Current Affairs Today – July 2 2016

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INDIAN AFFAIRS

Ministry of Tourism released data on domestic and foreign tourist visits to states and UTs
The Market Research Division of Ministry of Tourism has released report on Domestic and foreign Tourist visits to States and Union Territories for the year 2015.
Minister of state (independent charge): Mahesh Sharma
Tamil Nadu tops both the list in terms of number of domestic tourist Visits during 2015 and number of foreign tourist Visits during 2015.

Kerala Govt to ban e-cigarettes
i. Newly formed  LDF led Kerala government has decided to ban Electronic-Cigarettes alias e-cigarette in the state keeping the studies in mind that claiming that its use can cause various health issues, including cancer and heart ailments.
ii. Kerala Health Minister K K Shylaja directed the additional chief secretary (health) to issue an order banning the production, sale and advertisement of e-cigarette.
iii. The drugs enforcement authorities in the state observed that the device is extensively used for smoking ganja, hashish and other narcotic substance. E-cigarettes are devices that emit doses of vaporised nicotine.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Prime Minister signed $1 billion deal with United States for Four Poseidon- 8I Longrange Surveillance and antisubmarine warfare aircraft
The India-US strategic bilateral cooperation is being tightened after signing $1 billion deal by Prime Minister to acquire four Poseidon as part of US arms deal to India
Acquisition of Poseidon:
Cabinet Committee on Security headed by Prime Minister has signed acquirement of four Poseidon -8I longrage surveillance and antisubmarine warfare aircraft
Induction of Aircraft:
The Four Poseidon aircraft built with radars and weapons will be joined with the first eight such aircraft introduced by the Navy in 2013-15 under a $2.1 billion deal.

India moved up to 35th rank on World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index
India has played the important role on “The efficiency of customs and Border management clearance” and improved the ranking to 35th position in World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index
About the report
Released by: World Bank
Type of Report: Bi-Annual
Logistics Performance Index consists of six sub-indices
India jumped from 54th position in 2014 to 35th position in overall category
India stepped ahead 19 positions leaving countries New Zealand, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Iceland, Latvia and Indonesia and so on.

RITES supplies 60 broad gauge passenger coaches to Bangladesh Railway
i. State owned Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) has supplied 60 broad gauge passenger coaches (LHB type) to Bangladesh Railway (BR) upon a contract agreement of 120 coaches.
ii. Two train sets, comprising 12 coaches each- 2 AC chair car, 2 first AC sleeper car, 6 non-AC chair car and 2 power car deployed to operate 3 pairs of inter-city trains between Dhaka and Rajshahi.
iii. The coaches supplied were fitted in an intercity train was inaugurated at Dhaka by Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina.

RIMPAC 2016 – World’s largest international maritime exercise kicks off
i. World’s largest international Biennial maritime exercise named RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific) 2016 kicked off in Pacific Ocean at Hawaii, United States.
ii. Over one month long RIMPAC 2016 exercise will see participation of navies from 26 countries. This year it is the 25th edition of biennial exercise in the series that began in 1971.
iii. India is being represented by Indian Naval ship (INS) Satpura, an indigenously built guided missile stealth frigate.
RIMPAC 2016:
Theme:  Capable, Adaptive, Partners.
Course of Exercise: 30 June to 4 August 2016.
Participating Countries: 26
Participants: 45 ships, 5 submarines, about 200 aircrafts and 25000 personnel’s.
New Nations Taking Part for the first time: Denmark, Germany and Italy.
RIMPAC-Exercise:
♦ It is the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise conducted biennially during June and July of even-numbered years from Honolulu, Hawaii that is hosted and administered by the United States Navy’s Pacific Fleet (headquartered at Pearl Harbor).

BANKING AND FINANCE

State Bank of India secured $625 million from World Bank for Solar programme
State Bank of India has signed agreements with the World Bank for $625 million to support grid connected rooftop solar programme in the Country
Signed by: Karnam Sekar, Deputy Managing Director, SBI and Onno Ruhl, Country Director, World Bank India
Delegates: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das

RIL, SBI sign shareholder agreement for payments bank JV
i. Reliance Industries Limited went into partnership with banking major State Bank of India have signed the shareholder for the payment Bank.
ii. Upon this Agreement that was signed by RIL as promoter with a 70 per cent equity contribution and SBI as joint venture with a 30 per cent equity contribution.
iii. RIL and SBI earlier this year entered into a non­binding MoU to set out the principal terms. This would bring together the nation’s largest banking network and pan­-India telecom and retail setup.
Payment Bank:
♦ Payment banks can accept deposits restricted to Rs. 1 lakh per customer, and are allowed to pay customers interest on the money that is being deposited.
♦ The minimum paid-up equity capital for payments banks shall be Rs. 100 crore.
♦ These banks should have a leverage ratio of not less than 3 per cent, i.e., its outside liabilities should not exceed 33.33 times its net worth (paid-up capital and reserves).

