January 2017 Current Affairs for SBI PO | Banking

Current Affairs 2017

Jan 21

India's biggest aircraft carrier ship INS Vikramaditya first to have ATM onboard

i.The largest warship of the Indian Navy, INS Vikramditya, will be equipped with its own dedicated ATM. It will cater to over two thousand naval personnel deployed on the aircraft carrier.India's largest public sector bank State Bank of India is providing the Navy the services for the ATM which will be on the satellite link. A currency chest will also be provided to keep running the ATM.

Bihar: Govt to launch Nasha Mukt campaign to make state addiction-free

i. Bihar government  launched a Nasha Mukt campaign to make the state addidction-free. Over two crore people are likely to participate in human chains formed across the state on the occasion. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said ‘nasha mukti’ in Bihar will herald a new era in the state as no one will be permitted to use intoxicating substance and tobacco products.

Donald Trump sworn in as 45th US President

i. Mr Donald Trump has taken over as the 45th President of the United States, he took over the reins from Barack Obama 20 January 2017  Mr Trump, 70, took the oath of office in front of about 8 lakh people who braved chilly weather to gather on the National Mall in the center of the capital to celebrate the occasion.He was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice John Roberts. Donald John Trump is an American businessman, television personality, politician, and the 45th President of the United States.

PM Modi addresses Combined Commanders Conference at Dehradun

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the Combined Commanders Conference (CCC) at Dehradun in Uttarakhand . The day-long conference, to be hosted at the Indian Military Academy, will be attended by all Army commanders and their equivalents from the Air Force and the Navy. This will be the first CCC for the three military chiefs since taking over as head of their services last year (2016).

Tamil Nadu: Govt to promulgate ordinance to conduct Jallikattu

i. Tamil Nadu government will be promulgating an ordinance to conduct Jallikattu and Chief Minister O Paneerselvam has appealed to youngsters and all organizations to call off their protest as jallikattu.Prime Minister provide full support of central government in efforts made by Tamil Nadu to conduct jallikattu.

Cooperative banks can't accept deposits under PMGKY: Govt

i. Government has clarified that Co-operative Banks are not authorised to accept deposits under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Deposit Scheme (PMGKDS). The scheme allows assessees to disclose previously unaccounted and undeclared income under its ambit. The PMGKDS permits voluntary declarations of previously undisclosed income with an effective tax rate of 50% and requires assessees to deposit a further 25% of such wealth into a four-year interest-free deposit.The scheme was launched on 17th of last month and will remain open for declarations upto 31st March this year.

Kerala Gramin Bank to propagate financial literacy among school children

i. Aimed at propagating financial literacy among school children, Kerala Gramin Bank has conceived a novel programme called FI@School.

Under the project, every branch of the bank has to identify and enter into a virtual tie up with a school in its locality preferably an upper primary school to organise various programmes such as formation of financial literacy clubs, account opening camps at schools, junior debit card distribution, financial literacy related classes, distribution of financial literacy booklets, competition on financial literacy etc.

Shri Kalraj Mishra Inaugurates Workshop on MSME Cooperation among IORA

i. Union Minister of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Shri Kalraj Mishra inaugurated a Workshop on MSME Cooperation amongst Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Member countries in New Delhi.The Ministry of MSME finalised the MoU on MSME Cooperation with Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) member countries.This finalized MoU will be signed at an appropriate forum soon. The MoU will come into effect after 5 countries signs it.

Over 3.81 lakh Winners of Rs 61 cr in NITI Aayog’s Lucky Draw Scheme

i. According to a statement by NITI Aayog, till date over 3.81 lakh consumers and 21,000 merchants have been declared as the winner of the NITI Aayog’s lucky draw schemes namely Lucky Grahak Yojana (LGY) for consumers and Digi-Dhan Vyapar Yojana (DVY) for merchants.

ii. It also stated that daily as well as weekly prize money worth Rs 60.90 crore has been declared at 24 Digi-Dhan Melas organized across the country. Besides, most of the winners were in the age group of 21-30 years.The top 5 states that had most of the winners are Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka.

Dharamsala declared the second capital of Himachal Pradesh

i. Dharamsala town in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh has been declared as the second capital city of the state by the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.Dharamshala is located about 250 km from the state capital Shimla and has a unique significance and history of its own. It is of special value to the lower areas of the state comprising Kangra, Chamba, Hamirpur and Una districts.

WEF, UCSB partner to protect world's $2.5 trn ocean economy

i. The World Economic Forum and the UCSB's Marine Science Institute have announced a partnership to improve health of world's oceans and maritime resources. The new partnership aims to protect world's USD 2.5 trillion ocean economy.This partnership will harness the potential of public-private cooperation and the fourth industrial revolution to help the international community meet the ocean sustainable development goal

RBI imposes Rs 75 lakh penalty on Bombay Mercantile Cooperative Bank

i. India’s central banking institution, Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 75lakhs on Bombay Mercantile Co-operative Bank for violations of norms related to KYC and anti-money laundering.RBI had issued a notice regarding this to the bank and the bank has submitted its written reply.The Mercantile Bank of Bombay was an Anglo-Indian bank with business focus in the Far East.The Mercantile Bank of Bombay was renamed to Mercantile Bank of India, London, and China  in 1857.Founded in 1853 Headquarters in London

ISKCON’s Govardhan eco village bags UN award

i. ISKCON’s Govardhan eco village in Thane district has been conferred with the UNWTO Award for Innovation in the category of Non-Governmental Organisations(NGO) at he annual United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Awards for Excellence and Innovation in Tourism at Madrid in Spain. Govardhan eco village become the first village in India has recognized by UN in the NGO sector.ISKCON's Govardhan eco village bags UN award.The village received this honour for its initiative of eco tourism as a catalyst for rural development.

 

India's biggest aircraft carrier ship INS Vikramaditya first to have ATM onboard

i.The largest warship of the Indian Navy, INS Vikramditya, will be equipped with its own dedicated ATM. It will cater to over two thousand naval personnel deployed on the aircraft carrier.India's largest public sector bank State Bank of India is providing the Navy the services for the ATM which will be on the satellite link. A currency chest will also be provided to keep running the ATM.

Bihar: Govt to launch Nasha Mukt campaign to make state addiction-free

i. Bihar government  launched a Nasha Mukt campaign to make the state addidction-free. Over two crore people are likely to participate in human chains formed across the state on the occasion. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said ‘nasha mukti’ in Bihar will herald a new era in the state as no one will be permitted to use intoxicating substance and tobacco products.

Donald Trump sworn in as 45th US President

i. Mr Donald Trump has taken over as the 45th President of the United States, he took over the reins from Barack Obama 20 January 2017  Mr Trump, 70, took the oath of office in front of about 8 lakh people who braved chilly weather to gather on the National Mall in the center of the capital to celebrate the occasion.He was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice John Roberts. Donald John Trump is an American businessman, television personality, politician, and the 45th President of the United States.

PM Modi addresses Combined Commanders Conference at Dehradun

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the Combined Commanders Conference (CCC) at Dehradun in Uttarakhand . The day-long conference, to be hosted at the Indian Military Academy, will be attended by all Army commanders and their equivalents from the Air Force and the Navy. This will be the first CCC for the three military chiefs since taking over as head of their services last year (2016).

Tamil Nadu: Govt to promulgate ordinance to conduct Jallikattu

i. Tamil Nadu government will be promulgating an ordinance to conduct Jallikattu and Chief Minister O Paneerselvam has appealed to youngsters and all organizations to call off their protest as jallikattu.Prime Minister provide full support of central government in efforts made by Tamil Nadu to conduct jallikattu.

Cooperative banks can't accept deposits under PMGKY: Govt

i. Government has clarified that Co-operative Banks are not authorised to accept deposits under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Deposit Scheme (PMGKDS). The scheme allows assessees to disclose previously unaccounted and undeclared income under its ambit. The PMGKDS permits voluntary declarations of previously undisclosed income with an effective tax rate of 50% and requires assessees to deposit a further 25% of such wealth into a four-year interest-free deposit.The scheme was launched on 17th of last month and will remain open for declarations upto 31st March this year.

Kerala Gramin Bank to propagate financial literacy among school children

i. Aimed at propagating financial literacy among school children, Kerala Gramin Bank has conceived a novel programme called FI@School.

Under the project, every branch of the bank has to identify and enter into a virtual tie up with a school in its locality preferably an upper primary school to organise various programmes such as formation of financial literacy clubs, account opening camps at schools, junior debit card distribution, financial literacy related classes, distribution of financial literacy booklets, competition on financial literacy etc.

Shri Kalraj Mishra Inaugurates Workshop on MSME Cooperation among IORA

i. Union Minister of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Shri Kalraj Mishra inaugurated a Workshop on MSME Cooperation amongst Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Member countries in New Delhi.The Ministry of MSME finalised the MoU on MSME Cooperation with Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) member countries.This finalized MoU will be signed at an appropriate forum soon. The MoU will come into effect after 5 countries signs it.

Over 3.81 lakh Winners of Rs 61 cr in NITI Aayog’s Lucky Draw Scheme

i. According to a statement by NITI Aayog, till date over 3.81 lakh consumers and 21,000 merchants have been declared as the winner of the NITI Aayog’s lucky draw schemes namely Lucky Grahak Yojana (LGY) for consumers and Digi-Dhan Vyapar Yojana (DVY) for merchants.

ii. It also stated that daily as well as weekly prize money worth Rs 60.90 crore has been declared at 24 Digi-Dhan Melas organized across the country. Besides, most of the winners were in the age group of 21-30 years.The top 5 states that had most of the winners are Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka.

