CURRENT AFFAIRS UPDATES – SEPTEMBER 16/2015
Hungary Declares state of Emergency over Refugee Influx
Hungary closes down a key border crossing from Serbia overnight leaving thousands of migrants stranded. Many spent the night in the open at the border crossing in Horgos. The Hungarian Government has declared a state of emergency to cope with the influx of refugees, as almost 10,000 people were detained for illegally crossing the border from Serbia.
Andhra Pradesh to inter-link Godavari and Krishna rivers
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will release water of river Godavari into Krishna to mark the formal linking of the two rivers. State Water Resources Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao told reporters that the state has created history by completing the Krishna-Godavari linking project to divert about 80 TMC of water from river Godavari river to Krishna.
Pentagon Creates India Rapid Reaction Cell
The Pentagon has established a first-ever country special cell to speed up its defence ties with India and accelerate the process of co-development and co-production of hi-tech military equipment in the country. Established soon after Defence Secretary Ashton Carter assumed Pentagon’s leadership role in February, India Rapid Reaction Cell (IRRC) is headed by Keith Webster, Director, International Cooperation Office of the Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics.
Indian-origin MP Seema Malhotra appointed shadow chief secretary in UK
Seema Malhotra, 43-year-old Indian-origin British MP, has been appointed as the shadow chief secretary for Treasury by the newly elected Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. She became MP for the London seat of Feltham and Heston in 2011 in a by-election following the death of Alan Keen (Conservative). In August 2014, she was given the newly-created role of shadow minister for preventing violence against women and girls by the then Labour leader Ed Miliband. She will be shadow chancellor John McDonnell’s number two in the shadow Treasury team.
ICC gives go-ahead to Tendulkar-Warne Series
The International Cricket Council has given its clearance to the three-match T20 series (Tendulkar-Warne Series) promoted by Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne in the United States. The ICC nod came after talks with the two legends. The ICC, which recently disaffiliated USA Cricket Association, put in place a new body to run the game in the country.
Arun Jaitley launches NXT DIGITAL – Headend-In-The-Sky platform
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has launched the Headend In The Sky (HITS) digital platform initiative, under the brand name NXT DIGITAL promoted by Hinduja Group. The launch would provide consumers with wider choice. Now the viewers can have access to over 500 television channels of their choice – international, national, regional and local; besides a host of other services like e-applications and TV everywhere. Customers in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Punjab and Karnataka will now have greater access to channels of their choice with other states soon joining in.
World’s longest Continental Volcanic Chain discovered in Australia
Scientists have just found the world’s longest chain of volcanoes in Australia, hiding in plain sight. Geologists have long known of small, separate chains of volcanic activity on the island continent. However, new research reveals a hidden hotspot once churned beneath regions with no signs of surface volcanism, connecting these separate strings of volcanoes into one megachain. That 1,240-mile-long (2,000 kilometers) chain of fire spanned most of eastern Australia, from Hillsborough in the north, where rain forest meets the Great Barrier Reef, to the island of Tasmania in the south.
Five Key Decisions taken by Union Cabinet
The Union Cabinet has taken five key decision in different areas. It includes,
- Smart plan for rural areas
- Drought Relief
- EXIM Bank – Consessional Finance
- Doubling of Hotgi-Kudgi-Gadag route (284 Km) of railways
- Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015
Check this link – Key Decisions by Cabinet
North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear facility resumes operation
North Korea has resumed normal operations at the Yongbyon complex, the country’s main nuclear facility. North Korea appears to be intensifying nuclear and ballistic missile development efforts that could lead to further international sanctions against the Kim Jong Un regime. North Korea’s state controlled media KCNA said that the country’s main nuclear complex in Yongbyon was in full operation.
Indian-American Swetha Prabakaran selected for Champions of Change award in US
Swetha Prabakaran, a 15-year-old Indian-American girl has been honoured by the White House with the prestigious “Champions of Change” award. She was chosen for empowering the community by imparting Internet coding through her non-profit organisation. A junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Swetha Prabakaran was among the eleven young women selected by the White House as “Champions of Change” who are empowering their communities.
