25th March 2017, Important Daily Current Affairs

Important Current affairs dated 25th March 2017 for Competitive Exams in India.
Hello Readers, We bring you another issue of current affairs that covers the important news in Current Affairs Today Section.
Current Affairs help in your preparing yourself for the various Competitive Exams in India. UPSCSuccess.com wishes all the readers best of luck. These Current Affairs coverage will help you to Score Good Marks in Competitive Exams such as UPSC, and other PSCs.

Indian Affairs

Bihar launches free WiFi for students

• The Bihar government on Wednesday launched an ambitious programme to provide free WiFi facilities in colleges and universities.
• Chief Minister Nitish Kumar formally launched free WiFi facilities for students on the occasion of Bihar Divas celebrations here.
• Wi-Fi facility in college and university campuses was part of the seven decisions of the Grand Alliance government in Bihar to promote governance.
• The objective is to provide free Wi-Fi facility to help youths to move ahead in life and to become digital smart.

Andhra Pradesh tops in Aadhaar seeding of Jan Dhan accounts

• Post demonetisation of specified bank notes on November 8, 2016, more accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) have been seeded with Aadhaar numbers.
• Of the 25.51 crore PMJDY accounts on November 9, around 53.65 per cent were seeded with Aadhaar numbers. Four months hence, the number of PMJDY accounts has gone up to 28.01 crore, and the share of Aadhaar-seeded accounts has risen to 63.61 per cent.
• As on March 15, Andhra Pradesh had linked 87.73 per cent of its Jan-Dhan accounts with Aadhaar numbers. This was followed by Tripura at 87.08 per cent and Telangana 83.56 per cent.
• The share of Aadhaar-seeded accounts remained above 53 per cent in States with more than one crore PMJDY accounts. Maharashtra had linked 80 per cent of its 1.86 crore PMJDY accounts with Aadhaar numbers by March 15. Odisha was able to seed 53.90 per cent of its 1.11 crore accounts.
• The seeding remained below the 10 per cent range in Assam (1.3 per cent) and Meghalaya (2.08 per cent). Of the 1.1 crore PMJDY accounts in Assam, around 1.49 lakh were seeded by March 15.
• Aadhaar seeding remained below 50 per cent in Arunachal Pradesh (34.12 per cent), Jammu and Kashmir (25.16 per cent), Manipur (47.38 per cent) and Nagaland (40.94 per cent).
• Uttar Pradesh, which saw the number of PMJDY accounts grow from 3.76 crore (as on November 9) to 4.35 crore (by March 15), also saw the seeding of the accounts rise from 43.20 per cent to 57.50 per cent.

International Affairs

Make in India Conference Held in Houston

• The two-day Houston India Conference was hosted by Asia Society Texas Center.
• A first-ever conference was held here bringing together various constituencies that have an interest in India and discussing the latest developments and the best practices of doing business in India.
• Texas has a vibrant Indian-American population that has contributed immensely to the understanding between our two countries across business, academia, the sciences.
• The Conference brings serious dialogue on India and Make in India to Houston.
• Conference was the brain child of the Consulate General of India in Houston.
• Houston India Conference is designed to bring together the various constituencies that have an interest in India, and discuss with them the latest developments and the best practices of doing business in India.
• The central focus of the conference is to provide a collaboration platform and share today’s India story with the audience in Texas who are interested in investing in India.

Banking and Finance

KBL Launches MoneyPlant Rupay International Platinum Debit Card

• Karnataka Bank has launched the ‘MoneyPlant RuPay International Platinum Debit Card’ to provide more privileges to its premium and HNI (high net worth individual) customers.

• The card can be used for domestic and international cash withdrawals and purchases.
• The card has a withdrawal limit of ₹75,000 and purchase limit of ₹2 lakh a day at point-of-sales terminals and e-commerce sites, and two free accesses to airport lounges per quarter across 30-plus airports in India and 300-plus airports worldwide.

