Current Affairs of 9 february 2015

1. PM Narendra Modi constitutes 3 sub-groups of CMs within NITI Aayog
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has constituted three sub-groups of 

Chief Ministers within National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog.
It was announced by PM while he was chairing the first meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog in New Delhi.
First sub-group- It will study the 66 centrally-sponsored schemes and recommend which schemes should continue, which should be transferred to states, and which to discontinue.
Second sub-group- It will focus on skill development and creation of skilled manpower within states.
Third sub-group- It will decide on the institutional mechanisms to be evolved for Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, so that cleanliness becomes a part of life in perpetuity.
Key highlights of first meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog
In this meeting, Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and Lt Governors of Andaman and Nicobar and Delhi, and the Chief Ministers of the rest of the states participated.
PM has asked all the states to create two task forces under the aegis of the NITI Aayog, one to focus on poverty alleviation, and the other to focus on future development of agriculture in the states.
First meeting also focused on issues related to growth, investment, decentralisation and poverty alleviation.
PM also stressed on the role of the states and emphasised how Jan Dhan Yojana and Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan had become successful with cooperation of the states.

2. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan named in LIMCA Book of Records
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan’s name was included in the LIMCA book of records in the first week of February 2015. Her name was included for being the only woman of the country to represent the same Lok Sabha constituency on the same party ticket for eight times in a row
As a leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), she represents the Indore constituency of Lok Sabha in Madhya Pradesh. For the first time she was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1989. Since then she has been re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2009 and finally to the 16th Lok Sabha on 18 May 2014.

3. Union Government’s Sukanya Samridhi Yojna begins in Uttar Pradesh
Union Government’s Sukanya Samridhi Yojna under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) campaign has begun in Jaunpur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
The first account under the scheme was opened in the name of a three-year old girl Vedika Tiwari in this district by her parents.
Sukanya Samridhi Yojna under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) campaign
 It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22 January 2015 in Haryana to enhance the strength and honour of the girl children across the country.
 This scheme encompasses all the girls of every economic strata under 10 years of age to open Sukanya Samridhi Account in Post offices and in the Banks. This account will be opened by girls parents or legal guardians.
 In the account, a minimum of one thousand Rupees and maximum of One lakh fifty thousand Rupees can be deposited annually, upon which interest of 9.1% will be accrued.
When the girl child attains the age of 18 years, she herself would become eligible to operate the account.
Under the scheme, the girl child can withdraw 50 per cent of the money after reaching age of 18 for higher education. The 18 years deadline will also help preventing child-marriages.

4. Naveen Chopra to be COO, Vodafone India
 Vodafone India has announced the appointment of Naveen Chopra as Chief Operating Officer with effect from April 1, 2015.
Chopra is Director, Vodafone Business Services (VBS), and succeeds Sunil Sood, who will take over from Martin Pieters as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer from the same date.
Naveen joined Vodafone in 2004 as Vice-President – Corporate Marketing, and over the last 10 years has done stints as CMO and, subsequently, has led the Mumbai and Rajasthan circles as Business Head, before joining the Executive Committee as Director, VBS.
His successor as Director - Vodafone Business Services will be announced in due course of time, the company said in a statement.

5. Ratan Tata invests in online auto classified services provider CarDekho.com
 Tata Group Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata has invested in online auto classified services provider, CarDekho.com, indicating the strength of India’s rapidly growing digital consumption market.
It is Tata’s fourth such investment in an e-commerce firm. Last year, the business leader had invested in marketplace major Snapdeal, furniture e-tailer Urban Ladder and online jewellery seller BlueStone.
“Mr Tata, a deeply revered man in the Indian auto sector, has for the first time ever joined hands with an auto portal by investing in personal capacity.
“While the investment amount remains undisclosed, Mr Tata has agreed to advise the company as and when required,” CarDekho said in a statement.
This comes on the heels of the announcement of Series B funding of $50 million from Hong Kong-based investors.
“Such an investment by the man who has significantly shaped the Indian auto sector is a testimony to CarDekho’s plans in its quest to rapidly grow in the auto classifieds sector,” it said.
GirnarSoft, the parent company of CarDekho.com, is now valued at USD 300 million. It also runs other portals like BikeDekho.com and PriceDekho.com.
“Post our recent funding and investment by Mr Tata, we are another step closer to the group’s vision of becoming a global company through our innovative products and services.
“With the faith and confidence shown by Mr Tata in the company, it increases our responsibility towards contributing for the overall development of the online automobile sector,” GirnarSoft co-founder and CEO Amit Jain said.
He added that in addition to the marketing and hiring activities, the company is also looking at “few smaller acquisitions” to enhance business operations.
CarDekho.com has seen revenue growing three-fold since 2013 when the company received series A funding of USD 15 million from Sequoia Capital. 

