India Established Apparel Training Centre in Nigeria
• India set-up an apparel training centre in Nigeria to support textiles industry of the West African country on July 7, 2016. This is a first of its kind centre in Nigeria set-up in partnership with their government.
• The center is aimed to support and catalyse the initiative of the government of Nigeria in realising the objectives to rebuild the cotton & textile value chain and address the need for skilled workforce for domestic as well export* oriented apparel industry in the West African region.
• The centre has been established in Kaduna, Nigeria under the Cotton Technical Assistance Programme for Africa which is being implemented by the Indian Department of Commerce. It was inaugurated on June 22.
Government Approved MoU between India-Mauritius
• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Naiciulra Modi approved signing of a MoU between India and Mauritius to establish a framework for cooperation between the National Development Unit, In the sphere of rural development on July 4, 2016.
• The MoU will encourage corporation in the field of rural development and capacity building on the basis of equality and mutual benefit between both countries.
REPORT/INDEX
CSIR Ranked World’s 12th Best Government Institute
• The CSIR ranked world’s 12th best government institution, according to a report on July 26, 2016. Out of 746 institutions. France’s National Centre for Scientific Research was ranked first followed by Chinese Academy of Science (China).
• The institutes were ranked by a prestigious Scimago Institutions Rankings that ranks institutes based on the research performance, innovation and social Impact.
• CSIR had improved its position among government institutes after being at 14th spot for three consecutive years. The overall global ranking of CSIR also improved from 110 to 99th position.
India Ranked 110th on Sustainable Development Index
• India ranked a low 110 out of 149 nations assessed with regard to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, according to a new index which is topped by Sweden on July 21. 2016.
• The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the Bertelsmann Stiftung launched a new Sustainable Development Goal Index and Dashboard to provide a report card for tracking Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) progress and ensuring accountability.
• The index collected available data for 149 countries to assess where each country stands in 2016 with regard to achieving the SDGs.
• It ranks countries based on their performance across the 17 global goals, a set of ambitious objectives across the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic development, social inclusion and environmental sustainability, underpinned by good governance.
UNESCO Added 12 Stunning Sites to its World Heritage List
• Mistaken Point (Canada), Lut Desert (Iran), Archipielago de Revillagigedo (Mexico), Tien-Shan mountain range (Central Asia), Ennedi Massif (Chad), Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, Hubei Shennongjia (China), Khangchendzonga National Park (India), Ahwar of Southern Iraq (Iraq), Antigua Naval Dockyard (Antigua and Barbuda), Sanganeb Marine National Park (Sudan), and Pampulha Modem Ensemble (Brazil) were added in UNESCO list on July 15, 2016.
• Earlier, the archaeological site of Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University) in Bihar was also marked as a heritage site. The Capitol Complex in Chandigarh also made it to the list in 2016.
• India now has 35 sites, including 27 cultural properties, seven natural sites and one mixed site, notified as World Heritage Sites.
Read Also – National Current Affairs
India Ranked 91 in Networked Readiness Index 2016
• India was placed at 91st position in the Networked Readiness Index (NRI) 2016 that was released by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum (WEF) on July 6, 2016. Report is a key component of the World Economic Forum’s The Global Information Technology Report 2016.
• The report assesses the State of networked readiness of 1 39 economies using the NRI and examines the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in driving innovation.
• Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, Israel, Singapore, the Netherlands and the USA are leading the world when it comes to generating economic impact from investments in information and technology.
