Hello and welcome to exampundit. Here are the Daily Current Affairs 7 April 2018. These are important for the upcoming SBI Clerk Examination.
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Finance and Banking
Indian Overseas Bank launches IoT-based customer service app
- Leading public sector bank, Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) as part of their ‘Customer First’ initiative launched Internet of Things (IoT)-based customer feedback application on a pilot basis at its Cathedral branch here.
- To increase customer satisfaction at the branch, R K Shetty, IOB general manager – customer service department, has introduced three initiatives with IoT.
- A sound pressure level meter has been placed at the branch service counter with a configured average decibel level. When there is an increase in the decibel measured at this counter, the system sends an alert to the branch manager as well as the designated official at the regional office, on a real-time basis.
- As part of the second initiative, when a customer visits the bank they will be provided a tablet containing a web responsive application in which they can submit their feedback.
- ‘Happy’ and ‘Unhappy’ emoticons will be displayed on the customer service application.
Gobardhan Yojna’ to be launched from Karnal on Apr 30
- Gobardhan Yojna, a central government scheme for managing and converting cattle dung and solid waste into manure and biogas, will be launched nationally from Haryana’s Karnal on April 30, an official said today.
- Gobar is an acronym for Galvanising Organic Bio Agro Resources. Through the scheme, the government aims to ensure cleanliness in villages and generate energy by converting cattle dung and solid agricultural waste into compost and biogas.
- The scheme was announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his budget speech this year. The government aims to cover nearly 700 districts under the scheme in this financial year.
- A few European countries and China have managed to produced biogas on a large-scale by effectively utilising cattle dung, the official said.
India
TN Govt Launches Mobile App Bi-lingual ‘Uzhavan’ for Farmers
- In a bid to use technology for farmers’ benefit, Tamil Nadu government has come out with a mobile application that will allow ryots to have access to nine types of services including details about their crop insurance.
- Chief Minister K Palaniswami launched the bi-lingual ‘Uzhavan’ (farmer) app here recently, an official release said on Saturday.
- The app, which can be downloaded from Google Playstore, can be used by farmers to get information on farm subsidies, book farm equipment and related infrastructure and get details on their crop insurance, besides receiving weather forecast for the next four days, the release said.
- The other highlights of the app, available in Tamil and English, include information on available stocks of seeds and fertilisers in local government and private stores, it said.
- The move was part of government’s effort to take to the ‘next level’, use of technology to aid farmers in their profession, the release added.
Govt. bans imports of hormone oxytocin
- The Union government on Friday banned imports of the hormone oxytocin to stop its misuse in the livestock industry, where activists say it causes hormonal imbalances and shortens the lives of milch animals.
- Often called the ‘love hormone’, oxytocin is released naturally in human bonding activities such as sex, childbirth and breastfeeding.
- The government also asked customs officials to step up vigilance against those likely to try and smuggle oxytocin into India, the Central Board of Excise and Customs said in a notice on its website.
- The government has decided to rely on domestic production to satisfy requirements of the hormone.
- The drug’s abuse in animals shortens their lives and makes them barren sooner, India’s Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi has said.
IHHC sets up first ICU simulation lab to train nursing staff
- IHHC, India’s premier home healthcare service provider became the first home health care company to set up a dedicated ICU simulation lab at their Bengaluru facility to train nursing staff.
- This state of the art simulation lab will offer hands-on training modules and help nursing staff improve the quality of medical and healthcare services to homes.
- The ICU simulation lab has state of the art equipment designed to recreate real-life scenarios with the help of patient simulators, digitalised video, bedside computer charting, electronic supply, static mannequins that deliver a powerful hands-on training to the nursing staff.
Reports
Patna tops in 4G connectivity among 20 largest cities: Report
- Patna tops in 4G connectivity among 20 of India’s largest cities. It has emerged ahead of the likes of Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi, said a report from OpenSignal, a wireless coverage mapping company.
- 4G user experience in the 20 cities was monitored for 90 days from 1 December 2017.
- Four cities from India’s central and eastern regions—Patna, Kanpur, Allahabad, Kolkata, Bhopal and Lucknow—made it to the top 10 while popular tech hubs like Bengaluru are at 10, followed by Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi.
Awards
Chhattisgarh awarded ‘State of the Year’
- Chhattisgarh on Friday bagged the ‘State of the Year’ Award under the business leader’ category as part of the India Business Leadership for the remarkable increase in business and services activities in various sectors.
- The plunge witnessed is said to be the result of various decisions taken on the policy in the field of business by the Chhattisgarh Government in the past few years and its effective implementation.
