Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Starred Articles

USTAAD Scheme for Traditional Artisans launched by Union Ministry of Minority Affairs
Politics and government > USTAAD Scheme > May 15
USTAAD (Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development) Scheme was launched by the Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on 14 May 2015. The scheme is launched with an objective to improve the poor conditions of the traditional artisans and craftsmen. It also aims to provide employment opportunities and a better future to the youths belonging to the minority community.

Electronic tourist visas extended to Chinese nations: PM Modi
India > Chinese e-visas > May 15
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced sanction of e-visas to Chinese tourists at an event in Beijing. The decision to grant e-visas was left to Modi ahead of his China visit and hours before this declaration, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar had said "no decision has been taken yet". India this year has announced 'Visit India Year' in China to attract more tourists in order to boost tourism revenues. The announcement came in spite of strong oppositions from the Home Ministry and security agencies over security concerns of its misuse.

Union Home Ministry decides to implement NERS for women
India > Nationwide Emergency Response System > May 16
The Union Home Ministry has invited proposals from IT service providers in order to implement NERS (Nationwide Emergency Response System) to rescue women in distress. The Police Response Systems in current existence are restricted to a particular city. The NERS will have at least one Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) in each state, from where the location of the caller as well as an evaluation of the emergency situation will be used to dispatch Police Personnel to the site. NERS was originally the inspiration of the UPA Govt following the Nirbhaya case in 2012. It is hoped that the NERS will help the issue of women's safety in India.

India to assume presidency of World Health Assembly in Geneva after 19 years
India > World Health Assembly > May 16
The top decision-making body of the World Health Organisation, World Health Assembly (WHA), is set to have an Indian president after a gap of 19 years. Union Health Minister J P Nadda will preside over the WHA session to be held in Geneva, Switzerland. The Union health minister is expected to hold separate bilateral meetings with a host of countries including China, the Netherlands, the US, the UK, Russia, South Africa, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Brazil and others.

Others

New series of currency notes to be released by RBI
India > Corporate > May 14
With a view to improve security features of the currency bills, RBI is gearing up to release new series of currency notes with new security features. Speaking about the recent reports of counterfeit notes that were being circulated, the RBI said that the paper, the ink and the security threads have not been breached. The new series of currency notes are part of RBI’s constant endeavor to further strengthen security.

India honoured for contribution to UN peacekeeping
India > UN Peacekeeping > May 14
India was honoured for its contribution to the UN peacekeeping operations for the past six decades at the event organized by Better World Campaign, The UN Association of the USA and the US-India Business Council. India is among the countries with largest deployment of troops with ten UN Peacekeeping Missions, including the first Female Formed Police Unit under the UN. India's Ambassador to the US, Arun K Singh, received the award on the eve of International Day of UN Peacekeepers.

Hyderabad may become first Indian city to be covered by Google Street View
Science and Technology > Google Street View > May 14
Following a request made by Telangana government, Google has agreed to make Telangana the first state which will get Google Street View. Street View lets one explore places around the world through 360-degree, panoramic and street-level imagery. Until now, applications of Google Street View have been limited to tourist sites like Taj Mahal and Qutub Minar in India. Currently, Google is in talks with the union home ministry to get their permissions for conducting the Street View exercise at a city wide level.

ASSOCHAM organizes 6th National Conference on Nuclear Energy in New Delhi
India > Nuclear Energy > May 15
The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) organized the 6th National Conference on Nuclear Energy in New Delhi with the theme 'Nuclear Energy: A Clean Energy Option' on 15 May 2015. 2015 is also the Diamond Jubilee year of BARC (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre), making this conference a special event. The conference discussed many issues related to the status of Nuclear Energy in India. At the moment, it looks like India will double its nuclear power generation capacity to more than 10,000 megawatts (MW) by 2020. This will be instrumental in decreasing India's reliance on fossil fuels for energy generation.

Kayakalp Award Scheme launched by Union Government
Awards > Kayakalp Award Scheme > May 15
The Kayakalp Award Scheme has been launched by The Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda on 15 May 2015, in order to motivate Public Health Facilities (PHFs) in the country to maintain hygiene. The award scheme aims to:
  • Recognize PHFs showing exemplary adherence to standard protocols of cleanliness and infection control,
  • Install systems and procedures for bio-waste disposal,
  • Impart a system of continuing assessment and peer review of performance with regards to sanitation,
  • Develop sustainable practices for improving hygiene in PHFs.
Under this scheme, five awards will be given in all; two to District Hospitals, two to Community Health Centres, and one to a Primary Health Centre. Cash awards along with a citation will be received by award winners.

