Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 8 May 2015

::National:

National Smart Grid Mission

Government has approved the National Smart Grid Mission (NSGM) -an institutional mechanism for planning, monitoring and implementation of policies and programs related to Smart Grid activities.

NSGM has three tier structure:

At the apex level, NSGM has a Governing Council headed by the Minister of Power. Members of the Governing Council are Secretary level officers of concerned Ministries and departments. Role of Governing Council is to approve all policies and programme for smart grid implementation.
At the second level, the NSGM has an Empowered Committee headed by Secretary (Power). Members of the Empowered Committee are Joint Secretary level officers of concerned Ministries and departments. Role of Empowered Committee is to provide policy input to Governing Council and approve, monitor, review specific smart grid projects, guidelines / procedures etc.
In a supportive role, NSGM has a Technical Committee headed by Chairperson (CEA). Members of the Technical Committee are Director level officers of concerned Ministries & departments, representatives from industries and academia. Role of Technical Committee is to support the Empowered Committee on technical aspect, standards development, technology selection guidelines etc.
For day-to-day operations, NSGM has a NSGM Project Management Unit (NPMU) headed by the Director NPMU. Director NPMU is a Member of the Governing Council and Empowered Committee, and Member Secretary of Technical Committee. NPMU is the implementing agency for operationalizing the Smart Grid activities in the country under the guidance of Governing Council and Empowered Committee.
Grant up-to 30% of the project cost is available from NSGM budget. For selected components such as training & capacity building, consumer engagement etc, 100% grant is available.

Nirmal Ganga Sahbhagita Programme

The Government has launched ‘Nirmal Ganga Sahbhagita’ a sustainable initiative with Urban Local Bodies(ULBs) located on the banks of the river Ganga for achieving the objective of Clean Ganga.
The initiative aims at sensitizing the ULBs about the pollution in river Ganga arising primarily due to dumping of solid waste in the river/nallas and to involve them in a long term engagement in stoppage of the solid waste flow from nallas/drains to the river. Apart from this ULBs can perform certain activities for achieving the shared objective of rejuvenating the river Ganga. National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) intends to enter in to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the ULBs for effective and fruitful engagement in this regard.
The draft MoU is being prepared and the broad objective of the partnership is to involve the ULBs in the areas of solid waste management, installation and maintenance of clarifiers/screens in the nallas/drains to support primary treatment of waste water, maintaining ‘litter free zones’, 500m along the river basin; engaging volunteer force and youth in ghat cleaning & monitoring and conducting public outreach activities.

::Newsmaker:

Union Government appoints Achal Kumar Jyoti as member of ECI

Union Government has appointed former Chief Secretary of Gujarat Achal Kumar Jyoti as Election Commissioner, one of the two vacancies in the three-member body.
Mr. Jyoti retired from active service in January 2013 after serving in various capacities in Gujarat, including as Chairman of the Kandla Port Trust between 1999 and 2004 and Managing Director of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd.

::Sport:

BCCI allows KKR spinner Sunil Narine to bowl once again

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has permitted Kolkata Knight Riders spinner Sunil Narine to bowl off-spin once again. The BCCI cleared Narine on the condition that if reported again, he will be banned for the season.
The enigmatic KKR spinner, whose bowling action has recently come under the scanner, underwent a biomechanical analysis for the third time in a month at Sri Ramachandra Arthroscopy and Sports Sciences Centre (SRASSC) in Chennai after getting the off-spin ban.
With the bowler reappearing for another test for his remodelled action after the fresh ban, the BBCI suspect bowling action committee found it within the permissible limit of 15 degrees and gave Narine the clearance to bowl the off-spinners again.

::Economy:

Myntra acquires Native5

Myntra, an e-commerce portal for fashion and lifestyle products, has acquired Bengaluru-based mobile app development platform company, Native5. This acquisition will strengthen and expand Myntra’s mobile technology team.
Native5 is Myntra’s second technology led acquisition. In April 2013, Myntra acquired Fitiquette, a San Francisco-based technology solution, a virtual fitting room.