CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR IBPS PO & RRB: 27TH AUGUST 2017

NATIONAL:

Rural Games set to take place in New Delhi:

The first edition of Rural Games or Grameen Khel Mahotsav will kick-start in Delhi. Sports Minister Vijay Goel announced it at a press conference in New Delhi. The games will start from August 28^th to September 3^rd.

The Rural Games aims at popularising the indigenous games like wrestling and athletics and will also have fun games like Matka Race, Tug of War for senior citizens. In the first stage, the games will be held in Alipur, Mehrauli, Nangloi, Najafgarh and Shahadara in Delhi where ten thousand youngsters will participate. Grameen Marathon organised by the Sports Ministry marked the beginning of the Rural Games fever with participation of over 16,000 youth from rural Delhi.

Jaitley launches HAL designed light combat helicopter:

          Defence Minister Arun Jaitley announced the launch of the production of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) designed 5.8-tonne category Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) in Bengaluru.

It was cleared for procurement by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) few months ago. The basic version of LCH has been cleared by the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification, and the DAC has accorded the approval for the procurement of 15 LCH from HAL under Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured category. Mr Jaitley also dedicated the company’s role changer design upgrade programme of Hawk-I to the nation.

The defence ministry had on November 7, 2016 cleared a Rs 2,911 crore procurement of 15 LCHs for the Army and Air Force. These were limited series production (LSP) orders for the armed forces.

Karnataka

• Capital: Bengaluru
• Chief Minister: Siddaramaiah
• Governor: Vajubhai Vala

Kochi Kick-starts E-Waste Management In Schools:

          Kochi initiated e-waste disposal scheme which is aimed at cleaning e-waste like computer, PC and other electronic equipment from the schools.

The E-waste disposal programme started  with a removal Of 12,500 Kg waste in a single day under an initiative aiming to clear accumulated junk, reportedly estimated at over one crore kg.

The programme was launched by education Minister Prof C Raveendranath, who flagged of the first vehicle of E-waste in a joint initiation by Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) and Clean Kerala Company.

Goa

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

Raipur Starts Implementation of ‘Raipur City Smart Payment System’:

The Raipur Smart City Ltd has initiated the process for implementing the ‘Raipur City Smart Payment System’. The system will comprise preparations of City Smart Cards, Mobile App and a web portal on Public Private Partnership Model.

The Naya Raipur Smart City System will comprise Smart Governance, City Surveillance, Intelligent Transport management System, Electricity and Water supply and City Command and Control Centre among others.

Naya Raipur Development Authority (NRDA) has also taken the next step in “Smart City’ development with plans now for ‘Information & Communication Technology” enablement of infrastructure and citizen services. The project aims at designing a system that includes land management system, city surveillance besides a host of other systems that have been used only in developed countries.

Chhattisgarh

• Capital: Raipur
• Chief Minister: Raman Singh
• Governor: Balram Das Tandon

 Narendra Modi announces Rs 500 crore flood relief package for Bihar:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Rs 500 crore relief package for Bihar after conducting an aerial survey of the flood-hit regions in the state. Modi assured “all assistance” to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. He also announced an ex-gratia of Rs two lakh to the kin of the victims and Rs 50,000 for those injured during the floods.

Bihar

• Capital: Patna
• Chief Minister: Nitish Kumar
• Governor: Keshari Nath Tripathi

INTERNATIONAL

8 MoUs signed with India on second day of Nepalese PM Deuba’s visit:

          India and Nepal signed eight memorandums of understanding (MoUs) on the second day of the neighbouring country’s visiting Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in New Delhi.

The eight MoUs signed are:

1. Modalities for utilization of India’s housing grant component to support reconstruction of 50,000 houses.

2,3,4. Implementation of the grant component of India’s post-earthquake reconstruction package in the education sector, cultural heritage sector & health sector in Nepal.

All the above four MoUs were signed by Nepalese Finance Secretary Shanta Raj Subedi and Indian External Affairs Secretary S Jaishankar.

5. Implementation arrangement on cost sharing, schedules and safeguard issues for construction of Mechi Bridge under ADB’s SASEC Road Connectivity Programme (Tranche 2), funded by India. It was signed by Nepalese Physical Infrastructure and Transport Secretary Devendra Karki and Indian Road Transport and Highways Secretary Yudhvir Singh Malik.

