Current Affairs Update – 4th December, 2015

Hello and welcome to ExamPundit. Here are the Important Current Affairs Update of 4th December, 2015. These are important for the upcoming IBPS Clerk Mains and Insurance Exams. On the other hand, RBI announcing PSL norms for RRBs is VERY IMPORTANT for IBPS PO V Interview.

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 3 December 2015 announced
  revised Priority Sector Lending (PSL) norms for Regional Rural Banks (RRBs).
• Among other things, the PSL target was increased to 75
  percent of total outstanding from the existing 60 percent. The revised target
  will be effective from 1 January 2016.
• The PSL norms have been revised considering the growing
  significance of RRBs in pursuit of financial inclusion agenda
• As on March 2015, there were 56 RRBs operating in the
  country with a network of 20059 branches. They cover 644 notified districts in
  26 states and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

• Medium enterprises, social infrastructure and renewable
  energy were included under PSL category.
• Agri-Loans: Loans to individual farmers, for the purpose of
  PSL, was increased to 50 lakh rupees from the present 10 lakh rupees against
  pledge/ hypothecation of agricultural produce (including warehouse receipts)
  for a period not exceeding 12 months.
• Aggregate limit loan was doubled to 2 crore rupees per
  borrower in the case of loans, among others, to corporate farmers, farmers’
  producers organisations/ companies of individual farmers, farmers partnership
  firms/ co-operatives engaged in agriculture and allied activities.
• Housing Loans: The RBI has lowered the quantum of loans that
  will qualify as PSL. Against the earlier limit of 25 lakh rupees, loans to
  individuals up to 20 lakh rupees only are considered as PSL as per revised
  guidelines. Housing loans to banks’ own employees will be excluded from this
  limit.

• Himachal Pradesh on 3 December 2015 became the first state
  of India to launch Rotavirus vaccination project.
• The vaccine will help in controlling the child mortality
  rate (under five years of age) due to diarrhoea.
• Rotavirus vaccines are administered orally to infants in
  three dose course at ages of six, ten and fourteen weeks and are part of
  Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).

• The project was launched by the state Chief Minister
  Virbhadra Singh at Dharamsala in Kangra district.
• Singh administered the Rotavirus drops to children aged
  under five years.
• International Clinical Epidemiological Network will provide
  technical assistance and will also bear the entire cost of the vaccines.
• The project will soon be launched in Vellore in Karnataka
  and Pune in Maharashtra.

• GAIL (India) Limited in collaboration with National Remote
  Sensing Centre, a unit of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), has
  launched a surveillance geo-portal – ‘Bhuvan-GAIL Portal’ – that utilises space
  technology for its pipeline safety application.
• The launch took place in the presence of B.C. Tripathi,
  Chairman GAIL (India) Ltd, V.K. Dadhwal, Director NRSC, ISRO and senior
  officials from GAIL and ISRO, according to a statement issued here.
• GAIL is deploying space technology to monitor the pipeline’s
  Right of Use (RoU). It has more than 13,000 km of pipeline network, wherein
  monthly monitoring of pipeline is presently done via helicopter surveys. By
  January 2016, GAIL will begin live satellite monitoring of its pipeline RoU. It
  is also seeking alternative methods such as advanced Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  (UAV), which can be integrated with this system.

• Delhi Assembly on 3 November 2015 passed the Members of the
  Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Salaries,
  Allowances, Pension, etc) (Amendment) Bill, 2015.
• The bill seeks around 400 percent hike in the salaries of
  the MLAs.
• The Bill is based on the recommendations of three-member PDT
  Achary panel. The panel on 6 October 2015 in its report on MLA’s salary
  packages recommended 400% hike in basic salary of Delhi MLAs. The other two
  members of the panel were KV Prasad and Balraj Malik.

• It will allow the basic salaries of MLAs to go up from 12000
  rupees to 50000 rupees.
• The bill proposes to hike in constituency allowance from
  current 18000 to 50000 rupees.
• The bill also provides for a reimbursable sum of 70000
  rupees per month as allowance under ‘Secretarial, Research and Office
  Assistance’ which is 30000 rupees at present.

• The first India International Science Festival (IISF) began
  on 4 December 2015 at IIT-Delhi.
• The five day festival will explore ways to translate
  academic research into industrial applications benefiting the common man and
  encourage culmination of scientific temperament among youngsters, especially school
  children.

• Exposing the fruits of Science & Technology to the
  masses
• Building strategy to instill scientific temper among the
  masses
• Showcasing Indian contributions in the field of Science and
  Tech over the years

• National Textile Corporation (NTC) Limited on 3 December
  2015 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Transparency International
  India (TII) for adopting Integrity Pact (IP).
• With this signing, NTC became the 51st Public Sector
  Undertaking (PSU) and 49th Central PSU to sign a MoU with TII.
• Integrity Pact is a tool which ensures that all activities
  and transactions between a Company or Government Department and their Suppliers
  are handled in a fair, transparent and corruption-free manner. It also prohibits
  any kind of bribing, favour or any other unethical practice, which is closely
  monitored by honorary Independent External Monitors (IEMs). The IEMs

• The Lok Sabha on 3 December 2015 passed the Bureau of Indian
  Standards Bill, 2015 to establish the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) as a
  National Standards Body.
• The bill seeks to establish harmonious development of
  standardization and assessment and quality assurance of goods, processes and
  services.

• The bill broadens BIS’ ambit, and allow the Union Government
  to make it mandatory for certain notified goods, articles and processes to
  carry the standard mark.
• It allows multiple types of conformity assessment schemes in
  tune with best global practices.
• It contains provision to make misuse of Standard mark as a
  cognizable offence.

• Union Minister of Finance, Arun Jaitley, and Minister of
  Social Justice & Empowerment, Thaawarchand Gehlot, on 3 December 2015
  launched Accessible India Campaign or Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan.
• Accessible India Campaign is a nationwide campaign that aims
  at enabling persons with disabilities to gain universal access, equal
  opportunity for development, independent living and participation in all
  aspects of life in an inclusive society.

• The initiative is in line with the Article 9 of UN Convention
  on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) to which India is a
  signatory from 2007.
• By July 2018, at least 50 percent of all the government
  buildings of National Capital and all the State capitals will be made fully
  accessible for persons with disabilities.

• The November edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings
  was released on 3 December 2015. In the final rankings of 2015, While Belgium
  topped the list, Indian team jumped six places to reach the 166th spot.
• In the October 2015 edition, India was at the 172nd position
  due to five consecutive defeats in 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
• But, Indian team could improve its ranking with 1-0 victory
  against Guam in their last World Cup qualifier at Bengaluru on 12 November
  2015.
• On the global stage, Belgium will end the year as the
  world’s top-ranked team for the first time in their history.

• 4th Navy Day was observed on 4 December 2015. Prime Minister
  Narendra Modi extended greetings to naval personnel and commended their
  dedication to protect the maritime interests of nation.
• The occasion saw screening of Navy Telefilm 2015 titled
  Empowering India Through Maritime Security and Indigenisation on DD National.
• The Navy day is celebrated every year to commemorate the
  success of Operation Trident of Indian Navy on Karachi Harbour during the 1971
  Indo-Pak war.

Regards

Team ExamPundit

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