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DGFT appoints Ajay Kumar Bhalla as its DG

Senior IAS officer Ajay Kumar Bhalla was on 13 October 2016 appointed as the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). 
●    He succeeds Anup Wadhawan, who was appointed as Additional Secretary in the commerce ministry.
●    Bhalla, a 1984 batch IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, is presently an Additional Secretary in the Commerce Ministry.
●    Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) organisation is an attached office of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and is headed by Director General of Foreign Trade.
●    It is entrusted with responsibilities for formulating and implementing the foreign trade policy with the main objective of promoting India's exports.
●    It also issues authorisation to exporters and monitors their corresponding obligations through a network of 36 regional offices and an extension counter at Indore.


 

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Uber, Centre Sign Pacts to impart skills training

Uber said it has signed an agreement with the Ministry of Electronics and IT to use Common Services Centers (CSCs) to impart skills training to drivers.
●    Through this agreement, Uber aims to ensure that people who come to these CSCs, especially at the grassroot level, gain access to tools, training resources and related information for becoming a driver on its platform, the company said
●    Uber India President Amit Jain said the partnership could provide an opportunity for individuals to receive driver training, license facilitation and vehicle financing to become successful micro-entrepreneur.
●    Uber plans to start the initiative with an initial pilot phase in and around Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

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Union Government to use Post Offices to Distribute Pulses

The Centre government on Friday decided to utilise the vast network of post offices across the country to sell subsidised pulses to ensure that there is no shortage of the item during the ongoing festival season.
●    The decision was taken during the meeting of the inter-ministerial committee on prices of essential commodities.
●    The committee, headed by Consumer Affairs Secretary Hem Pande, suggested that in the absence of government outlets in the States, postal networks should be explored for the distribution of pulses, mainly, tur, urad and chana.
●    An official statement of the Consumer Affairs Ministry said the committee also reviewed the availability and prices of essential commodities, especially pulses, and decided to release more chana (gram) from buffer stock to ensure its availability through retail distribution at reasonable prices during the season.
●    The Central government has been asking the States to lift tur and urad pulses from buffer stock and sell it at subsidised prices to protect consumers from high prices.


 

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India, Russia to Set up 25 Agro Irradiation Centres

India and Russia on 13 October 2016 signed a bilateral agreement for cooperation in the development of a network of integrated infrastructure irradiation centres.
●    The agreement was signed between the Indian Agricultural Association, Hindustan Agro Co-Op Ltd (HACL) and United Innovation Corporation (UIC), a subsidiary of ROSATOM State Atomic Energy Corporation of Russia.
●    It was signed by Bharat Dhokane Pandurang, Chairman of HACL and Denis Cherednichenko, CEO of UIC.
●    It will be implemented through a Joint Venture and aims to set up 25 integrated irradiation centres. 
●    In the first phase, seven centres will be set up in Maharashtra, which will begin with the upgradation of the current centre at Rahuri in Ahmednagar district.
●    The 7 centres are likely to be established in Sindhurg, Satara, Solapur, JNPT, Jalana, Napur and Pune in the first phase. 
●    UIC will be a technology partner and will help set up the irradiation centres in India. 

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Putin, Modi to Inaugurate work on Kudankulam Nuclear Reactors

The Kudankulam nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu may soon be one of the biggest in the world after the foundations for Unit 3 and 4 are laid on Saturday and MoUs for Unit 5 and 6 are signed. 
●    Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin inaugurated Unit 3 and 4 via video-conferencing from Goa, where Putin has arrived for the Brics Summit.
●    Once the plant reaches full capacity it will share the fifth position in terms of power generation with Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine. 
●    The Ukraine plant already generates a net capacity of 5,700MW and a gross capacity of 6,000MW. 
●    Once completely set up, the Kudankulam plant will generate 6,000 MW of power as well. 
●    The Tamil Nadu plant will be the biggest in South Asia once it reaches full capacity.
●    Currently, the Tamil Nadu plant has a capacity of 2,000 MW and stands at the 10th position in terms of power generation.


