DAILY CURRENT
AFFAIRS: 22 OCT 2017
(DAILY NEWS INDIA)
1. PM LAUNCHES DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES IN VADODARA
i. Prime Minister Narendra
Modi was on a visit to Vadodara, Gujarat. During the course of this visit, he
launched following development initiatives: PM dedicated to the nation, the
Vadodara City Command Control Centre; New Head Office Building of the Bank of
Baroda and Waghodiya Regional Water Supply Scheme.
ii. He laid the foundation stones of an integrated transport hub,
regional water supply schemes, housing projects, and a flyover.
iii. He also laid foundation stone for the capacity expansion of
the Mundra-Delhi petroleum product pipeline, and a greenfield marketing terminal
project of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, at Vadodara.
iv. Beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban, as
well as Rural) were handed over the keys to the houses by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi.
2. RBI CLARIFIES WHY LINKING OF AADHAAR WITH BANK ACCOUNT IS
MANDATORY
i. The Reserve Bank of India has clarified that linking of Aadhaar
to the bank account is mandatory under the Prevention of Money-Laundering
(Maintenance of Records) Second Amendment Rules, 2017 published in the Official
Gazette on 01st June 2017.
ii. The clarification comes after a section of the media reported
while quoting a reply to a Right to Information Act application that linking of
bank accounts with Aadhaar is not mandatory.
3. GOVT PERMITS BANKS TO SELL MORE SMALL SAVINGS SCHEMES
i. In order to encourage savings, Central Government has issued a
notification allowing all public sector banks and top three private sector
banks (ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and Axis Bank) to accept deposits under various
small savings schemes, which until now, were only sold through post offices.
ii. As per current interest rates, investments in the public
provident fund scheme will fetch 7.8% return while Kisan Vikas Patra
investments will yield 7.5% and mature in 115 months.
iii. Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme, the scheme related to girl
child savings offers 8.3% annually, whereas investment on 5-year Senior
Citizens Savings Scheme will yield 8.3 per cent, with the interest being paid
quarterly.
4. ACADEMICS TO GET SABBATICAL LEAVE TO BEGIN STARTUPS IN KERALA
i. Kerala government has given green signal to a proposal of the
state Startup Mission to accord sabbatical leave to the faculty members of all
colleges who intend to establish startups. An expert panel, headed by KSUM CEO
Saji Gopinath, will select 10 faculty members on a pilot basis for the
implementation of the project.
ii. The new initiative would help members of the academic
community in the state to become part of entrepreneurship, a statement.
According to the proposal, teachers can start their own startups, form their
groups or join as founders/co-founders along with students.
5. PM MODI INAUGURATES THE FIRST PHASE OF GHOGHA-DAHEJ RORO FERRY
SERVICE IN GUJARAT
ii. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the first phase
of ambitious Ghogha-Dahej Roll-on Roll-off ferry service at Ghogha in Bhavnagar
district in Gujarat.
ii. With the opening of this 615-cores rupees ferry service, the
distance between Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions could be covered in less
than an hour via-sea route. This passenger movement service reduced the
distance between the Ghogha and Dahej from 310 kilometres by road to just 30
kilometres, which can be covered in one hour.
6. PMLA: BANKS TO NOW MATCH ORIGINAL IDS WITH PHOTOCOPIES
i. The Government has made it mandatory for banks and financial
institutions to check the original identification documents of individuals
dealing in cash above the prescribed threshold, to weed out the use of forged
or fake copies.
ii. The Department of Revenue in the Finance Ministry has issued a
gazette notification making an amendment to the Prevention of Money-laundering
(Maintenance of Records) Rules.
7. APEDA TO PROMOTE NE PRODUCTS IN BANGLADESH AND MYANMAR
i. Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development
Authority an apex organisation under the Union Ministry of Commerce and
Industry will conduct programmes to promote products of north eastern India in
Bangladesh and Myanmar.
ii. Programme in Myanmar will be organised in association with
Indian High Commission in Yangon and is scheduled to be held in November 2017. Programme
in Bangladesh will be organised in association with Indian High Commission in
Dhaka and is scheduled to be held in first week of December 2017. In Bangladesh
the programme will be held in Dhaka as well as in Sylhet.
iii. APEDA scheduled products worth $396.44 million comprising
rice, vegetables, fruits, wheat, maize, dairy products and pulses were exported
to Bangladesh during 2016-17.
iv. APEDA scheduled products worth $24.15 million comprising rice,
maize, cereal preparations, fruits, rice and vegetable seeds were exported to
Myanmar during 2016-17.
8. ALKA YAGNIK AND UDIT NARAYAN TO GET LATA MANGESHKAR AWARD
i. The very popular playback singers Alka Yagnik and Udit Narayan
and the music composers Usha Khanna,
Bappi Lahiri, Anu Malik and have been selected for the Madhya Pradesh state
government’s prestigious National Lata Mangeshkar The artistes will be honoured
for their contribution in the field of singing and composition of music.
ii. The award, in the honour of Mangeshkar, will be presented on
October 26 at a function in Indore, the birthplace of the 88-year-old legendary
singer. Noted playback singer Sudesh Bhonsle and his team will perform at the
event.
iii. The award is alternatively given to music directors and
playback singers every year.
9. SIBI GEORGE, NEXT AMBASSADOR OF INDIA TO SWITZERLAND
i. Sibi George has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India
to Switzerland. He will replace Smita Purushottam.
ii. George is presently serving as Joint Secretary in the Ministry
of External Affairs. Mr. George has also served as deputy chief of mission of
Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia.
