Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Dec 22, 2016

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
Union Ministry of Finance on 19th Dec 2016 announced numerous measures to improve ease of doing business in the country. These decisions include the following:

eBiz portal will be in place for starting a business which shall include three services of Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Registration for PAN, TAN, EPFO and ESIC.

Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Ministry of Labour and Employment will also work for lowering the number of procedures to start a business to 4 and number of days to start a business to 4 as well.

Shram Suvidha portal will be the only portal for filing returns, challan and making online payments for EPFO, ESIC contributions and other filings and payments.

Department of Revenue plus Ministry of Shipping will work towards increasing the number of direct delivery consignments to 40% by the close of the month.

Departments shall ensure cost and time to export and import gets reduced substantially to bring India within top 50.

Ministry of Corporate Affairs will also work with the concerned stakeholders so provisions under insolvency and bankruptcy code are implemented.

To improve the nation’s rank in the indicator, Getting Credit, Department of Financial Servics and Ministry of Corporate Affairs will integrate CERSAI database with ROC Registry of Charges to create single assets registry.

eCourts will be expedited for electronic filing of complaints, summons and payments.

Union Commerce and Industry Ministry shall work to ensure India’s rank (172) on enforcing contracts improved.

On Construction Permit, the Urban Development ministry mentioned the procedures should be brought down to 8 and completed within 60 days.

Ease of Doing Business

Ease of Doing Business Index created by World Bank. Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business, from 1–190.

The rankings are determined by sorting the aggregate distance to frontier scores on 10 topics, each consisting of several indicators.

Higher rankings mean:

• Better regulations for businesses.
• Stronger protections of property rights

ANSWER: www.haj.gov.in

Explanation:
Ministry of Minority Affairs launched a trilingual website www.haj.gov.in relating to Haj Matters. The website is in Hindi, Urdu and English languages.

Website will facilitate online application for Haj including information about Ministry of Minority Affairs, Haj Department, Haj Pilgrimage, rules and regulations on Haj, Haj Committee of India and private tour operators, the website also has Do’s and Don’ts during Haj and also a film informing about various aspects of the pilgrimage.

The website www.haj.gov.in is a one stop facility to provide all necessary information relating to Haj management in one place.

The website features include information on various agencies involved in Haj management, useful contacts of the central and state Haj authorities, location maps of State Haj Houses, location maps of accommodation sites in Makkah and Medina etc., and useful links to the website of Haj Committee of India and Consulate General of India, Jeddah.

Every year Government of India deputes administrative and medical officials on temporary deputation to CGI, Jeddah for 2-3 months.

This website provides link for the prospective applicants to enable them to apply online through the dedicated portal.

The website also hosts information about the Private Tour Operators(PTO).

Haj matters have been transferred from Ministry of External Affairs to Ministry of Minority Affairs with effect from 1st October, 2016.

Ministry of Minority Affairs

• Website: minorityaffairs.gov.in
• Formed: January 29, 2006
• Jurisdiction: India
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Minister of state independent charge: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
• Programs: USTTAD, Hamari Dharohar, Minority Cyber Gram, Padho Pardesh, Nai Roshni, Jiyo Parsi, Seekho aur Kamao

ANSWER: Both of the above

Explanation:
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) of Ministry of Women and Child Development has been conferred the Skoch Silver and Skoch Order-of Merit award.

The award was received by NCPCR Chairperson Smt. Stuti Kacker.

The two awards were received by NCPCR for applying technology to develop an electronic drop box, POCSO e-Box for registering complaints on Child Sexual Abuse.

Speaking on the occasion, Smt. Kacker said that everybody should stand up against Child Sexual Abuse, a heinous crime that leaves permanent scars on the psyche of the child.

The competition saw more than 3000 participants and NCPCR’s project, POCSO e-box was considered among the top 30 entries.

About POCSO e-box

• Unique endeavour by NCPCR.
• Receives complaint of Child Sexual Abuse directly from the victim.
• Maintains confidentiality of the civcim.
• A short film in the e-box assures the victim not to feel bad, helpless or confused.
• Study in 2007 by Ministry of WCD found 53% of children surveyed have faced one or another form of sexual abuse during their lifetime.

ANSWER: Gold

Explanation:
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare won gold in the Web Ratna category at a recently concluded Digital India awards 2016 awarded by MeitY to promote more innovative e-governance initiatives by the government entities.

