Daily Current affairs - July 25th, 2017 for all competitive exams
The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) July World Economic Outlook Update retained India’s projected GDP growth rate for 2017-18 at 7.2%, and at 7.7% for 2018-19.
- The IMF added that while activity slowed following demonetisation, growth for 2016-17 was higher than anticipated on the back of government spending and stronger momentum in the first part of that year, as revealed by data revisions.
Admiralty Bill passed by Rajyasabha
Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2017 ha
been passed unanimously by the Rajya Sabha. The bill was earlier passed by the
Lok Sabha in March, 2017.
- Admiralty laws deal with cases of accidents in navigable
waters or involve contracts related to commerce on such waters. The Bill repeals laws such as the
Admiralty Court Act, 1861, the Colonial Courts of Admiralty Act, 1890.
- The Bill aims to establish a legal framework
for consolidation of related laws to replace the age old archaic laws with
modern Indian legislation and to confer admiralty jurisdiction on all High
Courts of the coastal states of the country.
Sexual Harassment electronic-Box (SHe-Box) launched
It is an online complaint
management system for registering complaints related to sexual harassment at
workplace.
- It was launched by the Ministry of Women and Child
Development. The complaint management system has been developed to
ensure the effective implementation of Sexual Harassment of Women at
Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act (the SH Act), 2013.
- This portal is an initiative to provide a
platform to women working or visiting any office of Central Government (Central Ministries, Departments, Public Sector
Undertakings, Autonomous Bodies and Institutions etc.) to file
complaints related to sexual harassment at workplace under the SH Act.
Aarambh app for Road maintenance launched
The government has launched a mobile app- Aarambh- for road maintenance.
- This Mobile Phone App aims at use of GIS based
mapping for making road inventories, condition surveys, and
producing cost estimates and other relevant data for preparation and
monitoring of annual road maintenance plans.
- Its usage would greatly enhance the service delivery
of the state level institutions in planning and implementing performance
based rural roads maintenance contracts.
Government to go ahead with electoral bonds even if
consensus eludes
The government is planning to go ahead with electoral bonds even if
consensus eludes on the issue as political parties have not come up yet with
any suggestion on the proposal.
- As per the electoral bond mechanism announced in the
Budget, the proposed bonds will resemble a promissory note and not an
interest-paying debt instrument. They will be sold by
authorised banks and can be deposited in notified accounts of political
parties within the duration of their validity.
- The bonds will not carry the name of the donor and routing of the money through banks will ensure that only tax paid money comes into the political system.
J&K ban e-cigarettes
Jammu and Kashmir government
on Monday banned the sale of e-cigarettes in the State with immediate effect.
- A circular to this effect was issued to discourage
the consumption of tobacco products by the public, especially the younger
generation of the state.
SC ready to revisit Lodha reforms
The Supreme Court is all set to revisit, if not modify, some key recommendations
Justice R.M. Lodha Committee to usher in transparency in the Board of Control
for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the cricket administration.
- Following allegations of corruption, match fixing
and betting scandals in cricket in the country, the Supreme Court of India
appointed a three-panel member led by Justice R M Lodha in January 2015 to
look into the functioning of BCCI and suggest reforms. The Lodha
Committee, in January 2016, released its list of reforms which had some
major contentious points. The reforms were contested by several BCCI post
holders.
Meet on island development
Ten islands from Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep have been identified
by the government for improving maritime economy, preserving the eco-system and
addressing security concerns. The decision was taken at the
first meeting of the newly- constituted Islands Development Agency
(IDA).
- The islands include Smith, Ross, Aves, Long and
Little Andaman in Andaman and Nicobar and Minicoy, Bangaram, Suheli,
Cherium and Tinnakara in Lakshadweep.
- The IDA was set up on June 1 this year following
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s review meeting for the development of
islands.
- The meetings of the agency are chaired by the
Union Home Minister.
Vodafone India-Idea deal gets
competition panel nod
India’s antitrust regulator
has approved the merger of Vodafone Group Plc’s Indian unit with Idea Cellular.
- In March, Vodafone India and Idea agreed to merge
operations in a $23 billion deal, creating the country’s biggest telecom
player after the entry of new entrant Reliance Jio sparked a price war.
The deal has been pending Competition Commission of India (CCI) approval,
along with other regulatory clearances.
Bill introduced to replace Banking regulation ordinance
The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2017 to authorise the RBI to
direct banking companies to resolve the problem of stressed assets has been
introduced in the Lok Sabha by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
- The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2017,
seeks to amend the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 and replace the
Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, which was promulgated in
May this year.
- It gives powers to the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) to ask any bank to initiate insolvency proceedings and give
directions for resolution of stressed assets.
- The RBI would also be empowered to issue other
directions for resolution, appoint or approve for appointment, authorities
or committees to advise the banking companies for
stressed asset resolution.
U.R. Rao, genial genius of
ISRO passes away
Udupi Ramachandra Rao,
former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, acclaimed space
scientist acknowledged as the father of Indian satellite technology, is no
more.
- The celebrated cosmic ray scientist with an MIT
scholarship and experience with early NASA projects in the 1960s is best
remembered as the man who gave the country its first spacecraft Aryabhata
from out of modest un-space-like industrial sheds of Peenya in Bengaluru.
- As the first director of what is now called ISRO
Satellite Centre, Dr. Rao was responsible for 18 early satellites
including the landmark Bhaskara, APPLE, the Indian Remote sensing
Satellites or IRSs.
Bachchan to continue as UNICEF
ambassador
Actor Amitabh Bachchan will
continue to act as goodwill ambassador for UNICEF for another two years.
- He will promote awareness of measles and rubella
vaccines.
H S Prannoy wins US Open Grand
Prix Gold badminton title
HS Prannoy notched up a
thrilling three-game win over Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli
Kashyap in an all-Indian final to clinch the $120,000 US Open Grand Prix
Gold. It was held at Anaheim, California USA.
- In the women’s singles of the
tournament, Japanese Aya Ohori won the final. She has defeated Michelle Li
of Canada.
Mithali Raj named captain of
ICC Women’s World Cup team
India skipper Mithali
Raj was chosen as the captain of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017
team by the International Cricket Council. The 34-year-old Indian was
selected as captain after she led India to the final of the just-concluded ICC
Women’s World Cup.
- Mithali led by example, scoring 409 runs during the
30- day tournament. The side includes four players from England, three
from South Africa, and Australia all-rounder Ellyse Perry. Mithali has
been picked in the Team of the Tournament for the second time in her
career.
Boxer Sachin Siwach wins Gold
at Commonwealth Youth Games
World Youth Champion Sachin
Siwach clinched a gold medal at the Commonwealth Youth Games, Bahamas
after defeating Welsh boxer James Nathan Prober 4-1 in the final.
- Siwach, who won gold last year, was the only one of the 103 boxers to have clinched a gold so far in the tournament, taking place in Bahamas. The World Youth Champion was also the flag bearer of India for the tournament.
