DAILY GK BANKERS ADDA -- 17 JANUARY 2017 TO 22ND JANUARY 2017

17/01/2017

25 children including 13 girls selected for National Bravery Awards

i.Twenty-five children have been selected for the national bravery awards 2016. These include 13 girls. Four of the awards have been given posthumously. 

ii.The coveted Bharat award has been conferred on 8-year-old Late Kumari Tarh Peju of Arunachal Pradesh, who sacrificed her life while saving two of her friends from drowning. 

iii.The prestigious Geeta Chopra award has been conferred on 18 year old Tejasweeta Pradhan and 17-year-old Shivani Gond of West Bengal who showed immense courage fearlessly helping police and NGO in uncovering an international sex racket leading to the arrest of the mastermind in Delhi. 

iv.The Sanjya Chopra award has been given to 15-year-old Sumit Mamgain of Uttarakhand who displayed outstanding bravery in fighting a leopard to save his cousin.

v. The children will receive their awards from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 23rd of this month. They will participate in the parade. President Pranab Mukherjee will host reception in their honor.

India Signs Financing Agreement of $48 million with World Bank for Nagaland Health Project

i.India has signed a financing agreement with World Bank for 48 million dollars for Nagaland Health Project. 

ii.About six lakh people will directly benefit from the Health Project with improvements in higher-level facilities as well as system-wide investments. 

iii.The objective of the project is to improve health services in Nagaland. Communities in targeted locations will benefit from project activities at the community and health facility levels.

Mysuru Printing Press Breaks Record by Printing Highest No. of Currency Notes in a December 2016

i.The Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran PvtLtd, a fully controlled subsidiary of RBI has set records in currency note printing.The RBI Note Mudran printing press in Mysuru printing highest number of currency notes in December 2016 breaking all its past record.

ii.It printed 10.9 million currency note in a day that even broke the world record made an American currency printing press of printing 8.7 million notes in a day.As per the data, 1350 million currency notes were printed in December 2016 in Mysuru which employess 650 workers who work for 12 hours in two shifts.

Market Regulator SEBI Tightens Mergers & Acquisitions Norms Among Unlisted Firms

i.The Capital market regulator of India, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on January 14 tightened the norms associated to Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) of Indian companies.

ii.The public shareholding of the resultant entity created by the merger of an unlisted and a listed company has to be more than 25%. iii.The unlisted entity can only merge with those companies that are listed on exchanges such as the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and BSE.

IMF cuts India's growth rate to 6.6% due to Demonetization

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cut India's growth forecast for the current fiscal by one percentage point, citing demonetisation woes from 7.6% to 6.6%. It sees India ceding the tag of the world's fastest growing major economy to China in FY17.

Tamil Nadu: 170th Sadguru Sri Thyagaraja Aaradhana festival ends on 17 January 2017

i.In Tamil Nadu, the 170th Sadguru Sri Thyagaraja Aaradhana festival at Tiruvaiyaru ends today(17 January 2017). 

ii.The Aaradhana festival which was inaugurated on 13th of this month was a treat to carnatic music lovers. Sadguru Thyagaraja is one of the great musical trinity alongwith Muthusamy Dikshithar and Shyama Sastrigal.

BHEL Commissions 500 MW Thermal Unit In West Bengal

i.Government owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited(BHEL) has commissioned new 500 MW Thermal Unit in West Bengal.

ii.This was the second 500 MW at Sagardighi Thermal Power Station (TPS) Phase II project in Murshidabad district of West Bengal.

IIMC to start post graduate course in Urdu journalism

i.Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu launching a post graduate course in Urdu journalism at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication in New Delhi . 

ii.The Executive Council of the IIMC, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, has recently approved the course.

Kozhikode Corporation becomes 1st Elederly-friendly corporation in Kerala

i.Kozhikode Corporation was declared as the first Elderly-Friendly Corporation in Kerala. 

ii.The  Kozhikode Corporationstate government has planned to setup Senior citizen’s club, Day care centres as a part of  Vayomitram project for the welfare of the elder people in the state.

iii.As part of the elderly friendly status, the Corporation has begun to collect basic details of all the senior citizens in the city through its 543 Anganwa

Pakistan Navy Receives Two Ships From China to Ensure Security along Gwadar Port

i.China has sold two naval ships to Pakistan to protect the strategic Gwadar port and trade routes under the USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

ii.The ships named Hingol and Basol gets its name from nearby rivers in Pakistan.China will provide two more ships to Pakistan Navy named Dasht and Zhob after two districts in Balochistan.