The Digital India awards earlier called the Web Ratna awards are under the National Portal of India.

The Web Ratna award felicitates a Ministry or Government Department which has web presence and displays accountability in terms of quantity, quality, spectrum of coverage and innovation ascertaining user satisfaction.

Level of convenience provided to citizens for services, usability and accessibility are also accessed.

Website of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare conforms the UUU trilogy. It is totally bilingual and is accessible to all, including visually challenged users.

Website complies with mandatory requirements of guidelines for Indian Government Websites.

Search has been facilitated using GoI Search as Service available at http://searchservice.nic.in.

A CMS keeps the website regularly updated. Both the website and CMS are security audited.

It is compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG-2.0). Social Media has also been integrated with the website.

In the Exemplary Online Service Category, Platinum Award was bagged by VYAS- Varnij Yakar Automation System for Department of Commercial Taxes, UP, followed by E-permit, Commercial tax department, Gujarat and One Stop Clearance System, Punjab Bureau of Investment Promotion winning the Gold and Silver award respectively.

In the Open Data Champion Category, Platinum Award was won by Office of the Registrar General, India. The Health and Family Welfare and Directorate of Marketing & Inspection won the Gold Award. The Silver award was bagged by the Rajya Sabha and National Crime Records Bureau.

For Most Innovative Citizen Engagement, MyGov won the Platinum Award. Online Management, Monitoring and Accounting System (OMMAS) for Pradhan Mantri Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY) won the Gold Award. The Silver Award was won by Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation. The Jury Choice was given to IT Initiatives of Simhasth Kumbh, Ujjain.

In the Outstanding Digital Initiative by Local Body Platinum Award was bagged by Surat Municipal Corporation, followed by Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation and Web and Mobile based Integrated Complaint Logging and Resolution Tracking System - Madurai Corporation winning the Gold and Silver award respectively.

The Jury Choice was given e-NagarSewaUP – Electronic Workflow based Reform for ULBs in Uttar Pradesh.

For Best Mobile App, Citizen Cop Mobile App Chattisgarh won the Platinum Award. Mid-Day Meal Mobile App, Himachal Pradesh won the Gold Award. The Silver Award was won by GARV - GrameenVidyutikaran App Ministry of Power.

For Web Ratna - Ministry / Department category, the Platinum was bagged by Ministry of Human Resource Development, Gold by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and Silver by Ministry of External Affairs.

For Web Ratna - State/ UT category the Platinum award has been won by Rajasthan followed by Tamil Nadu and Haryana in the Gold and Silver section respectively. For Web Ratna - District category the Platinum award has been won by Website of Collectorate, North Goa, followed by e-Governance friendly website & Initiatives of District Kupwara, J&K and district administration Udham Singh Nagar website, Uttarakhand in the Gold and Silver section respectively.

A Compendium for Digital India Awards 2016 was also released on this occasion. A comprehensive government services portal was also launched.

Digital India Awards

• “Digital India” has its axiom of “Minimum Government and Maximum Governance”.
• National Informatics Centre (NIC), under the ambit of India Portal (http://india.gov.in) organised the first edition of Digital India Awards.
• Recognises the noteworthy and sustainable initiatives in the realm of e-Governance for better delivery of information and services.

Categories:


• Exemplary Online Service,
• Open Data Champion,
• Most Innovative Citizen Engagement,
• Outstanding Digital Initiative by Local body,
• Best Mobile App, Web Ratna – Ministry/ Department,
• Web Ratna – State/ UT, Web Ratna-District.

ANSWER: Indian Enterprise Development Service

Explanation:
Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi has approved the cadre review and formation of a new service in the name of Indian Enterprise Development Service in the Office of Development Commissioner, MSME.

Creation of the new cadre and change in structure will strengthen the organisation and achieve the vision of StandUp India, Make in India and Startup India.

Measures will achieve growth in MSME sector through dedicated cadre of technical officers.

Service has been created by absorbing 11 trades, recruitment to which has been done differently, following different rules.

All trades were created in the 1950s and 1960s when industries developed under the regulation regime.

Officers of the department will work for the development of enterprise and think holistically.

