Current Affairs 1st October 2018

Current Affairs 1st October 2018 - Important Points

• PM Modi inaugurated Conference on Academic Leadership on Education for Resurgence on - 29th September 2018
• India, Japan signs Loan Agreement for - Bullet Train Funds
• NITI Aayog inks SoI for collaboration against counterfeit drugs in  - India
• Centre of Excellence for Data Analytics inaugurated in  - Delhi
• Petroleum Minister to launch SATAT initiative to promote compressed biogas as alternative fuel on - 1st October 2018
• Indian Railways, Google Arts launch ‘Rail Heritage Digitisation Project’ on - 28th September 2018
• Government and Google launch campaign to review public toilets - LooReview Campaign
• Second Anniversary of Surgical Strike was celebrated as - Parakram Parv
• President gives assent to Karnataka Good Samaritan Protection Bill, 2016 by - President Ram Nath Kovind  

Current Affairs 1st October 2018 - Details

PM Modi inaugurated Conference on Academic Leadership on Education for Resurgence on - 29th September 2018

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Conference on Academic Leadership on Education for Resurgence on 29th September 2018 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.  The conference witnessed the participation from the Vice-Chancellors and Directors of over 350 universities. The event was jointly organised by UGC, AICTE, ICSSR, IGNCA, IGNOU, JNU and SGT University jointly organized this event with the theme of the Conference was to deliberate on the challenges facing the Indian education system and to work out a plan for a paradigm shift both in terms of achieving academic outcomes and also in the education education.  

Other than this, the valedictory session was chaired by Union Human Resources Minister Prakash Javadekar.  During the session, each of the eight groups were supposed to make a presentation on the course of action that they had agreed upon. This was then debated further in the Plenary Session and it is expected that a comprehensive action  plan would be emerging from this deliberation to improve the higher education sector in India.

India, Japan signs Loan Agreement for - Bullet Train Funds

India has inked 2 loan contracts with Japan International Cooperation Agency for building of Mumbai-
Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Project and Kolkata East West Metro Project. Under these contracts, Japan will issue Official Development Assistance loan of approximately Rupees 5,500 crore as tranche 1 for Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project Rupees 1619 crore for tranche 3 Kolkata East-West Metro
Project.
Important Points

Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Project Tranche I:

• Its aim is to develop mass and high frequent conveyance system by building high speed train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad with utilisation of Japanese high-speed train technologies.
• It will advance connectivity in India. It is India’s 1st high-speed bullet train project.
• Kolkata East West Metro Project Tranche III: Its ai is to manage with rise in traffic demand in Kolkata metropolitan zone by outspreading mass rapid transit system. It will also advance urban environment via extenuation of traffic logjams and reduction of pollution caused by rising vehicles.
• India and Japan have had long and productive history of bilateral development assistance since 1958.
• In the past few years, economic assistance between two nations has progressively developed. This further combines and fortifies the Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan.

NITI Aayog inks SoI for collaboration against counterfeit drugs in  - India

NITI Aayog has inked Statement of Intent with Oracle to pilot actual drug supply-chain by means of blockchain disseminated ledger and Internet of Things software to fight increasing problem of counterfeit drugs in India. Strides Pharma Sciences and Apollo Hospitals will be the companion in this effort. Oracle is United States multinational computer technology company that focusses primarily in developing and marketing database software and technology, cloud engineered systems, and enterprise software products.
Important Points

• The problem of false and counterfeit medicines is a major problem, costing Indian pharma industry
  billions.
• At the same time, it is also pushing patients at higher risk.
• This contract with Oracle, will assist making sure that Indian drug producers and healthcare specialists have admission to standards-based, modern technology platform, blockchain and Internet of Things to assist eradicate false drug distribution.
  Blockchain technology in drug supply-chain
• Blockchain technology will benefit to enduringly register drug’s data in manufacturer’s drug supply chain including serial number, scanning, labelling etc.
• This will leave no possibility for record altering. At every point of hand change of drug, it checks drug’s movement from producer to logistics, stockiest, hospital and pharmacy to user. In case of false drug, software will sense wrongdoing.
• In addition, serious data including chemical elements of medicine in case of life saving tablets/vaccines, can also be followed.
  Advantages of blockchain software
• It will permit sharing of information around drug supply chain steadily with every interchange of recorded information. This system cannot be interfered with record of drug movement. Besides this, it has incapability to erase any records so there can be no dispute, if offender is caught.