Future Group’s & SBI Card launch premium co-branded card

i.Future Group’s fashion and lifestyle departmental store Central joined with SBI Card launched a second co-branded credit card to offer benefits to consumers in the premium lifestyle and fashion space.

ii.The Central SBI SELECT and SELECT+ Cards will offer an accelerated reward points structure

Rajeev Singh to Take Charge as Interim CEO of Prasar Bharati after S C Panda

i.Rajeev Singh, Member of Prasar Bharati Board will take charge as interim CEO of the public broadcaster Prasar Bharati in February, 2017. He will replace S C Panda.

ii.Rajeev was elected as Interim CEO during the Prasar Bharati Board meeting held in Hyderabad on January 15, 2017.

Kiran Doshi won The Hindu Prize 2016

i.Kiran Doshi won The Hindu Prize 2016 at the 7th edition of The Hindu Lit for Life festival 2017 held in Chennai from January 14-16, 2017.

ii.The festival was inaugurated by contemporary artist Gulamohammed Sheikh at Sir Mutha  Kiran Doshi Conferred 'The Hindu Prize 2016' for Jinnah Often Came to Our HouseVenkatasubba Rao Concert Hall in Chennai.

National award-winning filmmaker Deepak Roy dead at 67

Deepak Roy, known for his movie "Limit to Freedom" which won him a National award in 1996 under the category of best investigative film, has passed away at the age of 67 after suffering a cardiac arrest. 

Valtteri Bottas replaces Nico Rosberg at Mercedes and joins Lewis Hamilton

i.Valtteri Bottas has been confirmed as Lewis Hamilton's new team-mate for the forthcoming Formula One season after he was finally unveiled by Mercedes at their headquarters.

ii.Bottas, who replaces world champion Nico Rosberg following his shock decision to retire from the sport, had long been favorite for the vacant seat. 

Sports Minister Vijay Goel inaugurates Khelo India competitions

i.The Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Vijay Goel inaugurated the Khelo India National level Competitions on various sports for Under-14 and Under-17 children in New Delhi.

ii.The competition has been organized by Sports Authority of India under aegis of Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in Swimming, Cycling and Wrestling. 

18/01/2017

58th India International Garment Fair to begins in New Delhi

i.The 58th edition of India International Garment Fair, IIGF  begins in New Delhi.

ii. Organized by Apparel Export Promotion Council India, the event is one of the largest and most popular platforms in Asia, from which overseas garment buyers can source products and forge business relationships with India’s finest players in the apparel and fashion accessories domain. iii.Textiles Minister Smriti Zubin Irani will inaugurate the three-day long fair.

Timothy Gonsalves Committee Suggests 20 % Reservation for Girl Students in IITs

i.A committee formed by the IIT Joint Admission Board (JAB) has recently given its suggestion to create 20 percent reservation seats for the girl students in IITs out of the total number of seats available.

 ii.The committee headed by professor Timothy Gonsalves recommended the supernumerary seats to address the issue falling number of female students entering the institute.

 iii.However, the recommendation of the committee will get the final approval after the decision of the Joint Admission Board (JAB) who will decide whether the reservation will come in effect from 2017 or 2018.

iv. The decision will not affect the number of seats available for male candidates and only those candidates who have already qualified in JEE-Advanced will be considered. The decision will enable IITs to achieve the 1 lakh target by 2020.

India & Mauritius Sign MoU for Cooperation in the field of Cooperatives

i.India and Mauritius signed a MoU for cooperation in the field of cooperatives and related areas

ii.The MoU was signed between Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, and the Indian Ocean island country's Business, Enterprise and Cooperatives Minister Soomilduth Bholah.

iii.The MoU will enable the two countries to collaborate in this vital sector and can significantly benefit thousands of Mauritians. India offered to exchange its expertise and technology with Mauritius in agro industry, fisheries and dairy sector.

