Current Affairs 19, April – India jumps to 8th place on Global FDI Confidence Index

NATIONAL AFFAIRS:

Rajasthan govt signs fresh MoU for refinery:

The Rajasthan government and the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation ltd (HPCL) signed a fresh memorandum of understanding (MoU) for setting up a 9 million metric tonne (MMT) per annum capacity refinery-cum petrochemical-complex at Pachpadra in Barmer district of the state.

The HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited, a joint venture between the HPCL and the state government, will build the refinery at an estimated cost of Rs. 43,129 crore.

HPCL Refineries Director: Vinod S Shenoy

Rajasthan’s principal secretary (mines and petroleum): Aparna Arora

Hindi may become must till Class X in CBSE schools: 

  The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Kendriya Vidyalyas (KVs) may have to compulsorily study Hindi till Class X with recommendations of a parliamentary panel in this regard getting the President’s nod.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development has also been instructed to form a policy in consultation with the State governments to make the language compulsory.

U.P. renames Agra and Gorakhpur Airports:

   The Agra airport will now be named after Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya while the upcoming civil terminal at Gorakhpur Air Force station, named after Mahayogi Gorakhnath. The decision was taken by chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

In addition, the state cabinet also said that the ‘Viklang Kalyan Vibhag’ (Handicap Welfare Department) would be renamed as the ‘Divyang Jan Shasaktikaran Vibhag’ (‘Divyang’ Empowerment Department).

Arunachal to get an FTII campus for Aizawl:

    As part of the government’s Act East Policy, a campus of the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII) and a permanent campus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) will be set up in Arunachal Pradesh by Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu.

The campus will be an extension of Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute of Kolkata. He said “Skill development will be a priority area for my ministry”.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Modi, McMaster discuss security:

    Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster shared his perspective with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the security situation in the extended region, including in Afghanistan, West Asia and the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea].

Lt. Gen. McMaster, the first high official of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to visit India, met Mr. Modi after completing his trips to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

U.S. National Security Adviser: Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster

India’s National Security Adviser: Ajit Doval

BUSINESS & BANKING

IMF revises India’s growth forecast to 6.8% in FY17:

    IMF revises India’s economic growth will be 6.8 per cent in 2016-17 — against the official advance estimates of 7.1 per cent — due to demonetisation.

    In its World Economic Outlook, released on Tuesday, the Fund retained its January forecast of 7.2 per cent growth in 2017-18, though it is lower by 0.4 percentage points than the 7.6 per cent forecast in October, before the note ban.

IMF Managing Director and CEO: Christine Lagarde

IMF Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States

India jumps to 8th place on Global FDI Confidence Index:

India has jumped one spot to 8th rank in the 2017 A.T. Kearney Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Confidence Index.

India’s reforms to enable a ‘transparent’ and an ‘easy’ business environment have made it an attractive destination for foreign companies, the AT Kearney report.

While US topped the list, Germany and China were at the second and third respectively. United Kingdom and Canada make up the rest of top 5.

ICICI Bank Data Centre, India’s 1st IGBC Platinum Rated Project

    The ICICI Bank Data Centre in Hyderabad has achieved the distinction of becoming the country’s first Platinum rated project under IGBC Green Data Centre Rating System.

Prem C Jain, Chairman, IGBC presented IGBC plaque to Chanda Kochhar, MD & CEO, ICICI Bank.  

Some of the green features include power saving, wheeling of 15 MW off-site renewable energy, and LED based energy efficient lighting fixtures and procurement of green certified products and materials.

IOB, IDBI, BoI & UBI may be first in line of RBI fire under new PCA:

    Weak state-run banks like Indian Overseas Bank, IDBI Bank, Bank of India and Union Bank of India are in for regulatory action if the tightened Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) is implemented properly, warns S&P in a report.

    Indian Overseas Bank is in risk threshold 3; IDBI Bank is in risk threshold 2; and Bank of India and Union Bank of India are likely be in risk threshold 1;” S&P credit analyst Geeta Chugh said.

ISRO & BHEL signs MoU to develop Lithium ion batteries

   ISRO signs a MoU with BHEL to develop low-cost lithium ion batteries. This is part of India’s plan to promote low-cost electric vehicles with the use of lithium-ion batteries.

According to the MoU, BHEL will set up a production plant, while ISRO will provide joint effort in cost optimization, research and development. Suzuki Motor Corporation, Toshiba Corporation and Denso Corporation entered into an agreement to manufacture lithium-ion battery packs in India.

SPORTS

Gayatri Pullela wins twin crown at Pembangunan Jaya Raya Junior Grand Prix

    Gayatri Pullela, daughter of National Badminton coach Pullela Gopichand won both the singles and doubles crown at the Pembangunan Jaya Raya Junior Grand Prix in Jakarta. Gayatri defeated her doubles partner Samiya Farooqui by 21-11 18-21 21-16 to win the girls U-15 singles title.

Later, she teamed up with Samiya to clinch the U-15 doubles title with a straight game 21-17, 21-15 win over Indonesian pair of Kelly Larissa and Shelandry Vyola.