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24th November 2016 – Current Affairs

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National

First e-assembly constituency of the country

  • Palampur Assembly Constituency in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh has adopted E-Vidhan system
  • E-vidhan system would enable the residents of the constituency to know about the development works going on by one click on computer
  • It would also help to electronically send the data regarding the requirement of funds for different schemes.

Haryana Government mandates Fitting Auto-Dipper in 4-Wheeled motor Vehicles

  • Haryana government has made it compulsory for all four-wheeler vehicles in the state to install an auto dipper in the vehicles according to the Rule 106 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989
  • Auto-Dipper that will be fitted in the vehicles will have to be approved by Transport Department based on the technology under license from National Research Development Corporation or any Government of India undertaking like Vehicle Research and Development Establishment of the Ministry of Defence or Automotive Research Associates of India, Pune or other similar institutes as notified under Rule 124 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.

Government approved to buy 12 Dornier surveillance for Rs.2500 Cr

  • Proposal first got the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) by the Defence Acquisition Council in October 2014
  • Modified Dornier aircraft Do-228 will be manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)

Fifth International Tourism Mart Organised In Imphal

  • The International Tourism Mart is an annual event organized in the North Eastern region of the country to highlight the tourism potential of that region in both domestic and international markets.
  • Aim: to provide a platform for interaction between buyers, sellers, media, government agencies and other stakeholders, to bring together tourism business unity from overseas as well as all northeastern states and West Bengal.
  • About 57 buyers and delegates from ASEAN countries, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Russia, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada, Brazil, South Africa, the UK and the US, along with others are likely to participate in the event.

International

South Korea & Japan again sign controversial intelligence deal 

  • Japan and South Korea signed a controversial agreement on November 23, 2016 to share defense intelligence on North Korea.
  • In 2012 both counties were signed an intelligence-sharing deal , but Seoul backtracked at that time.

Business & Economy

Bharti Airtel Starts First Payments Bank Service in Rajasthan

  • The banking service is aimed at testing systems and processes before a full scale pan Indian is launched.
  • The customers will get a personal accidental insurance of Rs. 1 lakh with every savings account.

NABARD sanctions Rs 21,000 crore to district cooperative banks 

  • NABARD has sanctioned Rs. 21,000 croresto the District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs) to help farmers in Rabi agricultural seasons.
  • CCBs will disburse loans to farmers through the network of Primary Agricultural
    Cooperative Societies (PACS).
  • Government has chosen DCCB for loan disbursal because 40%of the small-scale farmers go to co-operative banks.
  • Move has been taken to minimize the effect of demonetization effect on farmers.
  • The government had already made provisions for accepting old denomination Rs 500 and RS 1000 notes at govt.-approved centres for purchase of seeds.

Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam Berhad inks deal with Ramco for ERP integrated solution

  • Brunei’s largest bank Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam Berhad has signed a deal with India’s Ramco Systems to integrate its business processes across HR and enterprise resource planning functions with Ramco Systems’ Enterprise Resource Planning
  • Scope of engagement includes finance and accounting, inventory and procurement, as well as core HR functions, time and attendance, payroll, training and recruitment.

Global Wealth Report shows rise in household wealth of India and rising disparity

  • 7thGlobal Wealth Report, issued by the Credit Suisse Research Institute says that global wealth has risen by 4% i.e USD 3.5 trillion to USD 256 trillion.
  • In India the household wealth has decreasedby 8% i.e $26 billion to $3,099 billion in 2016.
  • India has 0.8% decrease in household wealth in terms of Dollar, in its own currency (INR)the wealth in India increased by 5.1% in 2016. The difference in both data is due to adverse currency exchange movements.
  • The real assets is 86%of the total household asset in India.

China to Import Rice from 17 registered mills in India

  • China has confirmed its decision to import rice from 17 registered mills in India to ensure market access to Indian products in China.
  • China will import both basmati and non-basmati rice from the mills located in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
  • After numerous requests from the India, Chinese officials from Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine(AQSIQ) visited India in September to inspect 19 rice mills registered with the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO).
  • AQSIQ grants approval for imports of a wide range of products and controls inspections, quality controls and has a great power in decision making.
  • NPPO is the Indian government agency for inspecting the mills and granting certificates on plant health for export purposes. To export to nations including China, it is mandatory that Indian rice exporters are registered with NPPO.

BHEL commissions 93 MW power plant at Hazira for RIL

  • BHEL has added 600 MW capacity in its CPP segment in the current fiscal till date.
  • It also planned for commissioning 3 units (two at Haziraand one at Dahej) during the current financial year.

Sun Pharma to acquire 85% stake in Russia’s Biosintez for $60 million

  • Sun Pharma has entered into an agreement with Russian pharma company JSC Biosintez to acquire 85.1 percent equity stake in the Russian firm for$60 million.
  • $24 million will be given for acquiring 85.1 percent equity stake in the Russian firm while the remaining $36 million will be  assumed as Russian company’s debt.
  • Transaction is subjected to the approval of the Russian Federal Anti-Monopoly Service and other closing conditions and is expected to be completed by end of 2016.
  • JSC Biosintez is a Russian pharmaceutical company which is engaged in manufacture and marketing of pharmaceutical products in Russia and CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) with annual revenues of approximately $52 million for 2015.

