29 june 2016

29 June: National Statistics Day

The National Statistics Day is being observed every year on 29 June to create public awareness among people about the importance of statistics in daily life and in the process of planning and development. 2016 is the tenth edition of National Statistics Day.

Significance of the Day: It is celebrated annually on the occasion of Birth anniversary of India’s eminent statistician Late Prof Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis. It also commemorates the contributions made by PC Mahalanobis in the fields of statistics and economic planning. 

2016 Theme: “Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare”. The Union Ministry of Statistics Programme Implementation had organised main function for the celebration day at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

NS Vishwanathan appointed as deputy governor of RBI

The Union Government has appointed NS Vishwanathan as deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). His appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) presided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. NS Vishwanathan will shall have term will be for three years and will succeed Harun R Khan, who will superannuates on July 7, 2016 on turning 62. 

About NS Vishwanathan 

• Prior to this appointment, Vishwanathan was executive director in the RBI since April 2014. He was oversing banking and non-banking regulation departments. 
• Earlier he had served as Principal Chief General Manager in the Department of non-banking supervision at RBI. 
• He also had served as Chief General Manager of Vigilance at IFCI Ltd, Delhi-based government owned finance company.
•  He also had served as a Director of Punjab National Bank (PNB) from September 2012 to May 2013. He was also nominee director at Dena Bank Ltd. from May 2011 to September 2012.

Asia's cleanest village is in Meghalaya

• The cleanest village in Asia, Mawlynnong, is situated in India's north-eastern state of Meghalaya.

•  The village having over 600 inhabitants was declared the cleanest in Asia in 2003 by 'Discover India' magazine.

• Mawlynnong, which has over 95 households with agriculture being its population's chief occupation, also holds a 100% literacy rate.

Sweden inaugurates world’s first electric road

• Sweden inaugurated a test stretch of an electric road, making it one of the first countries in the world to conduct tests with electric power for heavy transports on public roads

•  The test will be conducted on parts of road E16, and involves a current collector on the roof of the truck cab feeding the current down to a hybrid electric motor in the truck, according to a press release from the country’s transport administration Trafikverket, Xinhua reported.

United Bank remains cautious on corporate lending, aims at 30% retail loan growth this fiscal

•  Public sector lender United Bank of India is aiming to grow its retail credit portfolio by 30% for this fiscal as it remains cautions on lending to corporate sector. The bank is eyeing a 10-12% business growth in this financial year.

• At present corporate loan constitutes around 35-40% of the bank’s total loan portfolio. The lender aims to increase retail segment’s share in its lending portfolio. In the retail segment, the bank will focus on housing, education and vehicle loans.

• Total business of the bank stood at Rs. 187813 crore as on March 31, 2016, registering a modest growth of 5.58%. P Srinivas, managing director and CEO, said the lender was aiming at 10-12% business growth this fiscal.

Paytm ties up with Suzuki Motorcycle for easy booking of two-wheeler models

• India’s largest mobile payment and commerce platform Paytm announced its strategic partnership with Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt. Ltd. to offer its customers the largest assortment of bike and scooter models across all transactional platforms in India.

• With over 400+ Suzuki dealers on-board, the Paytm marketplace will now enable booking of all Suzuki two-wheeler models on its platform across India.

• As part of the association, Suzuki will also have a brand store on Paytm for higher consumer engagement guaranteeing an enhanced consumer experience.

Montella named as new AC Milan manager

•  AC Milan have appointed former Fiorentina and Sampdoria boss Vincenzo Montella as their new manager on a two-year contract.

•  The 42-year-old will replace Cristian Brocchi, who took charge on an interim basis after Sinisa Mihajlovic was sacked in April.

Viswanathan Anand honoured with ‘Honoris Causa’ Doctor of Science degree

• Five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand was conferred the “Honoris Causa” Doctor of Science by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) during its 49th convocation ceremony in Kanpur on Tuesday.

•  The 46-year-old Anand was bestowed with the degree by NITI aayog chairman Arvind Panagariya in Kanpur.

•  While receiving the degree, Anand remembered the day when he was awarded the Arjuna Award in 1985 and shared that this dress code in Kanpur brought back memories of that day at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

28 June 2016

PM Narendra Modi releases book titled The Birds of Banni Grassland

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a book titled “The Birds of Banni Grassland” in New Delhi. The book was presented to the Prime Minister by the scientists of Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology (GUIDE). The Birds of Banni Grassland is book based on environment and consists of a compilation of the research work, relating to more than 250 species of birds found in the Banni area of Kutch, Gujarat.

 About Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology (GUIDE)

•  The GUIDE is located at Bhuj. For over 15 years it has been studying the plant, bird and marine life in the Rann of Kutch. 
• GUIDE’s research activities are linked in the study of understanding and addressing environmental, ecological and social problems.
•  It also seeks promoting sustainable development in arid and semi-arid regions of the state.

