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Category: All Current Affairs

Chennai-Andaman and Nicobar Islands submarine cable work begins

January 10, 2020

Union Minister for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad inaugurated the submarine cable works on laying between Chennai – Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The submarine cables will be initially laid from Chennai to Port Blair covering a distance of 1,450 kilometres. He also flagged off the ship to lay the cable at Chennai Port. At the initial stage of commissioning of the project itself, the islands can get a data speed of 400-gigabytes per second.

R P Ulaganambi, former Vellore MP passes away

January 9, 2020

Former Lok Sabha member from Vellore, R.P. Ulaganambi, passes away due to age related illness. He was 82. He was elected from Vellore for the DMK and served as an MP in the 5th Lok Sabha during 1971-76.

Virat Kohli retains top spot in ICC Test rankings

January 9, 2020

India skipper Virat Kohli retained his top spot among batsmen while Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane slipped in the latest ICC Test rankings. With 928 points, Kohli is way ahead of second-placed Australian maestro Steve Smith (911). Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne grabbed a career-best third place.

Pujara was placed sixth, down one rung, with 791 points, while Rahane occupied the ninth spot after slipping a couple of positions with 759 points. In bowling, India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, returning from an injury layoff, remained static at sixth position with 794 points, while spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (772 points) and seamer Mohammed Shami (771) were ninth and 10th respectively.

New Delhi will host ITTF executive committee meeting

January 9, 2020

New Delhi will host the two-day Executive Committee meeting of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) beginning January 10th. This will be the second time the country will be hosting such a meeting. The EC meeting, to be chaired by ITTF President Thomas Weikert, will discuss the development of table tennis in India, among other issues.

The previous EC meeting of the ITTF was held in New Delhi way back in 1987 when Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) played host to the World Championships in Delhi. TTFI has evinced interest in hosting the 2024 World Championships (team events), besides seeking to organise a Platinum Championships in 2021. The bid for hosting the Worlds is yet to open.

India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier ‘Vikrant’ to be commissioned by 2021

January 9, 2020

The manufacturing of the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant is currently under phase three which involves setting to work of machinery and other equipment and it is likely to be commissioned by early 2021. This carrier is being built at the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in Kochi.

Currently, phase three of the construction of Vikrant is under progress, which involves setting to work of machinery and equipment, like power generation and propulsion machinery. The third phase of construction will go on till acceptance of harbour and sea trials.

Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh on December 3 had stated that Vikrant will be fully operational by 2022 and it will have a fleet of MiG-29K. The first indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant complemented with MiG-29K aircraft will be showcased as part of the Navy’s tableau during the ceremonial parade on Rajpath on the Republic Day.

Malappuram tops Economist list of world’s fastest growing urban regions

January 9, 2020

Three Kerala cities – Malappuram, Kozhikode and Kollam are among the top-10 fastest growing urban regions, in terms of population, in the world, according to the latest rankings by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). Malappuram ranked number 1, while Kozhikode has been ranked number 4, Kollam is in the 10th position. No other Indian city has figured in the top 10 list.

One city from Vietnam (Can Tho), three from China (Suqian, Suzhou and Putian), one from Nigeria (Abuja), one from UAE (Sharjah), and one from Oman (Muscat) find their place in the list. The other Indian cities to figure in the list are Surat (27) and Thiruppur (30). The list has been compiled on the basis of the data provided by the United Nation’s Population Division.

Spain: Pedro Sánchez sworn in as Prime Minister

January 9, 2020

Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) leader Pedro Sánchez was sworn in as Spain’s Prime Minister a day after his proposed coalition with a left-wing party narrowly slipped through a vote in Parliament. Sánchez decided to forgo religious symbolism and took oath over the Constitution on the presence of King Felipe VI, the head of state. It is the second time in less than two years that the socialist leader has been sworn-in as prime minister.

Andhra Pradesh CM set to launch ‘Jagananna Amma Vodi’ scheme

January 9, 2020

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will launch ‘Jagananna Amma Vodi’ programme in Chittoor. Under Jagananna Amma Vodi scheme, financial assistance of Rs 15,000 will be given to nearly 43 lakh mothers or guardians to send their children to school. With the announcement of the scheme, student enrolment surged by 30 per cent in the current academic year.

The government in the fiscal year 2019-20 has allocated Rs 6455.80 crore budget for the scheme, in which financial assistance of Rs 15,000 will be provided to the mother or guardian who is below the poverty line, irrespective of the number of children in that family studying in between class 1 and 12.

The scheme is applicable from the academic year 2019-20 in all the government, private aided, private unaided schools/junior colleges. It will also include residential schools and colleges in the state. The scheme is not applicable to dropouts from school or colleges. Government employees and income taxpayers are also not eligible for the scheme.

All-in-one QR for merchants launched by Paytm

January 9, 2020

Digital payments firm Paytm announced the launch of its all-in-one QR for merchants across the country. This QR will enable merchants to accept unlimited payments through Paytm Wallet, Rupay Cards and all UPI-based payment apps directly into their bank account at zero per cent fee. The platform offers a single reconciliation of all payments through its ‘Paytm for Business’ app.

Owned by One97 Communications Limited, the mobile wallet company currently enjoys 54 per cent market share of mobile payments for merchants. The all-in-one QR is a must-have business tool as it is only payment QR that allows merchants to accept payments from Paytm wallet, all UPI apps, and cards. The new smart device for payment processing ‘soundbox‘ is one of the QR merchandise that allows the merchants to hear confirmation of payment receipt, which supports all payment modes and multiple languages.

IP based Video Surveillance System being installed by Indian Railways

January 9, 2020

Railway Board has approved works for provision of Video Surveillance System covering 983 stations under Nirbhaya funds. ‘RailTel’ has been entrusted with the work of providing IP based VSS with video analytics and facial recognition system

In order to enhance security at Railway stations which are major hubs of transportation, Indian Railways is in the process of installing Internet Protocol (IP) based Video Surveillance System (VSS) at stations, that is, waiting halls, reservation counters, parking areas, main entrance/ exit, platforms, foot over bridges, booking offices etc.