IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF AUGUST 25th, 2017

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS AUGUST 25th, 2017

1. Nandan Nilekani Returns to Infosys as New Chairman

i. Nandan Nilekani has been appointed as the New Chairman of the software giant Infosys. Nilekani has replaced R Seshasayee, who resigned as chairman of the board. Vishal Sikka stepped down as CEO of the company recently.

ii. Sikka, who was appointed executive vice-chairman after he resigned as CEO, has also stepped down.

2. Dhanlaxmi Bank, DHFL Pramerica Tie up for Bancassurance

i. DHFL Pramerica Life Insurance Company has signed on Kerala-based Dhanlaxmi Bank as its bancassurance partner. Under the agreement, the latter will distribute retail and group life insurance products to its customers across 260 branches in India.

ii. With this tie-up, the company is in a strong position to consolidate its presence in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The tie-up will further increase the insurance penetration in the region. 

3. Karnataka signs MOU with Microsoft

i. Karnataka Agriculture Department has signed an MoU with Microsoft India to develop a unique “farm price forecasting model” using latest IT tools in a bid to help farmers, administrators and other stakeholders to understand the market behaviour in advance.

ii. The proposed initiative is the first-of-its-kind in the country as it is a “multi-variate” one that takes into consideration various factors beyond the conventional supply-demand equation while forecasting the prices for crops. It will examine a slew of related factors including weather, rainfall and external factors that impact market behaviour.

4. Ronaldo First to be named Men's Player of the Year for Three Times

i. Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has won the UEFA Men's Player of the Year award for the 2016/17 season. He received the award at the 2017/18 UEFA Champions League group stage draw in Monaco.
ii. Ronaldo picked up the trophy for the second consecutive season and third time in total. Ronaldo received 482 points in the poll, with Messi (141 votes) and Buffon (109 votes) finishing second and third respectively.

Other Award Given are as follows-

1. UEFA Women's Player of the Year: Lieke Martens.
2. Best Goalkeeper of the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League season: Gianluigi Buffon.
3. Best Defender of the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League season: Sergio Ramos.
4. Best Midfielder of the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League season: Luka Modrić.
5. Best Forward of the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League season: Cristiano Ronaldo.
6. UEFA President's Award: Francesco Totti.

5. UIDAI Launches Door Step Aadhar Enrolment in Delhi

i. UIDAI has joined hands with CSC India for launching door step enrolment facility in the national capital for the elderly, patients and others who cannot travel the Aadhar centers.

ii. The van was flagged off by Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. The van will provide Aadhaar enrolment service at door step in Delhi area.

6. Raghuram Rajan Pens Book 'I Do What I Do' on his RBI Stint

i. Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has penned a book titled 'I Do What I Do: On Reform, Rhetoric & Resolve'. Raghuram Rajan explains economic concepts and talks of issues like tolerance and connection between political freedom and prosperity in his new book.

ii. The book is a collection of essays and speeches during his stint as Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor. The book will hit stores on 4 September, exactly a year after he quit as the RBI governor.

7. Bilateral Meeting Between India and Uzbekistan Held in New Delhi

i. The Commerce and Industries Minister, Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman and Mr. Abdulaziz Kamilov, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Mr. Elyor Ganiev, Minister of Foreign Trade held detailed discussions on deepening trade and economic ties between India and Uzbekistan in a bilateral meeting in New Delhi.

ii. Commerce Minister expressed happiness on the formation of an Uzbek India Trading House at Delhi as a Joint Venture Company.

8. Indian Navy Band Participates in International Military Music Festival in Russia

i. The International Military Music Festival "Spasskaya Tower" is the parade of the best military music bands of Russia and other countries that takes place every year at Red Square in Moscow. This time Indian Navy Band is participating in the festival.

ii. Every year about 1500 musicians, military men and other artists from around 40 countries perform at the "Spasskaya Tower". The Festival is duly considered one of the largest international events in Russia and attracts tremendous response of the general public.

9. Tony de Brum Passes Away

i. Tony de Brum, the former Marshall Islands foreign minister who became a leading advocate for the landmark Paris Climate Agreement and an internationally recognised voice in the fight against climate change, has died aged 72.

ii. De Brum was also the Pacific nation’s climate ambassador.

10. India’s Oldest Cinematographer Ramananda Sengupta Passes Away

i. Country's oldest cinematographer Ramanda Sengupta, who worked with legends like Jean Renoir, Ritwik Ghatak, and Mrinal Sen, died in Kolkata, West Bengal.

ii. Sengupta was 101 years old. He got his first break in 1938 when he joined Film Corporation of India in Kolkata (then Calcutta) as an assistant cameraman. His first film as a full-time cinematographer was in Purbaraag directed by Ardhendu Mukherjee in 1946.

11. Salient Features of Newly Introduced Rs 50 and Rs 200 Notes

i. The Reserve Bank of India will shortly issue Rs 50 denomination banknotes in the Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series, bearing the signature of Dr. Urjit R. Patel, Governor, Reserve Bank of India. 

ii. The new denomination has a motif of Hampi with Chariot on the reverse, depicting the country’s cultural heritage. The base colour of the note is Fluorescent Blue. The dimension of the banknote will be 66 mm x 135 mm.