DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS : JANUARY 19, 2018

NATIONAL

BioAsia to open in Hyderabad

  • The 15th edition of BioAsia, the annual flagship event of the Government of Telangana, will start in Hyderabad.
  • The Theme of the conference is ‘Right Time, Right Now’.
  • Ireland, the Netherlands and South Africa will be the international partners while Gujarat, Assam and Rajasthan are State partners.
  • BioAsia has emerged as the most prominent technology and bio-business convention in Asia for Life sciences, pharmaceuticals and healthcare.

Telangana

Capital: Hyderabad

Chief Minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao

Governor: E. S. L. Narasimhan

Maharashtra becomes the first state to launch public cloud policy

  • Maharashtra has come out with a public cloud policy virtually mandating its departments to shift their data storage onto the cloud.
  • Under the framework, government will make it mandatory for the data to be stored within the country.
  • The State Innovation and Start-up Policy was also cleared by the State Cabinet. The policy will be applicable till 2022.
  • The objectives of the policy are to attract ₹5,000 crore investment in the development of incubation and start-ups.

Maharashtra

Capital: Mumbai

Chief Minister: Devendra Fadnavis

Governor: C. Vidyasagar Rao

Central Govt and CII Inks pact for Development of Logistics Sector

  • A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in the presence of Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu.
  • To enhance import and export performance, the Centre has entrusted the task of integrated development of the logistics sector to the Department of Commerce.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi has issued directions for a division for logistics in the government.
  • The Centre has decided to reduce the logistics cost from current 14 percent of GDP to less than 10 percent by 2022.

INTERNATIONAL

10th Global Forum for Food & Agriculture held in Berlin

  • The 10th Global Forum for Food & Agriculture begins in Berlin, Germany.
  • Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is leading the Indian delegation.
  • The theme of this year’s event is “Shaping the future of livestock – sustainably, responsibly, efficiently”.
  • The discussions will focus on sustainable and productive animal production among other issues.

Germany

Capital: Berlin

Currency: Euro

Chancellor: Angela Merkel

MoS RK Singh Attends ISA Forum in Abu Dhabi

  • The International Solar Alliance Forum was held at World Future Energy Summit, Abu Dhabi.
  • Shri Raj Kumar Singh, Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy attended the Forum representing India.
  • Shri R.K. Singh announced that $ 350 million Solar Development Fund will be given by the Government of India for Solar Projects Financing.
  • India would achieve 175 GW target of installed Renewable Energy capacity well before 2020.
  • The Paris Declaration has established ISA as an alliance dedicated to the promotion of solar energy among its member countries.

State of emergency extended for another 6 months in Turkey

  • In Turkey, state of emergency has been extended for another six months. According to Anadolu news agency, Turkey’s parliament voted in favour of extending emergency.
  • It is the sixth extension where Turkey has spent a year and a half under emergency rule.
  • During the time, the president and government are allowed to bypass parliament in passing new laws and suspend rights and freedoms.
  • About 50,000 people have been jailed and over 110,000 dismissed or removed from their jobs in Turkey since the state of emergency was first declared in 2016.

Turkey

Capital: Ankara

Currency: Turkish lira

Prime Minister: Recep Tayyip Erdogan

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Yes Bank Ties up with Amplus Energy Solutions

  • The Gurgaon-based Amplus Energy Solutions has signed an MoU with India’s leading bank Yes Bank for a strategic tie-up to co-finance projects in the solar energy sector in India.
  • It will mobilise USD one billion by 2023 for financing solar energy projects in India and USD five billion till 2030.
  • The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed at International Solar Alliance Forum at the World Future Energy Summit, Abu Dhabi.
  • Under the partnership, the total projects capacity is likely to be up to 1,000 mw.

HDFC Bank Crosses Rs.5 trillion Market Capitalisation

  • Shares of Housing Development Finance Corp. Ltd (HDFC) crossed Rs 5 trillion market capitalisation.
  • Reliance Industries Ltd is India’s most valued company with a market capitalization of Rs 6 trillion, followed by TCS and HDFC Bank at Rs 5.28 trillion and Rs4.92 trillion.
  • According to 7 Bloomberg analysts’ estimates, it may report a net profit of Rs4,434.80 crore.

HDFC Bank

CEO: Aditya Puri

Headquarters: Mumbai

APPOINTMENTS

S Selvakumar Appointed CMD Of SPMCIL

  • The government has appointed senior IAS officer S Selvakumar as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd (SPMCIL).
  • S Selvakumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance has been assigned additional charge of the post of CMD, SPMCIL. S Selvakumar replaces Anurag Agarwal.
  • The state-owned SPMCIL produces bank notes, coins, postage stamps, non-judicial stamps and other official documents.

SPORTS

ICC Awards 2017 Complete List of Winners

  • The Indian captain was named the Cricketer of the Year and also Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for his performances during the ICC cutoff year of September 2016 to October 2017.
  • Kohli also wins the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year.
  • Yuzvendra Chahal was awarded the T20 Performance of the Year.
  • Rohit and Kohli are part of the ICC ODI team of the Year while Ashwin, Pujara and Kohli are part of the ICC Test Team of the Year.

OBITUARY

Jo Jo White, Basketball player Passed Away

  • American Basketball player Jo Jo white has passed away.
  • Jo jo was a key member of two championship teams, an NBA Finals MVP, a gold medal-winning Olympian, and a Hall of Famer.

Kashinath, Kannada actor passed away

  • Veteran Kannada actor Kashinath passed away. Kashinath hails from Kundapura in Udupi district.
  • Kashinath began his career in films as a director and the first movie he directed was Aparoopada Athithigalu.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Raising Day – January 19

  • National Disaster Response Force, NDRF is celebrating its 13th Raising Day on January 19, 2018.
  • The Force was raised on 19th January, 2006, as a specialised force capable of responding to any type of disaster in the country and abroad.
CHECK YOUR KNOWLEDGE HERE: DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS QUIZ : JANUARY 19, 2018

Tweet
Pin
Share
+1
0 Shares