Current affair of 2nd September 2019

CCMB scientist Thangaraj bagged J C Bose Fellowship

K Thangaraj who is the Chief scientist at the Centre for Cellular and biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad has bagged the celebrated J C Satyendra N. Bose Fellowship Award. He was awarded for his outstanding scientific contributions within the field of population and medical genetics.

Key highlights:

1. Dr. Thangaraj is a population life scientist searching for the origin of the Indian population however humans migrated from Africa throughout inhabited different components of India.
2. The current focus of thangaraj is on building information of Indian population biological science.
3. Research Interests: The major analysis interest of thangaraj includes
4. The  origin of contemporary human;
5. The  genetic basis of - male physiological state, upset, sex determination, mitochondrial disorders, ayur genomics
6. origin of contemporary humans
7. The J C Satyendra N. Bose fellowship is awarded to active scientists in recognition of their outstanding performance by the Science and Engineering analysis Board, Department of Science &Technology.

Uttarakhand to set up a Special Tiger Force for Corbett Tiger Reserve

The Uttarakhand government has determined to set up a Special Tiger Force for Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve. It will function as an abundantly required second layer of protection with the big cat. The force can have 85 posts.

Key highlights:

1. The STPF is effective in checking outlaw human intrusion into the reserve through villages situated on its fringes for  250 tigers at the reserve.
2. The need for such a force was being felt by life specialists and conservationists for an extended time with three-tier protection to tigers at reserves.
3. The third layer of protection comes from intelligence gathering mechanism within which forest, police and central intelligence agencies personnel work along to stop crimes like cooking of tigers.

Bihar State govt. bans Jeans, T shirts in its Secretariat

On 30th August, the Bihar government has announced a ban on wearing jeans and T-shirts within the state secretariat. The officers and workers are asked to wear simple, soft and light-colored apparel in the workplace. The order was issued by the higher Secretary of the government, Mahadev Prasad.

Key highlights:

1. Apart from Bihar, Tamil Nadu state government already banned to wear jeans and Tshirts, all Tamilnadu secretariat members should wear a dress on Tamil culture or any other traditional Indian dress from June 2019.
2. Saree/salwar kameez/churidar with dupatta for females staff and formal shirts with formal pants reflecting Tamil culture or any Indian traditional dress for male staff.

Lt Gen Manoj Naravane took charge as VCAS

Lieutenant General Manoj Mukund Naravane took charge of Vice Chief of the Army Staff in New Delhi on 1 September. He replaces Lieutenant General Devraj Anbu superannuated on August 31.

Key highlights:

1. Naravane was earlier heading the Eastern Command of the Indian Army. He was active in Counter Insurgency environments, both in the North East and in J&K. Naravane was a part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka during Operation PAWAN.
2. Lieutenant General Manoj was awarded the Sena Medal-Distinguished for command of his Battalion in J&K, the Vishisht Seva Medal for his services as the Inspector General Assam Rifles-North in Nagaland.

Shooter Yashaswini Singh Deswal won gold at ISSF World Cup

Shooter Yashaswini Singh Deswal won gold at ISSF World Cup 2019 at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She became the world champion in the women’s 10m Air Pistol event. Yashaswini Singh Deswal defeated Olena Kostevyc, 2004 Athens Olympic champion, by finishing 1.9 points ahead of her. With this win, she has secured India's ninth Olympic quota in shooting.

Key highlights:

1. Yashaswini Singh Deswal is an Indian sport shooter. She is the daughter of SS Deswal who is an IPS officer.
2. He is the deputy general of Indo-Tibetan Border Police. Her mother Saroj Deswal is the Chief Commissioner of Income Tax in Panchkula.

Chandrayaan 2 finished its final lunar bound orbit manoeuvre

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully performed the fifth and the final lunar bound orbit manoeuvre for Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft on 1 September. The 5th lunar bound orbit manoeuvre was done using the onboard propulsion system.

Key highlights:

1. The orbit manoeuvre took approximately 52 seconds to complete. The orbit was achieved at 119 km x 127 km. ISRO reported that all spacecraft parameters are normal.
2. After the final manoeuvre, the Vikram lander will be seperated from the spacecraft's orbiter. Vikram lander is expected to perform two deorbit manoeuvre to prepare for its landing in the south polar region of the moon.
3. The first deorbit manoeuvre is scheduled for 3 September and the orbit around the moon is set at 109 km x 120 km.
4. The second deorbit manoeuvre is scheduled for September 4 and the orbit around the moon is expected to be achieved at 36 km x 110 km.
5. If deorbit manoeuvre is successful then the Vikram lander would carry out a soft landing on the south pole of the moon on September 7.

MeitY partners with Google for Build for Digital India programme

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) signed a statement of intent (SoI) with Google. The agreement aimed to implement Build for Digital India programme.

Key highlights:

1. The aim of the initiative is to motivate the college students across India to innovate and produce some good technology solutions for major social challenges of India.
2. Build for Digital India programme will provide engineering students a platform to develop market-ready, technology-based solutions that address key social problems.
3. Engineering students across the country can apply and join the programme. Through this programme they will be able to transform their bright ideas into real-world solutions.
4. The programme provides online and offline learning opportunities on key technologies such as machine learning, cloud, and android.
5. The opportunities will be offered through Google’s Developer Student Club network and other Google Developer networks.
6. Under the programme mentorship sessions in product design, strategy and technology to the most promising products and prototypes will be offered by Google.

