Current Affairs 4th April 2018

Updated : 04-Apr-2018

Current Affairs 4th April 2018 - Important Points

• Government rolls back its decision to cancel accreditation of journalists caught generating fake news on - 3rd April 2018
• Process of filing petitions for H-1B visa began on - 2nd April 2018
• Import duty on key smartphone components levied by - The Central Bureau of Excise and Customs under Finance Ministry
• SC rejects stay on its earlier verdict on SC/ST Act on - 3rd April 2018Government launched Digital Initiative for Ease of Export on - 3rd April 2018
• New plant species discovered in Western Ghats - Fimbristylis agasthyamalaensis
• Construction of first-ever nuclear plant launched by - Turkey
• NASA successfully tested supersonic Mars landing parachute: ASPIRE
• MoU between Indian Army and HDFC Bank on defence salary package on- 3rd April 2018

Current Affairs 4th April 2018 - Details

Government rolls back its decision to cancel accreditation of journalists caught generating fake news on - 3rd April 2018

The Union Government cancelled its earlier direction of permanently cancelling the accreditation of a journalist if the individual was found producing or broadcasting fake news, on April 3rd , 2018. 
The corrected guidelines for the approval of journalists, which informed that if a telecast of false news is
confirmed, then the accreditation of the reporter held responsible for it will be adjourned for a time period of 6 months in the 1st violation and for 1 year in case of a 2nd violation and lifelong invalid in case of a 3rd violation, stand inhibited. 

Government planning to identify fake news-

• To regulate whether a news item is fake or not, any complaint of fake news instances would have been referred to the Press Council of India if it linked to printed-media and to the News Broadcasters Association, if it linked to the electronic-media. 
• The related company would then have had to complete their examination of the information within fifteen days and conferm whether it is false or not. 
• Once the complaint is itemized for determination of false news, the accreditation of the journalist, who produced or broadcasted the news, would have been suspended till the resolution related to the fake news is completed.

Process of filing petitions for H-1B visa began on - 2nd April 2018

The procedure of filing petitions for H-1B visa started on April 2nd , 2018 within strict examination by the Trump Government. H-1B visa is measured as the most requisite work-visa among extremely skilled Indian specialists, who goal to work in the United States.
Guidelines on petitions

• The petitioner should deliver a beneficiary's valid passport copy.
• If the applicant needs an extension of stay/alteration of status, he/she will be needed to provide an evidence to establish that the beneficiary will uphold a valid non-immigrant status all over the employment.
• Once the applicant give the impression before the American political missions for a formal visa interview and got stamped their passport, they would be needed to present the their social media profile, emails and phone numbers details used in the past 5 years.
  Rejection of the petitions
• The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the federal agency accountable for dispensation all H1B visas, demanded that there will be zero-tolerance for even minute errors.
• United States Citizenship and Immigration Services also cautioned that all duplicate applications files would be subject to refusal. 
• It will also refuse the H-1B petitions requesting an earlier job begin date or a begin date of As Soon As Possible or ASAP.

Import duty on key smartphone components levied by - The Central Bureau of Excise and Customs under Finance Ministry

The Central Bureau of Excise and Customs under Finance Ministry has forced a 10 percent duty charges on imports of important smartphone parts including populated printed circuit boards, camera modules and connectors. Presently, there is nil import duty forced on the 3 parts.
Important Highlights

• This initiative will result into expensive imports of smartphone parts while giving chance to Indian producers under Make in India program.
• These parts for making these smartphone components nearby, will not have any import duties, however, it will cause an increase in prices of international mobile phones whose firms do not get these components locally.
• Printed circuit boards make-up about 50 percent of cost of making smartphone. This conclusion will push local production of these components as organisations who produce here will get a price benefit over those who don’t.
  Phased Manufacturing Programme
• Government had Phase Manufacturing Programme, that will issue fiscal advantages to local production of various parts of cellular mobiles in different fiscals, in May 2017 for promoting the development of domestic production of Cellular mobile phones.
• This programme is under Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
• Its general goal is to force duties and give tax liberations and incentives on few products that came under domestic production of cellular mobiles.

SC rejects stay on its earlier verdict on SC/ST Act on - 3rd April 2018

The Supreme Court of India declined to give a stay order on its previous verdict on SC/ST Act, in which it had governed that there shall be no instant arrest on any complaint filed under the law, on April 3rd , 2018.
The Supreme court governed that it is not against the Act, but only worried that innocents should not be
penalized needlessly due to the mismanagement of the law. 
While hearing the Centre's review appeal, the Supreme court informed there should not be any politics on the matter and asked all the political parties to present detailed answers within 2 days. The supreme court added that they know how to protect the rights of the residents and have not affected the punishment segments of the Act. The supreme court even asked that why the government needs the people to be arrested without verification. The issue will be listened again after ten days.

Did you know?

• Previously in the day, the Supreme Court had approved to hear the Centre’s review appeal after Attorney General KK Venugopal sought a crucial hearing, after the outbreak of huge violence in various parts of the nation due to the ‘Bharat Bandh’, which was held in objection of the supreme court’s earlier ruling.
• The review appeal, filed by Union Ministry of Social Justice on April 2nd , 2018, claimed that the safety would dilute the aim of shielding the marginalised sections and represent them to extra violence in a caste-ridden setting while requesting the court to review the ruling.

