Focus Merit

Category: All Current Affairs

Government invites bids to sell 100% stake in debt-laden Air India

January 27, 2020

The government on Monday announced sale of 100 per cent stake in debt-laden Air India as it issued the preliminary bid document for the strategic disinvestment with the deadline for submitting expression of interest set as March 17.

As part of the strategic disinvestment, Air India would also sell 100 per cent stake in low-cost airline Air India Express and 50 per cent shareholding in joint venture AISATS. AISATS is an equal joint venture between Air India and Singapore Airlines. It offers ground handling services.

Management control of the airline would also be transferred to the successful bidder. This is the second time in less than two years that the government has come out with proposal for selling stake in Air India, which has been in the red for long.

Noted artist and sculptor Sher Singh Kukkal passes away at 86

January 27, 2020

Noted artist and sculptor Sher Singh Kukkal passed away in Delhi after brief illness. He was 86. He was awarded Senior Fellowship in Visual Art Photography by Union Ministry Of Culture during 2008-09.

A versatile artist with a vast experience in fine arts, Mr. Kukkal hailed from Buffa district, now in Pakistan. He worked as a freelance artist, doing drawing, painting, sculpture, printing and photography. He painted with graphite pencils, pen and ink.

He won various national and international awards for photography and painting, including the Gold Medal in Painting from Queens College, Lucknow and the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation Award.

National Basketball Association legend Kobe Bryant passes away

January 27, 2020

National Basketball Association (NBA) legend Kobe Bryant passed away in a helicopter crash with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna. Bryant was a 5-time NBA champion and 2-time Olympic gold medallist is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players in history.

Bryant rocketed to fame as an 18-year-old rookie and played 20 years for the Los Angeles Lakers – 18 of them as an all-star – winning 5 NBA championships. His death sent shockwaves through the National Basketball Association, which he helped propel to international prominence, and around the world.

Chairman of The Hindu Group honoured by Kerala Media Academy

January 27, 2020

Eminent journalist and chairman of The Hindu Group of Publications N Ram has been selected for the Kerala Media Academy’s national media award for his outstanding contribution to journalism. The award carries a purse of Rs 1 lakh, a citation and a memento.

The national award was instituted as part of 40th anniversary celebrations of the academy for fearless and meritorious contribution to journalism. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would present the award during a media conclave in March this year.

Ram was selected for the award by a jury comprising former state Education Minister M A Baby, senior journalist Thomas Jacob, general education department secretary A Shajahan, media analyst Sebastian Paul, Asianet editor M G Radhakrishnan and Planning Board member Mridul Eapen. The jury considered contributions of Ram to journalism in the last 40 years.

Airtel partners with Western Union to Accelerate Real-time Global Payments

January 27, 2020

Country’s leading telecom giant Bharti Airtel recently collaborated with Western Union, the major money transfer brand to launch real-time payments into bank accounts and mobile wallets across India. In couple of months with the collaboration, The Western Union’s money transaction will be redirected to Airtel Payment Bank which would happen through the mobile application 24×7.

IANS reported that this announcement follows the conclusion of new flagship collaborations of Western Union with two leading subsidiaries of Bharti Airtel, namely Airtel Payments Bank and Airtel Africa, a leading provider of telecommunications and mobile money services with a presence in 14 countries in Africa.

New Delhi based start-up Loanwalle.com offers loan in 15 minutes

January 27, 2020

The New Delhi-based fintech start-up Loanwalle.com, offers loans for a period of 7 to 30 days, to cater to any medical or financial emergencies in 15 minutes. The firm is founded by Sachin Mittal. The USP of the fintech firm, lies in providing instant loan facility to individuals stuck in a crisis situation, through speedy approval of loans.

One can get a loan approved in 15 minutes, while generally the process including online and physical verification is completed in an hour. The amount of loan can range from Rs 5,000 to Rs 1 lakh with less cumbersome process. The interest rate is 1 per cent per day and the loan cannot be exceeded beyond 30 days.

SBI rolls out a one-use ‘Virtual Card’ for net banking to reduce risk of fraud

January 27, 2020

The Reserve Bank of India has brought out a new set of guidelines to enhance the security provided to debit and credit card customers. State Bank of India has recently rolled out a one-use ‘Virtual Card’ for its net banking users, which allows them to make online payments without exposing their real debit and credit card details to the merchant. The product has been developed to offer a more secure transacting experience for their customers.

The virtual card works as a limit debit card and can be created on the bank’s internet banking platform. The card, once generated, is valid for only 48 hours or once the transaction has been completed i.e. single usage, and can be used on any e-commerce payment platform. The minimum transaction amount to create an SBI virtual card is Rs 100 and the maximum is Rs 50,000. The amount is debited only when actual purchase using the virtual card is completed successfully.

15 agreements in areas of cooperation signed between India and Brazil

January 27, 2020

15 agreements to boost cooperation in a wide range of areas like trade and investment, oil and gas, cyber security and information technology was inked by India and Brazil. The agreements were exchanged after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Brazilian President Jair Messias Bolsonaro.

Mr Bolsonaro’s visit to India has opened a new chapter in bilateral ties between the two countries. An action plan has been finalised to further expand ties between the two strategic partners. Both the countries are together on various global issues despite geographical distance.

Union government working towards Delhi-Mumbai electric highway

January 27, 2020

The ministry is working towards an electric highway from Delhi to Mumbai and the target is to complete this highway before January 26, 2024, as stated by the Union Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.

He stated that the ministry is now thinking to make e-highway and discussing with companies who have got the technology in Germany, the US, and Sweden. The vision of the transport sector is to import substitute, cost-effective, pollution-free and indigenous fuels.

International Customs Day observed on 26th January

January 27, 2020

International Customs Day (ICD) is observed on 26 January every year. The day recognizes the role of custom officials and agencies in maintaining border security. The day marks the anniversary of the formation of the Customs Co-operation Council. The Theme of 2020 is “Customs fostering Sustainability for People, Prosperity and the Planet”.

The day was instituted by the World Customs Organization (WCO) in 1953 during the session of the Customs Cooperation Council which was held in Brussels, Belgium. WCO was earlier called as Customs Cooperation Council. It was renamed as World Customs Organization in 1994. WCO has 179 member countries.

The day focuses on the working conditions and challenges that customs officers face in their jobs. The customs agencies hold employee appreciation events. The agencies recognize the custom officers for their exemplary service. Several agencies hold public outreach events to educate the public about their jobs and responsibilities.