PepsiCo to Acquire Probiotic Drinks Maker KeVita

  • Aim:To diversity the portfolio to tilt more heavily toward beverages that are in the health and wellness space of the grocery aisle
  • PepsiCo was paying $200 million to KeVita Inc expand its “health and wellness offerings.”

People in News

 Government appoints Yudhvir Singh Malik as new Chairman of NHAI

  • Former Haryana cadre IAS officer, Yudhvir Singh Malik is appointed as the Chairman of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on November 23, 2016
  • Current chairman Raghav Chandra has been appointed as secretary of National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.
  • NHAI was created through the promulgation of the National Highways Authority of India Act, 1988.
  • NHAI has the mandate to implement the National Highways Development Project (NHDP).

Former ICRA CEO Pranab Choudhury passed away

  • Choudhary was the chairman of Peerless Securities He retired from ICRA in January 2015 as the vice chairman and group CEO.
  • He was a director on the boards of several companies including ONGC, Tata Capital Financial Services Ltd and Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd and Peerless General Finance & Investment Company Ltd
  • ICRA Limited (ICRA) is an Indian independent and professional investment information and credit rating agency

Eminent physicist and ex-ISRO chief Prof MGK Menon passes at 88

  • Professor MGK Menon, an eminent physicist, who had made significant contribution in the development of science and technology in the country over the last five decades, died on November 22, 2016 in New Delhi.
  • He was the Chairmanof the Indian Space Research Organisation in 1972 and the Director of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) at the age of 35 years.
  • Menon had earlier served as a minister of state for science and technology and education in the V P Singh government as well as Secretary in the Departments of Science and Technology and Environment in the Union government.
  • Menon received Padma Vibhushan award for his scientific work in cosmic rays, particle physics and distinguished himself with investigations in the field.

Awards

Barack Obama Presents the Presidential Medals of Freedom

  • President Barack Obama awarded the United States highest civilian award ‘Presidential Medal of Freedom’ to 21 outstanding actors, musicians, athletes and innovators
  • It recognizes those people who have made an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private achievements.

Sunny Leone named in BBC’s list of 100 most influential women 2016

  • Bollywood Actor Sunny Leone and 4 other Indian women have been named in the BBC’s list of 100 most influential women 2016.
  • BBC has been presenting this list for the past 4 years and focuses on women who have made outstanding contribution in their respective fields.
  • The other four Indian includes
  • Gouri Chindarkar: 20-year-old computer engineering student from Sangli Maharashtra, was one of the first children in India to experience a unique learning experience presently known as ‘School in the Cloud’.
  • Mallika Srinivasan: 57, CEO of Tractors and Farm Equipment Ltd (TAFE), also known as the ‘Tractor Queen of India’  has grown her family company into the third largest tractor manufacturer in the world.
  • Neha Singh: 34-year-old actor and writer, founded a movement to encourage women to walk the streets in Mumbai to defy harassment.
  • Saalumarada Thimmakka: The oldest woman on the BBC 100 women list, Saalumarada Thimmakka ,105-year-old environmentalist from Karnataka  has planted more than 8,000 trees in 80 years.

Malini Subramaniam conferred with International Press Freedom Award

  • Malini Subramaniam has been conferred with the International Press Freedom Award by the Committee to Protect Journalists(CPJ)for her reporting from the Naxal-hit Bastar area, in Chhattisgarh.
  • Subramaniam, a reporter of the news website Scroll reported on abuses by police and security forces, sexual violence against women, the jailing of minors, the shutdown of schools, extrajudicial killings, and threats against journalists in the Bastar region in Chattisgarh.

Radhika Menon becomes first woman to receive IMO’s Exceptional Bravery award at Sea

  • She became the first woman in the world to receive the Award.
  • She had joined the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) as a trainee radio officer in 1991. She was the first woman to do so and is native of Kodungallur in Kerala.
  • In 2011, Radhika Menon had made history by becaming the first woman to become captain of Indian Merchant Navy. In 2012, she took charge of MT Suvarna Swarajya.
  • International Maritime Organisation (IMO): It UN’s specialized agency responsible for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships.
  • Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea: It is an annual Award established by IMO. It seeks to provide international recognition for those who perform acts of exceptional bravery at the risk of losing their own life.

Science & Technology

Tianlian I-04 Data Satellite successfully launched by China

  • Aim:To provide a global network that will provide data relay, measurement and control services for Chinas manned spacecraft, space labs and space stations as well as nation’s Earth-orbiting resources satellites.
  • Tianlian I-04 data satellite’s launch was the 241st mission of China’s Long March series of rockets.

Sports

13th World Robot Olympiad(WRO) to be held for the first time in India this year

  • The theme for the event this year is ‘Rap the Scrap’. This year a new robot football game named WRO Footballhas been included in the Olympiad.
  • Over 2,000 students from 54 countrieswill participate in the event and find scientific ways using robotic technology to reduce, manage and recycle waste produced from daily use.

At the 12th World Robot Olympiad-2015 that was held in Doha, Qatar, Indian students won three medals. The theme last year was ‘Robot Explorers’

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