Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Aug 11, 2017

ANSWER: Google India

Explanation:
The NSDC and Google India will come together to train app developers for mobile platform on the Android and web platforms.

This is aimed at improving the country’s mobile application development ecosystem.

The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is a public-private partnership enterprise under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.

Under the initiative, NSDC will introduce a specific course with the scope to train developers to create applications for the mobile platform that can be used on smartphone and tablets running on the Android operating system.

The 100-hour duration course is designed to be delivered by NSDC’s partner agencies, outside the formal education system.

NSDC and Google India will also work together to focus on up-skilling Android trainers under the programme.

The collaboration aims to accelerate mobile skill training and create opportunities for youth in the country.

According to a study conducted by IMaCS (the management consulting arm of rating agency ICRA) on behalf of NSDC, India is likely to have an incremental requirement of 24.4 crore skilled people by 2022 in 21 high growth sectors.

NSDC: Know More

• The National Skill Development Corporation India (NSDC) was setup as a one of its kind, Public Private Partnership Company.
• It has a primary mandate of catalysing the skills landscape in India.
• NSDC is a unique model created with a well thought through underlying philosophy based on the following pillars:

1. Create: Proactively catalyse creation of large, quality vocational training institutions.

2. Fund: Reduce risk by providing patient capital. Including grants and equity.

3. Enable: the creation and sustainability of support systems required for skill development. This includes the Industry led Sector Skill Councils.

ANSWER: Logistics Data Bank

Explanation:
The Logistics Data Bank (LDB) project, unveiled in July 2016 to make India’s logistics sector more efficient through the use of Information Technology, will soon expand operations to the country’s southern region.

So far, it had covered only the western logistics corridor.

The facility - where every container is attached to a Radio Frequency Identification Tag (RFID) tag and then tracked through RFID readers - aids importers and exporters in tracking their goods in transit.

This has, in turn, cut the overall lead time of container movement as well as reduced transaction costs that consignees and shippers incur.

It is billed as a major ‘ease of doing business’ initiative aimed at boosting India’s foreign trade and ensuring greater transparency.

The project covers “the entire movement (of containers) through rail or road till the Inland Container Depot and Container Freight Station.

The service integrates information available with the agencies across the supply chain to provide detailed, real-time information within a single window.

The LDB is being implemented through a Special Purpose Vehicle called Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Logistics Data Services Ltd. (DLDSL).

This is jointly (50:50) owned by the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) Trust and Japanese IT services major NEC Corporation.

On July 1, 2016, the LDB project was launched at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Mumbai.

From May this year, its operations expanded to the container terminals at Adani Port Special Economic Zone, Mundra and Adani Hazira Port — both in Gujarat.

So far, in all, the DLDSL provides container tracking services to around 70% of the container traffic in India.

The services include providing users the ‘average delivery time’ as well as notifications through SMS and email.

About 3.88 million containers (1.87 million import containers and 2.01 million export containers) have been tagged and de-tagged under the project until now.

Initial discussions on the LDB project were held in May 2012.

Talks were held on a regulatory framework from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) to ensure that all logistics players share data to make the project viable.

Later on, meetings were held between the DGFT, the shipping ministry and other stakeholders including the Tariff Authority for Major Ports regarding the regulatory framework on Mandatory User Charges (MUC) as well.

In November 2014, TAMP passed an order for levy of MUC for the project.

ANSWER: Second

Explanation:
India has ratified the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol that commits countries to contain the emission of greenhouse gases, reaffirming its stand on climate action.

India’s Permanent Mission to the UN said that India deposited its Instrument of Acceptance of the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol under the UN Convention on Climate Change.

With this, India became the 80th country to accept the amendment relating to the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, the international emissions reduction treaty.

India’s acceptance reaffirms our continued commitment to climate action,.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, who handed over India’s Instrument, tweeted “maintaining momentum on Climate Change. India submits instrument of acceptance of Doha Amendment to Kyoto Protocol”.

