Current Affairs Quick Gyan – October 14/2015
1. India plans big project along Bangladesh border
The Cabinet Committee on Security cleared a massive infrastructure project for the Bangladesh border. Projects worth Rs. 4,400 crore were cleared by the CCS headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, but no announcement was made by the government. Cross-border migration has been high on the agenda of the NDA government and it was one of the major poll issues before it came to power. Till August this year, the Border Security Force intercepted 1,731 Bangladeshi nationals trying to cross over to India.
2. India gives $ 5 million grant to Palestine
India has given a grant of five million US Dollars to Palestine as Budgetary assistance. It was given Indian President Pranab Mukherjee to his is Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. India has announced 5 projects worth 17.79 million US dollars in Palestine. These projects are $12 million Technology Park at Ramallah, and $1 million India-Palestine Centre for Excellence in Gaza, $4.5 million Palestine Institute for Diplomacy.
3. Tamil Nadu Government bans Ketoprofen drug to save vultures
After a ban on multi-vial drugs of Diclofenac by the Centre, now the State government has withdrawn Ketoprofen, a non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used extensively for veterinary purposes to save the vulture population in the three western districts. Despite the first batch of the drug being supplied to all the districts beginning May 2015, the Directorate of Animal Husbandry has decided to discontinue the use of Ketoprofen in Erode, Coimbatore and The Nilgiris, where the vulture population was in danger
4. China operationalises Zam Hydropower Station on Brahmaputra in Tibet
China has operationalised the $1.5 billion Zam Hydropower Station, the largest in Tibet — built on the Brahmaputra River. The dam has ignited concerns in India over the likelihood of disruption of water supplies. The dam has also raised concerns in India over China’s ability to release water in times of conflict, which could pose serious risk of flooding.
5. Maha cabinet approves new procurement policy
Maharashtra cabinet has approved a new procurement policy to ensure transparency in dealings in the backdrop of allegations of irregularities in purchases made by various departments. The procurement policy will bring in new methods like the ‘Swiss Challenge’ system of procurement to get the best deal from private players. It also scraps – barring exceptions – the controversial system of rate contracts and looks at setting up a new e-portal to serve as the front-end platform for purchases by the government.
6. Govt okays India-Taipei MSME pact
Government of India has approved an agreement for cooperation with Taipei in the field of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave nod to the MoU between India-Taipei Association (ITA) in Taipei and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) in India. The agreement provides a structured framework and enabling environment to the MSME sector of the two parties to understand each other’s strengths, markets, technologies, policies etc.
7. Punam wins gold in 2 categories at Commonwealth
Punam Yadav (63kg) bagged gold medals for India in both the senior and junior women’s categories on the third day of the 2015 Commonwealth Youth, Junior & Senior weightlifting championships held in Pune. In the men’s section Vishnukanth S, Ragala Venkat Rahul and Vikas Thakur claimed the top positions in their respective weight divisions. Another Indian in the fray, G Lalitha settled for the silver medal in 63kg Youth Girls section.
8. MoU between the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of the Republic of India and the Government of Mozambique
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved MoU between the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, India and Mozambique. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy of the Government of India and the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy, Government of Mozambique in New Delhi on 5th August, 2015, during the visit of H.E. Mr. Filipe Nyusi, President of Mozambique to India.
9. Deposits in accounts under Jan Dhan Yojana cross Rs 25,000 crore: Finance ministry
Deposit in accounts opened under the government’s flagship financial inclusion programme, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), have exceeded Rs.25,000 crore. Besides, the PMJDY accounts having balances have now exceeded 60 per cent and the zero balance accounts reduced to less than 40 per cent. The accounts that can be opened under PMJDY are Basic Savings Bank Deposit Accounts (BSBDA) which can be of zero balance. As on October 7, the deposits collected stood at Rs. 25,146.97 crore. So far, 18.7 crore accounts have been opened under the scheme.
10. Bharti Airtel wins Asia top treasury team award for 2015
Bharti Airtel’s treasury division has been adjudged winner of the top treasury team (Asia) awards at the Adam Smith Asia Awards 2015. Airtel’s treasury division was also overall winner of the Adam Smith Asia Award 2015 in the first class relationship management category. Airtel has been recognised for fostering strong relationships across the ecosystem, lenders across banks, NBFCs & multilateral agencies as well as rating agencies, debt & equity investors and analysts.
