Weekly Current Affairs (15th to 21st July 2022) - 1 - UPSC PDF Download

Jerusalem Declaration

Context: American President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid signed a joint strategic declaration in Jerusalem, in which the US vowed to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. 

Key Highlights

• The statement said that the US will use “all elements of national power” available to it to deny Iran the ability to arm itself with nuclear weapons.
• The joint declaration also included a pledge by Washington to continue US military aid to Israel. A record 10-year $38bn aid package was signed in 2016 under the administration of former US President Barack Obama when Biden was vice president.
• Both President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Yair Lapid spoke of their support for the US-Israeli relationship, and the perceived threat from Iran.
• President Joe Biden reiterated his support for a twostate solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but did not mention Palestinians by name. 

Artificial Intelligence in Defense’ Exhibition

Context: First ever ‘Artificial Intelligence in Defense’ exhibition & symposium organised by Ministry of defense held in New Delhi. 

Key Highlights

• Defense Minister Rajnath Singh launched 75 newlydeveloped Artificial Intelligence (AI) products/ technologies during the first-ever ‘AI in Defence’ (AIDef) symposium and exhibition,
• The products, launched as part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations, fall under various domains
• These include AI Platform Automation, Autonomous/ Unmanned/Robotics systems, Block Chain-based Automation, Command, Control, Communication, Computer & Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance, Cyber Security, Human Behavioural Analysis, Intelligent Monitoring Systems, Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Operational Data Analytics, Manufacturing and Maintenance, Simulators/Test Equipment and speech/voice analysis using Natural Language Processing.
• Three AI products developed by the DPSUs having dual use applications and good market potential, namely AI-enabled Voice Transcription/Analysis software developed by Bharat Electronics Limited; Driver Fatigue Monitoring System developed by Bharat Earth Movers Limited and AI-enabled evaluation of Welding defects in X-rays of Nondestructive Testing developed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers were screened during the event.
• Defense Minister also released the physical as well as e-version of the book comprising the details of these 75 products, showcasing the collective efforts put on by the Services, Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), iDEX start-ups and the private industry in last four years in the field of AI. 

Stealth Frigate 'Dunagir'

Context: The 4th ship of the Project 17A Frigates, the in-house initiative of the Indian Navy as part of India's 'self-reliance' objective, “Dunagiri” was launched in the Hooghly River at Kolkata.

Key Highlights

• Named after a mountain range in Uttarakhand, 'Dunagiri' is the fourth ship of P17A Frigates.
• These are follow-on of the P17 Frigates (Shivalik Class) with improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors, and platform management systems.
• The first two ships of the P17A Project were launched in 2019 and 2020 at MDL (Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited) and GRSE (Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited) respectively.
• The third ship (Udaygiri) was launched at MDL on 17 May 22 earlier this year.
• P17A ships have been designed in-house by the Indian Navy's Directorate of Naval Design (DND).

Varanasi: First Cultural and Tourism Capital of SCO

Context: The holy city of Varanasi, showcasing India’s culture and traditions over the ages, will be declared the first “Cultural and Tourism Capital” of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). 

Key Highlights

• Secretary General of SCO, Zhang Ming said Varanasi will become the Cultural and Tourism Capital of the SCO for 2022-23 under a new rotating initiative by the eight-member organization to promote peopleto-people contacts and tourism among the member states.
• Under this initiative of SCO, each year a city of the cultural heritage of a member country that will take over the rotating Presidency of the organization will get the title to highlight its prominence.
• The new initiative will come into force after the Samarkand, Uzbekistan summit of SCO, following which India will take over the Presidency and host the next Heads of the State summit.
• India hosted the Head of the Government of the SCO meet in 2020.
• SCO member states were considering several initiatives to promote tourism to enhance people-topeople contacts once the COVID travel restrictions ease. Kazakhstan has announced a visa-free policy for tourists from India and other countries. 

National Institute Ranking framework (NIRF) 2021

Context: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan recently released the NIRF (National Institute Ranking framework) 2021. 

Key Highlights

•  The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras was declared the best university in the overall category this year. Followed by Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru at a close second, followed by IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi and IIT Kanpur as the top five institutes in the overall category.
• This year too, IITs dominated the list as IIT Kharagpur, IIT Roorkee and IIT Guwahati have followed IIT Kanpur to complete the top 8 ranks.
• AIIMS-Delhi has secured the ninth rank and JNU is ranked tenth.
• Jamia Hamdard has once again taken the top rank in the pharmacy category.
• Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru ranked first in the research category. 

