Hello and welcome to exampundit. Here are the important Daily Current Affairs 12 September 2018. These are important for the upcoming IBPS PO, NIACL Assistant, RBI Grade B and IBPS RRB 2018 Exams.
Daily Current Affairs 12 September 2018
Banking and Finance
YES Bank launches Cashless Payment Solution for Udaipur Smart City
- YES BANK, India’s fourth largest private sector bank, launched a comprehensive cashless payment solution for Udaipur Smart City, in partnership with the Udaipur Municipal Corporation (UMC), in order to bolster Financial Inclusion and Digital India initiatives of the Government of India.
- The project was launched today by Hon. Mayor of Udaipur, Chandra Singh Kothari and Sidharth Sihag, Commissioner, Udaipur Municipal Corporation & CEO, Udaipur Smart City Ltd.
- As a part of this project, YES BANK has digitized payments for Government to Citizen (G2C) services as well as retail payments. The solution allows citizens to make instant payments via Bharat QR or BHIM UPI QR and through a Digital Wallet, specially designed for citizens of Udaipur.
Union Cabinet approves new umbrella scheme ‘Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan’ (PM-AASHA)
- The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 12, 2018 approved a new umbrella scheme ‘Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan’ (PM-AASHA).
- The scheme aims to ensure that farmers get remunerative prices for their produce as announced in the Union Budget for 2018. It will give a major boost to the pro-farmer initiatives of the Government.The Government had previously increased the MSP of Kharif crops by following the principle of 1.5 times the cost of production. The increase is expected to be translated to farmer’s income by the way of robust procurement mechanism in coordination with the state governments.
The umbrella scheme ‘PM-AASHA’ comprises three sub-schemes:
- Price Support Scheme (PSS)
- Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS)
- Pilot of Private Procurement & Stockist Scheme (PPPS)
Price Support Scheme (PSS)
- Under the scheme, the physical procurement of pulses, oilseeds and Copra will be done by Central Nodal Agencies with the proactive role of the state governments.
- Further, in addition to NAFED, the Food Cooperation of India (FCI) will take up PSS operations in states and districts.
Price Deficiency Payment Scheme this scheme (PDPS)
- Under the scheme, it is proposed to cover all oilseeds for which minimum support price (MSP) is notified.
- In this, direct payment of the difference between the MSP and the selling/modal price will be made to pre-registered farmers selling his produce in the notified market yard through a transparent auction process. All payments will be done directly into the registered bank account of the farmer.
Pilot of Private Procurement & Stockist Scheme (PPPS)
- The Cabinet also decided that the participation of private sector in procurement operation needs to be piloted so that on the basis of the learnings the ambit of private participation in procurement operations may be increased.
- Therefore it was decided that for oilseeds, the states will have the option to roll out Private Procurement Stockist Scheme (PPSS) on pilot basis in selected districts and Agricultural Produce Market Committee’s (APMC) of district involving the participation of private stockiest.
- The pilot district and selected APMC(s) will cover one or more crop of oilseeds for which MSP is notified.
CCEA approves 100 percent electrification of Broad Gauge Routes of Indian Railways
- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on September 12, 2018 approved the proposal for electrification of balance un-electrified Broad Gauge Routes of Indian Railways.
- The Broad Gauge Routes comprise 108 sections covering 13675 route kilometers (16540 track kilometers) that will be electrified at a cost of Rs 12134.50 crore by 2021-22.
- The major trunk routes on IR network have already been electrified and are operational.
India signs pacts with Rakhine State for capacity building, economic development
- Indian Embassy on Wednesday signed two agreements with Myanmar’s Rakhine State Government to facilitate capacity building and economic development in the province.
- The pacts will help promote agricultural mechanisation and support computer literacy among the youth of Rakhine State to prepare them for employment opportunities in the software sector.
- As per the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry and Minerals of Rakhine, India will supply 15 tractors and 15 crawler harvesters to the State Government, to meet a key need expressed by the Peasants Union in the State. Under the MoU with Department of Social Affairs of the Rakhine State Government, the Indian Embassy will provide 40 computers and their associated peripherals to the Sittwe Computer University.
TCIL, MEA sign MOU for pan Africa e-Network project
- Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd. (TCIL) signed an agreement with Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for the implementation of e-VBAB (e-VidyaBharati and e-AarogyaBharati) Network Project for a total value of Rs. 865 Crores.
- To continue providing Tele Education and Tele Medicine services from elite Indian Universities and Super Specialty Hospitals to African nations using Internet as transmission media, TCIL had already successfully executed Phase-1 of PAeNP from 2008 to 2017.
- The e-VBAB Project is fully funded by MEA, GoI and is envisaged to be implemented in 9 months followed by 5 years of operations and maintenance. Indian Education (VidyaBharati) and Indian Medical services for human well being (AarogyaBharati) under the flagship e-VBAB Network Project of MEA, is a step towards capacity building in the field of education and medical science for all the 54 African Nations.
