CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 9, 2018

NATIONAL

Harsh Vardhan dedicates supercomputer ‘Pratyush’ to Nation

  • Union Minister of Earth Sciences Dr Harsh Vardhan dedicated India’s fastest and first multi-petaflops supercomputer to the nation in Pune.
  • It is set up at a cost of Rs 450 crore.
  • The supercomputer named as ‘Pratyush’ meaning the Sun and it is established at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune.
  • The setup is for improving weather and climate forecasts and services under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
  • India will be placed at the 4th position after Japan, UK and USA for dedicated High Performance Computing  resources for weather/climate community, from its 7th position at present.

The constituency of Shri Harshvardhan: Chandni Chowk, Delhi

India’s Second FTII to be Set up in Arunachal Pradesh

  • Union Government sets up second Film and Television Institute in Arunachal Pradesh announced by Union Minister of Development of North Eastern Region Jitendra Singh.
  • This was a part of improving the potential of the North Eastern region.
  • The first Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) was set up in Pune.
  • FTII is an autonomous institute operating under the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

Arunachal Pradesh

Capital: Itanagar

Chief Minister: Pema Khandu

Governor: BD Mishra

Union Government launches e-Sansad and e-Vidhan

  • The Union Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (MoPA) proposed rolling out of e-Sansad in Parliament and e-Vidhan in State Legislatures
  • It is established under “Digital India” to make the functioning of Parliament and State Legislatures paperless. It was announced by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar.
  • These projects will make the functioning of Parliament and State Legislatures participative, responsive, transparent, productive and more accountable.
  • This environment friendly initiative is also in line with the Go Green initiative of the government.

The constituency of Shri Ananth Kumar: Bengaluru South, Karnataka

PM Inaugurates 1st PIO Parliamentary Conference in Delhi

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the first Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) Parliamentary Conference in the ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra’ .
  • Pravasi Bharatiya Divas or NRI day is observed on January 9 every year.
  • It marks the contribution of overseas persons of Indian origin (PIO) towards their homeland.
  • As many as 124 Members of Parliament and 17 mayors from 23 countries will participate in this conference.

Delhi Government Launches Common Card for Bus & Metro Rides

  • Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched a common card for rides on public buses and the metro.
  • Delhi is the first city in the country to have a common mobility card, which can at present be used on 200 DTC and 50 cluster buses plying on different routes.
  • The card, which will function like a debit card, will be operational from April 1.

Transport minister of Delhi: Kailash Gahlot

Govt extends deadline for linking Aadhaar with savings scheme

  • Government has extended the deadline for linking of biometric identification Aadhaar to small savings schemes like post office deposits, Kisan Vikas Patra by three months to March 31, 2018.
  • In October, the government made 12-digit Aadhaar mandatory for all small savings schemes like post office deposits, PPF, the National Savings Certificate scheme and Kisan Vikas Patra.
  • Nearly 135 schemes including the free cooking gas (LPG) to poor women, kerosene and fertiliser subsidy, targeted public distribution system (PDS) and MGNREGA will be covered by the extension.
  • Already Government has extended date for linking Aadhaar with PAN and bank accounts till March 31,2018.

INTERNATIONAL

L&T commissions 360 MW Bheramara power plant in Bangladesh

  • Engineering major Larsen & Toubro has commissioned the 360 MW Bheramara power plant in Bangladesh.
  • The Bheramara Combined Cycle Power Plant Development project was handed over to North West Power Generation Company Ltd (NWPGCL), a fully-owned subsidiary of Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).
  • The power plant is based in Bheramara of Kushtia district in Bangladesh.

L&T Power CEO & MD : Shailendra Roy

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

PNB inks pact with NSFDC

  • Punjab National Bank (PNB) has tied up with National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation(NSFDC).
  • The agreement is to provide financial assistance for economic empowerment of persons belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) families living below Double Poverty Line (DPL).
  • They will be setting up self-employment projects and skill-training grants to unemployed SC persons living below Double the Poverty Line. Under this tie-up, PNB would also act as a channelising agent for the loan schemes of NSFDC.
  • It was signed by BM Padha, Corporate General Manager, PNB, and Devanand, General Manager, NSFDC.

PNB

Headquarters: New Delhi

CEO: Sunil Mehta

Tagline: The name you can bank upon

APPOINTMENTS

Dilip Asbe has been appointed as MD & CEO of NPCI

  • National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has appointed Dilip Asbe as Managing Director and CEO of the organisation.
  • He will replace Hota who retired last year(2017).
  • National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is established 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).
  • It is established under Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.

AWARDS AND HONOURS               

French honour to be conferred on actor Soumitra Chattopadhyay

  • France will confer its highest order of merit, the ‘Legion of Honour’, on legendary film and theatre actor Soumitra Chattopadhyay at the 42nd International Kolkata Book Fair.
  • It will be honoured by French culture and communication minister Francoise Nyssen and it was announced by French Ambassador(to India) Alexandre Ziegler.
  • The Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner Chattopadhyay acted in several of Ray’s films,including Apur Sansar, Abhijan, Charulata, Aranyer Din Ratri and Sonar Kella.
  • France is the focal theme country of the international Kolkata Book fair 2018.

SPORTS

Ashes Test Series: Australia beat England

  • Australia beat England by innings and 123 runs in Ashes Test Series.
  • The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia.
  • An Ashes series is traditionally of five Tests, hosted in turn by England and Australia at least once every two years.
  • There have been 70 Ashes series: Australia have won 33, England 32 and five series have been drawn.
  • The player of the series is Steve Smith, Captain of Australian Team. The five venues for 2018 series were the Gabba, Adelaide Oval, the WACA Ground, the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Sydney Cricket Ground.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Non-resident Indian Day – January 9

  • Non-resident Indian Day (Pravasi Bharatiya Divas) is observed on January 9.
  • It aims to recognize the contribution of the overseas Indian community to the country’s development.
  • India has the second-largest overseas community in the world after China.

CHECK YOUR KNOWLEDGE HERE: DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS QUIZ : JANUARY 9, 2018

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