IPCI Info

17 May

17 May

International News Affairs

  • Today (17th May) is World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD 2017).
    • This day was proclaimed to be on 17 May by a United Nations General Assembly resolution, following the 2005 World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis.
    • Theme of WTISD 2017 : Big Data for Big Impact

 

  • Today is International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia & Biphobia.
    • This day was launched by the World Health Organization in 2004, to educate about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, and to advocate for sensible public policies regarding LGBT people.
    • Theme of the year 2017 : “families”
  • Several European Union countries including France, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Portugaland Britain have refused to sign a trade statement at China’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) summit.
    • This is seen as a setback to China’s efforts to gain full support for its initiative which it hopes will revive ancient trade routes from Asia to Europe.
  • Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko has imposed a ban on Russia’s social media networksand internet services as part of economic sanctions against Russia.
    • The sanctions were imposed over Russian annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and its alleged support to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

National News Affairs

  • Cabinet gives its ex-post facto approval to Pan-India implementation of Maternity Benefit Programme.
    • The programme now has been extended to all districts of the country from 1st of January this year.
    • This Programme will provide compensation for the wage loss in terms of cash incentives so that the women can take adequate rest before and after delivery and not be deprived of proper nutrition.
    • Note : It is applicable only to the first born baby.
  • TheRajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad is set to become south India’s first airport to go 100% LED-lit.
    • With the entire Taxiway Edge Lights converted from halogen lamps to energy efficient LEDs, the authorities claimed that 75% work on the project has been completed.
  • The Andhra Pradesh Assembly today passed an amendment to its public services law to appoint Olympics silver medal-winning shuttler PV Sindhu as a Group-1 officer in the government.
    • Certain provisions in the law had earlier prevented Sindhu’s appointment as any recruitment in public service should be made through the state Public Service Commission, selection committee, or employment exchange.

Science & Technology

  • The Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST) has successfully created India’s first smart grid project, which will generate power from renewable sources of energy.
    • The project will soon be inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee, IIEST Director Ajoy Kumar Roy told.
  • The Union Cabinet has cleared a proposal allowing for the construction of 10 indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR).
    • The reactors will have a capacity of 700 MW. These reactors will add 7000 MW capacity and will ramp up nuclear power generation in the country.

Awards & Honours

  • Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani has been featured in the Forbes Global Game Changers List for 2017.
    • The list also includes Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel and Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
    • Top 10 in the List :
      • Mukesh Ambani (India)
      • Ziv Aviram, Amnon Shashua (Israel)
      • Stewart Butterfield (US)
      • John and Patrick Collison (US)
      • James Dyson (UK)
      • Scott Farquhar, Mike Cannon-Brookes (Australia)
      • Larry Fink (US)
      • Ken Frazier (US)
      • Taavet Hinrikus, Kristo Käärmann (UK)
      • Robert Katz (US)
    • Indian Mountaineer Anshu Jamsenpa becomes First Woman in World to Climb Mount Everest 4 times.
    • Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh adjudged as cleanest railway station followed by Secunderabad in Telangana & Jammu Tawi.

New Appointments

  • Renu Satti has been appointed as the new CEO of Paytm Payments Bank.
    • Satti replaces Shinjini Kumar, a former central banker and senior executive at consultancy PwC, who was named as Paytm Payments Bank CEO last year.
    • She has worked with Paytm for around ten years.
  • Indian national Ovais Sarmad has been appointed by the N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to the post of Deputy Executive Secretary, which is a key post in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Banking, Business & Economic Affairs

  • India has overtaken the US to become the second-most attractive country for renewable energy investment after Chin.
    • India’s rise to the second spot caused by “government’s programme to build 175 gigawatts in renewable energy generation by 2022 and have renewable energy account for 40% of installed capacity by 2030.”
  • The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved a new coal linkage policyto ensure adequate supply of the fuel to power plants through reverse auction.
    • The new policy will help in ensuring fuel supplies to the power plants in an organised manner.