Detailed Current Affairs of Last 3 Months ... -...
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Detailed Current Affairs of Last 3 Months. Special Focus on Banking News 350+ Current Affairs Questions 100+ Stock GK Questions 100+ Banking Awareness Questions For any query or support mail us at [email protected] or use our App forum.
Transcript of Detailed Current Affairs of Last 3 Months ... -...
Detailed Current Affairs of Last 3 Months.
Special Focus on Banking News
350+ Current Affairs Questions
100+ Stock GK Questions
100+ Banking Awareness Questions
For any query or support mail us
at [email protected] or
use our App forum.
Banking and Finance Current Affairs
Current Affairs related to India and States
Indian Appointments
Global Appointments
Lists, Reports & Indexes
Awards and Honors
Current Affairs related to Sports
Current Affairs around the World
Obituaries
Days and Observances
Important Questions from December 2017
Expected Questions from November 2017
Expected Banking Awareness Questions
Expected Stock GK Questions
Table of Contents
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Current Affairs related to Finance and Banking
IBBI registration must for asset valuations under bankruptcy code
Professionals carrying out asset valuations under Companies Act and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code will have
to get themselves registered with Insolvency Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) from April to conduct such activities,
an official statement said in January.
A government notification in October had delegated powers and functions to the IBBI under Companies Act and
designated it as the authority under the Companies (Registered Valuers and Valuation) Rules, 2017.
Maharashtra govt sanctions ₹14,240 cr for farm loan waiver
The Maharashtra government in January made a ₹14,240-crore allocation for the farm loan waiver scheme and
for repayment to farmers whose produce was purchased by the State.
The State’s cooperation and marketing department in January issued a Government Resolution (GR) for the
allocation of ₹14,240 crore for the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Sanman Yojana, the loan waiver scheme
announced on June 24 last year.
Govt announces details of electoral bonds for political funding
The union government in January announced details of political funding that can be routed by donors to parties
through electoral bonds, a scheme announced by it in Union Budget 2017.
Electoral bonds will allow a political donor to purchase bonds from authorized banks. These can be redeemed only
through the registered accounts of a political party in a prescribed time frame.
Finance minister Arun Jaitley said the electoral bonds, which are interest-free banking instruments, can be bought
from specified branches of State Bank of India in multiples of Rs1,000, Rs1 lakh, Rs10 lakh or Rs1 crore.
The life of the electoral bonds will be 15 days and they can be encashed only by registered political parties through
a designated bank account.
Indian Railways to launch co-branded debit card with State Bank of India
To incentivise passengers to use the online ticket booking system and adopt cashless methods, Indian Railways is
set to launch its own co-branded debit card and also hold monthly lottery draw to give 100% cash-back to 10 lucky
passengers.
The debit card will be launched in association with the country’s biggest lender State Bank of India and the
transporter’s arm Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).
The move comes at a time when IRCTC is losing Rs 600 crore per year as post the demonetisation of specified
currencies in November 2016, the railways waived charges for online booking of tickets.
SBI inks pact with NABARD to promote JLG method of lending in West Bengal
State Bank of India has joined hands with National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development (Nabard) to grow its
priority lending book as the country's largest lender plans to raise its stake with small and medium farmers, a
majority of whom do not enjoy the access of bank loans.
The loans under this agreement will be given to small homogeneous groups of farmers carrying joint liability to
repay. Lending to joint liability groups (JLGs), pioneered by Nobel winner Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh and
implemented in India by microfinance companies such as Bharat Financial Inclusion or the likes of Bandhan Bank,
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is now an effective way of doing rural business for large private sector banks such as Axis Bank and HDFC Bank,
helping them to gain priority sector exposure directly.
JLGs consist 4-10 members who are engaged in similar economic activities including farming.
SBI is the first one to join hands with Nabard and its partner NGOs in West Bengal to promote JLG method of
lending to farmers at 7% interest in the state, which is characterised by fragmented landholdings and low credit
penetration.
SBI collects Rs 1,771 crore as charges from below minimum balance accounts
State Bank of India (SBI) collected Rs 1,771 crore during April-November 2017 as charges from customers who did
not maintain their minimum monthly average balance (MAB) in their accounts, according to Finance Ministry data.
According to India Express, this is more than the bank’s July-September quarter net profit of Rs 1,581.55 crore
and nearly half of the Rs 3,586 crore it earned as net profit April-September.
Crisil launches index to track FPI investments in fixed markets
Rating agency Crisil in January launched an index to measure the performance of investments of foreign portfolio
investors (FPI) in the fixed-income market.
The Crisil FPI index would serve as benchmark for performance of FPI investments in government securities, and
‘AAA’ as well as ‘AA’ rated corporate bonds with residual maturity greater than three years.
Prinicipal Financial to buy Punjab National Bank's minority stakes in JVs
Investment manager Principal Financial Group Inc said in January it would purchase Indian lender Punjab National
Bank's (PNB) minority stakes in their joint ventures.
The agreement, subject to regulatory approval, would give Iowa-based Principal Financial full ownership of
Principal-PNB Asset Management Co and Principal Trustee Co, the company said in a statement.
Govt approves Rs 5,369 cr waterway project on NW 1
The government in January approved the Rs 5,369-crore Jal Vikas Marg Project (JVMP) for enhanced navigation
on the Haldia-Varanasi stretch of National Waterway-1 (NW-1).
The project falls in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and major districts under its ambit are Varanasi,
Ghazipur, Ballia, Buxar, Chhapra, Vaishali, Patna, Begusarai, Khagaria, Munger, Bhagalpur, Sahibganj,
Musrhidabad, Pakur, Hoogly and Kolkata.
The project is expected to be completed by March, 2023 and will provide an alternative mode of transport that
will be environment friendly and cost effective.
About the funding part, the government said IBRD loan component will be Rs 2,512 crore (USD 375 million) while
the Government of India counterpart funds will be to the tune of Rs 2,556 crore (USD 380 million), to be sourced
from budgetary allocation and proceeds from bond issue.
Private sector participation under PPP mode would be Rs 301 crore (USD 45 million).
IICA, IPPB sign MoU to provide training on payment banking
The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) and India Post Payments Bank in January signed an agreement for
the training of employees of the latter in the area of payment banking.
With massive network of post offices, India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) can very effectively remedy the lack of
financial inclusion in India, he added.
APGVB introduces Desktop ATMs in rural India
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Move over independent ATMs, security and queues, here come desktop ATMs, that too in rural India. In a trendy
initiative, the Andhra Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank (APGVB) has operationalised it’s first desktop ATM at
Kasibugga in Mandi Bazar of Warangal in Telangana in January.
The mini-ATM within the branch premises will facilitate customers to withdraw small amounts. At the same time
regular bank account holders can withdraw money and do other banking activities. The model will be scaled up to
100 in the near future, said Narasi Reddy, Chairman. With these ATMs, there will be no need for separate ATM
rooms, so there is no security issue.
PHD Chamber signs MoU with IDFC bank, credit facilitation for MSMEs on chart
Eyeing at facilitating credit to the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country, the PHD Chamber
of Commerce and Industry (PHD-CCI) recently singed collaboration with the IDFC bank.
The main focus of the MoU between the PHDCCI and IDFC would be to facilitate credit support to the MSMEs in
the country. Also the chamber will assist the micro, small and medium enterprises with the documentation
procedures.
NABARD sanctions Rs 372.51 crore to Odisha
The NABARD has sanctioned Rs 372.51 crore loan assistance under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund
(RIDF) to Odisha towards irrigation and rural bridge projects for the last quarter of this fiscal.
A total number of 17,322 lift irrigation projects including bore wells, shallow tube wells, digging wells, micro river
lifts shall be taken up with Rs 130.17 crore from the assistance, the bank said in a release here in January.
Cabinet approves Zojila tunnel project in Jammu and Kashmir
The government in January approved the strategic Zojila pass tunnel project in Jammu and Kashmir to provide all-
weather connectivity between Kashmir valley and Ladakh, which remains cut-off from the rest of the world during
winters due to heavy snowfall.
Zojila pass is situated at an altitude of 11,578 feet on Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway which remains closed
during winters (December to April) due to heavy snowfall and avalanches cutting off Leh-Ladakh region from
Kashmir.
Indian Oil Corp takes up 2018 as 'Year of Trust'
Indian Oil Corp (IOC), the nation's biggest oil firm, has adopted 2018 as the 'Year of Trust' as it earned belief in the
delivery potential in programmes like PMUY, and decision of early implementation of BS-VI fuel norms.
Every second Indian is served by the company as it commands half of the auto fuel and cooking fuel market share.
Cabinet nod to India, UK pact to improve public transport
The government in January approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and London's
transportation authority to improve public transport in the country.
The MoU is aimed at improving the overall public transport system, improve passenger services and promote the
use of high capacity buses in India.
SRL becomes first diagnostics firm to record Rs 10 billion in revenue
Leading diagnostics chain, SRL Diagnostics (SRL) in January announced that the company had become the first
Indian diagnostics company to surpass Rs. 10 billion in revenue in 2017.
The platform is also the chosen lab partner for UNICEF's Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey.
Haryana to implement Integrated Solar Based Micro Irrigation scheme
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Haryana government has announced to implement the integrated solar based micro irrigation scheme (ISBMI) in
all districts of the State and formed a Committee under the Chairman of Haryana Renewable Energy Development
Agency (HAREDA) to chalk out a plan in this regard.
Presently, this scheme is being implemented on pilot basis in commands of 14 different canal outlets spread over
13 districts of the State.
India's 2nd largest rooftop solar power plant commissioned by GAIL in UP
As part of India's target to achieve 40 Giga Watts (GW) of rooftop photovoltaics (PV) by 2022, the state-owned
gas utility, Gas India Limited has said in a statement in January that it has installed India's second largest roof top
solar PV power plant at its Petrochemical Complex at Pata, Uttar Pradesh.
The 5.76 MWp solar energy plant is spread over the roof of warehouses covering a total roof area of 65,000 sq
meters
About GAIL
Gas (India) Limited is the largest state-owned natural gas processing and distribution company in
India.
Headquartered in New Delhi.
RIL commissions world’s largest ROGC complex at Jamnagar
In one of the largest capital expenditure programmes globally in the oil & gas sector, Reliance Industries Limited
(RIL) has commissioned the world’s largest refinery off-gas cracker (ROGC) complex at Jamnagar.
ROGC uses off-gases from RIL’s two refineries at Jamnagar as feedstock. It is part of the $11-billion capital
expenditure RIL had announced in one of the largest brown-field expansion of energy and petrochemical projects
globally.
Govt notifies 7.75% bond scheme for retail investors
The government has notified a new 7.75% taxable bond scheme to replace the earlier 8% scheme for retail
investors.
The interest would be payable half-yearly and the cumulative value of Rs1,000 at the end of seven years will be
Rs1,703. These taxable bonds to be issued at par are meant for individual other than Non-Resident Indians, it said,
adding these are not tradeable in the secondary market and are not eligible as collateral for loans from banking
institutions, non-banking financial companies or financial institutions.
RBI puts Allahabad Bank under prompt corrective action
India's Allahabad Bank said the central bank has initiated 'prompt corrective action' (PCA) against the state-run
lender over its high bad loans.
High net non-performing assets (NPA) and a negative Return On Assets (ROA) for two years in a row has prompted
the action, the bank said in a statement late in January, although it added the action would help improve its risk
management, asset quality and profits.
New ₹10 notes to be chocolate coloured
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is going to issue new Rs 10 notes under the Mahatma Gandhi series with chocolate
brown colour as the base. The new note will bear the picture of the Konark Sun Temple.
The apex bank has already printed around 1 billion pieces of the new note, according to people familiar with the
matter.
Air India ties up with foreign banks to acquire three B777 planes
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State-owned Air India has tied up with UAE-based First Abu Dhabi Bank as well as Standard Chartered Bank and
Mashreq Bank to avail short-term loans for acquiring three Boeing 777 aircraft, Union minister Jayant Singh said
in January.
Two of the aircraft are to be used for ferrying VVIPs, the minister of state for civil aviation said in a written reply
in the Lok Sabha.
The delivery of the three B777-300 ER planes is scheduled to be completed next month -- two in January and one
in February.
Paytm Mall partners with Samsung India to strengthen O2O channel
Paytm Mall in January announced a landmark partnership with consumer electronics brand, Samsung India, aiming
to strengthen its offline-to-online (O2O) model.
As part of the arrangement, Paytm Mall will now be hosting Samsung brand store on its platform to drive
immediate discovery and instant purchases of the brand's flagship range of smartphones.
NIIT acquires Eagle Productivity Solutions for $8.1 million
Skills and talent development firm NIIT Ltd said in January it has acquired Eagle International Institute (EII) for $8.1
million.
The acquisition will help NIIT expand its training capability for global rollout of cloud-based enterprise applications
in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry, NIIT said in a statement.
CCEA approves mandatory packaging of foodgrains in Jute Materials
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 3 January 2018 approved mandatory packaging of
foodgrains and sugar in the jute material for the Jute Year 2017-18. The Jute Year 2017-18 period is from 1 July
2017 to 30 June 2018.
The above decision of the Cabinet is aimed at sustaining the core demand for the jute sector and supporting the
livelihood of the workers and farmers dependent on the sector.
CCEA approved the mandatory packaging norms under the Jute Packaging Material (JPM) Act, 1987.
Union Cabinet approves revised Model Concession Agreement for building ports
The Union Cabinet on 3 January 2018 approved amendments in the Model Concession Agreement (MCA) to make
the Port Projects more investor-friendly and make investments more attractive in the Port Sector.
The amendments in the MCA call for setting up of the Society for Affordable Redressal of Disputes - Ports (SAROD-
PORTS) as dispute resolution mechanism, similar to provision available in Highway Sector.
Yes Bank, Nearby Tech bring cardless-pinless ATM service
• Fintech startup Nearby Technologies has tied up with Yes Bank to provide Aadhaar- enabled cardless and pinless
ATM service by which customers can deposit or withdraw money at retailers' place.
• Using the PayNEARBY mobile application on a smart phone, a retailer can become an Aadhaar ATM/Aadhaar Bank
branch for cash withdrawals and deposits by a customer, Yes Bank said in a release.
• Yes Bank and Nearby worked closely with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to launch this service.
GDP growth in 2017-18 estimated at 6.5%
• The growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) during 2017-18 is estimated at 6.5 per cent, as compared to the
growth rate of 7.1 per cent in 2016-17, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation noted in January.
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• As per data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), Real GDP at constant (2011-12) prices in the year 2017-
18 is likely to attain a level of Rs 129.85 lakh crore, as against the Provisional Estimate of GDP for the year 2016-
17 of Rs 121.90 lakh crore, released on May 31, 2017.
Madhya Pradesh to Levy 50 Paisa per Litre Cess on Petrol-Diesel to Raise Funds for Roads
• Petrol-diesel is going to be costlier in Madhya Pradesh. The state’s cabinet paved the way for the fuel getting
costlier by levying cess of 50 paisa a litre for boosting ‘infrastructure’ in the state.
• The cabinet has approved an ordinance, MP Motor Speed Bill 2018, which enabled government to levy 50 paisa
per litre cess on petrol and diesel and the funds would be invested into infrastructure development and
improvement of traffic, MP government’s spokesperson Narottam Mishra told newsmen after the meeting was
over in state capital.
NMCG approves Namami Gange projects worth Rs 295 crore
• The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) on 4 January 2018 approved five Namami Gange projects worth Rs
295.01 crore.
• Out of 5, three projects pertain to sewage management in West Bengal at an estimated cost of Rs 278.6 crore,
one relates to sewage management in Uttarakhand at an estimated cost of Rs 4.68 crore and one project worth
Rs 11.73 crore is related to ghat improvement works in Varanasi.
• With this approval of 5 projects, all the Namami Gange projects related to sewage management in high pollution
load towns along river Ganga have been sanctioned.
Sewage Management in West Bengal
• In West Bengal, sewage management works in Kamarhati and Baranagar Municipalities will be undertaken at an
estimated cost of Rs 172.10 crore under PPP-based Hybrid Annuity mode.
• Pollution abatement works for river Ganga in Berhampore Municipality will be done at an estimated cost of Rs
52.2 crore.
• Sewage management works in Nabadwip Municipality will be done at an estimated cost of Rs 54.3 crore.
Sewage Management in Uttarakhand
• In Uttarakhand, NMCG approved one project for laying of sewer lines in some of the uncovered areas in Haridwar
at an estimated cost of Rs 4.68 crore.
Sewage Management in Varanasi
• In Varanasi, NMCG approved a project worth Rs 11.73 crore for repair and retrofitting of various ghats.
• This project is aimed at strengthening the poor condition of ghats through bolder pitching and stone steps to
ensure improved life of ghats apart from avoiding inconvenience to the visitors and pilgrims.
Infosys partners Belgium telecom company Proximus
Software major Infosys in January announced it has been selected by Belgium-based telecommunications major
Proximus to implement a business transformation programme aimed at delivering superior digital customer
experiences for its enterprise clients.
As part of this programme, Infosys has been entrusted with the joint overall responsibility and ownership of the
Greenfield Excite programme, which includes simplifying and remodelling the company's portfolio of products for
the professional services market, the company said.
Three Ministries sign MoU for a Technology Mission for Indian Railways
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Three Ministries of the Union Government, the Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Human Resource Development
and the Department of Science & Technology on 4 January 2018 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
at Rail Bhawan, New Delhi for joint funding of Technology Mission for Indian Railways.
The unique effort is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’. The MOU
will facilitate the co-financing of ‘Technology Mission for Indian Railways’ by investment sharing for identified
railway projects for applied research.
The percentage division of the funding between the three ministries is as follows:
Ministry of Railways: 30 percent
Ministry of Human Resource Development: 25 per cent
Department of Science & Technology: 25 per cent
Paytm Payments Bank, IndusInd tie-up for fixed deposit facility
• Paytm Payments Bank in January said it has partnered Induslnd Bank to introduce a facility to create a fixed deposit
when the customer balance exceeds Rs 1 lakh at the end of day.
• Paytm Payments Bank customers can redeem their deposits instantly, anytime without paying any pre-closure or
miscellaneous charges and can earn up to 6.85 per cent annual interest, the company said in a statement.
TIHCL gets RBI nod to operate as NBFC
• Telangana Industrial Health Clinic Ltd (TIHCL), a State government initiative, has got RBI clearance to register and
function as a non-banking finance company (NBFC).
• It will be the first State promoted and co-financing NBFC, according to B Yerram Raju, TIHCL’s advisor and director.
TIHCL was floated in 2017 with a corpus of ₹100 crore, which included contributions from the State and Central
governments, financial institutions, industrial units and high networth individuals.
Google Tez signed up as Reliance Energy’s payment window
• Reliance Energy announced in January it has become the first utility to link up with Google for its Google Tez, a
Unified Payments Interface (UPI)-based payment platform. Customers can now download the Tez app and identify
their bank account through their registered phone banking mobile number which would be mapped to the bank
account and a Virtual Payment Address shall be created to effect all payments.
• Compared with other online payment options, Google Tez takes less time to make payments as there is no need
to enter card details, CVV numbers, OTP and other processes, a spokesperson said.
Janata Sahakari Bank launches “Jet Pay”
In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of creating digital India, the leading Urban Cooperative Bank
Janata Sahakari Bank Pune has recently launched the application called “Jet Pay” which is based on latest
technology of Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
Jet Pay app can be easily available on the Google Play Store. This application provides Money Transfer, Balance
Enquiry, Scan & Pay from UPI Mobile Application.
It is headqurtered in Pune, Maharashtra
IndusInd Bank and Dynamics introduce India's first battery-powered interactive Payment Cards
• IndusInd Bank and Dynamics Inc. at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) announced plans to introduce the
first battery-powered, interactive payment cards to the Indian market in 2018.
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• The new IndusInd Bank card from Dynamics has multiple buttons that let the consumers use a single card to pay
in multiple ways. With a touch of a button consumers can select credit, points or monthly instalments as payment
option. A different colour light will activate based on the selected payment option.
• The solution requires no changes to the payment infrastructure or merchant systems. A consumer can pay using
points or instalment anywhere MasterCard is accepted.
PNB ties up with NSFDC for assisting SC families
• Punjab National Bank (PNB) and National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC) have
tied up to provide financial assistance for economic empowerment of persons belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC)
families living below Double Poverty Line (DPL).
• A Memorandum of Agreement to this effect was signed by B.M.Padha, Corporate General Manager , Priority
Sector & Financial Inclusion Division, PNB and Devanand, General Manager, NSFDC.
Peru records highest export sales to India among Asian markets
• South American country Peru generated its highest export sales to India during January- October 2017 with
shipments totalling USD 1.57 billion, as compared to other Asian economies like China, South Korea, Japan and
the UAE.
• According to the country's Exports and Tourism Promotion Board, Peruvian sales to Asian markets went from USD
10.53 billion (January-October 2016) to USD 15.59 billion in the same period last year.
• The target markets included China, South Korea, India, Japan, the UAE, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Hong
Kong, and Malaysia.
Ola ties up with ICICI Bank to offer innovative solutions to customers, driver partners
Taxi aggregator Ola in January announced signing of an MoU along with ICICI Bank to bring forth a range of
integrated offers to their customers and driver-partners.
Through this alliance, two of India's most popular and trusted brands will bring together their respective technology
platforms to offer the following facilities:
Ola booking facility on ICICI Bank's mobile banking platforms: It will enable ICICI Bank customers to seamlessly
book an Ola and pay the fare by using the bank's mobile banking applications; 'iMobile' and 'Pockets'.
Access to instant small ticket digital credit: The facility will help Ola customers to get small ticket digital credit
instantaneously from ICICI Bank, on the Ola Platform.
Enable digital payments to driver partners: ICICI Bank will offer a 'Pay Direct' card for Ola's driver partners. With
this, Ola's auto and cab driver partners will be able to get their daily earnings directly into their 'Pay Direct' card
accounts.
Co-branded credit card: ICICI Bank will launch a new co-branded credit card in association with Ola.
Telangana becomes first state to monetise roads through TOT route
India's youngest state Telangana has become the first state government to take up asset monetisation through
toll-operate-transfer (TOT) initiative and has appointed transaction advisors for Hyderabad Outer Ring Road.
The TOT model, an asset recycling model which enables completed road projects to be monetised, is now being
initiated at the state level in India.
While the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
are expecting bids for the first TOT bundle of National Highways in February 2018, Telangana state has become
the first state to kick-off the asset monetisation exercise.
Union Bank of India launches Project Utkarsh
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The Union Bank of India (UBI) in January launched project Utkarsh, aimed at providing better services to its
customers.
Under Utkarsh, UBI would provide home loans in five days to savings bank account holders.
The UBI had been the front-runner in providing loans to its customers and also provided continuous services across
the State during the demonetisation, he said.
Apollo Tyres to invest Rs 1800 crore in first phase in Andhra Pradesh
Gurgaon-based Apollo Tyres Tuesday said it will be investing close to Rs 1800 crores to set up a new manufacturing
facility in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.
The resources earmarked are for developing the first phase of the unit, for which the company has procured 200
acres of land from the state government.
The construction work on the project will begin within the next six months and it will start rolling out tyres in the
following 24 months.
South Korea, GCCI sign MoU for business cooperation
An official delegation from South Korea and the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) in January
signed a memorandum of understanding for co-operation between industries in Gujarat and the East Asian
country, with a focus on automobile, defence and textiles sectors.
The South Korean delegation was led by the country’s Consul General in Mumbai, Kim Soungeun.
PhonePe inks strategic pact with rival FreeCharge
Flipkart's payments arm PhonePe in January said it has partnered mobile wallet company FreeCharge to allow the
latter's customers pay for transactions at PhonePe's partner merchants.
According to the deal terms, PhonePe has now enabled its over 45 million users to link their existing FreeCharge
wallets to the PhonePe app, PhonePe said in a statement.
Once linked, PhonePe customers will be able to spend their FreeCharge wallet balance at all online and offline
merchant outlets that accept payments via PhonePe, it added.
GVK inks pact with Cidco for ₹16,000-cr Navi Mumbai airport project
GVK Power & Infrastructure Ltd has signed a concession agreement for the mega ₹16,000-crore Navi Mumbai
International Airport project.
The agreement has been signed through a special purpose vehicle, Navi Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd with
Cidco, the nodal authority of the Maharashtra government for the implementation of the project.
Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, Allahabad Bank ink MoU for web portal to process
The Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry in January inked an MoU with Allahabad Bank for setting up an online
portal for processing interest subsidy to be paid to people who availed loans under the Centre's DAY-NULM
scheme.
The move is aimed at faster payment of subsidy to the people and enhanced monitoring system with availability
of a mechanism to ascertain whether the subsidy has reached the beneficiary or not, an official release said.
Under the Self-Employment Programme (SEP) component of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban
Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), loans up to Rs 2 lakh is available to individuals in urban areas for setting up
micro-enterprise. The loan limit is 10 lakh for a group.
Cabinet approves 49% foreign investment in Air India under approval route
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The Union Cabinet in January approved changes in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) norms to allow foreign carriers
to own 49 per cent in Air India under approval route, a change that will allow foreign carriers to bid for the national
carrier but with an Indian partner.
The earlier FDI policy allowed foreign carriers to own 49 per cent in Indian carriers, but had kept Air India out of
it, which has been amended by the Cabinet now.
Cabinet Approves 100% FDI In Single Brand Retail Via Automatic Route
The Union Cabinet in January approved a proposal to allow 100 per cent FDI or foreign direct investment through
automatic route in single brand retail. Currently, FDI up to 49 per cent is permitted under automatic route in single
brand retail but beyond that limit, government nod is required. The Union Cabinet in January reviewed foreign
direct investment policy in certain sectors with a view to attract more overseas funds.
It also cleared 100 per cent FDI in construction development via automatic route.
Bank of India inks MOU with RXIL for discounting invoices of MSMEs
Public sector lender Bank of India (BoI) in January said it has entered into an Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with Receivables Exchange of India Ltd (RXIL) as a Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) partner
for discounting invoices of MSMEs on digital platform.
Paytm sets up investment arm ‘Paytm Money’
Paytm in January announced that it has set up 'Paytm Money Limited', a wholly owned subsidiary of One97
Communications to build Investment and Wealth Management products for its users.
Paytm Money will be the fourth consumer brand from the company after Paytm, Paytm Mall and Paytm Payments
Bank.
Government divests paid-up capital in NMDC
The Government of India in January divested 2.52 percent of paid-up capital in National Mineral Development
Corporation (NMDC) for an amount of Rs. 1200 crore approximately.
Rs. 980.05 crore came from non-retail investors and Rs. 232 crore approximately came from retail investors
through Offer for sale (OFS) mechanism.
Digital transactions cross 1-billion mark in December
Overall digital transactions for the first time has breached the 1-billion mark in a month, having clocked 1.06 billion
in December, according to data released by RBI. It jumped by around 6.5% against November transaction
numbers, which was 998 million.
The growth has been driven by strong show from all forms of payments across Unified Payments (UPI), IMPS,
cards as well as wallets. The spectacular show of UPI has played a vital role having clocked almost a 40% jump in
transaction volume month-onmonth. UPI clocked 145.5 million transactions against 104.8 million done in
November.
CAIT launches Digital Rath to boost digital payments
In its efforts to incentivise digital payments in the country, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has
launched a Digital Rath under its national campaign “Cashless Bano India” in association with MasterCard to boost
digital payments among traders and consumers across the country and to motivate trading fraternity transform
from cash-based business formats to technology-led digitalised transactions.
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The Digital Rath was flagged off in January at Kashmiri Gate Market in walled city area of Delhi. The Digital Rath is
targeted to touch about 10 lakh persons across the country in ten cities including Gwalior, Jhansi, Kanpur, Kolkata,
Puducherry, Nagpur, Bhopal,Pune, Navi Mumbai and Mumbai.
French car maker Groupe PSA ties up with TCS for smart cars
In what is a validation of rise of Indian engineering and design process, French car maker Groupe PSA has
partnered with homegrown IT and engineering major Tata Consultancy Service for the development and
engineering of its ambitious emerging market Smart Cars plan.
Designed with a motto of 'Be Indians in India', the hiring of TCS by PSA is an attempt by a global conglomerate to
design and develop products for Indian buyers at Indian cost and compete strongly against Maruti and Hyundai.
GDP growth to touch 7.3 percent in 2018-19: World Bank
India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expected to grow by 6.7 percent in FY 2017-18 and will pick up to 7.3
percent in 2018-19, and to 7.5 percent a year in the medium term, a report released by the World Bank in January
stated.
The report titled 'Global Economic Prospects' for 2018 noted that the GDP figures of 6.7 percent for FY 2017-18
can be attributed to short-term disruptions arising from the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Niti Aayog to set up special cell for women entrepreneurs
Niti Aayog has announced that it would be setting up women's cell to help women entrepreneurs.
The announcement was made by Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant along with Telangana IT Minister K Taraka Ramarao
during the conclusion of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Hyderabad on 30 November 2017. Speaking on
the occasion, Kant said that the centre will extend support to women start-ups and entrepreneurs.
Key Highlights
The cell will be handholding women entrepreneurs on matters such as financing and intellectual properties.
It will act as a catalyst and facilitator for women start-ups that are viable and bankable.
It will also closely work with the Telangana State Government’s T-hub.
Atal Tinkering labs will be specially setup at schools that women own to promote innovation and instil
entrepreneurship among women at early stage under the Atal Innovation Mission.
The selected schools will be provided with robots and 3D printers.
Passengers can now book Rail Tickets from counters through UPI/BHIM App Payment System
With an aim to boost cashless transactions and passenger friendly measures, Railways Ministry on 30 November
2017 introduced the facility for booking railway tickets from railway counters through payment systems like
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) App.
This facility will allow passengers to book reserved tickets from Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters and
book Season Tickets (MST and QST) from Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) counters.
Army, Rajasthan govt sign MoU to improve infrastructure near border
The Indian Army and the Rajasthan government have signed an MoU to improve infrastructure for their posts
near the India-Pakistan border, an official said.
As per the memorandum of understanding, the Army will be able to use an airstrip in Lalgarh-Jatan area in Sri
Ganganagar district for 10 years.
RBI asks cooperative societies not to use word 'Bank' in names
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The RBI has asked co-operative societies not use the word 'Bank' in their names as it violates the Banking
Regulation Act.
In a statement, the RBI said that it has also "come to the notice" that some co-operative societies are accepting
deposits from public which tantamount to conducting banking business in violation of the provisions of the Act.
AP to set up India's first solar-wind hybrid project with battery back-up
Andhra Pradesh is planning to develop a 160 MW solar-wind hybrid project with battery back-up facility.
Significantly, this is the first such project to be developed in the country.
The project, to be developed on a 750-800 acre site, is expected to be tendered out by the Solar Energy
Corporation of India.
Telangana to soon have world’s first IT campus for differently-abled
The state government of Telangana on 2 December 2017 signed an agreement with Vindhya E-Infomedia Private
Limited to set up the world’s first Information and Technology (IT) campus for differently-abled persons in
Hyderabad.
The agreement was signed on the eve of the World Disability Day (WDD). The proposed campus will focus on
creating employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani inaugurates first phase of Chabahar port
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on 3 December 2017 inaugurated the first phase of the Chabahar port on the
Gulf of Oman. Pon Radhakrishnan, Minister of State for Shipping, represented India at the inauguration ceremony
of the Phase 1 of the Shahid Beheshti Port at Chabahar.
Chabahar port is the new strategic route that connects Iran, India and Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan. The port in
the Sistan-Balochistan province on the southern coast of Iran is easily accessible from India's western coast.
India's role in development of Chabahar port
• India has been closely working with Afghanistan and Iran to create alternative, reliable access routes for trade.
• India and Iran on 23 May 2016 signed 12 memorandum of understandings and agreements, among which the
most important one was the trilateral transit agreement between India, Iran and Afghanistan on Establishment of
International Transport and Transit Corridor.
• As per the MoU, India will operate two berths in Chabahar Port Phase-I with capital investment of USD 85.21
million and annual revenue expenditure of USD 22.95 million on a 10-year lease.
Paytm Payments Bank commits Rs3,000 crore for offline banking network
Paytm Payments Bank will invest Rs3,000 crore to create a network of more than 100,000 consumer banking touch
points over three years, it said in December.
The payments bank is inviting retail stores and mom-and-pop businesses to become its local banking partners,
which will be capable of accepting deposits, allowing withdrawals and taking in requests for new savings bank
accounts.
In December, 3,000 such outlets, called ‘Paytm ka ATM’ went live in Delhi-National Capital Region, Lucknow,
Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi and Aligarh.
South Central Railway inks MoU with ISB for capacity building
The South Central Railway (SCR) and Indian School of Business (ISB) have entered into a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) to collaborate in capacity building and research.
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As per a MoU signed here in December, the two entities will cooperate in hosting of leadership lecture series by
faculty from ISB, capacity building workshops to train and update officers of SCR in areas such as performance
management, strategy management and change management.
India and Germany sign Government to Government Umbrella Agreement
India and Germany on 4 December 2017 signed the Government to Government Umbrella Agreement concerning
the Financial Cooperation in 2016 (II) under the Indo-German Development Cooperation.
The agreement was signed to formalize an amount up to 200 million Euros for the financial cooperation in form
of loan for the project ‘Climate Friendly Urban Mobility III’ and 11 million Euros in form of grant for four projects.
Manipur
• The Loan Agreement was signed for the project “Community based sustainable Forest Management – Component
I Manipur” was signed with KfW, Germany for a loan of 15 million Euros.
Madhya Pradesh
• India and Germany signed the Loan Agreement for the project “Madhya Pradesh Urban Sanitation and
Environment Programme” for 50 million Euro as a reduced interest loan and 2.5 million euro as a grant.
Odisha
• The Loan Agreement was signed for the project “Sustainable Urban Infrastructure Development Odisha – Phase
II" for 55 Million Euros as a reduced interest loan with 2 Million Euros as a Grant.
Maharashtra
• Both the sides also signed the Loan Agreement for the project “Green Energy Corridor – Intra-State Transmission
System in Maharashtra” for 12 million Eurosin form of reduced interest loan.
ADB lends $583 mn for Reliance Power's 750-Mw project in Bangladesh
ADB’s financing package includes loans and partial risk guarantees for the power generation facility, as well as for
the LNG terminal. The total project cost is approximately $1 billion.
ADB’s partnership with Reliance Power will help Bangladesh scale up its energy infrastructure to sustain and
support the country’s economic growth.
RBI keeps repo rate on hold at 6%, inflation forecast increased
The monetary policy committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), led by Governor Urjit Patel, kept its
policy rate unchanged in December, as widely expected, after inflation accelerated to a seven-month high and
stronger economic growth reduced the need for monetary stimulus.
The market also seemed to be of the view that the six-member monetary policy committee will not change the
policy repo rate. Besides rising inflation, the issues of hardening bond yields and tightening liquidity have reduced
the scope for RBI loosen its stance.
RBI Rate as of 7 January, 2018
Policy Repo Rate 6.00%
Reverse Repo Rate 5.75%
Marginal Standing Facility Rate 6.25%
Bank Rate 6.25%
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RBI rationalises charges on debit card transactions
The Reserve Bank of India, In order to promote digital payments, came out with differentiated merchant discount
rates (MDR) for debit card transactions, prescribing separate caps for small and large traders.
The shift is aimed at giving a boost to the digital transactions in the country, as the government is not seeing any
expected result despite giving a major thrust to digital payments.
It is expected that introduction of differentiated MDR will help increase the acceptance of debit card usage and it
will also bring down the cost of transactions for small merchants.
MDR is the rate charged to a merchant by a bank for providing debit and credit card services.
According to the latest notification, MDR charges for small merchants with a yearly turnover of up to Rs 20 lakh
has been fixed at 0.40 percent with a cap of two hundred rupees per transaction by debit cards through Point of
Sale (PoS) machines or online transactions.
However, the charge will be 0.30 percent subject to a cap of two hundred rupees per transaction for accepting
payments via QR (quick response) code based transactions.
If the yearly turnover of a merchant is more than Rs 20 lakh, 0.90 percent MDR charges would be applicable with
a cap of Rs 1000 per transaction. And the charges will be 0.80% with a similar cap if the transaction is through QR
code.
India's GDP growth to rise to 7.5% in 2018: Morgan Stanley
The Indian economy is expected to witness cyclical growth recovery, with real GDP growth likely to accelerate
from 6.4 per cent this year to 7.5 per cent in 2018 and further to 7.7 per cent in 2019, says a report.
According to global financial services major Morgan Stanley, corporate return expectations and balance sheet
fundamentals are improving, and a strengthening financial system should be able to meet investment credit
demand.
CBDT extends deadline for linking of Aadhaar with PAN to 31 March 2018
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on 8 December 2017 extended the date for linking Aadhaar with
Permanent Account Number (PAN) to 31 March 2018.
The deadline was extended considering that some of the taxpayers have not yet completed the linking of PAN
with Aadhaar.
ADB lowers India's GDP forecast for FY18 to 6.7 per cent
The Asian Development Bank in December raised its economic growth estimate for developing Asia to 6 percent
for this year from a previous estimate of 5.9 per cent, citing stronger than expected exports and China's resilience.
The Manila-based ADB kept its 2018 growth forecast at 5.8 per cent.
By region, South Asia will remain the fastest growing region in Asia Pacific, the ADB said, even after the bank cut
its 2017 forecast to 6.5 per cent from 6.7 per cent, with India's growth outlook lowered to 6.7 per cent from 7.0
per cent.
Boeing to manufacture and assemble aircraft components near Bengaluru
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The state government of Karnataka on 11 December 2017 approved global aerospace major Boeing’s proposal to
set up an engineering and technology facility with electronics and avionics manufacturing and assembly on the
outskirts of Bengaluru.
The facility will be set up at an investment of Rs 1152 crore. It would be used to make aircraft components and
subsystems.
The facility will be built on the 41.7 acres of land that has been allotted to the company in the Aerospace Park at
Devanahalli, about 40km from Bengaluru. It would be adjacent to the Bengaluru international airport.
DCI, NHAI sign MoU to facilitate supply of sand
The Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National
Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on 12 December 2017 to enable the availability of sand for highway
construction work.
The Concessionaires working on highways projects have been facing a shortage of sand at many sites. Hence, the
agreement aims to fill this gap by facilitating the availability of sand for these concessionaires.
FundsIndia, YES BANK partner to launch UPI on mobile for faster, easier payments
FundsIndia.com, India's premier investment platform for mutual funds and equities, has partnered with YES BANK
to launch Unified Payments Interface (UPI) on their Android app for mutual fund payments. Powered by YES BANK,
FundsIndia becomes the first online mutual fund distributor to support UPI for client payments.
UPI offers the benefit of instant processing of payments and is currently the fastest way to complete mutual fund
transactions, compared to Net Banking, NEFT and other payment methods.
Rubique ties up with CIBIL to allow easier access to credit score checks
Rubique has announced its partnership with CIBIL in December, India's premier Credit Information Company (CIC)
to provide credit scores and valuable insights on its platform, thereby increasing the transparency in the
conventionally-opaque credit-seeking process for its users.
This is the first ever tie-up for CIBIL with a fintech company like Rubique. It is part of the Rubique's vision to
educate the population of India about the significance of credit scores in determining their credit-worthiness, and
to enable them to better understand their eligibility for loans, cards, and other financial services.
In a first in India, Kerala unveils GST enabled e-ticketing for movie houses
For the first time in the country, Kerala has readied a centrally-run, server-based e-ticketing mechanism for movie
houses. The state government will also roll out its e-booking app to reserve movie tickets within two months. The
online e-ticketing facility for movies, enabled with GST (goods and services tax) norms, is open through the Kerala
government website from Tuesday.
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However, in the initial phase, this facility is operative only for movie houses run by state-owned Kerala State Film
Development Corporation (KSFDC). In the second phase, this facility will be available to all movie houses in the
state.
OBOPAY gets a pre-paid instrument license from RBI
OBOPAY has secured a license for Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) from the Reserve Bank of India to operate a
semi-closed loop wallet in the country, the global mobile payments company said.
Using the PPI license, OBOPAY will solve various payment related problems for their partner clients bringing
efficiency and transparency to the payments process, improving reporting, and reducing turnaround times for
funds transfers.
AIIB approves $335 mn loan for Bangalore metro project
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in December said it has approved a $335 million loan to finance a
100-per cent electric metro rail project in Bangalore.
The multilateral development bank said in a statement that investment in the Bangalore Metro Rail Project—
Reach 6 (R6) is AIIB’s first metro project and its first joint financing partnership with the European Investment
Bank (EIB).
Centre inks $250 mn deal with World Bank for SANKALP project
The Finance Ministry in December said that the government has signed a $250 million loan agreement with the
World Bank for Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) Project.
“A Financing Agreement for IBRD loan of USD 250 million (equivalent) for the ‘Skills Acquisition and Knowledge
Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) Project’ was in December signed with the World Bank,” the
Finance Ministry said in a statement.
Arun Jaitley the Union Budget 2017-2018 announced SANKALP project aimed at providing market relevant training
to 3.5 crore youth across the country.
RBI hikes FPI caps in G-secs by Rs 11,200 cr to Rs 3,01,500 cr
The Reserve Bank in December revised upwards the foreign portfolio investors' (FPIs) holdings limits in
government securities by an aggregate of Rs 11,200 crore to Rs 3,01,500 crore for this financial year.
Under the revised norms, which are applicable for the March quarter, FPIs will be able to invest up to Rs 2,56,400
crore in Central government securities, up from Rs 2,50,000 crore earlier, the RBI said.
They will also be able to invest Rs 45,100 crore in state development loans (SDLs) as against Rs 39,3 00 crore
earlier, the central bank said.
MP approves Rs 7,546 crore Narmada, Parvati linking project
The Madhya Pradesh government has approved the Rs 7,546-crore Narmada - Parvati river linking project that
seeks to create irrigation facilities on two lakh hectares of agriculture land in Malwa region of the state.
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Narmada Control Board (NCB), in a meeting held yesterday, approved the project for linking the two rivers-
Narmada and Parvati- in Malwa region, a public relations department official said. He added that chief minister
Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired the meeting.
RBI fines IndusInd Bank Rs 3 crore over compliance issues
After Yes Bank and IDFC Bank, the banking regulator has penalised private sector lender IndusInd Bank with Rs 3
crore for non-compliance with central bank’s directions on income recognition and asset classification norms.
This penalty has been imposed in the exercise of powers vested in RBI under the provisions of the Banking
Regulation Act, 1949, taking into account failure of the bank to adhere to certain directions/ guidelines issued by
RBI, it said.
Income Tax department conducts surveys at Bitcoin exchanges country-wide
The Income Tax Department in December conducted survey operations at major Bitcoin exchanges across the
country on suspicion of alleged tax evasion, official sources said.
They said various teams of the sleuths of the department, under the command of the Bengaluru investigation
wing, in December visited the premises of nine such exchanges in the country including in Delhi, Bengaluru,
Hyderabad, Kochi and Gurugram, since early morning.
Railway Board forms panel to review Flexi-fare system
The Railway Board has initiated the process of reviewing the Flexi-fare system in premium trains by evaluating the
prices with that of other modes of transport in the same sectors. The move came after months of negotiations
and deliberations.
To initiate this process, the Railway Board has formed a 6-member committee to review the system and submit a
report in one month.
The panel consists of railway board officials along with Ravinder Goyal, Adviser, NITI Ayog, S Sriram, Professor of
transport economics and Iti Mani, Director, Revenue, Le Meridien, Delhi and Meenakshi Malik, Executive Director,
Revenue Management, Air India.
Government to reimburse MDR on transactions up to Rs2,000
The government will bear the merchant discount rate (MDR) charges on transactions up to Rs2,000 made through
debit cards, BHIM UPI or Aadhaar-enabled payment systems to promote digital transactions, information
technology (IT) minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in December.
MDR will be borne by the government for two years with effect from 1 January 2018 by reimbursing the same to
the banks. The move will have an impact of Rs2,512 crore on the exchequer. The decision was taken at the cabinet
meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prasad said.
Axis Bank to launch 'Axis Start-up Social'
Axis Bank, India's third largest private sector bank is launching an exclusive networking property, Axis Start-up
Social, at a 'one-of-its-kind' event aimed at supporting the country's start-up ecosystem.
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'Axis Start-up Social' will go 'live' in December at a gathering of the country's leading start-up players at 'WeWork'
a leading co-working place in Bengaluru.
The unveiling of 'Axis Start-up Social' comes close on the heels of the launch of the bank's innovation lab, Thought
Factory, which looks to aid start-ups to expand, besides opening up avenues with potential investors and
companies.
CBEC hikes customs duty on import of microwaves
The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) in December announced an increase in the customs duty on
import of microwave ovens and certain sections of mobile phones.
On microwaves, customs duty has been doubled to 20 percent, from the earlier 10 percent rate.
GST Council makes inter-state e-way bill compulsory from February 1, 2018
Ferrying goods across states may get quicker as the GST Council in December decided to make rollout of all India
electronic-way bill compulsory from February 1, two months ahead of the earlier plan.
The decision comes after the Council, headed by finance minister Arun Jaitley, met earlier during the day via video
conference, to decide upon the advancement of the implementation of e-way bill under the Goods and Services
Tax (GST).
Under GST rules, ferrying goods worth more than Rs 50,000 within or outside a state will require securing an
electronic-way or e-way bill by prior online registration of the consignment.
Cabinet approves continuation of centrally sponsored NAM scheme
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15 December 2017 approved the continuation of
Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National Ayush Mission (NAM) from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2020.
The government has set aside funds worth Rs 2400 crore for the project over the 3 year period. The Mission was
launched in September 2014.
The National Ayush Mission is being implemented by the Ministry of AYUSH with the objective of providing cost-
effective AYUSH Services.
Cabinet approves amendment to law on cheque bounce cases
The Cabinet in December approved an amendment to a current law to allow for payment of an interim
compensation in cheque dishonour cases with a view not to allow unscrupulous elements holding payments,
pending long trial, sources said.
An amendment to the Negotiable Instrument Act will allow a court to order for payment of an interim
compensation to those whose cheques have bounced due to dishonouring parties, a move aimed at promoting a
less cash economy. The amendment is likely to be introduced in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, while briefing the media about the Cabinet’s decisions, said amendment to
Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 has been approved. The minister, however, did not provide details about the
proposed amendment.
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Haryana Signs MoU With AAI To Develop Hisar Airport As Aviation Hub
In an effort boost aviation sector in the state, the Haryana government in December signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for development of an international aviation hub
at Hisar.
While adviser (civil aviation) Ashok Sangwan signed the MOU on behalf of Haryana, head of business management
Anil Kumar Gupta was the AAI signatory. The development has taken place after detailed study of various projects
or models in the country and the impact on grass root development of the Rohtak-Hisar-Sirsaregion by 2030.
Paytm QR announces direct payment acceptance into bank accounts
Digital payment giant Paytm has announced that its QR now allows offline merchants to accept unlimited
payments directly into their bank accounts at zero charge, in a bid to democratise mobile payments for both
merchants and consumers by offering them more choices and convenience.
Now, consumers can scan and pay at merchant outlets using their preferred payment methods such as Paytm,
UPI, Cards and net-banking.
Assam to hold its first global investors summit in Feb 2018
India's gateway to northeast India, Assam is all set to hold its first Global Investors Summit on February 3 and 4,
2018.
The summit will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and business delegations from the ASEAN
countries as well as countries like Japan, UK, USA, and Canada are expected to attend the event.
Business tycoons, including Tata, Ambani and Godrej, have held closed door meetings with Chief Minister
Sarbananda Sonowal on substantial investments to be made in the state.
Cabinet approves North-East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme
The Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15 December 2017 approved the introduction of a
new Central Sector Scheme - 'North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme’ (NESIDS) from 2017-18.
The scheme is being introduced to fill up the gaps in the creation of infrastructure in specified sectors till March
2020. It would be fully funded by the central government.
AU Small Finance Bank inks pact with Institute of Company Secretaries of India
In a bid to provide banking services, training and employment opportunities to the students AU Small Finance
Bank has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Institute of Company Secretaries of India on
December 17, 2017.
The bank recently also entered into an agreement with Asset Management Companies (AMCs) to enable
distribution of its mutual fund schemes.
GSTN permits taxpayers to file returns on quarterly, monthly basis
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Adding on to the new functionalities introduced on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Portal, the GST network
(GSTN) in December announced that it will now allow taxpayers to select the frequency of filing FORM GSTR1,
that is, whether to file on quarterly or monthly basis.
Taxpayers with annual aggregate turnover up to Rs. 1.5 crore, in the previous financial year or anticipated in the
current financial year, can avail the option of filing quarterly returns.
YES Bank, European Investment Bank to invest $400 mn in renewable power projects
• YES Bank joined hands with leading institutional lender of the European Union (EU), the European Investment
Bank (EIB), to invest $400 million in renewable energy projects. The fund, aimed at a period of 15 years, would
look to support solar, wind, electric mobility and carbon mitigating infrastructure projects. The investment would
be shared half among the two partners.
• The 15-year $200 million EIB loan was approved by the EIB Board of Directors on 12th December and financial
details of the new initiative are expected to be finalised in the coming weeks, said the public statement issued by
the Yes Bank.
