Current Affairs - September 12, 2017 Current Affairs

Asian Development Bank announced that it would provide $152 million loan to Nepal, to enhance power transmission, in Kathmandu. he loan agreement was signed between Nepal's Finance Secretary Mr.Shanta Raj Subedi and Officer-in-charge of the ADB's Nepal Resident Mission Mr.Sharad Bhandari, in Kathmandu. The loan amount would be utilized to implement the Power Transmission and Distribution Efficiency Enhancement Project (PTDEEP).

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi inaugurated the China-backed 340 MegaWatt (MW) nuclear power plant in its Punjab province. The fifth nuclear C-4 plant is located at Chashma in Mianwali district of the Punjab province. This nuclear power plant will address the issue of power shortage and it is also a source of cheap energy. Abbasi already promised that there would be no power shortage after November.

India and Belarus inked 10 agreements to expand cooperation in a range of areas and decided to explore joint development and manufacture of military platforms, giving a fresh momentum in bilateral ties. It includes MoU between the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus.

London topped in the 2017 Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI) among 92 financial centres released by the Z/Yen and China Development Institute. It was ranked at 60th position, up by three positions compared to the previous edition. The index is a ranking of the competitiveness of financial centres based on an aggregate of indices from five key areas: business environment, the financial sector.

Private sector lender IndusInd Bank and India's second largest Microfinance company Bharat Financial Inclusion signed a confidentiality agreement for the proposed merger between them. The merger would result in lower cost of funds and would help the company offer its customers savings products. The agreement provides for a mutually agreed exclusivity period for due-diligence and discussions to evaluate a potential strategic combination between the company and BFIL by way of amalgamation through a scheme of arrangement or any other suitable structure.

Badminton Prakash Padukone conferred with the first Lifetime Achievement Award instituted by the Badminton Association of India (BAI) for his rich contribution to the sport. He is the first recipient of the lifetime achievement award. He won the 1980 All England and won a bronze at the 1983 World Championship in Copenhagen.

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) announced that the upper age limit for joining the National Pension Scheme (NPS) had been raised to 65 years, from the current 60. This aims to open up pensions to sectors without pensions. It is currently open for people between 18 and 60, and the Board has approved raising the age limit for joining to 65.

Vice president M.Venkaiah Naidu laid the foundation stone for the first and only greenfield smart city project, in Ranchi coming up on the HEC land. The smart city is coming up on 656 acres of HEC land which would be fully wi-fi, carbon free, garbage free locality with modernised housing, traffic management system, education hub and equipped with facilities like round the clock power and water supplies.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) launched 'FoSCoRIS', a nationwide online platform to bring in transparency in food safety inspection and sampling. The new system will bring together all key stakeholders food businesses, food safety officers (FSOs), designated officers, state food safety commissioners on a nation-wide IT platform and data related to inspection, sampling and test result data will be shared. It will help to verify compliance with food safety and hygiene standards by food businesses as per the government norms.

Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Senior Badminton Championship tournament started in Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium of Kochi which will continue till 17th September. A total of 175 players will represent India including Olympians Abhinn Shyam Gupta, Nikhil Kanetkar, and V Diju along with three times Asian Games team bronze medallist Partho Ganguly and 1982 Asian Games bronze medallist Leroy D'sa.

Reliance Energy has launched a digital assistance robot named ELEKTRA. This system provides automated responses to customers for their queries and requests. It is powered by Artificial Intelligence.This robot comes into action whenever a customer logs in to Reliance Energy's Facebook page or website. his digital assistance robot takes help of SCADA and GIS systems to provide real-time responses to the customers.

The Union Finance Ministry, has announced that is has planned to launch 'Project Insight' from October, 2017, in a move to restrict black money holdings and transactions.

Assam government announced that it would provide skill development training to 30,000 surrendered militants. The training would start by the end of September, 2017. Cost of the skill development training would be taken care by the state and the centre.