IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF AUGUST 29th, 2017

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF AUGUST 29th, 2017

1. National Sports Day: 29 August

i. The National Sports day is celebrated on 29th August every year to mark the birthday of legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand. To celebrate the day various programs are being conducted through the country.

ii. On this occasion, President Ram Nath Kovind will give away the Sports Awards. A total of 29 players have been selected to receive the honors from President. The President will confer Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Arjuna Award and Dronacharya Award at Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi.

2. Vice President Launches ‘National Sports Talent Search Portal’

i. The vice president of India Venkaiah Naidu launched the National Sports Talent Search Portal, a government initiative to unearth sporting talent from every nook and corner of the country.

ii. Under the initiative, a child or his parents, teachers or coaches can upload his bio data or video on the portal. The Sports ministry will select talented players and impart training to them at Sports Authority India centres. The portal will also be available as an App enabling it to be downloaded on smart phones.

3. India, Germany Sign Pact to Improve Grid Integration of Renewable Energy

i. India and Germany signed an agreement on technical cooperation under the Indo-German Energy Programme – Green Energy Corridors (IGEN-GEC).

ii. The main objective of this program component is to improve the sector framework and conditions for grid integration of renewable energy.

4. Government Imposes Anti-Dumping Duty on Sodium Nitrite Imports from China

i. The Finance Ministry has imposed a five-year anti-dumping duty on Sodium Nitrite imports from China. Deepak Nitrite Ltd had filed the petition, which was also supported by Punjab Chemicals & Crop Protection Ltd, seeking sunset review investigations on Sodium Nitrite imports from China.

ii. There are two more producers of Sodium Nitrite in the country - National Fertilisers Ltd and Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers Limited.

5. Kenya Imposes World's Toughest Law Against Plastic Bags

i. In Kenya, selling or even using plastic bags will risk imprisonment of up to four years or fines of $40,000. It is the world’s toughest law which is aimed at reducing plastic pollution came into effect.

ii. The East African nation joins more than 40 other countries that have banned, partly banned or taxed single use plastic bags, including China, France, Rwanda, and Italy.

6. I-T dept imposes Rs 7,900 crore Penalty on Vodafone For Tax Dues

i. The Income Tax Department has imposed Rs 7,900 crore penalty on the tax demand of the same amount on a unit of billionaire Li Ka-shing’s CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd. over its decade-old sale of mobile phone business in India to Vodafone Group Plc.

ii. Vodafone had in 2007 acquired 67% stake in the mobile-phone business owned by Hutchison Whampoa, now part of CK Hutchison.

7. Nitasha Biswas Crowned First Miss TransQueen India

i. Nitasha Biswas, a transwoman from Kolkata was crowned the first Miss TransQueen India. The competition was held in Gurugram, Haryana. Biswas is currently pursuing Masters in Business Management in Kolkata, West Bengal.

ii. On the other hand, Manipur’s Loiloi was crowned the first runner-up. Biswas will now go to Thailand for Miss International Queen, while Loiloi will compete at Miss Transsexual Australia.

8. NRDC Wins Two Awards

i. National Research Development Corporation (NRDC), the technology transfer and commercialization arm of the Ministry of Science & Technology, has won two accolades. It has won the Assocham Services Excellence Award 2017 and its Chairman and Managing Director, H Purushotham, an international recognition.

ii. The International Association of Advanced Materials (IAAM) Sweden honored Purushotham with the IAAM Medal 2017 for his outstanding R&D contributions in the Advanced Materials Science & Technology during its award ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden.

9. FIFA U-17 World Cup Logo for Kochi Venue

i. Kerala Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan launched the host city logo for Kochi, one of the venues of FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017. The logo represents and reflects Kochi's identity and will be a valuable tool in linking the local community in a global World Cup.

ii. The tournament will be hosted in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium of the city. In October 2016, Kochi became the first Indian city to be officially declared as one of the venues for hosting the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

10. Indian U-15 Football Team Wins SAFF Championships

i. The Indian U-15 football team completed a brilliant comeback win over Nepal to win the SAFF U-15 Championships in Kathmandu, Nepal. 

ii. India beat Nepal by 2-1 in the final and the match took place at ANFA Complex, Lalitpur in Nepal.

11. Dara Khosrowshahi is New Uber CEO

i. Transport Company Uber has finally selected a new CEO of the company- Dara Khosrowshahi. He is from Iran. Khosrowshahi is the CEO of online travel booking company Expedia Inc.

ii. He has replaced Travis Kalanick. Khosrowshahi received nearly $95 million in pay in 2015, making him one of the most highly paid leaders in corporate America.

12. Olympian Footballer Ahmed Khan Passes Away

i. India's two-time Olympic footballer and East Bengal legend Ahmed Khan passed away at the age of 90.

ii. Khan, who played in the 1948 and 1952 Olympics, was one of the most famous of the legendary quintet of forwards called the "Five Pandavas" who played for East Bengal in an India that had just become an independent nation.