Current affair of 27th August, 2019

Health Ministry sign MoU with Ministry of Social Justice to enhance an outreach on HIV AIDS prevention

Health Ministry has signed a MoU with the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment to enhance an outreach on HIV/AIDS prevention. This MoU is the 18th such kind where MoU signed between Government departments/Ministries. It will promote the environment based on no stigma and discrimination.

Key highlights:

1. It has been considered that the sub-department of health is necessary for all the Ministries for health impact assessed of the policies/initiatives. Hence the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) that functions under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare signed MoU with the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment (DoSJE) under Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE).
2. The MoU was signed by Special Secretary & Director General (NACO & RNTCP) Shri Sanjeeva Kumar and Additional Secretary of DoSJE Smt. Upma Srivastava. 
3. The MoU will emphasize the need for innovations and newer ideas to fight against HIV/AIDS.
4. Specific strategies and action plans will be developed for HIV and AIDS prevention and mechanisms for drug addiction treatment will be announced
5. It will extend social protection schemes to the vulnerable populations
6. It will strengthen the service delivery mechanisms for HIV & AIDS prevention, drug addiction treatment 
7. The MOUs with other Ministries will reduce investment and increase impact initiatives that help in leveraging each other’s strength

Karnataka get 3 Deputy CM and 17 ministers in its Cabinet

Karnataka chief minister B.S.Yediyurappa appointed three deputy chief ministers and inducted seventeen Ministers. The Deputy Chief Minister appointed are: Mudhol Govind Karajol (68) who is a five-time MLA, Dr. C.N. Ashwath Narayan (51) MLA from Malleswaram and Athani Lakshman Savadi (59) who is a three-time MLA.

Key highlights:

1. Govind Karjol will be in charge of PWD and Social welfare
2. Ashwath Narayan will handle the portfolio of Higher Education, IT & BT, Science and Technology
3. Laxman Savadi will carry out the duties in the Transport department. 

Jio GigaFiber that offers 1000Mbps at Rs.700 per month to be unveiled on 5 September

Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd Jio has announced that it is to GigaFiber. It is expected to offer high-quality services at lower-than-average industry prices. The rate will start from Rs.700 per month and offer minimum 100Mbps speeds as standard. It will be officially unveiled on 5 September 2019. The plans are yet to be announced.

Key highlights:

1. The subscription will offer a lot of new-age smart services to its subscribers, including a TV service with a feature-rich Set Top Box and fixed-line landline connection. Jio won't charge any installation fee for new subscriptions in its new phase. 
2. Jio GigaFiber connections are currently available in places like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Surat, Vadodara, Chennai, Noida, Ghaziabad, Bhubaneshwar, Varanasi, Allahabad, Bengaluru, Surat, Agra, Meerut, Vizag, Lucknow, Jamshedpur, Haridwar, Gaya, Patna, Port Blair, Punjab and some more states.

Canara Bank introduced OTP facility for ATM withdrawals

Canara Bank has launched India's first one-time password (OTP) facility for ATM withdrawals. The OTP will be activated for cash withdrawals over Rs.10,000 per day at its ATMs to protect its cardholders from unauthorized withdrawal. Indian bank also taking this process as soon.

Key highlights:

1. The plan aims to avoid robbery in a bank’s ATM that affects ATMs users. The State-owned bank has introduced the OTPs for the safe use of ATMs. It has two vital options for the advantage of account holders.
2. Any customer can use the geographic area MServe app to change off their Debit or Mastercard once not in use. The OTP authentication for withdrawals higher than Rs.10,000 per day to avoid such malpractice.
3. SBI customers have already initiated the cash withdrawal process on the YONO app on setting a six-digit PIN for the transaction. They will also get a six-digit reference number for the transaction on their registered mobile numbers via SMS. The cash withdrawal has to be completed within the next 30 minutes at an ATM using both the PIN and the reference number.

Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya passed away

Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya, a Director General of Police in Uttarakhand, passed away on 27th August in Mumbai. She died due to prolonged illness.

Key highlights:

1. Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya was a 1973 batch IPS officer. She created history when she became the Director-General of Police (DGP) of Uttarakhand in the year 2004. After her retirement, she stepped into politics by contesting the 2014 Lok Sabha election.
2. She contested from Haridwar seat in Uttarakhand on an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) seat. Even after her retirement, she served the country till her final working with Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
3. Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya was the second woman IPS officer within the country after Kiran Bedi. She completed her PG degree in English Literature from a science school, urban center University. 
4. She was appointed as a Deputy General Inspector of Police in the state. She was promoted to the primary ladies gamma globulin of UP Police. She had 33 years of career span and handled varied sensitive cases like Syed Modi murder case in 1987 and Reliance-Bombay coloring case.

