Current Affairs - 2019-20

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Aadhaar Pay is proposed to be launched in April, 2017 and is meant for merchants to receive digital payments from customers over the counter through Aadhaar authentication.

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Rcently, the Indian Railways Organization for Alternate Fuel (IROAF) has won the 2017 Golden Peacock Award for Eco-Innovation for introducing eco-friendly and cost-saving Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) based Dual Fuel 1400 HP Diesel engines on Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) trains. This innovation will reduce emissions considerably by bringing down NOx by 16%, CO2 by 6% and Particulate Matter by 18% besides achieving economy in fuel cost by 8%. So far, 19 Engines of DEMUs have been successfully converted into CNG based dual fuel engines with this technology. The IROAF is a unique organization in the Government space which was established by Ministry of Railways to explore new environment friendly fuels/ renewable energy and eco- friendly technologies like substitution of diesel with CNG/LNG in train sets, etc.

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AirAsia is a low-cost airline based in Malaysia. It is the largest airline in Malaysia by fleet size and destinations, and it has a significant presence in Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and Australia. AirAsia was founded in 1993 and began operations in 1996. The airline is known for its low-cost business model and its frequent flyer program, AirAsia BIG. AirAsia has been awarded numerous accolades, including being named the “World’s Best Low-Cost Airline” by Skytrax for 10 consecutive years from 2009 to 2018.

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22nd March is celebrated as the World Water Day. It is celebrated to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. A theme related to the focus is selected every year by the UN organizations. The theme for 2020 was “Water and Climate Change”.

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According to Mercer’s 20th annual Quality of Living survey 2018, Vienna has topped the ranking among 231 cities for the 9th consecutive year. It is followed by Switzerland’s Zurich, while New Zealand’s Auckland and Germany’s Munich tied for third place. In the 2018 survey, Hyderabad and Pune have been jointly ranked at 142, making the best Indian cities to live in. They were closely followed by Bengaluru (149), Chennai (151), Mumbai, (154), Kolkata (160), with New Delhi (162) taking the last spot as it continues to battle rising traffic congestion and air pollution. The quality of living survey is conducted to help governments and major companies place employees on international assignments. The survey also identifies those cities with the highest personal safety ranking based upon internal stability, crime, effectiveness of law enforcement and relationships with other countries.

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Narendra Modi Government reinstalled plaque with the name and quote of Veer Savarkar at Cellular Jail in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The plaque was first installed in 2004 in the Atal Behari Vajpayee government. It was removed soon after UPA government came to power at the Centre.

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Recently, Shri Vijaybhai Rupani, Chief Minister of Gujarat inaugurated the SAARC Disaster Management Centre at the Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management (GIDM), Gandhinagar, on May 24, 2017. The setup of the SAARC Disaster Management Centre in India consolidates India's role as first responders in crises and furthers “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” policy in external environment especially in the neighbourhood.

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The BRICS nations have adopted the “New Delhi Declaration on Education”, resolving to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all. The declaration was adopted at a conference of Education Ministers of the BRICS nations-Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

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World’s first zero-emission, hydrogen passenger train has been started in Germany. It will start its commercial run December 2017.

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In Union Budget 2018, the term “grandfathering clause” was used in the context of Long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax. The “grandfathering” clause is a special provision by which a person, institution or any entity can be exempted from a new law, rule or regulation. The Finance Minister used a new provision of long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax in his 2018-19 Union Budget speech. As per the new provision, the government would tax long-term capital gains exceeding Rs 1 lakh at a rate of 10 percent; however, the all gains up to January 31, 2018, have been “grandfathered” or exempted from LTCG tax. The gains made in the future, or beyond January 31, 2018, will be taxed according to the new LTCG tax regime.