Current Affairs 7th May 2018

Current Affairs 7th May 2018 - Important Points

• GST Council approves conversion of GST Network into government holding on - 4th May 2018
• First organised census of Indus Dolphins has begun in - Punjab
• China launched communication satellite : APSTAR-6C
• InSight Spacecraft launched by - NASA
• Border Roads Organisation celebrated 58th Raising Day on - 7th May 2018
• India to host 15th Asia Media Summit from - May 10 to 12th 2018

Current Affairs 7th May 2018 - Details

GST Council approves conversion of GST Network into government holding on - 4th May 2018

The GST Council permitted the ownership change of Goods and Services Tax Network structure into a
government holding on 4 th May, 2018.
The GST council permitted changing of the IT backbone providing company to the GST into a government-retained entity from being a private company. The conclusion was taken at the end of the 27th meeting of the Goods and Services Tax council when Finance Minister Arun Jaitley declared that the government would be taking over the stakes held in Goods and Services Tax Network by private entities. 
Key Highlights

• Till date, 24.5% of Goods and Services Tax Network was retained by the central government and a same fraction was detained by the state governments collectively. 
• The remaining 51% was retained by 5-private financial institutions including HDFC Ltd, HDFC Bank Ltd, ICICI Bank Ltd, National Stock Exchange Strategic Investment Co and Life Insurance Corporation Housing Finance Ltd. 
• The council has settled to a suggestion of buying out the stake of private articles to make Goods and Services Tax Network a government-retained entity.
• After the move, the central government will own 50% stake of Goods and Services Tax Network and the balance 50% would be collectively detained by the state governments.
• The collective share of state governments will be pro-rata, separated among states according to their Goods and Services Tax ratios.
• However, the GSTN board shall be permitted to continue the present staff at current terms and conditions for a time period up to 5 years and shall have the elasticity of hiring people on contractual basis as similar to those utilised by GST Network till date while hiring regular employees.

First organised census of Indus Dolphins has begun -  in Punjab

Punjab government along World Wildlife Fund- India are directing 1st organised census of Indus
Dolphins, one of the world’s fewest mammals found only in India and Pakistan. The planned census
focuses at conservation of the species.
Key Points

• The 1st planned census will be held over period of 5 days in 185 kilometres area between Talwara and Harike Barrage in Beas River in Punjab were riverine fresh water Indus Dolphins are kept.
• It will be led 2 joint teams of Department of Forests and Wildlife Preservation, Punjab and World Wildlife Fund-India.
• Its chief focus is to begin accurate population of dolphins in order to plan out their conservation.

Indus Dolphin

• Indus Dolphin is subspecies of freshwater river dolphin present in Indus river and its Beas and Sutlej
  tributaries, flowing through India and Pakistan.
• It is national mammal of Pakistan. It is an important indicator species of river’s health.
• Its occurrence is considered as healthy river. Indus dolphin like Ganges River dolphin is functionally blind and depends up on echolocation to navigate, communicate and hunt prey in muddy-river water.
• Only 1,816 Indus dolphins are described to remain presently in lower parts of Indus River.
• They are patchily spread in 5 small, sub-populations that are detached by irrigation barrages across course of Indus river.
• Their numbers have decreased intensely after construction of irrigation system. It is registered by the IUCN as scarce on its Red List of Threatened Species.
• Indus Dolphin was also found in Sutlej years back, but due to pollution in river its existence is on extinction in the river.

China launched communication satellite : APSTAR-6C

China effectively released “APSTAR-6C”, a new communication satellite into orbit. It was released
onboard of Long March-3B transporter rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center. This was total
273rd mission of Long March rocket sequence. Both satellite and rocket were established by China
Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
More about APSTAR-6C

• The operator of APSTAR-6C satellite is Hong Kong grounded APT Satellite Co. Ltd. With is effective
  launch, it joins fleet of 4 fully operational satellites be in the right place to APT Satellite Co. It will replace the in-orbit Apstar-6 satellite.
• The Apstar-6C satellite is founded on DFH-4 platform. It is loaded with forty-five transponders in C, Ku, and Ka bands, with calculated service life of fifteen years.
• The satellite will deliver TV transmission, Internet, communication and multimedia services to users across Asia-Pacific region.
• It will also deliver extreme-power transponder services for video circulation, broadband Internet Access and Mobile phone backhaul.

InSight Spacecraft launched by - NASA

NASA launched the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) Spacecraft to study the Mars’ deep interior on 5th May 2018. 
The InSight Spacecraft was launched on the Atlas V rocket of the United Launch Alliance (ULA) from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, USA.

After this launch it has been marked as NASA’s first interplanetary launch from the US West Coast.

Border Roads Organisation celebrated 58th Raising Day on - 7th May 2018

BRO observed its 58th Raising Day on 7th May 2018. Border Roads Organisation is leading government
organisation in ground of infrastructural development in the border areas of the nation. Since its
beginning in 1960, it has expanded from two to nineteen projects. The works performed by it have
guaranteed territorial integrity and socio-economic rise in of most unreachable areas of nation.
More about Border Roads Organisation

• Border Roads Organisation plays important role in construction, maintenance and upgradation of
  strategic infrastructure in far and remote border areas of India.
• It also advances and maintains road-networks in friendly neighbouring nations. It works under Defence Ministry and it was recognized on 7th May 1960 and is HQ in New Delhi.
• Officers from Border Roads Engineering Service and staffs from General Reserve Engineer Force form parent cadre of Border Roads Organisation.
• It is also operated by generals and troops drawn from Indian Army’s Engineers Corps, Army Service Corps, Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and army workers on extra regimental employment.

India to host 15th Asia Media Summit from - May 10 to 12th 2018

India is going to organise 15th Asia Media Summit- AMS 2018 in New Delhi from May 10th-12th, 2018.
The summit is being hosted by Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development in partnership with
its partners and worldwide organisations.
Key Points

• The subject of the yearly summit is ‘Telling our Stories- Asia and More’.
• It focuses to deliver unique options for broadcasters in Asia to portion their thoughts on broadcasting and information.
• It will be witnessed by media specialists, scholars, policy-makers and shareholders of news and programming from Asia, Pacific, Africa, Europe, Middle-East and North America will take part in the annual conference.
  Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development
• Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development is regional inter-governmental organisation
  servicing nations of UNs Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in the area of
  electronic media development.
• It was recognized in 1977 under sponsorships of UNESCO.
• It is presented by Government of Malaysia and its secretariat is situated in Kuala Lumpur.
• The Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development is mandated to attain vibrant and cohesive
  electronic media environment in Asia-Pacific area via policy and resource progress.
• Presently, it consists of 26 full members nations, represented by 34 associations and 67 Affiliate Members and more than 50 associates in Asia, Pacific, Europe, Africa and North America.