DAILY CURRENT
AFFAIRS: 30 NOV 2017
(DAILY NEWS INDIA)
1. ARUN JAITLEY LAUNCHES PAYTM PAYMENTS BANK
i. A new Payments Bank 'Paytm Payments Bank' was formally launched
at the hands of the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Currently, India has
four Payments Bank including Paytm Payments Bank. The other three operational
ones are Airtel Payments Bank, India Post Payments Bank and Fino Payments Bank.
ii. A payments bank is a differentiated bank. A customer can open
a savings bank account in them and have deposits of upto Rs. 1 lakh. These
banks cannot however lend money to their customers.
2. 48TH EDITION OF INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF INDIA CONCLUDES
i. The festival concluded with the world premiere of
Indo-Argentinian co-production "Thinking of Him", directed by Pablo
Cesar. The closing ceremony was attended by Goa Chief Minister, Manohar
Parikkar, Union Minister Smriti Irani.
ii. The legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan was honoured with the
Indian film personality of the year Award at the glittering Closing Ceremony.
The award was presented by Union Minister Smirit Irani and Akshay Kumar.
3. SAUBHAGYA SCHEME LAUNCHED IN MANIPUR
i. Union Minister of State (I/C) for Power and New & Renewable
Energy, R.K. Singh and N. Biren Singh, CM of Manipur, launched Pradhan Mantri
Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana in Manipur. 1.62 lakh rural households and 13
thousand urban households (total 1.75 lakh households) in Manipur will be
included under this scheme.
ii. Mr. Singh also announced that Government of India would
provide necessary financial assistance for strengthening the infrastructure in
the power sector in Manipur. SAUBHAGYA scheme was launched by PM Narendra Modi
in September 2017. Objective of this scheme is to achieve universal household
electrification in all parts India.
iii. SAUBHAGYA scheme will be implemented across India at a cost
of Rs. 16320 cr. Rural Electrification Corporation Limited, is the nodal agency
for coordinating the implementation of SAUBHAGYA scheme.
4. RUSSIA TO HELP INDIA TO SET UP NATIONAL CRISIS RESPONSE CENTRE
i. Russia will assist India to set up a national crisis management
centre in the country to handle disaster and other emergency situations.
ii. This was agreed during a meeting between Indian Home Minister
Rajnath Singh and Russian Minister for Emergency Situations Vladimir Puchkov in
Moscow. Both sides agreed that EMERCOM of Russia would cooperate with India in
the establishment of the National Crisis Management Centre in India.
5. INDIA AND UK TO SIGN AN MOU IN THE URBAN TRANSPORT SECTOR
i. India and United Kingdom will soon sign an memorandum of
understanding in the urban transport sector for cooperation in policy planning,
technology transfer and institutional organisation.
ii. Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari
and Chris Grayling, Secretary of State for Transport in the Government of UK
discussed a draft MoU in this regard in London. The draft MoU includes the
scope of cooperation between India and UK in the transport sector and enables
the sharing of expertise and latest technology to promote efficient mobility
solutions.
iii. Possibilities for introducing policy reforms aimed at
transforming the transport sector through improved customer service/data
analysis and better use of IT systems have also been stated in the MoU. The
draft MoU also seeks cooperation in promoting digital transactions and
induction of high capacity diesel/electric vehicles in India.
6. FSSAI ISSUES DETAILED GUIDELINES ON RECALL OF FOOD PRODUCTS
i. The Food Safety and Standards
Authority of India has asked companies to put in place a proper plan to recall
food products from markets, if found unsafe.
ii. FSSAI has issued detailed guidelines
on recall of food products and stated that the purpose is to help food business
operators frame a proper recall plan and implement them when the situation
demand.
