Current Affairs : 21st September,2017
NATIONAL
India to conduct the First ‘BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise- 2017’ from October 10-13:
The First ‘BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise- 2017’ (BIMSTEC DMEx-2017) will be conducted by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) as the lead agency in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). This Exercise will be a platform for sharing Best Practices on all aspects of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), strengthening regional response and coordination for Disaster Management among the BIMSTEC member countries.
Additional information on BIMSTEC:
Delegates from all seven nations of the ‘Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation‘ (BIMSTEC) grouping, – namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand, representatives from Embassies/High Commissions of BIMSTEC nations in Delhi, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
At the 17th BIMSTEC Senior Officials Meeting held in Kathmandu, Nepal, it was decided that India would organize the first annual Disaster Management Exercise for the region.
Former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar launches Mission 24:
Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar launched –Mission 24 for Mumbai’s M east ward which is known to have one of highest slum population’s in the city.
The project by NGO Apnalaya and Mumbai first plans to work along with the BMC -as the principal stakeholder over the next 24 months to improve the quality of lives of people living in M east ward of Mumbai. It is pertinent to note that the ward ranked the lowest in human development among the city’s 24 wards in the Mumbai Human Development Report 2009.
Maharashtra
- Capital: Mumbai
- Chief Minister: Devendra Fadnavis
- Governor: Vidyasagar Rao
National Pension Scheme Upper Age Limit Raised to 65:
The upper age limit for joining the National Pension System (NPS) has been raised to 65 years from the current 60, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) announced.
PFRDA
- Chairman: Hemant Contractor
- Headquarters: New Delhi
INTERNATIONAL
World Bank allocates $8 billion to China:
The World Bank allocated about $8 billion for infrastructure projects of the Chinese initiative – Silk Road Economic Belt.
This was stated by World Bank President Jim Yong Kim at a roundtable with the heads of international financial and economic organizations .
China
- Currency: Renminbi
- Capital: Beijing
- Prime minister: Li Keqiang
- President: Xi Jinping
Asian Development Bank to provide $152 million to Nepal to enhance power transmission:
The Asian Development Bank will provide a USD 152 million to Nepal for the implementation and enhancement of its power transmission and distribution. The Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Nepal’s Ministry of Finance signed the loan agreement in Kathmandu.
The aid will be granted to the Power Transmission and Distribution Efficiency Enhancement Project (PTDEEP) which supports expansion of the transmission lines in various areas of Nepal and enhancement of the distribution efficiency in the northern part of Kathmandu.
Nepal
- Prime minister: Sher Bahadur Deuba
- Currency: Nepalese rupee
- Capital: Kathmandu
BANKING & BUSINESS
Cheque Books, IFSC of 6 SBI Subsidiary Banks to be Invalid from Sept 30:
The State Bank of India alerted customers holding accounts in its subsidiary banks to get new cheque books along with the India Financial System (IFS) code.
Apart from the Bharatiya Mahila Bank, account holders in State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Raipur, State Bank of Travancore and State Bank of Hyderabad will have to upgrade their cheque books.
The country’s largest lender also stated that the old cheque books and IFS codes of these six banks will be invalid after September 30.
HDFC Bank pips TCS to become 2nd most valuable company on BSE:
HDFC Bank surpassed Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to become the country’s second most valued firm on BSE in terms of market valuation.
HDFC Bank
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- CEO: Aditya Puri
RBI to regulate P2P lenders as non-banking finance cos:
The government has notified the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as the regulator for peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platforms that have been classified as non-banking finance companies (NBFCs).
P2P lending, or crowdsourcing for loans, are a recent innovation where financial technology (fintech) companies pool funds from individuals and lend it to businesses, disintermediating banks. The P2P platforms, which do not take any credit risk on their own, use software and data analytics to gauge creditworthiness of borrowers.
Allahabad Bank launches savings bank account empowering women with All Bank Shakti:
Allahabad Bank, a premier nationalized Bank of the country, launched a unique Womens’ centric savings bank account, All Bank Shakti.
The account is bundled with an array of facilities ranging from free personalized Platinum Rupay ATM card, free electronic remittances, free Demat account and locker at concessional rent.
This product provides a platform for realization of the dreams nurtured by millions of women, in the form of zero processing fees on home and car loans, lower margins on car and two wheeler loans and concessional rate of interest on their education / home / MSME and Gold loans.
Overdraft facility will be offered to a salaried account holder, maintaining her salary account with Allahabad Bank.
In addition, health insurance coverage for critical illness, is also available at a concessional premium.
Allahabad Bank
- Headquarters: Kolkata
- Chairman: Usha Anathasubramanian
Three Indians among world’s ‘100 greatest living business minds’:
Three Indian entrepreneurial legends, Ratan Tata, Lakshmi Mittal and Vinod Khosla have been included in Forbes’s special list of the world’s ‘100 Greatest Living Business Minds ’.
As part of Forbes’s 100th anniversary celebrations, the magazine unveiled.
APPOINTMENTS
Akshay Kumar appointed brand ambassador for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan:
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat announced the appointment of actor Akshay Kumar as the brand ambassador of the Swachh Bharat Mission in the state.
Uttarakhand
- Capital: Dehradun
- Chief Minister: Trivendra Singh Rawat
- Governor: Krishna Kant Paul
Punit Goenka Re-appointed as President of Indian Broadcasting Foundation:
Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL), was re-appointed as President of The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) for a second consecutive year at the 18th Annual General Meeting held in New Delhi.
AWARDS
President confers NHPC with Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar:
NHPC has been awarded First Prize by Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India for the year 2016-17 under ‘Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar’ scheme for commendable work in implementation of Rajbhasha amongst Public Sector Undertakings located in Region ‘A’.
The award was received from President of India, Ram Nath Kovind by CMD, NHPC during an award ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
NHPC
- CMD: Ratish Kumar
- Headquarters: Faridabad, India
HUDCO wins rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar:
Dr. M Ravi Kanth, CMD HUDCO, received ‘Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar’ 2017’, from the Hon’ble President of India, on Hindi Diwas. HUDCO received the award under the CPSE category, for its contribution in promoting the use of Hindi as official language.
Delhi girl who helps acid attack survivors rebuild lives wins UN award:
Ria Sharma was 21 when she set out to make a film on acid attack survivors.
The Delhiite became only Indian to get the UN’s Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards. Priyanka Chopra handed her the award.
SPORTS
Sumit Nagal wins ITF Futures tournament:
Sumit Nagal of India blasted Colin van Beem of the Netherlands in the singles final to justify the top billing in the 8th MCC – S R Subramaniam Memorial ITF Futures Men’s tennis championship.
