29 November 2017 - Daily Current Affairs
Arun Jaitley launches Paytm Payments Bank
- The union finance minister Arun Jaitley has officially launched a new Payments Bank 'Paytm Payments Bank' at an event in New Delhi.
- The Payments banks is a new model of banks conceptualized by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
- Currently, India has four Payments Bank Paytm Payments Bank, Airtel Payments Bank, India Post Payments Bank and Fino Payments Bank.
- Paytm Payments Bank is a mobile-first bank with zero charges on all online transactions and no minimum balance requirement.
- Paytm Payments Bank also provides free personalized RuPay digital debit card.
Note:
- Payments Banks can accept a restricted deposit, which is currently limited to Rs. 1 lakh per customer and may be increased further.
- These banks cannot issue loans and credit cards.
Amazon India launches 'Saheli Store' for Women Entrepreneurs
- E-commerce website Amazon India has launched a new programme “Amazon Saheli” to empowering and enabling women entrepreneurs across the country to sell their products on its marketplace.
- ‘Amazon India’ has collaborated with organizations that work with towards encouraging women entrepreneurship, including Self-employed Women's Association and Impulse Social Enterprise.
- Initially comprising handicrafts, apparel, handbags and home decor items, the Saheli Store will gradually scale up to onboard women entrepreneurs selling in different product categories.
- Women entrepreneurs associated with these partner organizations will be able to offer their products to Amazon.in customers through a dedicated storefront ‘Saheli Store’.
FSSAI issues detailed guidelines on recall of food products
- Food safety regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued detailed guidelines on recall of food products to help food business operators to frame a proper recall plan and implement them when the situation demand.
- The food recalls are an appropriate method for removing or correcting marketed food products and their labeling that violate the laws administered by the regulatory authority.
- Recall can be defined as an action to remove food products from the market at any stage of the food chain, which may pose a threat to the public health or food that violate the Act.
- The recovered product must be stored in an area which is separated from any other food product. Accurate records are to be kept of the amount of recovered product and the batch codes of the product recovered.
Note:
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is an autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
- It is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety.
Parliamentary panel asks Sanjay Leela Bhansali & Prasoon Joshi to appear
- According to the Chairman of the Parliamentary committee panel Anurag Thakur, Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Padmavati’s film director) & Prasoon Joshi (Censor board chief) have been asked by the Parliamentary committee on the Information Technology to appear before it.
- They have been asked to present their views on the controversy surrounding the movie which has been accused of distorting history by some sections of society.
- The panel (30-members) has also asked producers of the movie and officials of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to appear and brief about the controversial film ‘Padmavati’.
- The censor board is yet to clear the film.
Note:
- The film is based on the legend of Padmavati (Rajput queen 'Padmavat'), an Awadhi language epic poem written by Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi in 1540.
- The film features Deepika Padukone in the title role as Rani Padmavati, alongside Shahid Kapoor as Maharawal Ratan Singh and Ranveer Singh as Sultan Alauddin Khilji, with Aditi Rao Hydari and Jim Sarbh in supporting roles.
Aung San Suu Kyi stripped of Freedom of Oxford award
- Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi (72-years) has been stripped of the Freedom of Oxford award over her "inaction" in handling the raging Rohingya refugee crisis.
- Oxford City Council in London voted unanimously to permanently remove the honor given to her in 1997.
- The Rohingya Muslims have fled to the neighboring country following a military crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine state, creating one of the world's most dire refugee crisis.
Prof. Hiroshi Marui honored with 3rd ICCR distinguished Indologist Award
- President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the 3rd Indian Council for Cultural Relations(ICCR) distinguished Indologist Award to Japan’s Professor Hiroshi Marui at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
- Professor Marui had spent over 40 years working on Indian philosophy & Buddhist studies, made a significant contribution to Indology in Japan.
- He is President of Japanese Association of Indian and Buddhist Studies.
Shaktikanta Das named India’s G20 Sherpa
- Former economic affairs secretary ‘Shaktikanta Das’ has been appointed India’s G20 Sherpa for the Development Track of the grouping.
- The Department of Economic Affairs will provide necessary support to the Sherpa.
- A Sherpa is a personal representative of the leader of a member country at an international Summit meeting such as the G8/G20 or the Nuclear Security Summit.
- Finance Track is managed by the Economic Affairs Secretary (Ministry of Finance), as India’s Deputy to G-20 and the Development Track is coordinated by the Sherpa.
Note: The Sherpa term is derived from the Nepalese Sherpa people, who serve as guides for mountaineers in the Himalayas.
India & Greece sign Air Services Agreement
- India and Greece have signed Air Services Agreement and MoU on Cooperation in the field of New and Renewable Energy in New Delhi.
- The pacts were inked after talks between Sushma Swaraj (External Affairs Minister) and visiting Minister for Foreign Affairs of Greece Nikos Kotzias.
- The two leaders have also re-affirmed commitment to further expand cooperation in mutually beneficial spheres.
7th world military games to be held at Wuhan in China
- The 7th international military games will be held in Wuhan city in the central China's Hubei Province.
- The Military World Games is a multi-sport event for military sportspeople, organized by the International Military Sports Council (CISM).
- It contains 329 competitions in 27 categories, expected to attract around 8,000 participants from more than 100 countries and regions.
- The slogan is of the games is "Military glory, world peace".
Pankaj Advani wins World Snooker Championship
- Ace Indian cueist Pankaj Advani secured his 18th World Championship title with 8-2 win over ‘Amir Sarkhosh’ (Iran) at Al-Arabi Sports Club, Doha, Qatar.
- The best-of-15 frame final witnessed Amir pocketing the first frame rather comfortably
- Earlier, Advani had won his 17th world title at the same venue when he won the IBSF World Billiards Championship defeating Mike Russell of England.
Note:
- The IBSF World Snooker Championship is the premier non-professional snooker tournament in the world.
- The event series is sanctioned by the International Billiards and Snooker Federation.
France beat Belgium to win 10th Davis Cup title
- France won the Davis Cup for the first time in 16 years after beating Belgium 3-2.
- Lucas Pouille’s 6-3, 6-1, 6-0 win over Steve Darcis in the second reverse singles gave France its 10th Davis Cup title.
- Now, France has joined Britain in third place on the list for the most Davis Cup titles, behind the United States (32) and Australia (28).
Note:
- The Davis Cup is the premier International team event in men's tennis, run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) from competing countries in a knock-out format annually.
- By 2016, 135 nations entered teams into the competition.
Titles by country
| Country | Years |
| 1. France | 2017 |
| 2. Argentina | 2016 |
| 3. Great Britain | 2015 |
| 4. Switzerland | 2014 |
