CURRENT AFFAIRS
QUICK LINKS FOR YOU
Download Current Affairs PDFs
Practice Current Affairs Online Tests
- Surgeon Raghu Ram awarded 2016 B C Roy Award
Dr P Raghu Ram, president of Association of Breast Surgeons of India, has won the prestigious Dr B C Roy national award for ‘outstanding service in the field of socio medical relief’ for 2016. The award, the highest recognition for medical practitioners in India.
- Bidhan Chandra Roy Award was instituted in 1976 in memory of B. C. Roy by Medical Council of India. The Award is given annually in each of the following categories: Statesmanship of the Highest Order in India, Medical man-cum-Statesman, Eminent Medical Person, Eminent person in Philosophy, Eminent person in Science and Eminent person in Arts. It is presented by President of India in New Delhi on July 1, National Doctors’ Day.
- CBDT signs four more Unilateral Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs)
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance has entered into four more unilateral Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs). The four APAs signed pertain to the Manufacturing, Financial and Information Technology sectors of the economy. The international transactions covered in these agreements include Contract Manufacturing, IT Enabled Services and Software Development Services.
- Arunachal Becomes First NE State to Implement e-Cabinet Solution
Arunachal to become first state to introduce e-Cabinet. (Image courtesy: Shutterstock) Arunachal Pradesh has became the first state in the northeast to implement e-Cabinet solution for the state cabinet members. Using this system, the cabinet members can access the cabinet notes before the meeting. The entire business of the Cabinet can be conducted using the e-Cabinet solution.
- Cabinet approves ‘PM Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan’ for digital education
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved ‘Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan’ (PMGDISHA) to make 6 crore rural households digitally literate. The outlay for this project is Rs.2,351.38 crore to usher in digital literacy in rural India by March,.2019. This is in line with the announcement made by Finance Minister in the Union Budget 2016-17.
- Intellectual Property index: India remains near bottom
India remains near the bottom in an international Intellectual Property (IP) index by being ranked 43rd out of 45 countries, according to a report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC).
The report said it includes 90% of global gross domestic product, and grades countries on patents, trademarks, copyright, trade secrets, enforcement, and international treaties. Only two countries were ranked below India – Pakistan (44th) and Venezuela (45th).
The U.S., the U.K., Germany, Japan, Sweden, France, Switzerland, Singapore, South Korea and Italy completed the top 10 ranks.
- HDFC Bank, KMB go live with Bharat Bill Payment System
Private sector lenders HDFC Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank are live with the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) that is aimed at easing utility and other repetitive bill payments for consumers. The BBPS is a centralised system created by the National Payments Corporation, involving banks and non-banks and allows agents to access bill payments services in an interoperable manner, HDFC Bank stated.
- IDFC Bank, India Lends tie-up for loan services to 01st timers
Private sector lender IDFC Bank has collaborated with fintech startup IndiaLends to enable first time borrowers who do not have a credit history to take loans.
IDFC Bank said it is a differentiated personal loan solution which will offer instant loans approvals through a completely digitised process to first time borrowers.
- PNB Housing Finance limited & CREDAI-West Bengal Signs MoU to train construction workers in West Bengal
PNB Housing Finance Limited (PNBHFL) has signed an MOU with CREDAI West Bengal to train 1000 construction workers in Kolkata and nearby villages. CREDAI-Bengal would also be setting up permanent (off-site) skill development centres in Medinipur and Murshidabad – places with huge concentration of construction labour. 50% of the training cost is to be borne by the West Bengal State Government and PNBHFL, while the remaining 50% while would be borne by the developer at the construction site from where workers would be trained.
- RBI to set up panel on strengthening cyber security
the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to set up an inter-disciplinary panel on cybersecurity to examine various threats and suggest measures to deal with it.
While banks have taken steps to strengthen their defences, the diverse and ingenious nature of recent cyberattacks necessitates an ongoing review of the cybersecurity landscape and emerging threats. Towards this end, an inter-disciplinary Standing Committee on cybersecurity is being constituted.
The panel will review the threats inherent in the existing or emerging technology on an ongoing basis
- India & Austria Signs Protocol to Amend Bilateral Taxation Treaty
India and Austria signed a Protocol amending the existing Convention between the two countries for Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income. The Protocol was signed by Shri Sushil Chandra, Chairman CBDT on behalf of India and Mr. Georg Zehetner, Charge d’ Affaires, Embassy of Austria on behalf of Austria.
The Protocol will broaden the scope of the existing framework of exchange of tax related information which will help curb tax evasion and tax avoidance between the two countries and will also enable mutual assistance in collection of taxes.
- China becomes world’s largest producer of solar power
China has become the world’s largest producer of solar energy, according to a new report from the country’s energy administration. The most populous nation on Earth nearly doubled their capacity for solar power in 2016, but they still have a very low per-capita rate for solar power use.
China’s National Energy Administration announced over the weekend that their photovoltaic (PV) capacity reached an impressive 77.42 gigawatts. Germany, the former global solar-power leader, produced 40.78 gigawatts in November 2016.
- US Senate votes to confirm Jeff Sessions as next US Attorney General
A bitterly divided U.S. Senate confirmed Republican Senator Jeff Sessions as the next attorney general of the United States after strong pushback from Democrats concerned about his record on civil rights. Sessions, 70, who has served two decades in the Senate from Alabama, was confirmed by a 52-47 vote largely along party lines after Democrats raised public opposition to his confirmation.
- India & US agree to sustain momentum on defence efforts
India and the US agreed to sustain the momentum in their defence collaboration while committing to build on the “tremendous progress” made in the sector as Defence Secretary James Mattis held his first telephonic conversation with Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar.
- ISRO will use native processor for Earth to space signals
Indian Space Research Organisation has said that the indigenous development of Telemetry & Telecommand Processor (TTCP) has been realised and its production will be initiated with the help of Indian industry. The processor, whose development was taken up by ISRO as part of ‘Make in India’ campaign, replaces expensive imported equipment.
- IAAF Bans Russia From 2017 London World Athletics Championships
Russia will miss August’s World Athletics Championships in London after their doping ban was extended, world governing body president Sebastian Coe said. Coe said Russia, whose 15-month ban from athletics was prolonged at the IAAF’s Council meeting in Cap d’Ail near Monaco, could not be reintegrated into the sport before November.
- Col Nizamuddin who drove around Netaji has passed away
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s driver and INA veteran ‘Colonel’ Nizamuddin died. Born in 1901, Nizamuddin was over 116 years old. ‘Colonel’ Nizamuddin, who had served in the Indian National Army from 1943-45, had proclaimed himself as one of the most trusted lieutenants of Netaji.
- Freedom fighter Racharla Samrajyam has passed away
Racharla Samrajyam, a veteran freedom fighter, passed away following the age-related illness at Vishakhapatnam. She was 98. She was inspired by the Quit India Movement at the time when she was undergoing Hindi Pracharak training at Anantapur in 1942. It was at this point of time, she had quit the training programme and joined the Quit India Movement.
########################
