Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 20 September 2014

National

Union Tourism Ministry said it was working on a “cleanliness index’’ for cities in the country to encourage the best performers and, in turn, inspire others to spruce up.
In 2013, the government invited proposals from consultants for developing a cleanliness index with parameters and a scoring method to facilitate ranking of various cities and towns.

The Carnatic music fraternity is in a state of shock over the untimely death of Mandolin U. Shrinivas .
He was reportedly being treated for liver failure at the Apollo Hospital .
He had lately received a liver transplant and had recovered, but a lung infection proved fatal.

Robert Downey Jr. and Judi Dench Mark will be honoured at 2014 BAFTA Los Angeles Jaguar Britannia Awards, along with Mark Ruffalo, Emma Watson and Mike Leigh.
While Downey Jr. would be honoured with Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film, Dench will receive the Albert R. Broccoli Britannia Award for Worldwide Contribution to Entertainment.
Ruffalo would receive Britannia Humanitarian Award.
According to Deadline.com, the awards, which honour the individuals who have devoted their careers to advancing the entertainment arts, would be hosted by Rob Brydon on October 30 at the Beverly Hilton.

The White House confirmed that U.S. President Barack Obama intends to nominate Richard Rahul Verma to the post of Ambassador to India, said an official .
If confirmed, Mr. Verma will be the second Indian-American in a top State Department role directly responsible for Washington’s diplomatic engagement with India, alongside Nisha Biswal, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs.

Financial services firm BNP Paribas, in collaboration with the World Bank, has launched the first equity index-linked green bond that will help raise funds for products seeking to mitigate climate change.
The 30-stock equity index, to which the ‘World Bank Green Bond’ is linked, comprises companies selected on the basis of their corporate sustainability ratings.

The second Board of Inquiry (BOI) constituted by the Defence Ministry to probe the feasibility of reusing INS Sindhurakshak has recommended decommissioning of the kilo-class submarine.
The submarine was finally retrieved from the waters in June 2014 and handed over to the Navy. Since then it has been anchored at the Naval Dockyard in south Mumbai.

17th Asian Games began with a lovely show of colour, light and vibrant music at the Incheon Asiad Main Stadium.
Nepal led the athletes’ march, following the Korean alphabetical order, and loud cheers were reserved for Japan, China, Afghanistan and, of course, the host team.
Each team had been allowed only 130 athletes for the march past but China, a powerhouse in the sporting world, came up with a contingent which was almost double that number or more.
The Indian team, which had hockey team captain Sardar Singh as its flag-bearer, looked smart with the men in navy blazers and blue trousers while the women wore green sarees with blazers on top.
Saudi Arabia turned up with an all-men team, a bit disappointing considering the progress the country had made by fielding women at the 2012 London Olympics for the first time, but all was forgotten in the dance, music and lights.
A lovely display of ring gymnastics by children and later, the treat offered by Korean pop stars Exo, JYJ and Psy lit up the night.
South Korean President Park Geun-Hye opened the Games with the simple one-liner as is the custom and a little later, it was time to party.