New plant species discovered in Western Ghats - Fimbristylis agasthyamalaensis

Scientists have revealed new grass looking plant species known as “Fimbristylis agasthyamalaensis” in
Ponmudi hills within the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve in the Western-Ghats biodiversity area. It has been classified as the grass-like plant and has been termed after the neighbourhood area from which it was located.
Key Points

• The new species of plant is related to the Cyperaceae family.
• Its flower and fruits were studied from October-March. Cyperaceae genus is represented by 122 species in India and many of the known Cyperaceae species are medicinal plants and also being utilised as fodder.
• Fimbristylis agasthyamalaensis is highly prone to wild-grazing. Because its habitat falls within tourism spot and nearby place of worship, therefore It comes under anthropogenic pressures and absence of scientific conservation could lead to its extinction. Scientists have suggested plant as ‘critically endangered’.
  More about Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve
• It was recognized in 2001. It is termed after Agastya Mala peak that has height of 1868 metres
  approximately in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.  In March 2016, it was encompassed in the World
  Network of Biosphere Reserves of UNESCO.
• Its vegetation mostly consists of tropical forests and is home-ground to 2,254 species of higher plants including approximately 400 endemics. About 400 Red Listed Plants, 125 species of orchids and rare and endangered plants have been noted from the reserve.
• It is also home-ground to rare animals including tiger, Asian Elephant, and Nilgiri Tahr. It is homeland to one of the oldest living earliest tribes in the world, Kanikaran tribe.

Government launched Digital Initiative for Ease of Export on - 3rd April 2018

Union Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation Minister, Suresh Prabhu inaugurated the digital initiatives by Export Inspection Council for comfort of export, on April 03rd , 2018. It is believed that these digital initiatives will give a high uplift to India’s potential for agricultural and food export.
Export Inspection Council is the Government of India’s authorized export certification body and has initiated this project of Digital India Initiative to maintain pace with altering dynamics of the world.
Key Digital Initiatives

• 3 portals have been established to decrease transaction time and price in a transparent manner, in order to continue the vision for trustworthy inspection and authorization and to support the confidence on Indian products.
• To provide fast, efficient and transparent facilities for comfort of performing business in all segments, the wide-ranging export food chain has been combined into this digital platform.
•  Primary production, chain-catch, aquaculture and dairy farmhouses all are joined.
• ‘One lab-one assessment’ portal delivers a combined approach to all shareholders including accreditation bodies, controllers and laboratories by fetching them all on a common platform.
• Basic process for yielding joint certification and joint decisions aid in decreasing cost, time and diversity of assessment.
• The Export Alert Monitoring portal screens non-compliances elevated by importing nations.
• The portal will make able to monitor alerts and acts taken by various firms involved in initial certification in the food safety & bio-security and analysing the trade-barriers to decrease the alerts and improve the export trade.

NASA successfully tested supersonic Mars landing parachute: ASPIRE

NASA has positively directed Advanced Supersonic Parachute Inflation Research Experiment to trial
supersonic parachute that will support its space exploration missions to land on Mars. The parachute was released aboard of sounding rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in United States. It was trailed in sky, imitating conditions of going into red planet.
Key Points

• The trail of Advanced Supersonic Parachute Inflation Research Experiment was meant to imitate conditions that spaceship will practice during red planet entry, descent and landing.
• Soon after lift-off, Advanced Supersonic Parachute Inflation Research Experiment splashed down into Atlantic Ocean, and further was recovered by boat.
• Study of recovered parachute, and information collected by cameras will assist scientist to design the whole parachute for NASA’s 2020 Mars traveller.
  Did you know?

NASA’s determined Mars rover mission is planned to inaugurate in 2020 to install 6-wheeled vehicle on Martian surface to investigate rocks on surface and store samples for eventual return to Earth. It will rely on superior parachute to slowdown the spacecraft when it is going to enter in Martian atmosphere at more than 12,000 mph of speed.

MoU between Indian Army and HDFC Bank on defence salary package on- 3rd April 2018

Indian Army has inked MoU with HDFC Bank on the Defence Salary Package. It is renewed version 1st
Memorandum of Undertaking inked between Indian Army HDFC Bank and in 2011 and renewed in
March 2015. The present Memorandum of Undertaking is tailor made to fit needs of serving soldiers,
pensioners and families.
Key Points

• This Memorandum of Undertaking will profit large number of working and retired Indian Army workers who are having their bank accounts with HDFC bank.
• It will also deliver them a chance to access current banking facilities and will also get other advantages like free individual accident death cover and free everlasting disability cover of Rupees 30 lakhs.
• The dependent children in case of accidental death of defence staff will receive free educational cover of about Rupees One Lakh every year for 4 years.
• They will also avail 100 per cent processing charges ignored for Cars and Personal Loans.
  Did you know?
  Presently Indian Army has Memorandum of Undertakings on Defence Salary Package with eleven public and private banks. These Memorandum of Undertakings are measured for inception and renewal with banks on analysing their usefulness and appropriateness to necessities of serving soldiers, pensioners and families.

Construction of first-ever nuclear plant launched by - Turkey

The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan along with Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated the building of Turkey's 1st-ever nuclear power plant in Mersin area, which is a great port city on the Mediterranean coast of southern Turkey, on April 3rd , 2018.

The initiation of the project was led by the both Presidents via video conferencing. The sum total assessed cost of the power plant would be approximately 20 billion dollars.
Key Importance

• Once accomplished, the power plant will provide about 10% to the electricity requirements of Turkey, which is important because the country has less energy resources of its own.
• The structure workers at the place have already started work on the ground.
• The 1st stage is due to be finished by 2023, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of modern Turkey's establishment. It is projected to be accomplished completely by 2026.
• It is projected to provide the nation’s energy security and also perform a crucial role in fighting against its climate variations.
• Though Turkey and Russia enjoyed strained historical events with the 2 countries busy in a number of wars till the primary 20th century.
• However, relationships among the 2 countries deteriorated after Joseph Stalin took over and necessitated Soviet bases on the Turkish Straits.