Current Affairs Update - 18 Feb, 2015

• The Reserve Bank today lifted the ban on imports of gold coins and medallions by banks and trading houses.
• The RBI in a notification also said banks are permitted to import gold on consignment basis. Domestic sales will be, however, permitted against upfront payment only.
• The RBI and the government have been receiving requests for clarification on some of operational aspects of guidelines on import of gold after withdrawal of restrictions on import of the metal on November 28 last year, the notification said.
• Aiming to tame the then widening current account deficit (CAD), the central bank in August 2013 had prohibited imports of gold coins and medallions besides restricting inbound shipments of the metal.
• Under the 80:20 scheme, which was withdrawn on November 28 last year, gold imports were linked with its exports.
• The notification further said the obligation to export under the scheme will continue to apply in respect of unutilised gold imported before November 28, 2014.

• Further strengthening its fashion business, online marketplace Snapdeal.com today announced the acquisition of Exclusively.com (formerly Exclusively.in), the definitive online destination for premium and luxury fashion.
• Under this partnership, Exclusively will complement Snapdeal’s existing ecosystem and will provide a consolidated offering for the luxury and lifestyle shopper, making it India’s first online luxury mall, the ecommerce major said in a press note.
• Luxury and premium fashion brands from across the world can now open stores in Exclusively’s online luxury mall, which will continue to function as an independent site and all aspects of Exclusively’s online shopping experience will remain intact, with new collection and service augmentations in the pipeline. With its nationwide reach, Snapdeal will help Exclusively scale up and expand its current business and reach.

• Mashable, the leading media company for the Connected Generation, and India.com Web Portal Limited, India's fastest-growing and leading publisher of original content, on Wednesday announced their partnership to launch Mashable India.
• The partnership brings Mashable together with India.com Web Portal Ltd., a joint venture between Penske Media Corporation (PMC) and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.
• This new online destination will bring together Mashable's mission of inspiring and informing its global community about how digital and technology are changing the world with India.com's strength in generating original content for Indian audiences and widespread reach in the Indian digital space.
• India.com Web Portal currently publishes original content destinations that include BGR.in, CricketCountry.com, BollywoodLife.com, TheHealthSite.com, Prepsure.com, BrownPaperBag.in, and traffic-leading portal India.com – all together India.com properties reach out to over 45 million unique visitors per month.

• Europe-based RUAG Aerostructures and Tata Group firm TAL Manufacturing Solutions on 17 February 2015 signed a multi-year contract worth over 150 million US dollar.
• Under the agreement, both the companies joined hands for the production and supply of aero structural components and sub-assemblies for Airbus 320 programme.
• As part of the contract, TAL will manufacture and supply over 550 sheet metal components, machined parts and sub-assemblies to RUAG for Airbus A320 programme.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the Aero India 2015 air show and exhibition on Wednesday morning at the Air Force Station Yelahanka. Defence Ministers or officials of equivalent ranks of six countries — the USA, Russia, Israel and Germany among them — were present.
• The Indian military planes and helicopters include, the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv, the Sukhoi-30 MkI medium fighter and the newly-purchased Pilatus basic trainer from the IAF and HAL stables.
• A highly expectant Dassault of France has brought in three Rafale fighters: this plane is shortlisted to be bought for the IAF.
• The air show had static and air display by various aircraft including fighter, transport, helicopter and aerobatic display teams.
• While the number of aircraft participating in static and air displays is tentatively 72, Indian Air Force Sarang Team and air display teams from Sweden, UK, Czech Republic and open sky jump by USA Special Forces are among the major attractions.

• Bihar State Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on 14 February 2015 approved a proposal of state SC/ST welfare department to include the Dusadh (Dhari and Dhadi) caste in the Mahadalit category.
• With this approval, there is no Dalit community in Bihar as all Dalits are now categorised as Mahadalits in the State.
• Dusadh caste is now eligible for welfare schemes meant for Mahadalits

• Dr Rahul Kaiche on 17 February 2015 became first cardiac surgeon in Maharashtra and second surgeon in India to use titanium plates for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) surgery. He is a cardiac surgeon at Wockhardt hospital in Nashik.
• He used the titanium plates instead of the traditionally used wires for sternal closure in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) surgery. The surgery was performed at the charitable Saibaba hospital in Shirdi.
• He used the innovative technique of using titanium plates for closing the mamory sternum bone on a 64 years patient Bashir Sayyed Noor. For this, he used 2 H shaped and one U shaped titanium plates fitted with titanium screws.