Dharamsala declared the second capital of Himachal Pradesh

i. Dharamsala town in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh has been declared as the second capital city of the state by the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.Dharamshala is located about 250 km from the state capital Shimla and has a unique significance and history of its own. It is of special value to the lower areas of the state comprising Kangra, Chamba, Hamirpur and Una districts.

WEF, UCSB partner to protect world's $2.5 trn ocean economy

i. The World Economic Forum and the UCSB's Marine Science Institute have announced a partnership to improve health of world's oceans and maritime resources. The new partnership aims to protect world's USD 2.5 trillion ocean economy.This partnership will harness the potential of public-private cooperation and the fourth industrial revolution to help the international community meet the ocean sustainable development goal

RBI imposes Rs 75 lakh penalty on Bombay Mercantile Cooperative Bank

i. India’s central banking institution, Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 75lakhs on Bombay Mercantile Co-operative Bank for violations of norms related to KYC and anti-money laundering.RBI had issued a notice regarding this to the bank and the bank has submitted its written reply.The Mercantile Bank of Bombay was an Anglo-Indian bank with business focus in the Far East.The Mercantile Bank of Bombay was renamed to Mercantile Bank of India, London, and China  in 1857.Founded in 1853 Headquarters in London

ISKCON’s Govardhan eco village bags UN award

i. ISKCON’s Govardhan eco village in Thane district has been conferred with the UNWTO Award for Innovation in the category of Non-Governmental Organisations(NGO) at he annual United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Awards for Excellence and Innovation in Tourism at Madrid in Spain. Govardhan eco village become the first village in India has recognized by UN in the NGO sector.ISKCON's Govardhan eco village bags UN award.The village received this honour for its initiative of eco tourism as a catalyst for rural development.

Jan 22

Himachal Pradesh beats Kerala in learning outcomes: ASER

i. The Annual Status Education Report (ASER) 2016 found that Himachal Pradesh is doing well in many regards, on the education front, as compared to the rest of the states. It has the country’s highest reading and mathematics learning levels, shooting past even Kerala, which has an almost spotless track record of maintaining its position as the most literate state.

ii. Himachal Pradesh has the highest rate of children who can read a standard II level of text in the country. This stands at 47 per cent for standard III level of learning, a 70.5 per cent for standard V and an 87.9 per cent for standard VIII.

Gujarat: Over 3.5 lakh people sing national anthem, set new world record

i. More than 3.5 lakh people in Gujarat’s Rajkot district set a new world record by singing the national anthem at an event. The feat took place at the installation of a Khodiyar goddess idol at the newly-built Khodal Dham temple in the town.

ii. “Over 3.5 lakh people sang the anthem together at the idol installation ritual in the presence of observers from Guinness World Records,” said Hansraj Gajera, a member of Khodal Dham temple trust. The previous record stood for 2,54,537 people singing the national anthem in Bangladesh in 2014.

Bihar forms world’s longest human chain of 11,000 kilometres

i. Bihar on 21st January 2017 claimed to have formed the world's longest human chain, covering an estimated distance of 11,292 kilometres, involving over two crore citizens against alcoholism and liquor. 

ii. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar joined hands with Lalu Prasad and other political party leaders to start the 45-minute-long chain. The previous record was the 1,050-km human chain formed in Bangladesh.

PNB launches Contactless Credit Card

i. In another digitalisation initiative, Punjab National Bank (PNB) has launched a Contactless Credit Card. This new credit card, which has been named PNB Wave N Pay --Contactless Card, was launched by Usha Ananthasubramanian, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, PNB in New Delhi on 21st January 2017.

ii. This card could be used by just waving it across the terminal and the transaction will be through. There is no need to enter any PIN for transactions up to Rs. 2,000.

Special Task Force for women safety reconstituted

i. A special task force (STF) for women safety has been reconstituted under the Chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor (L-G)?Anil Baijal with his approval, the Delhi government’s Home Department said in a communication sent to the Delhi High Court .

ii. The L-G will be chairperson of the special task force and including him there will be 17 members in it. The task force will conduct a meeting in every 15 days. The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal is also a member of the STF.

With Russia's help, India to increase train speed to 200 kmph

i. Russian Railways is helping India's national transporter increase the speed of its passenger trains up to 200 km per hour. Russian Railways is at present collaborating with Indian Railways on a 575-km stretch between Nagpur and Secunderabad and submitted a preliminary report last week.

ii. To reach the desired speed limit, Russian Railways has proposed several technical and technological solutions, including reconstruction of railway alignment as well as treating the earth bed where there are speed restrictions.

Apple named most innovative company of 2016

i.Technology giant Apple has emerged as the most innovative company for 2016, according to Boston Consulting Group’s (BCG's) annual list which ranks world’s 50 most innovative firms for the 11th straight year. 

ii. Google was ranked second, followed by electric carmaker Tesla on the list. Further, ride-hailing service Uber and home rental platform Airbnb were among the firms included in the list for the first time.

Saina Nehwal wins Malaysian Masters Grand Prix Gold tournament

i. India's ace shuttler Saina Nehwal has won the Malaysia Masters Grand Prix Gold title at Sarawak in Malaysia. Saina, the top seed in the tournament, defeated Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand in straight games 22-20, 22-20 

 Jan 23

Nation pays homage to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on his 120th birth anniversary

i.Nation pays homage to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on his 120th birth anniversary today (23 january 2017). 

ii.It was on this day in 1897, Netaji was born in Cuttack, Odisha. A number of functions have been organised in different parts of the country to mark the occasion. 

iii.In Delhi, floral Tributes will be paid to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in the Central Hall of Parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid rich tribute to Netaji. In a series of tweets, Mr Modi stated that Netaji's valour played a major role in freeing India from colonialism. 

iv.The Prime Minister said, Netaji was a great intellectual who always thought about the interests and well being of the marginalised sections of society. 

Three-Day Arogya Mitra Conference Begins in Silchar, Assam

i.Assam State Governor Banwarilal Purohit inaugurated the Arogya Mitra conference on 21 January 2017 till 23 January 2017 at Silchar.

ii.The three day conference has been organised by the south Assam zone of the NGO, Keshab Smarak Sanskriti Surabhi at the campus of Veterinary College, Ghungoor.Aim of the Conferenc Make available minimum free medical services to the people of isolated and backward places

iii.Make people conscious of their health.Provide special training to the workers, extend social services.

iv.Arrange health check up camps.Aarogya Mitra Seva Kendra have been set up in 701 places to achieve the objective. The conference would see participation by over 1000 people from Barak Valley and adjoining areas.

No More Visa-Free Facility for Indians in Hong Kong

i.Hong Kong has withdrawn the visa-on arrival facility for Indians travelling to Hong Kong effective from January 23, 2017.

ii.From now, the Indian nationals must apply for and successfully complete pre-arrival registration online before they can visit or transit the HKSAR visa-free.

Kerala CM inaugurates ‘Jyothirmaya’

i.Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan  inaugurated the 4 lakh square feet latest IT building, ii.‘Jyothirmaya’ at the Infopark .Dedicating the 9-storeyed building, constructed over six acres of land  80,000 job opportunities will be created when the buildings constructed during second phase of development at Infopark become fully operational.

iii.‘Jyothirmaya’, constructed as part of the second phase of development at Infopark, will generate 4,000 job opportunities in the field of IT sector.

AP govt announces compensation of Rs 5 lakh for families of those who lost lives in Hirakhand Express accident 

i.Andhra Pradesh government have announced a compensation of 5 lakh rupees for the families of those who lost lives in the Hirakhand Express accident and belonging to the state.

ii. Odisha government has also declared a compensation of similar amount for those belonging to Odisha.

iii.State government has also announced free treatment for the injured, who are undergoing treatment at various hospital.Railways has already announced a compensation of 2 lakh rupees to each family of the deceased.

Kwality Ltd Signs MoU with Bank of Baroda for Rs 4000 Cr Loan to Farmers

i.Mumbai based dairy firm Kwality Ltd has signed an MoU with Bank of Baroda on January 20, 2017 to provide Rs. 4000 crore loans to one lakh farmers out of the established networks from whom the company procures milk.

ii.The MoU aims to provide financial assistance to improve socio-economic lives of farmers and encourage them towards digitisation.

100% FDI under consideration in food processing sector

Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti stated 100% Foreign Direct Investment in food processing sector is being actively considered by the Union Government. Addressing a conclave organized by the ASSOCHAM in Chennai on the sunrise sector.

Ex-BCCI president Anurag Thakur to head Himachal Olympic Association

Ex-BCCI president Anurag Thakur unanimously elected head of the Himachal Pradesh Olympic Association (HPOA) for a four-year term.Anurag Thakur, who had to step down as BCCI President owing to the Supreme Court ruling on Lodha Committee reforms.

CCI Approves Merging MakeMyTrip with ibibo Group

i.The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the proposed merger of online travel firm MakeMyTrip’s Indian travel business with rival Ibibo Group. 

ii.The closing of the transaction is expected to be around January 31, 2017.

TeamIndus proposes nameplate on the Moon for Rs.500

i.A Bengaluru start-up TeamIndus proposes nameplate on the Moon for Rs.500.Indians are being offered the opportunity to leave their name on the moon, for a price

ii.Space start-up TeamIndus will get the names of public ‘donors’ micro-engraved on a small-sized aluminium object, which will be placed on the lunar surface when its lander descends on the moon.

China Commissions its 31st Stealth Warship

i.In a move to rapidly expand its naval fleet, China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy commissioned its 31st stealth warship with the commissioning of the 31st Type—056 class corvette warship, CNS Ezhou, China 

ii.China Commissions its 31st Stealth Warshiphas become the world’s largest fleet of modern corvettes.

2017 World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting Held in Davos, Switzerland

i.The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2017 was held in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.

ii.The theme of 47th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2017 is Responsive and Responsible Leadership.The inaugural had musical concert by violinist Anne- Sophie Mutter.

