Daily Current affairs - March 1, 2018 for all competitive exams
The Indian economy grew at a five-quarter high of
7.2% in the October-December period reflecting overall recovery due to
good show by agriculture, manufacturing, construction and certain services.
- The
economy is expected to grow at 6.6% in the current fiscal ending
March 31, as per the second advanced estimates of the Central
Statistics Office (CSO).
- The
earlier estimate was 6.5%. The growth for the second quarter
(July-September) has been revised upwards to 6.5%, from
6.3% estimated earlier by the CSO.
India to Grow 7.6% in 2018: Moody's
Moody's Investors Service estimated
that India will grow 7.6% in the calendar year 2018
and 7.5% in 2019, amid signs of economic recovery from the impact of
demonetisation and GST.
- In
its global growth forecasts for 2018 and 2019, Moody’s stated
the Budget for the fiscal year beginning April 1 (2018-19) includes
some measures to stabilise the rural economy that was
disproportionately hit by the scrapping of high denomination 500 and 1000
rupee notes.
Union government approved for continuation of PMEGP
The government
has approved the continuation of Prime Minister’s Employment Generation
Programme (PMEGP) beyond the 12th Plan period for three years to 2019-20 with a
total outlay of Rs 5,500 crore.
- The
scheme will create sustainable estimated employment opportunities for 15
lakh persons in three financial years.
PMEGP is a
major credit-linked subsidy programme being implemented by the Ministry of
MSME since 2008-09. The Scheme is aimed at generating self-employment
opportunities through establishment of micro-enterprises in the non-farm
sector by helping traditional artisans and unemployed youth in rural as well
as urban areas.
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Action Plan for Champion Sectors in Services
The Union
Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Department of Commerce to give focused
attention to 12 identified Champion Services Sectors for promoting their
development, and realizing their potential.
- The
Cabinet has also directed the Ministries/Departments concerned with these
sectors to utilize the available draft sectoral plans to finalize and
implement the Action Plans for the identified Champion Services Sectors.
- A
dedicated fund of Rs. 5000 crores has been proposed to be established to
support initiatives for sectoral Action Plans of the Champion Sectors.
Champion
service sectors include Information Technology & Information Technology
enabled Services (IT & ITeS), Tourism and Hospitality Services, Medical
Value Travel, Transport and Logistics Services, Accounting and Finance
Services, Audio Visual Services, Legal Services, Communication Services,
Construction and Related Engineering Services, Environmental Services,
Financial Services and Education Services.
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INDIAsize Survey to develop a comprehensive size chart
INDIAsize is a National Sizing Survey to develop a comprehensive size chart
for ready-to-wear industry based on the body measurements of the Indian
population.
- It
is a scientific exercise where anthropometric data will be collected from
a sample population in the age group 15 to 65 years to create a database
of measurements that will result in a standardized size chart which is
representative of the Indian population and can be adopted by the apparel
industry.
The surveys
entail measuring statistically relevant sample size pan country using human
safe technology of 3D whole body scanner, a non-contact method of taking body
measurements and analyzing the collected data to create size charts.
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Union cabinet approved Trafficking of Persons Bill, 2018
The Union
Cabinet has approved the Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and
Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018 for introduction in the Parliament.
Highlights
of the Bill:
- The
Bill identifies various forms of trafficking, including for the purposes
of bonded labour and begging. Listing out the ‘aggravated forms of
trafficking’, the bill also speaks of offences such as intimidation,
inducement, promise of payment of money, deception or coercion. It
mentions trafficking after administering any drug or alcohol or for the
purpose of marriage or under the pretext of marriage.
- Whoever
commits the offence of aggravated form of trafficking of a person shall be
punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less
than 10 years, but which may extend to life imprisonment and shall be
liable to fine that shall not be less than Rs 1 lakh. For repeat
offenders, it suggests imprisonment for life “which shall mean
imprisonment for the remainder of that person’s natural life”, apart from
a fine that will not be less than Rs 2 lakh.
- The
bill proposes the establishment of a national anti-trafficking bureau,
which shall be entrusted with the gamut of issues aimed at controlling and
tackling the menace under various forms.
As per data
released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), human trafficking
numbers rose by almost 20% in 2016 against the previous year. NCRB said there
were 8,132 human trafficking cases last year against 6,877 in 2015, with the
highest number of cases reported in West Bengal (44% of cases), followed by
Rajasthan (17%). Of the 15,379 victims who were caught in trafficking, 10,150
were female and 5,229 males.
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India’s first Aviation Multi Skill Development
Centre launched in Chandigarh
India’s first Aviation Multi Skill Development
Centre (MSDC) was launched at Chandigarh Airport’s old terminal.
- The
Centre is a CSR initiative of Airports Authority of India (AAI) and will
initially train 2,360 students free of cost in three years.
Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani Attends
27th IJIRA in Kolkata
Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani attended
the 27th Technological Conference of Indian Jute Industries'
Research Association (IJIRA) on Shaping the Future of Jute in
Kolkata.
- The
function was focused on the promotion of geotextiles in the northeast
region.
- Geotextiles
are absorbent fabrics which, when used in association with soil, have the
ability to separate, filter, reinforce, protect or drain.
Drug Abuse Prevention Officers programme set to
launch by Punjab
To curb the menace of drugs in Punjab, the State government
is set to launch a Drug Abuse Prevention Officers programme on March 23, the
martyrdom day of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, which will be observed as Youth
Empowerment Day.
