Current Affairs : September 24, 2017
NATIONAL
Pradhan Mantri LPG panchayat launched in Gujarat:
Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Skill Development Dharmendra Pradhan launched the Pradhan Mantri LPG Panchayat initiative in Gujarat.
The LPG Panchayat is an interactive communication platform aimed at educating rural LPG users about proper safety precautions to be taken while using LPG, its benefit to the environment, its effect on women empowerment and health.
Dr Jitendra Singh to inaugurate first ‘Pension Adalat’:
The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh will inaugurate the first ‘Pension Adalat’ here tomorrow. He will also award the Pensioners for their outstanding contribution towards ‘Anubhav’ – a platform for retiring employees for sharing their experience of working with Government. Moving ahead from e-governance to m-governance, a Mobile App has been created to avail the services of Pensioners’ Portal which will also be launched by Dr Jitendra Singh tomorrow. As a measure of welfare to the pensioners of Government of India, a workshop on Pre-Retirement Counseling (PRC) of 300 retiring Central Government employees is also scheduled to be held. The event is being organized by Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India.
Japan to fund mass rapid transit systems in Gujarat, Haryana:
Funds from a Japanese government loan will soon be utilised for the first time in the $100 billion, Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project. So far, the mega-project was being developed only with the Indian government’s financial assistance.
The DMIC spans six States (Uttar Pradesh, Delhi National Capital Region, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra). It uses ‘the 1,500-km-long, high-capacity western Dedicated Railway Freight Corridor (DFC) as the backbone’ and aims to be ‘a global manufacturing and investment destination’.
Kerala to open India’s first transgender-exclusive clinics:
Kerala opens India’s first transgender-exclusive clinics at government medical colleges across the state. They are planning to open Transgender Clinics in all government medical colleges in the state. They also planned to provide facilities for their surgery at least in two medical colleges. The first clinic will be set up at the government medical college of Kottayam within the next two months and will be one of the first clinics to provide the sex-change surgery.
App to fight child marriage launched in Bihar:
In a unique initiative, Gender Alliance Bihar, a collective effort of over 270 civil society organisations backed by the UN Population Fund, has come up with a mobile application to fight the rampant social evil of child marriage in the state.
Launched by Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, the “Bandhan Tod” app will try to create awareness on resisting child marriage and will also provide round-the-clock help to adolescent girls saying no to the practice in the form of an SOS button.
The Gender Alliance is an initiative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and was started to bring together civil societies, activists, academicians, researchers, media, and others on a common platform to advocate gender equality.
INTERNATIONAL
Fifth EAS Economic Ministers’ Meeting held in Philippines:
ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) gathers in Pasay City, Philippines, for the 49th AEM Meeting and Related Meetings, which will be held from 7 to 11 September. The ministers paid a courtesy call on Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte yesterday. Mr. Ramon Lopez, the Philippines’ Secretary of Trade and Industry will chair the series of meetings.
Under the overall theme of “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World,” the Philippines, as ASEAN Chair for 2017, has adopted the theme of “Inclusive, Innovation-led Growth” for the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). The 49th AEM Meeting will deliberate, among others, on ASEAN economic performance, the priority economic deliverables under the Philippines’ ASEAN Chairmanship, implementation of the AEC, and ASEAN external economic relations.
The Fifth Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership （RCEP） Ministerial Meeting will be held in Manila, Philippines on September 10.
From the Japanese side, Mr. Hiroshige Seko, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, and officials from relevant ministries will attend the meeting.
WHO Grants $175,000 for ‘Vulnerable Population’ of Bangladesh:
The WHO has released its first tranche of emergency funding of $175,000 to provide lifesaving healthcare to the “vulnerable population” in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar, a statement said on Tuesday.
APPOINTMENT
UN chief appoints Peter Thomson as first UN envoy for oceans:
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed the outgoing president of the General Assembly as the first special envoy for the oceans, seeking to galvanize efforts to protect the world’s seas.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric announced Thompson’s appointment yesterday, saying the former ambassador for Fiji will promote action to implement the conference recommendations.
