Current Affairs - December 19, 2017 Current Affairs

India currently ranks 60th out of 127 countries on the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2017 as compared to 66th rank on GII 2016. The list was topped by Switzerland. NITI Aayog, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) together launched a mega initiative "India Innovation Index". This Index will rank states on Innovations through country's first online innovation index portal that will capture data on innovation from all Indian states on innovation and regularly update it in real time.

Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union Oil minister, has inaugurated Eastern India's first compressed natural gas (CNG) stations for scooters at Chandrasekharpur and Patia area in Bhubaneswar, Odisha to supply CNG to vehicles. He also launched CNG-run scooters and auto-rickshaws. The service is an initiative under City Gas Distribution (CGD) project implemented by the GAIL (India) Limited, a government-owned natural gas transmission company.

Recently, Indian government announced that Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister G Satheesh Reddy will be awarded the National Design Award. He will receive the National Design Award during the Indian Engineering Congress held on 21st December 2017 at Chennai. Satheesh Reddy heads Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex.He has also played an important role in formulation of national policies, guiding research and innovation in industry, academia and R&D institutes.

The Andhra Pradesh government has signed an agreement with Alphabet InC's X to bring the Free Space Optical Communication (FSOC) technology in the state. The purpose of the FSOC is to provide internet through the government Fiber grid project. By using FSOC technology, the state will be able to use better bandwidth data to every house hold including houses in the tribal belt. This association with X labs to implement FSOC in AP is first of its kind in the world to provide wireless internet connection at a higher speed of up to 20Gbps and to a distance of up to 20kms. This significant partnership will offer a major boost to the state's digital infrastructure and help overcome hindrances in terms of connecting isolated and difficult terrain, forest areas, river crossings, railway crossings, etc.

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has temporarily barred Bharti Airtel from conducting Aadhaar-based SIM verification of mobile customers using eKYC process. It also barred Airtel Payments Bank for processing e-KYC of clients. This action is in response to complaints that Bharti Airtel has been using Aadhaar-eKYC based SIM verification process to open payments bank accounts of its subscribers without their consent. UIDAI has also considered allegations that such Airtel Payments Bank accounts are being linked to receive LPG subsidy.

Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan stated that, Iraq has overtaken Saudi Arabia to become India's top crude oil supplier in 2017-18. For April-October period of 2017-18, Iraq supplied 25.8 million tonnes (MT) of oil to India and overtook Saudi Arabia, which has traditionally been India's top oil supplier. Saudi Arabia supplied 21.9 MT of crude oilto India during this period. Currently, India's 80 per cent oil demand is met from imports.India imported 125.8 MT of crude oil in the April -October 2017.

The United Nations (UN) International Migrants Day is observed every year on December 18 to recognize the efforts, contributions, and rights of workers and members of their families worldwide. The 2017 theme is "Safe Migration in a World on the Move".

India will host a meeting of WTO member countries in February 2018 to muster support for food security and other issues. The announcement was made by Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu in New Delhi. The proposed meeting would be in the backdrop of developed nations forming groupings to prepare the ground for pushing investment facilitation, preparing rules for e-commerce, promoting gender equality and reducing subsidy on fisheries.

India's top-ranked junior shuttler Aakarshi Kashyap won U-17 and U-19 singles titles at Badminton junior Nationals in Guwahati, Assam. In Under-17 category, 16-year-old from Bhilai defeated Malvika Bansod in the final. In under 19 categories final, Kashyap has beaten Vaidehi Choudhari.

s per the IT Ministry, the government will bear the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) charges on transactions up to Rs 2,000 made through debit cards, BHIM UPI or Aadhaar-enabled payment systems to promote digital transactions. MDR is charged on payments made to merchants through BHIM UPI platform and AePS (Aadhaar enabled Payment System). The merchant discount rate (MDR) will be borne by the government for two years with effect from January 1, 2018 by reimbursing the same to the banks.

Sebastian Pinera has won the 2017 presidential election of Chile on December 17, 2017. With 98.44% of the ballots counted, Pinera had won 54.57% in the run-off vote, to 45.43% for senator Guillier, a wider than expected margin in a race that pollsters had predicted would be tight. Pinera has pledged support and stable funding for Chile's state-run miner Codelco , and has promised to slash red tape which had bogged down projects under Bachelet.

The government has engaged private lender ICICI Bank to enable online payments at 470 mandis integrated with the national portal of electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM). At present, e-NAM participants are doing payments through traditional ways via bank branches, debit cards, and net banking. ICICI Bank will enable BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) on the e-NAM portal for making cashless payments.

Joda East Iron Mine (JEIM) of Tata Steel honoured with the prestigious Golden Peacock Innovation Management Award for the year 2017 for driving innovation in mines. The award was given at Institute of Directors India's 2nd Global Convention held at Singapore. Golden Peacock Awards Secretariat receives over 1,000 entries per year for various awards, from over 25 countries worldwide.

Jokapatha village, a tribal village in Balrampur district of Chhattisgarh got electricity connection for the first time since independence. In context of this news, it is important to note that in September 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana 'Saubhagya' scheme with an aim to provide electricity connections to over 4 crore families in rural and urban areas by December 2018. Total financial outlay of the 'Saubhagya' scheme is Rs 16320 crore.

Goa celebrated its 56th Liberation Day. The state was liberated on 19th December in 1961 from Portuguese control after almost 450 years of colonial rule. The main program was organized at the Sports Authority of Goa Ground, Campal in state capital Panaji. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar unfurled the national flag at the Goa Liberation Day celebrations in Panaji.

Bengali poet Joy Goswami will be honoured with the Moortidevi Award for the year 2017. The Moortidevi annual award is given for an expressive and perceptive work which highlights human values written in any Indian languages or English. The Moortidevi Award consists of a Saraswati Statue, a Citation Plaque and cash award of Rs 4 lakh. It is the first time the Moortidevi Award is given to a Bengali poet.

India and Morocco has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for enhanced cooperation in the health sector in New Delhi on December 14, 2017. Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare J P Nadda and Dr. Abdelkader Amara, Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Morocco signed the MoU in the presence of senior officers from the Union Health Ministry and a high level delegation from Morocco. The main areas of cooperation include the following: Non-communicable diseases, including child cardiovascular diseases and cancer; Drug Regulation and Pharmaceutical quality control; Communicable Diseases; Maternal, child and neonatal health; Hospital twinning for exchange of good practices and Training in administration and management of health services and Hospitals.