Current Affairs 19th January 2018: Daily GK Update

National News

1. Maharashtra Becomes 1st State to Unveil Public Cloud Policy

i. Maharashtra has become the first state in the country that has come out with a public cloud policy, virtually mandating its departments to shift their data storage onto the cloud. This move has created a USD 2- billion opportunity for the industry.

ii. The announcement was made by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the Maharashtra Technology Summit. The policy will result in additional private sector investments as the government is one of the biggest creators and consumers of data.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-

• Maharashtra Chief Minister- Devendra Fadnavis, Governor- C Vidyasagar Rao.

2. India to Set up $350 million Fund to Finance Solar Projects

i. As per the Power Minister RK Singh, India will set up a $350-million fund to finance solar projects as the country steps up efforts to achieve its ambitious target of adding 175 gigawatts (GW) in renewable energy by 2022.

ii. The announcement was made at an event organised by the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Installed renewable power capacity is currently about 60 GW, and India plans to complete the bidding process by the end of 2019/20 to add a further 115 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2022.

3. Centre, CII Ink MoU for Development of Logistics Sector

i. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Government of India and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in the presence of Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu to enhance import and export performance.

ii. The Centre has entrusted the task of integrated development of the logistics sector to the Department of Commerce.

Appointments

4. Facebook Appoints its 1st African-American Member to Board

i. Facebook has appointed outgoing American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault to its board, making him the first African-American to be on the board.

ii. Chenault serves on the Boards of IBM and Procter & Gamble and is also a Harvard Law School graduate.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

• Facebook CEO- Mark Zuckerberg.

5. S Selvakumar Appointed CMD Of SPMCIL

i. The government appointed senior IAS officer S Selvakumar as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd (SPMCIL).

ii. Selvakumar has replaced Anurag Agarwal. The state-owned SPMCIL produces banknotes, coins, postage stamps, non-judicial stamps and other official documents.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

• The four mints operationalized in Idia are located in Kolkata, Noida, Hyderabad, and Mumbai.

Banking/Business/Economy News

6. WhatsApp Unveils Business App for Android

i. Facebook-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp has rolled out a feature that connects small businesses with customers. Currently, only Android users can access the feature and they can avail of it through the latest update of the app.

ii. The new feature will be available first in Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, UK and the US before being launched globally in the coming weeks.

7. Yes Bank Ties up with Amplus Energy Solutions

i. Amplus Energy Solutions announced entering into a pact with private sector lender Yes Bank for strategic tie-up to co-finance projects in the solar energy space in India. 

ii. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed at International Solar Alliance pavilion at the World Future Energy Summit, Abu Dhabi.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

• YES Bank MD and Chief Executive- Rana Kapoor, Headquarters- Mumbai.

8. India Ratings Projects Economic Growth at 7.1% Next Fiscal

i. India Ratings and Research has projected the country’s economic growth to improve to 7.1 percent in 2018-19 from 6.5 percent in 2017-18, buoyed by robust consumption demand and low commodity prices.

ii.  The projection is a tad lower than 7.4 percent growth estimated by Asian Development Bank and International Monetary Fund for next fiscal.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

• India Ratings is a subsidiary of Fitch Ratings.
• Brett Hemsley is Global Analytical Head for Fitch Ratings.