Daily Current Affairs: 02 April 2014

1) World Autism Awareness Day observed: The World Autism Awareness Day was observed on 2 April. The day was unanimously declared as World Autism Awareness Day by the United Nations General Assembly in 2008 to highlight the need to improve the lives of children and adults who suffer from autism. Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that manifests itself during the first three years of life and results from a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain. The disorder mostly affects children and is prevalent across countries, genders, races and socio-economic backgrounds.

2) New bank licence: RBI grants 'in-principle' approval to IDFC, Bandhan:  Reserve Bank of India( RBI) on Wednesday granted "in-principle" approvals to Mumbai-based infrastructure lender IDFC and Kolkata- based micro-finance Bandhan Financial Services for new bank licences. The RBI will also consider the application of India Post, but the central bank said it would done separately in consultation with the government. This would be the first time in a decade that new banking licences are handed out, since the formation of Yes Bank in 2004. There were 25 companies in the running.

3) Dipika Pallikal inks deal with adidas: India’s number one female squash player Dipika Pallikal has entered into an association with adidas as the sports apparel major signed the world number 11 for its latest women’s campaign ‘all in for #mygirls’

4) Axis launched home loan scheme for below Rs 10K earners: Axis Bank, on the occasion of its 20th anniversary on Wednesday, announced the launch of ‘Asha Home Loan’, a 30-year home loan product for first time home buyers in the lower income segment, seeking affordable EMIs. The home loans are for customers with family incomes of Rs.8,000-10,000 a month and above. Customers can pool their family income instead of depending on their individual income only.

5) Fin Services Secretary Gurdial Singh Sandhu on RBI board: Financial Services Secretary Gurdial Singh Sandhu has been nominated as a director on the Reserve Bank’s central board on Wednesday. “The Central Government has nominated Gurdial Singh Sandhu, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, as a director on the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India ...,” the RBI said in a notification.Visit:www.currentaffairs4examz.com

6) Vodafone, Airtel applied for Unified Licence to renew licences: Telecom major Vodafone and Airtel have applied for new telecom permits - Unified Licence - to continue their businesses in some service areas, including Delhi and Mumbai.  "As required under the conditions of auction, laid down in the Notice Inviting Application, Vodafone has applied for Unified Licence in Delhi, Mumbai & Kolkata service areas on 19 February 2014," Vodafone said in a statement.  Bharti Airtel has also applied for new licences in Delhi and Kolkata circles, sources said. The Unified Licences norms bar a telecom operator from holding any kind of stake in competitor.

7) RBI adopts new CPI as key measure of inflation: he Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor, Raghuram Rajan, on Tuesday, said that the central bank had adopted the new Consumer Price Index (CPI) (combined) as the key measure of inflation.

8) Karim Massimov named as the Kazakhstan’s new PM after Serik Akhmetov resigned: Karim Massimov, the Chief of Staff of Kazakhstan on 2 April 2014 was named as the new Prime Minister of the country by the President, Nursultan Nazarbayev. His appointment came following the resignation of Serik Akhmetov from the post, which was accepted by the President as per the Constitutional provision. This announcement of acceptance of resignation of Akhmetov was made by the President through a twitter message. Akhmetov was appointed as the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan in September 2012. Earlier, Massimov served as the Kazakh Prime Minister from January 2007 to September 2012 before Akhmetov.