14th April 2017, Important Daily Current Affairs

Important Current affairs dated 14th April 2017 for Competitive Exams in India.
Hello Readers, We bring you another issue of current affairs that covers the important news in Current Affairs Today Section.
Current Affairs help in your preparing yourself for the various Competitive Exams in India. UPSCSuccess.com wishes all the readers best of luck. These Current Affairs coverage will help you to Score Good Marks in Competitive Exams such as UPSC, and other PSCs.

Indian Affairs

Jharkhand police initiates Tara Zameen Par programme for underprivilieged children

• Jharkhand Police has initiated Tare Zameen Par programme to enlighten children in Naxal-affected areas in the Palamau district of Jharkhand.

• This programme is aimed to restore confidence in the state police force and to encourage children to lead happy lives.

• As a part of the programme, the state police appealed the locals to donate bags, shoes, books and clothes to improve the basic amenities of the children in the Naxal-affected areas.

After UP’s Anti Romeo Squad Harayana launches Operation Durga

• Haryana announced the launch of Durga Vahini – police squads it aims to stop harassment of women on public spaces.

• Over the last 24 hours, the units have caught 72 men and handed them over to the local police stations.

•  Strong actions will be taken against “eve-teasers“.

• The state government had already established women police stations in all the districts to ensure women’s safety.

• The teams comprise woman personnel, including nine Sub-inspectors of Police, 14 Assistant Sub-inspectors, six Head Constables and 13 constables, besides other police officers from each district.

• The campaign Operation Durga was launched after identifying places where such anti-social elements were indulging in eve teasing, vulgar comments, stalking and other similar activities.

33 years of Operation Meghdoot a saga of unmatched bravery

• ‘Operation Meghdoot’, the code-name for an Indian Armed Forces operation, was launched 33 years back this very day.

• After 33 years of Operation Meghdoot, the Indian Army’s longest deployment on strategically located Siachen Glacier celebrating a saga for bravery, heroism, courage and sacrifice on the world’s highest and coldest battle field.

•  Two disputed boundaries with Pakistan and China. It lies in the Karakoram Range in the North West India.

•  Siachen Glacier is 76.4 km long and covers about 10,000 sq km uninhabited terrain.

•  In 1974, Pakistan started permitting mountaineering journey into Siachen Glacier. Then, in 1983 it was clear that India needed to maintain a close watch on Siachen.

• On this day, a Platoon of four Kumaon led by then Captain Sanjay Kulkarni planted the first Indian Flag on Siachen Glacier at Bilafond La which began Operation Meghdoot.

Cab safety measures for women included in New Taxi Policy guidelines

• The safety measures, recommended by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, concerning safety of women commuters availing of cab services have been included in the new Taxi Policy Guidelines. These measures have been recommended by the WCD Minister , Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Shipping (MoRTH).
• The recommendations come in the background of numerous cases of sexual harassment of women in cabs being reported to Smt. Maneka Gandhi on social media after women took to Twitter and Facebook to flag their ordeal.
• Following this, the WCD Minister held a meeting with radio cab service providers to find a solution to the grave problem. Based on this, the WCD Minister wrote to Sh. Nitin Gadkari , Minister of Road Transport and Highways and Shipping to incorporate the necessary safety measures in the regulatory guidelines being prepared by MoRTH.Recommendations of WCD Ministry included in the New Taxi Policy Guidelines:
• The taxis should be mandatorily fitted with GPS panic devices.
• For the safety of women and child passengers, the central locking system in the taxis should not be allowed.
• The driver’s identification along with the photo and registration number of the vehicle should also be prominently displayed in the taxi.
• Violation of the stipulated rules by the taxi operators/drivers should be strictly dealt in accordance with law.
• Sharing of seat should be subject to willingness of passengers.
• The recommendations made by the WCD Minister have now been approved for inclusion in the regulatory guidelines. Smt. Gandhi has thanked Sh. Nitin Gadkari for accepting the recommendations to help implement measures for increased safety of women in taxis/cabs.
• Women commuters have been expressing their concern via social media to Smt Maneka Gandhi regarding safety in taxis.

• The WCD Minister has launched a hashtag, #HelpMeWCD, where any woman or child facing harassment/ violence can directly report their cases by tweeting.

International Affairs

US drops largest Non-Nuclear bomb in Afghanistan area populated ISIS members

• US drops largest nuclear bomb in Afghanistan area populated ISIS members. The US has dropped the “mother of all bombs”– the largest non-nuclear weapon.
• The largest non-nuclear weapon used in combat by the US military – on an area of eastern Afghanistan known to be populated by Isis-affiliated militants.
• The strike was used for the first time and the 21,000 lb weapon had been used in combat operations.
• MC-130 aircraft dropped a GBU-43 bomb. The weapon is known in the US Air Force by its nickname MOAB, or “mother of all bombs”.

