11. Which State recently joined the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) of the Union Government? a) Arunachal Pradesh b) Puducherry c) Karnataka d) Odisha
. Name the five companies that recently joined hands to announce a historic partnership on artificial intelligence and machine learning? a) Facebook, Amazon, Google, IBM and Microsoft b) eBay, Google, Twitter, Microsoft and Instagram c) Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Snapchat and Flipkart d) Alibaba, Amazon, Facebook, eBay and Google
Is there any audio news app ? KIndly suggest
Hello readers,Here are today's important headlines with key details for UPSC, SSC, IBPS and other competitive examinations.
Government launches e-pashu haat to facilitate farmers
- The Union Agriculture & Farmers Welfare launched the e-pashu haat portal to connect farmers and breeders of bovine animals. The portal will act as a single online e-trading market platform, including availability of bovine germplasm. It will enable the farmers to buy bovine animals, frozen semen and embryo.
Highlights
- e-pashuhaat portal will connect farmers with breeders- State, Central, Co-operative, Milk Federations, and private agencies. It will provide information related to certification of the animal, breeding, its picture, volume of milk given by the cow etc. It will facilitate farmers to purchase advanced breed of bovine animals at a reasonable price as per as their requirements.
- It will provide, certified picture of animals, its parents information, breeding, volume of milk given by bovine animal information. Besides this, it will provide information related to animal fodder varieties, its volume and price. It will have real time authentic certified information on availability of germplasm. Significance Earlier there was no single authentic organised market for animals. Information like pet cattle, trading of bovine animals was not available in any other forum or platform in the country.
- This portal is likely to help fill in the vacuum. Since dairying activity is a major supplementary source of income for farmers. The portal will play important role in increasing income of framers from animal rearing for achieving the goal of doubling farmers’ income by 2022.
- It establishes links between ‘farmer to farmer’ and ‘farmer to institutes’. Thus, it minimises the involvement of middlemen. It will create a comparative Farm Network that will facilitate farmers to exchange local knowledge and resources.
- India has the largest bovine population in the world. It accounts for 14% of the world cattle population, while share for buffalo alone is 53% of which 79% of the cattle are indigenous and 21% are crossbred and exotic varieties.
Culture ministry releases coins to mark 500th anniversary of Hindu saint
- The Union culture ministry has released a commemorative non-circulation Rs 500 and a Rs 10 coin circulation coin as part of the yearlong celebrations marking the 500th anniversary of Hindu saint and social reformer Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’svisit to Vrindavan.
About Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
- Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is a famous Hindi Saint and social reformer and also a distinguished promoter for the Vaishnava School of Bhakti Yoga.
- The Bhakti movement initiated by him strove to eradicate the evils of caste and feudal systems of medieval India. Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu propagated the worship of Shri Krishna and popularised the chanting of “Hare Krishna Mantra” to all without any discrimination.
- In the year 1515, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu visited Vrindavan, with the objective of locating the lost holy places associated with Lord Krishna’s transcendent pastimes.
Pink invited for special screening at UN HQ
- Pink, the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Bollywood film, has been invited by the Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations for a special screening at its headquarters in New York, USA.
- Directed by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury and written by Ritesh Shah, the film- a modern Indian courtroom drama- highlights the issue of gender violence. It is by far being considered as one of the best works by the all-time Bollywood superstar- Amitabh Bachchan and one of the most successful releases of 2016.
- The film was very well received by audience and critics alike from all across India for its extremely realistic narrative. It was released on September 16, 2016, under the U/A category with four verbal cuts. It was specially screened for the Rajasthan Police, in order to train them to become more sensitive towards women’s rights and dignity.
Amitabh Kant Committee constituted to push cashless transactions
- The Union Government in the last week of November 2016 announced the formation of anew committee to accelerate the process of transforming India into a cashless economy.