Kyoto Protocol: Know More

• The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
• This commits its Parties by setting internationally binding emission reduction targets.
• The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997 and entered into force in February 2005.
• The first commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol was from 2008-2012.
• The Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Qatar in December 2012.
• The amendment includes new commitments for parties to the Kyoto Protocol who agreed to take on commitments in a second commitment period from January 2013 to December 2020 and a revised list of greenhouse gases to be reported on by Parties in the second commitment period, according to the UNFCCC website.

ANSWER: UP

Explanation:
This yatra was flagged off by CM Yogi Adityanath on 9th Aug, 2017.

The Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken up cudgels to clean these rivers.

The Modi government has sanctioned INR 20,000 crore to keep Ganga clean from Gangotri to Ganga Sagar and even set up a new ministry to monitor the project.

As this is not a Central Government project only, the state government too has chipped in with its efforts to keep Ganga and Yamuna clean.

The UP government has gone for a major plantation drive on the 150 kms banks of Ganga on July 5 in which over 1.30 lakh trees were planted.

Over 1600 villages spread in 25 districts have been declared ‘Open Defecation Free’.

Besides, efforts have begun to make Ganga clean during the coming ‘Ardh Kumbh Mela’ at Allahabad in 2019

The Yatra will pass through 108 blocks of 25 districts of UP from Bijnore to Ballia along Ganga covering around 1,025 kilometers and make people aware about cleanliness of the river. The yatra will end in Lucknow on September 6.

ANSWER: Hyperspectral Imaging Satellite

Explanation:
A new set of future satellites called hyperspectral imaging satellites is set to add teeth to the way India will be seen from about 600 km in space.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) says it plans to launch a full-fledged niche earth observation (EO) satellite - called the Hyperspectral Imaging Satellite or HySIS - using a critical chip it has developed.

There is no specific time-frame yet for its launch, an ISRO spokesman said, adding that meanwhile, the new chip, technically called an “optical imaging detector array,” that they have created for it would be tested and perfected.

ISRO is endeavouring to enter the domain of operational hyperspectral imaging from earth orbit with a satellite that can see in 55 spectral or colour bands from 630 km above ground

Hyspex Imaging: Know More

• Hyperspectral or hyspex imaging is said to be an earth observation trend that is being experimented globally.
• Adding a new dimension to plain-vanilla optical imagers, it can be used for a range of activities from monitoring the environment, crops, looking for oil and minerals all the way up to military surveillance - all of which need images that show a high level of differentiation of the object or scene.
• About a decade ago, ISRO added another earth observation niche with microwave or radar imaging satellites RISAT-1 and 2 that could ‘see’ through clouds and the dark - an important feature useful for the military and security agencies.
• ‘Hyspex’ imaging is said to enable distinct identification of objects, materials or processes on earth by reading the spectrum for each pixel of a scene from space
  ISRO first tried it out in an 83-kg IMS-1 experimental satellite in May 2008. The same year, a hyperspectral camera was put on Chandrayaan-1 and used to map lunar mineral resources.
• Very few space agencies have such a satellite; a German environmental satellite called EnMAP is due to be launched on an Indian booster in 2018.
• The payloads development centre, Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad, designed the architecture of the chip which was made at ISRO’s electronics arm, the Semi-Conductor Laboratory, Chandigarh. The result was a detector array that could read 1000 x 66 pixels.
• Hyspex is an evolving technology

ANSWER: National Cyber Coordination Centre

Explanation:
National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC), the government’s cyber security project which scans and records meta data on the Internet is live.

This is according to P.P Chaudhary, Minister of State for Electronics and IT (Meity).

The NCCC received an in-principal approval from the Cabinet in May 2013,

It “screens all forms of meta-data, ensure better coordination between various intelligence agencies and streamline intelligence gathering”, the report pointed out.

The project costs INR 500 crore and implemented by Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In).