7. OLYMPICS: IOC BANS FIVE MORE RUSSIANS FOR LIFE OVER SOCHI DOPING
i. Five more Russian competitors from the 2014 Sochi Winter
Olympics, including two gold medallists, have been banned for life over
anti-doping rule violations by International Olympic Committee.
ii. Dmitrii Trunenkov and Aleksei Negodailo, both in the
gold-medal winning four-man bobsleigh team, plus biathlon relay silver
medalists Yana Romanova and Olga Vilukhina, who also won silver in the 7.5
kilometers event. Sergei Chudinov, who came fifth in the men's individual
skeleton, was also disqualified for doping breaches.
8. KARNATAKA BANK TIES UP WITH BCG FOR TRANSFORMATION INITIATIVES
i. Karnataka Bank Ltd has partnered with the Boston Consulting
Group (India) Pvt Ltd for its transformation initiatives and the transformation
project ‘KBL Vikaas’ was launched in Mangaluru.
ii. The transformation project is aimed at total transformation of
the bank by re-positioning it as a relevant and significant bank by focusing on
technology and by keeping intact its core values and identity.
iii. The bank has identified seven major intervention areas for
this project. They are: growth aspiration and strategies to achieve growth;
rationalisation of service outlets, including digital channels; human resource
management structure and strategy; stakeholders’ value enhancement initiatives;
efficiency enhancement strategy; corporate branding and repositioning; and
partnering and collaborating with Fintech companies, startups etc.
9. JET AIRWAYS, AIR FRANCE-KLM TIE UP TO BOOST TRAFFIC
i. Jet Airways and Air France-KLM announced a partnership to route
more traffic through Europe and on to North America, in a potential challenge
to Gulf carrier Etihad Airways that is a shareholder in Jet.
ii. The agreement also includes Delta Air Lines, with which Air
France KLM has an existing partnership.
10. FRENCH FILM ON AIDS WINS BEST FILM AWARD AT IFFI 2017
i. Robin Campillo’s French film 120 Beats Per Minute, about a
passionate fight against indifference towards AIDS, won the prestigious Golden
Peacock award for best film at the controversy-ridden 48th International Film
Festival of India. The film’s actor Nahuel Perez Biscayart won the Silver
Peacock in the best actor male category.
ii. Malayalam film Take Off, which is loosely based on the
evacuation of nurses from Kerala, who were stranded in Iraq’s Tikrit in 2014,
won two awards at the festival’s Indian Panorama section, winning Silver
Peacocks for best direction (Mahesh Narayanan) and best actor female
(Parvathy). Actor Amitabh Bachchan was also presented the Indian film
personality of the year award.
11. AUNG SAN SUU KYI STRIPPED OF FREEDOM OF OXFORD AWARD
i. Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been stripped of
the Freedom of Oxford award over her "inaction" in handling the
raging Rohingya refugee crisis and turning a "blind eye to violence"
in the country that forced over 600,000 people to flee to Bangladesh.
ii. Oxford City Council in London voted unanimously to permanently
remove the honour given to 72-year-old Suu Kyi in 1997.
12. HYDERABAD METRO RAIL OPENS TO PUBLIC
i. The Hyderabad Metro Rail opened for public with the passengers
describing their first-time travel by it as a “convenient, comfortable and
awesome experience“. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the first
phase of the elevated Hyderabad Metro Rail project at the Miyapur station.
ii. The metro rail commenced its operations between Miyapur and
Nagole, having a total distance of 30 kms and 24 stations, the concessionaire,
L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Ltd.
13. CHHATTISGARH GOVT BANS BURSTING OF FIRECRACKERS IN SIX OF ITS
CITIES
i. The Chhattisgarh Government has imposed a ban on the bursting
of firecrackers in six of its cities, including the state capital Raipur, ahead
of the wedding season from December 1st to January 31st. According to the
statement issued by the State Environment Conservation Board, the decision has
been taken to control the pollution, which increases during winters due to the
direction of the wind.
ii. Besides Raipur, other cities, which have been banned from
bursting firecrackers, include Bilaspur, Bhilai, Durg, Raigarh and Korba.
