Current Affairs Today – September 18 2015

Dear Readers, We cover some important news in Current Affairs Today Section, which are not covered in Daily Detailed News, More Current Affairs coverage will help you to Score Good Marks in Competitive Exam.

• Current Affairs September 2015
• Current Affairs September Quiz 2015

Indian Affairs 

• India’s ranking slipped to 81st in Global Innovation Index 2015
• Govt launches three mobile-based services for EPF members
• NHAI global arm to build roads in Iran, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan
• Kerala’s Perumanna Grama Panchayat becomes first Panchayat to declare a water policy
• Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) launched by Government of India
• PM launches financial inclusion initiative in Varanasi

International textile fair VASTRA to be held in Jaipur

• The Fourth edition of the International textile fair ‘VASTRA’ will be held at Sitapura-based Jaipur Exhibition & Convention Centre (JECC).
• More than 300 overseas buyers from 56 countries would participate in VASTRA and Over 50 Indian buying houses would participate from Delhi, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The three-day exposition will cover around 250 stalls.
• Mrs Veenu Gupta, Principal Secretary, Industries and Marketing Director, RIICO said, “The USA, the UK, Japan, Australia, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Bulgaria, Africa, the UAE, among others, would participate in the International Textile and apparel fair”.

Ministry of Environment Recommends Ban on Multidose Vial of Diclofenac

• Based on Ministry of Environment recommendations, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has banned the sale of Diclofenac in multidose vial. It will be sold only in single-dose vial packaging.
• The commonly-used anti-inflammatory drug for cattle is considered the chief cause for the steep decline in the number of vultures in recent years.
• The drug is harmless to the cattle, but is fatal for the vultures. Studies have shown that the drug causes kidney and liver failure in vultures.
• Earlier, in 2006, the GOI had imposed a ban on the use of Diclofenac for treating cattle.

Odisha celebrates the Festival Nuakhai

• Nuakhai, is a festival of Harvest observed by the people of western Odisha in India.
• Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik have greeted the people of Odisha on this festival.
• Prime Minister, Narendra Modi said in a statement, “Nuakhai Juhar! Greetings to the people of Odisha as they celebrate the festival of Nuakhai. May this festival further happiness in society.”

India-Kuwait Joint Working Group 4th meeting held in New Delhi

• The 4th edition of India-Kuwait Joint Working Group on Hydrocarbons was held in New Delhi.
• Ashutosh Jindal, Joint Secretary (International Cooperation), Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Dr. Ahmad Al-Qattan, representative of the Kuwaiti Oil Sector were participated in the meeting.
• The previous meeting of India-Kuwait Joint Working Group was held in Kuwait
• Kuwait is the fourth largest oil supplier to India after Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Venezuela.

Actor Nana Patekar sets up Naam Foundation

• Actor, Vishwanath Nana Patekar has established Naam Foundation which will donate money to farmers, who are all affected by drought conditions. This foundation is the brainchild of Marathi actors, Nana Patekar and Makrand Anaspure.
• The foundation also will collect the money from the public to aid farmers.
• He has opened a bank account with State Bank of India. People who are all interested to donate money to this organization can deposit through this account. The account details are as follows,
• Current A/C No: 35226127148; IFSC Code: SBIN 0006319; Swift Code: SBININBB238.
• The foundation would also offer employment to youth in villages that are affected by drought conditions.

Madhya Pradesh launches M-Shiksha-Mitra mobile app for teachers.

• Madhya Pradesh School Education Minister, Paras Jain has launched M-Shiksha-Mitra mobile app for teachers.
• It has been developed by National Informatics Centre (NIC)
• M-Shiksha-Mitra mobile app has more number of facilities which will ease the work of teachers in a simple way.
• Teachers can download this app from Google Play Store of their Android Phone.
• Teachers can apply for leave through this application and also mark their attendance.
• They can register grievances relates to school and student with photograph. The can also register Out Of School Childrens(OOSC)/ Children With Special Needs(CWSN)
• Teachers can View their pay slip, NPS details, circulars, alerts, notices, scholarship details of student and also birthday of their colleague.
• M-Shiksha-Mitra mobile app also provides 200 free SMSs to the users.

International Affairs 

Coast of Chile hit by 8.3 Magnitude of earthquake.

• Atleast Eleven people have been killed and 1 million evacuated from their homes after a 8.3 magnitude earthquake –the strongest earthquake of this year in the World.
• More than 500 houses were damaged due to the earthquake.
• Michelle Bachelet, President of Chile declares a state of emergency in a central region struck by a powerful earthquake.
• Coquimbo, close to the epicentre, saw tsunami waves of 4.7m (15ft) height after the powerful earthquake.
• Small tsunami waves were felt along the west coast of the Canada and also in US. One-metre (3ft) wave also reached in Hawaii.