MOAB stands for massive ordnance air blast.

• The ‘mother of all bombs’ was developed and tested before the 2003 Iraq war.
•  The strike, in Nangarhar province near the Pakistan border also killed 36 ISIS fighters.
•  The GPS-guided bomb is capable of destroying an area equivalent to nine city blocks.
•  The blast destroyed three underground tunnels as well as weapons and ammunition but no civilians were hurt.

Saudi Arabia raises $9 billion in first global Islamic bond issue

• Saudi Arabia raised $9 billion in its first global Islamic bond issue. The sale of Islamic bonds known as Sukuks.

• The global debt market for the first time raised $17.5 billion in a bond issue.It is the biggest ever bond sale from an emerging-market nation,

• The government sold a $4.5 billion five-year Sukuk tranche at 100 basis points over the mid-swap rate and an equally-sized 10-year tranche at a spread of 140 basis points.

• Investors submitted more than $33 billion in bids.

• Saudi Arabia is tapping international and domestic markets to help finance a budget deficit that may reach $53 billion this year.

•  Saudi Arabia has been hit by a drop in oil prices that’s why it is raising debt, cut spending and preparing the world’s largest initial public offering of state-owned oil company Saudi Arabian Oil Co.

Alia Bhatt features on Forbes 30 under 30 Asia List

• Actress Alia Bhatt has featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list. She is the only Bollywood actress who has made it to this year.

• The actress has got a place in Forbes Under 30 Asia list. Alia got her name in the elite list after doing some of the highest earning films and gave best performances in recent times.

• Indian actress Alia Bhatt has acted in over 20 high-earning Bollywood movies.At least six of the films she has acted in earned very well that is over $15 million

Banking and Finance

World Bank approves $375-mn loan for India’s first waterway project

The World Bank has approved a $375 million loan to India’s first waterway project. The National Waterway 1 project is to create a water transport fairway on a 1,360-km stretch of the Ganga river between Varanasi and Haldia.

“NW1 passes through one of India’s most densely populated areas, and a sizeable 40 per cent of the country’s traded goods either originate from this resource-rich region or are destined for its teeming markets.

While the region generates about 370 million tonnes of freight annually, only about 5 million tonnes currently travels by water,” says World Bank in a press release.

The project will help build the infrastructure needed to develop water transportation in the area. It will finance the construction of six multi-modal terminals, 10 RORO jetties, ship-repair facilities as well as passenger jetties along the river. It will also help modernise the ageing Farakka lock and add a new lock to allow for smoother passage of boats.

The project will also help the Inland Waterways Authority of India acquire a state-of-the-art River Information System as well as navigation aids to make travel on the river safer and more reliable.

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana tops target for 2016-17 loans cross target of Rs 1.8 lakh Crore

• Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) was announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley while presenting the Union Budget for financial year 2016.

• It is an institution that would support the small entrepreneurs of India in the biggest possible way to help the Indian economy grow and prosper as per the PM’s speech wile launching the scheme on April 8, 2015.

• PM said that there is an urgent need to focus on some 5.75 crore self-employed people who use funds of around Rs 11 lakh crore, and have an average debt of merely Rs 17,000 but they end up employing 12 crore people.

Acquisitions & Mergers

Anil Agarwal buys 11.4% of minor Anglo American becomes 2nd largest holder

• Anil Agarwal buys 11.4% of minor Anglo American and becomes the 2nd largest holder in Anglo American.

• Indian billionaire Anil Agarwal has become the second largest shareholder in Anglo American after acquiring the shares of 11.44 per cent of the British mining group.

• The Volcan Holdings investment company that is owned by the Agarwal now owns 11.44 per cent of the group’s capital and voting rights.

• Volcan also owns mining competitor Vedanta Resources, which specialises in zinc.

• Anglo American plc is a great company which have excellent assets and a strong board and management team and executing a focused strategy to drive shareholder value.

Business

CPC in Benglaru gets new pin code for taxpayers benefit

• The CPC is the central database centre of the department which receives all Income Tax Returns (ITRs), both e-filed and sent through post, and processes them for the issuance of refunds and also deals with other tax related documents of a taxpayer.

• The new pin code is-560500-while the CPC earlier old pin code was–560100.

• The Department of Post has allotted the pin code to the Central Processing Centre (CPC)

• To ensure that letters and mails sent by taxpayers and assesses are not lost and reach the centre without delay.

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