Current Affairs Updates – September 25/2015
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Sourav Ganguly appointed CAB president, Avishek Dalmiya to be Jt Secretary
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has been appointed as the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), ending the suspense on who will take over the state cricket body following the death of Jagmohan Dalmiya. Dalmiya’s son Avishek was inducted as one of the two joint secretaries replacing the current incumbent Ganguly. Subir Ganguly will continue as the other joint secretary while Biswarup Dey will continue as treasurer.
- Check this Link – Sourav Ganguly
Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana: PSBs to organise mega credit campaigns across country
Public sector banks will organise mega credit campaigns across the country to give a push to the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY). This campaign is expected to create a sound eco system subsequently for bank credit to aspiring entrepreneurs especially small and micro entrepreneurs.
All PSBs, Regional Rural Banks and Private sector banks have a target of Rs 1.22 lakh crore during the current financial year for disbursement to small and micro enterprises up to Rs 10 lakh.
- Check this Link – PMMY
Facebook’s Internet.org now renamed Free Basics
Facebook has decided to rebrand/rename it’s Internet.org as ‘Free Basics by Facebook’. The announcement was made at Facebook Headquarters in Melno Park, California by VP of Internet.org Chris Daniels. The app as well as web platform offers access to more than 250 services, which are now available in 19 countries across the globe including India.
- Check this Link – Free Basics
EU imposes anti-dumping duty on Indian steel pipes
The European Union has imposed a provisional anti dumping duty of up to 31.2 percent on imports of water and sewage pipes from India for six months to protect its industry. Indian exporters of these pipes to the EU market will be impacted by the move. The European Commission in its anti-dumping probe has “concluded at this stage that the material injury to the union industry was caused by the dumped imports from India”.
- Check this Link – Anti Dumping Duty
Gaia Vince becomes the first woman to win the Top science book prize
The most prestigious science book prize in Britain has been won by a solo female writer Gaia Vince for the first time in its 28-year history. Gaia Vince, a journalist and broadcaster based in London, was named the winner of the 2015 Royal Society Winton prize for Science Books at a ceremony in London. Vince quit her job as an editor at the journal, Nature, to spend more than two years travelling the world to research her book, Adventures in the Anthropocene: a Journey to the Heart of the Planet We Made.
- Check this Link – Top Science Prize
Government exempts foreign companies without permanent establishments from paying MAT
In a big relief to foreign firms, government has announced that the Income Tax Act will be amended with retrospective effect to exempt from MAT the overseas companies that are covered under double taxation avoidance agreements. Foreign companies that do not have a permanent establishment in India will be exempt from paying minimum alternate tax (MAT) on profits from April 2001.
- Check this Link – Exemption from MAT
Syed Akbaruddin made India’s permanent representative at the UN
Syed Akbaruddin will take over as India’s permanent representative in the UN in New York. He was a familiar face as MEA’s spokesperson, and it’s known that PM Modi regards him highly. Akbaruddin will replace Asoke Mukerji who will be retiring.
- Gautam Bambawale, India’s ambassador to Bhutan, will take over from TCA Raghavan as high commissioner to Pakistan when the latter retires in December.
- Navtej Sarna, presently secretary (west) in MEA will be India’s next high commissioner to London.
- Anil Wadhwa, secretary (east), will go to Rome, which has become more prominent given the level of Indian economic interests.
For more important appointments, Check this Link – Major Reshuffle
Oxigen ropes in Tendulkar as its brand ambassador
Digital payment solution firm Oxigen Services said it has signed up India’s legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar as its brand ambassador. Oxigen has roped in Sachin Tendulkar to expand reach especially after the company failed to obtain a payment bank licence from the Reserve Bank of India a month ago.
- Check this Link – Oxigen and Sachin
China successfully tests new space rocket
China has successfully launched a new model of carrier rocket Long March-11 for sending four micro satellites into space from the country’s northwestern province. The rocket blasted off from from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwestern province of Gansu. The rocket will mainly be used for launching micro-satellites.
- Check this Link – China’s New Space Rocket
RBI norms to facilitate e-commerce
The Reserve Bank of India has allowed banks to process and settle import and export related payments facilitated by online payment gateway service providers. RBI has put a cap of $2,000 on import and $10,000 on export of goods and software as allowed under the foreign trade policy. The banks will need to sign up for exporters and importers with global payment gateway providers such as PayPal, 2 checkout and Digital River through merchants.
- Check this Link – RBI and E-Commerce
Indonesia pledges 29 per cent emissions cut by 2030
Indonesia has pledged to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 29 per cent by 2030 through stepping up protection of forests and boosting the renewable energy sector. Indonesia, one of the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters, said it would reduce deforestation, restore degraded forests, and lift the share of renewable energy to almost a quarter of the national energy mix in a decade.
- Check this Link – Indonesia
Veteran TV Actor Mohan Bhandaari passes away
Veteran TV actor Mohan Bhandari died after a long battle with brain tumour. Bhandari, who died on 24th September 2015 evening, was struggling with the illness for the last few years after suffering brain hemorrhage. He has appeared in many shows and once was the active actor in 1980s.
S K Sharma given charge of Chairman of BBMB
S K Sharma, Member Irrigation of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), has been given the charge of Chairman of the board. He took charge on 25th September 2015. He replaced AB Agarwal.
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