Heena Sharma Blog

Without updates, Telegram would not work properly with the latest version of the iPhone operating system and it was out of compliance with the new European data privacy law                                                                                                                                                                                                           Technology News : Apple   has prevented the   Telegram   messaging service from updating globally ever since   Russia   banned the service and ordered   Apple   to remove it from its online store, Telegram's chief executive and founder claimed on Thursday. Pavel Durov   said on his Twitter and   Telegram   accounts that while the application was available from Apple, Telegram   has not been able to deliver technical updates to installed versions of the product anywhere. He wrote that without updates, Telegram would not work properly with the latest version of the iPhone operating system and it wa

During the 10-day strike, starting from June 6 no eatables would be supplied from villages to cities in Madhya Pradesh, due to which cities are set to see a shortage of items like vegetables and milk Current Affairs News : On the first anniversary of the death of seven farmers due to beating and firing by police in Mandsaur district of   Madhya Pradesh   on June 6 last year, the farmers are going to launch "Gaon Bandh" (village blockade) agitation from Friday, said a farmer representative on Thursday. During the period, no eatables would be supplied from villages to cities in the state. Although the state government has made arrangements to minimise the impact of agitation, cities are set to see shortage of items like vegetables and milk. Chief of Aam Kisan Union, Kedar Sirohi told IANS that the agitation enjoys the support of more than 150 farmers organisation. Besides, all 50 Panchayats of the state have also announced to fight for the rights of farmer

Now, 'Star Cardiac Care' will offer customers access and a cover for all day-care procedures Current Affairs News : Start   Health   and Allied Insurance company has revised the premium rate(s) for its 'Star Cardiac Care' insurance policy, allowing customers to avail of the policy at a lower rate depending on their age. The premium rates have been lowered by around 28 to 40 per cent, depending on the underwriting characteristics of the insured, and will continue to cover hospitalization for cardiac ailments or diseases, accidents,   cardiac surgery and other (non-cardiac) ailments, as well as outpatient medical expenses and personal cover for accidental death. Unfortunately many people in the country do not get access to an   insurance policy   which covers all of the above services. While heart disease is a rampant problem in the country, people on numerous occasions have got rejected when buying a health-insurance policy, as they suffer from a pre-ex

Justice A K Pathak asked Chidambaram to join and cooperate in the questioning session as and when called by the CBI Current Affairs News : The   Delhi High Court   on Thursday granted former Union minister   P Chidambaram   interim protection from arrest till July 3 in the Central Bureau of Investigation's INX Media corruption case. Justice A K Pathak asked Chidambaram to join and cooperate in the questioning session as and when called by the   CBI. The court also sought the investigating agency's response on the Congress leader's anticipatory bail plea and listed the matter for further hearing on July 3. Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, opposed the anticipatory bail plea saying he was merely called for questioning. Chidambaram had on Wednesday rushed to a trial court for protection from arrest in   Aircel-Maxis case before approaching the   Delhi High Court   in connection with the INX Media case, in which he has b

The tourism industry in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla has also been massively hit as tourists are cancelling their visits to the hill-station Current Affairs News : Following an acute drinking water shortage, the Municipal Corporation is distributing water under police protection. Over 70 police personnel have been deployed to specially deal with the situation in the water-deprived hill-station. Meanwhile, a mineral water wholesale trader, Jasvir Singh told ANI that the demand for bottled water has increased by 50 to 60 percent due to   water scarcity in Shimla. "Usually I supply 400 packs of water bottles but now the demand has increased to 700 plus for retailers," he said. The tourism industry in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla has also been massively hit as tourists are cancelling their visits to the hill-station. The local hoteliers and others related to the tourism industry are worried as social media is flooded with news about the water cr

Kairana by-election results will serve as a test case for a united Opposition against the PM Narendra Modi-led BJP. Catch all the live updates here Politics News : Bypoll results   2018 will be out in a few hours as counting of votes for by-elections to four   Lok Sabha seats and 10 Assembly constituencies will be held on Thursday.   The   Lok Sabha   seats that went to polls are Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya in Maharashtra, the politically-crucial Kairana   Lok Sabha   constituency in Uttar Pradesh, and the Nagaland parliamentary constituency. Further, by-elections were held in the Legislative Assemblies of Shahkot (Punjab), Tharali (Uttarakhand), Ampati (Meghalaya), Chengannur (Kerala), Jokihat (Bihar), Gomia (Jharkhand), Silli (Jharkhand), Maheshtala (West Bengal), Noorpur (Uttar Pradesh), and Palus Kadegaon (Maharashtra).  The Kairana results, in particular, will also serve as a test case for a united Opposition against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-l

Sole Indian institute features in Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings after seven years Education News : The   Indian Institute of Science   (IISc) Bengaluru has made it to the list of top 100 in the Times Higher Education   (THE) World Reputation Rankings 2018. The last time it was featured was in 2011. The annual ranking highlights the top 100 global university brands, which now includes IISc in the 91-100 band. Commenting on the rankings, Phil Baty, editorial director of Global Rankings for THE, said, “Only 100 institutions in the world make it to this annual list of the most powerful university brands, so it is a highly significant achievement to be included — and fantastic to see an Indian presence this year.” The list was compiled from a globally representative survey of more than 10,000 senior academics. IISc was the only Indian institute to have made it this year. “That prestige – that ‘brand’ – is vital for any university in attracting th

