Current Affairs : 11 July, 2017- World Population Day

NATIONAL:

Village cooperative sets up first-ever solar power plant:

A village cooperative society in Sriganganagar district of Rajasthan has set up the first-ever solar power plant to serve its own needs and supply surplus electricity to the power grid.

The initiative has been hailed as a major step for promoting renewable energy and a significant contribution to environment protection.

The 20 kV on-grid rooftop solar energy system has been installed in a 2,000 sq. foot area at the cooperative society’s office in Bandha Colony village, situated 11 km away from the Anupgarh town.

Rajasthan

• Capital: Jaipur
• Chief Minister: Vasundhara Raje
• Governor: Kalyan Singh

 Finance Minister Arun Jaitley launches new tax payer service module ‘Aaykar Setu’:

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley launched a new tax payer service module called “Aaykar Setu”. It compiles various tax tools, live chat facility, dynamic updates, and important links to various processes within the Income Tax Department in a single module.

 Chouhan launches RSS website, says serving the needy biggest religion:

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the biggest religion is to serve the needy, at the launch of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s Sewa Prabhag website Sewagatha, which highlights the “good work” done by people.

The biggest religion is to serve the needy. Good works of assisting people should be highlighted. Information about it will encourage people. This will strengthen their good values and pave way for positive environment in the society.

Madhya Pradesh

• Capital: Bhopal
• Chief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
• Governor: Om Prakash Kohli

Urban development & housing ministry: MoHUA is the new name for urban development & housing ministry

The government has merged the urban development and housing and urban poverty alleviation ministries. Now this will be known as Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). This is third time the ministries have been merged.

 Health min, WB signs MoU to set up transfusion medicine centre:

To strengthen the blood transfusion services in West Bengal and the surrounding areas, the Union health ministry joined hands with the state government for setting up a centre for transfusion medicine at Kolkata.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry and the state government, under which Rs 200 crore would allocated by the Centre for equipment, manpower and running costs while state will provide land free of cost, an official statement said.

West Bengal

• Capital: Kolkata
• Chief Minister:  Mamata Banerjee
• Governor: Keshari Nath Tripathi

INTERNATIONAL:

Japan’s Okinoshima island gains UNESCO World Heritage status:

Japan’s Okinoshima island, an ancient religious site where women are banned, has been declared a World Heritage site by the UN’s cultural body UNESCO.

Okinoshima is home to the Okitsu shrine, built in the 17th century to pray for the safety of sailors.

Japan

• Capital: Tokyo
• Currency: Yen
• Prime minister: Shinzo Abe

 Eighth meeting of SAARC Ministers of Law & Order begins in Colombo:

The eighth meeting of the SAARC Ministers of Law and Order preceded by meeting of the SAARC Secretaries of Law and Order and Immigration Authorities is beginning in Colombo. Indian side is being led by a senior official in Ministry of Home affairs.

The three-day meeting will focus on the issue of tackling terrorism apart from discussing liberalization of visa, illegal trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and small arms. The last meeting of SAARC Ministers was held in Pakistan.

Srilanka

• Currency: Sri Lankan rupee
• Capitals: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
• Prime minister: Ranil Wickremesinghe

UK launches ‘Grand Trunk Road’ project to mark 70th anniversary of India’s partition:

The British government has launched a new project titled the ‘Grand Trunk Road’ to mark the 70th anniversary of India’s partition in August 1947 with volunteers from the Muslim, Sikh and Hindu communities in the UK coming together to stage special events.

BANKING & BUSINESS:

No GST on gifts to employees up to 50,000 and on perks in contract:

Gifts from employers to employees worth up to 50,000 will not attract GST, nor will perquisites enjoyed by employees as part of the employment contract, the Finance Ministry said.

“Gifts of value more than 50,000/- made without consideration are subject to GST, when made in the course or furtherance of business,” the ministry explained, stressing that what constitutes a gift has not been defined in the GST law.

 ONGC Videsh to bid for Lebanon gas field:

          India’s ONGC Videsh will bid in an upcoming auction to explore and develop gas fields off the coast of Lebanon, India’s oil minister said.

          ONGC Videsh, the overseas investment arm of India’s top explorer Oil and Natural Gas Corp., is among several companies pre-qualified to bid for offshore exploration and production licences from the Middle Eastern nation.

Indian oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan, leading a delegation at the World Petroleum Congress in Istanbul, made the comment in a tweet after meeting with Lebanese Energy and Water Minister Cesar Abou Khalil.

 ONGC Videsh

• Headquarters: Uttarakhand

Govt saves over Rs 57,000 cr through DBT scheme:

Government has saved more than 57 thousand crore rupees with its Direct Benefit Transfer, DBT, scheme under which subsidies are given directly to beneficiaries.

The DBT programme a major reform initiative to check graft in welfare funds and is aimed at transferring benefits of various central government-run social welfare schemes to the bank accounts of beneficiaries.

 AU Small Finance Bank shares close 51% higher on stock market debut:

Shares of AU Small Finance Bank made a stellar market debut, ending their first trading day 51% higher than the price at which the stock was sold to investors in an initial public offering (IPO).

AU SMALL FINANCE BANK: 

Headquarters-Rajasthan

 EESL to invest RS 11,000 cr in Tamil Nadu: Piyush Goel

Union Minister for Power Piyush Goel has said the Central Public Sector Unit Energy Efficiency Services Limited will invest 11,000 crore rupees in Tamil Nadu over the next three years. He reviewed the power sector projects in the state in Chennai yesterday along with his state counterpart Mr Thankamani.

