2018 Current Affairs

1.Which among the following joined with three vendors to outsource Spacecraft Assembly Integration and Testing (AIT) activities?

DRDO HAL NASA ISRO

2.Who will launch satellite 'Athena' in 2019?

Google Facebook Royal Dutch Shell Sinopec Group

3.NIWE has installed a remote sensing instrument - LiDAR for assessment of offshore wind resource at __________.

Gulf of Khambhat Gulf of Tonkin Gulf of Kutch Gulf of Mannar

4.Recently, The Indian Government launches biodegradable sanitary napkins under which scheme?

Swadesh Darshan Yojana Rashtriya Gokul Mission Mission Indradhanush Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana

5.The 8th BRICS Health Minister's Meeting was held at which country?

Russia Brazil South Africa India

1st meeting of BRICS Working Group on Energy Saving and Energy Efficiency begins in Visakhapatnam

July 4, 2016 The first meeting of the BRICS Working Group on Energy Saving and Energy Efficiency began in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The two day conference will be attended by all 5 member BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries. India being BRICS chair for 2016 has organized this event in order to shape and steer the BRICS agenda.

Brexit: IMF warns of repercussions for global economy

July 4, 2016 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union (EU) has created significant uncertainty. The uncertainty is likely to dampen growth in the near term, particularly in the UK, but with repercussions for Europe and the global economy.

•  Key facts IMF predicts that macroeconomic and financial market impacts in the UK and EU due to Brexit will radiate outward across the globe. The impacts of Brexit will lead to a rising level of uncertainty, both financial and possibly political in EU and UK.
• Second BRICS Youth Summit concludes in Guwahati July 4, 2016 The second BRICS Youth Summit was held in Guwahati, Assam from 1st July 2016 to 3rd July 2016. The theme of the summit was “Youth as bridge for intra-BRICS exchanges“.

India to host meet of BRICS anti-narcotics heads

July 5, 2016 India is going to host meet of the heads of anti-narcotics agencies of BRICS nations to discuss issues related to narco-terrorism and money laundering. This meet will be held ahead of the eighth annual Summit of BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-ChinaSouth Africa nations scheduled in October 2016.

India, China resolve to improve communication BRICS

India, China resolve to improve communication

India and China have resolved to improve communication with each other and identified West Asia, Central Asia and Africa as areas where they would hold regular dialogue.

With Russia, India touched on most subjects but refrained from addressing issues relating to Kudankulam III and IV units, although most issues have been sorted out.

This emerged during bilateral meetings Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev which are a staple fare during multilateral conferences such as the BRICS summit that concluded on 29.03.2012.

At a 60-minute meeting with Mr. Hu, Dr. Singh agreed that there must be stronger communication between both countries so as to remove suspicions about each other’s intentions.

In Central Asia, China has been spectacularly successful in its sourcing of hydrocarbons and India is also actively scouting for opportunities.

Prime Minister’s Statement at the BRICS Summit 2012

Indian Prime Minister’s Statement at the Plenary Session of the Fourth BRICS Summit, New Delhi, on March 29, 2012.

Your Excellency President Dilma Rousseff,

Your Excellency President Dmitry Medvedev,

Your Excellency President Hu Jintao,

Your Excellency President Jacob Zuma,

Distinguished delegates,

Let me once again welcome all of you to New Delhi. India is privileged to host the fourth BRICS Summit and assume the Chairmanship of the group.

The global situation facing us today presents a mixed picture. On the one hand, emerging market economies are growing at a healthy pace and increasing their share in global trade and output.

On the other hand, many obstacles have to be overcome if we are to sustain rapid growth in the years ahead. We are all affected by the global economic slowdown, the volatility in food and energy prices, the challenge of reconciling growth with environmental objectives, the political uncertainty in West Asia and the rise of terrorism and extremism. Our responses to these challenges may be different, but there is much common interest that binds us together.

BRICS 2012

BRICS is an international political organisation of leading emerging economies, arising out of the inclusion of South Africa into the BRIC group in 2010. As of 2012, its five members are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. With the possible exception of Russia, the BRICS members are all developing or newly industrialised countries, but they are distinguished by their large economies and significant influence on regional and global affairs. As of 2012, the five BRICS countries represent almost half of the world’s population, with a combined nominal GDP of US$13.6 trillion, and an estimated US$4 trillion in combined foreign reserves.

President of the People’s Republic of China Hu Jintao has claimed BRICS countries are defenders and promoters of developing countries and a force for world peace.

The four BRIC countries met in Yekaterinburg for their first official summit on 16 June 2009, with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva,Dmitry Medvedev, Manmohan Singh, and Hu Jintao, the respective leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and China, all attending. The summit’s focus was on means of improving the global economic situation and reforming financial institutions, and discussed how the four countries could better co-operate in the future. There was further discussion of ways that developing countries, such as the BRIC members, could become more involved in global affairs.