Daily Current affairs - January 20th, 2018 for all competitive exams
India was recently admitted as the 43rd member of
the Australia Group, an informal bloc of countries that keeps a tight control
over exports of substances used in the making of chemical weapons.
- With
its admission into the Australia Group, India is now part of three of the
four key export control groups in the world. This includes the Missile
Technology Control Regime—an informal and voluntary partnership among 35
countries that regulates trade in sensitive equipment and technologies to
ensure there is no proliferation of missile and unmanned aerial vehicle
technology capable of carrying payloads above 500kg for more than 300km.
Last month, India joined the Wassenaar Arrangement, which is also an
informal grouping of 42 countries, exercising control over the export of
dual-use goods and technologies.
- The
only export control group that India is not a part of is the elite Nuclear
Suppliers Group (NSG), which controls the export of sensitive nuclear
technologies and equipment, with the aim of preventing nuclear weapons’
proliferation.
The Australia Group works to counter the spread of
materials, equipment and technologies that could contribute to the
development or acquisition of chemical and biological weapons (CBW) by states
or terrorist groups. It was established in 1985.
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MoE&IT announced Cyber Surakshit Bharat
initiative
Recognizing the need to strengthen the
cybersecurity ecosystem in India, the Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology (MeitY) has announced the Cyber Surakshit Bharat initiative in
association with National e-Governance Division (NeGD) and industry partners.
- Conceptualized
with the mission to spread awareness about cybercrime and building
capacity for safety measures for Chief Information Security Officers
(CISOs) and frontline IT staff across all government departments, Cyber
Surakshit Bharat will be operated on the three principles of Awareness,
Education and Enablement. The primary objective is to keep our data safe
and protected.
Union Government to come up with India’s first
National Urban Policy framework
The Union government is set to come up with
India’s first National Urban Policy framework by March this year.
- The
housing and urban affairs ministry has appointed a panel, headed
by Smart City Mission Director Sameer Sharma, to develop the
policy framework.
- With
the New Urban Agenda, India is looking internally and trying to see how we
can align with it and come up with a National Urban Policy.
- The National
Urban Policy will focus on 10 main areas such as cooperative
federalism, agglomeration economies, harnessing rural-urban continuum,
inclusive growth, sustainability, empowering local-level institutions,
sound housing and urban infrastructure finance system, social justice and
gender equity, and robust urban information system.
India’s first-ever ‘Livability Index’ to rank 116 cities
Central Government announced the commencement of
the country’s first-ever ‘Livability Index’ to rank 116 cities. The result of the
exercise will be announced in June.
- The
Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has decided to assess the livability
standard of 116 Indian cities, which include the identified Smart Cities
and few more cities with a population of over 1 million.
- Among
the cities to be assessed for the ‘Livability Index’, include Delhi’s
three municipal corporations, Bangalore (Karnataka), Kochi (Kerala),
Ghaziabad, Meerut, Varanasi, Allahabad and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) and
Faridabad in Haryana.
The cities will be assessed on 15 core parameters
like governance, social infrastructure, education, employment, health and
safety and security.
Arun Jaitley Launches National CSR Data Portal
& Corporate Data Portal
The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate
Affairs, Arun Jaitley launched the National CSR Data Portal &
Corporate Data Portal in Delhi.
- This
initiative is a significant step towards driving accountability and
transparency for corporate India.
- The
portals’ easy accessibility to the general public will ensure a high level
of compliance and will also help in institutionalising and consolidating
the CSR activities.
India’s Financial Sector Assessment Program
report released
The two main Reports of the 2017 India Financial
Sector Assessment Programme (FSAP) – the Financial System Stability Assessment
(FSSA) and Financial Sector Assessment (FSA), were recently released by the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Last FSAP for India was
conducted in 2011-12.
