Hello and welcome to exampundit . Here are the important Current Affairs from 16th to 20th September, 2016. These are important for the upcoming IBPS PO VI Mains, RBI Assistant, NIACL AO and Bank of Maharashtra PO Exams.
Current Affairs at a Glance – 16 to 20 September, 2016
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved to dole out $631 million for developing India's first coastal industrial corridor along the Vishakapatnam-Chennai coastline.
India’s largest payment and commerce platform Paytm, on Tuesday, announced partnership with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to enable cashless transaction on highway tolls across the country. The Paytm FASTag will allow commuters to pass through 350 toll plazas covering 55,000 kms, without having to stop.
Arun Shrivastava, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Syndicate Bank, opened the bank’s national processing centre in Manipal on Tuesday. This centre is part of the business process re-engineering (BPR) pillar of ‘Project Ananya’.
State-owned refiner Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and GAIL India will sign a pact on Wednesday to take 49 per cent stake in Adani Group's Rs 5,000-crore Dhamra LNG project in Odisha.
The Union Government approved projects worth 500 crore rupees for integrated development of tourism in Jammu and Kashmir under Swadesh Darshan scheme.
India and Nepal on 16 September 2016 signed three MoUs and agreements to enhance the bilateral agreement between the two nations.
India and Sri Lanka on 15 September 2016 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support livelihood of the fishing and farming communities in Hambantota district of Sri Lanka.
The government on Tuesday announced 27 cities as a new batch of Smart Cities. In the third round of competition, Venkaiah Naidu, the Minister for Urban Development, announced the list of new cities.
India on 20 September 2016 successfully test-fired the most advanced surface-to-air missile 'Barak-8' off the Odisha coast. The long-range nuclear capable ballistic missile, developed jointly with Israel, was launched from a mobile launcher at the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur in Balasore district.
Indian Railways on 19 September 2016 launched Yatri Mitra Sewa to facilitate access to wheelchairs, battery operated cars and porter services. The service was launched to make rail travel comfortable for elderly, differently-abled and ailing travelers.
The Cauvery Supervisory Committee headed by Shashi Shekhar on 19 September 2016 directed Karnataka to release 3000 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu. As per the committee’s direction, Karnataka will have to release 3000 cusecs water per day from 21 to 30 September 2016 to Tamil Nadu.
Naropa Festival, A once-in-12-years festival of Buddhist spirituality, culture and tradition began on 16 September 2016 at the Hemis monastery of Drukpa lineage in Ladakh region of India. The festival will conclude on 22 September 2016.
Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar on 19 September 2016 inaugurated the super computer PARAM ISHAN at IIT Guwahati campus.
In a step to ensure that the details of Aadhaar is not misused, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) asked agencies in possession of Aadhaar number of an individual to not publish or post the information publicly.
Yudh Abhyas 2016, a joint military training exercise of Indian and US Armies, commenced at Chaubattia, Uttarakhand.
Indian test skipper Virat Kohli was on 17 September 2016 appointed as Brand Ambassador of state-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB). Kohli has been an Account Holder of the bank since the age of 16 years.
Junaid Ahmad has become the World Bank's Country Director for India, replacing Onno Ruhl who served a four-year term based out of the national capital.
GlaxoSmithKline said on Tuesday it had chosen Emma Walmsley, head of consumer healthcare, as its new chief executive, after considering internal and external candidates.
Jet Airways has appointed its senior vice president (products and services) Jayraj Shanmugam as its new chief commercial officer.
Anandi Ramalingam on 16 September 2016 assumed charge as functional/whole time director of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). Ramalingam has assumed charge as Director Marketing. It is the first time that a woman has been appointed as the Director of the company.
President Pranab Mukherjee on 17 September 2016 appointed Alka Sirohi, a member of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) as its Chairman.
Nadia Murad Basee Taha, who survived trafficking at the hands of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), on 16 September 2016, was appointed the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking.
