CURRENT AFFAIRS DAILY DIGEST

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1. Cabinet approvals on 5th April 2017

• Cabinet approves MoU between India and Australia on cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine
• Cabinet approves agreement on Audio Visual Co-Production between India and Bangladesh
• Cabinet approves MoU on Cooperation in the field of Mass Media between India and Bangladesh
• Cabinet approves MoU on passenger cruise services on the coastal and protocol routes between India and Bangladesh
• Cabinet approves signing of MoU between India and Bangladesh in the field of judicial sector cooperation
• Cabinet approves MoU between India and France on Technical Cooperation in Civil Aviation
• Cabinet approves MoU between India and Bangladesh for fairway development of Ashuganj-Zakiganj stretch of Kushiyara river and Sirajganj-Daikhawa stretch of Jamuna river in the Indo-Bangladesh protocol route
• Cabinet approves closure of Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana
• Cabinet apprised of the MoU with Ferrovie Dello Stato Italiane S.P.A. of Italy on Technical Cooperation in the Rail Sector
• Cabinet approves Collaboration Agreement to support the Belmont Forum Secretariat
• Cabinet approves Air Services Agreement between India and Georgia

2. PM to lay foundation stone of a multi-modal terminal on River Ganga in Jharkhand

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone of a multi-modal terminal and a four-lane bridge on the Ganga river in Jharkhand’s Sahibganj district. The multi-modal terminal is an important component of the development of the National Waterway-1 from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to Haldia in West Bengal, a distance of 1,390 km. The four-lane bridge on the Ganga river will be connecting Sahibganj, some 450 km from state capital Ranchi, to Manihari in Bihar’s Katihar district.

3. Rajya Sabha passes four bills to pave way for GST rollout

Parliament has passed four legislations to pave the way for roll out of the historic Goods and Services Tax (GST) from the target date of July 1. The Central GST Bill, 2017; The Integrated GST Bill, 2017; The GST (Compensation to States) Bill, 2017; and The Union Territory GST Bill, 2017 were returned by the Rajya Sabha after negation of a host of amendments moved by the opposition parties.

4. India ranks 9th among 41 countries in corruption in businesses: Survey

India ranks ninth among 41 countries in bribery and corrupt practices in businesses, according to the findings of a recent survey.  Nearly 78 per cent respondents queried in the country said that bribery and corrupt practices happen widely in businesses here, as per the EY Europe, Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA) Fraud Survey 2017.  India ranks behind Ukraine, Cyprus, Greece, Slovenia, Croatia, Kenya, South Africa and Hungary.

5. 06th April 2017: International Day of Sport for Development and Peace

6 April was declared as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) by the UN General Assembly. In 2013, the Sixty-seventh session of the United Nations General Assembly decided to proclaim 6 April as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.

On the occasion of the 2017 International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP), the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP) launches the digital campaign #WePlayTogether to encourage organizations and individuals.

6. RBI releases first bi-monthly monetary policy of 2017-18

The Reserve Bank of India, in its first monetary policy review of financial year 2017-18, kept the repurchase (repo) rate unchanged at 6.25%, citing upward risks to inflation and global uncertainty.  The Monetary Policy Committee, however, raised the reverse repo rate by 0.25 basis points to 6%, and cut the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate to 6.5%.

RBI hiked reverse repo rate by 25 bps to 6.00% thereby reducing the corridor between repo and reverse repo to 25 bps from the existing 50 bps. The essential aim seems to be ensuring a sharper focus on the keeping overnight rates (especially the overnight call money rate) aligned to the repo rate

7. NASA spacewoman Peggy Whitson got 3 months extension in orbit

The world’s oldest and most experienced spacewoman is getting three extra months in orbit. NASA announced that astronaut Peggy Whitson will remain on the International Space Station until September. The 57-year-old astronaut arrived last November and was supposed to return to Earth in June.

But under an agreement between NASA and the Russian Space Agency, she’ll stay another three months and take advantage of an empty seat on a Soyuz capsule in the fall. This mission her third will now last close to 10 months. Scientists are eager to monitor any changes to her body, to add to the knowledge gained from retired astronaut Scott Kelly’s recent one-year flight.

8. India, UK to set up 240 mn pound fund for green energy

India and the United Kingdom decided to set up a 240 million pound fund to finance clean energy projects here, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said. The Green Growth Equity Fund will be a sub-fund of NIIF.  India had in 2015 set up the Rs 40,000 crore National Infrastructure and Investment Fund (NIIF) to finance greenfield as well as brownfield projects. The fund will focus initial investments in India’s rapidly growing energy and renewables market and a “fund manager would be selected by autumn”.

9. Sports Minister Vijay Goel approves appointment of Foreign Coaches in Athletics

Sports Minister Vijay Goel has approved the appointment of two foreign coaches and support staff for India’s athletics disciplines. He said that his ministry is committed to provide sportspersons with all possible help – from sports infrastructure to equipments – in helping them to prepare and participate in international competitions. The appointments were recommended by the foreign coach selection committee under the chairmanship of sports secretary.

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