Telangana Affairs
Block chain technology helped Tandur tur dal bag GI tag in Telangana
Block chain technology couldnt have come at a better time for Tandur red gram (tur dal) to get the coveted Geographical Indication (GI) tag. Not just the Tandur tur dal, the blockchain technology came in handy to prove origin of around 360 GI products and prevent counterfeits, GI experts said.
Experts said blockchain technology is now used extensively in to trace origin of food products. Professor Jayashankar Telangana State <a href="https://exam.pscnotes.com/Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture University along with a tech solution company used the blockchain technology for traceability of Tandur tur dal.
The university in collaboration with TRST01 (Trust-O-One) introduced the blockchain technology in seed traceability of pigeonpea and safflower. Experts said the technology platform generates a unique hash and integrated QR codes for the seed.
In the case of tur dal, the university and TRST01 did seed traceability from the nucleus seed and maps. Experts mapped each step in the value chain, captured related information and stored the data in a ledger or block chain.
National and International Affairs
Coal Sector Constructs Eight Eco-Parks to promote
As part of the ongoing efforts of the Coal Ministry to develop Eco-Parks on reclaimed land and to promote mine tourism eight eco-parks have been constructed recently in different parts of the country and two more such parks will be completed in 2022-23.
MOU between NCL and Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board to boost Singrauli Eco-Tourism Circuit and another MOU by WCL with Directorate of Tourism, Maharashtra are also to further promote Eco-tourism in coal sector.
Aadhaar based e-KYC transactions jumped 22% in Nov; Aadhaar authentication transactions grew 11%
Aadhaar usage by residents is witnessing continued progress across the country. In November alone, 28.75 crore e-KYC transactions were executed using Aadhaar, a 22% Growth over the previous month.
By the end of November 2022, the cumulative number of e-KYC transactions has gone up-to 1350.24 crore. Aadhaar e-KYC service is increasingly playing a crucial role for Banking and non-banking financial Services by providing transparent and improved customer experience, and aiding .
An e-KYC transaction is executed, only after the explicit Consent of the Aadhaar holder, and eliminates physical paperwork, and in-person verification requirement for KYC.
Similarly in November, 195.39 crore Aadhaar authentication transactions were carried out, over 11% more than October. A majority of these monthly transactions were carried out by using fingerprint biometric authentication, followed by demographic and OTP authentication.
So far, cumulatively 8621.19 crore Aadhaar authentication transactions have been executed by the end of November 2022, indicative of how Aadhaar is increasingly playing a role in <a href="https://exam.pscnotes.com/good-Governance“>Good Governance and aiding welfare delivery to residents.
ADB ranks WAPCOS amongst
In a major breakthrough for WAPCOS, a Government of India Enterprise under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the Asian (ADB) in its report released on Annual Procurement, ranked WAPCOS as Top amongst Consulting Services Firm in Water and other Infrastructure Sectors, with highest sanctioned financed amount.
In another report on its Members Fact Sheet – 2022 released by the ADB, WAPCOS figured amongst the Top 3 Consultants from India involved in Consulting Services Contracts under ADB Loan, Grant and Technical Assistance Projects in Energy, Transport and Water & other Urban Infrastructure Sectors. WAPCOS is the only Indian Public Sector featuring in the above categories.
WAPCOS is a leading technology driven Consultancy and Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) organization in the fields of <a href="https://exam.pscnotes.com/water-Resources“>Water Resources, Power and Infrastructure Development.
Apart from India, the Company has successfully completed/on-going consultancy assignments in more than 51 Countries covering Asia, Africa, CIS, Pacific Islands and South America.
India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement Comes into Force
India, Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement comes into force from 29
December. India and Australia signed the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA)on the 2nd of April 2022. ECTA is the first trade agreement of India with a developed countryafter more than a decade. The agreement encompasses cooperation across the entire gamut ofbilateral economic and commercial relations between the two friendly countries.
Under this trade agreement, Indian exports will benefit from preferential zero-duty market
access in Australia for 100 per cent of its tariff lines. It will benefit Indias labour-intensive
sectors such as gems and jewellery, textiles, leather, furniture, food and agricultural products,engineering products, and medical devices.