CURRENT AFFAIRS......

Current Affairs - Current Affairs 2013

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Top tech cos join hands to launch ‘Internet.Org’

August 24th, 2013

Seven of the world’s tech giants (Ericsson, MediaTek, Nokia, Opera, Qualcomm and Samsung) collaborated to launch Internet.org with an aim to make Internet access affordable for people across the globe.

• The initiative will be headed by Facebook Founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.

What is “Internet.org” ?

• Internet.org is an initiative of Facebook and six other technology giants, namely Ericsson, MediaTek, Nokia, Opera, Qualcomm and Samsung.
• The partners will collaborate towards developing lower-cost, higher-quality smartphones and deploying Internet access in undeserved communities.
• The endeavour is to overcome current challenges, including developing technologies that make mobile connectivity more affordable and decrease the cost of delivering data to people worldwide.
• The partners will develop joint projects, share knowledge, and mobilise industry and governments to bring the world online.
• Focus will be on developing technologies that make mobile connectivity more affordable and decrease the cost of delivering data to people worldwide.
• Sharing tools, resources and best practices, Internet.org partners will explore solutions in three major opportunity areas:affordability, efficiency, and business models.

In order to achieve its goal of connecting the two-thirds of the world who are not yet online, internet.org will focus on three key challenges in developing countries:

1. Making access affordable (Affordability)
2. Using data more efficiently (Efficiency)
3. Helping businesses drive access (Business Models)

AFFORDABILITY

No one should have to choose between access to the internet and food or medicine. Internet.org partners will join forces to develop technology that decreases the cost of delivering data to people worldwide, and helps expand internet access in underserved communities.

EFFICIENCY

Transmitting data—even a text message or a simple web page—requires bandwidth, something that’s scarce in many parts of the world. Partners will invest in tools and software to improve data compression capabilities and make data networks and services run more efficiently.

BUSINESS MODELS

Connecting billions of people will be a massive global effort that requires ongoing innovation. Developers, mobile operators and device manufacturers will work together to introduce business models that give people more ways to go online.

Bradley Manning sentenced to 35-year imprisonment

August 24th, 2013

The U.S. soldier Bradley Manning was convicted of the biggest disclosure of classified data in the nation’s history by leaking files to WikiLeaks and was sentenced to 35 years in prison.

Who is Bradley Manning?

Bradley Manning is a United States Army soldier who was arrested in May 2010 in Iraq on suspicion of having passed classified material to the website WikiLeaks. He was ultimately charged with 22 offenses, including communicating national defenceinformation to an unauthorized source and aiding the enemy. He was convicted in July 2013 of most of the charges, including several violations of the Espionage Act, but was acquitted of aiding the enemy, the most serious charge.

Manning in 2010 turned over more than 700,000 classifiedfiles, battlefield videos and diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks,a pro transparency website. He was working as a low-level intelligence analyst in Baghdad when he handed over the documents thereby catapulting WikiLeaks and its founder, Julian Assange into the international spotlight.

India urges U.S. to renew GSP scheme

August 24th, 2013

India has expressed to the United States that it must issue an immediate renewal of the US Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) programme that expired on July 31, 2013.

What is the importance of the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) programme?

The GSP programme helps developing countries expand their economies by increasing exports to the U.S. It also aids U.S. businesses by lowering the cost of imported goods that are used as inputs in value-added US production. U.S. businesses imported $19.9 billion worth of products under the GSP programme in 2012, including many inputs used in U.S. manufacturing.

As per the recently released Trade Policy Agenda of the U.S. administration, helping developing countries grow and expand their economies through trade would also help the U.S. by providing its exporters greater opportunity to sell products to billions of new consumers abroad.

The U.S. holds 16 % of India’s total services imports. Indian imports of US services is expected to rise sharply in the coming years as India’s middle class market expands and key services sectors bring in further reforms.

Maharashtra govt. clears anti-superstition law

August 24th, 2013

The Maharashtra government decided to promulgate an ordinance to enact a long-pending bill to uproot black magic, blind faith and superstitious beliefs. The step has come following the death of anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar . A prime supporter of the law, Dabholkar was shot dead in Pune which led to sparking outrage across the state. The Anti-Superstition Bill was first introduced in 1995 in the state legislature and was redrafted at least 29 times. Its clearance was delayed several times due to stiff opposition from various quarters’ especially Hindu groups which claimed it to be “anti-Hindu”.

Who was Narendra Dabholkar?

Narendra Achyut Dabholkar was an Indian rationalist and author from Maharashtra. He was the founder-president of Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS) -”Committee for Eradication of Superstition in Maharashtra”, and campaigned against superstitions, confronting dubious tantriks and claimed holy men who promised ‘miracle cures’ for ailments. He criticized the country’s “godmen”, self-styled Hindu ascetics who claim to perform miracles and have many followers.

He was the founding member of Parivartan, a rehabilitation centre located in Satara and served as vice president of the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations (FIRA). Dabholkar was the editor of a renowned Marathi weekly Sadhana.