Hello and welcome to exampundit. Here are the Important Current Affairs of 25th May, 2016. These are important for the upcoming UIIC AO 2016, SBI PO & SBI Clerk Mains Exams 2016.
Current Affairs at a Glance – 25th May, 2016
Reserve Bank deputy governor S S Mundra has raised concerns over one-third of ATMs being non-functional and warned the banks of penal action if the compliance levels are not met.
The Union Cabinet on 25 May 2016 approved the National Capital Goods Policy 2016. This is first ever policy for Capital Goods sector with a clear objective of increasing production of capital goods from 2.3 lakh crore rupees in 2014-15 to 7.5 lakh crore rupees in 2025.
The Government of Telanganaand the US-based healthcare tech firm Eclat Health Solutionson 24 May 2016 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Under the MoU, the Eclat will invest 15 million US dollars in Tier II cities of Telangana.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) said on Wednesday that it has signed a pact with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for developing advanced airborne communication and electronic warfare systems.
State-run BHEL today said it has commissioned the first 800 mw supercritical thermal unit in Raichur, Karnataka. The unit has been commissioned at the 2x800 MW Yeramarus Thermal Power Station (TPS) located in Raichur district of Karnataka, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) said in a statement.
Taxi aggregator Uberhas signed a pact with Kempegowda International Airport to provide people rides who land in the city from the airport.
DTH player Tata Skyhas partnered TechProcess Payment Services, an electronic payments company, for the Next Gen Digital Payments Platform.
Senior BJP leader and former Union minister Sarbanand Sonowal was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Assam on 24 May 2016.
Lieutenant General SK Saini in third week of May 2016 took over as the 46th Commandant of the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun.
Subhash Chandra has resigned from the post of director and non-executive chairman of Zee Media.
Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Mhadei set sail from Goa on Tuesday with an all-woman crew for a voyage to Port Louis in Mauritius skippered by Lt. Cdr. Vartika Joshi, a Naval Constructor. This would be the first open-ocean voyage of the Navy’s all-woman crew of the Mhadei.
India, which is has emerged as world's second largest mobile market, is also the fifth largest producer of e-waste, discarding roughly 18.5 lakh metric tonnes of electronic waste each year, a study says. The telecom equipment alone accounting for 12 per cent of the e-waste, a joint study by Assocham-KPMGsaid.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on 24 May 2016 launched its inaugural World Wildlife Crime Report. The report highlights how the poaching and illegal trade of thousands of different species across the globe present real environmental dangers.
The United Nations World Humanitarian Summit concluded on 24 May 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey. The summit was organised by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA).
The book titled A Call to Mercy: Hearts to Love, Hands to Serve was in news on 25 May 2016. The book is a collection of previously unreleased writings by Mother Teresa.
Renowned Pink Panther star BurtKwoukpassed away on 24 May 2016.
Veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and former MLA and MP K Anirudhan passed away on 22 May 2016 at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
Finance/Industry –
RBI finds 33% of ATMs non-functional
Reserve Bank deputy governor S S Mundra has raised concerns over one-third of ATMs being non-functional and warned the banks of penal action if the compliance levels are not met.
Mundra quoted a survey of 4,000 ATMs conducted by a Reserve Bank team recently wherein it has found that almost one-third of these machines are not in working conditions. The ATMs surveyed were situated in various parts of the country and were of various banks, he said.
The RBI survey has also found many violations of various regulatory instructions such as on display material, facilities for differently abled, etc, he added.
The government and the RBI have taken financial inclusion as one of the top agendas and ATMs are one of the ways to attain that objectives, he said, adding despite that banks are being found not adhering to the compliance levels prescribed by the regulators.
Led by state-run banks, 56 commercial banks together had 1,00,671 on-site cash vending machines and 96,656 offsite machines as of February this year as per the RBI data.
After the big push to install ATMs in remote places, where there is no physical presence of a bank, by the past UPA government, banks, especially private sector ones, have been going slow in putting up new cash vending machines of late.
Why is it important?
That is three out of 11 payment banks which got the RBI’s approval, and the withdrawal highlights some of its limitations: payments banks cannot lend, there are restrictions on deposit deployment, and, more importantly, might not find a strategic fit with a group’s other businesses.
The companies which have said no to payment banks are: Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Co., Sun Pharma promoter Dilip Shanghvi and his partners (IDFC Bank and Telenor Financial Services) and Tech Mahindra.
Union Cabinet approved National Capital Goods Policy 2016
The Union Cabinet on 25 May 2016 approved the National Capital Goods Policy 2016. This is first ever policy for Capital Goods sector with a clear objective of increasing production of capital goods from 2.3 lakh crore rupees in 2014-15 to 7.5 lakh crore rupees in 2025.
It also seeks to raise direct and indirect employment from the current 8.4 million to 30 million by 2025.
