SIPVS Knowledge is Power
- WHO launches ‘REPLACE’ to eliminate trans fat in foods by 2023
The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched ‘REPLACE’, a comprehensive plan to eliminate industrially-produced artificial trans fats from the global food supply by 2023.
- The global health body estimates that every year, trans fat intake leads to over 5,00,000 deaths worldwide from cardiovascular diseases.
- President of India Inaugurates 4th Global Exhibition on Services in Maharashtra
The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the 4th Global Exhibition on Services and launched a portal on 12 Champion Sectors in Services in Mumbai on May 15, 2018.
- Speaking on the occasion, the President welcomed around 500 international delegates who are participating in this Global Exhibition from about 100 countries.
- He commended the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Government of India, as well as the Government of Maharashtra, the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Services Export Promotion Council, for this initiative.
- J P Nadda inaugurates two-day risk communication workshop
Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare inaugurated a two-day workshop on ‘Risk Communication during Public Health Emergencies’ at Shimla.
- During his inaugural address, Shri Nadda urged the public health functionaries for keeping their communication simple and effective during the delivery of healthcare services.
- NTPC signs MoU with Government of Bihar
With an aim to improve the performance of Power Sector in Bihar, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Government of Bihar (GoB) and NTPC Limited at Patna in the presence of the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Shri R. K. Singh and Chief Minister of Bihar, Shri Nitish Kumar.
- The MoU envisages transfer of Barauni Thermal Power Station (720 MW) to NTPC.
- In addition to this, Bihar State Power Generation Company’s (BSPGCL) equities in Kanti Bijlee Utpadan Nigam Limited (KBUN) & Nabinagar Power Generating Company (Pvt.) Limited (NPGC) will also be transferred to NTPC.
- All the three power generation facilities are envisaged to be transferred to NTPC from the effective date to be notified by Government of Bihar through a Statutory Transfer Scheme.
- The transfer of these power stations to NTPC will result in their optimal & efficient utilization, bring the tariff down and benefit the people of Bihar at large.
- NALCO inks MoU with Government of India for FY 2018-19
Aluminium major &Navratna CPSE National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) has signed MoU with the Ministry of Mines, Govt. of India, setting highest ever target of Rs 9350 crore revenue from operations for FY 2018-19 which is 15% higher than last year.
- The MoU has also set a target of 2.1 million tons for production of Alumina with 100% capacity utilisation & an optimum Aluminium production target of 4.15 lakh tonnes.
- It sets a target of reduction in net carbon consumption as part of improvement in production efficiency, apart from giving thrust to commercialisation of new R&D products.
- PNB posts biggest ever quarterly loss of 13,417 cr in Q4
Scam-hit Punjab National Bank (PNB) has posted largest ever quarterly loss of Rs 13,416.91 crore for January-March period, mainly on account of high provisioning for bad loans.
- The bank had reported a staggering standalone profit of Rs 261.90 crore in the fourth quarter of 2016-17.
- The total income for the fourth quarter also declined to Rs 12,945.68 crore from ₹ 14,989.33 crore in the year-ago period.
- Mukul Rohatgi appointed eminent jurist in Lokpal panel
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi has been appointed as an eminent jurist in the selection committee for appointment of anti-graft ombudsman Lokpal, the Centre told the Supreme Court.
- Selection committee is chaired by the Prime Minister.
- Rohatgi was appointed the Attorney General of India after the Narendra Modi government assumed power in May 2014. He resigned from the post in June 2017.
- The post of eminent jurist in the Lokpal selection panel was lying vacant since the death of senior advocate P P Rao on September 11, 2017.
- Shashank Manohar elected unopposed to serve 2nd term as ICC chairman
Former BCCI president Shashank Manohar will serve a second term as the independent chairman of the International Cricket Council after he was elected unopposed by the governing body’s Board.
- Manohar, who became the first independent ICC Chairman in 2016, will continue for a second two-year term following his unopposed election.
- Sulabh International founder awarded Nikkei Asia Prize
The founder of Sulabh International, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, has been honoured with the Nikkei Asia Prize in Japan for his contribution to Asia’s development.
- Pathak is among the three who have been conferred with the award.
- He has been described as “an Indian social reformer tackling two of his country’s biggest challenges — poor hygiene and discrimination”.
- Eminent physicist Sudarshan passes away
Ennackal Chandy George Sudarshan, popularly known as E.C.G. Sudarshan, who made path-breaking discoveries in the realm of quantum optics died aged 86 in Texas.
- Professor Sudarshan was a faculty at the University of Texas for the past 40 years.
- A globally-recognised theoretical physicist, Professor Sudarshan had often pointed out that Physics meant everything to him.
- He was recommended for the Nobel Prize for Physics nine times, but never awarded.
Source: currentaffairs.wifistudy.com
