Current Affairs Update - 19th September 2017

Current Affairs Update - 19th September 2017

Good News for All of You

Railways to recruit 1 lakh people to ensure safety: Source: Govt. Report (100% Genuine)

• The Ministry of Railways has reportedly decided to recruit one lakh people in the 'sanraksha shreynee' (safety category). The move comes after five incidents of train derailment were reported in the month of September. The Railway Ministry will also start a track renewal exercise under which almost 2,000 km of track would be renewed to reduce derailments, report said.

Do You Know?

CHINA and Russia began naval drills near North Korea on Monday amid continuing tensions over the isolated state's nuclear ambitions and ahead of a United Nations General Assembly meeting this week, where North Korea is likely to loom large.

• North Korea launched a missile over Japan last Friday, its second in the past three weeks, and conducted its sixth and by far most powerful nuclear test on September 3, in defiance of international pressure. 
• The official Xinhua news agency said the joint exercises will take place between Peter the Great Bay, just outside of the Russian far eastern port of Vladivostok, not far from the Russia-North Korea border, and into the southern part of the Sea of Okhotsk, to the north of Japan. 

Sushma Swaraj in New York to attend UN General Assembly meet, Swaraj will also participate in a high-level meeting on UN reforms, hosted by the US and chaired by US President Donald Trump. She will address the UNGA on September 23.

• External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrive here today to represent India at the annual UN General Assembly (UNGA) session with a packed schedule of super diplomacy among an array of world leaders.
• During her week-long stay, Swaraj, leading a high-powered Indian delegation, is expected to hold about 20 bilateral and trilateral meetings with leaders attending the session.
• Swaraj, was received at the airport by the Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna, and India's permanent Representative to the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin.

BSNL to team up with mobile makers to launch ₹2,000 phone

• State-owned telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is going to launch a co-branded feature phone at a price of about ₹2,000 in October. "We are tying up with device makers such as Lava and Micromax to come up with own model of co-branded bundled feature phones with very aggressive voice packages," BSNL Chairman and Managing Director Anupam Shrivastava said.

Computer utility software CCleaner, which is owned by cybersecurity company Avast, was hacked to inject and spread malware to its users. 

• The malware gave hackers unauthorised access to the infected computer's personal information. Avast-owned Piriform, which runs the CCleaner software, later solved the issue and claimed that the malware did not harm any user.

Indian businessman starts firm named 'Tata Sons' in London

• A West Bengal-based businessman, Pawan Jhawar, started a company last month by the name of 'Tata Sons', in London. After its discovery, a Tata Sons spokesperson said, "Such a move is in blatant violation of all laws, including our intellectual property rights over the usage of the word Tata." He added the group is considering legal options over the infringement.

New Appointments: National

Senior IPS Officer YC Modi has been appointed as Director General of National Investigation Agency (NIA).

• Senior IPS Officer YC Modi has been appointed as Director General of National Investigation Agency (NIA), according to PTI. He will take over the charge from incumbent DG Sharad Kumar. In October, 2016, the Government had given a second extension of one year to Kumar. 
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet had approved the proposal for re-appointment of Kumar on the post of DG, NIA on “re-employment” for a period of one year beyond end of previous one year, the reports said. This was considered as a rare move.

New Appointments: International

Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski made Vice President Mercedes Araoz his new prime minister in a cabinet shuffle.

• Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski made Vice President Mercedes Araoz his new prime minister in a cabinet shuffle on Sunday that won praise from the opposition – a sign his year-old government will likely avoid a fresh standoff with Congress.
• Kuczynski also swore in Deputy Economy Minister Claudia Cooper as his new finance minister and replaced his justice, education, health and housing ministers.
• The new, more socially conservative cabinet sparked criticism from Kuczynski’s centrist and leftist supporters that he had caved into the right-wing party Popular Force, which has an absolute majority in Congress.

