Current Affairs Daily Updates 12th January 2017

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Current Affairs Daily Updates 12th January 2017

APPOINTMENTS
Housing’s ex-CEO Jason Kothari to join Snapdeal 
  • After the announcement of a merger of Housing with PropTiger, CEO of Housing.com,Jason Kothari will be the chief strategy and investment officer of Snapdeal.
  • Kothari will take his responsibility from January 16, 2017
  • He is a strong business leader and an entrepreneur who has already been the CEO of two successful companies
Vikram Pawah new President for BMW Group India:
  • Vikram Pawah has been appointed as the president of BMW Group India, effective from March 1, 2017.
  • He will take over from Frank Schloeder, who will assume new position at BMW Group headquarters in Germany.
Manish Tewari appointed senior fellow of US think tank
  • Congress leader and former Union Minister Manish Tewari was appointed as the senior fellow of US-based think tank Atlantic Council on January 11, 2017.
  • Tewari will focus on programming aimed at strengthening US-India relations.
  • He has served as a Member of Parliament from Ludhiana and is currently the national Manish Tewari appointed senior fellow of US think tankspokesperson of the Congress party.
Sreejesh becomes member of FIH Athletes' Committee:
  • The Indian men's hockey team captain PR Sreejesh has become a member of International Hockey Federation (FIH) Athletes' Committee.
  • The Committee comprises a total of eight current and former hockey players who have the responsibility to act as a liaison between the FIH and the athletes.
  • Earlier, Sreejes led the Indian team to the silver medal feat at the FIH Champions Trophy in London.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
Tisca Chopra wins Best Actress Award for Chutney:
  • Actress Tisca Chopra named as Best Actress for Chutney at the Jio Filmfare Short Film Awards. 
  • Popular actress Tisca Chopra stated that winning her first Filmfare Award for short film Chutney is extra special as it’s a project she not just acted in, but also produced and co-wrote.
BANKING AFFAIRS
TN temples to go digital by HDFC Bank
  • HDFC Bank introduced digital wallets to install point of sale (PoS) terminals at counters in temples of Tamil Nadu.
  • Five temples in Kanyakumari district in southern Tamil Nadu have introduced digital wallets and PoS to enable their devotees pay donations.
  • HDFC Bank has opened five new government accounts for collecting donations from the devotees using their debit or credit cards.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
NITI Aayog Estimates the GDP Growth of 8 Percent for 2016-17
  • NITI Aayog has projected the GDP growth rate of 8 Percent for 2016-17 based on the appraisal document for the Twelfth Five-Year Plan.
  • The estimate does not take into account the impact of demonetization.
  • The policy think tank laid that overcoming the lack of reforms in land acquisition, labour, skill development and simplification of regulatory cum administrative procedures can lead to growth prospect of above 8 percent.
Mahindra Asset Management launches Mahindra Mutual Fund Dhan Sanchay Yojna scheme
  • Mahindra Asset Management Company Pvt. Ltd (MAMCPL) launched an open ended scheme Mahindra Mutual Fund Dhan Sanchay Yojna scheme to generate long-term returns through investment in equity and debt.
  • The scheme will close on January 24, 2017 and will open again for continuous sale and repurchase from February 8, 2017
  • The scheme is for investors who seek to take a calculated exposure in both equity and debt wit a long term investment outlook
Flipkart's Binny Bansal invests in 3D printing startup
  • Flipkart's Co-founder and Group CEO Binny Bansal along with four other angel investors has invested Rs. 6.6 crore in Supercraft3D, a 3D printing startup focused on health and medicine applications.
  • Founded in 2016, the startup provides visualisation solutions to help hospitals, doctors and academicians get a better understanding of anatomy.
  • It also manufactures customised body implants for patients.
World Bank projects global growth at 2.7% in 2017
  • World Bank projected a global growth of 2.7% in 2017, even as it observed that stagnant global trade, subdued investment and heightened policy uncertainty marked another difficult year for the world economy.
  • World Bank President Jim Yong Kim stated that global economic growth is forecast to accelerate moderately to 2.7% in 2017 after a post-crisis low of 2.3% in 2016.
DEATHS
Padmashree awardee K.M. Philip passes away:
  • A whole-time Director of MRF Ltd K.M. Philip (104-year) has passed away.
  • He was an active member of the YMCA and brought prestige to the organisation as the first Asian to be elected as the President of the World Alliance of YMCAs with its headquarters in Geneva.
IMPORTANT DAYS OBSERVED
Youth Day, the birthday of Swami Vivekananda being observed: 12 January
  • 12 January of every year is observed as National Youth Day, the birthday of Swami Vivekananda a grateful nation is celebrating Swamiji's hundred fifty-fourth birth anniversary with much fanfare.
  • Several functions are being organized across the country to mark the occasion.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing National Youth Day function at Rohtak, Haryana through video conferencing. To honor Swami Vivekananda, National Youth Day is celebrated every year on January 12 since 1985. It was in 1984 that the Government of India declared it.
  • The government felt that the philosophy of Vivekananda and his ideals are a great source of inspiration for the Indian youth. So, it was declared that his birthday will be observed as National Youth Day.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Europe’s first underwater museum opens in Lanzarote
  • The first and only underwater sculpture museum of Europe, Museo Atlantico, has been inaugurated on January 10, 2017 off the Canary Island coast of Lanzarote.
