Current affairs : January 22, 2017 for all competitive exams
Amidst instructions from the
Election Commission of India over keeping it away from the media, the Combined
Commanders Conference was held at the Indian Military Academy (IMA).
- PM Narendra Modi, the chiefs of the Army, Air Force and Navy, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar were among those who attended the annual conference, which was being held at the IMA for the first time.
Special Task Force for women
safety reconstituted
A special task force (STF)
for women safety has been reconstituted under the Chairmanship of Lieutenant
Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal with his approval, the Delhi government’s Home
Department said in a communication sent to the Delhi High Court .
- The L-G will be chairperson of the special task force and including him there will be 17 members in it. The task force will conduct a meeting in every 15 days. The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal is also a member of the STF.
With Russia's help, India to
increase train speed to 200 kmph
Russian Railways is helping
India's national transporter increase the speed of its passenger trains up to
200 km per hour. Russian Railways is at present collaborating with Indian
Railways on a 575-km stretch between Nagpur and Secunderabad and submitted a
preliminary report last week.
- To reach the desired speed limit, Russian Railways has proposed several technical and technological solutions, including reconstruction of railway alignment as well as treating the earth bed where there are speed restrictions.
Bihar forms world’s longest
human chain of 11,000 kilometres
Bihar on 21st January 2017
claimed to have formed the world's longest human chain, covering an estimated
distance of 11,292 kilometres, involving over three crore citizens against
alcoholism and liquor.
- Bihar CM Nitish Kumar joined hands with Lalu Prasad
and other political party leaders to start the 45-minute-long chain. The
previous record was the 1,050-km human chain formed in Bangladesh.
- Three Indian Space Research Organisation satellites
and 38 drones and helicopters were deployed to document it.
With national
anthem on their lips, they create world record
Over 3.5 lakh people set a
new world record on Saturday by singing the national anthem at an event at
Kagvad in Rajkot, Gujarat in the
presence of observers from the Guinness Book of World Records.
- The occasion was the installation of the idol of
goddess Khodiyar at the newly-built Khodal Dham temple in the town.
- Earlier, 2,54,537 people had sung the national
anthem in Bangladesh in 2014 and set a record.
- The trust also set two new records for the Limca Book of Records by organising the longest (40 kilometres) ‘Shobha Yatra’ and a 1,008-kund mahayagna.
Himachal Pradesh beats Kerala
in learning outcomes: ASER
The Annual Status Education
Report (ASER) 2016 found that Himachal Pradesh is doing well in many regards,
on the education front, as compared to the rest of the states. It has the
country’s highest reading and mathematics learning levels, shooting past even
Kerala, which has an almost spotless track record of maintaining its position
as the most literate state.
- Himachal Pradesh has the highest rate of children
who can read a standard II level of text in the country. This stands at 47
per cent for standard III level of learning, a 70.5 per cent for standard
V and an 87.9 per cent for standard VIII.
PNB launches Contactless
Credit Card
In another digitalisation
initiative, Punjab National Bank (PNB) has launched a Contactless Credit Card.
This new credit card, which has been named PNB Wave N Pay --Contactless Card,
was launched by Usha Ananthasubramanian, Managing Director & Chief
Executive Officer, PNB in New Delhi on 21st January 2017.
- This card could be used by just waving it across the
terminal and the transaction will be through. There is no need to enter
any PIN for transactions up to Rs. 2,000.
Tax-free
withdrawal limit for PF may rise
The Labour Ministry has
sought a fourfold increase in the threshold limit for tax deduction on
provident fund withdrawals, from the existing ₹50,000 to ₹2 lakh, in the coming
Budget.
- This means that if the proposal gets a go-ahead, you
may be able to withdraw provident fund savings of up to ₹2 lakh without
any tax deduction even if you have not completed five years of continuous
service.
- At present, provident fund withdrawals of more than ₹50,000 before completing five years in service attracts income tax of up to 34.608%.
SEBI reviews
rules for removal of firms’ independent directors
The ongoing boardroom tussle
in the Tata Group has compelled the Securities and Exchange Board of India
(SEBI) to review the norms for removal of independent directors in listed
companies.
- At the SEBI board meet held on January 14, the
capital market watchdog took note of the fact that promoters by virtue of
their majority holding in large listed companies can easily remove an
independent director. An internal note presented to the SEBI board stated
that the regulator should evaluate the option of barring the promoters
from voting on resolutions seeking removal of independent directors.
- At present there is no restriction on promoters to vote on such kind of resolutions, it said referring to the current regulatory framework for removal of independent directors.
Apple named most innovative
company of 2016
Technology giant Apple has
emerged as the most innovative company for 2016, according to Boston Consulting
Group’s (BCG's) annual list which ranks world’s 50 most innovative firms for
the 11th straight year.
- Google was ranked second, followed by electric carmaker Tesla on the list. Further, ride-hailing service Uber and home rental platform Airbnb were among the firms included in the list for the first time.
Gambia’s
long-time ruler steps down
Gambia’s leader Yahya Jammeh said on Saturday he was stepping down under
pressure from West African armies which entered the country this week following
his refusal to concede an election defeat to President Adama Barrow.
- Mr. Jammeh is yet to leave the presidential palace but his announcement overnight appears to signal an end of a political impasse. It also brings to a close a reign that began in 1994 when he seized power in a coup.