Ecotourism project set up at Purulia

i.Priya Entertainments Pvt Ltd has set up an ecotourism project at Khairabera, foothills of Baghmundi, in Purulia district of West Bengal.

ii.The adventure camp is located 300 km from the city.Bookings for luxury tents, individual cottages and camping tents can be made through the website, www.ecoadventureresorts.net.

Urdu poet, lyricist Naqsh Lyallpuri dies at 88

i.Renowned Urdu poet Naqsh Lyallpuri died at his residence on the morning according to his family. 

ii.He was aged 88.Born in Llallpur in the part of Punjab now in Pakistan, Lyallpuri came to Mumbai in the late 1940s to make a career in Hindi cinema.

Sunish wins ITF Juniors title

i.Dhruv Sunish finally got the taste of ITF Juniors title when he won the boys singles crown downing Kazakhstan's Dostanbek Tashbulatov at the Dakshin Kalikata Sansad clay courts

ii.The under-18 India number two, who had lost in the finals of the Chandigarh Grade 3 ITF Juniors in the first week of 2017 and 2 ITF Juniors in 2016, played flawless to drub the Kazakh 6-2  6-3

Jan24

National Girl Child Day to be celebrated today (24 January 2017)

i.National Girl Child Day will be celebrated at a special function in New Delhi in view of exemplary achievements by nation's daughters during last year.
ii.They presented commendable performance at the Olympics and Paralympics besides historic induction of the first batch of female fighter pilots into the Indian Air Force (IAF).
iii.Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi and Minister of State Krishna Raj will be addressing the audience.

iv.The occasion shall be marked by release of National Plan of Action for Children 2016.Ten districts under the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' scheme for their exemplary performance will also be felicitated.

Rescheduled Education Loan will not be Considered for Computing NPAs:RBI

i.In a bid to encourage banks to provide loans for education, the Reserve Bank of India RBI has declared that rescheduling the period of payment of education loans due to the inability of the borrower because of unemployment will not be treated as restructured accounts for computing NPAs.
ii.Banks can allow three rounds of extension periods, each not more than 6 months, during the entire lifecycle of the education loan, to be applicable only on unemployment/underemployment borrowers.

T-Hub launches ‘GIS Innovation Hub’ powered by Esri India

i.T-Hub, the start-up engine catalysing innovation, today announced the launch of ‘GIS Innovation Hub’ (GIH) for start-ups. 

ii.The GIH is powered by Esri India, the Geographic Information System (GIS) software and solutions provider.The facility was inaugurated by Jack Dangermond, Co-founder, President and CEO of Esri Inc.

Jharkhand Annual Budget 2017-18

i.The Chief Minister of Jharkhand Raghubar Das presented the state’s annual budget for 2017-18 on January 23, 2017 under the theme of Garib Kalyan Varsh The main focus of the budget is on agriculture, education and skill development, rural development and eliminating poverty.

ii.The Minister has presented a budget worth Rs 75,673.42 crore out of which Rs 57,861.32 crore would be revenue expenditure and Rs 18,812.10 crore would be capital expenditure. The total allocated state budget for 2017-18 is 19.7 percent more than the current year.

Stamp Cover on Sindhu, Sakshi and Dipa Released by Postal Department

i.The Indian postal department released a special stamp cover titled Golden girls of India – Pride of Nation on January 21, 2017 during a district-level philatelic exhibition in Agartala to honor the sporting personalities in the country.

ii.The special covers feature the 2016 Olympic medalist gymnast Dipa Karmakar, shuttler PV Sindu and wrestler Sakshi Malik. They were also awarded the nation’s highest sports award Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2016.

iii. Besides the three, the cover also depicted the image of Dipa’s coach Bishweshwar Nandi who was awarded the 2016 Dronacharya award.

BCSBI to organise ‘know your rights’ programme

i.To educate awareness on banking codes at grass root level, The Banking Codes and Standards Board of India (BCSBI) will organise know your rights programme in all the states.For this, the organisation will adopt a three-fold approach in the awareness programme focussing Tier II cities, metros and other backward areas, Anand Aras, CEO, BCSBI said.

ii. With the opening up of innumerable Jan-Dhan accounts and increased usage of formal and transparent modes of financial transactions, it is now imperative for the lesser privileged section of the society to understand their rights.

Tamil Nadu Assembly Unanimously Passes Jallikattu Bill

i.Tamil Nadu assembly under the chairmanship of Chief Minister O Panneerselvam unanimously passed the Jallikattu Bill on January 23, 2017 to replace the ordinance issued on January 21, 2017 to allow the states traditional sport.

ii.The bill amends the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, making Jallikattu a permanent sport in rural Tamil Nadu.

Uber To Bring Food Delivery App ‘UberEATS’ In India

i.Transportation app Uber will soon launch its on-demand food delivery app ‘UberEATS’ in the Indian market.

ii.UberEATS is currently available in 58 cities globally, including Bangkok, Singapore, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Taipei.The new app will give consumers, restaurant partners, and delivery partners more options across India.

Guided Pinaka rocket successfully test fired

i.The guided Pinaka rocket was successfully test—fired for the second time from launch complex—III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) launch pad at Chandipur.Defence sources said the test was conducted at 12:45 pm and Pinaka rocket mark-II, equipped with navigation, guidance and control kit, was transformed into a “guided Pinaka".

ii.The conversion facilitated range enhancement and improvement in Pinaka’s accuracy.

Kyoto Protocol: Govt gives nod to ratify second commitment period

i.The Centre  gave its nod to ratify the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol that commits countries to contain the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs).

ii.The Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval to ratify the second commitment period of the international treaty, which was adopted by nations in 2012. So far, 65 countries have ratified the second commitment period.

Vodafone to invest Rs 3,000 cr in West Bengal in next 3 years

i.Vodafone India signed an MoU with the West Bengal government to invest Rs 3,000 crore for capacity augmentation and new business initiatives over next three years.

ii.The MoU signed on the sidelines of Bengal Global Business Summit 2017 .To improve Vodafone’s leadership position in the state by offering customers a SuperNet experience through enhanced network.

New Universal Rail Mill Worth Rs. 1200 crore Inaugurated in Bhilai Steel Plant

i.Moving towards the Make in India initiative, the Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh inaugurated the new Universal Rail Mill at Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) of Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) on January 23, 2017 and flagged off the mills first and world’s longest single rail of 130 meters from the new Universal Rail Mill(URM).

ii.URM established at a cost of about Rs 1200 crore. It will take BSP’s total capacity to produce rails at 2.0 million tons per annum (MTPA). This will be the largest rail production capacity in any single location for a plant world over.

Delhi airport wins award for CSR

i.The Delhi International Airport (Private) Limited (DIAL) has won the ‘Golden Peacock Award for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the transportation sector under the Aviation category for the year 2016

.ii.Delhi Airport has also been adjudged the world’s number one airport in ACI ASQ survey in 25- 40 Million Passengers Per Annum (MPPA) category for two consecutive years - 2014 and 2015.

Birender Singh Yadav and Ashok Warrier accredited as the Ambassador of India to the Republic of Burkina Faso & Republic of Congo

i.Shri Birender Singh Yadav, 1997 batch IFS officer, presently High Commissioner of lndia to Ghana, has been concurrently accredited as the Ambassador of lndia to the Republic of Burkina Faso, with residence in Accra.

ii.Shri Ashok Warrier, presently Ambassador of lndia to the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been concurrently accredited as the Ambassador of lndia to the Republic of Congo.

IRDAI okays Swiss Re move to open Mumbai branch

i.Wholesale reinsurance provider Swiss Re has received approval from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) to open a branch in the city.

ii. With the composite branch license, Swiss Re will be able to operate in India and it can offer both non-life and life and health reinsurance solutions directly to clients and brokers in the country.Swiss Reinsurance Company, India Branch, will begin its operation from February 1, 2017.

Utkarsh Micro Finance Launches its Small Finance Bank

i.Varanasi-based Utkarsh Micro Finance started operating its banking business as Utkarsh Small Finance Bank on January 23, 2017 to cater to the needs of the poor mainly in the northern belt. UK’s Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC) has infused Rs. 150 crore in the tier II capital in the company.

ii.This makes Utkarsh the third company to operate as small finance bank after Capital Small Finance Bank and Equitas Small Finance Bank all of which got final approval from RBI to operate banking business on November 28, 2016.

Nepal Launches 10-year-plan to Reduce Depending on India for Vegetable Imports 

i.In a move to decrease dependence on vegetable imports from India, the Nepal Government has launched a 10-year plan to boost domestic production.

ii.The 10-year scheme aims to adopt modern farm techniques to boost vegetable productivity in the country and make the country self-reliant in food.

Turkish Parliament Approves Presidential Rule Paving Way for Referendum

i.The parliament of Turkey approved a constitutional reform on January 21, 2017 to strengthen the powers of the presidency by introducing presidential rule in the country and has led the way for a referendum on the issue by the public.

ii.If the bill will be passed then the President Tayyip Erdogan would serve the office until 2029

Goa First State to Send Postal Ballots Electronically to Service Voters

i.The Chief Election Commissioner(CEC) of India, Syed Nasim Zaidi informed that the state government of Goa has opted for an initiative involving electronic transmission of postal ballot to service voters in the upcoming assembly polls.

 ii.This initiative will make Goa the first state in the country to do so.

Ola appoints former PepsiCo executive Vishal Kaul as COO

i.Transportation app Ola  has appointed former PepsiCo executive Vishal Kaul as its Chief Operating Officer. 

 ii.He succeeds Pranay Jivrajka, who has been appointed as Founding Partner. Kaul most recently served as the General Manager of PepsiCo Foods for Thailand, Myanmar and Laos.