Awards

• President of India presents National Tourism Awards
• Vishwakarma Rashtriya Puraskar and National Safety Awards for the Performance Year 2013 Presented

Appointments & Resigns

Nikolai Snesarev resigned as National Athletic Coach

• Dr Nikolai Snesarev resigned as National Athletic coach due to poor infrastructure and a lack of facilities. But his contract runs till the end of 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
• Nikolai Snesarev has sent his resignation letter to Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and also the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
• He resigned from the position under the Article 21 of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Constitution.
• According to that Article, One has to give a month’s notice before terminating the contract midway.

AFI:

• The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) – apex body of Athletics in India
• AFI is associated with both Asian Athletics Association (AAA) and International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

Cognizant appoints Zein Abdalla to Board of Directors

• Cognizant Technology Solutions has appointed former president of Pepsico Zein Abdalla to its Board of Directors.
• Zein Abdalla was served as a president of PepsiCo from 2012 through his retirement in December 2014.
• Zein Abdalla has no direct or indirect relationship with Cognizant or its subsidiaries and He is considered an independent director.
• He will also serve on the Company’s Audit Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Zein Abdalla will serve as a Board member until the Company’s annual stockholders’ meeting in 2016.

About CTS:

• More than two thirds of its employees are based in India. Cognizant is listed in the NASDAQ -100 and the S&P 500 indices.
• Headquarters: Teaneck, New Jersey, US
• Cognizant CEO: Francisco D’Souza.

ULFA(I) declares Dr Abhijit Asom as its chairman not Dr Mukul Hazarika 

• United Liberation Front of Asom ULFA (Independent) has claimed that Dr Abhijit Asom is their chairman and not Dr Mukul Hazarika.
• Earlier, National Investigation Agency (NIA) issued a summon to ULFA (Independent) chairman Dr Abhijit Asom alias Dr Mukul Hazarika.
• ULFA(Independent) publicity wing assistant secretary ‘Captain’ Arunudoy Asom said, “We make it clear that Dr Abhijit Asom is the chairman of our United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent). Along with the people of Assam, we know that Dr Mukul Hazarika works for protection of human rights with an organisation called ‘Assam Watch’.”

Centre accepts the Nehru Memorial Museum director’s resignation

• Mahesh Rangarajan resigned as director of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML).
• Minister of State for Culture (Independent charge) Mahesh Sharma said, The Executive Council of the NMML under the chairmanship of Lokesh Chandra has accepted the resignation of Mahesh Rangarajan.
• Earlier Minister of State for Culture (Independent charge) Mahesh Sharma criticized that the appointment of Mahesh Rangarajan was illegal and unethical.

About NMML:

• Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) founded in the memory of Jawaharlal Nehru.
• NMML is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture, located at Teen Murti House, New Delhi.

Acquisitions & Mergers

The Blackstone Group acquires Serco Group plc

• The Blackstone Group L.P, US based Private investment banking company has repurchased the India based BPO operations of UK’s Serco Group Plc for Rs.2558crore.
• This is the largest acquisition by the company in India.
• In 2011, Blackstone sold Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) operations to Secro Group plc for 383 million USD.
•  The business will be rebranded and revived as “Intelenet Global Services”
• Senior MD and co-head of PE in India at Blackstone – Amit Dixit.
• Headquarters of The Blackstone Group L.P – New York, US

Sports

IOC officially names 5 candidates to host 2024 Summer Olympics

• International Olympic Committee has announced name of five cities to host 2024 Summer Olympics.The five cities are

Los Angeles – US
Paris – France
Rome – Italy
Budapest – Hungary
Hamburg – Germany

• Los Angeles – It hosted the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games.
• Paris – Paris hosted the 1900 and 1924 Olympics.
• Rome – It hosted 1960 summer Olympics officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad
• Budapest and Hamburg – Budapest and Hamburg never host the Olympics.
• Hungary is one of the 10 most successful medal winning countries at the Summer Olympics.
• Hamburg, Germany’s sportiest city have 80% of people who participated in at least one sport for every week.

Books & Authors

Salman Rushdie’s Two Years Eight Months and Twenty Eight released

A book titled “Two Years Eight Months and Twenty Eight Nights” written by the British Indian novelist Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie was released.

About Salman Rushdie:

• The British Indian Novelist, Salman Rushdie is born on 19th June 1947.
• He won the prestigious Man Booker Prize for his second novel ‘Midnight’s Children’ in 1981.
• He also won ‘The best of the Booker (2008)’ and ‘Canadian Screen Award for Adapted Screenplay (2013)’ for the same novel Midnight’s Children.