Current Affairs Daily Updates July 31st 2016

Current Affairs
Dear Readers,
Welcome to Mentor for Bank Exams. Here I am posting Daily Current affairs News Updates about the National and International events were listed here. Candidates those who are preparing for IBPS/SBI/PO/Clerk exam and all other competitive exams can use this. Kindy make use of these!!!
APPOINTMENTS
1) J N Singh new Gujarat Chief Secretary
Additional Chief Secretary (Finance), J N Singh is set to replace 1981-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer G R Aloria as the new Chief Secretary of Gujarat on the latter's retirement, a government notification on Saturday said.
A 1983 batch Gujarat cadre officer, J N Singh is also the Managing Director of state-owned GSPC Group and its group companies. Singh takes charge on July 31.
A PhD in Political Economy from the M S University of Baroda, Singh holds a masters degree in international studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University.
2) DB Bhosale takes over as Chief Justice of Allahabad HC
Justice Dilip Babasaheb Bhosale today took over as the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court.
He was administered the oath by Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik in presence of High Court judges, and other dignitaries.
The post had been vacant since May this year when Justice Bhosale's predecessor, Justice D Y Chandrachud, was elevated to the Supreme Court.
Born on October 24, 1956, Justice Bhosale belongs to a family of freedom fighters and his father Babasaheb Bhosale had served as Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
3) Ashok Leyland non-exec vice chairman R Seshasayee resigns
Indian commercial vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland has announced, in a BSE filing, that the company's Non-Executive Vice-Chairman - R Seshasayee has resigned from the board of directors with effect from July 28.
A Chartered Accountant by profession, Seshasayee started his career with Hindustan Lever in 1971, and joined Ashok Leyland in 1976. He was appointed Executive Director of the company in 1983, became Deputy Managing Director in 1993.
4) Rani Nair set to be new CBDT Chairperson
Senior IRS officer Rani Singh Nair is set to be appointed as the new CBDT Chairperson with incumbent Atulesh Jindal retiring today.
Nair, a 1979-batch Indian Revenue Service officer of the Income Tax cadre, is presently working as Member (Legislation and Computerisation) in the Central Board of Direct Taxes, the policy-making body of the I-T department.
5) Praveen dixit retires today; Satish Mathur appointed DGP of Maharashtra
Satish Mathur, a 1981-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, has been appointed the new Director General of Police (DGP), Maharashtra.
Mathur will take over from Praveen Dixit, the outgoing DGP who retires on Sunday. The formal handing over of charge is scheduled on the same day.
A St Stephen’s alumni, Mathur has many firsts to his credit. He is the first IPS officer in the country who was trained by the National Security Guard (NSG).
He was also the first IPS officer to become the Director General, Legal and Technical, after it was created by the state to improve the conviction rate in Maharashtra.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1) Nayeemuddin conferred Mohun Bagan Ratna
Mohun Bagan conferred the highest decoration of the club, the Mohun Bagan Ratna (jewel), on legendary Syed Nayeemuddin in a glittering function here on Friday.
The former India captain and latter the National coach became the 16th recipient of the prestigious award, which is given to someone making seminal contribution to the success of the club.
Nayeem, who contributed wholesomely both as a player and later as the coach, received a citation and Rs. 1 Lakh.
Mohun Bagan’s current star player, Haitian international Sony Norde, was not present to receive the Karuna Shankar Bhattacharya Memorial award for best footballer.
2) Kerala Tourism bags six National Tourism awards
Kerala Tourism bagged six National Tourism awards for 2014-15 in the marketing category for states. It received two more awards, including the one for its Responsible Tourism (RT) initiative in Wayanad.
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan presented the awards to Principal Secretary Venu V and Director U V Jose in the presence of Union Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma at a function at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.
3) Adman Srinivasan Swamy conferred with AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award
The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) conferred its Lifetime Achievement Award on famous adman Srinivasan K.Swamy.
Mr. Swamy is popularly known as Sundar. He is a veteran in the advertising industry and has almost four decades of rich experience.
Swamy is Chairman of R.K. Swamy Hansa, a diversified marketing communications group. He has served as the President of AAAI for three consecutive terms from 2004 to 2007.
