Daily Current Affairs 23rd October, 2017

Daily Current Affairs 23 October 2017 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

India’s first Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra for Skilling in Smart Cities launched

To bring momentum in skilling through collaborative efforts, the Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh along with Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated India’s first Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) for Skilling in Smart Cities, in collaboration with New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) in New Delhi.

Madhya Pradesh tops in digital initiatives: Survey

Madhya Pradesh has emerged as the top state in terms of digital initiatives undertaken, with a maximum score of 100.1 on performance index, followed by Maharashtra at 99.9 and Andhra Pradesh at 99.8, according to a report by Coeus Age Consulting.

Hyderabad to host CFSI’s Intl Children’s Film Fest next month

International Children’s Film Festival, also called ‘The Golden Elephant’, being organised by Children’s Film Society, India (CFSI), will be hosted by the Telangana government in Hyderabad jointly with CFSI and the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting between November 8 and 14.

• The theme for this year’s festival is ‘New India’.

India, Mozambique agree to develop Rovuma gas discovery

India and Mozambique have agreed to expedite development of the giant Rovuma gas discovery, which is planned to be converted into LNG for exports.

• Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is to a visit to Mozambique to attend the LNG Producer–Consumer Conference, met his Mozambique counterpart Leticia Klemens to discuss the development of the gas field.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Southeast Asian defence ministers’ meet begins in Philippines

Nirmala Sitharaman reached the Philippines to attend a Southeast Asian defence ministers’ meeting which is likely to review the regional security architecture including China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea.

• The ADMM (ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting)-Plus meeting on 23 and 24 October is expected to deliberate extensively on the situation in Afghanistan and Syria besides China’s growing military presence in the disputed South China Sea.

Sushma Swaraj opens India’s new chancery complex in Dhaka

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj opened the new chancery complex of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka on 23rd october on the last day of her Bangladesh visit.

2nd World Congress on Marxism to be held in Beijing

The 2nd World Congress on Marxism is scheduled to be held in Peking University in Beijing in May 2018. The congress, to be held from May 5 to May 6, is expected to attract more than 300 Marxism researchers to discuss Marxism in the 21st century and its developments in China.

Myanmar to launch own satellite system in 2019

Myanmar will be launching its own satellite system MyanmarSat-2, which will be used on joint ownership system.  Myanmar is currently using MyanmarSat-1 on lease system.

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI sets up task force to develop public credit registry

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set up a high-level task force to develop a comprehensive public credit registry (PCR) — an extensive database of credit information for India that is accessible to all stakeholders. The 10-member task force is headed by Y. M. Deosthalee, ex-CMD, L&T Finance Holdings.

• The task force will submit its report within six months from the date of its constitution, i.e., by April 04, 2018.

IndusInd Bank launches Cobrand App with MobiKwik

IndusInd Bank in association with MobiKwik, India’s largest issuer-independent digital financial services platform, has launched a co-branded wallet ‘IndusInd Mobikwik’. The wallet allows IndusInd Bank customers to pay at the 2 million strong MobiKwik merchant network using their accounts, with a ‘Direct Debit Feature’.

EEPC India, PNB ink MoU to provide easy finance

The Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) of India and Punjab National Bank (PNB) have signed an MoU to provide access to finance for the small and medium enterprises and merchant exporters of the council.

BUSINESS

RCOM-MTS merger gets Department of Telecommunication’s nod

Reliance Communication (RCOM) has received the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) approval for the merger of the wireless business with Sistema Shyam Teleservices Limited (SSTL).

• Sistema Shyam Teleservices Limited operates under MTS brand in India. With this, RCOM will acquire approximately 2 million customers and additional annual revenues of around Rs 700 crore.

SPORTS

Lewis Hamilton wins US Grand Prix, one race away from title

Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton won the US Grand Prix, leaving him 66 points ahead in the drivers’ championship table. Hamilton needs to finish inside the top-five in Mexico to seal his fourth title.

APPOINTMENTS

Govt. appoints ex-IB director as interlocutor

The Centre has decided to start a sustained dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir and added that former Intelligence Bureau (IB) director Dineshwar Sharma will be the representative from the Government of India.

• Rank of Dineshwar Sharma will be equivalent to that of a Cabinet Secretary. Sharma will initiate the dialogue with the elected representatives of Jammu and Kashmir, political parties, different organisations and public.

Suresh Sethi is India Post Payments Bank’s MD and CEO

India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has appointed Suresh Sethi as its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. He was the former MD of Vodafone M-Pesa Ltd.

• Sethi had been selected by the Banks Board Bureau from amongst the top contenders for the post, from both public and private sector banking and fintech professionals.
• The IPPB has been incorporated as a Public Limited Company under the Department of Posts with 100 per cent Government of India equity.

NS Venkatesh appointed AMFI chief executive

NS Venkatesh has been appointed as chief executive of the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI). The post was lying vacant after CVR Rajendran stepped down from the position in December.

HSBC appoints Jayant Rikhye as CEO India

The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) announced the appointment of Jayant Rikhye as the chief executive officer for India. The appointment would be effective from December 1 subject to regulatory approval.

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