DAILY UPDATED CURRENT AFFAIRS – 07.07.2018 TO 09.07.2018 NATIONAL Election Commission launches app to help voters report poll code violations (a) The Election Commission launched an Android-based app, which allows voters to send geo-tagged videos and photos of any violations that take place during elections, including distribution of money or gifts by political parties or even hate speeches being made while canvassing. (b) The app known as „cVIGIL‟, which stands for “citizens‟ vigil”, was tested on a pilot basis during the recently concluded polls in Karnataka‟s Bengaluru. (c) The election commission has now decided to extend the service during the upcoming assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram. (d) Chief election commissioner OP Rawat. Two Election Commissioners of India-Ashok Lavasa,Sunil Arora Govt launches Coal Mine Surveillance & Management System and Khan Prahari mobile app (a) The Union Ministry of Coal launched Coal Mine Surveillance & Management System (CMSMS) and Mobile Application „Khan Prahari‟. (b) The CMSMS and the mobile app have been developed by CMPDI, Ranchi a Subsidiary of CIL and Bhaskarcharya Institute of Space Application and Geo-informatics (BISAG). (c) The CMSMS is web based GIS application through which location of sites for unauthorised mining can be detected. (d) It aimed at reporting, monitoring and taking suitable action on unauthorised coal mining activities. (e) Khan Prahari is tool used for reporting any activity taking place related to illegal coal mining like rat hole mining, pilferage etc. (f) Using it, one can upload geo-tagged photographs of incident along with textual information directly to system. Higher Education Financing Agency Capital Base Enhanced To Rs.10,000 crores (a) The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to expand the scope of the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) by expanding its capital base to Rs 10,000 crore from the existing Rs 1,100 crore. HEFA has also been tasked to mobilise Rs 1,00,000 crore for Revitalising Infrastructure and Systems in Higher Education (RISE) by 2022. (b) The cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA), at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the proposal to expand the facility (HEFA) to all institutions, especially those set up after 2014, central universities with few internal resources, and school or health education institutions such as the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and the Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs). (c) HEFA was set up on May 31, 2017, as a non-profit, non-banking financing company to mobilise extra-budgetary resources for building crucial infrastructure in higher educational institutions under the government. Animals Declared As ‘Legal Persons’ In Uttarakhand (a) In a first, the Uttarakhand High Court accorded the status of „legal person or entity‟ to the animals in the state. The HC stated that "they have a distinct persona with corresponding rights, duties and liabilities of a living person." (b) The unique status was bestowed upon the state‟s animals by a division bench of judges comprising Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Lokpal Singh while issuing a series of directions to prevent cruelty against animals. (c) In March 2017, the Uttarakhand High Court had accorded the status of 'living human entities' to the Ganga and Yamuna, the two most sacred rivers of India. ISRO conducts first test of crew escape module (a) The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted the first test of Crew Escape System that provides escape mechanism for astronauts if the launch operation is aborted. (b) It was first pad abort test critical for future human space mission that demonstrated safe recovery of crew module in case of any exigency at the launch pad. (c) The test lasted little more than three minutes and involved aborting space capsule at launch to save astronaut. (d) India at present does not have human space flight programme. (e) Only three countries United States of America (USA), Russia and China have human space flight programmes. (f) The only Indian citizen to ever travel to space was fighter pilot Rakesh Sharma who flew aboard Soyuz T-11 (spacecraft of former USSR) in 1984.( Dr K Sivan is Chairman of ISRO.Headquarters of ISRO- Bengaluru, Karnataka) Agartala airport renamed after Tripura’s last king The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, renamed the Agartala airport after Tripura‟s last ruler Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya. The decision comes in the wake of a long-pending demand of the people of Tripura as well as the state government to rename the airport after Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya as a tribute to the last ruler of the princely (1923-1947). NSG to be first central force to opt for e-ticketing instead of railway warrant (a) The National Security Guard (NSG) is the first central paramilitary force to opt for e-ticketing instead of the railway warrant under an agreement signed with the IRCTC. (b) The IRCTC is also developing an e-ticketing-cum-warrant management system for the Central Reserve Police Force. (c) The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation(IRCTC) signed an MoU with the National Security Guard(NSG) at the headquarters of the special force, New Delhi. (d) This system will eliminate the need for carrying railway warrants by the NSG personnel. AAI to set up Civil Aviation Research Organisation Airports Authority of India (AAI) is going to set up state-of-the-art Civil Aviation Research Organization (CARO) at Hyderabad‟s Begumpet Airport. Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu has laid down the foundation stone of the centre. AAI has earmarked Rs 1,200 crore which will be spent over 12 years for research and development (R&D). AAI Chairman-Dr. Guruprasad Mohapatra. 1441, Opp. IOCL Petrol Pump, CRPF Square, Bhubaneswar-750015 1 Ph. : (0674) 6556677, 8093556677. Web : www.vanik.org, E-mail : [email protected] DAILY UPDATED CURRENT AFFAIRS – 07.07.2018 TO 09.07.2018 MP Government Launches Subsidised Power Scheme ‘Sambal’ (a) The Madhya Pradesh State Government launched an outstanding power bill waiver scheme and subsidised power scheme called „Sambal‟ for labourers and poor families. Under Sambal Yojana, the Below Poverty Line (BPL) families would be provided electricity at a cost of Rs 200 per month. (b) The main objective of the scheme is to make sure that all the households have power facility in the state. In case the bill is lower than Rs 200, the beneficiaries will have to pay the actual bill amount and if the bill amount is crossing Rs 200 then, the difference amount would be subsidised by the state government. Gujarat CM Launches Special Drive Against Malnutrition: POSHAN Abhiyan (a) Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani launched 'Poshan Abhiyan'--a statewide mission to eradicate malnutrition among children by providing them nutritious food through Anganwadi centres. The CM also launched 'PURNA' project to eliminate malnutrition among girls in the age group of 14 to 18. (b) PURNA' stands for Prevention of Under Nutrition and Reduction of Nutritional Anaemia among Adolescent Girls. The government has allocated Rs 270 crore to control malnutrition among those girls who he said would become mothers in future. Odisha hikes incentives for inter-caste marriage The Odisha government has increased, from the present Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh, the incentive to encourage inter- caste marriage among the Hindu community. The hiked incentives would be implemented with retrospective effect from September 14, 2017 and be given in a marriage between upper caste Hindus and SC Hindus. The amount would be given irrespective of the economic status of the marrying couple. UNESCO to set up ‘gaming digital learning hub’ in AP United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) entered in an agreement with Andhra Pradesh Government to set up a „Design University‟ for gaming in Visakhapatnam. The agreement was signed between UNESCO and Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB) for establishing a „Gaming Digital Learning Hub‟. Law Commission Recommends Regulating Betting (a) The Law Commission of India (LCI) in its recent report named, „Legal Framework: Gambling and Sports Betting including Cricket in India‟, recommended that gambling and betting on sports be allowed as regulated activities. (b) It recommended number of changes in law for regulating betting for making it taxable under direct and indirect tax regimes and used as source for attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). (c) The commission is led by former Supreme Court Justice BS Chauhan. (d) Parliament may also enact model law for regulating gambling that may be adopted by states or Parliament also may legislate in exercise of its powers under Articles 249 or 252 of the Constitution. (e) The Law Commission of India (LCI) is a non-statutory and non-constitutional body constituted by the Union Govt from time to time. INTERNATIONAL Mark Zuckerberg becomes third-richest in the world with net worth of $81.6 billion (a) Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg overtook American businessman Warren Buffett to become the world‟s third-richest person. (b) The 34-year-old Zuckerberg is now worth about $81.6 billion, and trails only Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Microsoft‟s Bill Gates. (c) Bezos is worth $142 billion, while Gates‟ worth is $94.2 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.It is a daily ranking of the world‟s richest people, and the figures are updated at the end of each day‟s trade in New York. (d) Buffett, the chairman of multinational conglomerate holding company Berkshire Hathaway, is in fourth place with a net worth of $81.2 billion. UN approves US $6.69 billion dollar budget (a) The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) approved US $6.69 billion dollar budget for 13 peacekeeping operations for year 2018-19.