Hello and welcome to exampundit . Here are the important Current Affairs from 27th to 29th August, 2016. These are important for the upcoming IBPS PO VI Mains, Bank of Baroda and Bank of Maharashtra PO Exams.
Current Affairs at a Glance – 27th – 29th August, 2016
The Union Finance Ministry on 26 August 2016 constituted a high-level committee to suggest steps to promote card payments through incentives like tax rebates and cash back schemes. The committee was constituted with an aim to discourage cash transactions. The 11-member committee will be headed by former Finance Secretary Ratan P Watal.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on 27 August 2016 unveiled the 46000-crore rupee, ambitious Mumbai-Nagpur Super Communication Expressway project in Mumbai.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 25 August 2016 asked all commercial and Co-operative banks to provide loans to women self-help groups (SHGs) in rural areas at 7 percent per annum. The loans will be provided for the financial year 2016-17 under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) in 250 districts.
India and Myanmar on Monday signed four agreements following bilateral talksbetween Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Myanmar President Htin Kyaw here.
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on 28 August 2016 successfully test launched the Supersonic Combustion Ramjet engine, called Scramjet, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikotta in Andhra Pradesh.
The West Bengal Legislative Assembly today passed a resolution proposing that the State’s name be changed to ‘Bangla’ in Bengali or ‘Bengal’ in English.
Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Sanjay Gandhi on 26 August 2016 launched Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses, POCSO e-box, in New Delhi.
Country's largest paramilitary force CRPF has decided to appoint Olympic silver medallist P V Sindhu as it's brand ambassador and bestow the honorary rank of Commandant on the ace badminton player.
It was a celebration of woman power in sports as Olympic stars PV Sindhu, Sakshi Malik and Dipa Karmakar were today conferred India’s highest sporting honour — the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna — along with shooter Jitu Rai in a gleaming awards ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan here. For the first time in the history of National Sports Awards, four athletes were chosen for the Khel Ratna honour, owing to the three girls’ superlative show at the Rio Olympics.
International Day Against Nuclear Tests was on 29 August 2016 observed across the world
Financial/Industry/Banking –
Union Finance Ministry constitutes High-level Committee to suggest steps to promote card payments
The Union Finance Ministry on 26 August 2016 constituted a high-level committee to suggest steps to promote card payments through incentives like tax rebates and cash back schemes. The committee was constituted with an aim to discourage cash transactions.
The 11-member committee will be headed by former Finance Secretary Ratan P Watal. The committee will have representatives from the Reserve bank of India (RBI), Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the tax department and various industry bodies in the payments space.
Terms of reference of the committee
It will recommend various measures to incentivise transactions through cards and digital means, e.g., through tax rebates/incentives, introduction of cash back/lottery.
It will review the payments system in the country and recommend measures for encouraging digital payments.
It will study feasibility of creating Payments History of all digital payments and ensure that consumers can leverage the data to access instant, low cost micro-credit through digital means.
The panel will also study and recommend need for changes, if any, in the regulatory mechanism under various laws, relevant for the purpose of promotion of payments by digital modes.
It will also study and recommend ways for leveraging Unique Identification Number or any other identity proof for authentication of digital transactions and setting up of a centralised KYC Registry.
It will study introduction of single window system of payment gateway to accept all types of cards/digital payments of government receipts and enable settlements via NPCI or other agencies.
Maharashtra Government unveiled Mumbai-Nagpur Super Communication Expressway project
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on 27 August 2016 unveiled the 46000-crore rupee, ambitious Mumbai-Nagpur Super Communication Expressway project in Mumbai.
The project to be implemented by Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation will create state-of-the art road connectivity within a period of three years and give a fillip to investment.
Highlights of the Mumbai-Nagpur Super Communication Expressway Project
It would be carried out in the Land Pooling model with farmers being made partners and some percentage of developed land given back to them.
The six-lane super communication highway, connecting the entire breadth of Maharashtra, would require 9000 hectares of land.
Facilities like CCTV cameras, trauma centres, electronic toll points, two lanes of service roads, utility shifting, bypass, and other structures will be installed to enhance operational and safety standards.
The 706-km link that will pass through 10 districts.
RBI announced interest subvention scheme for Women Self-Help Groups
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 25 August 2016 asked all commercial and Co-operative banks to provide loans to women self-help groups (SHGs) in rural areas at 7 percent per annum.
The laons will be provided for the financial year 2016-17 under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) in 250 districts.
