Current Affairs Update – 23rd June, 2015

Hello and welcome to ExamPundit. Here are the Important Current Affairs of 23rd June, 2015. These are Important for the upcoming SBI PO 2015 Mains Exam and RBI Assistant 2015 Exam.

Finance/Economy/Industry
SEBI simplifies IPO
norms

  • To help investors and companies in IPOs, SEBI today halved
    the listing time to six days from the date of the public offer and also allowed
    a larger number of firms to tap the “fast—track” route for raising funds.
  • Currently, the companies are required to list their shares
    on the stock exchanges within 12 days of the last date of the IPO (Initial
    Public Offer) process, thus keeping the funds locked in for a longer period of
    time.
  • The shorter time period, which would come into effect from
    January 1, 2016, would also help reduce the costs associated with the public
    offering, SEBI Chairman U K Sinha said after a meeting of the regulator’s
    board.
  • However, investors will have to wait for making the IPO
    process entirely online in terms of submission of their bids.
  • While SEBI has provided for online submission of bids from
    terminals of market entities, the same from any computer or mobile will take
    some time.
  • The SEBI board also decided to allow a larger number of
    companies to raise funds through a ‘fast—track’ process.
  • A company with public shareholding worth Rs. 1,000 crore can
    raise funds through FPOs under fast—track mode, down from Rs. 3,000 crore
    requirements earlier.
  • For rights issues, the fast—track route can be availed by
    companies with public shareholding worth as low as Rs. 250 crore.
  • SEBI also said that ASBA (Application Supported by Blocked
    Amount), which refers to an application mechanism for subscribing to IPO with
    the bid amount blocked in a bank account rather than that being debited, will
    be applicable to all kinds of investor categories and all IPOs.

Govt Notifies New And
Simplified ITR Forms

  • The Income Tax department has notified the new set of ITR
    forms, including a three-page simplified one, for taxpayers to file their returns
    for assessment year 2015-16.
  • With the Finance Ministry publishing the gazette order
    yesterday, taxpayers and other entities can now file their Income Tax Returns
    (ITR) till August 31, the new deadline set in this regard by the government
    after it dropped the earlier forms which had attracted criticism for seeking
    numerous additional details like that of filers’ foreign travel and about
    dormant bank accounts.
  • The most simplified form, ITR-2A, to be filled by those
    individuals and HUFs who do not have income from either business, profession or
    by way of capital gains and do not hold foreign assets, only asks for the
    passport number of the tax-filer, with the words “if available”.
  • Filers now will have to declare only about the “total
    number of savings and current bank accounts” held by them “at any
    time during the previous year (excluding dormant accounts).”
  • The form also has space to fill up the IFSC code of the bank
    and in an additional feature, tax filers have been given an option to indicate
    their bank accounts in which they would want their refund credited.
  • The I-T department, in the new ITRs, has also sought the
    Aadhaar number of filers and has also given options for providing two email ids
    to it.

SoftBank Corp, Bharti
Enterprises Limited and Foxconn formed a JV named SBG Cleantech Ltd
  • Japan headquartered telecommunications and Internet major
    SoftBank Corp, Bharti Enterprises Limited and Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology
    Group on 22 June 2015 formed a Joint Venture (JV) named SBG Cleantech Limited.
    This JV is aimed at promoting the adoption of clean and safe energy in India.
  • SBG Cleantech will be a harbinger of solar and wind energy.
    The venture will invest in developing renewable energy plants across India. SBG
    Cleantech will be committed to contribute to Union Government’s mission of 24×7
    power for all and achieving 100GW solar and 60GW wind target by 2022.
  • The company intends to participate in the 2015-16 round of
    solar power plant tenders ‎under the National Solar Mission (NSM) program and
    state-specific solar programs. SBG Cleantech will not only work towards
    eliminating energy deficit but will also provide clean environment.

