The Daily Brief – 19th September 2018

Ministry of Culture has released National Museum Research Bulletin Number 10: Special issue. The bulletin was revived after gap of 16 years. It also has released Sindhu Ghati Sabhyata:Ek Parichay, a Hindi version of An Introduction To Indus Valley Civilization which among the bestsellers at National Museum. The bulletin has number of research paper that highlights collection, display and education aspect that National Museum engages with.

Maharashtra Government is setting up new Cyber University dedicated to mitigating cyber threats. It will train 3,000 professionals to fight online space cyber-attacks, internet crimes and conduct cyber forensics. The Cyber University will provide for and prepare internet professionals on lines of Microsoft Certified Professional Program. It will conduct courses in data analytics, cloud computing, blockchain, AI, cyber forensics and cyber investigations. The current demand of cyber professionals hovers around 30 lakh, but supply of is in about lakh.

7th UNWTO Global Summit on Urban Tourism was held in Seoul, capital of South Korea from 16 to 19 September, 2018 with the theme of ‘A 2030 Vision for Urban Tourism’. The summit was co-organized by World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Seoul Metropolitan Government and supported by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of South Korea. UNWTO is United Nations agency responsible for promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism. Its membership includes 156 countries and its headquarters are located in Madrid, Spain.

Indian vice president Venkaiah Naidu and President of Malta, Ms. Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca signed three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in the fields of Maritime Cooperation, Tourism and Training. Vice President Naidu visited in Malta in the second phase of his visit to three European countries viz. Serbia, Malta and Romania. It was the first senior Indian leader to visit Mediterranean nation in last 28 years.

Germany has rolled out world’s first hydrogen-powered passenger train. These locomotives named iLint trains emit zero emissions, making them eco-friendly. This train technology offers greener and quieter alternative to diesel on non-electrified railway lines. These hydrogen trains are manufactured by French TGV-maker Alstom and are commercially running on 100km route between towns and cities in Northern Germany. Hydrogen trains are equipped with fuel cells that produce electricity by combining hydrogen with oxygen.

Bangladesh Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has approved draft agreement allowing India to use its Chittagong and Mongla ports to transport cargo to and from its northeastern states. The draft was prepared after both neighboring countries had signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the use of two ports during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Dhaka in June, 2015. The agreement will be effective for five years, but it can be extended for another five years automatically.

Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) on eve of World Ozone Day (17th September) released draft India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP). It makes India first country in world to develop such document. The draft was prepared by Ozone Cell of MoEFC. It aims to provide sustainable cooling while keeping in mind, at the same time, the need to protect the ozone layer from substances that can deplete it. It provides a 20-year perspective, with projections for cooling needs in 2037-38.

NITI Aayog in it’s recently report has recommended that Ministry of Agriculture to take up mission on shifting cultivation to ensure inter-ministerial convergence between different ministries. The report was titled “Mission on Shifting Cultivation: Towards a Transformational Approach”. Shifting cultivation causes in long term causes problem of land degradation and threat to ecology of the region at large.