Daily Current Affairs- 13th January 2017

Dear Readers, we are presenting Daily Current Affairs for All Exams- 13th January 2017. Daily Current Affairs and General Knowledge is very helpful for IBPS Bank Exams, SBI , RBI Assistant,NIACL, SSC and Railway Exams.

1. Ken-Betwa River linking project receives environment, forest & tribal clearances

1. The ambitious Ken-Betwa river linking project has received formal environment, forest and tribal clearances. The project aims at addressing water needs of dry swathes in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. 

2. The Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation is working out the funding pattern with NITI Aayog.

2. Union Government forms committee to look into Haj subsidy issue

1. The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs has decided to set up a six-member committee to look into the Hajj subsidy issue. 

2. The decision has been taken in light of a 2012 Supreme Court order on gradually reducing and abolishing subsidy given to pilgrims by 2022.

3. Russia to ban cigarette sale to those born after 2015 

1. The Russian Health Ministry has unveiled plans to ban the sale of cigarettes to anyone born after 2015 as part of its part of a tough anti-tobacco strategy. 

2. It will make Russia the first country in the world to completely phase out tobacco. The proposed ban will go into effect in 2033, when the present Russian citizens (now babies) and younger reach adulthood i.e. when they turn 18 years old.

4. Europe’s first underwater museum opens in Lanzarote 

1. Europe’s first underwater contemporary art museum, Museo Atlantico (Atlantic Museum) was made open for public off the coast of Lanzarote, in Bahía de Las Coloradas, Canary Island in Spain. 2. The art museum sits 15 metres below the sea surface and has been created British artist Jason DeCaires Taylor. It exhibits 12 art installations and more than 300 life-size human figures, all crafted from high quality marine cement that guarantees to survive corrosive sea water for 300 years.

5. US President Barack Obama awards Joe Biden with highest civilian honour 

1. Outgoing US President Barack Obama has awarded Vice President Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, highest civilian honour. He was bestowed with this for an extraordinary career in public service. 

2. Barack Obama had picked up Biden, his former primary rival, as his running vice presidential mate in 2008. Before accepting the nomination, Biden had spent more than three decades in the US Senate. 

3. During this time he had amassed a large portfolio and body of work, including stints as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee.

6. Citi Bank India unveils voice biometrics authentication Citi Bank

 1. India has introduced voice biometrics authentication system for its phone banking clients. This will replace the current practice of interactive voice response. 

2. The technology allows its clients to use their voiceprints for authentication rather than remember multiple PINs or respond to questions used for verifying identities. 

3. The voice biometrics authentication uses voiceprint which is unique for each person similar to fingerprint. It is fast, secure and convenient as verification is completed automatically within 15 seconds. 

7. TCS CEO N. Chandrasekaran appointed Tata Sons Chairman 

1. TCS Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Natarajan Chandrasekaran (53) was appointed as new Chairman of Tata Sons, India’s largest ($103-billion) salt-to-software conglomerate. 2. His appointment comes after the Tata sons removed Cyrus Mistry as the Chairman. With this, Chandrasekaran becomes first non Parsi and only the third non-Tata after Nowroji Saklatwala and Cyrus Mistry to be named as Tata Sons chairman.