Current Affairs 14th February 2018

Current Affairs 14th February 2018 - Important Points

• World Radio Day was observed across the globe on – 13^th February
• Parbati Ghose passed away, she was -Ffirst female filmmaker of Odisha
• 4th Meeting of Economic Advisory Council to Prime Minister held in - New Delhi
• India’s first ever Highway Capacity Manual was released by - Union Government

Current Affairs 14th February 2018 - Details

World Radio Day was observed across the globe on – 13^th February

The World Radio Day is celebrated every year around the world on 13 February to observe radio as medium for information, mode of communication and entertainment. To celebrate this day, UNESCO held various activities with organizations, broadcasters and communities around the world.

Significance of World Radio Day

It observes global celebration of radio as a platform for information and entertainment that facilitates to connects communication difference for far situated communities and empowering citizen. It also gives an opportunity to honour radio’s significance to bring communities together and boost positive dialogue for change.

2018 Theme of World Radio Day

‘Radio and Sports’ is the theme for 2018. It looks forward to boost the inseparable tie between sports and gender and how revised gender equality in sports broadcasting can turn to greater freedom of expression for everyone.

World Radio Day Past 

The UNESCO at its 36 General Assembly in 2011 had announced 13 February as World Radio Day. It was afterwards adopted as an International Day by the United Nations General Assembly. On this day in 1946, UNs Radio had transmitted its first call signal. The 1st World Radio Day was formally observed in 2012.

Parbati Ghose passed away, she was -Ffirst female filmmaker of Odisha

Parbati Ghose, the 1st female filmmaker of Odisha expired on February 11th, 2018 after a prolonged illness in Bhubaneswar. She was 85. Ghose was confirmed dead when she was taken to the hospital around midnight after problem of uneasiness.

About Parbati Ghose

Born in Cuttack district in 1933, Parbati initiated working as a child artist in All India Radio. Her 1st role on the silver screen was also as a child artist, playing the role of Nila Madhava in Shri Jagannath in 1949.

4 years later, she received a big break as the female lead in Amari Gaan Jhua. Her act as the female protagonist in Goura Prasad Ghose’s Bhai Bhai, helped her getting recognition as a leading actor. After tasting great success on the big screen, she shifted to filmmaking. By the mid-1980s, she had already secured 3 national awards.

4th Meeting of Economic Advisory Council to Prime Minister held in - New Delhi

The fourth Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister meeting was organised in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Dr BibekDebroy, Chairman, EAC-PM and Member, NITI Aayog. During the meeting, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister debated on the possible modalities of enforcing National Health Scheme declared by the government in Union Budget-2018-19.

National Health Protection Scheme

National Health Protection Scheme- Ayushman Bharat Scheme, will cover-up ten crore poor and weak families. In this, over Rupees 5 lakh insurance cover will be given to each family on yearly basis, in secondary and tertiary care organisations. It will have fifty crore beneficiaries. It will be world’s largest government-financed healthcare plan.

Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council

Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council is a non-constitutional and non-statutor, non-permanent and autonomous body, formed with the prime and exclusive target to analyse all critical issues, referred to it by the PM and suggesting him thereafter.

India’s first ever Highway Capacity Manual was released by - Union Government

The Union Transport Minister, Nitin Gadkari on February 12th, 2018 issued India’s 1st ever Highway Capacity Manual in New Delhi.

The manual is known as Indo-HCM, and it has been formed by CSIR – CRRI after a nation-wide study of the traffic characteristics of various roads consisting single, two-lane, multi-lane urban roads, inter-urban highways and express-ways and their concerned junctions.

The observation involved 7 premier Indian institutions including Sardar Vallabhai Patel National Institute of Technology in Surat, IIT Roorkee, School of Planning and Architecture in New Delhi, IIT Mumbai, IIT Guwahati, Indian Institute of Engineering and Science and Technology and Chennai’s Anna University.

Key Highlights

The manual precisely highlights guidelines on how and when to increase or manage various types of roads and their junctions and the level of services to be put in place. It is outlined to be a useful tool for directing road engineers and policy makers in the nation.

This is the 1st time that such a manual has been formed in India. Other countries consisting USA, Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Taiwan formed their own Highway Capacity Manuals.

Significance

The manual is believed to aid in the scientific planning and expansion of roads in the nation. It will pave for the building of world class safe, cost effective and environment friendly infrastructure.