He is also the Vice Chairman of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) and a Board Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations.
BANKING NEWS
1) SBI, associates merger by March end: Bhattacharya
The merger of State Bank of India with its associate banks and Bhartiya Mahila Bank is likely to be completed by March 2017, SBI chief Arundhati Bhattacharya said.
Employees of public sector banks have gone on a one-day strike to protest against the proposed merger and services of about 80,000 bank branches across the country were hit as a result of the strike.
2) Stress tests find Europe’s bank sector would survive fresh crisis
The European Banking Authority (EBA) has found that EU's top 51 banks were resilient to a financial crisis after conducting a stress test.
Italy's Monte Dei Paschi bank performed the worst with capital ratio turning negative during a three-year crisis scenario, indicating it would be insolvent.
However, EBA Chairman Andrea Enria said, "This is not a clean bill of health".
3) ICICI Bank sets up top team to track loans, sound 'NPA' alert
ICICI Bank has set up a team to improve monitoring of credit and provide early warning of loans going bad after a sharp rise in non-performing assets (NPAs) in the last fiscal year.
The group will be separate from existing loan-monitoring teams and is a result of suggestions by consultant McKinsey.
ICICI Bank's net profit plunged 76 per cent in the quarter ended March, the biggest year-on-year drop since inception as it set aside Rs 3,600 crore against bad loans.
4) Bank of India to allot preference shares to govt for Rs 1,338 crores
Bank of India (BoI) will issue shares on a preferential basis to the government for capital infusion of Rs 1,338 crore.
On the proposed preferential issue, BoI said there is an ever-increasing need to raise capital for the bank to comply with Basel II and III capital adequacy norms.
The government announced capital infusion of Rs 22,915 crore in 13 public sector banks for the current financial year and BoI is to get Rs 1,784 crore.
5) Fifteen banks ready to roll out UPI by July 31
At least 15 banks, both from public and private sectors, are ready to roll out the unified payments interface (UPI) starting July 31.
The UPI system is a kind of e-payment which can be authenticated using mobile phones.
Existing bank apps can be UPI-enabled or have UPI apps. Customers can have a single virtual identity for a bank account through which they can make and receive payments digitally.
BUSINESS/ECONOMY
1) Flipkart valuation marked down by Morgan Stanley fund to $9.39 billion
Morgan Stanley Mutual Fund Trust, a mutual fund investor in Flipkart Ltd, has lowered its estimate of the online retailer’s valuation by 15.5% for the second successive quarter in a row.
The fund marked down the value of its Flipkart shares to $87.9 per share as of 31 March from $103.97 per share as of 31 December. The December value marked a 27% fall from $142.24 per share in June 2015, according to a regulatory filing by the firm in February.
2) FDI inflows have risen 53% over last two years, says Finance Minister
India has seen a 53% rise in FDI inflows in the last two years, and the shining investment climate, which is a result of steps taken to foster growth, price stability and fiscal prudence, can be cited as the reason behind it.
These said steps have also worked to improve the overall macroeconomic stability, said the government.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in Lok Sabha that nobody invests for "charity", and the government was further working on improving the ease of doing business in the country.
3) Infosys co-founder Kris invests in GoCoop Solutions
Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan has co-invested in GoCoop Solutions and Services, a venture that provides an online global marketplace for cooperatives and community-based weavers and artisans.
The Bengaluru-based firm said it has closed an undisclosed Series A funding from investors, including Mr.Gopalakrishnan and Saha Fund. Existing investors Unitus Seed Fund and Indian Angel Network led by Naga Prakasam also participated in the round.
GoCoop said that it plans to utilise the funds to enhance its marketplace technology platform and expand its buyer and seller base.
4) Gold bond scheme: Govt realises record Rs 919 cr in fourth tranche
Government has realised Rs 919 crore through the fourth tranche of its Sovereign Gold Bond scheme -- the highest so far.
The amount realised through the fourth tranche, at around Rs 919 crore, is the highest achieved as yet
The previous highest was Rs 746 crore, which was realised in the second tranche, when the issue price was Rs 2,600 per gram of gold.
