Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Jan 22, 2017

ANSWER: WEF, Niti Aayog, WIPO, Cornell University

Explanation:
The World Economic Forum (WEF), NITI Aayog, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and Cornell University will work to develop an India Innovation Index.

Index will provide impetus to states to drive innovative spirit.

Based on the WIPO’s GII (Global Innovation Index), the India Innovation Index will be tailored to better reflect of India’s ground reality.

It will include metrics well suited to the Indian context for innovation.

India’s ranking rose considerably in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2016 and the country is now an Innovation Achiever.

The index will be based on key pillars of innovation and sub-indices that together will assist in tailoring policies that promote inclusive growth.

The pillars include the strength of institutions, capacity of human capital and research, supporting infrastructure and the level of business sophistication.

Each partnering organization will nominate a working group member to work on the index.

The first ranking of Indian states is expected to be released at the India Economic Summit in October 2017.

ANSWER: Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Jharkhand

Explanation:
GoI has constituted negotiation committee on Mahanadi and its Tributaries.

The Union Ministry of Water Resources has constituted negotiations committee to assess availability of river waters.

Aim is utilisation of waters of Mahanadi and its tributaries to resolve disputes over sharing of river waters among five states.

These five states are Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

The committee will be chaired by member (water planning and projects) of the Central Water Commission (CWC).

CWC: Know More

• Location: New Delhi, India
• Type: Governmental organisation
• Class: Central
• Key work: Research, river management, water project planning
• Website: www.cwc.nic.in
• The work of the Commission is divided among 3 wings namely:

1. Designs and Research Wing (D&R),
2. River Management Wing (RM) and
3. Water Planning and Projects Wing (WP&P).

ANSWER: AYUSH

Explanation:
The Union Ministry of AYUSH and Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs).

Agreements are for co-regulation of malpractices in the advertisement of AYUSH sector.

ASCI will comprehensively monitor these advertisements across print and electronic media.

Monitoring will be for AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) drugs, treatments and related services.

The ministry will also redirect complaints against misleading advertisements they receive to ASCI, which will be reviewed using the regulator’s code and guidelines.

The agreement also requires ASCI to report to the ministry, advertisements in potential violation of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.

This partnership will also be supported locally from the state licencing authorities and centrally through the ministry.

The arrangement would also ensure that any advertisement making claims for diseases and disorders, in violation of AYUSH ministry will be detected.

This partnership will provide the necessary support to our efforts in effectively curtailing misleading advertisements in this sector.

ASCI: Know More

• Type: Public
• Industry: Advertising
• Founded: 1985
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Area served: India
• Chairman: Narendra Ambwani, Chairman
• Secretary General: Shweta Purandare
• Website: ascionline.org

ANSWER: INS Vikramaditya

Explanation:
INS Vikramaditya becomes first warship to have ATM onboard.

Indian Navy’s largest warship, INS Vikramditya became the first warship to be equipped with its own dedicated ATM (Automated Teller Machine).

The ATM onboard of the ship will be provided by India’s largest public sector bank State Bank of India (SBI).

The services will be on the satellite link and will cater to over 2,000 naval personnel deployed on the aircraft carrier.

A currency chest will also be provided to keep running the ATM.

The ATM will ensure cash problems of the warship personnel will be resolved.

About INS Vikramaditya

• Modified Kiev-class aircraft carrier purchased from Russia.
• It had entered into service with the Indian Navy in 2013.
• It was commissioned in November 2013 at a ceremony held at Severodvinsk, Russia.
• It was formally inducted into the Indian Navy in 2014.
• dedicated it to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2014.

ANSWER: Banks to which Banking Regulations Act 1949 applies

Explanation:
Union Government has notified that cooperative banks are not authorised to accept deposits under PMGKY.

PMGKY stands for Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana.

The deposits under this scheme can be accepted by any banks to which Banking Regulation Act 1949 (10 of 1949) applies.

Scheme allows assesses to disclose previously unaccounted and non-declared income under the ambit.

The PMGKDS permits voluntary declarations of previously undisclosed income with effective tax rate of 50 percent.

It requires assesses to deposit further 25% of such wealth into 4 year interest free deposit.

PMGKY: Know More

• This is a voluntary black money declaration under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY).
• Those with unaccounted cash can disclose it under PMGKY scheme by paying 50 percent tax and penalty before 31 March, 2017.
• It is also a poverty alleviation program with proceeds of the income declaration going to the marginalised.
• The scheme was launched on 17 December 2016. It will remain open for declarations upto 31 March 2017.

