Current Affairs - September 6, 2018 Current Affairs

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recently introduced Internal Ombudsman (IO) scheme 2018 to tighten internal grievance redressal system at Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs). In it, RBI has given statutory powers to Internal Ombudsman (IO) under section 35 A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. The central bank has tightened the selection and operating procedure for IO in banks and made it mandatory for lenders with more than 10 branches (excluding Regional Rural Banks) to have an independent authority to review complaints that were partially or wholly rejected by the respective banks. An ombudsman is a person officially charged with investigating and addressing public complaints or violation of rights. The tenure of the IO cannot be more than 5 years and it is not open to reappointment. An IO also cannot be removed without consent from the RBI. This new post will not report to the bank's CEO but to the customer service committee of the bank.

The International Day of Charity is observed globally on September 5 with an aim to recognise the role of charity in alleviating human suffering within and among nations, as well as to recognise the efforts of charitable organisations and individuals such as Mother Teresa. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 5 September as International Day of Charity on December 17, 2012 through its resolution A/RES/67/105PDF. The day was first celebrated in the year 2013.

A Japanese team has developed a "space elevator" and will conduct a first trial in September, 2018. The test equipment will be launched on an H-2B rocket being launched by Japan's space agency. The test involves a miniature elevator stand-in - a box just 6 cm long, 3 cm wide, and 3 cm high. It's the world's first experiment to test travel between two mini satellites in space.

India retained the top WHO position in South-East Asia Region with Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh unanimously re-elected as Regional Director for another five-year term beginning February 2019. The elections were held at the ongoing regional committee meeting of WHO South-East Asia. Dr Singh is the first woman to have been elected to the position of Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia Region after an illustrious career in the Indian civil service, World Bank and WHO.

NP Singh, CEO, Sony Pictures Network, was elected the new President of Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) on 31st August 2018, at the 19th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF). He replaces Punit Goenka as the President.

The Government has decided to make the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) an open-ended scheme and added more incentives to encourage people to open bank accounts. The Finance Minister Arun Jaitley stated that the overdraft facility has been doubled from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 10,000 under the Yojana. The age limit for availing overdraft facility under it has also been revised to 18 to 65 years from the earlier 18 to 60 years. The accidental insurance cover for new RuPay Cardholders has been raised from Rs. one lakh to Rs. two lakh.

A Conference on "E-Mobility in Indian Railways" organized by Ministry of Railways through Institution of Railways Electrical Engineers (IREE) in association with NITI Aayog concluded in New Delhi. The one-day conference was inaugurated by the Minister of State of Communication (I/C) and Minister of State of Railways, Shri Manoj Sinha. It was a pre-cursor to the "Move: Global Mobility Summit" to be organized by NITI Aayog.

National Nutrition Week is observed every year from 1st to 7th September all over the country to spread awareness regarding importance of nutrition. Theme of the year 2018 is - 'Go Further With Food'. This week observed to evaluate the appropriate techniques to prevent and control the nutritional problems through deep research and monitor the condition of the country for the diet and nutrition.To aware people through the orientation training about health and nutrition.

India to buy 18 bullet trains from Japan for Rs 7,000 crore. Each train will have 10 coaches and would be able to cruise at the speed of 350 km per hour. Purpose:- To launch India's first bullet train by 2022. The 508-km high speed train corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad at an estimated cost of Rs 1,10,000 crore is expected to be operational by 2022. National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) will be responsible for executing the project of the high-speed train corridor.

The Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) approved a proposal by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) to increase the wages of artisans by over 36%. Out of this 30%, 40% goes to artisans as wage incentives and the remaining 60% goes to the Khadi institutions. With this, the wages will be increased from Rs 5.50 per hank previously to Rs 7.50 per hank. This proposal for an increase in wages to Khadi spinners, along with payment of government subsidy Modified Market Development Assistance (MMDA), will be implemented.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has recently announced to launch Mars Mission "HOPE", which is expected to be launched by 2020. Upon launch, it will become the first mission to Mars by any Arab or Muslim country. The aim of the mission is to enrich the capabilities of Emirati engineers and to increase human knowledge about the Martian atmosphere. The Hope probe will study the atmospheric layers of Mars in detail and will provide data to study the causes of the corrosion of its surface that has made it impossible for water to exist on the planet. The project will also provide insights about the weather on the Red Planet. It will observe weather phenomena such as dust storms and changes in temperature and how the atmosphere interacts with topography, from the highest volcano peaks to ice sheets to the vast deserts and the deepest canyons. It is expected to reach Mars in 2021, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the UAE's formation.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the first luxury cruise of Varanasi named Alaknanda on 2nd September 2018. The cruise will run from Raj Ghat to Assi Ghat. Alaknanda is a 5-star luxury tourist cruise that will operate in river Ganga.

BSNL has roped in Indian boxer M.C.Mary Kom as its brand ambassador for two years. Mary Kom will endorse and be engage in promotional activities of BSNL for its various services. Kom's association will help BSNL in enhancing BSNL brand image as well as gain more customer in this competitive market scenario.

Australia has minted a gold coin encrusted with rare pink diamonds worth Aus$2.48 million (US$1.8 million) to meet growing demand for high-end collectables from the ultra-rich. The two-kilogramme treasure, which depicts a sailing ship, a gold prospector and boab trees found in Western Australia, is considered legal tender and will be sold to the highest bidder. It is the most valuable coin ever made in Australia and is expected to be sold to a buyer from Asia or the Middle East.

India and the US held the first edition of the two-plus-two talks in New Delhi. The meeting was aimed at further strengthening bilateral defence and security collaboration as well as boosting their global strategic partnership, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held talks with US Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo and Defence Secretary James Mattis.