Current Affairs: July 20, 2011

July 20, 2011

31 FDI proposals approved by the Government

Government approved 31 foreign direct investment (FDI) proposals worth Rs. 3,844.70 Crore
A total of 55 FDI proposals were taken up by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB)

Guidelines for Infrastructure Debt Fund soon to be issued by the Government

Guidelines for Infrastructure Debt Fund (IDF) will soon be issued by the Government
IDFs are required to improve country’s infrastructure sector chiefly via Foreign Investment
RBI and SEBI to finalize the guidelines of IDFs
This will help accelerate investment by the US companies in India
India needs to spend $ 1 Trillion in the next five years to augment its infrastructure sector

Women’s Football: Japan to meet US

Japan to meet the US in the 2011 Women’s Football World Cup final at Frankfurt
The Americans looking to become the first team to win three world cups, the previous coming in 1999

In order to ward off accidents, the Railway Ministry to set up Safety & Security Board

Railway Ministry to set up Safety and Security Board to ward off Rail accidents
The Safety and Security Board to work under the Railway Board
Experts from IIM and IIT to be included in the proposed board in order to suggest ways and means on how to avoid accidents and to extend best possible security to passengers

Comprehensive Survey on number of sex workers directed by Supreme Court

The Supreme Court directed the Centre, States and Union Territories to carry out an all-inclusive survey to determine the number of sex workers in the country who are willing to rehabilitate
SC also directed the Centre and States to file affidavits within two weeks on suggestions and recommendations for improving the lot of sex workers
A panel comprising senior advocates and NGOs to aid the court in monitoring the rehabilitation work for the sex workers
The apex court passed the direction while dealing with a petition relating to the plight of sex workers, in which the bench had appointed senior counsel Jayant Bhushan as amicus curiae

Power sector scheduling to spend Rs. 600 Crore

The Inter-Ministerial Task Force on meliorating India’s power sector is scheduling to spend close to Rs. 600 crore rupees on Smart Grid Technologies on energy efficiency
The money will be spent on 15 pilot projects related to smart grid technologies
Objective: –
To improve overall efficiency in the power sector, especially in the transmission and distribution segments, with the help of IT

Hash 10 World SIM National Billiards and Snooker Championship (Sub-Junior Girls Title) to Varsha Sanjeev

Varsha Sanjeev of Karnataka won the Sub-Junior Girls title for the first time in the Hash 10 world SIM National Billiards and Snooker Championship in Chennai

IMF calls on Europe to take immediate action to avert Euro-zone meltdown

International Monetary Fund called on Europe to take immediate action to prevent a Euro-zone meltdown
The appeal comes two days prior to European Union leaders are due to meet in Brussels for a summit on a second rescue of the financially gimped Greece
As per IMF, Europian leaders need to act quickly in order to evade an infection that would damage not only the region but the global economy

Record food grain produced by India

A record food grain production in 2010-11 crop year on the support of a fine monsoon and higher support prices for farmers
Wheat: 85.93 Million Tonnes
Pulses: 18.09 Million Tonnes
Country’s total food grain production estimated at ` 241.56 million tonnes in 2010-11, as against 218.11 million tonnes in the year 2009-10

Atlantis – Last leg of its concluding voyage

U.S. space shuttle Atlantis on its way home after undocking from the ISS (International Space Station)
Beginning the last leg of its final voyage and of the 30-year U.S. shuttle programmme
Atlantis and its 4-member crew detached from the ISS early Tuesday July 19, 2011 over New Zealand after an 8-day visit to deliver a year’s worth of supplies to the orbiting outpost and haul trash and used equipment back to Earth
The shuttle flew one lap around the space station before steering away for the last time