Daily Current affairs - January 11th, 2018 for all competitive exams
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has rolled out a new two-tier security process that will come into effect from June 1.
- The UIDAI has introduced the concept of a virtual ID which an Aadhaar holder can use in lieu of his/her Aadhaar number at the time of authentication, besides sharing of ‘limited KYC’ with certain agencies.
- A Virtual ID (VID) will be a temporary 16-digit random number mapped with the Aadhaar number. There can only be one active and valid VID for an Aadhaar number at any given time and it will not be possible to derive the Aadhaar number from VID.
- The VID authentication will be similar to using Aadhaar numbers. However, since a VID is temporary, agencies will not be able to use it for de-duplication. Only the Aadhaar holder will be able to generate a VID and no other entity, including authentication user agencies (AUAs), can do it on their behalf.
Ministry of Railway Launches SFOORTI Application
The Ministry of Railways has launched Smart Freight Operation Optimisation & Real Time Information (SFOORTI) App for Freight Managers which provides features for monitoring and managing freight business using Geographic Information System (GIS) Views and Dashboard.
- The major digital initiative is to help plan the traffic flows and optimize freight operations.
Central Govt. raised Rs 1,200 crore from the sale of 2.5% stake in NMDC
The union government divested 2.5% in National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC).
- Out of the Rs 1,200 crore it raised, Rs 980 crore is from non-retail investors and Rs 232 from retail investors through the offer for-sale mechanism.
- To encourage retail participation, a discount of 5% on the cut-off price was offered to retail investors.
NMDC was incorporated in 1958 as a government owned public enterprise and is under the control of the steel ministry.
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PM sets targets for 115 backward districts
Prime Minister Narendra Modi told all Ministries to report on the initiatives taken up by them for 115 backward districts and also to come up with an action plan for these districts.
- This is part of a concerted effort by the government to focus attention on these districts.
- Last November, the NITI Aayog had appointed officials of the ranks of Additional Secretary and Joint Secretary asprabhari or in-charge to coordinate the efforts of the Centre and the States.
- The Prime Minister will also start his visits to these districts from April 14.
- The districts were identified on the basis of indicators of education, health, nutrition, basic infrastructure, rural household electrification, and access to potable water and individual toilets.
- Jharkhand tops the list, with 19 backward districts, followed by Bihar with 13 districts; Chhattisgarh is at the third spot with 10 districts. NITI Ayog is developing a real-time monitoring mechanism of key performance indicators and will rank the districts on a continuous basis.
MoU with Transport for London
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has signed an MoU with Transport for London. The MoU is aimed at using the expertise of TFL to revamp the public transport architecture in the country.
- The proposed MoU will help to revamp the public transport and augment passenger capacity by way of creating a sustainable public transport system. It will help in adopting best practices for policy reforms in the transport sector.
- It will also enable improved customer services, harness from scientific data analysis and implement effective IT systems in the transport sector.
TFL is the agency that manages the transport system for Greater London, and has demonstrated its capability by creating a strong and dependable public transport system in the city.
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BCI notice to MPs, MLAs on legal practice
The Bar Council of India, the country’s apex lawyers’ body, asked Members of Parliament and State Assembly legislators, who double up as advocates, to respond on why they should not be banned from legal practice.
- An expert committee of the Bar Council of India (BCI) is considering a plea filed by Supreme Court advocate Ashwini Upadhyay to ban lawmakers — Members of Parliament and Members of the State Legislative Assemblies — who practise as advocates, saying they are salaried public servants and cannot ride two horses at the same time.
- The committee, after considering the representation of the petitioner, has decided to issue notice to the MPs/MLAs and has invited their comments with regard to the representation
Maharashtra govt to create quota for orphans aspiring to take competitive exams
The Maharashtra state government is planning to provide a special category reservation for orphans taking competitive exams.
- In the current system, there is no option to categorize orphan children who are not aware of their parents’ caste or religion.
International Dharma-Dhamma Conference held in Bihar
4th International Dharma-Dhamma Conference on “State and Social Order in Dharma-Dhamma Traditions” was recently inaugurated at Rajgir in Nalanda district.
- The event is being organised as part of the commemorative events to celebrate the Silver Jubilee year of ASEAN-India Dialogue Partnership.
- Nalanda University, in collaboration with the Centre for Study of Religion and Society, India Foundation, Ministry of External Affairs and the Vietnam Buddhist University, is organising the conference.
