Daily Current Affairs Of 7 October 2019

Current Affairs of Today are

1) India starts sharing maritime data

• The Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC­IOR) which was set up last year has started functioning as an information-sharing hub of maritime data and “cueing incident responses” to maritime security situations through a collaborative approach
• The center is actively interacting with the maritime community and has already built linkages with 18 countries and 15 multinational maritime security centers.
• National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had offered countries in the IOR use of the facility to track the movement of vessels on the high seas.

Major centers

The major centers with which regular exchange of maritime security information is being undertaken include 

• Virtual Regional Maritime Traffic Centre(VRMTC), 
• Maritime Security Centre-­Horn of Africa (MSCHOA), 
• Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery (ReCAAP), 
• Information Fusion Centre­-Singapore (IFC­SG), 
• International Maritime Bureau­ Piracy Reporting Centre (IMB PRC).

The IFC­IOR was inaugurated in December 2018 within the premises of the Navy’s Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) in Gurugram.

Several Indian Ocean states which are situated on shores have joined the coastal radar chain network.

2) India launches “Green Crackers” in its bid to curb air pollution

In a bid to resolve the crisis of air pollution, the Government launched green firecrackers. Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan announced in New Delhi, that Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) labs have been successful in developing various environment-friendly fireworks such as sound-emitting crackers, flowerpots, pencils, chakkar, and sparklers.

• To develop reduced emission/green fireworks, eight labs participated, CSIR-NEERI, CEERI, IITR, IICT, NCL, CECRI, NBRI, and CMERI, with CSIR NEERI coordinating the entire exercise.
• CSIR-NEERI developed improvements in conventional formulations based on Barium Nitrate to meet the stipulated norms of green crackers. 
• The implementation of these formulations is subject to the approval of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. 
• CSIR-NEERI have also developed new formulations for reduced emission light and sound emitting crackers with a 30% reduction in particulate matter.
• This would help the fireworks industry to save their jobs after the Supreme court banned firecrackers

3) 7 Memorandum of Understanding Between India and Bangladesh

There were 7 MoUs signed between India and Bangladesh which are:

• Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on the use of Chattogram and Mongla ports
• MoU on withdrawal of 1.82 cusecs of water from Feni river by India for drinking water supply, scheme for Sabroom town, Tripura, India
• Agreement concerning the implementation of GoI Line of Credits (LOC) extended to Bangladesh
• MoU between the University of Hyderabad and University of Dhaka
• Cultural Exchange Programme- Renewal
• MoU on Co-operation in Youth Affairs
• MoU on providing Coastal Surveillance System

4) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approves a four-time increase in monetary assistance for Battle Casualties from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 8 lakh

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has given in-principle approval to the enhancement of monetary assistance to Next of Kin (NoK) of all categories of Battle Casualty (BC) from Rs two lakh to Rs eight lakh. The amount will be granted under the Army Battle Casualties Welfare Fund (ABCWF).

5) FM to inaugurate National e-Assessment Centre of Income Tax Department 

The Income Tax Department is setting up of National e-Assessment Centre (NeAC) a faceless e-assessment to impart greater efficiency, transparency, and accountability in the assessment process. There would be no physical interface between the taxpayers and the tax officers.

Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman will inaugurate  National e-Assessment Centre ( NeAC)  in New Delhi 

Objective

Objectives of the NeAC is better taxpayer service, reduction of taxpayer grievances in line with Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Digital India’ and promotion of ease of doing business.

6) Rajasthan government announced a complete ban on tobacco and pan-masala products in the state

Rajasthan has imposed a complete ban on all types of tobacco products including storage, advertising, and sale of pan-masala products. Earlier, two states Maharashtra and Bihar also banned tobacco and pan-masala products.

7) Space Application Centre of Indian Space Research Organization  has developed a mobile app to collect complete datasets on smaller wetlands across the coastal areas of India

To gather five-level datasets on smaller wetlands (2.2 ha or below) across the coastal areas of the country, a mobile app has been developed by the Space Application Centre of ISRO. The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has requested to make this app for a comprehensive monitoring system and bridging the gap between satellite and ground data.

8) Andhra Pradesh  has launched YSR Vahana Mitra scheme

The YSR Vahana Mitra scheme will provide Rs. 10,000 allowance to self-employed drivers of Andhra Pradesh. Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched this scheme. As per the norms of the scheme, the allowance will be credited into the bank account of the beneficiary.

9) Spadex is the name of the space docking experiment that ISRO has planned to carry out in 2020

ISRO has revealed its plan to carry out a space docking experiment, Spadex, in 2020. The announcement was made by ISRO Chairman K Sivan. Two experimental modules will be sent into space, onboard a PSLV rocket, and two will be docked with each other.

10) A small spike Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) was inducted into the Indian army

On October 4, 2019, the Indian Army inducted a limited number of small Spike anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) of Israel.

11) Andhra Pradesh  has launched the first of its Village Secretariat system in India

Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh launched the first of its kind Village Secretariat system at Karapa village near Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh.

12) Mizoram government has rejected the Centre's proposal for an amendment to the Indian Forests Act

The Mizoram government has rejected the Centre's proposed amendment to the Indian Forests Act, 1927. On the basis that it violates the special provisions guaranteed to the state by the Constitution of India.