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• Under the 80:20 scheme, which was withdrawn on November 28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.