Current Affairs For Bank, IBPS Exams - 23 August, 2015

Current Affairs for BANK, IBPS Exams

The United Nations is exploring provision of “a broad package of technical and financial assistance” to the Northern Province at the request of the Province’s Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran.
Stating this at a daily press briefing at his office in the U.S. on Friday, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary General, said the proposed package was to “bolster citizen confidence in the peace process,” according to the U.N.’s official website which has published the transcript of the briefing.

He was replying to a question on reports in sections of the media about the U.N. Peace-building Fund considering funding “a purely national accountability mechanism” in Sri Lanka.
The spokesperson explained that initiatives aimed at advancing the process of reconciliation in Sri Lanka — by resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDP); national reconciliation; strengthening human rights mechanism and ending impunity — were being discussed for support by the Fund.
Pointing out that the U.N. support was always based on “inclusive and participatory consultations with all key stakeholders,” Mr. Dujarric said that $1 million had been dispersed to support resettlement and integration initiatives for IDPs in the Northern and Eastern Provinces where the Sri Lankan government returned lands.
To a question on the nature of accountability mechanism, national or international, the spokesperson replied that the U.N. was awaiting a report and recommendations of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.

HDFC Bank has launched ‘Dhanchayat’, an educational film to raise awareness on the dangers of borrowing money from unorganised sources.
This film has been launched under the aegis of Swachh Banking, the bank’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative.
As part of Swachh Banking, HDFC Bank-branded Dhanchayat video vans will travel across the country covering thousands of villages.
Through the film, the bank will showcase to the rural population the importance of transparency in dealings as also the dignity and self-respect of the individual in the borrowing process

Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company (SPARC) on Saturday said the U.S. health regulator had not approved its new drug application for anti-glaucoma eyedrop.
The product is to be manufactured at Sun Pharmaceutical Industries’ Halol facility and the USFDA has indicated that a satisfactory resolution of the current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) deficiencies at this facility is a prerequisite for the final approval of Xelpros, SPARC said.
A CRL is a communication from the USFDA that informs companies that an application cannot be approved in its present form.
SPARC had recently out-licensed the product to a subsidiary of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., it added.
The company had earlier also received a CRL from the USFDA for the product.
SPARC had submitted a response to an earlier CRL it had received from the USFDA, wherein no additional preclinical or clinical data was required, it said.

Italy dominated the men’s marathon 25km open water podium with Simone Ruffini taking gold and Matteo Furlan bronze at the world championships on Saturday.
Rufffini took gold in four hours 53 minutes 10.7 seconds at the Kazanka venue with Alex Meyer of the USA winning silver at just 4.4sec back.
Having finished fourth in the event two years ago in Barcelona, the 27-year-old American finally made it onto the podium.
Furlan claimed third after finishing one min 27.3sec back and won his second bronze at these world championships after a podium place in the 5km earlier this week.
In the women’s event, Brazil’s Ana Marcela Cunha took gold over the 25km distance with a winning time of 5:13.47.3 hrs with Hungary’s Anna Olasz second at 26.3 seconds back.
Germany’s Angela Maurer, who won a silver in the event at the 2013 championships, had to settle for bronze this time as she finished 1 min 20.3 sec back.