Foreign Secretary Jaishankar gets one-year extension

i.Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, whose tenure was to end on January 28, today got a one-year extension.The nod for the extension of his tenure till January 28, 2018 was given by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.

ii.A 1977-IFS batch officer, Jaishankar was appointed Foreign Secretary on January 29, 2015 just few days before his retirement replacing Sujata Singh, whose term was abruptly curtailed by the government.

Siddhartha Murarka is now ICSI Chairman

i.Siddhartha Murarka has been appointed as the Chairman of the Eastern India Regional Council of The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI). 

ii.His term began from January 19, 2017. Murarka, a fellow member of the ICSI, was the head of risk management and compliance at a member firm of the PwC before starting his own practice.

iii.Murarka is also a “regular faculty”at ICAI and other professional bodies and chambers of commerce like the Merchant Chamber of Commerce and the BCCI

Virat Becomes Fastest Batsman to Score 1000 Runs as ODI Captain

i.Virat Kohli became the fastest batsman in the world to score 1,000 runs as captain in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) on January 22, 2017 in the third ODI against England at the Eden Gardens.

ii.The 28-year-old batsman took 17 innings to reach the landmark, breaking the earlier record set by South Africa’s AB deVilliers which was achieved in 18 innings.

Jan 25

National Voters’ Day being observed Today (25 January 2017)

i.The Election Commission of India will celebrate the 7th National Voters’ Day across the country today (25 January 2017) for enhanced participation of citizens in the electoral process. 

 ii.The National level function will be held in New Delhi. President Pranab Mukherjee will give away awards for best electoral practices to District Collectors, Superintendents of Police and other functionaries involved in election management.

iii.25th January is also the foundation day of the Election Commission, which came into being on this day in 1950. The Commission's objective through National Voters’ Day is to increase enrollment of voters, especially of the newly eligible ones. The Day is also utilized to spread awareness among voters regarding effective participation in the electoral process.

List of Padma awardees 2017

The list of the Padma awards is out,The Padma Vibhushan is the second-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, preceded by Bharat Ratna and followed by Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri (also Padmashree) is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Awarded by the Government of India, it is announced every year on India's Republic Day. This Year both Padma Vibhushan and Padma Shri awards given are as follows:

i.Padma Vibhushan awardees: Sharad Pawar, Murli Manohar Joshi, K.J.Yesudas, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, P.A. Sangma, Sunder Lal Patwah, VishwaMohan Bhat. 

ii.Padma Shri awardees: Basanti Visht, Chemanchari K. Nair, Sadhu Meher, T. K. Murthy, Emrat Khan, L. Birender Kumar Singh, Baoa Devi, Tilak Gitai, Kailash Kher, Mukund Naik, Sukri Bommagowda, Anuradha Podwal, Wareppa Naba Nil, T. K. Vishwanathanan, Kanwal Sibal, G. Venkata Subbaiah, Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri, Birkha Bahadur Limboo Muringla, Eli Ahmed, Bhavna Somaya, Kashinath Pandit,Harkishan Singh, Dr Mukut Minz, Sanjeev Kapoor, Ashok Kumar Bhattacharya, H. R. Shah,Anuradha Koirala, Dr Mapuskar, Karimul Haque, Virat Kohli, Sakshi Malik, Dipa Karmakar, Vikas Gowda, Srijesh, M. Thanghavelu.

Cabinet Approvals- January 24, 2017

i. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the Indian Institute of Management(IIM) Bill, 2017 on January 24, 2017 that aims to declare IIMs as Institutions of National Importance.

ii. Cabinet gave its ex-post facto approval on for interest waiver for the two months of November and December, 2016 for farmers accessing short term crop loans from Cooperative Banks.

iii. As a part of government’s commitment for financial inclusion and social security the Union Cabinet has given its post-facto approval to launch Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana 2017 (VPBY 2017) on January 24, 2017.

iv. Union Cabinet on January 24, 2017 approved a new scheme for promotion of Rural Housing in the country.

v. PM Modi gave approval for the ratification of the Second Commitment Period of the Kyoto Protocol on containing the emission of Green House Gases (GHGs) which was adopted in 2012. Till date, 65 countries have ratified the Second Commitment Period.

vi. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the proposal of India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) on January 24, 2017 for redevelopment of Pragati Maidan by setting up of a world class Integrated Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre (IECC) at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

SC for daily drug dosage regimen for TB patients

i.The Supreme Court  gave the government nine months to replace the thrice-a-week dosage norm of tuberculosis drugs with a daily dosage regimen recently approved by the World Health Organisation to curb relapse and deaths during treatment.

ii.A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar directed the government to ensure that efforts are made so that the patients across the country are administered the new dosage regimen.

Assam launches ‘Chief Minister’s Award’ to reward districts adopting digital payments

i.In a bid to promote digital transaction in Assam, the Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal on January 22, 2017 announced the launch of ‘Chief Minister’s Award’ while inaugurating the Digi Dhan Mela in the state.

ii.The Chief Minister’s Award would be given to the best performing district of the state that adopts digital payment methods and also educate larger section of the society about the cashless transaction.The winning district’s Deputy Commissioner would be presented a prize of Rs 50,000 at the end of financial year 2016-2017 after March 31, 2017.

India and UAE sign 14 agreements after delegation level talks between PM Modi & visiting Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi

i.India and the UAE inked 14 agreements in various areas including in defence, maritime transport, comprehensive strategic partnership, shipping, agriculture and allied sector, trade, oil storage and management, energy efficiency, road transport and highways and prevention and combating human trafficking. 

ii.The agreements were signed after delegation level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. 

UN appoints Director of UNIC in New Delhi

i.Derk Segaar has been appointed Director of the New Delhi based United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) covering India and the Kingdom of Bhutan by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

ii.Earlier he was the Head of Communications of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in New York. 

Rubber Soil Information System (RubSIS) launched by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry for Rubber Growers

i.The Minister of Commerce & Industry, Smt Nirmala Sitharaman launched Rubber Soil Information System (RubSIS) in New Delhi to provide the detail  RubSISabout the soil quality to the rubber growers to enhance productivity besides reducing the cost of production.

ii. RubSIS is an online platform developed to recommend application of appropriate mix of fertilizers to the specific plantations of rubber growers depending upon their soil nature.

PVR Launches Theater on Demand Service VKAAO

i.The Multiplex chain operator PVR has launched a theatre on demand service ‘VKAAO’ on January 20, 2017.

ii.Vkaao is an online platform that will enable consumers to watch any movie of their  PVRchoice at a theatre of their choice. It would empower the viewers to choose what they want to watch, when and where.

India UK Join Hands to Launch Project to Tackle Delhi Air Pollution Risks

India has partnered with the British experts over a project that aims to study the air pollution level in Delhi and health problems associated it.The project ‘ASAP-Delhi: An Integrated Study of Air Pollutant Sources in the Delhi National Capital Region’ would be led by University of Birmingham and would also involve experts from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, the Indian National Physical Laboratory and the University of Surrey.

Nikki Haley confirmed as new US envoy to UN

i.In United States, the Senate has confirmed Nikki Haley as the next Ambassador to the United Nations, making her the first Indian-American to serve on a Cabinet rank position in any presidential administration. 

ii.Forty-five-year old Haley was approved by the Senate on a 96-4 vote. Senate Foreign Relations Committee earlier overwhelmingly approved the nomination of the South Carolina Governor as the next US Ambassador to the United Nations.

Trump signs executive orders to advance Keystone XL, Dakota Access pipelines

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to advance controversial Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines. His latest actions to overturn the policies of former President Barack Obama, the nation's chief executive he replaced recently.

BookMyShow acquires MastiTickets

i.BookMyShow has acquired MastiTickets, an online ticket booking firm, for an undisclosed amount.The two-year-old Hyderabad start-up has presence in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The Hyderabad firm has eight employees, while BookMyShow has over 1,000 employees.

ii.The acquisition gives 120 cinemas in the two States. The acquisition of MastiTickets fit perfectly into its expansion strategy,” Ashish Hemrajani, Chief Executive Officer Officer and Co-Founder, BookMyShow, stated.

Venezuela awards peace prize to Russia Prez Vladimir Putin

i.Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has awarded the first ever Hugo Chavez Prize for Peace and Sovereignty to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

ii.The award, that honours Venezuela's former President Hugo Chavez, recognised "Putin as a great leader of peace". Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had earlier called Putin a fighter for peace.

Revv to launch services in Mumbai, Chennai, Jaipur

i.Revv, the Delhi NCR-based shared mobility platform, is launching its car sharing services in three new cities Mumbai, Chennai and Jaipur taking its national footprint to seven cities.

ii.Revv is already available in Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chandigarh. It now plans to expand its footprint to 20-25 cities by the end of 2017.

China Develops World’s Biggest Solar Park

i. In an effort to become the super powerful occupier of green energy, China has built the world’s biggest solar park, Longyangxia Dam Solar Park, in the western province of Qinghai. 

ii.The park spans over 27 square km of area and can produce 850 MW of power which is enough to supply up to 200,000 households. The construction of the solar park began in 2013 and total costs around $875 million (around Rs. 6,000 crore).

Matthew Hayden inducted into Australian Cricket Hall of Fame

i.Former Australian cricketers Matthew Hayden and David Boon have been inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame. 

ii.Betty Wilson, an icon of women's cricket, who was known as the 'female Bradman' during her career in the 1940s and 1950s, was also added to the Hall of Fame. The trio will be formally inducted on the Allan Border Medal night.

Retired Watson bags Australia's T20I player of the Year award

i.Retired all-rounder Shane Watson has been adjudged Cricket Australia's T20 International Player of the Year.

ii.Watson was the 2nd highest run-getter during the voting period from January 8, 2016 to January 7, 2017. He had announced his retirement from international cricket in March last year.

