HIMACHAL PRADESH

 

• Himachal Pradesh first to use returning officer (RO) Net (RONET) in assembly polls

 

• Himachal Pradesh will be the first state to use returning officer (RO) Net (RONET), the Online Decision Support System for Conduct of Vidhan Sabha Election-2017. RONET was formally launched by chief election commissioner A K Joti, Election Commissioners O P Rawat and Sunil Arora at New Delhi. Himachal Pradesh will be the first state going for poll to use the RONET.
• RONET has been tested on pilot basis and first used in a few constituencies of the recently concluded Punjab Assembly elections, and it is for the first time that election commission is going to use it in the whole State of Himachal Pradesh. RONET would also be used for the first time for processing payments to the entire workforce involved in the election process.
• In order to ensure seamless e-Payments RONET has been connected with e-Kosh that is HP’s State Treasury Application. Through this application, the contesting candidates can directly apply for permissions and in-turn the RO can view the permission requests in the RONET.

 

• RONET is a specialised MIS Decision Support System Software, which provides Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), District Election Officer (DEO) and RO with the necessary information for making efficient, time-bound and intelligent decisions during the critical election process.

 

• During the polling days, the RO can directly communicate to polling party about training, material dispatch, EVM, VVPAT deployment details, posting orders, postal ballots and pre-poll arrangements by sending SMS and Mobile Notifications. On the other hand, polling party can directly inform about poll day arrangements and voter turnout straight from their mobile app.

INTERNATIONAL

 

·       Facebook launches food delivery service in US

• Facebook launched a service in the United States, through which users can order food and get it delivered by using Facebook’s app or website.
• The feature allows users to browse nearby restaurants by visiting the ‘Order Food’ section on Facebook’s ‘Explore’ menu.
• The social media giant has partnered with food ordering services like comfor the same.
• Restaurant partners include Chipotle, Five Guys, Papa John’s and Jack in the Box.

 

·       Vanuatu became the First Nation to accept bitcoin as Payment for its Citizenship Program

 

• Vanuatu, a South Pacific archipelago, has become the first nation to accept Bitcoins as payment for its ‘investment citizenship’ program.
• A family of up to four can receive Vanuatu passports by paying the Bitcoin equivalent of $280,000 (₹1.8 crore).
• Vanuatu citizenship allows individuals to reside on the island, and travel to over 100 countrieswithout a visa.

 

• World Students’ Day: 15 October

 

• World Students’ Day is celebrated on 15 October every year on the occasion of birth anniversary of A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.

 

• The most loved President of India, APJ Abdul Kalam was a scientist who made India proud with his missile defense programme.

 

• But his favourite job was teaching and that’s how he wanted the world to remember him.

 

• Due to his love for students and focus on promoting education, the United Nations declared his birthday (October 15) as ‘World Student’s Day’ in 2010.

 

NATIONAL 

 

·       Worlds largest combustion research centre inaugurated at IIT Madras

 

• The world’s largest combustion research centre which will impart a major boost to the Indian scientific community was inaugurated at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras.
• TheNational Centre for Combustion Research and Development(NCCRD) was inaugurated by NITI Aayog member V K Saraswat in the presence of Prof Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology.
• NCCRD’s research interests will cover automotive, thermal power and aerospace propulsion, besides fire research and microgravity combustion to minor extent.

 

 

·       PM Modi announces Rs. 10,000 crore for 20 best varsities in India, to make them world class

 

• At the centenary celebrations ofPatna University (PU), India’s seventh oldest varsity, PM Narendra Modi said that the government has decided to allot ₹10,000 crore and autonomy to 10 public and 10 private universities over the next five years, to make them world-class.
• The universities will not be selected by the prime minister or a chief minister or any other political figure. Their potential will be assessed by a third party agency.

 

·       Graduate Muslim Girls to get Rs 51,000 Shaadi Shagun from Modi Government

 

• Meritorious Muslim girls who go on to complete graduation before marriage will get a special gift of 51,000from the Narendra Modi government.
• The shaadi shagun – as the scheme is called- is aimed at incentivising higher educationamong minority groups.

 

·       Rajasthan Assembly becomes first in India to call attention and adjournment motions online.

 

• Going digital, the Rajasthan assembly has become the first in India to call attention and adjournment motions and proposals online from legislators to send them to the state government.
• Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Kailash Meghwalinaugurated the new system.

 

• The system is expected to save time, labour and use of paper in the functioning of the assembly, and also help legislators in bringing attention to urgent public issues.