SH- Current Affairs Update 28th, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants,

India Ranks 47th on Inclusive Internet Index

India is ranked 47th out of 86 countries when it comes to inclusive Internet and connectivity for all, a Facebook report said.

• Facebook, which commissioned the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) to create a comprehensive “Inclusive Internet Index,” found India in the middle of Asian countries (12th out of 23) when it comes to connectivity.”
• Sweden took the first place, followed by Singapore and the US.

Saudi Arabia allows women to join military

Saudi Arabia has for the very first time opened applications for women to enlist in the military as the kingdom continues to enact reforms granting females more access to a wide range of previously forbidden careers.

• Interested candidates can apply for positions with the rank of soldier in the provinces of Riyadh, Mecca, al-Qassim and Medina.
• A list of requirements says applicants must be Saudi citizens and aged between 25 and 35 with a high school diploma.

Govt. sanctions Rs. 1200 cr to clear pollution in Delhi

In a move to provide Delhi residents relief from the burgeoning air pollution crisis in the city, the central government has sanctioned schemes worth Rs 1,200 crore to keep a check on alarming pollution levels in the capital.

• According to NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, on account of the air quality worsening in Delhi due to burning crop residue from October to December months, the schemes will help curb pollution.

Second India-Korea Business Summit Held

Second India-Korea Business Summit organized by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, in partnership with ChosunILbo, KOTRA, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Invest India, was held in New Delhi.

• Aim of the summit is to strengthen the economic relationship, boost trade relations and increase investments between India and Republic of Korea.
• The roundtable included delegates from both Governments and 25 CEOs from leading Korean companies with an estimated revenue of USD 575 billion.

Uma Bharti launches 2nd project of Swajal Yojana in Rajasthan

Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Sushri Uma Bharti, launched the Swajal pilot project at Village Bhikampura, Karauli, Rajasthan.

• Besides ensuring the availability of clean drinking water to every household round the year, the project would also generate employment.
• She inaugurated the pilot Swajal Project at Bhikampura with a budget of more than 54.17 lakh rupees.

Shri J P Nadda chairs 5th meeting of Mission Steering Group of NHM

“The Health and Wellness Centers are expected to provide preventive, promotive, rehabilitative and curative care for a package of 12 services.”

• This was stated by Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare as he chaired the 5th meeting of the Mission Steering Group of the National Health Mission (NHM) in New Delhi.
• Shri Hardeep S Puri, Union Minister of State (I/C) Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey and Smt. Anupriya Patel, Ministers of State for Health and Family Welfare and Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog were also present at the meeting.

National Science Day: 28 February

National Science Day is celebrated in India on 28 February each year to mark the discovery of the Raman effect by Indian physicist Sir Chandrashekhara Venkata Raman on 28 February 1928.

• For his discovery, Sir C.V. Raman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.
• The theme of the year 2018 is "Science and Technology for a sustainable future."

Google ties up with SBI for mobile payments app Tez

Internet giant Google has tied up with State Bank of India (SBI) for its mobile payments app Tez.

• Through this partnership, Google Tez will allow users to create an SBI UPI Id - @oksbi and get access to exclusive offers for SBI customers.
• The partnership will focus on building unique propositions for users and merchants, including specially curated offers.

KYC norms for e-wallets made mandatory from March 1

Users of prepaid payment instruments (PPI) such as mobile wallets will have to complete the KYC requirements by February 28 as the Reserve Bank of India has refused to extend the deadline any further.

• Those who do not comply with the KYC norms will not be allowed to load money into their respective wallet accounts or carry out remittance-based transactions.
• They will also not be allowed to transfer the cash in the wallet account to their bank accounts.

Karnataka beat Saurashtra to win Vijay Hazare Trophy

Sensible batting from opener Mayank Agarwal (90) helped Karnataka outplay Saurashtra by 41 runs in the final match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 50-overs cricket tournament.

• Following the win, Karnataka pacer Sreenath Arvind also announced his retirement from first-class and list A cricket.
• This is the third title for Karnataka.

Important:

• The Vijay Hazare Trophy was started in 2002–03 as a limited-overs cricket domestic competition involving state teams from the Ranji Trophy plates.
• It is named after the famous Indian cricketer Vijay Haza