DAILY CURRENT
AFFAIRS: 2 AUG 2017
(DAILY NEWS INDIA)
1.
RCEP TRADE NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE MEETING HELD IN HYDERABAD
i.
19th round of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Trade Negotiating
Committee meetings and other related meetings were held in Hyderabad, India.
ii.
The Meeting was inaugurated by Rita Teaotia, Secretary, Department of Commerce,
and Government of India. During the 19th round, parallel meetings were held by
the 3 main Working Groups on Trade in Goods, Trade in Services and Investment,
including their respective Sub-Working Groups.
2.
CONSTITUTION 123RD AMENDMENT BILL PASSED WITH AMENDMENT IN RAJYA SABHA
i.
Constitution 123rd Amendment Bill, 2017 for setting up of a National Commission
for Backward Classes was passed by Rajya Sabha after dropping an important
clause.
ii.
Rajya Sabha passed the bill by dropping Clause 3 which pertains to the
insertion of a new article 338B about the constitution and powers of the National
Commission for Backward Classes.
iii.
One amendment sought increase in the number of members of the proposed
commission from three to five with reservation for a member from a minority
community and another for women. Another amendment spoke about protecting the
rights of states by making their recommendations binding.
3.
PM MODI ANNOUNCES RS.2,350 CR RELIEF PACKAGE FOR FLOODS IN NORTH EAST REGION
i.
The PM Narendra Modi has announced a package of Rs 2350 cr for relief,
rehabilitation and building flood mitigation infrastructure in the
flood-affected North-Eastern states including Assam.
ii.
The PM announced to set up a high-powered committee to find a long-term
solution to the flood and erosion problem in the North east region.
iii.
Out of the Rs 2350 cr announced by the PM, Rs 1200 cr will be given by the
Union. The Union Government will also provide Rs 100 cr for carrying out the
study by the high-powered committee to synergize efforts towards finding
time-bound long term solutions to recurrent floods in the region.
iv.
The funds will be utilized for repair, maintenance, and strengthening of roads,
highways, bridges, and other damaged infrastructure. In the current financial
year, the Union Government has approved Rs 600 cr as central share of SDRF for
Assam.
4.
AIRTEL PAYMENT BANK TIES UP WITH HPCL FOR ATM SERVICES
i.
Airtel Payments Bank, India’s 1st payments bank has announced a strategic
partnership with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited.
ii.
Under which 14,000 HPCL fuel stations will act as banking points for Airtel
Payments Bank. It also offer facilities such as opening of account, cash
deposit and cash withdrawal to the payment bank’s customers.
iii.
Airtel Payments Bank customers will also be able to make digital payments for
fuel purchases across 14,000 HPCL fuel stations by using their mobile phones.
These cashless payments can be made via smartphones (MyAirtel App) as well as
feature phones (USSD).
iv.
There is no transaction fee for these digital payments. Airtel Payments Bank’s
range of services includes: a) Digital Banking: Paperless account opening using
Aadhaar based e-KYC.
b)The
customer’s mobile number will be his/her bank account number. Interest rate of
7.25% per annum on deposits in savings accounts.
d)
Money transfer to any bank account in India and Free personal accidental
insurance of Rs 1 lakh with every savings Account.
5.
MUKESH AMBANI BECOMES ASIA’S 2ND RICHEST PERSON
i.
Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani has become Asia’s 2nd richest person
with Net worth $35.2 billion. He has overtaken Hong Kong business magnate Li
Ka-shing to become Asia’s second-richest man.
ii.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Ambani’s wealth has seen a rise
of $12.1 billion with the oil-to telecom conglomerate’s shares.
iii.
LiKa-shing is the richest man in Hong Kong with a business empire that ranges
from telecommunications to retail and
port.
6.
SAMEER GARDE NAMED CISCO PRESIDENT FOR INDIA, SAARC REGION
i.
Tech giant Cisco has named Sameer Garde as President for its India and SAARC
operations.
ii.
Garde would join the company on 1st Aug 2017. He succeeds Dinesh Malkani. He
will be responsible for Cisco’s senior-level external engagement, including
those with government and industry associations
7.
NITI AAYOG VICE CHAIRMAN ARVIND PANAGARIYA RESIGNS
i.
Arvind Panagariya, the first vice-chairman of NITI Aayog announced his
resignation from office. Arvind was
considered to be PM Narendra Modi’s personal pick for economic reforms.
ii.
He is an economist and a professor of economics at Columbia University.
Panagariya has earlier been the Chief Economist of the ADB and a Professor of
Economics and Co-director, Centre for International Economics, the University
of Maryland at College Park.
iii.
Panagariya has also worked for the World Bank, International Monetary Fund,
World Trade Organisation, and the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development in various capacities.
iv.
He has also written and edited 10 books, his latest being India: The Emerging
Giant, which was published in March 2008 by the Oxford University Press, New
York.
i.
Lt General Abhay Krishna has appointed as the Chief of the Indian Army’s
Eastern Command.
ii.
Krishna succeeds Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi who has retired from service. Krishna
was currently serving as the Head of the Army’s Jaipur-based Southwestern
Command.
iii.
He is a gallantry award winner in counter insurgency operations in Manipur and
commanded Rashtriya Rifles Battalion in the Kashmir Valley.
OBJECTIVE
QUESTIONS BASED ON TODAY’S NEWS
Q1.
19TH ROUND OF THE REGIONAL COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP TRADE NEGOTIATING
COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND OTHER RELATED MEETINGS WERE IN?
a) New Delhi
b) Mumbai
c) Jaipur
d) Hyderabad
Q2.
PRIME MINISTER, NARENDRA MODI HAS ANNOUNCED A PACKAGE OF RS ______ C FOR
RELIEF, REHABILITATION AND BUILDING FLOOD MITIGATION INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE
FLOOD-AFFECTED NORTH-EASTERN STATES INCLUDING ASSAM?
a) 2350 cr
b) 1350 cr
c) 4350 cr
d) 3350 cr
Q3.
WHICH COMPANY HAS NAMED SAMEER GARDE AS PRESIDENT FOR ITS INDIA AND SAARC
OPERATIONS?
a) Microsoft
b) Cisco
c) IBM
d) Facebook
Q4.
WHO AMONG THE FOLLOWING HAS BEEN APPOINTED AS THE CHIEF OF THE INDIAN ARMY’S
EASTERN COMMAND?
a) Lt General Abhay Krishna
b) Lt General Pawan Tomar
c) Lt General Sandeep Menon
d) Lt General Ajay Rajput
Q5.
WHO AMONG THE FOLLOWING HAS OVERTAKEN HONG KONG BUSINESS MAGNATE LI KA-SHING TO
BECOME ASIA’S 2ND-RICHEST MAN?
a) Uday Kotak
b) Dilip Sanghvi
c) Mukesh Ambani
d) Anil Ambani
ANSWERS:
1 - D 2 - A 3 - B 4 - A 5
- C
