Current Affairs: Daily GK Update 12th August 2017

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i. The International Youth Day was observed across the world on 12 August with the theme 'Youth Building Peace'.

ii. This year, the Day is aimed at celebrating young people’s contributions in preventing conflicts and bringing about transformations along with inclusion, social justice, and sustainable peace.

Important Takeaways From Above News-

The International Youth Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 17 December 1999 through its resolution 54/120.

i. The government of Telangana in association with the World Resources Institute (WRI) India – Ross Centre and the Indian School of Business (ISB) launched the ‘Smart Streets Lab’ program.

ii. It is an effort to apply and figure out technology-based solutions for women and road safety in Hyderabad. Through the ‘Smart Streets Lab’, the state government aims to utilize technological interventions from outside and integrate them with its various departments.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

E S L Narasimhan is the Present Governor of Telangana.
K. Chandrasekhar Rao is the CM of Telangana.

i. National Mission for Clean Ganga has approved ten projects in Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh to the tune of about Rs 2,033 crore. Eight of the ten projects pertain to sewage infrastructure and treatment, one to river front development and one to Ganga Knowledge Centre.

ii. These projects were approved in the 5th meeting of the Executive Committee of National Mission for Clean Ganga. In Bihar, three major sewage infrastructure projects with total estimated cost of Rs 1461 crore have been approved.

iii. In West Bengal, three projects at an estimated cost of Rs 495.47 crore have been approved. In Uttar Pradesh, sewage infrastructure work in Chunar, district Mirzapur, has also been approved at an estimated cost of Rs 27.98 crore.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Uma Bharti is the Cabinet Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

i. The Government of India has decided to launch a new sub-scheme named “Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY)” as part of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).

ii. The Self Help Groups under DAY-NRLM will operate road transport service in backward areas. This will help to provide safe, affordable and community monitored rural transport services to connect remote villages with key services and amenities. AGEY will be initially implemented in 250 Blocks in the country on Pilot basis.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Narendra Singh Tomar is the Cabinet Minister of Rural Development.

i. The 15th Ministerial Meeting of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) concluded at Kathmandu, Nepal.

ii. They agreed to emphasize the need for greater cooperation in trade and investment in order to deepen regional integration in the Bay of Bengal region.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Indian Side was lead by Smt Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs.
Sher Bahadur Deuba is the PM of Nepal.
Kathmandu is the Capital of Nepal.

i. Canara Bank unveiled two new digital services for online payments. Bharat QR (Quick Response) is for payment settlement at merchant locations and Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) is an integrated bill payment system for net banking customers.

ii. The first service is a mobile application, which enables a merchant to accept payments as settlement for sale of goods or services. The second product (BBPS), an initiative of the RBI offers bill payment services to the bank's net banking customers with network of agents.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

The Headquarters of Canara Bank is in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
The Chairman of Canara Bank is Shri T. N. Manoharan.
Its MD & CEO is Shri Rakesh Sharma.

i. The Centre has appointed lyricist Prasoon Joshi as Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for a period of three years. Mr. Joshi has replaced former Chairman Pahlaj Nihalani.

ii. The government has also reconstituted the existing CBFC with immediate effect for a period of three years. There are 12 members in the new board, which include Ms. Gautami Tadimalla, Narendra Kohli, Naresh Chandra Lal, Vivek Agnihotri and Mrs. Vidya Balan.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

CBFC is a statutory body under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, regulating the public exhibition of films under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act.
It functions with headquarters at Mumbai.

i. Legendary Indian athlete Milkha Singh has been appointed WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Physical Activity in South-East Asia Region.

ii. Mr. Milkha will promote WHO South-East Asia Region's NCD (non-communicable diseases) Prevention and Control Action Plan which seeks to reduce the level of insufficient physical activity by 10 percent and NCDs by 25 percent by 2025.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is the Director-General of WHO for the term of 5 Years.
WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

i. In Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta has been re-elected as President following the election. Election Commission Head Wafula Chebukati announced in Nairobi that Kenyatta got 54.27 per cent votes beating his rival Raifa Odinga who got 44.74 per cent of votes.

ii. The opposition rejected the results even before they were declared, calling the process a charade.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

The Capital of Kenya is Nairobi.
Its Currency is Kenyan shilling.

i. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has appointed Dilip Asbe to act as its chief executive officer in the wake of the retirement of A. P. Hota, its founding managing director.

ii. Hota who had served as the MD of NPCI since its inception retired recently. Asbe who currently serves as the organisations’ chief operating officer will continue in the same designation, but will also act as the chief executive of NPCI.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Headquarter of NPCI is in Mumbai.
It was founded in 2008.

i. Jet Airways India Ltd named Vinay Dube as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Jet Airways has been without a full-time CEO since Cramer Ball quit in February 2016.

ii. Mr. Dube is currently senior vice president, Asia Pacific with Delta Air Lines Inc., one of the world’s largest and most profitable airlines.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Jet Airways is an Indian airline based in Mumbai.
Its Parent company is Tailwinds Private Limited.

i. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and Securities & Exchange Organization (SEO) of Iran have entered into a bilateral MoU for mutual cooperation and technical assistance.

ii. It will facilitate mutual assistance, contribute towards efficient performance of the supervisory functions, and enable effective enforcement of laws and regulations governing the securities markets. The MoU was signed by SEBI chief Ajay Tyagi and SEO Iran chairman Shapour Mohammadi.

Important Takeaways from above News-

Chairman of SEBI is Ajay Tyagi.
SEBI was set up on 12th April 1988.

i. According to the PSU lender Indian Bank, it has introduced two tier interest rate structure for saving bank accounts and will offer interest rate of 4 per cent per annum on savings account with incremental balance of over Rs 50 lakh and 3.50 per cent per annum for deposit up to Rs 50 lakh.

ii. The new interest rate will be effective from August 16, 2017.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Recently, SBI had slashed interest rate on savings account deposits by 50 basis points to 3.5 per on balance of Rs 1 crore and below.
Mr. Kishor Kharat is the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Indian Bank.
Its is Headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

i. Poet and writer Vijay Nambisan, who became the first All India Poetry Champion in 1988, passed away. He co-authored Gemini, a poetry book, with Jeet Thayil and Dom Moraes.

ii. He championed the ethical use of language and made an appeal to readers, writers and enthusiasts of literature in his book ‘Language as an Ethic’. He was 54 years old.

i. Ruth Pfau, a German nun who devoted her life to combatting leprosy in Pakistan, has died at the age of 87. Pfau, who was known locally as Pakistan's Mother Teresa, came to the southern port city of Karachi in 1960.

ii. She was the founder of Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre in Karachi. She was honored by the state with the country's two highest civilian awards, the Hilal-e-Imtiaz and the Hilal-e-Pakistan.

i. Israeli Holocaust survivor Yisrael Kristal, certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest man, died aged 113.

ii. Kristal, originally from Zarnow, Poland, was born on September 15, 1903, three months before the Wright brothers’ first successful powered airplane flight.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

Guinness World Records recognized him as the world’s oldest man in March 2016.

17. Reenat Sandhu Concurrently Accredited As Next Ambassador of India to the Republic of San Marino

i. Ms. Reenat Sandhu, presently Ambassador of lndia to ltaly, has been concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of lndia to the Republic of San Marino, with residence in Rome.

ii. She is expected to take up the assignment shortly.

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