10 May 2018: UPSC Exam PIB Summary & Analysis

Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Tourism Ministers’ conference 

• The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism and Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Shri K. J. Alphons attended the Tourism Ministers’ conference by Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Wuhan, China.
• The participants exchanged their expertise in implementing state policies and developing national legislation in the sphere and also discussed international tourist fairs and exhibitions organised with support from the SCO member states’ national tourism agencies.
• The SCO Tourism Cooperation Development Programme was adopted at the SCO Summit in Tashkent on 24 June 2016.
• The Joint Action Plan on the implementation of the SCO Tourism Cooperation Programme for 2019-2020 is expected to be approved as part of the SCO Heads of State Council Meeting on 9-10 June 2018 in Qingdao.

About SCO

• The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation proclaimed in Shanghai on June 15, 2001 by six countries – People’s Republic of China, Russian Federation, Republic of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Tajikistan and Republic of Uzbekistan.
• In addition to the six member states, the SCO has two new acceding members, Indian and Pakistan, four observer nations, and six dialogue partners.
• The SCO’s headquartersis in 
• The main purposes of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation are: strengthening mutual trust and good-neighborly relations among member states; promoting their effective cooperation in political affairs, economy and trade, scientific-technical, cultural, and educational spheres as well as in energy, transportation, tourism, and environment protection fields..

Top 30 Innovations of the Atal Tinkering Marathon Showcased

• On the eve of the National Technology Day, ATL Marathon’s Top 30 Innovations were showcased.
• In an effort to identify India’s best student innovators, Atal Tinkering Labs of the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of NITI Aayog, organized an Atal TinkeringMarathon.
• It is a six month long nationwide challenge across six different thematic areas, namely, clean energy, water resources, waste management, healthcare, smart mobility and agri-tech.
• The Top 30 teams are being awarded with several prizes including a three month-long ATL Student Innovator Program (ATL SIP) in partnership with industry and start-up incubator. 
• ATL schools will be offered a participation voucher to World Robotics Olympiad (WRO), which is a global innovation challenge.

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