Hello and welcome to exampundit . Here are the important Current Affairs from 2nd to 6th September, 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 – 2 to 6 September, 2016
India and Vietnam on 3 September 2016 signed twelve agreements to boost the bilateral relations between the two nations. The agreements were inked after delegation level talks between of Prime Minister of the two nations, Narendra Modi and Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
India and Chile have expanded their Preferential Trade Agreement with both offering to lower or eliminate tariffs on a number of items traded with each other.
India and Egypt on 2 September 2016 signed an agreement on Maritime Transport. The agreement would help the two nations to step-up co-operation on the seas not only in terms of maritime commerce but also in transit of naval vessels.
Odisha government on 3 September 2016 signed a long-term lease agreement with Falcon Marine Exports for the operation of Jagatjore Shrimp Culture Projectin coastal Kendrapara district. Falcon Marine Exports was the highest bidder of the project.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on 1 September 2016 launched an insurance scheme for passengers travelling on e- ticket. The insurance cover will be up to 10 lakh rupees. The insurance coverage will be available in case of train accidents and other untoward incidents, including terrorist attack, dacoity, rioting, shooting or arson.
The government has approved projects worth about Rs 450 crore under 'Swadesh Darshan' scheme for five states, including poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.
Gumthala Garhu near Pehowa on 3 September 2016 became the first Wifi hotspot village in Haryana circle under the bulk plan of BSNL for the state.
The Odisha Government on 3 September 2016 launched the Biju Kanya Ratna Yojana (BKRY) in three districts of the state. The scheme was launched for the development of girls.
Union Government on 3 September 2016 approved the use of Pelargonic Acid Vanillyl Amide (PAVA) as an alternative to pellet guns for crowd control. Pellet guns will be used in the rarest of rare cases.
The Guinness World Records on 1 September 2016 declared Assam's Majuli as the largest river island in the world. The island is located in the Brahmaputra River.
The first BRICS Film Festival will kick started on 2 September 2016 at the Sirifort Auditorium Complex, New Delhi. Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore inaugurated the festival.
Cardiologist K K Aggarwal was on 2 September 2016 unanimously elected as the National President of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) for the year 2016-17.
Religare Enterprises Limited (REL) on 5 September 2016 appointed Sunil Godhwani as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
The Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) of Malappuram, Kerala was on 1 September 2016 conferred with the 2016 Unesco Confucius Prize for Literacy. The award was conferred on the JSS in recognition of its literacy-linked skill development activities among the underprivileged in rural areas.
Indian ecologist and conservation activist Bibhuti Lahkar on 4 September 2016 became the first Asian to be awarded the prestigious Heritage Heroes Award by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Mother Teresa on 4 September 2016 was proclaimed a Saint by Pope Francis in a ceremony at the Vatican.
Action movie star, writer, director and martial artist Jackie Chan will be given an honorary Academy (Oscar) Award for his extraordinary achievements in the movies.
The International Day of Charity was on 5 September 2016 observed.
Finance/Industry/Banking –
India-Vietnam inked 12 agreements to bolster bilateral relation
India and Vietnam on 3 September 2016 signed twelve agreements to boost the bilateral relations between the two nations. The agreements were inked after delegation level talks between of Prime Minister of the two nations, Narendra Modi and Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is the first Indian premier to visit the country in 15 years, was on a two day visit (2-3 September 2016) to Vietnam. The last Prime Minister to visit Vietnam was Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who visited the nation in 2001.
The signed agreements include
Framework agreement on cooperation in the exploration and uses of outer space for peaceful purposes
Protocol for amending the agreement on avoiding double taxation
Program of cooperation in UN Peacekeeping Matters
Protocol on celebrating 2017 as the "Year of Friendship”
MoU on health cooperation
MoU on cooperation in information technology
MoU on cooperation between the Vietnam academy of social sciences and the Indian council of world affairs
MoU on cooperation in cyber security
MoU for cooperation in the fields of standardization and conformity assessment
MoU on establishment of the centre of excellence in software development and training
Technical agreement on sharing of white shipping information
Contract for offshore high-speed patrol boats
Apart from this, India also extended 500 million dollar Line of Credit (LoC) to Vietnam for facilitating deeper defence cooperation with the South East Asian nation. The LoC was extended as the two nations elevated their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to respond to emerging regional challenges.