India to be the
Partner Country for Russian Industrial Trade Fair Innoprom 2016
  • India on 22 June 2015 decided to be a partner country in the
    major Industrial Fair named INNOPROM 2016 to be held at Yekaterinburg, Russia
    in July 2016. India accepted the invitation extended by the Russian Government
    in December 2014.
  • This acceptance of invitation was conveyed to Minister of
    Industry and Trade of Russian Federation Denis Manturov by Union Minister of
    State (Independent Charge), Commerce & Industry Nirmala Sitharaman during a
    bilateral meeting held at St. Petersburg on 19 June 2015.
  • Nirmala Sitharaman was on a three day visit to Russia to
    participate in annual St. Petersburg International and Economic Forum (SPIEF)
    held from 18-20 June 2015 at St Petersburg, Russia. She led a strong delegation
    of 30-member from Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

GADL, Oman Airport
Management Company signed MoU on Aviation Consultancy Services

  • GMR Airport Developers Limited (GADL) on 17 June 2015 signed
    a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Oman Airport Management Company (OAMC)
    for providing aviation training and consultancy services.
  • The MoU is aimed at knowledge sharing and skills development
    for the OAMC staff by the GADL.
  • GADL is a subsidiary of Bengaluru based GMR Infrastructure
    Limited.
  • GMR Group is the world’s 4th largest private airport
    developer with the completion of four international projects and more in the
    pipeline in the Middle East and South East Asia.

India
Nepal-India Treaty of
Transit amended to facilitate import of vehicles into Nepal
  • Nepal-India Treaty of Transit of 1999 was amended on 22 June
    2015 to allow the movement of vehicles imported from a third country into Nepal
    through four border points.
  • The four border points are Raxaul-Birgunj,
    Jogbani-Biratnagar, Sunauli-Bhairahawa and Nepalgunj Road-Nepalgunj border
    points.
  • The amendment was done after Nepal requested India to allow
    movement of vehicles on their own citing the requirements of additional
    handling facilities, special carriers and equipment needed, which added to the
    cost and time of clearance of vehicles from Kolkata port into Nepal.
  • To this effect, a Letter of Exchange was finalised between
    India and Nepal though the two governments had discussed the matter during the
    third meet of Nepal-India Joint Commission held on 25 July and 26 July 2014.

India, S Africa Renew
Science and Technology Cooperation Pact
  • South Africa and India have renewed an agreement to extend
    cooperation in the field of social innovation, astronomy, agriculture,
    biotechnology and indigenous knowledge systems for the next three years.
  • Relations between the two sides in science and technology
    dates back to 1995, when they signed a bilateral agreement. The instrument to
    implement this agreement is a programme of cooperation, which is renewed every
    three years.
  • The Fourth Programme of Cooperation was signed during the
    10th Joint Committee meeting on Science and Technology Cooperation, which was
    attended by senior officials from both countries recently.
  • Deputy Director-General of South Africa’s International
    Cooperation and Resources Daan du Toit said that India, as an emerging market
    economy and a prominent player in the Asia-Pacific region, was an important
    strategic partner and played a significant role in South-South cooperation.

BHEL Commissions 250
MW Unit of NTPC’s Bongaigaon Power Plant
  • State-run equipment maker BHEL today said that it has
    commissioned a 250 MW unit of NTPC’s Bongaigaon thermal power plant in Kokrajhar
    district in Assam.
  • According to the statement, BHEL is executing the main plant
    package contract for setting up three coal-fired units of 250 MW each at
    Bongaigaon thermal power station of of NTPC.
  • Once the project is completed, it will become the highest
    rating coal-based power plant in Northeast India.
  • Bongaigaon plant is located at Salakati near Bongaigaon in
    Kokrajhar district of Assam.
  • The sets supplied by BHEL are considered as the workhorse and
    backbone of the Indian power sector. These sets have been performing much above
    the national average as well as international benchmarks. BHEL has so far
    contracted 251 sets of this rating class.

Maharashtra topped
the list of States and UTs in IPR filing in 2013-14: IBEF report

  • India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) in the third week of
    June 2015 released a report on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) filing in
    India during 2013-14.
  • While Maharashtra topped the list of states and Union
    Territories (UTs), Bengaluru was the top city in IPR filing.
  • The top five states and UTs: Maharashtra (2892), Karnataka
    (1639), Tamil Nadu (1436), Delhi (1009) and Andhra Pradesh (879).
  • Bengaluru lead patent hunt as Samsung R&D Institute
    (84); Infosys (83); Wipro Ltd (59); Samsung India Software Operations Pvt. Ltd.
    (66) top filers from among technology companies.

Rajasthan topped the
list of States commissioning grid connected Solar Power projects

  • Rajasthan topped the list of states commissioning grid
    connected solar power projects in the country with an installed capacity of
    1147 megawatt. The list was released by the Union ministry of New and Renewable
    Energy on 4 June 2015.
  • Gujarat, which remained the undisputed leader in solar
    energy generation till 2014, came second with an installed capacity of 1000MW.
  • The state has also signed MoUs with power developers like
    SunEdison, Adani Enterprises, Reliance Power and Azure Power that will generate
    14000 MW solar power. National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is already in
    the process of commissioning 680 MW in the state.

