Hello and welcome to exampundit. Here are the Important Current Affairs of 13 July, 2017. These are very important for the upcoming IBPS PO, IBPS RRB, NABARD Grade A & Other Exams.
Banking & Financial News |
SBI reduces NEFT, RTGS charges up to 75% effective from July 15
- After lowering the Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) charges, the State Bank of India (SBI) on Thursday reduced charges for National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) and Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) transactions upto 75 per cent effective July 15.
- The reduced charges will be applicable on the transactions done through internet banking and mobile banking services offered by the bank, the bank said in an official statement here on Thursday.
- Additionally, bank has also waived charges for fund transfer of upto Rs 1,000 done through IMPS effective July 1, 2017.
- "In sync with our strategy and complementing the focus of government of India to create a digital economy, we have taken one more step to promote use of internet banking and mobile banking for doing NEFT and RTGS transactions by reduction of the charges," said Rajnish Kumar, Managing Director - NBG, SBI.
- As on March 31, 2017, SBI had 3.27 crore Internet Banking customers and nearly 2 crore mobile banking customers. Along with customer convenience, this initiative will attract more customers towards transacting digitally.
Railways Ministry launches RailCloud Project, NIVARAN-Grievance Portal and CTSE Scheme
- Railways Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu on 12 July 2017 launched various initiatives namely RailCloud Project, NIVARAN-Grievance Portal and Cashless treatment Scheme in Emergency (CTSE) Scheme.
RailCloud Project
- The Phase-I of the RailCloud was sanctioned with Rs 53.55 crore cost.
- RailCloud is another step towards the Digitization of Railways with an aim of single digital platform for Indian Railways.
- It is a strategic IT initiative for enterprise wide digital single platform with an aim to improve customer satisfaction, improve revenue and effective, efficient and safe operations.
- It works on popular Cloud Computing system. Cloud Computing is the emerging technology for faster deployment of Server resources which result in reduced cost.
NIVARAN-Grievance Portal
- NIVARAN-Grievance Portal is the first IT application to be launched on the RailCloud.
- It is aimed for the resolution of service related grievances of serving and former railway employees.
- The existing NIVARAN-Grievance application was hosted on a conventional server; it has now been made cloud-ready and is made as the first cloud application of Indian Railways.
Cashless treatment Scheme in Emergency (CTSE)
- With an aim to provide immediate care to its retired employees in Golden Hour, the Railway Board has rolled out a Cashless treatment Scheme in Emergency (CTSE) in empanelled hospitals for retired employees and their dependent family members.
- A web based system of communication between private hospitals and railway authorities has been developed wherein identity of the beneficiary will be established using biometrics stored in Aadhar (UIDAI) server.
Google acquires Bengaluru-based startup Halli Labs
- Google on 12 July 2017 acquired Bengaluru-based artificial intelligence startup Halli Labs for an undisclosed sum.
- Halli Labs was founded in 2017 by Pankaj Gupta with the goal of applying modern artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to solve old problems.
- Pankaj Gupta, an Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and Stanford University alumnus, has earlier served as Chief Technology Officer of online homestay aggregator Stayzilla and as senior data scientist at Twitter.
- Halli Labs becomes the latest AI start up to be acquired by a technology giant after a mass of similar acquisitions by firms such as Microsoft, Facebook, Apple among others. Over 30 artificial intelligence startups have been acquired in the first quarter of this year.
Meghalaya CM Mukul Sangma launches LIFE programme at Songsak
- Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma on 12 July 2017 launched a flagship programme ‘Livelihood Intervention and Facilitation of Entrepreneurship’ (LIFE) at Songsak in East Garo Hills. Songsak is about 210kilometer west of the state capital, Shillong.
- LIFE is a programme of the State Rural Livelihood Society (MSRLS), an agency of the Community and Rural Development Department of Government of Meghalaya, which is implementing the Centre's flagship programme - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM). NRLM promotes livelihood through women Self Help Groups (SHGs) and their Federations.
- At present, the NRLM is being currently implemented in 21 blocks of Meghalaya and so far, a total of 1472 people in different blocks have been benefitted from the scheme.
