Dear Readers, We cover some important news in Current Affairs Today Section, which are not covered in Daily Detailed News, More Current Affairs coverage will help you to Score Good Marks in Competitive Exam.
Indian Affairs
- Indo Sri Lanka Joint Exercise MITRA SHAKTI 2015
- National Institutional Ranking Framework Document and Web portal launched by HRD Ministry
Govt to roll out domestic ranking system
- Government unveils an India-specific ranking framework covering higher educational institutes in an answer to global ranking agencies where Indian universities and institutes including the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have never been able to make the cut.
- There will be an apple-to-apple comparison i.e. institutes in different sectoral field such as engineering, management etc. would be compared separately
- It will be released by human resource development minister Smriti Irani
- First ranking list is expected by January-February 2016
PARAMETERS USED FOR RANKING
- Teaching learning and resources
- Research
- Graduation outcome
- Consulting and collaborative performance
Each of these has been further subdivided into 20 sub criteria to comprehensively assessment of an institute. The rankings will cover all institutes offering courses on engineering, law, management and humanities.
Mahesh Babu adopts Siddhapuram village
Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu revealed that he will be adopting Siddhapuram village of Telangana as part of the initiative to give back to the society.
- His decision is inspired from his reel story of his latest Telugu blockbuster “Srimanthudu” in which he Babu played the heir of a multi-millionaire, who adopts his family’s village and sets out on a journey to transform it.
- This is the second such decision that celebrities from the film fraternity have made and followed it up with a firm announcement. The first to do so was actor Prakash Raj who announced that he would adopt Kondareddypally of Kesampet mandal in Mahabubnagar, Telangana.
Dr Mahesh Sharma launches the NOC Online Application Portal and Processing System (NOAPS) for the National Monument Authority (NMA)
- The Minister of State for Culture (Independent Charge), Tourism (Independent Charge) and Civil Aviation,Dr. Mahesh Sharma, launched the NOC Online Application Portal and Processing System (NOAPS) for the National Monument Authority (NMA), Ministry of Culture at Samrat Hotel in New Delhi. The NOAPS will be available on http://nmanoc.nic.in./
- NOAPS is an initiative taken by the National Monument Authority for streamlining of approval procedure for construction related activities in regulated/restricted areas in the vicinity of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protected monuments in various cities of India.
International Affairs
Wipro selected as Dow Jones Sustainability World Index member
Wipro, a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services Company has been selected as a member of the global Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) – 2015 for the sixth year consecutive year.
Wipro is included in both the DJSI World and Emerging Markets Indices.
PARTICIPANTS
- A total of 1,845 companies were assessed from around the world of which 317 have been chosen as the DJSI World constituents for the year 2015-16.
- The IT Services sector saw 76 companies participating globally of which 8 have been selected for the World Index.
ABOUT DJSI
- It was launched in 1999 tracking the financial performance of the leading sustainability driven companies worldwide.
- Tracking is done on the basis of several dimensions like economic, environment and social sustainability, Climate Change Performance, Corporate Governance, Innovation, Labor Practices and Digital Inclusion.
Banking & Finance
RBI cuts Repo Rate from 7.25 Percent to 6.75 Percent
Central bank Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has reduced the repo rate by 50 basis point from 7.25% to 6.75%. The repo rate was last at 6.75 percent in March 2011. This is the fourth time that the RBI has cut rates since January 2015.
Repo rate is the rate at which RBI lends money to commercial banks in the event of any shortfall of funds.
RATE CUT ADVANTAGE
- RBI will able to provide policy support to the real economy and help its recovery.
- Now Indian corporates will able to raise External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) through rupee denominated offshore bonds with no end use restrictions.
- This rate cut signals lower home loan rates as well as reduced equated monthly instalments.
- Main focus is to bringing inflation down to 5 percent by FY17-end.
- Increase in FPI limits would bring in greater foreign participation will result in higher liquidity in the Indian Government Securities market.