• Steering clear of a perception of China-India rivalry, Beijing has proposed at triangular partnership with India and Sri Lanka, ahead of a month-end visit to Beijing of the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera.
• China’s new strategic construct of inclusive ties with India and Sri Lanka follows its advocacy of the 21st century Maritime Silk Road (MSR), where India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan are visualized as partner countries in South Asia. While India is connected to the MSR through the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) economic corridor, China sees Sri Lanka as an important point of trans-shipment in the global trade network. The Pakistani port of Gwadar, which is to be connected to Kashgar in China’s Xinjiang Province, is also one of the nodes of the MSR.

• Three Indian, two women and one man were among the shortlisted 100 applicants who were chosen for one-way trip to Mars under Mars One mission in the third week of February 2015. These Indians are Ritika Singh, Shradha Prasad and Taranjeet Singh Bhatia.
• 29-year-old Taranjeet Singh Bhatia is studying Doctorate in Computer Science at the University of Central Florida. 29-year-old Ritika Singh an adventure sports lover who lives in Dubai and 19-year-old Shradha Prasad is from Palakkad, Kerala.
• Mars One Project aims to set up a human colony on Mars and under the plan around 40 selected people will be sent to the red plant on a permanent basis.
• The finalists of the plan will be trained for seven years before being sent on the planet.
• The Mars One will start sending out four people at a time from 2024.
• The first troop will reach the red planet in 2025.

• Former IAS officer Jawed Usmani was on 17 February 2015 sworn-in as Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of Uttar Pradesh (UP). The oath of office and secrecy was administered by UP Governor Ram Naik at Raj Bhavan, Lucknow.
• He was sworn-in to the office after he took voluntary retirement as Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Board of Revenue.
• Jawed Usmani was appointed as UP Chief Information Commissioner in November 2014. But during this appointment, he was the Chairman of Uttar Pradesh Board of Revenue which was not in conformity with the Right to Information Act, 2005.

• Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic was on 15 February 2015 sworn in as the President of Croatia. She is Croatia’s first female President and overall fourth President since Croatia gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.
• In January 2015 election run-off, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic defeated her left-wing predecessor Ivo Josipovic. In the election she had secured 50.5 percent of the votes while her predecessor Ivo Josipovic secured 49.5 percent votes.
• The Croatian president has a largely ceremonial role and has a five-year term.

• The 5th India-Myanmar Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meeting was held in Nay Pyi Taw in Myanmar on 17 February 2015.
• India’s Minister of State for Commerce & Industry (Independent Charge) Nirmala Sitharaman co-chaired the meet with Myanmar’s Union Minister of Commerce U Win Myint.
• Both the countries agreed to work together to remove the bottlenecks that hampers the bilateral trade and investment. The bottlenecks identified were lack of good connectivity, lack of banking arrangement both for regular and border trade.

• The first Renewable Energy Global Investors Meet & Expo, also called RE-Invest 2015, was held in New Delhi from 15 February 2015 to 17 February 2015. The meet was organised by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy as a follow-up to the Make in India initiative of the Prime Minister.
• The central theme of RE-Invest is to attract large scale investments for the renewable energy sector in India.
• The aim of the meet is to evolve innovative financial models for funding and to ensure the partnership of states and the Centre in harnessing renewable energy. Germany is the partner country for Re-Invest 2015.

• Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Communications (RCom) on 17 February 2015 inked a deal with micro blogging site Twitter to allow its subscribers to access it for free and stay connected and engaged during the six-week ICC World Cup 2015.
• As per the deal, RCom customers can engage with players, commentators and celebrities, watch exclusive pictures and videos, remain updated with the latest scores without incurring any data charges.
• Further the deal will allow customers without twitter accounts to access cricket-related tweets by logging on to www.rcom.co.in/cricket on their mobile phones throughout the duration of this global event between 13 February and 31 March 2015.

• Veteran cartoonist, columnist and political activist Rajinder Puri passed away on 15 February 2015 in New Delhi following a brief illness. He was 80.
• Rajinder Puri was famously known for his cartoons that critiqued and assessed political events through amazing perception. He was associated with various newspapers including The Hindustan Times and The Statesman as a cartoonist and writer.
• Rajinder Puri authored many books which includes India 1969: a crisis of conscience (1971), India the wasted years: 1969-1975 (1975), Government that works and how! (1989), Recovery of India (1992), Bull’s Eye (2004).
• Rajinder Puri moved into politics in 1977 when he was General Secretary of the then Janata Party. Later he became the founder General Secretary of Lok Dal. Since 1988, he has not been attached to any political party.

• Bollywood actor Ashraful Haque passed away on 17 February 2015 at a private hospital in Andheri East, Mumbai after suffering from Myelodysplastic Syndrome. He was 46. Haque is survived by his wife and a son.
• Ashraful Haque was famously known for his roles in the movies Delhi Belly and Fukrey. The actor performed more than 30 Indian plays and acted in over approximately 30 films apart from his Telly Serials and Ad films.
• He played the lead role in the national award-winning film The Lost Behrupiya in 2013.