Current affairs : September 7, 2016
Expansion of India – Chile Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA)
India and Chile have signed a pact on the
expansion of the India–Chile Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), which is
expected to considerably strengthen the commercial relations between both the
countries.
- Chile has offered concessions to India on 1798 tariff lines with margin of preference (extent to which duties are lower than those offered to other countries) ranging from 30% to100%.
- India’s offer to Chile is on 1,031 products with a margin of preference between 10% and 100%.
Health Ministry
launches the biggest Leprosy Case Detection Campaign in the country
In a bid to eradicate Leprosy from India,
Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has launched the biggest Leprosy Case Detection Campaign (LCDC) in the country across 149 districts of 19 states/UTs.
- This is a fortnight-long campaign. It will cover 1656 blocks/urban areas of these districts and screen a total of 32 crore people for leprosy.
- For this purpose, 297604 teams comprising of one lady ASHA worker and one male volunteer each would visit every house in their allotted area and screen all the family members for leprosy.
Gas4India campaign
The center has launched Gas4India campaign,
aimed at promoting the use of gas in the country.
- The campaign includes social engagement via Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, LinkedIn, and its official blogsite, as well as hyper local, offline events to directly connect with consumers through discussions, workshops and cultural events.
- Public and private sector companies working in the sector have joined hands to promote the natural gas sector.
1st phase of ESIC's pilot project of telemedicine services inaugurated
Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya inaugurated the first phase of telemedicine services of Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) for providing specialist medical services at a distance to insured workers.
- With this facility, ESIC Model Hospital at Basaidarapur has been connected with three ESIS dispensaries at Katihar (Bihar), Unnao (UP) and Rudarpur (Uttrachal).
Rs.20,000 Crore Long
Term Irrigation Fund to be Raised
In a move that aims to address the perennial
irrigation water crisis affecting rural India, Ministry of Water Resources,
River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and NABARD signed an agreement to
operationalise the Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF) to be instituted in NABARD
as part of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).
- The agreement aims to complete the 99 prioritized irrigation projects as part of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).
- The loans from NABARD will be provided at 6% interest rate for a period of 15 years. The Water Users associations will be formed for participatory management of the projects.
Govt approves 6
start-up centres:
The Central government has approved six proposals to set up centres of excellence to promote and fund start-ups under
the National Initiative for Development and Harnessing Innovation (NIDHI), a
programme steered by the Department of Science and Technology.
- The government has earmarked ₹500 crore to scale up the start-up eco system, under which seed funding of up to ₹10 lakh will be given to develop a prototype and access fabrication facilities in incubators.
CSCs may assemble LED
lamps to boost rural economy: Prasad
Looking at tapping the 2.29 lakh Common Service Centers (CSCs) in the country to boost rural economy, the government is
planning to enable assembly and manufacturing of LED lights at these centers.
- The government, through these centers, also will provide in rural regions, tele-consultation services for animal healthcare as well as legal issues. Kits for testing of dieseses such as malaria and dengue will also be made available at these centers.
Ministry of DoNER goes LIVE on e-office:
The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region has gone LIVE
on e-office. Required arrangements have been made.
- The e-office platform would not only digitize the entire office correspondence and file notings, but also ensure an audit trail of all entries and correspondence, thus providing an unprecedented level of accountability.
- It also migrates the chain of custody from the individual to the system allowing easy access to relevant documents at all times.
Helpline no. 14401 for info on power cuts launched
The Department of Telecom (DoT) has created ‘Urja Mitra Helpline’ through which customers can get information on power outages from distribution companies by dialling 14401.
India's light utility helicopter maiden flight successful
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has successfully completed test flight of indigenous Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) Bengaluru.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has successfully completed test flight of indigenous Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) Bengaluru.
- The LUH will replace the military’s obsolescent fleet of Chetak and Cheetah helicopters that have flown for over three decades.
Assam CM inaugurates Asia's biggest digital library in Silchar
On the occasion of the 55th Teachers’ Day Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated Asia’s biggest digital library dedicated to the memory of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India, in NIT Silchar.
UN Charter translated into Sanskrit
The UN Charter, the seminal treaty of the United Nations, has now been translated into Sanskrit.
- The Charter is available in all six official languages of the UN.
Sri Lanka is malaria free:
The World Health Organisation has certified that Sri Lanka is a
malaria-free nation.
- Sri Lanka had been among the most malaria-affected countries in the mid-20th century. But, the country had begun an anti-malaria campaign that successfully targeted the mosquito-borne parasite that causes the disease, not just mosquitoes.
Grauer’s gorilla:
Grauer’s gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri), a subspecies of
eastern gorilla, the world’s largest ape, and confined to eastern Democratic
Republic of Congo, has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red
List of Threatened Species.
- The announcement was made at the IUCN World Conservation Congress currently underway in Hawaii. Critically Endangered status means that a species is considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction.
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LIFFI: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Tannishtha Chatterjee win Best Actors award
Nawazuddin Siddiqui won the Best Actor award for his role in 'Manjhi-The Mountain Man'.
- Tannishtha Chatterjee won the award for her role in 'Rough Book'.
- Anant Mahadevan won the Best Director honour at the debut edition of the Lonavla International Film Festival India (LIFFI).
Filmmaker K G George to
be Honoured With J C Daniel Award
National award winner and veteran director
K G George has been selected for the JC Daniel award 2015.
- Kerala Government's highest honor for outstanding contribution to Malayalam cinema.
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John Abraham roped in as brand ambassador of Arunachal Pradesh
The government of Arunachal Pradesh has roped in Bollywood bighead John Abraham as a brand ambassador for state tourism to boost tourism with the help of actor.
