs, 09th March 2019

1) India, Costa Rica Sign 2 Documents During Venkaiah Naidu’s Visit

•India and Costa Rica signed two documents during Vice President Venkaiah Naidu’s first visit to the Central American nation. The documents were signed and exchanged following talks between Naidu and Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado Quesada. 

•The 2 agreements were signed on waiving visa requirements for Diplomatic and Official passport holders and the signing of the Letter of Intent to collaborate in the field of Biotechnology.

2) Subhash Chandra Garg Appointed As Finance Secretary

•The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved designating Shri Subhash Chandra Garg, lAS, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance as Finance Secretary.

•Former finance secretary Ajay Narayan Jha superannuated on February 28. Garg, 58, a 1983 batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre, has been working as the Secretary in Department of Economic Affairs since June 2017.

3) Soumya Swaminathan Named Chief Scientist at WHO

•Soumya Swaminathan, a Deputy Director-General of the World Health Organisation has been named Chief Scientist of the WHO. As Deputy Director-General Programmes (DDP), she was one of the three DDGs assisting WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

4) Labour Ministry Signs MoU with Simtars, Australia for Cooperation In Occupational Safety

•The Union Cabinet approved a pact with Germany for cooperation in the field of occupational safety and health. The cabinet has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Germany on cooperation in the field of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH). 

•Under the MoU, German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) through the International Social Security Association (ISSA) is bringing in know-how to meet the OSH challenges, especially in the construction and manufacturing sector.

5) ISRO, French Space Agency Seal Agreement On Maritime Security

•National space agency ISRO and its French counterpart CNES sealed an agreement to set up a joint maritime surveillance system in the country in May. K.Sivan, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, and Jean-Yves Le Gall, President of CNES of France, signed the agreement in Bengaluru.

•The two nations will explore putting up a constellation of low-Earth orbiting satellitesthat will identify and track the movement of ships globally – and in particular, those moving in the Indian Ocean region where France has its Reunion Islands.

6) Indore Bags Cleanest City Award For 3rd Straight Year

•Indore has bagged the cleanest city award for the third straight year under Swachh Survekshan, 2019. President Ram Nath Kovind presented Swachh Survekhshan-2019Awards in New Delhi. New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area got the cleanest small city award.

•Uttarakhand’s Gauchar was adjudged the Best Ganga Town in the survey. Swachh Survekshan 2019 covered all Urban Local Bodies in the country, making it the largest such cleanliness survey in the world.

7) Google Launches Reading Tutor App ‘Bolo’ For Kids in India 

•Google launched a free app called “Bolo” that parents can download to help primary grade children improve their Hindi and English reading skills. Launched in India first, the app is designed to work offline and comes with a built-in reading buddy, “Diya”, who encourages, aids, explains, and corrects the child, as they read aloud.

8) Kerala’s Marayoor Jaggery Gets Geographical Indication Tag

•Idukki’s The Marayoor Jaggery, the traditional and handmade product from Idukki district of Kerala received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag from the Central Government.

•The Marayoor jaggery finally managed to get the GI Tag after two years of continuous efforts by the Agricultural Department of the state. The GI tag will provide more windows of opportunity to the traditional sugarcane farmers in Marayoor.