Current Affairs 16th April 2018

Current Affairs 16th April 2018 - Important Points

• India to host second edition of IMC in October 2018 in - New Delhi
• UN Road Safety Trust Fund launched by - United Nations 
• Gram Swaraj Abhiyan launched by - The Union Government
• China develops 3D conic device to increase solar-thermal conversion by - Zhu Jia scientists team
• Dharmendra to be conferred Raj Kapoor Lifetime Achievement award shared on - 15th April 2018

Current Affairs 16th April 2018 - Details

India to host second edition of IMC in October 2018 in - New Delhi

The 2nd edition of India Mobile Congress is planned to be organised from October 25th -27th , 2018 in New Delhi. The pronouncement was done following the positive debut of the 1st edition in 2017. 
The news was shared by Union Communications Minister Manoj Sinha on April 13 th , 2018 during the starting ceremony of India Mobile Congress. He informed that the 2018 edition of the India Mobile Congress would be accommodated by the Union Department of Telecommunications and the Cellular Operators Association of India.
The occasion helps as an ideal platform for policy-makers, industry and controllers to engage in expressive deliberations to initiative the future track of the communications sector.
Key Highlights

• The 2018 edition of India Mobile Congress will have contribution from ASEAN and BIMSTEC members as well. 
• Globally, over 200,000 professionals from numerous sectors of the telecom industry consisting 5G, start-ups, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and allied industry sectors are believed to take part in the event. 
• The occasion is believed to be instrumental in driving further expansion in India’s technology adoption across sectors. 
• It will bring closer all shareholders in the Telecommunications and Information Technology environment and deliver the correct forum for discussions on the connectivity explanations.

UN Road Safety Trust Fund launched by - United Nations 

• UN has initiated United Nations Road Safety Trust Fund to advance road safety across the world to protect lives and stop the loss of opportunity related with road accidents.
• United Nations Economic Commission for Europe is secretariat for the trust deposit.
• The deposit has potential to motivate global actions to address road safety condition, structure under development and experience received over Decade of Activities for Road Safety 2011-2020.
   More about UN Road Safety Trust Fund
• The deposit focuses to quicken progress in cultivating global road safety by connecting gaps in
  mobilization of properties for effective action at all stages. It will mobilize resources from governments, NGOs, private sector and persons.
• It will be backing efforts along 5 pillars of Global Plan for Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, which consist of better-quality safety of road infrastructure and wider transport networks; reinforced road safety management dimensions; improved safety of vehicles; enhanced behaviour of road operators and enhansed post-accidental care.
• The deposit will work as catalyst for very much required development towards road safety aims of Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainable Development Goals aims 3.6 and 11.2 target to halve number of worldwide deaths and damages from road accidents and deliver access to harmless, cheap, accessible and sustainable transport systems and upgraded road protection for all.

Gram Swaraj Abhiyan launched by - The Union Government

The Union Government initiated ‘Gram Swaraj Abhiyan-Special Interventions’, a most powerful outreach programme to provide welfare schemes to select villages which require particular attention. It was released on the occasion of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Jayanti.
More about Gram Swaraj Abhiyan

• The programme was released on the guidelines of rural development schemes like Antyodaya grounded on principle of conjunction and saturation.
• The launch focuses for 100 per cent coverage of 7 schemes released by Central Government for qualified beneficiaries in 3-week time period from April 14 th to May 5th , 2018.
• The aim of programme is to encourage social harmony, reach out to poor village households, get
  feedback on current programmes, aim on doubling farmers’ income and re-emphasise national urgencies including cleanliness and fortifying Panchayati Raj institutions.
• The 7 schemes covering it are Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Ujala scheme, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Saubhagya and Mission Indradhanush.
• Government has nominated number of directors and deputy secretaries to expand these programmes to 100 per cent saturation in rustic areas.
• It will help 17,000 poor villages by delivering them free LPG connections, electricity source, JanDhan accounts, two Prime Minister Insurance plans and immunisation of children will be available in twenty-one days.

China develops 3D conic device to increase solar-thermal conversion by - Zhu Jia scientists team

A team of Chinese scientists headed by Zhu Jia have established a fresh 3D conic instrument that can greatly enhance the solar-thermal conversion efficiency. The study was printed in April 2018 in the National Science Review which a English journal affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
 
More about Artificial Transpiration Device

• Known as ‘Artificial Transpiration’, the instrument is encouraged by the transpiration process of trees.
• The instrument is loaded with a special 1D water-pathway which can decrease the energy loss in conduction.
• It can increase the solar-thermal conversion rate to 85%, much greater than the common devices that increase conversion rate to only 40%.
• The instrument will also open-up more possibilities to use the solar energy, as previously, the usage of solar energy in some sectors was withdrawn due to its low-conversion rate. 
• Researchers connected this instrument to solar waste-water treatment and the trial presented that the instrument could recover clean water as well as re-cycle heavy metals including copper and cadmium.

Dharmendra to be conferred Raj Kapoor Lifetime Achievement award shared on - 15th April 2018

Veteran Bollywood actor Dharmendra will be deliberated with the prestigious Raj Kapoor Lifetime Achievement award and filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani will be deliberated with the Raj Kapoor Special Contribution award. The news was shared by Maharashtra culture minister Vinod Tawde on April 15th , 2018. The awards, founded by the Maharashtra state government, will be distributed at the 55th Maharashtra state Marathi Film Festival.
More about Dharmendra

• Dharmendra has over 250 films to his name. His six-decade old career claims of more than 100 box office successes consisting of Bandini, Anupama, Satyakam, Seeta Aur Geeta, Sholay, Chupke Chupke and Yaadon Ki Baarat.
• The 82-years old actor Dharmendra got the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding involvement to Hindi cinema in 1997.
• He was also a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India, representing Bikaner constituency in Rajasthan from BJP.
• In 2012, he was deliberated India's 3rd highest civilian award Padma Bhushan by the then President Pratibha Patil.
  Other awardees
• Veteran Marathi actor Vijay Chavhan has been selected for the V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement award.
• He is best known for his role of Mavshi in the well-known Marathi stage drama -Moruchi Mavshi.
• He has also performed in Hindi films.
• Actor and Director Mrinal Kulkarni has been nominated for the V.Shantaram Special Contribution award.
• Kulkarni has performed in both films and Television and is famous for featuring in the television show ‘Son Pari’.
• Kulkarni also directed 'Prem Mhanje Prem Asta  and the Marathi historical drama -Rama Madhav.