Eminent Malayalam critic and academician M Leelavathy was on 17 September 2016 chosen for the prestigious N Mohanan Suvarna Mudra Award 2016, instituted in memory of well-known short story writer N Mohanan.
The 2016 International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer was observed across the world on 16 September 2016.
Finance/Banking/Industry:
Asian Development Bank approves $631 mn for East Coast Economic Corridor
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved to dole out $631 million for developing India's first coastal industrial corridor along the Vishakapatnam-Chennai coastline.
Out of the total grant released by the ADB, $500 million would be invested in infrastructural development while the remaining would be used for industrial policy and business promotion.
This is the first phase of development in the 2,500-kilometre-long East Coast Economic Corridor project that is being considered cruciual in spurring development in India's eastern coast and establishing seamless trade links with South and Southeast Asia.
The financial institution estimated a fourfold increase worth $64 billion in the annual industrial output along the corridor by 2025.
The 800-kilometre-long coastline, extending from Kolkata in West Bengal to Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, will connect four regional economic hubs-Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Amaravati, and Yerpedu-Srikalahasti-and other neraby industrial areas.
The Urban Climate Change Resilience Trust Fund will be making a grant of $6 million, which will be utilised in building infrastructure reislilent to climate change and for managing costs incurred by the local government along the corridor.
In addition to this, the Indian government will also make an investment of $215 million to the project that is going to cost $846 million.
Highway tolls across India to go cashless with Paytm-enabled FASTag
India’s largest payment and commerce platform Paytm, on Tuesday, announced partnership with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to enable cashless transaction on highway tolls across the country.
The Paytm FASTag will allow commuters to pass through 350 toll plazas covering 55,000 kms, without having to stop. The vehicle tag employs RFID technology to allow cashless toll fee payment with the Paytm wallet. Paytm aims to collect over Rs. 1,800 crore in toll charges in the coming months, said Kiran Vasireddy, Senior Vice President, Paytm.
He said cash transactions slows down traffic at important toll plazas as attendants and motorists are left grappling with the hassles of dealing in loose change. The roll-out of Paytm-enabled FASTag will come as a relief to both commuters and toll plaza attendants and help towards the national cause of saving fuel.
With this move, Paytm is inching closer to its vision of making cashless transactions a way of life across India. This will propel India towards becoming a cashless economy in the truest sense of the word, he added.
Syndicate Bank opens national processing centre in Manipal
Arun Shrivastava, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Syndicate Bank, opened the bank’s national processing centre in Manipal on Tuesday.
This centre is part of the business process re-engineering (BPR) pillar of ‘Project Ananya’.
(‘Project Ananya’, which is a transformation programme initiated by the bank, has four pillars. They are: BPR, digital banking, sales and CRM, and HR development.)
KT Rai, General Manager of the bank, who is in charge of ‘Project Ananya’, said that this digitally enabled processing centre will cater to a number of processes for branches across India.
IOC, GAIL to sign pact to take 49% stake in Adani project
State-owned refiner Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and GAIL India will sign a pact on Wednesday to take 49 per cent stake in Adani Group's Rs 5,000-crore Dhamra LNG project in Odisha.
While IOC will take 38 per cent, GAIL will pick 11 per cent stake in the proposed 5-million tonne a year liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal at Dhamra by financial year 2018-19.
Adani Petroleum Terminal will hold 49 per cent in Dhamra LNG Terminal — the firm setting up the LNG plant. The remaining 2 per cent interest will be held by financial institutions.
Sources said a formal agreement signing ceremony is planned on Wednesday where Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who also hails from Odisha, will also be present.
Uber inks pact with tech startup incubator T-Hub
Taxi-hailing app Uber on Tuesday signed a pact with technology start-up incubator T-Hub, set up by Telangana government, for UberExchange programme.
As part of the deal, T-Hub will be leveraging its expertise in shortlisting 20 start-ups through existing network of both the organisations, according to Eric Alexander, Head of Business, Uber Asia.
