Current Affairs - January 12, 2018 Current Affairs

Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd is planning to create its own cryptocurrency, JioCoin. The Jio coin project is being led by Mukesh Ambani's elder son Akash AmReliance Jio Infocomm Ltd is planning to create its own cryptocurrency, JioCoin. The Jio coin project is being led by Mukesh Ambani's elder son Akash Ambani. The blockchain is decentralized incorruptible digital ledger for storing data across a peer-to-peer network.

In a major digital initiative to help plan the traffic flows and optimize freight operations, Ministry of Railways has launched Smart Freight Operation Optimisation and Real Time Information (SFOORTI) App for freight managers. The app provides features for monitoring and managing freight business using Geographic Information System (GIS) Views and Dashboard. With this application both passenger and freight trains can be tracked over Zones, Divisions and Sections in single GIS View. The app provides a bird's eye view of all freight assets in a single window and end to end rake movement on Geospatial view. Expected traffic at interchange points can be viewed to evaluate daily performance. Position of rakes for specific type of stock can be viewed through this application.

The 4th edition of International Dharma Dhamma conference (IDDC-2018) has inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind in Rajgir, Bihar on January 11, 2018. This 3-day conference has been jointly organised by India Foundation, Nalanda University, Ministry of External Affairs, ASEAN-India and Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha. The conference is an endeavour of Nalanda University as a bridge between India and other nations. Over one hundred dignatories and experts from 11 countries will hold deliberations and present research papers on various topics related to Buddhism and other religions and global peace. The conference brings together a wide array of dignatories who are responsible for governance, policy making and giving directions to countries. Sages, monks and Swamis will also share their spiritual views in different sessions.

The central government insisted people not to use national flag made of plastic, ahead of Republic Day celebrations. An advisory from the Union Home Ministry has said that, since plastic flags are not biodegradable like paper flags, they do not decompose for a long time. Keeping in mind the proper disposal of national flag made of plastic, without affecting its dignity, the advisory has restricted the usage of plastic flags. The advisory has stated that on important national, cultural and sports events, only flags made of paper are to be used by public as per the Flag Code of India, 2002.

Bhopal station has become the first railway station in the country to have Sanitary napkin Vending Machine. This machine has been named 'Happy Nari'. It was installed by the Railway Women Welfare Association of Bhopal division with help from a local NGO 'Arushi'. Women passengers can get two napkin for just in Rs. 5 from this machine. The machine has a capacity of storing 75 sanitary napkins at once. It will be refilled by a female staff attendant at the waiting room.

The Supreme Court collegium led by Chief Justice of India (CI) Dipak Misra unanimously recommended the name of senior advocate Indu Malhotra for the appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court. With this, she becomes first woman lawyer from the country to be directly elected to the post of judge of the Supreme Court. Overall she will be seventh woman judge in SC since it was established 67 years ago. Indu Malhotra is reputed senior advocate practicing in SC or the past 30 years.

West Bengal Panchayat and Rural Development and Public Health Engineering minister Subrata Mukherjee announced the launch of water ATM project to ensure bacteria-free drinking water in schools. Water ATMs are being set up in the city and suburbs of West Bengal. The machines are made in Germany. Mainly, schools and hospitals will be covered under this project. This project is carried out with the help of Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.

Singapore-based Indian-origin businessman Sunny Verghese appointed as the Chairman of the Geneva-based World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). He succeeded Paul Polman. Verghese, Co-Founder and the CEO of Singapore's agri-business group Olam International Limited, is the first WBCSD Chair from the agri-sector.

Dilip Asbe has been appointed as the new Managing Director and CEO of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). Prior to this, Asbe was CEO-in-charge of NPCI. He succeeded A.P.Hota, who retired in August 2017. Asbe has been in the NPCI since its inception and has played a pivotal role in designing, building, operationalising and managing large-scale payment processing platforms like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM), Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), India's home-grown card network RuPay, and several other initiatives.

The Punjab government has rolled out e-Raktkosh web portal in all the 45 government blood banks. The web portal provides the guidelines and streamlines the workflow of blood blanks and storage centres across the nation and interconnects all blood banks with a single network. Brahm Mahindra, the State Health Minister, has stated that in the next phase all 59 private blood banks of the state will be linked with the e-Raktkosh application software.

The Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) sub-committee on girl child education has decided to recommend free and compulsory education for girls up to post-graduate level across the country. The committee will also recommend establishing of exclusive residential degree colleges for SC and ST women besides provision of health and hygiene kits to girls. All these schemes are already being successfully implemented in Telangana. The committee also wants schools to maintain academic atmosphere besides providing basic amenities like toilets, running water, maintenance, safety measures and power supply and also appoint a counselor for adolescent girls. Apart from this, the committee wants the Union government to establish a university exclusive for women in all States. The sub-committee is likely to submit an interim report to Union Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar during a meeting on January 15, 2018. Kadiam Srihari, Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister of Telangana, is the head of the sub-committee.

JK Tyre & Industries appointed Rajiv Prasad as president of India Operations. Rajiv Prasad has a vast experience in managing large businesses. His career spans over 30 years. JK Tyre Chairman and Managing Director Raghupati Singhania said that the appointment of Rajiv Prasad as President of JK Tyre India operations will enhance growth of the organisation.

India and Canada will soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the cooperation in the field of Science and Technology. That will provide a mechanism and help to foster scientific cooperation between R&D and academic institutions of the two countries. Notably, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a MoU with Canada for cooperation in the field of Science and Technology. Under the MoU, an innovative model of R&D cooperation between India and Canada will be implemented under a MoU concluded by the Department of Science and Technology with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada.

The 5th Bilateral Technical Meeting on cooperation in the field of Traditional Systems of Medicine between Govt. of India and Malaysia was held in New Delhi. It was a part of the agreement signed between both countries in 2010. The Meeting had discussed the following agenda:- Establishment of Ayurveda Chair in University of UTAR, Malaysia, Professional training in Panchakarma therapy for Malaysian experts in India, The evaluation of safety and efficacy of combination Ayurvedic/ traditional products for clinical trials. Safety evaluation of Ayurvedic products based on Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) Bilateral MoU between National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of AYUSH and Malaysia for Cooperation in the field of Medicinal Plants.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) appointed Harjinder Singh as the Chef De Mission for the 23rd Winter Olympic Games to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea in February 2018. Harjinder Singh is at present the General Secretary in the Ice Hockey Association of India.