Current Affairs : 2 September 2016

• Two-day long 2016 BRICS Convention on Tourism has begun at world heritage site Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh. 
• State’s Tourism Minister Shri Surendra Patwa and Union Tourism Secretary Vinod Zutshi inaugurated the convention. 
• Delegations from the BRICS countries India, Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa are participating in the event. 
• The convention has been organized as a precursor to the BRICS Summit to be held in Goa in October 2016.

Railway launches insurance scheme for passengers traveling on e- ticket

• Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has launched an insurance scheme for passengers traveling on e- ticket. 
• To avail the facility, train passengers have to pay 92 paisa premium. 
• A person booking a train ticket through the IRCTC website will be eligible for the travel insurance and it is optional. 
• The facility will be available only for confirmed and RAC ticket passengers.

ISRO to launch Insat 3 D R satellite

• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch Insat 3 D R satellite on 8th of September. 
• According to ISRO chairman Dr A S Kiran Kumar, on 26th September SCAN SAT satellite will also be launched. 
• He said the SCAN SAT will be launched along with one Algerian satellite, two university satellite.

Anant Kumar inaugurates INDIA-CHEM 2016 International Conference in Mumbai

• Union Ministers for Chemicals & Petrochemicals Anant Kumar has inaugurated 3 day INDIA-CHEM 2016 International Conference in Mumbai. 
• It includes 23 countries, 282 exhibitors along with partner states like Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Orissa. 
• Anant Kumar has announced that Chemical Institute of technology will be launched soon in Mumbai.

India’s economic growth for first quarter slows to 7.1 percent

• India’s gross domestic product (GDP) slowed to 7.1 % in the April to June quarter of the current fiscal. 
• This is the slowest growth in the last six quarters due to the subdued performance of the mining, construction and farm sectors. 
• GDP had expanded 7.5 % growth in the year-ago quarter and 7.9% in the January to March 2016 quarter. 
• Growth in the farm sector 1.8 % and in construction it was 1.5 % during the quarter under review and manufacturing sector growth accelerated to 9.1%.

Anuradha Rao appointed as MD, CEO of SBI Mutual Fund

• Anuradha Rao has been appointed as the Managing Director (MD) and chief executive of SBI Mutual Fund. 
• She has worked as the Chief General Manager (GM) of personal Banking at the bank. 
• SBI Mutual Fund is a bank-sponsored fund house with its corporate headquarters in Mumbai, India.

Michel Temer sworn in as new Brazil president

• Brazil’s former vice president Michel Temer (75-year) has been sworn in as the new president (37th) after the country’s Senate voted to remove Dilma Rousseff from office. 
• Temer will serve as president until December 31, 2018.

Ashok Chawla appointed as Chancellor of TERI University   

• Former Finance Secretary Ashok Chawla (IAS officer of 1973 batch) has been appointed as the new Chancellor of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) University. 
• He is currently serving as the Chairman of TERI since February 2016. 
• TERI has ended its last association with former Chancellor and Head R.K. Pachauri, who was accused of sexually harassing a female colleague in 2015.