- The
Report providing ‘Detailed Assessment of Observance—Basel Core Principles
for Effective Banking Supervision’ has been released by the IMF and the
World Bank and the Report providing ‘Detailed Assessment of Observance of
Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL) Central Counter Party (CCP)
and Trade Repository (TR)’, was released by the World Bank.
- The
FSAP report acknowledges many efforts by Indian authorities like tackling
Non-Performing Assets (NPAs), recent recapitalization measures for banks
and introduction of special resolution regime, formalization of National
Pension System (NPS) and making the pension sector regulator statutory,
passing of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and setting up of Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI), to name a few.
- It
appreciates initiatives such as ‘no frills’ account (under Jan Dhan
Yojana), promoting digitization, introduction of unique biometric
identification number (AADHAR), currency exchange initiative etc. It also
recognizes the improved inter-agency co-operation since the establishment
of Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC), supported by its
Sub-Committee and four technical groups and progress in setting up of
Financial Data Management Centre (FDMC).
The Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP), established
in 1999, is a comprehensive and in-depth assessment of a country’s financial
sector. It is a joint program of the International Monetary Fund and the
World Bank.
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Odisha e-Hospital Management system launched
The state government launched Odisha e-Hospital
Management Information System (OeHMIS) in which paperwork would be reduced and
diagnostic reports, prescription details and doctor’s advices would be found at
the click of a mouse.
- The
pilot project, launched by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, will get
technical support of the Centre for the Development of Advanced Computing
(CDAC).
- Under
the OeHMIS, patients can be registered online. They can view and download
their individual Electronic Health Records through a web portal or mobile
app.
- The
system will first be effective at Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar and SCB
Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack. The initiative will later be
extended to other health institutions.
Election Commission recommends disqualification
of 20 AAP MLAs
The Election Commission has recommended that 20 MLAs
of the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi be disqualified as they held offices of profit
while being legislators.
- President
Ram Nath Kovind will make the final decision based on the recommendation.
In June 2016, the Congress had approached the Election
Commission, alleging that 21 MLAs of the AAP had been appointed parliamentary
secretaries in March 2015. In September 2016, the Delhi High Court set aside
their appointments as parliamentary secretaries.
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London council votes for ‘Trump-free zone’
A local council in east London has voted in
favour of declaring its area a “Trump-free zone” if the U.S. President was to
visit the U.K.
- Tower
Hamlets Council, the local authority headed by the Opposition Labour party
in what is known as London’s East End, unanimously voted in favour of an
independent councillor’s motion to declare the borough “closed” to Donald
Trump
US government officially shutdowns for first time in 5 years
The US government officially shutdown for the
first time in five years after lawmakers failed to agree on a spending deal.
- Despite
last minute bipartisan meetings, the bill to fund the government until 16
February did not receive the required 60 votes in the Senate.
- The
House of Representatives voted 230-197 on to extend funding until next
month, but the measure failed to pass the Senate.
- Many
government offices will close unless a compromise is found before the
midnight deadline. However, essential services like national security,
post, air traffic control, inpatient medical services, emergency
outpatient medicine, disaster assistance, prisons, taxation and
electricity production will continue.
INS Vikramaditya Formally Affiliated to Bihar
Regiment
Indian Naval Ship Vikramaditya, the Indian Navy's
largest ship and its sole aircraft carrier was formally affiliated to
the Indian Army's highly-decorated and battle-hardened Bihar
Regiment and the Indian Air Force's No 6 Squadron.
- The
ceremony was held onboard INS Vikramaditya at the Karwar Naval Base,
Karnataka.
NASA – Kilopower project
NASA has announced new tests are underway for the
Kilopower project, a program designed to create small nuclear power sources to
fuel further space exploration.
- A
prototype, which was created by NASA and the Department of Energy, has
completed non-nuclear tests and is now running with a real reactor core at
a facility in Nevada.
The Kilopower project is a near-term technology effort to
develop preliminary concepts and technologies that could be used for an
affordable fission nuclear power system to enable long-duration stays on
planetary surfaces.
