Daily Current affairs - February 19, 2018 for all competitive exams
The prestigious World Congress on
Information Technology 2018 has begun in Hyderabad. Prime
Minister Narendra Modi addressed the inaugural session of the three-day IT
summit through a video link.
- The World
Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) is organising
Congress while the National Alliance of Software and Services
Companies (NASSC) and the Telangana state Government are
jointly hosting the event.
The World Information Technology and Services Alliance
(WITSA) is a consortium of associations from the information and
communications technology (ICT) industry around the world. The group claims that
it represents over 90% of the world ICT market through its global membership,
and has a goal of advancing the growth and development of the ICT
industry.
2019 summit will be held in Yerevan, Armenia
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World’s First Hyperloop Between Mumbai and Pune
The Virgin
Group has signed an “intent agreement” with Maharashtra to build a hyperloop
transportation system between Mumbai and Pune, which aims to reduce the travel
time between the two mega cities to 20 minutes from the three hours at
present.
- The
first hyperloop route will link central Pune with the megapolis as well as
the Navi Mumbai international airport.
Hyperloop
transportation system is a transportation system where a pod-like vehicle is
propelled through a near-vacuum tube connecting cities at speeds matching
that of an aircraft.
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Government notified Compensatory Afforestation fund rules,2018
The government
has notified the draft Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Rules, 2018 to
facilitate utilisation of over Rs50, 000 crore among states to expand India’s
forest cover.
- The
draft rules, which come nearly one and half years after the Compensatory
Afforestation Fund (CAF) Bill was passed by Parliament in July 2016,
specify the activities that would be allowed or restricted in a forest
area.
- According
to the proposed rules, 80% of the “net present value (NPV)” can be used
for forest and wildlife management activities like assisted natural
regeneration, artificial regeneration (by plantations), protection of
plantations and forests, pest and disease control in forest, forest fire
prevention and others. 20% of the NPV, in a financial year, “shall be
utilised for strengthening the forest and wildlife related infrastructure,
capacity building of the personnel of state forest departments and other
associated agencies and organisations involved in utilisation of these
monies”.
Compensatory
Afforestation Fund Act 2016:
This act
provides for setting up Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and
Planning Authority (CAMPA) at both central and state level to ensure
expeditious and transparent utilization of amounts realized in lieu of forest
land diverted for non-forest purpose.
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NABARD Launches Rs 1,918 crore Area Development
Plan for Punjab
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development (NABARD) announced area development plans worth Rs 1,918
crore for Punjab to supplement farmers' income.
- Under
this plan, the activities like dairy, vegetable cultivation, bee keeping,
mushroom growing will be promoted in order to provide income to farmers at
the sustainable basis.
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
(NABARD) is an apex development financial institution in India, headquartered
at Mumbai with branches all over India
Established on: 12 July 1982
Chairman: Dr. Harsh Kumar Bhanwala
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Punjab plans to set up cooperative rural hubs
In an attempt to strengthen the primary
agriculture cooperative societies (PACS) and boost their business, the Punjab
government plans to transform these societies into ‘cooperative rural hubs’.
- The
department to set up rural hubs in selected PACSs in a phased manner
across the State.
- Additional
Chief Secretary (Cooperation) D.P. Reddy directed the officers to
draft a road-map within a period of 15 days for setting up of rural hubs
which could be made functional from April this year.
e-learning modules on State’s flagship
programmes soon
The Telangana Human Resources Development
Institute has proposed to develop e-learning modules for different departments
and make them available on its Telangana e-Learning Application Management
System (TEAMS).
- The
e-learning modules on flagship programmes of Revenue, Panchayat Raj,
Health, Housing and Education departments, among others, will make
training easy for government employees, which is the focus of the National
Policy of Training.
- The
Centre has been working with Revenue Department in training tehsildars in
registration process too and an e-Learning module has been prepared for
them as the government proposed to club the Registration wing with the
Revenue offices.
The Institute was also developing e-Learning modules on
Sustainable Development Goals with national perspective which would be shared
with NITI Aayog and DoPT.
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Kerala to get MGNREGS assets geo- tagged
Kerala is
planning to get assets generated under MGNREGS geo- tagged and perhaps become
the first state to achieve this distinction.
- The
state Rural Development Department has already geo- tagged over 1 lakh
assets.
- The
scale of rural assets created under MGNREGA is very large. Since the
inception of the programme in financial year 2006-07, about 2.82 Crore
assets have been created under the programme. On an average, about 30 Lakh
Assets are created annually which includes a variety of works such as
water harvesting structures, plantations, rural infrastructure, flood
control measures, individual assets for sustainable livelihood, community
infrastructure and so on.
Geotagging
is the process of adding geographical information to various media in the
form of metadata. The data usually consists of coordinates like latitude and
longitude, but may even include bearing, altitude, distance and place names.
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Nod for Kerala bank likely soon
The Kerala government is likely to get the
Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) go-ahead for the formation of the Kerala
Cooperative Bank by this month-end.
The government has crossed almost all major
hurdles in setting up the bank and the most significant among them was a
positive recommendation of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development (NABARD) to the RBI for granting in-principle clearance for the
government’s proposal.
- The
NABARD is learnt to have forwarded a positive report to the RBI and now
the report is being processed for according the approval that will help to
expedite the process by this month end.
- Once
the RBI grants the in-principle approval on the basis of the
recommendation of NABARD, it would make the task easy for the government
to form the new bank. It would have a two-tier system comprising about
3,825 branches. All assets and liabilities of the district cooperative
banks will be transferred to the new bank.
Recommendation of NABARD is the primary level clearance for
merging the 14 district cooperative banks with the Kerala State Cooperative
Bank
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Sidda inaugurates Biodiversity Centre
Andhra Pradesh Forest and Environment Minister
Sidda Raghava Rao inaugurated the Biodiversity Centre at the Coringa Wildlife
Sanctuary.
- The
centre was developed with a budgetary allocation of Rs.80 lakh and
housed documents, audiovisual presentations and photographs of the flora
and fauna that made the sanctuary as its abode.
Australia, US, India and Japan in talks to establish Belt and Road
alternative: Report
Australia, the United States, India and Japan are
talking about establishing a joint regional infrastructure scheme as an
alternative to China’s multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative in an
attempt to counter Beijing’s spreading influence, the Australian Financial
Review reported
- The
United States, Japan, India and Australia have recently revived four-way
talks+ to deepen security cooperation and coordinate alternatives for
regional infrastructure financing to that offered by China. The so-called
Quad to discuss and cooperate on security first met as an initiative a
decade ago - much to the annoyance of China, which saw it as an attempt by
regional democracies to contain its advances. The quartet held talks in
Manila on the sidelines of the November Asean and East Asia Summits.
India-Iran sign 9 MoUs to boost bilateral ties
India and Iran have signed nine agreements
in order to further the bilateral cooperation between the two sides.
- The
pacts were signed after delegation-level talks between Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and visiting Iran President Hassan Rouhani at
New Delhi's Hyderabad house.
- The
two countries inked pacts to enhance cooperation in the areas
of taxation, maritime cooperation, health and medicine, trade,
agriculture and postal cooperation.
Iran to lease part of Chabahar port to India
for 18 months
India and Iran
have signed a significant pact which gives New Delhi operational control of a
part of the strategically located Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman for 18
months.
- The
first phase of the Chabahar port was inaugurated in December last, opening
a new strategic route connecting Iran, India and Afghanistan, bypassing
Pakistan.
- The
first and foremost significance of the Chabahar port is the fact that
India can bypass Pakistan in transporting goods to Afghanistan. Chabahar
port will boost India’s access to Iran, the key gateway to the
International North-South Transport Corridor that has sea, rail and road
routes between India, Russia, Iran, Europe and Central Asia.
