Exam-Oriented-Current-Affairs-Dated--23-08-2016-www.KICAonline.com-English

रोज तैयारी थोड़ा-थोड़ा जो करे बिन घबराए,

सफलता शनैः-शनैः उसके पास आ जाए !!

www.KICAonline.com (Give Exams @Rs.1/- per Exam)

GOVERNMENT SCHEME-DAILY-NEWS--23--08-2016

Crop cover scheme to be Rs 18k-crore business

Mumbai: Out of almost nowhere, the government has created a new market of Rs 17,000-18,000 crore with its new crop insurance scheme. This segment will be almost twice the size of the fire insurance business of non-life companies, which includes premium from covering buildings, factories, houses and shops. Until last year, crop insurance was a business that generated less than Rs 5,000 crore of premium and most of it was

Read more »

Crop cover scheme to be Rs 18k-crore business

Mumbai: Out of almost nowhere, the government has created a new market of Rs 17,000-18,000 crore with its new crop insurance scheme. This segment will be almost twice the size of the fire insurance business of non-life companies, which includes premium from covering buildings, factories, houses and shops. Until last year, crop insurance was a business that generated less than Rs 5,000 crore of premium and most of it was

HDFC plans second series of masala bonds

MUMBAI: Housing Development Finance Corp. (HDFC) has developed a taste for masala bonds. Weeks after India's largest mortgage lender sold out its first issuance of rupee-denominated debt to overseas buyers, it's planning to raise another Rs 2,000 crore through the same route, underscoring a trend that's gaining momentum. HDFC's masala bond sale last month was the first by an Indian company. The home loan

Supreme Court slams Kejriwal government, orders radio trackers for trucks entering city

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court came down on the Kejriwal government on Monday for dragging its feet on installing radio frequency identification devices (RFIDs) at 13 main entry points to Delhi and advised it to be "progressive" and not "obstructionist". Amicus curiae Harish Salve and Aparajita Singh informed a bench of CJI T S Thakur and Justices A K Sikri and R Banumathi that the proposal to install RFIDs was approved

Assam goes on celebrity hunt to promote tourism

GUWAHATI: The BJP led government in Assam has begun the haunt for engaging brand ambassador for promoting state tourism. The government is in talks with batting maestro, Sachin Tendulkar, Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor, actress Deepika Padukhone and Priyanka Chopra to promote to the new brand entity, "Awesome Assam". Assam tourism minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "We are talking to Sachin, Ranbir,

West Bengal seeks geographical indication tag for handicrafts

KOLKATA: The West Bengal State Council of Science and Technology is seeking GI recognition for various handicrafts which are unique in character and have the potential to be marketed nationally and internationally. Officials of the state patent office, in co-ordination with the department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) have recently applied for GI tags for seven indigenous handicraft products of

Government may offer foreign auditors direct access in India

MUMBAI: In a move that signals the government's intent to allow foreign audit firms to register and operate directly in the Indian market, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs has written to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) to seek its views and recommendations on the government proposal. Currently, Indian laws don't allow any multinational accounting firm to be registered in India as auditors. The thinking

Government wants Railways, banks to cut transaction cost on cards

NEW DELHI: After Air India, the government now wants the Railways to lower transaction charge for online reservations and is also urging banks to cut charges as it seeks to reduce the usage of cash and promote use of plastic money. Reducing the use of cash has been identified as a key priority of the government as it seeks to put curbs on black money. Several steps have already been initiated, which were

Government to allow bundling of national highway projects

NEW DELHI: The government will allow bundling of public funded national highway projects that can be monestised by leasing out to private players for toll collection for a period of 30 years. The portfolio of government funded operational highways projects would be prepared on the basis of geographical proximity that would be leased out to institutional investors under toll operate transfer (TOT) model. Under the policy,

Daiichi case: Ex-Ranbaxy promoters say Singapore tribunal award can’t be enforced in India

NEW DELHI: Former Ranbaxy promoters Malvinder Singh and Shivinder Singh, facing a Rs 2,562-crore penalty, told Delhi High Court that the Singapore tribunal's arbitration award to Daiichi Sankyo can't be enforced under Indian law. The Singh brothers were accused of concealing information regarding wrongdoing at Ranbaxy when they sold a majority stake in it to the Japanese firm in 2008. Daiichi Sankyo

US security assistance to Pakistan declines by 73%

WASHINGTON: US security assistance to Pakistan declined by 73 per cent since 2011, Congressional Research Service (CRS) report said. The report, prepared for the US Congress, covers both military and economic assistance given between 2002 and 2015 as well as those earmarked for fiscal years 2016 and 2017, Dawn online reported on Tuesday. It also showed a 53 per cent decrease in economic assistance

A giant awakens: Aberdeen bats for Narendra Modi's India

Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's economic reforms programme has been strongly endorsed by Aberdeen Asset Management, one of the world's biggest money managers. In a detailed report on the country titled 'India: The Giant Awakens', the asset manager has praised the Modi government for its continuous reform measures and added that he has done 'admirably well thus far'. "A common perception in

President of India inaugurates CII-IIEST conference

President of India inaugurates CII-IIEST conference on “Enabling Make in India through Industry Academia Innovation Platform”  The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated a CII-IIEST Conference on the theme of “Enabling Make in India through Industry Academia Innovation Platform” in Kolkata, West Bengal today (August 22, 2016).  Speaking on the occasion, the President said that India’s external sector

Author Perumal Murugan Ends Literary Exile With 200 New Poems

 Famous Tamil author Perumal Murugan ended his self-imposed literary exile of 19 months on Monday with the publication of a new book -- "A Coward's Song", a collection of 200 poems. Hounded by caste-based groups following the publication of his Tamil novel "Madhorubagan" (One Part Woman), Professor Murugan had declared on Facebook that he was dead. "As an ordinary teacher, he will live as P Murugan. Leave him

Smallpox epidemiologist Donald Ainslie Henderson dies at 87

American epidemiologist Donald Ainslie Henderson — leader of the international campaign against smallpox in the 1980s — has passed away at age 87 due to complications from a hip fracture. D.A. will forever be known for his work as a “disease detective,” which led to the eradication of smallpox more than 30 years ago. This achievement was the only such vanquishment of a human disease in history, consequently saving

High Court says ‘no’ to allow BJP MLA to attend Delhi assembly session

Delhi High Court on Monday refrained from passing any interim direction to allow BJP MLA O P Sharma to attend the Delhi assembly session which commenced on Monday. Sharma was suspended from the assembly on March 31 for two sessions for allegedly making derogatory remarks against AAP legislator Alka Lamba.

“Let me sit in the assembly during the session. I will not even open my mouth,” Sharma’s lawyer told Justice

CAS tears Narsingh Yadav defence, NADA’s credibility

THE ruling by the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) that led to a four-year ban on Narsingh Yadav on doping charges is a stinging indictment of the manner in which a hearing panel set up by India’s National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) cleared the wrestler for the Olympic Games in Rio by accepting his contention that he was a victim of “sabotage”. The detailed report of the CAS hearing, made public on Monday, concluded

Efforts of Centre, UP to clean Ganga have had 'zero' results: NGT

NEW DELHI: The efforts by the Centre and Uttar Pradesh to clean the Ganga have borne "zero" result, the National Green Tribunal said on Friday, as it pulled them up and sought reports on the discharge of industrial waste in the river between Haridwar and Kanpur. The green panel came down heavily on the Ministries of Environment and Forests, Water Resources, Central Pollution Control Board and other authorities for not

Centre proposes stricter laws to stop wildlife trade

NEW DELHI: Seeking to provide more teeth to the existing wildlife protection law, the Centre is looking for an option to introduce clauses of stricter punishment and to change the law to bring it in sync with international conventions which target the trade in endangered species. One of the proposals is to increase the penalties from existing Rs 500-Rs 25,000 to Rs 5,000-Rs 50 lakh for different violations under the

Over 400 flights grounded as typhoon hits near Tokyo

A strong typhoon stuck near Tokyo on Monday. Heavy rain and winds grounded more than 400 flights as officials warned of landslides and flooding. yphoon Mindulle made landfall in Tateyama city.  The storm was packing gusts up to 180 kilometres per hour and heading north at a speed of 20 kilometres per hour.

