ENGLISH NEWS - 26-12-2016

DAILY G.A UPDATE : 26-12-2016

1. IDFC Bank launches aadhaar-linked cashless merchant solution

IDFC Bank announced the nation-wide launch of aadhaar-linked cashless merchant solution that uses a retailer’s smartphone to enable digital payments.

Aadhaar Pay, launched by the government today, has been developed by IDFC Bank in association with Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the bank said in a statement.

It said IDFC Aadhaar Pay will enable millions of merchants across the country to facilitate cashless purchases for customers in a cost-effective and scalable way.

There are no transaction fees for both merchants and customers, he said, adding that IDFC Aadhaar Pay will accelerate the pace of growth for cashless payments.

Over the past three days, over 100 merchant outlets have been using IDFC Aadhaar Pay.

2. India successfully tests smart anti-airfield weapon system SAAW

India successfully tested the smart anti-airfield weapon system, capable of engaging ground targets in a range of 100 kms from a fighter aircraft, at the integrated test range here in Chandipur.

SAAW, an indigenously designed and developed 120 kg class smart weapon, developed by DRDO, is a light-weight high-precision-guided bomb and one of the world class weapons systems, a DRDO statement said.

The captive and release trials were tracked by Radar and Telemetry ground stations at ITR during the entire duration of the flight.

The performance of all the systems was satisfactory with all the mission objectives achieved, the statement said.

The government sanctioned the Rs 56.58-crore SAAW project in September 2013.

In May, the DRDO conducted the first test on the weapon system from the IAF Jaguar DARIN-II aircraft.

3. Niti Aayog health index to rank states on ‘measurable’ indicators

Niti Aayog’s health index will rank states on the basis of their performance on ‘measurable’ indicators like infant mortality rate, sex ratio at birth and functional 24x7 public health Centres. 

“The maximum weightage is awarded to measurable outcomes (in ranking states on the basis of their performance) since these remain the focus of achievement,” according to the ’Health Book’ released by the government think tank. 

The Aayog launched the ‘Performance on Health Outcomes’ index which will be used to propel action in the states to improve health outcomes and improve data collection systems. 

States/UTs will be ranked in categories to ensure comparison among similar entities.

4. DRDO successfully test-fires India’s longest range nuclear capable Agni-5 missile

The Defence and Research Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully tested its indigenously developed intercontinental surface-to-surface nuclear capable ballistic missile 'Agni-5' from the Wheeler Island off Odisha coast. 

The three stage, solid propellant missile test-fired from a mobile launcher from the launch complex-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR), the officials said. 

This was the fourth trial of the long range missile. 

The indigenously-developed surface-to-surface missile, ‘Agni-5’, is capable of striking a target more than 5,000 km. It is about 17-metre long, 2-metre wide and has launch weight of around 50 tonnes. The missile can carry a nuclear warhead of more than one tonne. 

Unlike other missiles of Agni series, the latest one 'Agni-5' is the most advanced having some new technologies incorporated with it in terms of navigation and guidance, warhead and engine. 

Lot of new technologies developed indigenously were successfully tested in the first Agni-5 trial. The redundant navigation systems, very high accuracy Ring Laser Gyro based Inertial Navigation System (RINS) and the most modern and accurate Micro Navigation System (MINS) had ensured the Missile reach the target point within few metres of accuracy.