In the latest subscription, the issue price was fixed at Rs 3,119. This time around, the amount was mobilised through over 1.95 lakh applications representing around 2.95 tonnes of gold.
SBI, NSE, Bank of India, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank were the top five receiving offices. The total subscription in the first three tranches was Rs 1,318 crore corresponding to 4.9 tonnes of gold.
BOOKS AND AUTHORS
1) ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' book launches in London
The book based on the script of the play 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' launched today globally.
This is JK Rowling’s eighth Harry Potter story written along with Jack Thorne and John Tiffany.
Thorne scripted the two-part play based on the original story, which begins 19 years after 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows', which was published in 2007.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1) Brazil's former president Lula to stand trial in corruption investigation
A Brazilian judge has accepted charges against former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for allegedly obstructing the corruption probe at state-run oil giant Petrobras.
The decision published on Friday named Silva and five others as co-conspirators in an alleged attempt to buy the silence of a former Petrobras director implicated in the scandal.
Silva's lawyers filed a petition at the UN Human Rights Committee alleging a lack of impartiality and abuse of power by another judge investigating the Petrobras scandal.
2) UN extends peacekeeping mission in South Sudan
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has extended the peacekeeping mission in South Sudan until 12 August, in the wake of renewed fighting in and around the capital, Juba.
On Friday the Council in its meeting said there has been renewed heavy fighting around Juba between rival forces loyal to South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and opposition leader, Riek Machar. The mandate was expected to expire on Sunday but now extended for over a week.
Samantha Power, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, told the council before the vote that the recent violence in Juba was "horrifying but sadly not unexpected" because the country’s leaders are unable to work together for their people.
3) Tunisia parliament votes to sack PM Habib Essid
Tunisia's parliament has passed a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Habib Essid, effectively dismissing the government of the US-trained economist.
A total of 188 MPs voted to sack Mr Essid, with only three supporting him.
Mr Essid, who has been in office less than two years, has faced criticism for what his opponents say is his failure to push through economic reforms.
President Beji Caid Essebsi last month called for a national unity government to break months of economic turmoil.
NATIONAL NEWS
1) Suresh Prabhu Launches Construction of Indian Railway's Longest Tunnel
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Saturday announced the commencement of works of the longest tunnel in the Indian Railway - on the Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal new broad gauge railway line in Manipur.
The 111-km-long line comprises 37 tunnels and the tunnel no 12 will be the longest in the Indian Railway at 11.55 km.
Besides the longest tunnel in Indian Railway, the stretch also has another striking feature - the tallest bridge in the world, being constructed over Iring river with a pier height of 141 metres, almost equal to two Qutub Minar stacked over each other.
 2) Google doodle celebrates Munshi Premchand’s Birth anniversary
Google doodle celebrates 136th birth anniversary of one of the greatest short story writers, Munshi Premchand.
Premchand, who has written many short stories, essays and novels in his lifetime, was born on July 31, 1880 in Lamhi, Uttar Pradesh.
The Google’s doodle shows Premchand in a rural setting, which is the backdrop of most of his work. The doodle takes inspiration from his last novel, Godaan (1936).
3) Bihar: Two new universities at Patna and Patliputra recieve cabinet approval
The Bihar cabinet today gave its approval for creation of two new universities in the state at Patna and Purnea.
A special meeting of the state cabinet, presided over by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, paved way for establishment of two new universities namely Patliputra University and Purnea University, official sources said.
Many colleges affiliated to B N Mandal University at present, would be brought under the new Purnea University. Colleges in Patna and Nalanda, presently under Magadh University, would be attached to Patliputra University, they said.
4) Assam Chief Minister gives order to setup Embankment Protection Committee to be set up in Assam
A protection committee to avert breaches in any embankment in flood-hit Assam will be set up with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal issuing directions to Chief Secretary V K Pipersenia in this regard.
The Embankment Protection Committee comprising of engineers, experts, youth organisations, NGOs, clubs and socio-cultural organisations will help averting breaches in embankment with timely intervention, an official release said.
