Hello and welcome to ExamPundit. Here are the Current Affairs Update of 17 March, 2015.
Banking/Finance
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HDFC Bank launches
mobile app Chillr for instant money transfers
mobile app Chillr for instant money transfers
- HDFC Bank on Tuesday launched Chillr, a mobile app that
allows users to instantly transfer money to any contact in their phonebook. - The bank has partnered with MobME, a Kochi-based technology
firm, to launch this app. - Chillr is a first-of-its kind application that is linked
directly to customers’ bank accounts. With Chillr, the bank’s customers can
transfer money to any person in India once they download the app and register. - The app works on the Android and iOS operating systems and
will soon be launched for the Windows phone as well. - The app is useful for college students and young
professionals. Parents whose children study in other cities can transfer money
via the app. Soon users will also be able to pay utility bills and various
merchants via the mobile, HDFC Bank said in a statement. - Each transaction will be charged Rs. 3.50. There is a limit
of 10 transactions of Rs. 5,000 and a maximum of Rs. 50,000 in a month,
according to company officials.
Mirach files $400-mn
defamation suit against Sahara Group
defamation suit against Sahara Group
- The ongoing dispute between Sahara and Mirach took a new
turn with the latter announcing a $400-million defamation suit against the
Sahara Group and a news outlet for attempting to discredit Mirach and its CEO in
the court of public opinion. - Mirach Capital and Sahara had earlier signed a $2-billion
deal under which Mirach Capital, headed by Indian origin Saransh Sharma, had
offered to extend a loan to the Sahara Group against hotels in New York and
London. Sahara wanted to use a part of these funds to release its Chairman,
Subrata Roy, who has been jailed in a case relating to non-repayment of
investor money. - However, Sahara later said that it had found out that the
Bank of America letter, submitted by Mirach to the Supreme Court as a proof
that it had set aside sufficient funds for the transaction, was forged.
Following this allegation, Mirach pulled out the loan offer and proposed to buy
out the assets. - On Friday, March 13, the Supreme Court of India had extended
Subrata Roy and the Sahara Group one final extension to secure a transaction
for its assets to raise the necessary bail.
India
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IAS officer D K Ravi
who ‘exposed tax frauds’ found dead
who ‘exposed tax frauds’ found dead
- Opposition parties in Karnataka on Tuesday made a strong
demand for a CBI inquiry into the death of IAS officer DK Ravi as they alleged
that it was a case of murder and not suicide as stated by police. - Ravi, who had taken on the sand and land mafia, was found
dead in his official residence on Monday. Bengaluru Police commissioner Reddi
had said that forensic and medical evidence hinted that Ravi’s death was prima
facie a case of suicide. - Ravi, a 2009 batch IAS officer, who had earned a reputation
for being upright, had recently taken over as joint commissioner of Commercial
Taxes. - He was chasing builders in the city who had been evading
taxes for years, one of his colleagues told HT on the condition of anonymity.
The same source also said that Ravi had collected more than Rs 100 crore in
outstanding tax dues from the builders. - The 35-year-old had also taken on the sand mafia as deputy
commissioner of Kolar district.
Supreme Court quashed
the Union Government’s decision to include Jats in the Central OBC list
the Union Government’s decision to include Jats in the Central OBC list
- The Supreme Court of India (SC) on 17 March 2015 quashed the
Union Government’s decision to include Jats in the Central Other Backward
Classes (OBC) list. - The SC declared the Union government’s decision as null and
void because of the following reasons: - The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) in its
report on 26 February 2014 had rejected the Union government’s request for
recommending inclusion of Jat community in the central list of backward classes
because they do not form socio-economic backward class. However, the Union
Government overlooked the commission’s recommendation and issued a notification
on 4 March 2015 including Jats in the Central OBC list. - As per the Mandal Commission’s recommendation though Caste
is a prominent factor it cannot be the sole factor of determining the
backwardness of a class. - Inclusion of politically organised castes like the Jats in
OBC list is not good for other backward classes.
Awards
& Honors –
& Honors –
WEF Names Smriti
Irani as Young Global Leader From India
Irani as Young Global Leader From India
- Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani was today named Young Global
Leader from India by the World Economic Forum (WEF), which said she “rose
from sweeping floors in a fast food restaurant to become a top politician in
India.” - Others who have been named Young Global Leader (YGL) in the
past include British Prime Minister David Cameron, Alibaba Group chief Jack Ma,
Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, Google chief Larry Page, Italian Prime Minister Matteo
Renzi. - In the list of 187 YGLs for 2015 from across the world,
Irani is accompanied by 10 other Indians, including Gaurav Gogoi, an MP and son
of Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. - Besides, Smriti Irani and Gaurav Gogoi, other Indians in the
list include, IndiGo President Aditya Ghosh; Ashish Goyal Portfolio Manager at
Bluecrest Capital; GMR Group’s Kiran Kumar Grandhi; Krithi Karanth ED Centre
for Wildlife Studies; Neha Kirpal Founder and Director India Art Fair and
Shalini Puchalapalli CEO Lehar Foods (Pepsi). - Other Indians on the list are Shweta Punj, Associate Editor
India Today Group/Co-Founder at Whypoll; Bain and Company’s Prashant Sarin and
Ameera Shah Managing Director and CEO Metropolis Healthcare.
Indian Researcher
Minoti Apte Wins Woman of the Year 2015 in New South Wales
Minoti Apte Wins Woman of the Year 2015 in New South Wales
- A 56-year-old Indian pancreatic cancer researcher in
Australia has been named New South Wales Woman of the year 2015 for her
contributions to medical research, tertiary education and the Indian community. - Minoti Apate, researcher at University of New South Wales
(UNSW) received the award from NSW Premier Mike Baird and Minister for Women
Pru Goward during a reception at NSW Parliament House recently. - Apte, Professor of Medicine at the South Western Sydney
Clinical School of the University of New South Wales, last year, was awarded
the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for her services to medical research,
tertiary education and the Indian Community. - She was the first in the world to develop a method to
isolate pancreatic stellate cells, a technique which provided a much needed
research tool for studying the path that pancreatic fibrosis (scarring of the
pancreas) takes. - She is currently leading pre-clinical studies that are
primed to suggest new treatments for pancreatic cancer – the fifth leading
cause of all cancer deaths in Australia.
Appointment
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Ashu Suyash appointed
as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of CRISIL
as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of CRISIL
- Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited (CRISIL)
on 16 March 2015 announced to appoint Ashu Suyash as the Managing Director (MD)
and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company. - Her appointment was confirmed by the Board of Directors of
the Company. - She will succeed Roopa Kudva and will take charge from June
2015. Rupa Kudva was the MD and CEO of CRISIL from 2007 to September 2014. She
had joined CRISIL in 1992.
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