Haryana CM announces sharp reduction in electricity tariff
- Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has announced a sharp reduction in electricity tariff in the state.
- The chief minister announced in the state assembly varying slabs of rebates for households consuming up to 500 units of electricity per month.
- Under the revised tariff, consumers using up to 50 units per month will pay Rs 2 per unit, those using up to 200 units will pay Rs 2.50 per unit instead of Rs 4.69 and those consuming up to 500 units will pay Rs 4.68 per unit instead of Rs 5.55 from next month.
Ministry of Steel to present first-ever awards to secondary steel sector
- In a first, the Ministry of Steel will be giving away awards to the secondary steel sector on September 13, 2018 at a function in New Delhi.
- The awards have been instituted in order to encourage the secondary steel sector, as it plays a key role as a growth engine for the national economy and employment generation.
- The strong performance of the secondary steel sector has given a significant boost to India’s steel production.
- Hence, encouraged by the overall potential of the sector, the Union Government has taken various initiatives to improve its performance.
India and states
Bengaluru Airport to get India’s first and only LED-powered runway
- Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), on Wednesday claimed that the Kempegowda International Airport’s (KIA) proposed second runway will be powered completely by LED.
- The runway, which is scheduled to become operational only in 2019, will be the first such runway in the country, the BIAL has claimed.
- With this facility, the third busiest airport in the country is expected to have improved airside safety and efficiency along with and greater energy and cost gains.
- The company will provide its SafeLED lights, constant current regulators (CCRs) for power management, cables, lighting and control systems.
Piyush Goyal launches ‘Rail Sahyog’ web portal
- Railways Minister Piyush Goyal on September 11, 2018 launched the ‘Rail Sahyog’ web portal to provide a platform for the Corporates and Public Sector Units (PSUs) to contribute to creation of amenities at or near Railway Stations through Corporate Social Responsibility funds.
- The app launch was in line with PM Narendra Modi’s vision for a New India by 2022. It was a part of various initiatives undertaken recently by Indian Railways for upgrading its infrastructure, technology, hygiene among host of other things for an enhanced passenger experience.
- The web portal www.railsahyog.in will enable desirous companies to show their willingness on the portal by registering their requests.
- The requests will be processed by Railway officials.
- Based on the principle of first come first serve, the requests will be shortlisted and selected applicants will be intimated to deposit the funds with Railways or with nominated agencies like RITES/RAILTEL etc.
- The nominated agency will get the work executed thereafter.
- This simple & transparent portal will provide an opportunity for industry, companies and associations to collaborate with Railways.
IBM, IIT Bombay team up to accelerate AI research in India
- IBM and IIT Bombay on Wednesday announced that the university will join the AI Horizons Network as part of a multi-year collaboration to advance AI research.
- The Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Bombay is one of the preeminent research institutions in the world, with a long history of leadership in data mining and information retrieval systems.
- By joining the AI Horizons Network, IIT Bombay will pair its world-class faculty and top graduate students with leading AI scientists from IBM Research – India to advance and accelerate the application of AI, machine learning, natural language processing and related technologies to business and industry.
India’s First Dog Park To Open In Hyderabad
- India’s first dog park is set to be inaugurated in Hyderabad this week. Located at Gachibowli, at a place which was originally a garbage dumping ground, the facility which is spread over 1.3 acres have all the latest for your dogs.
- The park has been equipped with dog training equipments, play equipments, off leash areas for exercise, splash pool, sprinkler fountain, amphitheatre, two lawns, separate enclosures for big and small dogs and even a clinic.
- In addition to this, the park as also provisions for specially-abled people and their dog helpers to exercise and enjoy outdoor activity.
EC removes NOTA option from Rajya Sabha, Legislative Council polls
- The Election Commission of India (ECI) on September 11, 2018 withdrew the provision of NOTA (None of the above) option from ballot papers of the Rajya Sabha and the state’s Legislative Council polls as per the Supreme Court directive.
- The ECI, through the notification, ordered the returning officers for Rajya Sabha and legislative council to ensure that there is no NOTA column displayed in the ballot paper.
- The NOTA option will be available only in Lok Sabha and state’s assembly election.
First ever bus services between Bihar and Nepal flagged off
- In a first, bus services between Bihar and Nepal were flagged off on September 11, 2018 by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
- The bus services have been commissioned following the agreement between India and Nepal.
- Following this, four buses will ply from Bodhgaya to Kathmandu and four buses will ply from Patna to Janakpur.
- The Kathmandu bound bus will go through Patna, Raxaul and Beerganj. The Janakpur bound bus will go through Muzaffarpur and Sitamarhi.
- The bus services from Kathmandu to Bodhgaya will be started by the Government of Nepal on September 13.
