Current Affairs Today – September 10 2016

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INDIAN AFFAIRS

Swachh Surveshshan Cleanliness Index – Mandi & Sindhudurg tops the list
i. Mandi in Himachal Pradesh is the cleanest district in the hilly areas of rural India whereas Sindhudurg in Maharashtra is the cleanest among districts situated in the plains; according to ‘Swachh Survekshan’ or the Cleanliness Index for Rural India released by rural development minister Narendra Tomar.
ii. A total of 22 hill districts and 53 plain areas were assessed under the Gramin Swachh Survekshan launched in May 2016. Mandi was judged as the cleanest district in “Hills” category and Sindhudurg as the cleanest in the “Plains” category, with districts of Sikkim, Shimla (Himachal Pradesh), Nadia (West Bengal) and Satara (Maharashtra) featuring at the top of the index.
iii. On the other hand Bikaner, Ajmer, Pali and Dungarpur in Rajasthan; Ahmedabad, Anand and Panchmahal in Gujarat; Gadag in Karnataka; Sirsa in Haryana and Perambaluru in Tamil Nadu make up the 10 worst performing in cleanliness rankings among the districts in plains.

Chhattisgarh Govt. inked a MoU with Ministry of Civil Aviation to boost regional air connectivity
i. Raman Singh lead Chhattisgarh Government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Civil Aviation in the presence of Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju to boost regional air connectivity within the state under the Centre’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) on September 9, 2016.
ii. Jagdalpur, Ambikapur, Raigarh and Bilaspur will get connected to state Raipur through air services.
Chhattisgarh :
♦ Ancient name of Chhattisgarh – Dakshin Kausal
♦ It is the 26^th state and separated from Madhya Pradesh on 1^st November 2001.

Govt launches registration module for Indian students studying abroad
i. Government of India has launched a registration module for them so that they can be reached in an emergency
ii. Student’s Registration Module has been started on madad.gov.in/ for Indian students studying abroad
iii. Students have to register about their details  on this module . Because Government  has no data regarding how many students are studying abroad . In case of emergency, the Embassy will be able to reach them

Mehbooba Mufti launches ‘CM Scooty scheme’ for girls
i. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti launched the “CM Scooty Scheme” for college girls.
ii. The scheme was launched in Srinagar and flagged off with the Chief Minister taking a ride on pillion seat of a scooter
iii. This is the first time in weeks that the state of Jammu and Kashmir is making headlines for a developmental scheme.
iv. The scheme is expected to support women in colleges who come from economically backward people to continue their education.
v. To get benefits of the scheme, a student should have at least 65 per cent marks and her family’s annual income should be less than Rs 4 lakh. Mufti distributed Scooties at two colleges for women — Women’s College Parade and Women’s College Gandhi Nagar. Both colleges have been allotted 150 scooties each.
vi. Of the 312 applications from Government College for Women Gandhi Nagar, only 150 met the criteria.Before two months state finance minister Dr. Haseeb A. Drabu declared   College going girl students would   be given a 50 percent subsidy on purchase of a Scooty.
♦ State: Jammu& Kashmir
♦ Capital: Jammu (in Winter) & Srinagar (in Summer)
♦ Governor: Narinder Nath Vohra

Odisha Govt. launches construction workers pension scheme
i. Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik declared  all registered construction workers above 60 years of age will get pension of Rs 300 per month while workers above 80 years of age will get pension of Rs 500 per month.
ii. The rule requiring a construction worker to be registered for a minimum of five years to benefit from the pension scheme has also been waived..
iii.It also includes the  widows of construction workers and physically challenged labourers will also come under the purview of the scheme.
iv.Financial assistance for mothers has been increased from Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 while seriously ill workers are provided Rs 3 lakh.
v.The state government has provided assistance of Rs 172 crore to 4 lakh construction workers under different scheme..
vi.Revenue minister Bijoy shree Routray, finance minister Pradip Amat, minister of state for labour Prafulla Mallik, minister of state for higher education Pradip Panigrahi, minister of state for sports and youth affairs Sudam Marandi, party MLAs and mayor Anant Narayan Jena are attended .
♦ Capital:Bhubaneswar
♦ Governor: Senayangba Chubatoshi Jamir