T-Hub will invite start-ups to apply for the UberExchange programme through an online application process and encourage participation and representation from start-ups across the country, Alexander said.
Union Government notifies new import policy for marble & travertine blocks
Union Government on 18 September 2016 notified the new import policy for marble and travertine blocks and marble and granite slabs. The policy will come into effect from 1 October 2016.
The new policy ends the quantitative restriction on the import of marble and travertine blocks as well as the cumbersome and restrictive import licensing system.
The Minimum Import Price (MIP) for marble blocks has been reduced to 200 US dollar per metric ton. The basic customs duty on import of marble and travertine blocks has been increased from 10 percent to 40 percent to address the interest of domestic producers.
Similarly, the MIP on the import of marble slabs is being reduced to 40 US dollar per square metre and the basic customs duty on the import of marble slabs is doubled to 20 percent.
The MIP on the import of granite slabs has been reduced to 50 US Dollars per square metre and the basic customs duty on import of granite slabs has been doubled to 20 percent.
Union Government approves 500 crore rupee projects for development of tourism in J&K
The Union Government approved projects worth 500 crore rupees for integrated development of tourism in Jammu and Kashmir under Swadesh Darshan scheme.
The Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee for the scheme approved the projects as part of Development Package of Prime Minister Reconstruction Plan (PMRP).
The new projects include Integrated Development of Tourist facilities at Mantalai - Sudhmahadev - Patnitop Circuit (for 99.99 Crore rupees), Baramulla-Kupwara-Leh circuit (for 99.98 Crore rupees), Rajouri - Bafliyaz - Shopian - Pulwama Circuit (for 99.99 Crore rupees) and Anantnag-Kishtwar- Pahalgam - Daksum - Ranjit Sagar Dam Circuit (for.99.75 Crore rupees).
Nearly 100 crore rupees have been approved for integrated development of tourist facilities in lieu of damaged assets in the floods.
India, Nepal sign three agreements including improvement of road network
India and Nepal on 16 September 2016 signed three MoUs and agreements to enhance the bilateral agreement between the two nations.
The agreements were inked during the four-day-visit (from 15 September to 18 September 2016) of Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda to India.
The inked MOUs and agreements are
MoU for project management consultancy services for upgradation/improvement of road infrastructure in Terai area of Nepal – The services will be provided by NHIDCL in pursuance of the MoU signed on 20 February 2016.
First Amendatory Dollar credit line agreement between Nepal and EXIM Bank: Amendatory agreement to 1 billion US dollar Line of Credit agreement signed on 25 November 2014, enabling reapportioning of unutilised funds for post-earthquake reconstruction projects in Nepal.
Dollar Credit line agreement between Nepal and EXIM Bank: New Line of Credit agreement for 750 million US dollar for post-earthquake reconstruction projects in Nepal.
India, Sri Lanka sign MoU to support fishermen in Hambantota district
India and Sri Lanka on 15 September 2016 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support livelihood of the fishing and farming communities in Hambantota district of Sri Lanka.
The project envisages gift of equipment and tools such as grub hoes, bicycles, life jackets and sewing machines, worth 300 million SLR, to the fishing and farming communities in Hambantota district. Part of the grant is expected to be used for developing fisheries villages under a national programme.
More than 75000 people across the district will get direct benefit from the project. The project will be implemented in consultation with the relevant local authorities.
Non-Financial News related to India:
Govt. announces 27 new Smart Cities
The government on Tuesday announced 27 cities as a new batch of Smart Cities. In the third round of competition, Venkaiah Naidu, the Minister for Urban Development, announced the list of new cities.
Maharashtra tops the list with five cities — Aurangabad, Kalyan-Dombivli, Nagpur, Nashik and Thane — while Tamil Nadu and Karnatak come second with four cities each. Tamil Nadu has Madurai, Salem, Thanjavur and Vellore, while Karnataka has Hubli-Dharwad, Mangaluru, Shivamogga and Tumakuru.
