By: D.K Choudhary
Piyush Goyal launches mobile app ‘SEVA’ for quick tracking of coal dispatch
i. Union Minister of State (I/C) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal launched the Saral Eindhan Vitaran Application (SEVA), in News Delhi.ii. The app is developed in-house by Coal India Limited (CIL) for power sector consumers.
iii. SEVA is a part of ‘Digital India’ initiative, which is aimed at increasing the Consumer Connect as well as the Transparency and Accountability in Coal dispatch.
Static Takeaways-
- Shri Piyush Goyal is the Union Minister of State (I/C) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines
- Jharkhand is the largest producer of Coal in India
- The nationalization of coal mine was done in two phases, the first with the coking coal mines in 1971-72 and then with the non-coking coal mines in 1973.
- Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ resigned as Nepal Prime Minister
i. Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has resigned paving way for Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba to become the next Prime Minister.ii. The resignation is to honor an accord signed in August 2016 when Prachanda was elected the prime minister with Deuba’s support.
Static Takeaways-
- Pushpa Kamal Dahal was 39th prime minister of Nepal
- Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal
- Bidhya Devi Bhandari is the President of Nepal
‘Good morning’ squads to tackle open defecation in Maharashtra
i. The Maharashtra government has decided to form ‘good morning’ squads to monitor and prevent open defecation in villages and districts across the state.ii. These squads will comprise representatives of local bodies, self-help groups, NGOs, students and social workers working in the area of sanitation and cleanliness.
Static Takeaways-
- CM of Maharashtra is Devendra Fadnavis and governor is C.Vidyasagar Rao
- Melghat Tiger Reserve and Bor Tiger Reserve is situated in Maharashtra
- Tadoba National Park is situated in Maharashtra.
Bank of Baroda, IFFCO roll out co-branded debit card for farmers
i. Bank of Baroda (BOB) and IFFCO rolled out their first set of co-branded debit cards for farmers as part of a novel initiative to push digitalisation and cashless economy.ii. The co-branded debit cards, with inbuilt overdraft of Rs. 2,500 in special savings bank account, could be used for purchase of various agri products at IFFCO sale counters.
iii. Two lakh co-branded debit cards will be issued initially to the farmers beginning with the States of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. These co-branded debit cards will be exclusively used for the purchase of IFFCO products only.
Static Takeaways-
- Chairman of BOB is Mr. Ravi Venkatesan and CEO is Mr. P.S. Jayakumar
- BOB headquarter is in Vadodara, Gujarat and its tagline is ‘India’s International Bank’
- IFFCO full form is Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited.
Karnataka Bank pact with HDFC Asset Management
i. Karnataka Bank Ltd has entered into a distribution agreement to sell the mutual fund products of HDFC Capital Asset Management Ltd (HDFCAML) during exchanged the memorandum of understanding in Mangaluru, Karnataka.ii. Investment in mutual funds will provide an opportunity to those customers who are uncomfortable about investing directly in stock markets as this tie-up will give HDFCAML an opportunity to expand its base in these centers.
Static Takeaways-
- CEO of Karnataka Bank is Mahabaleshwara MS and its headquarter is in Mangaluru, Karnataka
- MD of HDFC Bank is Aditya Puri.
Tata appoints new legal chief
i. A day after appointing a new Chief Financial Officer Saurabh Agrawal, Tata Sons has appointed a new legal head.ii. The group has appointed Shuva Mandal as the Group General Counsel after incumbent Bharat Vasani quit the role.
iii. Mandal will assume in July 2017. Vasani will continue with the group as Legal Adviser to the Chairman’s office.
Static Takeaways-
- Chairman of Tata Sons is Natarajan Chandrasekaran
- Founder of Tata was Jamsetji Tata.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is the new WHO Chief
i. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, a former Ethiopian health minister, has been chosen to head the World Health Organisation (WHO) and is the first African to do so since the creation of the United Nations agency in 1948.ii. He will begin his five-year term on 1 July 2017. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has replaced Margret Chan who steps down after ten years as the WHO chief.
Static Takeaways-
- WHO’s Constitution came into force on 7 April 1948, a date which is celebrated every year as World Health Day
- WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
- Dr B. Chisholm was the first Director-General of WHO
Japan to build war museum in Manipur
i. Japan is going to build a war museum at the hillock at Maiba Lokpa in Bishnupur district in Manipur where a Japanese camp was located during World War II.ii. The Japanese ambassador Kenji Hiramatsu, has stated that about 70,000 Japanese soldiers had died in battles from March to June 1944 in Imphal and Kohima.
Static Takeaways-
- PM of Japan is Shinzo Abe and its capital is Tokyo
- Currency of Japan is Yen
Union Home Minister releases the book India 2017 Yearbook
i. The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh has released the book India 2017 Yearbook authored by the Union Home Secretary, Shri Rajiv Mehrishi.ii. The CEO, NITI Aayog, Shri Amitabh Kant was also present on the occasion. The book was published by the Mc Graw Hill Education India.
Static Takeaways-
- Chairman of NITI Aayog is Prime Minister of India
- Current chairman of NITI Aayog is Shri Narendra Modi
Kiren Rijiju unveils world’s first philosophical novel on God
i. In a rare feat, a young Indian IAS officer, Haulianlal Guite, who hails from Manipur state has recently published a book titled “Confessions of a dying mind: the blind faith of atheism” in New Delhi.ii. The book was unveiled by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju in presence of David Syiemlieth, Chairman, UPSC in august gathering at Civil Services Officers’ Institute.
Static Takeaways-
- Dr. Najma Heptulla is the governor of Manipur
- Nongthobam Biren Singh is the present CM of Manipur
- Loktak Lake is situated in Manipur which is the largest fresh water lake in the North-East.
Roger Moore, Who Played James Bond 007 Times passes away
i. Actor Sir Roger Moore, best known for playing James Bond, has died at age 89.ii. He played the famous spy in seven Bond films including Live and Let Die and A View to a Kill.
iii. Sir Roger was also well known for his humanitarian work he was introduced to UNICEF by the late Audrey Hepburn and was appointed as a goodwill ambassador in 1991.
Static Takeaways-
- UNICEF full form is The United Nations Children’s Fund and its headquarter is in New york City, USA
- Executive Director of UNICEF is Anthony Lake.