Former BSP MP Brajesh Pathak joins BJP

In a yet another pre-poll shocker anda major embarrasement to BSP Supremo Mayawati senior leader Brijesh Pathak has dumped the BSP ship and joined BJP as the crucial state continues to be politically surcharged with election round the corner. Pathak cited "corruption and anarchy" in BSP as reasons for his

EC issues notification regarding recognition of parties

The Election Commission has issued a notification regarding amendment to rules regarding recognition of parties as national or state party. This change in rules will ensure that national or state party status earned by a parties in one election will continue after next general election even if they failed to meet the required criteria, which means the review of the status will take place every two consecutive Lok Sabha or assembly

India, US to sign key logistics agreement

NEW DELHI: India and the US are likely to sign a key logisitics agreement later this month which will enable both the countries to use each other's assets and bases for repair and replenishment of supplies. The agreement called the 'Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement' (LEMOA) is likely to be signed during Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's visit to the US, starting August 29. The agreement was

Delhi Poised to get New Air Force Aerospace Museum

Delhi will soon have a sprawling new Aerospace Museum close to the international airport focused mainly on Nation’s rich aviation history. New Aerospace Museum is not only meant to preserve the glorious tradition of the IAF but also to create awareness in general public about India’s rich Aerospace heritage. The IAF believes that the Museum would be a popular tourist attraction and a landmark in India’s capital city. A

Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu Inaugurates Wi-Fi Services at 8 Mumbai Suburban Railway Stations

Continuing with its exercise of providing High speed WiFi services at Railway Stations, Minister of Railways, Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu inaugurated Wi Fi services at 8 Mumbai Suburban Railway Stations in Maharashtra viz., Churchgate, Bandra, Bandra Terminus, Dadar Western Railway, Dadar Central Railway, Khar Road, Kalyan and Lokmanya Tilak, today i.e. 22 nd August 2016. The Wi-Fi facility for the visitors &

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust to sign agreement with bankers for External Commercial Borrowing

Port projects, including connectivity projects, are critical to developing cargo handling capacity at Ports. With the thrust on port led development under the Sagarmala program, improving viability of projects is critical. One of the primary factors that impacts viability is the interest rate on borrowings to fund projects. Ports have surplus funds, but to achieve a quantum jump in the investment, borrowings would also have to be

Resolution to Kashmir unrest needs to be political, not through judiciary: SC

Amid the unrest in Jammu and Kashmir that has claimed at least 66 lives, the Supreme Court on Monday said that the ongoing trouble in the Valley should be "dealt with politically" and everything cannot be managed within judicial parameters.  "This issue has various dimensions and therefore should be dealt politically and moreover, everything cannot be managed within the judicial parameters," a bench headed by Chief Justice T

Syria war: Russian raids from Iran base 'over for now'

Iran has said Russia is no longer using one of its air bases to launch strikes on targets in Syria, but the US said it is unclear whether Russia's use of the base has actually stopped. "It was a specific, authorised mission and it's over for now," Bahram Ghasemi, spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry, told reporters in Tehran on Monday. Ghasemi left open the possibility of Russia utilising the Hamedan base in the future, saying it would

Users may get 3 years in jail for viewing torrent site, blocked URL in India

Call it the new Digital India. The Indian government, with the help of internet service providers, and presumably under directives of court, has banned thousands of websites and URLs in the last five odd years. But until now if you somehow visited these "blocked URLs" all was fine. However, now if you try to visit such URLs and view the information, you may get three-year jail sentence as well as invite a fine of Rs 3

To clamp down on black money, government set to ban cash transactions over Rs 3 lakh

NEW DELHI: The government is set to ban cash transactions over Rs 3 lakh as it seeks to clamp down on black money in the economy following recommendations from the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team. The government, however, is yet to decide on the SIT's other proposal to bar cash holdings over Rs 15 lakh due to opposition from trade and industry, sources told TOI. "There are concerns

No legal requirement for insisting upon father’s name in passport, rules Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court has ruled that passport authorities cannot insist upon mentioning the name of an applicant’s father in the travel document. "There is no legal requirement for insisting upon the father's name in the passport," Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva observed yesterday while referring to an earlier judgement passed by the court in May this year. The court said this while dealing with a petition filed by a youth, whose request

Himachal Pradesh's Palampur becomes first town entirely covered with free Wi-Fi

Himachal Pradesh's Palampur on Monday became the first town in the State to be entirely covered with free Wi-Fi facility after Chief minister Virbhadra Singh launched the service from capital Shimla. Mr Singh said as many as 51 sites of Wi-Fi were set up at different places to fully cover the town with the facility provided by Reliance-Jio. He said the government would provide Wi-Fi facility in all government colleges of the state in

Himachal Pradesh's Palampur becomes first town entirely covered with free Wi-Fi

Himachal Pradesh's Palampur on Monday became the first town in the State to be entirely covered with free Wi-Fi facility after Chief minister Virbhadra Singh launched the service from capital Shimla. Mr Singh said as many as 51 sites of Wi-Fi were set up at different places to fully cover the town with the facility provided by Reliance-Jio. He said the government would provide Wi-Fi facility in all government colleges of the state in

West Bengal government to introduce community radios in rural areas for farmers

KOLKATA: West Bengal government is all set to introduce community radios in rural areas to help farmers to get all sorts of updated "area specific" information related to agriculture. The government has decided to identify four to five zones initially and community radio stations. Later on, the service will be introduced across the state. To begin with, two community radios of different frequencies will be aired in two different

Government expects Urjit Patel to keep inflation-growth balance

NEW DELHI: Ministers and top bureaucrats expect Reserve Bank of India governor-designate Urjit Patel to "rise to the occasion" and use his experience of handling monetary policy at the central bank to maintain a balance between inflation and growth. Patel, who is currently deputy governor at the RBI, will take over the top job when incumbent Raghuram Rajan demits office on September 4 after completing his three-year term.

Inability to regulate drug prices: Parliamentary committee blames pharma dept’s ‘lackadaisical attitude’

‘Gross negligence’, ‘lackadaisical attitude’, ‘vested interests’, these are some of the terms used by a Parliamentary Committee for the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) on the latter’s inability to regulate the prices of patented medicines even after nine years of deliberation on the same. The scathing indictment of the DoP, which functions under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, in the report submitted by the

Operation Anantha: High-level committee meet today

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ahead of rolling out the second phase of the flood mitigation drive 'Operation Anantha,' a meeting of the high-level committee appointed to evaluate Phase I will be held here on Tuesday. The new district collector S Venkatesapathi has instructed the high-level committee to submit its report promptly for which a comprehensive review of the first phase was essential. Tuesday's meeting will be

Vibrant Gujarat summit hopes to brand itself around Modi govt's GST glory

The Gujarat government under its new Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has put in place a plan to reinvigorate the next Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, scheduled from January 10 to 13, 2017, by branding it around the eventual rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime. The plan, prepared by Gujarat government with the help of several union ministries and Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), rests on

SR Nathan: former longest-serving Singapore President of Indian-origin passes away

SR Nathan: former longest-serving Singapore President of Indian-origin passes awayThe Indian-origin former Singapore President S.R. Nathan passed away days after suffering a stroke. He was 92. He was the sixth and longest-serving President of Singapore. He was closely associated with the country’s founding leader Lee Kuan Yew. About S.R Nathan Born as Sellapan Ramanathan on 3 July 1924 in the family of

Maharashtra becomes first state to draft law for internal security

Maharashtra became the first state in the country to draft its own internal security legislation The Maharashtra Protection of Internal Security Act (MPISA), 2016. The bill has been kept public responses for suggestions and objections. Later it will be presented to the legislature for approval. Key Features of Bill It gives special emphasis on maintaining law and order and combating terrorism, insurgency, caste-related violence and

Alibaba Group launches ‘million books’ donation drive

Online and mobile commerce major the Alibaba Group, along with Crossword and Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust, has launched ‘Mission Million Books’, a pan-India initiative inviting Indian citizens to donate textbooks and educational material for the underprivileged. The collected material will be distributed to more than 2,500 educational institutions across India. In addition to mobilising and coordinating with partners to

Kerala tourism growth rate falls post liquor ban

Kerala may no longer be foreigners’ top favourite tourist destination if the figures by the tourism department are anything to go by. A recent study by the department shows a fall in the foreign tourist arrivals and all stakeholders have the state’s liquor policy to blame. The Trade Research 2016 which compiled data from the Kerala Tourism Statistics and Economic Review of 2015, shows that the tourism growth rate fell from

Govt slaps $380 mn additional fine on RIL

Government has slapped an additional penalty of USD 380 million (around Rs 2,500 crore) on Reliance Industries and its partners for producing less than targeted natural gas from eastern offshore KG-D6 fields.  the total penalty, which is in form of disallowing recovery of cost incurred, for missing the target in five fiscal years beginning April 1, 2010, now stands at a cumulative USD 2.76 billion. The Production Sharing

