Dear Reader's,
Narendra Modi inaugurate annual conference ‘Rajaswa
Gyan Sangam’ in New Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the annual conference – Rajaswa Gyan Sangam, 2017 in New Delhi on 1st of Sep. He addressed the tax administrators during the conference.
Key Points:
i.The Conference have been jointly organised by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC).
ii.The objective of the Conference is to enable a two-way communication between the policy-makers and the senior officers in the field offices.
iii.Its aim is to increase revenue collection and facilitate
effective implementation of law and policies in key result areas.Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the annual conference – Rajaswa Gyan Sangam, 2017 in New Delhi on 1st of Sep. He addressed the tax administrators during the conference.
Key Points:
i.The Conference have been jointly organised by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC).
ii.The objective of the Conference is to enable a two-way communication between the policy-makers and the senior officers in the field offices.
iv.Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Ministers of State for Finance Santosh Kumar Gangwar and Arjun Ram Meghwal will also be present on the ocassion.
PAN-Aadhaar linking last date extended till 31
December
The deadline for linking Permanent Account Number (PAN) with Aadhaar has extended by four months to 31st December announced by the government.
Key Points:
i.Earlier, the last date for linking PAN to Aadhaar was 31st August. The government had made mandatory the linking of the two databases for filing ITRs.
ii.According to Section 139 AA (2) of the Income Tax Act that every person having PAN as on 1st July 2017 is eligible to obtain Aadhaar, must intimate his Aadhaar number to the tax authorities.
iii.As per the Income Tax laws, people who are not citizens of India, those above 80 years of age and residents of the states of Assam, Meghalaya and Jammu and Kashmir had been exempt from the requirement.
iv.It is stated that income-tax returns filed will not be processed if tax filers fail to link Aadhaar and PAN on or before August 31, 2017.
The deadline for linking Permanent Account Number (PAN) with Aadhaar has extended by four months to 31st December announced by the government.
Key Points:
i.Earlier, the last date for linking PAN to Aadhaar was 31st August. The government had made mandatory the linking of the two databases for filing ITRs.
ii.According to Section 139 AA (2) of the Income Tax Act that every person having PAN as on 1st July 2017 is eligible to obtain Aadhaar, must intimate his Aadhaar number to the tax authorities.
iii.As per the Income Tax laws, people who are not citizens of India, those above 80 years of age and residents of the states of Assam, Meghalaya and Jammu and Kashmir had been exempt from the requirement.
iv.It is stated that income-tax returns filed will not be processed if tax filers fail to link Aadhaar and PAN on or before August 31, 2017.
CSIR ranked 9th Public Research Institution of the
World
On august 31,2017 India’s largest autonomous public research and development organisation Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has been ranked ninth best government organisation in the world. The institute has been ranked ninthamongst a total of 1,207 government institutions, according to the Scimago Institutions ranking World Report 2017.
On august 31,2017 India’s largest autonomous public research and development organisation Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has been ranked ninth best government organisation in the world. The institute has been ranked ninthamongst a total of 1,207 government institutions, according to the Scimago Institutions ranking World Report 2017.
The ranking is based on many indicators such
research performance, innovation outputs and societal impact measured by their
web visibility, so as to reflect scientific, economic and social
characteristics of institutions.
About CSIR: –
About CSIR: –
·
It was established by Government of
India in 1942.
·
Currently it operates as an
autonomous body through the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
·
It is mainly funded by the Ministry
of Science and Technology.
·
Director General : Girish
Sahni. .
Youth Sports Centre to come up at
Alipur,Delhi : Vijay Goel
On September 1 ,2017 Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Vijay Goel has announced that a new Youth Sports Centre to be built at Alipur, Delhi.He said, the project could be used by rural youth who can avail the facility for their overall development and promotion of sports in rural areas of the capital. Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) and Sports Authority of India (SAI) will jointly create and run this unique Youth Sports Centre.
Facilities in the centre: –
On September 1 ,2017 Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Vijay Goel has announced that a new Youth Sports Centre to be built at Alipur, Delhi.He said, the project could be used by rural youth who can avail the facility for their overall development and promotion of sports in rural areas of the capital. Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) and Sports Authority of India (SAI) will jointly create and run this unique Youth Sports Centre.
