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Click here to try Current Affairs Quiz : August 5 2016
INDIAN AFFAIRS
Vijay Rupani is all set to swear in as the new CM of Gujarat on August 7
Putting an end to all the speculations, Vijay Rupani is going to assume his office as the new Chief Minsiter of Gujarat on August 7 and Nithin Patel will assist him as a Deputy CM. This news is declared after the BJP MLAs meeting.
i. Vijay Rupani is an Indian politician from the Bharatiya Janata Party and a member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly representing Rajkot West.
ii. Vijay Rupani is the state president of the BJP and was the minister for transport, water supply, labor and employment in previous CM Anandiben’s cabinet.
iii. On tracing his early career, he joined Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS) and subsequently joined Jan Sangh in 1971 has been associated with Bharatiya Janta Party since its establishment.
Telangana, AP set to launch campaign against ISIS
i. Telangana and Andhra Pradesh is set to launch campaign against ISIS by staging on board Imams of mosques to prevent the attempts of the terror group to lure youths. The campaign is organised by State Minorities Commission.
ii. Upon this the commission is also set to conduct a seminar, awareness on ISIS – Interpreting reality, it is likely to be attended by Imams of nearly 300 mosques from both the states.
iii. In the line of Programmes to be hosted Imams will ingest the speeches by security and legal experts and religious scholars on perils of ISIS and they will repeat the speeches in the regular Friday prayers.
Gujarat HC quashes 10% quota for economically backward classes
i. Gujarat High Court has quashed government’s ordinance to offer 10 % quota for the economically backward among upper castes in education and admission.
ii. The court bench said that no quota can be granted on the basis of economic criteria because it is not provided for in the Constitution.
iii. The court also went onto say that the ordinance proposed is against the spirit of the Constitution and fundamental rights reservation which meant to allow to quotas on socially backwards and Scheduled Castes and Tribes.
iv. The court heard the petition filed by Jayantbhai Manani, a social worker associated with several outfits for OBC communities. He in his petition said the ordinance is in conflict with the constitution.
Odisha opens 100 new multi-purpose calamity shelter units
i. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik opened 100 multi-purpose shelter houses to the people of Odisha for use during natural calamities like floods and cyclones.
ii. The move by the state government is keeping an eye on the super cyclone in 1999, that devasted the state to the worst crisis.
iii. Odisha has functioning 526 shelter houses also this 100 houses will strengthen the capacity. The CM also said after opening the new shelters that more that state will have 879 multi-purpose shelter houses by the end of 2016.
iv. The new100 shelters are located in Puri, Ganjam, Balasore, Bhadrak and Kendrapara, Malkangiri, Keonjhar, Cuttack, Boudh, Jajpur and various parts of the state.
Odisha:
♦ Governor: S.C. Jamir
♦ Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik
Goa to implement 7th Pay Commission from Nov 1st
i. Goa government will implement the 7 th pay commission recommendations in the state form November 1 this year, Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar has informed in the state Assembly.
ii. However the arrears from January to October 2016 would be deposited in the employee provident fund (PF) and National Pension System (NPS), and the Goa will issue a notification in this regard during the Ganesh Chaturthi.
Financial Burden:
♦ By implementing the pay commission recommendations Goa will have to pay Rs 272 crore per month as against Rs 213 crore per month that makes the state to bear the additional burden of Rs 59 crore.
♦ In the budget the state has allocated Rs 1,946 crore during 2015-16 for the salaries and pensions, which has been hiked to Rs 2,553 crore.
Delhi High Court confirms Lt Governor as the Administrator of Delhi NCR, a major setback to Arvind Kejriwal
i. The Delhi High Court dismissed its set of petitions on the legal brawl with the Centre over control of administrative issues and distribution of power in Delhi to the Lt Governor, thereby setting a major prorogue to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi Government.
ii. The High Court pronounced the verdict on a set of 11 petitions challenging various decisions of the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government and Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and the interpretation of Article 239A of the Constitution.
iii. Article 239 AA says that “As from the date of commencement of the Constitution (Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1991 the Union Territory of Delhi shall be called the National Capital Territory) and the administrator thereof appointed under article 239 shall be designated as the Lieutenant Governor,”
iv. Owing to this verdict, a numerous moves made by the Delhi government were declared illegal due to the non consultation of the Delhi governor. Few of them were,
♦ Commissions of inquiry into the CNG fitness scam,
♦ Delhi and District Cricket Association illegalities,
♦ Policy directions to electricity regulatory commission for compensation to people for disruption in power supply.
v. Arvind Kejriwal-led government had alleged that they are unable to function as most of its decisions are either annulled or changed by the Centre at the behest of the Lieutenant Governor on the ground that Delhi is not a complete state and it is expected that the Kejriwal led Delhi Government will approach the Supreme Court for the final jurisdiction.