Neymar steers Brazil to first Olympic football gold

razil star forward Neymar gave the 2016 Rio Olympics host nation its biggest moment as he handed the country its first Olympic men’s football gold medal with the winning penalty in a 5-4 shootout victory over Germany . With an unforgettable kick in a thrilling summit showdown at the Maracana stadium, Neymar, probably Brazil’s biggest soccer star, gave his countrymen a moment that they will remember and cherish for

Andhra Pradesh police launches pilot project on DNA profiling

With an aim to tightening the noose around criminals, Andhra Pradesh Polic launched DNA Index System (DIS), the first-of-its-kind initiative that allows generation of DNA profiles from live samples like saliva and blood stains. The system uses the latest DNA technology tool called RapidHIT developed by IntegenX of USA. The DIS allows generation of DNA profiles using buccal swabs, blood stains, saliva and other live

China’s high-speed train maker launches operation in India

China’s largest high speed train maker has announced that its first USD 63.4 million joint venture plant in India to repair and manufacture railway locomotive engines has started operations. The state-run China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) is the first foreign company to set up assembly line of rail transportation equipment in India after Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled his ambitious ‘Make in India’

Ashwin breaks Indian record for most Man of the Series awards in Test cricket

The fourth Test between India and West Indies at the Queen’s Park Oval might not have turned out to be the ideal finale as far as Indian cricket fans were concerned with only 22 overs of play possible over the entire duration of five days. Despite rains only causing havoc for a brief period of time, the poor drainage conditions at the venue meant the viewers were left distraught as no play for possible since Lunch on Day 1.

ICCR honours Bee Seavers

JAMMU, Aug 22: Indian Council for Cultural Relations ICCR), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India honoured the artist of Germany, Bee Seavers who came all way from Hamburg (Germany) to present a ‘Santoor Recital’ which ICCR Jammu organised at Abhinav Theatre, Jammu with the collaboration and support of J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages. The honours were done by Regional Director

Coast Guard honours 4 fishermen for bravery

MANGALURU/KARWAR: Indian Coast Guard Station (ICGS), Karwar, organized its first-ever bravery award ceremony on Sunday and felicitated four fishermen for showing exemplary courage in saving seven fishermen struggling for life in the middle of the sea, 15 nautical miles off Bhatkal coast, early this month.In the ceremony, Coast Guard presented bravery awards, certificates and cash reward of Rs 10,000 to Gopal

Hindi author Sunita Jain conferred with Vyas Samman award 2015

Hindi scholar and writer Sunita Jain was on 17 August 2016 awarded with the prestigious 25th Vyas Samman 2015 for her poetry collection Kshama. She received the award by West Bengal Governor K N Tripathi. Jain, through her poetry, portrays the fine emotions between poet Tulsidas and his wife Ratnavalli in Kshama. She has managed to aptly convey the sentiment of forgiveness between Tulsidas and his wife using

V P Singh Badnore sworn in as Governor of Punjab

V P Singh Badnore on 22 August 2016 took oath as the new Governor of Punjab. He was also sworn in as the Administrator of Chandigarh Administration. Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice S J Vazifdar administered the oath of office and secrecy to Badnore at Punjab Raj Bhawan in Chandigarh. Badnore replaced Kaptan Singh Solanki, who is the Governor of Haryana. Solanki had been holding additional

Electricity body gives nod for 1,000 MW Turga hydel project

Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has given conditional clearance to the Rs.4,500-crore 1,000 mw Turga Pump Storage Hydel Power Project in West Bengal’s Purulia district. “We have cleared the project and it is now pending environmental clearance,” CEA Chairman S.D. Dubey said. “We want more such projects in the country for better grid stability,” he said on the sidelines of CII organised Energy Conclave. State Power

PM Narendra Modi, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani jointly inaugurate the restored Stor Palace in Kabul

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani  jointly tele-inaugurated the restored Stor Palace in Kabul. The Stor Palace is located in the Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Campus in Kabul. The newly renovated and restored building will house the Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Besides, it will also serve as the venue for hosting official domestic and international events by the Afghan

Country’s cotton planting seen falling to lowest in seven years

Cotton planting in the country is likely to fall to the lowest in seven years in the 2016-17 marketing season, thanks to pest attacks, late onset of monsoon and shift to pulses and oilseeds by farmers. According to top officials of the Central Institute of Cotton Research (CICR) , Nagpur, cotton planting for this season is unlikely to exceed 104-105 lakh hectares. As on date, cotton planting across the country is around 99 lakh

A Life in Diplomacy authored by MK Rasgotra

A Life in Diplomacy: Maharajakrishna Rasgotra

The book titled A Life in Diplomacy was in news in the third week of June 2016. The book was written by former Indian diplomat Maharajakrishna Rasgotra. It is an insider's account of the personalities and policies that shaped Indian diplomacy. The book provides a ringside view of the beginnings of ethnic violence in Sri

Exam-Oriented-Current-Affairs-Dated--22-08-2016-www.KICAonline.com-ENGLISH

रोज तैयारी थोड़ा-थोड़ा जो करे बिन घबराए,

सफलता शनैः-शनैः उसके पास आ जाए !!

www.KICAonline.com (Give Exams @Rs.1/- per Exam) 

GOVERNMENT SCHEME-DAILY-NEWS-22-08-2016

Finance Secretary (FS) inaugurates the Training Program on Government E-Marketplace (GeM) for Government Users

Finance Secretary (FS) inaugurates the Training Program on Government E-Marketplace (GeM) for Government Users; FS: Training will enable the Government Procurement Officers to make best use of new technologies to procure goods and services in a more transparent, accountable and efficient manner. The one-day hands on training program for Procurement Officers of the Central Government

Read more »

National Sports Awards – 2016

National Sports Awards are given every year to recognize and reward excellence in sports.  Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award is given for the spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a period of four years; Arjuna Award is given for consistently outstanding performance for four years; Dronacharya Award for coaches for producing medal winners at prestigious international sports

Swachh Bharat Short Films Competition to encourage participative approach for Clean India

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting is organizing a Short Films Competition on the theme “Swachh Bharat” that showcases inspiring stories and helps generate awareness among citizens about sanitation and its linkages with public health. The winning entries will be announced in a special felicitation programme to be held in New Delhi on October 2, 2016. National Film Development Corporation of India has invited entries

Flood rescue and relief operation by NDRF

The rescue and relief operations by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in the flood affected various districts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are in full swing. 56 flood rescue teams of NDRF are operational in various flood prone areas of the different states to assist the respective state administration in rescue and relief work. NDRF rescuers are delivering their best to evacuate the

Finance Secretary (FS) inaugurates the Training Program on Government E-Marketplace (GeM) for Government Users

Finance Secretary (FS) inaugurates the Training Program on Government E-Marketplace (GeM) for Government Users; FS: Training will enable the Government Procurement Officers to make best use of new technologies to procure goods and services in a more transparent, accountable and efficient manner. The one-day hands on training program for Procurement Officers of the Central Government

Secretary, DARPG attends the Meeting of General Members of CAPAM at Malaysia

Shri C. Viswanath elected on Board of Directors of CAPAM . 3 Indian initiatives given CAPAM awards; Scaling-Up Cervical Cancer Screening gets gold medal  . An Indian delegation led by the Secretary, DARPG Shri C Viswanath visited Malaysia from August 17-20, 2016 to attend the Meeting of General Members of Commonwealth Association for Public Administration & Management (CAPAM) & CAPAM

MoU signed between Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences and University of Latvia

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) and University of Latvia on establishment of an academic chair in Ayurveda was signed today at AYUSH Bhawan, New Delhi. The MoU was signed by Vaidya K.S. Dhiman, Director General, CCRAS and Dr. Valdis Pirags, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Director of the Centre of Complementary

National Convention of Pradhans of Ganga bank villages organized in Allahabad

The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, in association with the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation and Department of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, today organized a National Convention of Gram Pradhans in Alaahabad, with the support of the Government of Uttar Pradesh.The objective of the National Convention was to rally Gram Pradhans of 1651

Jagdish Mukhi sworn in as Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar

PORT BLAIR: Senior BJP leader Jagdish Mukhi today assumed office as the 12th Lieutenant Governor of the union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He was administered the oath of office and oath of secrecy by Justice Girish Chandra Gupta, acting chief justice of Calcutta High Court at a formal swearing-in-ceremony held at Raj Niwas here. Mukhi took over from Lt General A K Singh (Retd) who was appointed