- The programme offers thrust on improving the livelihood of rural poor in a sustainable manner through the process of SHGs, Village organisation and Producers Groups.
News related to India and states |
India to host 8th edition of Theatre Olympics
- India will host the 8th edition of the greatest carnival of theatre in the world, Theatre Olympics, for the first time ever from 17 February to 8 April 2018 simultaneously in 15 cities across the country.
- The announcement was made by Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (Independent charge) for Culture and Tourism, on 12 July 2017.
- The Theatre Olympics will be organised by the National School of Drama, under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Culture.
- The inaugural ceremony of the Theatre Olympics will take place in New Delhi, in a gala function with performances by hundreds of artistes while the closing ceremony will take place in Mumbai.
- The Theatre Olympics 2018 will be the 8th edition of the event and will feature maximum number of Indian and International theatre groups.
NGT declares 100m area from edge of Ganga as No-development Zone
- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 13 July 2017 passed a few directions to rejuvenate the Ganga river and declared 100 metres from the edge of the Ganga river between Haridwar and Unnao as “No-Development Zone”.
- The directions were passed by a NGT bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar.
- It declared ‘No-Development Zone’ along an area of 100 metres from the edge of the river and directed that this zone must be turned into green belts.
- The environment compensation of Rs 50000 will be imposed on anyone who dumps waste in the Ganga river.
- It prohibited the dumping of waste within 500 metres from the river.
- It directed all the concerned authorities to complete various projects including setting up of a sewage treatment plant and cleaning drains within two years.
- It directed the Uttar Pradesh government to shift tanneries within six weeks from Jajmau in Kanpur to leather parks in Unnao or any other place it considers appropriate.
Appointments |
Justice Vikramajit Sen appointed as Chairperson of BCCC
- Justice Vikramajit Sen was on 12 July 2017 appointed as the Chairperson of the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC). His appointment was approved by the Board of Directors of Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF).
- Justice Sen succeeds Justice Mukul Mudgal, former Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice, whose three-year term as BCCC Chairperson came to an end.
- BCCC is an independent self-regulatory body constituted by IBF in June 2011 to examine content-related complaints related to all non-news general entertainment channels in India.
World News |
In a first, India grants Rupees 3.2 crore aid to Philippines to fight ISIS
- India in July 2017 granted USD 500000 to the Philippines for the rehabilitation and relief efforts in war-torn Marawi City.
- India announced the "immediate assistance" on 11 July 2017 on the Facebook account of its embassy in Manila.
- It is the first time that India is sending financial aid to another country affected by terrorism.
- As per the embassy, Sushma Swaraj offered the assistance to the Philippines during her conversation with Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on 6 July 2017.
- India’s assistance is a part of the Union Government’s Act East policy and comes at a time when the Philippines is getting ready to host India-Asean foreign ministers meeting in Manila in August 2017.
- The Philippines is the only Southeast Asian nation where ISIS has established its presence.
China sends troops to open first overseas military base in Djibouti
- Ships carrying personnel for China's first overseas military base in Djibouti have set sail to begin setting up the facility.
- On the other hand, Djibouti's position on the northwestern edge of the Indian Ocean instilled worry in India as China builds on its military alliances with countries that encircle India, notably Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.
- Djibouti in the Horn of Africa will be China's first overseas naval base, though Beijing officially describes it as a logistics facility. The dragon stated that the base will be used to resupply navy ships taking part in peacekeeping and humanitarian missions off the coasts of Yemen and Somalia, in particular.
- However, China did not specify how many troops or ships it would be sending to Djibouti or when maneuvers would start.
Sports News |
Mithali Raj shatters record; becomes first player to score 6000 runs in women’s ODI cricket
- India captain Mithali Raj scripted history on 12 July 2017 as she became the only female cricketer to surpass the 6000 run mark in One-Day Internationals (ODI).
- Mithali overtook Charlotte Edwards (5992) after scoring her 34th run against Australia in Bristol. The 34-year-old reached the landmark in her 183rd ODI, taking 164 innings - 16 less than Edwards.
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