AU Small Finance Bank joins hands with Sahaj e-Village
• AU Small Finance Bank has announced signing an MoU with Sahaj e-Village for extending its banking service in
remote areas through Business Correspondent Agent (BC) model.
• With this MoU, AU Bank will be able to further foster its mission of financial inclusion and greater customer
outreach. Started in 1996, as AU Financiers, in December AU Small Finance Bank has a track record of over twenty
years of serving the underbanked and unbanked.
Ola acquires Foodpanda's India business, to invest USD 200 mn
• Popular taxi aggregator Ola in December announced its acquisition of Foodpanda's India business from German-
based Delivery Hero Group, and has committed to investing USD 200 million in the food delivery platform's India
faction.
• Apart from the investment, the deal includes the transfer of Foodpanda's India business to Ola in an acquisition
deal in exchange for Ola stock.
Bharti Airtel to acquire Millicom's operations in Rwanda
• Telecom operator Bharti Airtel in December said that it has signed an agreement with Millicom International
Cellular S.A. to acquire 100 per cent stake in its Rwanda operation which operates under the brand name of Tigo
Rwanda.
• Under this deal, Tigo's 370 million customers will join the network of Airtel Rwanda. The acquisition will make
Airtel Rwanda the second largest operator in the country with revenues of over USD 80 million and a revenue
market share of over 40 per cent, the statement said.
India to host meeting of WTO member nations in February 2018
• India has announced that it would be hosting a meeting of World Trade Organisation (WTO) member countries in
February 2018 to muster support for food security and other issues.
• The announcement was made by Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu while speaking at an event
organised by Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) in New Delhi on 18 December 2017.
Skill Development Ministry, Maruti Suzuki sign MoU to impart skill training to youth
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• The Skill Development Ministry on 18 December 2017 signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoU) with Maruti
Suzuki to impart training to youth and enhance their employment potential.
• The agreement was signed by Vijay Kumar Dev, Director General, Directorate General of Training (DGT), Ministry
of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Mukesh Kumar Gupta, Vice President of Maruti Suzuki India
Limited in New Delhi.
India signs US$ 125 million worth financing agreement with World Bank
• India on 19 December 2017 signed a financing agreement worth US$ 125 million with the World Bank for ‘Skills
Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement Operation (Strive) Project”.
• The agreement for the IDA credit was signed by the Government of India with the World Bank in the national
capital of the country, New Delhi.
Niti Aayog to set up Methanol Economy Fund
• Government’s think-tank Niti Aayog is planning to set up a Methanol Economy Fund with a corpus of Rs 4,000-
5,000 crore. It aims to promote production and use of the clean fuel through this fund.
• The Niti Aayog is intended to produce the fuel by converting high ash content coal into methanol and such a plant
is likely to be set up by Coal India.
Finvasia gets licence to operate as NBFC
• Chandigarh-based Finvasia, a fintech company offering zero brokerage, has received the Certificate of Registration
(CoR) from RBI to operate as a non-banking financial corporation (NBFC). This extension will allow the company
to offer loan-based products to retail and corporates alike.
• The company plans to develop block chain technology based P2P (peer-to-peer) lending platform.
• Peer-to-peer lending, also known as P2P lending, is a practice of lending money to individuals or businesses
through online services that match lenders with borrowers.
RBI puts Bank of India under prompt corrective action
• After placing a host of mid-sized public sector banks under the ‘prompt corrective action’ (PCA) framework due to
their weak balance sheets, the Reserve Bank of India now seems to have turned its gaze on large banks.
• The Bank of India (BoI), in a stock exchange notice, said the RBI had placed it under the PCA framework, following
an on-site inspection under the Risk Based Supervision Model carried out for year ended March 2017, and the
report issued thereof.
Work begins on India’s first undersea tunnel for Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train
• Work has begun on India’s first undersea tunnel through which the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train will pass,
according to the National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL) which is overseeing the project.
• According to Achal Khare, Managing Director, NHSRCL, the body aims to complete the undersea tunnel by August
15, 2022.
• Khare told reporters that the tunnel will be constructed 25 to 40 metres below the seabed.
Odisha government signs MoU with KfW, Germany for strengthening urban infrastructures
The state government in December signed a MoU with KfW, a development bank of Germany to avail a
concessional long-term loan for strengthening urban infrastructures.
According to the MoU, the German-based bank would provide low cost and long term funds worth Rs 440 crore
for a period of 10 years to take up projects like energy efficient street lighting, reclamation and development of
water bodies, solid waste management, sewerage systems, water supply, storm water drainage across 113 urban
local bodies (ULBs).
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India announces $25 mn for Myanmar's Rakhine State for development
India has announced a development assistance of $25 million for Myanmar's Rakhine State, from where thousands
of Rohingya Muslims recently fled following incidents of violence against the community.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the amount will be spent over a period of five years.
Samsung, Axis Bank tie-up to offer 'Bill Payments' on Samsung Pay
Smartphone manufacturer Samsung in December launched its 'Bill Payments' on its flagship payments service,
Samsung Pay in partnership with Axis Bank.
The new feature launched by the company will enable users to pay their utility bills seamlessly via Samsung Pay's
secure and convenient platform.
Union Government fixes projected investment in infrastructure at ₹38.22 lakh crore
• The government has fixed at Rs 38,22,822 crore the revised projections for investment in infrastructure in the
past five years.
• Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in Lok Sabha that as per the NITI Aayog, the revised projection for investment
in infrastructure in 2012-17 is Rs 38,22,822 crore, which is 1.6 times the investment of Rs 23,77,746 crore achieved
in 2007-12 at current prices.
India inks deal on sharing Swiss bank data from January 2018
• In a move aimed at combating black money stashed abroad, India signed an agreement with Switzerland in
December that would allow automatic sharing of tax-related information from January 1 next year, the CBDT said.
TCS wins record $2.25 billion Nielsen outsourcing contract
• Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) has won a $2.25 billion outsourcing contract, the largest ever bagged by an
Indian information technology firm, from television ratings measurement company Nielsen.
• The deal marks the renewal of TCS’s engagement with Nielsen, which first awarded a $1.2 billion, 10-year contract
to the Mumbai-based company in 2007. In 2013, the deal size was more than doubled to $2.5 billion and extended
by three more years until 2020.
Reliance Infrastructure sells Mumbai power business to Adani Transmission for Rs18,800 crore
• Reliance Infrastructure Ltd (RInfra) in December said it has signed a definitive binding agreement to sell its
Mumbai power business to Adani Transmission Ltd for Rs18,800 crore.
• While initially the company will be paid Rs13,251 crore, about Rs5,000 crore will come into the company’s books
after the successful resolution of certain regulatory issues, most likely in 2018-19, Reliance Infrastructure CEO Lalit
Jalan told Mint.
Airtel Payments Bank Managing Director and CEO Shashi Arora quits
• Airtel Payments Bank Managing Director and CEO Shashi Arora has resigned in the wake of the firm's eKYC licence
suspension by Aadhaar-issuing body UIDAI.
• Arora has been working with Airtel in senior leadership roles since 2006. He was appointed MD and CEO of Airtel
Payments Bank on June 1, 2016.
Govt allows companies to paste revised GST MRP stickers till March next year
The government has allowed companies, till March 2018, to paste price stickers on unsold packaged products to
reflect new MRP post-GST, Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said in December.
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After Goods and Services Tax (GST) became effective from July 1, companies were asked to use stickers on unsold
packaged commodities to display new maximum retail price (MRP) till September, which was later extended till
December.
Yes Bank sets up Medium Term Note (MTN) programme to raise $1 bn
Private sector lender Yes Bank in December said it has established a Medium Term Note (MTN) programme to
raise USD 1 billion (over 6,400 crore) by issuing debt securities on private placement basis. “The Bank has, on
December 22, 2017, established a Medium Term Note programme for an amount of USD 1 billion, in order to
enable the bank to issue debt instruments in the international capital markets, to eligible investors, from time to
time, in one or more tranches and/or series,” Yes Bank said in a regulatory filing.
Govt Mint launches first home-grown high purity gold reference standard BND 4201
India’s first home-grown high purity gold reference standard - the Bharatiya Nirdeshak Dravya (BND-4201) - was
launched in December at the India Government Mint, Mumbai. BND-4201, which is the reference material for
gold of ‘9999’ fineness (gold that is 99.99 per cent pure), will be beneficial to the consumers and public at large to
ensure purity of gold, said IGM, Mumbai, in a statement.
Uttar Pradesh signs MoU with South Korea
The Uttar Pradesh government in December signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korea to
enhance cooperation in the field of tourism, skill development, culture and farming.
A delegation from Gimhae city of South Korea met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at Lucknow and discussed ways
to improve cooperation between the two countries.
Quikr acquires HDFC's digital, realty units in all stock deal
Mortgage lender Housing Development Finance Corp. Ltd (HDFC) in December announced the sale of two
subsidiaries focusing on real estate brokerage and online property classifieds to Quikr India Pvt. Ltd for a total of
Rs350 crore.
HDFC Realty Ltd operates the brokerage business, while HDFC Developers Ltd owns the HDFC Red platform for
online real estate classifieds. In a regulatory filing, HDFC said this is an all-stock deal, with the mortgage lender
taking a minority stake in Quikr India.
Economy may reach 7% growth in 2018: ASSOCHAM
The Indian economy may reach a 7 percent growth in 2018 with government policies tilting towards the stress-
ridden rural landscape, the recently released ASSOCHAM Year-Ahead Outlook (AYAO) pointed out.
The AYAO forecast also pointed out that after disruptions like demonetisation effect and GST roll-out, the
economic expansion may reach the crucial 7 percent mark by the end of September 2018 quarter.
Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh top list of most GST collection in India
Comprising about 24 per cent of the total cess collections of Rs 30,224 crore under the Goods and Services Tax
(GST) regime, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh are the top contributors among states and Union Territories in the
first five months of the rollout of the GST regime.
Maharashtra garnered Rs 3,702 crore and Uttar Pradesh collected Rs 3,549 crore through cess levied on sin and
luxury goods since the July 1 rollout of the new indirect tax regime, Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla
said in reply to a question in Lok Sabha in December. The individual contribution of these two states is even higher
than the cess collected through imports, which stands at Rs 2,604 crore.
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Karnataka ranks third with cess collection of Rs 3,110 crore, followed by Chhattisgarh that raised Rs 2,288 crore
as cess till November 30, the data provided by the government showed.
Patanjali to invest Rs 671 cr in Chhattisgarh to build food processing unit
Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved Limited (PAL), country’s fastest growing FMCG company, will invest Rs 671 crore
in Chhattisgarh for setting up food and herbal processing unit.
The company inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Chhattisgarh Government to set up the unit
in Bijetala village of Rajnandgaon. The facility would come up 500 acres area, about 100 kms from the state capital.
According to the company officials, the project would generate direct employment for 2200 persons besides
indirect employment for 22 million people. Nearly 20 billion farmers would be benefited.
India to link highway corridors to international trade points for ₹25,000 crore
To facilitate trade with bordering countries like Nepal and Bangladesh, India will link its major highway corridors
to international trade points at a cost of Rs 25,000 crore, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said.
About 2,000 kms of highways will be constructed under the plan.
The project is part of the Bharatmala Pariyojana, he added.
Odisha recognised as ‘Champion State’ for recording highest growth in exports
The Centre has recognised Odisha as a ‘Champion State’ for recording the highest growth in exports during 2016-
17, official sources said.
This was announced during a review meeting of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on the export
performance of states and formulation of strategy attended by L N Gupta, MSME Additional Chief Secretary,
Odisha.
MoU inked for Petrochemcial park in Kochi
An MoU for setting up a Rs 1,800 crore petrochemical park at Kochi, with the aim of making the port city a hub in
the petrochemical production chain, was inked by the Kerala government and fertiliser major FACT, owned by the
Centre.
It will come up in 481 acres of land owned by the Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore, the state government said.
The park was aimed at making Kochi a hub in petrochemical production chain on par with Jurong in Singapore and
industrial complexes in South Korea, it said.
World Bank signs USD 318 mn loan agreement to support climate resilient agriculture in Tamil Nadu
The Government of India, along with the Government of Tamil Nadu signed a USD 318 million loan agreement
with the World Bank in December, for the Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernization Project to promote
climate resilient agriculture technologies, improve water management practices, and increase market
opportunities for small and marginal farmers.
With the signing of the agreement, it is likely that about 500,000 farmers, of which a majority are small and
marginal, are expected to benefit from improved and modernized tank irrigation systems.
Centre releases Rs 167 crore to 9 states for border development
The Home Ministry has released Rs 167 crore to nine states with international border for the development of
infrastructure in forward areas, an official said in December.
The states which will benefit include Rajasthan and Punjab, both having international border with Pakistan, and
West Bengal and Assam, which share boundary with Bangladesh.
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An amount of Rs 167 crore was released recently by the Home Ministry to Meghalaya, Punjab, Rajasthan, Bihar,
Sikkim, Tripura, Assam, Himachal Pradesh and West Bengal under the Border Area Development Programme
(BADP), the official said.
Paytm becomes India's first payments app to cross 100 mn downloads on Play Store
India's largest mobile-first financial services platform, Paytm in December announced that its app has crossed the
100 million milestone on Google Play Store in the second week of December 2017.
This makes Paytm the country's first payments app to cross the 100 million downloads mark.
Lok Sabha passes bill for GST cess hike on luxury cars to 25 per cent
The Lok Sabha in December approved a bill to hike cess on luxury vehicles from 15 per cent to 25 per cent with a
view to enhance funds to compensate states for revenue loss following the rollout of GST.
The GST (Compensation to States) Amendment Bill, 2017, was passed by the Lower House amid uproar by the
opposition over controversial comments made by Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde on secularism and the
Constitution.
Only 1.7% Indians paid income tax in 2015-16: IT Department
Just over 2 crore Indians, or 1.7 per cent of the total population, paid income tax in the assessment year (AY) 2015-
16, according to data released by the I-T department.
The number of income-tax return filers increased to 4.07 crore in assessment year 2015-16 (FY 2014-2015) from
3.65 crore in the previous year but only 2.06 crore actually paid tax as the others claimed income below taxable
limits.
In the previous AY 2014-15, 1.91 crore out of 3.65 crore who filed returns, had paid income tax.
But the total income tax paid by individuals declined to Rs 1.88 lakh crore in AY 2015-16 from Rs 1.91 lakh crore
in AY 2014-15.
SLCM ties up with HDFC, IndusInd bank for post harvest credit
Agri service solutions provider Sohan Lal Commodity Management (SLCM) having operations across India and
Myanmar has tied up with HDFC Bank and IndusInd Bank to provide collateral management services.
SLCM will leverage its proprietary (patent pending) technology 'Agri Reach' and support both these banks towards
offering more efficient post-harvest credit and storage service to farmers, millers and other stakeholders in the
agriculture sector.
Lendingkart raises Rs25 crore debt from State Bank of India
Lendingkart has raised Rs25 crore in debt from State Bank of India (SBI), a first for the country’s largest public
sector lender vis-a-vis a digital lending start-up.
In a statement, Lendingkart said the Rs25 crore loan is in the form of cash credit facility which essentially allows
the company to draw the amount over separate tranches as and when it needs it.
India, World Bank ink $40m loan agreement for UP tourism
An agreement for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) credit of USD 40 Million for
'U.P. Pro-Poor Tourism Development Project' was inked in December between the Government of India and the
World Bank.
The IBRD will grant the loan which has a 5-year grace period, and maturity term of 19 years.
KKR gets RBI nod to start India’s 1st Foreign-owned ARC
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US buyout giant KKR & Co has become the first foreign investor to fully own an asset reconstruction company
(ARC) in India as it received approval from the Reserve Bank of India at a time when lenders are fighting with a
pile of bad loans that have crippled their businesses.
KKR, one of the most aggressive investors in financial services, plans to deploy a major chunk from its record Asia
fund for buying troubled assets in the country,
S&P puts Indian banks in 'Group 5' with Italy, Spain, UAE
The Indian banking sector has been classified under 'Group 5' along with countries such as Italy, Spain, Ireland,
the UAE and South Africa by rating agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) on the basis of their economy and industry
risk criteria, the American analysts said in December.
Noting that the "low-income" Indian economy and the government's limited fiscal flexibility constrain the
country's economic resilience, S&P in its "Banking Industry Country Risk Assessment: India", however, said the
medium-term outlook for growth remains healthy, which "provide sound development opportunities for Indian
banks".
Telangana becomes first Indian state to give farmers 24-hour free electricity from Dec 31
Farmers in Telangana will get 24-hour free power supply from the midnight of December 31, the state government
said in December.
"Telangana is going to create history by becoming the first state in the country offering free power to farmers 24
hours a day," a release from the government said.
As many as 23 lakh agricultural pump sets will be provided free power boosting the overall power demand to
11,000 MW by March next year, it added.
Pluto Exchange launches India’s first bitcoin trading app
At a time when bitcoins are in focus for the wrong reasons, cryptocurrency dealer Pluto Exchange in December
announced the launch of India’s first mobile application for transacting in virtual currencies.
At a press conference here, Pluto Exchange founder and Chief Executive Bharat Verma said his company is all set
to launch the country’s first app-based wallet that enables bitcoin transactions using a mobile number.
Lok Sabha passes Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill
The Lok Sabha in December passed the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill 2017. The new
amendments are part of the ordinance that was brought in earlier last month.
The Bill prohibits certain persons from submitting a resolution plan in case of defaults. These include wilful
defaulters, promoters or management of the company having an outstanding non-performing debt for over a
year.
The Bill also has provisions to bar the sale of property of a defaulter to such persons during liquidation.
Reliance Jio to buy Reliance Communication's wireless assets in $3.75 billion deal
Debt-laden Reliance Communications has signed a deal to sell its wireless assets to Reliance Jio Infocomm, for a
total value of nearly 240 billion rupees ($3.75 billion), two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters in
December.
The two companies had announced late in December that Reliance Communications, backed by businessman Anil
Ambani, would sell all its spectrum, tower, fibre optic and other telecom infrastructure assets to Jio, which is
owned by Reliance Industries and is controlled by Anil Ambani's elder brother Mukesh Ambani, India's richest
person. They did not give the value of the deal.
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Rs 14,500 crore has been raised through its BHARAT 22 Exchange Traded Fund (ETF)
The Central Government revealed that an amount of Rs 14,500 crore has been raised through its BHARAT 22
Exchange Traded Fund (ETF), which was created to benefit long-term and retail investors by providing an
opportunity to purchase equity stocks of government-run companies and earn stable returns.
The objective of BHARAT 22 ETF is to invest in constituents (22 companies) of S&P BSE Bharat 22 Index and
endeavour to provide returns before expenses, which closely correspond to the total returns of the index.
Assam gets Rs1,250 crore central fund for inland water transport
Union minister Nitin Gadkari in December announced that Rs1,250 crore has been sanctioned for overall
development of inland water transport of Assam.
The union minister for road transport, highways and shipping asked the state water resources department to
involve a foreign consultant, if required, for preparing the Detailed Project Report (DPR) within three months, it
added.
Allahabad Bank ties up with National e-Governance Services Limited (NeSL)
Allahabad Bank in December entered into an agreement with state-run National e-Governance Services Limited
(NeSL) for utilizing the latter’s Information Utility Services envisaged under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code,
2016.
NeSL, owned by the government, is the first Information Utility entity registered by Insolvency and bankruptcy
Board of India under IBBI (IU) Regulations, 2017.
Bank of Baroda to acquire 51% stake in two JVs from UniCredit
Bank of Baroda has entered into an agreement with UniCredit SPA, Baroda Pioneer Asset Management Company
Ltd and Baroda Pioneer Trustee Company Pvt Ltd to acquire a 51% stake in both the asset manager and trustee
company.
In a notice to the stock exchanges, the bank said it will acquire the stake from its joint venture partner UniCredit
SPA, becoming the single largest shareholder in Baroda Pioneer Asset Management and Baroda Pioneer Trustee.
"Bhavantar Bharpai": Haryana became the first state in the country to provide “secured price” of vegetable crops to its
farmers
The Haryana Government in December launched country’s first ‘Bhavantar Bharpai’ a scheme which would come
into effect on January through which the state government would compensate farmers for price deficit for
agricultural produce in which tomato, onion, potato and cauliflower have been included.
The scheme, which mirrors a similar project that the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has launched to ensure
farmers were compensated for their agricultural produce, comes at a time when there is deep dissatisfaction
among farmers over the uncertain price of their crops.
The scheme will apply only to farmers growing vegetables.
Union Government constitutes Arun Jaitley led committee to oversee PSU bank mergers
The Union Government on 31 October 2017 constituted a ministerial committee headed by Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley to oversee merger proposals of 21 state-owned PSU banks.
The other members of the committee include Railways and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal and Defence Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman.
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Besides this, the Union Government is working on banking reforms and constituted an Alternative Mechanism for
Public Sector Banks. The mechanism will oversee the proposals coming from boards of PSBs for consolidation.
Earlier in October 2017, the Union Government announced a Rs 2.11 trillion Bank Recapitalisation Plan for public
sector banks to stimulate the flow of credit to fuel private investment.
Assam signs MoUs with Singapore for skilling state’s youth
Assam government in November signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) and Terms of Reference (ToR)
with Singapore for skilling youth of the state.
The MoU and ToR for North East Skills Centre (NESC) was signed between Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship
Department, of Assam government and ITE Education Service, Singapore in the presence of Foreign Affairs
Minister of Singapore Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal here.
An MoU for Guwahati City Greening was inked between the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority and
Singapore Corporation Enterprise.
Cabinet approves extension of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana for three years
The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved
the continuation of centrally sponsored scheme- Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) as Rashtriya Krishi Vikas
Yojana- Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied sector Rejuvenation (RKVY-RAFTAAR) for a period of
three years, from 2017-18 to 2019-20.
The government would be allocating Rs 15,722 Cr for the implementation of the plan. The main objective behind
the development is to make farming a remunerative economic activity by strengthening the farmer's effort, risk
mitigation and promoting agri¬business entrepreneurship.
The funds set aside for the plan would be provided to the states as 60:40 grants between Centre and States and 90:10 in
the case of Himalayan and North Eastern states through the following streams:
1. Regular RKVY-RAFTAAR (Infrastructure & Assets and Production Growth) with 70 per cent of annual outlay will be
allocated to states as grants based for the following activities:
a. Infrastructure and assets with 50 per cent of regular RKVY-RAFTAAR outlay.
b. Value addition linked production projects with 30 per cent of regular RKVY-RAFTAAR outlay.
c. Flexi-funds with 20 per cent of regular RKVY-RAFTAAR outlay. States can use this for supporting any
projects as per the local needs.
2. RKVY-RAFTAAR special sub-schemes of National priorities – 20 per cent of annual outlay
3. Innovation and agri-entrepreneur development through creating end-to-end solution, skill development and
financial support for setting up the agri-enterprise -10 per cent of annual outlay including 2 per cent of
administrative costs.
CCEA approves Special Banking Arrangement for payment to fertilizer companies
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 1 November 2017 approved the implementation of Special
Banking Arrangement (SBA) of Rs 10000 crore for payment of outstanding claims to fertilizer companies in the
year 2016-17.
CCEA also permitted that Department of Fertilizers will avail the SBA with the consensus of Department of
Expenditure.
Under the Special Banking Arrangement, a total loan of Rs 9969 crore for settlement of outstanding subsidy bills
with SBI was raised by the Union Government.
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The loan amount along with interest liability on the part of Union Government amounting to Rs 80.90 crore was
paid to SBI.
SBA for an amount of Rs 10,00 crore for the year 2016-17 has already been implemented to overcome the liquidity
problems of the fertilizer companies.
PFRDA increases maximum age of joining under NPS-Private Sector to 65 years
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) on 1 November 2017 increased the maximum
age of joining under National Pension System (NPS)-Private Sector (All Citizen and Corporate Model) from the
existing 60 years to 65 years of age.
The above decision was taken to increase the pension coverage in the country.
With this, any Indian Citizen, resident or non-resident, between the age of 60- 65 years can now join NPS and
continue up to the age of 70 years in NPS.
Moreover, the subscribers who are willing to join NPS at the later stage of life will be able to avail the benefits of
NPS.
CBDT notifies rules for furnishing Master File and Country-by-Country Report
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on 1 November 2017 notified the rules for maintaining and furnishing
the Master File and Country-by-Country Report.
The due date for filing the Country-by-Country report and furnishing the Master File for reportable accounting
year 2016-17 is 31 March 2018.
The threshold for the Country-By-Country Report is total consolidated revenue of Rs 5500 crore or more.
The threshold for the Master File is consolidated revenue exceeding Rs 500 crore and either the aggregate value
of international transactions as per the books of accounts exceeding Rs 50 crore or aggregate value of
international transactions in respect of intangible property exceeding Rs 10 crore.
The report of Master File needs to be submitted in Form 3CEAA and the Country-by-Country Report in Form
3CEAD.
Haryana government signs Rs 20,000 Cr worth MoU to set up trading hub
The state government Haryana on 2 November 2017 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with an
integrated trade facilitation services organisation - Verbind - to set up a logistics and trading hub in the state.
Under the pact, the state will assist the organisation in obtaining the necessary approvals, registrations and
clearances with reference to the projects from relevant departments, in line with existing rules and regulations.
The trading hub is expected to be built in an area of 600 acres near Gurugram.
CBDT allows farm produce bought for under Rs 2 lakh in cash as expenditure
The Central Direct Taxes (CBDT) in November clarified that cash sale of agricultural produce by its cultivator to the
trader for an amount less than Rs. 2 lakh will not result in any disallowance of expenditure under section 40A (3)
of the Income-tax Act, 1961.
Addressing the issue via an official statement, the CBDT highlighted that produce of the aforementioned amount
will not attract prohibition under section 269ST of the Act in the case of the cultivator, which provides penalty for
any cash transaction above the value of Rs. 2 Lakh, equal to the transaction amount.
Karnataka to create ecosystem for using nanotechnology across verticals
The state government of Karnataka would be creating an ecosystem to bring all stakeholders to use
nanotechnology across verticals including energy, medicine, engineering, transport and communication.
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The information was shared by renowned scientist C N R Rao at a preview of the ‘Bengaluru India Nano 2017’ on
2 November 2017 in Bengaluru. "Our endeavour is to create an ecosystem for bringing industry, research and
academia on one platform with the state government support to use nanotechnology and nano science across
verticals," said Rao.
President inaugurates 21st World Congress of mental health
The 21st World Congress of Mental Health was inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind in New Delhi on 2
November 2017.
The conference was organised by the World Federation for Mental Health in partnership with Caring Foundation
and other institutions.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the World Congress of Mental Health is taking place in India for
the first time and it has come here at an appropriate moment.
The main theme of the conference is ‘Partnerships for Mental Health’.
Indo-Kazakhstan bilateral military exercise PRABAL DOSTYK 2017 begins
The bilateral military exercise between India and Kazakhstan 'PRABAL DOSTYK 2017' began on 2 November 2017
at Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh.
Literally defined as ‘Robust Friendship’, ‘Prabal Dostyk 2017’ is second edition of the joint military training exercise
between both countries.
The first edition of exercise was held in Karaganda region of Kazakhstan in September 2016.
The fourteen day PRABAL DOSTYK is aimed at enhancing the military ties between the two countries for achieving
interoperability between the two armies.
It also aims to acquaint both forces with each other’s operating procedures in the backdrop of counter insurgency
and counter terrorism operations under UN mandate.
AU Small Finance gets scheduled commercial bank status
AU Small Finance Bank has received Reserved Bank of India (RBI) approval to operate as Scheduled Commercial
Bank. This bank's name has now been included in the Second Schedule of Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
Post acquiring scheduled commercial bank status, AU Small Finance Bank will be able to do borrowing and lending
with RBI under Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) and Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) .
Also, it will help AU Small Finance Bank to acquire business from public sector undertakings (PSUs), corporates,
banks, mutual funds, insurance companies and other market participants which can transact with scheduled banks
only to comply either regulatory or internal guidelines.
It will also enable AU Small Finance Bank to issue Certificate of Deposits (CDs) on competitive interest rates in
market to get liquidity.
Rs 10,000 Crore MoU signed between Govt of India & Patanjali
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) of Rs 10, 000 Crore was signed between the Government of India (GoI)
and Patanjali in November at the World Food India 2017.
The MoU was signed by Managing Director of Patanjali, Acharya Balkrishna and Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the Union
Cabinet Minister of Food Processing in the Government of India.
Speaking to ANI, Acharya Balkrishna said, "World Food India 2017 is a great initiative. This will generate new
opportunities. This event will help people."
The World Food India 2017 organised at Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
earlier in the day.
Yes Bank signs MoU with govt for Rs 1,000 cr financing
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Private sector lender Yes Bank in November signed an agreement with the government to provide Rs 1,000 crore
financing for food processing projects.
The funding will be provided to around 100 food processing projects with an average ticket size of Rs 10 crore
each, the bank said in a statement.
Focus will be on projects across backend infrastructure, cold chain creation of new processing units, expansion of
existing units, forward linkages and food processing clusters in various locations in India, amongst others, it added.
MoU signed for Rs.6,000 cr mega food processing zone in Telangana
Telangana State would soon boast of a Mega Food Processing Zone, IT and Industries Minister K T Rama Rao said
in November.
The Minister, who held meetings with representatives of several companies in New Delhi at the Wold Food India
Conference, said an agreement to set up the zone has been finalised. Dakshin Agropolis signed a Memorandum
of Understanding worth Rs 6,000 crore to establish a food processing zone at NIMZ in Zaheerabad, and would
require 300 acres.
The food processing zone would generate employment for about 6,000 people which would consist of 5,000
women and 1,000 men, he said. The initial investment of Rs 6,000 crore would be used for setting up food
processing units at a cost of Rs 2,500 crore and Rs 3,500 crore would be spent on setting up a Farmers Producers
Organization (FPO).
ICICI Bank launches voice-based international remittance service
ICICI Bank, the country's largest private sector bank by consolidated assets, has launched voice-based
international remittance service on its Money2India application.
This would enable a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) customer of ICICI Bank to send money to any bank in India via just
a simple voice command to Apple's virtual voice assistant, Siri, on his/her Apple iPhone/iPad.
A first-of-its-kind cross border remittance service by a bank in the country, it improves customer's convenience
significantly as it replaces a five step process, which was required to initiate a remittance to India earlier.
ICICI Bank is the first bank in the country to leverage on Apple's virtual voice assistant to enable cross border
remittances.
Union Government to provide financial assistance of Rs 2302.05 crore for Sagarmala projects
The Union Ministry of Shipping on 3 November 2017 undertook projects worth Rs 2302 crore for financial
assistance under the Coastal Berth Scheme of the Sagarmala Programme.
The Ministry also extended the period of the scheme for three years up to 31 March 2020 and expanded its scope
to cover capital dredging at Major Ports and preparation of DPR for coastal berth project.
The 47 projects under Coastal Berth Scheme are distributed over eight states with the highest number of projects
in Maharashtra (12 projects), Andhra Pradesh & Goa (10 projects), Karnataka (6 projects), Kerala and Tamil Nadu
(3 projects), Gujarat (2 projects) and West Bengal (1 project).
Out of the 47 projects, 23 projects worth Rs 1075.61 crore were sanctioned for total financial assistance of Rs
390.42 crore and on the other hand, Rs 230.01 crore was released to Major Ports, State Maritime Boards and
State Governments.
RBI imposes Rs 6 crore penalty on Yes Bank, Rs 2 crore on IDFC Bank
The Reserve Bank of India has slapped a monetary penalty of Rs 6 crore on Yes Bank and Rs 2 crore on IDFC Bank
for violating regulations issued by the regulator.
Yes Bank has been fined for non-compliance with the directions issued by RBI on Income Recognition Asset
Classification (IRAC) norms and delayed reporting of information security incident involving ATMs of the bank.
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HDFC Bank makes RTGS, NEFT online transactions free from Nov 1
Private lender HDFC Bank has made online transactions through RTGS and NEFT free of cost from November 1,
with an aim to promote a digital economy.
On the other hand, various charges for cheque-related transactions as well as request for additional leaves will
get costly from early next month for non-managed savings and salary accounts.
According to the revised fees and charges for savings and salary accounts, customers will not have to pay any
charge for doing online transactions through Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and the National Electronics
Funds Transfer (NEFT) from November 1, 2017.
India to contribute USD 100 million to UN partnership fund
India has pledged an additional amount of USD 100 million towards the UN partnership fund, scaling up its support
to sustainable development projects across the developing world.
The information was shared by Anjani Kumar, Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of India to the UN on 6
November at the 2017 UN Pledging Conference for Development Activities.
Kumar stated that the contribution would be in addition to India's contribution of 10.582 million US dollar to
various other UN programmes. He said that India believes that the UN should have the necessary resources to
finance its activities, in an appropriate and balanced manner.
A total of USD 398.98 million was pledged by about 20 countries during the conference session.
World Bank arm IFC to pump $23 mn into Ashiana affordable housing projects
The World Bank's investment arm IFC will pump in $23 million in projects by Ashiana Housing Limited (Ashiana)
meant for affordable / mid-income housing as well as retirement homes for the elderly.
The total project cost of the project is estimated at about $267 million.
IFC is one of the few financiers of affordable/mid-income projects in India.
IFC said that its long-term capital is not readily available to the real estate sector. IFC's equity investment is a
structured 8-year equity investment, which would provide capital with a tenor that matches the project's life.
Ashiana's projects will be located across various cities in India, but primarily in Jaipur, Pune and Chennai.
ICIJ releases Paradise Papers: 714 Indians named in the list
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) on 5 November 2017 released the Paradise Papers,
a slew of documents revealing the offshore activities of some of the world’s most powerful people and companies.
ICIJ investigated around 13.4 million leaked files that were obtained by the German newspaper Süddeutsche
Zeitung.
The Paradise Papers documents include nearly 7 million loan agreements, financial statements, emails, trust deeds
and other paperwork.
Highlights of the Paradise Papers
The investigation revealed that two firms Bermuda’s Appleby and Singapore’s Asiaciti Trust helped the rich and
powerful people in moving their money abroad.
The leaked files reveal some major international figures including United Kingdom’s Queen Elizabeth, donors of
US President Donald Trump, US Secretaries Wilbur Ross and Rex Tillerson, Jordanian Queen Noor al-Hussein,
among others.
The files reveal the investment of Queen Elizabeth’s private estate in a Cayman Islands fund.
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It also details Russia’s involvement in Twitter and Facebook through an associate of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of
President Trump.
Indian names revealed in The Paradise Papers
Among the 180 countries represented in the data, India ranks 19th in terms of the number of names. In all, there
are 714 Indians in the list.
Interestingly, Indian company Sun Group, founded by Nand Lal Khemka, figures as Appleby’s second-largest client
internationally, with as many as 118 different offshore entities.
The prominent Indian corporates which figure in the list include Jindal Steel, Apollo Tyres, Havells, Hindujas, Emaar
MGF, Videocon, the Hiranandani Group and D S Construction.
The list includes the names of Indian firms linked with several cases such as Sun-TV-Aircel-Maxis case; Essar-Loop
2G case; SNC-Lavalin and the Rajasthan ambulance scam.
Besides corporates, the data reveals details of famous celebrities such as Amitabh Bachchan’s shareholding in a
Bermuda company.
Actor Sanjay Dutt’s wife Dilnashin Sanjay Dutt, popularly known as Manyata, also figures in the list.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Jayant Sinha was named due to his past association with the Omidyar Network and
BJP MP RK Sinha have also been named in the Paradise Papers.
The papers also reveal that the loans worth millions of dollars, taken by Vijay Mallya's United Spirits Limited (USL)
India, were waived off by Diageo, the company which finally acquired USL.
Union Government launches Coal India's 'Grahak Sadak Koyla Vitaran' App
Union Minister of Railways and Coal Piyush Goyal on 7 November 2017 launched ‘Grahak Sadak Koyla Vitaran App’
benefitting customers of Coal India Limited (CIL) for smooth coal delivery by road.
The customer friendly app will help in achieving transparency in transmit operations.
The app will monitor whether the dispatches are made on the fair principle of ‘First in First Out’ basis.
It will keep a track on all the activities from issuance of Sale Order to physical delivery of coal by road.
The main benefits of the App for the customers include easy accessibility of the information at the click of the
button.
India, World Bank sign USD 119 Million loan agreement for OHEPEE Project
India and World Bank on 7 November 2017 signed a financing agreement for loan of USD 119 million for the
Odisha Higher Education Programme for Excellence & Equity (OHEPEE) Project.
The loan will be provided by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), subsidiary of
World Bank.
The Financing Agreement was signed by Sameer Kumar Khare, Joint Secretary in Department of Economic Affairs
and Hisham A Abdo Kahin, Acting Country Director of World Bank (India).
While, the OHEPEE Project Agreement was signed by GVV Sarma, Additional Chief Secretary of Department of
Higher Education, Odisha and Hisham A. Abdo Kahin, Acting Country Director of World Bank.
The objective of the project is to improve the quality of students equitable access to selected institutions in Odisha
through Institutional Development Plan (IDP) Grants.
Paytm introduces BHIM UPI payments on its platform
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Mobile payments platform Paytm on 6 November 2017 introduced payments using BHIM UPI (Unified Payments
Interface) on its platform.
The BHIM UPI platform allows users to create their own Paytm BHIM UPI ID on the app and link any of their savings
bank account with this unique ID and begin with sending and accepting money.
The Paytm BHIM UPI ID will be issued by Paytm payments bank.
Paytm BHIM UPI IDs will be accepted across all banks and BHIM UPI apps.
With Paytm BHIM UPI, one can now make instant money transfers directly between two bank accounts without
adding beneficiary.
Linking of Aadhaar with insurance policy mandatory: IRDAI
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) on 8 November 2017 announced that the
linkage of Aadhaar number with insurance policies is mandatory under the Prevention of Money Laundering
(Maintenance of Records) Second Amendment Rules, 2017.
In June 2017, the Union Government notified the Prevention of Money Laundering (Maintenance of Records)
Second Amendment Rules, 2017.
The Rules make Aadhaar and PAN/Form 60 mandatory for availing financial services including insurance and also
for linking the existing policies with the same.
RBI to launch public awareness campaign through text messages
The Reserve Bank of India would soon be launching a new public awareness campaign through text messages to
educate public about various banking regulations and available facilities.
The institution first plans to send messages to people, cautioning them against falling victim to unsolicited and
fictitious offers received through emails, SMSes and phone calls. The warning would be sent out from ‘RBISAY’
sender id.
Previously as well, the apex bank has sent out alerts through press releases from time to time to warn the public
against such offers.
Skywalk, FOB among 5 projects approved for funding through Urban Development Fund
Union Minister of state for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri on 9 November 2017 announced that
the Skywalk and Foot Over Bridge (FoB) at ITO are among the 5 projects approved for funding of Rs 643.58 crore
through the Urban Development Fund by the Union Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.
The other projects include construction of flyovers, underpasses etc at Mahipalpur, Narela, ISBT Kashmiri Gate
and Rani Jhansi Road.
The Skywalk and Foot Over Bridge project will be built at an intersection point with a metro station, the Tilak
Bridge railway station and seven major arterial roads.
This will lead to easier inter-crossing of pedestrian as the vehicular traffic poses a potentially dangerous situation
to the pedestrians.
This project will benefit the public at large who visit these offices along with the employees working in over 25
major offices located in the ITO area such as Police HQ, PWD HQ, Institute of Engineers, ICAI, Income Tax office,
Central Excise, DDA, School of Planning and Architecture, GST office, etc.
The entire cost of Rs 54.34 crore of the project is being funded through Urban Development Fund (Rs 43.47 crore)
and by DDA (Rs 10.87 crore).
RBI directs banks to provide doorstep banking facilities to senior citizens, differently-abled
The Reserve Bank of India on 9 November 2017 asked banks to provide doorstep banking facilities to senior
citizens who are more than 70 years of age and differently-abled persons by December 2017.
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The apex bank has directed all the banks to provide basic banking services such as pick-up and delivery of cash,
chequebooks and demand drafts, submission of Know Your Customer (KYC) documents and Life certificates at the
residence of the senior citizens and specially-abled persons, including the visually-impaired.
The RBI notification in the same regard has advised the banks including small finance and payments banks to
implement the instructions by 31 December 2017 in letter and spirit and give due publicity in their bank branches
and websites.
The RBI has asked banks to provide a minimum of 25 cheque leaves every year for a savings bank account free of
charge.
Union Government revises House Building Advance rules for government employees
The Union Government has revised the House Building Advance (HBA) rules for Central Government Employees
incorporating the accepted recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission.
Following are the salient features of the new rules:-
The total amount of advance that a central government employee can borrow from the government has been
revised. The employee can now borrow up to 34 months of the basic pay subject to a maximum of Rs. 25
lakhs (Rs. Twenty Five Lakhs only), or cost of the house/flat, or the amount according to repaying capacity,
whichever is the least for new construction/purchase of new house/flat. The earlier limit for the same was
only Rs 7.50 lakhs.
The HBA amount for expansion of the house has also been revised to a maximum of Rs.10 lakhs or 34 months
of basic pay or cost of the expansion of the house or amount according to repaying capacity, whichever is
least. The earlier limit was Rs 1.80 lakhs.
The cost ceiling limit of the house which an employee can construct/ purchase has been revised to Rs.1.00
crore with a provision of upward revision of 25 per cent in deserving cases. The earlier cost ceiling limit was
Rs 30 lakhs.
If both the spouses are central government employees then, they are now eligible to take HBA either jointly,
or separately. Earlier only one spouse was eligible for House Building Advance.
The new rules also include a provision for individuals migrating from home loans taken from Financial
Institutions/ Banks to HBA, if they desire.
Karnataka inks pacts with Chinese firms
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inaugurated the sixth China-India Forum meet being jointly hosted by the
Government of China, Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), China-India
Friendship Association (CIFA), and Podar Enterprise here in November.
Karnataka Minister for Large and Medium Industries RV Deshpande said Karnataka expected trade and
investments between India and China to increase as India sees big opportunities to attract Chinese companies to
Make in India, besides attracting investments.
The following MoUs were signed at the Forum: Semiconductor Alliance of China and Beijing Construction &
Highway Development Group presented EoI letters to the Karnataka government.
Podar Enterprise signed strategic cooperation MoU with Hebei Provincial Government. Podar Advisory and
Consulting Enterprise signed tri-party MoU of cooperation with Baoding City Government and Hebei Information
Investment Group.
Fortune Plus, China, signed MoU for setting up electric vehicle hub with Imperator Autocorp Pvt Ltd. Podar Holding
International Pte Ltd signed MoU for cooperation in education with Yigcal University, Shandong.
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Air India gets Rs. 1,500 cr loan from Bank of India
Debt-laden Air India has received a loan worth of Rs. 1,500 crore from Bank of India to meet urgent working capital
needs less than a month after floating a tender in this regard, an airline source said.
For the second time in recent months, the flagship carrier has received loans from a public sector lender.
Battling multiple headwinds, the disinvestment-bound airline has been working on ways to reduce its debt,
including by way of selling non-core assets and expanding operations.
The source said the airline has received Rs. 1,500 crore loan from Bank of India after the tender for the amount
was floated last month in order to meet “urgent” working capital needs.
PNB MetLife in distribution pact with Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait
Life insurer PNB MetLife has signed a corporate agency agreement with Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait B.S.C (BBK).
This tie-up will help PNB MetLife distribute its retail and group products to BBK’s customers in India.
With this partnership, BBK customers in India will get access to PNB MetLife’s entire portfolio of products ranging
from health, savings, and wealth to rural plans.
As on date, BBK, which is one of the largest commercial banks in Bahrain, has branches at Mumbai, Hyderabad,
Aluva and New Delhi.
Mumbai to host Asian Bankers Association summit
For the first time, the nation’s financial capital will host the 34th annual conference of the Asian Bankers
Association (ABA) this week.
The two-day conference will be held in the megapolis from November 16 and will be hosted by State Bank, with
the theme of ‘Asia’s turn to transform’, SBI said.
The event is expected to see the presence of over 160 domestic as well as international bankers and Reserve Bank
deputy governor Viral V Acharya will deliver the special opening address on the second day, a SBI spokesperson
told PTI.
Founded in 1981, the ABA serves as a forum for advancing the cause of the banking industry and promote regional
economic cooperation across the continent.
Union Government set to launch BharatNet phase 2 project
The Union Government would be launching its second and final phase of BharatNet project on 13 November 2017
to provide high-speed broadband service in all Gram Panchayats by March 2019. It will be implemented at an
outlay of around Rs 34000 crores.
Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha, Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Human Resource Development
Minister Prakash Javadekar would be launching the project at the National Conference in New Delhi.
The telecom ministry would also be signing agreements with seven states — Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh,
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand — which will roll out the project on their own with partial
funding from the central government.
The conference would see participation from Information and Technology Ministers, state secretaries and service
providers.
Key Highlights
Under phase 2, the government aims to provide broadband connectivity in the remaining 1.5 lakh Gram
Panchayats through 1 million km of additional optical fibre.
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For the same, the government would be providing bandwidth to telecom companies such as Bharti Airtel,
Vodafone India, Idea Cellular and Reliance Jio at 75 per cent lower rate to set up broadband and Wi-Fi services in
the rural areas.
BSNL will roll out optical fibre in yet to be covered locations of eight states including Assam, Haryana, Madhya
Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir and Sikkim.
Power Grid Corporation of India has been awarded contract for three states including Himachal Pradesh,
Uttarakhand and Odisha.
India at present has 38,000 wifi hotspots. Under BharatNet phase 2, around 6-7 lakh wifi hotspots will be added
with 2-5 hotpsots in each panchayats.
Some of the wifi hotspots may not be commercially viable initially. So, in such cases the government will provide
viability gap funding of around Rs 3,600 crore to telecom operators.
BharatNet Phase 1, under which one lakh Gram Panchayat were to be connected, will be completed by the end of
this year.
Crisil, Sidbi tie up to launch MSME sentiment index CriSidEx
SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank of India) and ratings agency Crisil in November signed a memorandum
of understanding (MoU) to launch 'CriSidEx', a business sentiment index for micro, small and medium enterprises
(MSMEs) that will indicate the current state and expected outlook on the MSME sector every quarter.
The 'Sentiment Index' is expected to provide crucial insights into employment, business environment and foreign
trade.
Union Government launches National Power Portal for dissemination of power sector information
RK Singh, Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy, on 14 November 2017 launched the National
Power Portal (NPP) for collation and dissemination of Indian power sector information. The portal can be accessed
at http://npp.gov.in.
The stakeholders of NPP are Ministry of Power (MoP), CEA, PFC for Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS),
REC for Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), other power sector utilities in government as well as
private sector and other government organizations.
Highlights of National Power Portal
NPP is a centralised system for Indian Power Sector that facilitates online data capture and input from generation,
transmission and distribution utilities.
The Nodal Agency for implementation of NPP and its operational control is Central Electricity Authority (CEA).
The system has been conceptualized, designed and developed by National Informatics Centre (NIC).
It enables dissemination of Power Sector Information related to operation, capacity, demand, supply and
consumption through analysed reports, graphs, statistics for central, state and private sector.
India’s 1st Tribal Entrepreneurship Summit begins in Chhattisgarh
India’s first Tribal Entrepreneurship Summit began in Dantewada, a district in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh on
14 November 2017.
The event has been organized by NITI Aayog in partnership with the government of United States of America. The
event is a part of 8th Global Entrepreneurship Summit being held in India.
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The summit has been organised mainly with the motive to inspire, nurture and promote the spirit of
entrepreneurship in tribal youth. This ensures yet another step towards tribal-centric sustainable and inclusive
development.
The summit will see the participation of tribal entrepreneurs from various sectors across the country and abroad.
Several eminent speakers from NITI Aayog, health and agri-pharma sectors will also be speaking at the summit.
India to be third largest economy by 2028, says report
India is likely to achieve strong growth over the next decade and emerge as the world’s third-largest economy,
overtaking Japan in nominal GDP by 2028, says a report titled ‘India 2028’ by Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
India has already overtaken Brazil and Russia to emerge as the second largest BRICS economy after China and is
expected to soon overtake France and Britain to emerge as the world’s fifth largest economy after Germany by
2019.
The report read, “We see India crossing Germany and Japan in nominal GDP in dollar term by 2028. This assumes
that the Indian economy grows at 10 per cent (in nominal US GDP) in the next decade, well ahead of Japans 1.6
per cent.”
India, Philippines sign four agreements to strengthen bilateral ties
India and the Philippines on 13 November 2017 signed four agreements to enhance cooperation in various fields
including defence and foreign services. The agreements were signed following the PM Narendra Modi bilateral
meeting with the Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte.
These four agreements cover areas of defence, agriculture, small and medium enterprises and tie-up between
think-tanks of both the countries.
The agreements were signed during PM Modi three-day visit to Manila, the Philippines to attend the 15th India-
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and the 12th East Asia Summit.
Union Government launches BHARAT-22 Exchange Traded Fund
The Union Government on 14 November 2017 launched the BHARAT-22 Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) managed by
ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund targeting an initial amount of Rs 8000 crore.
This new fund offer is open to public till 17 November 2017.
