Prelim Bits 19-12-2017

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 81^st 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.

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