Current Affairs Today – May 2 2016

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INDIAN AFFAIRS

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister launched Chandranna Bima Yojana

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated an insurance scheme – Chandranna Bima Yojana for the working class people on May Day

Venue: Vijayawada
Investment: Rs. 132 Crore for the implementation

Features of the Scheme:

(i)   5 Crore workers would be covered under the scheme

(ii)  5 Lakh would be paid if the Insurer worker met with an accidental fatal

(iii) 5 Lakh for Permanent disability and Rs. 3 Lakh for Partial disability

Swachh Bharat Mission funds released in Punjab to achieve clean India Mission

Odisha Skill Development Authority becomes operational

The Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced Odisha Skill Development Authority, Which will become operational from May 1.

(i)   The programme will be headed by IT entrepreneur Subroto Bagchi.

(ii)  The new iniative will guide, implement, coordinate and oversee all skill development Programmes also to ensure quality skill training standards and sustained employability of trained youths.

(iii) The programme head will be accorded the rank of a Cabinet Minister in the state and draw a salary of only Re 1 a year for his service.

Subroto Bagchi:

• Bagchi was born at Patnagarh in Bolangir and studied in Utkal University.
• He started his career working in industries department in the Odisha government and went on to become a globally renowned IT entrepreneur.

Madhya Pradesh High Court terms reservation in promotions in the State as unconstitutional

The Madhya Pradesh high court struck down reservations for scheduled castes and tribes in government job promotions.

Keys:

1. Capital: Bhopal
2. Governor: Ram Naresh Yadav

Three sites in the state have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO
1. Khajuraho Group of Monuments(1986) including Devi Jagadambi temple,
2. Rewa,Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi(1989)
3. Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003).

MoU signed for setting up of IIT in Jammu

Jammu and Kashmir government has signed a MoU with Delhi IIT to establish Indian Institute of Technology in the Jammu & Kashmir. Regular classes will commence from the current session in the temporary campus

(i)   The MoU has been signed by Higher Education Secretary Hemant Kumar Sharma and Director, IIT Delhi Prof. V Ramgopal Rao.

(ii)  The state government is committed for setting up IIT Jammu with highest standards in a par with other IITs in the country.

(iii)  Around 625 acres of land has been sanctioned at Jagti in Nagrota for the purpose of setting up an IIT Jammu.

Govt launches MICE initiative for upgradation of tourism sector

Union government has launched an initiative named MICE which is based on meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions for the upgradation of tourism sector in India. The tourism Minister Makesh Sharma in the Lok Shaba during question hour.

(i)  Tourism Ministry allocated funds to the States and Union Territories’ administrations to develop tourism-related infrastructure.

(ii)  Earlier Tourism Ministry has launched Swadesh Darshan scheme to develop time-bound tourist circuits in the country.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Wipro, partners set up Saudi Arabia’s first all-women biz park

Bengaluru based IT major Wipro joined with Oil major Saudi Aramco and Princess Nourah University (PNU), inaugurated Saudi Arabia’s first all women business and technology park (WBP).

(i)  The move intended to create 21,000 jobs by 2025 and give women a critical role to play in a way that serves the objectives of the nation and to build a knowledge economy with societal and international partnerships.

(ii)  World largest oil major Saudi Aramco as the strategic advisor and anchor of this initiative.

(iii) The move also facilities and infrastructure at the park set in Riyadh, as well as training and employing up to 21,000 Saudi women.

BANKING & FINANCE

Paytm ties up with Wipro for payments bank

Mobile payments major Paytm has joined hands with Bengaluru based IT major Wipro Ltd to create the requisite technology infrastructure for its payment bank Which is said to start its operations soon.

(i)  This tie up is to implement the core banking solution for Paytm and also programme managing the integration of other key systems like the anti-money laundering solution and the regulatory reporting solution.

(ii) The IT major Wipro will service to Paytm in interface its existing systems with the core banking solution.

Payment Banks:

• The RBI granted in principle approval for payment banks to 11 entities, including big names like Reliance Industries, Aditya Birla Nuvo and Tech Mahindra, as also Airtel and Vodafone.
• The objectives such banks will be to further financial inclusion by providing small savings accounts and payments/remittance services.

BUSINESS

Zone Startups to launch accelerator for women entrepreneurs

Mumbai based Zone Startups to launch empoWer to support women entrepreneurs who are building technology ventures. Zone Startups India is supported by Department of Science and Technology.

(i) This is the six-week Programme and will be a first-of-its-kind. It is an international footprint of the Ryerson University and the BSE Institute of BSE

(ii) As part of the accelerator programme and various bootcamps, workshops, demo days hosted by us, we realised the need for a focused programme that works with women entrepreneurs in tech businesses.