India successfully test fires long range surface-to-air Barak-8 missile off Odisha coast
India on 20 September 2016 successfully test-fired the most advanced surface-to-air missile 'Barak-8' off the Odisha coast. The long-range nuclear capable ballistic missile, developed jointly with Israel, was launched from a mobile launcher at the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur in Balasore district.
The 4.5-meter missile weighs around 3 tonnes and can carry a payload of 70 kilograms. The system also includes a Multi-Functional Surveillance and Threat Alert Radar (MF STAR) for detection, tracking and guidance of the missile.
The missile swung into action after getting a signal from the radars to intercept a moving aerial target supported by an unmanned air vehicle ‘Banshee’ over the Bay of Bengal.
As a precautionary measure, Balasore district administration had made adequate arrangements to temporarily shift 3700 people residing within the 2.5 km radius. The fishermen were also asked not to venture into the sea during the launch.
Advertisements issued by Delhi government violated Supreme Court guidelines: Panel
A committee set up by the Union Government said that the Delhi government splurged the exchequer's money on advertisements projecting Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his party that violated Supreme Court guidelines.
The three-member panel headed by former Chief Election Commissioner BB Tandon has asked the Delhi government to reimburse the money expenditure since the violation of the Supreme Court order of 13 May 2015, has taken place. The other two members of the panel were adman Piyush Pandey and journalist Rajat Sharma.
Indian Railways launches Yatri Mitra Sewa for elderly, differently-abled
Indian Railways on 19 September 2016 launched Yatri Mitra Sewa to facilitate access to wheelchairs, battery operated cars and porter services. The service was launched to make rail travel comfortable for elderly, differently-abled and ailing travelers.
Highlights of the Yatri Mitra Sewa
Yatri Mitra or Passenger Friend service can be an assistant or any other person nominated for the purpose.
The service will be available at major railway stations across the country.
It can be availed at the time of online booking of tickets by calling or messaging 139 or by simply dialling a dedicated mobile phone number to be activated for the purpose.
Passengers can also access the Mobile app to avail the service in the future. The App will be developed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS).
Once the service is booked, the IRCTC will ensure the Yatri Mitra receive the passenger at the entrance of the station and help in boarding the train safely.
Cauvery Supervisory Committee directs Karnataka to release 3000 cusecs of water per day for 10 days
The Cauvery Supervisory Committee headed by Shashi Shekhar on 19 September 2016 directed Karnataka to release 3000 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu. As per the committee’s direction, Karnataka will have to release 3000 cusecs water per day from 21 to 30 September 2016 to Tamil Nadu.
The other members of the committee are Chief Secretaries of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry and Central Water Commission chairman. It will once again meet in October 2016.
It seems that the decision of the committee will go in vain as no consensus was reached between the two states regarding the release of water. Karnataka had opposed the release of water due to ground reality and drinking water problems in the state.
Earlier on 5 September 2016, the Supreme Court asked Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to approach the panel and till then asked Karnataka to release 15000 cusecs of water per day for 10 days to Tamil Nadu. Later on 12 September, it revised the limit to 12000 cusecs per day till 20 September 2016.
HAL gets APAQG membership with voting rights
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was on 16 September 2016 conferred with the prestigious membership of the Asia-Pacific Aerospace Quality Group (APAQG) under the category Full Member with voting rights.
With this, India became the seventh nation to join the APAQG under TRHE International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG). The other nations of APAQG are China, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore and Japan.
Naropa Festival: Devotees visit Indian Himalayas to celebrate Buddhist festival
A once-in-12-years festival of Buddhist spirituality, culture and tradition began on 16 September 2016 at the Hemis monastery of Drukpa lineage in Ladakh region of India. The festival will conclude on 22 September 2016.
Hundreds of thousands of monks, devotees and tourists have reached Ladakh for the Naropa Festival, which is also called as the Kumbh Mela of the Himalayas.