5) ‘Madhubabu Pension Scheme’ to cover 3 lakh more people
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today directed the district collectors to extend ‘Madhubabu Pension Scheme’ to three lakh more beneficiaries from August 15.
The district collectors must ensure that the people get pension under the social security scheme on time, he said.
While 47 lakh people have already been covered under the ‘Madhubabu Pension Scheme’, the number of beneficiaries will increase to 50 lakh from August 15.
Speaking to the officers through video conferencing, Patnaik told them to double the number of completed houses under the rural housing scheme.
6) Centre to hold Make In India Conference in Odisha in December
The Central government proposes to organise a ‘Make in India’ conference in Bhubaneswar in December, an official said on Saturday.
The conference would be organised by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, to attract investment to Odisha as well as the country.
The Odisha government has requested the ministry to hold the conference in the first week of December.
7) Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister meets District Nodal Officers of Eastern and North Eastern States; 23 lakhs connections issued so far under PMUY
Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Petroleum & Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan has held meeting with all District Nodal Officers (DNOs) of Eastern States and North Eastern States.
Nearly 250 DNOs, Senior Officials of the Ministry and Oil Marketing Companies attended the meeting.
The DNO meet was first such meeting providing an opportunity for experience sharing by DNOs in implementing Hon’ble Prime Minister’s ambitious Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) under which LPG connections are given to women of BPL Households.
8) India to supply free ration to jobless workers in Saudi Arabia
The government also immediately announced that the unemployed Indian workers in Saudi Arabia would be given free rations. Minister of state (MoS) for external affairs Gen. (retd.) V.K. Singh has rushed to Saudi Arabia to take stock of the situation and discuss the issue with the Saudi government.
 “The number of Indian workers facing food crisis in Saudi Arabia is over 10,000. I appeal to 30 lakh Indians in Saudi Arabia. Please help your fellow brothers and sisters. There is nothing mightier than the collective will of the Indian nation,” Ms Swaraj tweeted.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1) New artificial leaf converts CO2 into usable hydrocarbon fuel using sunlight
Scientists have developed "artificial leaves" - potentially game-changing solar cells that cheaply and efficiently convert atmospheric carbon dioxide directly into usable hydrocarbon fuel using sunlight.
Unlike conventional solar cells, which convert sunlight into electricity that must be stored in heavy batteries, the new device essentially does the work of plants, converting atmospheric carbon dioxide into fuel, solving two crucial problems at once.
A solar farm of such "artificial leaves" could remove significant amounts of carbon from the atmosphere and produce energy-dense fuel efficiently.
2) SpaceX Wins Second NASA Contract To Take Astronauts To International Space Station
The US space agency has ordered a second mission from Elon Musk's space transport services company SpaceX to take astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).
Commercial crew flights from Florida's Space Coast to the International Space Station will restore America's human spaceflight launch capability and increase the time US crews can dedicate to scientific research, which is helping prepare astronauts for deep space missions, including the Journey to Mars, NASA said in a statement on Saturday.
SPORTS
1) Novak Djokovic advances to Rogers Cup final, will face Kei Nishikori
Top-seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia is on to the final of the Rogers Cup after a 6-3, 6-2 win over France's Gael Monfils on Saturday night.
Djokovic will face third seed Kei Nishikori of Japan in the final on Sunday afternoon.
Croatia's Ivan Dodig and Brazil's Marcelo Melo will face Britain's Jamie Murray and Brazil's Bruno Soares in the doubles final earlier Sunday.
2) Modi flags off ‘Run for Rio’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the ‘Run for Rio’ here on Sunday as a means to encourage the Indian contingent at the Olympics beginning on August 5.
The 5km run, from Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, had thousands of school children and youth participating in what was meant to express the nation’s support to the Indian athletes at Rio.
3) Bryan brothers pull out of Rio 2016 Olympics citing health concerns
Americans Bob and Mike Bryan, the most successful doubles team in men’s tennis history, have pulled out of the defence of their title at the Rio Games saying their family’s health is their top priority.
Many athletes have withdrawn from the Olympics over concerns about the mosquito-borne Zika virus linked to birth defects in newborn babies and possible neurological problems in adults.






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