In this ETF, the Retirement Fund has been made by separate category of Investors.
In case of overflow of funds, additional portion will be allocated with preference to retail and retirement funds.
There is a 3 per cent discount across the board.
The strength of this fund lies in the S&P BSE BHARAT-22 INDEX, a specially created Index which includes shares of
key CPSEs, Public Sector Banks and also the Government owned shares in blue chip private companies like Larsen
& Tubro (L&T), Axis Bank and ITC.
Railways Ministry launches comprehensive training programme 'Project Saksham'
Union Minister of Railways & Coal Piyush Goyal on 14 November 2017 released a comprehensive training
programme named as “Project Saksham” for imparting training to all employees of Indian Railways with a view to
upgrade their skill and knowledge.
The focus of this week-long training is to boost productivity and efficiency.
Under 'Project Saksham', all employees in each zone will be given a week-long training in skills and knowledge
relevant to their work area for over next one year.
General Managers will prioritise the training need for each category of employees based on the needs of
respective zone.
ICICI Bank to offer small instant credit to Paytm users
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Largest private sector lender ICICI Bank will offer short-term instant credit to its existing customers who want to
make purchases worth up to Rs. 20,000 through digital payments leader Paytm.
The bank said the credit is interest-free for the first 45 days, after which if the money is not repaid, the customer
will have to pay Rs. 50 towards delayed payment fee and 3 per cent interest.
Though the offer is capped at Rs. 20,000 per transaction, a customer can avail of the credit facility after clearing
the outstanding.
Depending on the success, the bank will also extend it to non-ICICI Bank customers and other large merchants.
The bank has an unsecured book of over Rs. 25,000 crore, he said. but said they haven’t set any volume target
from the new offer.
Ahmedabad Metro awards 96 coach order to S Korea
MEGA Co. Ltd., the implementing agency for Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project, in November, said it has awarded
the ₹1,025-crore contract for manufacturing 96 Metro coaches to the South Korean rolling stock manufacturer,
M/S Hyundai Rotem.
This is will be a major boost to the project as rolling stock is an important component of any Metro rail system,
according to an official release.
In a major relief to MEGA Co. Ltd, the Gujarat High Court had, last week, dismissed the plea of M/S CRRC, China,
one of the four bidders for the contract, challenging its disqualification by MEGA.
Hyundai Rotem will supply 32 three-car train-sets for Ahmedabad Metro’s 39.259 km Phase-I project. The trains
will be manufactured at their Changwon plant and deliveries are expected by next year.
IDFC Bank partners with MobiKwik to launch virtual in-app prepaid card
IDFC Bank, MobiKwik and Net1 have come together to launch a co-branded virtual prepaid card on Visa platform.
Around 65 million users of MobiKwik will gain access to an IDFC Bank virtual card embedded within the app,
making digital purchases at all e-commerce merchants easier and faster, MobiKwik said in a statement.
Customers of MobiKwik can generate a 16-digit Visa virtual card through the app and use it for e-commerce and
online transactions, it said.
Cabinet approves the establishment of the National Anti-profiteering Authority under GST
The Union Cabinet led by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its consent for the creation of the posts of
Chairman and Technical Members of the National Anti-profiteering Authority (NAA) under GST.
The decision was followed up immediately after the sharp reduction in the GST rates of a large number of items
of mass consumption.
This paves the way for the immediate establishment of this apex body, which is mandated to ensure that the
benefits of the reduction in GST rates on goods or services are passed on to the ultimate consumers by way of a
reduction in prices.
Moody's upgrades India's sovereign rating after 14 years
US credit rating agency Moody's raised India's sovereign rating to Baa2 from its lowest investment grade of Baa,
while changing the outlook for the country's rating to stable from positive.
Since 2004, Moody raised the sovereign rating for the first time ignoring a haze of short-term economic
uncertainties to bet on the nation’s prospects from a raft of policy changes by the government.
The revision of sovereign rating of India came after a gap of 14 years.
The rating agency simultaneously upgraded India's local and foreign currency issuer rating to Baa2 from Baa3.
The upgrade of the rating is based on the Indian government's "wide-ranging programme of economic and
institutional reforms.
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The credit rating agency expected that continued progress on economic and institutional reforms will, over time,
improve India's high growth potential and its large and stable financing base for government debt, and will likely
contribute to a gradual decline in the general government debt burden over the medium term.
According to Moody’s, reforms which are taken place in India have significantly decreased the risk of a sharp
increase in debt, even in potential downside scenarios.
Union Cabinet approves increase in carpet area of houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana
The Union Cabinet on 16 November 2017 approved the increase in the carpet area of houses eligible for interest
subsidy under the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS), which is a part of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).
It approved the increase in the carpet area in the Middle Income Group (MIG) I category of CLSS from the existing
90 square metre to up to 120 square metre.
It increased the carpet area in respect of MIG II category of CLSS from the existing 110 square metre to up to 150
square metre.
Govt set up 10-member Ajay Bhusan Pandey panel to simplify returns
The government in November constituted a 10-member committee under GSTN chairman Ajay Bhushan Pandey
to look into the requirements of filing returns in current financial year.
The committee, which has tax commissioners from the state of Gujarat, Karnataka, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh,
will also suggest if modifications, including changes in rules, laws and format, are required in returns. It will submit
the report by December 15.
As many as 40 per cent of the businesses filing returns on GST Network (GSTN) portal have nil tax liability.
YES Bank raises $400 mn loans from Japan, Taiwan
Private sector lender YES Bank has raised $400 million in syndicated loans from lenders in Taiwan and Japan for
on-lending to clients.
It exercised a greenshoe option to raise $250 million in a five-year commercial loan from 17 Taiwanese banks, a
statement said. In Japan, it raised JPY 16.5 billion or $150 million from eight lenders in a one-year loan in a maiden
transaction.
This borrowing will be used for on-lending through its international branch at GIFT City, Ahmedabad. Its overall
foreign asset book had stood at $1.4 billion as of September.
India signs USD 100 million loan agreement with World Bank for Solar Parks Project
India on 20 November 2017 signed USD 100 million loan agreement with the World Bank for Shared Infrastructure
for Solar Parks Project.
The USD 100 million loan agreement includes a IBRD Guarantee Agreement of USD 98 million and a Grant
Agreement of USD 2 million.
The project agreement was signed by Sameer Kumar Khare, Joint Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs,
and by Hisham A Abdo, Acting Country Director of World Bank India.
While, the Loan Agreement was signed by K S Popli, Chairman and Managing Director of India Renewable Energy
Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) and Hisham A Abdo, Acting Country Director of World Bank India.
The project consists of two components- Shared Infrastructure for Solar Parks with an estimated total project cost
of USD 100 million and the Technical Assistance of USD 2 million in CTF Grant.
NCSK suggests NITI Aayog to bring some welfare schemes for Safai Karamcharis under its purview
The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) on 23 November 2017 suggested NITI Aayog to bring some
welfare schemes for Safai Karamcharis and Manual Scavengers under its purview.
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Manhar Valji Bhai Zala, Chairman of National Commission for Safai Karamcharis, along with the members Manju
Diler, Dilip K Hathibed and Swami Sadanand Maharaj shared their views and concerns on various issues of Safai
Karamcharis and Manual Scavengers.
The commission raised the issue of empowering the Commission by making it a statutory or constitutional body
and confer it with the powers of a civil court so that it can discharge its mandate effectively.
Government approves Rs 1 Lakh crore worth projects for Tamil Nadu
The Union Government has approved Highway and Shipping Projects worth more than Rs 1 lakh crore for the state
of Tamil Nadu.
The information was shared by Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari while addressing a joint press conference with
Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami after a review meeting of the Central and State government.
The projects will cover Highways, Shipping and Port. They are also aimed at finding a permanent solution to the
irrigation and drinking water requirements of the state.The total expenditure of the projects is expected to be
around Rs 40,000 crore.
Following are the proposed projects with cost details:
1. Three New Elevated Corridors have been approved:
a. Tambaram- Chengelpatu – the project is expected to cost around Rs 2250 crores
b. Poonamalee- Maduravoyal Corridor – The financial outlay of the project is expected to be around Rs 1500
crores
c. Tiruvallur Corridor – The budget for this corridor has been set at Rs 1000 crore
2. The Tambaram- Vandalur, Vandalur -Guduvanchery section of the Highway will be upgraded to 8 lane Highway at
a cost of Rs 72 crores. The move is expected to solve the traffic congestion at the Tambaram -Perungalathur
bridge.
3. The Chennai- Bengaluru Expressway will be constructed at a projected cost of Rs 20,000 crore. The move is
expected to boost industrialisation and development activities along the Expressway.
4. The Koyambedu- Poonamalee -Wallajahpet road will be converted to a six-lane road at a cost of Rs 1500 crore to
ease the congestion in the extended suburban areas of Chennai.
List of New Projects
Tiruchi-Chidambaram Highway project: The budget outlay of the project is expected to be around Rs 4000 crore
Upgradation of the Villupuram- Nagapattinam section: It is expected to be completed at a cost of Rs 6000 crore.
Projects under Bhartmala
The six projects approved under the mega construction plan include Nagapattinam to Tuticorin (355 km), Vellakoil-
Erode (71 km), Madurai- Kollam (62 km), Madurai -Theni (44 km), Musiri -Namakkal (44 km) and Madurai-Natham
(38 km).
Besides this, ring road development will also be taken up in Madurai, Tiruchi and Salem.
Other Approved Construction Projects
The Union government would be sanctioning Rs 2000 crore to the Tamil Nadu Public Works Department (PWD)
to develop the Dindigul-Kottampati road into a National Highway.
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Almost 1300 kms of State Highways will be upgraded to National Highways. The highways that will be upgraded
include Perambalur- Attur (55kms), Thoppur- Mettur-Erode (85kms), Tirupur-Ottanchatiram (91kms) and Salem-
Vanniyampadi (141kms).
The centre will also be sanctioning amount worth Rs 2300 crore to the state to take preventive measures in 61
identified black spots where frequent accidents take place, in order to reduce the number of traffic accidents.
The detailed project reports for the creation of Madurai, Coimbatore and Salem bus ports – terminals with the
latest facilities like an airport will be prepared and submitted soon.
The state’s three ports will be enhanced to facilitate exports and industrialisation and value addition under the
Sagarmala programme.
The depth of the Tuticorin port, the second-largest port in Tamil Nadu, is also going to be increased from 14m to
16.5 meters at a cost of Rs 3000 crore. It would help the port handle 1,30,000 tonnage vessels from the present
capacity of 60,000 tonnage ships and reduce logistic cost by 30 percent.
Union Government promulgates ordinance to amend Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016
The Union Government on 23 November 2017 promulgated ordinance to amend the Insolvency and Bankruptcy
Code, 2016.
The Ordinance aims to prevent unscrupulous, undesirable persons from misusing the provisions of the Code. The
amendments aim to bar individuals who are wilfully defaulters and are associated with non-performing assets or
are habitually non-compliant, therefore, pose a risk to the company.
The Ordinance amends Sections 2, 5, 25, 30, 35 and 240 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 and inserts
new Sections 29A and 235A in the Code.
Clause (e) of Section 2 of the Code has been substituted with three Clauses to facilitate the commencement of
Part III of the Code relating to individuals and partnership firms in phases.
Clause (25) and (26) of Section 5 of the Code which define “Resolution Plan” and “Resolution Applicant” are
amended to provide clarity.
Section 25(2)(h) of the Code is amended to enable the Resolution Professional, with the approval of the
Committee of Creditors (CoC) to specify eligibility conditions while inviting Resolution Plans from prospective
Resolution Applicants.
Centre suggests Odisha Government to enhance rural road construction target to 10000 km
The Union government on 23 October 2017 suggested to the state government of Odisha to enhance its rural road
construction target under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) from 7,000 km to 10,000 km during
the current fiscal year.
The suggestions were made by the Union Secretary to Rural Development Minister, Amarjit Sinha to the state
after attending a high-level review meeting held under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary of Odisha, A P
Padhi.
Though the state government had set an earlier target of constructing 7,000 km roads during this fiscal year,
Amarjit Sinha said that the target should be revised considering the good progress of the Yojana’s implementation.
Union Government constitutes Task Force for drafting New Direct Tax Legislation
The Union Government on 22 November 2017 constituted a Task Force to review Income-tax Act, 1961 and to
draft a new Direct Tax Law in consonance with economic needs of the country.
Arbind Modi, Member (Legislation) of CBDT, will be the Convener of the task force.
The other members of the task force are:
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Girish Ahuja, non-official Director of State Bank of India
Rajiv Memani, Chairman & Regional Managing Partner of E&Y
Mukesh Patel, Practicing Tax Advocate, Ahmedabad
Mansi Kedia, Consultant, ICRIER, New Delhi
G.C. Srivastava, Retd IRS (1971 Batch) and Advocate
Besides, Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) Arvind Subramanian will be a permanent Special Invitee in the Task Force.
The task force will draft an appropriate Direct Tax Legislation keeping in view the direct tax system prevalent in various
countries, international best practices and economic needs of the country.
CCEA approves expansion of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao for Pan India coverage
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 22 November 2017 approved the expansion of Beti Bachao
Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme for Pan India reach covering all the 640 districts (as per census 2011) of the Country.
The committee approved a total outlay of Rs 1132.5 Crore for Beti Bachao Beti Padhao expansion for the duration
2017-18 to 2019-20.
The expansion under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme came following the successful implementation of the
scheme in 161 districts of the country.
Key Highlights
Out of 640 districts, BBBP is currently getting implemented in 161 districts.
The expansion includes Multi sectoral intervention in 244 districts in addition to existing 161 districts and 235
districts will be covered through Alert District Media, Advocacy and Outreach.
The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme was launched by the Prime Minister on 22 January 2015 at Panipat, Haryana.
It is a comprehensive programme that aims to address the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and issues related to
empowerment of women.
The CSR, defined as number of girls per 1000 boys in the age group of 0-6 years, declined sharply from 976 in 1961
to 918 in Census 2011. Resultantly, Union Government launched this scheme to improve this ratio.
Union Cabinet approves Wage Policy for workmen in Central Public Sector Enterprises
The Union Cabinet on 22 November 2017 approved the Wage Policy for the 8th Round of Wage Negotiations for
workmen in Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs).
There are about 12.34 lakh employees in 320 CPSEs in the country.
CPSEs Management will be free to negotiate wage revision for workmen where the period of wage settlement of
five years or ten years has expired generally on 31 December 2016.
Union Cabinet approves continuation of Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs Scheme
The Union Cabinet on 22 November 2017 approved the continuation of the scheme on Indian Institute of
Corporate Affairs (IICA) for another three financial years from 2017-18 to 2019-20.
Moreover, the Cabinet also approved the provision of Grants-in-aid of Rs 18 crore to the Institute.
With the continuation, the training programs, research activities and projects conducted by the Institute will
enhance the skill sets resulting in increased employability of students as well as professionals.
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It will lead IICA to become an Institute of National importance, thereby becoming an engine of growth leading to
increased economic activity.
Cabinet approves setting up of the 15th Finance Commission
The Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22 November 2017 approved the setting up of the
15th Finance Commission.
The decision was a constitutional obligation under Article 280 (1) of the Constitution. The Terms of Reference for
the 15th Finance Commission will be notified soon.
According to Article 280(1) of the Constitution, a Finance Commission (FC) should be constituted within two years
from the commencement of this Constitution and thereafter at the expiration of every fifth year or at such earlier
time as the President considers necessary.
Union Cabinet approves India's Membership for European Bank for Reconstruction & Development
The Union Cabinet on 22 November 2017 approved India's Membership for European Bank for Reconstruction &
Development (EBRD).
The Department of Economic Affairs under the Union Ministry of Finance has been tasked to acquire the
membership of the EBRD.
Impact of India's Membership for European Bank for Reconstruction & Development
It will enhance India's international profile and promote its economic interests.
It will provide access to EBRD's Countries of Operation and offer sector knowledge.
It will increase the scope of cooperation between India and EBRD through co-financing opportunities in
manufacturing, services, Information Technology, and Energy.
It will help India leverage the technical assistance and sectoral knowledge of the bank for the benefit of
development of private sector.
Cabinet approves expansion of umbrella scheme ‘Mission for Protection and Empowerment for Women’
The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval for
expansion of the schemes of WCD Ministry under umbrella Scheme ‘Mission for Protection and Empowerment
for Women’ for a period 2017-18 to 2019-20.
The cabinet also approved a new scheme called ‘Mahila Shakti Kendra', which will empower rural women through
community participation to create an environment in which they realise their full potential. The cabinet has also
approved expansion under BetiBachaoBetiPadhao based on the successful implementation in 161 districts.
The total cost incurred during the expansion period will be Rs 3,636.85 crore with the Centre’s share being around
Rs 3,084.96 crore.
Key Benefits
The approved sub-schemes are all social sector welfare schemes, the main focus of which are care, protection and
development of women.
The schemes will also aim at improving the declining Child Sex Ratio, ensuring survival and protection of the girl
child, ensuring her education and empowering her to fulfil her potential.
It will provide an interface for rural women to approach the government for availing their entitlements and for
empowering them through training and capacity building.
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Key activities of the Umbrella Scheme
The new scheme "Mahila Shakti Kendra (MSK)" is pictured to work at various levels.
While, National level (domain based knowledge support) and State level (State Resource Centre for Women)
structures will provide technical support to the respective government on issues related to women, the District
and Block level Centres will provide support to MSK and also give a foothold to BBBP in 640 districts to be covered
in a phased manner.
Community engagement through Student Volunteers is envisioned in 115 most backward districts as part of the
MSK Block level initiatives.
Union Cabinet approves revised salaries, pension for Supreme Court and High Court judges
The Union Cabinet on 22 November 2017 approved the revision in the salaries, gratuity, allowances, pension of
the Judges and retired Judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts.
The move came following the implementation of recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission in respect
of Civil Servants.
The revision in salaries and allowances will pave the way for necessary amendments in the two laws such as
Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Act, 1958 and High Court Judges (Salaries and
Conditions of Service) Act, 1954.
Both of these Acts govern the salaries of Chief Justice of India (CJI), Judges of Supreme Court of India, Chief Justices
and all Judges of High Courts.
The increase in the salary and allowances will benefit 31 Judges of Supreme Court of India (including the CJI) and
1079 Judges and Chief Justices of High Courts.
SBI launches integrated digital platform YONO
State Bank of India (SBI) on 24 November 2017 launched country’s first integrated lifestyle and banking digital
service application named YONO or ‘You Only Need One’.
YONO app will be the first digital banking platform that will allow customers to meet their lifestyle needs including
booking and renting cabs, entertainment, dining experience, travel and stay, etc.
All the financial services product from SBI and its subsidiaries SBI Life, SBI General, SBI Mutual Fund, SBI Caps and
SBI Cards will be integrated on the app.
YONO will offer customised products and offers from over 60 e-commerce sites, besides a range of banking and
financial services.
It will allow customers to meet their lifestyle needs across 14 categories including entertainment, travel, medical
needs and so on.
It will also offer customised offers and discounts to customers. To provide such offers, SBI has partnered with e-
commerce sites including Amazon, Uber, Ola, Myntra, Jabong, Shoppers Stop, Yatra, etc.
It will be the first platform to offer online purchase and view of insurance policies within the portal, without
redirecting customer to respective service providers.
15th Finance Commission constituted under the chairmanship of NK Singh
The Union Government on 27 November 2017 constituted Fifteenth Finance Commission under the chairmanship
of former bureaucrat NK Singh. The Commission will make recommendations for five years commencing on 1 April
2020.
Constituted under clause (1) of article 280 of the Indian Constitution, the commission came into force with the
approval President Ram Nath Kovind.
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The other members of the 15th Finance Commission are Shaktikanta Das, former Secretary to Union Government
and Anoop Singh, Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University.
While, Chairman of Bandhan Bank Ashok Lahiri and Member of NITI Aayog Ramesh Chand will be the Part time
members of the Commission. Arvind Mehta will be the Secretary to the Commission.
The Commission will submit its report by 30 October 2019.
Terms of Reference of 15th Finance Commission
It will make recommendations on the distribution of net proceeds of taxes between Centre and States.
It will recommend the principles which will govern the grants-in-aid of the revenues of the States out of the
Consolidated Fund of India.
It will recommend measures needed to augment the Consolidated Fund of a State to supplement the resources
of the Panchayats and Municipalities on the basis of the recommendations made by the State Finance
Commission.
It will review the current status of the finance, deficit, debt levels, cash balances and fiscal discipline efforts of the
Centre and the States and recommend a fiscal consolidation roadmap for sound fiscal management.
It will look at the resources of the Central Government and the State Governments for the five years commencing
on 1 April 2020 on the basis of the levels of tax and the non-tax revenues.
The 15th Finance Commission may propose measurable performance-based incentives for States in following areas:
Efforts made by the States under GST
Efforts and progress made in moving towards replacement rate of population growth
Achievements in implementation of schemes of Government
Progress made in increasing capital expenditure and eliminating losses of power sector.
Progress made in increasing tax and non-tax revenues, promoting savings by adoption of Direct Benefit Transfers
and Public Finance Management System
Progress made by promoting digital economy
Progress made in promoting ease of doing business
Progress made in sanitation, solid waste management and bringing in behavioural change to end open defecation.
Amazon launches special store 'Saheli' for women entrepreneurs
American online retailer Amazon has launched a new programme — Amazon Saheli — aimed at empowering and
enabling women entrepreneurs across the country to sell their products on its marketplace.
Amazon India has collaborated with organisations that work with towards encouraging women entrepreneurship,
including Sewa (Self-employed Women's Association) and Impulse Social Enterprise.
Women entrepreneurs associated with these partner organisations will be able to offer their products to
Amazon.in customers through a dedicated storefront, 'the Saheli Store', Amazon said in a statement in November.
The company had earlier this year conducted a pilot for the store in Nagaland earlier this year in association with
NSDC and the state government. Around 50 independent women entrepreneurs attended the workshop for two
days.
Meredith Corporation to acquire Time Inc. for USD 2.8 billion
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US media company Meredith Corporation on 27 November 2017 announced to acquire Time Inc., the publisher
of Sports Illustrated and Fortune magazines, for USD 2.8 billion in all-cash deal.
Meredith will pay USD 18.50 for per share of Time Inc. which totals at about USD 1.85 billion. However, Time Inc.'s
debt will raise the total value of the deal to about USD 2.8 billion.
Out of the total sum, billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch will contribute USD 650 million via their private-
equity firm Koch Equity Development.
The deal has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of Meredith and Time Inc. The deal is
expected to close during the first quarter of year 2018.
Axis Bank launches ripple-powered instant payment service for retail and corporate customers
Axis Bank, India's third-largest private sector bank, has launched instant international payment services using
Ripple's enterprise blockchain technology solution.
The bank has launched a service for its retail customers in India to receive payments from RAKBANK in UAE and
for its corporate customers in India to receive payments from Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore.
Ripple makes international remittances faster and transparent for customers while ensuring security and
improving efficiencies. The transactions reach their destination account in minutes, with the certainty of
settlement, and with end-to-end visibility over the journey of the payment.
Arun Jaitley launches Paytm Payments Bank
After its beta launch in May, Paytm in November formally launched Paytm Payments Bank. India's largest digital
wallet firm, which aims to bring half-a-billion Indians into 'mainstream economy', is now offering accounts holders
of Paytm Payments Bank benefits like zero-balance account, free IMPS, NEFT, RTGS, UPI transactions and a
complimentary virtual Rupay cards for online transactions.
Paytm Payments Bank account holders will be able to earn an interest of 4 per cent on savings every month.
Besides issuing a free digital card at the time of account opening, Paytm account holders will also be offered a
free insurance cover of up to Rs 2 lakh in case of death or permanent disability according to the terms and
conditions, Paytm said.
Payments Banks are a new set of differentiated banks introduced by the Reserve Bank of India to extend deposit
and payments services to millions of unbanked and underbanked Indians. As a payments bank, Paytm can now
offer banking services like debit cards, online banking, mobile banking, and also accept deposits up to Rs1 lakh per
customer in a savings account.
To facilitate verification of account holders, Paytm plans to invest $500 million in KYC (Know Your Customer)
operations. It is setting up KYC centres across India to complete the KYC formalities for customers and make them
eligible for a payments bank account. A user can add up to Rs 20,000 in a calendar month in Paytm Wallet.
However, a KYC (Know Your Customer) verified user can maintain up to Rs 1,00,000 at any point of time.
ADB approves $500-mn loan for rural roads in five states
Multilateral funding agency Asian Development Bank (ADB) in November said it will provide a $500 million loan
to improve rural road connectivity in five states, including Assam and West Bengal.
The board of directors of ADB has approved the multi-tranche financing facility (MFF) for the 'Second Rural
Connectivity Investment Programme' to improve rural roads in five states of India, ADB said in a statement.
Under this project, ADB will invest to construct and upgrade over 12,000-kilometre rural roads in Assam, Madhya
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and West Bengal. It will also support state governments to improve rural road
maintenance and safety.
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ADB is building on the success of previous assistance for rural roads in India. The agency will work closely with the
government to improve connectivity for the rural people to access markets, health centers, education and other
opportunities, Heriawan said.
India, UK to sign MoU to transform Urban Transport Sector
India and United Kingdom will be signing a MoU in the urban transport sector for cooperation in policy planning,
technology transfer and institutional organisation.
The draft MoU for the same was discussed during the meeting of Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and UK
Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling in London on 27 November 2017.
The draft MoU seeks to facilitate cooperation in the transport sector and enable the sharing of expertise and latest
technology between the two nations in order to promote efficient mobility solutions.
PM Narendra Modi launches Hyderabad Metro Rail Project
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 28 November 2017 inaugurated the first phase of the 72-km elevated
Hyderabad Metro Rail project. PM Modi also took a ride on the train on its inaugural run from Miyapur station to
Kukatpally station.
The 30-km stretch between Miyapur and Nagole in the first phase is the longest for any metro in the country at
the time of inauguration.
Moreover, PM Modi also launched the mobile app named 'T Savari' for Metro passengers.
The first phase of Hyderabad Metro Rail project has 24 stations in 30-km stretch between Miyapur and Nagole.
Hyderabad metro rail is the largest project of its kind in the world in the public-private-partnership (PPP) mode.
NSDC,THSC sign MoU with Airbnb to boost alternate hospitality sector
The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Tourism and Hospitality Sector Skill Council (THSC) signed
a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbnb in Delhi on 28 November 2017.
The MoU aims to provide hospitality skills training to hospitality micro-entrepreneurs in India. Speaking on the
occasion, Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan said, “We believe
that this partnership will help augment Skill India Mission by bringing in best global practices for the training of
small hospitality entrepreneurs.”
The Minister further stated that the domestic tourism has immense potential in India and this partnership will
benefit the ecosystem by creating opportunities for women and youth.
US-India Business Council launches WISE Initiative in India
The US-India Business Council (USIBC) on 27 November 2017 launched a collaborative initiative for Women
Entrepreneurs titled 'Women for Women Innovators, Social Leaders & Entrepreneurs' (WISE).
The program was launched during USIBC’s Road to GES event 'Creating the Foundations of Innovation'.
WISE will be led by Country Head of Intel India Nivruti Rai, CMD of Biocon Limited of Kiran Mazumdar Shaw,
Chairman of IBM India of Vanitha Narayanan, MD of Kalaari Capital of Vani Kola, and Producer of Girl Rising Amita
Vyas.
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Current Affairs related to India and states
Assam government recognises 1.9 crore as legal Indian citizens in first NRC draft
The Assam government late in January night published the much-awaited draft of the National Register of Citizens
(NRC), recognising the names of 1.9 crore people out of a total of 3.29 crore applicants as legal citizens of India.
The rest of the names of applicants continued to remain "under various stages of verification" and are likely to be
recognised in the final draft.
The NRC authorities had received applications from 68.27 lakh families comprising 3.29 crore individuals.
About 1.39 crore cases continued to remain under examination, scrutiny or field verification, Sailesh said.
Nagaland declared as 'disturbed area' till June-end under AFSPA
The entire Nagaland has been declared as "disturbed area" for six more months, till June-end, under the
controversial AFSPA, which empowers security forces to conduct operations anywhere and arrest anyone without
any prior notice.
In a gazette notification, the Union Home Ministry said it is of the opinion that the area comprising the whole of
Nagaland is in such a "disturbed and dangerous condition" that use of armed forces in aid of the civil power is
necessary.
Health Ministry launches Allied and Health care Professional Database
Aiming to make data repository robust, the Union Health Ministry in January launched the Allied and Health care
Professional Database which will help the government to track the number of professionals and streams of allied
and health care professions in the country.
According to the ministry, more than 3, 000 professionals have already registered on the portal during the testing
phase.
Rajya Sabha completes entire Zero Hour agenda for first time
The Rajya Sabha in January made a record of sorts as it took up all the Zero Hour issues and special mentions listed
in the agenda for that period, Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu said. The first hour of every sitting of Parliament is
generally reserved for the asking and answering of questions. Zero Hour is the immediately following the Question
Hour has come to be known as "Zero Hour".
It starts at around 12 noon (hence the name) and members can, with prior notice to the Speaker, raise issues of
importance during this time. Typically, discussions on important Bills, the Budget, and other issues of national
importance take place from 2pm onwards.
Why is it called Zero Hour? While dictionary defines ‘Zero Hour’ as the “the critical moment” or “the moment of
decision”, in parliamentary parlance, it is referred as the time gap between the end of Question Hour and the
beginning of the regular business. Zero Hour doesn’t find a mention in the Rules of Procedure and hence it’s
considered an informal procedure for the members of Parliament to raise matters of serious importance.
India and Pakistan exchange 27th list of Nuclear Installations
India and Pakistan on 1 January 2018 exchanged the lists of their nuclear installations under an agreement that
aims to prevent both sides from attacking such facilities. This is the twenty-seventh consecutive exchange of such
a list between the two countries.
The exchange was done through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad.
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Maneka Gandhi launches online portal ‘NARI’ for women empowerment
Union Minister of Women & Child Development Maneka Sanjay Gandhi on 2 January 2018 inaugurated the online
portal 'NARI' for women empowerment. NARI stands for 'National Repository of Information for Women'.
The portal contains information about schemes being run by both Central as well as the States Governments.
'NARI' portal has been developed by the Union Ministry of Women & Child Development.
Arunachal Pradesh becomes second ODF state in Northeast
The state of Arunachal Pradesh has become the second state in the Northeast, after Sikkim, to be declared Open
Defecation Free.
The feat was deemed completed after three remaining districts in the state - Upper Subansiri, Siang and Changlang
- were declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) on 31 December 2017.
In total, the state has 21 districts and it managed to achieve the feat much before the national deadline of 2
October 2019.
The project undertaken under Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) was bolstered by the state government’s incentive
of Rs 8000 per toilet.
India International Coffee Festival to be held in Bengaluru
After a gap of four years, Bengaluru will host the seventh edition of India International Coffee Festival (IICF) in
January 2018.
This gains significance as India has bagged the chance to host World Coffee Conference of International Coffee
Organisation (ICO) in 2020.
Famous Dhanu Jatra Concludes in Odisha
Curtains were drawn on the famous Dhanu Jatra of Bargarh in Odisha, believed to be the largest open air theatre
in the world, with the death of tyrannical king Kansa and coronation of Ugrasen in January.
During the 11-day festival that kicked off on December 23, Bargarh town was made to resemble Mathura — the
birthplace and homeland of Lord Krishna.The festival is based on Krishna Leela and Mathura Vijay.
Surajkund crafts fair 2018: Uttar Pradesh would be theme state
Uttar Pradesh would be the theme state for the 32nd Surajkund International Crafts fair, beginning from the first
week of February at Faridabad in Haryana.
Besides participation of all states, about two dozen countries would also take part in the fair, Haryana Tourism
Minister Ram Bilas Sharma said here in January. He said the fair is aimed to preserve Indian folk traditions and
cultural heritage.
Republic Day Parade to Have Record 10 Chief Guests as PM Invites ASEAN Leaders
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation in his final radio programme for 2017; ‘Mann Ki Baat’ and he
ended the 30-minute speech with an announcement that this year’s Republic Day parade will have the ASEAN
leaders as chief guests.
He said the year 2017 was special for both ASEAN and India because the Southeast Asian bloc completed its 50
years of formation and the year also marked 25 years of India's partnership with the grouping.
Guests
Person Nation
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Brunei
Hun Sen Cambodia
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Joko Widodo Indonesia
Thongloun Sisoulith Laos
Najib Razak Malaysia
Htin Kyaw Myanmar
Rodrigo Roa Duterte Philippines
Halimah Yacob Singapore
Prayuth Chan-ocha Thailand
Nguyễn Xuân Phúc Vietnam
India, Sri Lanka to sign MoU on Traditional Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy
The Union Government is planning to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Sri Lanka for cooperation
in areas of traditional systems of medicine and homoeopathy.
The MoU aims to establish cooperation in the following areas:
Promotion including the regulation of teaching, practice, drugs and drugless therapies, traditional medicine and
homeopathy.
Exchange of experts for the training of practitioners, paramedics, scientists, teaching professionals and students
in traditional systems of medicine and homeopathy.
MoU signed between ofo, Pune Municipal Corporation
ofo, a station-free app based bike-sharing platform signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Pune
Municipal Corporation (PMC) to support the Pune Cycle Plan - a comprehensive bicycle master plan for integrated
city-wide cycle tracks across Pune.
Prepared with support from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, the Pune Cycle Plan
sets out to create the necessary infrastructure for proper cycle tracks, a city-wide cycle network, seamless public
sharing bicycle schemes and development of cycle promotion activities for encouraging the use of this eco-friendly
mode of transport.
BSF launches 'Operation Alert' along 200 km border to curb militant movement
The Border Security Force (BSF) has launched "Operation Alert" along the over 200 kilometer long International
Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir to curb the increasing movement of infiltrating militants from across the border.
The BSF gave a military send off by organising Wreath- laying ceremony at Frontier headquarters here in the
honour of the late Head Constable Radha Pada Hazara, who was killed in sniper firing by Pakistan rangers along
the IB in Samba sector yesterday.
Centre launches online tutorial to train doctors in detecting cancers early
A first-of-its kind online tutorial, meant to train doctors in small towns and far-flung areas in early detection,
prevention, palliation, rehabilitation and treatment of various cancers was launched by the Centre in January in
collaboration with the Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.
The course is intended for physicians, gynecologists, dentists and other healthcare professionals who are not
oncologists, but can help in early detection and diagnosis of cancers. The online video lectures, as part of seven-
week course, are also designed to update oncologists with the evidence based guidelines and skill for the
management of cancer.
Ahmedabad surgeon uses robots in coronary surgery first time outside US
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Ahmedabad-based, internationally-reputed cardiologist Tejas Patel in January said he has introduced here
vascular robotic technology for the first time anywhere outside the US to perform coronary angioplasty and
stenting.
Patel told reporters here that the new technology, which he had implemented on 57 patients in a month, would
make India a frontrunner in the modern healthcare system with almost zero failure rate in angioplasty and
stenting.
Nation-wide cleanliness survey 'Swachh Survekshan' launched
The nation-wide cleanliness survey 'Swachh Survekshan' was launched across India on 4 January 2018.
The announcement for the same was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 31 December 2017 while
addressing the nation in the 39th edition of his monthly radio-address 'Mann Ki Baat'.
The main objective of the survey is to evaluate the achievements in the cleanliness level in urban areas.
Deemed as the world’s biggest survey, it will be conducted in over 4,000 cities with a population of more than 40
crores.
It will commence on 4 January and will run till 10 March 2018.
Union Cabinet approves setting up of AIIMS in Bilaspur
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 3 January 2018 approved the establishment of
AIIMS in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh.
The new AIIMS will be set up under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY). The cost of the project is
Rs 1351 crore.
Goa to host second edition of Bird Festival between Jan 12-14
Goa will be hosting the second edition of the Bird Festival between January 12-14 at Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary
and Galjibag beach in Canacona in South Goa.
The event is being hosted by the Forest department in association with Goa Tourism Development Corporation
and Goa Bird Conservation Network.
Goa to be the new host for 3rd Science Film Festival
A film festival based on Sci-Fi genre is about to start in a few days. The 3rd edition of Science Film Festival 2018
will be held in Goa this year.
Participants can fill their online form on the official website to participate in the competition
The 3rd edition of SCI-FI short film competition is open in two categories: films duration more than 5 minutes and
films duration up to 5 minutes
Meghalaya CM inaugurates 40 mw Umtru hydro-electric project
Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma inaugurated the 40 mw Umtru hydro-electric project at Dehal in Ri Bhoi
district.
Inaugurating the Rs 629 crore project yesterday, he said the state has various potential areas for power generation
and called on the local indigenous people to participate in the process of state building.
India's first National Park for differently abled people inaugurated in Hyderabad
• In a first of its kind, the authorities in Hyderabad are set to open a park meant for people with special needs.
Dubbed as National Park for Special Needs, the park will have special equipment for children with a various
physical disabilities.
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• Spread over an acre of land at Nalgonda crossroads and developed with a cost of Rs 52.10 lakh, unique aspect of
the park is that it has been divided into five blocks, with each block or section providing services to children and
even adults who have various kinds of disabilities.
Delhi government launches mobile health van for homeless addicts
• Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in January flagged off a mobile health van here to treat homeless drug
addicts.
• Sisodia launched the van at a government night shelter in Yamuna Bazar area of north Delhi.
• The Deputy Chief Minister said the biggest challenge of homeless in the area and the prime inhibitor for them
using night shelters is drug addiction.
Himachal CM announces ‘Gudiya’ helpline to fight crime against women
• In one of his key decisions after taking over as Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Jai Ram Thakur in January
announced setting up of 24×7 ‘Gudiya’ helpline for safety of women. The helpline will work directly under the
supervision of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) and action will have to follow mandatorily within 48 hours.
• Gudiya is the nickname given to 16-year-old schoolgirl from Kotkhai who went missing on her way home from
school at Mahasu and whose body was later found dumped in the forests two days later. After widespread
protests, including violence in which the police station at Kotkhai was set ablaze, the case was referred to the CBI
by Himachal Pradesh High Court.
Indian Navy & Cochin Port Trust enter into MoU
• The Indian Navy and Cochin Port Trust (CPT) have entered into an Memorandum of Understanding for utilising
the Port's berthing facility at Mattancherry wharf for Naval ships.
• As per the MoU, Cochin Port’s Q2 and Q3 berths at Mattacherry wharf, totaling 228 metre quay length, would be
be handed over to the Indian Navy for five years for berthing their ships.
• The Indian Navy had requested for an exclusive berthing facility in Cochin Port for berthing their ships during
reconstruction period of their berths.
Haryana becomes first state to launch High Risk Pregnancy portal
Haryana has achieved the distinction of becoming the first state in the country to launch High Risk Pregnancy
(HRP) Portal. This portal not only helps in early identification of high-risk pregnant cases up to the grass-roots level
but also ensures their timely referral to the civil hospitals for further management and delivery by specialists.
The Union ministry of health and family welfare and Niti Ayog have acknowledged the portal as a good practice
to be implemented at the conference held in Delhi Friday
International kite festival begins in Gujarat
The international kite festival which attracts kite flyers from across the country and the world, began in January
in Ahmedabad.
The international kite festival was inaugurated by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani at Sabarmati Riverfront. The
Governor O.P. Kohli was also present on the occasion.
Kite enthusiasts from across India and also foreign countries are participating in the week-long festival that is
being celebrated across cities in Gujarat.
Centre sanctions construction of 14,000 bunkers along LoC, International Border
4,000 community and individual bunkers would be constructed along the Line of Control (LoC) and the
International Border (IB) for border residents facing Pakistani shelling in Jammu division, officials said in January.
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While 7298 bunkers would be constructed along the LoC in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri, 7162
underground bunkers would be constructed along the IB in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts, the officials said
here.
The Centre recently sanctioned the construction of 14,460 individual and community bunkers at a cost of Rs
415.73 crore for people living along the LoC and IB.
Indian Railways to equip all 8,500 stations with Wi-Fi
All railway stations -- nearly 8,500 across the country, including those in rural and remote areas -- will be equipped
with Wi-Fi facilities at an estimated cost of Rs 700 crore ($110 million).
As part of the government's ambitious Digital India initiative, the national transporter has currently commissioned
Wi-Fi services at 216 major stations enabling about seven million rail passengers to log on to the free Internet
facility.
MHA ranks Coimbatore's R.S. Puram police station as No. 1 in the country
The RS Puram police station (B-2) in the city won the ministry of home affairs' trophy for the best police station in
the country, in the category of Smart police stations, in January.
Director general of police TK Rajendran and station inspector T Jothi received the trophy from union home
minister Rajnath Singh at the 'All India Conference of Director Generals/Inspector Generals of Police -2017' held
at Takenpur in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
While Panjagutta police station in Telangana ranked in the second place, Gudumba police station in Lucknow in
Uttar Pradesh nabbed the third place.
Govt releases AISHE 2016-17; no. of students enrolling for higher education up by 0.7%
The number of students enrolling for higher education in India saw a marginal 0.7 per cent increase in 2016-17,
according to a government survey released in January.
Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar released the All India Survey on Higher
Education (AISHE) for the year 2016-17 in New Delhi in January. It said the gross enrolment ratio (GER) in higher
education had gone up 25.2 per cent in 2016-17 from 24.5 per cent in 2015-16.
The country has set an aggressive target of achieving 30 per cent GER in higher education by 2020. GER is the total
enrolment in higher education among the population in the age group of 18-23.
According to the survey, the number of universities in the country rose to 864 last year as compared to 799 in
2015-16.
Tamil Nadu had the highest GER in the country at 46.9 per cent. Bihar is at the bottom with 14.9 per cent of its
youth in the age group of 18 to 23 enrolling for higher education.
In a first, ITBP to sponsor India tour for elderly citizens living in border areas
In a major policy move, China frontier guarding force ITBP will sponsor India-wide excursion tours for senior
citizens living in border areas of Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh to build strong ties with the people, described as
“strategic assets” by home minister Rajnath Singh.
The paramilitary force has also decided to almost double, to a dozen in a year, the number of such regular
educational tours for the children living in border areas.
India’s second FTII to be set up in Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh would get its first Film and Television Institute, being set up by the Union Government as part
of tapping the potential of the Northeastern region, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said in January.
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This would be the second such one in the country. The first Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) was set up
in Pune, an autonomous institute operating under the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
Pratyush, India's first multi-petaflops supercomputer launched
• On 8 January India took a major step ahead in upgrading computing capacity in the area of weather forecasting
and climate monitoring. Union Minister for Earth Sciences Dr.Harsh Vardhan inaugurated a supercomputer system
at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune, taking its total high-performance computing (HPC)
power to as high as 6.8 Petaflop.
• With this, India will now occupy the fourth position, next only to the United Kingdom, Japan and USA in terms of
a dedicated capacity for HPC resources for weather and climate purposes.
• The new supercomputer has been named ‘Pratyush’.
• The supercomputer set up at a cost of Rs. 450 crore.
Bhopal Becomes The First Railway Station In India To Install Sanitary Napkin Vending Machine
• In a first, Bhopal’s main railway station—Bhopal Junction—has installed an automated sanitary pad dispenser. The
machine, appropriately named Happy Nari, was set up on 1 January, 2018.
• Identifying the need to provide hygiene products for women at the station, the Railway Women Welfare
Association of Bhopal joined hands with a local NGO Arushi.
18th All India Whips’ Conference: Union Government proposes rolling out e-Sansad and e-Vidhan
• The 18th All India Whips’ Conference was inaugurated by Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Chemicals
& Fertilizers Ananth Kumar on 8 January 2018 in Udaipur, Rajasthan. The conference will conclude on 9 January
2018.
• Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia was the Chief Guest for the Inaugural Session of the Conference.
• During this two-day conference, Kumar will consider rolling out e-Sansad in Parliament and e-Vidhan in State
Legislatures with an aim to digitize and make their functioning paperless.
Indian Railways to deploy “Drone” cameras to enhance safety and efficiency in train operations
The Indian Railways has decided to deploy “Drone” cameras (UAV/NETRA) for various railway activities especially
maintenance of tracks, project monitoring and other railway infrastructure.
All the zonal Railways have been directed to procure such cameras. This is in-line with Railways’ desire to use
technology to enhance safety and efficiency in train operations.
Under this initiative, West Central Railways with headquarter at Jabalpur (M.P) has become the first Zonal Railway
to procure “Drone” cameras in Indian Railways.
Delhi govt launches common card for bus, metro rides
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in January launched a common card for rides on public buses and the metro,
terming it a big step in the city's transport sector.
Delhi is the first city in the country to have a common mobility card, which can at present be used on 200 DTC and
50 cluster buses plying on different routes, apart from metro trains.
The buses of DTC's Raj Ghat Depot-I and Rohini Depot-I plying on different routes and those of Cluster scheme's
BBM depot-II will have the facility as of now.
BSES launches rooftop solar single-point for apartment complexes
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In an initiative to promote clean energy, BSES, one of Delhi's two electricity distribution companies (discoms), in
January launched the country's first solar rooftop consumer aggregation programme for residential buildings to
provide the installations at a single point for the entire apartment complex.
The sister discom BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd's (BRPL) "Solar City Initiative", designed to maximise rooftop solar
power use in south and west Delhi, was launched at an event here by Delhi Power Minister Satyendar Jain.
Centre releases Rs. 20 cr for Defence Innovation Centre in Coimbatore
The Ministry of Defence has announced release of Rs. 20 crore to the Coimbatore District Small Industries'
Association (Codissia) for setting up a Defence Innovation Centre.
Making this announcement, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said MSME units and start-ups engaged in
manufacture of components for the defence sector could use the centre for conduct of tests and trials.
India's first customized online course for women entrepreneurs launched in IIM Bangalore
The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore in January announced the launch of Women Start-up
Programme (WSP) which will be India's first customized online and classroom initiative for aspiring female
entrepreneurs.
The programme launched by the institute's NS Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (NSRCEL).
The programme is being jointly funded by finance company Goldman Sachs and Centre's Department of Science
& Technology (DST).
Playing national anthem in cinema halls not mandatory: SC
Recalling a 2016 order, the Supreme Court in January, January 9, 2018, said that playing National Anthem before
screening movies is not mandatory.
It also added that if a cinema hall decides to play the National Anthem before the screening, the patrons have to
mandatorily stand up and show respect. The differently-abled are exempted from this rule, though.
Matunga, India’s first station with all-woman staff, enters Limca Book of Records 2018
The first all-women station in India, Matunga on Central Railway (CR), manned by a staff of 41 women, has entered
the Limca Book of Records, an official spokesperson said in January.
The unique initiative was taken by CR General Manager D.K. Sharma in July 2017 with the aim of empowering
women, said CR spokesperson Sunil Udasi.
Incidentally, Kulkarni holds the distinction of becoming the first woman assistant station manager to be recruited
on the CR's Mumbai Division in 1992.
Now, she and her all women staff handle the overall operations of the busy Matunga station with positive and
encouraging results, said Udasi.
India and Saudi Arabia sign bilateral annual Haj 2018 Agreement
India and Saudi Arabia on 7 January 2018 signed the bilateral annual Haj 2018 agreement, giving the green signal
for India’s decision to revive the option of sending Haj pilgrims through sea route also.
The agreement was signed by Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Haj and Umrah
Minister of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, His Excellency Mohammad Saleh bin TaherBenten at Makkah.
UIDAI introduces 'Virtual ID' for Aadhaar to privacy
UIDAI in January introduced a new concept of 'Virtual ID' which Aadhaar-card holder can generate from its website
and give for various purposes, including SIM verification, instead of sharing the actual 12-digit biometric ID.
This will give the users the option of not sharing their Aadhaar number at the time of authentication.
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The Virtual ID, which would be a random 16-digit number, together with biometrics of the user would give any
authorised agency like a mobile company, limited details like name, address and photograph, which are enough
for any verification.
The Virtual ID will be a temporary and revocable 16 digit random number mapped to a person's Aadhaar number
and the Aadhaar-issuing body will start accepting it from March 1, 2018.
From June 1, 2018, it will be compulsory for all agencies that undertake authentication to accept the Virtual ID
from their users.
IIT establishes its first food testing lab in Kharagpur
The Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) has established its first food testing lab at its Kharagpur campus.
The agricultural and food engineering department's Analytical Food Testing Laboratory received the National
Accreditation Board for Calibration and Testing Laboratories (NABL) accreditation, which empowered the IIT
Kharagpur to certify food items for their nutritional value and also check for adulteration.
India to sign pact with UK on illegal migrants
India will sign an MoU with the United Kingdom to enable the return of illegal Indian migrants within a month of
their detection by authorities, an official said in January.
The Memorandum of Understanding comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposed visit to the UK in
March.
The British authorities will first identify the illegal migrants, inform the Indian authorities, followed by police
verification back home.
Cabinet approves India-Canada MoU for cooperation in Science & Technology
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January, approved a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Canada for cooperation in the field of Science & Technology.
The MoU will provide a mechanism and help foster scientific cooperation between R&D and academic institutions
of the two countries.
