16th January 2018 The Hindu and PIB Daily Current Affairs

1. Vajra-Prahar:

Indo-US Joint military exercise
It was started in 2010 and is conducted annually.

2. IPrism:

• IP (Intellectual Property) competition for college and university students .
• It was launched by CIPAM [Cell for IPR promotion and Management] and DIPP [Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion]
• IPrism aims to foster culture of innovation and creativity in younger generation.
• National IPR Policy was adopted in May, 2016.

3. AIIMS Resident Doctors' Association challenged National Medical Commission Bill, 2017

National Medical Commission Bill: 

-It replaces  Medical Council of India(MCI) with National Medical Commission(NMC)
-NMC will regulate medical institutions, practitioners, infrastructure.
- NMC will give guideline for determination of fees for up to 40% seats in private medical institutions & deemed universities
- Uniform entrance exam to undergraduate courses NEET will be held for all institutions
- National Licentiate Exam - This will be for obtaining license for practice after under graduation .

Controversy:
-The bill is being disputed as anti-poor and will put medical education in hands of rich and powerful.
-Indian Medical Association opposes it since NMC would allow empowering of substandard Doctors and medical practice

Hence this will impact patient care & safety.

4. Operation Digital Board

• This will be launched in all schools within 5 years.
• It is to provide better digital education , new opportunities, new ways of teaching & learning to schools.
• It will be on lines of Operation Blackboard  of 1987 which was started with purpose of providing minimum basic facilities to all primary schools.
• The resolution was taken at 65th CABE (Central Advisory Board of Education) meeting

5. India-Israel 

-Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu 2nd to visit India
1st was Ariel Sharon visited in 2003.

-9 Agreements signed on Film co-production, Cyber Security Cooperation, Air Transport, cooperation in Oil & Gas sector, research in Homeopathic Medicine, concentrated Solar Thermal Technology, Space, etc.

-Israel will also strike twin-city agreement between Vadodara (Gujarat) & Ashkelon (Israel) and will redevelop 143 year old Jewish cemetery in Vadodara which can be a tourist attraction.

-Teen Murti Chowk in New Delhi renamed as Teen Murti-Haifa after Israeli city Haifa to mark centenary year of Battle of Haifa.

[Teen Murti chowk was named after Hyderabad, Jodhpur  & Mysore Lancers who were part of brigade of British Indian Army that carried out victorious assault on fortified city of Haifa in battle fought on 23rd September, 1918 during World War-1]

6. India ranks 30th on WEF's Global Manufacturing Index (GMI) among 100 countries

• The index was part of WEF's 1st Readiness for the future of Production report
• 4 categories of countries- Leading, High Potential, Legacy(India) & Nascent
• GMI was topped by Japan.
• India is 5th largest manufacturer in world.
• WEF is independent international not-for-profit organization headquartered in Geneva and incorporated in 1971.

7. 7th Rashtriya Sanskrit Mahotsav,2018 held in Bengluru, Karnataka

- It was held under Ek Bharat, Shreshthha Bharat programme which was launched on Ekta Diwas (31st October, 2015)
- It aims to celebrate national integration and idea of unity in diversity of country.

Ek Bharat Shreshthha Bharat was launched to promote engagement among people of different states by pairing them.