RBI RATES
| Repo Rate | 6.75% |
| Reverse Repo Rate | 5.75% |
| CRR | 4.00% |
| SLR | 21.5% |
Awards
Lifetime achievement award for Sashi Kapoor
Veteran actor Shashi Kapoor will be honoured with lifetime achievement award at the 6th Jagran Film Festival in Mumbai
Legendary actor Shashi Kapoor earlier awards
- In 2011, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India for his contributions to Art-Cinema
- In 2015, he was awarded the 2014 Dadasaheb Phalke Award
The 77-year-old is best known for his memorable performance in films like Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Trishul, Kabhi Kabhie, Vijeta and Kalyug.
The 6th edition of Jagran Film Festival is scheduled from September 28 to October 4 at Fun Cinemas, Andheri
Veteran Russian Activist Wins Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize
- Russian human rights activist and one of its most outspoken and respected rights advocates Lyudmila Mikhailovna Alexeyeva has been awarded this year’s Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize.
- She the founder and head of the Moscow Helsinki Group and a member of the presidential council for civil society and human rights
- She was presented with the award by Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) President Anne Brasseur at the opening of the PACE fall session in Strasbourg on September 28th, 2015.
ABOUT VACLAV HAVEL HUMAN RIGHTS PRIZE
- Vaclav Havel Award for Human Rights is an international award established in 2013 by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
- It is awarded in memory of Vaclav Havel, former President Czech Republic
- It replaces the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Human Rights Prize
- Prize amount – €60 000
Porter Prize 2015
Of the 30 companies 9 corporates have bagged 2015 Porter Prize for Enabling Social progress. It was organised by Institute for Competitiveness.
- Porter Prize is instituted in the name of Michael E Porter who is a Professor at Harvard Business School and considered as father of modern strategy field.
- It is awarded to entities which have showcased outstanding performance in the industry and their activities have enabled upliftment of social indicators in their area of work.
PORTER AWARD WINNERS
| Catergory | Winner Company |
| Porter Prize for Leveraging Unique Activities | JSW Steel |
| Porter Prize on Industry Architectural Shift | Mahindra Rural Housing and Finance |
| Porter Prize on Exploiting Tradeoffs | Abbott India |
| Porter Prize for Creating Distinctive Value | DHL |
| Porter Prize for Value Based Healthcare | Apollo |
| Porter Prize on Creating Shared Value | Jain Irrigation and JSW Group |
| Porter Prize for Enabling Social Progress | Reliance Foundation |
| Porter Prize for Excellence in Corporate Integration & Governance | Tata Power |
Science & Technology
Evidence of flowing water on MARS
Scientist’s latest research and analysis of the dark patches that ebb and flow on the slopes of Mars shows that they have contain with hydrated salt crystals containing molecules of water. The Red Planet has been known for years to have ice, and its surface bears the topographical scars of ancient water. It flows during summer months on Mars.
- The dark features which are 5 metres wide and more than 100 metres long were first noticed in 2010. After analysing their reflected light signature a team of eight scientists has concluded that the streaks consist of mineral salts that easily absorb moisture and the flowing water is the likeliest explanation for their appearance.
HELPING INSTRUMENT
- Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) which records the wavelengths of light reflecting off Mars’ surface.
- It helps to collect light spectra, match them to the known light signatures of minerals.
Important Days
September 29 – World Heart Day
World Heart Day takes place on 29 September every year and is a chance for people across the globe to take part in the world’s biggest intervention against cardiovascular disease (CVD).
- THEME – Creating heart-healthy environments
- AIM – To improve health globally by encouraging people to make lifestyle changes and promoting education internationally about ways to be good to your heart.
WORLD HEART DAY
- World Heart Day was first created in 2000 by World Health Federation to let people know that heart related disease can be prevented.
- World Heart Day is organized by the World Heart Federation based in Geneva, Switzerland.