The Indian Enterprise Development Service, to start with, will have a cadre strength of 617 officers, 6 of which will be at the level of joint secretaries.

These officers will man 72 field offices of the development commissioner and the headquarters in Delhi.

Out of the 72 field offices, 30 are MSME development institutes and 28 branch institutes.

ANSWER: Boxing Federation of India

Explanation:
The International Boxing Association (AIBA) on 20 December 2016 granted full membership to the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) at a meeting in Montreux, Switzerland.

The recently-formed BFI was voted to office in September 2016, which ended four years of administrative logjam in the sports.

AIBA is the sole worldwide governing body for the sport of boxing in all its forms.

It is a non-profit international organisation that succeeded the former Fédération Internationale de Boxe Amateur in 1946.

It has 196 Member Federations and works on behalf of all levels of boxing to reinvigorate the sport’s grass roots, develop youth and elite boxing.

Its vision for boxing also embraces and adheres to the spirit and values of the Olympic Movement and has been led by President Dr. Ching-Kuo Wu since 2006.

BFI

• Affiliation: Sports Ministry, India
• Awaiting recognition from: IOA
• In 2012, the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) was suspended and later terminated for possible manipulation in elections.
• The IABF made way for Boxing India in 2014 which lost a no confidence motion moved by state units in 2015.
• BFI was formed in September 2016 following elections conducted in the presence of observers from the International Boxing Association and the Union Sports Ministry.

ANSWER: Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2016

Explanation:
Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on 14th Dec notified the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2016 replacing Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2010.

The new rules seek to address the issues related to the conservation and development of wetlands in a comprehensive manner.

The provisions of the rules are:

• The wetlands shall be conserved and managed in accordance with the principle of ‘wise use’ for maintaining their ecological integrity.
• Wise use of wetlands means preserving the ecological character of wetlands through the implementation of ecosystem approaches.
• Strategies adopted to preserve wetlands should be within the context of sustainable development.
• Rules prohibit any diversion or impediment to natural water inflows and outflows of the wetland.
• Activities having or likely to have an adverse impact on the ecological character of the wetland are also prohibited.
• Wetland Authority will be set up by the State Governments or UTs to deal with wetland conservation, regulation and management. In a state, the authority will be headed by the respective Chief Minister.
• For the purpose of managing wetlands having multiple issues, the concerned State Government or UT Administration may, if required, constitute a specific Wetland Authority.

Know More About Wetlands


• Ramsar Convention on Wetlands 1971 first defined wetlands.
• In simple terms, a wetland is a land area that is saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally. This definition includes ponds, lakes, estuaries, reservoirs, creeks, mangroves.
• India has 757.06 thousand wetlands.
• It has total wetland area of 15.3 m ha or 4.7% of its area.

ANSWER: 70

Explanation:
More than 70% of rural citizens have adopted the methods of e-wallets followed by Unified Payment Interface (UPI) payment option, the Electronics and IT ministry said on 21st Dec.

An overview of the current data available with the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) shows that more than 70% rural citizens have adopted the methods of e-wallets.

Another 16% opted for Unified Payment Interface (UPI).

Rest of the people looked at Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD), Adhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS) & Cards or Point of Sale(PoS).

Similarly, more than 85% of the merchants have adopted the e-wallet system and 13% have opted for UPI.

Under its Digital Payments awareness and training programme, the ministry said that Common Service Centre (CSC) network, which provides government service in rural area, has enrolled over 25 lakh rural citizens for digital payments.

Achieving the 25 lakh mark in such a short time is an indication of the pace at which digital adoption is gaining momentum among rural citizens.

Over 55,000 merchants have started offering digital payment options to rural customers across various districts and blocks in India," the statement said.

DigiDhan Abhiyan

• Reached over 1 crore rural citizens.
• Program aims to cover 2 lakh CSCs in rural and semi-urban areas.
• It will also reach out to 2.5 lakh gram panchayats across the country.
• Centres will cover one in every household and cater to 40 houses in catchment area.

ANSWER: Indore

Explanation:
In a first, a special incubation centre for start-ups working on environment conservation is being set up in Indore.

Three entrepreneurs each from Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Indore have been finalised to start operations at the centre from December 22.

Located at the Govindram Sekseriya Institute of Management and Research premises, it aims to provide a platform to budding entrepreneurs working in the field of solar energy, biogas, biomass and other environment related subjects.

