Daily Current Affairs, 09th May 2019

1) India Re-Elected As Observer To ‘Arctic Council’

•India was re-elected as Observer to the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental forum. The decision was taken during the 11th Arctic Council ministerial meeting at Rovaniemi, Finland.

•The Council also appointed the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) as a new Observer. India successfully got the Observer status in 2013 during the Kiruna Ministerial meeting held in Sweden.

2) Chhattisgarh Deploys 1st Anti-Naxal Women Commando Unit

•The Chhattisgarh police for the first time has inducted women commandos in the District Reserve Guard (DRG), its frontline anti-Naxal force.

•Comprising 30 women led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Dineshwari Nand, have received extensive training in jungle combat. With the induction of the women commando contingent, the number of platoons of the DRG in Dantewada now stands at six.

3) 158th Birth Anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore Observed

•India’s first Nobel laureate who reshaped Bengali literature and music, Rabindranath Tagore was also an educationist who started the Vishwa Bharati University in Shantiniketan, and in the process, challenged conventional mores of education. Rabindranath Tagore’s birth anniversary is also known as Pochise Boishakh 2019.

4) Vice President Embarks On 4-Day Official Visit To Vietnam

•Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu embarked on a four-day official visit to Vietnam to participate in 16th United Nations Day of Vesak. The visit is scheduled to enhance India’s comprehensive strategic partnership with the Southeast Asian nation.

•During the visit, VP will deliver the keynote address at the inaugural session of the event themed as “Buddhist Approach to Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Sustainable Societies.” 

5) TAFE, Petroleum Conservation Research Association Sign MoU

•Tractor-manufacturer Tractors and Farm Equipment (TAFE) Ltd has signed an MoU with Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) to aid conservation of resources.

•Under the MoU, the association plans to jointly conduct agricultural workshops by involving TAFE’s dealership network. The workshop would help spread awareness on the advantages of better maintenance and upkeep of the tractors, resulting in lesser fuel consumption and maximising productivity, among others.

6) Airtel, Hughes To Combine Their India VSAT Operations

•The Sunil Mittal led telecom major Bharti Airtel and Hughes Communications India (HCIL) have decided to combine their VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) satellite communications operations in India. The transaction is subject to approvals by relevant authorities.

•HCIL is the India unit of Hughes Network Systems, LLC, the global leader in broadband satellite networks and services. VSAT refers to the provision of data services using satellites and is used extensively by banks and ATMs. Hughes will have majority ownership in the combined entity and Airtel will have a significant shareholding.