India, UK combined military exercise ‘Ajeya Warrior-2017’ begins in Rajasthan
The 14-day long Combined Military exercise ‘Ajeya Warrior- 2017’ between India and the United Kingdom began
at the Mahajan Field Firing Range near Bikaner, Rajasthan on 1 December 2017.
The participants include 20 Rajputana Rifles unit of the Indian Army and the first battalion of the Royal Anglian
Regiment of the UK Army. In total, about 120 Army personnel from both the armies are participating in the
exercise.
The exercise is the third joint military exercise between the two countries.
SC directs all States, UTs to set up trauma centre in every district
The Supreme Court of India on 30 November 2017 issued a string of directions on road safety and asked all the
states and Union Territories to set up a trauma centre in each district of the country and make safety norms a part
of the school curriculum.
The decision was taken by a bench headed by Justice M B Lokur. The bench also asked the states, which have not
yet formed the Road Safety Policy, to form it latest by 31 January 2018 and implement it with all due earnestness
and seriousness.
FSSAI issues detailed guidelines on recall of food products
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The FSSAI (The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India), Food safety regulator, asked the companies to frame
a proper plan to recall food products from markets if found unsafe. It also asked the companies to inform the
authority about the same.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) released the guidelines on recalling of food products.
The purpose of these guidelines is to help food business operators (FBOs) outline a proper recall plan and apply
them when the situation demands.
USAID announces USD 1 million support for Ending Tuberculosis Epidemic in India
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) on 29 November 2017 announced USD 1 million support
for Ending Tuberculosis (TB) Epidemic in India and to raise TB awareness to help India in its fight against TB.
Through this support, the agency aims to hold up to PM Modi's goal of securing a TB-free India by 2025.
India re-elected to International Maritime Organisation Council for 2 years
India has won huge by bagging the second largest number of votes enabling it to re-enter the council of the
International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for the next two years.
India secured 144 votes from the member countries while Germany bagged 146.
Kathakar: International Storytellers Festival inaugurated in New Delhi
The 7th edition of the three-day ‘Kathakar: International Storytellers Festival’ was inaugurated by Minister of State
(MoS) for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi on 1
December 2017.
Kathakar is the only oral storytelling festival in India and is a part of Ghummakkad Narain- the Travelling Literature
Festival which was started under the aegis of UNESCO in 2010.The festival is an attempt to not just preserve the
art form but also create new audiences for the same.
India awarded for its effort to combat illegal wildlife trade
India on 30 November 2017 was awarded with the Certificate of Commendation for its exemplary enforcement
action in its regional and global effort to combat illegal wildlife trade.
The award was conferred to the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) by the Secretary General of Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) at the 69th Standing Committee
meeting of CITES at Geneva, Switzerland.
Union Cabinet approves setting up of National Nutrition Mission
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 30 November 2017 approved the setting up of
National Nutrition Mission (NNM) with a three year budget of Rs.9046.17 crore starting from 2017-18.
The mission will be rolled out in three phases from 2017-18 to 2019-20. It mainly aims to reduce stunting, under-
nutrition, anaemia among young children, women and adolescent girls and reduce low birth weight.
First global summit on AYUSH & Wellness inaugurated in Delhi
The first International Exhibition and Conference on AYUSH and Wellness sector- AROGYA 2017 was inaugurated
by Ayush Minister Shripad Yesso Naik in New Delhi on 4 December 2017. It will conclude on 7 December.
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The main theme of the event is ‘Enhancing the global potential of AYUSH’. It is being organised by the Federation
of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in collaboration with Union government’s Ministry of AYUSH
and Ministry of Commerce & Industry and Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council (Pharmexcil).
The 6th International Tourism Mart 2017 inaugurated in Assam
The 6th ‘International Tourism Mart’ (ITM) was inaugurated by Assam’s governor Jagdish Mukhi in Guwahati,
Assam on 5 December 2017.
The mart has been organised by the Ministry of Tourism in association with the North Eastern States. It will be
held from 5 to 7 December 2017. Assam’s Chief Minister Sarbanand Sonowal and Union Tourism minister (I/C) K
L Alphons also attended the inaugural programme along with other dignitaries from the Central Ministries and
the North Eastern States.
The mart aims to put special emphasis on India’s ‘Act East Policy’, blossoming ties with ASEAN and the larger East
Asia region, which is home to the world’s rapidly growing economies and India’s emerging tourism markets.
UP became first Indian state to endorse triple talaq bill
Uttar Pradesh has become the first state to endorse the Centre's draft bill that makes instant triple talaq a
cognisable and non-bailable offence.
The draft law, which provides for three years' imprisonment and a fine to a Muslim man trying to divorce his wife
by uttering "talaq" three times, got the UP government's approval at a meeting of the state cabinet chaired by
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath here last night.
India successfully tests surface to air missile ‘AKASH’
India conducted successful test launch of surface to air missile ‘AKASH’ with indigenous radio frequency seeker on
5 December 2017. The missile was launched from Launch Complex-III at ITR Chandipur.
The radars, telemetry and electro-optical systems along coast have tracked and monitored all the health
parameters of the missile. The missile would soon be inducted into the Indian army as Short Range Surface to Air
Missile (SRSAM).
Indian, Italy sign new MoU for cooperation in Agriculture and Phytosanitary issues
India and Italy signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in Agriculture and
Phytosanitary issues on 6 December 2018. The agreement will replace the one signed in 2008.
It was signed by Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Radha Mohan Singh and the visiting Italian
Minister for Agriculture Food and Forestry Policies, H E Maurizio Martina.
India and Italy enjoy traditionally friendly and cordial relations.
India attaches great importance to the development of bilateral ties between the two countries and aims to
further expand and strengthen ties between the two countries in various areas including in the Agriculture sector.
India, Cuba sign MoU for enhanced cooperation in health sector
India and Cuba on 6 December 2017 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for enhanced cooperation
in the health sector.
The MoU was signed by Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Public Health Minister of Cuba Dr Roberto Tomas
Morales Ojeda in the presence of senior officers from the Health Ministry and the visiting high level delegation
from Cuba.
Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister stated that the relations between the two nations are historical and
have been based on the shared values of equality and justice, common aspirations and convergence of interests
on global issues.
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Unesco honours India's Kumbh Mela with 'intangible cultural heritage' tag
India's Kumbh Mela has been recognised by Unesco as an "intangible cultural heritage of humanity", a tweet
posted in December by the international organisation said.
The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage under the UN body
inscribed Kumbh Mela on the "Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" at its 12th
session in Jeju, South Korea. The meeting, which opened on December 4, will end on December 9.
Kumbh Mela, considered the world's largest congregation of religious pilgrims, joins new elements from
Botswana, Colombia, Venezuela, Mongolia, Morocco, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates on the list.
National Minorities Commission to study possibility of giving minority status to Hindus
The National Commission for Minorities has set up a three member committee to study the matter to give minority
status to Hindus in eight states including Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.
The information was shared by the commission’s chairman Syed Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi, who said that the
committee will give its report within three months, following the examination of which, the Commission will take
a view over the issue.
The decision in this regard came following the Supreme Court views over the issue asking a petitioner to approach
the Commission with the matter.
Govt launches door-to-door campaign against TB
The Government of India has launched a door-to-door campaign for 15-days in the country for early diagnosis,
detection and treatment of tuberculosis to eliminate the disease.The health ministry has initiated this campaign
along the lines of its anti-polio drive, which fetched very good result for India and successfully eliminated this
disease from the country.
Through this door-to-door campaign, health department workers, ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) and
TB supervisors will make door-to-door visits to find TB patients and give them free medical treatment till they are
cured.
Uttarakhand government makes LED bulbs compulsory in all government offices
The state government of Uttarakhand has taken a new initiative for energy conservation by making it compulsory
for all government offices to install LED bulbs.
The move is expected to reduce the consumption of electricity in offices and civic areas.
Key Highlights
• The state government has made compulsory to install LED bulbs in all government offices, educational institutions,
civic bodies and institutes taking grants from the government.
• The initiative is aimed at reducing consumption of electricity.
ASEAN India Connectivity Summit begins in Delhi
The ASEAN India Connectivity Summit (AICS) began in New Delhi on 11 December 2017. The theme of the two-
day Summit is Powering Digital and Physical Linkages for Asia in the 21st Century.
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The summit would be attended by Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari along with ministers of state for
External Affairs, Gen VK Singh and MJ Akbar and Minister of State for Communications (Independent Charge),
Manoj Sinha.
The representatives from ASEAN include Deputy Communications Minister of Viet Nam, Phan Tam and Secretary
of State, Ministry of Public Works and Transport of Cambodia Tauch Chankosal.
National Trachoma Survey Report 2014-17 released: India declared free from Trachoma
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda on 8 December 2017 released the National Trachoma
Survey Report 2014-17.
While releasing the report, the Ministry declared that India is now free from ‘Infective Trachoma’, a contagious
bacterial infection of the eye.
With this, India met the goal of trachoma elimination as specified by the WHO under its GET2020 program.
Now, SC/STs in Delhi can apply for Employment Loan through mobile app
The Delhi Government on 9 December 2017 launched a mobile application through which Scheduled Caste,
Scheduled Tribe, Other Backward Classes, minorities, and handicapped persons can apply for employment loans.
The app will help applicants to apply for the loan with Delhi SC/ST/OBC/Minorities and Handicapped Finance and
Development Corporation (DSFDC) without any hassle.
The Government also said that the inefficient officers, who do not process the loans on time, will be forced to take
compulsory retirement.
Government sets up first NIC-CERT centre to prevent, predict cyber attacks
The first NIC-CERT, a setup of National Informatics Centre, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology was
inaugurated by Law and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on 11 December 2017.
Explaining the move, the Minister stated that the union government as a part of its Digital India initiative had
introduced a lot of services online and while this made the services easily accessible to citizens, it also exposed
them to threats and vulnerabilities that are an inherent part of cyberspace.
The Minister mentioned that in the recent past there has been an exponential growth in cyber attacks leading to
concerns of data theft, which led to the government drafting the Data protection Act.
Union Government launches new initiatives on Universal Health Coverage Day 2017
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda on 11 December 2017 launched various initiatives to
observe Universal Health Coverage Day 2017.
Universal Health Coverage Day is observed every year on 12 December to commemorate the first unanimous
United Nations resolution calling for countries to provide affordable, quality health care to every person,
everywhere.
LaQshya Initiative
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• Considering that there is a need to improve the quality of care in Labour rooms especially on the day of birth for
maternal and neonatal survival, the Ministry launched 'LaQshya' Initiative also known as 'Labour Room Quality
Improvement Initiative'
• LaQshya was launched as a safe delivery mobile application for health workers who manage normal and
complicated deliveries in the peripheral area.
mHealth: Safe Delivery Application
• The ministry also launched the safe delivery application mHealth for health workers who manage normal and
complicated deliveries in the peripheral areas.
• The application has Clinical Instruction films on key obstetric procedures which can help the health workers
translate their learnt skills into practice.
Union WCD Ministry launches logo and tagline contest for National Nutrition Mission
The Ministry of Women & Child Development on 11 December 2017 launched a contest inviting people to design
a logo and suggest a tagline for prestigious 'National Nutrition Mission'.
The ministry also proposed to award a prize money of Rs 1 lakh to the winner of the contest. In case the logo and
tagline selected by the jury are from separate participants, then the prize money would be split.
The last date to submit entries for the contest on Ministry's mail [email protected] is 17 December 2017.
The Union Cabinet on 30 November 2017 approved the setting up of National Nutrition Mission (NNM) with a
three year budget of Rs 9046.17 crore.
Rajasthan government to recognise political prisoners as ‘Loktantra Sainani’
• The state government of Rajasthan has decided to recognise political prisoners held in jails during the emergency
period as ‘Loktantra Sainani’.
• The state’s cabinet decided to change the name of Rajasthan MISA and DIR Bandi Pension Rules 2008 to the
Rajasthan Loktantra Sainani samman Nidhi 2008 on 12 December 2017.
Delhi government to launch accident victim policy
• The Delhi government has decided to launch accident victim policy which will cover all hospital expenses of victims
of road accidents, acid attacks or burns.
• As per government, there is no upper limit on the cost of treatment and all victims irrespective of residence, and
even foreigners will be entitled to get free treatment in any Delhi hospital, government or private if the accident
takes place in the capital.
India hosts 4th India-Australia-Japan trilateral meeting
• Issues related to counter-terrorism, economic cooperation and maritime security were highlighted in the 4th
India-Australia-Japan trilateral meeting hosted by Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar here in December.
• Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar took to twitter to inform about the meeting that
the Foreign Secretary held with his Australian and Japanese counterparts.
Haryana to set up organ, tissue transplant organisation
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The state government of Haryana announced on 14 December 2017 that it would establish an organ and tissue
transplant organisation (SOTTO) at the Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences
(PGIMS) in Rohtak.
The proposal was approved by the state’s Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who directed the officers concerned
to establish the organisation by 31 January 2018. Through this effort, the government aims to promote organ
donation in the state.
INS Kalvari, first Scorpene-class submarine commissioned into Indian Navy
INS Kalvari, the first of the Scorpene-class submarines, was commissioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
14 December 2017.
The commissioning ceremony was held at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, which was attended by Defence
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba and top defence officials.
Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approves UPCOCA Bill to fight organised crime
The Uttar Pradesh Government on 13 December 2017 approved the draft of Uttar Pradesh Control of Organised
Crime Act (UPCOCA) to fight land mafia, mining mafia and organised crime in the state.
The UPCOCA Bill was approved in a meeting of the state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The
bill is expected to be introduced in the winter session of the state legislature.
The Bill has been framed on the lines of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) by the
committee which was set up to examine the draft bill.
NGT declares Amarnath Cave shrine a 'Silent Zone'
In order to protect the eco-sensitive Amarnath cave shrine, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) declared it a
"silence zone" and prohibited religious offerings like chanting of hymns, and ringing bells beyond the entry point.
The Amarnath cave temple is situated in the Himalayas in the state of Jammu & Kashmir.
India, Morocco sign MoU for enhanced cooperation in healthcare
India on 14 December 2017 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Morocco to enable enhanced
cooperation in the health sector.
The agreement was signed by Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda and Morocco’s Health Minister,
Abdelkader Amara in the presence of senior officials from the Union Health Ministry and the visiting high-level
delegation from the North African nation.
Aadhaar mandatory linking: Supreme Court extends deadline to 31 March
The Supreme Court in December extended deadlines for linking of Aadhaar with mobile services and opening of
new bank accounts till 31 March 2018.
Deadlines for linking with existing bank accounts, PAN (permanent account number) cards and welfare schemes
was already extended to 31 March by the government.
Google X to bring high-speed internet to 12 million households in Andhra Pradesh
Google X is preparing to set up its Development Centre in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, to bring in high-speed
internet and broadband connections to about 12 million households and 1,30,000 enterprises (government and
private) in the state by March 2019.
The centre will become Google X’s first development center outside the United State of America.
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A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has already been signed between Government of Andhra Pradesh and
Google X in San Francisco, USA. It was signed in the presence of IT minister Nara Lokesh and CEO of Google X Astro
Teller.
India-Maldives Joint Exercise 'Ekuverin 17’ in Belagavi from in December
India and the Maldives will begin Exercise Ekuverin, their eighth annual joint military training event, in Belagavi in
December.
A flypast by the Army Aviation team and a march-past by the two contingents are slated to launch the exercise,
said an official release.
Cabinet approves bill to set up National Medical Commission
A bill to replace the Medical Council of India (MCI) with a national medical commission was cleared by the Union
Cabinet in December, Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
The MCI is a statutory body for establishing uniform and high standards of medical education in India. The bill
seeks to replace the MCI with a new Commission.
India, Morocco sign MoU for cooperation in Water Resources, Road and Marine Sectors
India on 14 December 2017 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Morocco for cooperation in
Water Resources, Road and Marine sectors.
The agreement was signed between Union Transport and Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari and his
Moroccan counterpart, Abdelkader Amara, who is currently on a visit to India along with a high-level delegation
of the Moroccan government.
During the high-profile meet, the two sides discussed matters relating to India-Morocco bilateral cooperation in
road transport, water resources and the marine sector.
Following is the list of MoUs signed and exchanged between the two nations:
1. MoU on cooperation in the field of Water Resources.
2. MoU to establish cooperation between Indian Maritime University (IMU) and Higher Institute of Maritime Studies
(ISEM) of Morocco.
3. Framework Agreement for Cooperation in Training between the National Ports Agency (NPA) of Morocco and the
Indian Maritime University (IMU).
4. Cooperation Framework Agreement between the Institute of Training in Engines and Road Maintenance of
Morocco (IFEER) and Indian Academy of Highway Engineers (IAHE).
National Workshop on role of Sakhi Centres in strengthening response to violence inaugurated in Delhi
The Minister of Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi inaugurated a 2-day National Workshop on Role
of Sakhi One Stop Centres in strengthening the multi-sectoral response to violence, in New Delhi on 15 December
2017.
The workshop has been organised by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It would witness
participation from around 400 Sakhi- One Stop Centre Functionaries and nodal officials from state departments
of WCD Ministry from 33 States/UTs across the country.
UIDAI suspends Airtel, Airtel Payments Bank's eKYC licence
In its strongest action yet, the UIDAI has temporarily barred Bharti Airtel and Airtel Payments Bank from
conducting Aadhaar-based SIM verification of mobile customers using eKYC process as well as e-KYC of payments
bank clients.
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The action follows allegations of Bharti Airtel using the Aadhaar-eKYC based SIM verification process to open
payments bank accounts of its subscribers without their 'informed consent'. UIDAI also took strong objection to
allegations that such payments bank accounts are being linked to receive LPG subsidy.
Meghalaya launches India’s first social audit law
Meghalaya in December became the first state in India to operationalise a law that makes social audit of
government programmes and schemes a part of government practice. Chief Minister Mukul Sangma launched
‘The Meghalaya Community Participation and Public Services Social Audit Act, 2017’, at a national convention in
Shillong.
The event was attended by more than 200 people from state departments, citizens from audited villages and
eminent citizens associated with social audits. The legislation — applicable to 11 departments and 21 schemes —
was passed on April 4, and was followed by pilot social audits for 26 schemes in 18 villages of the northeastern
state.
Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurates Eastern India's first CNG stations
Terming it as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's New Year gift to the people of Odisha, Union Petroleum and Natural
Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in December inaugurated Eastern India's first compressed natural gas (CNG)
stations at Bhubaneswar.
The Petroleum Minister, while pointing out that for the first time CNG fuel will be used by two wheelers and auto
rickshaws in the city of Bhubaneswar, said that this move will lead to the reduction in fuel rates by 30-40 percent.
NGT bans plastic items in Haridwar, Rishikes
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 15 December 2017 imposed a complete ban on plastic items like carry bags,
plates and cutlery in towns located on the banks of the River Ganga like Haridwar and Rishikesh.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar also banned the sale, manufacture and storage of
such plastic items in the towns spreading till Uttarkashi. The bench was hearing a plea of environmentalist M C
Mehta.
Union Cabinet approves bill criminalising instant Triple Talaq
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15 December 2017 approved the Muslim Women
(Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 that seeks to criminalise instant triple talaq among Muslims.
According to the Union government, it is aimed at protecting the dignity and security of women in the Muslim
community. The draft bill proposes that triple talaq should be made a cognisable and non-bailable offence that
would attract a jail term of three years.
The bill is now, expected to be tabled during the on-going Winter Session of Parliament, which commenced on 15
December 2017.
Govt of Bihar launched Safe City Surveillance scheme for Women Safety
The Bihar government has launched Safe City Surveillance Scheme for keeping the crimes against women in check.
The scheme aims to bring all major public places under a strict watch of close-circuit television (CCTV) cameras
and improve the overall crime control in the state.
Highlights:
The scheme has been launched in a phase-wise manner and will commence from the capital city Patna
The scheme has specially been launched for checking crimes against women such as harassment, eve-teasing and
molestation, snatching incidents and roadside scuffles etc.
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It will also help in keeping a track of miscreants
Kacheguda declared India's first energy efficient railway station
Kacheguda has become India's first energy efficient 'A1 Category' railway station on Indian Railways. Kacheguda
railway station comes under the South Central Railway (SCR).
The measures taken by the Railways to achieve 100 per cent energy efficiency will save about 1.76 lakh units and
Rs 14.08 lakh per annum with reduction of the connected load by 46.18 KW.
Listed below are measures that helped Kacheguda become country's first energy efficient railway station
It replaced 1,312 conventional lights with light-emitting diode (LED) lighting
Around 370 ceiling fans too were replaced with Brushless DC Electrical (BLDC) motors energy efficient fans
12 air conditioners were replaced with energy efficient inverter type air conditioners
Union Cabinet approves agreement with UNESCO for establishing ITCOocean Centre
The Union Cabinet on 16 December 2017 approved the agreement with the United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for establishing International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography
(ITCOocean) in Hyderabad.
The International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography will be established as a Category-2 Centre (C2C)
at the ESSO-INCOIS (ESSO-Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services) campus.
Rajasthan becomes first Indian state to offer e-mail IDs in Hindi
Rajasthan has become the first state in the country to offer its residents email ids in Hindi. The move will help
encourage the population who is not comfortable reading or writing in English to go digital.
The facility, [email protected] (in Devanagari script) can be used by the residents of the state to create their
email ids in Hindi, according to media reports.
The first email under the initiative was made for chief minister Vasundhara Raje, whose new id is
[email protected] (in Devanagari).
Telangana's Kaleshwaram Irrigation Project gets environmental clearance
• The Expert Appraisal Committee of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on 18
December 2017 accorded environmental clearance for the Kaleshwaram Irrigation Project in Telangana.
• However, it directed the Telangana Government to take care of changes in the micro-climatic conditions in the
project area during the construction and post construction period of the project as it involves submergence of a
large area.
• The project is estimated to cost around Rs 80499.7 crore and is proposed to be completed in three years.
AP Govt, UNESCO to set up gaming hub, special school
• The Andhra Pradesh Government in association with the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for
Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) is planning to establish a centre of excellence for children with
learning differences as well as a "gaming for e-learning hub".
• It will be the first of the its kind in India and in Asia-Pacific region, according to Anantha Kumar Duraiappah,
Director of UNESCO MGIEP.
India, Myanmar sign MoU for Rakhine State’s development
• India and Myanmar in December signed a MoU to develop Rakhine State, from where thousands of Rohingya
Muslims have fled to Bangladesh following a military crackdown.
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• Foreign secretary S Jaishankar and Myanmar’s deputy minister for social welfare, relief and resettlement U Soe
Aung signed the Memorandum of Understanding.
Cabinet approves setting up of India's first rail university in Gujarat
• The Cabinet in December approved a project to set up India's National Rail and Transport University (NRTU) in
Vadodara in Gujarat.
• A not-for-profit company under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013, will be created by the ministry of railways
which shall be the managing company of the proposed university, the ministry said in a statement.
• The project has been pending for the past three years.
India's first design university 'World University of Design' opens in Haryana
• India's first and only design university, World University of Deisgn opens it campus at Sonipat, Haryana.
• Promoted by Om Parkash Bansal Educational and Social Welfare Trust of Mandi Gobindgarh, Punjab, having more
than two decades of presence in higher education, the university is currently located in a sprawling lush green
picturesque campus with the state-of-the-art infrastructure and world class facilities.
• The campus is situated on NH1 in Rajiv Gandhi Education City (NCR), Sonipat, the largest planned integrated city
for education in India.
Haryana government to provide free sanitary napkins to poor women
• The Haryana government would distribute sanitary napkins free of cost to all women belonging to BPL (Below
Poverty Line) category in the State. Earlier, on 1st December, the Haryana government had announced that it
would make plans for free supply of sanitary napkins to girls in the schools across the State.
• The government also said that the State would become malnutrition- free in the coming 3-years.
• To achieve the goal of malnutrition- free Haryana, nutrition mission will be set up as per the guidelines of the
National Nutrition Mission (NNM).
Union Government lays foundation stone for 32 projects in Uttarakhand under Namami Gange programme
• The foundation stone for 32 projects costing about Rs 905 crore was laid down in Uttarakhand on 19 December
2017 under Namami Gange programme in the presence of Minister of Water Resources, River Development and
Ganga Rejuvenation Satyapal Singh and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat.
• Two Sewerage Treatment Projects (STP) worth about Rs 12.83 crore were inaugurated in Gangotri and Badrinath
during the event.
32 projects in Uttarakhand under Namami Gange programme
• 20 projects worth Rs 871.74 crore pertain to sewage treatment and infrastructure in different parts of
Uttarakhand.
• Six projects are in Haridwar that includes construction of Sewerage Treatment Projects in Jagjeetpur and Sarai
under PPP based Hybrid Annuity model. The total cost of projects in Haridwar is Rs 414.20 crore.
• There are projects related to sewage treatment in Uttarkashi, Muni-ki-Reti, Kirti Nagar, Srinagar, Rudra Prayag,
Badrinath, Joshimath, Chamoli, Nand Prayag and Karn Prayag.
• Ghat development works in Tehri Garhwal, Rudra Prayag and Chamoli.
• Interception and diversion (I&D) work of Rs 85.14 crore and Sewage treatment work of Rs 244.91 crore in
Jagjeetpur.
• I & D work of Rs 31.46 crore sewage treatment work of Rs 52.64 crore in Sarai.
• Sewerage Treatment Projects at Tapovan (Rs 2.1 crore), Swarga Ashram (Rs 4.5 crore) and Uttarkashi (Rs 10.03
crore)
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• I & D and Sewerage Treatment Projects in Rishikesh (Rs 158 crore), Muni Ki Reti (Rs 80.45 crore), Kirti Nagar (Rs
4.2 crore), Srinagar (Rs 22.5 crore), Rudra Prayag (Rs 13.1 crore), Badrinath (Rs 18.23 crore), Joshimath (Rs 48.42
crore), Chamoli (Rs 61.8 crore) and Nand Prayag (Rs 6.4 crore).
• Sewerage Treatment Project rehabilitation work in Srinagar for Rs 15.4 crore.
• Ghat work in Tehri Garhwal (Rs 6 crore), Chamoli (Rs 24 crore) and Rudra Prayag (Rs 4.77 crore).
Once all these 32 projects get accomplished, the sewage water of all priority towns in Uttarakhand including
Haridwar and Rishikesh will not go untreated into Ganga.
India, Sri Lanka complete 2nd phase of joint oceanographic survey
The Indian Navy in collaboration with the Sri Lankan navy successfully completed the second phase of the joint
oceanographic survey conducted off the South Western Coast of Sri Lanka.
The survey was initiated on 26 October 2017 with the arrival of the Indian Naval Ship Sutlej in Sri Lanka.
The survey charts were handed over by the Indian side to the Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy on 19 December
2017. The survey extended to a depth contour of 200 m from the coastline, ranging from Colombo to Galle.
MEA launches SAMEEP to take foreign policy to classroom
The Ministry of External Affairs has launched a new program SAMEEP (Students and MEA Engagement Program),
to make the student understand India's place in the world and its global ambitions, and also to look at diplomacy
as a career option.
It’s an "outreach" mission by MEA to take India’s foreign policy and its worldwide engagements to students across
the country.
Indian Navy conducts Exercise Naseem-Al-Bahr with Oman Navy
Indian Navy on 20 December 2017 conducted the joint naval exercise Naseem-Al-Bahr with the Oman Navy. The
exercise is also known as Sea Breeze. This is the 11th edition of the exercise which has been a biennial feature
since 1993.
Indian Naval Ships Trikand and Teg entered Muscat, Oman on 16 December 2017 for the harbour phase. A Pre-
sail conference for the exercise was held at Said Bin Sultan Naval Base, Wudam on 17 Dec 17.
Union Government launches Project Darpan to improve postal services for rural customers
• Union Minister of Communications Manoj Sinha on 21 December 2017 launched Project DARPAN – “Digital
Advancement of Rural Post Office for A New India” to improve the quality of service and add value to services for
rural customers.
• The project has an outlay of 1400 crore rupees and intends to provide a low power technology solution to each
Branch Postmaster (BPM). This will enable all 1.29 Lakhs Branch Post Offices (BOs) to improve the level of services
being offered to rural customers across all the states.
• At Present, 43171 Branch Post Offices have migrated under the “DARPAN” project with the aim of financial
inclusion to rural population.
All railway stations to be 100% LED lit by April 2018: Railways
• In an eco-friendly measure to cut power consumption, the Indian Railways in December said it planned to make
all stations cent per cent LED lit by March 31, 2018.
• The railways said it was actively working to provide 100 percent LED lighting for energy needs in railway staff
colonies, stations and platforms.
Government to launch 'Ganga Gram' project for development of villages situated on the banks of Ganga
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The Union Government is going to formally launch the 'Ganga Gram' project at the Ganga Gram Swachata
Sammelan in New Delhi on 23 December 2017.
The project, which is a part of the government’s clean Ganga mission - Namami Gange, is an integrated approach
for the holistic development of villages situated on the banks of Ganga with the active participation of villagers.
The event will be presided over by Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Uma Bharti. It will be
attended by Water Resources and Ganga Rejuvenation Minister Nitin Gadkari and Rural Development Minister
Narendra Singh Tomar.
Indian Coast Guard Commissions Sixth 105m Offshore Patrol Vessel ‘Sujay’
The Indian Coast Guard Ship ‘Sujay’, the sixth in the series of six 105m Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) was
commissioned into service in Goa on 21 December 2017.
The commissioning was done by the Director General of Indian Coast Guard, Rajendra Singh in the presence of
senior officers from Coast Guard, CMD Goa Shipyard Limited and other senior dignitaries of the Central and State
Government.
CBSE ties up with Ramakrishna mission to teach harmony, humility to students
The CBSE has tied up with the Ramakrishna mission to impart value education to its students and make them
“awakened” citizens with values of peace, harmony, humility and cooperation.
This programme is a three-year graded Values Education programme for students of classes 6-8 (or classes 7-9).
However, the implementation of the programme by schools is voluntary.
Indian Railways flag off country’s first AC suburban local train in Mumbai
The Indian Railways in December flagged off the country’s first air-conditioned suburban local train for Mumbai
commuters, 150 years after the first suburban local was hauled by a steam engine in 1867, officials said.
The Christmas and the pre-New Year bonanza saw the first AC local’s maiden run for the media, officials, some
political party activists and commuters between Borivali and Churchgate on the Western Railway.
Bengaluru Becomes India's First City To Have Its Own Logo "BE U"
To give the city its own identity and highlight its global image, Bengaluru in December became the first Indian city
to get its own logo.
With a tagline 'Bengaluru Be U', the unique red-black logo is in part English and Kannda. It was unveiled at the
Namma Bengaluru Habba festival by Karnataka Tourism Minister Priyank Kharge in Vidhana Soudha.
Narendra Modi launches Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line from Noida
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December launched a 12-km stretch of Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line with a ride
between the Botanical Garden and the Okhla Bird Sanctuary stations here.
Mr. Modi was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister
for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation chief Mangu Singh during the
ride.
Narendra Modi, first Prime Minister in 20 years to visit Davos, World Economic Forum 2018
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the first Indian PM in 20 years to visit the World Economic Forum in Davos
next year. It was in 1997 when the then Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda had attended the event.
The annual meeting in Davos is a five-day long event which will begin on January 22, 2018. When Narendra Modi
was the chief minister of Gujarat, he had attended the regional summit of the World Economic Forum in China in
2007.
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Mission Antyodaya: Ranking of 50000 gram panchayats completed
As part of the Centre’s ambitious plan to make 50,000 villages poverty free by 2019, an exercise to rank as many
gram panchayats on the parameters of physical infrastructure, human development and economic activities have
been completed, the rural development ministry said in December.
The ranking will help in identification of gaps in the quest for making these gram panchayats poverty free, the
ministry said in a statement.
Under the Mission Antyodaya, the Centre has set a target of bringing one crore households out of poverty and
making 50,000 gram panchayats poverty free by 2019.
Gujarat constructed most houses for urban poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban)
Gujarat has constructed most number of houses for the urban poor under the Centre’s flagship housing scheme
‘Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban)’ in the country, official data shows.
As many as 54,474 houses have been constructed in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state, since
2014-15 under the scheme.
This accounts for 18.70 per cent of the 2.91 lakh total houses constructed in 36 states and UTs in the country,
according to the data of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
Gujarat has received central assistance of Rs 1,355 crore for construction of these houses.
Under the PMAY(U) scheme, the government targets to construct 1.2 crore affordable houses for urban poor
across the country by 2022.
Electronic Human Resource Management System launched to enable easy governance
The DoNER, Space and Public Grievances & Pensions Minister, Jitendra Singh launched the electronic-Human
Resource Management System (e-HRMS) in Delhi on 25 December 2017.
The launch process was conducted during the observance of Good Governance Day by the Ministry of Personnel,
Public Grievances and Pensions. The Minister launched the 25 applications of 5 modules of the system. The e-
service book launched for the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) during March 2017 will also be
integrated into the e-HRMS.
UP launches free power connection scheme to mark Vajpayee's birthday
Uttar Pradesh has launched a free household power connection scheme for the poor in the state to mark former
prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's birth anniversary.
The government has a target of covering 16 million by 2018-end, driven by Yogi Adityanath government's motto
'Prakash hai to vikas hai' (the barometer of development is light), he stated.
As against the target of 4 crore under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Saubhagy scheme, the state so far has
provided 25 lakh household connections.
Maharashtra becomes first Indian state to allow businesses to run 24×7
Corporate enterprises and shops across Maharashtra can now decide to stay open for 365 days a year and choose
their opening and closing times with the state government passing an amendment to the Shops and
Establishments Act.
The changes in the Act, however, will not apply to liquor shops and bars.
The state government in December passed the Shops and Establishment (Regulation of Employment and
Conditions of Service) Bill, which would enable multiplexes, restaurants, shops business houses that don't serve
liquor to remain open 24/7 throughout the year with permission that can be obtained online.
Maharashtra is the first Indian state to allow businesses to run 24×7.
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NITI Aayog's 'AIM' selects additional 1500 schools
Government of India's flagship program, NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), to promote innovation and
entrepreneurship nationwide in schools, universities and industry, has selected additional 1500 schools for
establishment of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs).
The addition of these schools will give a major boost to realize the vision of the mission to 'Cultivate one million
children in India as the innovators of tomorrow'.
With this announcement, AIM has selected 2441 schools across India to establish ATLs to date since it began its
operations over a year ago.
SDMC launches Atal Jan Aahar Yojana for poor to provide lunch at Rs 10
The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) in December launched a new scheme for the poor that will allow
them to buy meal for Rs 10 from the civic body's kiosks during the day, officials said.
According to them, the Atal Jan Aahar Yojana has been started to make a nutritious full meal accessible to the
needy, in a phased manner.
The scheme was started at kiosks in five different locations of south Delhi.
Rajya Sabha passes forest bill to remove bamboo from 'tree' category
The Rajya Sabha in December passed the Indian Forest (Amendment) Bill, 2017, which excludes bamboo from the
definition of "tree", even as the opposition members, opposing the Bill and questioning the government's
intentions behind bringing this legislation, walked out.
The Bill will replace the Indian Forest (Amendment) Ordinance that was promulgated by the President on
November 23 this year.
Delhi Govt and Maruti sign MoU to set up 12 automated driving test tracks
The Delhi government in December signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Maruti Suzuki for setting
up 12 automated driving test tracks across the city.
The Indian automobile major will invest approximately Rs 15 crore to develop the centres, which will be set up in
phases and handed over to the Transport department of Delhi governments, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) said
in a statement.
Assam CM launches skill development training centres
The Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal, launched skill development training centres across the state
in a programme organised by the Department of Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship at Srimanta Sankardev
Kalakshetra in Guwahati on 28 December 2017.
Speaking on the occasion, Sonowal stated that the knowledge and skill is must for socio-economic progress. He
said that the state’s youth must give a new dimension to the pace of the state's development by acquiring
knowledge and enhancing their skills.
Orange Festival of Music and Adventure begins in Dambuk, Arunachal Pradesh
Excitement, thrill and musical extravaganza gripped Dambuk village, located in the Lower Dibang Valley in
Arunachal Pradesh, when a four-day long Orange Festival of Music and Adventure (OFAM) offered tourists the
experience of various rendition of Indo-Western music and adventure sports activities.
Dambuk in Arunachal is known to produce some of the best oranges in the country and hence the name Orange
festival evolved.
78th session of Indian History Congress begins in Kolkata
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The three-day long 78th session of the Indian History Congress in December began here at the Jadavpur University
campus.
The Indian History Congress will have six sections this time - Ancient India, Medieval India, Modern India, Countries
Other than India, Archaeology and Contemporary India.
Modi Kaka Ka Gaon: Movie based on Prime Minster Narendra Modi’s development agenda
Hindi feature film ‘Modi Ka Gaon’ – now renamed as ‘Modi Kaka Ka Gaon’ finally released In December, after
nearly 11 months it was denied a censor certificate on various grounds.
The movie is loosely inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s development agenda. Vikas Mahante Worked as
a lead role as a Indian Prime minister. Apart from him, Film-makers casts Rohit Raj, Chandramani, Swarnim, Zeba
Anujam, and Sarvagya for prominent roles. Tushar Amrish Goel Directed movie is produced by Suresh Jha.
MP CM flags off mobile museum 'Adi Shankara Sandesh Vahini' in
As part of the 'Ekatm Yatra', Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in December flagged off a
mobile museum, showcasing various aspects of the life of Adi Shankaracharya, from the home of the saint's
mother near here.
The journey of the mobile museum 'Adi Shankara Sandesh Vahini', is being organised to propagate the philosophy
and teachings of Adi Shankaracharya among the youth.
India successfully test-fires AAD Supersonic Interceptor Missile
India on 28 December 2017 successfully test-fired indigenously developed Advanced Air Defence (AAD) supersonic
interceptor missile from a test range in Dr Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.
This Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) System of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) directly
hit the target at an altitude of about 15 kilometre and destroyed it into fragments.
Lok Sabha passes bill criminalising Instant Triple Talaq
Lok Sabha on 28 December 2017 passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017. The Bill
criminalises the practice of instant triple talaq among Muslims.
The bill was introduced by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in the lower house on 28 December 2017 in
the wake of the August 2017 ruling of Supreme Court declaring instant triple talaq practice as "null and void",
unconstitutional and arbitrary.
Union Goverment launches Mobile Application on Livestock Disease Forewarning
The Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh on 27 December 2017 launched
Livestock Disease Forewarning - Mobile Application (LDF - Mobile App).
During the launch, Union Agriculture Ministry also informed that dreaded Rinderpest disease has been eradicated
from India and stressed the need to control and eradicate diseases like FMD, PPR, Brucellosis, CSF, BT, HS etc.,
which cause huge economic loss annually to the livestock industry.
President inaugurates Andhra Pradesh Fiber Grid Project
The Andhra Pradesh Fiber Grid Project was inaugurated by the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind at Velagapudi,
Amaravathy on 27 December 2017.
The project, initiated by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, aims to expand high-speed internet facility in the
state. It aims to cover over 1.45 crore households, more than 12,000 panchayats and 60,000 schools. It will also
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provide internet facilities to 10,000 government offices, 96 municipalities, 14 Corporations and 6,000 Public
Health Centres in the state.
India's first ‘Robocop’ launched in Hyderabad
India’s first ‘Robocop’, capable of performing police duties, has been launched in Hyderabad.
Developed by the city-based Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning start-up H-Bots Robotics, this 5-foot-7-
inch tall smart police robot, weighing 43 kg, can receive complaints, record audio and video clips, identify suspects,
detect metals and monitor temperature.
The Robocop will be able to recognise objects stationed at a location for long hours and inform the Police Control
Room. The life-sized robot has been named after 26/11 martyr Hemant Karkare and all Smart Police Robots to be
produced by H-Bot Robotics in future will be named after police martyrs.
PM Modi inaugurates Sivagiri pilgrimage celebrations in Kerala
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December inaugurated the 85th annual Sivagiri pilgrimage celebrations at
Sivagiri Mutt in Kerala via video conferencing.
The Sivagiri Mutt is a major spiritual-cum-pilgrim centre of the Ezhava community in Kerala and was established
by Sri Narayana Guru, who propagated the message of 'One Caste, One Religion and One God for Mankind'.
Delhi government launches mobile app that would connect 16000 SMC members
The Delhi government on 28 December 2017 launched a mobile app that would connect around16, 000 members
of School Management Committees (SMCs).
The launch was conducted by Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in
the capital itself. Speaking on the occasion, the CM stated that the application will help in making the process
more transparent and is going to be an effective help for all the stakeholders by all means.
Karnataka to create ecosystem for using nanotechnology across verticals
The state government of Karnataka would be creating an ecosystem to bring all stakeholders to use
nanotechnology across verticals including energy, medicine, engineering, transport and communication.
The information was shared by renowned scientist C N R Rao at a preview of the ‘Bengaluru India Nano 2017’ on
2 November 2017 in Bengaluru. "Our endeavour is to create an ecosystem for bringing industry, research and
academia on one platform with the state government support to use nanotechnology and nano science across
verticals," said Rao.
President inaugurates 21st World Congress of mental health
The 21st World Congress of Mental Health was inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind in New Delhi on 2
November 2017.
The conference was organised by the World Federation for Mental Health in partnership with Caring Foundation
and other institutions.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the World Congress of Mental Health is taking place in India for
the first time and it has come here at an appropriate moment.
The main theme of the conference is ‘Partnerships for Mental Health’.
Indo-Kazakhstan bilateral military exercise PRABAL DOSTYK 2017 begins
The bilateral military exercise between India and Kazakhstan 'PRABAL DOSTYK 2017' began on 2 November 2017
at Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh.
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Literally defined as ‘Robust Friendship’, ‘Prabal Dostyk 2017’ is second edition of the joint military training exercise
between both countries.
The first edition of exercise was held in Karaganda region of Kazakhstan in September 2016.
The fourteen day PRABAL DOSTYK is aimed at enhancing the military ties between the two countries for achieving
interoperability between the two armies.
It also aims to acquaint both forces with each other’s operating procedures in the backdrop of counter insurgency
and counter terrorism operations under UN mandate.
Google opens first India data centre in Mumbai
Google, the information technology giant, opened its first data centre in India in November, offering customers
the ability to host applications and store data locally. This is part of its effort to compete with global rivals Amazon
and Microsoft in this country's fast-growing cloud services space.
Located in Mumbai, Google says the data and applications hosted at its new data centre will help reduce latency
(the term in a computer network for the time it takes for a packet of data to get from one designated point to
another) by 20-90 per cent for end-users in Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. The company will also
allow users to pay in rupees.
Indian Air Force to participate in air exercise ‘Blue Flag-17’ in Israel
The Indian Air Force (IAF) would be participating in a two-week-long multilateral air exercise- 'Blue Flag-17'- in
Israel starting from 2 November 2017.
According to an official statement by the Defence Ministry, a 45-member contingent of the air force left to take
part in the exercise on 31 October 2017. The team led by Group Captain Maluk Singh VSM consists of personnel
from various combat elements of the IAF.
This is the first time that the Indian Air Force would be operating with its counterpart in Israel in a multilateral
exercise setting since diplomatic relations were established between the two countries in 1990.
Haryana government announces lifetime pensions for 'Hindi Satyagrahis'
The state government of Haryana on 31 October 2017 announced lifetime monthly pension of Rs 10,000 for 'Hindi
Satyagrahis' and those from the state who were jailed during the Emergency.
The state government also announced that it would be providing enhanced financial assistance to World War-II
veterans and their widows. Besides this, the state’s Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar announced 10 hours
electricity supply to farmers starting from 1 November 2017.
BRO builds world's highest motorable road in Ladakh
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed the world's highest motorable road in Ladakh region of
Jammu and Kashmir, passing through Umlingla Top at a height of over 19,300 feet.
The feat was achieved under 'Project Himank' of the organisation. Congratulating the BRO personnel for
completing the herculean task, Chief Engineer, Project Himank, Brigadier D M Purvimath, said that constructing
the road at an altitude of over 19,300 feet was filled with life threatening challenges.
Union Government announces the launch of Food Regulatory Portal and Nivesh Bandhu portal
Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal on 1 November 2017 announced the launch of
the Food Regulatory Portal and Investor Facilitation Portal “Nivesh Bandhu” while chairing the Press Conference
detailing about the World Food India 2017 Expo.
World Food India Expo is a mega event which would showcase the entire value chain in the food sector.
'Food Regulatory Portal'
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MoFPI and FSSAI will jointly launch the 'Food Regulatory Portal', a single interface for food businesses to cater to
both domestic operations and food imports.
Food Regulatory Portal will be a game changer for effective and transparent implementation of the food safety
laws in the country.
The portal is strategically aligned with Union Government’s mission of One Nation, One Food Law to create an
enabling environment for businesses to operate.
'Nivesh Bandhu'
Investor Facilitation Portal “Nivesh Bandhu” will assist investors to make informed investment decisions.
It will provide information on Central and State Governments’ investor friendly policies, agro-producing clusters,
infrastructure, and potential areas of investment in the food processing sector.
Odisha imposes 7-month ban on fishing to protect endangered Sea turtles
The state government of Odisha on 1 November 2017 imposed a seven-month ban on sea fishing activity in order
to protect the Olive Ridley sea turtles.
The move has been brought on, as the breeding season of the endangered marine animals is approaching. The
ban will hold until 31 May 2018.
The ban on fishing activity was clamped within 20 km off the coastline of Dhamra-Devi-Rushikulya river mouth.
India sets Guinness Record for cooking 918 kgs of Khichdi
India has achieved a Guinness World Record feat while putting the spotlight on the humble Indian dish Khichdi.
At the ongoing World Food India event, 918 Kgs of Khichdi was prepared using a 1000 litres stainless steel kadhai
at the India Gate Lawns at New Delhi in November, in a bid to promote Indian ingredients and cuisine and created
a new Guinness World Record.
A team of 50 people led by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, the brand ambassador of The Great Indian Food Street, and
Akshaya Patra prepared the Khichdi. The world-record ceremony was attended by Minister of Food Processing
and Industries Harsimart Kaur Badal and Patanjali Group founder Baba Ramdev among others.
India successfully tests its first fully indigenous Glide bomb
The Union Government announced on 3 November 2017 that an indigenously developed lightweight 'Glide' bomb
was successfully tested in Chandipur in Odisha.
The development marks a major milestone in developing such weapons. The bomb - SAAW (Smart Anti Airfield
Weapon) - was dropped from an Indian Air Force aircraft at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur on 2
November.
The bomb released from the aircraft and guided through precision navigation system reached the targets greater
than 70 km range with high accuracies.
Union Government launches Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana to promote philately
Union Minister of Communications Manoj Sinha on 3 November 2017 launched Deen Dayal SPARSH (Scholarship
for Promotion of Aptitude & Research in Stamps as a Hobby) Yojana, a Pan India scholarship program for school
children to increase the reach of Philately.
Philately is the hobby of collection and study of Postage stamps. It also includes collection, appreciation and
research activities on stamps and other philatelic products. Philately teaches a lot about the socio economic
political reality of the period in which the stamp is issued.
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Under the SPARSH scheme, the government will award annual 920 scholarships to children of Class VI to IX having
good academic record while pursuing Philately as a hobby through a competitive selection process in all postal
circles.
Every Postal Circle will select a maximum of 40 scholarships representing 10 students each from Class VI, VII, VIII
and IX.
The amount of the Scholarship will be Rs 6000 per annum at the rate of Rs 500 per month.
India, South Africa to collaborate on multi-radio telescope project
India and South would be jointly expanding their efforts in tracing the evolution of galaxies thereby, further
strengthening their 20 years of strategic partnership.
India would be participating in the multi-nation Square Kilometre Array (SKA) - a large multi radio telescope project
aimed to be built in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, where the view of the Milky Way Galaxy is best and
radio interference least.
The telescope when built would be the world’s most powerful radio telescope and it would have a total collecting
area of approximately one square kilometre.
Railways launch main arch on world's highest bridge on Chenab
The Indian Railways has commenced the main arch of the world's highest bridge on the River Chenab in Jammu
and Kashmir's Reasi district.
This will provide direct connectivity to the Kashmir Valley.
The iconic bridge of Jammu & Kashmir will ascend 359 metres above the bed of the River Chenab and will be 30
metres upper than the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris.
The start of the main arch is a remarkable effort as it requires carrying heavy segments from two ends of the
bridge - Kauri end and Bakkal end and involves the world longest cable crane arrangement.
Indian Army launches Joint Training Node in Shillong
The Indian Army on 4 November 2017 launched an independent and fully-integrated Joint Training Node (JTN) at
Umroi cantonment in Shilllong, Meghalaya.
The Training Node is aimed at hosting foreign armies during joint exercises.
The Joint Training Node is the first of its kind in eastern command and is different from other joint training centres
located in Belgaum, Varangte and Bakloh.
The main objective behind its creation is to provide the best possible training environment for visiting armies.
Goa to host Nobel Prize Event in February 2018
The state government of Goa on 3 November 2017 signed a trilateral memorandum of understanding (MoU) with
the Department of Biotechnology, Union Ministry of Science and Technology and Nobel Media, Sweden to host
the Nobel Prize Series - India event during 1-28 February 2018.
The event will be jointly organized by Department of Bio-Technology, Union Ministry of Science and Technology
in collaboration with Department of Science and Technology and Nobel Media AB, Sweden.