Banking/Economic Affairs

In a first of its kind for India, ICICI Bank will partner with e-commerce firms to provide automated payday loan-type credit to customers at the bottom of the digital pyramid. Unlike other software-based loans, the digital credit planned by the bank will be available to non-customers and new-to-credit borrowers.

• The bank will announce partnerships with e-commerce firms, following which buyers on the site will get a 'pay later' option. The 'pay later' facility will be available to even those who have not availed of any loan in the past and for small amounts of up to Rs 20,000. These borrowers should make a bullet repayment after a month.

Direct benefit scheme saved government Rs.65,000 cr. as per Prakash Javedkar (Union Minister).

• Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar on Sunday claimed that the Union government has saved ?65,000 crore due to the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme. The scheme requires linking Aadhaar numbers with bank accounts and other subsidised services. The government claims it is being used to fix leaks through which it has lost considerable amounts. Till date, the government has opened 30 crore Jan Dhan bank accounts, and has issued 118 crore Aadhaar numbers.
• Speaking at a private function, Mr. Javadekar said, “With one-third achievement in DBT, the union government has been able to save Rs 65,000 crore. Imagine how much money the government will save when we fully implement DBT.” 

National Affairs

Maharashtra to be the first state to have DNA databank in India

• A major IT firm along with Maharashtra Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) is building a tool for storage of DNA profile of criminals to help police investigations dealing serious crimes against women and children. Maharashtra will be the first Indian state to start DNA database which will also help law enforcement agencies in tracking maoists as well as terrorists besides repeat offenders.

Rajnath Singh to operationalise full-fledged Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Intelligence Wing to guard India-Nepal and India-Bhutan borders.

• In a bid to enhance operational efficiency, the Home Ministry in July had given approval to create 650 combatised posts for the intelligence set-up in the 96,500-strong SSB. 
• The 650 posts in various ranks range from battalion to headquarters levels. The Intelligence Wing personnel would be deployed on the 1,751-km India-Nepal and 699-km India-Bhutan borders where there are no restrictions on the movement of people on either side, an official said. 
• He said the Intelligence Wing was required due to cross-border movement of criminals and anti-national elements in the context of visa-free regime on these borders. 

International Affairs

World's largest street art museum opens in Germany

• The largest museum of street art in the world has opened in the German capital city of Berlin. The five-storey indoor-outdoor 'Urban Nation Museum for Urban Contemporary Art' features works, including graffiti and 8,000-square-foot murals, from over 100 local and international artists. It will host performances and workshops, and cover its facade and nearby train tracks with installations.

Japan releases postage stamps on Indian yoga experts. The Japanese postage stamps feature Bishnu Charan Ghosh and his family members in tribute to the role they played in spreading yoga in Japan.

• Acknowledging the role played by yoga legend Bishnu Charan Ghosh and his family members in spreading Indian postural yoga in Japan, the Japanese postal department has released postage stamps on four of Bengal’s famous exponents of the ancient Indian practice.
• The stamps on Bishnu Charan Ghosh, his son Biswanath Ghosh, daughter Karuna Ghosh and Karuna’s father in law Asutosh Ghosh, that were released recently in Japan, were official showcased here by the Japanese Consul General in Kolkata, Masayuki Taga.
• “This is the first time Japan has released postal stamps on any yoga experts. It is a result of the constant endeavour by the four yogis to create a close cultural linkage between the two countries by popularising the Indian form of yoga in Japan,” Taga said during the event.

Tunisia lifts ban on Muslim women marrying non-Muslims

• Tunisia has abolished a 44-year-old ban on Muslim women marrying non-Muslims, the presidency said on Thursday. Until now a non-Muslim man wishing to marry a Tunisian Muslim woman had to convert to Islam and submit a certificate of conversion as proof. Recently, Tunisia abolished a law that allowed rapists to escape punishment if they married their victims.