ANSWER: Both a and b

Explanation:
Union Government has awarded INR 60.9 crore as prize money to 3.81 lakh consumers and 21,000 merchants under Lucky Grahak Yojana and Digi-Dhan Vyapar Yojana.

Winners include mostly 21-30 year old housewives, small farmers, labourers and anganwadi workers.

Maharashtra, TN, AP, UP and Karnataka are the top 5 states with maximum winners.

Both these schemes were announced in Dec 2016 to boost digital payments post demonetisation.

Aimed at incentivising the consumers and merchants to promote digital payments, they will remain open till April, 2017.

Lucky Grahak Yojana & Digi Dhan Vyapar Yojana: Know More

• NITI Aayog announces the launch of the schemes Lucky Grahak Yojana and the Digi-धन Vyapar Yojana.
• The plans aim to give cash awards to consumers and merchants who utilize digital payment instruments.
• The plan is for personal consumption expenditures.
• The scheme specially focuses on bringing the poor, lower middle class and small businesses into the digital payment fold.
• National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI)is the implementing agency for this scheme.
• The primary aim of these schemes is to incentivize digital transactions.
• It seeks to ensure electronic payments are adopted by all sections of the society, especially the poor and the middle class.
• The schemes will comprise of two major components, one for the Consumers and the other for the Merchants.
• They will remain open till April 14, 2017.

ANSWER: Both of the above

Explanation:
Hindi professors have written to PM Narendra Modi requesting not to add dialects of Hindi such as Bhojpuri and Rajasthani in the 8th schedule as full fledged Indian languages.

Rajasthani would be added to 8th schedule, according to an announcement by Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.

In December 2016, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar raised a similar demand for Bhojpuri.

Eighth schedule means independence in the identity of the language. Hindi's prime strength is its large number of speakers.

Dialects being recognised as separate languages will lessen the force of Hindi. In fact, there will be no Hindi language if key dialects are recognised as separate languages.

About the 8th Schedule

• This lists the official languages recognised by the Constitution
• Contains a list of 22 Scheduled languages.
• Initially, there were 14 languages only; 8 were added by amendments.
• These include:

1. Sindhi: Added by 21st AA 1967
2. Konkani, Manipuri, Nepali: Added by 71st AA 1992
3. Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Santhal: Added by 92nd AA 2003

• Apart from these, the languages include:

1. Assamese
2. Bengali
3. Hindi
4. Gujarati
5. Kannada
6. Kashmiri
7. Malayalam
8. Marathi
9. Punjabi
10. Odia
11. Sanskrit
12. Tamil
13. Urdu
14. Telugu

ANSWER: Indian Ocean Rim Association

Explanation:
IORA member states have finalised an MoU for cooperation in SME (small and medium sized enterprises) sector.

MoUs were finalised at a New Delhi workshop on MSME Cooperation.

MoUs will take effect for each party following signatures by 5 nations.

Focus areas of the MoUs

• Finalise linkages and alliances betweenMSME bodes and institutions in IORA countries.
• Exchange best practices, programs and policies for MSME development.
• Exchange greater involvement of MSMEs in the global supply chain and increase their market access.
• Promote women and youth’s economic empowerment.
• Encourage synergies with the IORA forum.

The coordinating agency for the MoU implementation is the Mauritius based IORA Secretariat.

For carrying out the MoU activities, IORA special fund will be created by member nations.

There are 14 IORA member states.

About IORA

• International organisation comprising coastal states bordering the Indian Ocean.
• Established: 1997
• Aim: Promote cooperation in the Indian Ocean region.
• Formerly known as IOR-ARC/ Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation.
• IORA Secretariat: Ebene, Mauritius.
• This tripartite regional forum brings together reps from Government, business and academia.
• Based on the principles of Open Regionalism for economic cooperation.
• IORA has 21 member states and 7 dialogue partners.
• Observer status: Indian Ocean Research Group, Indian Ocean Tourism Organisation.

ANSWER: Both a and c

Explanation:
Scientists have developed a new smart needle with a tiny camera that permits surgeons to see at-risk blood vessels. They can avoid injuring these.

The advance is set to make brain surgery safer.

The minute imaging probe encased with a brain biopsy needle ensures that surgeons see blood vessels while inserting the needle.

This will help them to avoid bleeds that can have the potential to be fatal.

It is a smart needle with a tiny fibre optic camera the size of a human hair. It shines infrared light to see the vessels before the needle can cause any damage.

Computer itself attached to the smart needle recognises blood vessels and alerts the surgeon. Smart needle will be ready for clinical trials in the coming year.

To have a tool that recognises blood vessels as one proceeds through the brain would revolutionise neurosurgery.

It will increase the chances of safer surgery.