GK and Current Affairs Updates

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on 13 January 2017 entered into a Bilateral Advance Pricing Agreement (BAPA) with an Indian subsidiary of a Japanese trading company.
●    With the signing of this agreement, the total number of bilateral APAs entered into by the CBDT has reached eight.
●    Recently, the CBDT modified an existing Bilateral APA with another Indian subsidiary of a Japanese company.
●    All these bilateral APAs were signed as part of the Advance Pricing Agreement Scheme of the Union Ministry of Finance.
●    The Union Government has introduced the Advance Pricing Agreement (APA) Scheme as part of the Finance Act, 2012 and Income Tax (Tenth Amendment) Rules, 2012. The scheme came into force on 30 August, 2012.
●    The APA Scheme endeavours to provide certainty to taxpayers in the field of transfer pricing through an agreement in advance. 
●    Such an agreement is entered into by the CBDT with the tax payers on the transfer price of international transactions between associated entities.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday decided to increase the cash withdrawal limit from ATMs to Rs 10,000 per day from the present Rs 4,500 with immediate effect.
●    However, there is no change in the weekly withdrawal limits, which stays at Rs 24,000. 
●    The limit on withdrawal from current accounts has been enhanced from the current limit of Rs 50,000 per week to Rs 1,00,000 per week. 
●    This also extends to overdraft and cash credit accounts.
●    From current accounts, the amount that can be collected each week has been doubled to a lakh.
●    Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has pointed to improved tax collections to dismiss reports of economic disruption after the notes ban.
●    The RBI has been criticised for following the government's lead on a landmark decision on currency and for taking a backseat in the days that followed, with Mr Patel missing from briefings that made important announcements on issues like cash limits.
 

The Army Day is celebrated annually to commemorate the day, when Lieutenant General (later Field Marshal) K M Cariappa became the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army in post independence period. 
●    He took over the command of the Army from General Sir FRR Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief on 15 January 1949.
●    The day is celebrated in the form of parades and other military shows in the National Capital as well as in all headquarters.
●    To mark the occasion, General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Army Staff, reviewed the Army Day Parade at the Cariappa Parade Ground, Delhi Cantonment. 
●    The parade was commanded by Major Geneal Rajesh Sahai, Chief of Staff, Delhi Area.
●    General Rawat also awarded fifteen Sena Medals for individual acts of Gallantry and thirteen COAS Unit Citations for commendable performance of their respective units.
●    Earlier in the day, the three Service Chiefs laid the wreaths at Amar Jawan Jyoti, India Gate, to commemorate the day.
 

Adoption Regulations, 2017 becomes operational on 16 January 2017. 
●    The new set of regulations seeks to further strengthen the adoption programme in the country by replacing the Guidelines Governing Adoption of Children 2015.
●    They were notified by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development.
●    The regulations are in tune with the Hague Adoption Convention to which India is a signatory.
●    Any orphan or abandoned or surrendered child, who is declared legally free for adoption by the Child Welfare Committee is eligible for adoption.
●    The prospective adoptive parents shall be physically, mentally and emotionally stable, financially capable and shall not have any life threatening medical condition.
●    No child shall be given in adoption to a couple unless they have at least two years of stable marital relationship.
 

Gujarat on 14 January 2017 won its maiden Ranji Trophy title. 
●    The team defeated Mumbai by five wickets in the final at the Holkar stadium in Indore.
●    Parthiv Patel’s 143 and Munprit Juneja’s 54 runs helped Gujarat to chase down a score of 265 on the final day.
●    In the semi-finals, Gujarat defeated Jharkhand by 123 runs to reach only their second final in the history of the Ranji Trophy. 
●    Gujarat had previously played in the finals during the 1950–51 Ranji Trophy. 
●    In the second semi-finals, Mumbai beat Tamil Nadu by 6 wickets to progress to their 46th final in the tournament.
●    Gujarat’s Parthiv Patel was declared as the Player of the match for the final.
●    The Ranji Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India.
●    It is played between teams representing regional cricket associations.
 

Ecuador on 14 January 2017 took over the chair of the United Nations Group of 77. 
●    It took the charge of Group of 77 from Thailand.
●    Thailand Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said that in 2016 his country focused on how to implement the 17 UN goals for 2030, which would help in promoting development and good governance, and preserve the environment. 
●    Thailand passed the baton of the group to Ecuador.
●    New Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the G-77 is his "preferred forum" to implement his vision including seeing the new goals become reality and reforming UN operations.
●    The Group of 77 (G77) at the United Nations is a coalition of developing nations. 
●    It was designed to promote its members' collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations.
●    In short G77 promotes the interests of the 134 developing countries it represents at the United Nations, including China.
 

