Daily Current Affairs for Competitive Exams: September 23, 2016

India and France sign contract for 36 Rafael fighter jets at a cost of 7.8-billion Euros

• The deal signed between the two governments, which will provide 36 Medium-Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) Rafaels
• The delivery of these will start 36 months and will be completed within 66 months since the date of the signing of the deal.
• Rafaels are equipped with missiles like Meteors and Scalps. Meteors missile has a range of 150 kms and Scalps missiles have a range of 300 kms. These missiles will help enhance India's defence capabilities.
•  Under the contract, 75% of the fleet i.e. 27 fighter are operationally available at any given point of time.
• Another important clause in the deal is that French industry will invest 50 % of the contract value back in India which is expected to help develop expertise domestically in the aeronautics sector.

Afghanistan signs peace deal with terrorist organisation Hezb-e-Islami

• Ashraf Ghani, President of Afghanistan has signed a peace deal with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of the Hezb-e-Islami.
• As part of the agreement, Hekmatyar will be granted amnesty for his offences. Government will release all Hezb-e-Islam prisoners. And Hekmatyar will be provided security by Afghan government.
• Hekmatyar, is popularly known as the 'Butcher of Kabul' for killing thousands of people in Kabul during the civil war of 1992-93. He was also a prominent anti-Soviet commander and has also launched successful attacks on US and Afghan forces.

Right Livelihood Awards 2016 awarded 

• The Right Livelihood Awards given by the Right Livelihood Foundation, Sweden have been awarded.
• It also known as Alternative Nobel
• White Helmets (Syria)- A 3000-strong volunteer group has been working in Syria since 2013. It has voluteers from local communities who work as fire-fighters, search and rescue workers, and medics. They have helped reconstruction of damaged public infrastructure. As a recognition of this, the group was awarded the prize.
•  Mozn Hassan (Eygpt)- A Feminist and human rights activist, Hassan founded the Nazra an organisation for feminist causes. Through her organisation, Hassan ensured inclusion of Womens' rights in Eygpt's  2014 Constitution.
• Svetlana Gannuskina (Russia)- Founded the Civil Assistance Committee, through which she has provided legal assistance to migrants, refugees and internally displaced people since 1990.
• Cumhuriyet (Turkey)- An independent newspaper known for its investigative journalism has been an outspoken about human rights, gender discrimination, secularism and protection of environment.

Three economists appointed to RBI's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)

• MPC under the RBI decides monetary policy by setting interest rates. It aims to bring significant changes in the power the RBI governor while deciding interest rates. The three economists are:
• Pami Dua- Director of Delhi School of Economics and is an expert in Econometrics  and forecasting.
• Chetan Ghate- A professor at Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi centre. His areas of interest in research are economic growth, economic development, fluctuations and monetary and fiscal policy in developing and emerging market economies. He is also a member of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) of RBI on monetary policy. 
• Ravindra Dholakia- Faculty member of Economics at Indian Institute of Management, Ahmendabad. He has been an independent director in many corporations  like Union Bank of India, Air India.