The Naropa Festival draws huge numbers of Buddhists, especially those from the Drukpa branch which is traditionally practised in Ladakh and Bhutan.
Dancers in bright, silk costumes and striking headgear performed to drum and pipe music as part of the festival being held in a mountain village to commemorate the 1000th birth anniversary of Buddhist saint Naropa.
HRD Minister inaugurates Super Computer PARAM-ISHAN at IIT Guwahati
Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar on 19 September 2016 inaugurated the super computer PARAM ISHAN at IIT Guwahati campus.
Students and faculty members of IIT Guwahati are expected to derive huge benefit from the facility.
It is the fastest and most powerful computer in North East, Eastern and Southern region.
It has been jointly developed by IIT Guwahati and Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, C -DAC.
Guided Missile Destroyer Ship Mormugao launched in Mumbai
The Guided Missile Destroyer, Mormugao, second ship of Project 15B,was launched on 17 September 2016 at Mazagaon Dock Ship Builders Limited (MDL), Mumbai.
This marks a significant milestone in the annals of the Indigenous Warship design and construction programme of India.
Project 15B ships feature cutting edge advanced technology and are comparable to the best ships of similar class anywhere in the world.
India announces major initiative for R&D into Next Generation HFC refrigerant alternatives
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) on 15 September 2016 announced an ambitious collaborative R&D programme to develop next generation, sustainable refrigerant technologies as alternatives to HFCs.
This R&D initiative brings together Government, research institutes, industry and civil society to develop long term technology solutions to mitigate impact of currently used refrigerant gases on the ozone layer and climate. With this initiative, India reaffirms its commitment to working with all other nations to safeguard the Earth’s natural ecosystem.
Some of the key players of the initiative include
The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research and its allied institutions
Department of Science and Technology
Centre for Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences as well as key industry players in the sector
Members of this initiative have already had multiple rounds of consultation to reach a consensus on the contours and decide on the roadmap for this initiative.
UIDAI bans sharing of Aadhaar details
In a step to ensure that the details of Aadhaar is not misused, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) asked agencies in possession of Aadhaar number of an individual to not publish or post the information publicly.
It said that the agencies will have to ensure security and confidentiality of the 12-digit resident identification number under the Aadhaar Act.
Regulations
The core biometric information, collected by the Authority, cannot be shared with anyone for any reason.
Any violation of the Aadhaar Act will constitute an offence and is punishable under the Act.
The agencies that collect the Aadhaar number will also have to specify whether submission of the number or proof of Aadhaar is mandatory or voluntary.
The regulations also provide for obtaining consent of the Aadhaar number holder for collection, storage and use of the same for specified purposes.
Indo-US combined military exercise Yudh Abhyas 2016 begins
Yudh Abhyas 2016, a joint military training exercise of Indian and US Armies, commenced at Chaubattia, Uttarakhand.
Company strength army personnel from USA and an equal number of Indian soldiers are taking part in the two weeks long joint training exercise. The exercise will see them hone their tactical and technical skills in countering insurgency and terrorism in a UN Peace Keeping scenario involving a combined deployment at a Brigade level.
During the exercise, the two sides will jointly train, plan and execute series of well developed tactical drills for neutralization of likely threats that may be encountered in UN peace keeping operations.
Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar declares Charkhi Dadri as 22nd district
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on 18 September 2016 announced Charkhi Dadri as the 22nd district of the state.
The state CM made the announcement at a public rally in Dadri in Bhiwani district. He also announced that developmental projects worth 112 crore rupees had already been completed in the Dadri assembly segment during the two year tenure of his government.
On the other hand, Khattar also inaugurated nine development projects worth 45 crore rupees in Dadri.
Appointments:
Virat Kohli appointed as Brand Ambassador of Punjab National Bank
Indian test skipper Virat Kohli was on 17 September 2016 appointed as Brand Ambassador of state-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB). Kohli has been an Account Holder of the bank since the age of 16 years.