Indian author Sunjeev Sahota on Man Booker fiction shortlist
Indian-origin British author Sunjeev Sahota is among six writers shortlisted for the prestigious Man Booker Prize for Fiction for 2015. The six names were announced by chair of judges, Michael Wood, at a press conference. Sahota’s “The Year of the Runaways” deals with the experience of illegal immigrants from the Indian subcontinent in Britain.
RBI names 10 companies to set up Small Banks
The Reserve Bank of India has selected 10 companies to set up small banks aimed at giving loans to those who struggle to get finance from traditional banks, including farmers and small businesses.
The name of the applicants that have been granted the licence include,
- Au Financiers
- Capital Local Area Bank
- Disha Microfin
- Equitas Holdings
- ESAF Microfinance and Investments
- Janalakshmi Financial Services
- RGVN (North East) Microfinance
- Suryoday Micro Finance
- Ujjivan Financial Services
- Utkarsh Micro Finance.
India secures double trap team bronze at Archery World Championship
India concluded their campaign with a solitary bronze medal in the men’s compound team event of the Archery World Cup Stage 4. The Indian trio of Sarvesh Pareek, Sandeep Kumar and Isaiah Rajender Sanam, who were seeded sixth, beat a higher ranked Venezuela 231-222 in a one-sided bronze medal play-off.
“Shauryanjali”– An Exhibition on 1965 War Opens
“Shauryanjali”, an exhibitions has been launched showcasing the major battle scenes and captured tanks of the Pakistani Army during the 1965 war, started at central Delhi’s Rajpath on 15th September 2015 in order to celebrate the golden jubilee celebrations of the 1965 war. The six-day exhibition showcases the role played by CRPF, International Red Cross, media, Prasar Bharati along with the armed forces, manoeuvre by fighter jets and stunts by para troopers.
IIT- Delhi, IISc figured in the top 200 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Rankings
India has finally made its debut in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) list of top 200 universities globally. The Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore occupied the 147 place and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT-D) have been placed at 179 in the QS World University Rankings for 2015-16. None of the Indian universities has made it to the QS’ top 200 in the previous editions. These two universities are the first universities of India which has entered the rating.
Paytm has tied up with educational institutions to introduce cashless payments.
Mobile commerce company Paytm has tied up with educational institutions to introduce cashless payments. Users will now be able to pay school fees and dues, cafeteria bills as well as buy uniforms, books and merchandise through the Paytm Wallet.
Chinese City Hangzhou to host 2022 Asian Games
The Chinese city of Hangzhou has been confirmed as the host of the 2022 Asian Games, the Olympic Council of Asia announced at its General Assembly in Ashgabat. Hangzhou in eastern China – best known for the West Lake, a placid and much-painted tourist attraction – was the only candidate city
to stage the 19th edition of Asia’s biggest multi-sports event.
India ranks 34th in Business Growth Environment : Thornton
Grant Thornton Global Dynamism Index (GDI), India has been ranked 34th among 60 leading economies in terms of ‘business growth environment’. India ranked 53rd out of 60 in the GDI when it comes to its business operating environment. India’s rank in other categories are,
- Economic situation and growth – Overall ranking 2
- Availability of labour and human capital Rank 15
- Financing environment – Rank 36
- Science and Technology – Rank 41
September 16 – International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
September 16 was designated by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. This event commemorates the date of the signing of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in 1987. he slogan for this year “Ozone: All that is there between You and UV” is meant to show how human activity can impact the ozone layer and ultimately, the survival of the Earth and its environment.
Anupam Kher honoured with certificate of recognition in US
Anupam Kher received the ‘Certificate of Recognition’ from the California legislature for his dedication to helping Kashmiri Hindu community. He was presented with the ‘Honoured Guest’ award by the US state of Texas and September 10 was announced as ‘Anupam Kher Day’ in Las Vegas.
THANK YOU 🙂 🙂 🙂
