Indian Railway, Digital India - Current Affairs Questions and Answers

ANSWER: IIT-Madras

Explanation:
IIT Madras has signed an MoU with Indian Railways on 22nd December to develop a long term framework for research and collaboration in the advancement of technology. The MoU will function for a period of 3 years. Centre for railway research will be set up at the IIT for this purpose for carrying out research relating to structural health monitoring of railway infrastructure.

ANSWER: eSign Desk

Explanation:
Legal Desk, a startup in online legal documentation on 4th August 2016 announced launch of electronic signing feature- eSign Desk- talking digital signature to the masses beyond companies.

• Constructed on the Aadhaar platform, eSign in a government initiative enabling citizens with Aadhaar to remotely sign any document
• The National Payments Corporation of India which is an organisation run by all banks in the country is also coming out with own version of unified payment interface which will make sending and receiving money simpler

ANSWER: Project Management & Information System

Explanation:
Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu on May 3, 2016 launched e-enabled Project Management & Information System at Rail Bhawan in Delhi

• Application will be used for proper monitoring of Railway projects throughout the nation
• Indian railways has 600 major projects of network expansion and modernisation costing INR 4.5 lakh rupees
• Indian Railways requires money as well as proper monitoring of projects for which money has to be spent.
• Newly launched Project Management and Information System will contain data about ongoing projects

ANSWER: Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:

• India becomes the first country to propose a levy on digital economy.
• The government’s decision to levy an equalization tax of 6 per cent on online advertisement services offered in the country by non-resident entities will impact users, especially start-ups that rely almost entirely on the online world to popularize their services.
• Further, as the levy is not introduced as part of the Income Tax Act but as a separate legislation under the Finance Bill, global firms that offer such services in India cannot claim a tax credit in their home country under the double taxation avoidance agreements.
• In the absence of ability to claim credit, the non-resident service provider offering such online advertisement services may not absorb such deduction thus adding to the cost of the end-user here. Service providers may ask Indian firms to gross up the levy, adding to the cost of business, which would hurt many start-ups and medium-sized businesses using the service.
• The move may impact Indian businesses (that buy online advertisement space). Indian businesses use global advertising platforms extensively to reach out to their customers in India and overseas.
• In order to tap tax on income accruing to foreign e-commerce companies from India it is proposed that a person making a payment to a non-resident (global advertising platform), who does not have a permanent establishment, exceeding in aggregate Rs.1 lakh in a year, as consideration for online advertisement, will withhold tax at 6 per cent of gross amount paid, as equalization levy. The equalization levy looks at taxing online advertisements, provision of digital advertising space or any other facility or service for the purpose of online advertisements.

ANSWER: Telangana

Explanation:
MoU was signed between Ministry of Railways and State Government of Telangana for formation of JV companies for the development of rail infrastructure within the state. The MoU was signed against the Budget’s promise to set up JVs with states for focused project development as well as land acquisition and resource mobilisation as well as project implementation and critical rail project monitoring. and Railways has projects on the anvil valued at INR 3.5 lakh crore and additional lines of 9000 km. 17 states have already consented for the formation of the JVs and around 5 states have signed MoU with Railway Ministry for this.

ANSWER: None of the above

Explanation:
Shri. R. K. Verma, a 1980 batch IRSE or Indian Railway Service of Engineers officer has attained the charge of Secretary, Railway Board on 9th February 2016. Prior to serving as the Secretary, he was serving as advisor Public Grievance to the Ministry of State for Railways. He completed his engineering from IIT(BHU) and M.Tech from IIT-D. He joined Indian Railways in the year 1982.

ANSWER: Real time basis

Explanation:
In a major step towards digitisation, Indian Railways on 11th January 2016 launched a web based system for monitoring track maintenance on real time basis by replacing close to one lakh registers pertaining to it. Web based management of track maintenance will be implemented in 68 divisions of the Indian Railways. Various activities including track inspection, maintenance and monitoring.

ANSWER: Both of the above

Explanation:
Stepping up the ecological initiatives, two environment friendly measures were announced by Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu namely a 26MW wind mill plant in Jaisalmer and a HOG or Head on Generation System in Mumbai Rajdhani. Prabhu also said there is need to protect the environment and promote sustainable development. Wind mill plant has been set up by REMCL or Railways Energy Management Company Ltd, a JV of Indian Railways and RITES Ltd at a cost of INR 160 crore. HOG system will reduce power cost by more than INR 1 crore each year. Within the HOG system, power supply for train lighting and air conditioning in coaches is taken from head power lights, preventing the use of diesel generators in power cars and consequent noise pollution.

ANSWER: ERP

Explanation:
In line with the Digital India initiative of the Government of India, National Handloom Development Corporation has made the decision to implement Enterprise Resource Planning/ERP system for commercial activities to benefit handloom weavers. This system will improve productivity, increase efficiency, decrease cost and improve the supply of raw materials processes in NHDC.

ANSWER: Indo-Bangladesh Rail Link

Explanation:
1000 crore rupees sanctioned for the laying of 15.06 km long tracks to connect Indian Railways with Bangladesh through the North East. Out of 15.06 km length connecting Agartala with Akhaura railway junction in Bangladesh, 3.7 km would comprise of elevated corridor.