The event would be held along with a month-long exhibition brought from Nobel Museum, Sweden.
Indian telescope AstroSat measures X-ray polarisation of Crab pulsar star in Taurus constellation
India’s multi-wavelength space telescope AstroSat has been successful in measuring the X-ray polarisation of the
Crab pulsar star in the Taurus constellation. The findings were published in the journal Nature Astronomy on 6
November 2017.
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The Astrosat team documented the results of their 18-month study of the Crab pulsar in the Taurus constellation
and measured the variations of polarisation as a highly-magnetised and exotic object that spins about 30 times
every second.
Taurus is the second astrological sign in the present zodiac. It spans the 30-60th degree of the zodiac.
Indo-Bangladesh joint military exercise SAMPRITI-7 begins
India and Bangladesh armies on 6 November 2017 began the joint military exercise SAMPRITI-7 in Meghalaya’s
Umroi cantonment.The exercise began with the inauguration of the up to date Joint Training Node at Umroi
Cantonment which is about 25 Km from Shillong, Meghalaya.
A total of 14 officers from the Bangladesh Army and 20 Officers from the Indian Army will be taking part in this
seventh edition of the Exercise SAMPRITI.
The Field Training Exercise (FTX) will see participation of one Infantry company each from the Bangladesh Army
and elite Red Horns Division of the Indian Army.
The joint exercise will conclude on 11 November 2017.
The 20th International Children's Film Festival begins in India
International Children's Film Festival India (ICFFI), popularly known as the Golden Elephant began in Hyderabad,
Telangana on 8 November 2017. The festival would conclude on the occasion of Children’s Day on 14 November.
The global festival, which is held every two years, strives to bring the most imaginative cinema including both
national and international to the young audiences in India.
The festival would witness participation from over hundred thousand children and hundreds of film professionals
and eminent guests from around the world.
DRDO conducts successful flight trial of 'NIRBHAY' Cruise Missile
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on 7 November 2017 conducted the successful test
flight of ‘NIRBHAY’, India’s first indigenously designed and developed Long Range Sub-Sonic Cruise Missile.
The missile cruised for a total time duration of 50 minutes, achieving the range of 647 km. The missile was tracked
with the help of ground based radars.
Facebook to introduce disaster response tools in India
Social media giant, Facebook has teamed up with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and an
Indian non-profit body – SEEDS- to offer tools to these agencies in an attempt to help them respond more
effectively to natural disasters.
Facebook would be bringing in disaster maps that would illustrate aspects such as movement of people and
concentration of Facebook users in a particular area before and after a calamity.
According to Ritesh Mehta, Facebook Head of Programs of India, South and Central Asia, the intention behind
introducing the initiatives is to help improve response efforts to natural disasters in India. He added saying that
before and after any crisis, the response organisations require accurate information to help the communities to
respond, recover and rebuild.
Telangana Assembly passes bill on prevention of dangerous activities
The state assembly of Telangana passed three key bills including one on prevention of dangerous activities.
The state assembly passed the Telangana Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Dacoits, Drug
Offenders, Goondas, Immoral traffic offenders and Land grabbers (Amendment) Bill, 2017.
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The bill seeks replacement of the ordinance that the state government passed about 6 months ago. While the
opposition alleged that the state government had failed in bringing down crimes, the government stated that
illegal activities had come down after the ordinance had come into force.
Government to provide 100 foreign students full scholarship to study Ayurveda
The Union government has announced that it would be providing full scholarship to 100 non-Indian students if
they study Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (Ayush) in any of the public
institutions across India.
The announcement was made by Ayush Minister Sripad Naik who is on a three day visit to UAE to participate in
the first ever International Ayush Conference and Exhibition in Dubai.
The main aim behind the initiative is to encourage and popularise the alternative system of medicine.
The details of the application process and scholarship will soon be available with the Indian missions abroad.
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Philippines on agriculture
The Union Cabinet on 10 November 2017 gave its approval for signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
between India and Philippines on agriculture and related fields.
The cabinet was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The MoU is expected to improve bilateral cooperation
in the field of agriculture, mutually benefiting both India and Philippines.
The MoU will promote understanding of best agricultural practices in the two countries, which will in turn help
achieve better productivity along with improved global market access.
Cabinet approves creation of National Testing Agency to conduct entrance examinations
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 10 November 2017 approved creation of National
Testing Agency (NTA) as an autonomous, self-sustained organisation to conduct entrance examinations for higher
educational institutions.
The cabinet approved creation of the agency as a society registered under the Indian Societies Registration Act
1860. To start off, the agency will be given a one-time grant of Rs 25 Cr from the Union Government.
The agency would initially conduct the entrance examinations that are currently being conducted by the CBSE.
Other examinations will be taken up gradually after NTA is fully geared up.
Significance of the NTA
The establishment of the agency is expected to benefit around 40 lakh students appearing in various entrance
examinations.
It will relieve CBSE, AICTE and other agencies from responsibility of conducting these entrance examinations.
NTA Members
The agency will be chaired by an eminent educationist appointed by the Ministry of Human Resource
Development.
It will also have a CEO/ Director General, who will be appointed by the Union Government.
The Director General will be assisted by 9 verticals headed by academicians/ experts.
Youth Affairs Minister releases India Youth Development Index and Report 2017
Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports (Independent Charge) Rajyavardhan Rathore released the
India Youth Development Index (YDI) and Report 2017 in New Delhi on 13 November 2017.
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The index has been developed by the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD) in Tamil
Nadu. The main aim behind constructing the index is to track the trends in Youth Development across the states.
Key Highlights
The index will help recognise the high and low performing states, indentify the weak domains and inform the
policy makers about the priority areas of intervention for youth development in the states.
The construction of the index was done using the latest definition of youth as used in National Youth Policy – 2014
(India) and World Youth Development Report of Commonwealth (15 – 29 years) as well as using the
Commonwealth Indicators in order to facilitate Global comparison.
In the India Youth Development Index 2017, the first five dimensions are retained same as that of Global YDI.
WCD Ministry to host ‘Hausala 2017’ to celebrate Child Rights Week
The Ministry of Women and Child Development would be celebrating the Child Rights Week by hosting ‘Hausala
2017’ festival from 16-20 November 2017.
The festival will be hosted by the Ministry as an Inter CCI Festival for the children who reside in Child Care
Institutions (CCIs). The week was chosen as the nation celebrates the Children’s Day on 14 November and the
International Child Rights Day is celebrated annually on 20 November.
The week-long festival will provide an occasion to showcase the talents of children from various child care
institutions across the country and provide them with a space to express their dreams and aspirations.
India’s first-ever ‘Air Dispensary’ to be set up in Northeast
India’s first-ever ‘Air Dispensary’ based in a helicopter is set to come up in the northeast. The Union Ministry of
Development of Northeast (DoNER) has already contributed Rs 25 crore as part of the initial funding for the
initiative.
The information was shared by DoNER Minister Jitendra Singh on 12 November 2017 after a meeting with the
representatives of Aviation Sector and helicopter service/Pawan Hans.
Google Doodle celebrates 151st Birthday of Cornelia Sorabji, India's first female advocate
Google Doodle on 15 November 2017 honoured Cornelia Sorabji, India's first female advocate, on her 151st
Birthday. Sorabji was the first woman to graduate in law from India in 1892 and was the first Indian citizen to
attend a British University.
Jasjyot Singh Hans created the Google doodle with Sorabji in front of the Allahabad High Court, where she started
her career as pleader.
All over again, Cornelia appeared for LLB examination in Bombay University with an aim to obtain a law degree.
She became the first woman graduate of Bombay University.
In 1899, she cleared the pleader examination in Allahabad High Court but she was not acknowledged as a barrister.
Japan to relax visa rules for Indians from 1 January
Japan will relax its visa rules for Indians from 1 January 2018 and issue multiple- entry-visa for short-term stay.
The move is expected to benefit tourists and business persons as well as repeat visitors. The relaxed visa regime
will not only have simplification of visa application documents but also expansion of scope of eligible applicants.
Under the simplification of visa application documents, the applicant’s employment certificate and explanation
letter stating the reason will be exempted in cases of applying for multiple-entry-visa.
Joint Training Doctrine Indian Armed Forces 2017 released
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The Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba on 14 November 2017 released ‘Joint Training Doctrine Indian
Armed Forces 2017’.
It is for the first time in the history of the Armed Forces that Joint Training Doctrine has been publicized.
The aim of the Doctrine is to promote synergy and integration amongst the three Services- Army, Navy and Air
force for enhanced efficiency and optimum utilisation of resources.
‘Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat’ Yojana: Madhya Pradesh becomes Partner of Manipur and Nagaland
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Ekta Diwas on the occasion of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel’s anniversary on 31st
October 2015 started ‘Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat’ Yojana with an objective to strengthen cultural relations of
various parts of the country and to embolden the mutual connection between the people dwelling in different
states.
Under the ‘Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat’ scheme, Madhya Pradesh has been made a partner of Nagaland and
Manipur.
The Madhya Pradesh government has made its Higher Education Department as a nodal department to execute
the scheme. An eight member’s team from Madhya Pradesh has also toured Manipur and Nagaland in this regard.
The Madhya Pradesh will participate in Sangai Mahotsav which is being organized in Manipur from 21st to 30th
November. likewise, teams from Nagaland and Manipur will take part in ‘Lok Rang’ and ‘Bal Rang’ programmes to
present their cultural programmes and to impart people with their culture.
Similarly, their one team will participate in the march past on the occasion of Republic Day- January 26 and
Independence Day - August 15.
NGT directs Delhi Government to seize 10-year-old diesel taxis
National Green Tribunal has directed the state government of Delhi to seize 10-year-old diesel taxis without any
delay as they cause air pollution.
The decision was taken by a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar. The bench observed
that a large number of diesel taxis are operating in the national capital, which is in violation of the judgment and
directions issued by the Supreme Court.
Target for bio-toilet installation in all trains advanced to December 2018
The target of installing bio-toilets in all the coaches of Indian Railways has been extended to December 2018.
The information was shared by a member of Railways Ministry, Ravindra Gupta while speaking at an event
organised in Bonn, Germany on 15 November 2017.
The member stated that under the dynamic guidance of Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, the target of 100 per cent
completion of installing bio-toilets in the Indian Railways coaches has been advanced to December 2018.
The member was speaking at an event that was organised to highlight Railway Ministry's efforts towards a low-
carbon pathway and overall sustainable mobility initiatives in the Indian transport sector.
Union Government prepones introduction of BS-VI grade auto fuels in Delhi to 2018 instead of 2020
Considering the serious pollution levels in Delhi and adjoining areas, the Union Petroleum Ministry on 15
November 2017 announced the preponement of introduction of BS (Bharat Stage)-VI grade auto fuels in National
Capital Terrirtory, Delhi with effect from 1 April 2018 instead of 1 April 2020.
The decision was taken in consultation with Public Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs). These OMCs were also asked
to examine the possibility of introduction of BS-VI auto fuels in the whole of NCR area with effect from April 2019.
The decision is aimed at reducing the vehicular emissions and improving the fuel efficiency to reduce the carbon
footprints and keep a healthy environment.
NCPCR celebrates ‘Baal Utsav’ as part of Hausla-2017
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The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) celebrated Baal Utsav on 18 November 2017 as
a part of Hausla-2017, a week-long festival organised by Women and Child Development Ministry for children
living in Child Care Institutions (CCIs) across the country.
The programme saw participation from over 1000 children. It also saw participation from child artists, actors,
theatre artists, musicians, members of WCD Ministry and NCPCR and several non-government organisations from
Delhi and NCR region.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Virendra Kumar expressed
happiness at the presence of such a large number of children and said that children are the key to success and
development of the country.
Union Government launches Saubhagya Web Portal
Union Minister of State for Power and Renewable Energy RK Singh on 16 November 2017 launched the Web Portal
for Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana ‘Saubhagya’. The portal can be accessed at http://saubhagya.gov.in.
The Saubhagya Web portal will ensure transparency and will accelerate household electrification in rural as well
as urban areas in the country.
Through Saubhagya Web portal, every State can fill in the current status of progress of electrification works which
will enable accountability for the State utility/ DISCOM.
INS Sarvekshak reaches Dar-Es-Salaam to conduct Joint Hydrographic Survey with Tanzanian Navy
INS Sarvekshak, a hydrographic survey ship of Southern Naval Command, arrived Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania on 15
November 2017 for conducting Joint Hydrographic Survey along with the Tanzanian Navy.
The Joint Hydrographic Survey is being conducted with an aim to boost bilateral relations with friendly foreign
countries and navies in the Indian ocean region.
The joint survey will be conducted with the Naval personnel of Tanzania who have been trained in India in National
Institute of Hydrography, Goa.
The ship will visit Dar-es-Salaam harbour in Tanzania for refuelling and replenishing stores and provisions.
Union Health Ministry introduces Daily Drug Regimen for treatment of Tuberculosis
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 17 November 2017 launched Daily Drug Regimen for
treatment of Tuberculosis (TB) across the country under The Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP).
Earlier, the Health Ministry was providing the treatment of tuberculosis thrice weekly, however it has now decided
to change the treatment strategy for TB patients from thrice weekly to daily drug regimen using fixed dose
combinations (FDC) for treatment.
The move is aimed at bringing the transformation in the approach and the intensity to deal with this disease which
accounts for about 4.2 lakh deaths every year.
India-Myanmar begin joint army exercise IMBAX
The India-Myanmar Bilateral Army Exercise (IMBAX) began on 20 November 2017 at the Joint Warfare Centre at
Umroi Cantonment, about 25 km from Shillong, capital of Meghalaya.
The week-long army warfare exercise is the first-ever one to be held in India. It is aimed at building and promoting
closer relations with armies of the neighbouring countries. It will conclude on 25 November 2017.
The exercise will see participation from a total of 15 officers from the Myanmar Army and 16 officers from the
Indian Army.
India, Russia ink deal to grant visa-free entry to airline pilots, crew
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India and Russia have agreed to implement the general declaration for visa-free entry of the crew of chartered
and scheduled flights between the two countries.
A pact on the issue was signed recently by officials of the two countries, a home ministry official said in November.
The agreement will facilitate visa-free entry, stay and exit of crew of aircraft of the designated airlines as well as
other aircraft companies operating chartered and special flights in the respective territories on reciprocal basis.
Nagaland, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu sign MoU under UDAY Scheme
The Union Government on 20 November 2017 signed four Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) respectively
with the State of Nagaland and Union Territories (UTs) Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and
Daman & Diu under UDAY Scheme for operational improvements.
With the signing of these 4 four MoUs, a total of 27 states and 4 Union Territories have now joined the UDAY
Scheme. The agreements were signed on the occasion of the second anniversary of Ujwal DISCOM Assurance
Yojana (UDAY).
These four State and UTs joined the UDAY Scheme only for operational improvement and will not undergo
financial restructuring under the scheme.
By joining the scheme, Nagaland will enjoy an overall net benefit of Rs 551 crores, Andaman & Nicobar will fetch
Rs 18 crores, Dadra & Nagar Haveli will be benefitted by Rs 13 crores and Daman & Diu will gain Rs 10 crores.
International Seminar on Indian Space Programme inaugurated in Delhi
The International Seminar on Indian Space Programme: ‘Trends and Opportunities for Industry’ was inaugurated
in New Delhi on 20 November 2017.
The seminar was organised by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Antrix Corporation Limited (the
commercial arm of ISRO) in coordination with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
Main Objective
The objective of the two-day conference was to:
- Deliberate on the best practices.
- Pursue ongoing discussion process to support further work of India's Space Sector.
- Facilitate arriving at a rational framework where in India's Space Sector can start expanding the domestic
and global opportunities through enhanced partnerships and collaborations.
The seminar mainly aims to highlight the achievements and major milestones of Indian Space Sector in recent past
and the future programs and plans.
42nd International Congress of Military Medicine begins
The 42nd World Congress of the International Committee of Military Medicine (ICMM) began on 19 November
2017. The congress was organised by the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) under the aegis of the Ministry
of Defence (MoD).
The theme of 42nd World Congress is 'Military Medicine in Transition: Looking Ahead'.
The ICMM is an international inter-governmental organisation created in 1921 with its secretariat at Brussels in
Belgium and currently has 112 nations as members.
The five-day event is being organised for the first time in India, and is the largest medical conference ever
organised by the Armed Forces Medical Services.
PM Narendra Modi launches UMANG App
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 23 November 2017 launched the UMANG App, a platform that brings 162
government services on a single mobile app.
The UMANG App was launched with an aim to make the government accessible on the mobile phone of the
citizens.
The app was launched during the fifth edition of the Global Conference on Cyberspace.
The app provides a unified approach where you can install one application to avail multiple government services.
UMANG stands for 'Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance' and is envisaged to make e-governance.
Home Ministry to conduct mega mock exercise on tsunami preparedness
The Ministry of Home Affairs through National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Indian National
Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) would be conducting a multi-State mega mock exercise on tsunami
preparedness on 24 November 2017.
The exercise will be simultaneously conducted in 31 coastal districts across four States including West Bengal,
Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and Union Territory Puducherry along with the entire Eastern Coast.
The disaster scenario will simulate tsunami waves originating due to a high-intensity earthquake near the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which will lead to a massive tsunami along the East Coast.
Participants from 11 Pacific Island countries will observe the entire exercise to take away key lessons and best
practices to be adopted while preparing for a disaster situation.
The exercise is one of the various activities planned on the occasion of the 2nd World Tsunami Awareness Day,
which was observed on 5 November.
Union government initiates 'safe-city' plan for women in 8 metropolitan cities
The Union government has initiated the process of formulating comprehensive 'safe-city' plans for women in eight
metropolitan cities of the country. The process was kick-started during a Steering Committee meeting chaired by
Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba on 22 November 2017.
During the meeting, a comprehensive review was undertaken to measure the progress and examine steps taken
by the police and civil administration for women's safety.
The plan will be implemented in cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru,
Lucknow and Hyderabad.
India is one of top global cybercrime hotspots: study
According to the latest study, Asia-Pacific region accounts for more than half of the world’s Internet users and is
the biggest region globally in terms of e-commerce sales, has seen a massive rise in cybercrime.
As per the APAC Cybercrime Report 2017 by Threat Metrix, cybercrime in the Asia-Pacific region is growing with
attacks becoming more organized and sophisticated. It is because of the rapid digital transformation spurred by
massive economic growth.
India, China, Japan, and Vietnam are now some of the top cybercrime hotspots in the world, with China ranking
second behind the US as the biggest source of global threats.
This region continues to display its susceptibility to malware, with India, Indonesia, and the Philippines among the
top countries with the maximum number of malware infections.
Brahmos missile successfully flight-tested from Sukhoi fighter aircraft
World’s fastest Supersonic Cruise Missile Brahmos on 22 November 2017 created history after it was successfully
flight-tested from the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) frontline fighter aircraft Sukhoi-30MKI for the first time.
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After being dropped from the Sukhoi-30MKI, the missile’s engine fired up and propelled towards the intended
target at the sea in Bay of Bengal. Weighing 2.5 ton, Brahmos is the heaviest weapon to be deployed on Su-30
fighter aircraft modified to carry weapons.
Google Doodle honours first Indian woman physician Rukhmabai on her 153rd birth anniversary
Google Doodle on 22 November 2017 honoured Rukhmabai Raut, the first Indian woman to practice medicine in
colonial India, on her 153rd birth anniversary.
The Doodle, designed by illustrator Shreya Gupta, shows Rukhmabai among her patients, doing the dedicated
work of a skilled physician.
Rukhmabai was also known for asserting her right to consent in marriage at a time when rights for women were
rarely given any kind of importance.
Union Government bans LED lights on mechanised fishing vessels
The Union Government has banned the use of LED lights and other artificial lights on mechanised fishing vessels
in an attempt to protect the marine ecology.
The information was shared by Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on 21 November 2017, on the
occasion of the World Fisheries Day.
The government has also placed a ban on the practice of bull- trawling, purse seining and gill netting operations
in the Indian exclusive economic zone (EEZ) beyond territorial waters.
Union Government sends a proposal to UN for declaring year 2018 as International Year of Millets
Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Radha Mohan Singh on 22 November 2017 sent a proposal to
United Nations (UN) for declaring the year 2018 as ‘International Year of Millets’.
If accepted by UN, the proposal will raise awareness about millets among consumers, policy makers, industry and
Research and Development sector. This will directly benefit the future generations of farmers as well as
consumers.
As per the government, Millets are Smart Food as they are 'Good for You, Good for the Farmer and Good for the
Planet'.
India, Russia sign anti-terror agreement
India and Russia on 27 November 2017 signed an agreement to help each other in combating terrorism. The
agreement was signed by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Russia's Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev
in Moscow after they held wide-ranging talks.
This new agreement between India and Russia will replace the October 1993 agreement between both the
countries. This agreement will help in expanding and deepening cooperation on issues related to internal security.
During the meeting, both the sides also emphasized the strength of the relationship between India and Russia
that has been consolidate over the past 70 years in all areas.
ISRO to launch Aditya L-1 Mission to study the Sun in 2019
The India Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch its first solar mission Aditya-L1 in 2019. It will be
ISRO's and India's first dedicated mission to study the Sun.
The mission aims to put 1500-kg heavy class Aditya-L1 satellite into halo orbit around Lagrangian point L1, a point
between Sun and Earth. This point is at a distance of about 1.5 million km from earth.
The mission will provide observations of Sun's Photosphere (soft and hard X-ray), Chromosphere (UV) and corona
(Visible and NIR). The particle payloads will study particle flux emanating from the Sun and reaching the L1 orbit
and magnetometer payload will measure the variation in magnetic field strength at the halo orbit.
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The satellite will carry few additional payloads with enhanced scope and objectives. These payloads are:
Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC): It will study the diagnostic parameters of solar corona and origin of
Coronal Mass Ejections; magnetic field measurement of solar corona.
Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT): It will image the spatially resolved Solar Photosphere and
Chromosphere near Ultraviolet (200-400 nm) and will measure solar irradiance variations.
Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) : It will study the variation of solar wind properties as well as its
distribution and spectral characteristics.
Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya (PAPA) : It will understand the composition of solar wind and its energy
distribution.
Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS) : It will monitor the X-ray flares for studying the heating mechanism
of the solar corona.
High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS): It will observe the dynamic events in the solar corona and
provide an estimate of the energy used to accelerate the particles during the eruptive events.
Magnetometer: It will measure the magnitude and nature of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field.
Defence of Andaman & Nicobar Islands Exercise 2017 held
The Defence of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Exercise 2017 (DANX-17) was conducted under the aegis of
Andaman & Nicobar Command from 20 November 2017 to 24 November 2017.
For carrying out the exercise, the joint planning and integrated approach was adopted, aimed at synergistic
application of forces.
The key purpose of the exercise was to practice and validate procedures and drills of all the Command forces
aimed at defending Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Accretional forces from the main land including fighters, Special Forces, Naval ships and heavy lift transport
aircraft participated in the exercise.
Indian Coast Guard conducts marine pollution response exercise ‘Clean Sea- 2017’
The Indian Coast Guard on 29 November 2017 conducted a Regional Level Marine Oil Pollution Response Exercise
'Clean Sea - 2017' at sea off Port Blair, capital of Andaman and Nicobar Islands .
The main objective of the exercise was to ascertain the preparedness of the Indian Coast Guard, resource agencies
and other stakeholders in responding to a major oil spill in line with the provisions of the National Oil Spill Disaster
Contingency Plan.
India and Italy sign MoU for enhanced cooperation in health sector
India and Italy on 29 November 2017 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for enhanced cooperation
in the health sector.
The agreement was signed by Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare J P Nadda and Health Minister of Italy
Beatrice Lorenzin.
The MoU is aimed at establishing comprehensive inter-ministerial and inter-institutional cooperation between
the two countries in the field of health.
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Appointments
Indian Appointments
Person Appointed as Organisation/Country Vijay Gokhale Foreign Secretary India
Pankaj Jain Managing Director India Infrastructure Finance Company
Rajinder Khanna Deputy National Security Advisor India
Salman Khan Brand Ambassador Emami Edible Oils
Hanne Birgitte Sorensen Independent Director Tata Motors
T S Tirumurti Secretary (Economic Relations) External Affairs Ministry
A R Rahman Brand Ambassador Sikkim
Dilip Asbe Managing Director and CEO National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)
K. Sivan Chairman Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
Pravin Jadhav Senior Vice President Paytm Money
Salil S. Parekh Chief Executive Officer Infosys
Pradeep Singh Kharola Chairman and Managing Director Air India
R Hemalatha Director National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad
Narinder Batra President Indian Olympic Association (IOA)
Justice Umesh Dattatraya Salvi Acting Chairperson National Green Tribunal (NGT)
Prabhat Kumar Sinha Chairman and Managing Director Northern Coalfields Limited
Dhirendra Pal Singh Chairman University Grants Commission (UGC)
Vijay Rupani Chief Minister Gujarat
Ranveer Singh English Premier League’s 1st brand ambassador
India
Saba Karim General Manager(Cricket Operations) BCCI
Jairam Thakur Chief Minister Himachal Pradesh
Abhay Director General Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)
Paul Antony Chief Secretary Kerala
Manisha Nanda Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary
Himachal Pradesh
Hiroaki Fujita Chairman Yamaha Motor India
Ashok Sharma Advocate General Himachal Pradesh
Nihal Chand Goel Chief Secretary Rajasthan
M Malakondaiah Director General of Police Andhra Pradesh
Om Prakash Singh Director General of Police Uttar Pradesh
Saurabh Chawla Group CFO DLF
Vinay Sahasrabuddhe President Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR)
Vikas Seth Chief Executive Officer Bharti AXA Life Insurance
Shamika Ravi Part-time member Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM)
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Justice Antony Dominic Acting Chief Justice Kerala High Court
Hasmukh Adhia Secretary Finance
Phanindra Sama (RedBus Co-founder)
Chief Innovation Officer Telangana
Debjani Ghosh First Woman President National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM)
Bhaskar Ganguly Ombudsman All India Football Federation (AIFF)
Urjit Patel Financial Stability Institute Advisory Board
Bank of International Settlement (BIS)
Ira Joshi Director General Doordarshan News
Shubhangi Swaroop first woman to be inducted as Pilot Indian Navy
Badri Narain Sharma Chairman National Anti-Profiteering Authority (NAA) under the GST regime
Snehlata Shrivastava Secretary General Lok Sabha
N Sambasiva Rao Director-General of Police (DGP) Andhra Pradesh
Dia Mirza UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador
India
Global Appointments
Person Appointed as Organisation/Country Kookhyun Shim MD & CEO Kia Motors India
Raj Kumar Rishi Regional GM & MD Xerox India
Sunny Verghese Chairman World Business Council for Sustainable Development
Uday Shankar President 21st Century Fox, Asia
Sebastián Piñera President Chile
Michel Coulomb India Head Apple
Henrietta Holsman Fore Executive Director UNICEF
Dominique Mineur Belgium Ambassador Saudi Arabia
George Weah President Liberia
Kenneth Juster US Ambassador India
Audrey Azoulay (France) Chief United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
South African Indian-origin AIDS researcher Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim
UNAIDS Special Ambassador Adolescents and HIV
Dalveer Bhandari (India’s nominee) Re-elected International Court of Justice (ICJ)
Soumya Swaminathan Deputy Director-General Programmes (DDP) of World Health Organization (WHO)
Karen Pierce Britain's Ambassador United Nations (UN)
Shaktikanta Das Inida’s Sherpa G20
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Lists, Indexes and Reports
Gujarat tops new logistics index that flags inefficiency of states
The logistics performance of Indian states and Union territories is “sub-par” owing to a host of inefficiencies,
according to a study which also suggests measures for improvement.
The Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) index, a composite indicator to assess international trade
logistics across states and Union territories, is based on a stakeholders’ survey conducted by Deloitte for the
ministry of commerce and industry. While Gujarat topped the first-of-its-kind index, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh
took the second and third positions, respectively.
Logistics, or the management of the flow of resources such as cargo, documents, information and funds through
a range of activities and services between points of origin and destination, is a key parameter in deciding the trade
competitiveness of a state or country.
ixigo bags 1st place in Workplace Experience Ranking for 2017
India's leading travel search marketplace, ixigo, has been recognized as the best place to work by Workplace
Experience Ranking among large startups in India.
Culturro collaborated with BW Business World in partnership with Indian Angel Network and F6s to develop a
platform to recognize the startups that contribute to the holistic growth of their employees.
The survey was organized to evaluate the overall experience of employees at their organization.
The productivity of the employees and their tenure in the company largely depends on their experience within
the organization.
Samsung overtakes Intel as world's biggest chip maker: Study
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South Korea's Samsung has overtaken US rival Intel as the world's biggest maker of semi-conductors as sales in
the sector boom, a study published by consultancy Gartner showed in January.
Samsung Electronics "gained the most market share and took the number one position from Intel -— the first
time Intel has been toppled since 1992," said Gartner analyst, Andrew Norwood.
The total global market for semi-conductors grew by 22 percent to $419.7 billion (348 billion euros) in 2017,
fuelled by growth in smartphones and other connected devices, Gartner calculated.
ILO releases World Social Protection Report 2017-2019
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) in November 2017 released the World Social Protection Report
2017-2019.
The World Social Protection Report depicts that only 45 per cent of the global population is effectively covered
by at least one social benefit, while the remaining 55 per cent that is 4 billion people are left unprotected.
Highlights of World Social Protection Report 2017-2019
• Only 29 per cent of the population enjoys access to social security, while the other 71 per cent population is not
or partially protected.
• It recommends an increase of public expenditure on social protection to extend social protection coverage,
especially in Africa, Asia and the Arab States.
• It emphasizes that universal social protection contributes to eradicating poverty, reducing inequality, promoting
economic growth and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
India ranks 109 in mobile internet speed, 76 for broadband in Ooklas November Speedtest Global Index
India is ranked 109th in the mobile internet speed and 76th for fixed broadband speed globally, which is a 15 per
cent increase, according to data from Ooklas November Speedtest Global Index.
As of November, Norway ranks first in the world for mobile internet with an average download speed of 62.66
Mbps. Singapore takes the top spot for fixed broadband with a 153.85 Mbps average download.
Ookla analyses the performance of the internet in every country based on consumer-initiated tests taken by real
people using Speedtest.
India ranks 100 in Legatum Global Prosperity Index 2017
India has moved up four spots in the latest edition of the Legatum Prosperity Index. The country now ranks
100th on the index, up from 104th last year. Norway heads the ranking, followed by New Zealand, Finland,
Switzerland and Sweden.
The rankings are based on a country’s performance on nine pillars, namely — economic quality, business
environment, governance, personal freedom, social capital, safety and security, education, health and natural
environment.
UN releases World Economic Situation and Prospects 2018 Report
The United Nations (UN) on 11 December 2017 released the World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP)
2018 report in New York.
As per the World Economic Situation and Prospects 2018, the current macroeconomic conditions offer policy-
makers greater scope to address some of the deep-rooted issues that hamper progress towards the Sustainable
Development Goals.
Highlights of the World Economic Situation and Prospects 2018
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• In 2017, world economic growth reached 3 per cent, the highest growth since 2011. The global growth is expected
to remain steady at 3 per cent in 2018 and 2019.
• The recent pickup in global growth originates from firmer growth in several developed economies, although East
and South Asia remain the world most dynamic regions.
Bengaluru 4th most popular destination for innovation centres globally
India’s Silicon City was ranked the fourth most-popular innovation centre destination following Silicon Valley,
Singapore and London said a report by Capgemini’s Digital Transformation Institute.
Organisations are increasingly establishing innovation centres across the globe to boost research within their
ranks. India now accounts for 25 per cent of innovation centres in Asia while Asian cities comprise of 29 per cent
of the innovation centre count globally.
The report also noted that while firms are heavily investing in innovation centres in an attempt to keep up with
market changes, they are failing to become more innovative. 80 per cent of the new innovation centres are
exploring artificial intelligence and big data analytics.
International Migration Report 2017: India tops world in number of migrants abroad
• The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) on 18 December 2017 released the International
Migration Report 2017 on the occasion of International Migration Day.
• As per the report, there are an estimated 258 million people living in a country other than their country of birth.
This reflects an increase of 49 per cent in the number of migrants since 2000.
• The data presented in the report are based on national statistics, population censuses as well as population
registers and nationally representative surveys.
• International migration makes an important contribution to population growth in many parts of the world and
even reverses population decline in some countries or areas.
Region-wise highlights
• The report states that over 3 per cent of the world’s inhabitants in December are international migrants, an
increase from 2.8 per cent in 2000.
• Between 2000 and 2015, migration contributed 42 per cent of the population growth in Northern America and 31
per cent in Oceania.
• In Europe, the size of the total population would have declined during the period 2000-2015, if there have been
no migration.
India tops world in number of migrants abroad
• India has largest Diaspora in the world with more than 16.6 million people from India living overseas. The number
of Indian-born persons residing abroad was 15.9 million in 2015.
• Russia, China, Bangladesh, Syria, Pakistan and Ukraine have large migrant populations living abroad, ranging from
6 to 11 million each.
Virat Kohli replaces Shah Rukh Khan as most valuable celebrity brand: Report
Star cricketer Virat Kohli has replaced Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan as Indias top-ranking celebrity brand,
according to a report by a valuation advisor.
In the 2017 report titled 'Rise of the Millennials: India's Most Valuable Celebrity Brands', Duff & Phelps said that
Kohli topped the list with brand value of $144 million, followed by actors Shah Rukh ($106 million), Deepika
Padukone ($93 million), Akshay Kumar ($47 million) and Ranveer Singh ($42 million).
Duff & Phelps, a global valuation and corporate finance advisor, published the third edition of its annual study of
celebrity brand values in India.
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Salman Khan tops Forbes India Celebrity 100 list for second straight year
• Bollywood star Salman Khan has been ranked numero uno on the sixth Forbes India Celebrity 100 List. Shah Rukh
Khan and India’s cricket captain Virat Kohli took the second and third spot respectively, with actor Priyanka Chopra
the only female celebrity in the top 10 list.
• The 2017 Forbes India Celebrity 100 List rankings are based on estimates of entertainment-related earnings of
celebrities. The period under consideration is October 1, 2016 to September 30, 2017.
Top 10 Celebrities in the List
1. Salman Khan
2. Shah Rukh Khan
3. Virat Kohli
4. Akshay Kumar
5. Sachin Tendulkar
6. Aamir Khan
7. Priyanka Chopra
8. MS Dhoni
9. Hrithik Roshan
10. Ranveer Singh
India to become world's fifth largest economy in 2018, says CEBR
India looks set to leapfrog Britain and France next year to become the world's fifth-largest economy in dollar
terms, a report showed in December.
The Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) consultancy's 2018 World Economic League Table painted
an upbeat view of the global economy, boosted by cheap energy and technology prices.
India's ascent is part of a trend that will see Asian economies increasingly dominate the top 10 largest economies
over the next 15 years.
India ranks 5th in list of countries with highest NPA levels: CARE Ratings
India has the highest level of non-performing assets (NPA) among BRICS countries and is ranked fifth on a list of
countries with the highest levels of NPAs, a report by CARE Ratings revealed.
The only countries ranked higher than India on the list are Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Ireland. All these
countries, along with Spain, are commonly referred to as PIIGS, and have been victims of sovereign debt crises in
recent years.
Spain is the only PIIGS country ranked lower than India on the list, with an NPA ratio of 5.28 percent. At 9.85
percent, India’s NPA ratio is over 400 basis points higher.
Here are highlights from the Report
The four major economic drivers in the developed world, UK, US, Japan and Germany had NPA ratios less than
2%.
Within the emerging market economies (EMEs), China, Argentina and Chile had low ratios of between 1-2%.
Within the developed countries, France had a higher NPA ratio of 3.41%.
Brazil and South Africa, which are part of the BRICS Group of nations, had moderately high ratios of 3.69% and
2.83%, respectively.
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India’s NPA ratio (which excludes the restructured assets which are around 2% higher than NPA) is one of the
highest in the group.
The countries with higher NPA ratios than India are part of the PIIGS group- Portugal, Greece, Italy, Ireland.
Spain had a lower number at 5.28%.
WEF releases Global Gender Gap Report 2017: India ranked 108th in its Global Gender Gap Index
The World Economic Forum (WEF) on 2 November 2017 released the Global Gender Gap Report 2017. The report
catalogues 144 countries on the basis of their progress towards gender parity and then lists them accordingly in
its Global Gender Gap Index.
These 144 countries are ranked on the basis of four thematic dimensions- Economic Participation and
Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment.
This year, the Global Gender Gap Index 2017 is topped by Iceland, while India fetched 108th rank, slipped 21
places in comparison with its 87th rank in 2016.
Highlights of the Global Gender Gap Index 2017
The report describes the year 2017 as the bad year in a decade of slow but steady progress as the uniformity
between the sexes came to a halt with the widening of global gender gap for the first time since 2006, when WEF
released the report for the first time.
A total of 68 per cent of the world’s gender gap is now closed. However, this percentage has declined in
comparison with the years 2016 and 2015, when the gap was 68.3 and 68.1 per cent respectively.
At the current rate of progress, the global gender gap will take 100 years to close, compared to 83 last year.
Gender parity is worst in terms of workplace gender divide, which, as estimated, will take 217 years to close.
27 countries closed gender gap in Educational Attainment; 34 countries closed their Health and Survival gender
gaps; 13 countries closed 80 per cent of their gender gap in Economic Participation; while only Iceland closed 70
per cent of the gap in Political Empowerment.
Iceland remains the world’s most gender-equal country, ranked at 1st position. The country closed nearly 88 per
cent of its gender gap.
Other top 10 countries in the 2017 Global Gender Gap Index include Norway (2), Finland (3), Rwanda (4) and
Sweden (5), Nicaragua (6) and Slovenia (7), Ireland (8), New Zealand (9) and the Philippines (10).
Among the G20 group of countries, France is ranked highest on gender parity with 11th position, followed by
Germany at 12, the United Kingdom at 15, Canada at 16, South Africa at 19 and Argentina at 34.
Forbes list of Asia’s Richest Families 2017 released: Ambani family tops the list
The 2017 Forbes list of Asia’s Richest Families was released on 15 November 2017. This year, the list is topped by
India’s Mukesh Ambani family with a net worth of USD 44.8 billion, which is USD 19 billion increase from the
previous year.
The Ambani family supersedes the Lee family of the Samsung empire to claim the first position. This is the first
time that an Indian family has topped the Forbes list of Asia’s Richest Families.
The collective wealth of Asia’s 50 richest families on the list is a record USD 699 billion, a 35 per cent increase from
last year.
South Korea’s Lee family lost their first spot this year, despite witnessing USD 11.2 billion increase in their wealth.
Owner of Samsung Electronics, Lee family owns a wealth of USD 40.8 billion this year.
Hong Kong’s Kwok family turned out to be Asia’s richest real estate family with 3rd rank in the list. Kwok family
controls Sun Hung Kai Properties with a net wealth of USD 40.4 billion.
Thailand’s Chearavanont family behind Charoen Pokphand Group, took the fourth spot on the list, with a net
worth of USD 36.6 billion.
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A total of 43 families from the 2016 list saw increase in their wealth over the past one year, due to an overall 25
per cent jump in Asia’s stock markets.
The newcomers in the list are Chey family (39th rank) of South Korea's SK Group, Yoovidhyas of Thailand (22nd
rank), Sehgal family of India (41st rank) and Wadia family of India (42nd rank), and the Lees (30th rank) and Tungs
(49th rank) of Hong Kong.
Beyonce named World's Highest-Paid Woman in Music in 2017 by Forbes
Forbes on 21 November 2017 released the list of World's Highest-Paid Women in Music 2017. The list is topped
by Singer-Songwriter Beyonce Knowles.
Beyonce’s hit album 'Lemonade' and her world tour made her the highest-paid woman in music in 2017, followed
by Britain’s Adele and pop star Taylor Swift in second and third position respectively.
Beyonce Knowles earned a total wealth of USD 105 million from record sales and from her “Formation” concert
tour. She also has her own Ivy Park fashion line and other business interests.
Adele fetched the second spot with a total worth of USD 69 million, boosted by her first proper tour since 2011.
Taylor Swift ranked third with a wealth of USD 44 million.
Celine Dion ranked fourth with USD 42 million net worth, followed by Jennifer Lopez at fifth position with USD 38
million wealth.
Awards & Honors
JNPT wins ‘Samudra Manthan - Caring Organisation of the Year’ award
The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, India’s Premier Container Port, has won the ‘Samudra Manthan - Caring
Organisation of the Year’ award.
The award was instituted by Bhandarkar Shipping, which is a leading publication in the maritime industry. It aims
to fuel healthy competition in the maritime sector and impart an impetus to the industry to emerge stronger to
work for the benefit of trade and the economy.
Indian-origin banker Ravi Menon named central bank governor of the year for Asia-Pacific
An Indian-origin banker in Singapore has been named as the best central bank governor in Asia-Pacific for 2018,
a media report said in January.
Ravi Menon, managing director of Singapore’s central bank Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), was
recognised by the leading UK-based magazine ‘The Banker’ for his contribution in the makeover of Singapore’s
financial system.
Nitish Kumar to receive 1st Mufti M Sayeed Award for Probity in Public Life
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has been selected for the 1st Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Award for Probity in Public Life.
He will be conferred the award at an official function of Jammu & Kashmir government to be held at Jammu in
January.
The award was constituted recently by the Jammu and Kashmir government to commemorate the death
anniversary of PDP founder and two-time J&K chief minister Sayeed who died on January 7, 2016 after nearly a
week-long hospitalization in New Delhi. Sayeed was father of J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti.
75th Annual Golden Globe Awards announced
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The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards were announced on 7 January 2018, honouring the best Motion Pictures
and American Television of 2017. The award ceremony was organized at Beverly Hills, California, United States
(US).
This year, 'The Shape of Water' received the most nominations of show with seven, while 'Three Billboards Outside
Ebbing, Missouri' and 'Big Little Lies' both won the most awards with four each.
List of winners of the 75th annual Golden Globe Awards: Motion Pictures
Category Awardees
Best Motion Picture Drama Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Best Motion Picture Musical/Comedy Lady Bird
Best Director in Motion Picture-Drama Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water)
Best Foreign Language Film In the Fade (Germany/France)
Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award Oprah Winfrey
List of winners of the 75th annual Golden Globe Awards: Television
Category Awardees
Best television series, drama 'The Handmaid’s Tale', Hulu
Actress in a television series, drama Elisabeth Moss in 'The Handmaid’s Tale'
Actor in a television series, drama Sterling K. Brown in 'This Is Us'
Priyanka Chopra conferred Mother Teresa Memorial award for social justice
Indian actor, Priyanka Chopra has been bestowed with the 2017 Mother Teresa Memorial Award for her
contribution towards lending her support to social causes such as her recent visit to Syria where she met and
interacted with refugee children.
The 35-year-old is also UNICEF's Goodwill Ambassador and is known for supporting various philanthropic
activities. The award was received by her mother Madhu Chopra, on her behalf.
The award has been conferred to several famous personalities in the past such as Malala Yousafzai, Anna
Hazare, Kiran Bedi, Oscar Fernandes, Sudha Murty, Sushmita Sen and Bilquis Bano Edhi.
Hindi writer Mamta Kalia selected for Vyas Samman 2017
Renowned Hindi writer Mamta Kalia was on 8 December 2017 selected for the Vyas Samman 2017 for her novel
"Dukkham Sukkham" published in 2009.
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She was chosen by a selection committee headed by Sahitya Akademi director and author Vishwanath Prasad
Tiwari.
She will receive Rs 3.5 lakh as the prize money of Vyas Samman.
India’s Lakshmi Puri among six diplomats felicitated with Diwali 'Power of One' award at UN
Six top diplomats including one Indian were felicitated with the inaugural Diwali ‘Power of One’ award at the UN
headquarters in New York for their contribution to help form a more perfect, peaceful and secure world.
The awards were presented on 11 December, on the occasion of the first anniversary of the issuance of a
‘forever Diwali stamp’ by the US Postal Services.
Following is the list of awardees:
1. Matthew Rycroft: The outgoing British Ambassador to the UN
2. Nawaf Salam: The Lebanese Ambassador to the UN. He was also elected to the International Court of Justice in
November 2017.
3. Lakshmi Puri: She is the Indian head of the UN Women.
4. Maged Abdelaziz: The former Permanent Representative of Egypt to the UN
5. Ion Botnaru: The former Permanent Representative of Moldova to the UN
6. Yuriy Sergeyev: The former Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN
Veteran actress Rekha awarded with Smita Patil Memorial Award
Veteran actress Rekha was honoured with Smita Patil Memorial Award 2017. The award ceremony which began
as an annual gala in 1984, is now held once in every two years.
Mr. Anandji Virji Shah of musician duo Kalyanji-Anandji presented the award to the actress. The music maestro
has composed musics for several hit films featuring Rekha and Amitabh Bachchan.
Educationist Dr. Gaurav Nigam awarded 'National Gaurav Award 2017'
Dr. Gaurav Nigam, a well-known educationist, paediatrician, founder and CEO of iCare, an organization working
in the area of new-age child health care; and intelligentsia, research based play school has been awarded 'National
Gaurav Award 2017' for his contribution in the field of education and childcare.
The award ceremony took place in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi with participation.
Satheesh Reddy to receive prestigious National Design Award
Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister G Satheesh Reddy has been conferred with the prestigious National
Design Award for his contributions towards indigenous design and development of diversified missile systems.
He will be receiving the Award during the Indian Engineering Congress on December 21, 2017 at Chennai.
Shilpa Shetty Wins PETA’s ‘Hero to Animals’ Award
• Actress-entrepreneur Shilpa Shetty Kundra has been honored with a 'Hero to Animals' Award by animal rights
organization PETA for speaking out against the cruelty of circuses; signing a petition asking the government to
uphold the ban on jallikattu, bull races, and bullfights; and adopting a stray kitten.
• Shetty’s compassion towards animals was recognized here on Dec. 16 night by People for the Ethical Treatment
of Animals (PETA).
A R Rahman's Qutub- E- Kripa's music shortlisted for Academy Awards
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• Hollywood film "Lake of Fire" songs that have been composed by Qutub-E-Kripa, an ensemble of student musicians
of AR Rahman's music academy KM Music Conservatory, have been shortlisted for the Best Original Song at the
2018 Academy Awards.
• Rahman, who himself won the Oscar in 2009 for "Slumdog Millionaire" in two categories-- Best Original Score and
Best Original Song, congratulated the team for its success on Twitter in December.
Kunwer Sachdev among Huron's most respected entrepreneurs, 2017
• Gurugram-based entrepreneur Kunwer Sachdev has found a place among 6th Huron's Most Respected
Entrepreneurs' 2017.
• The "Most Respected Entrepreneurs" is the highest honor awarded by Hurun Report annually that estimates the
influence of Indian entrepreneurs over the year. The objective of the initiative is to promote entrepreneurship in
India which is one of the hottest markets after the US and China.
• Among the other dignitaries honored on the occasion were Dr. Cyrus S Poonawala, Serum Institute India, Adi
Godrej, Godrej Industries, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Biocon, Byju Raveendran, and Byju's, Abhishek Lodha, Lodha
Group, Rana Kapoor, Yes Bank and the like.
Sahitya Akademi Awards 2017
• India's national academy of letters Sahitya Akademi on 21 December 2017 announced its annual awards,
recognising the literary works of 24 writers in 24 different Indian languages.
• Seven novels, five poetries, five short stories, five literary criticism, and one play and one essay won the Sahitya
Akademi Awards 2017.
• The awards will be conferred upon the winners during a ceremony on 12 February 2018.
Awardees
• English: Mamang Dai was awarded in English language for his novel The Black Hill.
• Hindi: Ramesh Kuntal Megh won the award in Hindi for his literary criticism work Vishw Mithak Sarit Sagar.
• Sanskrit: Niranjan Mishra was awarded for his Sanskrit novel Gangaputravadanam
• Malayalam: KP Ramanunni won for Daivathinte Pusthakam in Malayalam
• Punjabi: Nachhattar was awarded for his Punjabi novel Slow Down.
• Poets: Udaya Narayana Singh (Maithili), Shrikant Deshmukh (Marathi), Bhujanga Tudu (Santali), Inqulab (Tamil)
and Devipriya (Telugu). However, Tamilian poet Inqulab’s family refused to accept the award for his collections of
poems titled "Kaandhal Naatkal.
• Short Stories: Shiv Mehta (Dogri), Autar Krishen Rahbar (Kashmiri), Gajanan Jog (Konkani), Gayatri Saraf (Odia)
and Baig Ehsas (Urdu).
• Literary Criticism: Ramesh Kuntal Megh (Hindi), TP Ashoka (Kannada), Urmi Ghanshyam Desai (Gujarati), Bina
Hangkhim (Nepali) and Neeraj Daiya (Rajasthani).
• Essay: Jagdish Lachhani (Sindhi) was awarded for his essays.
Priyanka Chopra to get honorary doctorate at Bareilly University
Actor Priyanka Chopra will be honoured with a doctorate degree by the Bareilly International University.
The international icon will be felicitated with the degree tomorrow by the University chancellor Keshav Kumar
Agrawal in a ceremony to be attended by Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan and Uttar Pradesh Finance
Minister Rajesh Agarwal.
