DAILY CURRENT
AFFAIRS: 25TH & 26TH MAY 2017
(DAILY NEWS INDIA)
1.
WORLD’S SMALLEST NATION, NAURU HAS RATIFIED THE INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ALLIANCE
FRAMEWORK PACT.
i. Aaron Cook, Nauru’s
Commerce, Industry and Environment Minister handed over the ratification
document to Union Finance, Defence and Corporate Affairs Minister Arun Jaitley.
ii. The highest point on
Nauru’s terrain is only 65 metres above sea level. Thus it is extremely
vulnerable to rising sea level due to climate change.
iii. 30% of the Nauru’s energy needs are met
through solar power installations. Its Government has set a target to attain
50% of energy production from renewable sources by 2020.
2.
3RD RCEP INTER-SESSIONAL MINISTERIAL MEETING
i. 3rd Regional
Comprehensive Economic Partnership Inter-sessional Ministerial Meeting was held
in Hanoi, Vietnam.
ii. Trade Ministers of
all 16 RCEP countries participated in this meeting. Indian delegation to this
meeting was led by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
iii. As Philippines is
currently holding the Presidency of ASEAN, the RCEP Inter-sessional Ministerial
Meeting was chaired by Trade Minister and Industry Minister of Philippines -
Ramon Lopez.
3.
START UP INDIA SUMMIT HELD IN UAE
i. A two-day ‘Startup
India Summit’ was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
ii. This summit was held
by the Consul General of India in Dubai and Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi in
partnership with iSPIRIT, a nonprofit think tank and was supported by TiE
Dubai, a nonprofit association dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship.
iii. The summit aimed to
provide a shared platform for the Startup eco system in both, India and UAE for
greater collaboration, interaction with academia, exchange of ideas, investors
and industry and for having access to funding from the venture capitalist in
the UAE.
iv. 17 Startup companies
from India in the space of artificial intelligence, digi medicine, financial
technology, health care technology, innovative technology and software services
took part in the summit.
4.
IFFCO LAUNCHES DEBIT CARD FOR FARMERS IN COLLABORATION WITH BANK OF BARODA
i. Bank of Baroda has
signed a Memorandum of Understanding with IFFCO. The MOU has signed to launch
their 1st set of co-branded debit cards for the farmers.
ii. This step has been
taken to promote more digitalization and cashless economy. The debit cards has
a facility of overdraft of Rs 2,500 in special savings bank account.
iii. It is used for
purchase of various agri-products at IFFCO sale counters. Bank of Baroda is
engaged in providing various services, such as personal banking, international
banking, corporate banking, small and medium enterprise banking, rural banking,
non-resident Indian services and treasury services.
5.
ASHWIN WINS INTERNATIONAL CRICKETER OF THE YEAR AWARD
i. Ravichandran Ashwin an
Indian spinner was bagged with International Cricketer of the Year award at the
CEAT Cricket Rating International awards 2017.
ii. The ceremony was held
at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai. The award was presented by a former
Indian Cricket Captain Sunil Gavaskar and Chairman of RPG Enterprises Harsh
Goenka.
iii. Ashwin has won the
award 2nd time as he had won the ICC Cricketer of the Year award in 2016 as
well. With this, he has joined the ranks of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar.
6.
KIREN RIJIJU UNVEILS WORLD’S 1ST PHILOSOPHICAL NOVEL ON GOD IN DELHI
i. The world’s 1st
philosophical novel on God was presented by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju.
ii. IAS officer
Haulianlal Guite has published a philosophical novel for God titled
“Confessions of a dying mind: the blind faith of atheism. The book is termed as
“the world’s first philosophical novel for God“.
iii. Haulianlal Guite is
from Churachandpur district of Manipur. He is hailed as the 1st civil servant
to write on Philosophy after John Stuart Mill’s work titled “On Liberty”
published in 1858.
iv. The book defines
interesting arguments against atheism. It also explores the nature of science,
religion, evidence and love in light of latest findings of modern science and
the solid theories in philosophy.
7.
“A NEW BOOK “WINNING LIKE VIRAT: THINK & SUCCEED LIKE KOHLI” BY ABHIRUP
BHATTACHARYA”
i. A new book “Winning
like Virat: Think & Succeed like Kohli” is written by Abhirup Bhattacharya.
ii. The book discloses
the secrets of the cricketer’s consistent form, while attempting to decode his
philosophy towards life.
iii. Bhattacharya writes
in his book if we focus on Virat, the cricketer and the man, we will find some
extraordinary traits. His leadership skills, the ability to keep his cool under
pressure, a fearless attitude and a desire to win every game.
8.
