Current Affairs: 10 March 2017

Women Safety app 'Ammavin Aran' launched by AIADMK

The AIADMK IT Wing has launched the first-of-its-kind women safety application in Tamil Nadu. The app is called 'Ammavin Aran' meaning 'mother's fortress'.
The app was launched as a part of Women's Day celebration.
The app was launched as a tribute to Jayalalithaa

Features of the app

The app will give the user details about the nearest police station and hospital along with map details and phone number.
There is an in-built whistle, which can manipulate the phone speaker to create a loud noise when pressed by anyone in distress.
Also, the app carries an in-built call recorder and and 'Tips' icon to provide life saving information.

Know More About Tamil Nadu

Its capital and largest city is Chennai
It is the eleventh largest state in India.
The bordering states are Kerala to the west, Karnataka to the north west and Andhra Pradesh to the north.
To the east is the Bay of Bengal and the state encircles the union territory of Puducherry.

Aadhaar made mandatory for a host of farm sector schemes

For better targeting of central subsidies, the government has made Aadhaar mandatory for a host of schemes under the agriculture ministry, from soil health card and horticulture development to the Prime Minister’s flagship crop insurance scheme launched last year.
According to the notification, farmers without an Aadhaar number have to apply for it by end of March and till that time they can avail services under by furnishing a proof of their application.

What is Aadhaar?

Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identification number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) after collecting biometric data of residents. Its for availing subsidies got legislative backing in March last year after the Aadhaar Bill was passed by Lok Sabha.

Read Here: Prime Minister’s Crop Onsurance Scheme

Largest Flag Inaugurated On India's Tallest Post At Attari Border

A 360-foot high (110 metres) flag post, the country's tallest, was inaugurated at the Indo-Pak Attari Border, just a stone's throw from Pakistan.
Punjab Minister Anil Joshi inaugurated the country's largest flag on the tallest flag post - measuring 110 metres in length, 24 metres in width and 55 tons in weight.
Built at an approximate cost of Rs. 3.50 crore, the post was a project of the Amritsar Improvement Trust Authority of the Punjab Government.
The flag post, installed at the border, became an attraction for thousands of tourists who had reached there to watch the Beating Retreat Ceremony during the sunset.
At present, the tallest flag mast is in Ranchi, which is 300-foot high.
Amritsar city already has a 170-foot tall flag in the local Ranjit Avenue Public Park.

IBM Researchers Store Data on World’s Smallest Magnet -- a Single Atom

IBM announced it has created the world’s smallest magnet using a single atom – and stored one bit of data on it. Currently, hard disk drives use about 100,000 atoms to store a single bit.
The ability to read and write one bit on one atom creates new possibilities for developing significantly smaller and denser storage devices, that could someday, for example, enable storing the entire iTunes library of 35 million songs on a device the size of a credit card.
The ability to read and write one bit on one atom may lead to developing significantly smaller and denser storage devices in future that can store the entire iTunes library of 35 million songs on a device.
Scientists used a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) to build and measure isolated single-atom bits using the holmium atoms. An electrical current was used to write and read binary data (1s and 0s) on the atom.
The invention can allow people and businesses to store 1,000 times more information in the same space and one day make data centers, computers and personal devices radically smaller and more powerful.

Key Facts About IBM

International Business Machines Corporation: American multinational technology company
Founded June 16, 1911
Founder Charles Ranlett Flint
Headquarters Armonk, New York, U.S.

Odisha govt launches 181 helpline for distressed women

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated a 24X7 toll free helplinenumber 181 for distressed women on the occasion on International Women's Day
The helpline will facilitate quick response of various services including lodging police complaint to provide medical, legal and counselling to women victims.
The Centre had launched the 181 helpline number in 2013 after the brutal gang-rape of Nirbhaya in December 2012 and asked all states to start the helpline.
Besides, 1091 helpline number by the police and 10920 helpline number by the State Commission for Women are also there.

Key Facts About Odisha

Statehood: 26 January 1950
Capital: Bhubaneswar
Largest city: Bhubaneswar
Governor: S.C. Jamir
Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik

Cuevas wins third straight Brazil Open title

Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas has won his third straight Brazil Open tennis title by defeating Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain 6-7 (7-3), 6-4, 6-4 in a rain-affected final.
It was Cuevas' sixth ATP singles title, all of which have been on clay.
The Brasil Open is a tennis tournament held annually in São Paulo, Brazil. A part of the ATP World Tour 250 series, it is one of the main events in the Brazilian tennis calendar.
Pablo Gabriel Cuevas Urroz (born January 1, 1986)[1] is an Argentine-born Uruguayan professional tennis player.
Cuevas won the 2008 French Open men's doubles title with Luis Horna.
He has won 5 singles titles and is currently in his career-high singles ranking of World No. 19. Cuevas' career-high doubles ranking is World no. 14, which he achieved in April 2009.

Himachal Pradesh launches mobile App ‘Mera Hunar’

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh launched mobile App and website 'Mera Hunar HP', a first of its kind in the country.

Benefits of Mera Hunar App

'Mera Hunar' is a web based platform where the skilled, semi-skilled persons can apply for various jobs as per their convenience like plumber, carpenter, mechanic, security guards, drivers, tourists guides, etc online. The platform is available both in English and Hindi.
This platform will directly connect the prospective employers with the job seekers as the application, will contain the address and the phone numbers of those looking for jobs and other details as well.
This will benefit those looking for daily jobs within their area.
This would further supplement the Skill development scheme of the state government and would be of great help to those passing out fresh from Industrial Training Institutes.

