Current affairs : September 17, 2016 for all competetive exams
Telangana signs MoU to help Goa in IT development
The Telangana
government has been signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Goa
government to help the latter in information technology (IT) development.
- Through this MoU, Telangana will
help the Goa government in formulating relevant policies.
HAL gets membership of APAQG
with voting rights
Hindustan Aeronautics
Limited on Friday has been conferred the prestigious membership of the Asia-Pacific
Aerospace Quality Group (APAQG)under the category 'Full Member with voting
rights'.
- This makes India the seventh
nation to join the APAQG under the International Aerospace Quality Group
(IAQG).
MoU for speed implementation of Namami
Gange Progamme
Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation
(MoWR, RD&GR) has signed an MoU with the Ministry of Agriculture and
Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) for speedy implementation of Namami Gange
programme.
NASA’s Cassini to make final, closest
observations of Saturn
After studying Saturn, its rings and moons for more than 12 years, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has entered the final year of its epic voyage during which
it will make the closest-ever observations of the planet.
- The conclusion of the historic
scientific odyssey is planned for September 2017.
MFIs see higher growth in urban India
than rural: Report
According to an annual report by Sa-Dhan- the Bharat Microfinance Report 2016, the self-regulatory body for MFIs, microfinance institutions (MFIs) have
seen their business grow faster in urban India than in rural in last one year.
- In 2016, total loan amount
disbursed increased by Rs.13,433 crore over 2015, there is a growth of 23%
where amount increased in rural areas by 14% and in urban areas by 27%.
- 94% of the loans disbursed in
2015-16 were used for income-generating purposes, up from 80% in the
previous year.
Task force on Innovation:
The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) has decided to
set up a Task Force on Innovation.
- The Task Force will assess India’s
position as an innovative country, suggest measures to enhance the
innovation eco-system and thus improve the country’s ranking in the Global
Innovation Index (GII). It comprises members from the industry and the
government.
Proposals pending for inclusion in the
VIII Schedule
There are 38 proposals pending for inclusion in the VIII Schedule of the
Constitution with the government. The government had instituted an official
group to look into the inclusion of these languages in the VIII Schedule. The
committee has given its report and the government is examining it.
- A Committee was set up in
September, 2003 under the Chairmanship of Shri Sitakant Mohapatra to
evolve a set of objective criteria for inclusion of more languages in the
Eighth Schedule to the Constitution. The Committee submitted its report in
2004.
India Signs MoU With Sri Lanka
To Support Fishermen And Farmers
India and Sri Lanka Signed
MoU to support livelihood of the fishing and farming communities by providing
them equipment worth USD 2 million in the country’s southern Hambantota
district.
- The agreement was signed by Y K Sinha, High Commissioner of India and W M M R Adikari, Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development in the presence of Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development.
Arjuna Awards presented to Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane:
Cricketers Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane were recently conferred with
Arjuna Awards. Rohit Sharma was conferred Arjuna Award for the year 2015 and
Ajinkya Rahane for the year 2016.
- The Arjuna Awards, instituted in
1961, are given to sportspersons for consistently outstanding performance
for four years preceding the year of award and who have also shown
qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and a sense of discipline. The
awardees are given a statuette, a certificate, ceremonial dress and award
money of Rs. 5 lakh.
Best Museums in India:
Five Indian museums have
featured among the best 25 in Asia. Leh’s ‘Hall of Fame’ has topped the India
list as a “must-visit” place by travellers in a survey. The other top four most
rated museums of India are — Bagore Ki Haveli (Udaipur), Victoria Memorial Hall
(Kolkata), Salar Jung Museum (Hyderabad) and Jaisalmer War Museum
(Jaisalmer).
- The Museum of Qin Terracotta
Warriors and Horse in China topped the Asia list.
Ujjivan bags award for
inclusive insurance
Ujjivan Financial Services
Ltd, a microfinance institution, has won the Platinum Award for Inclusive
Insurance at the SKOCH Insurance Awards 2016.
Paytm to power IRCTC’s payment
gateway
Mobile payment and commerce
platform Paytm has tied up with the country’s largest rail ticketing platform
IRCTC to enable digital payments for travellers.
- The Paytm Wallet is already
accepted on the IRCTC platform and is in addition to the native integration
of Paytm’s payment gateway to the IRCTC application
V K Sharma gets additional
charge as LIC chairman
V K Sharma, who is currently
one of the two managing directors at Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC),
has taken additional charge as Chairman, LIC of India.
- Sharma joined LIC in the year 1981
as a Direct Recruit Officer.
Former Italian PM Carlo Azeglio
Ciampi dies
Former Italian president,
prime minister and central bank governor Carlo Azeglio
Ciampi has died at the age of 95.
US playwright Edward Albee
dies aged 88
Legendary playwright Edward
Albee, widely considered one of the greats of his generation, has died at the
age of 88.
- A three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, he was arguably America's greatest living playwright after the deaths of Arthur Miller and August Wilson in 2005.
University copying books for teaching is not
copyright violation: Delhi HC
The Delhi High Court held
that the photocopying of course packs prepared by Delhi University comprising
portions from books published by Oxford University Press, Cambridge University
Press and Taylor & Francis did not amount to infringement of copyright.
- The court dismissed the suit initiated by the publishing majors, which had sued DU and Rameshwari Photocopying Services, a kiosk inside the Delhi School of Economics.
Five High Courts get new Chief Justices
Five new Chief Justices have
been appointed to Kerala, Calcutta, Sikkim, Tripura and Manipur High Courts.
- Justice Girish Chandra Gupta of
the Calcutta High Court will be its new Chief Justice.
- Acting Chief Justice of Kerala
High Court, Justice Shantanagoudar Mohan Mallikarjunagouda, has been
elevated as its new Chief Justice.
- Acting Chief Justice of Sikkim
High Court, Justice Satish Kumar Agnihotri, has been confirmed as the High
Court’s Chief Justice.
- Justices Tinlianthang Vaiphei and Rakesh Ranjan have been elevated as Chief Justices of Tripura and Manipur High Courts, respectively.
BRICS MoU on climate cooperation signed
India signed an agreement
with fellow BRICS countries to deepen cooperation in abatement and control of
air and water pollution, efficient management of liquid and solid waste,
climate change and conservation of biodiversity.
