17 August 2015 Current Affair Updates | Daily GK Download
1. Om Prakash Rawat, a 1977 batch Indian Administrative
Services (IAS) officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre was appointed as the
Election Commissioner of India. His appointment will come into effect
from the day he assumes office. With Rawat’s appointment, the sole
vacancy in the three-member poll body has been filled. Rawat will have
tenure of more than three years which will end in December 2018. He had
retired from government service in December 2014. Naseem Zaidi is the
Chief Election Commissioner and Achal Kumar Jyoti is the other Election
Commissioner.
2. The two young men from Udhampur in Jammu and
Kashmir, who overpowered and caught alive Naveed alias Mohammad Usman, a
Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorist last week, were given Chhatrapati
Shivaji Maharaj Bravery award for showing exemplary courage. Rakesh
Sharma and Vikramjit were felicitated and given the award by the All
India Anti Terrorist Front (AIATF) chairman M.S. Bitta and Bollywood
actor Suniel Shetty. The duo were given cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh each.
3. The Reserve Bank of India paid a dividend of nearly
Rs. 66,000 crore to the government, the highest ever from the central
bank in its 80-year history, and 22% more than it paid last year. On a
point to point basis, RBI's dividend payment to the government is up
more than four times in as many years. This payment can help ease the
government's finances, help meet its fiscal deficit targets, provide
liquidity to the system so that the rate of interest remains low.
4. The programme to pay cash subsidy to cooking gas LPG
consumers has been recognised by Guinness Book of World Records as the
largest cash transfer programme in the world. The Direct Benefit
Transfer on LPG (DBTL), or Pratyaksha Hastaantarit Laabh (PAHAL) scheme,
was launched in 54 districts on November 15, 2014 and all over the
country from January 1, 2015 with a view to provide subsidy to the right
beneficiary and to cut diversion and subsidised fuel being consumed by
unintended segments like restaurants and other commercial
establishments.
17 August 2015 Current Affair Updates | Daily GK Download |
5. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority
of India (IRDAI) allowed banks to tie up with insurance companies. This
decision is taken on the basis of 'Bancasurance' guidelines soon to be
notified. Prior to this decision no bank was allowed to tie up with more
than one insurance company. Now, according to the new bancassurance
guidelines banks can tie up with a maximum of 9 insurers from three
segments —life, non–life and standalone health insurers — as part of the
new. While such a tie-up will not be mandatory on the banks.
6. Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra was the Grand
Marshall and guest of honour at the prestigious New York India Day
Parade to be held in New York this year. The non resident Indians (NRIs)
on August 16 was gather in New York from all across North America to
celebrate the independence of India.
7. Marathi writer Prof Shyam Manohar has been selected
for the Kuvempu Rashtriya Puraskar-2015. It is a national award
instituted in memory of famous Kannada poet Kuvempu. The prestigious
award carries a cash award of five lakh rupees. He will be honoured with
the award in Kuppali, Karnataka on 29 December 2015, which is his birth
anniversary. Shyam Manohar is the author of eight short story works,
eight plays and many critical essays. Shyam Manohar is a retired
professor from S.P. College, Pune.
8. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) fully
commissioned and started commercial production of its indigenous
titanium sponge plant. With the commissioning of this plant, India has
become the seventh country in the world producing titanium sponge
commercially. ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (Ahmedabad)
established India's first titanium sponge plant at Chavara in Kerala’s
Kollam district. Titanium sponge is used primarily for space and defence
applications.
9. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu announced an
investment of Rs. 8.50 lakh crore in Haryana in the next five years to
strengthen rail network in the state. Prabhu, who is a Rajya Sabha MP
from Haryana, also assured that a rail coach factory would be set up in
the state. To provide smooth journey to the passengers, it has been
decided to develop 400 world class railway stations throughout the
country.
10. India and Slovak Republic have signed a Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) on technical cooperation in railway sector. The
MoU was signed between India's Union Ministry of Railways and the
Ministry of Transport, Construction and Regional Development of the
Slovak Republic. The MoU will be valid for a period of two years and
after completion of valid term it will be automatically renewed for
further successive period of two years at a time.