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All India Radio News Summary: 17 DECEMBER 2017

All India Radio News Summary: 17 DECEMBER 2017

  1. Railways plan to install CCTV cameras in trains and stations to ensure women safety

Railway Minister said the railways are mulling to install CCTV cameras inside the trains and dedicate 2018 to collectively fighting against human trafficking.

  • In order to tackle the women safety issue, Railways is looking to work in two areas, ensuring Wi-Fi connectivity in trains and CCTV cameras on all stations and also in trains in the longer run.
  • Railways will dedicate 2018 as a year where it will collectively fight against atrocities against women and children especially human trafficking and it will be done across all the railway divisions.
  • With mapping of the entire network, a feed captured will be sent to security guards, local police stations and the zonal and divisional headquarters.
  • The railways had recently identified 983 railway stations for the installation of CCTV cameras using the Nirbhaya Fund.

 

  1. Unique Identification Authority of India bars Bharti Airtel and Airtel Payments Bank from conducting Aadhaar-based SIM verification using eKYC process

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has temporarily barred Bharti Airtel and Airtel Payments Bank from conducting Aadhaar-based SIM verification of mobile customers using the eKYC process.

  • The action follows allegations of Bharti Airtel using the Aadhaar-eKYC based SIM verification process to open payments bank accounts of its subscribers without their informed consent.
  • UIDAI also took strong objection to allegations that such payments bank accounts are being linked to receive LPG subsidy.
  • UIDAI has ordered PricewaterhouseCoopers to conduct an audit of Bharti Airtel and Airtel Payments Bank to ascertain if their systems and processes are in compliance with the Aadhaar Act.

 

  1. Stage set for counting of votes tomorrow for the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections.

In Gujarat, re-polling is taking place at six polling booths in three districts today, where polling was held on Thursday. The Election Commission had ordered re-polling at six polling booths in Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Banaskantha districts following technical reasons.

  • The polling officials had forgotten to conduct a mock poll at one booth.
  • Two of the booths, where re-polling is taking place fall under the Vadgam constituency where polling was suspended after ink marks were found on the election symbol of one Independent candidate on the EVM.
  • Election Commission has also ordered the counting of votes in 10 booths using Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail as the presiding officials forgot to wipe out the mock drill poll results from EVMs.

 

  1. Integration of Brahmos supersonic cruise missile on 40 Sukhoi combat aircraft begins to enhance precision strike capability of the Air Force

The work has begun to integrate the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile on 40 Sukhoi combat aircraft. The fleet of 40 Sukhoi jets will undergo structural modifications at the state-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for integration of the missile on them.

 

Brahmos

  • The air-launched variant of the Brahmos, the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile, was successfully test fired from a Sukhoi-30 combat jet last month, marking a major milestone to enhance the precision strike capability of the Air Force.
  • The project to integrate the supersonic cruise missile on Sukhoi combat aircraft is likely to be completed by 2020 and is expected to fulfil the critical needs of the Indian Air Force.
  • Brahmos is the heaviest weapon to be deployed on the Sukhoi-30.
  • The missile is a joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organization and NPO Mashinostroyenia of Russia.

 

  1. The right of non-discriminatory access to Internet is not negotiable

Union Law and Information Technology Minister said, the right of non-discriminatory access to Internet is not negotiable and government’s stand on it is very clear from day one.

Minister said, the Internet must be available to all.

His remarks came days after the US scrapped rules that ensured a free and open Internet.

 

  1. Tropical Storm Kai-Tak in Philippines

In Philippines, Landslides triggered by Tropical Storm Kai-Tak have reportedly killed over 30 people in four towns of Biliran Island. 

23 others were missing mostly due to landslides in different areas in the island province of Biliran which forced more than 89,000 people to flee to emergency shelters.