28 July 2017 Current Affairs

Mumbai Metro launches ‘OnGo’, India’s first mobile ticketing system

Mumbai Metro announced the launch of India’s first Mobile Ticketing System ‘OnGo’ which will help commuters pass the AFC gates using their mobile phones. The system is in the final advanced stage of testing and will be implemented by mid-August. Through the Mumbai Metro App, commuters will be able to buy their token or pass and generate a QR Code which will be used to gain access through the automated fare collection (AFC) gates. Commuters will be able to generate a QR Code through ‘OnGo’ service for current or future journeys upto a week in advance by clicking the mobile app wherein they would pay for their journey.


Amazon’s Jeff Bezos overtakes Gates to become world’s richest

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos briefly became the world’s richest man in Forbes magazine’s tracking of wealth, as stock in his e-commerce company hit an all-time high. Mr Bezos, who is also chairman and chief executive of the Seattle-based company, was worth almost $91bn (£70bn) after Amazon’s share price rose more than 1 per cent in morning trading in New York. That put his fortune ahead of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates’. The latter has a net worth of around $90.7bn and has been at the top of Bloomberg’s rich list since 2013. But Mr Bezos slipped back into second place later in the day.


BRICS nations sign memorandum to facilitate taxation cooperation

Tax authorities of the five BRICS countries have signed a landmark document to establish a mechanism for taxation cooperation. The BRICS Taxation Cooperation Memorandum, signed at the fifth meeting of BRICS Heads of Tax Authorities, is the bloc’s first document that elevates taxation cooperation to the institutional level. The authorities also agreed to cooperate on taxation information exchange, improve consultation procedures efficiency, boost taxation capacities and plan paths for coordination of taxation policies and tax collection. The meeting comes ahead of the 2017 BRICS Summit to be held in Fujian province’s Xiamen city from September 3 to 5.


Bollywood actor Inder Kumar passes away

Bollywood actor Inder Kumar passed away recently. He was 44. Inder Kumar suffered a heart attack at his residence in Andheri’s Four Bungalows. He has worked in more than 20 films. He also shared the screen space with Salman Khan in Wanted and Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge among others. He was currently shooting for his next film Phati Paid Hai Yaar. The cremation will be held today evening at Yaari Road Shamshaan Bhoomi.


PNB ties up with Bajaj Allianz General for distribution

Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance have signed an agreement for the distribution of insurance products through the branches. Under this agreement, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance will offer personal lines of insurance products such as health, personal accident, home, motor and travel along with commercial line of insurance products such as property, marine and engineering insurance, etc to the bank’s customers.


Shikha Sharma re-appointed MD & CEO of Axis Bank

Shikha Sharma has been re-appointed as MD&CEO of Axis Bank for three-year term from June 2018. Her current term was to end in June 2018. Axis Bank informed Bombay Stock Exchange that board of directors has approved the re-appointment. Sharma began her career with the erstwhile infra lender ICICI Ltd in 1980 and played a key role in setting up the group’s investment banking business. She joined Axis from ICICI Prudential Life where she was the managing director and chief executive and replaced the first chairman and chief executive of the bank P J Nayak.


Bolivian President declares ‘Total Independence’ from World Bank & IMF

Bolivia’s President Eva Morales has declared that his nation has achieved “total independece” form the IMF and the World Bank. President Morales declared the news on his official twitter account. The socialist leader published his comments following a meeting with his peers at a gathering in Argentina of the Mercosur, a sub-regional economic bloc.


28 July: World Hepatitis Day

World Hepatitis Day (WHD) takes places every year on 28 July and brings the world together under a single theme to raise awareness of the global burden of viral hepatitis and to influence real change. The Theme for World Hepatitis Day 2017 is ‘Eliminate Hepatitis’. Viral hepatitis is one of the leading causes of death globally, accounting for 1.34 million deaths per year – that’s as many as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis or malaria. Together, hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C cause 80% of liver cancer cases in the world.


BSE inks pact with Egyptian Exchange

Leading bourse BSE joined hands with Egyptian Exchange (EGX) for cooperation in exchange of information across business areas. Through this MoU a range of opportunities has been explored for the development of their businesses, products and markets to share knowledge and strengthen international connectivity.


No immediate arrest under dowry harassment law: SC

The Supreme Court ruled that the police cannot arrest the accused without conducting a preliminary inquiry under dowry harassment cases. With this, the court puts an end to immediate arrests in dowry harassment cases, under Section 498A of Indian Penal Code (IPC). The ruling was made by a bench of Justices A K Goeal and UU Lalit.


National Centre for Seismology launches app ‘India Quake’

Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment, Forests & Climate Change has launched an app Inida Quake for Earthquake Parameter Dissemination. The minister launched the application on the occasion of Foundation Day of Ministry of Earth Sciences in New Delhi. The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) operates national seismological network with 84 stations. These stations are connected to NCS headquarter through Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) for real time data communication.


Indonesia to host AFC U-19 championship in 2018

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Competition Committee awarded Indonesia the hosting of the AFC Under-19 championship 2018. The AFC U-19 championship is scheduled to be held from October 18 to November 4 of 2018. The committee felt that Indonesia was regarded as the most favourable among the bidders.


Iran successfully launches rocket designed to carry satellites

Iran successfully launched its most advanced satellite-carrying rocket called ‘Simorgh’ into space. The launch took place at the Imam Khomeini National Space Station in Semnan, some 220 kilometers (138 miles) east of Tehran. The development marks a significant step forward for the Islamic Republic’s young space program. It also raises alarm among the nation’s adversaries who fear that the same technology could be used to produce long-range missiles. the U.S. State Department has termed the launch as “provocative”. The rocket is capable of carrying a satellite weighing 250 kilograms (550 pounds).


Nawaz Sharif resigns as Pakistan PM in Panama Papers case

Nawaz Sharif has resigned as prime minister of Pakistan following a decision by the country’s Supreme Court to disqualify him from office. The ruling came after a probe into his family’s wealth following the 2015 Panama Papers dump linking Mr Sharif’s children to offshore companies. Defence Minister Khwaja Asif and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif are the new contenders for the post of Pakistan Prime Minister. Pakistan’s stock market fell by 3.4 percent after Supreme Court ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.


PV Sindhu appointed Group-I officer by Andhra Pradesh Govt

Olympic silver medallist P V Sindhu has been appointed a Group-I officer in Andhra Pradesh. Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu handed over the government order to the Rio Olympics silver winning shuttler. Chandrababu Naidu had promised a Group-I post to Sindhu when she won the silver medal in Olympics. Accordingly, she was appointed the deputy collector. The 21-year-old shuttler has been working with Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) since 2013 and is currently an assistant manager (sports) at its Hyderabad office. Although Sindhu had missed out on gold in Rio de Janeiro, she scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman athlete ever to win silver at the Olympics.


In a first in USA, scientists edit DNA of human embryos

A group of scientists at the Oregon Health & Science University edited the DNA of viable human embryos efficiently and apparently with few mistakes. However, the experiment was just an exercise in science and the embryos were not allowed to develop for mor than a few days and were never intended to be implaned into a womb.


Trump administration urges NSG members to support India’s application

Donald Trump’s administration has urged other members of the Nuclear Suppiers Group to support India’s membership bid to the elite grouping. The NSG controls international nuclear trade. The US Department of Defence and Department of State said in a report that the United States welcomed India’s application to join the NSG and it continues to re-affirm that India is ready for membership. It also added that the US has called upon other NSG members to support India’s application.