Daily Current affairs - August 12th, 2017 for all competitive exams
The International Youth Day was observed
across the world on 12 August with the theme 'Youth Building Peace'.
- This year, the Day is aimed at celebrating young
people’s contributions in preventing conflicts and bringing about
transformations along with inclusion, social justice, and sustainable
peace.
Economic survey on Social Infrastructure,
Employment and Human Development
India, is emerging as a knowledge based
economy, poised for double digit growth, and needs to strengthen social
infrastructure by investing in health and education.
- The deterioration in quality learning in primary
education sector and achievement of targeted enrolment level in the middle
education is a challenge.
- Employment in India poses a great challenge in terms
of its structure which is dominated by informal, unorganized and seasonal
workers, and is characterized by high levels of under employment, skill
shortages, with the labour markets impacted by rigid labour laws, and the
emergence of contract labour.
- The health sector in India faces many challenges in
the form of declining role of public delivery of health services, high Out
of Pocket (OoP) expenses on health and issues of accessibility and
affordability of health services for many.
Economic survey on state of Agriculture and
Food Management
The progress in agriculture needs to be
evaluated in terms of outcomes such as catching up with global yields of
various crops as a means to increase incomes of farmers.
- Managing and reducing the various risks in
agriculture activities can make the sector resilient, increase
profitability and can ensure stable income flows to the farmers.
Push for law to ensure transparency rules
The Economic Survey has proposed Transparency of Rules Act (TORA), a legislation to end any asymmetry of information regarding
rules and regulations faced by an average citizen.
- The TORA is an attempt to change in some ways
the relationship between the average normal citizen and the State.
- TORA will require all departments to mandatorily
place all citizen-facing rules on their website. Officials will not be
able to impose any rule not mentioned beforehand.
- All laws will have to be updated by the department
while providing access to history of the same webpage.
Telangana Government Launches ‘Smart Streets
Lab’ in Hyderabad
The government of Telangana in
association with the World Resources Institute (WRI) India – Ross Centre and
the Indian School of Business (ISB) launched the ‘Smart Streets
Lab’ program.
- It is an effort to apply and figure out
technology-based solutions for women and road safety in Hyderabad.
- Through the ‘Smart Streets Lab’, the state
government aims to utilize technological interventions from outside and
integrate them with its various departments.
Odisha govt and Facebook launches
‘SheMeansBusiness’ programme
Odisha government has launched ‘She Means Business’ programme of Facebook for women entrepreneurs. Odisha government’s
partnership with Facebook aimed to reduce the digital divide and empower
nearly 25,000 women entrepreneurs and SHGs.
- Under the scheme 25, 000 women entrepreneurs and
self-help group (SHG) members will be given training on digital marketing
skills within next one year.
- Facebook will also make a database of entrepreneurs
in the state and will monitor their growth, turnover and profit after one
year. While success stories among them will be highlighted to inspire
others.
Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY)
Launched
The Government of India has decided to launch
a new sub-scheme named “Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY)” as
part of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission
(DAY-NRLM).
- The Self Help Groups under DAY-NRLM will operate
road transport service in backward areas.
- This will help to provide safe, affordable and
community monitored rural transport services to connect remote villages
with key services and amenities. AGEY will be initially
implemented in 250 Blocks in the country on Pilot basis.
Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta Re-elected
In Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta has been
re-elected as President following the election. Election Commission Head
Wafula Chebukati announced in Nairobi that Kenyatta got 54.27 per cent votes
beating his rival Raifa Odinga who got 44.74 per cent of votes.
- The opposition rejected the results even before they
were declared, calling the process a charade.
BIMSTEC meeting held in Kathmandu
The 15th ministerial meeting of the Bay of
Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
concluded recently in Kathmandu, endorsing the memorandum of understanding for
the establishment of BIMSTEC grid interconnection and also agreed to expedite
the negotiations for BIMSTEC Free Trade Area Agreement.
- The meeting of the BIMSTEC also pledged to deepen
cooperation for shared prosperity in the region. The meeting decided to
establish cells focused on areas, like energy, environment and culture,
among others, for effective cooperation and to elevate BIMSTEC as a
vibrant and visible regional cooperation. The meeting also decided to form
an eminent persons’ group to prepare the future roadmap of BIMSTEC.