Chola MS honoured with Golden Peacock Award for risk management
Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company Limited has been awarded the prestigious "Golden Peacock
Award for Risk Management" for the year 2017.
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The Golden Peacock Awards were instituted in 1991 by the Institute of Directors (IOD), now regarded as a
benchmark of Corporate Excellence worldwide, are presented annually to recognise the best corporates through
competition.
Krishna Sobti chosen for prestigious Jnanpith award 2017
Krishna Sobti, renowned Hindi litterateur, will be honoured with the 53rd Jnanpith Award for the year 2017.
The decision was announced by the Jnanpith Selection Board at a meeting of the selection committee held on 3
November 2017. The meeting was chaired by renowned Hindi critic Namwar Singh.
The 92-year-old writer was chosen for the prestigious award for her path-breaking contribution in the field of
literature.
Veteran actor Mohan Joshi honoured with Vishnudas Bhave award
Renowned Indian film and television actor Mohan Joshi was honoured with the prestigious Vishnudas Bhave
award for his contribution to the theatre on 5 November 2017.
The award was presented to Joshi by veteran actor Jayant Sawarkar. The award is conferred in memory of
Vishnudas Bhave, the founder of Marathi theatre. It comprises a trophy, a citation and a cash prize worth Rs
25,000.
Besides plays, Joshi has acted in a number of Marathi and Hindi films including Major Saab, Baghban, Gangaajal,
Garv: Pride and Honour and more recently Yeh Hai India.
Surat wins Best City Bus Services Award for attracting 87% of private vehicles users
Surat Municipal Corporation was on 6 November 2017 awarded with the ‘Best City Bus Services Award’ by the
Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for attracting 87 per cent of the private vehicle and auto rickshaw
users to use city buses.
While, Mysuru’s Public Bicycle Sharing won the ‘Best Non-Motorised Transport’ Award and Kochi (Kerala) was
chosen for the ‘Best Urban Transport Initiative’ Award for completing its Metro Rail Project in a quick time.
The H-TRIMS of Hyderabad, the Traffic Integraged Management initiative, was awarded with the
‘Commendable Initiative Award’ under ‘Best Intelligent Transport Project’ category. On the other hand, Chittor
was chosen for the ‘Commendable Initiative Award’.
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple wins UNESCO Asia Pacific Award of Merit 2017
The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple of Srirangam in Tamil Nadu on 3 November 2017 won UNESCO Asia Pacific
Award of Merit 2017 for cultural heritage conservation programme. It is first temple from Tamil Nadu to win the
prize from the UN body.
The temple won the award for its efforts to protect and conserve cultural heritage.
Chennai included in UNESCO's Creative Cities Network for contribution in Music
Chennai was on 31 October 2017 included in the Creative Cities Network list of United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) for its rich musical tradition.
With this, Chennai became the third Indian city on the list of UNESCO Creative Cities list after Jaipur and
Varanasi.
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova designated 64 cities from 44 countries as UNESCO Creative Cities.
These cities join a network of UNESCO’s effort to promote innovation and creativity for a more sustainable and
inclusive urban development.
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UNESCO Creative Cities Network List highlights its members’ creativity within seven fields: Crafts and Folk Art,
Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music. Presently, the list includes a total of 180 cities in 72
countries.
UNHCR to receive Mother Teresa Award 2017 for social justice
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) was on 9 November 2017 named as the recipient of
Harmony Foundation's Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice 2017 for its exceptional work
worldwide.
Harmony Foundation's 2017 theme is 'Compassion Beyond Borders' and UNHCR efforts aptly fit into this theme.
National Entrepreneurship Awards 2017 announced
The Union Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) on 9 November 2017 announced the
National Entrepreneurship Awards 2017 to encourage a culture of entrepreneurship across the country.
This is the second edition of the National Entrepreneurship Awards (NEA). The awards were instituted by MSDE
in 2016.
This year, the awards saw participation from 2880 applicants, out of which 45 were shortlisted and finally 15
were announced as winners across defined categories.
The award includes a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh for enterprises and individuals and Rs 10 lakhs for organizations and
institutes along with a certificate and trophy.
Dipa Karmakar honoured with D.Litt. by NIT Agartala
India's star gymnast Dipa Karmakar has been conferred a D.Litt. degree from the National Institute of
Technology (NIT) Agartala.
Expressing happiness on being honoured with the degree, Karmakar said she wanted to achieve such a degree
once and that it would further add to her responsibility towards the people of the country.
The 24-year-old Tripura girl is the first Indian woman gymnast to have qualified for the Olympics. She finished
fourth in the final round of the women's vault event at the Rio Olympics Games in Brazil last year.
The director of NIT, Agartala, Professor Ajoy Kumar Ray, handed over the degree to Karmakar, during the 10th
convocation programme at the Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan here.
President Ram Nath Kovind gives away National Child Awards 2017
The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, gave away the National Child Awards at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi
on 14 November 2017, on the occasion of Children’s Day.
The awards include the National Child Awards for Exceptional Achievement, National Awards for Child Welfare
and Rajiv Gandhi Manav Seva Awards.
National Child Awards for Exceptional Achievement give recognition to children with exceptional abilities and
outstanding achievements in the fields of innovation, scholastic achievements, sports, arts, culture, social
service and music.
National Awards for Child Welfare recognise the outstanding work of institutions and individuals in the field of
child development and welfare.
Rajiv Gandhi Manav Seva Awards are conferred to individuals for their outstanding contribution towards service
for children, including children with disabilities.
Girish Karnad conferred with 2017 Tata Literature Live Lifetime Achievement Award
Actor-playwright Girish Karnad was on 19 November 2017 conferred with Tata Literature Live! Lifetime
Achievement Award 2017 for his outstanding contribution in the field of theatre.
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On the other hand, Tata Trusts' Big Little Book Award' for Author in Bengali Children's Literature was presented
to Nabaneeta Dev Sen.
While, Book of the year in non-fiction category went to 'Age of Anger: A History of the Present' by Pankaj
Mishra, whereas in the fiction category, Easterine Kire's 'Son of the Thundercloud' bagged the award.
India’s Manushi Chhillar crowned Miss World 2017
India's Manushi Chhillar was crowned Miss World 2017 at the prestigious pageant’s 67th edition that was held in
Sanya, China on 18 November 2017.
The 20-year-old was crowned Miss World 2017 by outgoing titleholder Stephanie Del Val le, Miss World from
Puerto Rico. Chhillar’s win has brought home the coveted title after a 17-year-long wait. The last Indian
contestant to win Miss World was Priyanka Chopra in the year 2000.
The other contestants who made it to the top 5 include Miss England, Miss France, Miss Kenya and Miss Mexico.
While Miss Mexico Andrea Meza was the first runner up, England’s Stephanie Hill came in as the second runner
up.
Almost 108 contestants from countries across the world participated in the beauty pageant.
Chhillar’s win has also levelled India with Venezuela, as the countries with most number of titles in the history of
the pageant.
Five Indian films nominated for ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Medal
The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) has nominated nine movies for this year’s International Council for
Film, Television and Audio-visual Communication (ICFT) UNESCO Gandhi Medal.
Among the total nine nominated films, five are from India. The Indian films competing for the prestigious ICFT
UNESCO Gandhi Medal include Kshitij - A Horizon, Manusangada, Poorna, Railway Children and Take-Off.
The competing foreign films include Amok from Poland, Khibula - a co-production of Germany, France and
Georgia, The Last Painting from Taiwan and Women of the Weeping River - a joint production of the US and UK.
All the nine films are being screened at the ongoing IFFI’s 48th edition in Panaji, Goa.
Japanese Professor Hiroshi Marui conferred with 3rd ICCR Distinguished Indologist award
President Ram Nath Kovind on 27 November 2017 conferred the 3rd ICCR Distinguished Indologist Award to
Professor Hiroshi Marui of Japan for his exemplary contribution to Indology.
Indology is defined as the academic study of the history, cultures, languages and literature of India and is a
subset of Asian studies.
Professor Marui has spent over 40 years working on Indian philosophy and Buddhist Studies.
His many acclaimed publications and research papers are considered as a final authority on several subjects the
world.
Ruskin Bond conferred with Lifetime Achievement Award
Renowned author and Padma Bhushan Awardee Ruskin Bond was on 25 November 2017 presented with the
Lifetime Achievement Award by the Chandigarh Literary Society during the 5th edition of Chandigarh Literature
Festival.
He was conferred with the award comprising a citation and Rs 2 lakh for his outstanding contribution in the field
of literature.
He was awarded the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize for ‘The Room on the Roof’ in 1957.
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Current Affairs related to Sports
Shahzar Rizvi Wins Men's 10m Air Pistol Gold
Shooter Shahzar Rizvi ended a brilliant 2017 by winning the Men's 10m Air Pistol Gold at the 61st National
Shooting Championship (NSCC), at the Karni Singh Shooting Range here in January.
Representing the Air Force, Shahzar won with a new finals national record score of 241.7, leaving Army's Yashwant
Singh in silver medal position with a score of 237.7. Yashwant's teammate Omprakash Mitherwal won bronze,
securing 218.0 in the finals.
Vidarbha Thump Delhi by 9 Wickets to Clinch Maiden Ranji Title
Vidarbha claimed their maiden Ranji Trophy after beating Delhi by nine wickets in the final of the country’s premier
domestic tournament in January.
Chasing a target of 29, Vidarbha completed the task with loss of skipper Faiz Fazal’s wicket.
Opting to field, Vidarbha bowled out Delhi for 295 in the first innings with Rajneesh Gurbani picking up six wickets.
Star Sports is official broadcast partner for Khelo India School Games
The Ministry of Sports & Youth Affairs has chosen Star Sports as its broadcast and production partner for the
upcoming Khelo India School Games for five years.
The broadcaster has bagged the broadcast rights for the event till 2022.
The Ministry did not give out specifics about the financials of the broadcast deal.
Viswanathan Anand wins bronze in World Blitz Chess championship 2017
Chess grandmaster Viswanathan Anand bagged a bronze in the World Blitz Chess Championship held in Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia
On the first day of the championship, Anand suffered a loss at the hands of Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia, however
he put on a class act on the final day as he won against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France.
Meghalaya to Host 39th National Games in 2022
Meghalaya is going to host the 39th National Games in 2022. In January, the State signed the host city contract
for hosting the 39th National Games and would celebrate 50 years of statehood in 2022, reports said.
It may be mentioned that after Manipur and Assam which had hosted the National Games in 1999 and 2007
respectively, Meghalaya will be the third state to host the games in 2022.
New Zealand player Colin Munro: First to score 3 centuries in T20
Colin Munro became the first batsman in the history of T20 internationals to slam three centuries.
Right behind him are fellow Kiwi Brendon McCullum, India’s Rohit Sharma and West Indies’ Chris Gayle and Evin
Lewis – all who have two centuries each. Munro brought up his century in 47 balls before being dismissed by
Carlos Brathwaite.
Virat Kohli Becomes IPL’s Highest Paid Player Ever
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Virat Kohli will continue to play for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, as he has been retained by the team once
again. AB de Villiers and Sarfaraz Khan are the other players that the RCB has decided to hold on to.
After he was retained for Rs 17 crore, Kohli became the highest paid player in IPL history. He went past Yuvraj
Singh’s record of Rs 16 crore (bought by Delhi Daredevils). MS Dhoni was retained by the Chennai Super Kings for
Rs 15 crore.
Khelo India logo launch kick starts mission of mass participation and excellence
The vibrant Khelo India logo, reflecting the freshness, agility and vitality of New India was launched at a simple
ceremony by the Union Minister of State ( I/C)Youth Affairs and Sports Col Rajyavardhan Rathore at the Jawaharlal
Nehru Stadium here last evening. The logo also conveys an impression of fitness and competitiveness.
The three-stroke Khelo India logo, designed by Ogilvy India, has in-built modularity, allowing plenty of adaptability
and flexibility into endless pictorial forms. The colour of the Indian flag evoke a sense of National pride and team-
work.
Roger Federer Leads Switzerland to Third Hopman Cup Title
Switzerland won their third Hopman Cup in January as Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic beat Germany's
Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber 4-3(3) 4-2 in the deciding mixed doubles to secure a 2-1 victory in the final
at the Perth Arena.
It was Federer's second Hopman Cup triumph after victory in 2001 alongside then world number one Martina
Hingis.
Julia Goerges defeats Caroline Wozniacki to claim ASB Classic title
Powerful-serving Julia Goerges stunned top seed Caroline Wozniacki with a straight-sets win in the WTA Auckland
Classic final in January.
The 29-year-old German, with a first serve topping 180 kilometres per hour (112 miles per hour), sent down 11
aces on her way to winning the Auckland title for the first time in her ninth attempt 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).
Wriddhiman Saha Breaks MS Dhoni’s Record, Becomes First Indian Wicket-Keeper to Affect 10 Dismissals in a Test Match
On day four of the first Test between South Africa and India, Wriddhiman Saha took four catches to complete ten
dismissals in the match. With it, Saha has gone past former India captain MS Dhoni’s record of nine dismissals in
a Test match. Dhoni achieved the feat against Australia in 2014.
Saha, who took five catches during South Africa’s first innings, added five more in the second innings. Four of
these catches came in the first session of day four. Indian bowlers produced an impressive pace bowling to dismiss
South Africa cheaply in their second innings.
Yusuf Pathan handed five months suspension after failing dope test
Indian all-rounder Yusuf Pathan was in January handed a five-month retrospective suspension for failing a dope
test, a sanction which will end on January 14 after the BCCI accepted his plea that the violation was inadvertent.
The 35-year-old Pathan had provided a urine sample as part of the BCCI's anti-doping testing program during a
domestic T20 match between his team Baroda and Tamil Nadu on March 16 last year.
Aanchal Thakur creates history by winning India's first medal in an international skiing competition
Aanchal Thakur, a 21-year-old from Himachal Pradesh, created history in January when she became the first
Indian to win an international medal in skiing. Aanchal clinched bronze at the Alpine Ejder 3200 Cup in Turkey.
The event is organised by the International Ski Federation (FIS) — skiing's international governing body — at the
Palandoken Ski Centre in Erzurum. Aanchal won the medal in the slalom race category.
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Virat Kohli breaks Brian Lara's record for most double centuries as captain
Virat Kohli scaled yet another milestone, becoming the first skipper to hit six double centuries in Test cricket.
The 29-year-old Indian thus surpassed West Indies great Brian Lara, who held the record previously with five
double tons in Tests.
Russia banned from 2018 Winter Olympics over doping
Russia was banned from the 2018 Winter Games by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over its state-
orchestrated doping programme, but clean Russian athletes will be allowed to compete under an Olympic flag.
The sanction was the toughest ever levelled by the IOC for drug cheating and was delivered just 65 days ahead
of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
In announcing the decision, IOC president Thomas Bach accused Russia of “perpetrating an unprecedented
attack on the integrity of the Olympic Games and sport”.
India wins first-ever South Asian Regional Badminton Team Championship
India won the first-ever South Asian Regional Badminton Team Championship in a title clash against Nepal in
Guwahati, Assam on 5 December 2017.
India, who were the clear favourites, beat Nepal 3-0. The Indian team came into the final without losing a single
match and continued their good run with Aryaman Tandon, who defeated Nepal’s Dipesh Dhami 21-9, 21-15 in
the boys' singles competition, to give India an early initiative.
Union Government to soon launch ‘Khelo India’ programme
Union government would soon be launching the Khelo India programme at a cost of Rs 1756 crore for the period
2017-18 to 2019-20. The programme aims at mainstreaming sports as a tool for individual development,
community development, economic development and national development.
The announcement was made by the Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Rajyavardhan Rathore
while addressing the Yuva Sambardhana Utsav organized by Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, at KIIT Campus,
Bhubaneswar on 10 December 2017.
According to Rathore, the initiative marks a watershed moment in the history of Indian sports and will impact
the entire sports ecosystem, including infrastructure, community sports, talent identification, coaching for
excellence, competition structure and sports economy.
India set to host Afghanistan for their first-ever cricket Test match
India will host newly promoted Test side Afghanistan for their first-ever Test match in Shaheed Vijay Singh
Pathik Sports Complex in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced in
December.
The dates of the historic Test will be chalked out later, BCCI acting Secretary Amitabh Choudhary announced
after a Special General Meeting here.
He said India will also host 81 matches across all the three formats from 2019 to 2023 according to the new
Future Tours Programme (FTP).
Rohit Sharma becomes 1st batsmen to score 3 ODI double centuries
• Indian batsman Rohit Sharma created history on 13 December 2017 by becoming the first batsman in the history
of cricket to score three double centuries in one-day internationals (ODI).
• The ace batsman achieved the feat during India’s second ODI against Sri Lanka in Mohali, Punjab, in which India
put up a mammoth score of 394/4 in 50 overs.
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• This is Sharma’s second double century in the 50-overs' format against Sri Lanka. The last one was at the Eden
Gardens in Kolkata in November 2014 when he played a knock of 264, the highest-ever score by a batsman in an
ODI innings.
• His first-ever double century in ODI was against Australia in November 2013 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in
Bengaluru when he made 209 runs.
Brazilian football star Kaka announces retirement
Former Brazilian World Cup champion Kaka announced his retirement as a player, suggesting that a management
career at his old club AC Milan could be on the cards.
He started his storied career with Sao Paulo in Brazil, where his performances attracted the attention of Europe’s
leading clubs and prompted a move to Milan in 2003.
It was while at Milan that Kaka picked up the Ballon d’Or, awarded annually to the world’s best player. He was the
last player other than Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi to receive the prize.
PV Sindhu loses to Japan’s Yamaguchi in Dubai World Superseries final
India’s ace shuttler, P V Sindhu had to settle for the silver medal at the BWF Dubai World Series Finals 2017 in
Dubai, UAE on 17 December 2017, after she went down fighting against Japan’s top-seeded Akane Yamaguchi.
Sindhu lost to Yamaguchi by 15-21, 21-12, 21-19 in a match that lasted for an hour and 34 minutes. Considering
her unbeaten streak and the fact that she had already defeated Yamaguchi at the group stage, Sindhu was the
clear favourite before the summit clash began.
Odisha CM inaugurates Tribal Sports Meet 2017
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in December inaugurated the Tribal Sports Meet 2017, a first-of-its kind
event in the country to promote sports among tribals in Odisha.
The Chief Minister inaugurated the sports meet through video conferencing at the state secretariat, an official
statement said.
Patnaik also unveiled the logo of the event and mascot of the meet 'Olly'
Rohit Sharma equals fastest century record in T20 internationals
Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma in December equalled David Miller's record for the fastest century in the
shortest format of the game. He scored a 35-ball century against Sri Lanka in the second T20 international in
Indore.
David Miller had scored a century in 35 balls against Bangladesh in October this year.
It is the fastest ever century by an Indian cricketer in T20Is and he is also the first batsman from India to hit two
centuries in T20 Internationals.
Indian Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand Wins World Rapid Chess Championship
Indian Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand has regained the World Rapid Chess Championship after defeating
Russia's Vladimir Fedoseev in the tie-break play-off.
Anand, a former world champion, outclassed World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in the ninth round of tournament and
was placed joint second at the start of the final five rounds.
Shahzar Rizvi, Pooja Ghatkar win gold at Commonwealth Shooting Championship
Indian pistol shooters in November pulled off a clean sweep in the 10m air pistol event at the Commonwealth
Shooting Championship with Shahzar Rizvi, Omkar Singh and Jitu Rai winning gold, silver and bronze medals
respectively.
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In the 10m women’s air rifle event, Pooja Ghatkar bagged a gold while her countrymate Anjum Moudgil won the
silver medal. The bronze in this event went to Martina Lindsay Veloso of Singapore.
India had a productive second day at the range winning as many as five medals, including two gold, two silver and
one bronze medal.
Indian women beat China to win Asia Cup, qualify for World Cup
The India women's hockey team in November qualified for next year's World Cup after overcoming China 5-4 via
a shootout in a nail-biting Asia Cup final here in November.
It was 1-1 at full time after China found a late equaliser through Tiantian Luo, who converted a penalty corner in
the 47th minute.
India had scored through Navjot Kaur in the 25th minute of the game.
Asian Boxing Championship 2017: MC Mary Kom wins Gold in 48 kg category
Indian boxer MC Mary Kom on 8 November 2017 won the Gold Medal at the Asian Boxing Championship 2017 in
48 kg category.
Mary Kom defeated North Korea’s Hyang Mi Kim by 5-0 in the 48 kg category of the Asian Women's Boxing
Championship. She made her entry into the finals of the tournament on 7 November 2017 after knocking out
Japan's Tsubasa Komura.
This was her fifth gold medal in the Asian Boxing Championship. In her entire boxing career, till now, Mary has
won four gold and a silver in the Asian Boxing Championship.
Mirabai Chanu wins gold medal at World Weightlifting Championship
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu became the first Indian in last two decades to win a gold medal at the World Weightlifting
Championship in Anaheim, USA. With this medal she closed the page of her forgettable outing at the Rio Olympics.
Sukcharoen Thunya from Thailand with a total lift of 193 kg won the silver medal, while Segura Ana Iris with 182kg
bagged the brozne.
Srikanth, Sindhu win top awards at Indian Sports Honours 2017
The Inaugural edition of the Indian Sports Honours, which was held in Mumbai, saw Kidambi Srikanth and P V
Sindhu grab the top honours.
While ace shuttler Srikanth, who won four Super Series titles this year, won the Sportsman of the Year award, Rio
Olympics silver medallist Sindhu won the Sportswoman of the Year award in the individual sport category.
Current Affairs around the World
Google develops human-like text-to-speech Artificial Intelligence
In a major step towards its “AI first” dream, Google has developed a text-to-speech artificial intelligence (AI)
system that will confuse you with its human-like articulation.
The tech giant’s text-to-speech system called “Tacotron 2” delivers an AI-generated computer speech that almost
matches with the voice of humans, technology news website Inc.com reported.
Saudi Arabia, UAE become first Gulf nations to introduce VAT
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Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) introduced the Value Added Tax (VAT) for the very first time
on 1 January 2018. The move is a first for the Gulf region, which has long boasted of a tax-free system.
VAT is a five per cent tax that will be levied on most goods and services to boost revenue. It will be applied on
food, clothes, electronics and gasoline, phone, water and electricity bills, as well as hotel reservations. Some
services that will be exempted from the tax include medical treatment, financial services and public transport.
No more aid to Pakistan: Trump
Showing zero tolerance towards terrorism, the US President issued a tough warning to Pakistan and said that
United States will no longer give any fund to Pakistan. The statement comes soon after the recent talks that the
Trump administration was considering cutting off aid to Pakistan.
In this changing scenario the US President Donald Trump slammed the Pakistan, saying that this South Asian
country has given nothing but the lies and deceit to US. It has provided safe heaven to terrorists.
NASA to launch GOLD, ICON Missions to explore nearest space
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on 4 January 2018 announced to launch two missions to
explore 60 miles (96 KM) of area above Earth's surface.
• The Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission will be launched aboard a commercial
communications satellite in January 2018 itself, while the other mission Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON)
will be launched later in 2018.
Volcano erupts for first time in Papua New Guinea
A dormant volcano erupted for the very first time in a dramatic fashion, spewing lava and sending an ash cloud at
around two kilometres above the sea level.
The local media reported that the volcano, located on the Kadovar Island, situated in north-eastern Papua New
Guinea, lay dormant until yesterday when it began to erupt at around noon. The volcano is still spewing lava,
stripping large parts of land in the island.
SpaceX launches Secret Zuma Mission for US Government
Private spaceflight company SpaceX on 7 January 2018 launched the secret Zuma Mission for the United States
government. SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the secret Zuma spacecraft from the Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station in Florida.
SpaceX' live webcast did not show video coverage of the Zuma spacecraft after it separated from the first stage of
the rocket, but confirmed that the payload was well on its way to low-Earth orbit.
Zuma mission remains a secret as its nature or purpose and the agency behind it remains a mystery.
World's largest Ice Festival at China's Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival
The 34th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival and the third China International Ice and Snow Tourism
Summit officially opened in January in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.
The festival mainly features ice and snow-themed scenic spots such as the world's largest ice and snow park and
a snow sculpture art expo as well as diverse ice and snow sports and entertainments.
AirAsia, Uber partner for seamless, affordable travel
Uber and AirAsia announced their partnership to help provide a seamless, affordable and convenient door-to-
door experience for travelers, through joint marketing efforts and technological integration.
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The two companies will work together to help passengers get home or to work, or to the airport and back more
seamlessly in the 52 cities in 16 markets across India, Asia Pacific and the US, where AirAsia operates and the
Uber app is available.
Infosys signs agreement with US IRS for lower tax rate
Global software major Infosys in January said it has signed an agreement with the US Internal Revenue Service
(IRS) which will lead to an effective tax rate lower by about 100 basis points (bps) for future periods.
According to the Bengaluru-based firm, the advanced pricing agreement (APA) -- the premilinary discussions on
which were initiated with the IRS in 2015 -- is expected to result in the reversal of tax provisions of around $225
million in the quarter ended December 31, 2017.
'MeToo' movement named Time magazine's Person of the Year'
Time magazine in December named "The Silence Breakers" who revealed the pervasiveness of sexual
harassment and assault across various industries that triggered a national reckoning in the United States as
Person of the Year.
"The Silence Breakers" designates a broad range of people, mostly women, from this year's first public accusers
of disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein to those who shared their stories of abuse using the hashtag
#MeToo and its foreign language equivalents.
President Donald Trump was runner-up of the prestigious ranking, ahead of his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
Narendra Modi is most tweeted about world leader after Trump
According to the figures released by Twitter on 5 December 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emerged
as the most tweeted about world leader after US President Donald Trump this year.
The micro blogging site stated that Modi with 37.5 million followers is the second most tweeted about world
leader, after Donald Trump who has 44.1 million followers.
ISA to become a treaty-based International Intergovernmental organization
India’s global initiative, the International Solar Alliance (ISA) will become a treaty-based international
intergovernmental organisation on 6 December 2017, after ratification by Guinea, which will be the 15th nation
to do so.
The ISA is an initiative that was jointly launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the then President
of France Francois Hollande on 30 November 2015 in Paris, on the sidelines of UN Climate Conference (COP-21).
US, South Korea launch largest aerial drill amidst North Korean threat
The United States of America and South Korea launched their largest-ever joint aerial drill called ‘Vigilant Ace’ on
4 December 2017. It would conclude on 8 December 2017.
Around 12,000 US service members, including members of the Marines and Navy, would be joining the South
Korean troops on the occasion.
Venezuela to launch ‘Petro’ cryptocurrency to combat US blockade
Nicolas Maduro, Venezuelan President, has declared that Venezuela will be introducing a digital currency called
the “petro” in a desperate bid to evade strict US sanctions.
He said that he intended to roll out ‘Petro’ a cryptocurrency backed by Venezuela’s oil, mineral and gold
reserves.
The Government, while referring to US sanctions imposed, said that the petro would help Venezuela to make
financial transactions and overcome the financial blockade.
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International Solar Alliance comes into force
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) on 6 December 2017 became a treaty-based international inter-
governmental organisation following the ratification by Guinea on 6 November 2017.
Guinea was the 15th country to ratify the agreement. And as per the rules, ISA would become an international
legal body after the ratification by 15 countries.
The other 14 countries were India, Bangladesh, Comoros, Fiji, France, Ghana, Mauritius, Nauru, Niger, Mali,
Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan and Tuvalu.
US President recognises Jerusalem as capital of Israel, promises to move US embassy
The President of United States on 6 December 2017 recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, keeping with his
long overdue campaign promise.
Trump has also announced the plan of relocating the US embassy, which is currently based in Tel Aviv, to
Jerusalem, a move that is being opposed by many nations across the world including some of America’s closest
allies.
NASA's SuperTIGER Balloon to study Heavy Cosmic Particles
NASA scientists in Antarctica are set to launch SuperTIGER Balloon, a balloon-borne instrument, to study heavy
cosmic particles, collect information on cosmic rays that enter Earth’s atmosphere every day. The
announcement was made by NASA on 6 December 2017.
The launch is expected by 10 December 2017, if weather permits.
Australian parliament passes same-sex marriage bill
To allow the same-sex marriage, the Australian Parliament voted for same-sex marriage bill with majority,
following a bitter and divisive debate settled by the government polling voters in a much-criticised ballot survey
that strongly endorsed the change.
With this passage of the bill, the definition of marriage has from solely between a woman and a man to “a union
of two people” excluding all others. It will also make the same sex marriage a legal right for its citizen.
Mt Hope new tallest mountain in British Antarctic Territory
As per new discovery from cartographers surveying Antarctica, Mt Hope is the tallest mountain in the British
Antarctic Territory (BAT). Its height is measured at 3,239 meters above sea level.
Earlier, maps showed Mt Jackson with the height 3,184 meters as the tallest mountain in the territory according
to researchers at British Antarctic Survey (BAS).
However, new satellite data disclosed that Mt Hope is 55 meters taller than Mt Jackson and 377 meters higher
than previously thought.
Microsoft to invest $50 million for its 'AI for Earth' project
Announcing its plan to broaden the AI for Earth programme, Microsoft has pledged $50 million over the next
five years to put artificial intelligence technology in the hands of those who are working to mitigate climate
change.
Microsoft rolled out the AI for Earth programme six months ago with an aim to put the power of artificial
intelligence towards tackling environmental challenges.
Saudi Arabia lifts ban on movie theatres after 35 years
The kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced that a resolution was passed on 11 December 2017 that lifted the
decades-old ban on providing licenses to commercial movie theatres.
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The decision will pave way for the opening of the country’s first public cinemas after more than 35 years.
According to the nation’s Minister of Culture and Information Awwad bin Saleh Alawwad, the opening of the
cinemas will act as a catalyst for economic growth and diversification.
In a first, Sikh American Gurbir Grewal nominated to be New Jersey Attorney General
• Sikh American Gurbir Grewal on 12 December 2017 became first Sikh public prosecutor to be nominated for the
post of Attorney General of New Jersey. Grewal was nominated to the post by Democrat Governor-elect Phil
Murphy.
• If Grewal‘s nomination is approved by the State Senate, he will be the first Sikh to assume the top state law
enforcement position in the US. He will also be the second Indian-American after Kamala Harris, who held the
position in California before her election to the US Senate.
'Feminism': Merriam-Webster’s Word of the year 2017
• 'Feminism' was on 13 December 2017 named as the Merriam-Webster’s word of the year for 2017 is “feminism.”
• In the year 2017, searches for 'feminism' increased by 70 per cent over 2016 on Merriam-Webster.com.
'Feminism' has also been in Merriam-Webster’s annual Top 10 list for the past few years.
Sri Lanka hands over Hambantota port to China on 99-year lease
Sri Lanka on 9 December 2017 formally handed over the strategic southern port of Hambantota to China on a
99-year lease and received USD 292 million out of USD 1.12 billion deal signed between both the countries in
July 2017.
Two Chinese firms Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG) and Hambantota International Port Services
(HIPS) managed by the China Merchants Port Holdings Company (CMPort) and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority will
own the port and the investment zone around it.
Oxford Dictionaries declares 'Youthquake' Word of the Year
Oxford Dictionaries has declared "Youthquake" as 2017's Word of the Year, reflecting what it calls a "political
awakening" among millennial voters, the media reports in December.
It was first coined in the 1960s by Vogue editor, Diana Vreeland, who used it to describe sudden changes in
fashion, music, and attitudes, reports the BBC.
Disney to acquire 21st Century Fox assets for USD 52.4 Billion in stock
Disney on 14 December 2017 reached a deal to acquire certain assets of 21st Century Fox (FOXA), the parent
company of FOX Business, for approximately USD 52.4 billion in stock.
The total transaction is valued at USD 66.1 billion, including 21st Century Fox’s debt. The deal includes 21st
Century Fox assets- Twentieth Century Fox Film and Television studios, along with cable and international TV
businesses like Star India.
World's space agencies propose creation of a space climate observatory
According to a declaration that was adopted on 11 December 2017, the heads of world space agencies have
proposed the creation of a climate observatory to combine acquired data and share it with scientists around the
globe.
The space agency heads had met on the eve of the ‘One Planet Summit' in Paris, to discuss climate monitoring
from space, including areas such as greenhouse gases, water resource management and the use of satellites
during natural disasters.
Sri Lanka becomes 163rd nation to accede to landmine ban treaty
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Sri Lanka has become the 163rd nation to assent to the anti-personnel mine ban convention. Sri Lanka had pledged
last year to join the mine ban convention and support the international community to support the landmine
clearance program.
Now, it has assented to Accession to the Convention of the Prohibition of the use, production, stockpiling, and
transfer of anti-personnel mines.
The move is considered as significant steps from Sri Lanka because it used antipersonnel mines in the past and
has since carried out an extensive, ongoing mine clearance effort.
Maldives signs Free Trade Agreement with China
Maldives on 7 December 2017 signed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China. The FTA was one of 12 agreements
signed during Maldives President Abdulla Yameen’s first state visit to China. The agreement was passed by
Maldivian Parliament on 30 November 2017.
Besides the FTA, the other agreements were signed in various fields such as economy, human resources, oceans,
environment, health care, and finance.
Uber ties up with BBM messenger for ride booking
Uber Technologies said in December it has joined forces with BBM Messenger to allow users around the world,
including in the application's biggest market of Indonesia, to book rides via the messenger service. The partnership
agreement is with Creative Media Works, operating as BBM Messenger, the company said in a statement.
French sailor Francois Gabart sets round-the-world record
The 34-year-old left Ouessant, off the west coast of France, on November 4 and raced eastwards around the globe
to finish in 42 days, 16 hours, 40 minutes and 35 seconds.
Sailing the 30-meter (98 feet) trimaran MACIF, Gabart shattered compatriot Thomas Colville's 2016 record by
more than six days.
SpaceX becomes the first private company to launch recycled spaceship and rocket
Elon Musk's SpaceX took a step forward in the company's goal to lower the cost of spaceflight by launching, for
the first time, both a rocket and a cargo ship to the International Space Station.
The mission, known as Commercial Resupply Services 13 (CRS-13), launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force station
in Florida on a Falcon 9 rocket previously flown for CRS-11 in June this year.
Facebook signs multi-year music deal with Universal
Taking on music streaming giants like Google-owned YouTube, Facebook and Universal Music Group (UMG) have
announced a global, multi-year agreement reportedly worth several hundred million dollars.
As part of the deal, UMG will become the first major music company to license its recorded music and publishing
catalogues for video and other social experiences across Facebook and its products like Instagram, Messenger and
Virtual Reality (VR) platform Oculus.
UN General Assembly rejects US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital
The United Nations General Assembly resolution, declaring US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital as ‘null
and void’, was passed with an overwhelming majority on 21 December 2017.
The resolution moved by Turkey and Yemen was passed despite US President Donald Trump’s threats to cut
funding to US aid recipients who voted in favor. Overall, 128 nations including India voted in favour of the
resolution, 9 voted against and 35 abstained from voting.
World's largest amphibious aircraft AG600 makes maiden flight in China
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China’s domestically developed AG600, the world’s largest amphibious aircraft, performed its maiden flight in
December from an airport on the shores of the South China Sea, the latest step in a military modernisation
program.
China has stepped up research on advanced military equipment as it adopts a more muscular approach to
territorial disputes in places such as the disputed South China Sea, rattling nerves in the Asia-Pacific region and
the United States.
Belgium becomes first country to make a woman its ambassador to Saudi Arabia
Belgium has become the first country in the world to appoint a woman as its ambassador to Saudi Arabia, in an
apparent show of defiance to the oil-rich autocracy notorious for its abuses of women’s rights.
Dominique Mineur, who is currently posted in the United Arab Emirates, will move to the Saudi capital Riyhad to
head up the embassy there from next summer, Belgian public broadcaster VRT reports.
Russia to build nuclear power plant in Sudan
Russia on 21 December 2017 signed an agreement with Sudan to build a nuclear power plant in the nation. The
information was shared by Russia’s nuclear agency Rosatom.
The deal was signed by Rusatom Overseas, a branch of Rosatom and Sudan's electricity ministry in Khartoum, the
capital city of Sudan. The agreement follows up on the high-level meeting that took place between Russian
President Vladimir Putin and his Sudanese counterpart Omar al-Bashir in November 2017.
China launches land exploration satellite
China on 23 December 2017 launched a land exploration satellite into a preset orbit for remote sensing
operations.
The satellite launch was conducted from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert, northwest China's
Gansu Province during early morning hours.
The satellite will be mainly used for remote sensing exploration of land resources.
The world’s first fully electric solar train launched in Australia
An Australian rail company has restored a disused train to be 100 percent powered by solar energy- a world first
for the transportation sector.
The Byron Bay Railroad Company has refurbished a 70-year-old stretch of track, 3 kilometers between the town
of Byron Bay- a beachside town in the northeast of the state of New South Wales, and the Elements of Byron Bay
resort.
The train features a 6.5 kilowatt (kW) custom curved solar array located on the roofs of the carriages which feeds
the on-board 77 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery storage system- a capacity same as that in a Tesla Model S, able to
provide sufficient storage for 12-15 trips.
World’s first AI politician SAM developed
Scientists have developed the world’s first artificial intelligence politician that can answer a person’s queries
regarding local issues such as policies around housing, education and immigration.
The virtual politician, called SAM, was created by Nick Gerritsen, a 49-year-old entrepreneur in New Zealand.
The AI politician is constantly learning to respond to people through Facebook Messenger as well as a survey on
its homepage.
Turkey, Russia signs loan agreement for S-400 missile system purchase
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Turkey and Russia in December signed a loan agreement for the purchase of S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft weapon
systems.
According to the Tass news agency, the loan deal came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on
September 12 said Ankara had signed an agreement with Moscow on the acquisition of S-400 systems and also
made a deposit for them.
On November 2, the General Director of state corporation of Russian firm Rostec, Sergey Chemezov said the
contract exceeds USD 2 billion.
China successfully tests country's first photovoltaic highway
China has successfully tested the roads with solar panels with the presence of built-in wireless charging systems
for electric vehicles and other sensors for drones.
The photovoltaic highway is something of next level which incorporates technologies into roads for generating
solar energy, for lighting, for improving the operation of autonomous cars, and for monitoring the condition of
the road.
China achieved this feat of having first photovoltaic highway based on home-grown technology, in the country's
eastern Shandong province.
'Fake news' named Word of the Year 2017 by Collins Dictionary
The Collins Dictionary on 2 November 2017 named 'Fake news' as the Word of the Year 2017 due to its widespread
use around the world. The term 'Fake news' was popularised by US President Donald Trump.
'Fake news' takes over the term 'Brexit' which was named as the definitive word in 2016 after the June 2016
referendum in favour of the UK’s exit from the EU.
UK-based lexicographer found that the use of term 'fake news' registered a 365 per cent rise in the last one year.
The term 'Fake news' is defined as 'false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news
reporting'.
China unveils Asia’s largest island-building vessel
China on 3 November 2017 launched a massive ship, which is being referred as Asia's largest dredging vessel, at a
port in eastern Jiangsu province.
The vessel described as a ‘magic island maker’ is capable of building artificial islands.
Named Tian Kun Hao, the ship is capable of digging 6,000 cubic meters an hour, which is equivalent to three
standard swimming pools.
It is a larger version of the one China used to dredge sand, mud and coral for transforming reefs and islets in the
South China Sea into artificial islands capable of hosting military installations.
Morocco launches earth observation satellite
Morocco on 7 November 2017 successfully launched an earth observation satellite called “Mohammed VI-A”.
The satellite was launched by European consortium Arianespace's Vega rocket from French Guyana Space Centre.
The Mohammed VI-A satellite is an Earth observation satellite built for Morocco by Thales Alenia Space as prime
contractor and Airbus as co-prime.
The three-axis stabilized satellite weighed approximately 1,110 kg at launch.
India re-elected as member of UNESCO's executive board
India was re-elected as the member of UNESCO’s executive board on 9 November 2017.
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The election was held at the 39th session of the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organisation in Paris. The executive board is the top decision- making body of the international
organisation.
The General Conference consists of the representatives of the member states of the organisation.
ASEAN inks free trade, investment pacts with Hong Kong in Manila
Hong Kong in November signed free trade and investment pacts with the ten-nation Association of Southeast
Asian Nations, in what one of the Chinese territory's senior officials called a "loud and clear" vote against rising
regional trade protectionism.
The pacts conclude nearly three years of talks, are expected to take effect on January 1 at the earliest, and aim to
bring "deeper and bolder" integration of market access with the bloc, said Edward Yau, Hong Kong's commerce
and development secretary.
Total merchandise trade between Hong Kong and ASEAN was HK$833 billion ($107 billion) last year, official figures
show. Total services trade was HK$121 billion ($16 billion) in 2015.
10th South Asia Economic Summit begins in Kathmandu
The 10th South Asia Economic Summit (SAES) began in Kathmandu, Nepal on 14 November 2017 with the theme
"Deepening Economic Integration for Inclusive and Sustainable Development in South Asia".
The three-day summit is being organised by National Planning Commission and Ministry of Commerce of Nepal
and South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), Nepal. It was inaugurated by Nepal’s
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.
China launches world's first fully electric cargo ship
China on 14 November 2017 launched world's first fully electric cargo ship in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong
province. This 2000-metric-ton ship is the first in the world to use lithium battery.
The ship was manufactured by the Guangzhou Shipyard International Company Ltd. The ship is presently running
in the inland section of the Pearl River.
The ship can run 80 kilometers after being charged for two hours.
The ship is 70.5 meters long and has battery energy of about 2400 kilowatt hours which is the same energy of 40
new energy cars.
Its highest speed is 12.8 kilometers per hour, and there is zero emission of waste gas pollutants.
Leonardo Da Vinci's Christ painting sold for record USD 450 million
A painting of Christ by Italian Renaissance painter Leonardo da Vinci was sold for a record USD 450 million at an
auction on 15 November 2017, breaking all the previous records of artworks sold or auctioned. It was sold by
Christie’s auction house.
The highest price ever paid for a work of art at auction was USD 179.4 million for Pablo Picasso’s painting 'Women
of Algiers (Version O)' in May 2015. While, the highest known sale price for any artwork was USD 300 million for
Willem de Kooning’s painting 'Interchange'.
WHO launches global effort to end TB by 2030
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on 17 November 2017 launched a new global effort to end Tuberculosis by
2030. Under this new initiative, 75 ministers agreed to take urgent action to end TB by 2030.
The initiative was launched during the first WHO Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Tuberculosis in the
Sustainable Development Era: A Multisectoral Response, that was attended by 114 countries in Moscow.
WHO Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Tuberculosis in the Sustainable Development Era
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The Moscow Declaration to End TB aims to increase multisectoral action as well as track progress, and build
accountability.
International Multilateral Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise 2017 begins in Bangladesh
The International Multilateral Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise 2017 (IMMSAREX 2017) began on 27
November 2017 in Cox Bazar, Bangladesh.
Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of the Naval Staff of Indian Navy, is attending the exercise, on an invitation from
Bangladesh. The exercise will be held till 28 November 2017 under the aegis of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium
(IONS).
Indian Naval Ships (INS) Ranvir, Sahyadri, Gharial and Sukanya along with one Maritime Patrol Aircraft P-8I will be
participating in the exercise.
Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi stripped of Oxford honour
Nobel Peace laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been stripped of the ‘Freedom of Oxford award’ over her inaction in
the escalating Rohingya crisis.
The Oxford City Council voted unanimously on 27 November 2017 to permanently revoke the ‘ Freedom of the
City’ honour awarded to Suu Kyi in 1997, which she personally collected in 2012, after spending 15 years under
house arrest.
In an official statement, Councillor Mary Clarkson said that when Sung San Suu Kyi was given the ‘Freedom of the
City’ in 1997, it was because she reflected Oxford’s values of tolerance and internationalism and as a celebration
of her opposition to oppression and military rule in Burma.
Obituaries
Ex-Windies umpire Clyde Cumberbatch passes away
Former West Indies umpire Clyde Cumberbatch has recently passed away in Port of Spain. He was 81.
Fellow Trinidadian and international umpire, Peter Nero condoled the demise of Cumberbatch, saying that he has
lost his umpiring father.
Toyota's former president Tatsuro Toyoda dies at 88
Toyota's former president Tatsuro Toyoda, who helped the Japanese auto giant establish a foothold in North
America, has died at the age of 88, the company said in January.
Toyoda, an uncle of current Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda, died of pneumonia on December 30, the firm said in a
statement.
Toyoda joined the company -- founded by his father Kiichiro Toyoda -- in 1953 and in 1984 became the first
president of a new firm formed by Toyota and General Motors.
Saksham Yadav, world champion weightlifter, dies
World champion Saksham Yadav succumbed to his injuries in January evening at the AIIMS Trauma Centre in New
Delhi.
Saksham, who won a gold medal in the 2017 world weightlifting championship for India, was seriously injured
along with another weightlifter, Rohit, 19, a police official said.
French pop star France Gall passes away at 70
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Singer France Gall, whose hits — including a Eurovision triumph with Serge Gainsbourg — made her an icon of
French pop music, has died aged 70. Gall passed away in January after a two-year struggle against cancer, French
media reported.
Gall revived her career in the 1970s with Michel Berger, another influential French songwriter whom she later
married and with whom she had two children. In addition to a string of chart successes into the 1980s, she also
took a turn on stage in the hit French-Canadian musical Starmania.
Lagaan actor Shrivallabh Vyas passes away
Lagaan actor Shrivallabh Vyas passed away in January morning in Jaipur.
Shrivallabh Vyas had appeared in over 60 Hindi films, with occasional stints in regional cinema, television and
theatre. He had to take a break from acting in 2008 after he collapsed in his hotel room in Gujarat.
John Young, who set records in space with NASA, passes away at 87
Legendary astronaut John Young, who walked on the Moon and later commanded the first space shuttle flight,
has died, NASA said in January. Young was 87.
The space agency said Young died in January night at home in Houston following complications from pneumonia.
NASA called Young one of its pioneers — the only agency astronaut to go into space as part of the Gemini, Apollo
and space shuttle programs, and the first to fly into space six times. He was the ninth man to walk on the Moon.
Atomic scientist professor Baldev Raj passes away
Atomic scientist Prof Baldev Raj, 70, passed away in Pune early in January while attending a conference in Pune.
Having held several key posts, Raj was serving as the direction, National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS),
Bengaluru, since 2014.
His death was sudden and no immediate confirmation about the cause was available, even as it was clear that he
was healthy and fit to travel to attend the conference.
Comedian and Actor Jerry Van Dyke of 'Coach' Dies at 86
Comedian and Coach actor Jerry Van Dyke has died at the age of 86.
The actor died in his Arkansas ranch Friday, the New York Times reported. Jerry Van Dyke’s wife Shirley Ann Jones
told the Times that his health had been deteriorating since he was in a traffic accident back in 2015.
Old Monk creator Kapil Mohan passes away
Brigadier Kapil Mohan, the man who created Old Monk, an iconic brand of dark rum that managed to reach the
hearts (and livers) of many, passed away on January 6, 2018.
The 88-year-old was an entrepreneur who served as chairman and managing director of Mohan Meakin.
Launched in 1954, Old Monk for many is not just a drink but an emotion.
Veteran Bollywood actor Shashi Kapoor dies at 79
• Veteran Bollywood actor of the 70s Shashi Kapoor passed away on 4 December 2015 following a prolonged
illness at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai. He was 79.
• Shashi Kapoor was known for his line 'Mere Paas Maa Hai'.
• Some of his unforgettable films are "Deewar", Waqt, Jab Jab Phool Khile, Kanyadaan, Sharmilee, Kabhie Kabhie,
"Namak Halal", Satyam Shivam Sundaram and others.
• He also worked in some offbeat films like ‘Chaar Diwari’ and ‘Prem Patra’.
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Days & Observances
Global Days
Day Observed on Theme/Info World Braille Day 4 January
World Leprosy Day 30 January
World AIDS Day 1 December My health, my right
International Day of Persons with Disabilities
3 December Transformation towards sustainable and resilient society for all
World Soil Day 5 December Caring for the Planet starts from the Ground
International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development
5 December
International Civil Aviation Day 7 December Working Together to Ensure No Country is Left Behind
International Mountain Day 11 December Mountains under pressure: climate, hunger and migration
Human Rights Day 10 December Let’s stand up for equality, justice and human dignity
International Anti-Corruption Day 9 December United against corruption for development, peace and security
International Day of Neutrality 12 December
Universal Health Coverage Day 12 December
International Tea Day 15 December
International Migrants Day 18 December Safe Migration in a World on the Move
UN Arabic Language Day 18 December
International Human Solidarity Day 20 December
International Day of Older Persons 1 October Stepping into the Future: Tapping the Talents,
Contributions and Participation of Older Persons in
Society
World Habitat Day 2 October (1st
Monday of
October)
Housing Policies: Affordable Homes
World Day for Farmed Animals 2 October Since Mahatma Gandhi was a preacher of Non-violence
it is observed on this day.