- The committee will be headed by Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant. The other members of the committee are the Secretary of the Department of Financial Services, Secretary of Department Of Industrial Policy & Promotion and Secretary of Department of Investment and Public Asset Management, Secretaries of the IT and Rural Development Ministries, Managing Director of the National Payments Corporation of India and the Chairman of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
Tasks of the committee
- The committee will identify and operationalise in the earliest possible time frame user-friendly digital payment options in all sectors of the economy.
- It will engage regularly with Union ministries, regulators, state governments, district administration, local bodies, trade and industry associations to promote adoption of digital payment systems.
- It will attempt to establish and monitor an implementation framework with strict timelines. This will be done to ensure that nearly 80% of the transactions in India moves to the digital-only platform.
- The committee will execute an action plan on advocacy, awareness and handholding efforts among public, micro enterprises and other stakeholders.
- It will also attempt to estimate costs involved in various digital payments options and supervise implementation of measures to make such transactions between the government and citizens cheaper than cash transactions.
- During the first meeting of the committee on 24 November 2016, it was decided to involve Common Service Centres to help train merchants to use digital payment methods.
Aditi Ashok bags inaugural Qatar Ladies Open
- Indian golfer Aditi Ashok won the inaugural Qatar Ladies Open on November 26, 2016, in Doha. With this, she recorded her second straight victory on the Ladies European Tour.
- Ashok shot a final round of three-under 69 to card a total of 15-under. She finished three strokes ahead of Lydia Hall and Caroline Hedwall.
Hello readers,Here are today's important headlines with key details for UPSC, SSC, IBPS and other competitive examinations.
Akodara in Gujarat becomes India’s first Digital Village
- Akodara village in Sabarkantha district of Gujarat has recently earned the title of becoming the first digital village in India. The village, which sustains a total population of 1191 people, uses various cashless systems for payments of goods and services. All transactions in the village are carried out through digital modes like net-banking, SMS or debit cards.
Highlights
- Akodara was adopted and developed by the ICICI Foundation as a digitised village with a rural branch of the bank. In the village, most transactions between Rs. 10 and Rs. 5000 are done via SMS. The payment goes directly into the shopkeeper’s bank account as the buyer and seller are both connected through their accounts in the same bank.
- Akodara is one of the few villages to have its own website: http://akodara-digitalvillage.in.
- Its wi-fi with high speed broadband connectivity has some 50 subscribers across 200-odd households.
- The wi-fi facility also enables farmers to access the latest price of agricultural commodities on NCDEX, with the bank acting as a hub for business activity. The ICICI Bank has developed a dedicated and customised SMS banking platform and software for the village to enable users to do basic banking transactions in English and Gujarati.
- The bank has also developed a micro-ATM-based solution to facilitate the local mandi commission agents to make payments to farmers for their produce.
Goa to become India’s first Cashless state
- Amidst the confusion created by demonetization, the Indian state of Goa prepares itself to become the first state to operate cashless in the country from 31 December 2016.
Highlights
- All vendors would be given Mobile Money Identifier (MMI) codes when they register at the bank. Customers would be able to make the transaction by dialing *99# and following the instructions that appear on the screen. The information to be filled by them would include their bank account details, the total amount that is to be transferred along with the MMI code of the vendor.
- The mobile required to make the payment wouldn’t have to be a Smartphone. There will be no minimum limit on the cashless transfer of money and these transactions will also be immune from any sort of fees.
- This way the money will directly be debited from the sender’s account and credited to the receiver’s account. It will take away the hassle of installing swiping machines, especially in the case of small retailers and vendors.
- A drive to educate people on the working of the same system has already been initiated in Mapusa and Panaji.
Here is a list of last few articles on Current Affairs and the Monthly Bullet on Current Affairs for SSC
Monthly Bullet Pdf for November2016
October 2016 month current affairs he kisicke pas? Please send me.
Pls do post the tricks to study national parks, dam and power projects
Pls post the topics to be covered in static gk...
