CURRENT AFFAIRS – SEPTEMBER 10, 2017

NATIONAL

Link Mobile SIM Cards to Aadhaar by February 2018:

The government is moving ahead with linking Aadhaar with mobile SIM cards and all unlinked phones will be deactivated after February 2018.The sources said Aadhaar mobile linkage was being done as per orders of the Supreme Court passed in February this year in the Lokniti Foundation case.

All SIM cards have to be verified with Aadhaar within a year from the date of judgement, with all unlinked phones to be deactivated after February next year, so criminals, fraudsters and terrorists cannot use the issued SIMs.

Additional Information on Aadhaar:

Aadhaar is a 12 digit unique-identity number issued to all Indian residents based on their biometric and demographic data. The data is collected by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), a statutory authority established on 12 July 2016 by the Government of India, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, under the provisions of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, benefits and services) Act, 2016.

Aadhaar is the world’s largest biometric ID system, with over 1.171 billion enrolled members as of 15 Aug 2017. As of this date, over 99% of Indians aged 18 and above had been enrolled in Aadhaar.

UIDAI functioned as an attached office of Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog) since 28 January 2009. On 3 March 2016, a money bill was introduced in the Parliament to give legislative backing to Aadhaar. On 11 March 2016, the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, benefits and services) Act, 2016 was passed in the Lok Sabha.

The UIDAI data center is located at Industrial Model Township (IMT), Manesar.

The unique ID would also qualify for as a valid ID while availing various government services, like a LPG connection or subsidised ration or kerosene from PDS or benefits under NSAP or pension schemes, e-sign, digital locker, Universal Account Number (UAN) under EPFO; and for some other services, like a SIM card or opening a bank account. According to the UIDAI website, any Aadhaar holder or service provider can verify an Aadhaar number for its genuineness through a user-friendly service of UIDAI called Aadhaar Verification Service (AVS) available on its website.

Aadhaar project has been linked to some public subsidy and unemployment benefit schemes like the domestic LPG scheme and MGNREGS. In these Direct Benefit Transfer schemes, the subsidy money is directly transferred to a bank account which is Aadhaar-linked.

  • Ministry: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, India
  • Founder: Nandan Nilekani
  • CEO, UIDAI: Ajay Bhushan Pandey
  • Launched: 28 January 2009

 


India’s First Online Transgender Channel Launched:

          The Hyderabad-based transwoman activist, who holds two post-graduate degrees, did not despair. Instead, she decided to launch the first YouTube channel Transvision in India conceptualised and actualised by transgender individuals.

The channel, according to its makers, will provide accurate and scientific socio-cultural, religious, economic and political information relevant to them. Trans-vision will produce its web series in three languages — Telugu, Kannada and Dakhni, an Urdu dialect spoken in certain parts of the Deccan Plateau, including Hyderabad.

Telangana

  • Capital: Hyderabad
  • Chief Minister: Chandrasekhar rao
  • Governor: S. L. Narasimhan

INTERNATIONAL

China, Pakistan to boost anti-terror cooperation along CPEC:

          China and Pakistan have agreed to strengthen anti-terrorism and security cooperation along a USD 50 billion economic corridor that links the restive regions of the two countries through a network of rail and road projects. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) connects Xinjiang province in northwest China with the deep-water Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea in south western Pakistan.

Additional information on CPEC:

China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a collection of infrastructure projects that are currently under construction throughout Pakistan. Originally valued at $46 billion, the value of CPEC projects is now worth $62 billion. CPEC is intended to rapidly modernize Pakistani infrastructure and strengthen its economy by the construction of modern transportation networks, numerous energy projects, and special economic zones. On 13 November 2016, CPEC became partly operational when Chinese cargo was transported overland to Gwadar Port for onward maritime shipment to Africa and West Asia.

The CPEC, a part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road (B&R) initiative, runs through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and India has raised objection to the project. The security cooperation agreement was reached when Meng Jianzhu, head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Communist Party Central Committee, met visiting Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif and Pakistani National Security Adviser Nasser Khan Janjua in Beijing.

China

  • Currency: Renminbi
  • Capital: Beijing
  • Prime minister: Li Keqiang
  • President: Xi Jinping

 

APPOINTMENTS

World Cup star Harmanpreet Kaur gets promotion in Railway job:

Cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur, who hit a stunning 171 not out in the recent women’s cricket World Cup propelling India into the finals, has been promoted as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Western Railway.

Kaur was serving as the chief office superintendent of the Western Railway (WR) in Mumbai since May 2014 and has now been promoted as OSD-Sports.

In recognition of her outstanding performance in the recently concluded ICC Women’s World Cup, the railway ministry has granted Kaur an out-of-turn promotion in gazetted rank group-B as Officer on Special Duty (OSD)-Sports in the Western Railway.


Nataraj elected SIMA Chairman:

          P Nataraj, Managing Director of KPR Mills Ltd, was unanimously elected as Chairman of Southern India Mill’s Association (SIMA) for the year 2017-18.

Vinayakam, Managing Director of SCM Textile Spinners, Avinashi and Managing Director of The Chennai Silks was elected Deputy Chairman of the association for the one year period at the 58th Annual General Meeting of SIMA.


SPORTS

India to host Junior Asian Wrestling Championship in 2018:

The United World Wrestling (UWW) allotted next year’s Junior Asian Wrestling Championship to the capital city of our country, to held from July 19 to 22.

Venue

  • 2017 Junior Asian Championships: China
  • 2016 Asian Wrestling Championships: Thailand

 Pardeep wins gold, qualifies for CWG:

          Pardeep Singh qualified for next year’s Commonwealth Games with a gold medal, even as 34 new records were created by the Indians in the last five days of the Commonwealth youth, junior & senior weightlifting championships at Gold Coast, Australia.

India bagged two gold,one silver and two bronze to wrap up its successful campaign in style.

Venue

  • Commonwealth Games 2018: Gold Coast, Australia
  • Commonwealth Games 2014: Glasgow, Scotland
  • Commonwealth Games 2010: New Delhi

Aishwarya clinches title with a round to spare:

Bengaluru’s 21-year old Aishwarya Pissay (Apex Racing Academy) clinched the title in the girls’ category with a round to spare in the MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National motorcycle racing championship at the MMRT track.


Indian women finish second:

          Anshu won India’s second gold as the women’s wrestling team finished second behind Japan in the Cadet World Championship. The 2-0 win against Japan’s Naomi Ruike in the 60kg final saw India finish with two gold and five bronze medals (total 69 points) on the final day of women’s competition.

This is India’s best-ever finish in the competition.

Venue

  • Cadet World Championship 2017: Bruinisse, Netherlands
  • Cadet World Championship 2016 :San Isidro Buenos Aires, Argentina

CURRENT AFFAIRS – SEPTEMBER 8, 2017

Current Affairs – September 7, 2017