11. CIDCO to set up Aviation Academy in Navi Mumbai
City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Ltd (CIDCO) will set up an Aviation Academy for the training of manpower required for the proposed Navi Mumbai International airport. The work of the proposed airport is likely to begin next year and the first phase has been scheduled to be completed in 2019.
12. India bags No. 3 spot in world’s startup ecosystem
According to Nasscom’s latest report, India is third globally with the number of startups crossing 4,200. The report, titled ‘Start-up India — Momentous Rise of the Indian Start-up Ecosystem,’ says the Indian technology startups landscape has seen a tremendous growth in the emergence of innovative start-ups and creative entrepreneurs. India is one among the first five largest start-up communities in the world with the number of startups crossing 4,200.
13. Etihad Airways signed deal worth 700 million US dollars with IBM
Etihad Airways and IBM have announced an information technology deal worth 700 million US dollars for over 10 years. The deal aims at improving the airline’s operations and security. The deal incorporates analytics of customer data and the development of technology that can forecast weather patterns to better manage the airline’s flights at its Abu Dhabi centre.
14. Arun Jaitley chosen ‘Finance Minister of the Year, Asia’ by Emerging Markets
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has been chosen as ‘Finance Minister of the Year, Asia’ by London-based publication Emerging Markets in October 2015. The magazine said Jaitely deserves some recognition for India’s relative economic success over the last 18 months. Apart from this, Atiur Rahman, the Governor of Bangladesh Bank was named as the Central Bank Governor of the Year, Asia 2015. He was awarded for generating considerable strength and resilience in the economy of Bangladesh.
15. Ministry of Shipping launched a programme to develop 78 Lighthouses as tourism centers
The ministry of shipping, along with the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL), has drawn up an ambitious programme to develop 78 lighthouses in the country as tourist centres under public-private-partnership mode. The identified lighthouses are in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
16. Delhi government launched Bill Banvao, Inaam Pao scheme
The Department of Trade and Taxes, Delhi Government, has announced a scheme titled “Bill Banvao, Inaam Pao,” under which cash awards would be given to general public, who get proper bills made from retailers. The scheme would be covering those who get bill/ cash memo/ retail invoice prepared of their purchases made from a registered dealer in Delhi. To become a receiver of the award, minimum taxable value of the purchased goods should be ₹ 100. The prize would be five times the taxable value of the products purchased and the maximum cash reward would be ₹ 50,000.
17. Jamaica’s Marlon James Wins Man Booker Prize
Marlon James became the first Jamaican Author to win the prestigious Booker Prize for his book “A Brief History of Seven Killings”. James was awarded the 50,000 pound prize during a black-tie dinner at London’s medieval Guildhall. The 44-year-old author said he almost gave up writing more than a decade ago when his first novel, “John Crow’s Devil,” was rejected by 70 publishers. He said winning the Booker Prize was “surreal,” and joked that he would spend the prize money on a tailor-made suit or “every William Faulkner novel in hardcover.”
18. GOI to rename missile complex after Kalam
The government of India has decided to rename the prestigious missile complex in Hyderabad ‘Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex’ in honour of the late President. Defence ministerManohar Parrikar will attend the renaming ceremony at the Research Centre Imarat (RCI) on October 15, the 84th birth anniversary of the former President, also known as the ‘Missile Man’. Kalam had joined the missile complex in 1982 and was a part of it for nearly two decades.
19. Tata Steel bags Golden Peacock Global Award for Sustainability
Private steel major Tata Steel has been awarded the ‘Golden Peacock Global Award for Sustainability’ (GPGAS) for 2015 by the Institute of Directors, India. The award was given at the Golden Peacock Awards Night in London recently. This year, the title was awarded by the Expert Evaluation Committee of Golden Peacock Awards, under the chairmanship of Justice M N Venkatachaliah, former Chief Justice, Supreme Court of India.
20. One in 13 world cancer patients is Indian: US study
The National Cancer Institute (NCI), a unit of US Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS), has observed that India shares a large proportion of the global cancer burden. India has around 1.8 million people suffering from cancer, with patients of breast, cervical and oral cancers topping the list. Every 13th new cancer patient in the world is an Indian.
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