Daily Current Affairs, 13th March 2019

1) Delhi Government Sets-Up High-level Committee To Reform Higher Education

•The Delhi government’s Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC), a think-tank that advises the government on key issues, has set up a 17-member high-level committee to “reform higher education” in the capital. The committee will be chaired by DDC vice-chairperson Jasmine Shah.

•The committee will “recommend goals, metrics, policies, and actionable plans for reforming Delhi’s higher education system within a year”. Nalanda 2.0, a non-profit policy think tank is collaborating with the DDC as the knowledge partner in the initiative.

2) 4th Internet of Things India Congress To Be Held In Bengaluru

•The 4th IoT India Congress, an event which will see digital technology leaders converge to discuss and explore business opportunities in mainstreaming Internet of Things (IoT), will be held in Bengaluru in August 2019. 

•The IoT India Congress 2019 will include tracks on segments such as healthcare, manufacturing, telecom, smart cities, energy, retail, cybersecurity, skills and development, IoT Standards, legal and regulatory, and agriculture.

3) C Lalsawta Sworn In As Mizoram’s 1st Lokayukta Chairman

•Retired IAS officer C Lalsawta was sworn-in as the first Chairman of the newly-constituted Lokayukta in Mizoram. He was administered the oath of office and secrecy by the newly appointed Mizoram governor Jagdish Mukhi in a swearing-in ceremony held at Raj Bhavan in Aizawl.

4) Sebi Lifts Foreign Investment Cap On Corporate Bonds

•Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) withdrew the 20%limit on investments by Foreign Portfolio Investors in corporate bonds of an entity. The regulator stated that the restriction is being withdrawn in accordance with a circular issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

•In June 2018, Sebi had mandated that no Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) shall have an exposure of more than 20% of its corporate bond portfolio to a single corporate.However, the central bank in February 2019 lifted the restriction in view of market feedback.

5) Axis Bank Names Rakesh Makhija As New Chairman

•Axis Bank has appointed Rakesh Makhija as Non-Executive Chairman for a period of 3 years. The 67-year-old, who has served as an independent director on the lender’s board since October 2015, will take over from Sanjiv Misra when his term ends on July 17. Makhija is also the Chairman of the bank’s Nomination and Remuneration Committee.

6) Sailor Upamanyu Dutta Clinches Bronze In Asian Regatta

•Young Mumbai sailor Upamanyu Dutta bagged the bronze medal in the Laser Standard race for men in the Laser Asian Sailing Championship which concluded in Singapore.

•The young sailor sailed superbly to gain India’s first ever medal in the competitive single-handed Laser Standard category. Nethra Kumanan of Chennai achieved a creditable 4th position in the Laser Radial event for women.