DAILY UPDATED CURRENT AFFAIRS – 25.01.2017 TO 28.01.2017 DAILY UPDATED CURRENT AFFAIRS NATIONAL maintenance skill training, to create a world-class 68th Republic Day celebrated on 26 January 2017 aero skill academy. a) India celebrated its 68th Republic Day on January Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural 26, 2017 with the theme - “Skill India and Beti Gas Dharmendra Pradhan announced that the Bachao Beti Padhao”. public sector oil companies such as b) This year, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the HPCL, ONGC and the GAIL have signed Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and the Deputy MoUs for investing Rs1.65 lakh crore in Andhra Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Pradesh on several projects, many of them in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was the Chief Guest Krishna-Godavari basin. of the official ceremony. Arunachal Pradesh has launched „Dulari Kanya‟, a c) For the first time, a contingent of the National special scheme to check infant mortality in the Security Guard (NSG), popularly known as the state. Governor V Shanmuganathan launched the Black Cat Commandoes, also took part in the scheme, under which the government will deposit parade. A contingent of UAE soldiers also marched Rs 20,000 in the bank account of a girl child, born down the Rajpath. in any government hospital. It would be paid along d) Burj Khalifa tower, the world's tallest building with the accrued interest after she attains 18 years located in Dubai, has lit up in the colours of the of her age Indian National flag on 25th January 2017 and 26th The Gujarat government has ordered the release January 2017 to celebrate India's 68th Republic of 439 prisoners, over half of them serving life Day. sentences, on humanitarian grounds on 26th The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports January. has reconstituted TOP(Target Olympic Podium) In a bid to promote digital transaction in Assam, the committee with objective of identifying and Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda supporting potential medal prospects for 2020 and Sonowal announced the launch of „Chief Minister‟s 2024 Olympic Games. The committee will be Award‟ while inaugurating the Digi Dhan Mela in headed by Abhinav Bindra, Olympic Gold the state.The Chief Minister‟s Award would be Medalist. Under the Target Olympic Podium given to the best performing district of the state that scheme the selected athletes are provided financial adopts digital payment methods. assistance for their customized training at Institutes. The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi National Institute of Technology Karnataka Vijayan launched the IT Project, e-Health Kerala (NITK) at Surathkal in Mangaluru launched a start- which is named Jeevan Rekha at Peroorkada Model up, WayFoo.com offers a mobile app that helps Government Hospital. It aims to create a students to pre-order food in three of the canteens centralized database that will have the complete on the NITK campus, saving them time. healthcare records of all the citizens in the state The Union Government has launched Rubber Soil through the digitization of government hospitals. Information System (RubSIS), an online system for The Union Minister for Chemicals and recommending appropriate mix of fertilizers to Fertilizers Ananth Kumar inaugurated India‟s first plantations of rubber growers depending upon their Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSK) at soil nature. It was launched for Kottayam (Kerela), Metagalli post office in Mysuru. The second the largest rubber growing district of India. POPSK simultaneously opened in Gujarat. The Union Cabinet has given its approval for Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh launching of Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana 2017 Chouhan has announced a total ban on polythene (VPBY 2017). The scheme will be implemented carry bags from May 1, 2017 across the state. "Use through Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) of polythene carry bags and their littering was during the current financial year i.e. FY 2016-17. It affecting environment and cleanliness. will be open for subscription for a period of one In an attempt to push Indian brands, several Tamil year from the date of launch. Nadu traders organisations have asked their The Union Cabinet has given its approval to ratify members to stop selling soft drinks made by the second commitment period of the Kyoto multinational companies including Coca-Cola and Protocol on containing the emission of Green PepsiCo from March 1. House Gases (GHGs). The second commitment Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh period of the Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 2012 inaugurated the new Universal Rail Mill at Bhilai and is set to expire in 2020. So far, 75 countries Steel Plant (BSP) of Steel Authority of India Ltd have ratified the Second Commitment Period. (SAIL) and flagged off the mills first and world‟s The Telangana