Daily Current Affairs Updates: 08 February 2014

Daily Current Affairs Updates: 08 February 2014

1) Automatic SMS after confirmation of waitlisted train tickets: Waitlisted passengers will soon get status messages in their mobile phones if their tickets get confirmed before journey. A senior Railway Ministry official said the waitlisted passenger will get an SMS about the status of the ticket on the mobile phone number given at the time of ticket booking before the journey. Currently, one has to either dial the enquiry number 139 or use the Internet to know the waitlisted ticket status. CRIS, the technological arm of Railways, is making the software for the SMS-based service.

2) N. Srinivasan to become first chairman of ICC board: N. Srinivasan, President, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), will be the first chairman of the revamped International Cricket Council (ICC) board. He will take over in July. The ICC board, which will continue to be the primary decision-making body, at a meeting in Singapore approved a comprehensive resolution relating to governance, competition and financial models of the ICC. A new executive committee will be formed to report to the board. The initial chair of this will be Wally Edwards from Cricket Australia (CA) while the chair of the Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee will continue to be Giles Clarke from England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Two of the full members – Pakistan Cricket Board and Sri Lanka Cricket - abstained in the vote as they felt they needed more time to discuss the amended resolution with their respective boards

3) World Test Championship axed, Champions Trophy returns:  The Champions Trophy one-day tournament will continue in 2017 and 2021, replacing plans for a World Test Championship. The decision was taken at the International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting on Saturday.

4) RK Tewari tipped to be new CBDT Chairman: Senior IRS officer RK Tewari is tipped to be the new chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes, the apex authority of the Income-Tax Department. Sources said the final approval from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has been received and the Finance Ministry will soon issue orders in this regard.

5) General Motors CEO Mary Barra tops the Fortune global list of 50 most powerful women in business.  She, the first woman to run a global automaker, is followed in the list by IBM's Ginni Rometty at 2nd and PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi at the 3rd rank. ICICI Bank Managing Director 'Chanda Kochhar' (18th) is the only Indian, apart from Nooyi, to feature in this coveted list.

6) Finance ministry has extended Upendra Kumar Sinha’s tenure as SEBI head for another two years on 7th February. He has been doing a phenomenal job and this extension will give more time to continue pursuing reforms aimed at bringing more transparency to stock markets.

7) India’s largest paramilitary force CRPF has appointed five-time world boxing champion and Olympic bronze medalist M C Mary Kom as its brand ambassador.

8) Sachin set to lead MCC against Warne's Rest of World: Retired batting icon Sachin Tendulkar will be seen in cricketing gears once again when he leads the MCC team against Shane Warne-led Rest of the World side at the Lord's in a one-day game on July 5 to mark the bicentenary celebrations of the historic club.