Facilities in the centre: –
·
It will have State of the art sports
facilities such as football ground, an Athletic track, as well as volley ball,
kabaddi and kho-kho facilities besides a multipurpose indoor hall for training
players in Boxing & wrestling. A modern gym will also be developed.
·
It will have a 200 bed Youth Hostel
and facilities for providing training for Youth Leadership, Skill Development,
Life Skills, National Integration, Cultural and Folk-Art activities and will
also have an Information facility for providing relevant information to the
youth about the Flagship Schemes of Govt. of India for their development and
welfare.
·
An amount of about Rs. 20 crore will
be spent on the project.
‘Yalla Kerala’ launched to attract Arab travelers
The Kerala Tourism department has launched a campaign called ‘Yalla Kerala’ (Yalla means lets go). It has been launched to target tourists from Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar.
Key Points:
i.This comes on the back of a promotional campaign launched in Dubai recently.
ii.It aimed at Arab travellers by showcasing the state’s backwaters and waterfalls on their city taxis.
iii.As part of the campaign, airports in Dubai and Saudi Arabia will have displays of rich greenery, beautiful landscapes, natural attractions like backwaters and hill stations and art forms in Kerala.
iv.The travel magazines distributed in the flight, television and radio in Dubai, Saudi Arabia will also feature Kerala Tourism advertisements.
v.Monsoon, Ayurveda, Health and Wellness holidays, historical connections and cultural affinities will be the attractive features in Kerala for the Arabs.
vi.The tourist arrivals to Kerala from the six nations have shown a growth in the range of 42.54% to 169.05% in 2016.
vii.Kerala received more than one lakh visitors from the region in 2015. The majority came from Saudi Arabia with 51,149 Saudi nationals visiting last year, while Oman accounted for 18,763.
viii.In the taxi campaigning, as many as 200 Kerala-branded taxis will convey the message of ‘A Faraway Land Four Hours Away’ and have eye-catching visuals that features hill stations, backwaters, waterfalls and also Ayurvedic therapies – through the streets of Dubai.
About Kerela National Park
Silent Valley NP
Eravikulam NP
Periyar NP
The Kerala Tourism department has launched a campaign called ‘Yalla Kerala’ (Yalla means lets go). It has been launched to target tourists from Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar.
Key Points:
i.This comes on the back of a promotional campaign launched in Dubai recently.
ii.It aimed at Arab travellers by showcasing the state’s backwaters and waterfalls on their city taxis.
iii.As part of the campaign, airports in Dubai and Saudi Arabia will have displays of rich greenery, beautiful landscapes, natural attractions like backwaters and hill stations and art forms in Kerala.
iv.The travel magazines distributed in the flight, television and radio in Dubai, Saudi Arabia will also feature Kerala Tourism advertisements.
v.Monsoon, Ayurveda, Health and Wellness holidays, historical connections and cultural affinities will be the attractive features in Kerala for the Arabs.
vi.The tourist arrivals to Kerala from the six nations have shown a growth in the range of 42.54% to 169.05% in 2016.
vii.Kerala received more than one lakh visitors from the region in 2015. The majority came from Saudi Arabia with 51,149 Saudi nationals visiting last year, while Oman accounted for 18,763.
viii.In the taxi campaigning, as many as 200 Kerala-branded taxis will convey the message of ‘A Faraway Land Four Hours Away’ and have eye-catching visuals that features hill stations, backwaters, waterfalls and also Ayurvedic therapies – through the streets of Dubai.
About Kerela National Park
Silent Valley NP
Eravikulam NP
Periyar NP
International Affairs
Joint Proposal by India & China in WTO on
Aggregate Measurement of Support (AMS)
Recently on 18 July 2017 India and China jointly submitted a proposal to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) calling for the elimination of farm subsidies by developed countries. In WTO context, this trade distorting farm subsidies is calledAggregate Measurement of Support (AMS) or ‘Amber Box’. It is a prerequisite for consideration of other reforms in domestic support negotiations.
i. This is an important proposal by India and China in view of ongoing negotiations for the upcoming 11th Ministerial Conference of the WTO to be held in Buenos Aires in December 2017.
ii. It counters the efforts of some developed countries to target the subsidies of the developing countries. The subsidies given by developed countries are to retain their huge farm subsidies while the subsidies given by developing countries are for essential purposes.
iii.Elimination of AMS, India and China believe, should be the starting point of reforms rather than seeking reduction of subsidies by developing countries, some of which like India provide a subsistence amount of about US $ 260 per farmer per annum compared to over 100 times more in some developed countries.
