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Current affairs : January 21, 2017 for all competitive exams

Government to support Tangaliya weavers in purchasing looms
Government of India has decided to facilitate Tangaliya weavers in purchase of looms, by providing them an assistance amounting to 90% of the price of looms.
  • The government has also announced the formation of a special association of Tangaliya workers, which will work for their interest.
  • Tangaliya is a 700-year-old indigenous weave of Gujarat which employs an exquisite technique of weaving, using raw wool yarn.


Ministry of AYUSH and Advertising Standards Council of India sign MoU
In order to curtail malpractices in the advertisement of AYUSH drugs, the Ministry of AYUSH has signed a MoU with the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).

  • Addressing the cases of misleading advertisements with respect to Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy drugs, treatments and related services, ASCI will comprehensively monitor these advertisements across print and electronic media.
  • ASCI has been given a self-monitoring mandate by the Ministry of AYUSH to identify potentially misleading advertisement in the AYUSH sector and process complaints through its Consumer Complaints Council (CCC).


Draft steel policy to enable Rs.10 lakh crore investments
The new draft National Steel Policy of 2017 has been released. The Ministry of steel has invited comments on the policy from all the stakeholders and the public.
  • The proposed National Steel Policy 2017 (NSP 2017) is an effort to steer the industry to achieve its future potential and strategy to deal with various impediments like high input cost, availability of raw materials, dependency on imports, financial stress etc.


India participates in JITSIC meeting on ‘Panama Papers’
India participated in the Joint International Taskforce on Shared Intelligence and Collaboration (JITSIC) meeting held recently in Paris where 30 Revenue Authorities shared their findings on investigations arising from the Panama Papers.
  • The meeting included sharing of best practices and information between participating member countries based on legal instruments under the tax treaties and OECD and Council of Europe Multilateral Convention.
  • The sharing of this information within a group of this size is unique and sets the basis for greater cooperation amongst tax administrations.


India's biggest aircraft carrier ship INS Vikramaditya first to have ATM onboard
The largest warship of the Indian Navy, INS Vikramditya, will be equipped with its own dedicated ATM. It will cater to over two thousand naval personnel deployed on the aircraft carrier.
  • India's largest public sector bank State Bank of India is providing the Navy the services for the ATM which will be on the satellite link. 
  • A currency chest will also be provided to keep running the ATM.


Centre shifts disinvestment advice to new department
The government transferred the role of advising the government on how to utilise the proceeds from disinvestment from the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) to the Department of Economic Affairs.
  • This comes days after the Union Cabinet approved an alternative mechanism to decide the modalities to do with stake sales in public sector undertakings (PSUs), so as to speed up the process.


Global partnership launched to prevent epidemics with new vaccines
A global coalition to create new vaccines for emerging infectious diseases, designed to help give the world an insurance policy against epidemics was recently launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. 
  • The coalition is named- Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.
  • CEPI, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, is a “public-private coalition that aims to derail epidemics by speeding development of vaccines”. 


Bihar Govt to launch Nasha Mukt campaign to make state addiction-free
Bihar government  launched a Nasha Mukt campaign to make the state addidction-free. Over two crore people are likely to participate in human chains formed across the state on the occasion. 
  • Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said ‘nasha mukti’ in Bihar will herald a new era in the state as no one will be permitted to use intoxicating substance and tobacco products.


Tamil Nadu  Govt to promulgate ordinance to conduct Jallikattu
Tamil Nadu government will be promulgating an ordinance to conduct Jallikattu and Chief Minister O Paneerselvam has appealed to youngsters and all organizations to call off their protest as jallikattu.
  • Prime Minister provide full support of central government in efforts made by Tamil Nadu to conduct jallikattu.


Donald Trump sworn in as 45th US President
Mr Donald Trump has taken over as the 45th President of the United States, he took over the reins from Barack Obama 20 January 2017  Mr Trump, 70, took the oath of office in front of about 8 lakh people who braved chilly weather to gather on the National Mall in the center of the capital to celebrate the occasion.
  • He was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice John Roberts. 
  • Donald John Trump is an American businessman, television personality, politician, and the 45th President of the United States.




Cooperative banks can't accept deposits under PMGKY: Govt
Government has clarified that Co-operative Banks are not authorised to accept deposits under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Deposit Scheme (PMGKDS). The scheme allows assessees to disclose previously unaccounted and undeclared income under its ambit. 
  • The PMGKDS permits voluntary declarations of previously undisclosed income with an effective tax rate of 50% and requires assessees to deposit a further 25% of such wealth into a four-year interest-free deposit.
  • The scheme was launched on 17th of last month and will remain open for declarations upto 31st March this year.


Kerala Gramin Bank to propagate financial literacy among school children
Aimed at propagating financial literacy among school children, Kerala Gramin Bank has conceived a novel programme called FI@School.
  • Under the project, every branch of the bank has to identify and enter into a virtual tie up with a school in its locality preferably an upper primary school to organise various programmes such as formation of financial literacy clubs, account opening camps at schools, junior debit card distribution, financial literacy related classes, distribution of financial literacy booklets, competition on financial literacy etc.


ISKCON’s Govardhan eco village bags UN award
ISKCON’s Govardhan eco village in Thane district has been conferred with the UNWTO Award for Innovation in the category of Non-Governmental Organisations(NGO) at he annual United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Awards for Excellence and Innovation in Tourism at Madrid in Spain. 
  • Govardhan eco village become the first village in India has recognized by UN in the NGO sector.ISKCON's Govardhan eco village bags UN award.
  • The village received this honour for its initiative of eco tourism as a catalyst for rural development.


TeamIndus offers Your name plate on the moon, for a price
Indians are being offered the opportunity to leave their name on the moon, for a price. Space start-up TeamIndus will get the names of public ‘donors’ micro-engraved on a small-sized aluminium object, which will be placed on the lunar surface when its lander descends on the moon.
  • The bill: ₹500 per name. The name plaque plan is part of a crowd-funding effort.
  • The mission, planned for December 28 this year on the PSLV rocket, will travel the 3.84 lakh kilometres from earth to make a soft landing on the moon on January 26, 2018. Its robotic rover will send back photos and videos.


PVR Pictures introduces theatre-on-demand service
Multiplex chain operator PVR unveiled its theatre-on-demand service ‘Vkaao’ and plans to add 100 screens by the end of next fiscal across the country.
  • Vkaao is an online platform that enables consumers to watch any movie of their choice at a theatre of their choice. Vkaao is very disruptive and gives control to customers to choose what they want to watch, when and where
  • PVR operates 562 screens in 122 properties in 48 cities in India.



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