27 May 2015 Current Affairs
Indian-origin Teacher Won Oxford University Award
An Indian-origin teacher has been honoured by Oxford University for helping one of her students get into the world-famous varsity. Gurnimrat ‘Nimmy’ Sidhu, head of science at Oaks Park High School in north-east London, is among 12 teachers to win the ‘University of Oxford Inspirational Teacher Award’ set up to encourage more state-funded schools to connect with the university. Sidhu feared a marking error and forced her student Esther Odejimi to get her exams remarked enabling her to gain admission Pembroke College, Oxford, to study theology.
NASSCOM launches Cyber Security Task Force
National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) and Data Security Council of India have launched ‘NASSCOM Cyber Security’ Task Force which aims to aims to build India as a global hub for providing cyber security solutions, developing cyber security R&D plan and develop a skilled workforce of cyber security experts. Rajendra Pawar, Chairman of NIIT will chair this task force and its members will include industry leaders from across various sectors like Information Technology (IT), BPM and internet.The task force has proposed four working groups focused on industry development, policy enablement, technology development and skill development.
World’s First Artificial Molecular Pump Developed
Scientists have developed the first man-made molecular pump, this artificial molecular pump can transports key proteins that cells need to function, that could be used to power artificial muscles.The new machine mimics the pumping mechanism of life-sustaining proteins that move small molecules around living cells to metabolize and store energy from food.Artificial molecular pump draws power from chemical reactions, driving molecules step-by step from a low-energy state to a high-energy state – far away from equilibrium.
Union Government Constitutes Committee Headed By Vijay Kelkar To Revisit PPP Infra Model
Union government has constituted a 10-member committee to review and revitalise public private partnership (PPP) mode of infrastructure development. The committee will be chaired by former finance secretary Vijay Kelkar and submit its report within a period of 3 months from the date of its Constitution. The Kelkar committee will review the PPP policy and suggest a better risk-sharing mechanism between private developers and the government after analysing such projects in different. It is worth mentioning that Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his budget speech had announced the committee after stating that the current PPP model was not robust enough to reduce risk for the private companies to increase investment in infrastructure. He had advocated increased public spending and promised to look into ways to resolve issues hampering the so-called public-private-partnership (PPP) model. India is one the largest PPP markets with over 900 projects at various stages of development.