Current Affairs December 5, 2015



Rs 42,000 crore disbursed under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana
The government is taking steps to provide the required credit to the MSME sector even as Rs 42,000 crore have been disbursed under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana alone, Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha told Lok Sabha. Around 66 lakh people have benefitted so far from the Yojana under which loans up to Rs 10 lakh are given for enterprises and trades. Rs 42,000 crore has been given so far under the Mudra Yojana, which was launched in April this year.

RCOM to sell tower, optic fiber biz to PE firms for Rs 30,000 crore
Reliance Communication will sell its tower and optic fiber assets in India to private equity firms TPG and Tillman Global in a deal estimated at about Rs 30,000 crore. RCOM intends to utilise the proceeds of the proposed transaction to reduce its debt, which is estimated at about Rs 40,000 crore.

China’s President Xi Jinping pledges $60 billion for development in Africa
China’s President Xi Jinping told African presidents that his country would provide $60 billion over three years to fund development on the continent.  Xi, who is co-chairing the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation where several African heads of state were attending, outlined a broad ten-point development plan driven by the Asian economic giant, saying he wanted to build a relationship of equals.

Flipkart to grab 34% stake in MapMyIndia for Rs1600 crore
Flipkart will grab 34% stake in digital mapping firm MapmyIndia. This deal values the Delhi based mapping company at around $260 million or Rs 1,600 crore. The deal is expected to give it a competitive edge in terms of supply chain and logistics.

Uttar Pradesh Government launches first International festival on Birds
Uttar Pradesh Government has launched International festival on Birds in a bid to promote state as an international bird-watching destination. The first-of-its-kind festival was inaugurated by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at the National Chambal Sanctuary (NCS). It has been jointly organised by the State Forest department in collaboration with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).

44th Navy Day observed on 4 December
44th Navy Day was observed on 4 December 2015. 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.

International Volunteer Day observed globally

The International Volunteer Day (IVD) was on 5 December 2015 observed across the world with the theme The world is changing. Are you? Volunteer! The International Volunteer Day (IVD) was established by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly through its Resolution 40/212 on 17 December 1985. 

                  Current Affairs December 3-4, 2015