Daily Current affairs - September 12th, 2017 for all competitive exams
The Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, headed by Congress leader Anand Sharma, is deliberating on electoral reforms.
- The Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India have told a parliamentary panel that the existing first-past-the-post system needs to be replaced with a hybrid format where elections for a small number of seats are through proportional representation.
- The committee sought the views of all political parties in the backdrop of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections held in March this year in which the BJP got 39% of the vote share but won 312 seats, while the Samajwadi Party with 21.8% votes got 47 seats and the Bahujan Samaj Party with 22.2% got 19 seats.
Deogarh named Odisha’s first open defecation free district
Deogarh, which became the first open defecation-free (ODF) district in Odisha, has decided to give villages having 100% toilet usage priority in government programmes to keep the cleanliness and sanitation momentum going.
- Deogarh had completed providing individual household latrines in all the villages across the district by July end.
- Upon achievement the target, the district was recently declared ODF.
Maha Pushkaram on the Cauvery begins
All is set for the conduct of the Maha Pushkaram in the course of the River Cauvery on several points in her journey through Tamil Nadu on September 12, when thousands of devotees are expected to congregate at the focal point Thula Kattam at Mayiladuthurai in Nagapattinam district.
- The celestial transit of Plant Jupiter from Kanni Rasi to Thula Rasi in the almanac is said to be the Maha Pushkaram period.
Uttarakhand ropes in HNB Garhwal University students to clean Ganga
Uttarakhand-based Hemawati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University has signed a MoU with Namami Gange Project for Ganga Conservation.
- Under Namami Gange project, the University will initiate activities like holding events, seminars and conferences to make strong pitch for public outreach and community participation.
- The Union government approved “Namami Gange” Program in May 2015. It integrates the efforts to clean and protect the Ganga River in a comprehensive manner.
New observers for Ayodhya site
The Supreme Court directed the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court to nominate two additional district judges within 10 days as observers to deal with the upkeep and maintenance of the disputed Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya.
- A Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra passed the order after Rakesh Dwivedi, counsel for the Allahabad High Court registry, informed it that one of the observers had retired and the other was elevated as a judge of the High Court.
- The court on August 11 said it would commence the final hearing in the long-standing Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute from December 5, a day before the 25th anniversary of the demolition of the medieval-era structure.
FSSAI launches online platform for food inspection, sampling
To bring in transparency in food safety inspection and sampling, food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has put in place a nationwide online platform called ‘FoSCoRIS’ and has asked states to adopt this system as it would help eliminate discrepancy and make food safety officers accountable.
- The web-based ‘FoSCoRIS’ system will help verify compliance of food safety and hygiene standards by food businesses as per the government norms.
- The new system will bring together all key stakeholders — food businesses, food safety officers (FSOs), designated officers, state food safety commissioners — on a nation-wide IT platform and data related to inspection, sampling and test result data will be shared seamlessly by all the officials.
Firm signal on bullet train project
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, will lay the groundwork for the next level of collaboration during the annual summit meeting to be held in Gandhinagar.
- The high point of the visit was likely to be the joint inauguration of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail project and bilateral security dialogue.
- Mr. Abe begins a two-day visit on September 13 during which he and Mr. Modi will hold wide-ranging bilateral discussions covering bilateral and global issues. This will be the fourth annual summit between them.
UN Security Council Unanimously Steps Up Sanctions Against North Korea
The United Nations Security Council unanimously stepped up sanctions against North Korea over the country’s sixth and most powerful nuclear test on Sept. 3, imposing a ban on the country’s textile exports and capping imports of crude oil.
- It was the ninth sanctions resolution unanimously adopted by the 15-member council since 2006 over North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs.
India to further aid Afghan troops
India agreed to enhance existing assistance to Afghan security forces, including in capacity building and training of Afghan soldiers in India.
- This decision made during a Partnership Council meeting held in New Delhi.
- The meeting was the first high-level engagement between India and Afghanistan since the announcement of a new ‘South Asia policy for Afghanistan’ by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Ultra-thin craft may wrap and destroy space junk
Scientists are developing an ultra-thin spacecraft that can remove space debris – which potentially threaten satellites or astronauts – by enveloping junk in the Earth’s orbit and dragging it through the atmosphere, causing it to burn up.
- The Brane Craft, being developed by US-based Aerospace Corporation, is a flexible and less than half the thickness of a human hair.
- The spacecraft is designed to be resilient. Its microprocessor and digital electronics are fabricated in a way to ensure that if one component gets damaged, the others will continue to work.
Twitter testing feature to let you tweetstorm with ease
- Twitter is reportedly testing a feature that will simplify the way users post “tweetstorms” — a series of related tweets posted by a user in quick succession. According to a report by Engadget, a user has found a hidden, experimental “tweetstorm” feature in Twitter’s Android app.
IndusInd Bank, MFI Bharat Financial in merger talks
IndusInd Bank, which has been looking to expand its microfinance business, has begun ‘exclusive’ talks for a merger with micro lender Bharat Financial Inclusion (formerly SKS Microfinance).
- Bharat Financial has a presence in 18 States covering one lakh villages. IndusInd Bank has 1,210 branches and 2,090 ATMs.
Oldest woman in Kerala to give birth via IVF passes away
Bhavani Amma, the oldest woman in the Kerala State who gave birth to a child through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer (ET) method, died.
- It was reported that Bhavani could perhaps be the third oldest woman in the world to give birth to a child.
- Bhavani, a retired school teacher from Muvattupuzha, gave birth to a boy at the age of 62, on April 12, 2004, through a Caesarean section. The child, Kannan, died at the age of two.