Gagan Narang wins bronze at Shooting World Cup
Sports > Shooting > May 15
Gangan Narang of India won the bronze medal in the 50m Rifle Prone Event of the ISSF World Cup at Fort Benning in USA. With this win, Narang was assured a quota place for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Narang is the third Indian shooter to make it to the Rio Olympics after Jitu Rai and Apurvi Chandela.

ICICI bank's first Chinese branch inaugurated by PM Modi in Shanghai
Banking and Insurance > ICICI Bank > May 16
India's top private sector lender ICICI bank opened its first branch in China in order to support India and China's cross-border businesses. The new branch seeking stronger relations with China was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi with expectations of heightened amount of bilateral activity taking place between the two countries in the near future. The new branch would begin with 17 banking professionals handling different functions including corporate banking, operations, finance and treasury.

South Korea-India sign agreements on defence and trade cooperation, India to get $10bn for infrastructure development
India > Foreign Relations > May 18
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited South Korea, the final destination of his 3-nation tour. South Korea decided to provide $10 billion to India for infrastructure, development of smart cities, railways, power generation and other diversified areas. PM Modi and the South Korean President also held talks on a wide range of issues to develop and expedite defence, trade and investment, and regional cooperation. The two sides signed seven agreements and Memorandum of Understanding including one on Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to taxes on income. The two countries also agreed to expand cooperation between the two armed forces and further strengthen regular consultations between the National Security Council structures of the two countries.

HDFC Bank launches co-branded medical card with Apollo Hospitals
Banking and Insurance > HDFC-Apollo Medical Card > May 18
India’s second largest private sector lender HDFC Bank has launched a co-branded medical benefits card with Apollo Hospitals which allows corporates to pay out medical allowances to their employees and has insurance cover for accidents. Companies can load the desired allowance onto the card each month and employees can avail of the allowance at Visa/MasterCard outlets.

Golfer Rory McIlroy registers record win in US PGA Tour Wells Fargo Championship
Sports > Golf > May 18
World no 1 golfer Rory McIlroy proved his position as the world’s best golfer with a record win in the US PGA Tour Wells Fargo Championship. The 26-year-old from Northern Ireland broke the previous 72-hole tournament record set by Anthony Kim in 2008 by five strokes. He became the first two-time winner of the event. He had previously won it in 2010 which was the first of his 11 US PGA Tour titles.

Barcelona FC wins 5th La Liga title
Sports > Football > May 18
Spanish football club Barcelona FC won the La Liga title defeating Atletico Madrid 1-0 at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid. This is Barcelona’s fifth La Liga title in seven years and their 23rd overall. Barcelona’s forward Argentine Lionel Messi shone as he scored the only goal to take his team to victory.

Djokovic and Sharapova win men’s singles and women’s singles titles in Italian Open
Sports > Tennis > May 18
Novak Djokovic, current world no. 1, clinched his fifth title of the season with a major victory over World no. 2-ranked Roger Federer at Rome. This is the fourth time that Djokovic has won the Italian Open. He has managed to move ahead of Federer with his 24th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown. Not only has he won four of the five ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments in 2015, but he is also on a 22-match winning streak.
Meanwhile, Russia's Maria Sharapova secured her third Italian Open crown with a creditable win over Spain's Carla Suarez. This is Sharapova's second title of the year after her Brisbane win, and she openly admits that she is slowly returning to her winning form.

Arun Kumar Singh replaces S Jaishankar as India's ambassador in US
India > Foreign Relations > May 19
Following S Jaishankar's elevation to foreign secretary earlier this year, Arun Kumar Singh assumed his new assignment as India's envoy to the US on April 30. Singh was the first of the seven new ambassadors to present his credentials at a traditional ceremony marking the formal beginning of service in Washington. Singh said that he planned to work towards making the India-US partnership global, strategic and transformative. He was warmly welcomed back to Washington by US President Barack Obama, who wished him success in his new responsibilities.
Singh had joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1979. He has previously been India's ambassador to France and Israel, as well as served in missions at Washington and Moscow. Singh has served as joint secretary dealing with the UN policy, as well as with the Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran divisions at the external affairs ministry. He has also served at India's Permanent Mission to the UN in New York.


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