Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2017

Notes:
The Goods and Service Tax (GST) Council has formed a selection committee under the chairmanship of cabinet secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha to identify and recommend eligible persons for appointment as the chairman and members of the National Anti-profiteering Authority under GST. The standing committee is empowered to refer cases requiring detailed enquiry to the Director General of Safeguards, Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) for consideration of the NAPA. The National Anti-profiteering Authority (NAPA) is tasked with ensuring the full benefits of a reduction in tax on the supply of goods or services flow to the consumers. As per provisions of law, the Authority will be headed by a senior officer of the level of a secretary to the Government of India and shall have four technical members from the Centre and/or the states. The NAPA will have the power to cancel registration of any entity or business if it fails to pass on to consumers the benefit of lower taxes under the GST regime.

Notes:
The Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS) is a protected area and a Project Tiger, tiger reserve located 38 km northwest of Chikkamagaluru town in Karnataka. It has a wide range of flora and fauna and is a popular place for day outings. The 1,875 m above MSL Hebbe Giri is the highest peak in the sanctuary. It is home to tiger, elephant, gaur, sloth bear, wild boar, black leopard, jungle cat, jackal, wild dog, sambar, spotted deer, barking deer, mouse deer, etc.

Notes:
Mumbai Metro One will launch the India’s first Mobile Ticketing System ‘OnGo’ which will help commuters pass the Automated Fare Collection (AFC) gates using their mobile phones. The system is in the final advanced stage of testing and will be implemented by mid-August. The commuters will be able to buy tickets or monthly passes using the Mumbai Metro app on their smartphone. Once they make the payment using their mobile wallet or e-wallet, a QR code will be generated. The gate’s sensor will then scan this code and let them access the platform. The ‘OnGo’ will be particularly convenient for those commuters wanting to book their journey through tokens or passes at their own convenience even from outside the Metro stations and avoid queues before ticketing windows.

Notes:
Recently, the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has started a full-fledged merchant banking operations to help Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) utilise capital markets for their funding requirements. The purpose of the initiative is to enhance the access of MSMEs to the capital markets, including the SME Trading Platform and Institutional Trading Platform. This move will prove beneficial to the SME exchange as well as investors seeking liquidity or exit from their investment. The bank has supported over 125 venture capital funds and thus can provide help for listing the investee companies on SME exchanges via its merchant banking operations. The headquarters of SIDBI is located at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

Notes:
According to 2017 Dell Women Entrepreneur Cities (WE Cities) index, Bengaluru (40th) and Delhi (49th) are the only Indian cities among the top 50 global cities that foster high-potential women entrepreneurs. The list is topped by New York, followed by Bay Area, London, Boston, Stockholm and Los Angeles.   The index ranks cities in terms of its ability to attract and foster growth of women-owned firms. It provides a diagnostic tool to advise entrepreneurs and policy-makers on how to improve conditions to enable businesses founded by women to thrive. The index also  ranked cities based on the impact of local policies, programmes and characteristics in addition to national laws and customs.

Notes:
The Punjab government has launched its flagship health scheme “Care Companion Programme (CCP)” to educate family members of patient about taking better care of patients. The CCP scheme is targeted to improve patients outcome by implementing better family engagement. For this, the state department of health and family welfare has signed a MOU with Noora Health India Trust for implementation of the CCP. The purpose of the programme is to reduce the number of baby deaths after discharge from hospitals due to infections or any other reason. The innovative programme includes teaching the family of patient’s high-impact medical skills to take care of the patients in the hospital and at home.

Notes:
The Canara Bank has launched its first digital banking branch “CANDI” at Spencer Towers in MG Road, Bengaluru to provide an end-to-end digital experience to customers. As a part of its digital campaign, the bank has introduced customer-friendly mobile apps which help customers get most of the information related to their accounts from the app without the need to visit the branch. The most attractive feature of the Digital Branch is a humanoid robot that addresses basic queries of customers on banking products and services. This is a first-of-its kind initiative by a public sector bank in the country.

Notes:
The 2018 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-19 championship will be hosted by Indonesia, which is scheduled to be held from October 18 to November 4, 2018. It is officially awarded by the AFC Competition Committee. A total of 16 teams will play in the tournament. The top four teams of the tournament will qualify for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup as the AFC representatives.

Notes:
The Mrugavani National Park (MNP) is located in Hyderabad, Telangana and covers an area of 3.6Km2. It is home to a 600 different types of plant life. The animals include: Indian hare, forest cat, civet, Indian rat snake, Russell’s viper, cheetal and the flower pecker.

Notes:
Aditya Patil and Suhaani Lohia have clinched bronze medals at the 13th edition of Asian Schools Chess Championship (ASCC) 2017 in Panjin, China. Aditya won bronze in the Under-7 rapid championship, while Suhaani Lohia won the bronze in the Under-9 girls blitz championships. Both these prodigious talents are products of the South Mumbai Chess Academy (SMCA).