A month on, search continues for missing AN-32

NEW DELHI: A month since it went off radar enroute Port Blair, the search for the missing AN-32 aircraft of Indian Air Force continues without any concrete evidence about the fate of the aircraft. Meanwhile, as Geological Survey of India ship Samudra Ratnakar found some leads at a depth of around 3,000 meters, officials said it was not clear if it was the debris of the aircraft. "The ship has tracked some echoes from the

Gujarat to host 2016 Kabaddi World Cup

MUMBAI: The 2016 Kabaddi World Cup will be hosted in Ahmedabad, Gujarat between October 7 and 22, the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) announced today. The event will see 12 Kabaddi teams from around the world including India, USA, Canada, UK, Australia, Iran, Poland, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Korea, Japan and Kenya, representing all the five geographies of the Olympic Games. Star Sports will be

Babus rejig: B Navnit, V Sheshadri appointed Joint Secretaries in PMO

NEW DELHI: Senior IAS officers Brajendra Navnit and V Sheshadri have been appointed as Joint Secretaries in Prime Minister's Office as part of massive mid-level reshuffle effected today. As many as 22 new Joint Secretaries have been appointed in different central government departments. Of these, 18 are from Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and remaining from other services. Both Navnit and Sheshadri

PM Modi to be new brand ambassador of Incredible India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the face of Incredible India campaign of the Union Culture and Tourism Ministry. After much deliberations, a decision has been taken in this regard. Concepts for ad films have also been directed to be submitted in a week’s time. Modi will be talking about the significance of different places in those films. Union Culture and Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma had earlier hinted that

Edgar Lungu re-elected as President of Zambia

Zambian President Edgar Lungu narrowly won re-election on in a vote his main rival said was rigged. Hakainde Hichilema’s United Party for National Development (UPND) said it would appeal the result at the Constitutional Court, accusing election officials of fraud during the count which began after voting ended . Lungu faced a tough challenge from Hichilema in a campaign to rule over Africa’s second-largest copper

Sunil Mittal re-appointed Chairman of Bharti Airtel for 5 yrs

Sunil Bharti Mittal has been re-appointed as the Chairman of telecom giant Bharti Airtel for another five year, with effect from October 1, 2016.  Mittal is the Founder of Bharti Enterprises, one of India’s largest conglomerates with diversified interests in telecom, insurance, real estate, agri and food, besides other ventures. The Group also has joint ventures with global leaders like Singtel, SoftBank, AXA, Del Monte

Yogeshwar Sangwan concurrently accredited as the Ambassador of India to Georgia

Mr. Yogeshwar Sangwan (IFS: 1994), presently Ambassador of India to Armenia, has been concurrently accredited as Ambassador to Georgia, with residence in Yerevan .  the Ministry of External Affairs  said that Mr. Vishvas Vidu Sapkal (IFS:1998), presently High Commissioner of India to Fiji, had been concurrently accredited as the High Commissioner to Kiribati, with residence in Suva (Fiji).

Intel unveils Project Alloy device creating merged reality

Tech giant Intel has unveiled Project Alloy, a device that creates merged reality. Project Alloy is a headset that uses the RealSense technology to enable people to use their hands to interact with elements of the virtual world without using cables to connect computer. 

What is Merged reality?

OIC expresses concern over Kashmir violence

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has voiced its concern over alleged excesses of the Indian military and the paramilitary forces in Kashmir. This issued had surfaced after former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai had “appreciated” Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement on human rights situation in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. Key Facts OCI Secretary General of OIC Iyad Amin Madani had quoted

Gymnothorax indicus, new species of eel found in Bay of Bengal

Scientists from have discovered Gymnothorax indicus (proposed name Indian unpatterened moray), a new species of eel (a snake-like fish) in the northern Bay of Bengal region along the West Bengal coast. It was discovered after it was collected in a trawl net by fishermen in northern Bay of Bengal, about 70 km off the coast. About Gymnothorax indicus The ell species Gymnothorax indicus is slender-bodied. It was found at a

Chinese scientists discover XMU-MP-1 molecule to repair organs

Chinese scientists have discovered a small molecule (new drug) named XMU-MP-1 that can regenerate tissue. It has potential to eliminate transplants of some organs. It was discovered by team of researchers from Xiamen University and  Peking University of China. The findings were published in Science Translational Medicine. Key Facts The drug, XMU-MP-1 can promote repair and regeneration in the liver, intestines and

Scientists for first time develop laser from fluorescent jellyfish proteins

Scientists for the first time have developed LASER (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) from fluorescent jellyfish proteins that were grown in bacteria. The first of its kind represents a major advance breakthrough in so-called polariton lasers operating at room temperature. What is Laser? A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of

BRICS Women Parliamentarians forum passes Jaipur Declaration

BRICS Women Parliamentarians forum has unanimously passed the Jaipur Declaration on the concluding day of the Forum’s meeting held in Jaipur. The 19-point declaration was adopted at the two-day meeting of BRICS Women Parliamentarians forum held in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The meeting was attended by heads and members of delegation from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. 

Flood situation continues to be grim in north Indian States

Flood situation continues to be grim in several north Indian states including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan. Relief agencies including Army and NRDF are engaged in rescue and relief operations in flood-affected states. In Uttar Pradesh, flood situation in eastern parts of state is still grim. Ganga is rising in many places including Allahabad and Varanasi. About ten thousand people have taken shelter in relief

Ganga crosses danger mark in UP

A swollen Ganga was flowing above the danger mark in Uttar Pradesh while Yamuna too was flowing above red mark in the state. According to Centre Water Commission (CWC), Ganga is flowing above danger mark at Fafamau (Allahabad), Mirzapur, Varanasi, Ghazipur and Ballia while Yamuna is flowing above the red mark at Chillaghat (Banda) and Naini (Allahabad) and Mohna (Jalaun). Similarly, Sharda river is flowing

'Sankhachil' selected for Montreal Film Festival

Director Goutam Ghosh's National award-winning film "Sankhachil", an Indo-Bangla joint production, has been selected for the coveted 40th Montreal World Film Festival.  "Sankhachil", starring Prosenjit Chatterjee, essays the pain and anguish of people living on both sides of the border following the partition of Bengal. Confirming the news, Ghosh said on Saturday that he was sure "Sankhachil" would be liked by the

Electronics manufacturing policy may soon get nod

In view of great potential of electronics manufacturing sector, NITI Aayog has prepared a draft strategy paper titled ’Make in India—Strategy for Electronic Products.’ NITI Aayog may seek Cabinet’s approval in a fortnight for a long-term policy to boost manufacturing of electronic products by providing a host of

10-15 airports to be activated next year: Civil Aviation Minister

Government was keen on regional connectivity and as part of its plan, 10-15 airports would be activated by the next year, Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju said. "The work on regional connectivity is in progress. We have developed a scheme for regional connectivity.  There are 31 or 32 unconnected airports and we are planning to activate some of them and 10 or 15 airports may be activated by next year," he said. 

Pasighat advanced landing ground gets operational

The upgraded Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) at Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh was inaugurated by MoS for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju in the presence of Air Marshal C Hari Kumar AVSM VM VSM, Air Officer Commanding-in-chief (AOC-in-C), Eastern Air Command on Friday. The event was attended by a large number of civil and military dignitaries including the Chief Secretary and Secretary Civil Aviation Arunachal

AIR to launch 'Maitree' with focus on Bangladesh

All India Radio will launch a first-of-its-kind service called Akashvani Maitree, which can be heard both in India and Bangladesh. Mainly in Bengali, the service will provide a platform for content creation and sharing of cultural heritage between the two countries. The service will be inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday. Information and Broadcasting Minister Venkaiah Naidu congratulated people of

Jimmy Fallon to host Golden Globe Awards 2017

Jimmy Fallon will be hosting the 74th annual Golden Globe Awards to be held on January 8, 2017, NBC has announced.  "I'm so excited to be hosting The Golden Globes in January. And I'm really looking forward to spending time with the Hollywood Foreign Press before Donald Trump has them all deported," Fallon tweeted after the announcement. Fallon has a long history with NBC. He was once a member of "Saturday

Sania Mirza surges alone to top of WTA doubles rankings

Indian tennis ace player Sania Mirza has romped into the number one spot in the latest WTA doubles rankings after she teamed up with her new partner, Barbora Strycova of Czech Republic to win the Western and Southern Open. Mirza and Strycova outclassed her former Slovakian partner Martina Hingis and Coco Vandeweghe 7-5, 6-4 in the summit showdown clash that lasted one hour and 22 minutes in Cincinnati. 

