Important Daily Current Affairs Updates – 24th August 2017:
Dear Readers, Daily Current affairs News Updates about the National and International events were listed here. Candidates those who are preparing for IBPS/SBI/PO/Clerk exam and all other competitive exams can use this.
NATIONAL:
Mentor India Campaign to be launched by NITI Aayog
NITI Aayog announced to launch the Mentor India Campaign, a strategic nation building initiative to engage leaders who can guide and mentor students at more than 900 Atal Tinkering Labs. These Atal Tinkering Labs are established across the country as a part of the Atal Innovation Mission.
Organisation: NITI Aayog
Headquarters: New Delhi
Chairman: Narendra Modi
On selling of space for advertisement 5% GST applicable in print media: Centre
Government has clarified that five percent GST is applicable on selling of space for advertisement in print media if an agency buys space from the newspaper and sells the same to clients on its own account. However, the GST rate will be 18 percent of the sale commission, if the agency works as an agent of the newspaper on commission basis. The Finance Ministry said, 18 percent GST will be liable, if the advertisement agency supplies any service other than selling of space for advertisement and such supply is not a part of any composite supply.
Amalgamation of Public Sector Banks through Alternative Mechanism approved by Union Cabinet
The Union Cabinet approved amalgamation of Public Sector Banks through an Alternative Mechanism (AM) with an aim to facilitate consolidation among the Nationalised Banks to create strong and competitive banks.
INTERNATIONAL:
Rajnath to attend SCO meet in Kyrgyz Republic
A two-day Meeting of Heads of Governments of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States will begin at Choplon Ata in Kyrgyz Republic. The meeting will focus on prevention and elimination of emergency situations. Home Minister Rajnath Singh is leading the Indian delegation which includes senior officers from Home and External Affairs Ministries and National Disaster Management Authority.
Country: Kyrgyz Republic
Capital: Bishkek
Currency: Kyrgyzstani som
President: Almazbek Atambayev
Nepal launches Climate-Smart Snow Leopard Plan
Nepal launched its climate-smart snow leopard landscape management plan. The plan is the first climate-smart landscape management plan for snow leopard conservation in the world.
Country: Nepal
Capital: Kathmandu
Currency: Nepalese rupee
President: Bidhya Devi Bhandari
PM: Sher Bahadur Deuba
To boost the bilateral relations India-Nepal signed 8 agreements
India and Nepal signed eight agreements in different areas of mutual benefit including demand reduction and prevention of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and cooperation in the field of standardization and conformity assessment among others. The agreements were signed in New Delhi during Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba visit to India.
Country: Nepal
Capital: Kathmandu
Currency: Nepalese rupee
President: Bidhya Devi Bhandari
PM: Sher Bahadur Deuba
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Diplomatic ties with Iran amid Gulf crisis restored by Qatar
Qatar on Thursday restored full diplomatic relations with Iran amid an ongoing diplomatic dispute with several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain which have accused the Gulf nation of supporting terrorism. Qatar cut ties with Iran last year to show solidarity with Saudi Arabia after two of Saudi’s diplomatic posts were attacked in Iran.
Country: Qatar
Capital: Doha
Currency: Qatari riyal
PM: Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani
Country: Iran
Capital: Tehran
Currency: Iranian rial
President: Hassan Rouhani
AWARDS AND HONOURS:
Island of Tuvalu world’s least visited country in 2016
The island of Tuvalu was the least visited country in 2016, according to a report by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation. The report said 2,000 people visited Tuvalu in 2016, while 1,000 people visited the country in 2014. Located in the South Pacific Ocean, Tuvalu is 4.6 metres above sea level and has a population of 11,000 people.
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Priyanka, Modi named influencers of 2017 by LinkedIn India
Actress Priyanka Chopra along with PM Narendra Modi and Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi featured as top influencers in LinkedIn India’s Power Profiles List of 2017. MP Shashi Tharoor and YourStory Media Founder-CEO Shradha Sharma also featured on the list. The Power Profiles List considers profiles of professionals that were most viewed in India on the employment-oriented social network.
BOOKS AND AUTHORS:
Raghuram Rajan, on his RBI stint pens a book named ‘I Do What I Do’
Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has penned a book titled ‘I Do What I Do: On Reform, Rhetoric & Resolve’. The book conveys what it was like to be at the helm of RBI in those turbulent but exciting times, said publisher HarperCollins India. The book will launch on September 4, exactly a year after Rajan quit as RBI governor.
APPOINTMENTS:
Ashwani Lohani appointed new Railway Board Chairman
Ashwani Lohani was named as the new Chairman of Railway Board after Ashok Mittal resigned from the post taking responsibility for two train derailments within four days. The Mechanical Engineering-degree holder, Lohani, is currently the Chairman and Managing Director of Air India. Notably, Mittal was the first Railway Board Chairman in history to be granted a two-year extension.
Rajiv Bansal appointed interim Chairman and MD of Air India
Rajiv Bansal, the Additional Secretary & Financial Advisor at Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, has been appointed as the interim Chairman and Managing Director of Air India, after Ashwani Lohani took over as the Railway Board Chairman. Bansal, a 1988 batch IAS officer, will be serving the additional charge for three months or until further orders.
Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari to get Railway Ministry: Reports
Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari might get the additional charge of the Railway Ministry in a Cabinet reshuffle. According to reports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is planning to introduce a ‘super ministry’ by merging Transport and Railways. The report comes after Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu offered to resign following two train mishaps in four days.
Transport Minister: Nitin Gadkari
Additional charge: Railway ministry
Constituency: Nagpur
OBITUARY:
Paris climate deal pioneer Tony de Brum dies aged 72
Tony de Brum, a leading advocate of the Paris climate agreement and widely regarded as the “voice of Pacific Islands on Climate Change”, has died aged 72. The former Marshall Islands foreign minister fought against nuclear weapons after witnessing US’ nuclear testing in the islands while growing up. He also fought for his nation’s independence from the Pacific Islands.
