Current Affairs Update - 21-22 Sept, 2014

• ·         Retirement fund manager Employees Provident Fund Organisation’s ambitious project to provide portable Universal Account Numbers (UAN) to its subscribers will be launched on October 16.
• ·         Besides, the government will launch unified web portal LIN (Labour Identification Number) for simplifying business regulations and bringing in transparency and accountability in labour inspections by various agencies and bodies under the administrative control of Labour Ministry.
• ·         Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to launch both LIN web portal and UAN on October 16, as per the Plan chalked out by the Labour Ministry.
• ·         “Labour Secretary had called a meeting for the launch of UAN and LIN yesterday. The Ministry has planned to launch both LIN portal and UAN on October 16,” a senior official said.
• ·         According to him, the Prime Minister will be invited to launch the LIN portal and UAN in the presence of Labour Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and other top brass of the Labour Ministry.

• ·         Eight Indian women, led by ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kochhar, have made it to the Fortune list of 25 most powerful women “shaping the new world order” in the Asia-Pacific region.
• ·         Kochhar, ranked highest among Indian women, has been ranked second across the region, while three others — SBI’s Arundhati Bhattacharya (fourth), HPCL’s Nishi Vasudeva (fifth) and Axis Bank’s Shikha Sharma (tenth) — have also made it to the top-10.
• ·         The list is topped by Australian banking major Westpac’s chief Gail Kelly.
• ·         Other Indians on the top-25 list include Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (19th), National Stock Exchange CEO Chitra Ramkrishna (22nd), HSBC’s Naina Lal Kidwai (23rd) and TAFE Chairman and CEO Mallika Srinivasan (25th).
• ·         Releasing the latest rankings, Fortune magazine said women around the world are continuing to win the top jobs, so much so that more than a third of the women on this Asia-Pacific list are making their debut in the coveted list, including two from India.

• ·         The third India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) meet was held in New Delhi on 20 September 2014. The third JCC was co-chaired by Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Bangladeshi counterpart Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali.
• ·         The meeting focused on review of progress of initiatives in various sectors of the relationship. It also focused on identifying the thrust areas to give directions for further growth of the bilateral partnership.
• ·         Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali during his visit to New Delhi also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee. During his meet with Modi, he extended invitation of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to visit Bangladesh. In response to which, Modi said that he is looking forward to visit the country at the earliest and also welcome Sheikh Hasina in India.

• ·         Google is partnering the Government in developing a mobile application for the Prime Minister's Office. The application will be developed through a contest.
• ·         This is part of supporting the Prime Minister’s vision for a Digital India. The contest will be launched jointly byGoogle and MyGov, the citizen engagement platform of the Government. The mobile app aims to bring the PMO to every citizen and the contest will showcase how Indians can build a world-class app.
• ·         Google India will also continue to build a vibrant language ecosystem online and help the Government transition into the increasingly ‘mobile’ India.
• ·         Google is working with DeitY and other State Governments to develop these initiatives, the company said.
• ·         Programmes such as Helping Women get Online, getting Indian SMEs Online and showcasing India’s rich heritage and culture online will further promote the digital empowerment of citizens.

• ·         The Narula brothers of Delhi on 20 September 2014 became the first ever contestants to win 7 crore rupees in the television show, Kaun Banega Crorepati, hosted by Amitabh Bachchan. The two brothers, Achin and Sarthak Narula emerged victorious in Season 8 of the show after answering 14 questions correctly, with help of four lifelines.
• ·         The megastar and the host of the show, Amitabh Bachchan termed the win of the two brothers as exemplary.
• ·         The tagline for the season 8 of the show is Yahan Sirf Paise Nahi, Dil Bhi Jeete Jate Hain.

• ·         Voreqe Bainimarama on 22 September 2014 was sworn in as new Prime Minister of Fiji. He was sworn in by President Epeli Nailatikau at a brief ceremony in Government House of Suva.
• ·         He was sworn-in after the official results showed that he had won 60 percent of the seats.
• ·         The official results of the 2014 elections in Fiji were declared after five days of general elections held on 17 September 2014. It was the first general election in Fiji after 2006 military coup by Bainimarama.

• ·         Afghanistan’s election commission declared former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai as the war-ravaged country’s president-elect on Sunday after an acrimonious dispute over ballot fraud, but did not give the final vote tally after a U.N.-monitored audit.
• ·         The announcement came hours after Mr. Ahmadzai and rival, Abdullah Abdullah, signed a power-sharing agreement to end two months of bitter wrangling over accusations of fraud that undermined confidence in the election and emboldened the Taliban insurgency at a crucial time as most foreign troops prepare to leave.
• ·         Independent Election Commission chairman Ahmad Yousuf Nuristani acknowledged grave flaws in the election process and said the U.N. audit could not detect all of it.
• ·         Nevertheless, he said that based on the official final tally of votes, the commission had a duty to declare a victor.

• ·         Saurav Ghosal became the first Indian to enter the Asian Games final, beating 2006 champion Ong Beng Hee.
• ·         Ghosal today was too good for his 34-year-old Malaysian opponent, who had won gold in the 2002 Busan and 2006 Doha edition besides getting a bronze in Guangzhou four years ago.
• ·         It is certain now that the Indian will return home with a different medal colour after settling for back-to-back bronze in the last two editions.
• ·         He has already said that it is his best chance of winning a memorable gold. The final will be played tomorrow and Ghosal awaits the winner of the semifinal between Max Lee of Hong Kong and Abdullah Almezayen of Kuwait.

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