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Google Arts and Culture’s selfie feature now in
India
A digital app from Google can point users to “art
twins” — a painting or sculpture that could serve as a doppelgänger.
- A
recent update to Google’s art and culture app added a new feature, “an
experiment that matches user selfie with art from the collections of
museums available on the platform”.
- The
feature, which went viral in the U.S. last week, will soon be available in
India.
- Using
computer vision technology, the application matches a user’s selfie with a
work of art from its wide database.
- Users
can take a selfie, upload it, and the app using computer vision technology
will automatically match it with a work of classical art from one of the
several art museums worldwide
AU Small Finance Bank Inks MoU with LIC to
Offer PMJJBY Scheme
Banking finance company AU Small Finance
Bank has signed an MoU with LIC to offer Pradhan Mantri
Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY).
- Under
the MoU, LIC will give a life cover of Rs2 lakh in case of death to the
customer at a nominal premium of Rs330 per annum.
- The
company has re-entered the housing finance segment. The company will also
offer loans under government’s affordable housing and subsidy schemes such
as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
Mauritius Largest Source of FDI in India- RBI
Mauritius was the largest source of foreign
investment in India (21.8 per cent share at market value), followed
by the US and the UK, according to a census by the Reserve Bank of India.
- Singapore
and Japan were the next two sources of foreign direct investment (FDI),
reported the Census on Foreign Liabilities and Assets of Indian Direct
Investment Companies 2016-17, released by RBI.
Smt Anandiben patel appointed as Governor of
Madhya Pradesh
The President of India has appointed Smt
Anandiben Patel as the Governor of Madhya Pradesh with effect from the date she
assumes charge of her office.
Governor is the head of the Executive power of any state in
India, just like the President who is the head of the executive power in the
Union. But, Governor is the nominal head of a state, unlike the Chief
Minister who is the real head of a state in India. According to an amendment
in the Constitution of India, brought about in 1956, the same person can be
the Governor of two or more states.
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CRPF DG Sudeep Lakhtakia has been appointed as
the new chief of National Security Guard
Sudeep Lakhtakia, CRPF special DG has been
appointed as the new chief of National Security Guard (NSG).
- Lakhtakia
will take over from S P Singh, the current chief of NSG, who retires on
January 31.
- The
order was issued by the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet headed by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- Sudeep
is currently serving as a Special Director General in the Central
Reserve Police Force(CRPF) headquarters in New Delhi.
Harish Manwani is new ISB chairman
The non-executive chairman of Hindustan Unilever
Limited, Harish Manwani, has been appointed the new chairman of the Indian
School of Business (ISB) Executive Board with effect from April 2018.
- He
succeeds Adi Godrej, who has been the chairman of the Board since April
2011.
- Manwani
has been a member of the school’s Board since April 2006.
4th India International Science Festival to be
held in Lucknow
The fourth edition of the India
International Science Festival will be held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The
decision to hold the Festival in Lucknow was taken at the first preparatory
meeting for the 4th India International Science Festival (IISF).
- The
meeting was chaired by Union Minister for Science & Technology, Dr.
Harsh Vardhan.
The 1st IISF was held at Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT) New Delhi in December, 2015. The mega S&T expo attracted
more than 3 lakh people. India had also set a Guinness Book of World Records,
when 2000 school students performed two experiments at the Festival.
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Apple named the world’s most admired company for 2018
Technology giant Apple has topped Fortune
magazine’s list of the ‘World’s Most Admired Companies’ for 2018.
- E-commerce
giant Amazon has retained its second spot, followed by Google’s parent
Alphabet.
- Social
media giant Facebook lost its place in the top ten most admired companies
this year and was ranked 12th on the list.
Iconic Cartoonist Chandi Lahiri Passes Away
Famous Cartoonist Chandi Lahiri passed away
after a brief period of illness, marking the end of a chapter in Bengal's
history of the cartoon.
- Lahiri
was 86.
