Current Affairs 16th January 2019

Current Affairs 16th January 2019 - Important Points 

• World's largest religious & cultural human congregation Kumbh Mela 2019 begins in -UP
• Government launches ‘Womaniya on Government e Marketplace’ initiative on - 14th January 2019
• Development projects worth over Rs 1500 crore in Odisha by - PM Modi 
• Pune to have Traffic Robot on its Roads by - The Traffic Police Department of Pune

Current Affairs 16th January 2019 - Details

World's largest religious & cultural human congregation Kumbh Mela 2019 begins in -UP

The world's major religious & cultural human flock, “Kumbh 2019” started at Prayagraj, UP on January 15th, 2019 & will go till March 4th, 2019.  This seven-week programme started with the holy dip at Sangam of Ganga, Yamuna & mythical Saraswati. The 1st bathing was taken by saints & seers of different Akharas.
Crucial initiatives undertaken by Yogi Adityanath Government

• As per to the Uttar Pradesh Government, more than 12 crores devotees & tourists are anticipated to visit Prayagraj during the Kumbh.
• The Kumbh 2019 is spread over an area of 3200 hectares of land. It is approximately 700 hectares above the area used during the 2013 Maha Kumbh.
• 21-Snan Ghats have been formed for bathing. 
• Special measures have been done for female devotees & for the 1st time 3 female police units have been pushed into service. 
• More than 120000 toilets have been formed for making Clean Kumbh. 
• The whole kumbh area is alienated into 20 sectors &9 zones for intense vigil by sector & zonal magistrates. 
• 40 police stations, 58 police out-posts including 3 female police station are created where above 20000 security employees are deployed.
• Traffic management at Kumbh 2019 is prearranged to ensure co-ordination of traffic movement on multiple channels which will be combined with google maps as well before the Mela.

Government launches ‘Womaniya on Government e Marketplace’ initiative on - 14th January 2019

The Union Government on January 14th, 2019 released the “Womaniya on Government e Marketplace”, an initiative to enable female entrepreneurs & Women Self-Help Groups to trade handicrafts, handloom, accessories, & other products directly to Government departments & institutes.
India has around 500 million Internet subscribers & nearly 54% of them are above 25 years of age with higher discretionary income & expected to transact extra online. Female constitute 33% or 143 million Internet subscribers & control 44% of domestic spending in India.
Approximately 80% female-owned establishments in India are self-financed & above 60% of 8 million units are owned & headed by female businesspersons from socially-challenged sections.
Important Highlights of the “Womaniya on GeM” initiative

• Artist Anukta M Ghosh’s artwork “Magan”, an illustration of female empowerment & elegance, is the face of Womaniya on Government e Marketplace.
• The Womaniya homepage- gem.gov.in/womaniya, will update obtaining officers in various government ministries, departments & CPSEs about the initiative to encourage procurement of common utilised goods &  services from female businesspersons. 
• Items like handicrafts & handloom, accessories, jute/coir products, home decor & office furnishings are segregated for ease-in-procurement. 
• The initiative bring into line with Government’s initiatives for MSMEs, particularly to reserve 3% in government procurement from female businesspersons.

Development projects worth over Rs 1500 crore in Odisha by - PM Modi 

PM Narendra Modi on January 15th, 2019 visited Odisha & released various development projects worth more than Rupees 1500 crore at Balangir, Odisha.
Prime Minister Modi dedicated electrified Jharsuguda-Vizianagaram &Sambalpur-Angul electric lines straddling 813 kms to the country. These railway lines were electrified at a cost of approximately Rupees 1000 crore.
Projects Released

• The PM initiated the doubling of Barpali-Dungaripali & Balangir-Deogaon railway lines in the state.
• The 15 kilometres long Balangir-Bichhupali railway line placed at a cost of Rupees 115 crores was also issued. It is part of the new 289-km Balangir-Khurda road line which joins Howrah-Chennai main line on Khurda Road & Titlagarh-Sambalpur line at Balangir.
• A new train on Balangir-Bichhupali route was also initiated. It would profit commuters of the region, besides joining Bichhupali to Jharsuguda & Vizianagaram main line via Balangir.
• Prime Minister Modi also devoted to the country the Multi-Modal Logistics Park at Jharsuguda.
• The Park encourages undertaking of goods for domestic and global trade. It will start Jharsuguda as a prime logistics hub & enhance ease of doing business in the state.
• A bridge between Theruvali & Singapur Road station was initiated on the occasion. The bridge re-establishes the connection above Nagavali River which was damaged during floods in July 2017.
• The Passport Sewa Kendras were initiated at Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Puri, Phulbani, Bargarh & Balangir.
• The foundation stone was also placed for a perpetual building of KV at Sonepur.
• The PM also initiated renovation & refurbishment works at Nilamadhav &Siddheswar Temple at Gandhaharadi in Boudh, Paschim Somnath group of temples in Boudh & Ranipur Jharial group of memorials in Balangir.

Pune to have Traffic Robot on its Roads by - The Traffic Police Department of Pune

The Traffic Police Department of Pune is seeking at a futuristic model to maintain traffic flow &create awareness about the traffic rules.
Roadeo

• The traffic police establishments of Pune are preparing to announce a robot baptized “Roadeo” which would move around the city roads, working as a quasi-traffic policeman & cautioning traveller about traffic rules & crimes.
• ‘Roadeo’ contains 16-inch LED display to display traffic rules & other significant messages including “Wear a helmet”, “Do not jump the signal” & others.
• The Hands of the ‘Roadeo’ is also planned to move & display stop symbols to vehicles. ‘Roadeo’ is also fitted with a siren, skid-steering wheels & obstacle-detection devices.
• It is a 1st of its kind initiative in the whole nation. If this pilot project came out to be effective, it would go a long way in facilitating the traffic management load & minimising the workload of overburdened traffic police cops.
• The Robot ‘Roadeo’ is industrialized by SP Robotics Maker Lab, which is Pune based laboratory that skills people to learn about robotics & figure tech themselves.