This incubation centre is part of the MP Incubation and Start-up scheme 2016. We have not taken any fund from the government.

The incubation centre will not only help the entrepreneurs but also inspire the existing college students to come up with their ventures.

Out of the 62 applications from across the country a special panel of 50 mentors specialised in the fields of energy conversation, three projects were selected after analysis and evaluation.

The mentors will have 6 - 8 per cent equity share in the startups.

The incubation centre has tied up with 10 investors across the country. The team of experts include solar energy specialist Deepak Gadhia, Ganjana Joshi and Dipal Chandra Barua among others.

ANSWER: Brookfield Communications

Explanation:
RCom signed binding agreements with Canada-based Brookfield Infrastructure and institutional partners to sell its tower business for an upfront cash payment of INR 11,000 crore.

RCom will also receive B Class non-voting shares in the tower company, providing 49% future economic upside from the business based on certain conditions, according to the company.

RCom will utilize the cash proceeds solely to reduce debt.

The tower business will be demerged into a separate company, to be 100% owned and independently managed by Brookfield Infrastructure.

The deal represents the largest-ever investment by an overseas financial investor in the infrastructure sector in India.

The ADAG-promoted RCom, and Mukesh Ambani's 4G telecom venture Reliance Jio will continue as major long-term tenants (of the tower company).

RCom said the combination of its wireless business with Aircel and monetization of tower operations will together reduce the company debt by Rs 31,000 crore ($4.6 billion), or nearly 70%.

RCom will continue to hold 50% stake in Aircel JV and 49% upside in tower business to be monetised at an appropriate time to further reduce debt significantly.

About Reliance Communications

• Headquarters: Navi Mumbai
• CEO: Vinod Sawhny (Feb 10, 2014)
• Subsidiaries: Reliance Digital TV, Global Cloud Xchange, Reliance Globalcom Limited, Reliance - Big TV Limited
• Parent organisation: Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group

ANSWER: Deepak Agarwal

Explanation:
The Uttar Pradesh Government on 20^th Dec 2016 appointed Deepak Agarwal, CEO of Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA), as the CEO of Noida Authority.

Deepak Agarwal will replace P K Agarwal, who was officiating as the CEO of Noida Authority.

P K Agarwal was given the charge of Noida after the Uttar Pradesh Government relieved senior IAS officer Rama Raman from the post on 25 August 2016.

However, P K Agarwal will continue to function as the additional CEO of Noida Authority.

Deepak Agarwal is a 2000-batch IAS officer of UP cadre.

He has been the GNIDA chief since September 2015.

From February 2009 to March 2013, he was posted as the district magistrate of GB Nagar.

Noida

• Country: India
• State: UP
• Region: Harit Pradesh
• District Gautam Buddh Nagar
• Established: April 1976
• DM: Nagendra Prasad Singh (IAS)

ANSWER: None of the above

Explanation:
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on 20 December 2016 announced that a separate Ministry will be created for Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

This ministry will be headed by an independent minister.

Besides, the Chief Minister also announced funds worth Rs 200 crore for gravity-based water supply projects. These projects will help in fulfilling the need of the town and surrounding areas.

Zila Parishad of Thane to prepare a tourist circuit plan for Murbad and Shahpur talukas. He assured that maximum funds will be provided for the development of the plan.

Other Backward Classes (OBC)

• OBC is a collective term to classify caste that is socially and educationally disadvantaged.
• The Mandal Commission report of 1980, found that the OBC list comprises of 52 percent of the country’s population.
• The figure shrunk to 41 percent by 2006, when the National Sample Survey Organisation took place.
• They are entitled to 27 percent reservations in public sector employment and higher education.
• Constitutionally, OBC is described as socially and educationally backwards class.

ANSWER: China

Explanation:
India in the third week of December 2016 was ranked 4^th in the Global Wind Power Installed Capacity Index.

The cumulative installed wind power generation capacity of India is 25088 MW.

The Index was led by China, followed by USA and Germany. The cumulative installed wind power generation capacity of China is 145362 MW.

The cumulative installed wind power generation capacity of the USA is 74471 MW and that of Germany is 44947 MW.

The ranking were launched on 19 December 2016 in the Global Wind Report: Annual Market update, which was launched by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).