Intel launched its first artificial intelligence chip Spring Hill

Intel Corporation launched its latest processor, its first using artificial intelligence (AI), designed for large computing centers.

Key highlights:

1. The chip, developed at its development facility in Haifa, Israel, is known as Nervana NNP-I or Springhill is based on a 10 nanometre Ice Lake processor will allow it to cope with high workloads using minimal amounts of energy.
2. The Spring Hill processor is based on a 10-nanometer Ice Lake architecture. It will allow it to cope with high workloads using minimal amounts of energy.
3. Facebook already started using the product.

Ahmedabad-Mumbai Central Tejas Express and the Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express to be run by IRCTC

Indian Railways' ticketing and catering arm IRCTC come up with a new scheme for passengers. Tejas Express - IRCTC bagged the rights to run the train is late by more than an hour then passengers eligible for compensation. IRCTC is planning to start the first of the two trains from Delhi to Lucknow.

Key highlights:

1. The ticket prices are likely to be in the line of Shatabdi Express. The company is even targeting senior citizens by planning a 40 percent discount on their ticket fares. This is likely to be rolled out on the train on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route as well, which is expected to start in mid-November.
2. The base fares will remain in the range of Shatabdi trains, IRCTC is bundling in more facilities such as a second meal as well as vending machines for free tea and coffee to keep hawkers onboard at bay. 
3. According to a report in Times of India, an IRCTC executive told the daily that while the railways serve breakfast, people are famished by the time they reach Lucknow and that they want to offer more meals that will sustain them till the end of the journey.
4. The free travel insurance of Rs 50 lakh may also be included with the tickets along with a burglary cover for the passenger's home while they are on the train.

Microsoft and Indian School of Business (ISB) signs MoU to set up AI Digital Lab

IT(Information Technology) company, Microsoft and Indian School of Business (ISB) have signed an MoU(memorandum of understanding) to set up an AI Digital Lab powered by PlatiFi technologies(a Microsoft partner) to study issues that are relevant for business and public policy.

Key highlights:

1. The duo will also offer an executive 3-day nontechnical program titled “Leading Business Transformation in the Age of AI”, which will kick start in October 2019, would equip business leaders with tools and strategies to transform their respective organizations to AI(Artificial Intelligence)-driven organizations.

Brainstorming Session on Technological Innovations and Strategies for Farmers Prosperity in Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh begins in New Delhi

Every farmer of the country to be a progressive farmer Union Agriculture Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar that the farmers should adopt new technologies and advancements in the field and must have frequent engagements with scientists and local Krishi Vigyan Kendras.

Key highlights:

1. Inaugurating the two-day ‘Brainstorming Session on Technological Innovations and Strategies for Farmers’ Prosperity in Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh’ in the presence of the Ministers of State Shri Parshottam Rupala and Shri Kailash Choudhary in New Delhi.
2. The Minister emphasized that ‘Gaon, Garib, Kisan’ is always at the centre of Prime Minister’s thoughts and actions and all these initiatives are aimed at fulfilling the vision of doubling farmers’ income by 2022.
3. The important sector Agriculture should play a stabilising role in the economy and for this modernisation and technological advancements are required in the field to which the ICAR can contribute immensely. 
4. The Minister added that this series of discussions with Farmers that started with Rajasthan in July should continue with every other state as this initiative will definitely help in the prosperity of the farming community. 

Banjari village of Katni district in MP to become an integral part of the digital map of the country

Prime Minister’s initiative among the of Digital India is the Banjari village of Katni district becomes the 1st village in Madhya Pradesh(MP) to become an integral part of the digital map of the country.

Key highlights:

1. The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEiTY) won the Digital Village Project . It has planned to build 1000 digital villages across India in this phase starting from Banjari Gram Panchayat of MP.
2. The project provides connectivity in every village & bridge the digital gap between rural and urban areas of the country. 
3. Akodara village of Sabarkantha district of Gujarat is the 1st digital village in India.
4. The MEiTY planned to create one lakh digital villages of this kind in the next 5 years.
5. The program launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 1 July 2015 The services are made available to citizens electronically by improved online infrastructure and by increasing Internet connectivity or by making the country digitally empowered in the field of technology.

Fourth edition of Internet of Things India Congress 2019 held in Bengaluru

The 4th edition of India’s largest confluence of digital technology, the Internet of Things (IoT) India Congress 2019 held in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The theme of Edition is ‘Mainstreaming the Internet of Things’.