Rs 43,000 crore undisclosed income unearthed in 2 years
i. The Income Tax Department has unearthed undisclosed income of Rs 43,000 crore from investigations during the past two fiscal years according to the Union Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia.
ii. In the total wealth Rs 21,000 crore have been found from department’s searches, the balance of Rs 22,000 crore have been disclosed from various surveys.
iii. The statement from the IT department also made it clear that the declaration window will not be extended beyond September 30.
iv. The department also cautioned holding such assets does not declare it with in the time means he or she will be liable for tax and penalty up to 120 per cent of the value of undisclosed asset, rigorous imprisonment up to 10 years and action under Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

RBI to study Blockchain technology to curtail paper currency
i.India’s Central Bank “Reserve Bank of India mulling to set up a committee to study the use of Blockchain technology”. It will be used to reduce the use of paper currency.
ii. The Technology is made by distributed database that maintains a continuously-growing list of data records secured against tampering and revision.
iii. The system’s database consists of blocks that hold time-stamped batches of valid transactions which is seen as the main technical innovation of bitcoin.
iv. In this technology digital records are put together into blocks and then leaped together cryptographically and chronologically into a chain using complex mathematical algorithms. The encryption process is termed as hashing.

State Bank of India launches ‘SBI Mingle’ – social media banking platform
i. Country’s largest lender State bank of India launched a social media banking platform for Facebook and Twitter users, called ‘SBI Mingle’ to help the customers with a host of banking services on their social media accounts, at their own convenience.
ii. It was launched by the SBI’s Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya on the occasion of 61st State Bank Day.
iii. Upon this initiative SBI customers have to register for this service through a simple one time registration process using either their account number or their ATM/Debit Card details.
iv. Now balance enquiry, mini statement, funds transfer within SBI as well as inter-bank and beneficiary management services are available for Facebook. While in Twitter, using hashtags the customers can find out their account balance and view mini statements.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

President Pranab Mukherjee presents BC Roy National Awards for 2008, 2009 & 2010
President Pranab Mukherjee gave away the Dr BC Roy national awards for 2008, 2009 and 2010 at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
These awards were presented on the occasion of National Doctors’ Day observed on July 1 to esteem and also to pay tribute to India’s most famous physician Bidhan Chandra Roy.
The Awardees:

BC Roy Award:
♦ The awards were coined by the Medical Council of India in 1976 in memory of renowned physician and former West Bengal Chief Minister Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy.
♦ The award is presented in various categories such as Statesmanship of the Highest Order in India, Eminent Medical Person, Medical man-cum-Statesman, Eminent person in Philosophy, Eminent person in Arts and Eminent person in Science.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Researcher develops non-invasive method to kill cancer cells in two hours
i. Scientists have developed a non-invasive method which can kill cancer cells in two hours, an advance that may considerably help people with inoperable tumours, as well as young children stricken with the deadly disease.
ii. The method involves injecting a chemical compound, nitro benzaldehyde, into the tumour and allowing it to diffuse into the tissue also a beam of light is then targeted at the tissue, causing the cells to become very acidic inside and, essentially, commit suicide.
iii. In two hours close to 95 per cent of the targeted cancer cells are dead are estimated to be dead according to the study made by Matthew Gdovin from University of Texas in the US.
iv. The findings creates hopes on cancer patients with tumours in areas that have proven problematic for surgeons, such as the brain stem, aorta or spine.

SPORTS

Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports grants recognition to Paralympic Committee of India
i. The Union Sports Ministry granted recognition to Paralympic Committee of India that helps to the several para-athletes who have qualified for Rio Paralympics.
ii. The Ministry decided to grant recognition after the International Paralympic Committee announced temporary lifting of suspension imposed on the national body last year so that Indians can take part under the tri-colour in the mega event to be held in Rio in September 2016.
iii. The committee had conducted free and fair elections with a former Justice of Allahabad High Court as Returning Officer was the key move for recognition by International Paralympic Committee, the Ministry considered the matter and has granted recognition to PCI.
iv. The IPC had also asked the PCI to implement the major reforms Programmes charted by the world body, failing which it could be deferred again.

Amla, Bravo in world record fifth-wicket T20 stand
i. Proteas Opener Hasim Amla and West Indies All-rounder Dwayne Bravo set a new world record for a fifth-wicket stand in Twenty 20 cricket of 150 in 92 balls for the Trinbago Knight Riders against the Barbados Tridents at Queen’s Park Oval in the Caribbean Premier League.
ii. In the record the Amla went on to score 81 from 54 balls having brought up his half century from 42 balls while Bravo made an unbeaten 66 with