Kerala declares June
22 as ‘Snake Bird Day’

  • Kerala government on Monday declared June 22 as the ‘snake
    bird day’ as part of a campaign to protect the endangered species.
  • State minister for forest Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan
    formally made the announcement at a function here organised by the Snake Bird
    Foundation, a city-based outfit of journalists.
  • A near-threatened species, the snakebird figures in the Red
    Data book of rare and endangered species. The Snakebird Foundation estimates
    that Kerala is home to about 1,000 birds of the species, with the highest
    number found in Alappuzha district.
  • The bird nests have been spotted at Nooranad, Kattanam, and
    Kuttanad in Alappuzha, Kumarakom in Kottayam, Thekkady in Idukki, the Museum
    compound in Thiruvananthapuram, and a few in the northern districts.

Maharashtra declares
Blue Mormon as state butterfly

  • Maharashtra government on Monday declared Blue Mormon as the
    state butterfly.
  • The state is also the first in the country to make such
    announcement.
  • The decision was taken in a meeting of the state Wildlife
    Board here chaired by Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar.
  • Maharashtra already has Indian Giant Squirrel (Shekru) as
    its state animal, Yellow Footed Green Pigeon (Hariyal) as state bird, mango as
    state tree, and Lagerststroemia (Jarul) as state flower but did not have
    butterfly as one of the symbols representing its flora and fauna.

List/Indexes
IEP released Global
Peace Index 2015
  • Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) on 16 June 2015
    released the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2015. The GPI 2015 measured peace, its
    causes and its economic value during 2014.
  • Iceland is the most
    peaceful country
    , followed by Denmark and Austria at second and third
    positions, respectively.
  • The GPI 2015 ranked the nations according to their level of
    peacefulness. It measured peace for 162 countries constituting 99.6 of the
    world population. Among these 162 countries, India was placed at the 143rd position, the same as 2014.
  • The index gauged global peace using three broad themes: the
    level of safety and security in society, the extent of domestic and
    international conflict and the degree of militarisation.
  • Cancelling out its strong improvement in the 2014 edition of
    the GPI, Libya experienced the largest deterioration this year. Its score
    deteriorated substantially and consequently it fell 13 places down to 149th to
    become the 14th least peaceful country.
  • The second biggest decline was recorded for the Ukraine, due
    to the conflict between Russian separatists and the Ukrainian government as
    well as the instability caused by Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

World
Alibaba, Ant to
invest nearly $1 bln into local services startup Koubei

  • Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and its affiliate Ant Financial
    will invest nearly $1 billion in a joint venture that they hope can tap China’s
    fast-growing local services market, focusing at first on food delivery.
  • Local services, also known as online-to-offline (O2O), have
    been booming in China, with some of the country’s most valuable startups like
    taxi-hailing app Didi Kuaidi operating in this area. Apart from calling cabs,
    these apps link smartphone users with offline businesses to offer things like
    delivery and nearby food and leisure deals.
  • As more Chinese use phones for everything from shopping to
    booking restaurants, local services have become a key battleground for China’s
    internet giants Alibaba, Tencent Holdings Ltd and Baidu Inc as they try to attract
    users to their platforms.
  • The two companies will each invest 3 billion yuan ($483
    million) in Koubei and each hold a 50 per cent equity stake in the business,
    the announcement said.
  • Koubei will initially focus on food and beverages, with
    Alibaba’s food ordering and delivery business, Taodiandian, and Ant Financial’s
    offline merchant resources becoming a core part of Koubei’s operations.

Obituaries
Sister Nirmala Joshi,
former head of Missionaries of Charity, passed away

  • Sister Nirmala Joshi, who succeeded Mother Teresa as the
    head of Missionaries of Charity, died on 22 June 2015 following a prolonged
    illness in Kolkata. She was 81. Sister Nirmala’s life was devoted to service,
    caring for poor and underprivileged.
  • On 13 March 1997, six months before Mother Teresa’s death in
    1997, Sister Nirmala was selected as the Superior General of the Missionaries
    of Charity. In April 2009, Sister Mary Prema was elected to succeed Sister
    Nirmala during a general chapter held in Calcutta.


:: Download Today’s PDF ::




Regards

Team ExamPundit

Sponsored

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Books For 2015 Banking/Insurance Exams

This post was last modified on July 20, 2019 10:17 am