Current Affairs 7th August 2015

Current Affairs 7th August 2015

Updated : 07-Aug-2015

Current Affairs 7th August 2015 - Important Points
Current Affairs 7th August 2015 - Details
Urdu Academy reconstituted by - Delhi Government
On 6th August 2015, Urdu Academy which will comprise of eminent poets,academicians and performers was reconstituted by Delhi Government and a treble increase in artistes' pay was announced.

Dr. Majid Deobandi was appointed as the Vice-Chairperson of the Academy. He is a remarkable and famous personality in the Urdu Circle.
Artistes will be paid 15000 rupees from the previous amount of 5000 rupees for their recitals and poetry by the Urdu Academy.
Who is appointed as Vice President-engineering of Snapdeal - Amitava Ghosh
Among the important appointments, On 6th August 2015, Amitava Ghosh was appointed as Vice President-engineering of Snapdeal, a Domestic e-commerce portal. Ghosh will lead the company’s future development of instinctive technology solutions and will head company’s technology innovation centre in Bengaluru as a Vice President-engineering.
Earlier to this appointment, he was serving as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at TaxiForSure. Previously, Indian engineering team of Tribune Digital Ventures was headed by him.
He has an experience of over 17 years in developing web-based products and platforms. He was responsible for building user experiences and platforms for media verticals, listings, communities and social products in Yahoo Inc for over a decade.
Which two countries has inked agreement to set up CESDT in Myanmar - India and Myanmar
Among the important International Current Affairs, On 6th August 2015, an agreement to iinitiate Centre of Excellence in Software Development and Training (CESDT) in Myanmar was signed by India and Myanmar.

A state of the art Information and Communication Technology Centre, proclaiming intensive teachers training, extending support for ICT curriculum development is anticipated by the project. It will be recognized as an authorized Centre of C-DAC.
Minister of State for External Affairs of India Gen (Retd) VK Singh signed the agreement during his visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to address the ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers' Meet.
Under the chairmanship of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, Anifah Aman, the 48th ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Foreign Ministers meet was held in Kuala Lumpur. "Our People, Our Community, Our Vision" was the theme for the meet.
Inter-State Coordination Council will be set up by Southern states to - resolve forest-related issues
On 6th August 2015, a Southern Forest Ministers’ Inter-state Coordination Council was decided to be initiated by Forest Ministers of southern states of India. The President of the council ffor the first year will be Kerala's Forest Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan.
The Council will be build in an attempt to handle forest-related problems in the region and to improve concerted efforts for ensuring livelihood security, ecological and socio-economic condition of the region.
The Southern Forest Ministers' Conference held in Thiruvananthapuram attended by the forest ministers of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Pudducherry, took the decision to form the council.
Name the plan launched by SBI Life Insurance - Smart Humsafar Plan
Among the important National Current Affairs, On 6th August 2015, Smart Humsafar, a unique plan which offers multiple benefits of savings and insurance cover for husband and wife under a single policy was launched by Private insurer SBI Life Insurance.
According to this policy, idan case of death of one of the spouses, a payment of sum assured is made to the surviving spouse, in addition to waiver of future premiums. And, in the case of death of surviving spouse during the term of the policy, the nominee of the policy gets the sum assured along with all the spring bonuses.

