Current Affairs Update – 24th August, 2016

• The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust
  (JNPT) has signed an agreement with State Bank of India and Development Bank of
  Singapore for External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) to the tune of $400 Million.
• Funds will be used to double its
  existing capacity to 9.85 Million TEUs annually.
• JNPT has dollar denominated
  foreign currency earnings which has been leveraged to raise low cost foreign
  currency borrowing.
• The ECB of $400 Million ($300
  Million from the SBI and $100 Million from DBS) will be primarily utilised by
  JNPT for expanding the network of roads that connect to its port projects.
• The existing road network for
  evacuation of traffic is currently operated at a capacity utilisation of 100%,
  and the expansion is needed for quicker and more efficient evacuation of
  traffic.

• Telangana and Maharashtra
  government on 23 August 2016 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to
  start work on three barrages- Tummidi Hatti on Pranhita River, Medigadda on
  Godavari River and Chanaka-Korata on Painganga River.
• The MoU was inked after a meeting
  between Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Telangana Chief
  Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao.

• The approval for these 3 projects
  was given on the recommendations of the Inter-State Board of Maharashtra and
  Telangana that had been set up for the purpose.
• All expenses for these projects
  will be borne by Telangana government and not a single village of Maharashtra
  will be submerged.
• More than thirty thousand
  hectares of land in Chandrapur, Gadchiroli and Yavatmal will come under
  irrigation because of these barrages.

• Reliance Infrastructure Ltd
  (RInfra) on 22 August 2016 announced that it completed 100 percent sale of
  Reliance Cement Company Private Limited (RCCPL) to Birla Corporation Limited.
• While RInfra is an entity of the
  Anil Ambani-headed Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (Reliance ADAG), Birla
  Corp is the flagship Company of the M P Birla Group.
• The transaction was in tune with
  the Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) that was signed between the two entities in
  February 2016.
• It was valued at 4800 crore
  rupees or 140 US dollars per tonne and the proceeds will utilised by RInfra
  towards debt reduction.
• Under the SPA, the Birla Corp
  acquired an integrated cement capacity of 5.08 Metric tonnes per annum (Mtpa)
  at Maihar, Madhya Pradesh and Kundanganj, Uttar Pradesh.
• Besides, it also involves
  acquisition of grinding unit of 0.5 Mtpa capacity located at Butibori,
  Maharashtra.

• The Union Ministry of Personnel,
  Public Grievances and Pensions on 22 August 2016 constituted a Task Force to
  comprehensively study the cadre structure of organised Group A Central
  Services.
• It will be headed by T Jacob who
  is an Additional Secretary in the Department of Personnel Training (DoPT) under
  the ministry.
• The task force was constituted in
  accordance with the direction of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet
  headed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

• To comprehensively study the
  cadre structure of all organised Group A services in the Union Government.
• To recommend an ideal structure
  especially at Apex, HAG plus, HAG and SAG level.
• To suggest the percentage of
  various reserves in organised Group A services.
• To suggest the ideal recruitment
  in organised Group A services.
• To suggest the way forward to
  mitigate the stagnation level.

• Andhra Pradesh on 20 August 2016
  launched the DNA Index System (DIS) for DNA (Deoxyribonucleac acid) profiling
  of criminals. The system uses the latest DNA technology tool, known as RapidHIT
  DNA System, developed by IntegenX of United States.
• With this, Andhra Pradesh became
  the first state in the country to do so.

• It allows generation of DNA
  profiles from live samples like buccal swabs, saliva and blood stains etc.
• It creates DNA profiles within 90
  to 120 minutes compared to currently available technologies which take at least
  two days or more.
• It could also help the suspects
  prove their innocence.
• With DNA in the database, repeat
  offenders will be easily and quickly caught which will further help to bring
  down crime rate.

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

• The Government of Telangana on 22
  August 2016 issued a draft notification for the creation of 17 new districts.
• Creation of new districts was
  proposed by the State Government in order to minimise the hassle for people in
  commuting to the district headquarters and to enhance the efficiency of the
  administration.
• After the proposed rearrangement
  of the existing districts, the total number of districts in the State will
  increase to 27 from the existing 10 districts.
• Further, the draft notification
  also proposed for increase in the number of mandals by 31 and revenue division
  by 14.

• India’s ace tennis player Sania
  Mirza was on 22 August 2016 topped the ATP Women’s Doubles Tennis rankings.
• She topped the list after teaming
  up with new partner, Barbora Strycova of Czech Republic.
• The new ranking also follows the
  victory of the pair in the Cincinnati final. To win the title, the
  Sania-Barbora duo defeated Martina Hingis and Coco Vandeweghe 7-5, 6-4.
• Incidentally, Sania recently
  ended her partnership with Martina Hingis after three Grand Slam victories and
  11 WTA doubles titles together.
• In the recent rankings, Hingis
  was figured at the second sport with 10945 points behind Sania’s 11260 points.

• The International Day for the
  Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition was on 23 August 2016 observed
  across the world.
• The aim of the day is to pay
  tribute to the people who, on 22 to 23 August 1791, revolted against the system
  of slavery and started the Haitian Revolution. Men and women, torn from Africa
  and sold into slavery, revolted against the slave system to obtain freedom and
  independence for Haiti, which was gained in 1804. This uprising was a turning
  point in human history.
• The Revolution initiated a
  process of change regarding slavery throughout the Americas.

• Singapore’s former president
  Sellapan Ramanathan died on 22 August 2016. He was 92.
• S R Nathan was of Indian-origin
  and the sixth and longest-serving President of Singapore. He was closely
  associated with the country’s founding leader Lee Kuan Yew.