11) Memorandum of Understanding between India and Bahrain.
- The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Bahrain on cooperation for prevention of human trafficking especially trafficking in women and children; rescue, recovery, repatriation and re-integration of victims of trafficking.
- This MoU will strengthen the bonds of friendship between the two countries and increase the bilateral cooperation on the issues of prevention, rescue, recovery and repatriation related to human trafficking especially women and children expeditiously.
Features of MoU:
- Strengthen cooperation to prevent to all forms of human trafficking, especially that of women and children and ensure speedy investigation and prosecution of traffickers and organized crime syndicates in either country.
- Taking preventive measures that would eliminate human trafficking in women and children and in protecting the rights off victims of trafficking.
12) Parrikar launches Interactive Web Portal Of Kendriya Sainik Board Secretariat.
- Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar launched an interactive web portal of Kendriya Sainik Board Secretariat in New Delhi.
- This portal facilitates Ex-Servicemen and dependents to submit online applications under various welfare schemes.
- This portal developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) at a cost of 58.93 lakhs rupees. It will later contain workflow software for all the schemes of the Secretariat which will provide complete information about Kendriya Sainik Board secretariat, its welfare schemes and allied activities.
About NIC:
- The National Informatics Centre (NIC) is the premier science & technology organisation of India`s Union Government in informatics services and information-and-communication- technology (ICT) applications.
- The NIC is a part of the Indian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology`s Department of Electronics & Information Technology.
13) Suresh Prabhu Has Launched "Clean My Coach" Service.
- Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu has launched the `clean my coach` service.
- The service allows a passenger to make request for a dirty coach to be swept and cleaned by sending an SMS on mobile number 58888 or by using an app or a designated website. Prabhu had announced the scheme in the Rail Budget last month.
- The service is in keeping with the railways `cleanliness drive` Swachh Rail Swachh Bharat`, was launched through Video Conferencing from Rail Bhawan in New Delhi/Northern Railway.
- A message is also sent by the server to the mobile number of On Board House Keeping (OBHS) staff travelling on the same train along with the details of the passengers such as coach number and seat number.
14) Rajya Sabha passes long-awaited Bill to protect Homebuyers.
- The Rajya Sabha passed a landmark Real Estate Bill with a promise to secure the interests of homebuyers and developers in equal measure and remove corruption and inefficiency from the sector.
- This bill, passed with all the new recommendations that were cleared by the Union cabinet in December, will regulate both commercial and residential projects and set up state-level regulatory authorities to monitor real estate activity.
- Yet, the sector has been marked by a lack of trust and confidence between consumers and developers, which has had an adverse impact on investments in the sector.
15) Kakrapar nuclear plant shut down after coolant system develops leak.
- A power generation unit at Kakrapar Atomic Power Station in Surat was shut down after leakage of heavy water.
- Leakage in the primary heat transport system of unit one of Kakrapar atomic power station in Gujarat has forced the authorities to shut down the unit as an emergency measure. The leakage occurred but officials maintained that ``no nuclear radiation has occurred due to the leakage``.
- Consequent to a small leak in primary heat transport (PHT) system, the reactor was shut down as intended as per design provisions. All safety systems are working as intended. The radioactivity/ radiation levels in the plant premises and outside are normal.
About Kakrapar atomic power station:
- Kakrapar Atomic Power Station is a nuclear power station in India, which lies in the proximity of the city of Vyara in the state of Gujarat.
- It consists of two 220 MW pressurized water reactors with heavy water as moderator (PHWR).
16) Aadhar Scheme Collects Biometric Data of 99 Crore Indians.
- Lok Sabha has passed the Aadhaar (Target Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill, 2016 by voice vote. It was introduced as Money Bill.
- The Bill is aimed at giving statutory backing for transferring government subsidies and benefits to targeted people by assigning them Aadhaar numbers i.e. unique identity numbers. With this, government plans to plug leakages in disbursal of subsidies and other services and in ensuring that these reach intended beneficiaries.
Key Factors:
Eligibility: Every resident who has resided in India for 182 days in the one year preceding the date of enrolment application shall be entitled to obtain an Aadhaar number.
Information to be submitted: Individual has to submit his
Demographic (name, address, date of birth) information.
Biometric (finger print, iris scan, photograph).
Use of Aadhaar number:
Verifying the identity of a person receiving a subsidy or a service.
As a proof of identity of the Aadhaar number holder for any purpose asked by any public or private entity.
It cannot be a proof of citizenship or domicile.
Key functions of UID:
Assigning Aadhaar numbers to individuals S.
Specifying demographic and biometric information to be collected during enrolment.
Specifying the usage of Aadhaar numbers for delivery of subsidies and services.
Authenticating Aadhaar numbers.
17) Project Mausam aims to explore Multi-Faceted Indian Ocean World.
- Project Mausam aims to explore the multi-faceted Indian Ocean world for collating archaeological and historical research and not to counter China’s Silk Route strategy.
- It was announced by Union Minister of State (MoS) for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge) Dr. Mahesh Sharma in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.
About Project Mausam:
- Project Mausam was launched in June 2014 in the 38th Session of World Heritage Committee (WHC) meeting which was held at Doha, Qatar.
- It is the initiative of Union Ministry of Culture which is to be implemented by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as the nodal agency.
- Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) and National Museum will be associate bodies for research support.
- The research aims at collating archaeological and historical research in order to document the diversity of cultural, religious and commercial interactions in the Indian Ocean.
- It will be extending from East Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Indian Subcontinent and Sri Lanka to the Southeast Asian archipelago.
18) GOI allows women in combat roles in all CAPFs.
- The Union Home Ministry recently published new rules allowing women to apply as direct-entry officers in border guarding force ITBP, the only paramilitary which until now did not allow ladies to join in supervisory combat roles owing to its primary task of guarding the difficult Sino-India border.
- Among the five of these forces, called the CAPFs, the Central Reserve Police Force and the Central Industrial Security Force have been allowing women to apply as direct-entry officers through the UPSC for a long time.
- Two other forces Border Security Force and Sashastra Seema Bal were allowed to directly induct women officers in 2013 and 2014 respectively.
- By allowing the Indo-Tibetan Border Police to do so now, all restrictions have been lifted on women who want to don the camouflage combat colours of any of these forces.
- For the first time this year, a CAPF got its first woman chief when IPS officer Archana Ramasundaram was appointed the new Director General of SSB.
19) FSSAI to train 20,000 street vendors in Delhi.
- As part of its project to promote clean food, food safety regulator FSSAI will train about 20,000 street food vendors in the national capital over the next four weeks.
- The decision to launch ‘Project Clean Strategy Food’ was announced at an event to connect with corporates, media specialists and food experts to promote food safety.
- The event was co-organised with the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has partnered the government’s Skill India initiative and others for the project.