‘Vittiya Saksharata Abhiyan’ launched by MHRD
‘Vittiya Saksharata Abhiyan’ launched by MHRD
‘Vittiya Saksharata Abhiyan’ launched by MHRDC
‘Vittiya Saksharata Abhiyan’ launched by MHRDaksharata Abhiyan’ launched by MHRD
- The Abhiyan aims at making people aware about the cashless economic system.
- MHRD has also launched a webpage for the same where people can provide their feedback and suggestions on the initiative as well as upload the progress of their work.
I
World AIDS Day celebrated on December 1
- 1 December 2016 is observed as World AIDS Day.
- The theme this year is Hands up for HIVprevention. The campaign HIVprevention explores different aspects of HIV prevention and how they relate to specific groups of people, such as adolescent girls and young women, key populations and people living with HIV.
S
Magnus Carlsen wins World Chess Championship 2016
- Magnus Carlsen won the 2016 World Chess Championship on 30 November 2016 in New York City, USA. Carlsen defeated Sergey Karjakin to retain the World Chess Champion title.
- It’s the third time that Carlsen has won the championship. He has reigned as world champion since 2013.
Australia's Great Barrier Reef suffers worst coral die-off on record The Australians scientists on November 29, 2016, announced that the Great Barrier Reef suffered from its worst coral die-off ever recorded. The scientists stated that warm seas around the Great Barrier Reef have killed two-thirds of a 700 kilometers stretch of coral in the past nine months.The northern region of the reef had escaped with minor damage in earlier bleaching events in 1998 and 2002. How did it get damaged? Bleaching of the 2300-kilometre long reef was one of the foremost reasons of the damage. Bleaching occurs when abnormal environmental conditions, such as warmer sea temperatures, cause corals to expel tiny photosynthetic algae, which in turn drain them of their colour.The coral uses the organic products of photosynthesis to help it grow. Therefore, algae are vital for them. The loss of algae makes the host vulnerable to disease, which will eventually make them die. However, coral can recover if the water temperature drops and the algae are able to recolonise them. About Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system. It is composed of over 2900 individual reefs and 900 islands. The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia. The reef is so vast that it can be seen from outer space.It is also the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms. This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. Here is a list of last few articles on Current Affairs and the Monthly Bullet on Current Affairs for SSC, Banking, UPSC and other competitive exams Monthly Bullet Pdf for November2016
Date - International day 2 End Impunity for Crime against Journalist ?
Date - Global Media & Information Literacy week ?
"World Mental Health day" celebrated on ( ? )
International day off Rural Women celebrated on ( ? )
Date - World development Information day celebrated onn = ( ? )
Date - World day for Audiovisual Heritage celebrated onn ( ? )
Date - World Sight day celebrated onn ( ? )
Date - International day for Preventing Exploitation off Environment in war & Armed Conflict ?
Current Affairs for December 5
Supreme Court approves action plan to counter air pollution in New Delhi
- The Supreme Court on December 3, 2016, approved the Graded Response Action Plan of the Union Government to deal with different levels of pollution in Delhi-NCR region.
- The court also directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to upgrade its existing infrastructure and set up additional monitoring stations in Delhi-NCR within six months.
Highlights:
- It will be implemented under the aegis of Environment Pollution (Control and Prevention) Authority (EPCA). It recommends closing of brick kilns, hot mix plants, intensifying public transport services and stone crushers.It also suggests increase in frequency of mechanised cleaning of road and sprinkling of water on roads to tackle problem of pollution.
- It proposes common pollution code for Delhi-NCR to provide graded response to the health emergencies that are caused by toxic air. The code classifies the pollutants present in the air into four categories- moderate to poor, very poor, severe, very Severe or emergency depending upon the level of pollutants in air.
- The pollution level will be termed as 'severe' when the particulate matter is above 250 to 430 micrograms per cubic metre in the ambient air. If the air pollution level reaches the alarming situation, immediate steps will be taken like ban on construction activities and implementation of road space rationing schemes.
- The proposed new thermal power plant standards must come into force as soon as possible to reduce pollution load significantly by installing the pollution control devices without any further delay.