Apollo Hospitals signs MoU with Osler Health for research in chronic disease

Chennai based Apollo Hospitals has signed a MoU with William Osler Health System aims to positively impact the health and wellness of the patients they serve.

(i) Under this iniative scientists at the two organisations will begin by identifying areas of cooperation, collaboration and innovation, particularly around the range of diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
(ii) As Part of this move both sides will initiate a pilot project to enhance the continuity of care for patients with complex needs travelling between India and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in Canada for extended periods of time.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Indian Institute Science Professor Sriram Ramaswamy became Royal Society Fellow

Three eminent Indian Born scientists listed in the fifty scientists elected as Fellows of the Royal Society, a premier scientific academy of the U.K and the Commonwealth.

(i)   Physicist Sriram Ramaswamy, Director of TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Hyderabad

(ii)  Biochemist Ramanujan Hegde, MRC Laboratory of Microbiology, U.K.

(iii) Applied mathematician Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan, Harvard University

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Housing.Com appoints DilipTuli as Senior VP

Mumbai-based real estate search portalhas appointed DilipTuli as seniorvice president for strategy and new business initiatives.

(i)  Prior to his new appointment he was a director with the deal advisory division at KPMG consultancy.

(ii) Dilip will assist Locon with company’s strategy and oversee new business initiatives such as transaction facilitation and fulfillment services.

Dilip Tuli:

• Tuli graduated in Commerce from the Shri Ram College, Delhi University, is a chartered accountant and a CFA Charter from CFA Institute.

Rohit Sharma Signs as Brand Ambassador forHublot Watches

Rohit Sharma became the Brand Ambassador of world famous Swiss luxury watch maker Hublot. The Mumbai batsman is the second cricketer who have been assigned for the role.

(i)   Earlier renowned cricketer after former Australian captain Michael Clarke have been associated with the brand.
(ii)  He will be seen promoting the Hublot’s signature Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph edition in the upcoming days.
(iii) The Swiss Watch company observed a lot of common between the Brand and Rohit Sharma as he combines traditional batting technique with entertainment.

 ENVIRONMENT

Amazon surprises with new reef system

Scientists from University of Georgia in the U.S. and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro have discovered a new reef system at the mouth of the Amazon River

(i)  The study observed that a massive coral reef that stretches for some 600 miles.

(ii) The reef system extents over 3,600-square miles along the ocean floor, stretching from French Guiana to Brazil’s Maranhao

(iii) As large rivers getting vacant into the world’s oceans in areas known as plumes they create gaps in the reef distribution along the tropical shelves that makes finding a reef in the Amazon plume. Scientists carried out an expedition to study the Amazon River plume looked for evidence of a reef system along the continental shelf.

Amazon River:

• The largest river by discharge of water in the world, also second longest in length.

SPORTS

Indian Shooters Bag 3 gold, 1 Bronze at ISSF Junior World Cup

Nico Rosberg wins F1 Russian GP

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany controlled the Russian Grand Prix to take top position in his fourth consecutive victory in a row this season.

(i) The British man started 10th after an engine issues in qualifying but after repairs he drove an exceptional race to limit the damage to his title hopes.

(ii) In the contest Hamilton now lag behind by 43 points in second, with Raikkonen a further 14 points adrift in third spot.

Russia:

• Capital: Moscow
• Currency: Russian Ruble

OBITUARY

Former Jan Sangh president Balraj Madhok passes away

Former Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) President Balraj Madhok died at age 96, after being ill for above a month.

• Balraj became a full-time member of the RSS in 1942 and politically active in Jammu and Kashmir.

Balraj Madhok:

(i)  He was born in 1920, in Jammu and Kashmir, he led the BJS to its biggest ever win in 1967 when it won 35 seats in the LokSabha.

(ii) Madhok was also a founder of the Akhil Bharatiya VidyarthiParishad (ABVP), He was Initially associated with the PrajaParishad Party in Jammu, Madhok joined hands with others to form the Jana Sangh.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

No Time to Pause – book by Pavithra Ramesh

Pavithra Ramesh released her debut novel named No Time to Pause, which is the story about a girl who, for want of privacy and independence goes to college in a different city.

• The book chronicles the life of a typical college student who chooses to reside miles away from her family to get value education.

Pavithra Ramesh:

(i)  Pavithra did her schooling in Dubai, her journalist-father was employed with a leading newspaper. She is from Chennai.

(ii) She is a graduate from Mount Carmel College in Bengaluru, she also has been an excellent academic performer emerging as the second topper in Commerce Stream in her CBSE Board exam.