- DAPO
a major initiative for partnering the community to prevent drug abuse
- It
has been designed as a doorstep model and is aimed at generating a mass
movement whereby each DAPO will aim to make his locality a ‘Nasha Mukt
Mohalla’. The DAPOs will be provided training and their work would be
suitably rewarded
1st Mega Food Park inaugurated in Maharashtra
The first Mega Food Park in the state of
Maharashtra Satara Mega Food Park Pvt. Ltd. at Village Degaon, District
Satara was inaugurated by Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Union Minister of
Food Processing Industries.
- This
is the 10th Mega Food Park being operationalized in the country and the
8th operationalized during the tenure of the present government. Satara
Mega Food Park has been set up in 64 acres of land at a cost of Rs. 139.30
crore.
India’s
first mega food park ‘Srini Mega Food Park’, sprawling 147-acre space, was
opened in Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh in 2012.
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India, Russia discuss support mechanism for INS
Vikramaditya
A meeting of the Indo-Russian inter-governmental
committee on military-technical co-operation, which is currently underway in
Goa
- They
discussed issues related to speedy support mechanisms for aircraft carrier
Vikramaditya.
- The
statement also said they discussed the refits of EKM Submarines and
enhancing the reliability of aircraft.
Lamitye 2018 – Indian Seychelles joint military exercise
Lamitye 2018 is the joint military exercise between the Indian Army and Seychelles People’s Defence Forces.
- This
exercise is the eighth in the series of bilateral exercises being
conducted in the beautiful island nation.
The exercise
is named “Lamitye” which in the local dialect ‘Creole’, means friendship.
India and Seychelles have been conducting this joint exercise since 2001 with
the aim of enhancing military cooperation and interoperability between the
armies of the two countries.
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China plans first sea-launch of satellites
China is planning its first sea-launch of
satellites, a Chinese aerospace official said.
Yang Yiqiang, commander-in-chief of the Long
March-11 rockets project of the China Aerospace Science and Technology
Corporation.
- The
sea launch will meet the growing needs for launching near-equatorial and
low-inclination satellites, and improve the rockets adaptability.
Pakistan admits to being on ‘grey list’ of FATF
After days of ambiguity, Pakistan confirmed that it will be
on the ‘grey list’ of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in June but disputed
claims of being put on a ‘black list’.
- FATF
has highlighted certain deficiencies in the Anti-Money Laundering and
Countering of Terrorist Financing framework of Pakistan.
FATF’s grey list includes countries that are not doing
enough to fight money laundering and terrorist financing.
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India successfully test-fires ATGM Nag in
desert conditions
India successfully test-fired Anti Tank Guided
Missiles (ATGM) Nag in desert conditions.
- The
Nag ATGM has been developed by the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) and Wednesday’s flight tests have once again proved
their capability.
- Anti
Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) NAG was successfully flight-tested in desert
conditions against two tank targets at different ranges and timings.
The
third-generation Fire and Forget ATGM Nag is equipped with many advanced
technologies including IIR Seeker with integrated avionics, a capability
possessed by few nations in the world.
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Aircel files for bankruptcy
Aircel Ltd., along with Aircel Cellular Ltd. and Dishnet
Wireless Ltd., has filed for bankruptcy under Section 10 of the Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Code, 2016.
- This,
after the telco’s attempt to merge with the Anil Ambani-led Reliance
Communications failed last year.
- As
per RBI guidelines, the company invoked a Strategic Debt Restructuring
(SDR) scheme in January 2018, but no agreement could be reached with the lenders
on restructuring of debt and funding.
- The
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had directed Aircel to
generate Unique Porting Codes (UPCs) in operational circles where a large
number of its subscribers were facing difficulties in porting their mobile
numbers.
- Aircel
has more than 85 million subscribers across 17 telecom circles, according
to TRAI data.
The National Law Company Tribunal, Mumbai has
allowed one of the very first applications under the newly notified
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. The application was filed under Section
10 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 on behalf of the corporate
debtor i.e.Rajeshwari weaving mills which has debts up to the tune Rs.
16 crores.
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R Subrahmanyam takes the appointment as Higher
Education Secretary
The Centre appointed R Subramanyam as the new
Secretary, Higher Education in the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
- The
1985-batch IAS officer from Andhra Pradesh cadre had been serving as
Special Secretary in the department.
- The
Appointments Committee of the Cabinet cleared a reshuffle in middle and
higher bureaucracy.
Prominent UK Sikh lawyer Navtej Singh Ahluwalia
passes away
Prominent Sikh lawyer Navtej Singh Ahluwalia, who
was involved in several human rights cases passed away.
- Better
known as ‘Navi’, Ahluwalia was associated with law firm Garden Court
Chambers.
- Ahluwalia
is survived by two children besides other members of the family.
IPL 2018 to feature DRS for 1st time in tournament’s
history
The Decision Review System (DRS) will be used
in the Indian Premier League for the first time in the tournament’s 2018
edition following BCCI’s approval.
- The
Indian Premier League will become the second major T20 league to adopt the
system after Pakistan Super League.
- Ten
Indian umpires were called up for a session on DRS last year.
IOC lifts doping ban on Russia
The International Olympic Committee has lifted
a ban against Russia, Moscow officials said, after the country was barred from
the Pyeongchang games over state-sponsored doping.
Tokyo Unveils Mascots for 2020 Olympics and
Paralympics
Tokyo unveiled its long-awaited mascot for
the 2020 Olympic Games: a futuristic blue-checked, doe-eyed character with
pointy ears and “special powers” that was picked by schoolchildren
across mascot-mad Japan.
- One
has an athletic figure and a strong sense of justice. The other
is a cherry blossom-inspired superhero.