 

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Less than 6 in 10 TB Cases Reported in India : WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on 13 October 2016 released the Global Tuberculosis Report 2016 highlighting that countries need to move much faster to prevent, detect and treat Tuberculosis (TB) in order to meet global targets.
●    While efforts to respond to TB saved more than 3 million lives in 2015, however TB burden is actually higher than previously estimated, reflecting survey data from India.
●    In 2015, there were an estimated 10.4 million new TB cases worldwide. 
●    Six countries accounted for 60 percent of the total burden, with India bearing the brunt, followed by Indonesia, China, Nigeria, Pakistan and South Africa.
●    An estimated 1.8 million people died from TB in 2015, of whom 0.4 million were co-infected with HIV.
●    Although global TB deaths fell by 22 percent between 2000 and 2015, the disease was one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide in 2015.

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TRAI proposes uniform Inter-Connection Norms

In a move to check arm-twisting practices and bring in more transparency in broadcasting business, regulator Trai today proposed uniform inter-connection guidelines for transmission of TV channels across all available platforms like cable, DTH and IPTV. 
●    At present, two separate regulatory frameworks are applicable for inter-connection of HITS, IPTV and DTH, and cable TV services.
●    HITS is a satellite multiplex service that provides cable channels. 
●    In the broadcast sector, there are a number of intermediaries between a broadcaster and the end consumer. 
●    The broadcast takes the route of distribution network and reaches viewers either through DTH, cable operator or an IPTV.
●    According to Trai, transparency and non-discrimination at various levels of broadcast distribution chain will lead to healthy competition in the sector.


 

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Health Ministry to prepare Comprehensive Response Framework for Zika

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Shri J P Nadda recently held a high level meeting comprising senior officials from the Health Ministry, institutional heads of National Centre for Disease Control, National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, Central Government Hospitals, namely Dr RML hospital, Safdarjung hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College and AIIMS, to review the preparedness efforts for Zika virus disease and Seasonal Influenza.
●    In the context of Zika virus disease, the Health Minister reviewed the surveillance at point of entries and in the community, laboratory strengthening, preparation and dissemination of guidelines, risk communication, travel advisory etc., to tackle possible spread of Zika virus disease in the country.
●    The Health Minister emphasized the need to focus on source reduction of the mosquito by all means including involvement of community and non-governmental organizations. Heath Minister also directed his officials to prepare a comprehensive strategic response framework for zika virus disease on priority basis.
●    For Seasonal Influenza (“Swine Flu”) the Health Minister stressed the need to continue day today monitoring of the cases. He also directed the officials to review the existing stock of laboratory reagents, drugs and personal protective equipment and take necessary steps to augment them, if needed.
●    Further, the Health Minister directed to review the guidelines prepared and issued earlier by the ministry (in 2014) for management of cases of Influenza. 
●    Shri Nadda directed that a group of technical experts should examine ways and means to increase the availability of diagnostic tests and the drug Oseltamivir at peripheral levels including chemists in private sector. 

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DMRC plans free wifi at all stations by mid-2017

By the middle of 2017, commuters will be able to enjoy access to free Wi-Fi in all trains and stations of the Delhi Metro.
●    In a major step towards this goal, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Friday launched free Wi-Fi facilities at all six metro stations on its Airport Express Line. 
●    DMRC’s managing director Dr. Mangu Singh launched the facility at the Shivaji Stadium Metro station.
●    The facility is called “Oui DMRC Free Wi-Fi”.
●    The DMRC currently provides Wi-Fi facility at four major stations: Rajiv Chowk, Kashmere Gate, Central Secretariat and Hauz Khas, in association with Rail Tel Corporation.
●    After the Airport Express Line, the DMRC now aims to extend Wi-Fi facility to the Blue Line and then the rest of the network. 

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China and Bangladesh ink 27 agreements

Bangladesh and China have agreed to elevate their cooperation to “strategic partnership” during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the South Asian country on Friday.
●    The two countries have also agreed to jointly advance China’s ‘belt and road initiative’ and establish “institutional cooperation” in areas of maritime issues and counter-terrorism.
●    Mr. Xi’s milestone visit to Dhaka, first in 30 years by a Chinese president, also witnessed the signing of 26 agreements on different sectors.
●    Ms. Hasina said the agreements have created a platform for “our two countries to cooperate at a higher plane.”
●    She hoped that with cooperation from China, Bangladesh will be able to reach its goal to become a middle-income country by 2021, and wished that the friendship between the two countries will grow stronger.

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