Current Affairs July 29, 2017

IOB goes live with Bharat Bill Payment System

1. BBPS is an integrated bill payment system that offers inter-operable online bill payments to customers.

2. The services include online payments of electricity, telecommunication, DTH, water and gas bills.

3. IOB is one of the three public sector banks to get approval from RBI for providing the service.

4. Indian Overseas Bank has started to offer Bharat Bill Payment System for its customers.

Centre to set up petrochemical clusters

1. Centre is planning to set up petrochemical clusters in eastern, western & southern India to spur growth of the sector amid increasing demand.

2. 2 petrochemical clusters will be setup in east & west coasts, and some in south India.

3. They will be created to make the entire value chain extremely cost effective.

4. India’s petrochemical market is valued at $50 billion and is expected to grow at 89%.

J&K tops list on human rights violation

1. According to the data released by Union home ministry, Human rights violations under Armed Forces Special Powers Act are highest in Jammu & Kashmir, followed by Assam.
2. 92 complaints against the Indian Army and paramilitary forces were registered in Jammu and Kashmir in 2016.
3. AFSPA gives powers to Army & central forces deployed in disturbed areas to kill anyone acting in contravention of law.

China produces gas from ‘flammable ice’

1. China has produced natural gas from methane hydrate, also known as flammable ice in an experimental project in South China Sea.
2. A drilling platform deployed off the coast of Zhuhai for 60 days produced 309,000 m3 of natural gas.
3. Flammable ice consists of methane trapped within water crystals, has been identified as a new gas source for China.
4. Japan reported a similar production test in May.

Counter-terrorism meeting

1. Indonesia and Australia co-hosted a counter-terrorism meeting to address the rising threat of foreign fighters.
2. The one-day gathering brought together 6 countries including Malaysia, Philippines and New Zealand.
3. Ministers will discuss the challenges posed by growing terrorism in Southeast Asia as well as concerns that IS is trying establish a regional caliphate in Philippines.

South Korea to deploy 4 more THAAD units

1. South Korea will proceed with deployment of 4 additional Terminal High Altitude Area Defence units.
2. This comes after North Korea’s latest launch of ICBM.
3. Deployment of additional THAAD units had been delayed after South Korean President Moon Jae-in ordered an environmental assessment.
4. THAAD is an American anti-ballistic missile defense system designed to shoot down ballistic missiles.

New dean of MIT’s engineering school

1. Anantha Chandrakasan an India-born academician at Massachusetts Institute of Technology has been named as the dean of its engineering school.
2. He succeeded Ian Waitz who is now MIT’s vice chancellor.
3. He had previously headed the MIT’s largest academic department, spearheading a number of initiatives that opened opportunities for students, postdocs, and faculty to conduct research.

ICICI Pru to take over Sahara insurance

1. Insurance regulator IRDAI has asked ICICI Prudential Life Insurance to take over the business of Sahara India Life Insurance with effect from 31 July.
2. ICICI Prudential shall ensure that systems are integrated within a period of one year from the appointed date
3. This is not a merger between the two companies but purely a transfer of customers to ICICI Prudential Life.

India World’s 3rd biggest beef exporter

1. According to a report by FAO and OECD, India is the world’s 3rd biggest exporter of beef and is projected to hold on to that position over the next decade.
2. India exported 1.56 million tonnes of beef last year and is expected to account for 16% of global exports in 2026 by exporting 1.93 tonnes that year.
3. The Outlook report ranked Brazil as world’s top beef exporter, followed by Australia.

Sri Lanka, China sign $1.5 bn port deal

1. Sri Lanka’s govt has signed a long-delayed agreement to sell a 70% stake in the $1.5 billion Hambantota port to China.
2. The Agreement has been signed in a bid to recover from the heavy burden of repayment of loans obtained to build the port.
3. It is seen as part of Beijing’s so-called “string-of-pearls plan” for a line of ports stretching from its waters to the Persian Gulf.

