Nasscom launches operations of its startup warehouse in Visakhapatnam

After inking a MoU with the A.P. government in March, the apex IT industry body in the country, National Association of Software and Services (Nasscom) has launched operations of its startup warehouse at Sunrise Startup Village at Rushikonda in Visakhapatnam, AP. The is the first Nasscom Startup Warehouse in AP and ninth under its 10,000 startup initiative by 2020, which was kick-started from Bengaluru in 2013. The warehouse would provide affordable co-working space with incubation for six months. In this regards, Nasscom has selected five teams to join the incubation programme at their Visakhapatnam facility.

Meanwhile, SAP-a premier software solutions company which signed a MoU with the Andhra Pradesh government to open a startup accelerator will also get space at Startup Village housed in Technology, Research and Innovation Park (TRIP). Its operations would be launched under the mentorship of the company experts from Bengaluru to make Visakhapatnam a startup hub. SAP is the first global software solution multinational to sign a MoU with any government in India to strengthen the startup ecosystem. SAP has incubated over 3,200 startups worldwide in four years.

So let’s discuss some questions related to this post:

1. Name the organisation which has launched operations of its startup warehouse in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh?

2. Expand the term NASSCOM and TRIP.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Badal inaugurates first ‘Sewa Kendra’ in Punjab

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has inaugurated city’s first Sewa Kendra at Ladhewali today where people will be able to avail all the services under one roof. While Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has inaugurated Sewa Kendras at Mansa, Pathankot, Bholath and Amargarh.

A total of 2,147 Sewa Kendras has been constructed at a cost of Rs 500 crore. Out of these Sewa Kendras, 389 were in the urban areas and 1,758 were in the rural areas and these would provide more than citizen-centric services to the people. The Kendra’s were being started to minimise public interaction with various offices and weeding out corruption besides enhancing the efficiency of the administration and delivery of services to common people.

So let’s discuss some questions related to this post:

1. Name the person who has inaugurated the first ‘Sewa Kendra’ in Punjab?

2. Total how many Sewa Kendras have been constructed at a cost of Rs 500 crore?

Courtesy: Business Standard

India’s first touch-and-feel garden for visually impaired

A first-of-its-kind touch and feel garden for the visually impaired people in the country was inaugurated near Calicut University campus by Kerala Assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan. The garden has nearly 70 aromatic, medicinal and herbal plants brought from various parts the country. The visually impaired will get an opportunity to study the plants not only by touching, feeling and smelling them but also getting information about them through audio inputs.

The garden is arranged in such a way that the visually impaired can move around freely. It has been constructed in a year with an aid of Rs 17 lakh from the Environment Ministry. The names of all plants set on a higher level to help the visually impaired are written in English, Malayalam and in Braille. Using a sonic labeller, the visitors can listen to complete details about the plants.

So let’s discuss some questions related to this post:

1. India’s first of its kind touch-and-feel garden for visually impaired has been inugurated at which place?

2. Who has inaugurated the India’s first of its kind touch-and-feel garden for visually impaired?

Courtesy: The Hindu

12-day long Krishna Pushkar festival begins on grand note in Telangana & AP

The 12-day long Krishna Pushkar festival began in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on a grand note today. The festival comes once in every 12 years. Telangana government has made elaborate arrangements as over three crore people expected to turn up for a holy dip at various places in Mahabubnagar and Nalgonda districts on the banks of the sacred river. The festival is inaugurated by the Telangana Chief Minister Chandrasekhara Rao today morning by taking a holy dip in the river in accordance with all customs and rituals at Gondimalla Pushkar Ghat. While Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu accompanied by his wife Bhuvaneswari also took the holy dip in River Krishna near Durga Ghat early this morning.

A daily ‘harati’ programme will be organised at Ibrahimpatnam near Vijayawada, where the Godavari flows into Krishna. A host of cultural programmes involving top artistes have been lined up at various places. Andhra Pradesh government has also launched a website krishnapushkaram.ap.gov.in containing exhaustive information about the event. A GPS-based mobile application has also been launched for people to obtain information on ghats, the rush, bus services, etc.

So let’s discuss some questions related to this post:

1. Name the states in which the 12-day long Krishna Pushkar festival has began?

2. The Krishna Pushkar festival comes after how many years?

Courtesy: Indian Express

Bihar government to implement Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana

Bihar Government has decided to implement the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana in the state on an experimental basis. About 50 lakh farmers, who had already taken the loan from banks, would benefit from the new scheme that has replaced the National Crop Insurance scheme. The last date for implementation of the scheme is August 15.

In Bihar, the scheme has been a big conflict as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had recently said that the scheme should have been named ‘PM-CM farmer insurance scheme’ or ‘Kendra-Rajya Fasal Bima Yojana’ instead of being named exclusively after the Prime Minister as both the Centre and states have to bear the financial burden of its implementation. In this regards, Bihar’s agriculture minister held a meeting with Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh in Delhi on August 8 but the issue remained unresolved.