About Delhi :
Name – Delhi NCR,
CM – Arind Kejriwal,
Governor – Najeeb Jung
Esigndesk to assist all the people to represent and utilize the electronic signing feature linked with their Aadhar card
i. A start-up in the online legal documentation business, LegalDesk announced the launch of an electronic signing feature called eSignDesk— a platform takes digital signatures to the masses beyond companies and corporates.
ii. All Aadhaar holders can now sign documents remotely as a legal documentation startup has launched an electronic signing feature, taking digital signatures outside the domain of only companies.
iii. e-signing feature saves both time and money, while providing security as nobody can forge this signature. It also ensures that the content of the document cannot be tampered with.
iv. Users need to have a registered mobile number associated with the Aadhaar card. The service will be available through the website www.eSignDesk.com and will be offered free of charge to the first 1,000 users. Documents signed electronically using it will be legally valid in the country.
v. It is noted that LegalDesk.com is built on the Aadhaar platform and this eSign is an initiative of the Indian government aimed at allowing all citizens with Aadhaar to remotely sign any document. This initiative will do away with the need for physical presence to sign and allows us to get legal work done online.
About Aadhar:
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is a central government agency of India with an objective to collect thebiometric and demographic data of residents, store them in a centralised database, and issue a 12-digit unique identity number called Aadhaar to each resident. It is considered the world’s largest national identification number project.
♦ As of March 2016, the original legislation to back UIDAI is still pending in the Parliament of India.
♦ On 11 March 2016, the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, benefits and services) Act, 2016, was passed in the Lok Sabha. On 26 March, 2016, The Aadhaar Act, 2016 was notified in the Gazette of India.
Operation Viswas follows Milan in order to curb the sexual assault cases in the state
i. The UP Police launched ‘Operation Vishwas’ in Lucknow following a slew of rape cases, including the horrific Bulandshahr gangrape, on 5 August.
ii.The month-long operation will run in
Lucknow, Hardoi, Lahimpur Kheri, Rarbareli, Sitapur, Unnao, Faizabad, Sultanpur, Ambedkarnagar and Amethi.
iii. It is noted that the previous operation named Operation Milan really worked out well, under which police rescued over 400 abducted youths and minors, including girls, and re-united them with their families.
iv. Soon after the execution of this operation, almost 1,200 people accused of sexual offenses and the proceedings for imposing the Goonda Act on them will be ensured during the operation.
About UP :
♦ Name – Uttar Pradesh,
♦ CM – Akilesh Yadav
♦Governor – Shri Ram Naik.
India International Footwear Fair was flagged off by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on August 5
i. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley inaugurated the India International Footwear Fair (IIFF) on August 5.
ii. The quantum of business generated from the fair was Rs 1,200 crore. However, we expect business to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore to be generated this year.
iii. 160 Indian companies and 103 overseas firms from Brazil, China, Iran and Taiwan are participating in the fair this year
iv. It is noted that the present demand in India is 2.3 billion pairs a year and it is estimated India will need 5 billion pairs of shoes in 2020. Apart from unveiling the export potential of India in footwear and leather industry, the event aims to project India as an ideal investment destination.
v. Besides, the Theme Pavilion will comprise of the ‘Selfie Stations’ which focus on the national campaigns of the Government of India and also includes Make in India, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Digital India, Skill India, Standup India, Smart Cities, StartUp India and Umang (Unified Mobile App for New-age Governance).