Recently on 18 July 2017 India and China jointly submitted a proposal to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) calling for the elimination of farm subsidies by developed countries. In WTO context, this trade distorting farm subsidies is calledAggregate Measurement of Support (AMS) or ‘Amber Box’. It is a prerequisite for consideration of other reforms in domestic support negotiations.
i. This is an important proposal by India and China in view of ongoing negotiations for the upcoming 11th Ministerial Conference of the WTO to be held in Buenos Aires in December 2017.
ii. It counters the efforts of some developed countries to target the subsidies of the developing countries. The subsidies given by developed countries are to retain their huge farm subsidies while the subsidies given by developing countries are for essential purposes.
iii.Elimination of AMS, India and China believe, should be the starting point of reforms rather than seeking reduction of subsidies by developing countries, some of which like India provide a subsistence amount of about US $ 260 per farmer per annum compared to over 100 times more in some developed countries.
Sushma Swaraj attended Indian Ocean Conference held
in Colombo
On august 31,2017 External Affairs Minister Sushma
Swaraj travelled to Colombo to participate in the two-day Indian
Ocean Conference in Colombo, Srilanka
About the Conference: –
·
India Foundation, a Delhi-based think
tank, will host the Indian Ocean Conference 2017 (IOC) in collaboration with
Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Singapore, and National
Institute of Fundamental Studies (NIFS), Colombo (both research and study
centres).
·
Theme of the conference is peace,
progress and prosperity. It will see participation from
around 35 countries including USA, Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh,
Germany, Kenya, South Korea and Afghanistan.
·
About Srilanka : –
o Capitals: Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.
o Currency: Sri Lankan rupee
o President: Maithripala Sirisena.
Lebanon gets first law to protect animals
Lebanese President Michel Aoun has officially signed an animal welfare and protection law. It guarantees that domestic and wild animals will be legally protected from abuse in the country announced on 30th Aug 2017.
Key Points:
i.The law passed by parliament on 16th August. It outlines requirements for keeping domestic pets, regulations for zoos and pet shops, and penalties for violations with fines and upto 4 years in prison.
ii.The importance of this law is that it can cover all institutions that care for and maintain animals.
iii.Now, Lebanon has a strong and comprehensive law to give animals the legal protection they need and to punish those who abuse them.
About Lebanon
Capital: Beirut
President: Michel Aoun
PM: Saad Hariri
Currency: Lebanese Pound
Lebanese President Michel Aoun has officially signed an animal welfare and protection law. It guarantees that domestic and wild animals will be legally protected from abuse in the country announced on 30th Aug 2017.
Key Points:
i.The law passed by parliament on 16th August. It outlines requirements for keeping domestic pets, regulations for zoos and pet shops, and penalties for violations with fines and upto 4 years in prison.
ii.The importance of this law is that it can cover all institutions that care for and maintain animals.
iii.Now, Lebanon has a strong and comprehensive law to give animals the legal protection they need and to punish those who abuse them.
About Lebanon
Capital: Beirut
President: Michel Aoun
PM: Saad Hariri
Currency: Lebanese Pound
International Hindu Conference held in Nepal
The three-day International Hindu Conference began on 31st Aug 2017. Its aim is to reinstitute Kathmandu as the global capital of Hinduism.
Key Points:
i.The theme of the conference is ‘Emerging spiritualism: Renaissance of Hinduism’.
ii.Hindu scholars, religious leaders, Hindu activists and officials from different countries including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the US and the UK are attending the conference.
iii.The aim of the conference is to make Kathmandu the global capital of Hinduism.
iv.The opening of the conference is addressed at the Pashupatinath temple premises.
v.The conference will discuss papers on various contemporary issues including, scientific basis of Hinduism, climate change and global warming.
vi.About 500 delegates, including foreign delegates, are taking part in the conference.
