Current Affairs: Daily GK Update 21st July 2017

Dear Readers,

1. FM Arun Jaitley releases National Trade Facilitation Action Plan

i. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley released the National Trade Facilitation Action Plan. The WTO-Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) was a major milestone for the global trading system.

ii. This Action Plan gives a time bound map, not only for implementing TFA, but also for India’s initiatives for trade facilitation and ease of doing business which goes beyond TFA. According to a Finance Ministry statement, all actions covered under the plan have been categorised by prioritising the activities into short, mid and long term.

2. ICICI Bank offers up to Rs 15 lakh instant personal loan via ATMs

i. Largest private sector lender ICICI Bank will be selling personal loans of up to Rs 15 lakh through its ATMs that can be availed of by select salaried customers even if they haven’t previously applied for one. 

ii. The facility offers a bouquet of features – swift application in simple steps, multiple eligible loan amount options up to Rs. 15 lakh based on pre-checked CIBIL scores and instant transfer of the money to the customer’s account.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

3. India’s first Eco-bridges for the movement of tigers in Telangana

i. In a first of its kind, Telangana State will have eco-friendly bridges over a canal cutting across the tiger corridor linking the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra with the forests in Telangana’s Kumram Bheem Asifabad district. 

ii. The ‘eco-bridges’ will be constructed at key spots along the 72 km-long, and at some places over a kilometre wide, right flank canal of the Pranahita barrage in the Bejjur and Dahegaon mandals.

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4. India-Japan agreement on peaceful uses of N-energy comes into force

i. India-Japan agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy has come into force recently. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Ambassador of Japan to India Mr. Kenji Hiramatsu exchanged diplomatic notes in this regard. The agreement was signed on 11th November 2016 in Tokyo during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan.

ii. The agreement is a reflection of the strategic partnership between the two sides and will pave the way for enhanced cooperation in energy security and clean energy.

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5. President inaugurates Bicentenary Celebration of Paika Rebellion

i. President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the Bicentenary celebration of Paika Rebellion of Odisha organised by the Union Ministry of Culture in New Delhi.

ii. Many scholars, researchers and historians have opined that the Paika Rebellion of 1817 was India’s first organised armed rebellion against British Raj.

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6. SEBI inks pact with ESMA for information exchange on CCPs

i. Markets regulator SEBI has entered into a pact with the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) for exchange of information concerning Central Counterparties (CCPs). CCPs are entities that help facilitate clearing and settlement activities. 

ii. The MoU establishes cooperation arrangements, including exchange of information regarding CCPs which are established and authorised or recognised in India by SEBI and which have applied for EU recognition under EMIR.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

7. Telangana launches ‘Janahitha’ for speedy redressal of public grievances

i. The Telangana government launched a special portal called “Janahitha” to receive complaints from the public.

ii. The programme was inaugurated in Suryapet district on a pilot basis by Telangana Energy minister G Jagadish Reddy. The portal, which has been developed by Telangana’s IT department, is a single window for all grievances and their redressal management.

8. Indian Army inks MoU with DRDO to raise MRSAM defence system regiment

i. The Indian Army has signed MoU with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to raise one regiment of the advanced Medium Range Surface to Air Missiles (MRSAM) defence system.

ii. The MRSAM is an advanced, all weather, mobile, land-based air defence system. It can shoot down enemy ballistic missiles, aircraft, helicopters, drones, surveillance aircraft and AWACS aircraft.  It is capable of engaging multiple aerial targets at ranges of more than 50 km. The system will be jointly developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and DRDO with the involvement of DPSUs and private sectors.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

9. Kamal Haasan to be brand ambassador of Tamil Thalaivas

i. Tamil film actor Kamal Haasan has been appointed brand icon of Pro Kabaddi League franchise Tamil Thalaivas, co-owned by India batting legend Sachin Tendulkar.

Important Takeaways from Above News-