Current Affairs: 25 August 2017

National Events

Right To Privacy Is Fundamental Right Under Constitution, Declares Supreme Court

• A nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court has ruled that Indians enjoy a fundamental right to privacy, that it is intrinsic to life and liberty and thus comes under Article 21 of the Indian constitution.
• The bench, led by Chief Justice J.S. Khehar, pronounced a unanimous judgement even if the judges had slightly different arguments as to how privacy is intrinsic to right to life and liberty.
• The bench comprised Chief Justice Khehar and Justices J. Chelameswar, S.A. Bobde, R.K. Agrawal, Rohinton Nariman, A.M. Sapre, D.Y. Chandrachud, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and S. Abdul Nazeer.

Sushma inaugurated first Videsh Bhavan

• External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj inaugurated the country’s first Videsh Bhavan at the Bandra Kurla Complex
• As a pilot project, four offices of MEA — Regional Passport Office, Protector of Emigrants office, Branch Secretariat and Regional Office of ICCR — have been assimilated and brought under one roof. 
• The pilot project of the Videsh Bhavan of Mumbai is part of the Centre's policy to bring together different offices of the MEA under a single roof and work closely with states as more and more Indians are going abroad for employment, education, business and tourism.
• Currently, many of the 90-plus RPOs and PoEs function from rented offices and the implementation of Videsh Bhavans in different state capitals is expected to cut costs besides ensuring improving efficiency and hastening delivery of services.

CCEA nod to rename food processing scheme as PM Kisan Sampada

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today approved renaming the new central food processing scheme SAMPADABSE 4.95 % as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) with an aim to benefit 20 lakh farmers and generate 5.30 lakh jobs by 2020. 
• The objective of the PMKSY is to supplement agriculture by promoting processing and reducing farm wastage. 
• The scheme with an allocation of Rs 6,000 crore is expected to leverage investment of Rs 31,400 crore 
• The CCEA today approved a proposal to rename the scheme SAMPADA as PMKSY for the period 2016-20 coterminous with the 14th Finance Commission cycle, 
• The PMKSY will promote setting up of food processing units to boost availability of processed food items in the domestic market and for export purpose. The scheme will encourage creation of modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet. 

National Sports Museum to be established in New Delhi

• The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is going to establish National Sports Museum, first of its kind, at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi. 
• Museum will showcase India’s achievements in sports and also focus on the traditional sports within the country. 
• The aim of the Museum is to popularise the sports as a way of life within the country. Accordingly, the proposed Museum would go beyond the classical approach of a collection of memorabilia to become an interactive venue of interest for all age groups. 
• In addition, Shri Goel said, it will display achievements of the Indian greats in sports and also act as an educational hub and offer opportunity for the young to delve into some sporting activity. 

Government finalises new cadre policy for IAS, IPS officers

• The new policy for cadre allocation has been finalised by the Central government for IAS, IPS and other officers, aimed at ensuring "national integration" in the country's top bureaucracy.
• Officers of all-India services -- the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS) -- will have to choose cadres from a set of zones instead of states.The new policy will seek to ensure that officers from Bihar, for instance, will get to work in southern and north- eastern states, which may not be their preferred cadres 
• Under the new policy, candidates appearing for the civil services examination-- conducted annually by the Union Public Service Commission -- will have to first give their choices in a descending order of preference from among the various zones. 

International Events

Indian Navy Band to Participate in International Military Music Festival in Moscow

• The International Military Music Festival "Spasskaya Tower" is the parade of the best military music bands of Russia and other countries that takes place every year at Red Square in Moscow. This Music Festival is a mega event, where military musicians represent the variety of national, artistic and military traditions of the world.
• Every year about 1500 musicians, military men and other artists from around 40 countries perform at the "Spasskaya Tower". 
• The Festival is duly considered one of the largest international events in Russia and attracts tremendous response of the general public.
• A Tri-Services band from the Indian Armed Forces has also been invited to participate and perform in the prestigious event. 
• The participation of the Tri- Services Band would foster better ties between the Armed Forces of the two countries and is also a befitting acknowledgment of the professional skills of the Indian Armed Forces bands.
• The Tri- Services Band comprises 07 Officers and 55 PBORs. 
• The Naval Band component comprising of 01 officer and 09 musician sailors is being led by Commander Satish K Champion, Command Musician Officer, Eastern Naval Command. 

Sports

Cristiano Ronaldo wins UEFA Player of the Year award

• Cristiano Ronaldo has won his third UEFA men's player of the year award in four seasons, beating Lionel Messi and Gianluigi Buffon to get the trophy.
• Ronaldo helped Real to a second consecutive Champions League title and finished as the tournament's top scorer with 12 goals last season. He has now won the award three times, one more than Messi. 
• Martens guided the Dutch women's team to their first international title when they won the European championship this year. 