About Nepal
Capital: Kathmandu
President: Bidhya Devi Bhandari
PM: Sher Bahadur Deuba
The three-day International Hindu Conference began on 31st Aug 2017. Its aim is to reinstitute Kathmandu as the global capital of Hinduism.
Key Points:
i.The theme of the conference is ‘Emerging spiritualism: Renaissance of Hinduism’.
ii.Hindu scholars, religious leaders, Hindu activists and officials from different countries including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the US and the UK are attending the conference.
iii.The aim of the conference is to make Kathmandu the global capital of Hinduism.
iv.The opening of the conference is addressed at the Pashupatinath temple premises.
v.The conference will discuss papers on various contemporary issues including, scientific basis of Hinduism, climate change and global warming.
vi.About 500 delegates, including foreign delegates, are taking part in the conference.
About Nepal
Capital: Kathmandu
President: Bidhya Devi Bhandari
PM: Sher Bahadur Deuba
Banking & Finance
99% of demonetized notes back in system: RBI report
As per the data released by the RBI, old notes worth Rs 15.44 lakh crore were there in the market out of which 15.28 lakh crore have been received by the bank.
Key Notes:
i.It means all but 1.4% of the old Rs 1,000 notes have come back into the banking system.
ii.As per the RBI report about 89 million units of the demonetised Rs 1,000 notes, worth Rs 8,900 crore, had not come back into the system.
iii.RBI said there were as many 588.2 crore of Rs 500 notes, both old and new in circulation as of March 31, 2017.
iv.The report said 98.96% of the Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 denomination banknotes that had been invalidated had been returned.
v.As per the report the cost of printing of currency notes more than doubled to Rs 7,965 crore in 2016-17 from Rs 3,421 crore in the previous year on account of new currency printing.
vi.As per the RBI annual report the share of the newly introduced Rs 2,000 notes in the total value of banknotes in circulation as at March-end was a little more than 50%.
As per the data released by the RBI, old notes worth Rs 15.44 lakh crore were there in the market out of which 15.28 lakh crore have been received by the bank.
Key Notes:
i.It means all but 1.4% of the old Rs 1,000 notes have come back into the banking system.
ii.As per the RBI report about 89 million units of the demonetised Rs 1,000 notes, worth Rs 8,900 crore, had not come back into the system.
iii.RBI said there were as many 588.2 crore of Rs 500 notes, both old and new in circulation as of March 31, 2017.
iv.The report said 98.96% of the Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 denomination banknotes that had been invalidated had been returned.
v.As per the report the cost of printing of currency notes more than doubled to Rs 7,965 crore in 2016-17 from Rs 3,421 crore in the previous year on account of new currency printing.
vi.As per the RBI annual report the share of the newly introduced Rs 2,000 notes in the total value of banknotes in circulation as at March-end was a little more than 50%.
Appointments & Resigns
Sunil Arora appointed as Election Commissioner
Former IAS Officer Sunil Arora was appointed as the Election Commissioner on 31st of Aug 2017.
Key Points:
i.While Achal Kumar Joti is the Chief Election Commissioner and Om Prakash Rawat is the other Election Commissioner.
ii.Before taking charge he was the Information and Broadcasting Secretary, and Secretary in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
iii.Senior bureaucrat Rajiv Kumar was appointed Secretary in the Department of Financial Services (DFS) while Anita Karwal was named CBSE chairperson.
iv.Total 17 IAS officers were appointed in various central government departments.
v.Karwal, a Gujarat-cadre IAS officer, was appointed in place of Rajesh Kumar Chaturvedi, who will now be the director general of National Skill Development Agency.
Former IAS Officer Sunil Arora was appointed as the Election Commissioner on 31st of Aug 2017.
Key Points:
i.While Achal Kumar Joti is the Chief Election Commissioner and Om Prakash Rawat is the other Election Commissioner.
ii.Before taking charge he was the Information and Broadcasting Secretary, and Secretary in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
iii.Senior bureaucrat Rajiv Kumar was appointed Secretary in the Department of Financial Services (DFS) while Anita Karwal was named CBSE chairperson.
iv.Total 17 IAS officers were appointed in various central government departments.
v.Karwal, a Gujarat-cadre IAS officer, was appointed in place of Rajesh Kumar Chaturvedi, who will now be the director general of National Skill Development Agency.