- Chabahar
port will be beneficial to India in countering Chinese presence in the
Arabian Sea which China is trying to ensure by helping Pakistan develop
the Gwadar port.
Iran’s
Chabahar port is located on the Gulf of Oman and is the only oceanic port of
the country. The port gives access to the energy-rich Persian Gulf nations’
southern coast and India can bypass Pakistan with the Chabahar port becoming
functional.
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Saudi women can now start their own business
without male permission
Women in Saudi Arabia can now open their own
businesses without the consent of a husband or male relative.
- The
policy change, announced by the Saudi government also marks a major step
away from the strict guardianship system that has ruled the country for
decades.
- The
ministry of commerce and investment said women can now launch their own
businesses and benefit from e-services without having to prove consent
from a guardian.
Saudi Arabia
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Capital
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Riyadh
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Currency
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Saudi riyal
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King
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Salman
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US Gives first approval for commercial
driverless service
Google-spinoff Waymo has become the first
company to receive approval to launch a commercial driverless commercial
ride-hailing service in the US.
- The
company will reportedly use its fleet of driverless minivans to pickup and
drop off paying riders through a smartphone app or website.
- The
company aims to start paid service in 2018, a Waymo spokesperson said.
Waymo—formerly
the Google self-driving car project—stands for a new way forward in mobility.
Our mission is to make it safe and easy for people and things move around.
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Emergency extended in Maldives by 30 days
The state of emergency in trouble-torn Maldives
was on Monday extended by 30 days after a key parliamentary committee approved
President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom's request
- During
an extraordinary meeting of the The National Security Committee of the
People's Majlis, approval was given to the Decree for State of Emergency
submitted to the People's Majlis (Parliament) by President Yameen
Under the emergency law, Yameen had two Supreme Court
judges arrested, accusing them of corruption. Later, the remaining three
judges annulled the order to release Yameen's opponents.
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PhonePe Partners with IOCL for Deployment of
PoS Terminals
Digital payments entity PhonePe has
partnered with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) for the adoption
of its indigenously-designed Point of Sale (POS) device at IOCL retail
outlets.
- As
part of this partnership, customers can pay using UPI, credit and debit
cards, PhonePe wallet and other external wallets like Jio Money &
Freecharge for their fuel purchases, through the PoS device at 30 IOCL
retail outlets in Bengaluru.
Amazon Launches its 1st Food Retail Service in
India
Amazon has become the first foreign e-commerce
firm to start its own food retail venture in India called Amazon
Retail, piloting its services in Pune.
- It
will reportedly be available on Amazon India platform and sell locally
made and packaged food to the consumers directly.
Judicial pay commission to submit its
preliminary report
The Second Judicial Pay Commission will submit
its preliminary report on pay, allowances and pension of judicial officers to
the Supreme Court the coming month.
- The
final report of the commission is expected to be submitted by the end of
this year, as it was given 18 months to complete the same.
- The
judicial pay commission was constituted by an order of the Supreme Court
in May 2017 and ratified by the Union Government in November the same
year. This is the second commission to be constituted in 20 years after
the first judicial pay commission was set up in 1998. In between, an
ad-hoc commission was constituted in 2010-11. The last pay revision of
judicial officers was done in 2002.
The three-member commission, which included retired Justice
Reddi, former Judge of Kerala High Court R. Basant, and law practitioner
Vinay Kumar Gupta of Delhi High Court, briefed the media after its first
consultation in Hyderabad.
The commission is also mandated to look into judicial work
environment in courts at the district, taluk and mandal-levels.
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Ministry of Home affairs oraganised Watan ko Jano
The Ministry
of Home Affairs (MHA) had recently organized the programme “Watan Ko Jano”.
- “Watan
Ko Jano” is sponsored jointly by Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of
India (Kashmir Cell) and State Rehabilitation Council Social Welfare
Department.
- The
programme aims to give exposure to the youth and children of Jammu and
Kashmir about the cultural and socio-economic development taking place in
other parts of the country.
