Current affairs- July 28, 2016
Farewell Philae: Earth severs link with silent
probe on comet
Earth has bid a final farewell to robot lab Philae, severing
communications after a year-long silence from the pioneering probe hurtling
through space on a comet.
- After more than 12 months without news, it has been decided to preserve all remaining energy available to Philae’s orbiting mothership Rosetta. Rosetta will remain in orbit around comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko for another two months.
- Rosetta will crash-land on September 30 to join Philae in their final resting place, concluding a historic quest for cometary clues to the origins of life on Earth.
Lok Sabha passed comprehensive Bill to check
benami transactions
Seeking to check black money, Lok Sabha has passed a comprehensive
Benami Transactions Amendment Bill, with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley assuring
that genuine religious trusts will be kept out of the purview of the
legislation.
- The legislation is intended to effectively prohibit benami transactions and consequently prevent circumvention of law through unfair practices.
- It empowers the Government to confiscate benami property by following due procedure. It therefore promotes equity across all citizens.
- Also, those who declare their benami properties under income declaration scheme will get immunity under the Benami Act.
Union govt. approval for raising foreign shareholding:
The Union Cabinet has given its approval for raising foreign
shareholding limit from 5% to 15% in Indian Stock Exchanges for a stock exchange, a depository, a banking company, an
insurance company, a commodity derivative exchange.
- The Cabinet has also approved the proposal to allow foreign portfolio investors to acquire shares through initial allotment, besides secondary market, in the stock exchanges. T
- he move will help in enhancing global competitiveness of Indian stock exchanges by accelerating/facilitating the adoption of latest technology and global best practices which will lead to overall growth and development of the Indian Capital Market.
Union Cabinet approved Bilateral Investment Treaty:
The Union Cabinet has approved Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT)
between India and Cambodia.
- The Treaty seeks to promote and protect investments from either country in the territory of the other country with the objective of increasing bilateral investment flows.
- The Treaty encourages each country to create favourable conditions for investors of the other country to make investments in its territory and to admit investments in accordance with its laws.
- The Treaty is the first Bilateral Investment Treaty in accordance with the text of the Indian Model BIT, approved by the Cabinet in December, 2015.
New AIIMS at Bhatinda, Punjab:
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi
has approved the establishment of a new AIIMS at Bhatinda in Punjab under the Pradhan
Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
Magsaysay Award for 2016 winners:
Bezwada Wilson, a prolific campaigner for eradication of manual scavenging in
India, and Carnatic singer T M Krishna from Chennai, are the winners of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for 2016. Apart from the two Indians,
four others have been selected for the award — Conchita Carpio-Morales of the
Philippines, Dompet Dhuafa of Indonesia, Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers
and ‘Vientiane Rescue’ of Laos.
WHO announced Brazil free of measles:
The World Health Organisation
(WHO) has officially declared Brazil free of measles, after no case of the disease was registered in the year 2015.
Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease transmitted orally, through
mucus or saliva. It mainly affects children and can be spread rapidly through
the air due to sneezing or a cough. Thus it is highly infectious airborne
disease.
BRICS Employment Working Group (BEWG) meeting:
First ever Meeting of BRICS Employment Working Group (BEWG) which is essentially a Senior Officers Level meeting between BRICS Countries to shape the agenda for Labour and Employment track in BRICS, has been scheduled to be held on 27th – 28th July, 2016 at Hyderabad. Shri Bandaru Dattatreya, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labour & Employment will also address the meeting hosted by India.
During this two days, there would be Sessions on,
i) Finalization of BRICS Employment Working Group,
ii) Presentation by ILO on “Employment Generation for Inclusive Growth”,
iii) Presentation by India on Possible Social Security Agreements amongst BRICS nations and
iv) Discussion on Draft BRICS Ministerial Declaration.
Person in News:
1. Neelamraju Ganga Prasada Rao:
Noted
agricultural scientist Neelamraju Ganga Prasada Rao, passed away in Hyderabad
on Wednesday.
- Dr. Rao was well-known for basic and applied research in breeding and agronomy of several dryland crops especially towards sorghum improvement, hence also earned the title of ‘Father of Hybrid Sorghum’ in India.
- Due to his efforts sorghum hybrids CSH1 CSH5 and CSH9 became very popular and were cultivated.
- He also made significant contributions to the improvement of crops like long staple desi cotton, pigeonpea, castor, and novel cropping systems. Born in Korisapadu, Prakasam district (AP).
1/- Insurance cover to Train Passengers:
Train
passengers booking their tickets online through the IRCTC website will be able
to opt for travel insurance cover from September for a premium of just onerupee.
- The scheme offers travellers or their families compensation of up to Rs. 10 lakh in the event of death or permanent total disability, Rs. 7.5 lakh for permanent partial disability, up to Rs. 2 lakh for hospitalisation expenses.
- The scheme is being implemented by IRCTC in partnership with ICICI Lombard General Insurance, Royal Sundaram and Shriram General.
CRISIL GDP for the Financial Year 2017:
According to CRISIL report on GDP, India’s GDP growth could rise to 7.9 per cent because of
good monsoon so far, with agriculture expected to grow by 4 per cent and
consumer price inflation likely to be restricted to 5 per cent in 2016-2017
Sri Lanka Cabinet approved $318 mn Indian credit for railway projects:
Sri
Lanka’s railway sector is to receive a fillip with the Cabinet approving a$318-million line of credit from the Indian government for the procurement of
rolling stock and upgrading two major railway lines in the country. With this,
the total amount of assistance from India for the development of the sector in
Sri Lanka goes up to $ 1,284 million.