Till now, Vietnam had Strategic Partnership only with Russia and China.
India, Chile expand preferential trading pact to boost economic ties
India and Chile have expanded their Preferential Trade Agreement with both offering to lower or eliminate tariffs on a number of items traded with each other.
Chile has offered concessions to India on 1798 tariff lines with margin of preference (extent to which duties are lower than those offered to other countries) ranging from 30 per cent to100 per cent.
India’s offer to Chile is on 1,031 products with a margin of preference between 10 per cent and 100 per cent.
The agreement on the expansion of India–Chile Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) was signed in a meeting between Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia and Chilean Ambassador to India Andrés Barbé González on Tuesday, an official release said.
India, Egypt sign agreement in area of Maritime Transport
India and Egypt on 2 September 2016 signed an agreement on Maritime Transport. The agreemnt would help the two nations to step-up co-operation on the seas not only in terms of maritime commerce but also in transit of naval vessels.
The agreement was signed after delegation level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in New Delhi. President Sisi is on a three-day visit (1-3 September 2016) to India at an invitation of President Pranab Mukherjee.
Earlier in October 2015, the Union Cabinet gave its approval for signing of an agreement between India and Egypt on Maritime Transport. It was decided that the agreement would be signed on a mutually convenient date and venue.
The proposal was approved with a view to strengthening cooperation and to render sustained mutual assistance and advice on merchant shipping and other related maritime matters.
LG Electronics Inc ties up with Amazon.com on smart-home services
South Korea's LG Electronics Inc on 2 September 2016 tied-up with Amazon.com Inc on smart-home services.
This tie-up will help enabling the services of Amazon such as the Alexa virtual assistant on some of the electronics maker's devices.
Alexa will work with its SmartThinkQ Hub, an LG device used to connect with home appliances over the internet.
It will allow users to control the South Korean firm's home appliances via voice-recognition technology.
Odisha Government inks lease agreement on Jagatjore Shrimp Culture Project
Odisha government on 3 September 2016 signed a long-term lease agreement with Falcon Marine Exports for the operation of Jagatjore Shrimp Culture Project in coastal Kendrapara district. Falcon Marine Exports was the highest bidder of the project.
The lease period will be for 15 years which, will fetch revenue of 13 crore rupees to the government.
The project was first implemented in 1992-93 in Mahakalpada Tahasil of Kendrapara District executed by the State Fisheries Department. It was executed with loan assistance from World Bank with a cost of 25.23 crore. It was completed in 2000.
Odisha took up the Shrimp culture in 2001, under which 81 lakh rupees was provided to the BPL beneficiaries as working capital. But, the project became defunct as only crop was partially successful.
The government decided to revive the project, which was lying idle for years on the suggestions from the Seafood Exporters Association. The association requested the government to use the developed infrastructure.
Railway launches insurance scheme for passengers travelling on e-ticket
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on 1 September 2016 launched an insurance scheme for passengers travelling on e- ticket. The insurance cover will be up to 10 lakh rupees.
The insurance coverage will be available in case of train accidents and other untoward incidents, including terrorist attack, dacoity, rioting, shooting or arson.
Features of the Scheme
A person booking a train ticket through the IRCTC website will be eligible for the travel insurance and it is optional.
To avail the facility, train passengers will have to pay 92 paisa premium.
The insurance cover will not be applicable for children up to 5 years of age and foreign citizens.
The facility will be available only for confirmed and RAC ticket passengers.
There will be no refund of the premium in case of ticket cancellation.
