Current Affairs : 20th September,2017

Current Affairs :20th September,2017

NATIONAL

Gorakhpur, Koraput and Thane to launch Zero Hunger Programme on October 16:

Three districts – Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, Koraput in Odisha and Thane in Maharashtra – will initiate India’s ambitious ‘Zero Hunger’ programme through interventions in farm sector on October 16 (World Food Day).

Though many more districts will eventually be covered under this dedicated farm-based programme in sync with India’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end hunger by 2030, these three would act as a model of an integrated approach to deal with hunger and malnutrition by adopting suitable agricultural\horticultural practices.

Maharashtra Govt to start work on Rs 1 lakh crore infra projects:

The state government has decided to start work on mega infrastructure projects worth Rs 1 lakh crore this year.

He said infrastructure projects worth Rs 5.96 lakh crore have been planned in Maharashtra, which has earned the state honours from the NITI Aayog for being the leader in infrastructure creation.

Maharashtra

• Capital: Mumbai
• Chief Minister: Devendra Fadnavis
• Governor: Vidyasagar Rao

BJP president Amit Shah launches ‘Shaheed Gram Vikas Yojana’ in Jharkhand:

BJP president Amit Shah launched the ‘Shaheed Gram Vikas Yojana’ during a programme at Ulihatu in Khunti district of Jharkhand. Ulihatu is the birthplace of Jharkhand’s tribal icon Birsa Munda. Shah, on the third day of his Jharkhand visit, also met the descendants of Birsa Munda and gave away gas connections, solar lamps to some of the beneficiaries. He along with Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das also planted saplings there.

Jharkhand

• Capital: Ranchi
• Chief Minister: Raghubar Das
• Governor: Draupadi Murmu

Indigenous artillery gun sets new record in range:

An indigenous artillery gun, Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), being jointly developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the private sector has set a new world record in range by hitting targets at a distance of 48 km.

Tripura is the First State to Set Up Family Welfare Committees:

 Tripura became the first state in the country to set up family welfare district committees to deal with the issue of fake and biased complaints by women against their husbands, in-laws and husband’s relatives, as per an apex court directive.

Tripura is the first state to have formed such committees, Tripura High Court Chief Justice T. Vaiphei.

Tripura

• Capital: Agartala
• Chief Minister: Manik Sarkar
• Governor: Tathagata Roy

Anupriya Patel inaugurates 10th Medical Technology Conference in New Delhi:

The Health Ministry is committed to technology integration in the health sector. Digital technology can help to reduce health care costs overall, but we need to ensure our investment in new technologies is done cost effectively and frugally.” This was stated by Smt. Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare at the inaugural of 10th Medical Technology Conference, Medical Technology Shaping Universal Healthcare, organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII),in New Delhi.

Shri Kiren Rijiju attends the first National Canine Seminar organised by NSG:

The Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri Kiren Rijiju attended the first National Canine Seminar organized by National Security Guard (NSG), in NSG Campus, Manesar (Gurugram), Haryana. The NSG, popularly known as “The Black Cats” of the country is organizing this two-day seminar.

The theme of the two days National Canine Seminar is ”Canine as Tactical Weapon in Fight against Terrorism” with an objective to discuss and deliberate on the techniques of dog training and strategies of deploying the dogs in Counter Terrorism/Counter Insurgency scenario.

Haryana

• Capital: Chandigarh
• Chief Minister: Manohar Lal Khattar
• Governor: Kaptan Singh Solanki

Government extends FAME India Scheme by six-month:

 Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Anant Geete said that the government was considering the extension of a scheme to promote electric and hybrid vehicles by another six months.

Most likley, we will extend it for another six months after the end of September. Earlier, the phase one of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME)-India scheme was extended by six months,” Geete said at the 57th SIAM Annual Convention 2017.

The scheme’s phase-I was introduced from April 1, 2015, to March 31, 2017.

The phase was subsequently extended by six months till September end.

INTERNATIONAL

British cyclist Mark Beaumont sets world record by cycling around the world in 79 days:

A British cyclist has broken the world record for cycling around the world in 79 days – 44 days shorter than the previous record.

Mark Beaumont, 34, arrived at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris one day ahead of schedule after cycling 18,000 miles and an average of 240 miles per day.

Idf, Us Army Celebrate Inauguration Of First American Base In Israel:

The US Army and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) inaugurated a permanent base In Israel.

The base represents the long-standing partnership, the strategic commitment between the armies and the militaries of the United States of America and Israel.

This is the first time that a permanent American base has been opened in the Middle Eastern country.

USA

• President of the United States: Donald Trump
• Currency: United States Dollar
• Capital: Washington, D.C.

Israel

• Currency: Israeli new shekel
• Capital: Jerusalem

Dharmendra Pradhan to co-chair 13th Inter-Governmental Commission meeting in Kazakhstan:

The Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan, is set to visit Astana, Kazakhstan from September 19 – 20, where he will co-chair the 13th Meeting of Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC).

Kanat Bozumbayev, the Minister of Energy of Kazakhstan, will co-chair the meeting from the Kazakh side.

During his visit, Pradhan is scheduled to discuss various issues and ideas for stepping up the cooperation in sectors including the energy, trade, economic, investment, transport and connectivity, agriculture, information technology, space, healthcare and cultural spheres between the two countries with his counterpart.

Kazakhstan

• Currency: Kazakhstani tenge
• Capital: Astana

Airbus’ Perlan 2 glider sets a new world altitude record as it soars to 52,000 feet without an engine:

 Airbus’ Perlan 2 aircraft has made history this week, setting a new world altitude record for gliding.

The aircraft soared to an incredible 52,000 feet over the Patagonia region of Argentina, without the support of an engine.

The flight takes Airbus one step closer to its ultimate goal of sending an engine-less aircraft to the edge of space.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Peru’s leader names new prime minister as he reforms Cabinet:

 Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski appointed a former economy minister as his new prime minister, two days after a no-confidence vote by the opposition-led congress forced the entire Cabinet to resign.

Mercedes Araoz, who is also a lawmaker and one of Peru’s two vice presidents, is the new chief minister in a reconstituted Cabinet. She served as economy minister during part of the 2006-11 administration of President Alan Garcia.

Araoz replaced Fernando Zavala, who lost  vote of confidence by lawmakers.

Peru

• Currency: Sol
• Capital: Lima

Iceland’s PM Bjarni Benediktsson Resigns:

 Iceland’s President has accepted the resignation of the volcanic island’s Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson, who says a new election mostly likely will be held on November 4.

Iceland

• Currency: Icelandic króna
• Capital: Reykjavik

AWARDS

Bharat Petroleum set to get Maharatna status:

 State-run Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) is all set to become a Maharatna company. The oil marketing company is at present a Navratna firm. The decision to elevate BPCL to Maharatna status was taken by a panel headed by the Cabinet secretary.

Maharatna and Navaratna state-owned units operate in strategic fields such as coal, petroleum, steel, heavy engineering, power supply, telecommunications and transportation services.

OBITUARY

World’s oldest living person dies aged 117 in Jamaica:

The world’s oldest living person and the last living subject of Queen Victoria, Violet Mosse-Brown, has passed away at the age of 117 in Jamaica.