Kumbh's 'lost-and-found' baba passes away

ALLAHABAD: Raja Ram Tiwari or 'Bhule Bhatke Walon ke Baba', known to the world as the one who ran 'lost and found camp' on the banks of the Sangam during Kumbh and Magh Melas for the past 71 years, died here on Saturday. He was 88. Tiwari, according to a conservative estimate, united over 14 lakh adults and around 21,000 children with their families during his self-less service spreading over seven decades. His

Former international umpire Subrata Banerjee dies

Subrata Banerjee, the former international umpire, passed away on 19 August 2016 in Kolkata. He was 71.

Banerjee had a 15-year career at the international level, where he officiated in 13 ODIs.  Banerjee officiated in men's and women's international matches, as well as in age group tournaments, and stood in a women's Test match.  He made his international debut in November 1983 in an ODI between India and West Indies

Rio 2016 Olympics declared closed, over to Tokyo 2020 now

The 2016 edition of Olympic Games were declared closed by IOC chief Thomas Bach after a colourful closing ceremony at the iconic Maracana. The athletes were in celebratory mood and the rain didn’t affect their spirits. Great Britain, who finished as the second-best country with 67 medals, stole the show with their shoes flashing lights red, white and blue. For India, Sakshi Malik carried the tri-colour. The Indian contingent

Germany wins gold in women’s football event at Rio Olympics

Germany on 19 August 2016 defeated Sweden by 2-1 to win their first ever Olympic gold medal in women's football. Germany is now one of only three women's teams to win both the Olympics and World Cup. Germany failed to qualify for the Olympics in 2012 but won the bronze the last three times they played, in 2000, 2004 and 2008. Canada won the bronze medal in the event. 

RBI Governor need not have a 'rock star' status: Fitch

Credit rating agencies Fitch, Moody’s and India Ratings expect continuity in monetary policy under the new Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel, who takes office on September 4. They also said policies are more important than personality from the perspective of ratings. Thomas Rookmaaker, director, Asia-Pacific Sovereigns Group, Fitch Ratings, said, “Urjit Patel’s appointment as the next RBI governor signals a strong

NASA wants to bring enterprise to the space station, looks for new ideas

After 15 years as a pure research lab, the International Space Station might be ready for business. NASA is soliciting ideas from private enterprise on ways to use the orbiting laboratory for commercial purposes, taking another, tentative step in US efforts to create a marketplace in space. NASA posed the request as a way to engender "out of the box concepts" for the space station since the agency says it's become clear that

Osteoporosis may soon have a new treatment

A large clinical trial of a new osteoporosis drug found that it stimulates bone growth and prevents fractures at least as well as the only other such drug on the market. The new drug, expected to win approval from federal regulators, would offer another much-needed treatment for some of the 10 million Americans, 80 per cent of them women, who have a disease that weakens bones and often leads to years of pain, disability and early

Maharashtra to examine the land monetization models of NY, Shanghai to mop up Rs 2 lakh crore

The Maharashtra government is exploring monetising land to raise Rs 2 lakh crore to fund infrastructure projects. A committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) DK Jain has been set up to prepare a plan for the sale of land in possession of various departments and suggest steps to mortgage land. Maharashtra’s key infrastructure projects include completion of over 400 irrigation projects (Rs 80,000

Merger with associates to add $120 billion to asset base: SBI

State Bank of India on Saturday said the ongoing merger of five of its associate banks and Bharatiya Mahila Bank will add $120 billion to its assets and will create a banking behemoth with global scale. The bank also said the merger of State Banks of Bikaner & Jaipur (SBBJ), Travancore (SBT), Patiala (SBP), Hyderabad (SBH) and Mysore (SBM), and also of Bhartiya Mahila Bank, a bank for women set up in November

Patent office turns down ITC's application for smokeless agarbatti

A patent application of multi-business conglomerate ITC Ltd, which sells agarbatti brand Mangaldeep, for a smokeless incense product at a cost-effective manner was rejected by the Indian Patent Office for lack of inventive steps, among other objections. The company said its invention was to prepare an incense stick with no smoke but fragrance, and it would be an eco-friendly product with higher productivity and cost advantage

Indian aviation faces second safety audit in two years

India's air safety is under scrutiny yet again with the International Civil Aviation Organisation planning an audit next summer.  This will be its second audit of India within two years and the move raises concerns whether the country's aviation safety standards are in line with global norms.BS Bhullar, spokesperson for the civil aviation ministry, said an earlier audit in November 2015 had not covered areas like operations and

Reforms To Aid Growth; Banking Sector Risks Remain: Moody's

New Delhi: Moody's Investors Service today said continued reforms to enhance business environment and moderate inflation will help India achieve robust growth but cautioned that rising contingent liability risks in the banking sector could affect its credit quality.  Evidence of success in policymakers' efforts to introduce growth-enhancing economic and institutional reforms would provide support for a rating upgrade, Moody's

Investment Board To Take Up 12 FDI Proposals On August 30

New Delhi: Inter-ministerial body FIPB will on August 30 take up 12 foreign investment proposals, including those of BNP Paribas Asset Management lndia Pvt Ltd and Sharekhan Ltd. Other proposals pertain to companies like Willmar Schwabe lndia Pvt Ltd, SAET lndia Pvt Ltd, Bashundhara Paper Mills India Pvt Ltd and Whizdm lnnovations Pvt Ltd will come up for consideration at the meeting to be chaired by Economic

Government May Advance Union Budget By A Month: Report

New Delhi: Union Budget has for decades been presented on last day of February, but this could soon change with the government mulling advancing it to January end so as to complete the budget exercise before the beginning of the new fiscal year. The Finance Ministry is doing an overhaul of the entire Budget making exercise which may see scrapping of the current practice of presenting a separate budget for Railways and

India world's third biggest tech startup hub: Study

NEW DELHI: India is home to the third largest number of technology driven startups in the world, with the US and the UK occupying the top two positions, according to a report. The study, done by Assocham in association with Thought Arbitrage Research Institute, also revealed that Bengaluru is host to the largest share of technology startups in the country, followed by Delhi NCR and Mumbai, while Hyderabad and

10 recommendations Subramanian Committee on New Education policy

RECOMMENDATIONS DETAILS

There Should Be an All India Education Service

An Indian Education Service (IES) should be established as an all India service with officers being on permanent settlement to the state governments but with the cadre controlling authority vesting with the Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry.

Constitutionally guaranteed reservation to continue in new Education Policy: Prakash Javadekar

Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar has said that the constitutionally guaranteed reservation will continue in the new Education Policy and that the government has no plans to make any changes. Speaking to media here on Friday, Javadekar clarified that the government has not finalised the new Education Policy and that the draft policy is yet to be placed before the Union Cabinet for debate. "The government will place

ISRO to launch ‘Aditya-L1’, the first Indian mission to study Sun by 2020

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to launch its satellite, Aditya-L1, to study about the Sun, according to Mylswamy Annadurai, director, Isro satellite centre at Bengaluru. Speaking to the media on Saturday at a private college function here, Mr Annadurai said that India has launched 10 satellites between August 2015 and August 2016, adding, four more launches – INSAT-3DR and SCATSAT-1 in

Bengaluru bigger host of technology-driven start-ups than Delhi, Mumbai: Report

Leading from the front, India's information technology hub Bengaluru has surpassed the likes of New Delhi and Mumbai when it comes to being a host to the largest number of technology-driven start-ups. Next in the list are Hyderabad and Chennai who have also become quite popular among budding entrepreneurs, a study by industry chamber Assocham said. The study, done in association with the Thought Arbitrage Research

‘Sexual favours’ to be considered as bribe under proposed amendments to anti-corruption law

A Parliamentary Committee has proposed a new law under which seeking a “sexual favour” can be considered as bribe and people can be penalised for it. In its report on the new anti-corruption bill, the Select Committee of Rajya Sabha has endorsed Law Commission's report and recommended inclusion of "undue advantage" in a relevant provision of the proposed legislation to cover "any gratification other than

AAP govt forms committee to help provide insurance to all

The Delhi government has formed an eight-member society to aid and advise it on the setting up of a universal healthcare insurance cover for the state’s residents. Delhi health minister Satyendra Jain is the chairperson of the “Society for Universal Healthcare in Delhi”. Six experts from health insurance, economics, finance or management, entrepreneur and the NGO sector will be nominated to the society to help set up a

Government sets up committee to review income tax law

 NEW DELHI: The government has set up a committee under a former Delhi High Court judge to review the income tax law and identify clauses that lead to litigations or adversely impact the ease of doing business, underlining its resolve to address all tax related issues. The 10-member panel, headed by Justice RV Easwar (retd), has been tasked with submitting the first batch of report by January 31, before the budget for 2016-

