Daily Current affairs - October 21st, 2017 for all competitive exams
The Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) has released an offline facility that will allow taxpayers to finalise their GSTR-3B forms on their own computers before uploading it onto the portal.
- The deadline for the filing of the GSTR-3B form for September was October 20. Taxpayers have to file the summary GSTR-3B forms each month till January.
- CEO of GSTN - Prakash Kumar
Centre pushes for cash-free campuses
The Ministry of Human Resource Development aims to make financial transactions completely digital in all higher education institutions.
- The move will bring within the digital ambit all such institutions — public and private — including Central and State universities, IITs, NITs, business schools, etc., Eventually, the Centre aims to fully digitise all campus processes — including admissions, assistance, assessments, result declaration, admission, etc. — with all these processes going on an integrated IT platform.
Environment Ministry to set up exclusive channel – DD Prakriti.
DD Prakriti, an exclusive nature channel to promoting nature conservation films in India made by Indians, will be launched in 2018.
- The channel will continue through the period of the National Wildlife Action Plan (NWAP), effective till 2031.
- Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), has recommended the setting up of the exclusive channel DD-Prakriti in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and Doordarshan to promote awareness about nature conservation.
Rajasthan to shield public servants from probes
Rajasthan government has promulgated an ordinance providing for prior sanction for investigation against public servants, judges and magistrates for acts done “in discharge of official duties”.
- The sanctioning authority may take up to six months for taking a decision.
- Though the ordinance was promulgated last month and published in the official gazette on September 7, it came to light on Friday.
- The State government may initiate a move to convert it into an Act during the Assembly session beginning on October 23.
The first phase of the PNG supply system was launched in Bhubaneswar.
Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the first phase of Piped Natural Gas supply system in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
- 255 houses in Nalco Nagar in Chandrasekharpur of Bhubaneswar were supplied with environment-friendly PNG as part of phase 1.
- As part of the City Gas Distribution project, around 25 thousand households in twin-city Bhubaneswar and Cuttack will get PNG connection by the end of next year.
Push for cross-party support for Jallianwala Bagh apology
Indian-origin Labour MP Virendra Sharma is urging British parliamentarians from across the political spectrum to come together to support his parliamentary motion pushing for a formal apology from the British government for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
- Mr. Sharma, the Labour MP for Ealing Southall, tabled the Early Day Motion — a formal parliamentary means for MPs to draw attention to an issue — earlier this week, and has so far attracted 8 signatories from across the political spectrum, including Labour, the Conservatives, the Scottish National Party, the Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland.
France wants India to buy more Rafales
India has a hectic diplomatic calendar next week with a series of high-profile visits scheduled. French Defence Minister Florance Parley will be in New Delhi on an official visit during which she is likely to make a strong pitch to sell additional Rafale fighter jets.
- Ms. Parley is scheduled to visit India from October 26.
- In September last year, India and France concluded a €7.87-billion government-to-government deal for 36 Rafale jets in flyaway condition scheduled to be delivered between 2019 and 2022.
- The deal has a 50% offset clause to be executed by Dassault and its partners in India amounting up to Rs. 30,000 crore.
- Following this, Dassault Aviation and Reliance Defence announced a joint venture called “Dassault Reliance Aerospace”, which is likely to execute a major part of the offsets.
India, Brazil and South Africa sign the IBSA Trust Fund agreement.
India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) have signed the IBSA Trust Fund Agreement that aims to fight poverty in developing countries.
- It was signed at the 8th IBSA trilateral Ministerial Commission Meeting in Durban, South Africa.
- It is an international tripartite grouping for promoting international cooperation among these countries.
Peru approves medicinal use of marijuana
The Peruvian Congress approved a bill that authorises the medicinal and therapeutic use of cannabis in the country.
- The bill will allow the use of marijuana(Ganzai) and its derivatives, such as cannabis oil, to alleviate the pain that comes with diseases such as cancer, epilepsy and Parkinson’s.
Ramco Systems sets up subsidiary in Indonesia
Ramco Systems, an enterprise software provider on cloud and mobile, announced that it had set up a wholly-owned subsidiary in Indonesia under the name PT Ramco Systems Indonesia to address growing momentum in Asia.
- The new office will employ local staff and focus on bringing cloud-based technology to transform Indonesian enterprises in the areas of HR, payroll and logistics ERP.
Banks to sell small savings schemes
In order to encourage savings, the government has allowed banks, including top three private sector lenders, to accept deposits under various small savings schemes like National Savings Certificate (NSC), recurring deposits and monthly income plan.
- According to a recent government notification, banks can also sell National Savings Time Deposit Scheme 1981, National Savings (Monthly Income Account) Scheme 1987, National Savings Recurring Deposit Scheme 1981 and NSC VIII issue.
- As per the notification, all public sector banks and top three in the private sector — ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and Axis Bank — to receive subscription from the expanded portfolios.
Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar resigns
Solicitor General Ranjit kumar resigned for his position. Government sources confirmed the receipt of the resignation letter by the Law Department.
- Mr. Kumar’s decision follows shortly after Mukul Rohatgi quit as Attorney-General of India in June 2017 and returned to private practice.
‘Playboy’ names Ines Rau as its first transgender ‘playmate’
Playboy magazine has featured its first ever transgender ‘playmate’ centerfold in its November issue, a move which the model hopes will pave the way for “all women — trans or otherwise — in fashion and other sectors”.
- Ines Rau, a French fashion model who was featured nude in a 2014 issue of Playboy and has previously worked with Balmain and Vogue Italia, is the first transgender model to appear as a centrefold in the magazine’s 64-year history.
AB de Villiers is the top ranked ODI Batsman in ICC rankings.
South African batsman AB de Villiers has become the number one batsman in the latest ICC ODI players rankings.
- He replaced Indian skipper Virat Kohli at the top spot.
- Rohit Sharma has also dropped down two spots to be at seventh position.
- In the bowlers’ list, Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel are the two Indians in the top-10. Both Bumrah and Patel have slipped a position each to be at sixth and eighth places, respectively.
- Pakistan’s Hasan Ali, has moved up six places to become the No. 1 bowler.
- India also lost their spot in the ICC ODI team rankings to South Africa.
Sanjana Ramesh to lead India
Sanjana Ramesh will captain the Indian side at the FIBA u-16 Asian Basketball Championship which beginsin Bengaluru.
- Coach: Zoran Visic.
Indian women in compound final
India beat Germany 232-227 in the compound women’s team semifinals, to set up a gold-medal match against Colombia at the World Archery Championships held in Mexico.
Final with Colombia.
Spain’s Garbine Muguruza has been named Women’s Tennis Association’s (WTA) Player of the Year.
Spain’s Garbine Muguruza has been named the Women’s Tennis Association‘s (WTA) Player of the Year after reaching number one in the rankings and winning the Wimbledon trophy.
- Muguruza is the second Spanish woman after Arantxa Sanchez Vicario to reach the number one spot.
- She became the first player to beat both Serena and Venus Williams in major finals, having beaten Serena to win the 2016 French Open.
- Muguruza is competing at the WTA Finals in Singapore next week.
- Swiss Martina Hingis and Taiwan’s Chan Yung-Jan were voted the WTA’s doubles duo of the year after winning nine titles including the US Open.
K Srikanth reaches Denmark Open Semi Finals.
Kidambi Srikanth reached the semi finals of the Denmark Open Super Series Premier.
- Srikanth defeated world champion and home-favourite Viktor Axelsen 14-21, 22-20, 21-7.
- Earlier, Saina Nehwal lost to the defending champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan and HS Prannoy lost to top seeded Son Wan-Ho of South Korea in the quarter-finals.