Data NCCC Covers

• The NCCC can “actively” tie up with other cyber intelligence agencies to collect and share data to conduct surveillance, although, via lawful means.
• The NCCC is limited to online and cyber intelligence and collects data through tie ups with other intelligence units. The government’s meta data scanner is likely to have access to:
• The National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) which keeps all sorts of citizen data in a single database that can be accessed by officers from RAW, CBI, IB etc. NATGRID and NCCC were proposed under the same ministry initially and it’s likely that there is some amount of cross-data sharing. NATGRID has access to hold 21 categories of citizen database like bank account details, telephone records, passport data and vehicle registration details. NATGRID has access to this data in real-time and through tie up with various ministries and departments called provider agencies and 11 other intelligence and investigative agencies.
• The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Intelligence Bureau (IB), the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) also come under the MHA [More on this here]. Data from these intelligence units are also likely to be picked by the NCCC.
• The New Media Wing (NMW) and the Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC)-wings that are involved in media surveillance - housed under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) are also involved in media surveillance and shares data with other intelligence units.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) which is focused on national security matters, also shares and gathers information with the intelligence departments similar to NCCC and is also likely to be an information provider.

Other Cyber Surveillance Projects

• Cyber Swachhta Kendra is the Government’s malware and bot-net cleaning centre were set up in February this year.
• Named as ‘Cyber Swachhta Kendra’, the project has tie ups with ISPs, academia, banks and anti-virus companies to provide citizens with tools to protect data on laptops, computers and mobile phones.
• In December 2015, the Government of India set up the ‘Indian Cyber Coordination Centre’ (I-4C), which helps in monitoring cyber crimes, offences such as child pornography, cyber bullying, as well as helping law enforcement agencies in curbing these crimes.

ANSWER: 50

Explanation:
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 10th Aug 2017 imposed an interim ban on use of non-biodegradable plastic bags which are less than 50 microns in the entire national capital.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar also announced an environment compensation of INR 5,000 on anyone found in possession of such banned plastic.

The tribunal has also directed the Delhi government to seize the entire stock of plastic within one week from the day of the law's passage.

The bench asked the AAP-ruled city government and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to file an affidavit by a senior most officer and inform it how directions with regard to waste management in the city were being implemented particularly in respect to plastics.

The green panel had last year banned the use of disposable plastic in Delhi and NCR with effect from January 1, 2017 and directed the city government to take steps to reduce dumped waste.

The Tribunal had on July 31, slammed the Delhi government over indiscriminate and rampant use of plastic in the national capital despite its prohibition.

The bench had directed the city government to strictly enforce its ban order in the city and sought a status report on the issue.

The NGT had prohibited the use of disposable plastic in the entire city, especially at hotels, restaurants and for public and private functions.

It asked the Delhi government to take appropriate steps against “storage, sale and use” of such material from January 1 this year.

It had also said that an environment compensation of INR 10,000 would be imposed on vegetable vendors and slaughter houses for throwing garbage in public places.

ANSWER: 5

Explanation:
The merger of the five associate banks with the SBI will lead to increased capital base and availability of loan, as the Lok Sabha passed the bill approving the amalgamation.

The Lok Sabha passed the bill to repeal the SBI (Subsidiary Banks) Act 1959, State Bank of Hyderabad Act 1956 and to further amend the State Bank of India Act, 1955, following the merger of five associates with the parent SBI.

With this merger, the SBI has come in the list of top 50 banks globally and is ranked at the 45th position.

The merger will bring about increased capital base and increased ability to give loans. Also, small banks will get access to products like mutual funds.

During the last two years, 29 crore bank accounts were opened, of which 25 per cent were zero balance accounts and farm loans increased from INR 3.5 lakh crore in 2009-10 to INR 10.65 lakh crore in 2016-17.

The merger will help increase SBI’s scope of operation and will pose a challenge to private banks as it will work as per the requirements of the people.

The merger has been planned keeping in mind the benefit of people and going forward its benefits will be seen.

According to the statement of object and reasons of the State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill 2017, after the acquisition of the subsidiary banks by SBI, the subsidiary banks have ceased to exist and, therefore, it is necessary to repeal the State Bank of India (Subsidiary Banks) Act, 1959 and the State Bank of Hyderabad Act, 1956.

Five associates and the Bharatiya Mahila Bank became part of State Bank of India (SBI) beginning April 1, catapulting the country's largest lender to among the top 50 banks in the world.

