DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: FEBRUARY 10, 2018

NATIONAL

RK Singh Launches ASH TRACK Mobile App

  • Power Minister R K Singh launched a web-based monitoring system and a fly-ash mobile application which would act as an interface between producers and consumers.
  • These platforms will enable better management of the ash produced by thermal power plants by providing an interface between fly ash producers (thermal Power Plants) and potential ash users such as road contractors, cement plants etc.
  • At present, 63 per cent of the fly ash is being utilised and target is for 100 percent utilisation.

MoS Textiles Ajay Tamta inaugurates India Pavilion in Germany

  • The Minister of State for Textiles Ajay Tamta inaugurated India Pavilion at Ambiente 2018 in Frankfurt, Germany.
  • It is one of the oldest established and well-known fairs for presentation of new products, new trends and new innovations.
  • Germany is major market for Indian products and Ambiente is an important marketing medium for Indian companies world over.

APPOINTMENTS

Indra Nooyi Becomes ICC’s 1st Independent Female Director

  • PepsiCo chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi has been appointed as the first independent female director of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Board.
  • Nooyi will join the ICC board in June 2018.
  • It was approved by the ICC Full Council in June 2017 as part of wide ranging constitutional change aimed at improving the governance of the sport.

ICC

Chairman: Shashank Manohar

Headquarters: Dubai, The UAE


NPCI appoints Biswamohan Mahapatra as non-executive chairman

  • National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) appointed Biswamohan Mahapatra as non-executive chairman.
  • He has been appointed for two years term and he succeeds B Sambamurthy who was the interim chairman. Last month NPCI had appointed Dilip Asbe as its managing director and CEO.   

NPCI:

National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is an umbrella organization for all retail payments in India. It was set up with the guidance and support of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Indian Banks Association (IBA) under the provisions of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, for creating a robust Payment & Settlement Infrastructure in India.


BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

CCI Slaps Rs 136 crore Fine on Google

  • The Competition Commission of India (CCI) imposed a fine of Rs 136 crore on search engine major Google.
  • It has been for unfair business practices in the Indian market for online search.
  • The ruling has come on complaints filed by Matrimony.com and Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS), in 2012, against Google LLC, Google India Pvt Ltd and Google Ireland Ltd.

CCI

Chairperson: Devender Kumar Sikri

Headquarters: New Delhi


Cabinet Approves New Criteria for Classifying MSMEs

  • The Cabinet approved amendments to a law to change the criteria for classifying MSMEs from investment in plant and machinery to annual turnover.
  • The proposed amendments to the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006 were approved by the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
  • As per the proposed classifications, enterprises having annual turnover less than Rs 5 crore will fall under the ‘micro’ category.
  • Units having turnover between Rs 5 crore to Rs 75 crore will be classified as small enterprises, whereas those having turnover between Rs 75 crore and Rs 250 crore will be classified as Medium enterprises.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS

“Mere Sapno Ka Bharat” Book: Tarun Vijay

  • Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh launched the book “Mere Sapno Ka Bharat”.
  • It is a collection of best interviews of the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee authored by the former Member of Parliament Tarun Vijay.

“A Century is not enough” Book: Sourav Ganguly

  • The former Team India captain Sourav Ganguly will unveil a book named “A Century is not enough”.
  • The book is co-authored by Gautam Bhattacharya and published by Juggernaut books.

SPORTS

Olympic Winter Games kicked off at Pyeongchang

  • The 23rd Olympic Winter Games officially kicked off with a colourful ceremony at Pyeongchang stadium in South Korea.
  • There will be 92 countries participating with 102 medals in Pyeongchang, covering seven sports and 15 disciplines.
  • Russia is banned from the Games, and the forthcoming Paralympics.

South Korea

Capital: Seoul

Currency: South Korean Won

President: Moon Jae-in


ITTF Oman World Junior & Cadet Open Table Tennis Tournament

  • India won two silver and one bronze medal at the ITTF Oman World Junior & Cadet Open Table Tennis Tournament at Muscat.
  • Swastika Ghosh teamed up with compatriot Varuni Jaiswal clinched the silver in sub junior girls team after beating Syria.
  • In the cadet girls team, Suhana Saini and Ananya won bronze.

OBITUARY

Doyen of Odia literature Chandrasekhar Rath passes away

  • The doyen of Odia literature Chandrasekhar Rath passed away in Bhubaneswar.
  • Rath was conferred with several awards, including Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award, Odisha Sahitya Akademi Award and Atibadi Jagannath Das Samman for his contribution in the field of literature.