ICICI Bank installs Robotic-arm to count currency notes

India's ICICI Bank declared to be the first bank in the country to deploy industrial robotic arms to count currency notes. As per Bank's statement, it has deployed 14 machines in 12 cities to help sort more than six million notes on a typical day at its various currency chests.

Key highlights:

1. The main aim is to brings in a frictionless and completely mechanized process of note-sorting, leading to higher accuracy and flexibility to handle large volumes continuously. It has enabled the bank personnel to focus on other value-added and supervisory functions
2. The robotic arms are used to pick up processed cash from the bank's various branches and then sort them to be reset back to the branches. They use a combination of sensors to check more than 70 parameters per second, enabling them to operate for long periods without a break, said the bank.
3. It is the first in India and one of the few globally to have taken such steps. ICICI's robot deployment does, however, come four years after Japan's Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi announced plans to deploy mini humanoid robots in its branches.

Indian Oil to build 1GW electric vehicle battery plant

State-run oil refiner Indian Oil Corporation Ltd will set up a 1 Giga Watt (GW) plant to make batteries used for running electric vehicles (EVs) in partnership with an overseas start-up using a non-lithium ion raw material.

Key highlights:

1. The move fits well with the government’s strategy to facilitate the adoption of EVs in the country’s energy basket, and cut the fuel import bill. It also supports a key element of the EVs industry batteries and their recharge.
2. The more efficient, less complex, very advanced and more economical, if you are looking at the car alone.
3. India-centric solution.India tied-up with one company manufactured 100 per cent indigenously . The raw material is easily available in this country, whose recycling technology is extremely mature and whose recycling industry is well established in this country.

Texas gears up for the mega Howdy Modi event with 50,000 people

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is one of the most adored Prime Minister internationally. Texas is all set to welcome PM Modi for the Howdy Modi event scheduled to take place on September 22 in Houston's NRG Stadium. Around 50,000 people will be attending the event and they celebrate their tremendous success and the deepening US-India economic and political ties.

Key highlights:

1. The Texas India Forum (TIF), a Houston-based non-profit body organised the event have put up a hoarding for welcoming PM Modi to the region.
2. The event will take place in September 22. The main aim is to witness the most historic moment with audience of over 50,000 people have already registered for the event to be held at the sprawling NRG Stadium.
3. It is the largest for any Indian Prime Minister and the largest for a democratically elected foreign leader in America.
4. The event will showcase the strength and clout of the Indian-American community, dubbed by policymakers as the as model immigrants, highly educated and successful community in the US.

India raises the issue of global oil price volatility with Russia

India raised the issue of global oil market price volatility with Russia that is hurting the interests of both consuming and producing nations. This was articulated by India’s oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan in a meeting with Russia’s energy minister Alexander Novak.

Key highlights:

1. India urging its long-time ally Russia to take into account the interest of energy-consuming nations during its engagement with the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec).
2. They play an important role in balancing global oil market both in terms of ensuring adequate supply as well as in having a responsible and reasonable price.
3. Any production cut by Opec and its allies has a wide-ranging impact on energy markets, given that Opec accounts for around 40% of global production. It is expected to have a particular fallout on India due to Opec accounting for around 83% of the country’s total crude oil imports.
4. India calling for a global consensus on responsible pricing with China and India moving ahead to set up a joint working group (JWG) on energy to form a buyers bloc to bargain collectively for oil supplies.

CBDT constitutes five-member Startup Cell for startups

The CBDT notified of a five-member special cell to address grievances of startups with relation to angel tax and other tax-related issues. The order issued by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) the startup cell will be headed by the member (Income Tax and Computerisation) of the board.

Key highlights:

1. The cell will work towards redressal of grievances and mitigate tax-related issues in case of startup entities with respect to the administration of Income-tax Act, 1961.
2. The startup entities can approach the cell for the speedy resolution of their grievances.
3. This initiative is the latest amongst the recent initiatives taken by the CBDT to further ease the compliance issues pertaining to startups. The order also gave out an email id -- startupcell.cbdt@gov.in  and the postal address of the cell.

Maharashtra cabinet clears the vertical property rules

Maharashtra became the first state to adopt a system whereby owners of flats or commercial structures will be given individual property cards. The decision to implement this system got approval from the state cabinet.

Key highlights:

1. As of now, 7/12 extracts are given out only for multiple structures erected in a horizontal layout on a single land parcel. The new decision ownership rights can be obtained by owners of vertical structures
2. The property holders and future buyers will find it easier to trace the backstory of a property they may be interested in.
3. This would additionally ensure that transactions or property transfers are transparent by preventing fraudulent transactions such as the sale of a single flat to multiple institutions or individuals, apart from letting people mortgage their properties as collateral.
4. The new law, a former government official explained, as of now, the sale deed is more important, which is essentially a contract between two or more parties that decides the presumptive ownership of a property.