- Youth
and children hit by militancy and from weaker sections of the society have
been identified for the purpose.
National Banana Festival 2018 held in Kerala
National
Banana Festival (NBF) 2018 is being held at Kalliyoor, Thiruvananthapuram,
Kerala.
- The
festival plays host to a buyer-seller meet, training programmes,
documentary screenings, photography contest etc. The festival also
includes a national seminar, exhibition, training programmes, farmers’
meet and a host of other activities.
- The
festival is organised by Centre for Innovation in Science and Social
action (CISSA) in partnership with Kalliyoor Grama Panchayat and a host of
National and State organisations.
National Conference on “Agriculture 2022-
Doubling Farmers’ Income”
The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers
Welfare has organized a National Conference under the title
of “Agriculture 2022 – Doubling Farmers’ Income” in New Delhi.
- The
main aim of the conference is to build a consensus around appropriate
recommendations that will help in shaping and sharpening the vision of the
Government on Doubling Farmers’ Income by 2022 into actionable points.
Health Minister Addresses Global Digital Health
Partnership Summit in Australia
Mr. J P Nadda, Union Minister for Health and
Family Welfare has addressed the Global Digital Health Partnership
Summit, at Canberra, Australia.
- The
Union Health Minister spoke on the topic: Making Digital Health
Services a Priority in Healthcare Reform.
MP govt to host Khajuraho Dance Festival
Myriad forms of classical dance in India will
be on dispaly at a festival beginning in Khajuraho from February 20.
- The
week-long Khajuraho Dance Festival at the temple town in Chhatarpur
district is being organised by the culture department of the Madhya
Pradesh government.
Khajuraho dance festival, organised by the Madhya Pradesh
Kala Parishad, is a one-week festival of classical dances held annually
against the spectacular backdrop of the magnificently lit Khajuraho temples
in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. The festival
is conducted in February from the 20th to the 26th. This cultural festival
highlights the richness of the Indian classical dance styles such
as Kathak, Bharathanatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Manipuri and Kathakali with
performances of some of the best exponents in the field. Modern Indian dance
has been added recently
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Seventh Nizam’s son passes away
Nawab Fazal Jah Bahadur, the last surviving son
of the seventh Nizam, the last ruler of the erstwhile princely state of
Hyderabad, Nawab Sir Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur, and late Leela Begum Sahiba,
passed away
- According
to members of the royal family, Fazal Jah Bahadur spent most of his time
and money on improvements to Masjid-e-Judi Mosque building and checking
the day-to-day affairs of the mosque, where his father is also buried.
- He
was also a trustee of the H.E.H. Nizam Religious Trust.
Roger Federer Wins Rotterdam Open for 97th
Career Title
Roger Federer (Switzerland) celebrated his return
to the top of the world rankings by winning the Rotterdam Open, in the
Netherlands. It was his 97th career title.
- The
36-year-old, the oldest No.1 in history, defeated Grigor Dimitrov
(Bulgaria) in the final.
- Federer
is three years older than American Andre Agassi was when
previously holding the record for oldest No.1 back in 2003. This was
his third title in Rotterdam following successes in 2005
and 2012.
- France
doubles pair P. H. Herbert and N. Mahut won the Men's Doubles Title.
Shoaib Akhtar named brand ambassador of Pak
Cricket Board
Former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has
been appointed as Pakistan Cricket Board’s brand ambassador and advisor to the
chairman on cricket affairs.
- The
news was revealed on Twitter by PCB chairman Najam Sethi, who was earlier
accused of deteriorating Pakistani cricket by Akhtar.
- The
42-year-old former pacer represented Pakistan in 224 international matches
from 1997 to 2011.
Bhuvneshwar Is The First Indian to take a 5-wkt
in all formats
Fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar has become the
first Indian bowler to take a five-wicket haul in all three formats in
international cricket.
- Bhuvneshwar
is the second Indian to take a five-wicket haul in T20Is after Yuzvendra
Chahal.
