Hello and welcome to exampundit. Here are the important Daily Current Affairs 12 October 2018. These are important for the upcoming Indian Bank PO, NIACL Assistant and IBPS PO and Clerk 2018 Exams.
Daily Current Affairs 12 October 2018 for Bank, SSC and Competitive Exams
Current Affairs related to Finance and Economy
Microsoft India signs pact with Niti for AI tools in agriculture, healthcare
- Microsoft India said Friday it has signed an agreement with Niti Aayog to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to address challenges in agriculture and healthcare, and promote adoption of local language computing, among others.
- Microsoft India will support NITI Aayog by combining the cloud, AI, research and its vertical expertise for new initiatives and solutions across several core areas, the company said in a statement.
- Microsoft will also accelerate the use of AI for the development and adoption of local language computing, in addition to building capacity for AI among the workforce through education, the statement said.
Draft National Policy on Electronics 2018 released; aims $400 billion manufacturing industry by 2025
- The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) on October 10, 2018 released the draft of the National Policy on Electronics 2018, aiming for a turnover of USD 400 billion in domestic electronics manufacturing industry by 2025.
- The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology will coordinate with the concerned ministries and departments to provide incentives to industry for robust expansion of electronics hardware manufacturing. MeitY will work out the details and facilitate decisions by the government.
- The policy targets production of one billion mobile handsets by 2025, valued at USD 190 billion (about Rs 13 lakh crore).
- It is targeted to export 600 million mobile handsets valued at USD 110 billion (about Rs 7 lakh crore).
- 20 greenfield and three brownfield electronic manufacturing cluster projects have been sanctioned with the project outlay of Rs 3898 crore, including Rs 1577 crore from the Government of India.
Government approves special package for footwear and leather sector
- The Union Government has approved a special package for employment generation in the leather and footwear sector.
- The government has approved four projects worth over Rs 105 crore to promote the leather industry in Tamil Nadu.
- The projects, under the Central Sector Scheme – Indian Footwear, Leather and Accessories Development Programme (IFLADP), aim to facilitate upgradation of infrastructure, job creation and environmental sustainability. The project has earmarked Rs 2600 crore for the period 2017-20 in this connection.
Meghalaya to launch Blue Revolution: Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries
- The state government of Meghalaya is planning to launch Blue Revolution: Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries.
- The Central Government has sanctioned Rs 51 crore for the scheme and it will be launched on October 26.
- With the launch of the scheme, the state would be self-sufficient in fish production.
Current Affairs related to India and states
WCD Ministry to set up panel to look into all #MeToo cases
- The Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi announced on October 12, 2018 that her ministry will be setting up a four-member committee to examine all the #MeToo cases.
- The WCD Minister stated through a tweet that she believes in the pain and trauma behind every single complaint and reiterated that cases of sexual harassment at work must be dealt with a policy of zero tolerance.
- The four-member committee will comprise senior judicial and legal persons.
- It will be tasked with the responsibility of examining all the recent cases that have come up in the past few days under the #MeToo campaign.
Record number of nearly 50,000 nominations received for Padma Awards 2019
- A record number of nearly 50 thousand nominations have been received for the Padma Awards-2019.
- Home Ministry said that the nomination received this year is 32 times higher compared to 2010.
- The nomination process for the awards was simplified and made online in 2016 to encourage citizens to participate in large numbers.
States, UTs set free over 900 prisoners under special remission scheme
- The Indian states and union territories released over 900 prisoners in the first phase of the centre’s scheme for grant of special remission to specific categories of prisoners. The move was undertaken as a part of the commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
- The decision to give special remission to a specific category of prisoners was taken by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 18, 2018. The prisoners will be released from prisons in three phases- on October 2, 2018, April 6, 2019 and October 2, 2019.
- In the week-long first phase of special remission to prisoners, the States and UTs, after obtaining the approval of the competent authority in their jurisdictions, released over 900 prisoners.
- In the second and third phase, prisoners will be released on April 6, 2019 and October 2, 2019 respectively.
Central University of Jammu, ISRO sign MoU to set up Space Applications Center
- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on October 11, 2018 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central University of Jammu (CUJ) for setting up of the Satish Dhawan Center for Space Science in the University.
- On the same occasion, another MoU was signed between CUJ and the Central Scientific Instruments Organization (CSIR-CSIO).
- A two day workshop was also inaugurated at the CUJ campus to create awareness about space research and to motivate young minds to take up research related to space, astronomy, geology, atmospheric sciences and related fields.
SpiceJet to be the first airline in India to offer free on-board wifi
- SpiceJet will join the club of a handful of carriers providing inflight wifi for free. Among global carriers, JetBlue, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines provide wifi as free. Normally, airlines charge a fee for providing the service.
- To be clear, India’s regulatory policy continues to freeze out inflight internet in the country. Even international aircraft entering Indian airspace must switch off their systems.
- SpiceJet has tied up with Immarsat — a mobile satellite service communication provider to equip its 737 Max aircraft with Satcom (Satellite Communication) antennas which will enable its aircraft to provide onboard internet service.
Current Affairs related to Appointments
Amway appoints Milind Pant as CEO
- Direct selling major Amway Friday announced appointment of Milind Pant, first Indian and non-family individual, as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with effect from January 2, 2019.
- Amway has been co-led by Steve Van Andel who has served as Amway Chairman since 1995 and Doug DeVos who has served as Amway’s President since 2002.
Current Affairs related to World
Sri Lankan Parliament passes law to compensate victims of separatist war between Srilankan Army and LTTE
- The Sri Lankan parliament has passed a law to pay compensation to the victims of the 30-year-long separatist war between the Sri Lankan Army and the LTTE, which claimed at least 100,000 lives.
- The Reparations Bill was passed on October 10, 2018 with a 59-43 vote and it will benefit survivors and victims of the kin in several armed uprisings in the country.
- Sri Lanka has had a long history of conflict not only in the north but also in the south. So, many people have disappeared without a trace.
Current Affairs related to Index
Global Hunger Index 2018: India ranks 103rd out of 119 countries
- As per the 2018 Global Hunger Index (GHI), published on October 10, 2018, the level of hunger and undernutrition worldwide fell to 20.9, down from 29.2 in the year 2000.
- As per the index, India was ranked 103rd out of 119 qualifying countries. The Global Hunger Index 2018 report was prepared jointly by global NGOs namely, Concern Worldwide (Ireland) and Welthungerhilfe (Germany).
- In the countries included in the GHI, the share of the undernourished population stood at 12.3 percent in 2015–2017, down from 17.6 percent in 1999–2001.
- 9 percent children under five years of age were stunted based on data from 2013–2017, down from 37.1 percent in 1998–2002.
- 3 percent children under-5 years were wasted, slightly down from 9.7 percent in 1998–2002.
Current Affairs related to Days
World Egg Day observed
- The World Egg Day was observed across the world on October 12, 2018. The day’s 2018 theme is “Protein for Life”.
- The day was established at the International Egg Commission, Vienna 1996 conference when it was decided to celebrate World Egg Day on the second Friday in October each year.
Current Affairs related to Awards
Alternative Nobel literature prize goes to Maryse Condé
- Guadeloupean novelist Maryse Condé has been announced as the winner of the New Academy prize in literature, a one-off award intended to fill the void left by the cancellation of this year’s scandal-dogged Nobel prize for literature.
- The author of some 20 novels, including Desirada, Segu and Crossing the Mangrove, Condé is, according to the chair of judges Ann Pålsson, a “grand storyteller” who “belongs to world literature”.
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