3 February 2018 Current Affairs

1. IWAI (Inland Waterways Authority of India) signs agreement with World Bank for Jal Marg Vikas Project on Ganga.

• The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) signed a project agreement with the World Bank entered into a 375 million dollar loan agreement with the Department of Economic Affairs, for Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP).
• The signing of the agreement follows the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, for the implementation of the 800 million dollar JMVP for capacity augmentation of navigation on National Waterway-1 (River Ganga) from Varanasi(UP) to Haldia(West Bengal).
• Out of the remaining amount, 380 million dollar would be sourced through the Government of India counterpart funds from budgetary allocation and proceeds from the bond issue. Another 45 million dollar would come from private sector participation under the PPP mode.
• The Jal Marg Vikas Project(JMVP) is expected to be completed by March, 2023, was being implemented with the financial and technical support of the World Bank.

Union Minister Of Water Resources : Nitin Gadkari(Nagpur Lok Sabha)

World Bank

Established : 1944

President : Jim Yong Kim

CEO : Kristalina Georgieva

Head Quarter : Washington DC, USA

Motto : Working for a World Free of Poverty

Members : 189

2. Cochin Shipyard signs MoU with Russian firm, United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) for the development of Vessel.

• The State-owned Cochin Shipyard and the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) of Russia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate and engage in design, development, and execution of contemporary, state-of-the-art vessels for inland and coastal waterways.
• The MoU was signed between Madhu S. Nair, Chairman and Managing Director of Cochin Shipyard, and Alexey Rakhmanov, president of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, in the presence of Union Transport, Shipping and Waterways Minister Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi.
• USC, a joint stock company, is the largest shipbuilding holding in Russia incorporating around 40 enterprises including shipyards with more than 300 years experience which have been key contributors to the growth of inland waterways in Russia.

Coachin Shipyard Limited

Chairma & Managing Director : Madhu S. Nair

Established : 1972

Head Quarter : Kochi, Kerala

Russia

Capital : Moscow

Currency : Ruble

President : Vladimir Putin

3. Government of India proposes amendment to Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA),2002.

• The Central government has proposed changes to various provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA),2002 through the Finance Bill 2018, including a crucial amendment that empowers the Special Court to restore confiscated assets to the rightful claimants even during the trial.
• The amendment to Section 8(8) allows the Special Court to consider the claims for the purposes of restoration of such properties also during the trial. Earlier, the assets could be restored only after completion of the trial. “It will help provide quick relief in cases involving public money, including Ponzi scams.
• The government has introduced a new Sub-Section (2) of Section 66, making it mandatory for the Enforecement Department (ED) to share relevant details with other agencies.
• A key proposed change is in the definition of “proceeds of crime”, which now also allows the ED to proceed against assets of equivalent value located even outside the country.

Minister Of Finance : Arun Jaitley (Gujarat Rajya Sabha)

4. Spicejet India Open Boxing Tournament: Mary Kom Clinches Gold, India Bags 10  Medal.

• Mary Kom won against Filipino Josie Gabuco 4-1 en route to her gold in the 48kg class among women.
• Pwilao Basumatary (64kg) was the first among the women to fetch a gold. The former world and Asian bronze medallist claimed a 3-2 win over Thailand's Sudaporn Seesondee.
• L Sarita Devi (60kg) settled for a silver medal after losing to Finland's Olympic bronze-medallist Mira Potkenon.

International Boxing Association(AIBA)

President : Wu Ching Kuo

Head Quarter : Lausanne , Switzerland.

5. Shabnam Asthana wins Times Power Woman 2017 award.

• Shabnam Asthana was awarded the 'Times Power Women of the Year 2017'- Pune for Global PR.
• The Times Group recently celebrated the invaluable contribution of women by introducing The Times Power Woman 2017 (Pune) awards.
• These awards focused on the women of Pune and the prestigious list included 34 select women with power, supremacy, command and control. These awardees have been instrumental in working towards the improvement of the socio economic, art, health, education, fashion, scientific and intellectual potential of the society.

6. India joins Ashgabat Agreement.

• India has been admitted to Agreement on the Establishment of an International Transport and Transit Corridor between Iran, Oman, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan (Ashgabat Agreement).
• The agreement was signed on 25 April, 2011 (Ashgabat Agreement).
• Ashgabat Agreement envisages facilitation of transit and transportation of goods between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf. Accession to the Agreement would diversify India's connectivity options with Central Asia and have a positive influence on India's trade and commercial ties with the region. 
  
  

Turkmenistan

Capital : Ashgabat

Currency : Manat

President : Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

7. DoT(Department of Telecom) to set up 5G development centre in tie-up with IIT Chennai.

• The Finance Minister has announced that the Department of Telecom will set up a development centre to work on 5G technologies in partnership with IIT, Chennai. 5G technology is still being standardised globally and India has the opportunity to take the lead in the development of this technology.
• 5G will enable applications such as Internet of Things and Machine-to-Machine internet.
• Ericsson will set up a Center of Excellence with a 5G test bed and incubation center at IIT Delhi and use this facility to drive development of the country’s 5G ecosystem.

8. IREDA and RUMSL Signs Agreement for Large-Scale Solar Parks in Madhya Pradesh.

• Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) and Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Limited (RUMSL) signed an agreement today for financing the shared infrastructure of two large Solar Parks in Madhya Pradesh.
• Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE), World Bank & IREDA have been able to work out a proposal to channelize US$ 100 Million for creating common infrastructure for ultra-mega solar parks in India to achieve the 100 GW solar capacity addition target by 2022, set by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

Madhya Pradesh

Capital : Bhopal

CM : Shivraj Singh Chauhan

Governor : Anandiben Patel

National Park & Sanctuary : Madhav National Park

Airport : Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport, Indore

9.  Saurav Ghosal becomes the highest-ranked Indian squash player.

• Saurav Ghosal jumped five places to No 14 to become the highest ranked Indian in the latest Professional Squash Association (PSA) rankings.

• Ghosal beat Joshna Chinappa who slipped three places to No 17 while Dipika Pallikal Karthik remained on 20.
• Former Indian national champion Harinder Pal Sandhu was placed at 49th, Mahesh Mangaonkar on 64, the spot that Ramit Tandon too achieved after rising 16 places and Vikram Malhotra on 68.

10. Arun Jaitley announces new tunnel at Sela pass in Arunachal Pradesh.

• Finance Minister Arun Jaitley  announced the government's plan to build a tunnel through the Sela Pass located at an elevation of 13,700 ft which will ensure faster movement of troops in Tawang, a strategically- located town in Arunachal Pradesh bordering China. 
• The proposal to build the Sela pass comes amid concerns in the defence establishment over China's growing assertiveness along the nearly 4,000 km-long Sino-India border. 

Arunachal Pradesh

Capital : Itanagar

CM ; Pema Khandu

Governor : Brigadier B. D Mishra

National Park & Sanctuary : Kane National Park

11. 2 February :- World Wetlands Day.

• Theme :- Wetlands for a Sustainable Urban Future.

Have A Good Day..