The five associates that were merged are State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (SBBJ), State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH), State Bank of Mysore (SBM), State Bank of Patiala (SBP) and State Bank of Travancore (SBT).

Following the merger, the total customer base of SBI increased to 37 crore with a branch network of around 24,000 and nearly 59,000 ATMs across the country.

The merged entity began operation with a deposit base of more than INR 26 lakh crore and advances level of INR 18.50 lakh crore.

As per the bill, after the acquisition of all the subsidiary banks by the SBI, it is not necessary to retain such provisions in the State Bank of India Act, 1955. .

Therefore, certain amendments are necessary in the said Act in so far as they relate to the subsidiary banks. The amendments are consequential in nature.

SBI had 90 per cent shareholding in the State Bank of Mysore, 75.07 per cent shareholding in the State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur and 79.09 per cent shareholding in the State Bank of Travancore.

SBI: Know More

• State Bank of India is an Indian multinational, public sector banking and financial services company.
• It is a government-owned corporation with its headquarters in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• Customer service: 1800 425 3800
• Chairperson: Arundhati Bhattacharya
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Founded: 1 July 1955
• Major Subsidiaries: SBI Cards, State Bank of Hyderabad

ANSWER: India

Explanation:
The United Nations Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics adopted by the Government of India are as below:-

Principle 1. Official statistics provide an indispensable element in the information system of a democratic society, serving the Government, the economy and the public with data about the economic, demographic, social and environmental situation.

To this end, official statistics that meet the test of practical utility are to be compiled and made available on an impartial basis by official statistical agencies to honor citizens' entitlement to public information.

Principle 2. To retain trust in official statistics, the statistical agencies need to decide according to strictly professional considerations, including scientific principles and professional ethics, on the methods and procedures for the collection, processing, storage and presentation of statistical data.

Principle 3. To facilitate a correct interpretation of the data, the statistical agencies are to present information according to scientific standards on the sources, methods and procedures of the statistics.

Principle 4. The statistical agencies are entitled to comment on erroneous interpretation and misuse of statistics.

Principle 5. Data for statistical purposes may be drawn from all types of sources, be they statistical surveys or administrative records. Statistical agencies are to choose the source with regard to quality, timeliness, costs and the burden on Respondents.

Principle 6. Individual data collected by statistical agencies for statistical compilation, whether they refer to natural or legal persons, are to be strictly confidential and used exclusively for statistical purposes.

Principle 7. The laws, regulations and measures under which the statistical systems operate are to be made public.

Principle 8. Coordination among statistical agencies within countries is essential to achieve consistency and efficiency in the statistical system.

Principle 9. The use by statistical agencies in each country of international concepts, classifications and methods promotes the consistency and efficiency of statistical systems at all official levels.

Principle 10. Bilateral and multilateral cooperation in statistics contributes to the improvement of systems of official statistics in all countries

The principles have been serving as guidelines in developing good practices in the statistical system, prior to and after their adoption.

Several strategies and protocols are being developed in the system, from time to time, to ensure professional independence, impartiality, accountability and transparency about methods of collection, compilation and dissemination of statistics, which are enshrined in the principles.

ANSWER: Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana

Explanation:
The Government of India has decided to launch a new sub-scheme named “Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY)” as part of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).

The Self Help Groups under DAY-NRLM will operate road transport service in backward areas.

This will help to provide safe, affordable and community monitored rural transport services to connect remote villages with key services and amenities (such as access to markets, education and health) for the overall economic development of backward rural areas.

This will also provide an additional avenue of livelihood for SHGs.

The Community Investment Fund (CIF) provided to Community Based Organization (CBOs) under DAY-NRLM will be utilized to support the SHG members in this new livelihoods initiative.

The beneficiary SHG member will be provided an interest free loan by the CBO from its Community Investment Fund up to INR 6.50 lakh for purchase of the vehicle.

Alternative, CBO will own the vehicle and lease it to an SHG member to operate the vehicle and pay lease rental to the CBO

AGEY will be initially implemented in 250 Blocks in the country on pilot basis with each Block provided upto 6 vehicles to operate the transport services.