Interest subvention scheme for Women SHGs - Year 2016-17
All women self-help groups (SHGs) will be eligible for interest subvention on credit up to three lakh rupees at 7 percent per annum.
SHGs availing capital subsidy under the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) in their existing credit outstanding will not be eligible for benefit under this scheme.
All banks will be subvented to the extent of difference between the weighted average interest charged and 7%, subject to the maximum limit of 5.5% for 2016-17.
India and Myanmar sign four agreements
India and Myanmar on Monday signed four agreements following bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Myanmar President Htin Kyaw here.
The first agreement pertains to construction of 69 bridges on the Tamu-Kalewa section of the trilateral highway connecting India, Myanmar and Thailand.
The second agreement is on upgrading the Kalewa-Yargi section of the trilateral highway.
The third agreement is on cooperation in the field of renewable energy, while the fourth agreement is on cooperation in the field of traditional medicines
This is the first presidential visit from Myanmar to India after Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) came to power in March this year.
IIT Kanpur signs MoU with Tel Aviv University for cyber security
IIT-K has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center (ICRC) of Tel Aviv University. This would facilitate bi-lateral academic relationships, cooperative research and teaching projects in select fields.
Under the tie-up, several types of projects have been envisioned wherein graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and faculty exchange would become a regular feature to stimulate mutually beneficial research.
IIT-K had earlier engaged with the Tandon School of Engineering at New York University in student/faculty exchange and research collaboration.
The two institutions have decided upon a few broad areas of study to help set guidelines for bi-lateral scientific relationships, cooperative research and teaching projects.
India –
ISRO successfully test-fires Scramjet Rocket Engine
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on 28 August 2016 successfully test launched the Supersonic Combustion Ramjet engine, called Scramjet, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikotta in Andhra Pradesh.
The experimental mission aimed at realisation of an Air Breathing Propulsion System (ABPS) uses hydrogen as fuel and oxygen from the atmosphere air as the oxidiser.
Two scramjet engines were mounted alongside of a two-stage, solid fueled rocket called Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV), which is an advanced sounding rocket. The national space agency said that its first ever experimental mission met all the specified goals. The rocket carrying Scramjet engines weighed 3277 kg at lift-off.
After a flight of about 300 seconds, the vehicle touched down in the Bay of Bengal, approximately 320 km from Sriharikota. The vehicle was successfully tracked during its flight from the ground stations at Sriharikota.
Sponsored
W. Bengal Assembly passes resolution to change State’s name
The West Bengal Legislative Assembly today passed a resolution proposing that the State’s name be changed to ‘Bangla’ in Bengali or ‘Bengal’ in English.
The resolution was passed by a voice vote with the Opposition parties, including the Left Front, Congress and the BJP, opposing the same.
The resolution was moved by the State Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Partha Chatterjee.
According to the West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, the name ‘Bangla’ has a historical and cultural significance.
With its new name, the State will move up the queue in national meetings. The Chief Minister has often complained that she rarely got a chance to speak in these meetings because ‘West Bengal’ came at the end of a list of 29 states.
Bombay High Court allows entry of women inside Haji Ali Dargah
Bombay High Court on 26 August 2016 ruled that women should be permitted to enter the sanctum sanctorum of Haji Ali Dargah set in the heart of Mumbai.
The 15th century dargah of the Sufi saint, Haji Ali Shah, is located on an islet off the coast of Worli in the southern part of Mumbai.
A division bench of Justices V M Kanade and Revati Mohite Dere in its 56-page judgement said that a ban imposed by the Haji Ali Dargah Trust on women entering the sanctum sanctorum contravenes their fundamental rights and must be lifted.
Highlights of the Judgement
The court said that the ban on entry of women inside Haji Ali Dargah violates their fundamental right to practice any religion.
Rebuking the Dargah Trust, the court said it has no right to discriminate entry of women into a public place of worship under the guise of 'managing the affairs of religion'.
Union Minister Maneka Gandhi launches POCSO e-box
Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Sanjay Gandhi on 26 August 2016 launched Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses, POCSO e-box, in New Delhi.
POCSO e-box is a platform where a child victim of sexual abuse can report such cases online. It is initiative of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, for direct online reporting of child sexual abuse.
Key Highlights
The e-Box is an online complaint management system for easy and direct reporting of sexual offences against children and timely action against the offenders under the POCSO Act, 2012.
It is incorporated on the home page of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) website http://ncpcr.gov.in/.
