IInd Week PDF 8th to 16th Jan 2017 1. China to set up world's highest altitude Gravitational Wave telescopes in Tibet China is setting up the world's highest altitude gravitational wave telescopes in a Tibet prefecture close to Line of Actual Control with India with a budget of $18.8 million to detect faintest echoes resonating from universe which may reveal more about the Big Bang theory. Construction has started for the first telescope, code-named Ngari No 1, 30 km south of Shiquanhe Town in Nagri Prefecture, said Yao Yongqiang chief researcher with the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Parts of Nagri is last Tibetan prefecture at China's border with India. 2. Norway to Become First Country to Switch Off FM Radio Network Norway will become the world’s first country to shut down its FM network in an unpopular move designed to force the leap to digital technology. It is going to launch Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) technique in place of FM radio. Critics claim the switch off will leave citizens without digital radios isolated and unable to listen to emergency broadcasts. 3. World Hindi Day:10 January The World Hindi Day is being observed annually on 10 January. World Hindi Day was first observed on 10 January 2006. It should be noted that World Hindi Day is the promotion of the language at the global stage. While, National Hindi Divas is being observed on 14 September across the country at national level. 4. Pakistan to renovate Katas Raj temple Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited the Katas Raj Hindu temple in Chakwal district of Punjab to inaugurate its renovation. The work includes installation of a water filtration plant in the Amrat Jal area. Al-Biruni, Persian scholar and polymath, had computed the earth’s circumference from here. 5. Festival of India to be Organised in Ghana After Combodia, now a Festival of India is being organised in Ghana from January 25 to March 16, 2017. The activities of the Festival include amalgamation of Indian classical dances, Sufi & Folk Music, and Saptarang – confluence of seven classical dance forms culminating in Vande Matram. The Festival events are being showcased in four cities of Accra, Kumasi, Cape Coast, Takoradi in Ghana. Ghana Capital: Accra Currenty: Cedi 6. Ecuador takes chair of UN group of 134 developing countries Ecuador has taken over from Thailand as chair of the Group of 77 which promotes the interests of the 134 developing countries it represents at the United Nations, including China. Ecuador's President Rafael Correa told handover ceremony that the group will continue promoting "social and economic equality." He said this can only be done if "poverty, inequality and exclusion" are eradicated and people live with "sovereignty, dignity and in peace." Thailand's Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said his country focused in 2016 on how to implement the 17 U.N. goals for 2030 to promote development and good governance, and preserve the environment. 7. Obama lifts 20-year sanctions on Sudan US President Barack Obama is to lift some trade and investments sanctions against Africa's third largest country. But the country will still remain a state sponsor of terrorism in Washington's eyes. Obama informed Congress that he will lift barriers against the Khartoum government but only after a six-month delay to ensure Sudan continues to improve its human rights record. 8. India slips 3 places to 92nd rank on global talent competitiveness India has slipped 3 places to 92nd rank on the global index of talent competitiveness that measures how countries grow, attract and retain talent, a list topped by Switzerland. India's ranking is worst among the five BRICS countries. While China was ranked at the 54th place, Russian Federation was placed at 56th, followed by South Africa at 67th and Brazil 81st. Switzerland topped the overall index, followed by Singapore and the United Kingdom in second and third places respectively, in the list released by INSEAD Produced in partnership with The Adecco Group and the Human Capital Leadership Institute of Singapore (HCLI). 9. 20th National Conference on e-Governance inaugurated The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India, in association with the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India and Government of Andhra Pradesh is organizing the 20th National Conference on e- Governance on January 9-10, 2017 in Vishakhapatnam. Senior Government Officers, technical experts, academicians and representatives of the industry and NGOs will participate in the event. National e-Governance Awards for the year 2016-17 will be presented in twelve categories concerning various aspects of e-Governance during the event comprising of Gold and Silver in each category. 10. PM Modi announces scheme to skill Indian youth seeking jobs abroad Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the government will shortly launch the Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PKVY) which is aimed at skilling Indians seeking employment abroad. The prime minister was speaking at the 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention in Bengaluru. "The Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana is targeted at Indian youth seeking overseas employment," Modi said. PKVY will train and certify Indians, who are keen on overseas employment in select sectors, in line with international standards. 