Govt may nominate its 3 monetary policy committee members this month

After appointing Urjit Patel as the next RBI Governor, the government is now expected to finalise the names of three members to the interest rate setting panel MPC in the next few days. The government nominees to the MPC have been shortlisted by a Search-cum-Selection Committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary with RBI Governor and Economic Affairs Secretary and three experts in the field of economics or banking

BCCI Working Committee meets to discuss Compliance Report

The working committee of the BCCI will be meeting in the capital on Monday to discuss about the ‘First Compliance Report’ on the implementation of the various recommendations made by the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Committee. As per Lodha Committee’s directive after meeting BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke on August 9, the ‘Compliance Report’ needs to be submitted to the three-member panel by August

India ranks 39th in Asia Pacific on fixed broadband

India ranks a low 39th in terms of fixed broadband adoption among Asia Pacific countries, with just 1.3 per cent of its citizens subscribing to such a service in 2015, according to a study by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). India ranks lower than countries such as Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in ESCAP

Assam conservationist nominated for IUCN Heritage Heroes award

GUWAHATI: Ecologist Bibhuti Lahkar of Assam, closely associated with the conservation of grasslands of Manas National Park and community development on the fringe areas of the protected area, is one among other conservationists across world, nominated for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)'s prestigious Heritage Heroes awards to be conferred next month. Bantu Lukambo and Josue

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray honours socialist leader in Pune

SPEAKING at an event where a socialist leader was honoured, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said on Sunday that revolutions can be brought about without spilling blood and lamented that parents of youngsters often hold them back from participating in social movements. Thackeray was the chief guest at an event at Ganesh Kala Krida Mancha, Swargate, where Dr Kumar Saptarshi, a socialist leader who also founded the

Xi honours battalion posted near Arunachal- special honours

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday bestowed special honours on a PLA battalion posted in Tibet close to Arunachal Pradesh for its “outstanding performance in safeguarding borders”. Mr. Xi, who heads the Central Military Commission (CMC), signed orders to give honorary titles, Xinhua news agency reported. “Troop 77656 is now titled as a ‘model plateau battalion’ for its outstanding performance in safeguarding

BEL CMD awarded as Most Enterprising CEO

SK Sharma, Chairman and Managing Director, BEL, has been awarded as the Most Enterprising CEO in Electronics Sector by the Indo Global Business Council (IGBC), a policy think-tank based in New Delhi. M M Joshi, Executive Director (National Marketing), BEL, received the award on behalf of CMD. Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) was established at Bangalore, India, by the Government of India under the

Telangana gets highest gallantry medals in country

Telangana State has received the highest number of gallantry medals for police personnel in the country on the eve of Independence Day. It was the only State unit to secure the President’s police medal for gallantry (PPMG). The other units to receive the award this year were Central Reserve Police Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, and the Intelligence Bureau. Sub-Inspector Duddekula Siddaiah and Constable Chougoni

Top honours and Remi Award for Kanavu Variyam

Filmmaker Arun Chidambaram’s debut venture Kanavu Variyam is going places. Though the film is not released yet, it has it has won eight international honours, including the prestigious Remi Award at the 49th World Fest Houston International, recently. Arun tells CE, “I am off to Russia this Tuesday for another film festival. I am happy with the recognition that the film has been getting globally. They help a debutant

IOA Chief N Ramachandran bestowed with the Olympic Order award

N. Ramachandran, President Indian Olympic Association (IOA), on 21 August 2016 was awarded the Olympic Order for his outstanding services to the Olympic movement. The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, formally presented the award to Ramachandran.

Kamal Haasan chosen for France’s Chevalier de L’Ordre Arts et Lettres

The Minister of Culture and Communication, France, in the third week of August 2016 selected Kamal Haasan for the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres (Knight in the National Order Arts and Letters).The distinction is in recognition of his high level of artistic excellence and his distinguished career achievements. Haasan is the second Tamil star after thespian Sivaji Ganesan to be honored with the prestigious French

Urjit R Patel appointed as 24th Governor of Reserve Bank of India

Union Government on 20 August 2016 appointed Dr. Urjit R Patel as the 24th governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He will be having tenure of three years with effect from 4 September 2016. He will succeed the present RBI Governor Dr. Raghuram Rajan, the former International Monetary Fund chief economist. At present, Dr Patel is the Deputy Governor of RBI and is holding this assignment since 2013. With this

Exam-Oriented-Current-Affairs-Dated--20-08-2016-www.KICAonline.com-ENGLISH

TODAYS SPECIAL-DAILY-NEWS-20-08-2016

World Humanitarian Day observed with theme One Humanity

19 August: World Humanitarian Day

World Humanitarian Day was observed on 19 August 2016 with the theme One Humanity. The theme explains how our shared human experiences bind us across divides, and create a common responsibility to demand action for the most vulnerable and at risk of being left behind. The digital

Read more »

Usain Bolt wins ninth Olympic gold as Jamaica wins 4x100m relay

Jamaican sprinter on 19 August 2016 won gold in 4x100m relay final at the Rio Olympics. He combined with Asafa Powell, Yohan Blake and Nickel Ashmeade to finish in 37.27 seconds. With this, Bolt obtained three sprinting gold medals in three consecutive Olympics, and finished his Olympic career with a 100% win record in finals. Japan won the silver and Canada lifted the

Zika Virus may damage brain cells in adults, not just newborns: Study

US based new research has found out that that Zika virus may damage brain cells not just in newborns but also in adults. However, this research is still in the early stages. In this study, researchers have focused on neural progenitor cells. These cells are the stem cells of the brain. They grow and divide in fetuses to create neurons, which are what carry information throughout

Digital India: Government websites fail to clear transparency test

New Delhi: The Digital India initiative may be aiming to make all government services electronically available, but a recent study has found 10 government websites in Delhi lacking in several transparency parameters. The study, published in Delhi Citizen's Handbook 2016, audited the websites against predefined parameters of Section 4 of Right to Information (RTI) Act that sets

India's real estate sector can be 3rd largest globally by 2030

 MUMBAI: The real estate and construction sector in India is expected to be the third largest globally by 2030, contributing over 15% to Indian GDP and emerging as the largest employer in India providing employment opportunities to over 75 million people. A recent background paper by KPMG in India and the National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) provides an

US cuts military advisers to Saudi-led coalition in Yemen: US Navy

RIYADH: The US military has slashed the number of intelligence advisers directly supporting the Saudi-led coalition's air war in Yemen, the US Navy said on Saturday. The reassignment of personnel, around June, occurred because "there was not the same sort of requests coming in for

Agro-tech industry flays GM seed licensing policy

NEW DELHI: The agro-tech industry, including seed companies and biotech licensees, have strongly opposed the proposed GM seed licensing policy, which was introduced for public comment in May. The guidelines have been criticised as introducing a regime of 'compulsory licensing' for patented technology. They are also said to hamper innovation and adversely affect future

Punjab approves two new varieties of wheat and celery for cultivation in the state

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government has approved two new varieties of wheat and celery for general cultivation in the state. The State Variety Approval Committee approved the varieties developed by Punjab Agriculture University Ludhiana. The decision in this regard was taken by the committee under the chairmanship of Jasbir Singh Bains, director of agriculture, Punjab. A

Maharashtra seeks Chinese investment for state's growth

MUMBAI: Maharashtra today exhorted Chinese companies to invest in sectors, including infrastructure, to help accelerate economic growth of the state and the country as well. "On behalf of Maharashtra Government, I invite Chinese companies to invest and intensify co-operation. They should look at Maharashtra state as a destination which will increase our bi-lateral trade between

National IPR policy to promote creativity, innovation: DIPP

NEW DELHI: The National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) policy announced by the government will help promote creativity and innovation in the country, a senior official today said. Joint Secretary in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) Rajiv Aggarwal said the government is making an ecosystem to promote both these things. "India has just come out with

Gujarat government forms SIT to probe Thangadh firing on Dalits

AHMEDABAD: Four years after three Dalit youths were killed in a firing incident at Thangadh in Surendranagar district of Gujarat, the state government has decided to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the case. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani decided to form the SIT after receiving several representations from Dalit leaders requesting the same, a government release said

Kerala government drops plan for 'online' liquor sales

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Facing flak from all quarters over its plan to start online liquor sales during the Onam festival, the CPI-M led LDF government in Kerala has dropped the move. Putting to rest the row over the proposed move to introduce online foreign liquor trade, government made it clear that no such decision has been taken. Tourism and Cooperation Minister A C Moideen said

NASA's Curiosity rover beams 360-degree panorama of Mars

WASHINGTON: NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has captured a stunning 360-degree panoramic view of features called 'Murray Buttes', combining more than 130 images taken on the fourth anniversary of probe's landing on the red planet. The image was acquired by the Mast Camera (Mastcam) on as the rover neared on lower Mount Sharp on Mars, during the afternoon of the