Actress Viola Davis named Harvard Artist of the Year

Viola Davis, the popular actress, producer, director, activist, businesswoman, and philanthropist, has been named the 2017 Artist of the Year.
She was awarded the Harvard Foundation’s arts medal at a ceremony during the 32nd annual Cultural Rhythms Festival in Memorial Hall’s Sanders Theatre.
She recently received the Critics’ Choice, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and British Academy of Films and Television Arts awards, as well as an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Rose Maxson in the film adaptation of August Wilson’s play ‘Fences

Ford Foundation appoints Pradeep Nair as regional director for India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka

The Ford Foundation appointed Pradeep Nair as regional director for India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
As regional director, Nair will guide the foundation’s operations out of New Delhi. He will assume his new position at the end of March, succeeding David Hulse.
As India country director of the US-based Institute for Sustainable Communities, Nair established the organisation’s India office and was helped build strong relationships with the Indian government, the private sector and NGO communities across Asia.
Nair holds an MBA in finance from Karnataka University, an engineering degree in electronics from Bharathiar University and has also studied filmmaking

Key Facts About Ford Foundation

The Ford Foundation is a New York headquartered, globally oriented private foundation with the mission of advancing human welfare.
Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford
President: Darren Walker
Headquarters: New York City, New York, United States
Founded: 15 January 1936
Chief investment officer: Eric Doppstadt
COO: John W. Bernstein

Air India's all-female crew makes history with round-the-world flight

Air India says it has become the first airline to fly around the world with an all-female crew
Air India scripted history by flying an all-women crew flight around the world
The Boeing 777 flew from New Delhi to San Francisco, traveling over the Pacific Ocean. The crew completed a mandatory rest period before flying over the Atlantic back to New Delhi, completing the round-the-world trip.
Every member of staff -- from the flight's captains to the cabin crew, check-in and ground handling staff -- were women. Even the engineers, who certified the aircraft, and air traffic controllers, who cleared its departure and arrival, were women

Key Facts About Air India:

Air India is the flag carrier airline of India and the third-largest airline in India in terms of passengers carried, after IndiGo and Jet Airways.Wikipedia
The airline was founded by J. R. D. Tata as Tata Airlines in 1932
CEO: Ashwani Lohani
Headquarters: New Delhi
Parent organization: Air India Limited
Founded 15 October 1932 (as Tata Airlines)
Commenced operations 29 July 1946

Hawaii becomes first state to sue over Trump's revised travel ban

Hawaii has become the first state to file a lawsuit against Donald Trump’s revised travel ban, saying the order will harm its Muslim population, tourism and foreign students.
Attorneys for the state filed the lawsuit against the US government on Wednesday in the federal court in Honolulu. The state had sued over Trump’s initial travel ban, but that lawsuit was put on hold while other cases played out across the country.
Trump’s new executive order, signed on Monday, bars new visas for people from six Muslim-majority countries and replaces an initial order issued on 27 January, which was chaotically rolled out and subsequently halted by a federal courtfollowing a barrage of legal challenges from states and advocate groups across the country.
The new order sought to alleviate some of these complaints by offering exemptions to lawful permanent US residents and current visa holders from the six countries – Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Iran, Syria and Libya – as well as staggering the timeframe of implementation.
Hawaii argues in an amended complaint that the new order remains incompatible with freedom of religion protections in both the state and federal constitutions, will harm the state’s economy and educational institutions, and would prevent Hawaiians with family members in the six targeted countries from reuniting.
Judge Derrick Watson granted the state permission to refile the amended motion for a new restraining order on Trump’s second ban.
The government has been instructed to file a response to the motion by 13 March, with a date in court set for 15 March at 9.30am Hawaiian time, just hours before the second executive order will come into full force.

Cairo: Mega cultural festival ‘India by the Nile’ opens with Crafts Mela

The mega cultural festival ‘India by the Nile’ got off to a colourful start at the foot of the Pyramids with a Crafts Mela, showcasing joint handicraft exhibition of India and Egypt
The Embassy of India in Cairo, in collaboration with Teamwork Arts, presented ‘Crafts Mela’ as part of the IBN 2017 cultural festival.
The festival, which is a celebration of Indian music, dance, theatre, visual arts, food and wellbeing, is the largest foreign festival in Egypt showcasing 70 events across the country.
It is organised by the Embassy of India in partnership with the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India; Export Promotion Council For Handicrafts (India), the Ministry of Social Solidarity (Egypt) and the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI).
Three days of the exhibition have been dedicated to joint handicraft of both the countries to “relive and recreate” the ancient civilisational ties.

Konkani author Mahabaleshwar Sail gets Saraswati Samman

Eminent Konkani writer Mahabaleshwar Sail has been honoured with the Saraswati Samman 2016 for his novel Hawthan. The award comprises a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh and a citation.
The 74-year-old writer's novel was shortlisted from 22 regional language books.
Best known for his work, 'Paltadcho Munis', which inspired a film by the same name, Sail is a renowned bi-lingual writer based in Goa.
He has four Marathi dramas and seven Konkani novels to his credit. He has also written short stories and a novel in Marathi.
Published in 2009, 'Hawtha' is a work of fiction presenting the cultural map of the traditional potter community of Goa.

Key Facts About Saraswati Samman

The Saraswati Samman is an annual award for outstanding prose or poetry literary works in any 22 Indian language listed in Schedule VIII of the Constitution of India.
It is named after an Indian goddess of learning and is considered to be among the highest literary awards in India.
The Saraswati Samman was instituted in 1991 by the K. K. Birla Foundation. It consists of Rs 15 lakh, a citation and a plaque

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