Centre sanctions Rs.359 crore to states for dalit welfare
i. The Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry sanctioned Rs.359.52 for the welfare of dalits as part of its special assistance scheme.
ii. Under the scheme of Special Central  Assistance (SCA) to Scheduled Class Sub Plan (SCSP) for the year 2016-17, the   amount of  Rs.359 crore has been released to 18 states.
iii.The main objective of this special central assistance for SCs was to give a thrust to family oriented schemes of economic development of SCs which are below the poverty line.
iv. 10% of the funds released as special assistance to states/UTs in a year can be utilised for infrastructural development programmes in villages having a dalit population of more than 50 per cent.
v. 15 % of the total funds released to the states/UTs should be utilised for economic development programme for SC women and five per cent for economic development of disabled persons among SC population.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Honoulu hosted IUCN World Conservation Congress 2016
i. IUCN World Conservation Congress held in the Hawaiian capital, Honolulu is hosted by the State of Hawaiʻi with the support of the Department of State of the USA. IUCN President Zhang Xinsheng officially opened the 6th IUCN World Conservation Congress aiming at conserving the nature, studying innovative approaches of conservation and harnessing the solutions nature offers to global challenges.
ii. The 2016 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Congress will focus on the theme “Planet at the Crossroads”.
iii. Among other objectives, the World Congress will launch the Hawai’i commitments: globally transformative and innovative conservation initiatives to meet the critical challenges and opportunities of our time, including the imperative to scale up action on biodiversity and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

QS University rankings – NUS, NTU bags their spots in top 15
i. The National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have maintained their spots among the top 15 varsities in the world, according to Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) global university rankings for 2016/2017.
ii. QS Ranked a total of 916 institutions this year. It surveyed more than 74,600 academics and 47,700 employers, and more than 3,800 institutions were considered. 
iii. The Singapore Management University (SMU) also made its debut in this year’s edition, entering in the 431-440 band. In comparison, NTU ranked 19th worldwide for this metric, while NUS ranked 25th.
iv. Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology emerged top in this year’s global rankings, while Stanford University overtook Harvard University to take second place.

South-East Asia Countries to set up fund to prepare for health
i. India along with 10 other member countries of WHO’s South-East Asian Regional Committee has decided to set up a dedicated fund in the 69th session of WHO Regional Committee Meeting at Colombo.
ii. This joint funding stream under the South-East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund (SEARHEF) to help countries better prepare for such events was seen by the countries as a key priority for the regional health agenda.
iii. The new funding stream will allow countries to invest in infrastructure and human resources that will enhance preparedness
iv. The region comprises 11 countries – Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste.

BANKING & FINANCE

World Bank and NDB agreed to strengthen cooperation especially in infrastructure
i. World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim and New Development Bank President K.V. Kamath signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) to strengthen their cooperation in addressing global infrastructure needs in Washington D.C on Sept. 9, 2016.
ii. This partnership paving the way for the two institutions to explore country-level cooperation that would primarily focus on infrastructure.
iii. This two institutions will explore and pursue opportunities for the co-financing of projects, facilitate knowledge exchange regarding their operations in accordance with their respective policies and procedures, explore opportunities for advisory services and facilitate secondments and staff exchanges.
World Bank:                                                        New Development Bank :
♦ Headquarters: Washington, D.C.,                      ♦ Headquarters: Shanghai‎, China
♦ Founded: December 27, 1945                           ♦ Founded: July 15, 2014
♦ President : Jim Yong Kim                                  ♦  President: K. V. Kamat

Tata Power, ICICI Venture team up, eye power assets
i. Electricity generator Tata Power  and ICICI Venture grouped together to take over stressed power assets in India.
ii. Tata Power holds a 26 per cent stake and ICICI Ventures holds 74 per cent stake in Resurgent Power Ventures.
iii. Tata Power manage the operations of the coal-fired and hydro power plants and  routed its equity in Resurgent through its wholly owned subsidiary Tata Power International.
iv.ICICI Venture responsible for organising equity and debt financing for the acquisitions Tata Power and it structured its investment through parent ICICI Bank’s Bahrain branch.

BUSINESS

Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer’s deal with DRDO under bribery cloud 
i. A major big defence corruption probe is prepared to  come to  India. It’s a joint US Brazil investigation into bribery charges against Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer that has been expanded to include the sales made to India.
ii.In July 2008, India signed a $210 million deal to acquire three Embraer 145 jets for its airborne early warning system programme.
iii.As per the deal, the radar and other systems would be developed by DRDO and the Brazilian firm would assist in integrating the system to the aircraft
iv.The contract was inked in 2008 with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for a project to develop a new range of early warning and control aircraft.
v.This was a result of investigation launched on the basis of the information US Department of Justice shared with Brazilian authorities.
vi.Embraer, which has not denied the charges, that it is cooperating with authorities on alleged violations, and confirmed that it has expanded an internal investigation.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award 2016 awarded to Jharana Das
i. Renowned Odia cine actress Jharana Das and renowned Odishi dance guru Kishore Kumar Mohanty were honored with the prestigious Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award 2016 for lifetime achievement.
ii. The annual awards were presented by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaikon the concluding evening of the 5-day 22nd Guru Kelu Charan Mohapatra Award Festival. The Award was instituted by Srjan in 1995 to generate a feeling of cultural amity among performing arts fraternity and acknowledging the excellence and contribution of great artists in the field of dance, music, theatre and cinema.
iii. Odia cine actress Jharana Das and renowned Odishi dance guru Kishore Kumar Mohanty were honored with the prestigious Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award 2016 for lifetime achievement.