government has signed a longest single rail of 130 meters from the new memorandum of agreement with French firm Universal Rail Mill (URM).URM established at a Aerocampus Aquitaine, known for aircraft cost of about Rs 1200 crore. It will take BSP‟s total 1441, Opp. IOCL Petrol Pump, CRPF Square, Bhubaneswar-750015 1 Ph. : (0674) 6556677, 8093556677. Web : www.vanik.org, E-mail : [email protected] DAILY UPDATED CURRENT AFFAIRS – 25.01.2017 TO 28.01.2017 capacity to produce rails at 2.0 million tons per introducing DNA molecules that are not found in annum (MTPA). This will be the largest rail nature in a common bacterium. production capacity in any single location for a Japan has successfully launched its first military plant world over. communications satellite Kirameki-2 (kee-RAH- The Chief Election Commissioner(CEC) of meh-kee 2) by H-2A rocket that lifted off from the India, Syed Nasim Zaidi has informed that the state Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan. government of Goa has opted for an initiative Pakistan successfully conducted the first flight test involving electronic transmission of postal ballot to of Ababeel surface-to-surface medium range service voters in the upcoming assembly polls. This ballistic missile. It has a maximum range of 2,200 initiative will make Goa the first state in the kilometres. country to do so. US has topped in a list of eight great powers for BILATERAL the year 2017 by a leading American foreign policy India and UAE magazine. India is ranked at the sixth position. a) India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have China and Japan are at tie for being on the second agreed to strengthen mechanisms for exchange of spot. Russia (fourth) and Germany (fifth). information in tax matters under the existing In an effort to become the super powerful occupier Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement. The of green energy, China has built the world‟s biggest nations also agreed to enhance cooperation on law solar park, Longyangxia Dam Solar Park, in the enforcement, smuggling of fake currency, illegal western province of Qinghai. migration, drug trafficking, money laundering, US President Donald Trump has signed directives human trafficking, and other organised crimes. to build a 2000 mile wall along the US border with b) India has signed a deal with United Arab Mexico to shield illegal immigrants, proceeding Emirates fifth biggest oil supplier for strategic oil quickly on sweeping and divisive plans to Kerb reserves storage. The deal allows UAE‟s Abu immigration and boost national security. Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) to fill half (about Nepal Government has launched a 10-year plan to 6 million barrels of oil) of an underground crude oil boost domestic production. The 10-year storage facility at Mangaluru, Karnataka. India is scheme aims to adopt modern farm techniques to one of the fastest growing economies and world‟s boost vegetable productivity in the country and third-biggest oil consumer. make the country self-reliant in food. c) India and the UAE (United Arab Emirates) inked The annual “Surya Namaskar Yajna” or “Health for total 14 agreements in various areas to boost Humanity Yogathon” has been recognized in bilateral cooperation between both countries. the US House of Representative on the occasion of India and France: India and France have signed White its 10th anniversary. Shipping agreement to enable information sharing on ECONOMY & BANKING maritime traffic and maritime domain awareness in the A day-long Digi Dhan Mela is being organized in Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Andaman and Nicobar Islands today. The mela is India and UK: India has partnered with the British aimed at creating awareness and train people to use experts (UK) over a project that aims to study the air online platforms for financial transactions. pollution level in Delhi and health problems associated General Anti Avoidance Rule (GAAR) will be it. The project ASAP-Delhi An Integrated Study of Air effective from the 1 April, 2017. GAAR seeks to Pollutant Sources in the Delhi National Capital Region‟ give the IT department powers to scrutinize would be led by University of Birmingham and would transactions structured in such a way as to also involve experts from the Indian Institute of deliberately avoid paying tax in India. The rules are Technology Delhi, the Indian National Physical framed mainly to minimize and check avoidance of Laboratory and the University of Surrey. tax. India will be the 17th nation in the world to have laws that aim to close tax loopholes. INTERNATIONAL The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has prohibited Corruption Perception Index (CPI) Indian entities from making direct investments in Top 5 Countries: New Zealand(1st ), any entity located in Non-Cooperative Countries Denmark(2nd), Finland (3rd), Sweden (4th), and Territories (NCCT) as identified by Financial Switzerland (5th). India has been ranked 79th out of Action Task Force (FATF).