A capacity addition of 14.30 GW of renewable energy was also reported during the last 2.5 years in India under Grid Connected Renewable Power, which include 5.8 GW from Solar Power, 7.04 GW from Wind Power, 0.53 from Small Hydro Power and 0.93 from Bio-power.

India and its wind power capacity

• In 2015-2016, India installed 31472 solar pumps.
• In Oct 2016, 92305 solar pumps have been installed in the country.
• During 2016-2017, 51 MW installations of biomass power plants were achieved against a target of 400 MW.
• During 2016-2017, against a target of 1.00 lakh biogas plants, 0.26 lakh biogas plant installations have been achieved.
• This was making a cumulative achievement to 4.94 million biogas plants as of 31 October 2016.

ANSWER: Kolkata

Explanation:
Queen Victoria’s last letter to India has been put on display for the first time at the Victoria Memorial.

This is one of the finest monuments dedicated to the memory of the monarch.

It is located in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal.

The three-page letter, handwritten by the queen almost a month before her death, was revealed for all to see on 16 December 2016 at the monument’s Prince hall.

Dating back to 14 December 1900, the 116-year-old letter bearing the Royal Seal was addressed to the then Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon.

It was gifted by Lord Curzon in 1904 and it mostly contains references to the young Prince’s death.

Prince Christian died on 29 October 1900 while fighting in the Second Boer War in Pretoria, South Africa.

The decision of building a memorial in the memory of the queen was taken within a few weeks of her death.

The Queen’s grandson and then Prince of Wales, King George V laid the foundation stone for the Memorial on 4 January 1906 and it was formally opened for public in the year 1921.

About Queen Victoria

• She was the Queen of the United Kingdom from 20 June 1837 to 22 January 1901.
• Fifth in line, she inherited the throne at the age of 18.
• She was married to her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
• She received the title of Empress of India on 1 May 1876.
• Her reign, which lasted for 63 years, is referred to as the Victorian era.

ANSWER: Coal Mitra

Explanation:
Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal launched ‘Coal Mitra’, a Web portal for flexibility in Utilization of Domestic Coal and released reports on ‘Renewable Energy Integration: Transmission an Enabler’, ‘Green Energy Corridor II’ and ‘Electricity Demand Pattern Analysis’ on 21st Dec.

The Coal Mitra Web Portal has been designed to bring about flexibility in Utilisation of Domestic Coal by transferring the reserves to more cost efficient State/Centre owned or Private sector generating stations.

It will be leading to lower generation costs and ultimately lesser cost of electricity for the consumers.

The web portal would be used by the State/Central Gen Cost to display information about normative fixed and variable charges of electricity for the previous month as well as margin available for additional generation so as to enable the utilities identify stations for transfer of coal.

It would host data on Operational and Financial parameters of each coal based station; Quantity and source of supply coal to the power plant; and Distance of Power plant from the Coal mine.

Reports released include ‘Renewable Energy Integration: Transmission, an Enabler’, ‘Green Energy Corridors - II’ and ‘Electricity Demand Pattern Analysis’.

The first two reports, prepared by PGCIL, cover aspects of comprehensive transmission plan to integrate renewable energy sources into the National Grid and role of Transmission as an Enabler in growing Renewable Energy (RE) penetration scenario.

The last report has been prepared by Power System Operation Corporation Limited (POSOCO).

About Coal Reports

The ‘Renewable Energy Integration: Transmission, an Enabler’ report :

• Covers the study of balancing and stability issues for 15% & 30% RE capacity penetration.
• Also studies the aspects of Balancing Reserve Analysis with Thermal Power Plants, both gas and supercritical coal, Reservoir type Hydro & Pumped Storage Plants

The ‘Green Energy Corridors-II’ (Part-A) report:


• Details about the identified capacity of Solar Parks and transmission infrastructure requirement in various states at Intra-State and Inter-state level.
• Inter-alia covers the financing options available for rationalisation of transmission tariff.
• Covers challenges to be addressed to facilitate smooth integration of solar power parks.

The ‘Electricity Demand Pattern Analysis’ report:


• Covers the analysis of data archived by POSOCO since 2008 with insights towards diurnal, seasonal and yearly demand patterns, decomposition of demand data into seasonal trends at all levels - National, regional and individual State level.