Kremlin to host 2018 FIFA World Cup finals

i.The draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals hosted by Russia will take place in the Kremlin the country’s Football Union (RFU) chief Vitaly Mutko stated. 

ii.Mutko, Russia’s deputy prime minister, stated FIFA had approved the plan, which world football’s ruling body later confirmed.The World Cup finals draw ceremony will take place.

Virender Sehwag Named Kings XI Punjab Brand Ambassador

i.Kings XI Punjab have appointed Virender Sehwag as their head of cricket operations and strategy, and brand ambassador too for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

ii.Virender Sehwag is a former Indian cricketer, and a former captain of India. Often considered as one of the most destructive batsman of the game.

 Jan 26

Nation celebrates its 68th Republic Day 

i. India celebrates its 68th Republic Day today (26th January 2017). On January 26, 1950, the Constitution of India came into force, and Republic Day is celebrated to honour that day. On this day in 1950, the first President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad took the oath. President Pranab Mukherjee has started the ceremony by hoisting the Indian flag, following which the Republic Day Parade from Rajpath. The parade starts from Rajpath and ends at Red Fort in Delhi. Every year on Republic Day, India invites a visiting head of state, who is the state guest of honour (chief guest) for the ceremony. This year's guest of honour is the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. 

ii. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who personally received the Prince at the airport, stated that United Arab Emirates (UAE) is India's valued partner and close ties between the two countries are important for the entire region. Though Republic Day is celebrated on January 26 with the Parade on Rajpath, the celebrations are spread over three days and end with the Beating Retreat ceremony on January 29.

Madhya Pradesh CM announces total ban on polythene bags

i. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced a total ban on polythene carry bags from May 1, 2017 across the state. "Use of polythene carry bags and their littering was affecting environment and cleanliness. 

ii. Besides, cows were dying eating such bags," he stated. "Three months are being given to polythene manufacturers before the ban," Chouhan added.

DU becomes first public varsity with 'monumental' flag

i. Nearly one year after all Central University vice-chancellors decided to install the national flag on their campuses, Delhi University's Hansraj College on 25th January 2017 has hoisted its first monumental flag. 

ii. DU is the first public university in the country to get a monumental flagpole, according to the Flag Foundation of India. The 100-feet high flag was hoisted by former MP Naveen Jindal.

MakeMyTrip launches India's 1st social luxury travel magazine

i. India's largest online travel portal MakeMyTrip has launched the first ever social luxury travel magazine called 'Luxury Travel Times'. The mobile-only magazine is targeted at luxury travellers and is released through innovative ad platforms like Facebook Canvas & Instagram-Stories. 

ii. 'Spa-cation', 'Heaven on Earth' & 'Heritage' were first few themes of the magazine presenting exotic choices to explore fine living.

US President Trump orders 2,000-mile wall to be built on Mexico border

i. President Donald Trump has signed directives to build a wall along the US border with Mexico and crack down on US cities that shield illegal immigrants, proceeding quickly on sweeping and divisive plans to kerb immigration and boost national security. The Republican President is also expected to take steps in the coming days to limit legal immigration, including executive orders restricting refugees and blocking the issuing of visas to people from several Muslim-majority Middle Eastern and North African countries including Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Iraq, Iran, Libya and Yemen.

ii. Trump signed two executive orders at the Department of Homeland Security, one ordering construction of a wall along the roughly 2,000-mile (3,200kilometre) US-Mexico border and the other moving to strip federal grant money from “sanctuary” states and cities, often governed by Democrats, that harbour illegal immigrants.

Burj Khalifa lights up in 'Tricolour' to mark 68th Indian Republic Day

i. Burj Khalifa tower, the world's tallest building located in Dubai, has lit up in the colours of the Indian National flag on 25th January 2017 and 26th January 2017 to celebrate India's 68th Republic Day.

ii. The LED shows were to be held on both days along with complimenting Dubai Fountain shows. In addition to the shows, the Indian Consulate in Dubai has a flag-hoisting ceremony at the consulate premises by Consul General Anurag Bhushan, followed by flag-hoisting at the Indian High School grounds in Oud Metha, Dubai.

Gujarat government pardons 439 prisoners on Republic Day eve

i. Gujarat government has ordered released of 439 prisoners on humanitarian grounds on the eve of 68th Republic Day. Over half of these prisoners were serving the life sentence in different jails in Gujarat. The decision to pardon the remaining sentences of these 439 prisoners was taken by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

ii. This is for the first time that such a large number of prisoners have been pardoned by the state. The prisoners convicted for rape, multiple murders, robbery and under tough laws like POTA, TADA or under National Security Act, were not given state pardon.

US Emmy award-winning actress Mary Tyler Moore has passed away

i. Emmy award-winning US actress Mary Tyler Moore has passed away at the age of 80. She was best known for her television roles in the 1960s sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show and the eponymous The Mary Tyler Moore Show in the 1970s. 

ii. She was also nominated for the best actress Oscar in 1980 for the film Ordinary People. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Moore moved to Los Angeles when she was eight years old and started her career in show business as a dancer aged 17.

Jan 27

68th Republic Day: Ashok Chakra to Havildar Hangpan Dada for sacrificing his life for nation

i.Havildar Hangpan Dada, who killed four terrorists before laying down his life in Kupwara on May 26 last year, has been awarded Ashok Chakra, the highest peace time gallantry award.

ii. His wife Changsen received the award from the President Pranab Mukherjee during the 68th Republic Day Parade in New Delhi.Havildar Hangpan Dada of Assam Regiment killed four intruding terrorists at the height of 13,000 feet in the harsh and icy Himalayan range of North Kashmir.

India ranks sixth on eight great powers in 2017: American foreign policy magazine

i.India is ranked at the sixth spot, behind China and Japan, in a list of eight great powers for the year 2017 by a leading American foreign policy magazine which is topped by the US.

 ii.The list is topped by the US, whereas China and Japan are at tie for being on the second spot. Russia (fourth) and Germany (fifth) are the other two countries ahead of India. Iran is ranked seventh and Israel is on the eighth spot. 

Jeevan Raksha Padak Awards 2016 announced

i.The President of India has approved the conferment of Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards 2016 on 36 persons which includes Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak to 05 persons, Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak to 08 persons and Jeevan Raksha Padk to 23 persons, 07 awards are posthumous.Jeevan Raksha Padak series of awards are given to a person for meritorious act of humane nature in saving the life of a person. 

ii.The award is given in three categories, namely, Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak and Jeevan Raksha Padak. Persons of either sex in all walks of life are eligible for these awards. The award can also be conferred posthumously.

Telangana ranks 2nd in Walnut’s cashless score card

i.Telangana ranked second in the `Cashless India Scorecard’ prepared by Walnut app to track the growth of digital payments in the country.The scorecard is meant for comparing how each state is moving towards a cashless economy post- demonetisation based on an aggregate and anonymised analysis of Walnut’s over five million user data.

ii.It ranked States based on percentage increase in overall cashless transactions, growth in shoppers using debit or credit card for the first time and growth in merchants accepting digital payments.Based on these parameters, Gujarat, Telangana and Haryana emerged as the top three states with the highest growth in going cashless.

Kerala CM Inaugurates e-Health Kerala scheme at Peroorkada Hospital

i.The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan launched the IT Project, e-Health Kerala which is named Jeevan Rekha , at Peroorkada Model Government Hospital

ii.The project has been developed by the Health Department in association with the state IT Mission. It aims to create a centralized database that will have the complete healthcare records of all the citizens in the state through the digitization of government hospitals.

Mysuru gets India’s 1st post office passport kendra

 i.The Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Ananth Kumar inaugurated India’s first Post  Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSK) at Metagalli post office in Mysuru.

 ii.The second POPSK simultaneously opened in Gujarat. The POPSK has been launched to expand the passport services over a wide area and simplify the process to travel abroad.

Arunachal launches ‘Dulari Kanya’ scheme to check infant mortality

i.Arunachal Pradesh launched ‘Dulari Kanya’, a special scheme to check infant mortality in the state.

ii.Governor V Shanmuganathan launched the scheme, under which the government will deposit Rs 20,000 in the bank account of a girl child, born in any government hospital.It would be paid along with the accrued interest after she attains 18 years of her age.

RBI Prohibits FDI in Non-Cooperative Countries

i.The Reserve Bank of India has prohibited the Indian entities on January 25, 2017 from making direct overseas investments in any entity that is located in ‘non co-operative countries and territories’, as identified by the inter-governmental body Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

ii.The move aims to bring down the global terror financing and thus prevent, detect and prohibit money laundering

Karnataka Bank inks pact with Tirth Agro Technology

i.Karnataka Bank Ltd has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Rajkot-based Tirth Agro Technology Pvt Ltd (manufacturer of agricultural equipment and implements) for financing agricultural mechanisation.

ii.Quoting P Jayarama Bhat, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the bank stated that the MoU aims to work together to promote agricultural mechanisation by utilising the experience the bank has in agricultural finance through its vast network of branches and the expertise of the company in the field of manufacturing of agricultural equipment and implements.

Meghalaya Governor resigns after allegations of sexual misconduct

i.Meghalaya Governor V Shanmuganathan has resigned after a controversy was triggered by reports in local media, which accused him of sexual misconduct. 67-year-old Shanmuganathan tendered his resignation from the post.

ii.V Shanmuganathan was the Governor of the Indian state of Meghalaya, in office from 2015 to 26 January 2017. He also held an additional charge as Governor of Arunachal Pradesh since September 2016 till his resignation on 26 January 2017.

