Current Affairs Updates : 17 September 2014

1) Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives for three-day India visit: Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Ahmedabad on Wednesday on a three-day visit, which is expected to define the relationship between the two neighbours who have had a troubled past. Jinping, who arrived here from Sri Lanka, was welcomed by Gujarat Governor O P Kohli and Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, as well as the state Cabinet ministers. The Chinese President is accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan. He is the first important foreign dignitary to begin his India visit from Gujarat.

2) Boxer Manoj Kumar to finally get Arjuna Award: Forced to take the legal route after being denied the honour initially, Indian boxer Manoj Kumar will be bestowed the Arjuna Award as the sports ministry has finally accepted his nomination. Manoj, a 2010 Commonwealth Games gold-medallist, told that he was informed of the ministry's decision this morning. The controversial recommendation of boxer Jai Bhagwan for the Arjuna Awards had led to Manoj approaching the sports ministry officials, who, he said, had assured him that his name would be added to a list of 15 athletes in a review meeting.

3) Indonesia set to be awarded 2018 Asian Games: Indonesia is poised to be selected as the host of the next Asian Games in 2018 after Vietnam withdrew because of financial concerns. The decision will be formally ratified at an OCA General Assembly in South Korea on Saturday but OCA President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah told that there was an agreement in place to give the multi-sports event to Jakarta. Sheikh Ahmad acknowledged that Hanoi's pullout had posed problems the OCA had never faced before, but they had not been left in the lurch for long.

4) Lalitha Kumaramangalam appointed NCW chairperson: The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development has appointed BJP national executive member Lalitha Kumaramangalam as the new chief of the National Commission for Women (NCW). Hours after the Union Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Menaka Gandhi announced her appointment Ms. Kumaramangalam spoke of her keenness to mainstream the gender issue in a holistic manner. Ms. Kumaramangalam also stressed on creating an atmosphere of “respect” for women. She said while there are many terms like “empowerment, autonomy and freedom” used to vis-à-vis gender issues and equality, there is need to ensure that women are treated with respect.

5) Advani Appointed Chairman of Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha: Veteran BJP leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani, who was sidelined totally in the NDA government and the BJP, finally bagged a post in Parliament. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Monday appointed L K Advani as the Chairman of the Lok Sabha Committee on Ethics, which oversees the moral and ethical conduct of its members. Advani was recently removed from the party Parliamentary Board and party Central Election Committee. Interestingly enough, the Speaker had recently appointed L K Advani as a member of the Standing Committee on Information Technology headed by one of the youngest members of his party, Anurag Thakur. Advani will also be a part of the Committee on Public Undertakings headed by the BJP’s Shanta Kumar.

6) Rajasthan first state to ratify Judicial Appointments Bill: Rajasthan on Wednesday became the first State to ratify the National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2014 which was passed by Parliament last month. The Bill needs to be endorsed by at least 15 States before it can be sent for Presidential assent and brought into effect. The 121st Constitutional Amendment was also adopted by the House simultaneously.

Source : http://www.currentaffairs4examz.com/