Current Affairs Daily Updates 20th January 2017
APPOINTMENTS
Adama Barrow sworn in as
President of Gambia in Senegal
- Adama
Barrow was sworn in as the third President of The Gambia at a ceremony in
the Gambian embassy in Dakar, Senegal.
- With
the swearing in ceremony comes an event that marked The Gambia’s first
change of presidency in 22 years. It is also the first change of
presidency by democratic means since independence from Britain in 1965.
- Barrow
had won the 2016 Gambian presidential elections that were held in The
Gambia on 1 December 2016.
Delhi Police commissioner
Alok Verma appointed as new CBI director
- Delhi
Police Commissioner and Senior IPS officer Alok Kumar Verma was appointed
as new Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation.
- He
will have tenure of two years. He was selected by a three-member committee
comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Justice J S Khehar and
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge.
BANKING AFFAIRS
RBI imposes Rs 75 lakh
penalty on Bombay Mercantile Co-operative Bank
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a Rs 75 lakh penalty on Bombay Mercantile Co-operative Bank Ltd., Mumbai for violations of Know Your Customer/Anti-Money Laundering (KYC/AML) directives.
- "RBI
had issued a show cause notice to the bank, in response to which the bank
submitted a written reply and also made oral submissions thereon.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
Lloyd's gets final
approval from IRDAI to open branch in India
- Lloyd's,
specialist insurance and reinsurance company, has got final regulatory
approval from the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India
(Irda) to set up branch in India.
- Lloyd's
will open a reinsurance branch in India, in time for the April major
reinsurance renewals. This will enable Lloyd's syndicates to offer
specialist reinsurance in a variety of classes from a Lloyd's India branch
in Mumbai.
World Bank Sanctions Rs
1,376 Cr For Tripura Power Upgradation
- The
World Bank has sanctioned Rs 1,376 crore for complete upgradation and
improvement of the power system network in the State.
- The
total project cost sanctioned by World Bank is Rs 1,376 crore and the
project is divided into five phases. SPML Infra Ltd has got contract of
the first phase.
- In
the first phase, Rs 461 crore would be spent. Large number of 132 KV and
33 KV substations will be constructed and upgraded under the project.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba becomes major Olympic Games
sponsor until 2028
- Chinese
e-commerce company Alibaba became major sponsor of the Olympic Games after
signing a deal with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that runs
until 2028.
- With
this, Alibaba joins 12 other companies, including Coca-Cola and
McDonald’s, as top sponsors after joining The Olympic Partner (TOP)
worldwide sponsorship programme.
- No
financial details were disclosed, but IOC previously had held that major
sponsors pay around US$100 million per four-year cycle, which includes one
summer and one winter Olympic Games.
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
Govt inks MoU with
National Yuva Cooperative Society to set up 1,000 Janaushadhi Kendras
- The
government has signed an agreement with the National Yuva Cooperative
Society to set up 1,000 Janaushadhi Kendras across the country and targets
to open such medical stores in every block and gram panchayat to provide
quality medicines at an affordable price.
- At
present, 750 Janaushadhi Kendras, providing more than 600 medicines and
150 medical devices, are operational and the target is to open 3,000 by
end of this fiscal for achieving health safety, Chemicals and Fertilisers
Minister Ananth Kumar stated.
AYUSH, ASCI sign MoU to
co-regulate advertisements in AYUSH sector
- Ministry
of AYUSH and Advertising Standards Council of India -ASCI today signed a
MoU to co-regulate misleading advertisements in the AYUSH sector.
- AYUSH
Secretary Ajit M. Sharan said the MoU will also ensure that any
advertisement making false claims for diseases and disorders, in violation
of the existing regulations, is immediately brought to attention of the
Ministry.
- At
present, there is no mechanism in place to penalise companies and
individuals selling Ayush products on the basis of false and
unsubstantiated claims.
