9th Dec Daily current affairs for UPSC Civil Service Exam 2017

Wassenaar Arrangement

• India has been admitted as the 42nd member of Wassenaar Arrangement.
• Members are admitted based on the consensus of the existing members.
• A country must also meet certain criteria such as compliance to a range of global non-proliferation treaties including NPT to get admitted to the arrangement.
• U.S backed the admission of India in the aftermath of signing of civil nuclear cooperation in 2005.
• Barring China, all permanent members of UNSC are signatories.
• Upon becoming the member, India will get access to high technology which will help address the demands of Indian Space and defence sectors.
• It will also boost India’s chances of joining Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
• Earlier this year, India had updated its export control lists to bring them in line with international standards, including those required by the Wassenaar Arrangement.

Global Compact for Migration

• It is the first intergovernmental negotiated agreement under the auspices of UN to cover all dimensions of migration.
• The agreement was signed in the UNGA by adopting a non-binding political declaration “New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants” in 2016.
• The declaration pledged to uphold the rights of refugees, help them resettle and ensure they have access to education.
• All the 193 member countries of UNGA became the part global pact for migration.
• It is framed consistent with target 10.7 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• Under the agenda, member States committed to cooperate internationally to facilitate safe, orderly and regular migration.
• United States has recently withdrawn from this pact, saying that the declaration is inconsistent with its policies.

Trachoma

• It is a chronic infective disease of the eye and a leading cause of corneal blindness in India, affecting young children.
• It is caused by poor environmental and personal hygiene and inadequate access to water and sanitation.
• According to the National Trachoma Survey Report (2014-17), India has become free from Trachoma with an overall prevalence found to be only 0.7%, much below the criteria set by WHO.
• According to WHO, active trachoma is considered eliminated if the prevalence of active infection among children below 10 years is less than 5%.
• Trachoma is no longer a public health problem in India.
• The disease is found to be affecting the population in certain pockets of north Indian states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and the Nicobar Islands.

World’s largest free-trade Agreement

• The European Union and Japan concluded negotiations on a free-trade deal to create the world's largest open economic area.
• It will remove EU tariffs of 10 per cent tariffs on Japanese cars and the 3 per cent rate typically applied to car parts.

Bodhi Parva

• It is a BIMSTEC Festival of Buddhist Heritage held recently in New Delhi.
• It is celebrated as a part of 20th anniversary of BIMSTEC.
• It involves exhibition of international and Indian Buddhist art and architecture, discourses by eminent scholars of Buddhism, screening of film on Buddhism, dance and music performances etc.
• It will help in building an awareness of BIMSTEC's rich and common heritage.

Source: The Hindu, PIB, BusinessLine