The scheme offers travellers or nominees a compensation of 10 lakh Rupees in the event of death or total disabilty, 7.5 lakh Rupees for partial disability, up to 2 lakh Rupees for hospitalisation expenses and 10000 rupees for transportation of mortal remains from the place of a train accident.
The compensation claim has to be made within four months of the incident and the insurance company is required to process the claim within 15 days of receipt of the require documents.
Shriram General Insurance Company, ICICI Lombard and Royal Sundaram General Insurance have been roped in by Indian railways for providing the insurance cover.
India –
'Swadesh Darshan' projects worth Rs 450 crore get govt nod
The government has approved projects worth about Rs 450 crore under 'Swadesh Darshan' scheme for five states, including poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.
The scheme was launched with an objective to develop 13 theme-based tourist circuits in the country and the approval for five was given in a meeting of the central sanctioning and monitoring committee (CSMC) on Monday.
'Ramayana circuit' in Uttar Pradesh with a project cost of Rs 70 crore was approved, while 'heritage circuits' in Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand with costs of Rs 100 crore and Rs 83 crore, respectively, were also sanctioned, he said.
'Coastal circuit' in Tamil Nadu with a cost of about Rs 100 crore and envisages development of Chennai-Mamamallapuram- Rameshwaram-Manpadu-Kanyakumari.
The 'heritage circuit' in Madhya Pradesh, which covers Gwalior-Orchha-Khajuraho-Chanderi-Bhimbetka-Mandu with a total project cost of about Rs 100 crore, envisages infrastructural development of the sites, the official said.
The 'North East circuit', with cost of Rs 95.50 crore, in Sikkim was given the green signal and it includes development of eco log huts, cultural centre, paragliding centre, craft bazaar, base camp for mountaineering and meditation hall, he added.
Under 'Swadesh Darshan', 13 thematic circuits have been identified for development, namely North-East India Circuit, Buddhist Circuit, Himalayan Circuit, Coastal Circuit, Krishna Circuit, Desert Circuit, Tribal Circuit, Eco Circuit, Wildlife Circuit, Rural Circuit, Spiritual Circuit, Ramayana Circuit and Heritage Circuit.
Gumthala Garhu becomes first Wifi hotspot village in Haryana
Gumthala Garhu near Pehowa on 3 September 2016 became the first Wifi hotspot village in Haryana circle under the bulk plan of BSNL for the state.
The service was inaugurated by state Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar from Chandigarh.
Gumthala Garhu is located on Ambala-Kaithal-Hisar road and has a population of 11000.
The BSNL Haryana circle plans to have 238 Wifi hotspot locations with 1072 access points in the state. The project will be implemented to its full capacity during the current financial year.
Key highlights
The Wifi hotspot facility at the village uses bandwidth of 10 mbps through BSNL’s state-of-the-art network.
Ten outdoor and one indoor access points have been installed to cover the village.
The coverage from each access point is about 100 meters.
Odisha Government launches Biju Kanya Ratna Yojana
The Odisha Government on 3 September 2016 launched the Biju Kanya Ratna Yojana (BKRY) in three districts of the state.
The scheme was launched for the development of girls.
The scheme will be implemented for three years in Ganjam, Dhenkanal and Angul districts on a pilot basis.
The objective of the Biju Kanya Ratna Yojana is to improve Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) and Child Sex Ratio (CSR) in the three districts.
The CSR has declined from 967 in the 1991 census to 941 in the 2011 census in Nayagarh, Dhenkanal, Angul and Ganjam districts. However, Nayagarh is covered under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme.
Key highlights of the Biju Kanya Ratna Yojana
The BKRY will ensure enrolment of girls in elementary education.
It will track dropout girls from schools and create a better environment for them.
The scheme will create awareness on gender discrimination against girls, their health, nutrition and education.