So let’s discuss some questions related to this post:

1. Name the state which is now going to implement the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana?

2. The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana has replaced which scheme?

Courtesy: Business Standard

First Solar commissions 130 MW of solar power plants in AP, Telangana

The local subsidiary of the Nasdaq-listed First Solar, First Solar Power India, has announced the commercial operation of 80 MW and 50 MW solar power plants in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The projects are part of the 260 MW project portfolio owned by First Solar in India. Theses two plants will collectively produce enough energy to power approximately 2,27,500 average homes in India and will displace 204 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.

The electricity generated by the two projects will be purchased by the Southern Power Distribution Company of Andhra Pradesh and the Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company under 25-year power purchase agreements. The project will be powered by more than 1.4 million First Solar modules offering predictable energy in all climates and applications.

So let’s discuss some questions related to this post:

1. Name the place where the commercial operation of 80 MW and 50 MW solar power plants has been started?

Courtesy: The Hindu Business line

Himachal Pradesh to plant one crore saplings to increase green cover

Himachal Pradesh government has set a target of planting over one crore saplings this year to increase the depleting green cover in the state. The state has set a target of planting one crore saplings on 15,000 hectares of forest land by spending Rs 150 crore. Supplementing the efforts of the government, the schools would participate in plantation drive across the state on the eve of International Youth Day on August 12. Besides, all the government institutions, NGOs and public have been urged to participate in the plantation drive during current rainy season.

The state government has chalked out a new policy for this year which envisaged plantation of one lakh saplings of shahtoot (mulberry), jamun (Jambolan), saru (Cypress), sheesham, spheda (Ceruse), piple, deodar and neem had been planted through MGNREGS. The maintenance period in plantation areas has been enhanced from three to five years to ensure survival percentage of plants.

So let’s discuss some questions related to this post:

1. Name the state which has planned to planting over one crore saplings in 2016 to increase the depleting green cover in the state?

2. The International Youth Day is observed on which date?

Courtesy: Indian Express

PM launches Mission Bhagiratha and lays Foundation Stone of key development projects in Telangana

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the Telangana government’s ambitious Mission Bhagiratha at Komatibanda Village, Gajwel, in Medak District of Telangana. The scheme has been launched by the State Government with an objective to provide safe drinking water to all. As the Mission Bhagiratha is a pet project of the Chief Minister, taken up at an outlay of Rs. 42,000 crore. Apart from creating a water grid for supply drinking water to houses, it aims to rejuvenate more than 45,000 water tanks.

The Prime Minister also laid the Foundation Stones for important development projects. These included the 1600 MW Thermal Power station of NTPC at Ramagundam, revival of a Fertilizer Plant at Ramagundam, Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences, Warangal, and Manoharabad-Kothapalli Railway line. He also dedicated to the nation the 1200 MW Thermal Power Station of Singareni Collieries at Jaipur, in Adilabad district at an outlay of Rs. 7,000 crore.

So let’s discuss some questions related to this post:

1. Name the Telangana government mission which has been recently launched by the PM Modi?

2. What is the outlay of the mission Bhagirath?

Courtesy: PTI News

Odisha Government launches special assistance scheme for elderly weavers

The Odisha government launched a special assistance scheme- ‘Baristha Bunakar Sahayata Yojana’ for elderly weavers to mark the National Handlooms Day (7th August). It has been launched by the state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik with an aim to improve the financial condition of over 8,000 weavers, who have been working in this field for the last 20 years. As Odisha produces handloom fabrics worth Rs 160 crore. There are nearly 1.5 lakh weavers including 78% of women in the state engaged in handloom productions.

The Baristha Bunakar Sahayata Yojana is for all senior weavers who are above the age of 60 years. Under this scheme all weavers who are above 60 years they will get a monthly pension of 500 rupees, and those above 80 years would get 700 rupees. The pension amounts would be directly sent to the beneficiaries bank accounts. On the occasion, Mr. Patnaik also gave away awards to weavers’ cooperative societies who have been relentlessly promoting and producing the traditional weaves of Odisha.

So let’s discuss some questions related to this post:

1. Name the state which has launched a special assistance scheme for elderly weavers?

2. What is the name of the scheme which has been launched by Mr. Naveen Patnaik for all senior weavers who are above the age of 60 years?

Courtesy: Times of India

Taxis in Dubai to promote Kerala Tourism

Kerala Tourism has rolled out a promotional campaign in Dubai targeting Arab travellers and showcasing the state’s backwaters and waterfalls on taxis plying in the bustling metropolis, with the onset of the outbound tourism season in the Middle East. So in this regards, as many as 200 Kerala-branded taxis will ferry the message of ‘A Faraway Land Four Hours Away’ – with eye-catching visuals featuring hill stations, backwaters, waterfalls and also Ayurvedic therapies – through the streets of Dubai, the throbbing heart of the UAE.

The campaign, inspired by the previous highly successful branding efforts on London taxis and the Mumbai metro, will run till August 15. The government has also given the administrative sanction for a budget of Rs. 60 lakh for Kerala Tourism’s marketing strategy. In addition, advertisements of Kerala Tourism will be aired in English and in Arabic TV as well to promote the destination among families in the Middle East.

So let’s discuss some questions related to this post:

1. Name state which has rolled out a promotional campaign in Dubai to promote state tourism?

Courtesy: Times of India