9 November 2014 Current Affairs
SBI’s Bhattacharya Most Powerful Indian Woman In Business
Arundhati Bhattacharya, the chairperson of State Bank of India (SBI), has been named as the most powerful woman in business in India by Fortune magazine. ICICI Bank’s Chanda Kochhar and Shikha Sharma of Axis Bank follow Ms Bhattacharya at the second and the third places, respectively. In the Fortune India list of 50 most powerful businesswomen, there are as many as eight new entrants. Two first timers – Bhattacharya and Nishi Vasudeva, the chairperson and managing director of HPCL (4th) – have made a cut into the top 10. Bhattacharya, chairperson of India’s largest lender, made to number one spot due to her relentless fight against bad loans. Since she took over a year or so ago, she has improved assets quality, cut costs and recapitalised SBI (State Bank of India). These powerful women represent various sectors such as banking, finance, healthcare, media, fashion and entertainment.
Virat Kohli Becomes Fastest Cricketer To Reach 6000 Runs In ODIs
Virat Kohli became the quickest cricketer in history to reach 6000 One-Day International run mark, bettering legendary West Indian Vivian Richards’ record during his 53-run knock in India’s third ODI against Sri Lanka on 9 November at Uppal, Hyderabad. Playing in his 144th match and 136th innings, Kohli began the match 50 short of 6000 and reached the milestone with a single off left-arm spinner Chaturanga de Silva in the 39th over at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium at Uppal. Richards had needed 156 matches and 141 innings to reach the milestone in 1989. The 26-year-old Indian, who was captaining the home side, was out for 53 and he has so far scored 6003 runs with the help of 20 centuries and 32 half centuries. He is the eighth Indian to have scored 6000 or more runs and 47th overall.
21 New Ministers Inducted Into The Union Cabinet
President Pranab Mukherjee administered the oath of office to 21 Ministers, including four Cabinet Ministers, three Ministers of State (Independent Charge) and 14 Ministers of State on 9 November. Former Goa CM Manohar Parrikar, Suresh Prabhu, Birendra Singh and JP Nadda are the new Cabinet ministers. This takes the strength of the Union Council of Ministers to 66. It is also the first expansion of the Union Council of Ministers since the Modi government took office on 26 May 2014. The three ministers of state (independent charge) included Bandaru Dattatreya, Dr. Mahesh Sharma and Rajiv Pratap Rudy. 14 ministers of state included Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Rajyavardhan Rathore, Ramshankar Katheria, Vijay Sampla, Babul Supriyo, Ram Kripal Yadav, Sanwar Lal Jat, Giriraj Singh, Mohanbhai Kalyanjibhai Kundariya, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Jayant Sinha, Y.S. Chowdary, Hansraj Gangaram Ahir and Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary.
India Successfully Test Fires Nuclear Capable Agni-II Missile
India on 9 November successfully test-fired its medium-range nuclear-capable Agni-II missile with a strike range of more than 2000 km from the Wheeler Island off Odisha coast as part of a user trial by the army. The two-stage sophisticated missile equipped with advanced high accuracy navigation system, guided by a novel scheme of state of the earth command and control system was propelled by solid rocket propellant system. The 20-metre long Agni-II missile is a two-stage, solid-propelled ballistic missile. It has a launch weight of 17 tonnes and can carry a payload of 1000 kg over a distance of more than 2,000 km.