International Day of Non-Violence 2 October
World Obesity Day 11 October treat obesity now and avoid the consequences later
International Day of the Girl Child 11 October EmPOWER girls: Before, during and after crises
World Mental Health Day 10 October Mental health in the workplace
World Post Day 9 October Innovation, Integration and Inclusion
World Teachers' Day 5 October Teaching in Freedom, Empowering Teachers
International Day for Disaster Reduction 13 October Home Safe Home: Reducing Exposure, Reducing
Displacement
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UN Spanish Language Day 12 October
World Food Day 16 October Change the future of migration. Invest in food security
and rural development
World Standards Day 14 October Standards make cities smarter
International Day of Rural Women 15 October Challenges and opportunities in climate-resilient
agriculture for gender equality and the empowerment
of rural women and girls
World Anesthesia Day 16 October
International Day for the Eradication of
Poverty
17 October Answering the Call of October 17 to end poverty: A
path toward peaceful and inclusive societies
Digital Society Day 17 October information Technology Act 2000, the first law of the
digital society in India was notified
World Polio Day 24 October
United Nations Day 24 October Potential in Diversity
World Development Information Day 24 October
World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 27 October 'Discover, remember and share'
International Animation Day 28 October
World Cities Day 31 October Better City, Better Life / Innovative Governance, Open
Cities
International Day to End Impunity for
Crimes against Journalists
2 November
World Tsunami Awareness Day 5 November 'Reduce the Number of Affected People'
International Day for Preventing the
Exploitation of
the Environment in War and Armed
Conflict
6 November
World Science Day for Peace and
Development
10 November ' Science for Global Understanding'
World Diabetes Day 14 November 'Women and diabetes - Our right to a healthy future'
International Day for Tolerance 16 November Together: Respect, Safety & Dignity for all
World Philosophy Day 16 November Observed on Third Thursday of November
World Pneumonia Day 12 November
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World Space Week 4-10 October Exploring New Worlds in Space
International Students' Day 17 November
World Toilet Day 19 November Wastewater
Africa Industrialization Day 20 November
World Day of Remembrance for Road
Traffic Victims
19 November Observed on: Third Sunday of November
Theme: 2020 Target: reduce road fatalities AND serious
injuries by 50%*
Women’s Entrepreneurship Day 19 November #ChooseWomen
International Men’s Day 19 November
Universal Children's Day 20 November It’s a #KidsTakeOver
World Television Day 21 November
International Day for the Elimination of
Violence against Women
25 November Orange The World
World Anti Obesity Day 26 November
Days related to India
Day Observed on Theme/Info
Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas 9 January 2018 will be held in Singapore.
World Hindi Day 10 January
National Youth Day 12 January Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda
Army Day 15 January
National Girl Child Day 24 Janaury
National Voters' Day 25 January
Republic Day 26 January First time 10 guests are invited. List below.
Sarvodaya day/Matyr Day 30 January Gandhiji was assassinated.
Border Security Force Day 1 December
46th Navy Day 4 December Innovations by Indian Naval Ships 'Kuthar' and 'Vikramaditya' were selected as the winner and runnerup respectively in the 'Operational Units' category.
Armed Forces Flag Day 7 December
27th National Energy Conservation Day
14 December
Vijay Diwas 16 December
National Mathematics Day 22 December Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan’s birth anniversary
National Farmer’s Day 23 December
Good Governance Day 25 December the birth anniversary of former-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Indian Constitution Day 26 November
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National Press Day 16 November
National Children’s Day 14 November
National Education Day 11 November
Rashtriya Ekta Diwas 31 October To commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Vigilance Awareness Week 30 October to 4
November 2017
My Vision Corruption Free India
National Infantry Day 27 October To commemorate the sacrifices made by the infantry who fought against Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir in 1947
Police Commemoration Day 21 October
Indian Air Force Day 8 October
Important Questions from December 2017
Set 1
1. Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017 was recently
held in which city?
(a) Mumbai
(b) New Delhi
(c) Bengaluru
(d) Hyderabad
(e) Kochi
2. Which of the following Indian state did recently
announce setting up of We-Hub, an innovation hub for
women entrepreneurs?
(a) Andhra Pradesh
(b) Maharashtra
(c) Telangana
(d) Karnataka
(e) Goa
3. Which of the following Indian state did recently
announce to set up India's first solar-wind hybrid project
with battery back-up?
(a) Telangana
(b) Chhattisgarh
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Gujarat
(e) Andhra Pradesh
4. The world’s first Information and Technology (IT)
campus for differently-abled persons will soon be set up
in _________.
(a) Bengaluru
(b) Hyderabad
(c) Mumbai
(d) Kochi
(e) Chennai
5. With which of the following nation did India recently
conduct joint military exercise ‘Ajeya Warrior-2017’?
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(a) United Kingdom
(b) Canada
(c) Australia
(d) United States of America
(e) Japan
6. The 7th edition of the three-day ‘Kathakar:
International Storytellers Festival’ was inaugurated in
which city?
(a) Mumbai
(b) Bengaluru
(c) Kochi
(d) New Delhi
(e) Kolkata
7. The first International Exhibition and Conference on
AYUSH and Wellness sector- AROGYA 2017 was
inaugurated in ___________.
(a) New Delhi
(b) Hyderabad
(c) Chennai
(d) Lucknow
(e) Mumbai
8. Which of the following countries did recently conduct
largest-ever joint aerial drill called ‘Vigilant Ace’?
(a) Japan & South Korea
(b) Japan & USA
(c) USA & South Korea
(d) USA, South Korea & Japan
(e) None of them
9. 46th Indian Navy Day was celebrated on __________.
(a) 5 November
(b) 3 November
(c) 2 November
(d) 6 November
(e) 4 November
10. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on 30 November 2017 approved the
setting up of National Nutrition Mission (NNM) with a
three year budget of ____________.
(a) ₹ 9046.17 crore
(b) ₹ 9036.17 crore
(c) ₹ 9086.17 crore
(d) ₹ 9064.17 crore
(e) ₹ 9046.27 crore
11. Whom did Virat Kohli surpass to become the first
skipper to hit six double centuries in Test cricket?
(a) Ricky Ponting
(b) Brian Lara
(c) Vivian Richards
(d) Andrew Strauss
(e) Steve Waugh
12. International Day of Persons with Disabilities is
observed on ____________.
(a) 2 December
(b) 3 December
(c) 4 December
(d) 5 December
(e) 6 December
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13. How much amount of investment did Paytm
Payments Bank announce to create a network of more
than 100,000 consumer banking touch points over three
years?
(a) ₹5,000 crore
(b) ₹3,300 crore
(c) ₹3,500 crore
(d) ₹2,000 crore
(e) None of the above
14. World Aids Day is observed on _________.
(a) 1 December
(b) 2 December
(c) 3 December
(d) 4 December
(e) 5 December
15. With which of the following nation did India recently
sign the Government to Government Umbrella
Agreement?
(a) United Kingdom
(b) Italy
(c) France
(d) Germany
(e) United States of America
Answers
1. D
2. C
3. E
4. B
5. A
6. D
7. A
8. C
9. E
10. A
11. B
12. B
13. E
14. A
15. D
Set 2
1. According to the latest RBI notification, MDR charges
for small merchants with a yearly turnover of up to Rs 20
lakh has been fixed at _______.
(a) .04%
(b) .40%
(c) 4%
(d) 4.04%
(e) .90%
2. International Civil Aviation Day is observed on
____________.
(a) 6 December
(b) 7 December
(c) 8 December
(d) 11 December
(e) 9 December
3. Who among the following was recently conferred with
the 2017 Mother Teresa Memorial Award?
(a) Sushmita Sen
(b) Diya Mirza
(c) Shilpa Shetty
(d) Priyanka Chopra
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(e) Deepika Padukone
4. What was India’s rank in the Legatum Global
Prosperity Index 2017?
(a) 98th
(b) 103rd
(c) 100th
(d) 106th
(e) 102nd
5. Who among the following launched the first NIC-CERT
centre to prevent, predict cyber attacks?
(a) Alphons Kannanthanam
(b) Ram Vilas Paswan
(c) Arun Jaitley
(d) Ravi Shankar Prasad
(e) Ananth Kumar
6. Universal Health Coverage Day is observed on
__________.
(a) 11 December
(b) 12 December
(c) 13 December
(d) 14 December
(e) 17 December
7. For which of the following purpose did India recently
launch LaQshya Initiative?
(a) To improve public health
(b) To prevent viral diseases
(c) To improve labour room quality
(d) To promote generic medicines
(e) None of the above
8. In which of the following state did Boeing get approval
to manufacture and assemble aircraft component?
(a) Telangana
(b) Karnataka
(c) Maharashtra
(d) Tamil Nadu
(e) Andhra Pradesh
9. Which of the following organization released the
World Economic Situation and Prospects 2018 Report in
December 2017?
(a) World Economic Forum
(b) World Bank
(c) Asian Development Bank
(d) Morgan Stanley
(e) United Nations
10. Which of the following Indian state recently
announce to recognise political prisoners as ‘Loktantra
Sainani’?
(a) Madhya Pradesh
(b) Punjab
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Maharashtra
(e) Uttar Pradesh
11. Which of the following dictionary announced
“Feminism” as the Word of the Year 2017?
(a) Oxford Dictionary
(b) Dictionary.com
(c) Collin’s Dictionary
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(d) Merriam Webster
(e) Cambridge Dictionary
12. For energy conservation, which Indian state did
recently make it compulsory for all government offices to
install LED bulbs?
(a) Sikkim
(b) Uttarakhand
(c) Himachal Pradesh
(d) Assam
(e) Manipur
13. Indian batsman Rohit Sharma created history on 13
December 2017 by becoming the first batsman in the
history of cricket to score three double centuries in one-
day internationals (ODI). Against which did he achieve
the feat?
(a) West Indies
(b) Australia
(c) South Africa
(d) Sri Lanka
(e) New Zealand
14. International Mountain Day is observed on
________.
(a) 12 December
(b) 14 December
(c) 11 December
(d) 13 December
(e) 15 December
15. India will host Afghanistan for their first ever
International Test Match which will be against Ireland at
____________.
(a) Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex
(b) Green Park Stadium
(c) Feroz Shah Kotla
(d) Eden Gardens
(e) M Chinnaswamy Stadium
16. What was India’s Mobile and Broadband Internet
Speed in Ooklas November Speedtest Global Index?
(a) 104, 76
(b) 109, 74
(c) 106, 76
(d) 109, 76
(e) 106, 74
17. With which of the following bank did FundsIndia.Com
tie up to launch UPI on mobile for faster, easier
payments?
(a) Axis Bank
(b) Yes Bank
(c) HDFC Bank
(d) IndusInd Bank
(e) ICICI Bank
18. Name the first state to launch GST enabled e-
ticketing for movie houses?
(a) Karnataka
(b) Telangana
(c) Andhra Pradesh
(d) Kerala
(e) Uttar Pradesh
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19. How much amount of loan did Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank (AIIB) approve to finance a 100-per cent
electric metro rail project in Bangalore?
(a) US$ 330 million
(b) US$ 350 million
(c) US$ 335 million
(d) US$ 355 million
(e) US$ 365 million
20. What amount of Loan Agreement did India sign with
the World Bank for Skills Acquisition and Knowledge
Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) Project?
(a) USD 240 million
(b) USD 340 million
(c) USD 250 million
(d) USD 300 million
(e) USD 200 million
21. How much amount did Madhya Pradesh approve for
Narmada - Parvati river linking project that seeks to
create irrigation facilities on two lakh hectares of
agriculture land?
(a) ₹7,546 crore
(b) ₹7,456 crore
(c) ₹7,446 crore
(d) ₹7,645 crore
(e) ₹7,506 crore
22. What was Bengaluru’s rank in most-popular
innovation centre destination report by Capgemini’s
Digital Transformation Institute?
(a) 3rd
(b) 5th
(c) 4th
(d) 6th
(e) 2nd
23. Which of the following did recently approve Control
of Organised Crime Act to control Mafia and Organised
Crime in the state?
(a) Madhya Pradesh
(b) Punjab
(c) Chhattisgarh
(d) Uttar Pradesh
(e) Kerala
24. National Energy Conservation Day is observed on
_____________.
(a) 14 December
(b) 15 December
(c) 16 December
(d) 13 December
(e) 17 December
25. The Reserve Bank of India recently revised upwards
the foreign portfolio investors' (FPIs) holdings limits in
government securities by an aggregate of ₹11,200 crore
to ________ for this Financial Year.
(a) ₹3,05,500 crore
(b) ₹3,01,500 crore
(c) ₹3,02,500 crore
(d) ₹3,03,500 crore
(e) ₹3,10,500 crore
Answers
1. 2
2. 2
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3. 4
4. 3
5. 4
6. 1
7. 3
8. 2
9. 5
10. 3
11. 4
12. 2
13. 4
14. 3
15. 1
16. 4
17. 2
18. 4
19. 3
20. 3
21. 1
22. 3
23. 4
24. 1
25. 2
Set 3
1. The government will bear the merchant discount rate
(MDR) charges on transactions up to what amount made
through debit cards, BHIM UPI or Aadhaar-enabled
payment systems to promote digital transactions?
(1) ₹2000
(2) ₹2500
(3) ₹1000
(4) ₹3000
(5) ₹5000
2. Which of the following Indian state recently
announced to hold its first Global Investors Summit on
February 3 and 4, 2018?
(1) Manipur
(2) Gujarat
(3) Andhra Pradesh
(4) Assam
(5) West Bengal
3. The GST Council in December 2017 decided to make
rollout of all India electronic-way bill compulsory from
____________.
(1) 1 January 2018
(2) 1 February 2018
(3) 1 April 2018
(4) 1 March 2018
(5) 1 July 2018
4. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi on 15 December 2017 approved the continuation
of Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National Ayush
Mission (NAM) from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2020. How
much amount of fund has the government set aside for
this scheme?
(1) ₹2000 crore
(2) ₹2500 crore
(3) ₹2400 crore
(4) ₹3000 crore
(5) ₹1800 crore
5. Which of the following bank recently launched a social
networking platform “Start-up Social” for start-ups in
India?
(1) State Bank of India
(2) ICICI Bank
(3) HDFC Bank
(4) Axis Bank
(5) IndusInd Bank
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6. With which of the following state did Google X sign a
MoU to set up its first development centre outside the
United State of America?
(1) Andhra Pradesh
(2) Telangana
(3) Madhya Pradesh
(4) Karnataka
(5) Tamil Nadu
7. Joint Exercise 'Ekuverin 17’ was held between India
and __________.
(1) Mauritius
(2) Nepal
(3) Japan
(4) Maldives
(5) Oman
8. Which of the following payments bank’s e-KYC license
was recently suspended by UIDAI?
(1) Fino Payments Bank
(2) Paytm Payments Bank
(3) Airtel Payments Bank
(4) Jio Payments Bank
(5) Idea Payments Bank
9. With which of the following country did India recently
sign a MoU for cooperation in Water Resources, Road
and Marine sectors?
(1) Canada
(2) Morocco
(3) Sweden
(4) Cuba
(5) Armenia
10. R Hemalatha was recently appointed as the Director
of ____________.
(1) National Institute of Nutrition
(2) National Academy of Agricultural Research
Management
(3) Indian National Centre for Ocean Information
Services
(4) Institute of Forest Biodiversity
(5) National Institute of Rural Development
11. Which of the following dictionary recently
announced “Youthquake” as the word of the year 2017?
(1) Collin’s
(2) Cambridge
(3) Meriam-Webster
(4) Oxford
(5) None of them
12. One Planet Summit 2017 was held in
______________.
(1) Paris, France
(2) Berne, Switzerland
(3) Rome, Italy
(4) Washington DC, USA
(5) Berlin, Germany
13. Sri Lanka has become the ________ nation to assent
to the anti-personnel mine ban convention.
(1) 168th
(2) 164th
(3) 163rd
(4) 166th
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(5) 161st
14. Which of the following Indian state became the first
state in India to operationalise a law that makes social
audit of government programmes and schemes a part of
government practice?
(1) Assam
(2) Meghalaya
(3) Sikkim
(4) Chhattisgarh
(5) Mizoram
15. Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister
Dharmendra Pradhan in December 2017 inaugurated
Eastern India's first compressed natural gas (CNG)
stations at ___________.
(1) Kolkata
(2) Haldia
(3) Bhubaneswar
(4) Cuttack
(5) Guwahati
16. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 15 December
2017 imposed a complete ban on plastic items in towns
located on the banks of the River Ganga like Haridwar
and Rishikesh. What is the penalty for violating the
terms?
(1) ₹10000
(2) ₹5000
(3) ₹2500
(4) ₹1000
(5) ₹3000
17. Vijay Diwas is observed in India on ____________.
(1) 16 December
(2) 17 December
(3) 15 December
(4) 14 December
(5) 18 December
18. International Tea Day is observed on ___________.
(1) 15 December
(2) 16 December
(3) 14 December
(4) 17 December
(5) 19 December
19. Which of the following bank has recently signed a
MoU with Institute of Company Secretaries of India to
provide banking services, training and employment
opportunities to the students?
(1) IndusInd Bank
(2) Axis Bank
(3) Paytm Payments Bank
(4) AU Small Finance Bank
(5) HDFC Bank
20. Which of the following state did recently launch Safe
City Surveillance Scheme for keeping the crimes against
women in check?
(1) Uttar Pradesh
(2) Bihar
(3) Jharkhand
(4) Maharashtra
(5) Kerala
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21. Kacheguda has become India's first energy efficient
'A1 Category' railway station on Indian Railways. In which
of the following state is it located?
(1) Andhra Pradesh
(2) Karnataka
(3) Tamil Nadu
(4) Telangana
(5) Kerala
22. The Union Cabinet on 16 December 2017 approved
the agreement with the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for
establishing International Training Centre for
Operational Oceanography (ITCOocean) in
____________.
(1) Hyderabad
(2) Bengaluru
(3) Kochi
(4) Mumbai
(5) Chennai
23. Name the first state in the country to offer its
residents email ids in Hindi.
(1) Uttar Pradesh
(2) Rajasthan
(3) Madhya Pradesh
(4) Bihar
(5) Chhattisgarh
24. Who among the following was honoured with Smita
Patil Memorial Award 2017?
(1) Hema Malini
(2) Jaya Bhaduri
(3) Rekha
(4) Padmini Kolhapure
(5) Zeenat Aman
25. Which of the following footballer in December 2017
announced his retirement from International Football?
(1) Andrea Pirlo
(2) Francesco Totti
(3) Gianluigi Buffon
(4) Kaka
(5) Frank Lampard
Answers
1. 1
2. 4
3. 2
4. 3
5. 4
6. 1
7. 4
8. 3
9. 2
10. 1
11. 4
12. 1
13. 3
14. 2
15. 3
16. 2
17. 1
18. 1
19. 4
20. 2
21. 4
22. 1
23. 2
24. 3
25. 4
Set 4
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1. Who won the Women’s Single in BWF Dubai World
Series Finals 2017?
(1) PV Sindhu
(2) Akane Yamaguchi
(3) Tai Tzu-ying
(4) Chen Yufei
(5) Ratchanok Intanon
2. Which of the following state launched it’s first Tribal
Sports Meet 2017 in December?
(1) Chhattisgarh
(2) Madhya Pradesh
(3) Telangana
(4) Odisha
(5) Jharkhand
3. With which of the following messenger did Uber tie up
for ride booking?
(1) Facebook messenger
(2) Whatsapp
(3) Blackberry messenger
(4) WeChat
(5) Telegram
4. Francois Gabart has set a new world record for the
fastest solo round-the-world navigation. He is a sailor
from which country?
(1) France
(2) Italy
(3) Germany
(4) Serbia
(5) Denmark
5. What was India’s rank in Ookla’s Index for mobile
internet speed?
(1) 108th
(2) 103rd
(3) 105th
(4) 106th
(5) 109th
6. What was India’s rank in Ookla’s Index for broadband
internet speed?
(1) 108th
(2) 99th
(3) 84th
(4) 76th
(5) 53rd
7. Sebastián Piñera was elected as the president of which
nation?
(1) Cuba
(2) Peru
(3) Bolivia
(4) Chile
(5) Argentina
8. International Migrants Day 2017 was observed on
________.
(1) 18 December
(2) 19 December
(3) 20 December
(4) 21 December
(5) 17 December
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9. UN Arabic Language Day is observed on _________.
(1) 17 December
(2) 19 December
(3) 18 December
(4) 20 December
(5) 23 December
10. Which of the following bank did recently partner with
European Investment Bank to invest $400 mn in
renewable power projects?
(1) Axis Bank
(2) Yes Bank
(3) ICICI Bank
(4) HDFC Bank
(5) State Bank of India
11. Which of the following bank did recently sign a MoU
with Sahaj e-Village for extending its banking service in
remote areas through Business Correspondent Agent
(BC) model?
(1) Equitas Small Finance Bank
(2) Capital Small Finance Bank
(3) AU Small Finance Bank
(4) Ujjivan Small Finance Bank
(5) Fincare Small Finance Bank
12. Which of the following company’s India business was
recently acquired by Ola?
(1) Zomato
(2) Yelp
(3) Swiggy
(4) Foodpanda
(5) Burrp
13. Which of the following company did recently sign an
agreement with Millicom International Cellular S.A. to
acquire 100 per cent stake in its Rwanda operation?
(1) Tata Communications
(2) Bharti Airtel
(3) Reliance Communications
(4) Idea Cellular
(5) Vodafone India
14. With which company did Skill Development Ministry
on 18 December 2017 sign a MoU to impart training to
youth and enhance their employment potential?
(1) Honda Motors
(2) Tata Motors
(3) Maruti Suzuki
(4) Hyundai Motors
(5) Mahindra Automobiles
15. Which of the following company did recently appoint
Michel Coulomb as their India sales head?
(1) Microsoft
(2) Amazon
(3) Intel
(4) Apple
(5) Samsung
16. Who among the following was honored with PETA’s
‘Hero to Animals’ Award 2017?
(1) Anushka Sharma
(2) Disha Patani
(3) Shilpa Shetty
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(4) Dia Mirza
(5) Sonam Kapoor
17. Which of the following organization released
International Migration Report 2017?
(1) World Economic Forum
(2) World Bank
(3) UN Refugee Agency
(4) United Nations Human Rights Council
(5) UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs
18. How much amount of finance agreement did India
sign with the World Bank for ‘Skills Strengthening for
Industrial Value Enhancement Operation (Strive)
Project”?
(1) US$ 100 million
(2) US$ 200 million
(3) US$ 250 million
(4) US$ 125 million
(5) US$ 150 million
19. Government’s think-tank Niti Aayog is planning to set
up a Methanol Economy Fund with a corpus of ________.
(1) ₹5000 crore
(2) ₹3000 crore
(3) ₹10000 crore
(4) ₹8000 crore
(5) ₹2000 crore
20. Finvasia recently received license from the Reserve
Bank of India to work as a __________.
(1) P2P Lending Platform
(2) Non-banking Financial Corporation (NBFC)
(3) Small Finance Bank
(4) Local Area Bank
(5) Bitcoin Exchange
21. Which of the following bank did the Reserve Bank of
India in December 2017 put under the ‘prompt
corrective action’ (PCA) framework due to their weak
balance sheets?
(1) Andhra Bank
(2) Syndicate Bank
(3) Bank of India
(4) Indian Bank
(5) Bank of Baroda
22. How much amount did India commit to mitigate crisis
and develop Rakhine State in Myanmar?
(1) USD 50 million
(2) USD 20 million
(3) USD 100 million
(4) USD 25 million
(5) USD 15 million
23. The Cabinet in December 2017 approved a project to
set up India's National Rail and Transport University
(NRTU) in _________.
(1) Vadodara
(2) Gandhinagar
(3) Ahmedabad
(4) Rajkot
(5) Surat
24. India's first and only design university, World
University of Deisgn opened in ______________.
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(1) Gurugram
(2) Sonipat
(3) Rohtak
(4) Hisar
(5) Ambala
25. Which of the following state did recently announce
to distribute sanitary napkins free of cost to all women
belonging to BPL (Below Poverty Line) category in the
State?
(1) Rajasthan
(2) Chhattisgarh
(3) Kerala
(4) Haryana
(5) Uttar Pradesh
Answers
1. 2
2. 4
3. 3
4. 1
5. 5
6. 4
7. 4
8. 1
9. 3
10. 2
11. 3
12. 4
13. 2
14. 3
15. 4
16. 3
17. 5
18. 4
19. 1
20. 2
21. 3
22. 4
23. 1
24. 2
25. 4
Set 5
1. For how many projects did the Union Government lay
foundation stone in Uttarakhand under Namami Gange
programme?
(1) 20
(2) 28
(3) 34
(4) 32
(5) 26
2. With which of the following nation did Indian Navy
recently completed the second phase of the joint
oceanographic survey?
(1) Oman
(2) Sri Lanka
(3) Bangladesh
(4) Japan
(5) South Korea
3. Which Indian personality recently topped the list 'Rise
of the Millennials: India's Most Valuable Celebrity
Brands' 2017?
(1) Salman Khan
(2) Shah Rukh Khan
(3) Mahendra Singh Dhoni
(4) Virat Kohli
(5) Sachin Tendulkar
4. International Human Solidarity Day 2017 was
observed on ___________.
(1) 20 December
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(2) 21 December
(3) 22 December
(4) 23 December
(5) 19 December
5. How much amount of loan did Odisha government sign
with KfW, Germany for strengthening urban
infrastructures?
(1) ₹400 crore
(2) ₹450 crore
(3) ₹440 crore
(4) ₹480 crore
(5) ₹420 crore
6. With which of the following bank did Samsung tie-up
to offer 'Bill Payments' on Samsung Pay?
(1) HDFC Bank
(2) Axis Bank
(3) Yes Bank
(4) ICICI Bank
(5) IndusInd Bank
7. For which of the following purpose did Ministry of
External Affairs has launched a new program SAMEEP
(Students and MEA Engagement Program)?
(1) To teach students global affairs and their values
(2) To make the student understand India's place in the
world and its global ambitions
(3) to look at diplomacy as a career option
(4) Both 2 and 3
(5) All 1, 2 and 3
8. With which of the following nation did Indian navy
conduct Exercise Naseem-Al-Bahr?
(1) Iran
(2) Afghanistan
(3) Kazakhstan
(4) Oman
(5) Egypt
9. Which of the following bank did recently establish a
Medium Term Note (MTN) programme to raise USD 1
billion (over 6,400 crore) by issuing debt securities on
private placement basis?
(1) Yes Bank
(2) Axis Bank
(3) ICICI Bank
(4) HDFC Bank
(5) State Bank of India
10. Which of the following Indian state did recently sign
a MoU with South Korea to enhance cooperation in the
field of tourism, skill development, culture and farming?
(1) Madhya Pradesh
(2) Chhattisgarh
(3) Uttar Pradesh
(4) Rajasthan
(5) Assam
11. Government recently launched 'Ganga Gram' project
for development of villages situated on the banks of
Ganga. How many villages to be taken up for pilot project
basis?
(1) 104
(2) 44
(3) 62
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(4) 24
(5) 9
12. Who among the following was appointed executive
director of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)?
(1) Henrietta Holsman Fore
(2) Fernando Quevedo
(3) Yuri Fedotov
(4) Yukiya Amano
(5) Hamadoun Touré
13. Who was appointed English Premier League’s 1st
brand ambassador in India?
(1) Virat Kohli
(2) Ranveer Singh
(3) Shah Rukh Khan
(4) Sachin Tendulkar
(5) Siddharth Malhotra
14. Who among the following was appointed as General
Manager (Cricket Operations) of the BCCI?
(1) Kiran More
(2) Sunil Gavaskar
(3) Saba Karim
(4) Anil Kumble
(5) Sourav Ganguly
15. Which of the following Indian personality was
announced to be honoured with a doctorate degree by
the Bareilly International University?
(1) Akshay Kumar
(2) Priyanka Chopra
(3) Sachin Tendulkar
(4) Amitabh Bachchan
(5) Rekha
16. Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) has won
outsourcing contract, the largest ever bagged by an
Indian information technology firm, from television
ratings measurement company Nielsen. What is the
amount of the contract?
(1) USD 2.50 billion
(2) USD 2.40 billion
(3) USD 2.20 billion
(4) USD 2.25 billion
(5) USD 2.30 billion
17. For what amount did Reliance Infrastructure sign a
definitive binding agreement to sell its Mumbai power
business to Adani Transmission Ltd?
(1) ₹16,000 crore
(2) ₹18,000 crore
(3) ₹18,800 crore
(4) ₹18,600 crore
(5) ₹16,800 crore
18. Union Minister of Communications Manoj Sinha on
21 December 2017 launched Project DARPAN for which
of the following purpose?
(1) To digitize postal services across rural areas
(2) To digitize postal services pan India
(3) To improve postal services for rural customers
(4) To improve postal delivery speed across the nation
(5) None of the above
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19. Union Minister of Communications Manoj Sinha on
21 December 2017 launched Project DARPAN with an
outlay of __________.
(1) ₹1400 crore
(2) ₹1800 crore
(3) ₹1500 crore
(4) ₹1600 crore
(5) ₹1200 crore
20. Who received the Sahitya Akademi Award 2017 in
English Language category?
(1) Mamang Dai
(2) Ramesh Kuntal Megh
(3) Shrikant Deshmukh
(4) Bina Hangkhim
(5) Jagdish Lachhani
21. Who topped the Forbes India Celebrity 100 List 2017?
(1) Priyanka Chopra
(2) Salman Khan
(3) Shah Rukh Khan
(4) Virat Kohli
(5) Deepika Padukone
22. Rohit Sharma recently equaled the record for the
fastest century in T20 with ___________.
(1) Steve Smith
(2) AB De Villiers
(3) Joe Root
(4) David Miller
(5) Chris Gayle
23. National Mathematics Day is observed on
__________.
(1) 21 December
(2) 22 December
(3) 23 December
(4) 20 December
(5) 24 December
24. HDFC Realty and HDFC Red was recently acquired by
Quikr for a total amount of ___________.
(1) ₹800 crore
(2) ₹600 crore
(3) ₹350 crore
(4) ₹200 crore
(5) ₹850 crore
25. Name the first country to make a woman its
ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
(1) France
(2) Belgium
(3) Serbia
(4) Denmark
(5) Finland
Answers
1. 4
2. 2
3. 4
4. 1
5. 3
6. 2
7. 4
8. 4
9. 1
10. 3
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11. 4
12. 1
13. 2
14. 3
15. 2
16. 4
17. 3
18. 3
19. 1
20. 1
21. 2
22. 4
23. 2
24. 3
25. 2
Set 6
1. Which of the following state topped the list of most
GST collection in India in the first five months of GST
rollout?
(1) Uttar Pradesh
(2) Gujarat
(3) Maharashtra
(4) Madhya Pradesh
(5) Karnataka
2. Patanjali Ayurved signed a MoU with the Chhattisgarh
Government to set up food and herbal processing unit
with a corpus of ___________.
(1) ₹671 crore
(2) ₹571 crore
(3) ₹573 crore
(4) ₹673 crore
(5) ₹371 crore
3. Government recently announce to link highway
corridors to international trade points for how much
amount?
(1) ₹20,000 crore
(2) ₹24,000 crore
(3) ₹22,000 crore
(4) ₹25,000 crore
(5) ₹28,000 crore
4. Which of the following Indian state was recently
recognized as a ‘Champion State’ for recording the
highest growth in exports during 2016-17 by the Union
Government?
(1) Jharkhand
(2) Odisha
(3) Uttar Pradesh
(4) Maharashtra
(5) Gujarat
5. Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore signed a MoU
with state government of Kerala to set up a
petrochemical park at Kochi for _________.
(1) ₹1,800 crore
(2) ₹1,600 crore
(3) ₹1,400 crore
(4) ₹1,200 crore
(5) ₹1,500 crore
6. The Indian Railways on Monday flagged off the
country’s first air-conditioned suburban local train for
Mumbai commuters. How many daily services will be
there on weekdays?
(1) 14
(2) 20
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(3) 24
(4) 12
(5) 50
7. Which of the following Indian city became the first to
have its own logo?
(1) Kochi
(2) Chennai
(3) Bengaluru
(4) Mumbai
(5) New Delhi
8. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2017
launched a 12-km stretch of Delhi Metro’s ________ line.
(1) Orange
(2) Magenta
(3) Violet
(4) Red
(5) Blue
9. World Economic Forum 2018 will be held in
__________.
(1) Berne
(2) Geneva
(3) Davos
(4) Zurich
(5) Basel
10. According to the centre data, which state has
constructed most houses for urban poor under Pradhan
Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban)?
(1) Gujarat
(2) Rajasthan
(3) Madhya Pradesh
(4) Karnataka
(5) Maharashtra
11. Which of the following country did recently sign an
agreement with Sudan to build a nuclear power plant in
the nation?
(1) Australia
(2) Japan
(3) China
(4) Russia
(5) USA
12. How much amount of loan agreement did India sign
with the World Bank for the Tamil Nadu Irrigated
Agriculture Modernization Project to promote climate
resilient agriculture technologies?
(1) USD 316 million
(2) USD 318 million
(3) USD 312 million
(4) USD 314 million
(5) USD 326 million
13. How much amount did the Ministry of Home Affairs
release to nine states with international border for the
development of infrastructure in forward areas?
(1) ₹112 Crore
(2) ₹132 Crore
(3) ₹162 Crore
(4) ₹167 Crore
(5) ₹137 Crore
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14. Who among the following launched the electronic-
Human Resource Management System (e-HRMS) in Delhi
on 25 December 2017?
(1) Jitendra Singh
(2) Rajnath Singh
(3) Nitish Gadkari
(4) Smriti Irani
(5) Maneka Gandhi
15. Which of the following state launched a free
household power connection scheme for the poor in the
state to mark former prime minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee's birth anniversary?
(1) Madhya Pradesh
(2) Uttar Pradesh
(3) Maharashtra
(4) Gujarat
(5) Rajasthan
16. Name the first Indian state government to allow
businesses to run 24×7 by passing an amendment to the
Shops and Establishments Act.
(1) Rajasthan
(2) Delhi
(3) Karnataka
(4) Maharashtra
(5) Uttar Pradesh
17. How many additional schools did NITI Aayog select
for establishment of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs)?
(1) 2500
(2) 2000
(3) 1500
(4) 1000
(5) 3000
18. The world’s first fully electric solar train was launched
in ________.
(1) New Zealand
(2) United States of America
(3) Canada
(4) Australia
(5) Japan
19. Which of the following nation did recently develop
the world’s first artificial intelligence politician “SAM”?
(1) New Zealand
(2) Australia
(3) Canada
(4) Japan
(5) China
20. Paytm became India's first payments app to cross
how many downloads in the Google Playstore?
(1) 1 million
(2) 100 million
(3) 10 million
(4) 1 billion
(5) 50 million
21. Lok Sabha passed GST (Compensation to States)
Amendment Bill, 2017 for GST cess hike on luxury cars to
what percent?
(1) 15
(2) 20
(3) 25
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(4) 30
(5) 50
22. According to the Income Tax department, what per
cent of the total population, paid income tax in the
assessment year (AY) 2015-16?
(1) 1.2%
(2) 2.3%
(3) 1.8%
(4) 1.7%
(5) 1.4%
23. With which of the following bank(s) did Sohan Lal
Commodity Management (SLCM) tie up for post harvest
credit?
(1) Axis Bank
(2) HDFC Bank
(3) IndusInd Bank
(4) Both 1 and 3
(5) Both 2 and 3
24. How much amount did Lendingkart raise in debt from
State Bank of India (SBI), a first for the country’s largest
public sector lender vis-a-vis a digital lending start-up?
(1) ₹50 crore
(2) ₹25 crore
(3) ₹20 crore
(4) ₹30 crore
(5) ₹15 crore
25. Paul Antony was recently appointed as the chief
secretary of _______.
(1) Kerala
(2) Karnataka
(3) Himachal Pradesh
(4) Odisha
(5) Tripura
Answers
1. 3
2. 1
3. 4
4. 2
5. 1
6. 4
7. 3
8. 2
9. 3
10. 1
11. 4
12. 2
13. 4
14. 1
15. 2
16. 4
17. 3
18. 4
19. 1
20. 2
21. 3
22. 4
23. 5
24. 2
25. 1
Set 7
1. How much amount of loan agreement did India sign
with World Bank for 'U.P. Pro-Poor Tourism
Development Project'?
(1) USD 40 million
(2) USD 30 million
(3) USD 25 million
(4) USD 50 million
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(5) USD 55 million
2. Name the first foreign investor to fully own an asset
reconstruction company (ARC) in India as it received
approval from the Reserve Bank of India.
(1) Pegasus
(2) Alchemist
(3) Edelweiss
(4) KKR
(5) Phoenix
3. In which group was the Indian banking sector classified
by rating agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) on the basis of
their economy and industry risk criteria?
(1) Group 3
(2) Group 5
(3) Group 4
(4) Group 6
(5) Group 7
4. Name the first Indian state to give farmers 24-hour
free electricity.
(1) Andhra Pradesh
(2) Maharashtra
(3) Telangana
(4) Karnataka
(5) Chhattisgarh
5. Name the newly launched India’s first bitcoin trading
app.
(1) Pluto Exchange
(2) Coinbase Exchange
(3) Bitstamp Exchange
(4) Kraken Exchange
(5) Coinsecure Exchange
6. With which of the following company did Delhi
Government sign MoU to set up 12 automated driving
test tracks?
(1) Honda
(2) Maruti Suzuki
(3) Hyundai
(4) Mercedes Benz
(5) Tata Motors
7. Orange Festival of Music and Adventure is held
annually in which state?
(1) Himachal Pradesh
(2) Assam
(3) Sikkim
(4) Arunachal Pradesh
(5) Uttarakhand
8. 78th session of Indian History Congress was held in
_________.
(1) New Delhi
(2) Kolkata
(3) Mumbai
(4) Bengaluru
(5) Hyderabad
9. Which of the following state launched mobile museum
'Adi Shankara Sandesh Vahini'?
(1) Maharashtra
(2) Uttar Pradesh
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(3) Madhya Pradesh
(4) Bihar
(5) Jharkhand
10. President Ram Nath Kovind recently inaugurated
Fiber Grid Project in which state?
(1) Telangana
(2) Andhra Pradesh
(3) Maharashtra
(4) Odisha
(5) Karnataka
11. What was the rank of India in the list of countries with
highest NPA levels by CARE Ratings agency?
(1) 5th
(2) 4th
(3) 1st
(4) 3rd
(5) 7th
12. What is the capital city of Liberia?
(1) Abuja
(2) Asmara
(3) Malabo
(4) Monrovia
(5) Luanda
13. Vishwanathan Anand won the 2017 World Rapid
Chess Championship after defeating __________.
(1) Magnus Carlsen
(2) Veselin Topalov
(3) Vladimir Fedoseev
(4) Hikaru Nakamura
(5) Peter Svidler
14. Which of the following company has been awarded
the prestigious "Golden Peacock Award for Risk
Management" for the year 2017?
(1) Bajaj Allianz General Insurance
(2) Cholamandalam MS General Insurance
(3) Bharti AXA General Insurance
(4) Reliance General Insurance
(5) National Insurance Co. Ltd.
15. According to the government data, how much
amount been raised through its BHARAT 22 Exchange
Traded Fund (ETF)?
(1) ₹14,500 crore
(2) ₹15,500 crore
(3) ₹14,000 crore
(4) ₹15,000 crore
(5) ₹13,500 crore
16. How much amount of financial assistant did the
central government sanction for overall development of
inland water transport of Assam?
(1) ₹1,450 crore
(2) ₹1,350 crore
(3) ₹1,250 crore
(4) ₹1,200 crore
(5) ₹1,300 crore
17. Which of the following bank did recently sign an
agreement with state-run National e-Governance
Services Limited (NeSL) for utilizing the latter’s
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Information Utility Services envisaged under the
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016?
(1) Bank of Baroda
(2) Syndicate Bank
(3) Punjab National Bank
(4) Allahabad Bank
(5) Canara Bank
18. Which of the following bank has recently signed an
agreement to acquire 51% stake in two JVs from
UniCredit?
(1) Bank of Baroda
(2) Canara Bank
(3) Axis Bank
(4) Bank of Maharashtra
(5) Syndicate Bank
19. Name the first state in the country to provide
“secured price” of vegetable crops to its farmers.
(1) Uttar Pradesh
(2) Haryana
(3) Chhattisgarh
(4) Jharkhand
(5) Tamil Nadu
20. India’s first ‘Robocop’, capable of performing police
duties, has been launched in which city?
(1) Bengaluru
(2) Mumbai
(3) Hyderabad
(4) Chennai
(5) Lucknow
21. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated
the 85th annual Sivagiri pilgrimage celebrations in
___________.
(1) Kerala
(2) Telangana
(3) Karnataka
(4) Tamil Nadu
(5) Andhra Pradesh
22. M Malakondaiah was recently appointed Director
General of Police of _____________.
(1) Gujarat
(2) Telangana
(3) Andhra Pradesh
(4) Himachal Pradesh
(5) Rajasthan
23. Om Prakash Singh was recently appointed Director
General of Police of _____________.
(1) Himachal Pradesh
(2) Maharashtra
(3) Madhya Pradesh
(4) Uttar Pradesh
(5) Rajasthan
24. Nihal Chand Goel was recently appointed as the new
chief secretary of ________.
(1) Gujarat
(2) Rajasthan
(3) Himachal Pradesh
(4) Jharkhand
(5) Arunachal Pradesh
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25. Ashok Sharma was recently appointed as the
Advocate General of _________.
(1) Himachal Pradesh
(2) Rajasthan
(3) Kerala
(4) Gujarat
(5) Madhya Pradesh
Answer
1. 1
2. 4
3. 2
4. 3
5. 1
6. 2
7. 4
8. 2
9. 3
10. 2
11. 1
12. 4
13. 3
14. 2
15. 1
16. 3
17. 4
18. 1
19. 2
20. 3
21. 1
22. 3
23. 4
24. 2
25. 1
Expected Questions from November 2017
1. Who will head the ministerial committee to oversee
merger proposals of 21 state-owned PSU banks? – Arun
Jaitley
2. Which of the following India state recently signed a
MoU and Terms of Reference (ToR) with Singapore for
skilling youth of the state? – Assam
3. Google recently opened first India data centre in which
city? – Mumbai
4. The Indian air-force recently participated in air
exercise ‘Blue Flag-17’ in __________. – Israel
5. Who was recently appointed CEO of Bharti AXA Life
Insurance? – Vikas Seth
6. Pooja Ghatkar is associated with which sports? –
Shooting
7. Shahzar Rizvi is associated with which sports? –
Shooting
8. How much amount did government allocate for
Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana- Remunerative Approaches
for Agriculture and Allied sector Rejuvenation (RKVY-
RAFTAAR)? – ₹15,722 crore
9. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on
1 November 2017 approved the implementation of
Special Banking Arrangement (SBA) of what amount for
payment of outstanding claims to fertilizer companies in
the year 2016-17? – ₹10,000 crore
10. The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development
Authority (PFRDA) on 1 November 2017 increased the
maximum age of joining under National Pension System
(NPS)-Private Sector (All Citizen and Corporate Model)
from the existing 60 years to _____________. – 65 years
11. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has
constructed the world's highest motorable road in
Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, passing through
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Umlingla Top at a height of over __________. – 19.300
ft.
12. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has
constructed the world's highest motorable road in
Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, passing through
Umlingla Top at a height of over 19,300 feet. What was
the name of the project? – Project Himank
13. For which of the following purpose did the govt
launch 'Nivesh Bandhu' portal? – to assist investors to
make informed investment decisions
14. Which Indian state topped Gender Vulnerability
Index 2017? – Goa
15. Which Indian state was placed bottom in the Gender
Vulnerability Index 2017? – Bihar
16. The Gender Vulnerability Index (GVI) was prepared
by __________. - Child development NGO Plan India
17. In terms of protection and safety, which state topped
the Gender Vulnerability Index? – Goa
18. In terms of protection and safety, which state was
ranked last the Gender Vulnerability Index? – Uttar
Pradesh
19. Which of the following state recently imposed a
seven-month ban on sea fishing activity in order to
protect the Olive Ridley sea turtles? – Odisha
20. Which Indian state recently signed a 20,000 Cr worth
MoU with Verbind to set up trading hub in the state? –
Haryana
21. Which of the following state recently announced
creating an ecosystem to bring all stakeholders to use
nanotechnology across verticals including energy,
medicine, engineering, transport and communication? –
Karnataka
22. The 21st World Congress of Mental Health was
inaugurated by – Ram Nath Kovind
23. With which of the following nation did India recently
conduct bilateral military exercise PRABAL DOSTYK
2017? – Kazakhstan
24. Who among the following was appointed US
Ambassador to India? – Kenneth Juster
25. Who released the Global Gender Gap Index? – World
Economic Forum
26. Who topped the 2017 Global Gender Gap Index? –
Iceland
27. What was India’s rank in the 2017 Global Gender Gap
Index? – 108th
28. What is the Word of the Year 2017 by Collins
Dictionary? – Fake News
29. Which of the following bank recently received
Reserved Bank of India (RBI) approval to operate as
Scheduled Commercial Bank? – AU Small Finance Bank
30. World Food India 2017 was held in _________. – New
Delhi
31. What amount of MoU did Government of India and
Patanjali sign in World Food India 2017? – ₹10,000 crore
32. Which of the following bank recently signed a
financing agreement with Government of India for food
processing projects? – Yes Bank
33. How much amount of financing agreement did Yes
Bank sign with the government for food processing
projects? – ₹1,000 crore
34. Which of the following state did recently sign a MoU
with Dakshin Agropolis to establish a food processing
zone? – Telangana
35. What amount of MoU did Telangana sign with
Dakshin Agropolis to establish a food processing zone? –
₹6,000 crore
36. India has achieved a Guinness World Record by
cooking how much amount of Khichdi? – 918 kgs
37. The Union Government announced on 3 November
2017 that an indigenously developed lightweight 'Glide'
bomb was successfully tested in Chandipur in Odisha.
What is the name of the bomb? – SAAW (Smart Anti
Airfield Weapon)
38. Who was recently selected for the 53rd Jnanpith
Award for the year 2017? – Krishna Sobti
39. Which of the following bank recently launched voice-
based international remittance service? – ICICI Bank
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40. ICICI Bank recently launched voice-based
international remittance service in which of it’s
application? – Money2India
41. How much amount of financial assistance did
government approve for the Coastal Berth Scheme of the
Sagarmala Programme? – ₹2,302.05 crore
42. Which of the following bank was fined ₹6 crore for
non-compliance with the directions issued by RBI on
Income Recognition Asset Classification (IRAC) norms? –
Yes Bank
43. For which of the following purpose did government
launch Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana? – Promote Philately
(Stamp Collection) as hobby
44. What does H stands for in Deen Dayal “SPARSH”
Yojana? – Hobby
45. With which of the following nation did India
announce to collaborate on multi-radio telescope
project? – South Africa
46. The Indian Railways has commenced the main arch of
the world's highest bridge on which river? – Chenab
47. The Indian Railways has commenced the main arch of
the world's highest bridge on the River Chenab in Jammu
and Kashmir's Reasi district. What is the height of the
bridge? – 359 meters
48. In which of the following place did Indian Army
launch Joint Training Node? – Shillong, Meghalaya
49. Which of the following Indian state will host Nobel
Prize Event in February 2018? – Goa
50. Who among the following was appointed as part-
time member of the Economic Advisory Council to the
Prime Minister (EAC-PM)? – Shamika Ravi
51. Who among the following was appointed as the
Acting Chief Justice of Kerala High Court? – Justice
Antony Dominic
52. Who among the following was honoured with the
prestigious Vishnudas Bhave? – Mohan Joshi
53. Which municipal corporation won the Best City Bus
Services Award for attracting 87% of private vehicles
users? – Surat
54. Who won the UNESCO Asia Pacific Award of Merit
2017 for cultural heritage conservation programme? –
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple of Srirangam in Tamil
Nadu
55. World Tsunami Awareness Day 2017 was observed
on ________. – 5 November
56. World Tsunami Awareness Day 2017 was observed
on 5 November with the theme _________. – Reduce the
Number of Affected People
57. Navjot Kaur is associated with which sports? –
Hockey
58. Whom did India defeat to win the 2017 Women’s
Hockey Asia Cup? – China
59. Which of the following bank has made RTGS, NEFT
online transactions free from Nov 1? – HDFC Bank
60. How much amount did India recently pledge to
contribute towards the UN partnership fund? – USD 100
million
61. How much amount of financial support did World
Bank arm IFC announce in projects by Ashiana Housing
Limited (Ashiana) meant for affordable / mid-income
housing as well as retirement homes for the elderly? –
USD 23 million
62. Who was appointed as the new Finance Secretary? –
Hasmukh Adhia
63. With which of the following nation did India recently
conduct joint military exercise SAMPRITI-7? –
Bangladesh
64. Who among the following launched 'Grahak Sadak
Koyla Vitaran' App? – Coal India Limited
65. How much amount of loan agreement did India and
World Bank sign for the Odisha Higher Education
Programme for Excellence & Equity (OHEPEE) Project? –
USD 119 million
66. Which of the following payment app recently
introduced payments using BHIM UPI (Unified Payments
Interface) on its platform? – Paytm
67. The 20th International Children's Film Festival was
held in _______. – Hyderabad, Telangana
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68. The 20th International Children's Film Festival was
held in Hyderabad, Telangana. It is popularly known as
________. – Golden Elephant
69. Name the India’s first indigenously designed and
developed Long Range Sub-Sonic Cruise Missile. –
Nirbhay
70. Which of the following country recently unveiled
Asia's largest dredging vessel? – China
71. In which of the following category did MC Mary Kom
won gold in Asian Boxing Championship 2017? – 48 kg
72. The Reserve Bank of India recently launched a new
public awareness campaign through text messages to
educate public about various banking regulations and
available facilities. What is the sender ID? – RBISay
73. Which of the following Indian city was included in
UNESCO's Creative Cities Network for contribution in
Music? – Chennai
74. Which of the following country recently launched an
earth observation satellite called “Mohammed VI-A? –
Morocco
75. The Reserve Bank of India on 9 November 2017 asked
banks to provide doorstep banking facilities to senior
citizens who are more than ___________. – 70 years old
76. The Reserve Bank of India on 9 November 2017 asked
banks to provide doorstep banking facilities to – 70 year+
senior citizens and differently abled
77. Union Government recently announced scholarship
to how many non-Indian students if they study Ayurveda,
Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy
(Ayush) in any of the public institutions across India? –
100
78. In which of the following executive board India was
recently re-elected? – UNESCO
79. Who among the following was named as the recipient
of Harmony Foundation's Mother Teresa Memorial
Award for Social Justice 2017? – United Nations High
Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)
80. World Science Day for Peace and Development 2017
was observed on ________. – 10 November
81. Who among the following was recently appointed
Telangana's Chief Innovation Officer? – Redbus co-
founder Phanindra Sama
82. How much amount of loan did Air India get from Bank
of India to meet urgent working capital needs? – ₹1,500
crore
83. Which of the following bank did recently grant Air
India a loan of ₹1,500 crore to meet urgent working
capital needs? – Bank of India
84. Which of the following company recently signed a
corporate agency agreement with Bank of Bahrain and
Kuwait B.S.C (BBK)? – PNB Metlife
85. Which of the following bank hosted the 34th annual
conference of the Asian Bankers Association (ABA)? –
State Bank of India
86. In which of the following city the 34th annual
conference of the Asian Bankers Association (ABA) was
hosted? – Mumbai (SBI)
87. Name the first woman to be appointed as the
NASSCOM President-Designate? – Debjani Ghosh
88. Who among the following was appointed as
ombudsman of All India Football Federation (AIFF)? –
Bhaskar Ganguly
89. Who among the following has been conferred a
D.Litt. degree from the National Institute of Technology
(NIT) Agartala? – Dipa Karmakar
90. The Union Government would be launching its
second and final phase of BharatNet project on 13
November 2017 to provide high-speed broadband
service in all Gram Panchayats by March 2019. It will be
implemented at an outlay of around – ₹34,000 crore
91. With which of the following bank did CRISIL recently
sign a MoU to launch 'CriSidEx', a business sentiment
index for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs)?