Since its inception in 1895, PNB has been people's bank serving millions of customers throughout India. Over the years, the Bank has established itself as a major player in Indian banking space.
The bank undertook this move to improve its image which has taken a hit due to rising bad loans.
For the first quarter that ended in June 2016, the bank's profit declined by a 58 percent to 306 crore rupees on account of mounting bad loans. During the quarter, provision towards non-performing assets (NPAs) jumped almost three-fold to 3620 crore rupees from 1291 crore rupees.
Bangladesh's Junaid Ahmad new World Bank head in India
Junaid Ahmad has become the World Bank's Country Director for India, replacing Onno Ruhl who served a four-year term based out of the national capital.
Hailing from Bangladesh, Ahmad was Chief of Staff to the World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim before being elevated to the current position.
Ahmad holds a PhD in Applied Economics from Stanford University, a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University, and a BA in Economics from Brown University.
India is the World Bank Group's largest client, it said.
As of June 2016, the bank's net commitments to India stood at $27 billion (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development $16 billion, International Development Association $11 billion) across 95 projects.
GlaxoSmithKline picks insider Emma Walmsley as new CEO
GlaxoSmithKline said on Tuesday it had chosen Emma Walmsley, head of consumer healthcare, as its new chief executive, after considering internal and external candidates.
Walmsley, who joined Britain's biggest drugmaker in 2010 from L'Oreal, will replace Andrew Witty who had previously announced his decision to retire on March 31, 2017.
The decision will disappoint investors such as Neil Woodford, a top shareholder and a critic of the drugmaker's current structure, who had wanted to see an outsider replace Witty. However, Walmsley had always been tipped as a strong internal candidate, along with pharmaceuticals boss Abbas Hussain and manufacturing head Roger Connor.
Her appointment is likely to be seen as a signal that GSK will retain the consumer business as a core part of its operations.
Jet Airways names Jayraj Shanmugam as its chief commercial officer
Jet Airways has appointed its senior vice president (products and services) Jayraj Shanmugam as its new chief commercial officer.
The post of chief commercial officer was vacant for about a year following the resignation of Raj Sivakumar. The airline is yet to fill up the post of a full time of chief executive officer and its chief financial officer Amit Agarwal holds charge as acting CEO.
In other management changes the airline's senior vice president (sales and marketing) Colin Neubronner recently moved to Singapore and will be in charge of Gulf and South East Asia operations while airline's vice president (global sales) Suresh Makhija has quit the organisation.
Anandi Ramalingam assumed charge as Bharat Electronics Limited’s first woman director
Anandi Ramalingam on 16 September 2016 assumed charge as functional/whole time director of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
Ramalingam has assumed charge as Director Marketing. It is the first time that a woman has been appointed as the Director of the company.
Earlier, Ramalingam served as the General Manager heading the Military Communication Strategic Business Unit (SBU) at BEL's Bangalore Complex.
Ramalingam had joined BEL-Bengaluru in March 1985 after completing her BE in Electronics and Communication engineering from the PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore.
Indian-origin Ravi Reddy appointed as Head of International Society for Blood Transfusion
An Indian-origin South African Ravi Reddy was on 18 September 2016 appointed as the Head of International Society for Blood Transfusion (ISBT), headquartered in Amsterdam.
With this, Reddy became the first person from the African continent to head ISBT, a global organisation of medicine professionals working for the safety of blood transfusion worldwide.
The ISBT, now with 100 member countries, was established in 1935 as a platform for exchanging knowledge and advancing the blood-transfusion practice.
Alka Sirohi appointed UPSC chairman
President Pranab Mukherjee on 17 September 2016 appointed Alka Sirohi, a member of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) as its Chairman.
Sirohi's appointment will be effective from 21 September 2016.
Sirohi was sworn in as Member of UPSC in January 2012, after a long and successful career in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
Sirohi will succeed Deepak Gupta, who will be attaining 65 years of age on 20 September 2016.