Key highlights:

1. It was inaugurated by Shri Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India(GoI).
2. The IoT India Congress 2019 will include tracks on segments such as healthcare, manufacturing, telecom, smart cities, energy, retail, cybersecurity, skills and development, IoT Standards, legal and regulatory, and agriculture.
3. The internet of things, or IoT, is a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines, objects, animals or people that are provided with unique identifiers and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.

Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launches the commencement of work for 10th City Gas Distribution

Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel Dharmendra Pradhan launched the commencement of work for 10th City Gas Distribution (CGD) . They cover 50 Geographical Areas (GAs) in 124 districts. He distributed Letters of Intent to 12 successful bidders of the round on 1st March, 2019.

Key highlights:

1. After the completion of the 10th round, over 70% of the country’s population and 52.73% of the area will be covered under the CGD.
2. As per the minimum work program approved by the PNGRB for the 10th round, 2.02 crore PNG domestic connections will be provided, 3578 CNG stations will open, and 0.58 lakh Inch-km steel pipeline will be laid.
3. The 9th and 10th rounds, the country is making a giant leap in the CGD. In last 5 years, the number of domestic PNG connections, CNG vehicles and CNG stations have more than doubled.

Seventh Community Radio Sammelan to be held in Delhi from 27 to 29 August

Seventh Community Radio Sammelan will be held at Dr. BR Ambedkar Bhawan, New Delhi from 27th to 29th August 2019. It is organized by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting will witness the participation of all operational Community Radio Stations across the country.

Key highlights:

1. The theme of this year’s Sammelan is ‘Community Radio for SDGs’. The representatives of the Community Radio Stations will discuss experiences and possibilities of programming for better public awareness on the Sustainable Development Goals.
2. The Sammelan witness discussion on various flagship schemes of the Government like the Jal Shakti Abhiyaan and efforts for Disaster Risk Reduction. Research, production, broadcasting, dissemination of social welfare messages through Social Media and content management for Community Radio Stations discussed.
3. Union Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar will give awards to Community Radio Stations for their achievements in broadcasting development programs in various genres including Promotion of Local Culture, Most Creative and Innovative Content, Community Engagement Awards, among others.

Open Acreage Licensing Programme Bid Round-IV to be launched

The union Government implemented reforms in the past five years in the E&P sector. Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) replaced the New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) . This is approved in the year 2016.

Key highlights:

1. The key drivers to accelerate the Exploration and Production (E&P) activities in India. 
2. The union government under three (3) OALP Rounds awarded Eighty-Seven (87) Blocks covering an area of 1,18,280 Sq. Km  with leading E&P companies.
3. The import dependency of oil and gas and accelerating E&P activities reforms in upstream sector . The main increase exploration activities, attract domestic and foreign investment in unexplored/unallocated areas of sedimentary basins. The main aim to promote ease of doing business by streamlining and expediting the approval processes.
4. The Government launched the Bid Round-for International Competitive Bidding from27th August, 2019 which will be carried out under the revised policy framework.

Centre plans to provide WiFi to all villages

Centre plans to provide Wi-Fi to all villages with connectivity between 10Mbps to 100 Mbps speed under the GramNet initiative. The announcement was made by Minister of State for Communications Shamrao Dhotre at the 36th Foundation Day celebrations of Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), Delhi on 26 August.

Key highlights:

1. Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BharatNet) has also announced that it is to provide 1 GBPS connectivity. It can expand up to 10 GBPS. 
2. BharatNet has been set up by the Government of India. It functions under the Department of Telecommunications. It aims to establish, manage, and operate the National Optical Fibre Network to provide a minimum of 100 Mbit/s broadband connectivity to all 250,000-gram panchayats in the country.
3. The announcement by the BharatNet will highly support and achieve the Centre's plan 'Wi-Fi to all villages' under the GramNet initiative.

ISRO to launch Cartosat 3 in October or November

India plans to launch Cartosat-3, its advanced satellite in the month of October-November. ISRO plans to launch the Cartosat-3 using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket. The announcement was made by K.Sivan, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Key highlights:

1. ISRO was supposed to launch CartoSat-3 in May 2019. ISRO has launched 8 Cartosats so far.
2. Cartosat-3 is the third series of earth observational or remote sensing satellite. It is an advanced version with better spatial with a range of view, and resolution of up to 0.25m or 25cm as compared to the Cartosat-2 series satellites.
3. It is capable of producing images with one of the most high-resolution in the world, and certainly the highest of any satellites under ISRO's umbrella. Cartosat-3 has been developed to produce high-resolution pictures for strategic applications.
4. It is fitted with advanced remote sensing tools that will be helpful with defence. CartoSAT-3 has been designed in a way that it will be one of the most advanced imaging satellites ever built by ISRO. 
5. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is a medium-lift launch vehicle. It has been designed and operated by ISRO.