6. Indians rank 16th on leaked HSBC list; Swiss on top
 With total funds of $4.1 billion, Indians rank 16th on the new leaked HSBC list of Swiss bank account holders from over 200 countries, while people from Switzerland are on the top.
The list, made public by an international body of journalists ICIJ (International Consortium of Investigative Journalists), comprises over one lakh HSBC customers and their bank accounts with balances totalling over $100 billion.
There are more than 19,000 clients not associated with any country, ICIJ said.
In terms of money in these accounts, account holders from Switzerland are on the top (USD 31.2 billion), followed by UK, Venezuela, US and France in the top five. India is at 16th place on this parameter.
In terms of the number of account holders, India is at 18th place (1,668 account holders), while Switzerland is on the top again with 11,235 account holders. Others in the top—five include France, UK, Brazil and Italy.
ICIJ said that its “Swiss Leaks project is based on a trove of almost 60,000 leaked files that provide details on over 100,000 HSBC clients and their bank accounts.
The data of these accounts were “secreted away by Herve Falciani, a former HSBC employee—turned—whistleblower“.

7. Google acquires iOS, Android app Odysee
 Google has announced its acquisition of Odysee, an iOS and Android app that facilitates automatic back up of photos and videos taken on users’ cameras or tablets to their home computers.
Odysee also allows users to set up private, automatic sharing with other people, and it had an API for integrating the service with other apps.
According to Tech Crunch, the company announced that it had acquired the app via a note on Odysee’s home page, as well as through a notification being sent out to app users. In it, the startup thanks users and also notes the details of the shut-down process.
The app is set to be shut down on February 23 and the Odysee team will join Google+.

8. JD(U) expels Manjhi from party
In the power tussle going on between Janata Dal-United factions in Bihar, one led by former chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday expelled chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi from the party whereas a Manjhi supporter MLA has filed a petition in Patna High Court against Nitish Kumar and party president Sharad Yadav for calling an “illegal and unauthorised” party legislature meeting on Saturday and electing Nitish Kumar as its leader.
Party president Sharad Yadav on Monday informed the Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, who reached the state capital on this morning, that JD(U) had expelled Jitan Ram Manjhi from the party. The Nitish Kumar-led faction of the party took this decision before meeting the Governor in the afternoon today. Mr. Kumar along with leaders of alliance parties such as RJD, Congress and CPI is to meet the Governor to claim majority in their favour for the formation of the government.
Chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi too is scheduled to meet the Governor later in the day to apprise him about the political situation of the state.
1. PM Narendra Modi constitutes 3 sub-groups of CMs within NITI Aayog
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has constituted three sub-groups of 

Chief Ministers within National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog.
It was announced by PM while he was chairing the first meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog in New Delhi.
First sub-group- It will study the 66 centrally-sponsored schemes and recommend which schemes should continue, which should be transferred to states, and which to discontinue.
Second sub-group- It will focus on skill development and creation of skilled manpower within states.
Third sub-group- It will decide on the institutional mechanisms to be evolved for Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, so that cleanliness becomes a part of life in perpetuity.
Key highlights of first meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog
In this meeting, Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and Lt Governors of Andaman and Nicobar and Delhi, and the Chief Ministers of the rest of the states participated.
PM has asked all the states to create two task forces under the aegis of the NITI Aayog, one to focus on poverty alleviation, and the other to focus on future development of agriculture in the states.
First meeting also focused on issues related to growth, investment, decentralisation and poverty alleviation.
PM also stressed on the role of the states and emphasised how Jan Dhan Yojana and Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan had become successful with cooperation of the states.

2. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan named in LIMCA Book of Records
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan’s name was included in the LIMCA book of records in the first week of February 2015. Her name was included for being the only woman of the country to represent the same Lok Sabha constituency on the same party ticket for eight times in a row
As a leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), she represents the Indore constituency of Lok Sabha in Madhya Pradesh. For the first time she was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1989. Since then she has been re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2009 and finally to the 16th Lok Sabha on 18 May 2014.

3. Union Government’s Sukanya Samridhi Yojna begins in Uttar Pradesh
Union Government’s Sukanya Samridhi Yojna under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) campaign has begun in Jaunpur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
The first account under the scheme was opened in the name of a three-year old girl Vedika Tiwari in this district by her parents.
Sukanya Samridhi Yojna under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) campaign
 It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22 January 2015 in Haryana to enhance the strength and honour of the girl children across the country.
 This scheme encompasses all the girls of every economic strata under 10 years of age to open Sukanya Samridhi Account in Post offices and in the Banks. This account will be opened by girls parents or legal guardians.
 In the account, a minimum of one thousand Rupees and maximum of One lakh fifty thousand Rupees can be deposited annually, upon which interest of 9.1% will be accrued.
When the girl child attains the age of 18 years, she herself would become eligible to operate the account.
Under the scheme, the girl child can withdraw 50 per cent of the money after reaching age of 18 for higher education. The 18 years deadline will also help preventing child-marriages.

