Current Affairs 29th July 2016

National News:

• Nalanda University, one of the India’s oldest institutes, will conduct its first convocation in nearly 800 years on August 27 this year
• The Cabinet approved the signing of the Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) with Cambodia, the first agreement to be inked on the basis of the model BIT text approved in December 2015
• Union Cabinet approves key changes to GST Bill, drops 1% additional tax
• Stalled 241 infra projects cause cost overrun of Rs 1.6 lakh crore
• The Ministry of Tourism, in last 18 months, has sanctioned projects worth Rs. 2333 Crore under SwadeshDarshan and PRASAD, the flagship schemes of the Ministry of Tourism
• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister ShriNarendraModi has approved the establishment of a new AIIMS at Bhatinda in Punjab under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY)
• LokSabha passes Bill to check benami transactions
• The LokSabha approved an amendment to the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013
• The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has set to launch the facility of travel insurance for passengers who book tickets on its website
• India signed a deal worth about $1 billion with US-based aerospace company Boeing for four P-8I submarine hunter planes, reports said

International News:

• Tim Kaine Accepts Vice-Presidential Nomination at Democratic National Convention
• Indian and US officials will meet here today for the 14th US-India counter-terrorism Joint Working Group, an official statement said

New Appointments :

• The Hero Group today said that Sunil Kant Munjal, joint managing director of Hero MotoCorp and Chairman Hero Corporate Services will step down from the Board of Directors of the two-wheeler maker to focus on his independent core business and to pursue new business interests
• European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker appointed Michel Barnier, a former EU Commissioner for internal markets, to lead negotiations with Britain to leave the European Union

Banking :

• Andhra Pradesh government has requested the Centre to release Rs 7,269.46 crore central sales tax compensation to the state pending since 2012-13
• GDP growth to rise to 7.9% in FY 17 due to good monsoon: CRISIL
• Canara Bank has got shareholders’ approval to raise its capital by up to Rs 2,000 crores

Business & Economy:

• Multilateral funding agency Asian Development Bank today stated that it has raised around ₹500 crore by issuing five-year offshore Indian rupee-linked bonds
• RBI slaps Rs 27-crore penalty on 13 banks for FEMA violations

Awards & Honours :

• West Bengal has been selected for the All India Coordinated Rice Improvement Project Award 2015. This is the first time the state will be receiving this award

Science & Technology:

• Gujarat govt selects Infibeam for e-com training programme

Sports:

• IOC Olympic channel to launch at Rio 2016 Games end

Obituary :

• The Jnanpith, Padma Vibhushan and Magsaysay awardee died on Thursday at a Kolkata hospital following prolonged illness
• Noted agricultural scientist Neelamraju Ganga PrasadaRao, passed away in Hyderabad on Wednesday