Current Affairs For Bank, IBPS Exams - 17 January, 2014

Current Affairs For Bank, IBPS Exams

The Reserve Bank of India fixed the reference rate of rupee against U.S. dollar at 61.3518 and the euro at 83.5223 as against 61.5325 and 83.8395.
In a press release issued by RBI, the exchange rates for the pound and yen against the rupee were quoted at 100.2120 and 58.78 per 100 yen, based on reference rates for the dollar and cross-currency quotes at noon.
The reference rate is based on the noon rates of select banks here and the SDR-Rupee rate would be based on this rate.

Global ratings agency Moody’s said India’s economic recovery is likely to be slow in the second half of 2014, but the outcome of general elections could have an impact on the growth prospects.
Without specifically mentioning about India, Moody’s Investors Service also said that sovereign ratings in South and Southeast Asia will be largely stable in 2014.
This, the agency said, reflects its expectation that global growth prospects will improve while global risks will decline.
General elections are scheduled to be completed by May-end.
The World Bank has projected that India’s economy will grow at over 6 per cent in 2014-15 and 7.1 per cent by 2016-17 as global demands recovers and domestic investment increases.
India’s economic growth slipped to a decade’s low of 5 per cent in 2012-13.
Growth in the first half of 2013-14 is 4.6 per cent, but the government expects the growth for the entire fiscal ending March 2014 to be at 5 per cent. A further pick up is also expected in the coming months.
Moody’s further said the structure of India’s government debt — which is owed mostly domestically, in domestic currency, at relatively low real rates, and at relatively long tenors — has mitigated stress on the government’s fiscal position.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited ( HAL) has bagged Top Rankers' Excellence Award for Organizational Excellence in Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) category.
Dr RK Tyagi, Chairman, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited received the award from the organizers at a function in New Delhi. The Top Rankers' Management Consultants is a Delhi based executive search company which provides recruitment and HR solutions to various organizations.
Speaking on the occasion Dr Pritam Singh, Padmashri and Director General of International Management Institute (IMI) said the awardees under different categories were chosen based on the leadership qualities and the potential of the organizations to be a game changer in their chosen field of activity.

Sachin Tendulkar will be conferred with the Bharat Ratna on February 4 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi by President Pranab Mukherjee.
Tendulkar, who retired from international cricket on November 16 after an illustrious career spanning 24 years, is also a Member of Parliament in the Upper House. The Rashtrapati Bhawan announced the award for Tendulkar on the day he retired, making him the first sportsman get the honour.
Tendulkar, who called it a day after his historic 200th Test match will receive the award along with eminent scientist Professor CNR Rao. Many believed hockey legend Dhyanchand should have got the Bharat Ratna ahead of any other sportsman but when Tendulkar's name was announced, few disagreed on the historic nomination.
The last recipient of the Bharat Ratna was legendary musician Bhimsen Joshi back in 2009.

Serena Williams got on and off court as quickly as she could in the scorching heat registering yet another record with match win No. 61 at the Australian Open as she advanced to the fourth round with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Daniela Hantuchova.
The five-time Australian Open champion later withdrew from the doubles, avoiding any extra exposure to the blazing sun during the once-in-a-century heat wave that was gripping Melbourne for a fourth straight day.
Two-time finalist Li Na, the major threat to top-ranked Williams in the top half of the women’s draw, had to save a match point before coming back to beat No. 26-seeded Lucie Safarova 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3 in 2 hours, 37 minutes.
Williams didn’t face any serious danger in her win over No. 31-seeded Hantuchova, whose only win in 10 head-to-head matches came in the corresponding round at the 2006 Australian Open.
Williams was off the court in 1 hour, 20 minutes, and has conceded just 12 games in three straight-set wins this week.
She equaled Margaret Court’s Australian Open mark of 60 wins with her second-round victory, and beat that in the third round when she also matched Lindsay Davenport’s record of 69 main-draw matches here in the Open era. That means she’ll set another record just by showing up on Sunday, against the winner of the night match between 2011 U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur and former No. 1-ranked Ana Ivanovic.