Prelim Bits 16-06-2017

National Mission on Cultural Mapping of India

With a view to converting the vast and widespread cultural canvas of India into an objective cultural map, Ministry of Culture will launch the implementation of the national mission of cultural mapping of India.

Objectives:

• To envision and address the necessity of preserving the threads of rich Indian Art and Cultural Heritage.
• To Convert vast and widespread cultural canvass of India into an objective Cultural Mapping.
• To Design a mechanism to fulfill the aspirations of the whole artist community of the nation.
• To Preserve the rich cultural heritage of this country for future generations.
• To create a strong “Cultural Vibrancy” throughout the nation.

Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat

• It was announced by Hon’ble Prime Minister on 31st October, 2015 on the occasion of the 140th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
• Through this innovative measure, the knowledge of the culture, traditions and practices of different States & UTs will lead to an enhanced understanding and bonding between the States, thereby strengthening the unity and integrity of India.
• All States and UTs will be covered under the programme. There will be pairing of States/UTs at national level and these pairings will be in effect for one year, or till the next round of pairings.
• The activity will be very useful that will connect people through exchanges in areas of culture, tourism, language, education trade etc. and citizens will be able to experience the cultural diversity of a much larger number of States/UTs while realising that India is one.

International Tribunal for the Law of the Seas

• ITLOS is an intergovernmental organization created by the mandate of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea. The body governs the laws on international waters.
• The Convention entered into force in 1994, and established an international framework for law over "all ocean space, its uses and resources".
• The tribunal is based in Hamburg, Germany. There are currently 167 signatories, 166 states plus the European Union.
• Dr Neeru Chadha has become the first Indian woman to be elected as a judge at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Seas (ITLOS).

India top remittance-receiving country

• Indians working across the globe sent home USD 62.7 billion last year, making India the top remittance-receiving country surpassing China, according to a UN report.
• In the decade between 2007 and 2016, India surpassed China to become the top receiving country for remittances.
• The top 10 sending countries account for almost half of annual flows, led by the US, Saudi Arabia and Russia.
• The ‘One Family at a Time’ study by the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) said, Total migrant earnings are estimated at $3 trillion annually, approximately 85% of which remains in the host countries.
• The money sent home averages less than one per cent of their host’s GDP.