Union Government approves use of chilli-based PAVA shells as alternative to pellet guns
Union Government on 3 September 2016 approved the use of Pelargonic Acid Vanillyl Amide (PAVA) as an alternative to pellet guns for crowd control. Pellet guns will be used in the rarest of rare cases.
Pelargonic Acid Vanillyl Amide (PAVA) also called Nonivamide is chilli-based ammunition that is less lethal and immobilises the target temporarily. The shells actually contain an organic compound found in natural chilli.
The PAVA shells were under trial for over a year at the Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, a Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) laboratory in Lucknow.
Guinness World Records declare Majuli as the largest river island
The Guinness World Records on 1 September 2016 declared Assam's Majuli as the largest river island in the world.
The island is located in the Brahmaputra River.
As per the Guinness World Records, the island lost around one-third of its area in the last 30-40 years due to frequent flooding of the river.
Majuli had a total area of 1250 square kilometres at the beginning of the 20th century. However, it had lost significantly to erosion.
It had an area of only 352 square kilometres in 2014.
Army Design Bureau formed to reduce dependence on imports
Indian Army on 30 August 2016 announced establishment of the Army Design Bureau (ADB) to indigenise procurements and reduce import dependence.
The ADDB will facilitate the weapons and technology building efforts between the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), industry and the army.
Establishment of ADB was announced by Army Chief General Dalbir Singh at an Army seminar on Make in India. At the seminar, the Army Chief also launched the ‘Make in India Army Website’ that will serve as a one stop platform for information to vendors.
It was developed with an idea to bring together academic institutions and the industry to develop indigenous knowhow and for this the Army is open to sharing parts of its long-term plans.
The ADB will integrate various stake holders in its long-term requirements and will be a single point contact for them.
TVSN Prasad Committee submitted its report on use of Pellet Guns
TVSN Prasad committee constituted to look into the alternatives to pellet guns submitted its report to Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi on 30 August 2016.
As per reports, the committee was not in favour of completely removal of the pellet guns in the Kashmir Valley but suggests that it should be replaced with polymer, rubber and paper bullets.
TVSN Prasad committee formed for exploring possible alternatives to Pellet Guns
Recommendations as Reported
It suggests that the pellet guns should be used in rarest of rare cases.
It suggests for use of other non-lethal weapons, like chilli grenade shells, for crowd control.
It asks for use of Pelargonic Acid Vanillyl Amide (PAVA) also called Nonivamide and other non-lethal ammunition like 'stun lac cells'.
It calls for use of Long Range Acoustic Device (LARD), which create deafening noise to paralyse people, in rural areas as it could prove dangerous for old buildings in downtown Srinagar.
First BRICS Film Festival begins in New Delhi
The first BRICS Film Festival will kick started on 2 September 2016 at the Sirifort Auditorium Complex, New Delhi. Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore inaugurated the festival.
The five-day festival aims at providing a platform for people of the film industry of member countries to explore areas of cooperation in the domain of cinema, culture and cuisine.
Key highlights of the BRICS Film Festival
The idea of BRICS film festival has been conceived to build bridges and bring harmony amongst the BRICS countries, i.e., Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The opening film for the festival will be the world premiere of the Malayalam movie, Veeram.
The closing film will be the Chinese movie, Skiptrace, starring Jackie Chan directed by Renny Harlin.
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Appointments –
K K Aggarwal elected as National President of IMA
Cardiologist K K Aggarwal was on 2 September 2016 unanimously elected as the National President of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) for the year 2016-17. Aggarwal is currently the Secretary General of the IMA.
Moreover, the association also elected Dr Ravi Wankhedkar from Maharashtra as the National President for the year 2017-18 and Dr R N Tandon as Honorary Secretary General.
All these appointments will be effective from 28 December 2016.
Religare Enterprises appoints Sunil Godhwani as CEO
Religare Enterprises Limited (REL) on 5 September 2016 appointed Sunil Godhwani as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Godhwani is appointed the Whole Time Director and CEO for the remaining period of his tenure.
Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao sworn in as acting Governor of Tamil Nadu
Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao, Governor of Maharashtra, was sworn in as the acting Governor of Tamil Nadu on 2 September 2016 as the tenure of K. Rosaiah ended on 31 August 2016.
Rao was administered oath of office by the Madras High Court's Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul at the Raj Bhavan, Chennai.
Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao is the present Governor of Maharashtra.
Mukund Choudhari assumes charge as CMD of MOIL
Mukund Chaudhari on 1 September 2016 took over as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of MOIL Ltd, a miniratna company.
Prior to taking over as CMD, Chaudhari served as the Director (Finance) of MOIL.
MOIL Limited is a miniratna state-owned manganese-ore mining company headquartered in Nagpur, India.
Awards & Honors –
Jan Shikshan Sansthan conferred with 2016 UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy
The Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) of Malappuram, Kerala was on 1 September 2016 conferred with the 2016 Unesco Confucius Prize for Literacy. The award was conferred on the JSS in recognition of its literacy-linked skill development activities among the underprivileged in rural areas.
The JSS bagged the prestigious international award for its initiatives in applying new technology in literacy. Innovations such as Braille applications and the Talking Pen used by the JSS impressed UNESCO.
The award sponsored by China consists of 20000 US dollars, a diploma, and a silver medal. Moreover, a JSS team will be given a free study tour to China.
Indian conservationist Bibhuti Lahkar wins Heritage Heroes Award of IUCN
Indian ecologist and conservation activist Bibhuti Lahkar on 4 September 2016 became the first Asian to be awarded the prestigious Heritage Heroes Award by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Lahkar received the award at the IUCN's World Conservation Congress in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The Indian ecologist was among five conservationists across the globe to be nominated for 2016 Heritage Heroes Award.
The Heritage Heroes Award is aimed at recognising outstanding efforts around the globe in making a difference in the conservation of World Heritage sites in challenging situations.
Mother Teresa canonised as Saint by Pope Francis at Vatican
Mother Teresa on 4 September 2016 was proclaimed a Saint by Pope Francis in a ceremony at the Vatican.
Thousands of pilgrims attended the canonisation of Mother Teresa in St Peter's Square.
During the ceremony, Pope Francis announced “We declare and define Blessed Teresa of Calcutta to be a saint and we enrol her among the saints, decreeing that she is to be venerated as such by the whole Church."
With this, Mother Teresa became the fourth Indian to be made saint. Those who received the honour before her include Father Kuriakose Elias Chavara, Sister Euphrasia and Sister Alphonsa. Saint Gonsalo Garcia, though of Portuguese parentage, was born in India, and is considered an India born saint.
Jackie Chan to be given honorary Oscar
Action movie star, writer, director and martial artist Jackie Chan will be given an honorary Academy (Oscar) Award for his extraordinary achievements in the movies.
Chan will receive an honorary Oscar statuette at the Academy's 8th Annual Governors Awards to be held on 12 November 2016.
The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science recently voted to present the award to Chan, British editor Anne V Coates, casting director Lynn Stalmaster and documentary maker Frederick Wiseman.
Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs described the four as true pioneers and legends in their crafts.
Sports –
Sikki, Pranaav clinched Brazil Open Grand Prix title
India's mixed doubles pair of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N Sikki Reddy on 5 September 2016 won the 2016 Brazil Open Grand Prix. It was their maiden Grand Prix title.
In the final clash, the top seeded Indian pair, ranked World no. 65, defeated Canadian combo of Toby Ng and Rachel Honderich 21-15, 21-16 in straight games at Costa Cavalcante.
The 23-year-old Sikky won as many as five international challenger titles in 2015, which includes two mixed doubles and three women's doubles crowns. She was also a part of the bronze medal winning Indian team at the 2014 and 2016 Uber Cup. So far, she played mixed doubles with six different partners, including V Diju, Alwin Francis, Tarun Kona, Manu Attri and K Nandagopal.