Features of National Capital Goods Policy 2016
Vision: To increase the share of capital goods contribution from present 12 to 20 percent of total manufacturing activity by 2025
Mission: To become one of the top capital goods producing nations of the world by raising the total production to over twice the current level
To raise exports to a significant level of at least 40 percent of total production and thus gain 2.5 percent share in global exports of capital goods
To improve technology depth in Indian capital goods from the current basic and intermediate levels to advanced levels
Objectives: Increase total production to achieve total production in excess of 5 lakh crore rupees by 2025 from the current 2.2 lakh crore rupees
To increase the share of domestic production in India's capital goods demand from 56 percent to 80 percent by 2025 and in the process improve domestic capacity utilization to 80-90 percent
To improve skill availability by training 50 lakhs people by 2025
Programmes: To achieve the above objectives the policy proposed a new scheme Heavy Industry Export & Market Development Assistance Scheme (HIEMDA) on pilot basis, Technology Development Fund under PPP model, start-up centre for capital goods sector.
Telangana Government, Eclat Health Solutions signed MoU to invest $15 million
The Government of Telangana and the US-based healthcare tech firm Eclat Health Solutions on 24 May 2016 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Under the MoU, the Eclat will invest 15 million US dollars in Tier II cities of Telangana.
Besides, another agreement was signed between the Government and Monif Matouk, Chairman, Genesis Pharmaceuticals and Afi Hasan, CEO Safye Holdings.
The MoUs were signed in Indianapolis, the USA in the presence of Telangana IT and Industries Minister K T Rama Rao.
He is on a 2-week trip to the USA to attract investments into the State.
HAL signs pact with BEL to develop airborne communication
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) said on Wednesday that it has signed a pact with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for developing advanced airborne communication and electronic warfare systems.
"The umbrella understanding includes sharing of expertise in design, development, engineering and manufacturing between HAL and BEL to develop and produce advanced airborne communication, electronic warfare systems, etc," T Suvarna Raju, CMD, HAL said in a release.
D K Venkatesh, Director (Engg and R&D) HAL and A T Kalghatgi, Director (R&D) of BEL signed the MoU in the presence of T Suvarna Raju, CMD, HAL and S K Sharma, CMD, BEL in New Delhi on Tuesday, the release added.
BHEL commissions 800 mw supercritical thermal unit in K'nataka
State-run BHEL today said it has commissioned the first 800 mw supercritical thermal unit in Raichur, Karnataka.
The unit has been commissioned at the 2x800 MW Yeramarus Thermal Power Station (TPS) located in Raichur district of Karnataka, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) said in a statement.
Yeramarus is being developed by Raichur Power Corporation Ltd (RPCL) — a joint venture of Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) and BHEL.
The second unit of this project is also in the advanced stage of construction and is expected to be commissioned shortly, the statement said.
Uber signs pact with Kempegowda International Airport
Taxi aggregator Uber has signed a pact with Kempegowda International Airport to provide people rides who land in the city from the airport.
Through this pact, Uber will be given a dedicated parking area and pick-up zone called ‘U Zone’ located within the airport premises, the company said in a release.
Stating that the U-Zone has been created to streamline traffic and reduce congestion at the pick up lanes, it said Uber executives will also be at the airport to help passengers find their cars easily and give them access to wi—fi in case they face network issues.
Tata Sky ties up with TechProcess for digital payments
DTH player Tata Sky has partnered TechProcess Payment Services, an electronic payments company, for the Next Gen Digital Payments Platform.
This platform will empower multi-mode online and mobile payments for Tata Sky and will provide convenience and safety for consumers to make digital payments.
The Next Gen Digital Payments Platform is interoperable with more than 185+payment modes, including credit and debit card, net-banking e-wallets and the likes. The platform is a single integration omni-channel payment solution compatible with online and mobile channels.
Aditya Birla Fashion enters into binding MoU with Forever 21
Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail (ABFRL) today said it will be entering into a binding MoU with global clothing brand Forever 21 to acquire its online and offline rights for the Indian market.
Forever 21 is among the fastest growing fashion retailers in the world with a large network of more than 700 stores worldwide.
The proposed acquisition is subject to necessary statutory approvals and signing of definitive agreements.
Forever 21 expects that its partnership with ABFRL will help establish it as one of the largest women’s wear brand in the country.
Sponsored
Appointments –
Sarbananda Sonowal sworn-in as Assam Chief Minister
Senior BJP leader and former Union minister Sarbanand Sonowal was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Assam on 24 May 2016. Governor Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya administered his oath of office and secrecy at Khanapara in Guwahati.
It was the first time after 1985, when a Chief Minister took his oath in an open field.
With this, Sonowal became Assam’s second tribal chief minister after Jogen Hazarika in the 1970s. He is also first Chief Minister from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam.
It is the first time that a BJP-led alliance will form a majority government in Assam.
Lieutenant General SK Saini takes over as 46th Commandant of Indian Military Academy
Lieutenant General SK Saini in third week of May 2016 took over as the 46th Commandant of the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun.
Lt Gen Saini is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA) and the Indian Military Academy (IMA).
He was commissioned into the 7th Battalion of the Jat Regiment in June 1981.
He has held various staff, instructional and command appointments.
He has commanded his battalion, a mountain brigade and a counter insurgency force in Jammu & Kashmir.
Resignations –
Subhash Chandra steps down as Zee Media chairman
Subhash Chandra has resigned from the post of director and non-executive chairman of Zee Media.