India Ranks 60th in Inclusive Development Index 2017

i.India has been ranked at 60th position among 79 developing economies with a score of only 3.38 in the Inclusive Development Index (IDI) of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

ii.WEF released its ‘Inclusive Growth and Development Report 2017’ on January 16, 2017 in Davos, Switzerland.

iii. The list has been topped by Lithuania among the 79 developing countries.

India ranked 78th in global ‘Passport Index’

i.Indian passport has been ranked a lowly 78 in a global ranking of the world’s most powerful passports which was topped by Germany.

ii.Germany stands at the top with a visa-free score of 157, while Singapore overtakes South Korea and becomes the highest ranked Asian passport with a visa-free score of 156.

Manipur’s Karang is India’s first cashless island

i.Karang, a small lake island in Manipur, has become the country’s first cashless island

.ii.The Union ministry of electronics and information technology under its Digital India program announced Karang as the first cashless island in India.

iii. Confirming it, deputy commissioner M Harekrishna of Bishnupur district stated that island fulfilled the Centre’s necessary criteria.

iv.The Karang island is located in the middle of Loktak, the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India.

Petroleum Conservation Campaign ‘Saksham 2017’ Inaugurated in Nagaland

i.The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MOP & NG) inaugurated one month long oil and gas conservation campaign Saksham-2017 at a function in Unity College

,ii. Dimapur in Nagaland on January 16, 2017.The mass awareness campaign was inaugurated by chief guest Ramongo Lotha, secretary Food and Civil Supplies.

iii. The campaign would be conducted from January 16 to February 15, 2017.The main aim of such campaign is to spread the awareness on fuel conservation so as to minimize the wastage of petroleum products as the demand for it remains high.

Kolkata’s Sitalpati Gets place in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has registered Sitalpati or cool mat from the Cooch Behar district, West Bengal as an  Sitlapati intangible cultural heritage.

BSNL launches mobile TV service Ditto TV

i.State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL)  announced mobile TV service ‘Ditto TV’ and limited fixed mobile telephony, an app that virtually turns mobiles into cordless phone working in sync with landlines within home premises

ii.BSNL also launched limited fixed mobile telephony, an app that virtually turns mobiles into cordless phone working in sync with landline phones.

Karnataka allows sale of white kerosene in open market

i.The Karnataka government allowed to the sale of white kerosene in open market. 

ii.State Food and Civil Supplies Minister UT Khader stated that the government has issued an order this effect.

iii.Those interested in selling white kerosene in open market can approach the office of the Food and Civil Supplies in their districts.

Yes Bank Launches Business Accelerator Program Yes Fintech 

Private sector lender YES BANK in collaboration with T-Hub, Anthill and Lets Talk Payments launched a unique business accelerator program YES FINTECH to provide start-ups a platform for creating sustainable and market ready products as well as provide innovative banking solutions to the customers.

Yes Bank Launches India’s First Customisable Savings Account

i.YES Bank has launched a first of its kind unique Customizable Savings Account to enable the customers to design an account as per their convenience.

ii.Mumbai-based bank has become the first bank in India to launch such type of account that enables the customer to choose various features of a savings accounts that suits one’s own lifestyle.

World’s lightest watch unveiled in Geneva

i.The world’s ultralight high-performance mechanical watch RM 50-03 was inaugurated on January 16, 2017 at the 27th edition of the Salon International De La Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in Geneva.
ii.The watch made up of graphene composite has been developed by the University ofLightest Watch of the World made Using Graphene Launched Manchester, UK in collaboration with the watchmaking brand Richard Mille and McLaren F1

 iii.The overall weight of the ultralight watch is 40 grams only and is extremely durable.

Antonio Tajani elected president of European Parliament

i.Antonio Tajani of the EPP Christian Democrat group has been elected president of the European Parliament.

ii.The battle among the two Italians was won by Tajani on a vote of 351-282 in the decisive final round, which only the top two candidates could enter.

N Chandrasekaran appointed as Tata Motors chairman

Tata Motors which owns Jaguar LandRover Automotive Plc, Ltd has finally appointed Natarajan Chandrasekaran, the Tata Sons chairman-designate and outgoing chief executive of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), as additional director and chairman of the board with immediate effect.