Federal Bank ties up with Chillr

KOCHI: In its efforts to provide cashless transactions to its customers through digital technology, Federal Bank has announced its partnership with Chillr, a round-the-clock mobile banking application that connects directly to a person's bank account and enables instant money transfers, bill payments, phone recharge and e-commerce payments in a very secure environment. Chillr

Author Chetan Bhagat announces new book, 'One Indian Girl'

Author Chetan Bhagat on Friday announced his new book One Indian Girl. The book – the writer's first from a woman's point of view – tells the story of a girl who finds it "difficult to get love" because she is "intelligent and successful". It hopes to "question society, which judges women achievers". Bhagat said on his website, "I have wanted to write in female first person for the past

Malayalam screenwriter TA Razaq passes away

Award-winning Malayalam screenwriter TA Razzaq passed away in Kochi. Razzaq,age at 58, had been in hospital for over a month as he was seeking treatment for a liver-related ailment. Razzaq’s film career began in the late 1980s, when he started work as an assistant director on the film Dhwani. As a scriptwriter his notable films include Kanakinavu, Ghazal, Perumazhakalam,

Veteran actress Jyothi Lakshmi passes away at 63

CHENNAI: Popular southern actress Jyothi Lakshmi passed away here on Tuesday at age 63. According to industry sources, she died away undergoing treatment for blood cancer. "She was suffering from blood cancer for a while and had been undergoing a treatment. She passed away earlier this morning," an industry source told IANS. Having made her cinematic debut with the

Former umpire Subrata Banerjee passes away at the age of 71

Subrata Banerjee, the former international umpire who officiated in 13 One Day Internationals (ODIs), passed away at the age of 71 in Kolkata. Banerjee's maiden first-class umpiring assignment was during a Ranji Trophy game in December 1967 and he officiated in his first international match in November 1983, when India faced West Indies in Baroda. His international career lasted for 15

25 per cent of Jan Dhan accounts opened in Odisha have zero balance : REPORT

BHUBANESWAR: About 97 lakh new bank accounts have been opened in Odisha under the Jan Dhan Yojana as of August 10. A fourth of these had zero balance, or no transactions. "Also, 25% of these new account holders are yet to receive their passbooks," Pradip Kumar Amat, Odisha's minister of finance and public enterprises said on Friday while addressing a state-level meet of

Relief for Adani Group as Australian court turns down appeal

MELBOURNE: An Australian court on Friday turned down the application of an Indigenous group from Down Under challenging the mining leases awarded to India-based energy major Adani Group's $21 billion Carmichael coal mine project. Members of Wangan and Jagalingou (W&J) community - a Queensland Indigenous group - filed the application contending that a decision the

1,134 candidates didn't submit election expenses, EC issues notices

CHANDIGARH: The Haryana state election commission has decided to take action against 1,134 candidates who had recently contested municipalities' polls in the state and have failed to submit election expenditure. Initially, the commission has issued notice to the candidates from Faridabad, Panchkula, Ambala and Panipat districts. Stating this, state election commissioner Dalip Singh said

Allahabad HC posts hearing in PM Modi election case to Sept 30

The Allahabad High Court today adjourned its hearing till September 30 on a petition challenging the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency.  Appearing on behalf of Modi, Additional Solicitor General of India Satya Pal Jain submitted that the allegations levelled by the petitioner Ajay Rai "lacked critical and material facts" and hence the election petition

NCP offers to form 3rd front for elections

Panaji: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday said that it is ready to take the lead and form a pre-poll alliance with secular political parties in Goa including the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and the Goa Vikas Party (GVP) for the 2017 state elections. Throwing down an open challenge to the Congress, which has repeatedly brushed aside calls for a pre-poll

Maharashtra: Eknath Khadse’s Rs 1,000-cr tender scrapped

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has scrapped a controversial Rs 1,000-crore tender for using hologram technology on liquor bottles, which was approved by his Cabinet when Eknath Khadse was the excise minister. Accusations that the tender conditions and process were tailored to favour certain big players in the packaging industry prompted the Chief Minister to cancel the

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal may visit India in September

New Delhi: India and Nepal on Friday discussed the exchange of high-level visits of the president and prime minister, days after a new government took office in Kathmandu following months of acrimony between the two neighbours over Nepal’s new constitution. Nepal’s deputy prime minister and minister for home affairs Bimalendra Nidhi, who arrived in New Delhi on Thursday,

GST bill likely to be ratified by 11 more states

New Delhi: Prospects of the Union government meeting its 1 April 2017 implementation deadline for the goods and services tax (GST) look bright as states across the political spectrum are moving swiftly to ratify the seminal tax reform. At least 11 states, including those governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposition political parties, are in the process of ratifying the

Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort resigns

WASHINGTON: Donald Trump's campaign chairman Paul Manafort resigned on Friday in the wake of campaign shake-up and revelations about his work in Ukraine. In a statement issued as he arrived in Louisiana to tour the flood-ravaged state, Trump said Manafort offered his resignation Friday morning. The billionaire called Manafort "a true professional." "I am very appreciative for

Long-term study suggests small link between neonicotinoids, wild bee declines

Wild bees that forage from oilseed rape crops treated with. . . neonicotinoids are more likely to undergo long-term population declines than bees that forage from other sources, according to the findings of an 18-year study.  Going back to data from 1994 up to 2011, the scientists analyzed how large-scale applications of neonicotinoids to oilseed rape crops influenced bee population

DRDO successfully tests Two New 30km and 100km ‘glide bombs’ in Pokhran

India has moved closer to self-dependence in precision-guided ‘smart glide bombs’ as it conducted covert trials of these bombs successfully at Pokhran firing range in Jaisalmer on Friday.Christened as ‘Garuthmaa’ and ‘Garudaa’, the ‘glide bombs’ are being indigenously developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Of these two drop trials, the test of Garudaa,

Pak PM Nawaz Sharif Inaugurates Country's Largest Warship Tanker

KARACHI:  Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today said Pakistan is committed to protect its maritime assets and achieve self-reliance in defence production as he launched a 17,000-tonne naval tanker, the country's largest. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sharif expressed happiness over the launch of the largest warship constituted at the country by Karachi Shipyard. "The project will further

Stones Used As Hunting Weapons Million Years Ago Found

WASHINGTON:  A large number of ancient spherical stone artifacts found at a major archaeological site in South Africa served as weapons for defence and hunting, and not as tools as previously thought, according to a new study. The research combines knowledge about how modern humans perceive an object's "throwing affordance" with mathematical analysis and

Former Afghan president Hamiz Karzai backs PM Modi’s stand on Balochistan

Afghanistan’s former President Hamid Karzai has backed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement on the human rights situation in Balochistan. Karzai, who is in India for the fourth time since he left office two years ago, on Friday said that India had every right to respond to Pakistan’s provocations. “The Pakistani authorities have been speaking freely about both India and

Relief for Ustad Amjad Ali Khan as UK grants him visa after week-long ordeal

Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan was today granted visa by the UK, a week after his application for the same was rejected apparently due to incomplete information.  "Yes, the visa for my UK concert has been granted to me, finally. I am grateful to Mr Keith Vaz (British MP) and Shrimati Sushma Sawaraj (External Affairs Minister) for their initiative," a much relieved Khan

There will be more casualties if pellet guns are banned, CRPF tells J-K HC

The CRPF has informed Jammu and Kashmir High Court that if pellet guns are banned as a crowd control measure, its personnel will be forced to fire bullets in extreme situations, which can cause more fatalities. "In case, this (pellet gun) is withdrawn from the options available with the CRPF, CRPF personnel would have no recourse in extreme situations but to open fire with rifles, which

Paris terror strikes were ‘optimised Mumbai-style attacks’: UN report

Islamic State terrorists had “studied” the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and similar “active shooter scenarios” to maximise confusion and casualties before hitting multiple locations in Paris in November, UN member- states have said. The 18th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted to the UN Security Council’s 1267 ISIS, Al-Qaida Sanctions

Support Dalai Lama for return to Tibet: Lawmakers to Barack Obama

WASHINGTON: A group of 72 American lawmakers have asked US President Barack Obama to publicly support the right of the Dalai Lama to return to Tibet and call for an immediate and unconditional release of all Tibetan political prisoners languishing in China. "We write to ask that you redouble efforts in support of the Tibetan people during your remaining months in office. We

