Current affairs: September 30, 2016 for all competetive examinations
International Translation Day: 30 September
The International
Translation Day is being observed today on 30 September across the world with
the theme "Translation and Interpreting: Connecting Worlds".
- This is the annual event for the translation community and event is marked with a series of dedicated events, seminars and symposiums across the world.
India Surgical strikes across LoC
India has carried out surgical strikes targeting “launch pads” for
terrorists across the Line of Control (LoC).
- The operations
were focused to ensure that these terrorists do not succeed in endangering
lives of citizens in our country.
- A surgical strike
is essentially a swift and targeted attack on specific target that aims to
neutralise them while ensuring minimum collateral damage to the
surrounding areas and civilians.
Interest rates on small savings schemes cut
The Centre announced a cut
of 0.1 percentage point in the interest rates on small savings schemes,
including Public Provident Fund, Kisan Vikas Patra and Sukanya Samriddhi
Accounts, for the period October 1-December 31, 2016.
- The rate on savings deposit
remained at 4 per cent. Interest rates for small savings schemes are
notified on a quarterly basis.
- The next revision will be for the
January-March quarter.
- Under the new rates, the Public
Provident Fund will fetch an interest of 8 per cent as opposed to the 8.1
per cent in the quarter ended September 30.
- The Kisan Vikas Patra will see an interest rate of 7.7 per cent, down from the earlier 7.8 per cent.
Best Tourist Friendly Airport:
Airports Authority of India’s Tirupati Airport has been awarded as “Best
Tourist Friendly Airport” under the category for “State Annual Excellence
Awards for the year 2015-16” by Andhra Pradesh Tourism.
- The State Annual Tourism Excellence Awards under various segments of Travel and Tourism Industry are awarded by Department of Tourism, Government of Andhra Pradesh for maintaining excellent Customer friendly relations with tourists and passengers, coinciding with World Tourism Day Celebrations.
Law Commission gets full-time member
The government has appointed S. Sivakumar, professor at the Indian Law Institute in New Delhi, as a full-time Member of the 21st Law Commission of India.
- Mr. Sivakumar, who is a recipient of the National Law Day Award in 2008, specialises in Administrative Law and Media Law.
- His area of interests include Constitutional Law, Human Rights, IPR, ADR and Clinical Legal Education. Hailing from Kerala, he is the author of several books on law.
World’s deepest and largest high-speed railway station:
China will build the world’s deepest and largest high-speed railway station
at a popular section of the country’s Great Wall, as part of its preparations for
the 2022 Winter Olympics.
- The station will
be at Badaling, the most visited section of the Great Wall which lies
about 80 km (50 miles) northwest of Beijing.
- The Badaling station will be located 102 metres (335 feet) below the surface, with an underground construction area of 36,000 square metres (387,501 sq feet), equal to five standard soccer fields, making it the deepest and largest high-speed railway station in the world.
Trilateral Meet between India, Afghanistan and Iran to Take Chabahar
Agreement Further
A Trilateral meeting was recently held between India, Afghanistan and Iran
to take Chabahar agreement further.
- Discussions were
held on Trilateral Agreement on Establishment of International Transport
and Transit Corridor i.e. Chabahar Agreement which was signed in May, 2016
in Tehran in the presence of Prime Minister of India and Presidents of
Iran and Afghanistan.
- During the meeting, it was decided to organize a connectivity event involving all stakeholders at Chabahar within two months to increase awareness about the new opportunities offered by Chabahar Port.
IMF to disburse $102 million to Pakistan
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board has completed the
twelfth and final review of Pakistan’s three-year economic reform program
supported by an Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement.
- The Board’s decision enables the immediate disbursement of the final tranche in an amount equivalent to the SDR 73 million in the IMF currency or about $102.1 million.
Ghani formalises peace deal with ‘Butcher of
Kabul’
The
Afghan President signed a pact that opens the door to the militant faction of
Hezb-i-Islami, led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, playing an active role in politics.
- A controversial figure from the insurgency against the Soviets in the 1980s and the civil wars of the 1990s, Hekmatyar has been designated a “global terrorist” by the United States, which has been leading an international military mission in Afghanistan for the past 15 years.
Riyadh Mathew is new PTI
Chairman
Riyadh Mathew, Director of
Malayala Manorama, Chairman and Managing Director of Indian Express has been
unanimously elected Chairman of Press Trust of India (PTI).
- Mr. Mathew, succeeds
Hormusji N. Cama.
- Viveck Goyenka as its Vice Chairman
Shakti Sinha to head Nehru
Memorial Museum and Library
The Appointments Committee
of the Cabinet approved the appointment of retired IAS officer Shakti Sinha to
the post of director, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML).
- The post of director at NMML has been lying vacant since last year.
Rani becomes 1st Indian woman
to cross 60m in javelin
Javelin thrower Annu Rani
broke her own national record and in the process became the first Indian woman
to cross the 60m mark on the third and penultimate day of the 56th Open
National Athletics Championships in Lucknow.