Centre of Excellence for Data Analytics inaugurated in  - Delhi

The Centre of Excellence for Data Analytics- CEDA was initiated by Union IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in New Delhi on September 28th, 2018. The centre has been formed by the National Informatics Centre in a combined initiative with National Informatics Centre Services Incorporated.
Talking on the occasion, the IT Minister informed that this is the age of data which is power and information highway is likewise crucial as national highways. Inaugurating the potential that data analytics has in transmuting the way the government plans are operated.
More about CEDA

• The Centre of Excellence for Data Analytics- CEDA has been formed to sustain government departments to reveal the hidden potential of the information that they are producing as a part of the governance processes and use it to advance the overall governance.
• The centre will benefit in fast-tracking the acceptance of advanced world-class data analytics services in government. 
• It objects to reinforce citizen service delivery via data-driven governance.
  CEDA’s Crucial Objectives
• To be a focal point and centre of knowledge in data analytics for government and public sector.
• To benefit ministries in evaluating the influence from the analytics solutions and assist in understanding variations to organisational roles and responsibilities.
• To simplify faster and cost-effective technology adoption.
• To execute a data repository to collect learnings across projects and exchange best practices across initiatives to make sure the implementation of best practices.

Petroleum Minister to launch SATAT initiative to promote compressed biogas as alternative fuel on - 1st October 2018

The Union Petroleum Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan will initiate the Sustainable Alternative towards Affordable Transportation- SATAT initiative in New Delhi on October 1st, 2018, on the last but one day of the ongoing ‘Swachhta Hi Seva’ campaign.  The Minister will introduce the initiative with the PSU Oil Marketing Corporations, inviting Expression of Interest from latent entrepreneurs to form Compressed Bio-Gas production plants and make availability of the biogas in the market for utilisation in automotive fuels. 
Important Highlights

• The Sustainable Alternative towards Affordable Transportation enterprise is focused at delivering a sustainable alternative towards inexpensive transportation that would profit vehicle-users, farmers and business tycoons.
• The Bio-gas is produced naturally through a process of anaerobic decomposition from waste and biomass sources like agriculture residue, cattle dung, sugarcane press mud, municipal solid waste and sewage treatment plant waste.
• After purification, it is compressed and called CBG, which has pure methane content of over 95 per cent.
  Important Advantages of the SATAT Initiative
• The move is expected to boost the availability of more affordable transport fuels and enable better use of agricultural residue, cattle dung and municipal solid waste.
• It is anticipated to design the way for efficient municipal Solid Waste Management and assist in tackling the problem of polluted urban air due to burning of farm stubble and other carbon emissions.
• It will enhance entrepreneurship, rural economy and employment as well as will deliver extra source of income to farmers.
• It will also aid achieving the country’s climate change objectives and put down the reliance on natural gas and crude oil imports.
• The Compressed Bio-Gas networks can be combined with City Gas Distribution networks to enhance supplies to domestic and retail subscribers in present and forthcoming markets. 
• In addition, retailing from OMC fuel stations, CBG can at a later date be injected into City Gas Distribution pipelines too for efficient distribution and optimised availability of a clean and much inexpensive fuel.

Indian Railways, Google Arts launch ‘Rail Heritage Digitisation Project’ on - 28th September 2018

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on September 28th, 2018 initiated the “Rail Heritage Digitisation Project” of Indian Railways in association with Google Arts and Culture Association. The Minister initiated the project via video conferencing in Delhi.
The 1st-of-its-kind project goals to display India’s rail heritage to the National and International spectators in an online story-telling platform. The project can be retrieved via this link: https://artsandculture.google.com/project/indian-railways.

Important Highlights

• The project was finished after almost Two years of hard work, research and execution. 
• It is the largest cultural heritage digitisation project not only in India but conceivably in the whole Asia Pacific Region.
• The partnership with Google Art and Culture has permitted the Indian Railways to digitise National Rail Museum, Rewari Steam Centre, three World Heritage Railways, CSMT Mumbai building and other projecting features of nation’s rail heritage.
• The partnership also comprises the dimension of Wi-Fi provisions and the Wi-Fi capability has been initiated in 711 railway stations presently and the railways strategies to take it to more than 6000 railway stations. 
• The railways will also be initiating 22 digital screens around various locations in India for displaying the historical project. 
  Did you know?
  Being a 165 years old association, the railways has a lot of material that desires to conserved. The Mumbai city especially has a special place in the Railways, because it was the first city where Railway line was formed in India. It was on April 16th, 1853 when the 1st train ran between Bori Bunder and Thane. 