Renowned Actress Gita Sen Passes Away

i.Veteran actress Gita Sen who was the wife of renowned filmmaker Mrinal Sen passed away on January 16, 2017 in Kolkata of cerebral hemorrhage.

ii. She was 86. He is known for her excellent work in films like Chorus, Calcutta 71, Kharij, Akaler Sandhane, Ekdin Pratidin and Khandahar.

Former Chhatisgarh minister Tarun Prasad Chatterjee no more

i.Senior Congress leader and former state minister of  Chhattisgarh, Tarun Prasad Chatterjee passed away in Raipur.

ii.He was 68. Tarun was elected as member of Legislative Assembly for the first time from Raipur rural constituency in 1980, 1990, 1993 and 1998.

Eugene Cernan, the Last Human on the Moon Passed Away at 82

i.The commander of Apollo 17 and the last man who walk on the moon, Astronaut  Eugene Cernan, the Last Human on the Moon Passed Away at 82Eugene Cernan has passed away in Washington D.C, USA. 

ii.He was 82.Cernan was flied to space three times and to moon twice.

Tajikistan’s Amonatov Wins Delhi International Chess Tournament

i.Farrukh Amonatov of Tajikistan won the 15th edition of the Delhi International Chess tournament after settling for a draw with Grandmaster Diptayan Ghosh in the 10th and final round.

ii.Amonatov was awarded by Rs. 4 lakh, Diptayan received Rs. 3 lakh and Dzhumaev got Rs. 2 lakh prize money.

19/01/2017

Digi Dhan Melas: Consumers, merchants win prizes worth Rs 61 Cr

i.Over three lakh 80 thousand consumers and twenty-one thousand merchants have won prize money worth around 61 crore rupees at 24 Digi-Dhan Melas across the country.

ii. This was disclosed by the Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in New Delhi Government’s efforts to give a boost to the digital payment systems and cashless economy have evoked good response from the people. 

iii.People from different age groups, occupations and walks of life have taken part in a big way in the Lucky Grahak Yojana and Digi-Dhan Vyapar Yojana giving a fillip to digital transactions. 

Cabinet Approvals:18 January 2017

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given some cabinet approval on 18 January 2017 are as follows:

1. Cabinet approves MoU between India and Serbia for cooperation in the field of Information Technology and Electronics

2. Cabinet approves India’s Membership in the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), South Korea 

3. Cabinet approves MoU on cooperation on Youth matters between India and Russia 

4. Cabinet apprised of the MoU between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for cooperation in the field of outer space 

5. Cabinet approves MoU between India and Vietnam In the field of cyber security 

6. Cabinet approves Trade Agreement negotiations with Peru 

7. Cabinet gives approval to the package for supporting Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) – Augmentation of Corpus of Credit Guarantee Trust Fund for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) 

8. Cabinet approves the Establishment of Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Jharkhand 

9. Cabinet approves MOU between India and the United Arab Emirates for cooperation in the field of Small and Medium Enterprises and Innovation 

10. Cabinet approves MOU between India and the United Arab Emirates for cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sectors 

11. Cabinet approves amendment in Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme 

12. Cabinet approves MoU between India and the United Arab Emirates on Institutional Cooperation in Maritime Transport 

13. Cabinet approves MoU between India and the United Arab Emirates on the Mutual Recognition of Certificates of Competency as per the provisions of the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW, 78) and amendments thereof 

14. Cabinet approves the exclusion of States from the investments of National Small Savings Fund

15. Cabinet approves MoU between India and the United Arab Emirates on Bilateral Cooperation in the Road Transport and Highways sector 

16. Cabinet approves the introduction of the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2017 to repeal 105 Acts. 

Bengaluru Ranked Most Dynamic City in the World in WEF Report

i.India’s IT Hub, Bengaluru has been ranked at the top position in the 2017 City .

ii.Momentum Index released the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting being held in Davos. The index identifies the most dynamic cities of the world.

iii.From India six cities have find place in top 30 most dynamic cities.

iv.Besides Bengaluru other Indian cities in the list includes Hyderabad (5), Pune (13), Chennai (17), Delhi (23) and Mumbai (25).The rankings are based on parameters such as population, technology and R&D, connectivity, output and corporate activity, education, and real estate investment.

Govt clears six FDI proposals worth Rs. 1186.5 crore

The government has cleared six foreign direct investment (FDI) proposals totalling ₹1186.5 crore. These include four from pharmaceutical companies including Sanofi-Synthelabo and Boehringer Ingelheim.