China opens dual-use highway to Nepal via Tibet

• China has opened a strategic highway in Tibet to the Nepal border which could be used for civilian and defence purposes, a move that Chinese experts say will enable Beijing to make forays into South Asia, according to a media report on Monday.
• The 40.4-kilometre highway in Tibet between Xigaze airport and Xigaze city centre officially opened to the public on Friday with a short section linking the national highway to the Nepal border.
• The highway will shorten the journey from an hour to 30 minutes between the dual-use civil and military airport and Tibet's second-largest city.
• State-run 'Global Times' quoted experts as saying that the highway "will enable China to forge a route into South Asia in both economic and defence terms" and being a forerunner to a railway line connecting Nepal.

Russia, Iraq restore air travel after 13-year freeze

• Russia and Iraq restored commercial airline services on Sunday for the first time since 2004, with an Iraqi Airways plane leaving for Moscow from Baghdad. "It is a signal on part of Iraq that Russian nationals can safely visit Iraq," a Russian spokesman said. Russia suspended flights to Iraq after the 2003 US-led invasion pushed the Arab country into war.

Awards & Honours

S S Rajamouli received the prestigious ANR National Award for his contribution to the Telugu film industry.

• "You deserved the award because you are 'Baahubali'". Naidu said, revoking the title of Rajamouli's blockbuster fantasy drama.
• "This felicitation is to provide inspiration and to inspire people. It is a memorable moment for me to present evergreen ANR award today," the vice president said.
• Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, also present at the function, recalled the contribution of A Nageswara Rao, popularly known as ANR, to the Telugu film industry.

Indian women boxers shine at Ahmet Comert Championships for youth women boxers in Istanbul, Turkey.

• Soniya (48kg) gave India the lone gold medal by defeating Kazakhstan's Zhazira Urakabeva in her summit clash.
• The rest of the four Indian finalists settled for silver medals after going down in their respective bouts.

Pakistan-origin entrepreneurs' startup Roshni Rides has won 1 million dollar in a contest in the US for developing a network solution to provide transportation for urbanised refugees in South Asia. 

• The team of four entrepreneurs received the award from former US President Bill Clinton. Their model proposed to run solar-powered electric rickshaws on a route, with stops near hospitals and schools.

Sports: Awards & Honours

Lewis Hamilton wins Singapore Grand Prix after Sebastian Vettel crashes out

• Vettel’s first-lap exit allows Hamilton to extend drivers’ championship lead. Daniel Ricciardo second, Valtteri Bottas third in race hit by crashes and rain.
• Six races remain in the 2017 Formula One season and on the evidence of the Singapore Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton has every right to believe that going into them he has the racing deities firmly onside. 
• The British driver had said he required “a miracle” to win at the Marina Bay street circuit and, within seconds of the lights going out in what may well be this season’s defining moment of high drama, he had it. With his championship rival Sebastian Vettel eliminated from the race, the chance of a win and a commanding lead in the title race was in his hands.

Spain's Ana Carrasco became the first woman to win an individual World Championship motorbike race in Portugal.

• The 20-year-old achieved the feat after finishing 0.053 seconds ahead of second-placed Alfonso Coppola from Italy in the Supersport 300 World Championship's round 10 in Portugal. Notably, Carrasco, in 2013, had become the first woman to win a World Championship point since 2001.

Miscellaneous

Chris Gayle creates history, becomes first cricketer to hit 100 T20 sixes

• Chris Gayle has remained the top showman in Twenty20 cricket for years now. The Jamaican power-hitter added another slice of record on Saturday when he became the first batsman to complete a century of sixes in Twenty20 Internationals.
• The powerful batsman prefers to deal in boundaries and sixes, be it for West Indies or any franchise he plays for. Still, reaching a century of maximum is a special record.
• Chris Gayle, 37, reached the milestone in his 52nd match, off 49 innings. He struck left-arm seamer David Willey for six while scoring 40 in the first Twenty20 International against England at Chester-le-Street, Durham.