The Union Government has allowed online authentication using Aadhar for new mobile connections. 
•    In this regard Department of Telecom (DoT) has issued guidelines for Aadhaar Electronic-Know Your Customer (e-KYC). 
•    The e-KYC seeks to make the online process of application and authentication faster and simpler for subscribers. 
•    Customer through their Aadhaar number and biometrics will online authorise UIDAI to provide demographic details. 
•    The details will include name, address, date of birth and gender, along with the digitally-signed photograph, to the mobile operator. 
•    The e-KYC seeks to bring down the cost of subscriber acquisition significantly as telecom companies will not have to spend on physical transportation of forms, verification, scanning and storage. 
•    Besides it will be an instant, secure and green mobile subscriber verification project, where a customer’s Aadhar card and fingerprints are adequate for both validating and activating prepaid and postpaid connections.
 

The Union Government on 12 August 2016 constituted the National Committee on Trade Facilitation (NCTF).
•    The committee seeks to develop the pan-India road map for trade facilitation as per the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
•    Earlier, on 22 April 2016, India ratified the TFA which is an outcome of the Bali Package 2013 or Ninth Ministerial Conference of the WTO.
•    It is an inter-ministerial body on trade facilitation.
•    It will act as a national level body that will facilitate domestic co-ordination and implementation of TFA provisions.
•    It will play lead role in developing the pan-India road map for trade facilitation.
•    It will synergise the various trade facilitation perspectives across the country.
•    The focus will be on outreach programmes for sensitization of stakeholders about it.
•    The committee will also be responsible for identifying the nature of required legislative changes and spearheading the diagnostic tools needed for assessing compliance to TFA.
•    It will have a 3-tier structure with main national committee for monitoring implementation of TFA.
•    At the apex level, it will be headed by the Union Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha.
 

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today addressed the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on 70th Independence Day. 
•    Shri Narendra Modi paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, and countless people, who sacrificed their lives so that Swarajya could be attained. 
•    125 crore Indians have now resolved to complete the journey from Swarajya to “Suraj.” He said the achievement of Suraj will require sacrifice, hard work, discipline, dedication and courage, and added that every institution from Panchayat to Parliament must work unitedly towards this goal. 
•    The Prime Minister said that there was a time when allegations engulfed the Government. He said that this Government, instead, is surrounded by expectations. He said that when hope gives rise to expectations, it gives us energy to move faster towards Suraj. 
•    The Prime Minister defined various attributes of Suraj, such as Sensitivity, Responsibility, Accountability, Transparency, Efficiency and Good Governance. He illustrated each of these attributes through examples of the working of the Union Government, in areas such as online registration in major hospitals, promptness of income tax refunds, speeding up the process of passport delivery, faster company registrations, and ending interviews for Group C and Group D positions in the Government. 
•    The Prime Minister announced some new initiatives. He said the pension for freedom fighters would be enhanced from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 30,000 per month. He said the Government would work towards creation of museums and memorials dedicated to the Adivasi freedom fighters across the country. Government would bear expenses upto one lakh rupees for the poor, towards meeting the cost of hospitalization.
 

India’s first ever BIO-CNG plant producing CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) from agricultural residue was inaugurated in Pune, Maharashtra. 
•    It was jointly inaugurated by Union Minister of surface Transport Nitin Gadkari and Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. 
•    The plant was commissioned by Pune-based Primove Engineering Private Limited. It has been set up as a Proof of Concept (PoC) which can be replicated elsewhere. 
•    It uses special bacterial solution for treating agricultural waste in the process of generation of CNG. The gas generated is cleaned and compressed for use in vehicles. 
•    The bio-fuel will help in reducing the import of diesel up to 50% and therefore the huge amount of foreign exchange can be saved. 
•    This energy source is also cost effective and pollution free. 
•    This project is remarkable step in Make In India and also will help reduce problem of disposal of agricultural waste was a major concern in the country.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh flagged off the Jammu-Haridwar Express train from Baroda House, Railway headquarters. 
•    Speaking on the occasion Dr Jitendra Singh said that his personal presence at Railway headquarters during the flagging - off ceremony was meant to convey a deep sense of gratitude on behalf of the people of Jammu for the manner in which, one after the other, the Ministry of Railways had positively responded to the needs and demands of the people of Jammu. He recalled that, less than three months ago, the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had flagged off the historic Kamakhya (Assam) to Katra (Vaishno Devi) train covering a distance of more than 2,000 Km and connecting the two destinations of religious pilgrimage. 
•    Dr. Jitendra Singh said a train does not mean a mere means of transport but much more than that and is therefore, deeply embedded in our psyche and culture thus instantly conjuring up images of movement, progress and reaching out to people and places. He said, PM Shri Modi’s dictum of “Speed, scale and skill” for growth and progress is best personified by the manner in which the Indian Railways has registered its growth in the last two years under the dynamic leadership of the Railway Minister Shri Suresh Prabhu. 
•    It is not a small achievement, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, that Railway network has today reached even the remotest parts like Kashmir Valley and Katra where people could have never imagined of it. He also referred to the plan for setting up a new Railway Station at Kathua, expansion of Udhampur Railway Station and setting up of sitting benches and shades at Kathua, Udhampur and Ram Nagar Railway Stations, for which he is also contributing from his Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS). Expressing satisfaction over the progress in the construction of Railway bridge at Reasi, he said, this part of the Railway link from Jammu to Kashmir will be an illustration for posterity.
 