Former Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi appointed as
Comptroller and Auditor General of India
Former Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi has appointed the next Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of Indiaannounced on 31st of Aug 2017.
Key Points:
i.Shashi Kant Sharma completes his term as the CAG of India by September-end.
ii.The CAG is appointed for a term of six years or till the incumbent attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
Former Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi has appointed the next Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of Indiaannounced on 31st of Aug 2017.
Key Points:
i.Shashi Kant Sharma completes his term as the CAG of India by September-end.
ii.The CAG is appointed for a term of six years or till the incumbent attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
Rajiv kumar takes charge as NITI Aayog
Vice-Chairman
Rajiv Kumar has taken over as the vice-chairman of government think tank Niti Aayog.
Key Points:
i.Kumar replaced Arvind Panagariya, an Indian-American economist.
ii.Kumar was a senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR).
iii.He holds a DPhil in economics from Oxford and a PhD from Lucknow University.
Rajiv Kumar has taken over as the vice-chairman of government think tank Niti Aayog.
Key Points:
i.Kumar replaced Arvind Panagariya, an Indian-American economist.
ii.Kumar was a senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR).
iii.He holds a DPhil in economics from Oxford and a PhD from Lucknow University.
Indian-origin civil servant J Y Pillai appointed
Singapore’s acting president
Indian-origin veteran civil servant JY Pillay has appointed Singapore’s acting President on 1st of Sept 2017. He has appointed until a new head of the state is elected.
Key Points:
i.Pillay took over from Tony Tan Keng Yam who completed a six-year term.
ii.He acted as president in May, when Tan made state visits to Europe.
iii.Pillay a chairman of the Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA), will act as the president until after polling day on Septemeber 23 or after nomination day on September 13, if a candidate is elected unopposed.
iv.According to the report this is the first time the office has fallen vacant since the elected presidency was introduced in 1991.
About Singapore
Capital: Singapore
President: J.Y. Pillay
PM: Lee Hsien Loong
Currency: Singapore Dollar
Indian-origin veteran civil servant JY Pillay has appointed Singapore’s acting President on 1st of Sept 2017. He has appointed until a new head of the state is elected.
Key Points:
i.Pillay took over from Tony Tan Keng Yam who completed a six-year term.
ii.He acted as president in May, when Tan made state visits to Europe.
iii.Pillay a chairman of the Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA), will act as the president until after polling day on Septemeber 23 or after nomination day on September 13, if a candidate is elected unopposed.
iv.According to the report this is the first time the office has fallen vacant since the elected presidency was introduced in 1991.
About Singapore
Capital: Singapore
President: J.Y. Pillay
PM: Lee Hsien Loong
Currency: Singapore Dollar
Awards & Recognition
Samurai Tete first woman from Jharkhand to win
Dhyan Chand Award
On the occasion of National Sports Day on 29th August Former India Women’s Hockey captain Sumurai Tete was awarded Dhyan Chand Award 2017 by the President Ramnath Kovind at a function held at Rasthrapati Bhawan in New Delhi.
Key Points:
i.Sumurai has become the first woman from Jharkhand to bag the prestigious national award.
ii.She received statuettes, certificates and cash prize of Rs 5,00,000 each for her achievements and contribution to Field hockey in India.
iii.Sumrai is currently working as an office superintendent at Hatia station under South Eastern Railway.
iv.Chief Minister Raghubar Das announced earlier, Sumrai Tete as the brand ambassador for Jharkhand hockey.
v.It was under Sumrai Tete’s captaincy that Indian eves clinched Commonwealth Games hockey silver at Melbourne in 2006.
About Dhyan Chand Award
The Dhyan Chand Award, officially known as Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sports and Games is the lifetime achievement sporting honour of the Republic of India.
The award is named after Dhyan Chand (1905–79), an Indian field hockey player who scored more than 1000 goals during a career which spanned over 20 years from 1926 to 1948.
