Current affairs 14 January 2018

1. India contributes $50,000 to UN Youth Envoy's office India has contributed $50,000 to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres...

1. India contributes $50,000 to UN Youth Envoy's office

India has contributed $50,000 to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres's Office of Envoy on Youth to help with its mission of involving young people in the world body's goals.

• Paulomi Tripathi, a First Secretary in India's UN Mission, handed over the contribution to the Youth Envoy, Jayathma Wickramanayake.
• The Youth Envoy's mission is to promote the engagement of youth across all the four pillars of the UN's work - sustainable development, human rights, peace and security and humanitarian action.

2. Delhi and Punjab richest states, Jain wealthiest community

Jains are the wealthiest religious community in India. Delhi and Punjab are the richest states. Bihar is the poorest.

• These are the findings of the fourth round of National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4), recently released by the ministry of health and family welfare.
• Conducted over 6 lakh Indian households in 2015-16, it also reveals poverty as a largely rural phenomenon.

3. Election Commission sets up panel to suggest new poll rules

The Election Commission has set up a 14-member panel to study how social media and other digital platforms are used ahead of polls and make suggestions on how to adapt the Model Code of Conduct to these changes.

• The panel has three months to suggest changes to Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, which currently prohibits all campaigning 48 hours before voting.
• The Election Commission said Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha will head the committee.

4. 7th edition of ‘Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav-2018’ to be held in Karnataka

To celebrate the idea of unity in diversity, the Ministry of Culture is organising the 7th edition of the Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat matrix in Karnataka beginning January 14, 2018.

• The Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Ananth Kumar and The Union Minister of State for Culture (I/C) and Environment, Dr. Mahesh Sharma will inaugurate the Mahotsav on 14th January 2018 at the Jnana Jyothi Auditorium, Palace Road, Gandhi Nagar, and Bengaluru.
• The Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme was launched by the Prime Minister on 31st October, 2016 to promote engagement amongst the people of different states/UTs so as to enhance mutual understanding and bonding between people of diverse cultures, thereby securing stronger unity and integrity of India.
• The State paired with Karnataka is Uttarakhand.

5. President of India Inaugurates Economic Democracy Conclave

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the ‘Economic Democracy Conclave’ organised by Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini at Thane, Maharashtra on January 14, 2018.

• The President said that it is very important for our country and society to strengthen economic democracy through entrepreneurship.
• He praised the Prabodhini team for its contribution to strengthening the political, economic and social dimensions of our democracy for the past 35 years.

6. IDFC Bank, Capital First announce the merger

IDFC Bank has announced its merger with the Mumbai-based Capital First, which has more than 5 million customers in retail and small and medium enterprises.

• Shareholders in Capital First will receive 139 shares of the bank for every 10 shares held, the lender said in a stock exchange filing.
• The deal is conditional on central bank and other regulatory approvals.
• Vaidyanathan, currently Chairman and MD of Capital First, will succeed Rajiv Lall as MD and CEO of the combined entity.

7. Indu Malhotra becomes 1st woman lawyer directly appointed for SC judgeship

The Supreme Court collegium has recommended the name of senior advocate Indu Malhotra as the first woman lawyer to be directly appointed as a judge of the apex court.

• She will be the seventh woman judge since independence to make it to the Supreme Court.
• At present, Justice R Banumathi is the lone woman judge in the apex court.
• The first woman to be appointed as a judge of the apex court was Justice M Fathima Beevi in 1989.

8. Anil Khanna to head IOA Finance Commission

Senior sports administrator Anil Khanna was named Chairman of the Finance Commission of the Indian Olympic Association, which also formed a four- member advisory committee.

• The IOA also formed a Medical Commission and Games Technical Conduct Committee and nominated office bearers of IOA and National Sports Federations (NSFs) to the Committees.
• The advisory committee comprises Tarlochan Singh, GS Mander, S Regunathan and BS Landge