#Daily #Current #Affairs

Union Government launches Khoya Paya web portal to trace missing kids

Union Government has launched Khoya Paya web platform for people to directly report, track and upload information on missing children. It was jointly launched by the Union Minister of Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi and Union Minister of Communication & IT Ravi Shankar Prasad in New Delhi. Khoya Paya is joint initiative of the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) and the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY). The first-of-its-kind web portal will serve as a platform for people to not only report a missing child but also track the efforts towards his or her recovery.

USA Freedom Act Passes

The Senate passed the USA Freedom Act today by 67-32, marking the first time in over thirty years that both houses of Congress have approved a bill placing real restrictions and oversight on the National Security Agency’s surveillance powers. The Bill ends a system exposed by former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden. The spy agency collected and searched records of phone calls looking for terrorism leads but was not allowed to listen to their content. The new law would require companies such as Verizon Communications Inc and AT&T Inc, to collect and store telephone records the same way that they do now for billing purposes.

2004 Nobel Prize Chemistry winner Irwin Rose dies

Irwin Rose, a biochemist who shared the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering a way that cells destroy unwanted proteins the basis for developing new therapies for diseases such as cervical cancer and cystic fibrosis has died. He was 88. Rose had a “formidable intellect and unwavering curiosity about fundamental biological and chemical processes that are the foundation for life. Rose, along with Israelis Aaron Ciechanover and Avram Hershko, won the Nobel for discovering how plant and animal cells marked old and damaged proteins with a “kiss of death” molecule the polypeptide ubiquitin. Rose was born in Brooklyn, New York, on July 16, 1926, and spent much of his career as a researcher at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. 

Life insurance Corporation gets clearance to do business in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has granted permission to India’s state-owned insurance group Life insurance Corporation (LIC) to do business in the country. It was announced by M Shefaq Ahmed, Chairman of Bangladesh Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA). LIC will start its operations in Bangladesh as a joint venture (JV) entity to be called LIC Bangladesh Ltd with a paid up capital of one billion Taka. In this JV entity LIC will hold half of the amount while the rest would be owed by its Bangladeshi partners. The capital will be raised from the Bangladesh’s capital market and local entrepreneurs. Earlier in 2013, Bangladesh IRDA had rejected LIC’s proposal to operate in the country citing small capital base. It should be noted that LIC will be the second foreign insurance company to operate in Bangladesh after the US-based MetLife-ALICO.

Edward Snowden awarded Freedom of Expression prize in Norway

Edward Snowden, former US security contractor and electronic surveillance whistleblower has been awarded a Norwegian prize for freedom of expression (also known as Bjornson Prize). The award was bestowed upon him by the Norwegian Academy of Literature and Freedom of Expression for his work protecting privacy and for shining a critical light on US surveillance of its citizens and others. In 2013, Snowden had uncovered the most extensive US global electronic surveillance programmes carried out by National Security Agency (NSA). Presently, he is leaving his exile in Russia. Earlier, Snowden was awarded Sweden’s Right Livelihood Award in 2014 but chose to accept it by video link. He was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for the second year in a row.

Union Government launches IAP HealthPhone programme

Union Government has launched IAP HealthPhone programme, world’s largest digital mass education programme to address malnutrition in women and children. It was launched by Union Minister of Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi in New Delhi. This programme is initiative of Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) in partnership with Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD). United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Supported by Vodafone India. It should be noted that Bolloywood Actor Aamir Khan is support partner and brand ambassador of this programme.