It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
On the occasion of National Sports Day on 29th August Former India Women’s Hockey captain Sumurai Tete was awarded Dhyan Chand Award 2017 by the President Ramnath Kovind at a function held at Rasthrapati Bhawan in New Delhi.
Key Points:
i.Sumurai has become the first woman from Jharkhand to bag the prestigious national award.
ii.She received statuettes, certificates and cash prize of Rs 5,00,000 each for her achievements and contribution to Field hockey in India.
iii.Sumrai is currently working as an office superintendent at Hatia station under South Eastern Railway.
iv.Chief Minister Raghubar Das announced earlier, Sumrai Tete as the brand ambassador for Jharkhand hockey.
v.It was under Sumrai Tete’s captaincy that Indian eves clinched Commonwealth Games hockey silver at Melbourne in 2006.
About Dhyan Chand Award
The Dhyan Chand Award, officially known as Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sports and Games is the lifetime achievement sporting honour of the Republic of India.
The award is named after Dhyan Chand (1905–79), an Indian field hockey player who scored more than 1000 goals during a career which spanned over 20 years from 1926 to 1948.
It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Maneka Gandhi gives national level awards to
Anganwadi Workers
Minister of Women & Child Development, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi has given National Level Awards to anganwadi workers at New Delhi on 31st Aug 2017.
Key Points:
i.The awards have been given for the purpose to recognize their exemplary voluntary service in the field of child development and related areas under the ICDS Scheme.
ii.The Awards for the year 2016-17 were given to 51 awardees and these awards are given annually.
iii.The Award at the National Level comprises a cash prize of Rs.25,000/- and a citation. State Level Award comprises a cash prize of Rs. 5,000/- and a citation.
iv.The scheme for awarding anganwadi workers at the National and State levels was formulated in the year 2000-01.
v.The role of anganwadi workers is mainly the distribution and provision of food to children and lactating mothers.
vi.Anganwadi workers and Anganwadi helpers play a vital role in child development since the responsibility of taking care of small children has been given to these frontline workers across the country.
vii.The Government is now shifting the emphasis to covert anganwadis into centres of pre-school education.
viii.However, a massive exercise is being launched to train the anganwadi workers to become pre-school teachers.
ix.There are currently about 27 lakhs anganwadi workers and helpers at 14 lakhs anganwadi centres across the country.
Minister of Women & Child Development, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi has given National Level Awards to anganwadi workers at New Delhi on 31st Aug 2017.
Key Points:
i.The awards have been given for the purpose to recognize their exemplary voluntary service in the field of child development and related areas under the ICDS Scheme.
ii.The Awards for the year 2016-17 were given to 51 awardees and these awards are given annually.
iii.The Award at the National Level comprises a cash prize of Rs.25,000/- and a citation. State Level Award comprises a cash prize of Rs. 5,000/- and a citation.
iv.The scheme for awarding anganwadi workers at the National and State levels was formulated in the year 2000-01.
v.The role of anganwadi workers is mainly the distribution and provision of food to children and lactating mothers.
vi.Anganwadi workers and Anganwadi helpers play a vital role in child development since the responsibility of taking care of small children has been given to these frontline workers across the country.
vii.The Government is now shifting the emphasis to covert anganwadis into centres of pre-school education.
viii.However, a massive exercise is being launched to train the anganwadi workers to become pre-school teachers.
ix.There are currently about 27 lakhs anganwadi workers and helpers at 14 lakhs anganwadi centres across the country.
UNESCO declares winners of 2017 International
Literacy Prizes
The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) has announced the winners of the 2017
International Literacy Prizes on the occasion of International Literacy Day,
celebrated on 8 September.
