DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 29TH MAR 2017

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 29TH MAR 2017
(DAILY NEWS INDIA)
SHARED BY: WWW.DAILYGK.IN

1. WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CONGRESS 2017 TO BE HELD IN CANADA
i. The 9th edition of the World Environmental Education Congress is scheduled to be held in Vancouver, Canada from September 9-15.
ii. The 2017 theme will be Culture Environment: Weaving New Connections.
iii. The event is being hosted by the “Institute for Environmental Learning” based in British Columbia in cooperation with WEEC Permanent Secretariat.
iv. The World Environmental Education Congress is an international congress that provides a platform for anyone working for education for environment and sustainable future or who has an interest in the field.
v. The congress aims to build a relevant network among environmental NGO’s, civil society associations, universities, local authorities as well as institutions from any level.

2.  ODISHA BECOMES 1ST STATE TO BRING BANKING TO REMOTE RURAL AREAS THROUGH SHG
i. Odisha became the 1st Indian state to extend banking facilities to masses in unbanked areas through Self- Help Groups.
ii. To implement this initiative, Odisha State Government has signed an agreement with State Bank of India – the largest public sector bank of India.
iii. Odisha Govt.’s Odisha Livelihoods Mission is the main party (corporate agent) in this agreement with SBI. Around 3 lakh SHGs, currently operating under OLM will take up the role of Banking Correspondents.


3. 40 ANANYA BRANCHES OPENED BY SYNDICATE BANK
i. Manipal headquartered Syndicate bank opens 40 ‘Ananya’ transformed branches, digitally. The branches were inaugurated in the presence of Arun Shrivastava, its Managing Director and CEO.
ii. In addition to, bank also launched its first micro, small and medium enterprise hub in Bangalore.
iii. Project Ananya is a large scale transformation program which mainly focuses on improved customer service and offering latest in digital banking.
iv. The project was launched on February 2016 for a period of 2 years which is going to end up with 4 pillars of transformation: Business process re-engineering, Sales, Digital channels and Customer relationship management with HR transformation.

4.  KARUR VYSYA BANK RECEIVES ‘BEST SMALL BANK 2016’ AWARD
i. Tamil Nadu based Karur Vysya Bank has been honored as the ‘Best Small Bank for 2016’ at a function in Mumbai.
ii. The Bank was adjudged by Business Today in association with KMPG in Small Bank category with balance sheet size of less than Rs. 1 lakh cr.
iii. The award was received by Managing Director, KVB, K Venkataraman from Sudhir Munguntivar, Minister of Finance and Planning, Government of Maharashtra.
iv. The judgment was made on 3 broad parameters namely growth, size and strength in which KVB ranked among the top in major sub-parameters.

5.  ICICI BANK & TRUECALLER PARTNERS TO LAUNCH UPI-BASED ‘TRUECALLER PAY’
i. Mumbai based private sector lender, ICICI Bank partnered with Truecaller app to launch a UPI-based mobile payment service called ‘Truecaller Pay’.
ii. Truecaller Pay aims to provide quick and easy payment methods to mobile phone users in India.
iii. Truecaller Pay will allow users of the Truecaller app to instantly create a UPI id, send money to any UPI id or a mobile number registered with the BHIM app.
iv. All transactions of Truecaller Pay follow 2 factor authentication as per RBI guidelines for secure transfer of money.

6. INLCU L51 COMMISSIONED INTO INDIAN NAVY AT PORT BLAIR
i. INLCU L51, first of the 8 ships of the LCU MK IV Class was commissioned into the Indian Navy by Vice Admiral Bimal Verma, AVSM, Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command at Port Blair.
ii. INLCU L51 has been built by Kolkata-based M/s Garden Reach Ship Builders & Engineers Ltd. Commissioning of this ship holds special significance as it has been designed and constructed indigenously.

7.  ISRO JOINS 36TH INDIAN SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION TO ANTARCTICA
i. The Indian Space Research Organization officially declared that it has launched 4 teams to the 36th scientific mission to Antarctica.
ii. The mission has been organized by The National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences and Government of India. Climatic change is the main area of focus in this Expedition.
iii. The four teams that went to Antarctica are as follows: Space Applications Centre Ahmadabad with two members, National Remote Sensing Centre Hyderabad with 4 researchers, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing Dehradun with 1 scientist and Space Physics Laboratory VSSC Thiruvananthapuram with 3 members.

8. INDIAN ARMY RELEASES BOOK TITLED ‘HOME OF THE BRAVE’ ON RASHTRIYA RIFLES
i. Chief of the Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat released a book titled ‘Home of the Brave’ in New Delhi.
ii. The book highlights the history of the Rashtriya Rifles, the Counter Insurgency Force of the Indian Army.
iii. The book is authored by Mr Nitin A Gokhale, Defence & Security Analyst and Brig S K Chatterji (Retired).
iv. The book reflects the role of the RR in strengthening the professionalism of the Indian Army and military ethics and values throughout its rank and file. It has won many laurels in the operations.

OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS BASED ON TODAY’S NEWS

Q1. TRUECALLER HAS PARTNERED WITH WHICH BANK TO LAUNCH ITS UPI-BASED MOBILE PAYMENT SERVICE “TRUECALLER PAY”?
a)  Axis Bank
b)  HDFC Bank
c)  ICICI Bank
d)  State Bank of India
Q2. WHICH BANK HAS BEEN ADJUDGED THE “BEST SMALL BANK” AWARD FOR 2016?
a)  Dena Bank
b)  IDBI Bank
c)  Bandhan Bank
d)  Karur Vysya Bank
Q3. WHICH STATE HAS BECOME THE 1ST INDIAN STATE TO CARRY FINANCIAL INCLUSION AND EXTEND BANKING SERVICES TO UN-BANKED AREAS THROUGH SELF HELP GROUPS?
a)  Odisha
b)  Karnataka
c)  Tamil Nadu
d)  Kerala
Q4. WHICH COUNTRY TO HOST THE 2017 WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CONGRESS? 
a)  China
b)  Canada
c)  India
d)  Australia
Q5. THE BOOK ‘HOME OF THE BRAVE’ TRACES THE HISTORY OF?
a)  National Security Guards
b)  Border Security Force
c)  Rashtriya Rifles
d)  Central Industrial Security Force

ANSWERS: 

1 - C    2 - D    3 - A    4 - B    5 - C