Former Chief Minister of Punjab, Surjit Singh Barnala, passed away on 14 January 2017. He was 91.
●    Barnala served as the Chief Minister of Punjab from 29 September 1985 until 11 May 1987, a period of Sikh militant movement in Punjab. 
●    Born on 21 October 1925, he completed his graduation in law from Lucknow.
●    His first ministerial assignment was in 1969 when he was sworn in as Education Minister in the Justice Gurnam Singh Government.
●    He had also served as the Governor of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand. 
●    He was the first Governor of Uttarakhand from its creation in 2000 until 2003.
●    From December 1990 to 18 March 1993, he served as the Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
 

“We have to aim to ensure “zero tolerance” with regard to risk of fire. With this aim in the focus, we have to align all our efforts and converge to achieve this goal.” This was stated by Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare while inaugurating a National Workshop on ‘Life and Fire Safety in Healthcare Facilities in India’, here today. The workshop wasjointly organized by Ministry of Health and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi with active participation of School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, Delhi Fire Services, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), New Delhi and Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee. The main objective of the workshop was to sensitize the hospital administrators and engineering heads about important issues related to life and fire safety in healthcare buildings.  
●    Speaking at the function, ShriNadda said that sensitization towards fire safety is key to preventing any untoward incident in hospitals. “The dos and don’ts must be understood first and should be strictly followed. We must also make sure that it goes down to every level,” ShriNadda added. The Health Minister further said that doctors and engineering staff should be fully aware of their role towards fire and life safety. “Our nurses and doctors are the first responders in such an eventuality. In fact, doctors and nurses would provide the guidance and support if patients are to be moved and where they have to be moved considering the condition of patients,” ShriNadda stated.  
●    Laying stress on having safe evacuation during emergencies,ShriNadda said that it has been noticed that corridors, staircases are not properly maintained to provide safe egress, sometimes emergency doors are locked even when patients are in a position to move out. “This is fundamental but often ignored, due to security reasons. Hospital administrations should resolve this problem in consultation with security experts. Please ensure that access and egress is not compromised and proper fire escape routes and measures are in place especially in operation theatres and ICUs so that patients inside these rooms can be evacuated properly during emergencies,” Shri Nadda elaborated. 
●    Shri Nadda also emphasized on the need for training and capacity building among the hospital staff especially doctors, nurses and attendants so that they can undertake routine assessments of emerging risks, including those arising due to alterations and also conduct audits through internal technical staff.Shri Nadda also directed the officials of the participating Institutions/Hospitals to develop time bound fire safety action plan of the building/block of their Hospital/Institution. He further instructed them to undertake quarterly fire drills so that the hospital staff is sensitized and is aware of their responsibility. Shri Nadda also asked the participants to conduct fire audits regularly which will be monitored by the Ministry.  
●    The workshop was attended by Heads of 23 Hospitals/ Institutes under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and their concerned officers.  A mock drill was also conducted in the premises of AIIMS, New Delhi.  In the workshop the participants got a comprehensive understanding of the scope of life and fire safety in healthcare buildings in terms of best practices as well as applicable codes and standards by participants. 
●    Also present at the function were DrArun Panda, Additional Secretary (HFW), Shri Sanjeeva Kumar, Addl. Secy (HFW), Dr B D Athani, Special DGHS, Dr. M.C.Misra, Director AIIMS, New Delhi
 

The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Radha Mohan Singh and Minister of Business, Enterprise and Cooperatives, Govt. of Mauritius, Shri Soomil duth Bholah signed on MoU for Cooperation in the field of Cooperatives & related areas here today. 
●    The MoU will enable the two countries to collaborate in this vital sector and can significantly benefit thousands of Mauritians.
●    India offered to exchange its expertise and technology with Mauritius in agro industry, fisheries and dairy sector.
●    The two ministers expressed satisfaction at the historic, time-tested relationship between India and Mauritius which is anchored in linkages of culture and ancestry has grown from strength to strength over the years, adding that frequent high level visits have added significant momentum to the bilateral relationship between the two countries.
 

Handset maker Gionee India today said it has roped in cricketer Virat Kohli as its new brand ambassador.
●    The company, which already has actor Alia Bhatt as a brand ambassador, has clocked sales of 1.2 crore units in the last four years.
●    Virat is joining Alia in helping the brand touch new heights. 
●    He will soon be seen in the upcoming campaign of Gionee, and will also be actively involved in a host of innovative marketing and customer experience initiatives of the brand.
●    Company has clocked sales of 1.2 crore units in the last four years.
●    Gionee is looking at expanding its retail presence too. 
●    it will establish 500 brand stores by March 2018 in India from 100 now.
●    These brand stores would be under franchise route and will be spread across the country in order to ensure customers can have easy access to Gionee phones.