Current Affairs - September 11, 2017 Current Affairs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe will lay the foundation stone for the India's first bullet train project connecting Ahmedabad to Mumbai. Around Rs 1.10 lakh crore will be spent on the project of which Rs 88,000 crore will be funded by a soft loan from Japan. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train, running at an operating speed of 320 kmph and maximum speed of 350 kmph, will pass through 12 stations - Bandra Kurla Complex, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati.

India won 2nd South Asian Basketball, SABA, Under - 16 Championship. They defeated Bhutan by 131-50 in its last league match at Kathmandu in Nepal. India now qualified for 2017 International Basketball Federation, FIBA, Under-16 Asian Championship to be played in Malaysia later this year.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Salahuddin Rabbani in New Delhi signed four agreements recently. The four agreements were exchanged in areas like health and transport. Both the nations remain united in overcoming challenges posed by cross border terrorism and safe havens and sanctuaries of terrorism.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has launched his first book named Hit Refresh. The book includes the inside story of the company's continuing transformation, Nadella's own personal journey, Vision for the coming wave of intelligent technologies. Satya Nadella will donate all proceeds from Hit Refresh to Microsoft Philanthropies. It includes a set of questions for anybody searching for improvement for themselves as leaders, for their institutions and for society.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully twice flight tested indigenously developed 3rd generation Anti-Tank Guided in Rajasthan. During the test, ATGM Nag missile has successfully hit both the targets at different ranges and conditions with very high accuracy. The ATMG Nag missile is one of five missile systems developed indigenously by DRDO under the integrated guided missile development programme (IGMDP).

Germany's Bibiana Steinhaus made history by becoming the first female referee to officiate a match in a top European league. The 38-year-old police officer became the first woman to ref a top-tier match in the German, English, French, Italian or Spanish leagues when she took charge of Hertha Berlin's home Bundesliga match against Werder Bremen.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address Students' Convention in New Delhi on the theme of 'Young India, New India' to mark the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's Chicago address and BJP ideologue Deendayal Upadhyaya's centenary celebrations. Swami Vivekananda strongly believed in the power of "Yuva Shakti' (youth power) and saw a vital place for youngsters in the realm of nation-building.

Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry announced a Smart Cities Awards Contest with a total prize money of 50 lakhs to recognise and reward cities and innovative ideas that promote mission's goals. Under the Project Awards category, excellence will be awarded in various categories such as Improving Governance, Social Aspects, Culture and Economy, Environment impact, Transportation and Mobility and Water and Sanitation. Best performers in each of the categories will be awarded Rs 5 lakh each.

An eight feet bronze statue of Indian freedom struggle leader Subhas Chandra Bose at the naval base INS Netaji Subhas named after the iconic leader. Netaji's niece in law Krishna Bose cut the ribbon together with Eastern Naval Command chief, Vice Admiral H.C.S. Bisht to unveil the statue.

Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman flagged off the Navika Sagar Parikrama by an all-women crew of Indian Navy aboard Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Tarini from INS Mandovi jetty in Goa. It is the first attempt by an Indian all-women crew to circumnavigate the globe. The expedition will cover Australia, New Zealand, Falklands and South Africa.

Tahir Mahmood has received the prestigious Prof N R Madhava Menon Best Law Teacher Award as part of the Law Teachers' Day celebrations. Prof V C Vivekanandan has received the SILF-MILAT Legal Education Innovation Award. Justice A B Rohatgi Jurist Award was given to former Secretary General of the 15th Lok Sabha, T K Viswanathan.

Kishore Kharat, MD and CEO, Indian Bank and Kalavathi S M, CGM, Bharat Sanchar Nigam signed an MoU to Upgrade the bandwidth of Indian Bank's branches to 2mbps.The upgradation would be in line with the bank's policy of promoting digital channels.

LIC has formally launched a new single premium plan, Jeevan Utkarsh, which offers a combination of protection and savings wherein the risk cover is ten times of tabular single premium from date of commencement of risk.

American Sloane Stephens lifted the US Open women's singles title. She ranked 83rd completed a spectacular return from injury to beat 15th seed Keys 6-3, 6-0 in the finals. She started the tournament when she was ranked in the 900s and has now ended it as the US Open Champion.