Current affairs : October 19, 2016 for all competetive exams
PM Modi launches national hub for SC/ST entrepreneurs in Ludhiana
The National SC/ST Hub, which provides
support to entrepreneurs from the community, was recently launched by the PM.
It will have an initial outlay of Rs 490
crore.
- The hub will work towards strengthening market
access/linkage, monitoring, capacity building, leveraging financial
support schemes and sharing industry-best practices.
- The SC/ST hub aims to facilitate technology knowhow to reserved categories and increasing procurement by public and government units from SC/ST industrial units from existing 0.4% to 4%.
PM Modi inaugurates 3 hydro
projects in Himachal Pradesh
Three hydro-electric projects (HEPs) with a
generating capacity of 1,732 MW were recently inaugurated by PM in Himachal
Pradesh.
- These include- 800 MW Hydro Power Station of NTPC at Koldam, 520 MW Parvati Project of NHPC and 412 MW Rampur Hydro Station of SJVNL project.
10th India and United States Trade Policy Forum
10th India-United States Trade Policy Forum
(TPF) meetings are being held at New Delhi. These meetings aim to increase the
bilateral interaction between the two countries and increase the momentum on
resolving trade concerns.
- Under TPF there would be technical level discussions on issues concerning with Agriculture, Services and Goods, IPR and Manufacturing.
Small finance banks up the ante to grab
deposits
Small finance banks are adopting an
aggressive strategy to garner savings deposits by offering interest rates
higher than that offered by full-service banks.
- While most full-service banks offer 4% on savings bank deposits, small finance banks are offering or planning to offer between 5 and 7% on such deposits.
ZED scheme
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently
launched the Zero Defect, Zero Effect (ZED) scheme for Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSMEs).
- It aims to rate and handhold all MSMEs to deliver top-quality products using clean technology.
Geeta Phogat appointed DSP
in Haryana Police
Haryana Government has appointed
international woman wrestler Geeta Phogat as a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP)
in Haryana Police.
- A proposal of the Home Department was approved at a meeting of the state cabinet presided over by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
Centre proposed 4 GST
slabs
The
Centre has proposed a four-slab rate structure for the Goods & Services
Tax, ranging from zero to 26 per cent, at a meeting of the GST Council.
- The structure proposes the GST at 0 per cent on a
host of goods and services, including food, health and education services,
and at 26 per cent on luxury items, such as fast-moving consumer goods and
consumer durables.
- On consumption of ultra-luxury items and demerit goods, such as big cars and tobacco products, it proposes imposition of cess over and above a 26 per cent GST rate. The GST is proposed to be levied at 6 per cent, 12 per cent or 18 per cent on the remaining goods and services.
ECIL and ISRO enter
pact to develop antenna
Electronics
Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) under the Department of Atomic Energy
entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), Bangalore,
for the development of 18-meter antenna for Indian Deep Space Network.
- It will facilitate ISRO and ECIL to jointly work for the indigenous design and realisation of the antenna systems for the upcoming missions like Aditya, Chandrayaan-2 and Mars Orbiter-2.
Telangana government MoU
with Illinois
The
Telangana Government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the
Government of Illinois State for collaboration and interaction between the two
States in various fields in the form of sharing expertise.
- The agreement would facilitate cooperation in the areas of Smart State Solutions, e-Governance, entrepreneurship, innovation, business incubators, job creation and best practices between the two States. Under the Smart State solutions, Illinois State would introduce “Array of Things” sensors for air pollution monitoring in Telangana.
Irom Sharmila launches
party
Beginning
her political journey, rights activist Irom Sharmila on Tuesday announced a new
political party.
- The party, named the Peoples Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA), will contest the Assembly polls in Manipur in 2017.
INS Tihayu Joins the Indian
Navy
Water Jet Fast Attack Craft (WJFAC) INS
Tihayu was commissioned into the Indian Navy by
the Flag-Officer-Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command
Vice-Admiral H.C.S. Bisht.
- The 315-tonne INS Tahiyu is the sixth WJFAC Car Nicobar Class vessel to be commissioned and allotted to the Eastern Fleet of the Navy.
S.P Yadav elected new
President of Urology Society of India
S P Yadav has been elected as the new
President of the North Zone of Urology Society of India.
- His tenure would begin from October 2017 for a
period of one year.
- The announcement was made at the conclusion of a 3-day annual conference held under the auspices of the Agra Urology Association from 16 October to 18 October 2016.
Russia to lease another
nuclear-powered submarine to India
Russia has quietly signed an agreement with
India to lease out a second Russian Akula-2 class nuclear-powered submarine to
the Indian Navy.
- The attack submarine will arrive in Indian waters in
2020-21.
- The lease agreement was signed between PM Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the BRICS Summit in Goa.
Visa CEO Charles Scharf to
resign
The San Francisco-based payments network
Visa’s CEO Charles Scharf had resigned from his post October 18, 2016.
- The company named Alfred Kelly Jr, a former president of American Express Co and a current Visa board member, as CEO.
Indian wrestlers win four
medals at 2016 TAFISA World Games
Four Indian wrestlers have won four medals
individually including a gold medal, at the sixth edition of the TAFISA
World Games held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
1. Wrestler Dalmiya - He won gold medal in 60kg category by
defeating Azerbaijan’s Muhammad Sahan.
2. Luv Singh - He won the silver medal in the 80 kg category
after he was defeated by Muhammad Alim of Azerbaijan by 1-5 points in the final
match.
3. Naveen iv. Kumar - He won the bronze medal in 90 Kg
category after he defeated Lithuania’s Oleg by 5-2 points.
4. Josil - He won the bronze medal in the super heavyweight
category by defeating Mustafa Sultani of Afghanistan by 3-1 points.
IOC Athletes’ commission:
Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal has been
appointed as a member of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Athletes’
Commission.
- The IOC Athletes’ Commission is a body maintained by the International Olympic Committee for the purpose of representing athletes. It was established in 1981.
