Daily Current Affairs 09 June 2023 – IAS Current Affairs
Current Affairs 09 June 2023 focuses on Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :
The Copernicus System
Source : The Hindu
GS III : Science and Technology
Overview
- What is the purpose of The Copernicus System?
- About The Copernicus System
Why in News ?
June 8, 2023 marks the 25th anniversary of Copernicus, the earth observation component of the European Union’s space programme.
About Copernicus System
- It aims to provide information on the earth’s environment to aid sectors like agriculture, climate change, disaster management, urban planning, and more.
- It was launch in the year 1998
- Previous it was named Global Monitoring for Environment and Security Programme (GMES)
How it Works?
- Copernicus integrates satellite and non-space data, including ground-based, airborne, and seaborne measurement systems, to offer data related to earth observation.
- The mission relies on a group of satellites, called Sentinel satellites, for gathering data.
- Implementing agency – Copernicus was implemented by member states in association with
- The European Space Agency (ESA)
- The European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT)
- The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)
- EU Agencies and Mercator Océan.
- It is managed by the European Commission.
- Access – Its data is freely available for anyone to access.
National Exit Test (NExT)
Source : Prelims
GS II : Education
Overview
- What is the purpose of National Exit Test (NExT)?
- What are the objectives?
Why in News ?
Union Health Ministry announced that the National Exit Test (NExT) will be held in 2024.
About National Exit Test (NExT)
- It will replace the final-year MBBS examination and the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Postgraduate (NEET-PG), acting as the test for registration for doctors and admission to medical postgraduate courses.
- The combined NExT exam will also serve as the mandatory licentiate examination for undergraduate medical students to practice modern medicine in India.
Objectives
- The importance of the NExt lies in the fact that it will be the same for everyone whether trained in India or any part of the world and hence it will solve the problem of foreign medical graduates (FMGs) and mutual recognition.
India and Serbia
Source : AIR
GS II : International Relation
Overview
- About the meet India and Serbia?
- Where Serbia located?
- India Serbia Relations
Why in News ?
President Droupadi Murmu visited Serbia and reviewed the bilateral relations.
About the meet India and Serbia?
Outcomes
- Both the leaders agreed to set a target for bilateral trade from the present 320 million euros to one billion euros by the end of the decade.
- Serbian President promised simplification of the issue of Visa to Indians and hoped that direct flights between the two countries will begin soon.
- A high-powered business delegation consisting of members from three Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) also held talks with a business delegation from Serbia.
Where Serbia located?
- Serbia is a landlocked country.
- The capital of Serbia is Belgrade.
- It is situated at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the far southern edges of the Pannonian Plain and the central Balkans.
- Serbia shares its borders with eight other European countries:
- Kosovo
- Macedonia, and Montenegro to the south
- Bosnia and Croatia to the west
- Hungary to the north
- Romania and Bulgaria to the east.
- The most significant mountains in Serbia are Kopaonik, Tara, Zlatibor, Stara Planina and Golija.
- The highest peak in Serbia is Djeravica on Prokletije.
- Rivers: The Danube flows 588 km through Serbia or as a border river.
India Serbia Relations
- The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme was extended to Serbia in 2008 and since then 160 Serbian ITEC trainees have undergone training in India.
- Serbian military officers are also availing UN Peacekeeping training courses in India.
- Visas: Serbia unilaterally abolished visas for 30 days’ stay in a year for Indian nationals holding ordinary passports w.e.f. 2nd September 2017.
- Number of Indian tourists visiting Serbia have increased substantially since then.
- Economic & Commercial Relations: Bilateral trade at US$ 198.5 m in 2017 registered an increase of 39% as compared to 2016 with Indian exports worth US$ 187.6 m and imports US$ 10.9 m.
- Bilateral trade increased further by 8.2% in 2018 to reach US$ 214.8 million with Indian exports of US$ 202.6 million.
- Joint Economic Committee: The India-Serbia JEC was established under the Agreement on Trade & Economic Cooperation signed in 2006.
- Cultural Relations: There is also a lot of interest in Serbia on Indian leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and Rabindranath Tagore. Tagore visited Serbia in 1926 and gave two lectures in Belgrade University.
- Serbia has two streets named after Mahatma Gandhi and Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru with the busts of the two leaders.
- Serbia co-sponsored India’s Resolutions at the UN for declaring October 2 as International Day of NonViolence and June 21 as International Day of Yoga.
Atlantic declaration
Source : The Hindu
GS III : Science and Technology
Overview
- About Atlantic Declaration
Why in News ?
US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak agreed on an Atlantic declaration.
About Atlantic Declaration
About Atlantic Declaration
- The Atlantic Declaration and accompanying Action Plan form the basis of a new type of innovative partnership across the full spectrum of economic, technological, commercial, and trade relations.
- It is the “first of its kind” in covering the broad spectrum of the two countries.
- It will constitute a new economic security framework covering ever-closer cooperation on critical and emerging technologies and stronger protective toolkits.
- It will support the United States and the United Kingdom in efforts to harness the energy transition and technological breakthroughs to drive broadly shared growth, create good jobs, and leave no community behind.
- It will explore ways to deepen trade and investment relationships.
- Other focused areas: Partnering on an inclusive and responsible digital transformation,
- Building the clean energy economy of the future, and
- Further strengthening our alliance across defense, health security, and space.
What are the Objectives?
- Both countries announced a new strategic pact as their leaders rededicated the “special relationship” to counter Russia, China, and economic instability.
- It aims to boost industry ties on defense and renewable energy, in the face of growing competition from China.
- It will allow them to explore increased cooperation in other areas for mutual economic benefit.
What are the Challenges?
- They face new challenges to international stability – from authoritarian states such as Russia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC)
- Disruptive technologies;
- Non-state actors; and
- Transnational challenges like climate change.
Future Outlook
- They must keep pace with changes in the world around them and adapt alliances to them.
- The global economy is undergoing one of the greatest transformations since the Industrial Revolution. Breakthroughs in innovation offer enormous potential if they can harness them to work for, not against
- The transition to the clean energy economies of the future is an opportunity to improve jobs and livelihoods and deepen the resilience of our economies.
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