18 September 2015 Important current affairs / Gk / GA: Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) launched by Union Govt.
- The scheme aims to provide for the welfare of people and areas affected by mining related operations by using the funds collected by District Mineral Foundations (DMFs).
- The aim is to reduce the adverse impacts due to mining operation on the health and environment.
- It is to to ensure long-term sustainable livelihoods to people in areas affected by mining.
Mahesh Rangarajan resigned from the post of Director of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML).
- He was appointed as the Director of NMML in June 2014 by the then UPA government headed by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
8th edition of Global Innovation Index (GII) 2015 released.
- It was published on 17 September 2015 jointly by Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
- The index is based on the theme of Effective Innovation Policies for Development.
- It shows the new ways through which emerging-economy policymakers can boost innovation and spur growth by building on local strengths and ensuring the development of a sound national innovation environment.
- The index is topped by Switzerland for being the most innovative nation.
- India slipped to 81st rank in the list as compared to 76th in 2014.
Perumanna Grama Panchayat becomes first Panchayat in Kerala to frame its own water policy.
- The water policy has been framed in the lines of the State government’s water policy declared in 2008.
- The policy was drafted with the help of the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM) Kunnamangalam.
- The policy notifies a 13-point action plan to ensure proper utilisation and conservation of water in the 18 wards of Panchayat.
- The policy seeks to make panchayat garbage free by 2020, thus eliminating water pollution completely.
- Under the policy, Water conservation committees will be formed at ward level as well as panchayat level.
EPFO increases insurance cover to 6 lakh rupees from 3.6 lakh rupees.
- It has been decied by CBDT that the subscriber will not be required to serve continuous employment of one year in a company before being eligible for insurance benefit.
- About 40 million contributing members of the EPFO will be benefitted from the decision taken at the 208th CBT meeting in Hyderabad.
- The life cover, called Employees Deposit Linked Insurance (EDLI), is paid to the family of the EPF subscriber in case of his/her demise.
Ageela Asifi from Afghan named for UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award 2015.
- She has been selected for her tireless and brave dedication to educate Afghan refugee girls in the Kot Chandana refugee village in Mianwali, Pakistan by overcoming the struggles of life in exile.
- Asifi is a former teacher who fled from Kabul, Afghanistan with her family in 1992 for finding safety in the remote refugee settlement of Kot Chandana in Pakistan.
- The award recognizes extraordinary humanitarian work and service of an individual, group or organization towards refugees, internally displaced or stateless people.
Madhya Pradesh Govt launched mobile app named M-Shiksha Mitra for teachers.
- The app will provide various services and teaching-related work to teacher in a simple and easy way.
- With this, Madhya Pradesh became the first state to develop such mobile app for teachers.
- The app developed by NIC that carries several facilities can be downloaded from Google Play Store in android mobile phone.
- Users can logon to app by using user name and password issued for Education Portal.
- All principals, head masters, school in-charge persons and teachers have been directed to register their mobile number on education portal.
Attempt : August 2015 Current Affairs Quiz – 4
Krishnan Balakrishnan appointed as new chief financial officer (CFO) of GoAir.
- Wadia Group-promoted no-frills airline GoAir has appointed Krishnan Balakrishnan as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
- He has replaced Siddhartha Datta who quit the airline some time back to pursue other “interests.
- Prior to moving to GoAir, Balkrishnan was holding the position of Vice President for fleet management at Naresh Goyal-owned full service carrier Jet Airways.
Arun Jaitely, Union Finance minister launched NXT DIGITAL-Headend In The Sky platform.
- The platform will provide viewers access to over 500 television channels of their choice be it international, national, regional and local; besides a host of other services like e-applications and TV everywhere.
- Customers in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Punjab and Karnataka will now have greater access to channels of their choice with other states soon joining in.
Indian Shooter Mairaj Ahmad Khan clinched spot for Rio Olympic for india at ongoing ISSF shotgun world championship.
- This is India’s first quota place for the 2016 Olympics in the shotgun disciplines.
- The 40-year-old Noida based Mairaj hails from Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh.
- He had previously won gold in the men’s Team Skeet event at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