  • The museum has been created at a depth of between 12 and 15 meters on the ocean floor and will be accessible to scuba divers and visible to glass-bottom boats.
  • It features over 300 life-sized sculptures and has 12 sprawling underwater installations by artist Jason deCaires Taylor who took almost three years to complete the project.
Pakistan to renovate Katas Raj temple
  • Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited the Katas Raj Hindu temple in Chakwal district of Punjab to inaugurate its renovation.
  • The work includes installation of a water filtration plant in the Amrat Jal area.
  • Al-Biruni, Persian scholar and polymath, had computed the earth’s circumference from here.
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
Arunachal signs MoU with NDDB to promote dairy development
  • Arunachal Pradesh Chief Secretary Shakuntala D Gamlin and NDDB Chairman Dilip Rath are signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of Chief Minister Pema Khandu to kick-start a ‘white revolution’ in Arunachal Pradesh.
  • According to the MoU, NDDB will conduct a survey related to milk production and consumption and identify areas of intervention in Arunachal Pradesh
  • Based on the survey, NDDB would prepare a 5 year dairy development plan and provide technical support to the state to set up a milk procurement system.
Magh Mela begins in Allahabad:
  • Today, Magh Mela festival (month-long) has begun at Sangam inAllahabad (Uttar Pradesh).
  • Thousands of Pilgrims, saint, and seers are taking a holy dip at Sangam on the occasion of Paush Purnima.
  • Kalpwas has also begun, pilgrims stay on the bank Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati in tents and take early morning bath and take part in other religious duties.
Arunachal signs MoU with NDDB to promote dairy development:
  • With a view to promoting the dairy sector and rural livelihoods in Arunachal Pradesh, the border state has signed a MoU with National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2017.
  • A State Government delegation led by Shakuntala Gamlin participated in the Summit. 
India's annual Haj quota increased by 34,500, biggest hike in three decades:
  • Today, Saudi Arabia has increased India's annual Haj quota by 34,500.
  • Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Saudi Arabia's Haj and Umrah Minister Dr Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten inked an agreement in this regard in Jeddah.
  • The latest increase in quota will be effective from the current year.
  • Last year, a total of 1,35,903 devotees from India performed Haj.
World’s first gender literature fest to be held in Patna
  • The world’s first ‘Gender Literature Festival’ is scheduled to be held in Patna, Bihar in the second week of April, 2017
  • Aim: To create a platform, to exchange ideas, and to share and learn experiences of renowned people in the field of gender literature.
  • This festival will be organised by Gender Resource Centre of Bihar’s Women Development Corporation.
  • The festival will also act as a platform to increase visibility for gender equity and advocacy in the State of Bihar.
DEFENCE / SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AFFAIRS
Khanderi, the second Scorpene class submarine launched
  • Khanderi, the second Scorpene class submarine was launched this morning at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in Mumbai.
  • It has superior stealth and the ability to launch a crippling attack with torpedoes as well as tube-launched anti-ship missiles whilst underwater or on surface.
  • Union Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre presided over the function to initiate the launch of Khanderi. Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba was present on the occasion.
  • Khanderi is named after the Island fort of Maratha forces, which played a vital role in ensuring their supremacy at sea in the late 17th century. Khanderi is also the name for Tiger Shark.
Guided Pinaka successfully test-fired by DRDO:
  • The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully test-fired the Pinaka Rocket converted to a Guided Pinaka from Launch Complex-III, ITR, Chandipur (Odisha). 
  • The flight-path Guided Pinaka was tracked and monitored by the radars, electro-optical and telemetry systems at Chandipur. 
  • Pinaka is transformed version of the Pinaka Rocket Mark-II, which has evolved from Pinaka Mark-I. 
  • It has been jointly developed by ARDE Pune, DRDL Hyderabad and RCI Hyderabad.
Citibank launches voice verification for phone banking
  • Citibank has launched voice verification for its phone banking clients to replace the current authentication process of remembering PINs or answering verification questions.
  • The bank said identifying a user's unique voiceprint will take 15 seconds, down from an average 45 seconds it takes currently.
  • The authentication will be completed automatically while the customers speak to the bank official.
SPORTS AFFAIRS
Cue Champion Pankaj Advani wins Kolkata Open snooker Championship
  • Cue sports Ace Pankaj Advani clinched the 3rd Kolkata Open National Invitation Snooker Championship 2017 on January 8, 2017 organised by the West Bengal Billiards Association at the Bengal Rowing Club.
  • The 16 times World Champion outclassed Aditya Mehta 5-1 who has won the last two editions of the Championship
UK becomes first country to recognise parkour as a sport
  • The United Kingdom has become the world's first country to officially recognise parkour as a sport.
  • Parkour, also known as freerunning, is similar to military obstacle training and involves a participant getting from one point to another, tackling terrain using only his/her natural body strength.
  • The sport has been considered controversial since it uses minimal protection gear.
Consulate General of India in Dubai announces launch of 'Diplomats Cricket Championship Cup'
  • Consulate General of India in Dubai today announced launch of the 'Diplomats Cricket Championship Cup' in association with the Skyline University College, Sharjah, to promote sportsmanship, camaraderie and harmonious relationship among the diplomatic missions of UAE.
  • The two-day cricket event also aims to be a forum for all participating Consulates, Embassies and Business Councils as an opening to build up and establish active, meritorious and strong social and corporate relationship amongst them.