4. Naveen Chopra to be COO, Vodafone India
 Vodafone India has announced the appointment of Naveen Chopra as Chief Operating Officer with effect from April 1, 2015.
Chopra is Director, Vodafone Business Services (VBS), and succeeds Sunil Sood, who will take over from Martin Pieters as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer from the same date.
Naveen joined Vodafone in 2004 as Vice-President – Corporate Marketing, and over the last 10 years has done stints as CMO and, subsequently, has led the Mumbai and Rajasthan circles as Business Head, before joining the Executive Committee as Director, VBS.
His successor as Director - Vodafone Business Services will be announced in due course of time, the company said in a statement.

5. Ratan Tata invests in online auto classified services provider CarDekho.com
 Tata Group Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata has invested in online auto classified services provider, CarDekho.com, indicating the strength of India’s rapidly growing digital consumption market.
It is Tata’s fourth such investment in an e-commerce firm. Last year, the business leader had invested in marketplace major Snapdeal, furniture e-tailer Urban Ladder and online jewellery seller BlueStone.
“Mr Tata, a deeply revered man in the Indian auto sector, has for the first time ever joined hands with an auto portal by investing in personal capacity.
“While the investment amount remains undisclosed, Mr Tata has agreed to advise the company as and when required,” CarDekho said in a statement.
This comes on the heels of the announcement of Series B funding of $50 million from Hong Kong-based investors.
“Such an investment by the man who has significantly shaped the Indian auto sector is a testimony to CarDekho’s plans in its quest to rapidly grow in the auto classifieds sector,” it said.
GirnarSoft, the parent company of CarDekho.com, is now valued at USD 300 million. It also runs other portals like BikeDekho.com and PriceDekho.com.
“Post our recent funding and investment by Mr Tata, we are another step closer to the group’s vision of becoming a global company through our innovative products and services.
“With the faith and confidence shown by Mr Tata in the company, it increases our responsibility towards contributing for the overall development of the online automobile sector,” GirnarSoft co-founder and CEO Amit Jain said.
He added that in addition to the marketing and hiring activities, the company is also looking at “few smaller acquisitions” to enhance business operations.
CarDekho.com has seen revenue growing three-fold since 2013 when the company received series A funding of USD 15 million from Sequoia Capital. 

6. Indians rank 16th on leaked HSBC list; Swiss on top
 With total funds of $4.1 billion, Indians rank 16th on the new leaked HSBC list of Swiss bank account holders from over 200 countries, while people from Switzerland are on the top.
The list, made public by an international body of journalists ICIJ (International Consortium of Investigative Journalists), comprises over one lakh HSBC customers and their bank accounts with balances totalling over $100 billion.
There are more than 19,000 clients not associated with any country, ICIJ said.
In terms of money in these accounts, account holders from Switzerland are on the top (USD 31.2 billion), followed by UK, Venezuela, US and France in the top five. India is at 16th place on this parameter.
In terms of the number of account holders, India is at 18th place (1,668 account holders), while Switzerland is on the top again with 11,235 account holders. Others in the top—five include France, UK, Brazil and Italy.
ICIJ said that its “Swiss Leaks project is based on a trove of almost 60,000 leaked files that provide details on over 100,000 HSBC clients and their bank accounts.
The data of these accounts were “secreted away by Herve Falciani, a former HSBC employee—turned—whistleblower“.

7. Google acquires iOS, Android app Odysee
 Google has announced its acquisition of Odysee, an iOS and Android app that facilitates automatic back up of photos and videos taken on users’ cameras or tablets to their home computers.
Odysee also allows users to set up private, automatic sharing with other people, and it had an API for integrating the service with other apps.
According to Tech Crunch, the company announced that it had acquired the app via a note on Odysee’s home page, as well as through a notification being sent out to app users. In it, the startup thanks users and also notes the details of the shut-down process.
The app is set to be shut down on February 23 and the Odysee team will join Google+.

8. JD(U) expels Manjhi from party
In the power tussle going on between Janata Dal-United factions in Bihar, one led by former chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday expelled chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi from the party whereas a Manjhi supporter MLA has filed a petition in Patna High Court against Nitish Kumar and party president Sharad Yadav for calling an “illegal and unauthorised” party legislature meeting on Saturday and electing Nitish Kumar as its leader.
Party president Sharad Yadav on Monday informed the Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, who reached the state capital on this morning, that JD(U) had expelled Jitan Ram Manjhi from the party. The Nitish Kumar-led faction of the party took this decision before meeting the Governor in the afternoon today. Mr. Kumar along with leaders of alliance parties such as RJD, Congress and CPI is to meet the Governor to claim majority in their favour for the formation of the government.
Chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi too is scheduled to meet the Governor later in the day to apprise him about the political situation of the state.

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