National Weather Forecasting Centre has predicted heavy rains in Kerala and the coastal Karnataka region from May 29 to June 2 Current Affairs News : Several houses were damaged and at least 12 people were injured as Cyclone Mekunu, which had wreaked havoc in Oman in Yemen over the weekend, hit the coastal Karnataka region on Tuesday, resulting in heavy rainfall. Mangaluru and Udupi were the worst affected, with reports of property loss and water logging coming from several areas. Here are the top updates on rains in coastal Karnataka: 1.   Heavy rains are expected in Kerala and the coastal Karnataka region from May 29 to June 2, according to the   National   Weather Forecasting Centre predictions. 2.   Schools in Karnataka will remain closed for the next two days in view of the rain forecast. 3.   As many as 12 people have been injured, according to Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Saisikanth Senthil. Mangaluru was one of the most affected wit

The messaging app will partner HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank to process the transfers, and State Bank of India will join once it has the necessary systems in place Technology News : Facebook   is set to offer its   WhatsApp   payment services to the whole of India as early as next week in an attempt to win market share, even though its partners aren’t all ready, said people familiar with the matter. The messaging app will partner HDFC Bank,   ICICI Bank and   Axis Bank   to process the transfers, and State Bank of India will join once it has the necessary systems in place, the people said.   Facebook   was aiming for a full rollout with four partners but decided to go ahead with just three as its rivals were racing ahead, the people said, asking not to be named as the information isn’t public. The entry of   Whats app   into India’s payments space has been likened to We Chat, which reshaped payments in China when it expanded beyond messaging. The pilot ver

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration is aiming to have more than 30 percent of vehicles run on electricity by 2030 in a bid to lower air pollution and curb reliance on fossil fuels Current Affairs News : India has pushed back a deadline to put thousands of battery-driven cars   on the road by nearly a year, in a setback to its ambitions of having   electric vehicles comprise about a third of its fleet by 2030. State-owned Energy Efficiency Services, which is responsible for procuring electric cars to replace the petrol and diesel vehicles used by government officials, will roll out the first 10,000 vehicles by March 2019, Saurabh Kumar, the agency’s managing director said. EESL issued its first tender for 10,000 cars in September. It planned to roll out 500 cars by November and the rest by June. “The need for building more charging points for 10,000 electric cars and states being slow in taking deliveries are the reasons for the delay,” Kumar said i

The reduction comes after 16 consecutive price increases since May 14 when fuel retailers ended a 19-day pre-Karnataka poll hiatus to pass on a spike in global oil rates Economy & Policy News : After 16 days of relentless price hikes, petrol price was today cut by about 60 paise a litre and diesel by 56 paise on the back of softening international oil rates and strengthening Indian rupee. Petrol price in Delhi was cut by 60 paise to Rs 77.83 a litre. Rates had yesterday touched an all time high of Rs 78.43 per litre, according to a price revision notification of state-owned oil firms. Diesel rates were cut by 56 paise in Delhi to Rs 68.75 per litre. Prices are now off their peak of Rs 69.31 a litre. The reduction comes after 16 consecutive price increases since May 14 when fuel retailers ended a 19-day pre-Karnataka poll hiatus to pass on a spike in global oil rates. In all, petrol price was increased by Rs 3.8 per litre and diesel by Rs 3.38 in that fortni

The child-care funding cuts come at a time when the central government reduced its allocations to the ministry of women and child development over two years to 2016-17 Current Affairs News : Despite greater fiscal autonomy and higher tax revenues shared by the Centre with states, 14 of 20 states surveyed cut spending on a key nutrition programme–Supplementary Nutrition Programme or SNP–that bridges the gap between a child’s actual and ideal dietary needs, according to an analysis of national health-spending data. The SNP is the most popular service under the national child-support system–the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)–as it is used by 35.6% of urban and 53% rural residents, according to data from the National Family  Health  Survey 2015-16 (NFHS-4). As many as 55% and 61% of India’s lowest and second-lowest income classes, respectively, depend on the ICDS. The fall in funding could jeopardise not just child health but, as a consequence, futur

June 1 is the official onset date for arrival of monsoon in the country and it takes more than a month-and-half to cover the entire country Economy & Policy News : The   southwest   monsoon   on Tuesday hit Kerala, three days before its scheduled arrival, says the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The onset of   monsoon   over the southern state marks the commencement of the four-month long rainy season in the country. June 1 is the official onset date for arrival of   monsoon in the country and it takes more than a month-and-half to cover the entire country. The   IMD   has made a forecast of "normal" rainfall this season. Skymet, a private weather forecasting agency and a rival of the IMD, had said that the monsoon made its arrival in Kerala yesterday. According to the IMD, if after May 10, 60 per cent of the available 14 stations --Minicoy, Amini, Thiruvananthapuram, Punalur, Kollam, Allapuzha, Kottayam, Kochi, Thrissur, Kozhikode,