Nagaland launches Sakhi-One Stop Centre to help women in distress

Nagaland Government has launched women helpline “181” and “Sakhi-One Stop Centre”, an institute that supports women affected by violence. It was launched by the state Governor P B Acharya at the District Hospital Dimapur in Nagaland. 

Key Facts 

• The helpline and centre aim to provide integrated assistance including medical, legal and psychological counselling to women affected by violence. 
• The ‘Sakhi-One Stop Centre’ is a centrally sponsored scheme by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) to be funded through Nirbhaya Fund.
•  Objectives of One Stop Centres -                                    (i) To provide integrated support and assistance to women affected by violence, both in private and public spaces under one roof (ii) Facilitate immediate, emergency and non-emergency access to a range of services to fight against any form of violence against women. 

          (ii) 181 (Women Helpline): It will provide 24 hour emergency response to all women                    affected by violence, through referral by linking them with appropriate authorities suc as Police, hospital or OSC. It will also provide information about women 

related   government schemes and programmes across the country through a single uniform number -181.

CAG Shashi Kant Sharma gets honorary professorship in China

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India Shashi Kant Sharmahas been conferred with the honorary professorship by the Nanjing Audit University (NAU), China. China’s Nanjing Audit University is the only university which is recognized by the Institute of Internal Auditors.

 About Shashi Kant Sharmahas
 Shashi Kant Sharmahas is a 1976 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Bihar cadre. 
He had succeeded Vinod Rai as the CAG, supreme federal auditor of the country in May 2013 Prior to appointment as CAG he had served as secretary in the Union Ministry of Defence. 
In July 2014 he had assumed office as Member of the United Nations Board of Auditor General (UNBAG) for a term of 6 years.

CSIR launches India’s first anti diabetic ayurvedic drug BGR -34

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has launched BGR-34, an anti-diabetic ayurvedic drug designed for type 2 Diabetes mellitus. The anti-diabetic ayurvedic drug BGR-34 has been jointly developedby National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) and Central Institute for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP). 

About BGR-34 
BGR-34 works by controlling blood sugar and limiting the harmful effects and toxicity of other drugs. It contains 34 identified active phyto-constitutes from herbal resources. It has been economically priced at 5 rupees per tablet as compared to latest DPP4 inhibitors globally.

Jitu Rai wins silver medal in ISSF World Cup

Ace Indian shooter Jitu Rai won silver medal at the ISSF (International Shooting Sport Federation) Shooting World Cup held in Baku, Azerbaijan. 
In the final match, Rai shot 199.5 score to bag the silver medal in men’s 10m air pistol. He pipped three-time Olympic champion Jongoh Jin of South Korea to win silver medal. In the men’s 10m air pistol event Brazilian shooter Felipe Almeida Wu won the gold medal, and South Korea’s Jin Jongoh won the bronze medal. 
It was Jitu Rai’s second medal in a World Cup 2016 season and earlier had won the gold medal in the free pistol event in the first World Cup held in Bangkok, Thailand. He already has qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics after he had won silver medal in the 50m Free Pistol event in 2014 at the World Championships in Granada

Modi government launches RFID-based access control system at Cochin Port

·         Moving towards modernisation of sea ports, Modi government has inaugurated an RFID-based access control system at the Cochin Port.

·         RFID (Radio Frequency Identification System) is an access control system on digital platform for regulating movement of vehicles, cargo and people into the sensitive wharf area.


·         The system dispenses away with manual checkings and reduces the waiting time at the wharf gates, says the Ministry of Shipping release. Presently, access control of vehicles and persons is done through a manual gate pass system.

An expanded Panama Canal opens for giant ships

·         A mammoth ship bearing 9,472 containers and the unwieldy name Cosco Shipping Panama completed on Sunday the first official voyage through the new expanded Panama Canal, a $5.25 billion project designed to modernize a 102-year-old landmark of human ambition, determination and engineering prowess.


·         The Chinese vessel, which set sail from the Greek port of Piraeus on June 11, began its crossing of the isthmus from the northern Atlantic Ocean end of the 48-mile canal.

Nestle hires Fresenius's Schneider as next CEO

·         Swiss food giant Nestlé on Monday named Ulf Mark Schneider, current CEO of European healthcare group Fresenius, as its new chief executive.


·         Schneider, a US-German dual citizen, is the company's first external hire for the CEO's post in over a century.



·         Starting from January, Schneider will succeed current CEO Paul Bulcke, whom Nestlé's board has proposed as the next chairman.

India's Rajput wins silver in ISSF World Cup

·         Ace shooter Sanjeev Rajput clinched the silver medal for India in men's 50-metre rifle 3 position event of the ISSF World Cup.

·         Rajput shot 456.9 to win the silver medal in the last World Cup before the Rio Olympic Games.

·         Croatia's Petar Gorsa won the gold medal with 457.5, while Hyeonjun Kim of Korea bagged the bronze after he shot 445.5.