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Current affairs : August 17, 2016


NHAI collaborates with PFC under Adopt a Green Highway Program:
National Green Highways Mission (NGHM) under NHAI has collaborated with Power Finance Corporation Ltd. (PFC) for plantations work on NH 7 in Nagpur region (Borkhedi – Wadner, & Khatara – Kelapur) covering 87 km stretch. Power Finance Corporation Ltd. has provided financial assistance of Rs. 13 crore for plantation and five year maintenance under their CSR funds.
  • This marks the first collaboration with the National Green Highways Mission – NHAI under their ‘Adopt a Green Highways’ Program.

India set to seize big opportunity in logistic costs saving through Sagarmala:
A new report by Ministry of Shipping has said that Sagarmala project can save up to Rs 35,000-40,000 crore by 2025 per annum for India by optimizing logistics flows for key commodities. The study says that augmenting operational efficiency of ports and optimizing logistics evacuation can be a big boost to Indian trade.

China launched Quess satellite:
China has launched the world’s first quantum satellite- Quantum Experiments at Space Scale, or QUESS. It is an effort to establish communications that cannot be hacked.


Navroz festival: 
It is a Parsi New Year festival. While the Balkans, the Caucasus, the Middle Easterns celebrate the festival on March 21, the first day of the Zoroastrian calendar.
  • in India there is another version of the festival that is followed according to the Shahanshahi calendar and falls during the later months of the year. 
  • The dates change every year since the calendar doesn’t account for leap years. Also known as Pateti, Navroz will be celebrated on August 17th this year in India. 
  • The festivities on this day symbolize happiness, harmony and amity for the Parsi community. The time of the festival is decided in Iran and then it is passed on to the entire Zoroastrian population in the world.

Regional Maritime Security Course (RMSC): 
In continuation of Indian Navy’s foreign cooperation initiatives, a Regional Maritime Security Course (RMSC) for officers of the rank of Colonel/ equivalent of Maritime Security Agencies from Friendly Foreign Countries (FFCs) at Naval War College, Goa recently commenced. 

  • The module includes International Relations Theory, International Maritime Law, and UNCLOS, Energy and Natural Resources Security, Maritime Domain Awareness, Indian Ocean Studies as well as a table top Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief / Out of Area Contingency exercise. 

America Tamil Sangam awarded A.R. Rahman with Tamil Ratna Award
Oscar-winning music maestro A.R. Rahman has been honoured by the America Tamil Sangam with its Tamil Ratna Award.
  • Previous recipients of its Ratna award include Tamil movie director Bharathi Raja; Bharatha Natyam exponent Kamala Lakshman; Srinivasa Varadhan, the winner of the Abel Prize for mathematics.

New Governors to 4 States:
President Pranab Mukherjee appointed four new governors on 17th August . The appointment includes

  • State of Manipur – Najma Heptulla
  • State of Punjab – V.P. Singh Badnore, and
  • State of Assam – Banwarilal Purohit.
  • Lieutenant- Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands –Jagdish Mukhi.

Jharkhand Assembly convened today to ratify GST Bill:
Jharkhand Assembly has been convened today to ratify Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill passed by both Houses of Parliament.
  • Now Jharkhand became the third state to ratify the bill after Assam and Bihar.
  • Last week, Assam became the first state in the country to ratify the constitution amendment bill on the GST as the assembly unanimously passed the bill.

RBI imposes penalty on four cooperative banks:
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed penalties on four cooperative banks for violation of various norms. 
  • Cooperative banks are:  Cooperative City Bank, Guwahati – Rs 5 lakh, 
  • Indapur Urban Cooperative Bank, Indapur – Rs 2 lakh, 
  • Shri Dadasaheb Gajmal Cooperative Bank, Pachora – Rs 1 lakh and 
  • Model Cooperative Urban Bank, Hyderabad – Rs 1 lakh.

Uttar Pradesh cabinet approves Metro Rail for Allahabad:
The Uttar Pradesh government has approved a Metro Rail project for Allahabad.
  • The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
  • The state cabinet also approved a scheme to provide free school bags and books to students till class VIII in government schools.

Over 10000-Year-Old Camping Site Discovered in Ladakh:
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has discovered an ancient camping site dating 8500 BC in Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), indicating humans were camping in the area 10,500 years ago. 
  • This site was unearthed at 14,000 feet above the sea level on the way from Saser La to Ladakh. 
Reliance Brands inks pact with Scotch & Soda
Reliance Brands, a part of Reliance Industries Group, today announced a long-term master franchise agreement with Amsterdam-based fashion brand Scotch & Soda.
  • Under the agreement, Reliance Brands will set up Scotch & Soda stores in all major cities in India by 2017.
Person in News:
1. Malayalam screenwriter TA Razaq passes away:
Malayalam filmmaker-scriptwriter TA Razaq passed away in Kochi. 
  • He was 58. Razaq was undergoing treatment related to liver-related ailment at a private hospital, where he breathed his last.
  • Razzaq’s film career began in the late 1980s, when he started work as an assistant director on the film Dhwani.
2. Punjabi writer Gurdial Singh passes away at 83:
Padma Shri awardee Punjabi writer Gurdial Singh, 83, breathed his last after a prolonged illness in Bathinda. 
  • Singh had been on ventilator support since August 13 after he had fell unconscious at his residence in Jaitu town of Faridkot district.
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