To register complain, a complainant will have to push a button named POSCO e-Box, which will navigate him/her to a page where he/she will have to select at least one picture option (describing the category of harassment).
Appointments –
Mukesh Mehta appointed as President of India Bullion and Jewellers Association
Mukesh Mehta was on 28 August 2016 appointed as the President of India Bullion and Jewellers Association (IBJA). He is also a Director on the Board of IBJA.
Mehta succeeds Mohit Kamboj, who resigned in the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of IBJA on 24 August 2016.
Mukesh Mehta is director of Mark Bangles and has already been on the board since the last four years. He has also served on various committee's in the last four years.
IBJA is a 97 year old apex organization for bullion dealers and jewellers and any change at the top leadership is microscopically viewed by its members and other allied associations.
PV Sindhu To Be Appointed CRPF Commandant, Brand Ambassador
Country's largest paramilitary force CRPF has decided to appoint Olympic silver medallist P V Sindhu as it's brand ambassador and bestow the honorary rank of Commandant on the ace badminton player.
Official sources said the force has moved a formal proposal in this regard to the Union Home Ministry and after getting required sanctions, Sindhu will be honoured and presented the rank badges and camouflage combat fatigues of the CRPF at a ceremonial event.
It is understood that Sindhu has been informed and her consent taken by the CRPF in this regard.
A Commandant rank in the CRPF is equivalent to the position of a Superintendent of Police (SP) and such an officer commands a battalion of about 1,000 personnel, when posted in field operations.
Sports –
PM announces Task Force to prepare action Plan for next three Olympics Games
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 26 August 2016 announced the decision to set up a task force to prepare action Plan for the next three Olympics Games. The task force will be set up over the next few days.
The announcement was made at the meeting of the Council of Ministers in New Delhi.
The task force will prepare a comprehensive action plan for effective participation of Indian sports persons in the Olympic Games to be held in 2020, 2024 and 2028. The 2020 Olympic Games will be held in Tokyo.
The task force comprising members in house as well as outside experts will prepare overall strategy for sports facility, training, selection procedure and other related matters.
The decision was made in backdrop of the dismal performance of India at Rio Olympics in which the country was able to win only one silver and one bronze medal after sending the biggest contingent of 118 athletes.
President confers Rio stars Khel Ratna awards along with Jitu Rai
It was a celebration of woman power in sports as Olympic stars PV Sindhu, Sakshi Malik and Dipa Karmakar were today conferred India’s highest sporting honour — the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna — along with shooter Jitu Rai in a gleaming awards ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan here.
For the first time in the history of National Sports Awards, four athletes were chosen for the Khel Ratna honour, owing to the three girls’ superlative show at the Rio Olympics.
In 2009, three athletes — boxers Vijender Singh and M C Mary Kom and wrestler Sushil Kumar — were given this award together.
Teen Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, the first Indian athlete to become a world champion at any level with a gold medal at the U-20 World Championship, was also among the Arjuna winners this year.
Goalkeeper Subrata Paul was the lone footballer in the list of Arjuna awardees, which also included shooter Apurvi Chandela and wrestler Vinesh Phogat.
This year’s Dronacharya Award was conferred upon six coaches, the most notable among them being Dipa’s coach Bishweshwar Nandi and India Test team captain Virat Kohli’s mentor Raj Kumar Sharma.
Sri Lankan cricketer Tillakaratne Dilshan announced retirement from International Cricket
Veteran Sri Lanka batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan on 25 August 2016 announced his retirement from international cricket.
He will play his last ODI in Dambulla on 28 August 2016 against Australia (third of the five-match series). He will play his last T20 international in Colombo on 9 September 2016.
Dilshan, who is most famous for inventing the Dilscoop, had already retired from Test cricket in 2013. He played 87 Tests and scored 5492 runs at 40.98, and also picked 39 Test wickets. Dilscoop is a process of hitting the ball behind the keeper. He also was a Test wicket-keeper.
Days –
International Day Against Nuclear Tests observed globally
International Day Against Nuclear Tests was on 29 August 2016 observed across the world with an aim to raise people’s awareness on the need to prevent nuclear catastrophes to avert devastating effects on humankind, the environment and the planet.
The Day was first celebrated in 2010 and since then, the day has been observed by coordinating various activities throughout the world such as symposia, conferences, exhibits, competitions, publications, instruction in academic institutions, media broadcasts and others.
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