Current Affairs - September 18, 2017 Current Affairs

Airtel Payments Bank become the first payments bank in India to integrate the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) on its digital platform. It adds to customer choice and convenience for making secure digital payments to online/offline merchants and making instant money transfers to any bank account in India. For UPI-based payments and transfers, the customers are not required to furnish their bank details to enable transactions and can create easy to remember IDs, ensuring optimal data security.

India and Japan have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to set up India Japan Act East Forum to enhance connectivity and promote developmental projects in Northeast India. It was one of the 15 major agreements signed between both countries during Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to India for the 12th Indo-Japan annual summit.

The Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri KirenRijiju inaugurated the Conference. Ms. Lalitha Kumaramangalam, Chairperson, National Commission for Women (NCW) addressed the Valedictory Session. She insisted on improving the prison infrastructure and 50% reservation for women in recruitment in prison and correctional services.

The Assam State government to launch well-equipped cities with the capacity of 10000 seats in the state. A Singapore based premier institute will support the state government for further development. Around 30 thousand former militants will be given skill development training and cease-fire camps where they are residing now will be made production centers.

Tech Giant Google's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) based digital payment service Tez (meaning fast in Hindi) was launched by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in New Delhi. With this, Google become latest international giant to enter into India's fast growing digital payment ecosystem. UPI is a payments protocol built by government-backed National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). It facilitates the instant fund transfer between two bank accounts on the mobile platform using unique virtual address without putting details of card details, net banking, IFSC code, wallet password etc.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated interstate multi-purpose Sardar Sarovar Dam (Narmada dam project) at Kevadia, Gujarat to the nation. It is the highest dam ever built in India and second biggest concrete gravity dam in the world in terms of volume after Grand Coulee Dam in the USA. Its height was recently raised to 138.68 metres, enabling usable water storage of 4.73 million. The dam length of 1.2 km and depth of 163 metres.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to attend the annual UN General Assembly (UNGA) session. She will hold a high-level meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida. India is among the 120 countries that have supported the reform efforts of the UN Secretary-General.

Amazon, India's leading e-commerce venture announced that it has joined hands with Bank of Baroda to offer micro loans to its sellers, in India. The loans would be provided for amounts ranging from Rs.1 lakh to Rs.25 lakh. Interest rates would be low around 10.45 % - 11 %. The loans would be given only on invite-basis. Amazon would choose customers based on their performance.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs Shri Rajnath Singh launched full-fledged intelligence wing of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). The intelligence wing will gather actionable information in a bid to enhance operational efficiency. Around 650 field and staff agents to gather actionable information and SSB's intelligence wing personnel will be deployed on India-Nepal and India-Bhutan where there are no restrictions on movement of people on either side due to visa-free regime.

Air India has launched its direct flight from New Delhi to Copenhagen. It is the eleventh destination for the airline in Europe and described as connecting 'Maharaja with the Mermaid'. To mark the launch of the flight to Copenhagen, Air India is offering return fares starting from Rs 42,700, inclusive of all taxes. Denmark is Air India's 44th international destination and 11th European non-stop destination.

Mr.Suresh Chitturi, Managing Director of Srinivasa Farms, was appointed as Vice-Chairman of International Egg Commission, in Belgium. Mr.Suresh is the second person from India to be appointed as a top executive of the International Egg Commission.

The 13th edition Yudh Abhyas 2017, a joint military training exercise between India and United States held at Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington. Yudh Abhyas is annual bilateral military exercise, alternately held by the two countries. Both sides jointly trained, planned and executed series of well-developed tactical drills for neutralization of likely threats that may be encountered.

Mercedes' British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton registered his 60th career won at the Singapore Grand Prix. He defeated Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel score and reached the top of the table with 28 points. Daniel Ricciardo won the second place in the race.

India's GDP growth is likely to reduce below 7 % this financial year. According to DBS, two main reasons for the downfall are demonetisation in November 2016 and GST implementation in July 2017. These added to the already slow growth in manufacturing and investment sectors.

The centre announced that will soon grant citizenship to nearly one lakh Chakma Buddhists and Hajong Hindu refugees, who came from the erstwhile East Pakistan(Bangladesh) five decades ago and are living in camps in the northeast.This announcement came on the situation when centre is planning to deport Rohingya people to Myanmar.