India to launch 83 satellites in one go in January 2016
- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch 83 satellites into space in one go, aboard a single rocket in January 2017.
- Among the 83 satellites, 3 belong to India while the other 80, weighing 500 kg belong to five foreign nations including Israel, Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Switzerland and the United States of America.
- The launch of these foreign satellites by India is a part of a commercial agreement signed between these countries and Antric Corporation Ltd, which is the commercial arm and Public sector undertaking of ISRO.
- The three Indian satellites that are going to be launched include: Cartosat – 2 series, INS-IA, INS-1B
International
Heart of Asia Conference held in Amritsar The 6th Ministerial Conference of the Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process (HoA-IP) concluded on December 4, 2016, after adopting the Amritsar Declaration. The declaration recognised terrorism as the biggest threat to peace and demands an immediate end to all forms of terrorism. Participating nations, for the first time, expressed concerns about the high-level of violence in Afghanistan caused by Taliban and other terror groups including Islamic State and its affiliates Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Haqqani Network, Al Qaida, TTP, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Jundullah and others. Highlights:
- Declaration recognised the necessity of taking serious measures to address recruitment of youth to extremist and terrorist networks.
- It calls for immediate end to all forms of terrorism including support to it in any form including financing or tactical and logistical support to it.
- The document called all states to act against terrorist entities in accordance with their respective national counter-terrorism policies, their international obligations and the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy 2006.
- It called for early finalisation of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) with consensus.
- It says that radicalisation of disaffected elements of the population, especially youth, can only be prevented by effective de-radicalisation and counter-radicalisation strategies involving all the Heart of Asia countries.
Menace of Drug
- Participating nations displayed their concern on the increase of production and cultivation of opium in Afghanistan and drug trafficking.
- The declaration calls for efforts that help in eradicating the drug menace that poses a threat to the socio-economic development, security and stability of Afghanistan and the Heart of Asia region.
Connectivity and economic cooperation
- The declaration acknowledges the crucial role of Afghanistan as a natural land bridge, which helps in promoting regional connectivity and economic integration in the region.
- It stresses that connectivity and economic development will contribute to achieving peace and stability in the region including Afghanistan.
- It will help in enhancing regional economic integration.
- The declaration welcomes the practical implementation of TAPI and completion of the first stage of the Asian International Railway Corridor between Imamnazar, Turkmenistan, and Aqina, Afghanistan -- the initial stages of TAT linking Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan.
- It also encourages implementation of the multinational energy and connectivity projects of TUTAP, CASA-1000, the five-nation railways, Chabahar agreement, TAT linking Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan by rail. It would play a central role in strengthening regional cooperation between Central Asia and South Asia and further forge economic connectivity and growth in the region.
- IT also welcomes the MoU on Jointly Building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road between the China and Afghanistan. All these will lay the foundations for a successful Seventh Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) planned for November 2017 in Ashgabat.
Sports
Usain Bolt and Almaz Ayana win IAAF World Athlete of the Year Award
- Nine-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt on 2 December 2016 won the IAAF male Athlete of the Year award. He won the award for the record sixth time.
- Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana won the IAAF women Athlete of the Year award. Ayana broke the 10000m world record by over 14 seconds in winning Olympic gold in Rio in 2016.
- Other Awards:
- Male Rising Star: Canada’s Andre De Grasse (200m, 100m and 4 x 100m relay)
- Female Rising Star: Belgium’s Nafissatou Thiam (Heptathlon)
- Women in Athletics: Greece’s Polyxeni Argeitaki
- Coaching Achievement: USA’s Harry Marra (decathlete coach)
- President’s Award: Tegla Loroupe, Kenya (Marathon runner)
Hello People,
Here is the Current Affairs/General Awareness Monthly Bullet (Pdf) for December 2016 - https://www.pagalguy.com/news/december-2016-general-awareness-monthly-bullet-for-competitive-exams-6427964608610304