IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF SEPTEMBER 13th, 2017

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF SEPTEMBER 13th, 2017

1.      Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is on a two-day visit to India.

a.       During this visit he held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and both laid the foundation stone of the ambitious Rs 1.08 lakh crore ($17 billion) Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project. 

b.      Modi held a roadshow with Shinzo Abe, in his first time holding a roadshow with the PM of another country. 

                     i.      The 8-kilometre-long event started from the Ahmedabad airport and ended at the Sabarmati Ashram.

                   ii.      Dancers from 28 states will showcase their culture at 28 locations on the route.

2.      Prime Minister Theresa May-led UK government On 13th September passed a motion to grant itself the power to pursue its Brexit agenda without parliamentary input. 

a.       The motion, which was passed by 320 votes to 301, gives the government the power to hold a decisive majority on committees which scrutinise draft Brexit laws. 

3.      Iraq's Parliament On 13th September voted against the Kurdish independence referendum to be held later this month, claiming it will affect the war against ISIS and cause instability in the country.

4.      A Karnataka-Finland Innovation Corridor was launched in Bengaluru by the state's IT and Biotechnology Department and the Embassy of Finland. 

a.       The virtual corridor is aimed at facilitating collaboration in the fields of science, research, innovation, and skill development.

5.      The Maharashtra government is going to completely ban plastic bags from Gudi Padwa (festival falling in March-April period) next year.

6.      Kerala will soon open India's first transgender-exclusive clinics at government medical colleges across the state. 

a.       A budget of ₹10 crore has also been set aside for the community's welfare.

7.      The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved Dairy Processing & Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF) Scheme with an outlay of Rs 10,881 crore to boost dairy sector.

a.       It will be managed by National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and shall be implemented from 2017-18 to 2028-29.

8.      India’s first state of art virology laboratory was inaugurated at Dr. Anjali Chatterjee Regional Research Institute for Homoeopathy in Kolkata, West Bengal.

a.       The lab will play important in developing new drugs and technologies in Homoeopathy to combat emerging challenges of viral diseases.

9.      The Union Finance Ministry has constituted Group of Ministers (GoM) to monitor and resolve IT challenges faced in implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST).

a.       It was formed after states had raised issue of glitches being faced by taxpayers in filing their GST returns on GSTN.

b.      Head of this GoM : Sushil Kumar Modi (Bihar Deputy Chief Minister)

10.  Singapore On 13th September formally elected Halimah Yacob as the country's first woman President in 47 years. 

a.       Important Note : Yacob was elected without a vote as she was the sole candidate qualifying for the position which was reserved for candidates from the minority Malay community this time. 

11.  American food major Kraft Heinz has appointed its youngest ever CFO, 29-year-oldDavid Knopf. 

a.       Knopf, who will also serve as the Executive Vice President, will replace Paulo Basilio as the CFO, effective October 1. 

12.  Apple On 13th September launched two new phones 'iPhone 8' and 'iPhone 8 Plus' with wireless charging technology with prices starting from $699 and $799 respectively. 

a.       The new iPhones have new Apple-designed Image Signal Processors, faster low light autofocus, better pixel processors and hardware multi-band noise reduction. 

b.      While iPhone 8 has a 4.7-inch display, iPhone 8 Plus has a 5.5-inch display.

13.  Aiming to provide social security to people after retirement, the Centre has approved an amendment bill that seeks to double tax-free gratuity ceiling for private and public sector employees to ₹20 lakh. 

a.       The present upper ceiling on this amount under Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972, which applies to establishments employing 10 or more persons, is ₹10 lakh. 

14.  HDFC Bank On 13th September surpassed Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to become India's second most valued firm.

15.  China's Big Four state-owned banks have completely stopped providing financial services to new North Korean clients as per a ban which took effect August 28.

a.       The ban also prohibits existing North Korean account holders from depositing or withdrawing money from their accounts.

b.      This comes amid global sanctions over North Korea's nuclear programme.

16.  Indian banks will need additional capital of $65 billion to meet Basel III capital standards by March 2019, with state-run lenders accounting for 95% of the requirements, Fitch Ratings announced On 13th September.

a.       It said the government is committed to investing only another $3 billion in state-run banks in the next two fiscals, having already provided most of the originally budgeted $11 billion.

17.  The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has increased the total prize money of Senior National Badminton Championships to ₹1 crore, a ten-fold hike from the earlier amount. 

a.       BAI President : Himanta Biswa Sarma