01 February 2016 Current Affairs
Archana Ramasundaram is SSB chief
Senior IPS officer Archana Ramasundaram on 1 February 2016 was appointed Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), the first woman to head a paramilitary force. Ms. Ramasundaram, a 1980 batch officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, is currently Special Director, National Crime Records Bureau. She has been appointed to the post till the date of her superannuation — September 30, 2017.58-year-old Ms. Ramasundaram is the first woman police officer to be appointed chief of a paramilitary force. The SSB is entrusted with guarding the country’s frontiers with Nepal and Bhutan. The other four paramilitary forces are the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force and Indo Tibetan Border Police.
India, Afghanistan ink pack for visa-free travel by diplomats
India and Afghanistan on 1 February 2016 inked a pact for visa-free travel by their diplomats following Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during which they discussed key bilateral and regional issues including security cooperation.
Saroj Kumar Jha appointed as Director in World Bank
“An Indian Origin Saroj Kumar Jha was appointed as the Senior Director for the Fragility, Conflict and Violence Group at the World Bank on 1 February 2016. Earlier to this, he was the World Bank Regional Director for Central Asia based in Almaty, Kazakhstan since February 2012. He also worked as the World Bank’s Global Manager for Disaster Risk Management Practice. Jha is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.”
Hamid Ansari leaves for Brunei, Thailand
Vice-President Hamid Ansari on 1 February 2016 embarked on a trip to Brunei and Thailand. The visit is expected to yield a number of agreements in the field of security, health and economic cooperation. Mr. Ansari is being accompanied by four MPs and Minister of State for Home, Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary. In Brunei, Mr. Ansari will hold consultations with Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, and Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Bilah, apart from holding meetings with the influential members of the Indian community. On February 3, the Vice-President is scheduled to deliver a lecture on India-Brunei relations at the Brunei University campus. Arriving in Bangkok on February 3, Mr. Ansari will hold delegation-level talks at the Government House of Bangkok. India and Thailand are expected to sign crucial security-related agreements during the trip.