1. Rajendra Singh appointed as DG of Coast Guard
1. The Union Government has appointed Rajendra Singh as the Director General (DG) of Indian Coast Guard (ICG), country’s coastal protection force.
2. With this appointment, Rajendra Singh becomes first DG of ICG from its own internal cadre since it was set up in 1978. So far this top post was only held by officers who were commissioned in the Indian Navy. He will replace Vice Admiral HCS Bisht who has been promoted as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command.
2. Yoichiro Ueno appointed President and CEO of Honda Cars India
1. Japanese auto maker Honda Motor Company on 23 February 2016 announced that it had appointed Yoichiro Ueno as the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of its car operations in India.
2. Ueno will replace Katsushi Inoue on 1 April 2016. Inoue has been named Operating Officer of Honda Motor and Chief Operating Officer for regional operations (Europe region).
3. Yoichiro Ueno has been the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Honda Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. since January 2011.
3. Lok Sabha passed Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016
1. The Lok Sabha on 25 February 2016 passed Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The bill seeks to amend the Delimitation Act, 2002 and the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
These Acts regulate allocation of seats to the national and state legislatures, and delimitation (that is, fixing boundaries) of parliamentary and assembly constituencies.
2. Features of Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016
Objective: The Bill aims to empower the Election Commission to carry out delimitation of assembly and parliamentary constituencies in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal that were affected by the enactment of the Constitution (100th Amendment) Act, 2015.
3. Constitution (100th Amendment) Act, 2015: Under the 2015 Act, 51 Bangladeshi and 111 Indian enclaves were exchanged between India and Bangladesh on 31 July 2015. Enclaves are territories belonging to one country that are entirely surrounded by another country.
4. Bangladeshi cricketer Mashrafe Bin Mortaza appointed UNDP National Goodwill Ambassador For Youth
1. Bangladeshi cricketer Mashrafe Bin Mortaza was appointed as National Goodwill Ambassador For Youth by the United National Development Programme (UNDP).
2. In this regard, UNDP Bangladesh Resident Representative Robert Watkins presented Mortaza with a certificate of his official appointment in Dhaka.
3. With this appointment, Mortaza also became the first personality to be appointed as a goodwill ambassador for youth development in Bangladesh.
4. In his new role, Mortaza, who is leading the national cricket team both in ODIs and T20 formats, will advocate for youth employment in Bangladesh and help in country’s efforts in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The appointment is part of the UN’s efforts to rope in prominent individuals from the worlds of arts, sciences, entertainment, sport, etc as goodwill ambassadors to promote and realise the ideals enshrined in its Charter.
5. Goverdhan Mehta conferred Cross of the Order of Merit, Germany’s prestigious award
Renowned researcher in Chemical Sciences Goverdhan Mehta on 23 February 2016 was conferred with Federal Republic of Germany’s prestigious Cross of the Order of Merit.
Achim Fabig, the German Consul General in Chennai, presented the award to Hyderabad-based professor Mehta.
At present, Mehta is the National Research Professor and Lilly-Jubilant Chair Professor at the University of Hyderabad, which is among the top 10 Universities in the country.
6. India losses solar case against US at WTO
1. India has lost solar case against United States at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for in breaching of international trade rules. In this regard, WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) ruled that India’s domestic content requirement for National Solar Mission (NSM) discriminated against imported solar technology. 2. The DSB ruled that India domestic content requirement lacked domestic manufacturing capacity in solar cells and modules and there was risk of a disruption in imports.
7. SBI Launches SBI e Smart SME to offer Ecommerce Loan
1. India’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) has launched SBI e-Smart SME to provide a working capital loan for sellers on ecommerce platforms. It was launched by SBI in partnership with ecommerce platform Snapdeal in the presence of bank’s chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya and Snapdeal CEO Sri Kunal Bahl.
1. Rajendra Singh appointed as DG of Coast Guard
1. The Union Government has appointed Rajendra Singh as the Director General (DG) of Indian Coast Guard (ICG), country’s coastal protection force.
2. With this appointment, Rajendra Singh becomes first DG of ICG from its own internal cadre since it was set up in 1978. So far this top post was only held by officers who were commissioned in the Indian Navy. He will replace Vice Admiral HCS Bisht who has been promoted as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command.
2. Yoichiro Ueno appointed President and CEO of Honda Cars India
1. Japanese auto maker Honda Motor Company on 23 February 2016 announced that it had appointed Yoichiro Ueno as the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of its car operations in India.
2. Ueno will replace Katsushi Inoue on 1 April 2016. Inoue has been named Operating Officer of Honda Motor and Chief Operating Officer for regional operations (Europe region).
3. Yoichiro Ueno has been the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Honda Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. since January 2011.
3. Lok Sabha passed Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016
1. The Lok Sabha on 25 February 2016 passed Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The bill seeks to amend the Delimitation Act, 2002 and the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
These Acts regulate allocation of seats to the national and state legislatures, and delimitation (that is, fixing boundaries) of parliamentary and assembly constituencies.
2. Features of Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016
Objective: The Bill aims to empower the Election Commission to carry out delimitation of assembly and parliamentary constituencies in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal that were affected by the enactment of the Constitution (100th Amendment) Act, 2015.
3. Constitution (100th Amendment) Act, 2015: Under the 2015 Act, 51 Bangladeshi and 111 Indian enclaves were exchanged between India and Bangladesh on 31 July 2015. Enclaves are territories belonging to one country that are entirely surrounded by another country.
4. Bangladeshi cricketer Mashrafe Bin Mortaza appointed UNDP National Goodwill Ambassador For Youth
1. Bangladeshi cricketer Mashrafe Bin Mortaza was appointed as National Goodwill Ambassador For Youth by the United National Development Programme (UNDP).
2. In this regard, UNDP Bangladesh Resident Representative Robert Watkins presented Mortaza with a certificate of his official appointment in Dhaka.
3. With this appointment, Mortaza also became the first personality to be appointed as a goodwill ambassador for youth development in Bangladesh.
4. In his new role, Mortaza, who is leading the national cricket team both in ODIs and T20 formats, will advocate for youth employment in Bangladesh and help in country’s efforts in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The appointment is part of the UN’s efforts to rope in prominent individuals from the worlds of arts, sciences, entertainment, sport, etc as goodwill ambassadors to promote and realise the ideals enshrined in its Charter.
5. Goverdhan Mehta conferred Cross of the Order of Merit, Germany’s prestigious award
Renowned researcher in Chemical Sciences Goverdhan Mehta on 23 February 2016 was conferred with Federal Republic of Germany’s prestigious Cross of the Order of Merit.
Achim Fabig, the German Consul General in Chennai, presented the award to Hyderabad-based professor Mehta.
At present, Mehta is the National Research Professor and Lilly-Jubilant Chair Professor at the University of Hyderabad, which is among the top 10 Universities in the country.
6. India losses solar case against US at WTO
1. India has lost solar case against United States at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for in breaching of international trade rules. In this regard, WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) ruled that India’s domestic content requirement for National Solar Mission (NSM) discriminated against imported solar technology. 2. The DSB ruled that India domestic content requirement lacked domestic manufacturing capacity in solar cells and modules and there was risk of a disruption in imports.
7. SBI Launches SBI e Smart SME to offer Ecommerce Loan
1. India’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) has launched SBI e-Smart SME to provide a working capital loan for sellers on ecommerce platforms. It was launched by SBI in partnership with ecommerce platform Snapdeal in the presence of bank’s chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya and Snapdeal CEO Sri Kunal Bahl.
