05 July 2017 Current Affairs
Bank unions to observe July 19 as ‘Save Public Sector Banks’ Day
The United Forum of Bank Unions has decided to observe July 19, the 48th anniversary of nationalisation of major banks, as ‘Save public sector banks’ day. All members will wear a commemorative badge on the day, display posters in front of all branches, distribute leaflets and hold rallies/ demonstrations at all centres across the country.
New Israeli Crysanthumun flower named after PM Modi
In a special gesture to mark the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Israel in 70 years, a new fast-growing Israeli Crysanthumun flower was named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Israeli Crysanthumun flower will now be called ‘MODI’.
Karnataka ‘Elevate 100’ scheme for start-ups
The Karnataka government has launched the ‘Elevate 100’ scheme to identify and nurture innovative start-ups. The aim is to identify 100 most innovative start-ups in the state to elevate them to the next level of success. The Elevate scheme is the brainchild of the start-up cell, Karnataka Biotechnology and Information Technology Services (KBITS), to help start-ups across the state succeed by providing them with access to mentors, networking opportunities, and in-depth sessions for start-ups on accounting, and emerging technologies. The website and logo for Elevate 2017 (www.elevate.bengaluruite.biz) were also unveiled by the minister.
HP DGP Sanjay Kumar appointed new NDRF chief
Himachal Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjay Kumar has been appointed as the new chief of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The Union home ministry has approved the appointment of Mr. Kumar, a 1985-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, to the top NDRF post. The post of NDRF director general (DG) fell vacant after incumbent R K Pachnanda was appointed as the chief of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Sino-Indian border guarding force. Kumar, who is the Director General of Police in Himachal Pradesh, is set to retire in December next year. He is expected to take charge in Delhi as soon as the state government relieves him.
India’s TERI ranked second among world’s climate Think Tanks
New Delhi-based The Energy Resources Institute (TERI) was ranked second among world’s best climate think tank by the International Centre for Climate Governance (ICCG). TERI was ranked number two under the category ‘2016 Top Climate Think Tanks in the Rest of the World-Absolute Global Rankings’ during ICCG’s 23rd annual conference of the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE) in Athens, Greece. ICCG is an internationally-renowned body whose activities focus on the design of climate policy and related governance issues. It rankings helps to highlight the scale and magnitude of work done by the think tanks working in the field of climate change.
Indo-Thai joint military exercise Maitree 2017 begins in HP
A 14-day joint military training exercise between India and Thailand started in Himachal Pradesh. The joint exercise of the Indian Army with the Royal Thailand Army commenced at Bakloh in Chamba district. The aim of this exercise is to build and promote closer relations while exchanging skills and experiences between the two armies. ‘Exercise Maitree 2017’ is a continuation of a series of joint exercises between the Indian Army and the Royal Thailand Army. The previous edition of the exercise was held at Krabi in Thailand in 2016. The Maitree series of bilateral exercises has been one of the major defence cooperation initiatives between India and Thailand.
Ministry of Power launches e-bidding portal for domestic coal-based IPPs
The Ministry of Power launched a portal for optimum utilization of domestic coal by independent power producer (IPP). An official statement said this web portal would save the consumer close to Rs. 20,000 crore five years down the line. According to Union Minister Piyush Goyal, with the help of this portal, Producers can reduce power costs by 10 paisa per unit by rationalizing coal supply made possible through the e-bid portal. Goyal also announced the Merit Order Despatch of Electricity for Rejuvenation of Income and Transparency (MERIT) app.