RECENT APPROVALS BY CENTRAL GOVERNMENT: MAY 25, 2017
i. Union Cabinet has been
apprised of the Memorandum of Understanding between India and Bangladesh on
cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.
ii. Cabinet has given its
approval to raise Bonds of Rs. 2360 cr for renewable energy through the Indian
Renewable Energy Development Agency during the 2017-18.
iii. Cabinet approves
Joint Declaration of Intent between India and Germany regarding cooperation in
the sector of alternative medicine. Union cabinet has approved phasing out of
Foreign Investment Promotion Board.
iv. Cabinet has approved
the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Directorate General of
Health Services under Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare National
Transplant Organization, Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality, Spain
on cooperation in the organ and tissue procurement and transplantation
services.
v. Union Cabinet has
given its approval for establishment of new All India Institute of Medical
Sciences at Kamrup, Assam.
9.
J&K AGRICULTURE MINISTER LAUNCHES E-PLANT CLINICS
i. The J&K government
has launched an e-clinics service for farmers. It is being launched with an aim
to double farmers’ income by 2022.
ii. The Department of
Agriculture, in collaboration with Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences
International, has set up 15 plant clinics in Samba, Kathua and Jammu.
iii. By setting up of
these clinics will also help in achieving the goal of doubling the famers’
income by 2022. It also helps in protecting the crops from diseases.
10.
RBI ALLOWS CO-OPERATIVE BANKS TO ISSUE MOBILE WALLETS
i. Reserve Bank of India
announced that it has decided to permit all licensed co-operative banks having
their own ATM network to issue semi-closed prepaid payment instruments PPIs
like mobile wallets.
ii. A notification has
been issued by RBI which enlists strict norms and conditions to be followed by
co-operative banks before permitting them to issue wallets for utility bill
payments and other activities up to a limit of Rs 10,000.
iii. RBI has also laid
down following criteria:
a) Banks should be core
banking or CBS compliant, The net non-performing assets should be less than 3%,
There should be no monetary penalty being imposed on the entity during the last
two financial years.
b) The bank should be
profitable in the previous financial year, A comprehensive customer grievance
redressal mechanism should be set up and The bank should have internal and
audit inspection processes both for its branches as well as the head office.
11.
BHEL COMMISSIONS 270 MW THERMAL UNIT IN MAHARASHTRA
i. BHEL has commissioned
a 270 mw thermal unit in Maharashtra. The project is owned by Maharashtra State
Power Generation Company.
ii. The unit has been
commissioned at Parli Thermal Power Station, located in Beed district in the
Marathwada region of Maharashtra.
iii. BHEL has been a
major partner in the power development programme of the state. It has
commissioned 16,000 mw of power generation capacity in Maharashtra.
12.
SOCIALIST LENIN MORENO SWORN IN AS PRESIDENT OF ECUADOR
i. Lenin Moreno was sworn
in as President of Ecuador. The Lenin Moreno is
a socialist.
ii. Moreno is one of the
world’s few paraplegic heads of state and he said in his speech that he will
continue anti-poverty programs.
OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS BASED
ON TODAY’S NEWS
Q1.
WHICH AMONG THE FOLLOWING NATION RATIFIED THE INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ALLIANCE
FRAMEWORK PACT?
a) Nauru
b) Kenya
c) Morocco
d) Algeria
Q2.
3RD REGIONAL COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP INTER-SESSIONAL MINISTERIAL
MEETING WAS HELD ON 21-22 MAY 2017 IN:
a) Colombo, Sri Lanka
b) Hanoi, Vietnam
c) Wellington, New Zealand
d) Kathmandu, Nepal
Q3.
_________ AND IFFCO HAVE ROLLED OUT THEIR FIRST SET OF CO-BRANDED DEBIT CARDS
FOR FARMERS AS PART
OF A NOVEL INITIATIVE TO PUSH DIGITALISATION AND CASHLESS ECONOMY.
a) Punjab National Bank
b) State Bank of India
c) Bank of Baroda
d)
Corporation Bank
Q4.
WHO AMONG THE FOLLOWING HAS WON THE COVETED INTERNATIONAL CRICKETER OF THE YEAR
AWARD AT THE CEAT CRICKET RATING INTERNATIONAL AWARDS 2017?
a) Rohit Sharma
b) Virat Kohli
c) Brendon McCullum
d) R Ashwin
Q5.
WHO IS THE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK “WINNING LIKE VIRAT: THINK & SUCCEED LIKE
KOHLI”?
a) Abhirup Bhattacharya
b) Rajdeep Sardesai
c) Charu Sharma
d) Harsha Bhogle
ANSWERS:
