Daily Current affairs - July 28th, 2017 for all competitive exams
World Hepatitis Day (WHD) takes places
every year on 28 July and brings the world together under
a single theme to raise awareness of the global burden of viral hepatitis
and to influence real change.
NABARD takes first step to access Green Climate
Fund
India’s National Bank for Agriculture and
Rural Development (NABARD) has signed an Accreditation Master Agreement (AMA)
with the Green Climate Fund. With the signing of the AMA, NABARD becomes the
first Indian organisation to get Direct Access Entity status and is the first step
for the body to access GCF resources.
- The GCF was set up in 2010 under the UNFCCC’s
financial mechanism to channel funding from developed countries to
developing countries to allow them to mitigate climate change and also
adapt to disruptions arising from a changing climate. It was central to the Paris climate agreement signed in
2015, that the world’s largest historical emitter.
Sagar Vani mobile app launched
“Sagar Vani”, a mobile app, was launched
recently on the occasion of Foundation Day of Ministry of Earth Sciences.
- The ‘Sagar Vani’ is a software platform where
various dissemination modes will be integrated on a single central
server.
- The ‘Sagar Vani’ includes Multi Lingual SMS, Voice
Call / Audio Advisory, Mobile Apps (User / Admin modules), Social Media
(Facebook, Twitter, etc.), Email, GTS, Fax, Digital Display Boards, Radio
/ Television broadcast units, IVRS, Cloud Channels, etc.
National Centre for Seismology launches an App
‘India Quake’
Union Minister of Science & Technology,
Earth Sciences and Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Dr.
Harshvardhan launched an app “India Quake” for Earthquake Parameter
Dissemination on the occasion of Foundation Day of Ministry of Earth Sciences.
- The App will make information dissemination faster
with no restrictions on the number of recipients. Any citizen can download
this App and get the real time earthquake location information on his/her
mobile.
SC for panels to examine dowry cases
In a landmark judgment, aimed at putting an end to misuse of section
498A of the IPC that is dowry-related offences, the Supreme Court has
proposed a slew of measures. They aim to put an end to the automatic arrest of
the husband and his family members.
- Every complaint under Section 498A should henceforth
will have to be referred to Family Welfare Committees – to be constituted
at every district. No arrest shall be effected till report of such
committee is received.
- The committee would interact with the parties
personally or by means of telephonic or electronic communication and give
a report within a month to the authority which referred the complaint to
it.
- The report would be on “the factual aspects and its
opinion” in the matter. Till report of the committee is received, no
arrest should normally be effected.
Mumbai Metro launches India’s first mobile
ticketing system
Mumbai Metro announced the launch
of India's first Mobile Ticketing System 'OnGo' which will help
commuters pass the AFC gates using their mobile phones.
- Commuters will be able to generate a QR Code through
'OnGo' service for current or future journeys upto a week in advance by
clicking the mobile app wherein they would pay for their journey.
Charging Stations for Electric Vehicles
Installed in Bengaluru
Under Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in
India [FAME-India] Scheme of the Government, 25 Charging Stations have
been installed at 6 different locations in Bengaluru by M/s. Mahindra REVA
Electric Vehicles Pvt. Ltd, as a pilot project.
- Based on the proposals received under FAME Scheme,
charging infrastructure in selected cities/ locations were sanctioned by
the Department of Heavy Industries.
BRICS Labour & Employment Ministers’ Meet
in China
China is the chair for the BRICS Labour &
Employment Ministers’ Meet for the year 2017. This year’s meeting was held in
Chonqging, China. The meeting concluded with the adoption of the BRICS Labour and Employment Ministerial Declaration by the BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers.
- The Declaration covered a variety of areas that are
of critical importance to all BRICS countries including India and called
upon strengthening collaboration and cooperation on these through
appropriate institutionalisation.
- These areas consisted of: “Governance in the Future
of Work”, “Skills for development in BRICS”, “Universal and sustainable
social security systems”, “BRICS Network of Labour Research Institutions”,
“BRICS Social Security Cooperation Framework” and “BRICS entrepreneurship
research”.
Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif resigns over Panama
Papers verdict
Nawaz Sharif has resigned as prime minister
of Pakistan following a decision by the country's Supreme Court to
disqualify him from office.
