Current Affairs 27th July 2016

National News:

• The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) is organizing a day-long conference on Startup India in New Delhi
• Tamil Nadu has maximum number of urban internet subscribers in India accounting for over nine per cent of country’s total 231 million urban subscribers, with Maharashtra and Delhi having over 19 million users each
• The Union Government is planning to redraw Red Corridor by reducing the number of Maoist (LWE: Left wing extremism) affected districts by about a fifth
• An orientation workshop under the BetiBachaoBetiPadhao scheme of the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development was held in New Delhi today
• Nine months after announcing its start-up policy, the Karnataka government has set up a dedicated Start-up Cell to fuel the implementation of the initiatives under the policy
• Haryana Government has notified the “Freight Assistance Scheme” for the exporting Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) located anywhere in the State on 25 July 2016
• UIDAI LokSabha passes IIT (Amendment) Bill

International News:

• Iraq has overtaken Saudi Arabia to become India’s top crude oil supplier while Iran has grabbed the fourth biggest exporter slot post lifting of sanctions
• The BRICS policy planning dialogue meet is going to be held today in Patna

New Appointments :

• The Central government on Monday appointed Dr Buddha Rashmi Mani as the Director General of the National Museum
• Dr. Sanjiv Misra appointed as Additional Director and Non-Executive (part time) Chairman at Axis Bank

Banking :

• Reserve Bank has imposed a penalty of Rs 2 crore on HDFC Bank for lapses in adhering to Know Your Customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) norms
• Federal Bank has signed an agreement with Reliance Jio Money for one-click payment service
• Global payments leader SWIFT said ICICI Bank and Axis have become the first domestic lenders to sign up for its global payments innovation initiative, which already has over 70 other leading banks globally

Business & Economy:

• State Bank of India and Indian Oil Corporation has tied up to implement the bank’s financial inclusion programme for farmers through the oil company’s Kisan Seva Kendras
• Travel services provider Thomas Cook (India) has entered into a partnership with Matrimony Bazaar to tap the ‘romantic leisure travel’ segment which is seeing an “exponential” growth
• Tata AIG General Insurance has launched an integrated travel product, for all Axis Bank customers through the bank’s one stop solution called ‘Happy Holidays Package’
• Hinduja National Power Corporation Limited (HNPCL) has commissioned its 1,040 MW coal fired thermal power project located near Visakhapatnam
• Vodafone M-Pesa, a mobile money transfer platform, has tied up with Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to enable consumers pay their electricity bills instantly

Awards & Honours :

• Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar’s statue to be installed in Haridwar

Science & Technology :

• Scientists working toward storing digital information in DNA
• Solar plane makes history after completing round-the-world trip

Sports:

• R Ashwin becomes No. 1 Test bowler again after taking 7 wickets