DAILY CURRENT
AFFAIRS: 18 AUG 2017
(DAILY NEWS INDIA)
1.
CCEA APPROVES PROCEDURE AND MECHANISM FOR STRATEGIC DISINVESTMENT
i. Cabinet Committee on
Economic Affairs, chaired by the PM Narendra Modi, approved following two
proposals of Department of Investment and public Asset Management for strategic
disinvestment:
ii. An Alternative
Mechanism consisting of the Finance Minister, Minister for Road Transport &
Highways and Minister of Administrative Department will be set up to decide on
the matters relating to terms and conditions of the sale from the stage of
inviting of Express of Interests till inviting of financial bid.
iii. CCEA has also given
its nod for empowering the core group of Secretaries to take policy decisions
with regard to procedural issues and to consider deviations as necessary from
time to time for effective implementation of decisions taken by the Cabinet.
2.
CABINET APPROVALS AUGUST 16, 2017
i. Union Cabinet chaired
by PM Narendra Modi approved following bilateral agreements and initiatives:
ii. Union Cabinet has
approved a new Metro Rail Policy that seeks to enable realization of growing
metro rail aspirations of a large number of cities but in a responsible manner.
iii. Cabinet approves
creation of a single non-lapsable corpus fund for Secondary and Higher
education. Cabinet approves MoU between India and Sweden on IPRs.
iv. Cabinet approves
completion of balance works of North Koel Reservoir Project. Cabinet approves
closure of Andaman & Nicobar Islands Forest and Plantation.
v. Cabinet approves
raising Rs.9020 cr for long term irrigation fund.
3.
GST RELIEF FOR INDUSTRIAL UNITS IN HIMALAYAN, NE REGION TILL 2027
i. Cabinet Committee on
Economic Affairs chaired by the PM Narendra Modi has given its approval to the
Scheme of providing Budgetary Support under Goods and Service Tax Regime for
the eligible industrial units located in State of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttarakhand and North Eastern States including Sikkim.
4.
WORLD BANK PLEDGES $24.64 MN TO ENHANCE INDIA’S FOREST ECOSYSTEM
i. The Finance Ministry
and the World Bank has signed an agreement of $24.64 million from the Global
Environment Facility of the World Bank for ecosystem service improvement
project.
ii. The project’s
duration is for five years. The project would be financed entirely by the World
Bank out of its GEF Trust Fund.
iii. The objective of the
Project is to strengthen the institutional capacity of the departments of
forestry.
iv. The organization is
to enhance forest ecosystem services and improve the livelihoods of forest
dependent communities in central Indian highlands. Through Indian Council of
Forestry Research and Education under the National Mission for Green India the
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change will implement the project
in the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
5.
SBI HOLDS HOME LOAN UTSAV IN BENGALURU
i. State Bank of India
held two-day Home Loan Utsav at its local head office in Bengaluru.
ii. The loan Utsav saw
title sponsor is GM Infinite. Subtitle sponsors- Brigade Group, Salarpuria
Sattva and DSR Infra.
iii. The bank is offering
a 0.25% concession in interest rate from the fourth year of the home loan if it
is availed at the SBI Utsav. Those buying flats in real estate projects for
which SBI has extended loans can avail home loans in four days.
6.
KARUR VYSYA BANK INAUGURATES AADHAAR ENROLMENT CENTRE IN CHENNAI
i. Private sector Karur
Vysya Bank has unveiled the Aadhaar Enrolment Centre in Chennai. The Unique
Identification Authority of India had advised commercial banks to provide
Aadhaar enrolment and updation facility at various branches.
ii. KVB is the 1st
private sector bank to provide Aadhaar Enrolment Centre service in the country.
iii. Karur Vysya Bank
identified the branches and ensured early implementation of the service.
iv. Unique Identification
Authority of India, Assistant Director General and D M Gajare have inaugurated
the first Enrolment Centre at the Nelson Manickam Road branch.
v. Customers need to
bring in the approved documents as proof of residence and identity. The process
of enrollment or updating the details in AADHAAR can be completed in about 15
minutes.
vi. Karur Vysya Bank has
planned to expand the service to 75 more branches across the country.
7.
SOHAIL MAHMOOD TOOK CHARGE AS PAKISTAN’S NEW HIGH COMMISSIONER TO INDIA
i. Sohail Mahmood
Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India took charge at the High Commission.
Sohail Mahmood, a career diplomat, joined Pakistan’s Foreign Service in 1985.
ii. He holds Masters
Degrees in History and International Relations. His first posting abroad was in
Ankara, where he served at the Pakistan Embassy from 1991-1994. He has served
in various missions abroad, including Washington, New York and Ankara.
iii. He was Pakistan’s
Ambassador to Thailand from 2009-2013. Mahmood was Additional Secretary in the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad, where he earlier served as Director
General (2005-2009), Director (1995-1998) and Section Officer (1986-1991).
8.
REAL MADRID WON 2017 SPANISH SUPER CUP
i. Real Madrid won the
Spanish Super Cup for the 10th time with a 2-0 win over Barcelona. The Spanish
Super Cup held at Santiago Bernabeu on 16th of August 2017 and Real Madrid has
won by 5-1 on aggregate points.
ii. Marco Asensio and
Karim Benzema scored for Real Madrid to secure a 2-0 win over Barcelona in the
Spanish Super Cup. Real Madrid achieved the feat without Cristiano Ronaldo, who
was slapped with a five-game ban for pushing the referee after he was sent-off
in the first leg.
OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS BASED
ON TODAY’S NEWS
Q1.
UNION CABINET HAS GIVEN ITS APPROVAL TO THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN
INDIA AND _______ON COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY?
a) Greece
b) Italy
c) Sweden
d) Spain
Q2.
CABINET COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC AFFAIRS CHAIRED BY THE PM NARENDRA MODI HAS GIVEN
ITS APPROVAL TO THE SCHEME OF PROVIDING BUDGETARY SUPPORT UNDER GOODS AND
SERVICE TAX REGIME FOR THE ELIGIBLE INDUSTRIAL UNITS LOCATED IN STATE OF JAMMU
& KASHMIR, UTTARAKHAND, HIMACHAL PRADESH AND NORTH EASTERN STATES INCLUDING
SIKKIM TILL?
a) 2027
b) 2023
c) 2022
d) 2019
Q3.
UNION FINANCE MINISTRY HAS SIGNED A GRANT AGREEMENT OF $24.64 MILLION WITH
WHICH INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL ORGANISATION FOR ECOSYSTEM SERVICE IMPROVEMENT
PROJECT?
a) International Monetary Fund
b) World Bank
c) Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
d) Asian Development Bank
Q4.
WHO AMONG THE FOLLOWING HAS TAKEN CHARGE AS PAKISTAN’S NEW HIGH COMMISSIONER TO
INDIA?
a) Shahid Ali
b) Anees Akram
c) Nazeem Raza
d) Sohail Mahmood
Q5.
WHICH AMONG THE FOLLOWING FOOTBALL CLUB HAS WON THE SPANISH SUPER CUP FOR THE
10TH TIME?
a) Barcelona
b) Arsenal
c) Real Madrid
d) Manchester United
1 - C 2 - A 3
- B 4 - D 5 - C