Inclusion of Five Indian Cities In World Heritage Site

Five Indian cities have been included in the Tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, namely, Historic City of Ahmadabad, Delhi – A Heritage City, Jaipur City, Rajasthan, Ekamra Kshetra- The Temple City, Bhubaneswar and The Victorian & Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai.
Criteria for consideration:-

1. To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius;
2. To exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design;
3. To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared;
4. To be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history;
5. To be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change;
6. To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria);
7. To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance;
8. To be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth’s history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features;
9. To be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals;
10. To contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.

Appointments & Resigns

BSF gets first woman combat officer after 51 years

• Tanushree Pareek became the first woman combat officer to be commissioned in the 51-year history of the BSF, the country’s largest border guarding force.
• Pareek (25) also led the passing out parade of 67 trainee officers that was reviewed by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at the Border Security Force camp at Tekanpur.

• Pareek, a resident of Rajasthan’s Bikaner, is the first woman to join the force in the officer rank after she was selected in the all-India exam conducted by the UPSC in 2014.

• The Home Minister himself put the rank stars on the shoulders of Pareek during the piping ceremony.

• The force had begun induction of woman officers in 2013.

• She will now be posted to command a unit along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab.

Environment

Environment Ministry official to chair animal welfare board

• In its 55-year history, the organisation has always been chaired by somebody outside government, such as veterinarians, animal welfare activists or retired judges.
• The 22-member Board’s three-year term ended February 28 and on March 1, a new Board of 18 members, chaired by Sharad Singh Negi, Special Secretary and Director-General (Forests), MoEF, came into effect.
• The March 3 notification specifies that for the next three years, the Board would be chaired by the Director-General (Forests) for its term.
• Dr Chinny Krishna, vice-chairman of the AWBI told that This is the first time that a government official is chairing the body and shows that the Centre wants to ensure its diktats are implemented.
• Previously, it was always a stopgap arrangement during the dissolution of the Board’s tenure.
• The Board is to be headed by Sharad Singh Negi.

Science and Technology

Navy gets three naval systems from DRDO

• Three naval systems, developed by premier defence research organisation DRDO, was handed over to the navy by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley.
• The naval systems, given to Indian Navy, are USHUS-II submarine sonar, directing gear for hull-mounted sonar array, and inertial navigation system for ship applications.
• Sonars detect objects on or under the water and the latest systems are expected to significantly enhance the navy’s navigation and communication network.
• The Defence Acquisition Council cleared orders worth Rs 2.56 lakh crore to the DRDO out of which about Rs 1 lakh crore was in the last two years alone.
• Three Naval System Include

1. USHUS-II Submarine Sonar
2. Directing gear for hull-mounted sonar array
3. Inertial navigation system for ship applications

Scientist working on Developing Solar-Powered Prosthetic Limbs

According to U.K. researchers, it may be possible to use the sun’s energy to power artificial limbs.
The University of Glasgow team previously developed an “electronic skin” covering for prosthetic hands made from graphene, a transparent substance that is stronger than steel.
Graphene’s transparency allows around 98 percent of the light that strikes its surface to pass through it. This makes it ideal for gathering solar energy, the researchers explained in a university news release.
the scientists integrated photovoltaic cells into their graphene skin. Photovoltaic cells generate power when illuminated. The graphene skin requires just 20 nanowatts of power per square centimetre. That’s easily provided by even the poorest-quality photovoltaic cells currently available.
Energy generated by the graphene skin’s photovoltaic cells cannot be stored. But the scientists are investigating methods to channel unused energy into batteries, so it can be used when needed.

Indian Navy Successfully Test Fires Barak Missile from INS Vikramaditya

• In a boost to India’s maritime prowess, the navy has successfully conducted the maiden trial firing of newly installed surface-to-air Barak missile system from its aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
• During the firing carried out in the Arabian Sea, the missile was fired against a live low flying high-speed target. The target was successfully engaged and destroyed.
• The firing was conducted as part of the ‘Operational Readiness Inspection’ of the Western Fleet by Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Naval Command.
• The missile marks a significant milestone in providing air interception and defence capabilities and enhanced operational capabilities of the Navy’s aircraft carrier and the flee.

 
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