 Reliance Group’s Mihan SEZ gets nod:

The Board of Approval for SEZ has approved the proposal of Reliance Aerostructure Ltd. for the development of the Dhirubhai Ambani Aerospace Park at Mihan SEZ in Nagpur.

A senior Reliance official confirmed the development. The park, spread over 289 acres, will become the largest Greenfield aerospace park in the country. The first phase will be spread over 104 acres and the second will cover 185 acres.

 India to import crude oil from US for first time:

         India, the world’s third-largest oil importer, will import crude oil from the United States for the first time after Indian Oil Corp bought a cargo that will be delivered in October.

The purchase comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US in June when President Donald Trump said his country looked forward to exporting more energy products to India.

USA

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

 GMR gets Rs 1,330 cr debt from Axis Bank for North Goa airport:

GMR Goa International Airport Limited (GGIAL), a subsidiary of GMR Airports Limited, announced that Axis Bank would provide Rs 1,330 crore as debt for the construction of the upcoming Greenfield airport at Mopa, in North Goa.

Goa

• Capital: Panaji
• Chief Minister: Manohar Parrikar
• Governor: Mridula Sinha

 India to become largest milk producer in 2026, says UN and OECD report:

India, projected to be the most populous country over the next decade, will be the world’s largest milk producer by 2026 and will account for the biggest increase in wheat production globally, according to a report by the UN and OECD.

AWARDS:

Danfoss India conferred with Golden Peacock environment management award:

Climate and energy efficiency solutions company Danfoss India has been conferred with the ‘Golden Peacock Award’ for Environment Management.

The award was presented here during the 19th World Congress on Environment Management’ in the presence of Supreme Court Justice Kurien Joseph.

 Sindhu bags ‘Sportsperson of the Year’ award:

Rio Olympics silver medallist P V Sindhu was bestowed with the Sportsperson of the Year award during the ‘Maruti Suzuki Sportsperson of the Year’ Charity Gala Awards.

The awards have been initiated by Sports Illustrated India Magazine and were given to various sportspersons for their achievements.

          Sindhu’s coach P Gopichand received the Coach of the Year award while the Flying Sikh Milkha Singh was given the Living Legend of the Year award.

 SPORTS:

India top medal tally for first time in Asian Athletics C’ships history:

India have topped the medal tally for first time in the history of Asian Athletics Championships.

In a stunning show of dominance on the fourth and final day of competitions in Bhubaneshwar, India clinched five gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze. With that, the hosts ended the championships on top with a haul of 29 medals which included 12 gold, 5 silver and 12 bronze.

Asian Athletics Championships: Bhubaneshwar, Odisha

 Jadeja, Ashwin remain on top of ICC Test bowlers’ rankings:

India’s spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin continue to remain at the top two positions in the ICC Test bowlers’ rankings released in Dubai.

India finishes fifth in u-18 rugby sevens:

The Indian girls’ under-18 team finished fifth in the rugby sevens (7-a-side) event at the Paris World Games 2017, conducted at Stade Georges Carpenter stadium over two days.

Captained by Sumitra Nayak and representing Rugby India, the squad recovered from three consecutive losses on the opening day to win both matches on the second and concluding day.

Paris World Games 2017

• Headquarters: Paris, France

 Chess: Abhijeet completes hat-trick in style

Abhijeet Gupta needed barely 25 minutes of thinking time to inflict a crushing 24-move defeat on Australia’s veteran International Master Aleksandar Wohl in the ninth and final round as India virtually monopolised the medals in the Commonwealth chess championship here.

The 27-year-old Grandmaster also completed a hat-trick of titles and fourth in all to become the most successful player in the history of the Commonwealth championship.

 BOOK & AUTHOR:

Renee Ranchan presents latest book to President:

Author Renee Ranchan presented her new book ‘To Each With Love’ to President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan. A collection of six short stories, the work revolves around north India and has satirical undercurrents.

 HISTORIC EVENTS OF THE DAY:

World Population Day: JULY 11

World Population Day is being observed. The objective of the day is to increase the awareness of the people towards the worldwide population issues. The theme of this year is Family Planning – Empowering People, Developing Nations.

OBITUARY:

Renowned cartoonist Mangesh Tendulkar passes away:

Renowned cartoonist Mangesh Tendulkar passed away in wee hours today. He was 82. His cartoons specially about government offices and on traffic rules was famous.

 Veteran Actor Sumita Sanyal Passes Away At 71:

Veteran actor Sumita Sanyal, who had worked in both Bengali and Hindi cinema, passed away at the age of 71.

 Mohanakrishnan passes away:

Veteran water expert and former Cauvery Technical Cell Chairman A. Mohanakrishnan, whose knowledge and expertise on issues relating to irrigation, water bodies and inter-State water disputes guided Tamil Nadu in taking informed decisions on water-related issues for more than two decades, died. He was 90.

To check the previous day’s Current affairs and Quiz, click the below links:

CURRENT AFFAIRS : 10 JULY, 2017 

CURRENT AFFAIRS : 9 JULY, 2017

CURRENT AFFAIRS QUIZ : 10 JULY, 2017

CURRENT AFFAIRS QUIZ : 9 JULY, 2017