The Daily Brief – 11th August, 2016

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• The first unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) has been dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. The 1,000-MWe KNPP-1 is the largest single unit of electrical power in India.
• The government has decided to send the Minister for Tribal Affairs, Jual Oram to hold a dialogue with the tribes of southern Africa later this month. The visit will begin a new Indian season of political, diplomatic and trade outreach to Africa.
• The Union Cabinet has approved amendments to the Maternity Benefit Act of 1961 to increase paid leave for expectant mothers from three months to six and a half months. In a first, women adopting a newborn and those having babies through surrogacy will also be entitled for maternity leave for three months.
• The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and South Africa for cooperation in the field of Tourism.
• The Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing and ratification of an Agreement between India and Croatia on Economic Cooperation.
• K M Hanumantharayappa has assumed charge as the new Chairman of Central Silk Board (CSB), for a period of three years. He is the 25th Chairman of the Central Silk Board and succeeds N S Bissegowda.
• The NITI Aayog has inked a pact with US Energy Information Administration (EIA) in a step to set up a portal to host all the data related to energy sector in the country. The web portal will host all the data related to energy sector including oil and gas, coal, solar and thermal energy etc.
• Dinesh Kumar Khara was appointed Managing Director (MD) of State Bank of India (SBI), India’s largest lender. His appointment was confirmed by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has been appointed for the period of three years.
• The Union Government has decided to set up a committee to look at easing the policy regime for e-commerce players, including the rules for foreign direct investment (FDI). The committee will be headed by Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog.
• The Union Cabinet approved a proposal to amend rules for foreign investment in non-banking finance companies (NBFCs). The amendment will enable the inflow of foreign investment in ‘other financial services’, provided that such services are regulated by financial sector regulators like the RBI or SEBI.
• Tata Chemicals has entered into an agreement with Norwegian company Yara International ASA to sell its Babrala urea plant and distribution business in Uttar Pradesh for $400 million (Rs.2,670 crore).
• Indian archer L. Bombayla Devi advanced to the pre-quarterfinals of the women’s individual recurve competition after defeating Chinese Taipei’s Lin Shih-Chia at the Rio Olympics. 
• The United States has approved the sale of up to 153 tanks, hundreds of machine guns and other military gear to Saudi Arabia. The U.S. State Department has approved the sale and notified Congress.
• About 45,000 jihadists have been killed in Iraq and Syria since the U.S.-led operation to defeat the Islamic State (IS) group began two years ago. Officials also estimate that the IS has lost 25,000 sq. km of the territory it once held in its self-declared caliphate in Iraq and Syria. The U.S.-led military effort against the IS started exactly two years ago, aimed at halting the group spreading across Iraq and Syria.

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