03 July 2017 Current Affairs
PM releases Photo essay on Pranab Mukherjee’s Presidency
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released a photo book titled “President Pranab Mukherjee – A Statesman”, at an event in Rashtrapati Bhawan. He presented the first copy of the book to the President. The book is a comprehensive photographic record of India’s 13th president. It covers Mukherjee’s presidency and documents his various roles. The book is a photo essay brought by The Statesmen.
Union Minister Rajeev Pratap Rudy & MP CM laid foundation stone of country’s biggest Global Skill Park
Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajeev Pratap Rudy & MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has laid the foundation stone for the country’s biggest Global Skill Park in Bhopal. The 37-acre land has been allotted in Narela Shankari area of Bhopal for the Global Skill Park. The park will be constructed at a cost of 645 crore rupees. Training will be imparted to 1000 students every year by trainers of international standard. The park will function on the spirit of ‘With Industry -For Industry’. There will also be provision of international joint certification for the trainees.
Serbia elects 1st female and openly gay premier
The Serbian parliament voted in Ana Brnabic, an openly gay woman, as the country’s prime minister in a landmark move for the patriarchal conservative country and the entire Balkans region. The 41-year old Brnabic and her cabinet were backed by 157 MPs in the 250-seat parliament after being proposed by President Aleksandar Vucic. Brnabic becomes Serbia’s first female prime minister and the first openly gay premier in the Balkans, where homophobia remains widespread. Serbia is home to about seven million people, most of them Orthodox Christians. The new premier entered politics last year as public administration minister following a career in the business sector and local development programmes.
FINO becomes payments bank
FINO Payments Bank has commenced operations as a payments bank with effect from 30th June 2017 according to the Reserve Bank of India. FINO PayTech Ltd, Mumbai, was one of the 11 applicants which were issued in-principle approval for setting up a payments bank. Besides FINO, the other applicants which have launched payment bank operations are Airtel M Commerce Services, Department of Posts and Paytm Payments Bank.
IGNOU announces complete fee waiver to transgender students
The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has announced exemption of fees for its transgender students of all programmes. Vice Chancellor Ravindra Kumar announced the initiative during the 22nd Prof G Ram Reddy Lecture. The university holds the lecture every year in the memory of the founding Vice Chancellor of the University Prof. G Ram Reddy. It invites eminent educationists and scholars to deliver the lecture on higher education, especially in the open and distance learning domain. It also issued a directive to all universities, saying such students will be entitled to avail benefits of “all existing merit-based schemes and programmes” of the UGC.
MP plants six crore saplings, eyes Guinness world record
In Madhya Pradesh, a massive plantation campaign was undertaken to save the environment and conservation of the Narmada river. According to official sources over six crores, saplings were planted in 24 districts in which river Narmada flows to cover 1077 km in Madhya Pradesh in just 12 hours. Arrangements were made to record the whole event for the Guinness World Record. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the plantation drive at Amarkantak of Anooppur district. Later he also took part in plantation drives in Jabalpur and Omkareshwar.
Germany Defeats Chile to Win Maiden Confederations Cup Title
Germany were crowned 2017 Fifa Confederations Cup champions after a hard-fought 1-0 final victory over Chile in Saint Petersburg. In the final played, the four-time World Cup winners defeated Chile by a solitary goal. Lars Stindl put Germany ahead in the first half against the run of play, and Germany then held on to the lead. Earlier, in the third-place play-off match in Moscow, Portugal defeated Mexico 2-1. The match was held at the Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg, Russia.