Daily Current Affairs, 21st April 2018

1)  Vice-President Inaugurates Civil Services Day Event In New Delhi

•Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the two-day Civil Services Day event in New Delhi. The Day focuses on the topic ‘Evolving Strategies for Transforming Aspirational Districts’. 

•The Vice President also released a book 'Emulating Excellence- Takeaways for Replication'. The day is celebrated for the civil servants to rededicate themselves to the cause of citizen and renew their commitments to public service and excellence in work.

2)  Vijay Goel Launches Central Project Monitoring Unit For E-Vidhan Project

•Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel inaugurated the new office of Central Project Monitoring Unit for the e-Vidhan project of the Government at the Parliament House Annexe.

•This was done as a part of Swachhata Pakhwada being observed by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.  e-Vidhan is a part of the broader Digital India Programme of the Government and is likely to contribute to the cleanliness and environment by reducing the use of papers to a great extent.

3)  E-SANAD Portal And National Academic Depository Integrated

•The Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has launched integration of e-SANAD portal and NAD – National Academic Depository in a bid to make education system in India more transparent.

•e-Sanad is a project aimed at online submission and verification of documents with the ultimate object to extend contactless, cashless, faceless and paperless document attestation service. NAD is a 24X7 online storehouse of all academic awards viz. diplomas certificates, degrees, mark-sheets etc.

4)  Taipei Opens WTC In Delhi To Boost Ties With India

•With an aim to strengthen trade ties with India, Taipei World Trade Centre (TWTC) launched its office in Delhi, ahead of Taiwan’s first ever expo that will showcase cutting-edge technology and smart city solutions in Delhi in May 2018.

•Presence of TWTC in Delhi will further help strengthen business ties with India. Bilateral trade between India and Taiwan has increased to $6.3 billion in December 2017.

5)  Cabinet Approves Promulgation Of Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance

•The Union Cabinet approved the promulgation of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance 2018, which would empower the government to seize the domestic assets of those deemed by a relevant court to be fugitive economic offenders.

•The Ordinance has a provision for a ‘Special Court’ under the Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002 to declare a person as a Fugitive Economic Offender.

6)  EAM Sushma Swaraj Left For China On 4-Day Visit For SCO Meet

•External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj left for China on a four-day visit. She will participate in a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

•She will hold talks with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. This will be Ms Swaraj’s first meeting with Wang after he was elevated to be the state councillor. The visit is aimed at elevating the China-India strategic cooperation partnership.