SIPVS Knowledge is Power
- Japanese Passport Named As The World’s Most Powerful Passport
Replacing the Singaporean passport, the Japanese passport has been declared the most powerful passport across the world in 2018.
- According to 2018 Henley Passport Index, the people having Japanese passport can travel without a visa or can get an on-arrival visa across 190 countries.
- The passport of Singapore allows visa-free or on-arrival visa travel to 189 countries.
- India, meanwhile, stands at a far 81st number – which grants access to 60 destinations.
- Goa Maritime Symposium – 2018
Towards fostering friendly relations with our maritime neighbours, the Indian Navy, through the Naval War College, Goa is hosting the ‘Goa Maritime Symposium – 2018’ on 16th October2018.
- The event is a follow-on to the maiden Goa Maritime Conclave held in 2017.
- It is likely to be attended by senior naval officers and representatives from 16 Indian Ocean littoral countries.
- President of India Inaugurates 29th Accountants General Conference
The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the 29th Accountants General Conference in New Delhi.
- Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the 29th Accountants General Conference is the right occasion and opportunity to introspect and deliberate on what needs to be done to further our mission of promoting accountability, transparency and good governance.
- The theme of this year’s Conference is “Auditing and Accounting in a Digital Era”. This is extremely relevant today when the government is making great strides in ushering in Digital India.
- Cabinet approves closure of National Jute Manufactures Corporation Ltd
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the closure of National Jute Manufactures Corporation Ltd. (NJMC) and its subsidiary Birds Jute & Exports Ltd. (BJEL).
- The decision will benefit the Government exchequer in reducing recurring expenditure incurred in operating both the sick CPSEs in running their activities.
- The proposal will help in closing loss making companies and ensuring release of valuable assets for productive use, or for generating financial resources for developmental progress.
- The available land with both the CPSEs will be put up for public use/other government use for overall development of society.
- INS Rana at South Korea to Participate in IFR
INS Rana which is currently on Operational Deployment to the North West Pacific region in the pursuance of India’s Act East Policy, arrived Jeju, Repubic of Korea to participate in the International Fleet Review (IFR).
- It is being held at from 08 – 15 Oct 18.
- During the 7-day visit, INS Rana, commanded by Capt Atul Deswal will have a series of confidence-building engagements with Republic of Korea Navy and other foreign Navies participating in the IFR.
- Vijay Goel inaugurates the Online Assurances Monitoring System
Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Statistics & Programme Implementation, Shri Vijay Goel, inaugurated the Online Assurances Monitoring System(OAMS), developed by the Union Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
- This system has made the information regarding assurances given on the floor of the Houses of Parliament paper less and available in digital format.
- Different Ministers, while giving replies to questions or making statements in Parliament, give assurances on the floor of the House.
- The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs culls out such assurances from the proceedings of the House, based on the guidelines for this purpose, and sends the extract of those assurances to the concerned Ministries for their fulfilment.
- UNICEF, NASSCOM sign MoU to strengthen child rights
UNICEF and NASSCOM Foundation have signed an agreement to strengthen child rights through “meaningful business interventions”.
- With this Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the two organisations will work collaboratively on two key areas including national sensitisation on ‘child online protection’ and ‘encouraging innovations for child rights’ in the country.
- As partners, both the companies will co-create sensitisation workshops across India.
- Country’s first ethanol plant to come up in Odisha’s Bargarh district
Odisha is going to have a Second Generation (2G) Ethanol Bio-Refinery, first in the country to produce ethanol from rice straw, in Bargarh district.
- The facility, which is expecting its mechanical commissioning in the next two years, is one among 12 refineries planned in 11 States in the country.
- To be set up at Baulsingha village under Bhatli tehsil by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) at an estimated cost of Rs1000 crore, the bio-refinery will produce three crore litre of fuel-grade ethanol annually using rice straw as feedstock.
- Tushar Mehta appointed as the new Solicitor General of India
Senior Advocate Tushar Mehta has been appointed as the new Solicitor General of India.
- He is currently serving as the Additional Solicitor General.
- The Solicitor General of India is the second-highest rank for a law officer of the government.
- The post of the second highest ranking law officer of the government had fallen vacant after senior advocate Ranjit Kumar’s resignation in December last year.