1st strategic dialogue
takes place between India and UAE today
- Ahead
of the visit of the UAE crown prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
who will be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day function this year, India
UAE is scheduled to hold their first strategic dialogue in New Delhi
today.
- The
meeting will be presided over by minister of state for external affairs MJ
Akbar, and Anwar Mohammed Gargash, minister of state for foreign affairs
of the UAE.
- Ever
since the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to UAE in August 2015, the
first by any Indian premier in 34 years, the two countries have been
working on strengthening their bilateral relationship.
IORA finalises MoU for
cooperation in SME sector
- Indian
Ocean Rim Association (IORA) member-States today gave final touches to a
MoU for cooperation in small and medium-sized enterprises-SME sector.
- Around
29 delegates from 14 IORA attended the two day workshop to finalise the
MoU in New Delhi. The member countries agreed to have a common MoU to help
each other in the development in SMEs in the region.
- The
focus areas of the MoU are to finalise linkages and alliances amongst SMEs
organizations, associations and various institutions engaged in SME
development in their countries.
- Also
exchange best practices, policies and programs for the development of the
sector. It is expected to promote youth and women's economic empowerment.
Dharamsala declared second
capital of Himachal Pradesh
- Himachal
Pradesh Government has declared Dharamsala as the second capital of the
hill state with a population of about 70 lakh. Henceforth winter session
of state legislature will be held in Dharamshala.
- Earlier
the city had held 12 Winter Sessions of the state Assembly. Dharamsala is
located in Himachal’s Kangra district near snow-clad Dhauladhar ranges. It
was formerly known as Bhagsu.
- It
was selected as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a
smart city under Union Government’s flagship Smart Cities Mission.
- Himachal
Pradesh becomes the third state in India to have two capitals after
Maharashtra (Mumbai, Nagpur) and Jammu and Kashmir (Srinagar, Jammu).
PM to address 3 day National Conference in Kutch
- Prime
Minister Narendra Modi has delivered inaugural address on a three-day
National Conference of Central and State Ministers and Secretaries of
Tourism, Culture and Sports in Kutch, Gujarat .
- He
addresses the program through video conferencing and also interact with
the participants at the end of the conference
- The
Conference aims at achieving the necessary convergence among tourism,
culture, youth affairs and sports areas and synergy between the Centre and
state.
Entrepreneurship
Development Scheme inaugurated in Mizoram
- Mizoram
Chief Secretary Lalmalsawma has inaugurated the Entrepreneurship
Development Scheme (EDS) under the New Economic Development Policy (NEDP).
- Lalmalsawma
the state government gave high priority to entrepreneurship development
and has allocated Rs two crore under the NEDP during the current fiscal.
- Planning
Secretary Dr C Vanlalramsanga said entrepreneurship was important for
acquiring sustainable resources, knowledge and market, which would be
instrumental in the state government's efforts to achieve market economy
from subsistence economy.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AFFAIRS
US launches Geo-3 satellite mounted with Atlas V rocket to
destroy missiles from space
- The
US military has successfully launched Geo-3 satellite mounted with Atlas V
rocket into space to monitor possible missile attacks from space.
- The
military satellite capitalizes on infrared technology for defence purposes
that include missile counter-defense, missile warning, intelligence
gathering, and geospatial situational awareness to support troops.
- Earlier
the US Air Force had launched Geo-1 and Geo-2 satellites into space in
2011 and 2013, respectively.
SPORTS AFFAIRS
Punjab Royals crowned
champions of Pro Wrestling League Season 2
- Punjab
Royals have bagged the Pro Wrestling League Season 2 title. In the summit
clash in New Delhi today, the Punjab team beat Haryana Hammers 5-4.
- Punjab
reigned supreme with their foreign imports Vladimir Khinchegashvili,
Vasilisa Marzaliuk and Ilias Bekbukatov, besides India's Nirmla and
Jitendra doing the damage in the crucial ties of the day.
- Haryana,
who had remained undefeated in the tournament, thus failed to cross the
last hurdle.