SPORTS

Lovepreet Singh wins bronze

1. India’s Lovepreet Singh has won bronze medal in Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships at Kathmandu.
2. He got third place in 105 kg men junior category. Lovepreet lifted 151 kgs in snatch and 180 kgs in clean and jerk to clinch the bronze medal.
3. This is India’s fourth medal in the championships.

DEFENCE

India’s first unmanned tank

1. India’s 1st unmanned tank developed by DRDO has been rolled out of the Chennai lab.
2. Muntra has 3 variants – surveillance, mine detection & reconnaissance in areas with nuclear & bio threats.
3. Muntra-S has been developed for unmanned surveillance missions, whereas Muntra-M is built for detecting mines.
4. It’s surveillance radar has an integrated camera that can be used to spy on ground target.

Proposals for high-tech public transport

1. Niti Aayog has cleared 6 proposals of transport ministry exploring options to improve public transport.
2. Mass rapid transportation technologies such as hyperloop, pod taxis, stadler buses, hybrid buses & freight rail road are part of transport ministry proposal.
3. Transport ministry has formed a 6 member committee to study safety parameters associated with these technologies & global practices.

Ban on liquid nitrogen in drinks, food

1. Haryana govt has banned mixing of liquid nitrogen in drinks & food, days after a man burnt a hole in his stomach after drinking a cocktail containing the chemical.
2. Due to its low temperature liquid nitrogen can be extremely damaging to body tissue, causing cryogenic burning on contact.
3. It releases large volume of gas on evaporation & can burst open the stomach if ingested in large quantities

Russia to Stay in Syria for 50 Years

1. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law ratifying a deal with Syrian govt to allow Russia to keep its airbase in Syria for almost half a century.
2. Russian forces will be deployed at Hmeymim base for 49 years with the option of extending that arrangement for 25-year periods.
3. Russia has previously used the base to conduct strikes against forces opposing President Bashar al-Assad.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Tiger Day

1. International Tiger Day is an annual celebration to raise awareness for tiger conservation, held annually on 29 July.
2. It aims to promote a global system for protecting natural habitats of tigers and raise public support for tiger conservation issues.
3. According to WWF there are only 3,890 tigers left in the world. Of them, India has the highest number. Till last year, India had 2,500 tigers.

NEW PROGRAMME

Injection safety programme

1. Punjab has become the 1st state in the country to introduce injection safety programme.
2. For this Punjab signed an agreement with Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics on World Hepatitis Day.
3. It will support Punjab Health Department by providing Rapid test kits for screening of high risk patients.
4. WHO & Health Department together will work in sensitising public regarding safe injections.

Bengaluru ranks 40

1. According to a report by Dell, Bengaluru ranks at the 40th spot among the top 50 global cities that foster high-potential women entrepreneurs.
2. The only other Indian city in the top 50 tally is Delhi at the 49th spot.
3. New York ranked topped the list, followed by Bay Area, London, Boston and Stockholm.
4. Globally, women’s entrepreneurship rates are growing more than 10 per cent each year

Supervisory Colleges for Scheduled Banks

1. Reserve Bank of India has setup Supervisory Colleges for 6 Scheduled Commercial Banks which have sizeable international presence
2. The objectives of the colleges are to enhance information exchange and cooperation among supervisors and to improve understanding of the risk profile of the banking group.
3. The Supervisory Colleges have been setup for SBI, PNB, BOB, BOI, ICICI and Axis Bank.

Lok Sabha passes IIM Bill, 2017

1. Lok Sabha has approved Indian Institutes of Management Bill 2017 that promises to grant administrative, academic and financial autonomy to the B-Schools and allow them to award degrees to their graduates.
2. The bill will grant greater autonomy to these schools and ensure they are board-driven, with chairperson & director selected by board.
3. The govt also agreed not to change the name of IIM-C.