Current affairs English| Evening News Current affairs 23 August 2019 _English | करंट अफेयर्स 23 ऑगस्ट 2019 इंग्लिश मध्ये

Current affairs English| Evening News

Current affairs 23 August 2019 _English | करंट अफेयर्स 23 ऑगस्ट 2019 इंग्लिश मध्ये

RBI permits processing of e-Mandate on cards for recurring transactions

The Reserve Bank of India has been decided to permit processing of e-mandate on cards for recurring transactions (merchant payments) with AFA (additional factor of authentication) during e-mandate registration, modification and revocation, as also for the first transaction. The RBI has allowed consumers to make recurring payments of up to Rs. 2,000 by giving an e-Mandate from September 2019.

The RBI stated that this development is applicable for ‘transactions performed using all types of cards – debit, credit, and Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs), including digital wallets’. The directive from the central bank will come into effect from September 1, 2019.

This means one can set auto pay instructions for small-value repetitive transactions such as subscription payments and bill payments on mobile wallets or debit and credit cards without having to put in the second factor of authentication every time a payment is made.

The RBI’s decision to permit e-mandate on cards will be a strong enabler to grow digital payments across the country.

Russia launches world's first floating nuclear reactor in Arctic

Russia launched the world's first floating nuclear reactor and sent it on an epic journey across the Arctic on 23 August 2019.

Loaded with nuclear fuel, the Akademik Lomonosov will leave the Arctic port of Murmansk to begin its 5,000 kilometre voyage to northeastern Siberia.

The vessel weighs 21,000 tons and has two reactors with a capacity of 35 megawatts each, close to that of those used by nuclear icebreakers. It has a crew of 69 and travels at a speed of 3.5 to 4.5 knots.

As per Nuclear agency Rosatom, the reactor is a simpler alternative to building a conventional plant on ground that is frozen all year round, and it intends to sell such reactors abroad. But environmental groups have long warned of the dangers of the project, dubbing it a potential "Chernobyl on ice" and a "nuclear Titanic."

Russia launches rocket carrying life-sized robot to ISS

Russia launched a rocket carrying life-sized robot to the International Space Station (ISS) from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It is set to arrive at the station on 24 August 2019.

In order to test a new emergency rescue system, the robot was the Soyuz rocket's only passenger.

The robot, named “Fedor” is the first ever sent into space by Russia. During its 10 days at the ISS, Fedor will learn new skills such as connecting and disconnecting electric cables, using standard items from a screwdriver and a spanner to a fire extinguisher.

About ISS

The International Space Station (ISS) is a space station (habitable artificial satellite) in low Earth orbit. The first ISS component was launched in 1998, with the first long-term residents arriving on 2 November 2000.

The ISS programme is a joint project between five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada).

The ISS maintains an orbit with an average altitude of 400 kilometres (250 mi). It circles the Earth in roughly 92 minutes and completes 15.5 orbits per day.

Power Minister approves proposal to declare ocean energy as Renewable Energy

In a decision that would give boost to the ocean energy in India, Union Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy R. K. Singh approved a proposal to declare ocean energy as Renewable Energy.

Accordingly, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has clarified to all the stakeholders that energy produced using various forms of ocean energy such as tidal, wave, ocean thermal energy conversion etc. shall be considered as Renewable Energy and shall be eligible for meeting the non-solar Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPO).

Ocean Energy

Oceans cover 70 percent of the earth’s surface and represent an enormous amount of energy in the form of wave, tidal, marine current and thermal gradient.

The total theoretical potential of wave energy in India along the country’s coast is estimated to be about 40,000 MW – these are preliminary estimates. This energy is however less intensive than what is available in more northern and southern latitudes.

The Gulf of Cambay and the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat on the west coast have the locations in the country where potential exists.

Total identified potential of Tidal Energy is about 12455 MW, with potential locations identified at Khambat & Kutch regions, and large backwaters, where barrage technology could be used.

Ajay Kumar Bhalla: New Home Secretary

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Ajay Kumar Bhalla as Home Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs.

Ajay Kumar Bhalla is a IAS Officer on Special Duty, Ministry of Home Affairs. He is appointed in place of Rajiv Gauba.

China launches unmanned warship

China has launched an unmanned warship, which is combat-ready.

The multi-purpose unmanned combat vessel, jointly developed by No. 716 and No. 702 research institutes under China's state-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC), has a length of about only 15 meters and a displacement of 20 tonnes.

It is capable of conducting air defence, anti-ship and anti-submarine missions as it is equipped with phased array radar system, vertical-launched missiles and torpedoes.

‘Sabka Vishwas - Legacy Dispute Resolution Scheme’ to be operationalized from 1st Sept

In the Union Budget 2019-20, the Finance Minister announced the Sabka Vishwas-Legacy Dispute Resolution Scheme, 2019. The Scheme has now been notified and will be operationalized from 1st September 2019. The Scheme would continue till 31st December 2019.

Government expects the Scheme to be availed by large number of taxpayers for closing their pending disputes relating to legacy Service Tax and Central Excise cases that are now subsumed under GST so they can focus on GST.

About Scheme

The two main components of the scheme are dispute resolution and amnesty. The dispute resolution component is aimed at liquidating the legacy cases of Central Excise and Service Tax that are subsumed in GST and are pending in litigation at various forums. The amnesty component of the Scheme offers an opportunity to the taxpayers to pay the outstanding tax and be free of any other consequence under the law.

This scheme offers a relief of 70% from the duty demand if it is Rs.50 lakhs or less and 50% if it is more than Rs. 50 lakhs.