6. Drug demand reduction and prevention of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemical and related matters. The signatories to this MoU were Nepalese Home Secretary Lok Darshan Regmi and Indian Revenue Secretary Hasmuck Adhia.

7. Agreement on cooperation in the field of standardisation and conformity assessment. DG, Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology, Bishwo Babu Pudasaini; and DG, Bureau of Indian Standards, Sanjay Singh signed this MoU.

8. An MoU was signed between the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nepal. Prakash J Thapa, president of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nepal, and Nilesh S Vikamsey, president of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, signed this MoU.

Nepal

• Prime minister: Sher Bahadur Deuba
• Currency: Nepalese rupee
• Capital: Kathmandu

 India denies fresh anti-dumping duties on Chinese products:

          India termed as “factually incorrect” a Chinese official media report claiming that it was planning to impose fresh anti-dumping duties this year on 93 products originating in China, saying they were already in force after decisions over a course of five years.

China

• Currency: Renminbi
• Capital: Beijing
• Prime minister: Li Keqiang
• President: Xi Jinping

 CA Institute signs MoU with ICA Nepal:

The CA Institute has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nepal (ICAN). Nilesh Vikamsey, President, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and Prakash Jung Thapa, President–ICAN exchanged the MoU in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Nepal Sher Bahadur Deuba.

The MoU seeks to establish mutual co-operation for the advancement of accounting knowledge, professional and intellectual development, advancing the interests of their respective members and positively contributing to the development of the accounting profession in Nepal and India.

About ICAI

ICAI has a membership base of over 5,000 members in Nepal. It may be recalled that ICAI was instrumental in establishment of ICAN in 1997, wherein the ICAI played an important role in establishing systems and procedures relating to examination, technical and administrative areas in ICAN.

 France to loan €430 million to Iraq: 

France is to grant a 430-million euro loan to Iraq whose economy has been weakened by low oil prices and its fight against jihadists, a French foreign ministry official said. Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian made the announcement during talks in Baghdad with Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and said the USD 512-million would be released before the end of 2017.

The loan is aimed at helping the war-torn country implement reforms, improve public services and boost the performance of its state enterprises. Le Drian also handed Abadi an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to visit Paris.

FRANCE

• President :Emmanuel Macron
• Currencies: Euro, CFP franc
• Capital: Paris

 BANKING & BUSINESS

Banks should link home loan rates to repo rate: RBI appointed committee:

A Reserve Bank of India appointed committee on Household Finance has suggested that banks link their home loan rates to the RBI’s repo rate, the rate at which it lends to banks, instead of the Marginal Cost of Funds based Lending Rate (MCLR), which the banks follow now. The committee report is chaired by Dr Tarun Ramadorai, Professor of Financial Economics.

 NPCI approves Spice Digital’s operation under Bharat Bill Payment System:

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has given a nod to Spice Digital Ltd. for processing bill payments under the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) as a Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU). The BBPS through its centralised bill payment system will allow the users to use a single website or outlet to pay all their monthly or repetitive bills such as mobile phone and electricity.

According to the Digital Payments 2020 report by Google and Boston Consulting Group, non-cash contribution in the consumer payments segment will double to 40 percent. Since January, 2017 the Bharat bill payment market has grown by nearly 70 times in over six months. According to the same report in this new era of digitisation, India will see digital payments exceed USD 500 billion by 2020 and non-cash transactions exceed cash transactions by 2023.

 SPORTS

Saina settles for bronze at World Badminton Championships:

At the World Badminton championships, Saina Nehwal has settled for a bronze medal. In the first women’s singles semi-final at Glasgow, she lost to Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in three games.

Okuhara is the first shuttler from Japan to reach the finals of World Championship. Saina had won a silver medal two years ago in the World championship at Jakarta.

OBITUARY

India’s oldest cinematographer Ramananda Sengupta passes away:

Country’s oldest cinematographer Ramanda Sengupta, who worked with legends like Jean Renoir, Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen, died in Kolkata at the age of 101.

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Current Affairs August 26, 2017

Current Affairs August 25, 2017

Current Affairs August 24, 2017