16 February 2017 - Current Affairs

Usain Bolt wins Laureus 'Sportsman of the Year' award


  • The world greatest sprinter ‘Usain Bolt’ has won the 'Sportsman of the Year' trophy while gymnast ‘Simone Biles’ clinched the top honour in the women's category at the Laureus World Awards at a ceremony held in Monaco.
  • Bolt was conferred with the top honour for the fourth time (2009, 2010 and 2013) and equal the record set by tennis legends Roger Federer and Serena Williams and surfer Kelly Slater, who are all four-time Laureus winners.
  • Simone Biles’ finished with four yellow metals and a bronze
Note:
  • The awards known as 'Oscar for Sports' are held annually to celebrate the most remarkable sports-persons and their achievements from the previous calendar year.
  • The nominee of each award selected by a nomination panel comprising some of the world’s leading sports editors, writers and broadcasters who vote to create a shortlist of six nominations in five categories.


AIIMS wins first prize for sanitation & hygiene under Kayakalp awards


  • The All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) of Delhi has won the first prize for maintaining high standards of sanitation and hygiene under the Government's “Kayakalp” awards and got a cash reward of 5 crore rupees.
  • North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (Shillong) has received the second prize of 3 crore rupees.
  • Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (Chandigarh) has received the third prize of one crore rupees.
  • “Kayakalp” initiative will encourage every public health facility in the country to work towards standards of excellence to help the facilities stay clean and hygienic.
Note:
  • The “Kayakalp” scheme launched in 2015 covered 10 Central Government Institutions and District Hospitals in the year of launch.
  • This year the scheme expanded coverage to 16 Central Government institutions including 6 new AIIMSs and all Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs).


Global investor summit 'Momentum Jharkhand' starts in Ranchi


  • Today, a two-days mega event of Global investor summit "Momentum Jharkhand" has been augurated by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at Khel Gaon, Ranchi (Jharkhand).
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also addressed the Submit through video-conferencing.
  • The Global Investor Summit is being organised for the first time in Jharkhand since its creation and more than one thousand delegates of Indian & other countries are taking part in this event.
  • The Jharkhand government is hoping for an investment of around three lakhs seventy-five thousand cores rupees from 219 companies.
Note: Former Indian cricket captain M S Dhoni is Brand Ambassador for the Summit.


Indian Panaroma Film Festival organized in Port Blair


  • The five-day ‘Indian Panorama Film Festival’ (Public Screening of films) got underway with its inauguration by the Chief Secretary, A&N Administration, Mr. Anindo Majumdar at DBRAIT Auditorium, Port Blair.
  • The Film Festival is being organized after a gap of five years in the Island.
  • The film Bahubali (Telegu) directed by SS. Rajamauli has screened on the occasion.
  • The Film festival will continue up to 19th February, 2017.
Note:
  • The Directorate of Information and Publicity, Andaman & Nicobar Administration is organizing the Film festival in association with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and Directorate of Film Festivals/IFFI, New Delhi, Govt. of India.


Five News Judges appointed to Apex Court


  • Five new judges were appointed to the Supreme Court, taking its working strength to 28.
  • Those elevated to the apex court are five high court judges, including four chief justices of state high courts.
  • The news Judges are Madras High Court Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Rajasthan HC Chief Justice Naveen Sinha, Kerala HC Chief Justice Mohan M Shantanagouder, Chhattisgarh HC Chief Justice Dipak Gupta and Karnataka HC judge S Abdul Nazeer.
Note:
  • There are currently 28 sitting judges, against a maximum possible strength of 31.
  • As per the Constitution of India, Supreme Court judges retire at age 65.


Justice Vikramajit Sen takes charge of Delhi and Districts Cricket Association


  • Former Supreme Court Judge Justice Vikramajit Sen has taken charge of the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA).
  • He officially took the charge from Justice Mukul Mudgal.
  • Former Ranji cricketer Siddharth Sahib Singh was named in-charge of all Cricket Operations (International, Domestic and IPL).
  • The Delhi and District Cricket Association is the governing body of the Cricket activities in Delhi and the Delhi cricket team.


The Union Cabinet approves merger of five subsidiary banks with SBI


  • The union Cabinet has approved the merger of five subsidiary banks with State Bank of India (SBI) which will make the bank among top 50 banks in the world.
  • But, no decision has been taken on merging ‘Bharatiya Mahila Bank’.
  • The merger is likely to result in recurring saving, which is estimated at more than one thousand crore rupees in first year.
  • SBI will acquire State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (SBBJ ), State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH), State Bank of Mysore ( SBM ), State Bank of Patiala (SBP) and State Bank of Travancore ( SBT )
  • Existing customers of these subsidiary banks will benefit from access to SBI's global network.
  • The move is excepted to strengthen banking sector and improve its efficiency and profitability.


Food-grain production to reach record 272 million tonnes in 2016-17


  • According to Agriculture Ministry, the total food-grain production in the country has been pegged at record 272 million tonne.
  • It will be higher by 6.94 million tones than the previous record production of 265 million tonnes in 2013-14.
  • This year’s rice production is higher by 2.21 million tonnes than previous record production and Wheat production, estimated at 96.64 million tonnes.
  • Total production of pulses is estimated to be 22.14 million tones which is higher by 2.89 million tonnes than the previous production.
  • Total oilseeds production in the country is estimated at record level of 33.60 million tones.
  • The production of sugarcane is estimated to be around 310 million tones, lower by 38 million tones in last year.


Bihar govt. employees may lose the job if consume liquor


  • The Bihar state cabinet chaired by Chief minister Nitish Kumar has approved new service conduct rules for judicial officers and amended existing rules for state government officials to ensure strict adherence to the provisions of total prohibition.
  • Now, Bihar governments employees and judicial officers may lose their job if found consuming liquor or drugs.
  • As per the new norms, no judicial officers or state government official is allowed to be under the influence of any intoxicating drink or drugs wherever they are.


Piyush Goyal launches TAMRA app to ensure transparency in mining operations


  • The Power Minister Piyush Goyal has launched Transparency, Auction Monitoring and Resource Augmentation (TAMRA) mobile application and portal to ensure the transparent award of statutory clearances for mining operations.
  • TAMRA is a step to speed up mining activity in the country and facilitate all the stakeholders to track the status of the statutory clearances associated with mining blocks.
  • It will be an interactive platform for all the stakeholders to compress the timeline for statutory and other clearances as it is expected to help minimize the gestation period for starting production.

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