UK Sikh Harnaam Kaur enters Guinness Records as youngest female with beard
i. Harnaam Kaur, a 24-year-old British Sikh model-cum- campaigner sporting a six-inch-long facial hair has entered the Guinness World Records as the youngest female with a beard.
ii. In March, she became the first female with a beard to walk the runway at London Fashion Week.
iii. Kaur has polycystic ovary syndrome, a hormonal condition that can result in the growth of excess facial hair.

Jharkhand Awarded 45th Skoch Merit Award
i. Jharkhand was awarded with the 45th Skoch Merit Award and Skoch Smart Governance Gold Award, 2016 which was held in Hyderabad
ii.The state clinched the ‘Mukhyamantri Jan Samvad Centre’ award after it came into the top hundred among many ambitious projects presented by different states.
iii.This programme was launched by Chief Minister Raghubar Das soon after he assumed office, which helped solve hundreds of problems and speeding up of works
iv.The main features among the Centre were toll free number 181, Jansamvad, jansamvad.Jharkhand.Gov.In, mobile application, Janata darbar and social networking site.
♦ Capital : Ranchi
♦ Governor : Draupadi Murmu

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

IDBI AMC(Asset Management Company) appoints Dilip Mandal MD & CEO
i. Dilip Kumar Mandal appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of IDBI Asset Management Company (AMC).
ii. Currently he was working as chief general manager & zonal head IDBI Bank, covering the states of Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, and Bhubaneswar.
IDBI Bank :
♦ Headquarters: Mumbai
♦ CEO: Kishor Kharat
♦ Founded: 1964

Vidya Balan appointed as brand ambassador of Samajwadi Pension Yojana
Bollywood actress Vidya Balan appointed as brand ambassador of the ambitious Samajwadi Pension Yojana by Uttar Pradesh government.
Samajwadi Pension Yojana :
♦ Samajwadi Pension Yojana is the pension schemes launched by Uttar Pradesh government on 28^th February, 2014.
♦ Objective : To encourage savings among people living below the poverty line and provide them financial assistance.
i. The scheme provides a monthly pension of Rs. 500 each rural family.
ii. The pension amount increases by Rs. 50 in the subsequent financial years.
iii. The maximum pension limit offered by the Samajwadi Pension Yojana scheme is Rs.750 per mont

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

China tests quantum radar capable of beating stealth technology
i. A Chinese firm has reportedly developed and tested a radar system that is capable of beating the stealth technology of modern military craft.
ii. The first Chinese quantum radar was developed by the Intelligent Perception Technology Laboratory of the 14th Institute in CETC. The radar was tested in mid-August.
iii. The system was able to detect a target at a range of 100 kilometers in a real-world environment. The device employs single photon detection technology
iv.Quantum radar is a device that uses quantum entanglement photons to provide better detection capabilities than conventional radar systems.
v.The technology have found application in the field of  biomedicine, since quantum radar requires lower energy and can be used to non-invasively probe for objects with low reflectivity such as cancer cells.

SPORTS

Pankaj Advani wins historic bronze medal at 6 Red Snooker World Championship
i. Pankaj Arjan Advani became the first cueist from India to win a medal at the prestigious Sangsom 6 Red Snooker World Championship as he settled for a bronze after losing the semifinal to Chinese Ding Junhui.
ii. Advani became the first in the world to hold both world and continental titles in 6-Red snooker at one  time
iii. In the quarterfinals, he received a walkover from Michael Holt who withdrew due to personal reasons.
iv. Pankaj Advani  is an Indian professional player of English billiards and former professionalsnooker player.
v. He also received  several awards such as —Arjuna Award in 2004, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2006, and Padma Shri in 2009

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Chris Gayle launches autobiography ‘Six Machine’ in Delhi
i. A Jamaican cricketer Chris Gayle has penned down his life story in an autobiography called – ‘Six Machine’.
ii. His autobiography was published by Viking – Penguin UK.
iii. The book was unveiled by Anurag Singh Thakur, President of the BCCI and Virendar Sehwag at a gala event in Delhi, which was organised by Dunamis Sportainment in association with Penguin India

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Suicide Prevention Day – September 10 2016
World Suicide Prevention Day is an awareness day observed on September 10^th every year
Aim : To provide worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides, with various activities around the world.
i. The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) with World Health Organization (WHO) and World Federation for Mental Health to host World Suicide Prevention Day.
ii. The United Nations issued ‘National Policy for Suicide Prevention‘ in the 1990s which some countries use as a basis for their suicide policies.
IASP :
♦ The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) is an international suicide prevention organization. Founded by Erwin Ringel and Norman Farberow in 1960