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
America passes a law endorsing Jamaat-ur-Ahrar to enter the list of Global Terrorists
i. The United States has added the Pakistani militant group Jamaat-ur-Ahrar to its list of global terrorists, triggering sanctions against a faction that has staged multiple attacks on civilians, religious minorities and soldiers.
ii. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) is a splinter group of the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) based in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region. The group, founded by a former TTP leader in August 2014, has staged multiple attacks in the region targeting civilians, religious minorities, military personnel, and law enforcement, and was responsible for the killing of two Pakistani employees of the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar in early March 2016.
iii. In late March 2016, JuA carried out the suicide assault at the Gulshan-e-Iqbal amusement park in Lahore, Pakistan that killed more than 70 people—nearly half of them women and children—and injured hundreds more. The Easter Sunday attack was the deadliest terror attack in Pakistan since December 2014.
iv. This amendment which imposes sanctions on foreign persons and groups determined to have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States.
v. Designations of terrorist individuals and groups expose and isolate organizations and individuals, and result in denial of access to the U.S. financial system. Moreover, designations can assist or complement the law enforcement actions of other U.S. agencies and other governments.
BANKING & FINANCE
Corporation Bank unveils its Group Credit Life Insurance Scheme in Mangalore
In a pilot basis, Corporation bank has launched group credit life insurance scheme in Mangalore on August 4. This move attributes to increase the insurance cover of the growing population and also strengthen its borrowing community.
Corporation Bank Group Insurance :
i. The scheme is exclusively to cover the customers in the age group of 18-60 years who have taken term loans from the bank.
ii. It will be payable to the person , in the event of death of the borrower and it is a single premium group term insurance plan offering insurance cover to the loan taken by the customer.
iii. Depends on the success this insurance coverage will be extended to the various cities of the country and the scheme also covers various term loans, including retail loans and loans to MSME and agriculture.
BUSINESS
Infosys invests in the Israeli Corporation, Cloudyn as a part of its Startup Investment Spree
i. IT giant Infosys is investing $4 million(Rs 27 crore) in Cloudyn, an Israeli corporation. This Israeli Corporation is providing software as a service (SAAS) solutions for the management and optimization of hybrid, multi-cloud deployments.
ii. This initiative with this cloud management and optimisationstartup Cloudyn, will foster the moves in to access technology and skills to get it to customers transitioning from legacy infrastructure to the cloud.
iii. The latest startup bet from Infosys also highlights Israel’s growing importance in the space of enterprise technology and Infosys are currently jumbling to ensure to not to miss out on the current wave of early-stage next-generation technology ideas from the country.
iv. Apart from Infosys, Cloudyn already raised $16.5 million in three rounds of investment. Cloudyn which deploys for top Fortune 500 companies, also counts the likes of Israel-based Carmel Ventures and Titanium Investments as existing investors.
v. It is noted that Infosys is on a investment spree in early startup companies. It has invested about $43 billion in several companies include Trifacta, Waterline Data, WHOOP, CloudEndure, ANSR Consulting and Airviz Speck.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Chinese Beer Festival witnessed the World Biggest Robot Dance Show, setting a new Guinness Record
i. Ever Win Company & Ltd. organized 1,007 robotsto set a newGuinness World Record for “Most Robots Dancing Simultaneously” during the Qingdao Beer Festival in Shandong, China. But in fact, several robots were disqualified for failing to perform, even though the total numbers successfully set the record.
ii. 1,040 robots, each just under 44 centimeters in height, started their synchronized dance routine in Qingdao city. Of them, 1,007 finished the challenge, setting a new Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous robot dance.
iii. Quan Jinyou, the chief technology officer of Ever Win Company, Ltd. successfully managed the biggest challenge of dealing with radiofrequency interference, from mobile phones or Bluetooth devices in order to keep the robots in their place.
iv. This Qingdao International Beer Festival is often referred as the Asian Oktoberfest and usually happens on the first Saturday in August.
About China :
♦ Capital – Beijing,
♦ Currency – Renminbi
♦ President – Xi Jinping
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS
Nita Ambani becomes first Indian woman to be elected as IOC member
On August 4, 129th IOC Session in Rio elected Nita Ambani , the founder and chairperson of the Reliance Foundation as the first Indian woman member of International Olympic Committee.
Nita Ambani – IOC:-
i. The independent selection process followed a new procedure for the recruitment of IOC members based on the Olympic Agenda 2020 recommendations; those nominated are done so wholly on merit and then elected by existing IOC members.
ii. Her involvement in sports business,
iii. As owners of the cricket team, Mumbai Indians, a part of the Indian Premier League;
iv. As well as a joint venture with sports management firm IMG and
v. Also being the architect of the Indian Super League, the men’s professional football league in India paved a way for her membership in IOC.
vi. It is noted that Sir Dorabji Tata and Raja Randir Singh precedes Nita Ambani in hoilding this honorary post in IOC and also she is liable to serve as the member of the IOC till her age of 70.
