Headlines PM Modi inaugurates World Sustainable

Development Summit in New Delhi.

Gopichand launches India’s largest ‘train thetrainers’ programme.

Mumbai to have India’s first artificialintelligence centre.

Madhya Pradesh’s first butterfly park comesup in Raisen.

Headlines

Venezuela, Libya lose UNGA Vote for third time in3 Years

Centre to change base year for GDP, IIP to 2017-18.

NABARD launches Rs 1918 cr area developmentplan for Punjab.

PhonePe partners with IOCL for deployment ofPoS terminals.

Archaeologist Arvind Jamkhedkar to head ICHR.

PM Modi inaugurates World Sustainable Development Summit in New Delhi

On February 16, 2018, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, inaugurated the 2018

edition of the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS 2018) at

Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi

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Highlights of World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS 2018):

This Summit has been organized by The Energyand Resources Institute (TERI).

The three-day Summit will serve as a commonplatform for global leaders and thinkers in thefields of sustainable development, energy andenvironment sectors to come together anddeliberate on contemporary issues.

Theme of World Sustainable Development Summit(WSDS 2018) is ‘Partnerships for a Resilient Planet’.

‘Greenovation Exhibition’, showcasing the latesttechnological advancements to meet SustainableDevelopment Goals is also a part of WSDS 2018.

Over 2000 delegates including policy makers, thinktanks, researchers, diplomats and corporate from41 countries will be participating in this event.

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Quick Facts about The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI):

Established in – 1974

Located in – New Delhi

Current Director General- Ajay Mathur

Gopichand launches India’s largest ‘train the trainers’ programme

On February 15, 2018, former Indian Badminton player Pullela Gopichand initiated India’s largest train the trainers programme by

inducting 1500 Physical Education (PE) teachers from across Gujarat for advanced training.

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Details about ‘train the trainers’ programme initiated by Pullela Gopichand:

This programme has been envisioned by theELMS Sports Foundation.

ELMS Sports Foundation is a not-for-profit initiativepromoted by Vita and Jalaj Dani and mentored by PullelaGopichand and Olympic gold medallist, shooter AbhinavBindra.

Aim of this programme is to develop the skills of PEteachers so that they can impart the right techniques tochildren aspiring to make a career in sports.

Under this programme, Gopichand along with ateam of experts will first select 150 PE teachers(out of 1500 inducted PE teachers) to becomemaster trainers. The selected 150 PE teachers willattend a week-long workshop in which they willbe familiarised with modern sports techniques.Thereafter, these teachers will impart the same tothe other teachers across the state.

It will impact over 45000 children every year.

Mumbai to have India’s first artificial intelligence centre

Maharashtra State government will be setting up India’s first institute for

artificial intelligence (AI) in Mumbai

Details about India’s first artificial intelligence centre:

Plan for this institute of artificial intelligence (AI) willbe unveiled by Maharashtra Chief Minister DevendraFadnavis during the Magnetic Maharashtra Summit,beginning on February 18, 2018.

Setting up the AI institute will not only play a crucialrole in ushering the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ butwill also promote Mumbai as an investmentdestination in innovations and data analysis.

Maharashtra State Government hasalready been experimenting with AI in thehealth sector.

Besides, it has also set up a joint workinggroup for AI cooperation with thegovernment of Canada on February 13,2018.

Madhya Pradesh’s first butterfly park comes up in Raisen

Madhya Pradesh’s first butterfly park, at Gopalpur in Raisen district opened for

public on February 15, 2018.

Information about Madhya Pradesh’s first butterfly park:

The park is spread over three hectares of land.

It houses 65 species of butterflies and nearly137 plant varieties.

Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister GaurishankarShejwar expressed hope that this park will give anew identity to the state in the field of ecotourism.

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Butterfly parks are pollution-free spaces which donot have chemicals/pesticides and play animportant role in conserving and breeding ofbutterfly species.

Quick Facts about Madhya Pradesh:

Capital – Bhopal

Current Governor – Anandiben Patel

Current Chief Minister – Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Important National Park – Bandhavgarh National Park, Kanha National Park

Venezuela, Libya lose UNGA Vote for third time in 3 Years

On February 13, 2018, United Nations (UN) General Assembly spokesman Brenden

Varma stated that Venezuela and Libya have been suspended from voting in the United Nations (UN) General Assembly because of

millions of dollars in unpaid dues.

This is for the third time in three years that Venezuelaand Libya have been suspended from voting in the UNGeneral Assembly.

In order to restore their voting rights, Venezuela andLibya must pay at least $25200296 and $6594842respectively.

Central African Republic, Dominican Republic,Grenada, Surinam, Marshall Islands, Yemen andEquatorial Guinea are the other countries that havelost voting rights for the same reason.

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Quick Facts about United Nations:

Founded in – 1945

Headquarters – New York, US

Current Secretary General – Antonio Guterres

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Centre to change base year for GDP, IIP to 2017-18

Union Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Sadananda Gowda has stated that during 2018-19, his ministry is proposing

to initiate steps to revise the base years of gross domestic product (GDP), Index of

Industrial Production (IIP) and Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Revising Base Years for GDP, IIP and CPI: For the calculation of GDP and IIP numbers base year will be

changed to 2017-18 while for CPI (retail inflation) it will be 2018.