Only cash, deposits can be declared under PMGKY 

i.Undisclosed income in assets such as jewellery, stock or immovable property or in foreign bank accounts will not be accepted under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY).

ii.The Central Board of Direct Taxes on stated that only undisclosed income in domestic bank accounts, post offices or stashed elsewhere will be accepted under the scheme.

iii.Only income represented in the form of cash or deposit in an account maintained with specified entity can be declared.

Cabinet clears proposals for listing 5 PSU general insurers

i.The Cabinet has given its in-principle nod for listing of all the five general insurance companies.

ii.The five general insurance companies are the New India Assurance Company Ltd, United India Insurance Company Ltd, Oriental Insurance Company Ltd, National Insurance Company Ltd and General Insurance Company Ltd.

iii.The Centre's shareholding would be divested from 100% to 75% in one or more tranches over a period of time, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.

Prez Mukherjee inaugurate 28th Dantan Gramin Mela in West Bengal

i.President Pranab Mukherjee is due to inaugurate the 28th Dantan Gramin Mela in West Midnapore district in West Bengal. 

ii.He is on a 4-day visit to West Bengal. The fair will display the rural handicraft skills of the people of the region.

iii.The different goods ranging from textile to terracotta will be on display.

Anandam Scheme Launched in Madhya Pradesh to Help Poor

i.Madhya Pradesh government lead by Shivraj Singh Chouhan has launched Aanandam programme of the newly-formed Aanand Department.

ii.Aanandam scheme will help the poor people to get the daily needs like like jackets, sarees, blankets, utensils, school bags from the wealthy people.

iii. For this particular place is alloacted in each district to collect these items.The people who wishes to help others can visit website www.anandsansthanmp.in to become Anandak under Anandam SchemNonGovernmentent organisations, Government employees, cultural and business organisations can participate in this programe.

Meghalaya’s Mawlynnong village becomes a role model for cleanliness

i.Mawlynnong village in Meghalaya has become a role model for other states in maintaining cleanliness known as Asia’s cleanest village.

ii.Mawlynnong has become tourists’ hotspot.The Secretary of the village committee stated that, all 90 families of the village constructed toilets in 1989. 

iii.Under Swachh Bharat Mission, three public toilets have been constructed in the village. Over 500 tourists from across the country and abroad visit the village daily, which is located 80 kilometers away from capital Shillong.

West Bengal Set to Give Legal Protection to Hilsa Fish

i.The West Bengal State Department of Fisheries has announced to protect the endangered Hisla Fish from getting extinct and thus has proposed to introduce law to arrest anyone found in illegal catching, buying or selling of Hilsa fish weighing less than 500 grams.

ii.With the introduction of the proposed provision, Hilsa Fish would become the first fish to get legal protection.

PNB, India Post Bank team up

Punjab National Bank and India Post Payments Bank have signed a memorandum of understanding, whereby PNB will provide technology platform for pilot launch of IPPB on receipt of regulatory nod from the Reserve Bank of India.IPPB has been incorporated under the Department of Posts with 100 per cent government equity.

Scientists names 3 diseases that could cause next global health emergency

i.Scientists have named three relatively little-known diseases they think could cause the next global health emergency. 

ii.A coalition of governments and charities has committed 460 million dollars to speed up vaccine development for Mers, Lassa fever and Nipah virus. 

iii.They are asking funders at the World Economic Forum Davos for another 500 million dollars. 

30 More Countries to Join Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank

i.The Foreign Ministry spokesperson of China, Hua Chunying stated that thirty more countries have applied for joining the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) besides 57 founding members.

ii.It was officially established with 57 founding members and authorized capital of USD 100 billion.China is the largest shareholder of the bank having 26.6% voting shares. India is  the second largest shareholder with 7.5% followed by Russia 5.93% and Germany with 4.5%.

Bharti AXA General appoints Sanjeev Srinivasan as CEO, MD

Bharti AXA General Insurance today said it has appointed Sanjeev Srinivasan as CEO and Managing Director.Srinivasan joined Bharti AXA General Insurance in August 2016 as Chief Commercial and Principal Officer and now takes over the role of CEO and MD.