Bank Board Bureau Chief Vinao Rai steps down from the IDFC bank board
i. Being appointed as the chief of Banks Board Bureau (BBB), Vinod Rai has stepped down from the IDFC bank board and however he will serve continuously as the independent Chairman of the IDFC Ltd.
ii. Vinod Rai is the Former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India and also a honorary member of the renowned IDFC bank board.
iii. Bank Board Bureau (BBB) will not only select board members of public sector banks but will also devise strategies for them. Due to this work restrictions, Vinod Rai is said to be stepped down from the IDFC bank board.
iv. At the same time, former RBI Deputy Governor Anand Sinha has joined IDFC Board as an independent director.
About IDFC,
Name- Infrastructure Development Finance Company :
♦ Establishment -1997
♦ HQ – Chennai
♦ CEO – Vikram Limaye.
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS
Chhattisgarh Govt. and Union Railway Ministry sign an agreement to extend the State Railway Connectivity.
i. The Ministry of Railways and the Chhattisgarh government have signed an agreement to form a joint venture as said in the Union Railway Budget 2016 announcement.
ii. This agreement fosters for the faster execution of rail projects in the state and also to accelerate the economy of the country as it is a state with abundant natural resources.
iii. This agreement between the state and central government will enhance the project implementation, monitoring, resource mobilization and to enable land acquisition.
iv. Raman Singh has announced that 760 kms of additional railway lines have been spread in the state in a very short span of time which in itself is a record.
v. The Chhattisgarh government will hold a majority stake of 51 percent in the JV, while the Railways Ministry will account for 49 percent of the company. The headquarters of the company will be located at Raipur city or Naya Raipur.
vi. It is noted that the Joint Venture Agreement was signed in the presence of Union Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
South India’s first Doppler weather radar inaugurated
i. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman A S Kiran Kumar inaugurated the C Band Polari metric Doppler Weather Radar to be installed in the southern states at the Vikram Sarabahi Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram. This is the first of its kind.
ii. A Doppler weather radar, which can provide advance information about storms, cyclones and other severe weather conditions also it would be available to India Meteorological Department (IMD) to supplement its weather predictions.
iii. Last year PM Narendra Modi had launched the first Doppler weather radar in Chirapunji in Meghalaya that was jointly built by the ISRO and Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL).
SPORTS
IBJA announces awards for medal winners at Olympics
i. Mumbai-based India Bullion and Jewellers Association (IBJA) came with an announcement that Indian medal winners at the Rio 2016 Olympics will be granded with 500 gms Sovereign Gold Bonds and silver.
ii. The Bullion association said Gold Medal winners will be given Sovereign Gold Bonds of 500 gms and 1 kg silver will be awarded to Silver Medal winners.
Commemorative stamps:
Communications Minister Manoj Sinha and Sports Minister Vijay Goel joinly released the four set of commemorative stamps featured with sportsmen engaged in Badminton, Shooting, Wrestling and Boxing where India got medal in the London Olympics.
Rio Olympics:
♦ The Summer Olympics is underway with the tradition of the Olympic Games as governed by the International Olympic Committee in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
♦ 206 Nations taking part in the mega event including first time entrants Kosovo and South Sudan.
OBITUARY
Litterateur Mahim Bora passed away
i. Well known Assam litterateur Mahim Bora has passed away due to old age related ailments in a private nursing in Guwahati Assam. He was 93 year old.
ii. The Assam hailed author penned many books including Rangajivya (The Red Dragon Fly), Adhani Mahir Hahi , Bohubhuji Tribhu, Eai Nadir Sonte and Kathonibarir Ghat, among other books of short stories and poems.
iii. Bora received India’s fourth highest civilian honor Padma Shri in 2011 and the Assam Valley Literary award in 1998. He was also worked as President of Asom Sahitya Sabha.
CPI(M) leader Jiban Maitra passes away
i. West Bengal hailed Senior CPI(M) leader Jiban Maitra, passed away following a cerebral attack in a nursing home in Malda. He was 71 year old.
ii. Jiban Maitra who served as state committee member of the CPI(M) in the past and ex-district secretary, left behind a son. Maitra is also a Left Front convener of Malda district.