Sena medal for 3 soldiers who gunned down Burhan Wani

i.3 personnel from the Rashtriya Rifles unit of the Indian Army have been awarded the Sena Medal for killing Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani

ii. Major Sandeep Kumar, Captain Manik Sharma and Naik Arvind Singh Chauhan led the operation on July 8, 2016.

Delhi Dynamos appoint Ashish Shah as new CEO

i.Indian Super League side Delhi Dynamos announced that they have appointed Ashish Shah as their new CEO.  

ii.His appointment effective as of January 23, 2017. Shah was the heading Chennaiyin FC when the team won the ISL title in 2015.

National Geoscience Award for Keshav Krishna

i.A Keshav Krishna, a scientist at the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) has been selected for the National Geoscience Award for 2016.The award given by the Union Ministry of Mines is in recognition of his work in the field of geo-environmental studies.

ii.Krishna is presently involved in studies on environmental risk assessment related heavy metal contamination in soil, sediments and water in industrial areas, abandoned mine sites and their interactions with the environmental pollutants.

IIM-A's annual cultural festival Chaos kicks off

 i.The annual cultural extravaganza of the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A), Chaos-2017, kicked off , with the theme of wanderlust.

ii.The focus of the theme is to let the attendees unleash their wanderlust, explore the extravaganza and take back memories to last a lifetime. The event will continue till January 29, 2017.

Trump appoints Indian-American attorney to key White House post 

i.US President Donald Trump has appointed prominent Indian-American attorney Uttam Dhillon to a key White House position.Dhillon, who served as chief oversight counsel for the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee.

ii.He has been appointed as special assistant to the President on ethics and compliance matters.

Pharmaceutical Firm Johnson & Johnson to Buy Actelion for $30 Billion

i.The U.S. healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson buys Switzerland based bio-pharmaceutical firm, Actelion, for $30billion (27.9 billion euros).

ii.Johnson & Johnson will acquire all the outstanding shares of Actelion for $280 per share with the tender offer to start by mid-February.

Russian envoy Alexander Kadakin passes away

i.Russian Ambassador Alexander Kadakin, a fluent Hindi-speaking career diplomat considered a great friend of India, passed away at a hospital here after a brief illness.

ii. He was 67.Kadakin, who was serving as the Ambassador here since 2009, was credited with playing a significant role in promotion of relations between India and Russia.

Sumo wrestler becomes first Japanese athlete to receive highest honour in 19 years

i.Japan based sumo wrestler Kisenosato was promoted to the highest rank of the wresting, Yokozuna on January 25, 2017 after winning his first title at the New Year Grand Sumo  Japan WrestlerTournament with a 14-1 record.

ii.The 30-year-old Kisenosato, whose real name is Yutaka Hagiwara is the first Japanese born and bred wrestler to earn the coveted rank of “grand champion since 1998.

Usain Bolt Loses an Olympic Medal due to Positive Doping of Team-Mate Nesta Carter

Jamaican sprinter, Usain Bolt will have to hand back one of his nine Olympic gold medals won in the 4x100m relay event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics due to his Jamaican team-mate Nesta Carter who was tested positive for a banned substance.

Jan 28

GAAR will be effective April 1, 2017, onwards: CBDT

i.The Union Finance Ministry has announced that the General Anti Avoidance Rule (GAAR) will be effective from the 1 April, 2017. In this regard Income Tax (IT) department has issued a slew of clarifications on implementation of GAAR, seeking to address concerns of foreign investors over implementation of the anti-evasion measure.

ii. GAAR seeks to prevent companies from routing transactions through other countries to avoid taxes. The rules are framed mainly to minimize and check avoidance of tax. India will be the 17th nation in the world to have laws that aim to close tax loopholes.  At present, GAAR is in force in nations like Australia, Singapore, China and the UK.

India ranked 79th in the Corruption Perception Index 2016

i.India has been ranked at 79th spot out of 176 countries in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for the year 2016 released  by the Berlin-based corruption watchdog Transparency International (TI).

ii.New Zealand and Denmark jointly shared the first position as the least corrupt nations while Somalia was rated as the most corrupt country in the list.

PSU oil companies, Andhra Pradesh govt ink pacts

i.The public sector oil companies such as the HPCL, ONGC and the GAIL have signed MoUs for investing ₹1.65 lakh crore in Andhra Pradesh on several projects, many of them in the Krishna-Godavari basin, according to Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan.

ii.A partnership summit organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Andhra Pradesh government.

Telangana signs MoU for aero skill academy

i.The Telangana government has signed a memorandum of agreement with French firm Aerocampus Aquitaine, known for aircraft maintenance skill training, to create a world-class aero skill academy.

ii.The project deliverables include identifying skill gaps, designing courses and enabling European Aviation Safety Agency and Directorate General of Civil Aviation certifications for the academy and its courses.

Andhra Pradesh Launches Rs 100 cr fund of funds for Fintech Startups

i.The Andhra Pradesh under Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has announced Rs 100-crore fund of funds on January 25, 2017 to invest in Fintech startups.

ii.Fintech is being seen as a promising space to generate job, thus the state has initiated an industry-academia-government partnership to tap and refine skilled talent available at cheaper costs to develop Visakhapatnam into a global fintech hub.

119 banks connected with Aadhaar-enabled payment system: Minister

i.The government stated that 119 banks are connected with the Aadhaar-enabled payment system and 33.87 crore transactions have taken place through Aadhaar-enabled payment systems.There are 111 crore Aadhaar enrolments done so far out of the total population of 125 crore in India.

 ii.Aadhaar is becoming a powerful instrument to bridge the digital divide,Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Information Technology stated.He said ₹36,000 crore has been saved in the last two years due to the linking of Aadhaar with the public distribution system including household LPG supply and MGNREGA.

SBI Launches Wealth Management Product SBI Exclusif in Kochi

i.The State Bank of India has launched a new wealth management product named 'SBI Exclusif' in Kochi, Kerala. Later it will be rolled out in other cities of the state during the course of the year.

ii.The product was launched by Chief General Manager, SBI, Kerala Circle, S Venkataraman.SBI Exclusif is targeted at fast growing affluent and high net worth customer segments of the bank.

ISRO successfully ground-tests Cryogenic Upper Stage engine meant for rocket GSLV-Mark-III

i.Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully ground tested the Cryogenic Upper Stage engine meant for the rocket GSLV-Mark-III. 

ii.In a release, the space agency stated the indegenously developed engine, designated as C25, tested for a duration of 50 seconds in its Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri in southern Tamil Nadu, demonstrating all the stage operations.

G.N. Rao to be inducted into Ophthalmology Hall of Fame

i.Gullapalli N. Rao, a noted Indian eye doctor, has been selected to the 2017 Ophthalmology Hall of Fame instituted by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.The founder and chair of the LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Rao will be honoured at the induction ceremony in Los Angeles on May 6,2017 at the annual meeting of the ASCRS.

ii.The Hall of Fame honours pioneers in ophthalmology for their distinguished careers and contributions, with the physicians selected by their peers – more than 30,000 ophthalmologists across the world. 

Students’ start-up launches food pre-ordering app

i.Fed up with waiting endlessly after ordering food in a canteen Some students of National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK) at Surathkal in Mangaluru taluk have found a solution for it with an app to pre-order food in canteens within their campus.

ii.Their start-up, WayFoo.com, offers a mobile app that helps students to pre-order food in three of the canteens on the NITK campus, saving them time.Gautamdev Chowdary, CEO and co-founder of WayFoo.com stated that users can order food from classrooms or hostel rooms. By the time they reach the canteen, the food will be ready.

Indian Hotels appoints Chandrasekaran non-executive Additional Director

i.Tata group hospitality firm Indian Hotels Co today announced the appointment of Tata Sons Chairman-designate N Chandrasekaran as non-executive Additional Director.

ii.TCS chief Chandrasekaran was named the new Chairman of Tata Sons, capping two months of a most bitter boardroom battle that followed the unceremonious sacking of Cyrus Mistry and a lot of blood letting ever since.

Indian Navy’s Theatre Level Exercise, TROPEX 17 Begins

i.The Theatre Readiness Operational Exercise (TROPEX), an annual Indian Navy  exercise kicked started off the Western Seaboard. 

ii.The last edition of the exercise was conducted in January 2015.TROPEX 17 exercise is aimed at testing combat readiness of the combined fleets of the Indian Navy, and the assets of the Indian Air Force, Indian Army and the Indian Coast Guard.

Surya Namaskar Yajna Recognised in US Congress

i.The annual “Surya Namaskar Yajna” or “Health for Humanity Yogathon” has been recognized in the US House of Representative on the occasion of its 10th anniversary.

ii.Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh has organized the “Yoga for Health, Health for Humanity Yogathon” from January 14 to January 29, 2017 to mark Makar Sankranti.The 16-day event will raise awareness about yoga and its advantages in achieving a healthy body, mind, and spirit.

Sri Venkateswara College wins Great Britain debate in Delhi

i.The Delhi edition of the Great Britain Debate organised by the British High Commission and hosted by the Lady Sri Ram College was won by Anmol Sharma and Sidaq Batra of Sri Venkateswara College.

 ii.The runners up were Pratyaksha Jha and Aritro Bose of Ashoka University.

President appoints Banwarilal Purohit as Governor of Meghalaya

i.President Pranab Mukherjee has given Governor of Assam Banwarilal Purohit additional charge of Meghalaya.  Besides, President also gave Governor of Nagaland PB Acharya additional charge of Arunachal Pradesh.

ii.These appointments come after President accepted the resignation of V. Shanmuganathan, as Governor of Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.

Dr Vijay Bhatkar appointed new vice-chancellor of Nalanda University

i.President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed Dr Vijay Bhatkar, architect of India’s first supercomputer the Param series, as the chancellor of Nalanda University.

ii.He will have term of three years from the date of his appointment as provided under Section 11(3) of the Nalanda University Act. He shall succeed George Yeo, former Foreign Minister of Singapore, who resigned after the Board of the University was reconstituted.