Key Points:
i.It has been given to honors excellence and innovation in the field of global literacy.
ii.The awards will be handed out to five laureates from Canada, Colombia, Jordan, Pakistan and South Africa.
iii.The prize-giving ceremony will be organized at UNESCO Headquarters and has pledged to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all.
iv.This year’s Literacy Prizes and celebration will focus on literacy in a digital world.
v.The prizes are divided into two categories, namely the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy sponsored by China and the King Sejong Literacy Prize sponsored by South Korea.
vi.Confucius Prize, which rewards projects that benefit rural populations and out-of-school youth, particularly girls and women is given to the AdulTICoProgram from Columbia, The Citizens Foundation from Pakistan, and the FunDza project from South Africa.
vii.The King Sejong prize, dedicated to mother-tongue literacy education and is shared by the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance from Canada and the We Love Reading programme from Jordan.
viii.The five winners will each receive a medal, a certificate and $20,000.
ix.Since 1967, the Unesco International Literacy Prizes have been awarded to more than 475 projects led by governments, non-governmental organizations and individuals around the world.
x.According to UN figures, 750 million people in the world still lack basic reading and writing skills, and this population includes 102 million young people aged between 15 and 24.
About UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) based in Paris.
Formation: 16th Nov 1945
Director general of Bokova
Key Points:
i.It has been given to honors excellence and innovation in the field of global literacy.
ii.The awards will be handed out to five laureates from Canada, Colombia, Jordan, Pakistan and South Africa.
iii.The prize-giving ceremony will be organized at UNESCO Headquarters and has pledged to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all.
iv.This year’s Literacy Prizes and celebration will focus on literacy in a digital world.
v.The prizes are divided into two categories, namely the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy sponsored by China and the King Sejong Literacy Prize sponsored by South Korea.
vi.Confucius Prize, which rewards projects that benefit rural populations and out-of-school youth, particularly girls and women is given to the AdulTICoProgram from Columbia, The Citizens Foundation from Pakistan, and the FunDza project from South Africa.
vii.The King Sejong prize, dedicated to mother-tongue literacy education and is shared by the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance from Canada and the We Love Reading programme from Jordan.
viii.The five winners will each receive a medal, a certificate and $20,000.
ix.Since 1967, the Unesco International Literacy Prizes have been awarded to more than 475 projects led by governments, non-governmental organizations and individuals around the world.
x.According to UN figures, 750 million people in the world still lack basic reading and writing skills, and this population includes 102 million young people aged between 15 and 24.
About UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) based in Paris.
Formation: 16th Nov 1945
Director general of Bokova
Science & Technology
ISRO’s IRNSS-1H navigation satellite launch was
unsuccessful
On august 31,2017, India’s ISRO failed in its
attempt to launch its eighth regional navigation satellite
(IRNSS-1H) from Sriharikota at 7pm. ISRO
chief A.S. Kiran Kumar told, “There was no problem in any of the
stages. But the heat shield has to separate. And once that happens the
satellite gets into the orbit. It got separated internally. But it’s enclosed
within the heat shield in the fourth stage”. As a result, the satellite got
stuck in the fourth stage of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle–PSLV-C39.
ABOUT IRNSS-1H: –
1.
IRNSS-1H was sent to space to back up and replace the functions of India’s
first navigation satellite IRNSS-1A which was launched four
years back.
2.
Indian Space Research Organisation
had to quickly get two back-ups ready when all three rubidium atomic clocks on
1A failed around mid-2016.
3.
The Indian Regional Navigation
Satellite System (IRNSS) is an independent regional navigation
satellite system developed by India on par with US-based GPS.
4.
This system was namedas ‘NavIC’
(Navigation with Indian Constellation) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
5.
AMD launches Ryzen Pro processors for business PCs
Chipmaker AMD has presented a new line of microprocessor chips called ‘Ryzen Pro’ for commercial desktop workstations to be available in India and other countries by end of 2017.
Key Points:
i.At the global launch of Ryzen Pro leading PC makers HP, Dell and Lenovo introduced a new high-end workstations using Ryzen Pro to meet the demand of present scenario toughest computing-tasks.
ii.HP’s Elitedesk 705 G3, Dell’s Optiplex 5055 and Lenovo’s ThinkCentre M715/Thinkpad A 275 and A475 are presented for global launch later this month.
iii.The new Ryzen Pro processors are for commercial usage. It is powerful, secure and reliable.
iv.The Ryzen Pro desktop processor is an 8 core and 16 thread CPU and much faster than the rival Intel’s ‘Core i7’ which is of 4 core and 8 thread.
v.The company has launched high-performance chips Ryzen 3, 5 and 7 for consumer PCs, a chip named Epyc for corporate servers and also a revamped graphics chip called Vega.