Banking & Business

Modi government notifies introduction of Rs 200 note

• The Modi government today notified introduction of new Rs 200 notes, according to a notification in the Gazette of India. The printing process of the new currency is almost over and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to circulate them any time now.
• This will be the first ever new note to be introduced by the RBI after the Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes introduced post the massive currency culling exercise in November last year.
• According to reports, Rs 200 notes will help bridge the gap between Rs 100 and Rs 500 notes and the RBI believes that they will become a 'very popular' denomination.
• Qatar Airways, Vistara in interline partnership pact
• Persian gulf carrier Qatar Airways on Tuesday entered into an interline partnership with Vistara, under which customers of the two carriers will have seamless travel to and from India to over 150 destinations.
• Interline partnership allows Qatar Airways' passengers to travel seamlessly to and from a wide range of cities within India across Vistara's network, via Qatar Airways' existing 13 Indian gateways and under a single ticket

Awards & Honours

India LaRoda crowned Miss India America 2017 in Los Angeles

• Indian-African American India LaRoda was crowned Miss India America 2017 at the 25th anniversary 
• The title of Mr. India America 2017 was grabbed by Karan Malik from Virginia.
• Other 2017 winners included: Jaskiran Waraich, Miss India Globe; Georgia’s Satrugna Chowdry, Mr. India Globe; Veena Gurbani of Michigan, Miss India Global; Ricky Prasad, Mr. India Galaxy; Anisha Gupta, Miss India Galaxy; Aditi Parikh, Miss India North America; and Navjot Kaur, Miss India California 2017. India LaRoda and Karan Malik also won JINmodels.com’s Mr. & Miss Photogenic 2017. Navjot Kaur and Arizona’s Nitish Singh were the winners of the People’s Choice Awards for 2017.

CM Confers Biju Patnaik Award For Scientific Excellence

• The Biju Patnaik Award for Scientific Excellence for 2016 was conferred upon Prof. Digambar Behera by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik
• Prof Behera is the Head of Department of Pulmonary Medicine in the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh.
• Prof Prasanta Mohapatra of the Department of Computer Science in the University of California was bestowed with the Biju Patnaik award for 2015.
• The first of its kind award in the field of science was instituted by the State Government’s Department of Science and Technology. The award comprises a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh, a citation, memento, certificate, shawl and silver medal.
• The Samanta Chandra Sekhar Award for 2016 was given to Prof. Swapna Mahapatra, Prof. Banshidhar Majhi and Prof. Sukumar Mishra; the award for 2015 went to Dr Sharat Kumar Pradhan, Prof. Sarat Kumar Swain and Prof. Bhishma Kumar Patel. The Samanta Chandra Sekhar award, named after the renowned Odia astronomer, is given for excellent research contribution in the field of science and technology during the five years preceding the year of award.
• Every year, the Odisha Bigyan Academy (OBA) felicitates Odia scientists who have made major contributions in the field of Science and Technology.

Tata Docomo wins DigitAnalysis' award for best Wi-Fi services in North India

• Tata Docomo was given the award for the best service provider in north India for its public Wi-Fi services by DigiAnalysis. 
• It was also given an award for the best Wi-Fi roaming services provider for its roaming services, which it offers in partnership with iPass and Boingo. 
• Tata Docomo claims to provide internet services at many prime locations such as airports, cafes and hotels. Further, Ookla ranked Tata Docomo Wi-Fi at Delhi’s IGI Airport as the 4th fastest in Asia

Appointments & Resigns

Nandan Nilekani Appointed Chairman of Infosys Board

• Nandan Nilekani was appointed as the chairman of the board of directors of Infosys. Sweeping changes have been made to the board in an attempt to restore stability after the resignation of Vishal Sikka as CEO
• Nilekani is a co-founder of Infosys and served as its CEO from March 2002 to April 2007.
• He left the company in 2009 to head the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the Aadhaar authority. 
• Sixty-two-year-old Nilekani held the role until 2014, before resigning to unsuccessfully contest Lok Sabha elections on a Congress ticket from Bengaluru (South). 

Book & Authors

Rajan’s book on RBI stint in ‘turbulent times’

• Raghuram Rajan explains economic concepts and talks of issues like tolerance and connection between political freedom and prosperity in his new book — I Do What I Do: On Reform, Rhetoric & Resolve — which is a collection of essays and speeches during his stint as RBI head. 
• When Rajan took charge as RBI Governor in September 2013, the rupee was in free fall, inflation was high and exchange reserves were falling. 
• Rajan’s commentary and speeches in the book convey what it was like to be at the helm of the central bank in those turbulent but exciting times

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