11. Narendra Modi inaugurates India International Exchange Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the India International Exchange (INX) located at the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC), GIFT City in Gandhinagar, terming it as momentous occasion for the country's financial sector. The India INX is a wholly owned subsidiary of BSE Ltd.It incorporates world’s advanced IT sale purchase stage. The securities and products that could be traded on the India INX are equity shares, currency and interest rate derivatives, index based derivatives and such other securities that may be allowed. 12. PM Modi inaugurates Vibrant Gujarat Global Global Summit Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated 8th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit at Gandhinagar, Gujarat. An investment of around 30 lakh is expected by signing 21,190 MoUs during the three days summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also inaugurated 'Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show', where around 1,500 entities are participating from India and abroad. Representatives of over 80 countries are also participating in the 'Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show' where more than 15 lakh people are expected to visit over the course of five days. 13. 11th blind challenge car rally held in Bhopal 11th Blind Challenge Car Rally was organised in Bhopal to create awareness among the masses regarding the issues concerning persons with visual impairment. Indira Gandhi Museum and Arushi are organising car rally, where the vehicle is driven by a sighted person and the navigator is a blind person, who reads the route given to them on the spot in Braille. The rally covered 30 kms within Bhopal. First three winners were awarded cash prices and trophies and mementos and certificates were given to all participants. 14. Sex ratio in Haryana touches 900-mark for first time in 20 years Sex ratio at birth (SRB) in Haryana past year touched the 900-mark for the first time in almost two decades. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ambitious “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” (B3P) campaign against female foeticide in Panipat in January 2015. Two years later, Haryana, notorious for its skewed sex ratio and patriarchal mindset, saw a historic turnaround. 15. Maharashtra govt launches ‘MumbaiWifi’ Maharashtra government has launched WiFi service ‘MumbaiWifi’ connecting 500 hotspots across Mumbai under the smart city project with an aim to empower people digitally. By May 1 next year, the government will launch 700 more hotspot services. MumbaiWifi is India’s largest public Wifi service and one of the largest globally too. 16. National Youth Festival to be held at Rhotak Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports Shri Vijay Goel, in a statement said that this year the 21st National Youth Festival is being organised in Rohtak, Haryana from 12th to 16th January, 2017. Department of Youth Affairs of Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, organizes every year the National Youth Festival on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the greatest Youth Icon. Goel further informed that this year the theme of the Festival is ‘Youth for Digital India’. 17. Railway minister launches IRCTC rail connect to promote digital ticketing To promote ease of ticketing through digital transactions, railway minister Suresh Prabhu has released the new passenger mobile application named ‘IRCTC Rail Connect app’. Rail Connect has been developed to bring the power of next generation e-ticketing system like high performance and enhanced security. The new mobile-based application will replace the old existing IRCTC connect app. 18. Delhi Airport first in world to adopt digital platform Arc Delhi Airport claimed it has become the first aerodrome in the world to adopt unique performance and benchmarking digital platform, Arc, which helps in tracking and monitoring building performance. This dynamic platform at T3 would be used by airport operator to measure, manage and improve performance of airport on resource consumption, carbon emissions and quality of passenger space. Delhi Airport's Terminal 3 had earned LEED Gold certification in 2011 under the new construction category. 19. BIS revises standard for hallmarking of gold jewellery Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) said it has revised Indian Standard on gold hallmarking, which is effective from January 1 this year. The hallmarked gold jewellery will now be available in three grades of 14 carat, 18 carat and 22 carat. The caratage will also be marked on jewellery in addition to fineness for convenience of consumers, that is for 22 carat jewellery 22K will be marked in addition to 916 (22K916), for 18 carat jewellery 18K will be marked in addition to 750 (18K750) and for 14 carat jewellery, 14K will be marked in addition to 585 (14K585), it added.