About Smart Humsafar Plan :
- It is a Joint life insurance cum savings plan where you are allowed to take insurance cover for yourself and your spouse under a single policy.
- A minimum bonus for first 3 years @ 2.50% is assured (Conditions apply#) on the Basic Sum insured.
- A financial protection will be provided in case of death of any or both the lives insured.
- The policy will pay a maturity amount on survival of one or both the lives insured at the end of the policy period.
- A benefit of premium waiver is also included in case of death of any one of the lives insured for in force policies.
Who is appointed as the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives - Indian-American Atul Keshap
Among the important appointments, On 6th August 2015, Indian-American Atul Keshap was appointed as the United States (US) Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives. Prior to this, Keshap had been an official at the US Embassy in India.
Presently he is serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in South and Central Asian Affairs Bureau of State Department. From 2005 to 2008, he was the deputy political counsellor at the US Embassy in New Delhi.
He has also served as special assistant for the South Asia, North Africa and Middle East for the under secretary of state for political affairs.
From 2008 to 2010, he also served as the director for UN Human Rights in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs.
On which day the 70th Hiroshima Day observed - On 6th August
Among the important International Current Affairs, On 6th August 2015, 70th Hiroshima Day was observed. Addition of names of survivors on the cenotaph of the Peace Memorial Park of the explosion called the hibakusha, who died in previous 12 months made this day remarkable. The count of deaths listed on the cenotaph reached 292325 with this addition.
The day is observed to honour 6th August 1945, the day when an American Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, named the Enola Gay, dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, a Japanese city.
More than 2/3 of Hiroshima’s buildings were destroyed across five sq miles. On 9 August 1945, the explosion was followed by another drop on the city of Nagasaki.
Do You Know :
- The name of the plane Enola Gay that dropped the bomb was after the mother of the plane’s pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets.
- It was the first atom bomb to be dropped any where across the world. The bomb that was dropped during the final stages of World War II was nicknamed as Little Boy and had a weight of 16 kiloton.
First National Handloom Day is observed on - 7th August 2015
Among the important National Current Affairs, On 7th August 2015, first National Handloom Day at the Centenary Hall of Madras University in Chennai, Tamil Nadu was inaugrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Modi also puts the spotlights on innovative initiatives for making handloom as fashionable choice among consumers and pursued greater use of handloom in daily lives of people.
National Awards and Sant Kabir Awards for the years 2012, 2013 and 2014 were also presented to prominent handloom personalities by him.
Tamrapatra, One mounted gold coin, one shawl and a citation and a financial assistance of up to 6 lakh rupees was included in every Sant Kabir award.
FIFA World Rankings released for - August Edition
Among the important International Current Affairs, On 6th August 2015, FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings was released for the August edition. Being at the first position Argentina is followed by Belgium at second rank (moved up 1) and Germany at third rank (moved down 1).
The important thing to notice in the August edition of the FIFA rankings is that for the first time Chile entered top ten being at the tenth rank whereas the Netherlands moved out of top ten being at the 12th position.
India is at 156th position with 161 points in FIFA World rankings.
Who has revealed the expansion of New Suez Canal - Egypt
Among the important International Current Affairs, On 6th August 2015, a major expansion of the new Suez Canal was revealed by Egypt. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated it in a ceremony.
The traffic that passes through the canal will be uplifted by this new waterway. With an estimated cost of 8 billion US dollars, the project got completed in one year span.
About Suez Canal expansion
- In August 2014, the project was initiated for the expansion of the Ballah Bypass.
- Increasing the canal traffic and revenue, it allows ships especially larger vessels to transit the canal in both directions at the same time.
Do You Know :
After ten years of construction, Suez Canal was opened in 1869. It is an artificial waterway in Egypt that connects Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea. The canal enables the ships and traders to steer between Europe without passing through Africa.
It is an efficient source of revenue for the Egypt as it earns about 5 billion US dollar per year through canal.
Lok Sabha passed Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill, 2015
Among the important National Current Affairs, On 6th August 2015, the Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill, 2015 was passed by the Lok Sabha. The Bill yields for filing of cheque bounce cases at the place where a cheque is presented for clearance irrespective of the place of issue of check.
The Bill push towards the amendement of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881. It will have insinuation for over 18 lakh cheque bounce cases pending in courts.
The Act creates penalties for issues such as bouncing of cheques and defines promissory notes, bills of exchange, cheques. The Bill modifies the Act to state that cases of bouncing of cheques can be filed only in a court in whose jurisdiction the bank branch of the payee comes under.
RBI relaxed Branch Authorisation Policy to allow banks to merge or close branches in urban areas
On 6th August 2015, Section 23 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 -Relaxations in Branch Authorisation Policy was notified by Reserve Bank of India (RBI. This will give the authority to banks at their own discretion to shift, merge or close branches, in urban areas.
The central bank said that "customers of the branch should be informed well in time before actual shifting, merger or closure of the office".
Guidelines to be followed for Merger/Closure/ Shifting of branches :
- Approval of the DCC/DLRC will be required for shifting, merger, or closure of a sole semi urban branch or any rural branch.
- The banking requirements of the centre should be met through either Business CorrespondentsFurther or satellite offices/mobile vans, while shifting/merging/closing sole rural or semi urban branches.
- Customers should be informed well in time before actual shifting/merger/closure of the branch so as to avoid inconvenience.