05.09.18 (BPSC) Bihar Current Affairs

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BIHAR

 

  • Policy push for taxi services

 

  • The transport department will soon unveil a policy under which the government will monitor private taxi aggregator services such as Ola.

 

  • The taxi service is based on concept of ownership of vehicles and exclusive attachment of drivers to some operator or company.

 

  • Aggregators, however, neither own vehicles nor employ drivers, putting them outside the ambit of Motor Vehicle Act.

 

  • Hence, the department is framing the policy to make such aggregator companies more responsible for the service they provide.

 

  • Under the policy, every taxi provider will have to register with the government.

 

  • The policy will help in providing healthy growth of the taxi industry in Bihar and it will not only provide safe journey but would also help in reducing the congestion as well as pollution in the cities. If affordable taxis would be available then people will think twice before using their own vehicles.

 

 

 

INTERNATIONAL

 

  • Curtain Raiser :Indo-Kazakhstan Joint Exercise KAZIND 2018

 

  • Indo-Kazakhstan Joint Army Exercise ‘KAZIND’ will be conducted between the Indian and Kazakhstan Army from 10 to 23 Sep 2018 in Otar region, Kazakhstan.

 

  • This is the third joint military exercise between the two countries which have a history of extensive cooperation in the defence arena.

 

  • The second edition of the exercise was held in India last year.

 

  • The aim of the exercise is to build and promote bilateral Army to Army relations and exchange skills and experiences between Kazakhstan Army and the Indian Army.

 

 

  • India on track to buy 18 bullet trains from Japan for Rs 7,000 crore

 

 

  • India will purchase 18 bullet train sets from Japan at a total cost of about Rs 7,000 crore in a deal that includes a pledge to transfer technology for local production.

 

  • Each train will have 10 coaches and would be able to cruise at the speed of 350 km per hour.

 

  • The country’s first bullet train is likely to start running between Mumbai and Ahmedabad by the end of 2022.

 

  • The 508-km, high speed train corridor is being built with Japanese assistance.

 

·        World’s first lion cubs born via artificial insemination

 

  • In a world first achievement, a lioness at the Ukutula Conservation Center and Biobank in South Africa‘s North West province has given birth to two cubs conceived via non-surgical artificial insemination, using fresh semen from an adult male lion at the same facility.
  • The research is a breakthrough for saving endangered specieslike tiger and snow leopard.

 

  • IAF & French Air force Conduct Basic Training in India

 

  • Indian Air Force (IAF) recently participated in Exercise Pitch Black 2018 at Darwin, Australia.

 

  • Sixteen different nations from across the globe, including French Air Force (FAF) participated in this exercise.

 

  • On the return leg, Rafale fighter aircraft and transport aircraft of FAF staged through Air Force Station, Gwalior and Air Force Station, Agra from 01 – 04 Sep 18.

 

 

NATIONAL

 

·        Amazon India made its e-commerce website and mobile application available in Hindi

 

  • Amazon Indiaannounced that its e-commerce website and mobile application is now made available in Hindi. Other online players like also Paytm Mall offer users the option to use Hindi as a language. However, Flipkart is available only in English.
  • The launch of the Hindi shopping experience is to bring the next 100 million customers online. This first Indian language launch by Amazon will enable Hindi-preferring customers to shop in their preferred language.

 

·        National Nutrition Month being celebrated across Country in the month of September

 

  • The National Nutrition Month (September) is being celebrated across the country to mark the fight against malnutrition.
  • During this month, various programmes have been organized by the Women and Child Development Ministry to spread broad awareness on the issues related to malnutrition like stunting, undernutrition, anemia and low birth weight in children.

 

·         Total state fiscal deficits to rise by 20bps to 2.8% in FY19′

 

  • The aggregate fiscal deficit of the states is likely to moderate to 2.8 per cent of GDP, 20 bps higher than the budgeted target, on the back of the states likely achieving a zero revenue balance to GDP ratio in FY19, said a report.

 

  • The agency has revised downward the aggregate debt/GDP estimate to 24.4 per cent for FY19 from its earlier estimate of 25.8 per cent. The states have budgeted debt/GDP at 24.3 per cent for FY19, marginally higher than 24 per cent in FY18.

 

  • The states have budgeted their combined gross market borrowings at Rs 4,40,720 crore in FY19. But the agency estimates the borrowings to be higher at Rs 4,65,280 crore this fiscal.

 

  • The states’ aggregate market borrowings rose to Rs 1.1 trillion during April to July 2018, from Rs 98,200 crore over April to July 2017.

 

·        Smriti Irani inaugurated ‘digital village’ in Amethi

 

  • Union textiles minister Smriti Irani inaugurated a ‘digital village’ in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, the parliamentary constituency of Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
  • Under the digital village project, there would be 206 programmes available for the people including a Wi-Fi Chaupal, LED bulb manufacturing, a unit to make sanitary pads and PM digital literacy initiative.
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