The Daily Brief – 3rd April 2019

The World Autism Awareness Day was observed across the world on April 2, 2019 with an aim to encourage the Member States of the United Nations to take measures to raise awareness about autism throughout the world. Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder is a lifelong developmental disability that manifests itself during the first three years of life. In 2008 when the UN General Assembly unanimously declared 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day.

The government has proposed setting up of two bureaucrat-led committees that would sit and decide on complaints against the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and Information Commissioners (ICs): One to receive and decide on complaints against the CIC and the other for complaints against Information Commissioners. This may take away the independence of the institution that has served the citizen’s demand for more transparency in the government by making the Commission more vulnerable to government pressure.

Japan on April 1, 2019 declared ‘Reiwa’ as the name of its new imperial era that will begin on May 1, 2019 once the new Crown Prince Naruhito ascends the Chrysanthemum Throne. Crown Prince Naruhito will succeed his father Emperor Akihito, who will abdicate the empire on April 30, 2019, putting an end to three decades long ‘Heisei’ era. Heisei which means achieving peace was the first era without a war in Japan’s modern history.

Kandhamal Haldi a variety of turmeric indigenous to southern Odisha earns Geographical indication (GI) tag. Kandhamal Haldi has more oleoresin and volatile oil contents compared to other turmeric varieties. It gives strong aroma and has a high medicinal value. The GI tag in India is governed by the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection Act), 1999.

Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced on April 1, 2019 that he will resign from his position before his mandate expires on April 28, 2019, after almost 20 years in office. Abdelaziz Bouteflika has been serving as the fifth President of Algeria since 1999. He was the Minister of Foreign Affairs earlier, from 1963 to 1979.

The Acting Secretary of Defence of the United States, Patrick Shanahan met South Korean Minister of National Defence Jeong Kyeong-doo in Washington on April 1, 2019 to discuss denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. Jeong’s visit comes a month after the second summit between the DPRK leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump in late February in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, which ended without an agreement.

During the state visit of the President Ram Nath Kovind to Bolivia, Bolivia has signed the framework agreement to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) which aims to provide a common platform to address the specific solar technology deployment needs of the solar resource-rich countries located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.