Scientists creates world’s first stable semi-synthetic organism

i.Researchers from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), US have created world’s first stable semi-synthetic organism, a single-celled bacterium with an expanded genetic code ii.The semi-synthetic organism is the modified E.coli bacteria created by introducing DNA molecules that are not found in nature in a common bacterium.

DragonBall Z Fans Can Rejoice As Tokyo 2020 Unveils Son Goku As Olympics Ambassador

i.In order to woo the young audiences at the 2020 Olympics, the organisers of the Tokyo Games have unveiled Japan's cult anime character Son Goku as its ambassador.

ii.The Japanese character will feature on all the official Olympics 2020 merchandise. Apart from the Dragonball Z character, other cartoon stars that will be massively visible throughout the sporting extravaganza will be Mario, 

Naruto and Sailor Moon. 

Sports Ministry reconstitutes committee to identify athletes under TOP Scheme

i.The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has reconstituted TOP committee with objective of identifying and supporting potential medal prospects for 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games under Target Olympic Podium (TOP) scheme.

ii.The committee will be headed by Abhinav Bindra, Olympic Gold Medalist.

Jan 29

IndiaPost becomes 3rd entity to receive licence to start payment bank operations 

i. IndiaPost has become the third entity to receive a final license last week from the Central Bank to start its payment bank operations. Country’s largest telecom service provider Bharti Airtel and digital payments firm Paytm are the other two to have received the license while only Airtel has started operations so far. 

ii. The government has also appointed AP Singh has interim MD and CEO of the India Post Payment Bank. A 1986 Indian Postal Service Officer he was earlier Joint Secretary in the department of disinvestment, the ministry of Finance and Deputy Director General in charge of financial inclusion and payments systems at Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). Singh was one part of the founding team that launched Aadhaar and was stationed at the department of Post prior to UIDAI. 

National Immunization Day: 29th January 2017

i. Today (29th January 2017) is National Immunization Day. President Pranab Mukherjee has launched the countrywide programme for 2017 by administering polio drops to children aged below five years at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan. The programme will cover around 17 crore children aged under five years in an effort to maintain the country's polio-free status. 

Denmark to appoint world’s first ‘digital ambassador’

i. Denmark has announced it will appoint a 'digital ambassador' to manage its relationship with technology giants like Google and Apple, becoming the first country to do so. "Such companies have become a type of new nations and we need to confront that," said Denmark's Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen. The companies' market values are large enough to enter G20, he added.

Alibaba’s financial arm acquires MoneyGram

i. Ant Financial, e-commerce giant Alibaba’s financial arm, has reached an agreement to acquire American money-transfer major MoneyGram for $880 million, in a deal that will expand the firm’s business in the US after India and Thailand.

ii. The transaction will connect MoneyGram’s money transfer network of 2.4 billion bank and mobile accounts and 350,000 physical locations with Ant Financial’s users. 

2017 Australian Open: Roger Federer wins men's title

i. For the first time since 2010, Roger Federer has won the Australian Open, beating long-time rival Rafael Nadal in the finals in Melbourne, Australia on 29th January 2017. Federer won a closely contested five-set showdown, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.

ii. For Federer, it’s his fifth Australian Open title and his 18th Grand Slam singles title in total. At 35 years old, it’s the first Grand Slam title for him since he won Wimbledon in 2012, and getting the win over a rival like Nadal is huge.

Australian Open: Serena beats sister Venus for record 23rd slam title

i. In Australian Open tennis, Serena Williams beat her sister Venus Williams in the final today to win her 23rd Grand Slam singles title. The dominant American swept past her rival 6-4, 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena to finally clinch the record for Open-era major titles, nearly 18 years after winning her first. 

ii. This is also her a seventh Australian Open win and her 23rd Grand Slam victory since the game turned professional in 1968.

Jan 30

Nation pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi on his 69th death anniversary

i.The nation pays homage to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi on his 69th death anniversary today (30 January 2017). 

ii.He was assassinated on this day in 1948. Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion. 

iii.President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice-President Hamid Anasri and other eminent leaders will pay tributes to Bapu at his Samadhi, Rajghat in New Delhi. An inter-religious prayer will be organised there on the occasion. 

India gets its own multi-sports museum in Kolkata

i.In a first, India's Fanatic Sports Museum opened to the public in Kolkata .

 ii.The museum will display memorabilia from cricket, hockey, football and the Olympics and Paralympics. Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar were among others to inaugurate the museum.

India’s largest startup incubator to be built at Hubballi

i.Indian-American entrepreneur, philanthropist and venture capitalist Gururaj Deshpande has decided to launch India’s largest startup incubation centre at Hubballi (earlier Hubli) in Karnataka.

ii.The decision is based on the idea of expansion of the Deshpande Foundation’s initial incubation center, Sandbox, which was founded by Deshpande and his wife Jaishree in 2008

INSAT-3DR to map farm fires in Haryana, Punjab

i.INSAT-3DR works in tandem with INSAT-3D, operational since 2014, in sending raw data and high-resolution images, zoomed up to 1 kilometre near the earth's surface, every 15 minutes.

ii.Next generation satellite INSAT-3DR has opened new frontiers in India's weather forecasting and is set to equip the country with the ability to detect farm fires, which intensifies air pollution in the northern region seasonally, leaving Delhi gasping for breath.

iii.A team of the Satellite Meteorology Division of India Meteorological Department (IMD), housed in New Delhi's Mausam Bhawan, has amassed a huge tranche of data relayed by it over the past few months, at an average rate of a whopping 142 GB per day.

AP Singh is interim head of Postal Bank

i.India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), floated by the postal department, has received Reserve Bank of India’s final nod to commence commercial operations. 

ii.The Centre has appointed AP Singh, who was earlier Joint Secretary in the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management, as the interim Managing Director and CEO of IPPB.

Ex-HC judge Vishwanath Shetty sworn in as Karnataka Lokayukta

i.Former HC judge Justice P Vishwanath Shetty was administered the oath of Karnataka Lokayukta office by governor Vajubhai R Vala.

 ii.The post had remained vacant since Y Bhaskar Rao stepped down in December 2015 following bribery scandal. Shetty's appointment was cleared by governor.

Gokaldas Exports to set up manufacturing units in Chittoor district

i.Gokaldas Exports has entered in to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh Government for setting up four apparel manufacturing units in Chittoor district over next three years.

ii.The company plans to invest up to Rs. 200 crore which is likely to generate approximately 5,000 new jobs.

France's Iris Mittenaere wins Miss Universe 2016

i.Miss France Iris Mittenaere was crowned Miss Universe 2016 at the Mall of Asia Arena . Miss Colombia Andrea Tovar won second runner-up.

ii. Miss Haiti Raquel Pelissier won first runner-up. Flo Rida and Boyz II Men gave musical performances during the Miss Universe pageant. 

SC appoints former CAG chief Vinod Rai as BCCI chief 

The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday appointed former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) chief Vinod Rai as BCCI chief, along with noted historian Ramachandra Guha and IDFC MD & CEO Vikram Limaye as administrators of the sport body. 

IMD to Set up Weather Stations in 660 Districts by 2019

i.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has decided to set up weather stations in 660 districts of the country for better and prompt weather forecasting with major focus on rain-fed and non-rain-fed areas to give crop specific advisories.

ii.The system would be launched in phased manner. Initially, IMD has planned to set up the system in 130 districts and gradually increase it to 660 by 2019. The plan will be taken at block level after successful functioning at district level.

Nitin Gadkari Announces to Develop 1,253 km road in Assam as National Highways

i.The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways and Shipping, Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Roadinaugurated a 3-lane Brahmaputra Bridge at Saraighat  in Guwahati .

ii.As a part of the event, the Minister announced that the government would spend Rs 15,000 crores to develop 1,253 kilometres of roads in Assam into National Highways over the next few years.

Inheritance Court for Non-Muslims to be Set up in Abu Dhabi 

i.The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has issued a resolution to set up a Personal Status and Inheritance Court for non Muslims in Abu Dhabi.

ii.The aim of setting up the Court is to ensure access to services for all segment of the society and promote the culture of tolerance and acceptance of other communities values at the judiciary level.

India’s Foreign Exchange Reserves Rises by $ 932.4 million to $ 360.775 billion

i.The Reserve Bank of India on January 29, 2017 informed that the Foreign Exchange Reserves of India rose by 932.4 million dollars to 360.775 billion dollars for the second consecutive week ended January 20. 

ii.In the previous week, India’s forex reserve increased by 687.9 million dollars to 359.843 billion dollars.

Abul Hossain Wins 2017 Kolkata Marathon

i.Siliguri lad Abul Hossain won the Kolkata Marathon as amateur runners from north Bengal and Northeast India dominated the first edition of the meet here.Hossain won the race with a timing of two hours 34 minutes and two seconds to leave Kolkata lad Biswanath Pal second, five minutes behind.

ii. Paritosh Roy finished third with a timing of two hours, 52 minutes 48 seconds.Sikkim's Mangali Tamang won the women's half marathon with a timing of one hour 31 minutes and 13 seconds.

PV Sindhu wins Syed Modi International badminton tournament

i.Indian shuttler PV Sindhu won the Syed Modi International Grand Prix Gold after beating Indonesia's Gregoria Mariska in the final.

ii.The Rio Olympics silver medalist eased past her opponent in straight sets, 21-13, 21-14. India's Sameer Verma also won the tournament in men's singles category after defeating compatriot Sai Praneeth in straight sets, 21-19, 21-16.