Arunachal CM inaugurates state’s first Sainik School
- Chief Minister Pema Khandu on September 11, 2018 dedicated Arunachal Pradesh’s first sainik school to the people of the state. The state was granted three Sainik schools by the Union Ministry of Defence.
- The school at Niglok in East Siang district began its first academic session from August 27 with 60 students.
- The location of the two other schools would be decided with due consultation to cover the eastern and western belts of the state.
India, Mongolia commence joint military exercise ‘Nomadic Elephant – 2018’
- The joint military exercise between Indian and Mongolian armies, the Nomadic Elephant – 2018, began on September 11, 2018 in Mongolia.
- The Nomadic Elephant is an annual, bilateral exercise designed to strengthen the partnership between Indian and Mongolian Armed Force.
- The exercise would see both the countries improve their tactical and technical skills in joint counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations in rural and urban scenario under UN Mandate.
Indo-Kazakhstan joint exercise ‘KAZIND 2018’ begins
- The Indian Army commenced joint military exercise- ‘KAZIND-2018’ – with the army of central Asian nation Kazakhstan on September 11, 2018.
- The exercise takes the number of India’s on-going and scheduled drills with different nations, including the US, this month to four.
- The military exercise between the armies of India and Kazakhstan commenced in Otar region, approximately 175 kilometres from Almaty, Kazakhstan.
- The Kazakh contingent was represented by Military Base 85395, while India was represented by 5 Ladakh Scouts Regiment.
India, Sri Lanka conduct joint naval exercise ‘SLINEX 2018’
- The sixth edition of ‘SLINEX 2018’, a joint naval exercise between the naval forces of India and Sri Lanka is currently underway in Trincomalee, a major port city of Sri Lanka. The bilateral exercise is being held from September 7-13, 2018.
- The bilateral exercise, which was previously held once in two years, will be held as an annual event from this year onwards. Three Navy ships from each side along with around 1,000 naval personnel from both countries are participating in the joint drill.
- The three Indian warships participating in the exercise include INS Kirch, Sumitra and Cora Divh.
- In addition to the three ships, one ship-borne integral helicopter and two maritime patrol aircraft Dornier are participating from the Indian side, while the Sri Lankan Navy is represented by SLN Ships Sayurala, Samudra and Suranimala.
WCD Ministry issues advisory on the deadly online game -Momo challenge
- The Women and Child Development Ministry has issued an advisory on the deadly online game Momo challenge, asking parents to monitor social media activity of their children to ensure that they are not engaging in the dangerous game.
- Noting that the game has become viral on social media platforms, the ministry asked parents to keep their eyes open and also said that they should not tell their children about it unless they believe that the child also knows about it. The Ministry also gave guidelines on ways to protect a child from the game.
Appointments
HDFC Life appoints Vibha Padalkar as new MD & CEO
- HDFC Life, largest private life insurers, has announced the appointment of Vibha Padalkar as its new Managing Director and CEO for a period of three years effective from today.
- After a successful listing on the bourses in November 2017, HDFC Life is one of the most valuable private life insurers with industry-leading profitability, delivering superior returns to investors.
Girish Radhakrishnan appointed CMD of United India Insurance Company
- Girish Radhakrishnan and Tajinder Mukherjee have been appointed chairmen-cum-managing directors of the United India Insurance Company and the National Insurance Company Limited respectively, according to an order issued on Monday.
- Radhakrishnan, at present a general manager in the New India Assurance Company Limited (NIACL), has been appointed to the post till he attains the age of 60 years, the Personnel Ministry order said.
- Mukherjee has also been appointed to the post till she attains the age of 60 years. She is also a general manager at NIACL, it said.
Sports
Asiad gold medallist Amit Panghal nominated for Arjuna award
- Asian Games gold medal-winning Indian boxer Amit Panghal was on September 11, 2018 nominated for this year’s Arjuna awards by the Boxing Federation of India.
- Amit joined Sonia Lather and Gaurav Bidhuri in the list of boxing nominees for the second highest sporting honour after the Khel Ratna.
- Amit claimed the light flyweight (49kg) category gold after defeating reigning Olympic champion Hasanboy Dusmatov of Uzbekistan in the final at the 18th Asian Games in Indonesia.
- The 22-year-old Amit is only the eighth Indian boxer to claim an Asiad gold.
Obituaries
Freedom fighter Goura Chandra Mohapatra passes away
- Veteran freedom fighter Goura Chandra Mohapatra passed away at the age of 104 at Bhadrak District Headquarters Hospital on September 11, 2018.
- Mohapatra, who was jailed during Quit India Movement in 1942, was suffering from old age related ailments. He is survived by wife Mira Devi, four daughters and nine sons.
- Mohapatra was the son of poet ‘Kantakabi’ Laxmikanta Mohapatra, who penned the famous song “Bande Utkal Janani.”
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