Current Affairs 17 January 2018

1. Romania's PM Mehai Tudose resigns Romania's Prime Minister Mehai Tudose resigned after his party withdrew its support f...

1. Romania's PM Mehai Tudose resigns

Romania's Prime Minister Mehai Tudose resigned after his party withdrew its support for him amid a power struggle with the party chairman.

• Social Democratic Party officials said Development Minister Paul Stanescu would serve as interim prime minister.
• Tudose is the second prime minister ousted by the Social Democrats since they won Romania's December 2016 general election.

Points to Remember

• Romania is a sovereign state located in Southeastern Europe.
• Its capital and largest city, Bucharest, is the sixth-largest city in the EU.
• Klaus Lohannis is the President of Romania. Leu is the Currency of Romania.

2. India attends its first SCO military cooperation meeting

India, for the first time, took part in a meeting of the international military cooperation departments of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) since joining the bloc last year.

• An Indian delegation led by Major General Ajay Seth participated in the meeting in Beijing, which discussed issues of practical cooperation among SCO nations.
• India and Pakistan were admitted last year into the grouping in which China plays an influential role.
• The SCO comprises of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan.

3. Odisha CM launches Mukhya Mantri Kalakar Sahayata Yojana

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has launched the Mukhya Mantri Kalakar Sahayata Yojana for the welfare of the artistes in Odisha.

• The age limit of the male artistes has been relaxed from 60 to 50 years of age, and from 50 to 40 years of age for female artists to get pension.
• Currently, 4000 artistes are getting the monthly pension. However, with the new age relaxation, around 50,000 artistes will be enlisted and reap the benefit.

4. Israeli PM Inaugurates Raisina Dialogue In Delhi

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is in India for a 6-day official visit, inaugurated the 3rd annual Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi.

• The Raisina Dialogue is India's premiere foreign policy and geo-political conference.
• Prime Minister Netanyahu will be the first foreign head of government to speak at the Raisina Dialogue.
• The Raisina Dialogue is jointly organised by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Observer Research Foundation.
• The theme of the Raisina Dialogue this year is 'Managing Disruptive Transitions: Ideas, Institutions and Idioms'.

5. Modi lays foundation stone of Rs 43,000 cr Barmer refinery project

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the Rs 43,129 crore refinery project in Barmer and said it will change the economic landscape of Rajasthan.

• The refinery, a joint venture between Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and Rajasthan government, will have the capacity to refine 90 lakh crude oil annually. 
• Due to be completed by 2022, the project is expected to bring Rs 34,000 crore to the state government coffers annually.

6. Haryana to set up NBFC for efficient management of funds

The Haryana government has decided to form a non-banking financial company (NBFC) — Haryana State Financial Services Limited — to act as an in-house treasury manager for efficient management of surplus funds of State public enterprises and autonomous bodies.

• The NBFC will provide better deposit rates on overnight funds of State government entities.
• Besides, it would provide better deposit rates throughout the year to State government entities, said State Finance Minister Abhimanyu.
• The NBFC would enable quick and hassle-free lending and create financial discipline among the State government entities.

7. Bank of Baroda partners with Invoicemart as TReDS partner

Digital invoice discounting marketplace - Invoicemart has tied up with state-run lender Bank of Baroda to discount invoices for MSMEs.

• Buyers and sellers registered on the marketplace will now be able to access funding from Bank of Baroda.
• Invoicemart is a joint venture between Axis Bank Ltd and mjunction services ltd.
• TReDS is an online mechanism that helps MSMEs unlock working capital without the hassle of applying for loans.
• Recently Government of India advised all public sector banks and undertakings to get registered on TReDS platforms.

8. 24 hours sports radio channel launched

India’s first online radio channel dedicated to broadcasting sports content including live updates and chat commentaries 24×7 was launched.

• The internet radio channel, launched by Sports Flashes, will provide special sports programmes, experts comments, sports news and updates for over 400 sports events from around the world including Premier League, IPL and the FIFA World Cup.

9. Renowned cinematographer W B Rao passes away

Renowned cinematographer W B Rao passed away at a suburban hospital of Mumbai.

• Rao, known for his works in Bollywood hits like "Rangeela", "Hum" and "Khuda Gawah", breathed his last at the Bhartiya Arogya Nidhi Hospital.
• Some of his other notable films include "Dhadkan", "Judwaa", "Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega" and others.