Chipmaker AMD has presented a new line of microprocessor chips called ‘Ryzen Pro’ for commercial desktop workstations to be available in India and other countries by end of 2017.
Key Points:
i.At the global launch of Ryzen Pro leading PC makers HP, Dell and Lenovo introduced a new high-end workstations using Ryzen Pro to meet the demand of present scenario toughest computing-tasks.
ii.HP’s Elitedesk 705 G3, Dell’s Optiplex 5055 and Lenovo’s ThinkCentre M715/Thinkpad A 275 and A475 are presented for global launch later this month.
iii.The new Ryzen Pro processors are for commercial usage. It is powerful, secure and reliable.
iv.The Ryzen Pro desktop processor is an 8 core and 16 thread CPU and much faster than the rival Intel’s ‘Core i7’ which is of 4 core and 8 thread.
v.The company has launched high-performance chips Ryzen 3, 5 and 7 for consumer PCs, a chip named Epyc for corporate servers and also a revamped graphics chip called Vega.
Books & Authors
Immortal India book by Amish Tripathi
Amish, a best selling writer who has entertained readers with his mythological series on Lord Shiva and Lord Rama, has announced to launch his new book “Immortal India” in non-fiction category.
Key Points:
i.It was published by Westland and Tranquebar Press.
ii.“Immortal India” brings together Tripathi’s fascinating style with his distinctively including original thoughts on a wide array of subjects like religion, LGBT rights, history, and feminism.
About Amish Tripathi
Amish Tripathi born 18 October 1974 is an Indian author, known for his novels The Immortals of Meluha, The Secret of the Nagas, The Oath of the Vayuputras, Scion of Ikshvaku and Sita: Warrior of Mithila.
The first three books collectively comprise the Shiva Trilogy and the later two are the first two books of the Ram Chandra Series which is going to be a collection of five books.
The Shiva Trilogy was the fastest selling book series in Indian publishing history and the Scion of Ikshvaku was the fastest selling book of 2015.
Amish, a best selling writer who has entertained readers with his mythological series on Lord Shiva and Lord Rama, has announced to launch his new book “Immortal India” in non-fiction category.
Key Points:
i.It was published by Westland and Tranquebar Press.
ii.“Immortal India” brings together Tripathi’s fascinating style with his distinctively including original thoughts on a wide array of subjects like religion, LGBT rights, history, and feminism.
About Amish Tripathi
Amish Tripathi born 18 October 1974 is an Indian author, known for his novels The Immortals of Meluha, The Secret of the Nagas, The Oath of the Vayuputras, Scion of Ikshvaku and Sita: Warrior of Mithila.
The first three books collectively comprise the Shiva Trilogy and the later two are the first two books of the Ram Chandra Series which is going to be a collection of five books.
The Shiva Trilogy was the fastest selling book series in Indian publishing history and the Scion of Ikshvaku was the fastest selling book of 2015.
Obituary
Sumiteru Taniguchi, Nagasaki Survivor and Nuclear
Arms Foe, Dies at 88
A Japanese man Sumiteru Taniguchi who survived the Nagasaki atomic bomb in August 1945 has died of cancer at the age of 88.
Key Points:
i.He became a prominent activist against nuclear weapons and was once considered as a front-runner for the Nobel Peace Prize.
ii.Taniguchi, who spent about three and a half years in hospital after the blast, went on to become a prominent disarmament campaigner.
iii.The US dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945, killing about 140,000 people.
iv.The toll includes those who survived the explosion itself but died soon after from severe radiation exposure.
A Japanese man Sumiteru Taniguchi who survived the Nagasaki atomic bomb in August 1945 has died of cancer at the age of 88.
Key Points:
i.He became a prominent activist against nuclear weapons and was once considered as a front-runner for the Nobel Peace Prize.
ii.Taniguchi, who spent about three and a half years in hospital after the blast, went on to become a prominent disarmament campaigner.
iii.The US dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945, killing about 140,000 people.
iv.The toll includes those who survived the explosion itself but died soon after from severe radiation exposure.
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