Government and Google launch campaign to review public toilets - LooReview Campaign

Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has joined with Google to initiate Loo Review campaign on Google Maps. The combined campaign has been initiated under guidance of Swachh Bharat Mission– Urban. It will be live throughout October and November 2018 in an effort to raise awareness and ease of tracing public toilets across India.
More about Loo Review campaign

• This campaign goals to inspire all local guides in India to rate and review public toilets on Google Map.
• It is part of feature which permits all residents to trace public toilets in their cities on Google Maps, and also give feedback on same.
•  More than 500 cities in India with above 30,000 toilets with the name of ‘SBM Toilet’ are presently live on Google Map.
• The campaign will consist and engage Local Guides in India to rate and review public toilets using
  #LooReview.
• Local Guides are the people who will share reviews, photos, and information on Google Maps to assist people explore the world.
  Did you know?
  One of the purposes of the Swachh Bharat Mission– Urban is to deliver sanitation coverage through
  public toilet services across cities in India for attaining Open Defecation Free status. With approximately 3400 cities around the nation already have achieved Open Defecation Free status and other cities gearing up towards same. This campaign will tackle necessity for ensuring Open Defecation Free status is constant via ongoing use and proper maintenance of public toilets.

President gives assent to Karnataka Good Samaritan Protection Bill, 2016 by - President Ram Nath Kovind  

President Ram Nath Kovind has sanctioned the Karnataka Good Samaritan and Medical Professional
(Protection and Regulation during Emergency Situations) Bill, 2016 under Article 200 of Constitution.
With this approval, Karnataka became 1st state that issue legal protection to good Samaritans who
support accidents victims with emergency medical facilities within golden hour. This law will make sure
that good Samaritans are not hassled in any manner and face any criminal or civil liability.
Important Points of Bill

• The legislation goals to issue protection to good Samaritans and make sure instantaneous medical
  assistance for road accident victims within golden hour which is the 1st hour after traumatic injury when emergency treatment is very vital.
• It also looks forward to inspire people to offer first aid to victims without any fear of annoyance in hands of police and investigations.
• This law designer’s compulsory for all government and private hospitals which are assured to give 1st aid to the accident victims.
• It also delivers protection to medical professionals during their inspection as a witness. It also indicates that after acknowledging accident victim to hospital, good Samaritan can leave from there instantly.
• Under this law, Karnataka government will deliver financial assistance to good Samaritans who benefit victims in timely manner. They will be also excused from frequent attendance in courts and police stations. Good Samaritan Fund will be utilised for meeting expenditures of good Samaritans including going around to courts and police stations.
  Did you know?
  There were 4,80,652 road accidents around the nation in 2016, in which 1,50,785 people were killed. Karnataka is one of top 5 states which suffer from large number of road accident deaths in 2016 and 2015. It has been demonstrated that number of road accident victims can be protected if medical treatment is instantly given during golden hours post-accident. There is no central law to safeguard good Samaritans. However, Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had released various rules in 2015 following Supreme Court order for designing rules to safeguard the good Samaritans who reach out to help of road accident victims.

Second Anniversary of Surgical Strike was celebrated as - Parakram Parv

2nd Anniversary of Surgical Strike was observed as “Parakram Parv” or “Surgical Strike Day” on
September 29th – 30th, 2018 by Indian Army to display gallant action of brave Army soldiers in the
manner of Surgical Strikes on September 29th, 2016. This day was also observed to remind the sacrifice
of soldiers during “Uri incident”.
Celebrations 
The “Parakram Parv” observations were initiated by PM Narendra Modi at “Combined Commanders”
Conference in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Display to highlight the valour and actions of the Indian Army was also planned by Konark Corps at Jodhpur Military station.
Background
Indian Army had accomplished Surgical strike on the night of September 28-29th, 2016 in Pakistan
Occupied Kashmir, eleven days following the “Uri attack” that appealed eighteen soldiers. It was
accomplished by Para Forces, which is the special force unit of the Indian Army’s Parachute Regiments.
The 4-hour surgical strike had perpetrated heavy fatalities on terrorists, broadcasting across message of alteration of stand on guidelines of engagement on the disputed LoC. The surgical strike was

accomplished to avoid terrorists who were prepping to penetrate and attack the Kashmir area. It was
demanded to be first-of-its-kind surgical strike across the Pakistani border was based on specific
intelligence reports.
Surgical Strike
It is principally swift and targeted attack on specific target that goals to neutralise them while making
sure minimum collateral damage to surrounding areas, general public infrastructure, vehicles, buildings
and civilians. Surgical strikes are part of India’s Cold Start doctrine and have demonstrated active in
foiling new infiltration bid by terrorists’ groups across Line of Control from Pakistani.