US Olympic Committee apologises for swimmers' behaviour

The US Olympic Committee (USOC) has publicly acknowledged that four of its swimmers made a false police report and created a story of being held at gunpoint and later apologised to the organisation of the Olympic Games and Brazil for the swimmers' behaviour. "The behaviour of these athletes is not acceptable, nor does it represent the values of Team USA or the conduct of the

Rio Olympics: Miller dives over line to win women's 400m gold

Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas shocked gold medal favorite Allyson Felix to win a thrilling women's 400m final at the Rio Olympics. Miller recorded a personal best of 49.44 seconds to finish just seven hundredths of a second ahead of the USA's Felix at the Olympic Stadium on Monday, reported Xinhua.  Shericka Jackson of Jamaica took bronze in 49.85.  Miller led by several metres

Rio Olympics: Usian Bolt says tight schedule slowed down 100-metre sprinters

Usain Bolt rarely complains about going too fast. After the rushed road to Sunday night's 100-metre final, he had to make an exception. Faced with a turnaround time of barely over an hour between the semifinal and final, Bolt had trouble gearing up to be at his best for the marquee event of the Olympics. Read our full coverage on the 2016 Rio Olympics. He won his record-setting third

Rio Olympics: Kenya's David Rudisha wins second straight 800m Olympic gold

Kenya's David Rudisha romped to victory in the men's Olympic 800m final here, securing his second straight gold medal in the event. The 27-year-old clocked 1 minute 42.15 seconds to finish 0.45 of a second ahead of Algeria's Taoufik Makhloufi at the Olympic Stadium on Monday, reports Xinhua. Read our full coverage on the 2016 Rio Olympics . The US' Clayton Murphy took bronze

Coal scam: Court frames charges against ex-coal secy H C Gupta, five others

A special court on Friday framed various charges including cheating and criminal conspiracy against former coal secretary H C Gupta, two public servants, private firm Vikash Metals and Power Ltd and its two officials in a coal blocks allocation scam case. The court put on trial all the accused in the case in which the CBI's closure report was earlier rejected by the court, asking the probe

Krishnamurthy, MD & CEO of Catholic Syrian Bank, quits

Anand Krishnamurthy, managing director and chief executive of Catholic Syrian Bank, has resigned, a year after taking over the posts. Calls to his office remained unanswered. Sources in the bank confirmed he had resigned last week due to financial performance over the last one year. The bank reported a loss of Rs 149.72 crore in 2015-16. Percentage of gross non-performing assets had

Pulses acreage tops 13 million hectares

Sowing of pulses has seen a jump of 35 per cent to 13.6 million hectares so far, in the ongoing kharif season on good rains and higher market price. The pulses acreage this year is not only the highest in the last five years, but also among the best in recent times.  If weather remains good, pulses production this year could reach 20 mn tonnes, which would be highest ever and also help in

Prices of HIV, asthma, malaria drugs revised

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has revised the prices of 22 scheduled drugs. These drugs are for treating malaria, HIV, asthma, breast cancer, among others. The drugs include tablets such as Efavirenz, Ibuprofen, Tamoxifen and Salbutamol, Phenobarbitone injection and Rifampicin capsule. All the existing manufacturers of scheduled formulations, selling the

Real estate and construction sector to generate 75 million jobs by 2022: Study

Real estate and construction sector in India is expected to be the third largest globally by 2030, contributing over 15 per cent to Indian GDP and emerging as the largest employer in India providing employment opportunities to over 75 million people, a background paper by consultancy firm KPMG in India and the National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) said. The

Trai extends data packs validity to 1 year from 90 days

To boost usage by marginal consumers and attract first-time internet users, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Friday allowed the telecom operators to offer data packs with the validity of 365 days, extending the maximum permitted time period for such offers from 90 days.The move will benefit the entry level users, who go for cheaper data plans with longer validity

New draft of medical devices regulation Bill

The Union health ministry is working on a second draft of a legislation to regulate sale of medical devices. The first one was withdrawn, after resentment from the industry. Officials declined to say when the draft would be finalised or when it could go to Parliament. The industry had a meeting with officials in the Prime Minister's Office recently. There were discussions on readying the final

New less addictive alternative of morphine made

Scientists claim to have developed a new drug that is less risky and addictive than morphine, but has the same painkilling power. Initial tests on mice revealed that the new compound activates nerve cell surface receptors responsible for morphine’s painkilling effects.  The compound is so new it doesn’t have a name, just a number. It’s only been tested in mice, and it needs years of

North Korea resumes plutonium production

North Korea confirmed the production of plutonium has been restarted in the country after speculations that it reopened its Yongbyon nuclear facility earlier this month . it will continue conducting nuclear tests till perceived threats from U.S. remain. The Yongbyon reactor was closed down in July 2007. However, North Korean government officials said in September 2015 that the

Chennai Innovators win awards for their work on inclusiveness

CHENNAI: After a three year research, 32-year-old Sathasivam Kannupayan, who was disabled by a polio attack as a child, found that lack of information was the biggest hurdle faced by differently abled people. That led him to launch a website (www.enabled.in) - a resource portal with news, government policies, jobs and assistive technologies. Kannupayan was honoured with this year's

Rio Olympics: Croatia's Kolak wins women's javelin gold

RIO DE JANEIRO: Croatian Sara Kolak won the Olympic women's javelin final, dashing Czech Barbora Spotakova's dreams of becoming the first woman to win three consecutive gold medals in the same individual athletics event. The 21-year-old Croat set a personal best and a national record with her fourth attempt of 66.18 metres. Kolak, who also broke the national record in the qualifying

UP announces Rani Laxmi Bai award

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today announced that the Rani Laxmi Bai award would be given to wrestler Sakshi Malik for her winning feat at the Rio Olympics. “We congratulate Sakshi for wining the medal in the Rio Olympics. Our government will give Rani Lakshmi Bai award to her,” he said at a programme at his residence here. The award comprises a bronze statue

World Humanitarian Day observed with theme One Humanity

19 August: World Humanitarian Day

World Humanitarian Day was observed on 19 August 2016 with the theme One Humanity. The theme explains how our shared human experiences bind us across divides, and create a common responsibility to demand action for the most vulnerable and at risk of being left behind. The digital

Indian badminton player P V Sindhu wins silver in women's singles badminton event at Rio Olympics

Badminton player P V Sindhu on 18 August 2016 won historic silver medal in women’s singles badminton event at Rio Olympics. With this, Sindhu became the first Indian woman to clinch a silver medal in Olympics. She also became the fourth Indian to win a silver at the Olympics after shooters Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (2004, Athens) and Vijay Kumar (2012, London) and

Exam-Oriented-Current-Affairs-Dated--19-08-2016-www.KICAonline.com-ENGLISH

GOVERNMENT SCHEME-DAILY-NEWS-19-08-2016

Steps taken to provide Aadhaar cards for newborns

To ensure unique identification number for everyone by March 2017, steps have been taken to provide for Aadhaar cards for new born babies. An Aadhaar card could be generate for a new born once he or she is 21 days older and is given a name.  Newborns across the country will soon start getting Aadhaar as part of the Modi government's efforts to provide the unique identification number to all residents by March 2017. 

Read more »

Former BJP MLA Ram Charitra passes away

Former BJP MLA from Singrauli Ram Charitra died today at a hospital in Bhopal today due to a prolonged illness. He was 81. Charitra is survived by his wife, three sons and two daughters.  Considered as the backbone of BJP in the district, Charitra became MLA for the first time in 1977 on Janata Party ticket from Singrauli Assembly seat. He won thrice in 1980, 1985 and 1996.  In 2008, he won the Assembly election

Noted Odia actor and director Gobind Tej passes away

Noted Odia actor and director Gobind Tej passed away while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. He was 88. In his career spanning over 50 years, he has contributed in many Odia feature films either as an actor, director or producer. About Gobind Tej Gobind Tej had started his acting career with the movie ‘Kedar Gouri’ in 1954. He had started his career as a director in 1979 with film

INDIAN AIR FORCE BEGINS HUNT FOR SMART AIRFIELD SECURITY SYSTEM

The air force’s western air command has asked Indian companies to bid for the pilot project that would then be replicated at air bases across the nation. NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force has initiated its search for a new smart airfield protection system eight months after the Pathankot attack exposed several chinks in the perimeter security at a vital airbase, leading to the death of seven security personnel and a close call for

India, China agree not to let differences affect ties

India and China have had "candid" exchange of views on some "specific issues" and they agreed not to let the "differences" affect their overall ties as they vowed to resolve the issues through dialogue and consultation, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. "Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited India just before the G20 Hangzhou Summit and the 8th BRICS leaders meeting, with the main purpose of having strategic