– SIDBI
92. Who among the following developed India Youth
Development Index and Report 2017? – Rajiv Gandhi
National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD) in
Tamil Nadu
93. India’s 1st Tribal Entrepreneurship Summit was held
in __________. – Dantewada, Chhattisgarh
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94. According to a report, India is likely to achieve strong
growth over the next decade and emerge as the world’s
third-largest economy, overtaking Japan in nominal GDP
by which year? – 2028
95. India is likely to achieve strong growth over the next
decade and emerge as the world’s third-largest
economy, overtaking Japan in nominal GDP by 2028, says
a report titled ‘India 2028’. It was launched by
___________. – Bank of America Merrill Lynch
96. 12th East Asia Summit was held in ________. – Pasay,
Philippines
97. 13th East Asia Summit will be held in ________. –
Singapore
98. What is the currency of Tunisia? – Tunisian Dinar
99. India’s first-ever ‘Air Dispensary’ based in a helicopter
is set to come up in __________. – North east
100. India’s first-ever ‘Air Dispensary’ based in a
helicopter is set to come up in northeast. What is the
initial capital? – ₹25 crore
101. 10th South Asia Economic Summit was held in
_______. – Kathmandu, Nepal
102. The Union Government on 14 November 2017
launched the BHARAT-22 Exchange Traded Fund (ETF)
targeting an initial amount of _______. – ₹8,000 crore
103. The Union Government on 14 November 2017
launched the BHARAT-22 Exchange Traded Fund (ETF)
targeting an initial amount of ₹8,000 crore. Who will
manage this fund? – ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund
104. Which of the following ministry recently launched
'Project Saksham'? – Ministry of Railways
105. For which of the following purpose did Indian
Railways launch 'Project Saksham'? – To train all
employees and improve skill
106. Which of the following nation announced to relax
visa rules for Indians from 1 January? – Japan
107. Which of the following country launched world's
first fully electric cargo ship? – China
108. Which of the following bank announced to offer
short-term instant credit to its existing customers who
want to make purchases in Paytm? – ICICI Bank
109. ICICI Bank recently announced to offer short-term
instant credit to its existing customers who want to make
purchases upto what amount in Paytm? – ₹20,000
110. Which of the following bank recently partnered with
MobiKwik to launch virtual in-app prepaid card? – IDFC
Bank
111. With which of the following company did IDFC bank
partner to launch virtual in-app prepaid card? –
Mobikwik and Net1
112. Under the ‘Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat’ scheme,
Madhya Pradesh has been made a partner of which
state(s)? – Manipur and Nagaland
113. The target of installing bio-toilets in all the coaches
of Indian Railways has been extended to _________. –
December, 2018
114. Who topped the Forbes list of Asia’s Richest Families
2017? – Ambani Family (Mukesh Ambani)
115. Who among the following was appointed to the
Financial Stability Institute Advisory Board of the Bank of
International Settlement (BIS)? – RBI Governor Urjit
Patel
116. International Day for Tolerance is observed on – 16
November
117. World Philosophy Day 2017 was observed on – 16
November
118. Leonard Da Vinci’s painting was sold at an auction
for USD 450 million. What is the name of the painting? –
'Salvator Mundi'
119. Universal Children's Day 2017 was observed on
______. – 20 November
120. Indian Constitution Day is observed on _________.
– 26 November
121. 237th Corps of Engineers Day was celebrated in
Delhi on which day? – 18th November
122. World Toilet Day is observed on ________. – 19
November
123. Qaumi Ekta Week 2017 was observed on ______. –
19-25 November 2017
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124. Who among the following was recently conferred
with 2017 Tata Literature Live Lifetime Achievement
Award? – Girish Karnad
125. Who was crowned Miss World 2017 at the
prestigious pageant’s 67th edition that was held in
Sanya, China on 18 November 2017? – Manushi Chhillar
126. India's Manushi Chhillar was crowned Miss World
2017 at the prestigious pageant’s 67th edition that was
held in Sanya, China on 18 November 2017. Who was the
previous India title holder? – Priyanka Chopra
127. Who among the following launched the Web Portal
for Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana
‘Saubhagya’? – Union Minister of State for Power and
Renewable Energy RK Singh
128. In which of the following nation did INS Sarvekshak
arrive to conduct a Joint Hydrographic Survey along with
the nation? – Tanzania (Dar-Es-Salaam)
129. Union Health Ministry introduced Daily Drug
Regimen for treatment of which disease? – Tuberculosis
(TB)
130. US credit rating agency Moody's raised India's
sovereign rating to ________. – Baa2
131. The World Health Organisation (WHO) on 17
November 2017 launched a new global effort to end
Tuberculosis by ______. – 2030
132. Who among the following is the chairman of the
government constituted a 10-member committee to
look into the requirements of filing GST returns in current
financial year? – GSTN Chairman Ajay Bhushan
133. Which of the following bank did recently raise $400
million in syndicated loans from lenders in Taiwan and
Japan for on-lending to clients? – Yes Bank
134. How much amount did Yes Bank raise in syndicated
loans from lenders in Taiwan and Japan for on-lending to
clients? – US$ 400 million
135. How much amount of loan agreement did India sign
with the World Bank for Shared Infrastructure for Solar
Parks Project? – USD 100 million
136. With which of the following nation did India recently
conduct joint army exercise IMBAX? – Myanmar
137. India and _____ have agreed to implement the
general declaration for visa-free entry of the crew of
chartered and scheduled flights between the two
countries. – Russia
138. The International Seminar on Indian Space
Programme: ‘Trends and Opportunities for Industry’ was
hosted in _______. – New Delhi
139. The 42nd World Congress of the International
Committee of Military Medicine (ICMM) was held in
________. – New Delhi
140. Who among the following was appointed as the
director general of Doordarshan News? – Ira Joshi
141. Name the Indian nominee who was recently re-
elected to International Court of Justice. – Dalveer
Bhandari
142. World Fisheries Day is observed on ______. – 21
November
143. How much amount of Highway and Shipping
Projects did Indian government approve for Tamil Nadu?
– ₹1 lakh crore
144. The Union government on 23 October 2017
suggested to the state government of Odisha to enhance
its rural road construction target under the Pradhan
Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) from 7,000 km to
_______. – 10,000 km
145. The Union Government on 22 November 2017
constituted a Task Force to review Income-tax Act, 1961
and to draft a new Direct Tax Law in consonance with
economic needs of the country. Who will be the
Convener of the task force? – Arbind Modi
For more visit www.exampundit.in
146. How much amount of outlay did government
approve for the expansion of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
(BBBP) scheme for Pan India reach? - ₹ 1132.5 crore
147. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)
on 22 November 2017 approved the expansion of Beti
Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme for Pan India reach
covering all the 640 districts (as per census 2011) of the
Country. Till now how many districts did BBBP cover? –
161 districts
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148. Name the newly approved scheme under umbrella
Scheme ‘Mission for Protection and Empowerment for
Women’ for a period 2017-18 to 2019-20. – Mahila
Shakti Kendra
149. What does A stands for in UMANG? – Application
('Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance')
150. For which of the following purpose did PM Narendra
Modi launch UMANG App? – to access all Indian
Government services.
151. The Union government has initiated the process of
formulating comprehensive 'safe-city' plans for women
in how many Indian metro cities? – 8 (Delhi, Mumbai,
Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Lucknow
and Hyderabad)
152. World’s fastest Supersonic Cruise Missile Brahmos
on 22 November 2017 created history after it was
successfully flight-tested from the Indian Air Force’s (IAF)
frontline fighter aircraft ___________. – Sukhoi 30MKI
153. Name the first woman to be inducted as Pilot in
Indian Navy. – Shubhangi Swaroop
154. Who among the following was appointed as UNAIDS
Special Ambassador for Adolescents and HIV? –
Acclaimed South African Indian-origin Professor
Quarraisha Abdool Karim
155. World Television Day is observed on _____. – 21
November
156. Who topped the list of World's Highest-Paid Woman
in Music in 2017 by Forbes? – Beyonce
157. Which of the following bank did recently launch
YONO service? – State Bank of India
158. SBI recently launched YONO service. What does
YONO stand for? – You Only Need One
159. SBI recently launched YONO service for which of the
following purpose? – Country’s first integrated lifestyle
and banking digital service application
160. What is the tagline of SBI YONO? – Lifestyle &
Banking, Dono.
161. Which of the following bank did recently tie up with
BankChain and Intel to deploy blockchain solutions in
India? – State Bank of India
162. The Union Government on 27 November 2017
constituted Fifteenth Finance Commission under the
chairmanship of ___________. – NK Singh
163. Which of the following company did recently launch
a special store 'Saheli' for women entrepreneurs? –
Amazon
164. Who among the following company announced to
acquire Time Inc., the publisher of Sports Illustrated and
Fortune magazines, for USD 2.8 billion in all-cash deal? –
Meredith Corporation
165. With which of the following nation did India recently
sign an agreement to help each other in combating
terrorism? – Russia
166. The India Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
will launch its first solar mission in 2019. What is the
name of the mission? – Aditya L-1
167. Who among the following was appointed as the
Chairman of the newly constituted National Anti-
Profiteering Authority (NAA) under the GST regime? – B
N Sharma
168. Who among the following was appointed as Deputy
Director-General of WHO? – Soumya Swaminathan
169. Who among the following was appointed as
Britain's Ambassador to the United Nations (UN)? –
Karen Pierce
170. Who among the following has been appointed as
India’s G 20 Sherpa till December 31, 2018 for the
Development Track of the G20? – Shaktikanta Das
171. Who among the following was appointed as the
Director-General of Police (DGP) of Andhra Pradesh? – N
Sambasiva Rao
172. Whom did President Ram Nath Kovind on 27
November 2017 confer the 3rd ICCR Distinguished
Indologist Award? – Professor Hiroshi Marui of Japan
173. Who among the following was presented with the
Lifetime Achievement Award by the Chandigarh Literary
Society during the 5th edition of Chandigarh Literature
Festival? – Ruskin Bond
174. International Day for the Elimination of Violence
against Women is observed on _______. – 25 November
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175. The International Multilateral Maritime Search and
Rescue Exercise 2017 (IMMSAREX 2017) was held in
_______. – Cox Bazar in Bangladesh
176. The US-India Business Council (USIBC) on 27
November 2017 launched a collaborative initiative for
Women Entrepreneurs titled __________. – WISE
(Women for Women Innovators, Social Leaders &
Entrepreneurs)
177. For which of the following purpose did Indian Coast
Guard conduct ‘Clean Sea- 2017’? –Regional Level
Marine Oil Pollution Response
178. With which of the following country did India
recently sign a MoU for enhanced cooperation in the
health sector? – Italy
179. Who among the following was appointed UN
Environment Goodwill Ambassador for India? – Dia
Mirza
180. Who recently became the first Indian in last two
decades to win a gold medal at the World Weightlifting
Championship in Anaheim, USA? – Mirabai Chanu
181. Saikhom Mirabai Chanu is associated with which
sports? – Weightlifting
182. Mirabai Chanu won the Gold medal in the Women's
48 kg category by lifting a world record weight of
_______. – 194 kgs
183. Which of the following bank recently launched
instant international payment services using Ripple's
enterprise blockchain technology solution? – Axis Bank
184. Who among the following launched Paytm
Payments Bank? – FM Arun Jaitley
185. How much amount of loan did Asian Development
Bank announce to improve rural road connectivity in five
states, including Assam and West Bengal? – USD 500
million
186. With which of the following nation did India recently
sign a MoU in the urban transport sector for cooperation
in policy planning, technology transfer and institutional
organization? – United Kingdom
187. Who among the following launched Hyderabad
Metro Rail Project? – PM Narendra Modi
188. Name the app launched by PM Narendra Modi for
Hyderabad Metro Rail passengers. – T Savari
189. Who among the following was appointed as the new
Secretary General of the Lok Sabha? – Snehlata
Shrivastava
190. How much amount of support did US Agency for
International Development (USAID) announce for Ending
Tuberculosis (TB) Epidemic in India and to raise TB
awareness to help India in its fight against TB? – USD 1
million
Expected Banking Awareness Questions
1. Credit Risk refers to the risk that
a) A borrower will default on any type of debt
b) Wrong strategy is adopted
c) Borrower may opt to get necessary permit/licenses
d) Loan processing may be faulty
e) Interest rate in the markets may increase
2. Which of the following complaints is invalid in
Banking Ombudsman Scheme:
a) Refusal to close or delay in closing the accounts
b) Non-acceptance, without sufficient cause, of coins
tendered and for charging of commission for this service
c) Non-payment or delay in payment of inward
remittances
d) Closure of account without customer concern
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e) None of them
3. The Fair Practice Code for Credit Card Operations is
the banking industry has been evolved by
a) Indian Banks’ Association (IBA)
b) Banking Ombudsman (BO)
c) Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
d) Banking Codes and Standards Board of India (BCSBI)
e) None of them
4. A mutual fund scheme in which the investors commit
their money for a particular period is known as
a) Long-End Scheme
b) Closed-End Scheme
c) Back-End Scheme
d) Open-End Scheme
e) Long-Term Fund
5. Which of the following factors do the commission
takes into account in formulating Minimum Support
Price?
a) Cost of production
b) Changes in input prices
c) Input-output price parity
d) Trends in market prices
e) All of them
6. A Kiosk bank account has the limit of maximum
transactions per day
a) Rs 25000
b) Rs 15000
c) Rs 10000
d) Rs 20000
e) Rs 5000
7. A Kiosk Bank Account can have a maximum balance
of _______
a) 50000 rupees
b) 1 Lakh rupees
c) 75000 rupees
d) 25000 rupees
e) 2 lakhs rupees
8. Which of the following sections of Banking
Regulation Ac 1949 directs Restriction on loans and
advances?
a) 24
b) 20
c) 18
d) 25
e) 16
9. The viability of a primary credit society implies?
a) To appoint a full-time paid secretary
b) To constitute reserves on the scales considered
necessary and to pay a reasonable dividend on capital
c) Its ability to setup a regular office of its own
d) All of the above
e) None of the above
10. The common feature of the agricultural credit
societies in the country is that_________.
a) Only small and marginal farmers are their members
b) The persons living in cities and town are their
members
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c) The agriculturists are their members
d) All of these
e) None of these
11. Under which section of the RBI Act, the RBI has the
sole right of note issue?
a) Section 20
b) Section 22
c) Section 25
d) Section 28
e) Section 30
12. In which year did the Insurance Regulatory and
Development Authority of India came into force?
a) 1999
b) 2000
c) 2001
d) 1991
e) 1993
13. Under which section of the RBI Act, mentions the
right to recover of notes lost, stolen, mutilated or
imperfect?
a) Section 28
b) Section 21
c) Section 28
d) Section 24
e) Section 35
14. SWIFT is a network for banks to exchange
information. What does S stands for in SWIFT?
a) System
b) Secured
c) Securities
d) Society
e) Standard
15. The foreign Exchange rate is dependent on which of
the following?
a) Government Policies
b) Monetary Policy Directives
c) Demand and Supply Forces
d) Foreign Exchange Reserves
e) None
16. Who decides on the value and volume of bank notes
to be printed and on what basis?
a) Reserve Bank of India
b) Stock Exchange
c) NITI Aayog
d) Finance Ministry
e) Union Government
17. Inflation is measured in India on the basis of which
Index?
a) Consumer Price Index
b) Whole Sale Price Index
c) Retail Price Index
d) Market forces
e) None
18. The SDR is an international reserve asset, created by
the
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a) Asian Development Bank
b) Federal Reserve
c) United Nations
d) International Monetary Fund
e) World Trade Organisation
19. In case of a debt taken by a married woman, her
husband
a) shall be liable if the debt is taken after her marriage
b) shall be liable if the loan is taken with his consent or
authority
c) shall never be liable in any conditions
d) Both 1 and 2
e) None
20. Which of the following lendings qualifies as a
priority sector loan?
a) Loan for purchase of gold or diamond ornament for
daughter's marriage
b) Loan for white goods
c) Loan for House improvement or new house
d) Loan for purchase of tractor
e) Both 2 and 4
21. NEFT and RTGS in banking terminology speaks of
a) various deposit products
b) various loan products
c) electronic payment products within a bank
d) electronic fund transfer from bank to bank
e) cheque truncation process
22. Each of the RRBs covers districts ranging from
a) 1 to 15
b) 2 to 25
c) 3 to 25
d) 2 to 15
e) 1 to 5
23. As per news in various newspapers, 'kfw' Group
released another instalment of its financial aid to India.
Kfw is an organisation/bank based in
a) France
b) Japan
c) Italy
d) China
e) Germany
24. Crossing of cheques makes them
a) invalid document
b) ineligible to endorse to person other than payee
c) remain the same in all respect, it is only a practice
d) eligible for payment irrespective of sufficient balance
in the account
e) Ineligible to get cash across the bank counter
25. When a bank dishonours a cheque,
a) it is called settlement of the cheque
b) it is called withdrawing of the cheque
c) it is called nullifying of the cheque
d) it is called truncating of the cheque
e) it is called return of the cheque unpaid
26. In a bank which of the following are the usual types
of Deposits accounts?
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a) Savings A/c, Electricity A/c and Insurance Premium A/c
b) Fixed Deposits, Post office savings bank A/c and
current deposit accounts
c) Current A/c, Savings Bank A/c and Term deposit a/c
d) Loan accounts, Savings bank A/c and term deposit
accounts
e) Current Bill A/c and Term Deposit A/c
27. Which of the following cannot be called as a value
added service offered by bank?
a) Special accounts for the poor section of the society
b) Accident insurance cover
c) Instant credit of outstation cheques
d) Free cheque books
e) All of these
28. An account in which trading of shares in their
electronic form is done, is known as
a) D-Mat Account
b) NRI Account
c) NRIO Account
d) Current Account
e) None of the above
29. Mortgage is a security created on
a) movable property for a loan given by a bank
b) immovable property for a deposit received by a bank
c) a confirmation of immovable property given by a bank
d) movable property for a deposit given by a bank
e) immovable property for a loan given by a bank
30. A savings Bank Account opened with a commercial
bank with zero balance or very minimal balnce is known
as
a) Savings bank ordinary account
b) Student savings bank account
c) No-Frill Account
d) Current Account
e) Call Deposit
31. The measure of return on investments in terms of
percentage is called:
a) Hedge
b) Arbitrage
c) Yield
d) Free float market-cap
e) Splits
32. In agriculture, WTO defines all domestic support
measures considered to distort production and trade
(with some exceptions) fall into the _________.
a) S & D Box
b) Amber Box
c) Blue Box
d) Green Box
e) None of these
33. Andhra Bank was founded in the year of ______.
a) 1923
b) 1908
c) 1891
d) 1935
e) 1928
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34. In case of National Electronic Funds Transfer or
NEFT, Clearing Centre shall maintain record of all
payment instructions processed by it for a period of
__________.
a) 10 years
b) 3 years
c) 5 years
d) 8 years
e) 7 years
35. Immediate Payment Service started in ____
a) 2007
b) 2009
c) 2010
d) 2011
e) 2008
36. Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee
Corporation or DICGC insures all bank deposits except:
a) Interbank Deposits
b) Deposits of state/central government
c) Current Account deposits
d) Both 1 and 2
e) All 1, 2 and 3
37. How many core industries are there in Indian
economy?
a) 7
b) 6
c) 5
d) 9
e) 8
38. Financial Action Task Force is an intergovernmental
organization consisting _____ member countries.
a) 36
b) 43
c) 58
d) 47
e) 51
39. Which of the following is an example of Veblen
Goods?
a) Audi A8 Cars
b) Organic Potatoes
c) Salt
d) Bajaj Pulsar Bike
e) Domestic Alcohols
40. National Housing Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary
of ___________.
a) NABARD
b) RBI
c) Government of India
d) SIDBI
e) Both 1 and 3
41. Which one of the following is introduced by banks
to increase financial inclusion?
1) Stimulus package
2) Internet banking
3) Business correspondent
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4) Corporate banking
5) None of the above
42. Which one of the following is a type of banking
application which authorises a bank to block a specific
sum of money in an individual's bank account to be
invested in an Initial Public Offer (IPO)?
1) RTGS
2) ASBA
3) Prefunded cheques
4) SCSBs
5) None of the above
43. The RBI has asked banks to spell out their policy,
procedures and size of the business on which of the
following aspects of banking ?
1) On-shore banking
2) Off-shore banking
3) Investments in secondary market
4) Wealth Management
5) None of the above
44. The main objective(s) of National Housing Bank
is/are
1) to promote and develop specialised housing finance
institutions for mobilisation of resources and extending
finance for housing activities
2) to extend refinance facilities to housing instituitions
and to scheduled banks
3) to provide guarantee and underwriting facilities to
housing finance institutions
4) All of the above
5) None of the above
45. Under what circumstances, can the bank close a
Partnership account?
1) Death of partner
2) Retirement of a partner
3) Insolvency of a partner
4) All of the above
5) None of the above
46. Partners are mutual agents. It applies to sleeping or
secret partners also. The rights of other partners
1) can be restricted and entrusted to one partner
2) cannot be restricted and not be entrusted to one
partner
3) can be enjoyed jointly
4) can be enjoyed severally
5) None of the above
47. Which of the following constitute the code of
conduct for merchant bankers as stipulated by SEBI?
1) Maintenance of high degree of standards of integrity
and fairness in dealings
2) Providing true and adequate information to investors
and abide by the provisions of various acts, rules and
regulations etc
3) Ethical conduct of business and provision of
information to customers in respect of code
4) All of the above
5) None of the above
48. When banks make advances to limited companies
against their assets, the required forms are to be
presented to the Register companies within ________
from the date of execution.
1) 21 days
2) 30 days
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3) 1 month
4) 2 months
5) None of the above
49. Which of the following agencies/organisations has
decided to make major changes for ULIPs?
1) IRDA
2) RBI
3) FRBI
4) AMFI
5) None of the above
50. Power of attorney is a stamped document and
generally executed in the presence of
1) a Notary Public
2) a Magistrate of a Court
3) an Authorised Government official
4) All of the above
5) None of the above
51. Which of the following is the principal institution for
promotion, financing and development of small scale
industries in the country?
(A) RBI
(B) SBI
(C) IDBI
(D) SIDBI
(E) None of these
52. Which of the following lending qualifies as a priority
sector loan?
(A) loan for consumer durables
(B) housing loan
(C) loan for purchase of gold for marriage of daughter
(D) loan for the purchase of a tractor
(E) none of these
53. A bank is under statuary obligations to honour its
customer’s cheques vide
(A) section 3 of the RBI act,1934
(B) section 10 of the banking regulation act,1949
(C) section 31 of the Negotiable Instruments act,1881
(D) all of the above
(E) none of the above
54. The objective of the monetary policy of India is to
(A) Discourage loading of commodities
(B) encourage flow of credit into the neglected sector
(C) control inflation
(D) all of the above
(E) none of these
55. The services provide by merchant bankers include
I. management of mutual funds
II. Dealing with corporate clients and advising them on
various issues
III. Public issues
(A) Both I and II
(B) Both II and III
(C) only I
(D) All I, II and III
(E) none of these
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56. Which of the following aspects are outlined by the
loan policy of a bank?
(A) Financial covenants
(B) Rating standards
(C) Lending procedures
(D) All of these
(E) None of these
57. Systemic investment plans are a customer centric
facility provided by which of the following?
(A) Mutual funds
(B) Post office savings scheme
(C) Commercial banks
(D) Stock Brokers
(E) all of the above
58. The first decimal issues of coins in 1950 in India
consisted of
(A) 1, 2 and 5 paise
(B) 1, 2, 5 and 10 paise
(C) 1, 2, 5, 10 and 25 paise
(D) 1, 2, 5, 10, 25 and 50 paise
(E) None of these
59. The investments done by “those financial entities
which were Launched or incorporated in a foreign
country, but are investing in an Indian venture in India”
are called as
(A) private equity
(B) patent money
(C) foreign institutional investment
(D) current account money
(E) all of the above
60. Stock market Indexes often served as a benchmark
to measure the performance of which of the following
types of portfolio of the investors/promoters?
(A) Equity portfolio
(B) mutual funds
(C) investments in government securities
(D) tax saving instruments
(E) all of the above
61. National Institute of Bank Management is the
Institution meant for
a) recruitment of bank employees at all levels
b) providing management personnel to the banks
c) training of bank employees in banking
d) providing consultancy of best practices in bank
management
e) All those given as options
62. A bond issued at a price less than its face value and
payable on its due date at its face value bearing no ROI
(Rate of interest) is called
a) Preference Bond
b) Zero Coupon Bond
c) Convertible Bond
d) Perpetual Bond
e) Sovereign Bond
63. A cheque bearing the date earlier than the date of
submission to the bank is known as
a) Bearer Cheque
b) Stale Cheque
c) Crossed Cheque
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d) Post-Dated Cheque
e) Ante-Dated Cheque
64.The term “moral suasion” refers to which one of the
following?
a) The moral duty of the borrowers to deal with only one
bank
b) The banker’s duty of secrecy as regards the affairs and
account of his customers.
c) The advice given by the RBI to the banks/financial
institutions in the matter of their lending and others
operations with the objective that they might implement
or follow it.
d) All of the above
e) None of these
65. A Credit Guarantee Trust Fund has been set up for
guaranteeing collateral-free credit facilities by lending
to small-scale industries. This fund is being managed by
which of the following institutions?
a) IDBI
b) NABARD
c) SBI
d) SIDBI
e) RBI
66. Which of the following is NOT a category of NBFCs?
a) Infrastructure Finance Company
b) Loan Company
c) Investment Company
d) Asset Finance Company
e) None of these
67. When a customer draws a cheque on a bank
a) it is a mandate on that bank to pay.
b) it is a mandate on the Government of India to pay.
c) it is a mandate on the State Government to pay.
d) it is a mandate on the RBI to pay.
e) it is a mandate on the Finance Ministry to pay.
68. ‘Nomination’ for a deposit account in the bank
means
a) mandate given by the close relative/s of the depositor
to settle the death claim in case of death of the
depositor.
b) mandate decided by the bank to settle the death claim
of its depositor.
c) mandate of the depositor in favour of one or more
persons to claim the amount on death of the depositor.
d) mandate of the depositor in favour of a close relative
who can claim the amount on death of the depositor.
e) court order instructing the banks to settle the death
claim of its depositor.
69. In which of the following accounts is operation by
cheques permitted?
a) Savings bank accounts and fixed deposit accounts
b) Current accounts and fixed deposit accounts
c) Savings bank accounts and floating loan accounts
d) Savings bank accounts and cash accounts
e) Savings bank accounts and current accounts
70. A mortgage is a security created on
a) movable property for a loan given by a bank.
b) immovable property for a deposit received by a bank.
c) a confirmation of immovable property given by a
bank.
d) movable property for a deposit given by a bank.
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e) immovable property for a loan given by a bank.
71. What is the minimum capital requirement for
setting up a normal commercial bank as per the RBI
guidelines?
(a) Rs 100 cr
(b) Rs 200 cr
(c) Rs 400 cr
(d) Rs 500 cr
(e) None of these
72. Which of the following is the safest from of crossing-
(a) Double crossing
(b) Special crossing
(c) Account payee crossing
(d) General crossing
(e) None of these
73. Which development financial institution integrated
with a bank?
(a) IFCI Ltd.
(b) NHB
(c) ICICI Ltd.
(d) IIFCL
(e) None of these
74. The Merchant banking activity in India is governed
by _____
(a) RBI
(b) SEBI
(c) IRDA
(d) Both 1 and 3
(e) None of these
75. Which of the following is a Non-Banking Financial
Company ?
(a) SBI
(b) Muthoot Finance
(c) ICICI
(d) Peerless Finance
(e) None of these
76. Who is the Major shareholder in NABARD?
(a) Central Government
(b) SBI
(c) RBI
(d) State Cooperative Bank
(e) None of these
77. How does a bank establish the identity of a
customer?
(a) By following KYC Norms
(b) By taking AADHAR card copy
(c) By getting introduction of an existing customer
(d) All of the above
(e) None of these
78. Which of the following is a prerequisites for transfer
of a negotiable instruments?
(a) Acceptance
(b) Crossing
(c) Mere delivery or indorsement and delivery
(d) Blank Indorsement
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(e) None of these
79. Which of the following is true about co-operative
banks?
(a) They have profit as their main motive
(b) They are established under the cooperative societies
act
(c) All are scheduled bank
(d) All of the above
(e) None of these
80. Which Nationalized bank was the first to sponsor a
regional rural bank in India ?
(a) Union Bank of India
(b) Central Bank of India
(c) Syndicate Bank
(d) SBI
(e) None of these
81. Banks are authorized to sell third party products.
Which are these products ______
(a) Term deposits
(b) Mutual funds
(c) Debit cards
(d) Gift cheques
(e) None of these
82. Small savings scheme like national savings
certificates, public provident fund, Monthly Income
scheme are popular among the salaried people. Which
Financial institutions manage these scheme ?
(a) Post Office
(b) Public Sector Banks
(c) Co-operative Banks
(d) Commercial Banks
(e) None of these
83. The interest rate at which the RBI lends to
Commercial Banks in the short term to maintain
liquidity its known as ___?
(a) Repo rate
(b) Interest rate
(c) Bank Rate
(d) Reverse repo rate
(e) None of these
84. Which of the following is not a method of credit
control?
(a) Credit deposit ratio
(b) Bank rate policy
(c) Cash reserve ratio
(d) Open market operations
(e) None of these
85. Banks do not allow their customers to avail which of
the following services under “Mobile Banking”?(If all
allowed, then the Answer with option E)
(a) Loan Application
(b) Payment
(c) Money Transfer
(d) Balance Inquiry
(e) None of the above
86. Which of the following scheme is not meant for
investment purposes?
(a) National saving certificate
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(b) Infrastructure bonds
(c) Mutual funds
(d) Letter of credit
(e) None of these
87. Basel norms which are important regulatory
stipulations are meant for which sector?
(a) Insurance
(b) Banking
(c) Micro finance
(d) Pension funds
(e) None
88. Systematic investment Plans relates to:
(a) Mutual Funds
(b) Life Insurance Companies
(c) Commercial Banks
(d) Post office Savings Schemes
(e) None
89. Euro money is the official currency of?
(a) NATO
(b) UN
(c) European Council
(d) Germany and England
(e) None of these
90. Which of the following is an example of cash less
purchase?
(a) Debit card
(b) Credit card
(c) ATM withdrawal
(d) All of the above
(e) None
91. Banking services delivered to a customer by means
of a computer control system that does not directly
involve banks branch is called?
(a) Universal banking
(b) Virtual banking
(c) Narrow banking
(d) Brick & Mortal banking
(e) None
92. Financial inclusion means provision of?
(a) Financial services namely payments, remittances,
savings, loans and insurance at affordable cost to
persons not yet given the bank
(b) Ration at affordable cost to persons not yet given the
same
(c) House at affordable cost to persons not yet given the
same
(d) Food at affordable cost to persons not yet given the
same
(e) Education at affordable cost to persons not yet given
the same
93. When a bank returns a cheque unpaid, it is called?
(a) Payment of the cheque
(b) Drawing of the cheque
(c) Cancelling of the cheque
(d) Dishonour of the cheque
(e) Taking of the cheque
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94. Largest shareholder (in percentage shareholding) of
a nationalized bank is?
(a) RBI
(b) NABARD
(c) LIC
(d) Govt of India
(e) Both Union and State Government of India
95. Which of the following types of accounts are known
as ‘Demat Accounts’?
(a) Accounts which are Zero Balance
(b) Accounts which are opened to facilitate repayment of
a loan taken from the bank. No other business can be
conducted from there
(c) Accounts in which shares of various companies are
traded in electronic form
(d) Accounts which are operated through internet
banking facility
(e) None of the above
96. NEFT means?
(a) National Electronic Funds Transfer
(b) Negotiated Efficient Fund Transfer system
(c) National Efficient Fund Transfer solution
(d) Non Effective Fund Transfer system
(e) Negotiated Electronic Foreign Transfer system.
97. Distribution of insurance products and insurance
policies by banks as corporate agents is known as?
(a) General insurance
(b) Non-life insurance
(c) Bancassurance
(d) Insurance Banking
(e) Deposit Insurance
98. In respect of partnership business, LLP stands for:
(a) Local Labour Promotion
(b) Low Labour Projects
(c) Limited Loan Partnership
(d) Longer Liability Partnership
(e) Limited Liability Partnership
99. What is a stale cheque?
(a) A cheque issued without drawer’s signature.
(b) A cheque with only signature of the drawer.
(c) A cheque which has completed 3 months from the
date of its issue.
(d) Any one of the above.
(e) None
100. Which of the following is a source of collecting
money from the public for a company for the first time?
(a) Rights issue
(b) Bonus shares
(c) Follow on offering
(d) Initial public offer
(e) Secondary offering
101. The RBI has adopted which of the following model,
in which mobile banking is performed through business
correspondents of banks.
(A) Bank led
(B) Mobile
(C) band mobile
(D) all of these
(E) none of these
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102. Banker- customer relationship is often considered
as a fiduciary one. What is this relation based on?
(A) Agent and principal
(B) faith
(C) contract
(D) commercial
(E) all of the above
Answers of the following questions:
1. a) A borrower will default on any type of debt
2. a) Refusal to close or delay in closing the
accounts
3. d) Banking Codes and Standards Board of India
(BCSBI)
4. b) Closed-End Scheme
5. e) All of them
6. c) Rs 10000
7. a) 50000 rupees
8. b) 20
9. d) All of the above
10. c) The agriculturists are their members
11. b) Section 22
12. a) 1999
13. c) Section 28
14. d) Society
15. c) Demand and Supply Forces
16. a) Reserve Bank of India
17. b) Whole Sale Price Index
18. d) International Monetary Fund
19. b) shall be liable if the loan is taken with his
consent or authority
20. d) Loan for purchase of tractor
21. d) electronic fund transfer from bank to bank
22. b) 2 to 25
23. e) Germany
24. b) ineligible to endorse to person other than
payee
25. it is called return of the cheque unpaid
26. c) Current A/c, Savings Bank A/c and Term
deposit a/c
27. b) Accident insurance cover
28. a) D-Mat Account
29. e) immovable property for a loan given by a
bank
30. c) No-Frill Account
31. c) The measure of return on investments in terms
of percentage is called Yield.
32. b) In agriculture, WTO defines all domestic
support measures considered to distort
production and trade (with some exceptions) fall
into the amber box. Recently the term was in
news when India pushed WTO members to
accelerate work on outstanding Doha Round
issues.
33. a) Andhra Bank was founded in the year of 1923.
34. a) In case of National Electronic Funds Transfer
or NEFT, Clearing Centre shall maintain record of
all payment instructions processed by it for a
period of 10 years.
35. c) Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) is an
instant real-time inter-bank electronic funds
transfer system of India started on 22 November,
2010.
36. d) Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee
Corporation or DICGC insures all bank deposits
except: (i) Deposits of foreign Governments; (ii)
Deposits of Central/State Governments; (iii)
Inter-bank deposits; (iv) Deposits of the State
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Land Development Banks with the State co-
operative banks; (v) Any amount due on account
of and deposit received outside India; (vi) Any
amount which has been specifically exempted by
the corporation with the previous approval of the
RBI.
37. e) There are 8 core industries in India. 1.
Electricity. 2. Coal. 3. Crude Oil. 4. Natural Gas. 5.
Refinery Products (93% of Crude Throughput). 6.
Fertilizers. 7. Steel (Alloy + Non-Alloy) 8. Cement.
38. a) The Financial Action Task Force (on Money
Laundering) (FATF) is an intergovernmental
organization founded in 1989 on the initiative of
the G7 to develop policies to combat money
laundering. The FATF Secretariat is housed at the
headquarters of the OECD in Paris with 36
member countries.
39. a) Definition of Veblen Goods - A good for which
demand increases as the price increases, because
of its exclusive nature and appeal as a status
symbol. For eg. Bajaj Pulsar is not a
luxury/exclusive bike, but Harley Davidson bikes
are an example of exclusive bikes. Diamond
Jewellery is also an example of Veblen Goods.
40. b) National Housing Bank is a wholly owned
subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of India. It is
headquartered at New Delhi.
41. c) Business correspondent
42. b) ASBA
43. d) Wealth Management
44. d) All of the above
45. d) All of the above
46. a) can be restricted and entrusted to one partner
47. d) All of the above
48. b) 30 days
49. a) IRDA
50. d) All of the above
51. d) SIDBI
52. d) loan for the purchase of a tractor
53. c) section 31 of the Negotiable Instruments
act,1881
54. d) all of the above
55. d) All I, II and III
56. d) All of these
57. a) Mutual funds
58. d) 1, 2, 5, 10, 25 and 50 paise
59. c) foreign institutional investment
60. a) Equity portfolio
61. c) training of bank employees in banking
62. b) Zero Coupon Bond
63. e) Ante-Dated Cheque
64. c) The advice given by the RBI to the
banks/financial institutions in the matter of their
lending and others operations with the objective
that they might implement or follow it.
65. d) SIDBI
66. e) None of these
67. a) it is a mandate on that bank to pay.
68. d) mandate of the depositor in favour of a close
relative who can claim the amount on death of
the depositor.
69. e) Savings bank accounts and current accounts
70. e) immovable property for a loan given by a
bank.
71. d) Rs 500 cr
72. c) Account payee crossing
73. c) ICICI Ltd.
74. b) SEBI
75. b) Muthoot Finance
76. a) Central Government
77. d) All of the above
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78. c) Mere delivery or indorsement and delivery
79. b) They are established under the cooperative
societies act
For more visit us at exampundit.in
80. c) Syndicate Bank
81. b) Mutual funds
82. a) Post Office
83. a) Repo rate
84. a) Credit deposit ratio
85. e) None of the above
86. d) Letter of credit
87. b) Banking
88. a) Mutual Funds
89. c) European Council
90. c) ATM withdrawal
91. b) Virtual banking
92. a) Financial services namely payments,
remittances, savings, loans and insurance at
affordable cost to persons not yet given the bank
93. d) Dishonour of the cheque
94. d) Govt of India
95. c) Accounts in which shares of various companies
are traded in electronic form
96. a) National Electronic Funds Transfer
97. c) Bancassurance
98. e) Limited Liability Partnership
99. c) A cheque which has completed 3 months from
the date of its issue.
100. d) Initial public offer
101. d) all of these
102. b) faith
Expected Stock GK Questions
1. Dada Dhuniwale Thermal Power Plant is located in
which state? – Madhya Pradesh
2. Sri Penusila Narasimha Wildlife Sanctuary is located
in which state? – Andhra Pradesh
3. Kanaka Durga Temple is located in which state? –
Andhra Pradesh
4. Captain Roop Singh Stadium is located in which
city/state? – Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh
5. Which of the following is the capital city of Paraguay
– Asuncion
6. Bucharest is the capital city of which country? –
Romania
7. Which of the following is the State Animal of
Arunachal Pradesh? – Hoolock gibbon
8. Narora Atomic Power Station is located in which
state? – Uttar Pradesh
9. Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary is located in which state? –
West Bengal
10. Kempegowda International Airport is located in
which city/state? – Bengaluru, Karnataka
11. Indirasagar Dam is located in which state? –
Madhya Pradesh
12. Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium is located in which
city/state? – Ranchi, Jharkhand
13. Satkosia Tiger Reserve is located in which Indian
state? – Odisha
14. Brihadeeswarar Temple is located in which state? –
Tamil Nadu
15. Lev is the currency of which country? – Bulgaria
16. Camp Nou is located in which country? – Spain
17. Tripoli is the capital city of which country? – Libya
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18. Garadi dance is originated in which state/UT? –
Puducherry
19. What is the currency of South Sudan? – South
Sudanese Pound
20. Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary is located in
which state? – Bihar
21. Omkareshwar Temple is located in which state? –
Madhya Pradesh
22. Maharaja Bir Bikram College Stadium is in which
city/state? – Agartala, Tripura
23. Narora Atomic Power Station is located in which
state? – Uttar Pradesh
24. International Mango Festival is hosted in which
state/country? – Delhi, India
25. What is the official currency of Jordan? – Jordanian
dinar
26. Old Trafford Stadium is located in which country? –
England
27. Bori Wildlife Sanctuary is located in which state? –
Madhya Pradesh
28. Barh Super Thermal Power Station is located in
which state? – Bihar
29. What is the Currency of Paraguay? – Paraguayan
guaraní
30. Which of the following city is the capital of Bolivia? –
Sucre
31. Cooperage Football Stadium is located in which city?
– Mumbai
32. Which of the following city is known as the Tea City
of India? – Dibrugarh
33. Vadodara is located on the banks of which river? –
Vishwamitri River
34. What is the currency of Ghana? – Ghanaian cedi
35. Mejia Thermal Power Station is located in which
state? – West Bengal
36. Balram Das Tandon is the governor of which Indian
state? – Chhattisgarh
37. Mahanadi river flows through which of the following
Indian state(s)? – Odisha and Chhattisgarh
38. Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Thermal Power
Station is located in which state? – Chhattisgarh
39. Headquarter of Oriental Bank of Commerce is
located in which city? – Gurgaon
40. Ulaanbaatar is the capital and largest city of which
country? – Mongolia
41. Akrimota Thermal Power Station is located in which
state? – Gujarat
42. Brihadeeswarar Temple is located in which state? –
Tamil Nadu
43. Patliputra Sports Complex is located in which
state/city? – Bihar, Patna
44. Who is the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh? –
Prema Khandu
45. Dakar is the capital city of _____ . – Senegal
46. Bhawnendra Singh Deo Power Plant is located in
which state? – Chhattisgarh
47. Dachigam National Park is located in which state? –
Jammu & Kashmir
48. Amarkantak Thermal Power Station is located in
which state? – Madhya Pradesh
49. Ranibennur Blackbuck Sanctuary is located in which
state? – Karnataka
50. Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium is located in which
city/state? – Ranchi, Jharkhand
51. K. D. Singh Babu Stadium is located in which
city/state? – Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
52. What is the official currency of Algeria? – Algerian
Dinar
53. Brig B D Mishra is the governor of which Indian
state/UT? – Arunachal Pradesh
54. Who is the chief minister of Uttarakhand? –
Trivendra Singh Rawat
55. Which of the following city is the capital and largest
city of Indian state Sikkim? – Gangtok
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56. Dadaji Kondadev Stadium is located in which city? –
Thane, Maharashtra
57. Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket
Stadium is located in which city/state? – Raipur,
Chhattisgarh
58. Who is the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh? –
Shivraj Singh Chouhan
59. Thousand Pillar Temple is located in which state? –
Telangana
60. Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary is located in which
state? – Bihar
61. Barsapara Cricket Stadium is located in which
city/state? – Guwahati, Assam
62. Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary is located in which state? –
Himachal Pradesh
63. Vadakkunnathan Temple is located in which state? –
Kerala
64. Feroze Gandhi Unchahar Thermal Power Plant is
located in which state? – Uttar Pradesh
65. Who is the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh? –
Virbhadra Singh
66. Pazhaya Sreekanteswaram Temple is located in
which state? – Kerala
67. Which of the following city is the capital of
Colombia? – Bogotá
68. Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary is located in which state?
– Bihar
69. Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium is located in
which city/state? – Nagpur, Maharashtra
70. Barauni Thermal Power Station is located in which
state? – Bihar
71. Ntangki National Park is located in which state? –
Nagaland
72. Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary is located in which
state? – Chhattisgarh
73. Harduaganj Thermal Power Station is located in
which state? – Uttar Pradesh
74. Maharaja Bir Bikram College Stadium is located in
which city/state? – Agartala, Tripura
75. Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple is located in which
state? – Tamil Nadu
76. Dilip Tirkey Stadium is located in which city/state? –
Rourkela, Odisha
77. Ganga Prasad is the governor of which state/UT? –
Meghalaya
78. Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary is located in which
state? – Karnataka
79. Shri Charbhuja Temple is located in which of the
following state? – Rajasthan
80. Zagreb is the capital city of which of the following
country? – Croatia
81. Riga is the capital city of which of the following
country? – Latvia
82. What is the currency of Ecuador? – US Dollar
83. River of Smoke is authored by which of the following
author? – Amitav Ghosh
84. World Aids Day is observed on. –1 December
85. Christ the Redeemer is located in which country? –
Brazil
86. Tilak Maidan Stadium is located in which city/state?
– Vasco da Gama, Goa
87. Who is the chief minister of Nagaland? – T. R.
Zeliang
88. Eagle's Nest Wildlife Sanctuary is located in which
state? – Arunachal Pradesh
89. Quito is the capital city of which country? – Ecuador
90. "Where every individual is committed" is the slogan
of which of the following bank? – Oriental Bank of
Commerce
91. Who is the Union Minister of Chemicals and
Fertilizers? – H N Ananth Kumar
92. Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station is located
in which state? – Maharashtra
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93. Khasbag Wrestling Stadium is located in which
city/state? – Kolhapur, Maharashtra
94. Valmiki National Park is located in which state? –
Bihar
95. What is the currency of Poland? – Polish złoty
96. What is the currency of Ethiopia? – Ethiopian Birr
97. Who is the incumbent chief minister of Tripura? –
Manik Sarkar
98. Talakaveri Wildlife Sanctuary is located in which
state? – Karnataka
99. Koradi Thermal Power Station is located in which
state? – Maharashtra
100. Tau Devi Lal Stadium is located in which city/state?
– Gurgaon, Haryana
101. Satindra Mohan Dev Stadium is located in which
city/state? – Silchar, Assam
102. Thang Ta dance is associated with which Indian
state? – Manipur
103. Samaleswari Temple is located which state? –
Odisha
104. Shree Singaji Thermal Power Project is located in
which state? – Madhya Pradesh
105. Who is the Chief Minister of Karnataka? –
Siddaramaiah
106. Wanakbori Thermal Power Station is located in
which state? – Gujarat
107. Moin–ul–Haq Stadium is located in which
city/state? – Patna, Bihar
108. Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary is located in which state? –
Madhya Pradesh
109. Dhuvaran Thermal Power Station is located in
which state? – Gujarat
110. The Chennakesava Temple is located in which
state? – Karnataka
111. Yerevan is the capital city of which country? –
Armeni
You only fail when you stop trying. Give your best.
All the best for IBPS CLERK MAINS!!
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