- Union Information Technology and Electronics Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad gave the award at India Business Leader Awards (IBLA) organised by a leading business channel.
- The award was received by Chhattisgarh Minister Prem Prakash Pandey.
- Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Pandey said that the Chhattisgarh has achieved tremendous success in socio-economic sectors since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government came to power in 2003.
Appointments
Rakesh Kumar Vats given additional charge of NPPA Chairman
- Rakesh Kumar Vats, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has been given the additional charge of chairman of drug price regulator NPPA with immediate effect, an official statement said.
- He replaces Bhupendra Singh who was made chairperson of National Authority for Chemical Weapons Convention under the Cabinet Secretariat.
- Vats is an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, it said.
- The NPPA is mandated to fix/revise the prices of controlled bulk drugs and formulations and to enforce prices and availability of the medicines in the country.
- It also monitors the prices of decontrolled drugs in order to keep them at reasonable levels.
Sports
Commonwealth Games 2018: Sathish Sivalingam claims India’s third Gold medal in Weightlifting
- India has added another Gold to its medal tally in the ongoing 21st Commonwealth Games as weightlifter Sathish Sivalingam won the coveted Gold medal by winning the men’s 77kg weightlifting event at the 21st Commonwealth Games.
- Sivalingam defeated England’s Jack Oliver by lifting a total 317 kg (114 kg + 173 kg). Oliver won Silver with a total lift of 312 kg (145 kg + 167 kg).
- While, the Bronze medal went to Australian Francois Etoundi, who lifted 305 kg (136 kg + 169 kg) and collapsed clutching his injured shoulder after his final lift.
- With this Gold, Sivalingam now has 2 Gold in his kitty. He won his first Gold at 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
- Deepak Lather won a Bronze medal in men’s 69 kg weightlifting event. Lather lifted a total of 295 kg (136 kg in snatch and 159 kg in clean and jerk).
Venkat Rahul Ragala adds 4th gold to India’s weightlifting haul at CWG
- Venkat Rahul Ragala became the fourth Indian weightlifter to claim a gold medal at the ongoing Commonwealth Games, coming out trumps in a tense contest here on Saturday.
- The 21-year-old Rahul, who is a Commonwealth Championships gold-medallist, lifted a total of 338kg (151kg+187kg) to finish on top.
- The Indian was locked in a close battle with Samoa’s Don Opeloge, who ended with a total of 331kg (151kg+180kg).
- Both the lifters opted for 191kg as their final clean and jerk lift and both of them failed but Rahul clinched the top prize owing to Opeloge’s failed second attempt at a 188kg lift.
Days
World Health Day observed across the globe
- World Health Day was observed across the world on April 7, 2018. The day also marks the 70th anniversary of World Health Organisation.
- The theme of World Health Day is ‘Universal health coverage: everyone, everywhere’ and the slogan is ‘Health for All’.
- The subject along with others such as human rights, environment, endangered species and peace are of universal concern to people across the globe.
Obituaries
Supreme Court lawyer Niranjan Thomas Alva passes away
- Niranjan Thomas Alva, a Supreme Court lawyer and husband of Congress leader Margaret Alva, passed away here today after brief illness, a family member said. Alva, 78, died this morning around 10.30 at the Ramaiah Hospital where he was admitted for 20 days following chest congestion, the family member told PTI.
- A reputed orator, he practised law at the Supreme Court. One of the landmark litigations he lead resulted in women flight attendants in the Air India getting the same rights and privileges as their male counterparts including full retirement benefits and the right to bear children.
- Son of Joachim and Violet Alva, freedom fighters and the first couple in Parliament, Alva was also a former Director of the State Bank of India. He later served as a board member of the State Bank of India in Karnataka for over a decade.
Noted Assamese film-maker Munin Barua passes away
- National award winning Assamese film-maker Munin Barua passed away today following a prolonged illness, family sources said.
- He was 72 and is survived by wife Manjula Barua and two children.
- Barua, popularly called Bhaimon da, was suffering from cancer and breathed his last at his residence here in the wee hours today, his family sources said.
- His wife, Manjula Barua is a costume designer in the Assamese film industry.
- Recipient of National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Assamese in 2005 for his film ‘Dinabandhoo’, Barua’s popular films include ‘Pratima’, ‘Pita Putro’, ‘Pahari Kanya’, ‘Prabhati Pokhir Gaan’, ‘Hiya Diya Niya’, ‘Daag’, ‘Nayak’, ‘Kanyadaan’, ‘Bidhata’, ‘Barood’, ‘Rong’, ‘Raamdhenu’ and ‘Priyar Priyo’.
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