During the current year implementation of the scheme has been so far approved for 52 Blocks in 8 States namely Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

It is with a total provision of INR 16.06 Crore of which the Government of India share would be INR 10.16 Crore. The balance funding would be provided by the respective States.

The Blocks will be selected by States from among the Blocks where NRLM is being implemented intensively and where mature CBOs are already functioning.

Backwardness, lack of transportation links and sustainability of service would be the guiding factors in the selection of Blocks and routes.

The State Rural Livelihood Missions (SRLMs) will do a feasibility study and traffic survey in the selected blocks to identity the routes and the number and capacity of vehicles which can be operated on sustainable basis.

The study will be conducted by technically sound organizations with expertise in transport network planning.

The choice of vehicle could be either e-riksha, 3 wheeler or 4 wheeler within a cost ceiling of INR 6.50 lakh.

The SRLMs will be co-ordinating with State Transport Department for issue of permit for the vehicle.

The SHG member operating the vehicle shall ensure that all necessary legal and statutory requirement such as valid permit, road tax permit, valid insurance policy etc. are met.

The SHG member shall run the vehicle on approved routes at pre-determined frequency as jointly agreed between the CBO and the SHG operator based on financial viability and the need for transport link.

All vehicles under the scheme shall have a defined colour code and carry AGEY branding to ensure their identity and avoid diversion to other routes.

The State Rural Livelihood Mission will arrange capacity building for their staff at State, District and Block levels for operating the Scheme.

The members of the CBO and the beneficiary SHG member shall also be provided adequate training in the Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs) and other partner organizations.

ANSWER: Jaana Gana Man

Explanation:
Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister of State, Ministry of Human Resource Development launched the Indian National Anthem video in sign language at Films Division Auditorium, New Delhi on 10th Aug, 2017.

The video features actor Amitabh Bachchan along with children with disability singing the National Anthem in sign language at the backdrop of the Majestic Red Fort.

The film is conceptualised by Satish Kapoor, Founder Director, We Care Film Festival.

We Care Film Festival produced the Film under the aegis of Brotherhood, an NGO.

It is directed by Govind Nihalani and the music is scored by late Aadesh Shrivastava.

India’s development will be complete when our divyangjan become an integral part of it and come forward in the nation building.

The term 'divyang' (divine body) instead of 'viklang' must be used for persons with disability.

We must create an environment for the disabled people by which they can be able to earn a livelihood and live an independent life like any other citizen.

The decision on reservation in vacancies in government establishments to increase it from 3% to 4% for certain persons or class of persons with benchmark disability is one such instance.

ANSWER: Uttar Pradesh

Explanation:
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Union Government and the State Government of Uttar Pradesh for opening 1000 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) Kendras in the State.

The ceremony took place in the presence of Minister of Health of Uttar Pradesh Shri Siddharth Nath Singh and Minister of State for Health, Dr. Mahendra Singh, in Lucknow.

The Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI), under Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, signed the MoU on behalf of Government of India with State Agency for Comprehensive Health and Integrated Services (SACHIS) representing Government of Uttar Pradesh.

Government’s priority under the PMBJP scheme is to provide quality medicines at affordable rates to the poor and marginalized sections of society.

The drugs available under this scheme meet the highest quality benchmarks and are made available by the Government at costs much less than their expensive branded counterparts.

Cardiac stent costs have been reduced by almost 85%, which would benefit poor patients who could not afford them earlier.

Under the PMBJP scheme, more than 600 medicines and 150 surgical and other medical items are being made available at affordable rates at Janaushadhi Kendras opened across the country.

The number of medicines available under the scheme would soon be increased to 1000.

Government of India is also giving financial assistance of up to INR 2,50,000 to those who open the Kendras under the scheme.

1000 stores will be opened in government hospitals and community health centres, so that more and more poor and marginalized sections of society can get benefit of this scheme.

Kendras will be opened in Hospital complexes and allotment of around 400 Janaushadhi Kendras has taken place.

The website of the PMBJP Scheme for the State was also inaugurated during the event.

This website would aid the people to know more about the scheme, location of the Janaushadhi Kendras, availability of medicines and their prices in real time.