Current Affairs November 23, 2015

Harshavardhan Neotia elected as President of FICCI

Harshavardhan Neotia, Chairman of Ambuja Neotia group, has been elected president of industry body FICCI for 2016. Currently, he is the senior VP of the industry body. Neotia will take over from the current Ficci President Jyotsna Suri during the chamber’s AGM next month.

7th Central Pay Commission submitted its report

Justice AK Mathur was the head of 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) who has submitted its report on 19 November 2015 to the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

SBI tags Mallya, his 2 firms as wilful defaulters

State Bank of India (SBI) has declared industrialist Vijay Mallya a ‘wilful defaulter’ for defaults on nearly Rs 7,000 crore loans to the long-grounded Kingfisher Airlines. Recently the Bombay High Court in August this year allowed Mallya to be represented by his legal counsels, SBI moved the Supreme Court challenging the HC order, saying that HC order violated the RBI rules on grievance redressal committee that allow only the borrower to be present his case in person.

Other banks that have exposure to the airline include Punjab National Bank and IDBI Bank (Rs 800 crore each), Bank of India (Rs 650 crore), Bank of Baroda (Rs 550 crore), Central Bank of India (Rs 410 crore).

Axis Bank enters B’desh, opens rep office in Dhaka

Extending its overseas footprint, Axis Bank has opened a representative office in Dhaka, capital city of Bangladesh. The bank aims to influence the growing economic incorporation between the two countries by actively facilitating trade transactions, both inbound as well as out-bound. The bank will also contribute towards employment generation, both directly and indirectly in the country. Dhaka operations, primarily focused to promote the trade finance business, will further strengthen the bank’s presence in Asia. Total overseas assets of the Axis Bank stood at USD 7.51 billion, as on September 30, 2015.

First Meeting of the Indo-European Water Forum to be held in Delhi

The first meeting of the Indo-European Water Forum is being co-organized by National Water Mission, Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and the Environment Directorate-General of the European Commission on November 23-24, 2015 at New Delhi to discuss key issues in water resources management in India as well as the experiences of implementation of European Water Policy. The Forum will provide platform for policy-makers and stakeholders to discuss key issues surrounding water resources management in India, as well as transferring lessons from experience and implementation of European Water Policy.

India to host the First South Asian Annual Disaster Management Exercise

The first South Asian Annual Disaster Management Exercise (SAADMEx-2015) to provide a platform for strengthening regional disaster response mechanism amongst the Saarc countries will commence in the national capital region. The common exercise with the participation of delegations and rescuers from each of the eight Saarc Nations - India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be conducted by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

The key focus of SAADMEx-2015 is to test coordination efforts, create synergy and synchronize efforts to institutionalize regional cooperation on disaster response among the member countries. 

Suresh Prabhu inaugurates Silchar-Lumding broad gauge rail line in Assam

Union Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu inaugurated the landmark Silchar-Lumding broad gauge rail line in Assam. Prabhu flagged off a passenger train from New Delhi via video-conference. The rail line brings Assam’s underdeveloped but strategically important Barak Valley on the broad gauge map. The rail line would accelerate development, as it is the lifeline of Barak Valley and Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram. The line passes through 21 tunnels and has 75 major bridges and 340 minor bridges along the track.

Tripura to supply power to Bangladesh from Bijoy Dibosh

Tripura will start supplying power to Bangladesh from December 16, the day when that country observes Bijoy Dibosh or Victory Day when Bangladesh was created out of East Pakistan after the end of the India-Pakistan War of 1971. Governments of India and Bangladesh decided to import 100 MW electric power from Tripura's Surjamuni substation to Comilla south in Bangladesh. Accordingly project was taken one year back. Now the field level work is almost complete and line is to be switched on from 16 December 2015.

ASEAN leaders agree to AEC

In a historic development, ASEAN leaders have declared the establishment of an European Union style regional economic bloc, the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). The declaration, signed by all ten members during the ongoing ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur will create a community of a single market with a free flow of goods, capital and skilled labour in the ASEAN region. It will integrate Southeast Asia’s diverse economies, a region with 620 million people and a combined gross domestic product of USD 2.4 trillion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one among the East Asia Summit leaders who witnessed the historic moment.

Pankaj Advani won IBSF World Snooker Championship

India’s most successful cueist Pankaj Advani added another feather in his cap by winning the IBSF World Snooker Championship after battling past his Chinese opponent Zhua Xintong in the final to take his world title count to 15. Advani, 30, once again mesmerised the green baize to prevail over the teenage sensation 8-6 in the best-of-15 final at Sunrise Crystal Bay resort.

World Tour Championship: Rory McIlroy wins to wrap up Race to Dubai

Rory McIlroy won the World Tour Championship in Dubai to finish the season as Europe’s number one golfer. The Northern Irish former world number one shot a six-under-par final round of 66 to finish on 21 under, one clear of England’s Andy Sullivan. The 26-year-old McIlroy retains his Race to Dubai title, the third time he has won it in four years. England’s Danny Willet finished tied for fourth in Dubai, and second to McIlroy in the season-long standings.

India thrashes Pakistan 6-2 to win Junior Men’s Asia Cup hockey

India’s junior men’s hockey team beat arch-rivals Pakistan in the Asia Cup Hockey 2015 final to lift its 8th edition. The team was in supreme touch in the tournament and sustained their run in the final where they outplayed the neighbours 6-2. Harmanpreet Singh was the top scorer with four goals, Armaan Qureshi and Manpreet chipped in with a goal each. For Pakistan, there were only two goals – either side of the half – from Muhammad Yaqoob and Muhammad Dilber respectively.

Carolina Marin won Hong Kong Open Super Series

Carolina Marin of Spain beat Japan's Nozomi Okuhara 21-17, 18-21, 22-20 to win the Hong Kong Open Super Series. In doing so the Spaniard, a two-time world champion, took her sixth title of the year.

WADA Suspended Russia’s Anti-Doping Agency

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on 18 November 2015 suspended the Russia’s Anti-Doping Agency as non-compliant with international sport’s anti-doping code.