ICICI Pru acquires 8.41% stake in Fino Paytech for Rs 100 crore

i.ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has acquired 8.41 per cent stake in Fino Paytech Ltd (FPL) for a total consideration of Rs 100 crore.

ii.FPL provides technology-based solutions and services related to financial inclusion. Earlier this month, FPL was granted payment bank licence by the RBI.

NASA Set to Explore Iron-Rich Asteroid 16 Psyche

i.The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has given its approval to explore an iron-rich asteroid 16 Psyche as a part of its mission to learn more about the history and composition of the celestial body.

ii.Scientists believe that 16 Psyche is one of the most mysterious objects in the solar system at a distance of about 230 million miles (370 million km) away from Earth and located in the large asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

World witnesses hottest year on record in 2016

i.The world witnessed the hottest year on record in 2016, surpassing the exceptionally high temperatures of 2015, the UN weather agency stated. 

ii.The globally average temperature in 2016 was about 1.1 degree Celsius higher than the pre-industrial period, according to a consolidated analysis by the World Meteorological Organization. 

C.V. Vishveshwara, Pioneer of Black Hole Discovery Dies at 78

i.Veteran Indian Scientist CV Vishveshwara and pioneer in the discovery of black hole in India died of prolonged illness.He was 78.

ii.He worked extensively on the theory of black holes and made major contributions to this field of research since its very beginning.

Kapil Dev inducted into Legends Club Hall of Fame

Cricket icon Kapil Dev was inducted into Legends Club ‘Hall of Fame’ at the Cricket Club of India on January 17, 2017.Former India player and Legends Club president Madhav Apte presented Kapil with a citation. 

Despite Difficulties, Indian Women Boxers Score 6 Medals In Serbia

i.Stranded at the airport for nearly 24 hours and without their luggage for a good part of the competition, Indian women boxers had to deal with more than just opponents at the Nation’s Cup in Serbia but showed tremendous fortitude to return with half a dozen medals.

ii.The 10-member team returned to the country early this morning with 6 medals after finishing third in the competition behind powerhouses Kazakhstan and Russia.

iii.Haryana-girl Neeraj (51kg), competing in his maiden international tournament, stood out with a gold medal, while Sarjubala Devi (48kg), Priyanka Chaudhary (60kg), Pooja (69kg) and Seema Punia settled for silver medals. Veteran Kavita Goyat (75kg) was the lone bronze-medallist.

20/01/2017

CBDT Clarifies No TDS or Advance Tax Credit for Income under PMGKY

i.The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on cleared that income declared under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojna (PMGKY) would not be entitled to get any credit by way of advance tax paid or the tax deducted at source (TDS) or tax collected at source (TCS). 

ii.PMGKY was set up to give an opportunity to those who deposited tax-evaded money in bank-demonetised currencies.

iii. It was opened on December 17, 2016 and will remain open till March 31.Under the scheme, a person declaring undisclosed income would need to pay a tax of 30%, in addition to a penalty of 10% and a Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan cess of 33% on the tax.Under the Income Declaration Scheme (‘IDS’), the government has allowed TDS credit in those cases where such credit has not already been claimed in the income-tax return.

Government Launches Web-Portal ‘ShaGun’ for Monitoring Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

i.The Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar launched a dedicated web portal ‘ShaGun’ on  for continuous monitoring of the elementary education scheme Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and promote the development of education sector of India.

 ii.The portal has been developed by World Bank in collaboration with Ministry of Human Resource Development. ShaGun has been coined from the words ‘Shala’ meaning schools and ‘Gunvatta’ meaning quality.

PM to address 3 day National Conference in Kutch

i.Prime Minister Narendra Modi has delivered inaugural address on a three-day National Conference of Central and State Ministers and Secretaries of Tourism, Culture and Sports in Kutch, Gujarat .

ii.He addresses the program through video conferencing and also interact with the participants at the end of the conference

iii. The Conference aims at achieving the necessary convergence among tourism, culture, youth affairs and sports areas and synergy between the Centre and state. 

UDAN scheme set for take off

i.The first flight is likely to take off next month under the government's ambitious regional connectivity scheme UDAN with the AAI receiving 43 initial proposals from 11 bidders for 190 routes under the regional air connectivity scheme UDAN.The scheme UDAN (Ude Desh Ke Aam Naagrik), seeks to boost regional air connectivity and provides various incentives to airlines.

 ii. The fare for a one hour journey of approximately 500 kilometre on a fixed wing aircraft or for a 30 minute journey on a helicopter will be capped at two thousand 500 rupees under the scheme. 