Angela Merkel wins 4th term as German chancellor:
Chancellor Angela Merkel clinched a fourth term in Germany’s election on Sunday, but her victory was clouded by the hard-right AfD party winning its first seats in parliament.
Arvind Subramanian to stay on as Chief Economic Advisor:
Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) Arvind Subramanian, who had planned to return to the U.S. after his three-year tenure ended on October 16, has been persuaded by the government to stay back for another year.
“Dr. Arvind Subramanian will continue for one more year after the completion of his three-year tenure on 16th October, 2017,” the Finance Ministry said on its Twitter handle.
Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) to the Finance Ministry Arvind Subramanian has been given a one-year extension and will continue in office till October 2018.
MC Mary Kom to be AIBA representative at IOC athletes’ forum:
Five-time world champion and Olympic bronze-medallist M C Mary Kom has become the first Indian to be picked as the International Boxing Association’s (AIBA) representative for the IOC Athletes’ Forum scheduled in November.
The 33-year-old, who is also an active parliamentarian, has been invited to attend the 8th International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Athletes’ Forum in Lausanne from November 11 to 13.
AWARDS
Raghunandan Money Honoured With Krishi Pragati Awards 2017 by NCDEX:
National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX), the only commodity exchange in the country promoted by national level institutions, has awarded Raghunandan Industries Pvt Ltd with Krishi Pragati Awards 2017 in an event held in Delhi on 7th September, 2017. NCDEX, which focuses primarily on derivatives trading in Agri Commodities contracts, works closely with the Government of India on various aspects of the ecosystem around agriculture and farmers. With the honour of Krishi Pragati Awards to Raghunandan Money, NCDEX has acknowledged the outstanding contribution made by Raghunandan Industries in the area of Agri Commodities.
SPORTS
Wrestler Bajrang wins gold in Asian Indoor Games:
Indians added four medals, including a gold through wrestler Bajrang, on the ninth day of the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat on Sunday.
Bajrang, the reigning Asian champion, beat Daichi Takatani of Japan in the men’s freestyle 65kg final to win the gold.
Two women wrestlers — Sheetal Tomar and Navjot Kaur — also grabbed a bronze each.
Sheetal won the bronze in freestyle -48kg category while Navjot did the same in freestyle -69kg class.
Vaishnavi Reddy clinch Belgian Open badminton, Arjun-Shlok win in Ethiopia:
Indian shuttler Vaishnavi Reddy notched up the women’s singles U-19 title at the Belgian Junior Open after defeating top seed Vivien Sandorhazi in a three-game final at Herstal, Belgium on Sunday.
At Ethiopia International, top seeded men’s doubles pair of Arjun MR and Ramchandran Shlok won 21-6, 21-19 against Jordanian pair of Bahaedeen Ahmad Alshannik and Mohd Naser Mansour in the finals at the Ethiopian Youth Academy Gymnasium Hall to clinch the title.
Indian women’s doubles combination of Maneesha K and Arathi Sara Sunil suffered a 19-21 22-24 loss to top seeded English pair of Jenny Moore and Victoria Williams in the finals to settle for silver at the Polish International at Bierun, Poland.
Khalid Latif banned for five years for role in PSL spot-fixing scandal:
Pakistan batsman Khalid Latif has been banned by the PCB from all forms of cricket for five years for his role in the spot-fixing scandal that marred the 2017 Pakistan Super League (PSL). Latif, playing for Islamabad United, was charged with six major breaches of the PCB’s anti-corruption code and was found guilty of all six on Wednesday. He was also fined 1 million Pakistan Rupees (USD 9489 approximately).
OBITUARY
Veteran Marathi journalist, writer Arun Sadhu passes away:
Noted writer Arun Sadhu, who straddled the worlds of literature and journalism with equal elan, passed away early on Monday at a Mumbai hospital following a heart condition.He was 76.
