Current Affairs of 15 August

1. Banks tighten free ATM payouts
Here’s some not-so-good news for bank customers: come November 1,
 the number of free transactions for savings bank accountholders at other bank ATMs in the six metro cities will be reduced from five to three a month.
The RBI said it has reduced the number of free ATM transactions in Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Hyderabad after taking into account the high density of ATMs, bank branches and alternative modes of payment available to customers



2. Centre bans campus recruitment of bank officers
The Centre has asked all public sector banks to desist from the practice of directly recruiting officers from campuses in view of court strictures.
A letter has been sent to the Chairman, State Bank of India (SBI) and chiefs of all public sector banks, including IDBI and SBI associates, as well as Indian Banks’ Association.
Dated August 4, the letter is signed by Manish Kumar, Under Secretary, Department of Financial Services, ‘with the approval of the Secretary’.
It cites a decision of the Bombay High Court against campus recruitment in a connected petition, which has since been confirmed by the Supreme Court.
The letter recalled that the special leave petition No. 25030/13 as well as the review petition No. 285/2014 filed by the concerned bank in the Supreme Court had been dismissed. In view of the dismissal of the petition, the order of the Bombay High Court dated April 1, 2013, had attained finality.
In view of this, the Ministry of Law and Justice has observed that “recruitment of officers in public sector banks against permanent direct recruitment vacancies on regular basis by resorting to campus recruitment/interview method may not be in accordance with the law.”
The letter starts by saying that the Department of Financial Services had come to know that some public sector banks have been hiring officers through campus recruitment, leading to litigation. In this context, it apprised all banks of Bombay High Court judgment dated April 4, 2013, titled Sonali Dhawde vs Central Bank of India and others .
The judgment said that the “stated recruitment policy of the respondent bank dated March 5, 2009 as also the circular issued by the Government of India dated February 22, 2005, which provides for recruitment of officers in public sector banks against ‘permanent vacancies’ on ‘regular basis’ by resorting to campus recruitment/interview method and not by invitations from public at large by issuing public advertisement, is illegal and unconstitutional.”

3. Google celebrates India's Independence Day with a doodle

Celebrating the 68th Independence Day of India, Google has posted a doodle on its homepage. The doodle features the independent India's first stamp as the subject of 15th August's Google doodle.
The first stamp of independent India was issued on 21 November 1947. It depicts the Indian flag with the patriots' slogan, Jai Hind (long live India), on the top right hand corner. It was valued at three and one-half annas.
The logo of Google starts with a 'G' but with the saffron colour, which is the colour of the top stripe in the Indian flag. There is a postage stamp with India's flag on it and a government stamp for the blue Ashok chakra. The last three letters are in the green shade of the Indian flag.

4. Constitution vulnerable to rash excess: Pranab
The Constitution is becoming “increasingly vulnerable” to rash excess while institutional dysfunction led to the “phenomenon of overreach,” President Pranab Mukherjee warned
His comments came on a day when Parliament passed two key Bills that allow for fundamental changes in the method of appointing judges to the higher judiciary.
In his customary address to the nation on the eve of Independence Day, Mr. Mukherjee wondered whether Indian democracy had become too noisy and should not Parliament again become the great hall for sombre thought.

5. Ram Setu will not be broken: Gadkari
The government on Thursday said it remained firm on its decision to protect the ‘Ram Setu,’ but it would offer a suggestion to the Supreme Court on the proposed Sethusamudram shipping canal project which would be “acceptable to all.”
Union Minister for Shipping Nitin Gadkari told the Lok Sabha during Question Hour that the ‘Ram Setu’ would “not be broken” by the government.
The Minister said the issue was sub judice and the government had certain “alternatives,” which it would submit to the Supreme Court. The government was hopeful of finding a solution to the multi-crore Sethusamudram project, which has been hanging fire after Hindu groups protested against the United Progressive Alliance government’s move to dismantle the structure that is considered a bridge built by Lord Rama.