In a filing to the BSE, Zee Media said that its board in a meeting held today "took on record the resignation of Dr. Subhash Chandra as Director & Non-Executive Chairman of the Company with effect from May 24, 2016."
It further said that its board also approved appointment of R K Arora, CEO, as an Additional Director of the company.
Zee Media, formerly known as Zee News, is one of the leading news networks of India.
It has news channels which includes Zee News, Zee Business, India 24x7, Zee Punjab Haryana Himachal, Zee Madhya Pradesh Chhattisgarh, Zee 24 Taas, 24 Ghanta, Zee Kalinga News, Zee Purvaiya and Zee Rajasthan News.
India –
All-woman crew of INSV Mhadei sets sail for Mauritius
Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Mhadei set sail from Goa on Tuesday with an all-woman crew for a voyage to Port Louis in Mauritius skippered by Lt. Cdr. Vartika Joshi, a Naval Constructor. The ship was flagged-off by R.Adm K.K. Pandey from INS Mandovi at Verem in north Goa at a ceremony on Tuesday.
This would be the first open-ocean voyage of the Navy’s all-woman crew of the Mhadei. It is a training voyage to expose the young crew to the weather that they will confront during the circumnavigation of the globe scheduled for 2017.
BJP forms NEDA to boost development agenda in North-East India
The abbreviation NEDA standing for North East Democratic Alliance was in news as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on 24 May 2016 formed NEDA to boost development agenda in North-Eastern states of India.
This alliance can be termed as non-Congress alliance of parties willing to join of Chief Ministers of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Sikkim.
The main objective of the NEDA, which is part of the NDA, will be all-round development of North East and better co-ordination among the states and central government.
Reports –
India fifth largest producer of e-waste in world: Study
India, which is has emerged as world's second largest mobile market, is also the fifth largest producer of e-waste, discarding roughly 18.5 lakh metric tonnes of electronic waste each year, a study says.
The telecom equipment alone accounting for 12 per cent of the e-waste, a joint study by Assocham-KPMG said.
The rising levels of e-waste generation in India has been a matter of extreme concern in recent years. With more than 100 crore mobile phones in circulation, nearly 25 per cent end up in e-waste annually, it said.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified e-waste management rules, 2016 in which producers are for the first time covered under extended producers' responsibility (EPR).
The rules prescribe a waste collection target of 30 per cent waste generated under EPR for the first two years, progressively going up to 70 per cent in the seventh year of the rule.The rules prescribe stringent financial penalties for non-compliance.
UNODC launches inaugural World Wildlife Crime Report
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on 24 May 2016 launched its inaugural World Wildlife Crime Report. The report highlights how the poaching and illegal trade of thousands of different species across the globe present real environmental dangers.
The report also urges shared responsibility in tackling this crime given how products made from illicit flora and fauna such as fashion items, furniture, food, and pets, may be hidden in plain sight.
The report is a part of UNODC's ongoing Global Programme on Wildlife and Forest Crime.
Key highlights of the report
Wildlife and forest crime is not limited to certain countries or regions, but is a truly global phenomenon.
Nearly 7000 species have been seized, including not only mammals but reptiles, corals, birds, and fish. No single species is responsible for more than 6% of the seizure incidents.
Illegal wildlife markets do not correspond neatly to biological categories. Some markets make use of multiple species, while some species feed multiple distinct markets.
World –
United Nations World Humanitarian Summit concluded in Istanbul
The United Nations World Humanitarian Summit concluded on 24 May 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey. The summit was organised by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA).
More than 50 heads of state and government attended the summit, which commenced on 23 May 2016. However, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon voiced his disappointment at the absence of world leaders from G7 countries.
The World Humanitarian Summit’s main achievement was the Grand Bargain, which is the name for a set of 51 commitments to reform humanitarian financing to make emergency aid finance more efficient and effective.
In the summit, a New charter for Persons With Disabilities was also endorsed. The charter aims at improving the living conditions of persons with disabilities during emergencies.
Books & Authors –
A Call to Mercy: Hearts to Love, Hands to Serve by Mother Teresa
The book titled A Call to Mercy: Hearts to Love, Hands to Serve was in news on 25 May 2016. The book is a collection of previously unreleased writings by Mother Teresa.
The material in the book offers Mother Teresa’s profound yet accessible wisdom on how we can show mercy and compassion in our day-to-day lives.
The book was compiled by the Rev. Brian Kolodiejchuk, who has led the case for Mother Teresa’s sainthood.
It will be released in August 2016 weeks before the late Nobel Peace Prize winner is to be canonized.
Obituaries –
Pink Panther star Burt Kwouk passes away
Renowned Pink Panther star Burt Kwouk passed away on 24 May 2016. He was 85. He is survived by his wife Caroline Tebbs and a son.
He was best known for playing Inspector Clouseau's manservant Cato in the Pink Panther films.
Veteran CPI (M) leader K Anirudhan passes away
Veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and former MLA and MP K Anirudhan passed away on 22 May 2016 at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. He was 92.
Anirudhan was suffering from age-related ailments for some time.
He was known as the giant killer in electoral politics in the state.
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