About NIRF 2021

• 11 categories for which the NIRF Rankings 2022 were announced include- overall, universities, colleges, management, law, architecture, engineering, medical, dental, pharmacy, and research.
• The top institutes and universities of India are judged on the basis of certain predetermined factors for the NIRF Rankings. These include -- Teaching, Learning & Resources (TLR), Research and Professional Practice (RP), Graduation Outcomes (GO), Outreach and Inclusivity (OI), Peer Perception.
• Institutes need to register and submit data for the NIRF Rankings. The same data is also made public through its website. Physical audits and checks are carried out by NIRF to ensure that the data is authentic. Institutes may be debarred from ranking and face consequences if they are providing false data.

Ashish Kumar Chauhan

Context: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has approved the appointment of Ashish Kumar Chauhan as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Stock Exchange (NSE). 

Key Highlights

• Ashish Kumar Chauhan will replace outgoing Managing Director and CEO Vikram Limaye. Although Limaye was eligible for a reappointment, he did not seek extension at the NSE.
• At present Chauhan is MD and CEO of Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
• He did his B. Tech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Bombay. He then completed his PGDM from IIM Calcutta.
• He started his career at IDBI Bank, before moving to the NSE. Between 1993 and 2000, Chauhan worked extensively in developing the derivatives segment at the NSE, which currently is the exchange’s main volume driver.
• He has served as a distinguished visiting professor at Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada.
• He also has experience outside the financial sphere. He had worked as CEO of Mukesh Ambani-led IPL cricket team Mumbai Indians in its formative years and also worked as president and CIO of Reliance group between 2000 and 2009.

Jeddah Security and Development Summit

Context: Jeddah Summit for Security and Development, was recently concluded in second largest city of Saudi Arabia. 

Key Highlights

• The summit was hosted by Saudi Arabia, and attended by leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and the US.
• The summit reviewed global challenges and regional affairs, while the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to guarantee the region's security and stability.
• They also voiced their support for efforts to guarantee that the Gulf remains free of mass destruction weapons.
•  During his remark, the Saudi Crown Prince conveyed King Salman bin Abdulaziz’s called on Iran to cooperate and not intervene in the affairs of regional countries.
• US President Joe Biden said the US will never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. He also said the US would remain an active, engaged partner in the Middle East and urged leaders gathered at the Arab summit to see human rights as a powerful force of economic and social change.
• Biden also said that the US will not leave a vacuum in the region in favor of Russia, China and Iran, adding that the US interests are linked to successes in the Middle East and affirmed the US will work to establish sustainable economic ties in the region. 

National e-governance Service Delivery Assessment

Context: The national e-governance service delivery assessment was conducted by the DARPG recently. 

Key Highlights

• The national e-governance service delivery assessment was conducted by the DARPG in association with its knowledge partners– National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) and Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG).
• This is a periodic assessment intended to improve the effectiveness of the states and Union Territories and the Central government in the delivery of their online services to citizens.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) bagged the first spot under the Central ministries’ portal in a national e-governance service delivery assessment.
• The Digital Police portal of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has been placed at number two in the assessment. 

Kerala Fiber Optic Network (KFON)

Context: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan recently launched the KFON (Kerala Fiber Optic Network) in the state and with this Kerala became the first state in the country with its own internet service. 

Key Highlights

• Announced in 2019, the KFON initiative envisages a total of 35,000 km of optical fiber network across 14 districts.
• KFON aims to create a core network infrastructure that will provide free internet access to 20 Lakh economically-backward households.
• Close to three years after it was announced, the Kerala Fiber Optic Network (KFON) initiative has received the Internet Service Provider (ISP) license from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
• With the Kerala government inaugurating the first phase of the ambitious Kerala Fiber Optic Network (KFON) project, over 8,000 government offices and educational institutions in the state will get to enjoy the benefits of high-speed connectivity.
• KFON envisages laying a complementary optical fiber network across the state and augmenting the broadband infrastructure, bringing into the fold a total of 30,000 entities.
• It is a joint venture between the Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Ltd (KSITIL), Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB).A consortium led by Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) is executing the project and will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the 35,000-km-long network for the next seven years.

Sprint Challenges

Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently unveiled 'SPRINT challenges', aimed at giving a boost to the usage of indigenous technology in the Indian Navy. 

Key Highlights

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the initiative at a naval seminar organized to engage Indian industry and academia towards achieving self-reliance in the defense sector.
• The seminar was organized by the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organization (NIIO) and the Society of Indian Defense Manufacturers (SIDM).
• The NIIO, in cooperation with the Defense Innovation Organization (DIO), aims to induct at least 75 new indigenous technologies/products into the Indian Navy in sync with ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ commemorating 75 years of the country’s Independence.
• This collaborative project is named SPRINT — Supporting Pole-Vaulting in R&D through iDEX (Innovations for Defense Excellence), NIIO and TDAC (Technology Development Acceleration Cell).