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation hasproposed these changes to accommodate and factor the changesthat take place in Indian economy.

Under Union Budget 2018 -19, Ministry of Statistics andProgramme Implementation (MOSPI) has been allocated Rs 4859crore.

Mr. Gowda added that, from April 2018, his Ministry willundertake various steps to improve the statistical system whichwill help in meeting the data requirements for emerging socio-economic scenario. -- continued

NABARD launches Rs 1918 cr area development plan for Punjab

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has announced that is has prepared area development

plans worth Rs 1918 crore for farmers of Punjab.

Details about NABARD’s area development plan for Punjab:

Announcement in this regard was made by NABARD ChiefGeneral Manager (Punjab), Deepak Kumar at the StateLevel Bankers Committee (SLBC) meeting in Chandigarh.

The plan envisages to promote activities like dairy,vegetable cultivation, mushroom growing and bee keepingto provide income to farmers on sustainable basis.

Mr. Kumar has raised concerns over the shortage ofinvestment credit in Punjab, and has urged banks to focuson the area.

Quick Facts about NABARD:

Established in – 1982

Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

Current Chairman – Dr. Harsh Kumar Bhanwala

PhonePe partners with IOCL for deployment of PoS terminals

Payments platform PhonePe has entered into a partnership with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) to deploy its Point of Sale

(POS) device at IOCL retail outlets.

More information about Phone Pe-IOCL tie-up: Under this partnership, Phone Pe has installed POS

devices at 30 IOCL outlets in Bengaluru on pilot basis. Itwill be rolled out across India in a phased manner during2018.

Phone Pe had launched its Point of Sale (POS) device inOctober 2017. Since then, over 10000 POS units havebeen installed in Bengaluru.

Phone Pe is following a twin strategy of deploying itsown point-of-sales (PoS) payment terminals at smallmerchant locations as well as partnering with majormerchant chains at the national level.

Quick Facts about Phone Pe:Founded in – 2015

Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka

Parent Organisation - Flipkart

Archaeologist Arvind Jamkhedkar to head ICHR

Arvind P. Jamkhedkar has been named the next Chairman of the Indian

Council of Historical Research (ICHR).

Arvind P. Jamkhedkar, next Chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR):

Arvind P. Jamkhedkar is an archaeologist andhistorian. He will succeed Prof. K. Sudershan Rao

Prof. Arvind Jamkhedkar is currently the Chancellor ofDeccan College in Pune. In 1960, he obtained master’sdegree in Sanskrit from the University of Pune. In 1966,he finished doctorate in Ancient Indian Culture fromDeccan College.

He served as vice-president of the Asiatic Society ofMumbai during the 2007 to 2013 period. He also worksas editor of the Journal of Asiatic Society of Mumbai.

About Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR):

Autonomous body of the Ministry of Human Resource Development Based in – Delhi

Regional centers in -Bengaluru and Guwahati

Quiz

1. What is the aim of ‘train the trainer’program which is launched by gopi chand?

a. To develop the skill of sportsperson

b. To develop the skill of PE teachers

c. To promote sports

d. To raise funds for sports

Quiz

1. What is the aim of ‘train the trainer’program which is launched by gopi chand?

a. To develop the skill of sportsperson

b. To develop the skill of PE teachers

c. To promote sports

d. To raise funds for sports

2. What is the Theme of WorldSustainable Development Summit (WSDS2018)?

a. Planning for a Resilient Planet

b. Promotion for a Resilient Planet

c. Partnerships for a Resilient Planet

2. What is the Theme of WorldSustainable Development Summit (WSDS2018)?

a. Planning for a Resilient Planet

b. Promotion for a Resilient Planet

c. Partnerships for a Resilient Planet

3. During which summit Plan for thisinstitute of artificial intelligence (AI) willbe unveiled ?

a. Magnetic Maharashtra Summit

b. Mumbai Summit

c. Mega Maharashtra summit

3. During which summit Plan for thisinstitute of artificial intelligence (AI) willbe unveiled ?

a. Magnetic Maharashtra Summit

b. Mumbai Summit

c. Mega Maharashtra summit

4. Who is the forest minister of Madhyapradesh?

a. Gaurishankar shejwar

b. Anandibhen patel

c. Shivraj singh chauhan

4. Who is the forest minister of Madhyapradesh?

a. Gaurishankar shejwar

b. Anandibhen patel

c. Shivraj singh chauhan

5. Who is the Union Minister of Statisticsand Programme Implementation?

a. Siddaramaiah

b. Sadananda Gowda

c. B. S. Yeddyurappa

5. Who is the Union Minister of Statisticsand Programme Implementation?

a. Siddaramaiah

b. Sadananda Gowda

c. B. S. Yeddyurappa

6. Where is the headquarter of NABARD?

a. Bhubaneswar

b. Mumbai

c. Delhi

6. Where is the headquarter of NABARD?

a. Bhubaneswar

b. Mumbai

c. Delhi

7. What is the full form of ICHR?

a. Indian Council of Historical Research

b. International Council of HistoricalResearch

c. International Committee of HistoricalResearch

7. What is the full form of ICHR?

a. Indian Council of Historical Research

b. International Council of HistoricalResearch

c. International Committee of HistoricalResearch