2 February 2018 Current Affairs: Today’s Current Affairs for Competitive Exams – Bank, SSC, Vyapam, PSC

1200 IIT, NIT Graduates to Teach Engineering Students in Backward Areas

Over 1,200 graduates IITs and NITs have been selected to teach in 53 state-run engineering colleges in backward areas across 11 states and Union Territories for three years.
“This is the first time such a measure has been taken to improve the quality of education in backward areas. With the initiative, more than one lakh engineering students in the most backward areas would be benefited with better quality education,” Union minister Prakash Javadekar said on Wednesday.

Neelam Kapoor appointed as director general of Sports Authority of India

Senior-most Indian Information Service officer Neelam Kapoor, who had served as UPA government’s spokesperson, was appointed director general of Sports Authority of India (SAI).
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved her appointment to the post till her superannuation, i.e July 31, 2019.

Budget 2018 Highlights

Incentives for Senior citizens: Exemptions in income of Rs 10,000 from Banks FD and post offices.Senior citizens to get Rs 50,000 per annum exemption for medical insurance under Sec 80D.
Loans to Women Self Help Groups will increase to Rs.75,000 crore in 2019 from 42,500 crore last year.
Outlay on health, education and social protection will be 1.38 lakh crore. Tribal students to get Ekalavya Residential School in each tribal block by 2022. Welfare fund for SCs gets a boost.
NITI Aayog to initiate a national programme on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and centres of excellence will be set up on robotics, AI, Internet of things etc
Proposed changes in customs duty to promote creation of more jobs in the country and also to incentivise domestic value addition and ‘Make in India’ in sectors such as food processing, electronics, auto components, footwear and furniture.
World’s largest Health Protection Scheme covering over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families launched with a family limit upto 5 lakh rupees for secondary and tertiary treatment.

Alibaba invests $146 million in BigBasket

China’s Alibaba has invested $146 million in Indian online grocer BigBasket.
Alibaba.com Singapore Ecommerce Pvt Ltd led the $196.7 million Series E funding round, which was approved by the BigBasket board in January.
Founded in 2011, Bengaluru-headquartered BigBasket services more than 6 million registered customers across 26 Indian cities.

Bajaj Auto sales up 46% at 3,53,147 units

Bajaj Auto on Friday reported a 46 % jump in total sales at 3,53,147 units in January against 2,41,917 units in the same month last year.
Overall domestic sales increased 50 % to 2,02,193 units.
Total exports in January grew by 41 % to 1,50,954 units.

Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) received ₹173.06 crore capital infusion from government

Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) said that it has received ₹173.06 crore capital infusion from the government in the current fiscal.
IOB said it has received ₹173.06 crore as contribution of the central government in the preferential allotment of equity shares of the bank as government’s investment during the 2017-18 fiscal.

India wins 1st ODI against South Africa

Leander Paes and Joe Salisbury in semi-finals of Dallas Challenger tennis

Leander Paes and Joe Salisbury Herbert reached the semi-finals of Dallas Challenger tennis.
The RBC Tennis Championships of Dallas is a professional tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts

Rwanda becomes first poor country to provide eye care for all

Rwanda has become the first low-income country to provide universal eye care for its 12 million population.
The government has partnered with the organisation Vision for a Nation (VFAN) to train more than 3,000 eye care nurses based in 502 local health centres.
Rwanda’s minister of health, Diane Gashumba, said: “Rwanda is leading the way in Africa by providing all its people with affordable eye care. This has been made possible by the great collaboration between the government of Rwanda and Vision for a Nation. The impact of this initiative has been enormous.”

Imp Note : Capital of Rwanda – Kigali

US State Department’s third ranking diplomat quits in latest departure under Donald Trump

The US State Department’s third-ranking official, Tom Shannon, stepped down on Thursday.
Tom Shannon served as under secretary of state for political affairs.
In a note to staff he said he was resigning for personal reasons.

Infosys Co-founder launches EduMentum

Infosys co-founder SD Shibulal launched a startup incubor EduMentum.
EduMentum aims to help early stage organisations working in the space of education transformation.