Global Innovation Index
- The index is released by Cornell University U.S, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and INSEAD (a France based International Business School).
- It ranks world economies according to their innovation capabilities using more than 80 indicators.
- India currently ranks 60th out of 127 countries on the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2017 as compared to 66th rank in 2016 and 81st rank in 2015.
- Switzerland remains the most innovative country followed by Sweden, Netherlands, US and UK.
- China is the first middle-income country that entered the top 25 ranking.
- It is computed based on the average of scores in two sub-indices i.e the Innovation Input Index & Innovation Output Index.
Strength
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Weakness
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ICT services exports (1st),
Creative goods export (18th) and
Growth rate of GDP per person (5th)
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Ease of starting a business (114th),
Ease of resolving insolvency (111th), Ease of paying taxes (118th).
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Government’s initiatives in boosting innovation
- NITI Aayog, DIPP and CII together launched “India Innovation Index”.
- It will rank states on Innovations through country’s first online innovation index portal that will capture data on innovation from all Indian states.
- The Smart India Hackathon and Smart India Hardware Hackathon have been launched to improve the innovative abilities of the students in the Higher Education Institutions.
- Projects like IMPRINT and Uchhatar Avishkar Yojana (UAY) focusing scientific community in promoting research and innovation.
- The Start-up India initiative has also put in place a mechanism for identifying and incubating the innovative ideas.
Mass Extinction Survivor
- The fossil of an aquatic reptile – sauropterygian which survived the mass extinction has been found recently.
- The Triassic – Jurrasic mass extinction has destroyed all aquatic species except this reptile clade.
- It is believed to have lived safe in the depths of the sea which enables it to survive.
White Spotted Bush Frog
- It is found only in the Western Ghats’ Agastya Hills in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
- It was rediscovered in 2011 after 125 years.
- It belongs to the category of tree frogs and breeds inside hollow bamboo stems.
- It is categorized as “Critically Endangered” in IUCN Red list.
- Male frogs watch over their eggs to guard them from cannibalizing by other male frogs.
- This is the first known instance of cannibalism among tree frogs of the Rhacophoridae family.
Resolution in UNSC on Jerusalem’s Status
- United States has recently recognized Jerusalem as the Israel’s capital, taking a stand against the two state solutions.
- Egypt has drafted a resolution in United Nation Security Council expressing deep regret at recent decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem.
- The resolution does not specifically mention about US President Donald Trump.
- The draft UN resolution had also called upon all countries to refrain from establishing diplomatic missions in Jerusalem.
- The resolution was voted in favor by all members of Security Council except the US which vetoed the resolution.
- Present ten non-permanent members (with end of term date) are Egypt (2017), Italy (2017), Japan (2017), Senegal (2017), Ukraine (2017), Uruguay (2017) Bolivia (2018), Ethiopia (2018), Kazakhstan (2018), Sweden (2018).
Forest Fires
- Forest Fires has been reported in Somanakadu valley, Charmadi range of Western Ghats.
- The range is located in Karnataka region of Western Ghats.
- It acts as a water source for Netravathi River which has many rivulets from this range as tributaries.
- Environmentalists have alleged that the forest fire is caused by estate owners to occupy the land after the region has completely been denuded.
Source: The Hindu, PIB
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