Federer has won over ₹680 crore in tournament prize money

i.Switzerland's Roger Federer became the second player in tennis history after Novak Djokovic to crossing $100 million (over ₹680 crore) in tournament earnings after winning the Australian Open. 

ii.The eighteen-time Grand Slam champion Federer has amassed over $100 million, earning almost $2.8 million overcoming Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final.

Hollywood Legend & Harry Porter actor John Hurt dies at 77

Sir John Hurt, the British actor who starred in The Elephant Man and Harry Potter, John Hurt dies at 77died on January 25, 2017 at his residence in Norfolk, London due to Cancer. He was 77.

Jan 31

Budget session of Parliament begans today (31 January 2017)

i.The Budget session of Parliament will begin today (31 January 2017) and President Pranab Mukherjee will address the joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.The Economic Survey will also be tabled on the first day of the session. There will be no separate Rail budget from this year and it has been merged with the general budget which will be presented on 1 february 2017.

 ii.The government had advanced the date of budget presentation so as to complete the entire process before the end of financial year.The first part has been kept brief in view of ongoing assembly polls in five states. It will have eight sittings from 31st January to 9th of February, 2017. 

iii.The two houses will have a month long recess from 10th February to 8th March to enable the Standing Committees to consider the Demands for Grants of Ministries and Departments and prepare their Reports. The second part of the budget session will commence from 9th of March and will continue till 12th of April, 2017.

iv.Apart from presentation of the general budget, 34 bills will be taken up for passing and consideration during the entire session. These include three ordinances which will be replaced through bills. The ordinances relate to Enemy Property, Payment of Wages and Specified Bank Notes.The other important legislations to be taken up include Goods and Services Tax, Central Goods and Services Tax ( Compensation for loss of revenue) and Integrated GST.

Economic Survey 2017 tabled in Parliament: Key highlights

Union finance minister Arun Jaitley on 31 January 2017 tabled the Economic Survey 2016-17 in Parliament budget session. The survey projects the economy to grow in the range of 6.75% to 7.25% in the next fiscal year 2017-18 in the post-demonetisation year.The survey prepared by chief economic adviser in the finance ministry Arvind Subramanian stated the adverse impact of demonetisation on GDP growth will be transitional. The Economic Survey 2016-17 advocates the concept of Universal Basic Income (UBI) as an alternative to the various social welfare schemes in an effort to reduce poverty.

Here are the major highlights from the Economic Survey 2016-17:

i.Gross domestic product (GDP) growth in 2016-17 to dip to 6.5%, down from 7.6% in last fiscal.

ii.Economic growth to rebound to 6.75 to 7.5% in 2017-18.

iii.Economic Survey sees fiscal windfall from Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, low oil prices.

iv.Farm sector to grow at 4.1% in the current fiscal, up from 1.2% in 2015-16.

v.Fiscal gains from Goods and Services Tax (GST) will take time to realise.

vi.Growth rate of industrial sector estimated to moderate to 5.2% in 2016-17 from 7.4% last fiscal.

vii.The survey prepared by Chief Economic Adviser in the finance ministry Arvind Subramanian said the adverse impact of demonetisation on GDP growth will be transitional.

viii.The Economic Survey 2016-17 has advocated the concept of Universal Basic Income (UBI) as an alternative to the various social welfare schemes in an effort to reduce poverty. 

India Post Payments Bank starts pilot services

i.India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) kicked off its operations by rolling out pilot services in Raipur and Ranchi.The bank will offer an interest rate of 4.5% on deposits up to Rs25,000; 5% on deposits of Rs25,000-50,000 and 5.5% on Rs50,000-1,00,000.

ii.The paid up equity of the new bank is Rs800 crore, of which the government has already infused ?275 crore.

iii.The idea is to have a branch in every district and make 3 lakh postmen come alive in payment bank function.Also 1,000 ATMs of India Post will be transferred to IPPB.Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha stated that IPPB plans to have 650 branches across the country by September 2017.

RBI lifts ATM withdrawal limits from Feb 1, 2017

i.In a big relief to people, RBI has announced lifting of restrictions on daily withdrawal of money from ATMs with effect from 1 February 2017 and has also withdrawn all limits on Current Accounts and overdraft accounts with immediate effect

ii.In a circular to the banks the RBI however stated the weekly limits of 24 thousand rupees on Savings Bank accounts will continue.

FGII Enters Into Bancassurance Tie-Up With Bank Of Maharashtra

 i.Future Generali India Insurance Company (FGII) announced an agency tie-up with Pune based Bank of Maharashtra.

ii.To immensely benefit our customers by providing them an ease of access while choosing from a diverse range of non-life insurance products, all under one roof Bank-of-Maharashtra.
iii.It has tie-up with over 100 banks in India for bancassurance.Now it accounts for 5 per cent of Future Generali’s total business

First Edition of the North East Investors Summit Held in Shillong

 i.The first edition of the North East Investors Summit was inaugurated on January 29, 2017 by the Union Textiles Minister, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani in Shillong, Meghalaya.

ii.The North East Investors Summit 2017 was jointly organized by the Union Ministry of Textiles and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) of the Government of India in collaboration with industry associations Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). 

iii.The two day Summit concluded on January 30, 2017.Theme: Exploring Opportunities in North East Region.

UberMOTO launches service in Hyderabad

i.Cab-hailing firm Uber has launched two-wheeler aggregation service UberMOTO in Hyderabad. The firm, which has signed an agreement with the Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd recently, formally launched the services.

ii.Using the app, people can hire two-wheelers for short-distance commute at cheaper rates. The agreement was aimed at providing the last-mile connectivity from and to the upcoming Metro railway stations. Uber Founder and CEO Travis Kalanick came to Hyderabad last month to seal the deal

Karnataka Govt Approves Amending Laws to Lift Ban on Kambala & Bullock Cart Race

i.The Karnataka state cabinet approved amending Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Bill, 1960 Act to legalize the Kambala and Bullock Cart Race which is a traditional festival held annually in Karnataka.

ii.The amendment Bill will be introduced by the state cabinet in the legislature session scheduled to be begin from February 6,2017.

Bombay Natural History Society launches climate change programme in Central Himalayas

i.The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has launched climate change programme to assess the status, distribution and conservation of pheasants and finches in the Central Himalayas.

ii.To evaluate the socio-economic activities of local communities and involve them in conservation efforts and sensitize the local forest department staff.This programme is funded by Oracle and facilitated by 

CAF-India.

Trump Bans 7 nations from Entering US on Security Issues

1.American President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to temporarily ban visas for refugees belonging to seven Muslim-majority countries namely Trump Bans 7 nations from Entering US on Security IssuesIraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.

ii.The decision aims at protecting United States from the entry of foreign terrorists to keep the nation safe. The ban is not aimed at restricting Muslim countries from entering US.

Dushyant Chautala is new TTFI president

Dushyant Chautala has been appointed as the president of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI). Chautala is the youngest president of the apex body. His term, which is for four years, extends until 2021.

Reliance Defence Signs Contract with Ministry of Defence to Construct 14 Fast patrol Vessels for Indian Coast Guard

i.Reliance Defence and Engineering Ltd (RDEL), a wholly owned arm of Reliance Infrastructure Ltd (RInfra), has signed a contract worth Rs. 916 crore with the Ministry of  Defence to design and construct 14 Fast Patrol Vessels for the Indian Coast Guard. 

ii.The medium range, high speed vessels would be deployed for patrolling within the exclusive economic zone, costal surveillance, anti-smuggling, anti-piracy, search and rescue operations. It will also provide support as front-line warships during emergencies.

KSEZ, Subsidiary of GMR group Signs MoUs With Firms to Set Up Manufacturing Units at Kakinada SEZ , Andhra Pradesh

i.Kakinada SEZ Ltd (KSEZ), a subsidiary of GMR Infrastructure Limited (GIL), signed several MoUs with various companies during the CII Partnership Summit 2017 held on  GMRJanuary 27-28, 2017 at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. 

ii.The MoU aimed at setting up World Class manufacturing units at the Kakinada SEZ in Andhra Pradesh spread over 8,500 acres at a cost of Rs. 47000 crore.

Priyanka Chopra among 150 most fashionable women

i.Indian actress Priyanka Chopra has made it to the list of Harper's Bazaar's 150 most fashionable women. 

ii.The 34-year-old "Quantico" star features on the list under the section of New Guard. Priyanka took to Twitter to share the news with her fans and followers.

Ashok Amritraj Appointed UN in India Goodwill Ambassador for the Sustainable Development Goals

i.Film producer and Wimbledon tennis player, Ashok Amritraj has been appointed the United Nations in India Goodwill Ambassador for the Sustainable Development Goals 

ii.Amritraj is the first Ambassador for the UN in India.He is responsible to generate momentum and commitment to achieve the SDGs by 2030 and to foster engagement of new stakeholders in the implementation of these Goals.

Amulya Patnaik appointed as Delhi Police Chief

IPS officer from Union Territories cadre, Amulya Patnaik is appointed as Chief of Delhi police on January 30, 2017. He is succeeded by Alok Verma, who has been moved as the director of CBI.Patnail is currently workig as Delhi police special commissioner (administration).

Atomic clocks of Satellite IRNSS-1A Develops Technical Snag

i.The atomic clocks on the first satellite IRNSS-1A of the NAVIC, an indigenously built satellite system has developed technical complications.

ii.The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman, A.S. Kiran Kumar informed that one of the three crucial rubidium clock on IRNSS-1A spacecraft failed six months ago while the other two failed subsequently.

Veteran journalist Devdutt passes away

i.Veteran journalist Devdutt passed away. He was 88. He was Gandhian since his early days and was present at Birla House in the lawn when Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948.

ii. He was seasoned political commentator, who had brought out a journal of political opinion called Point of View.