- The central theme of the conference is the ideal state and just social order based on dharmic principles.
Goa bird festival held in Canacona
The second edition of the Goa Bird Festival is being held from January 12 to 14 at Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, Canacona.
- The festival will host some of the country’s top naturalists, photographers and artists as resource persons.
- The State Forest department is organising the event with the support of Goa Tourism, the Goa Bird Conservation Network (GBCN) and Birderpics.com.
- Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1968 as the second largest National Park in Goa.
China to fund base in Afghanistan
China will fund the construction of an Afghan counterterrorism base in Badakhshan province to block cross-border infiltration of ethnic Uyghur militants.
Chinese side would cover all material and technical expenses for this base — weaponry, uniforms for soldiers, military equipment and everything else necessary for its functioning.
- The decision to build the facility was taken during last month’s visit to China by Afghan Defence Minister Tariq Shah Bahrami.
South Korea, GCCI Sign MoU for Business Cooperation
An official delegation from South Korea and the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) signed a MoU for co-operation between industries in Gujarat and the East Asian country, with a focus on automobile, defence and textiles sectors.
- The main objective of the MoU is to help Gujarat-based small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to explore opportunities through joint ventures with South Korean firms, especially in areas of automobile, defence and textiles.
Charlie-435 commissioned in Puducherry
It is the state-of-the-art patrol vessel of the Indian Coast Guard which was commissioned at Karaikal in the Union Territory of Puducherry recently.
- The patrol vessel is equipped with modern navigation and communication systems.
Countdown Begins for ISRO’s 100th Satellite launch
ISRO has started 28 hour Countdown for its 100th Satellite ‘Cartosat-2’ from the space port of Sriharikota
- Indian Space Research Organization’s ISRO ‘PSLV-C40’ will carry the weather observation ‘Cartosat-2’ series satellite and 30 other satellites.
- The 28-hour countdown activity of PSLV-C40/Cartosat2 Series Satellite Mission has started at 05.29 hours IST today.
Kotak Mint its own Bitcoin KodakCoin
Kodak will team with blockchain developer WENN Digital, to launch a cryptocurrency KodakCoin
- The KodakOne platform will let photographers register and license their work using an encrypted, digital ledger. Users will also be able to accept payment for their work using a new cryptocurrency called KodakCoin.
- Blockchain is online ledger technology where transactions of digital currencies, like bitcoin, are recorded.
Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) index released
The Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) index, a perception-based index of mobility of goods and efficiency of logistics chain, has been released.
- LEADS is loosely based on the World Bank’s biannual Logistics Performance Index (LPI), on which India was ranked 35 among 160 countries in 2016, up from 54 in 2014.
- While Gujarat topped the first-of-its-kind index, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh took the second and third positions, respectively.
- The report has identified focus areas where action can help improve.
The Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) index is a composite indicator to assess international trade logistics across states and Union territories. It is based on a stakeholders’ survey conducted by Deloitte for the ministry of commerce and industry.
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Jeff Bezos Becomes Richest Person Surpassing Bill Gates: Bloomberg Report
Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon has become the richest man in the history, overtaking the wealth Bill Gates ever had to his name, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
- The Index showed that Bezos' net worth had hit USD 105.1 billion.
- According to Forbes' tracker, most of Bezos' wealth comes from his 78.9 million shares of Amazon stock. According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the top 3 richest people in the world are Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.
Renowned scientist Sivan K was appointed as the chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation
Union Government appointed scientist as the chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
- He will replace current chairman A S Kiran Kumar.
- Sivan, at present is the Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre; he will succeed Kiran Kumar, who was appointed on January 12, 2015.
IOA Appoints Harjinder Singh as 'Chef de Mission' for Winter Olympics 2018
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) appointed Harjinder Singh as the Chef De Mission for the 23rd Winter Olympic Games to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea in February 2018.
- Harjinder Singh is at present the General Secretary in the Ice Hockey Association of India.
India to play T20Is against Ireland
India will tour Ireland, its first visit to the country since 2007, for a couple of T20Is in June before the full series in England from July to September
- India last toured Ireland in 2007 when it played an ODI at Belfast, which the visitors won by nine wickets (via D/L method).
- India has played Ireland just once in the T20 format when the two sides met in Nottingham during the 2009 World T20.
