DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 16 OCT 2017

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 16 OCT 2017
(DAILY NEWS INDIA)
SHARED BY: WWW.DAILYGK.IN

1.      PARLIAMENTARY PANEL UNDER BJP MP B C KHANDURI TO EXAMINE OPERATIONAL PREPAREDNESS OF ARMED FORCES
i. A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, headed by BJP MP B C Khanduri will examine the operational preparedness of the armed forces. Next meeting of this committee is scheduled to be held in November 2017.
ii. Procurement policy relating to defence equipment. Critically review accidents involving strategic defence assets. It is to be noted that recently several accidents have been reported involving Indian Navy ships and Indian Air Force helicopters.
iii. To look into the quality of ration given to the forces especially in border areas. Major research and development initiatives, including private sector participation will also be assessed.
iv. The committee will also discuss measures to revamp training for defence personnel in the light of latest technological advancements.


2.      RAJASTHAN ASSEMBLY BECOMES FIRST IN INDIA TO CALL MOTIONS ONLINE
i. Rajasthan State assembly has become the first in India to call attention and adjournment motions and proposals online from legislators.Rajasthan Assembly becomes first in India to call motions onlinei. The new online system was inaugurated by Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Speaker Kailash Meghwal by sending a call for an attention motion to the state government with a click of mouse.
ii. Besides saving time, labour and use of paper in the functioning of the assembly, the online system will also help legislators in bringing attention to urgent public issues.
iii. The new online system will facilitate smooth exchange of information and reports among respective departments.
iv. National Informatics Centre has set up a help desk at the secretariat to provide assistance to state government staff in getting used to the new system.

3.      UNION BANK LAUNCHES UNION SAHYOG APP
i. Union Bank of India launched an Android app named, ‘Union Sahyog’, as a part of its efforts to digitise customer-facing banking services. The Union Sahyog app was launched by RajKiran Rai G, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Union Bank of India. This App is bilingual, offered in both English and Hindi.
ii. The Union Sahyog App consists of: all mobile-based banking applications, missed call/SMS-based services, Internet banking login and self-user creation, deposit and loan product information, online account opening, online loan application, online complaints, RTI, branch locator, EMI calculator, social media links and digital banking information.
iii. Union Sahyog is currently available for download on the Google Play Store. An iOS version is in development process.

4.      3. GDP MAY GROW AT 7% IN FINANCIAL YEAR 2017-18: NITI AAYOG
i. According to NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar, the economic slowdown that began in 2013-14 has bottomed out and the GDP is likely to grow at 6.9-7 % this fiscal (2017-18) and 7.5% in 2018-19. The economic growth slowed to 7.1% in 2016-17, the year in which 87% of the currency was demonetised, despite a very good show by the agricultural sector.
ii. On a quarterly basis also, the growth in the first quarter of the current fiscal had slipped to 5.7%. In the next fiscal year, the growth would be about 7.5%.

5.      YES BANK PARTNERS WITH ABU DHABI GLOBAL MARKETS FOR COLLABORATION ON FINTECH
i. Abu Dhabi Global Market, the International Financial Centre in Abu Dhabi, and Yes Bank have signed a MoU, to further encourage cross-border exchange between the fintech ecosystems of the United Arab Emirates and India.
ii. The collaboration will enable fintech innovators from the Middle East region and India to apply into Yes FinTech programmes and the ADGM’s Regulatory Laboratory, and will get the opportunity to expand into each other’s markets.
iii. Yes Bank is India’s 5th largest private sector bank. It has an in-house fintech accelerator named Yes FinTech. Yes FinTech is a platform for Yes Bank and fintech startups to co-create innovative solutions and participate in taking the solution to the bank’s customers.

6.      GOVERNMENT APPOINTS MK GUPTA, DK GAYEN AS NEW RAILWAY BOARD MEMBERS
i. The Government of India appointed MK Gupta and DK Gayen as new members in the Railway Board.
ii. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of Mahesh Kumar Gupta and DK Gayen. D. K. Gayen is presently the General Manager of East Central Railway. He has been appointed as new Member (Staff) in the Railway Board and ex officio Secretary to the Government of India.
iii. M.K.Gupta is presently the General Manager of Modern Coach Factory Raibareli. He has been appointed as new Member (Engineering) in the Railway Board and ex officio Secretary to the Government of India.

7.      DEFENCE MINISTER TO COMMISSION INS KILTAN INTO INDIAN NAVY IN VISAKHAPATNAM
i. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has commissioned an indigenously-built anti-submarine warfare stealth corvette INS Kiltan into the Indian Navy at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam.

ii. According to Defence Minister, INS Kiltan strengthens India's defence system and will be a shining armour in 'Make in India' programme as it is totally built indigenously.

8.      THE COALITION YEARS 1996-2012: PRANAB MUKHERJEE’S POLITICAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY
i. Former president Pranab Mukherjee released ‘The Coalition Years: 1996-2012’, the third part of his memoir in New Delhi. While releasing the memoir, Pranab Mukherjee stated that he is a party activist and has tried to not bring his personal, family life into the narrative.
ii. The event was attended by former PM Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi. In this latest part of his memoir, Pranab Mukherjee has revealed that he was under the impression that Congress may project Manmohan Singh as its presidential candidate, leaving him to be the party’s prime ministerial nominee for the 2014 general election.
iii. First part of Pranab Mukherjee’s memoir is ‘The Dramatic Decade: The Indira Gandhi Years’. The title of the second part is ‘The Turbulent Years: 1980-1996’.

OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS BASED ON TODAY’S NEWS

Q1. WHICH COMMITTEE WAS APPOINTED TO EXAMINE THE OPERATIONAL PREPAREDNESS OF THE ARMED FORCES?
a)  Committee on Public Undertakings
b)  Committee on Defence
c)  Committee on Estimates
d)  Rules Committee
Q2.  WHICH STATE’S ASSEMBLY HAS BECOME FIRST IN INDIA TO CALL ATTENTION AND ADJOURNMENT MOTIONS AND PROPOSALS ONLINE FROM LEGISLATORS?
a)  Telengana
b)  TamilNadu
c)  Kerala
d)  Rajasthan
Q3. WHICH BANK LAUNCHED AN ANDROID APP NAMED, ‘UNION SAHYOG’, AS A PART OF ITS EFFORTS TO DIGITISE CUSTOMER-FACING BANKING SERVICES?
a)  Union Bank of India
b)  United bank of India
c)  IDBI bank
d)  Federal bank
Q4. WHO WAS DEFEATED BY ROGER FEDERER OF SWITZERLAND TO WIN SHANGHAI MASTERS TENNIS TOURNAMENT?
a)  Juan Martin
b)  Novak Djokovic
c)  Rafael Nadal
d)  Andy Murray
Q5. TOTAL HOW MANY PARTS OF PRANAB MUKHERJEE’S MEMOIR HAVE BEEN RELEASED TILL DATE?
a)  1
b)  2
c)  5
d)  3

ANSWERS: 

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