CBFC Board Reconstituted
In exercise of the powers conferred by
sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Cinematograph
Act, 1952 and the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 1983, the Central
Government has reconstituted the existing Central Board of Film
Certification for a period of three years or until further orders, whichever is
earlier. The new board will be headed by Sh. Prasoon Joshi.
- Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is a
statutory body under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, regulating the public exhibition of films under the
provisions of the Cinematograph Act 1952.
Indian Bank Brings 2-tier Interest Rate for
Savings Accounts
According to the PSU lender Indian
Bank, it has introduced two tier interest rate structure for saving bank
accounts and will offer interest rate of 4 per cent per annum on savings
account with incremental balance of over Rs 50 lakh and 3.50 per cent per annum
for deposit up to Rs 50 lakh.
- The new interest rate will be effective from August
16, 2017.
Canara Bank Unveils Two New Digital Services
Canara Bank unveiled two new digital
services for online payments. Bharat QR (Quick Response) is for
payment settlement at merchant locations and Bharat Bill Payment System
(BBPS) is an integrated bill payment system for net banking customers.
- The first service is a mobile application, which
enables a merchant to accept payments as settlement for sale of goods or
services. The second product (BBPS), an initiative of the RBI offers
bill payment services to the bank's net banking customers with network of
agents.
Jet Airways Appoints Vinay Dube as CEO
Jet Airways India Ltd named Vinay
Dube as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Jet Airways has been
without a full-time CEO since Cramer Ball quit in February 2016.
- Mr. Dube is currently senior vice president, Asia
Pacific with Delta Air Lines Inc., one of the world’s largest and most
profitable airlines.
Milkha Singh Appointed WHO Goodwill Ambassador
Legendary Indian athlete Milkha
Singh has been appointed WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Physical
Activity in South-East Asia Region.
- Mr. Milkha will promote WHO South-East Asia Region's
NCD (non-communicable diseases) Prevention and Control Action Plan which
seeks to reduce the level of insufficient physical activity by 10 percent
and NCDs by 25 percent by 2025.
Dilip Asbe Appointed as Acting Chief Executive
of NPCI
National Payments Corporation of India
(NPCI) has appointed Dilip Asbe to act as its chief executive
officer in the wake of the retirement of A. P. Hota, its founding managing
director.
- Hota who had served as the MD of NPCI since its
inception retired recently. Asbe who currently serves as
the organisations’ chief operating officer will continue in the same
designation, but will also act as the chief executive of NPCI.
Reenat Sandhu Concurrently Accredited As Next
Ambassador of India to the Republic of San Marino
Ms. Reenat Sandhu, presently Ambassador
of lndia to ltaly, has been concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador
of lndia to the Republic of San Marino, with residence in Rome.
- She is expected to take up the assignment shortly.
Veteran Poet and Writer, Vijay Nambisan Passes
Away
Poet and writer Vijay Nambisan, who
became the first All India Poetry Champion in 1988, passed away. He co-authored
Gemini, a poetry book, with Jeet Thayil and Dom Moraes.
- He championed the ethical use of language and made
an appeal to readers, writers and enthusiasts of literature in his book
‘Language as an Ethic’. He was 54 years old.
Pakistan's 'Mother Teresa' Passes Away
Ruth Pfau, a German nun who devoted her
life to combatting leprosy in Pakistan, has died at the age of 87. Pfau,
who was known locally as Pakistan's Mother Teresa, came to the southern port
city of Karachi in 1960.
- She was the founder of Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre
in Karachi. She was honored by the state with the country's two
highest civilian awards, the Hilal-e-Imtiaz and the Hilal-e-Pakistan.
World’s Oldest Man Dies in Israel at 113
Israeli Holocaust survivor Yisrael
Kristal, certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest man,
died aged 113.
- Kristal, originally from Zarnow, Poland, was born on September 15, 1903, three months before the Wright brothers’ first successful powered airplane flight.