In November 2014, Gupta was appointed as the UPSC chief, breaking away from the tradition of appointing the chief from the serving members of the commission.
Nadia Murad Basee Taha appointed UNODC Goodwill Ambassador
Nadia Murad Basee Taha, who survived trafficking at the hands of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), on 16 September 2016, was appointed the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking.
The appointment marks the first time a survivor of atrocities is bestowed with this distinction.
The induction ceremony took place in the United Nations Trusteeship Council Chamber in the New York United Nations Headquarters.
Global News:
China and Russia conduct naval exercises Joint Sea-2016 to improve security
The Chinese and Russian navies on 19 September 2016 concluded Joint Sea-2016, eight days of naval exercises, in the South China Sea.
The Joint Sea-2016 was launched as a sign of growing cooperation between their armed forces against the backdrop of regional territorial disputes.
The exercises was conducted following a spike in tensions after Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague rejected China’s claims in the South China Sea and slammed it for causing environmental damage there.
Sports News:
Priyesha Deshmukh wins bronze in World Deaf Shooting Championships
Hearing-impaired Indian shooter Priyesha Deshmukh on 14 September 2016 won the bronze medal in her first-ever international competition at the first World Deaf Shooting Championships.
The Championships was held in Kazan, Russia from 7 September to 15 September 2016.
Deshmukh won the bronze in the 10m air rifle category.
The shooter won the medal after scoring 180.4 points.
Deshmukh had qualified for the medal round after scoring 404.9 in the qualification round.
Track Asia Cup 2016 concluded; Indian finished second
The 2016 Track Asia Cup concluded on 16 September 2016 at the Cycling Velodrome in IG Stadium in New Delhi. Hong Kong topped the chart with 18 medals which comprise 11 Gold, four Silvers and three bronze.
On the other hand, India the hosts of the tournament ended their campaign at second position with 16 medals, including five gold, four Silver and seven bronze.
India's Deborah Herold, in her Final Sprint event, clinched the top position with a time of 12.576 minutes and 12.493 minutes in the first and second rounds, respectively. She beat Zhaojuan of Hong Kong, who clocked 12.820 minutes and 12.734 minutes in both the rounds to settle for silver. The third position was taken by Farina Shawati of Malaysia with a time of 12.552 and 12.342.
Indian shooters clinched three gold medals at ISSF Junior World Cup
Indian shooters clinched seven medals, including three gold, on the opening day of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Cup for pistol, rifle and shotgun at Gabala in Azerbaijan.
A total of 279 junior athletes, representing 27 countries, are battling it out in 18 events.
Subhankar Pramanick: He clinched gold medal in 50-metre rifle prone event. The Indian shot 205.5 overall to finish top of the podium. Czech Republic's Filip Nepejchal (205.2) followed in second position, while Romania's Dragomir Iordache (185.1) was placed third at the end of the finals.
Subhankar, along with team-mates Fateh Singh Dhillon and Ajaey Nithish, also helped the Indian team to win a silver in the event.
Sambhaji Patil: He won the junior men's 25-metre standard pistol event by shooting 562 to easily beat Australians Sergei Evglevski and James Ashmore.
Awards & Honors:
Malayalam critic M Leelavathy chosen for N Mohanan Suvarna Mudra Award 2016
Eminent Malayalam critic and academician M Leelavathy was on 17 September 2016 chosen for the prestigious N Mohanan Suvarna Mudra Award 2016, instituted in memory of well-known short story writer N Mohanan.
An expert panel comprising journalists M G Radhakrishnan and M Saritha Varma and Athmaraman, selected Leelavathy for the biennial award considering her contributions to Malayalam language and literature.
68th Primetime Emmy Awards announced
The 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards was announced on 18 September 2016 at the Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
The Game of Thrones won best drama series at the 2016 Primetime Emmy Awards, while Veep took home the top comedy award.
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story also earned several awards, while Julia Louis-Dreyfus won her fifth consecutive Emmy in the lead comedy actress category.
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