- The ruling came after a probe into his family's
wealth following the 2015 Panama Papers dump linking Mr Sharif's
children to offshore companies.
BSE inks cooperation pact with Egyptian
Exchange
Leading bourse BSE joined hands with
Egyptian Exchange (EGX) for cooperation in exchange of information across
business areas.
- Through this MoU, a range of opportunities has
been explored for the development of their
businesses, products and markets to share knowledge and
strengthen international connectivity.
Axis Bank acquires FreeCharge for Rs. 385 crore
Axis Bank announced the acquisition of
Snapdeal-owned mobile payments provider Freecharge in an all-cash deal
worth Rs385 crore.
- The deal is subject to regulatory approval from the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the indicative time-frame to complete the
acquisition is two months, the private sector lender said in an exchange
filing.
- With this buyout, Axis Bank will get over 50 million
customers of Freecharge along with its niche and patented technology and
human resources.
- Founded in 2010 by Mumbai based entrepreneur Kunal
Shah, FreeCharge started as a recharge deal coupons platform before
turning into a full-scale mobile wallet.
Axis Bank approves re-appointment of Shikha
Sharma as CEO
Axis Bank has re-appointed Shikha Sharma as
MD & CEO of Axis Bank for the three-year term from June 2018. Her
current term was to end in June 2018.
- Axis Bank informed Bombay Stock Exchange that board
of directors has approved the re-appointment.
Punjab National Bank ties up with Bajaj Allianz
General for distribution
Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Bajaj Allianz
General Insurance have signed an agreement for the distribution of
insurance products through the branches.
- Under this agreement, Bajaj Allianz General
Insurance will offer personal lines of insurance products such as health,
personal accident, home, motor and travel along with the commercial line
of insurance products such as property, marine and engineering insurance,
etc to the bank's customers.
Amazon's Jeff Bezos briefly overtakes Gates to
become world’s richest
Amazon’s share price propelled founder
Jeff Bezos to the top of a list of the world’s richest
individuals—for less than a day.
- Mr. Bezos, who is also chairman and chief executive
of the Seattle-based company, was worth almost $91bn (£70bn) after
Amazon’s share price rose more than 1 per cent in morning trading in New
York.
- That put his fortune ahead of Microsoft co-founder
Bill Gates'.
- The latter has a net worth of around $90.7bn and has
been at the top of Bloomberg’s rich list since 2013.
But Mr Bezos slipped back into second place later in the
day.
Ajay Singh wins bronze medal in Asian Youth and
Junior Weightlifting Championships
India’s Ajay Singh has won the bronze
medal in Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships at
Kathmandu, taking India’s tally to three.
- Ajay got third place in 77 kgs men’s junior category
lifting 143 kgs in snatch and 172 kgs in clean and jerk.
- S. Nirpupama Devi had won bronze in 69 kgs women
youth category. Konsam Ormila Devi had won gold in 44kg weight category on
an opening day.
Bollywood actor Inder Kumar passes away
Bollywood actor Inder Kumar passed away
recently. He was 44. Inder Kumar suffered a heart attack at his residence in
Andheri’s Four Bungalows. He has worked in more than 20 films.
- He also shared the screen space with Salman Khan in
Wanted and Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge among others.
Ramon Magsaysay awards
announced
The Ramon
Magsaysay Awards' is an annual award established to perpetuate
former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay's example of integrity in
governance, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idealism within a
democratic society.
List of 2017 Awardees
1.De Lima, Lilia (PHILIPPINES): For harnessing sustained,
non-stop and credible public service.
2.Ishizawa, Yoshiaki (JAPAN): For restoring Cambodia’s
treasured gift to world culture.
3.Nababan, Abdon (INDONESIA): For giving compelling face
and voice to Adat communities and their rights.
4.Philippine Educational Theater Association (PHILIPPINES):
For empowering communities for development action through theater arts.
5.Shanmugam, Gethsie (SRI LANKA): For rebuilding lives from
the psychosocial wounds of war and violence.
6.Tay, Tony (SINGAPORE): For mobilizing collective goodwill
to address hidden hunger.