World –
2016 G20 Summit concludes in Hangzhou, China
The 2016 G20 Summit was held for two days on 4 September and 5 September 2016 at the Hangzhou International Exhibition Centre, Hangzhou, China.
The theme of 2016 G20 Summit was Toward an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy.
It was the first ever G20 summit to be hosted in China and the second Asian country to host the Summit. Before China, Seoul, South Korea, hosted the 2010 G20 Summit.
It was the 11th summit since the inception of G20 in 1999.The summit was attended by all the leaders of the G20 including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The chair of the summit was Xi Jinping, President of China.
Key highlights of the summit
On 3 September 2016, Barack Obama and Xi Jinping announced the ratification of the Paris Agreement of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference by their countries. The United States and China represent respectively 18 percent and 20 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions.
The world leaders endorsed free trade and a crowded agenda that included the Koreas, Syria and refugees.
The 2017 G20 Summit will be held in Hamburg, Germany, under the leadership of Angela Merkel.
Microsoft, Google and Salesforce adopt EU-US Privacy Shield framework
American tech giants Microsoft, Google and Salesforce on 3 September 2016 officially adopted the EU-US Privacy Shield framework. This will enable them to receive personal data from the European Union (EU) in compliance with the new standards.
They are now among the 103 companies out of the 5526 signatories to replace the defunct Safe Harbour framework.
Facebook, Apple and Twitter are yet to adopt Privacy Shield Framework.
Newly discovered fish of genus Tosanoides named after Barack Obama
A newly discovered fish of the genus Tosanoides was in September 2016 named in honour of US president Barack Obama for his commitment to protect nature through the expansion of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.
The fish is found only within the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, a World Heritage site encompassing 1510000 square kilometres of ocean waters, including ten islands and atolls of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
The site is the largest swath of protected land or water on Earth and is home to millions of seabirds, endangered turtles, endangered monk seals, and more than 7000 species.
World Health Organisation certifies Sri Lanka malaria-free
The World Health Organisation on 5 September 2016 certified Sri Lanka a malaria-free nation.
Sri Lanka is the second country in the WHO South-East Asia Region to eliminate malaria after Maldives.
Sri Lanka’s anti-malaria campaign adjusted its strategy to intensively target the parasite after the malaria cases jumped in the 1970s and the 1980s and the 1990s. The change in strategy was unorthodox, but highly effective.
IUCN lists Eastern Gorilla as Critically Endangered
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on 4 September 2016 listed the eastern gorilla, the largest living primate, as critically endangered in its latest red list of threatened species.
The eastern gorilla was listed in the latest update of The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species that was released at the IUCN World Conservation Congress taking place in Hawaii.
The IUCN stated that the eastern gorilla has suffered a 70% population collapse over the past 20 years, primarily due to illegal hunting.
The largest living primate’s population is now estimated to be fewer than 5000. Grauer’s Gorilla, one subspecies of Eastern Gorilla, has lost 77% of its population since 1994, declining from 16900 individuals to just 3800 in 2015. Hunting represents the greatest threat to Grauer’s Gorillas.
The second subspecies of Eastern Gorilla, the Mountain Gorilla, is faring better and has increased in number to around 880 individuals.
Days –
International Day of Charity observed globally
The International Day of Charity was on 5 September 2016 observed globally with an aim to recognise the role of charity in alleviating human suffering within and among nations, as well as of the efforts of charitable organizations and individuals including the work of Mother Teresa.
The day was first celebrated in 2013.
Obituaries –
Noted Assamese poet Nalinidhar Bhattacharyya dies
Noted Assamese poet, literary critic and author Nalinidhar Bhattacharyya passed away on 2 September 2016 in Guwahati following age-old ailments. He was 95.
He was a former principal of Arya Vidyapeeth College, Guwahati.
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