Current Affairs Today – July 3 2015

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Indian Affairs 

• Army Launches Software to Digitise Data on Soldiers
• CCEA approves Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana

Punjab CM Launched ePMS Portal On July2,2015

• As a part of nationwide ‘Digital India’ week, the Punjab Chief Minister Mr.Parkash Singh Badal launched the state Portal ePMS(Electronic Projects Management System) here at his official residence.
• This portal was developed and managed by the Cabinet Secretariat Informatics Division of National Informatics Centre (NIC),Rashtrapati Bhawan,New Delhi.
• To fast track infrastructure investment stalled projects,both in the public and private sectors, involving investment between Rs.100crores and Rs 1,000 crores.
• This project was started to enhance efficiency, bring transparency, boost the investor confidence, revive the investment cycle, eliminate the human interaction and improve the communication between industries to Government (B2G),State to Centre (G2G)or vice versa (G2B).

Airbus, Mahindra JV to make helicopters in India

• Airbus has partnered with Mahindra Group to establish a joint venture for manufacturing helicopters for the Indian Armed Forces.
• The joint venture between Airbus Helicopters and Mahindra Defence aims to become the “first private Indian helicopter manufacturer under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
• This venture would produce helicopters to meet the country’s military requirements.
• Airbus Helicopters President & CEO – Guillaume Faury
• Mahindra Defence Systems Chairman – S P Shukla

International Affairs 

UNHRC adopts resolution on Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims

• United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) adopted a resolution on addressing the human rights situation of Rohingya Muslimsand other minorities in Myanmar.
• This came after a regional crisis erupted with hundreds of migrants from the nation found adrift in the Bay of Bengal.
• The resolution condemns the systematic gross violations of rights and abuses committed against all, including Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State.
• In recent years, tens of thousands of persecuted Rohingya Muslims have fled on boats across the Bay of Bengal in search of better prospects.

Appointments

Dr Anup K Pujari joins as Secretary, MSME

• Dr Anup K Pujari has been appointed Secretary of Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).
• He succeeds Shri Madhav Lal whose tenure ended on 30 June 2015.
• Previously Mr Pujari was holding the charge of Secretary, Mines.
• He is an IAS of 1980 batch of Karnataka cadre. He is a post-graduate from the University of Boston, and a Doctorate in Economics. He has served the Central and Karnataka Government in various capacities.

Balaji appointed chief of ADA

• Cmde C D Balaji (Retd), Project Director, Light Combat Aircraft (Navy), today took over as the Director of Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADA) and Programme Director of LCA.
• He succeeds P S Subramanyam who superannuated on June 30.
• Balaji, commissioned into the Indian Navy in September 1978 in the Engineering Branch, has specialised in the Naval Aviation Arm, according to a Defence Research and Development Organisation release.

Awards

• Prof. Sanjeev Galande selected for G D Birla Award for Scientific Research 2014
• Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Conferred With Peru’s Highest Award

Fazle Hasan Abed, founder of Bangladesh-based poverty alleviation NGO wins World Food Prize 2015

• Fazle Hasan Abed who created a Bangladesh-based nonprofit organization for poverty alleviation was named the winner of the 2015 World Food Prize
• Abed founded BRAC- Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee which has helped more than 150 million people out of poverty in Africa and Asia and is expanding efforts to 10 additional countries.
• BRAC was created as a temporary relief organization to help with recovery from the 1970 typhoon and the subsequent war fought in 1971 to win independence from Pakistan

World Food Prize

• It is an international award recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity, or availability of food in the world.
• The winners receive $250,000

Banking & Finance 

SBI launches initiative to speed up home loan applications

• State Bank of India has launched an initiative ‘Project Tatkal’ to provide doorstep services and speed up home loans application process.
• Project Tatkal will help get the loan within 10 days after receipt of application form and relevant supporting documents.
• This project will be implemented at large centres with sizable home loan business.
• The bank has also introduced an online customer acquisition solution (OCAS) for instant e-approval of home loan applications.

FIPB approves Kotak Mahindra Bank’s proposal to increase FDI to 55%

• Kotak Mahindra Bank has got a go-ahead from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) for its proposal to increase foreign direct investment (FDI) in the bank to 55 per cent.
• The FIPB, which takes up FDI proposals where approval is not automatic, gave a green signal to Kotak Mahindra’s proposal in its meeting on Friday, following approval from the Department of Financial Services and the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion. The proposal was deferred four times before.
• India’s FDI policy allows 100 per cent foreign investment in banks. But Kotak Mahindra’s plan of launching a general insurance venture had made the matter complicated.
• The Insurance Amendment Act passed in March 2015, which increased the FDI cap in the sector to 49 per cent, stated that an Indian insurance company must be ‘Indian owned and controlled’.

Books & Authors

President of India receives first copy of book ‘Uniki’

• The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee received the first copy of the book ‘Uniki’ in Hyderabad today (July 3, 2015). The book has been written by Shri Ch Vidyasagar Rao, Governor of Maharashtra.
• The President received the book from Shri K Chandrashekar Rao, Chief Minister of Telangana who formally released it.

Important Days

NATIONAL DOCTORS’ DAY – JULY 1

• 1st July is celebrated as doctor’s day across India, which is very special for every medical practitioner.
• This day is celebrating to honour the physician and the second Chief Minister of West Bengal,Dr.Bidhan Chandra Roy.He was born on July 1, and died on the same date,aged 80 years.
• 1st Doctor’s day in india celebrated in 1991. This day helps people get awareness about precious care of Doctors.
• Doctor’s Day is celebrated in the US and other western countries on March 30-the day when Dr. Crawford W. Long first used ether anesthesia in surgery.

Obituary

Helsinki Olympics swimmer Adi Bharucha passes away

• Former Indian Olympic swimmer Adi Bharucha has died. He was 85 years old.
• He took part in Helsinki Olympics and had the distinction of representing Maharashtra State for nearly three decades at the Senior Nationals.
• He was the first recipient of the GMAAA Lifetime Achievement Award.

Keltron Founding Chairman K P P Nambiar Passed Away

• Kunnathu Puthiyaveettil Padmanabhan Nambiar aka K.P.P. Nambiar, founding chairman of Keltron,passed away on July 1st ,2015.
• Nambiar was credited setting up India’s first state-run electronics venture Keltron and India’s first IT park Technopark,in Kerala.
• He served as Secretary to the Department of Electronics during late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure.
• He started his career at Bharat Electronics, Nambiar worked with Texas Instruments in England and Tata in Mumbai.
• He was awarded Padma Bhushan by Government of India for his contributions to the field of technology in 2006.