The Centre has constituted the National Committee on Trade Facilitation following India’s ratification of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) in April. 
•    The NCTF will facilitate domestic co-ordination and TFA provisions' implementation, and help develop the pan-India trade facilitation road map. 
•    The committee is a mandatory, institutional arrangement under TFA.
•    The defined objective behind setting up the NCTF is to have a national level body that will facilitate domestic co-ordination and implementation of TFA provisions. 
•    It will play the lead role in developing the pan-India road map for trade facilitation. 
•    It will be instrumental in synergizing the various trade facilitation perspectives across the country and will also focus on an outreach programme for sensitization of all stakeholders about TFA.
•    The composition of the NCTF is inclusive at the national committee level which will comprise of Secretaries of all key Departments involved in trade issues like Revenue, Commerce, Agriculture, Home, Shipping, Health etc. 
•    It will also have Chairman CBEC, Chairman Railway Board, and Director General Foreign Trade as Members. 
•    Major trade associations like CII, FICCI, and FIEO etc are also its Members.
 

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The Minister for Information & Broadcasting Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu said that Bharat Parv, a festival to celebrate India’s 70 years of Independence will help foster the spirit of Unity and Integrity amongst the people across the country. The Government as a part of celebrations has developed a massive programme of 75 Ministers going all over the country and visiting the birthplace of great heroes and places of historical importance like Jallianwala Bagh, Kakori, etc. Shri Naidu stated this today while inaugurating the Photo Exhibition titled ‘Azadi 70-Yaad Karo Qurbani’ in remembrance of heroes of the freedom struggle at the Rajpath Lawn in New Delhi. Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore and Secretary I&B, Shri Ajay Mittal were also present on the occasion.
•    Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that the younger generation of the country should take inspiration from the lives of great leaders and should move forward while keeping the traditions and culture of the nation intact. He added that irrespective of caste, creed, sex, race and religion, India is one - One nation, One people and One country. He said that
•    "Alag Bhasha, Alag Bhesh, 
Phir bhi Apna Ek Desh.
Vividhta Mein Ekta, 
Bharat Ki Visheshta."
•    The exhibition will be open to the public from 12th to 18th August 2016 from 2 pm to 9pm every day. It has 70 exhibition panels and more than 300 photographs which highlight not only the freedom struggle but also the efforts at nation building since 1947. 
•    The exhibition is broadly divided into two broad sections-the first section covers the period from the First War of Independence in 1857 to freedom in 1947 and how the public angst spread from Bengal to South India. 
•    The second segment tracks the progress since independence including the adoption of the Constitution, efforts at developing nuclear capabilities including the Pokhran test. It covers a wide variety of subjects including Science and Sports. 
•    It also has a special focus on achievements made in the last two years including the changes in work culture, friendly relations with neighbours and other countries. 
•    The Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP) had organized the exhibition in collaboration with Photo Division. The exhibition is a part of the mega event by Ministry of Tourism titled 'Bharat Parv' from 12th to 18th August 2016 to celebrate 70th anniversary of Indian Independence to showcase 'Unity in Diversity' and diverse culture of India.
 

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for the development of Advanced Ultra Super Critical technology for thermal power plants.
•    In this regard, CCEA has approved a one-time grant of 900 crore rupees spread over three years for an R&D project for the development of AUSC technology for thermal power plants. 
•    The project was proposed by a consortium of three government entities to reduce coal consumption as well as Carbon dioxide emission. 
•    They are Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd , Indira Gandhi Centre of Atomic Research National Thermal Power Corporation.
•    AUSC technology will enable Indian industries to design, manufacture and commission higher efficiency coal-fired power plants with indigenously developed technology. 
•    This will be the first time large power plant equipment will be manufactured without any technological collaboration or licensing agreement with foreign companies. 
•    Use of this technology in all future large coal-fired power plants will ensure energy security for the country for a longer period as well as greener environment.
 

The Union Government has decided to set up a committee to look at easing the policy regime for e-commerce players, including the rules for foreign direct investment. 
•    The committee will be headed by Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog. 
•    The other members in the panel will include officials from Union Commerce Ministry and Industry and Department of electronics and IT among others.
•    Representatives from four states including Maharashtra and Karnataka will also be the members of the committee. 
•    The terms of reference of the Committee is to examine various issues in e-commerce sector and making recommendations for further liberalization of the policy. 
•    The terms of reference of the Committee is to look into all issues including FDI norms pertaining to the fast growing e-commerce industry in the country. 
•    There are issues related to e-commerce players selling pharmaceuticals and some e-commerce firms are facing taxation related problems in few states. 
•    Setting up of this committee assumes significance as the Union Government recently had permitted 100 per cent FDI in food processing sector. 
 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on 10 August 2016 dedicated Unit 1 of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant to the nation.
•    Besides, PM Modi announced that five more reactors of 1000 megawatt each will come up in the same location.
•    The reactors are being built jointly by Nuclear Power Corporation of India and Atomstroy export company, a subsidiary of Rosatom (the regulatory body of the Russian nuclear complex).
•    The power plant is updated with most modern Russian technologies.
•    The first reactor of the plant attained criticality on 13 July 2013 at 11:05 P.M.
•    Unit 1 was operating at 73% capacity by April 2014.
•    Unit 1 attained its maximum capacity of 1000 MWe at 1:20 P.M. on 7 June 2014.
•    It started commercial operation from 31 December 2014.
•    Almost 85 per cent of the funding of the project has come from the State loan of the Russian Federation.

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