India, UAE to hold 1st strategic dialogue in New Delhi

i.Ahead of the visit of the UAE crown prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan , who will be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day function this year, India UAE is scheduled to hold their first strategic dialogue in New Delhi.

ii.The two countries have been moving closer for security, counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing and trade and during this visit of the Crown Prince , India and UAE will also be looking to boost economic ties. Indians are the largest expatriate community in UAE comprising of nearly 20% of its migrant population.

PM Narendra Modi inaugurates second Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi

i.Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the second edition of Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi . 

ii.The conference has been organized by the Ministry of External Affairs and Delhi based prestigious think tank Observer Research Foundation.The theme of the three day conference is “The New Normal: Multilateralism in a multipolar world”. 

iii.More than 250 participants from 65 countries attended the flagship geo-political conference.

Govt inks MoU with National Yuva Cooperative Society  to set up 1,000 Janaushadhi Kendras

i.The government has signed an agreement with the National Yuva Cooperative Society to set up 1,000 Janaushadhi Kendras across the country and targets to open such medical stores in every block and gram panchayat to provide quality medicines at an affordable price.

ii.At present, 750 Janaushadhi Kendras, providing more than 600 medicines and 150 medical devices, are operational and the target is to open 3,000 by end of this fiscal for achieving health safety, Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Ananth Kumar stated.

Centre releases Rs 2,207cr to J&K as special assistance during current financial year

i.Centre has sanctioned over 2,207 crore rupees to Jammu and Kashmir as special assistance during current financial year to expedite completion of area-specific schemes. 

ii.This includes over 1093 crore rupees for permanent restoration of damaged structure in the state. 

10th Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) Begins in Jaipur

i.The 10th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) was inaugurated  Jaipur Literature Festival at the historic Diggi Palace, Jaipur, Rajasthan jointly by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, veteran lyricist Gulzar, American poet Anne Waldman and spiritual writer Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev.

ii. The theme of the 10th edition of JLF is The Freedom to Dream India at 70. JLF is considered as the ‘Greatest Literary Show on Earth’The five day event would see the participation by over 250 authors, thinkers, politicians, popular culture icons, speakers, connoisseurs, book lovers among others.

Entrepreneurship Development Scheme inaugurated in Mizoram

i.Mizoram Chief Secretary Lalmalsawma inaugurated the Entrepreneurship Development Scheme (EDS) under the New Economic Development Policy (NEDP).

ii. Lalmalsawma stated that state government gave high priority to entrepreneurship development and has allocated Rs two crore under the NEDP during the current fiscal.

Suresh Prabhu unveils Mission 41k energy plan for Railways

i.Indian railways, minister Suresh Prabhu unveiled Mission 41k, a plan that would save Rs 41,000 crore over 10 years through an integrated energy management system, reported Livemint.

ii.In this initiative, railways will electrify 24,000 km of rail tracks over the next five years by doubling the annual rate of electrification from 2,000 km to 4,000 km in the next two years.

9.2 lakh cr rupees remonetised till date:RBI

i.RBI Governor Urjit Patel appeared before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance and briefed the panel about government's recent decision to demonetise high value currency.

 ii.Mr. Patel informed the committee, headed by Congress leader Veerappa Moily that 9.2 lakh crore rupees in new currency has been introduced in the system after the decision. 

World Bank Sanctions Rs 1,376 Cr For Tripura Power Upgradation

i.Washington based World Bank has sanctioned Rs 1,376 crore for upgradations and improvement of the Tripura power system network on  This was announced by Tripura’s power minister Manik Dey.

ii.The Power Upgradation project is divided into 5 phases. SPML Infra Ltd has got the contract of the first phase with the budget of  Rs 461 crore .A large number of 132 KV and 33 KV substations will be constructed and upgraded under the project across Tripura.

Lloyd’s Gets Final Approval from IRDAI to Open First Branch in India

i.London’s insurance giant Lloyd has received the final approval from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) on to set up its first branch in India.

ii.The specialist insurance and reinsurance company would open its first branch office in India before April 2017 and will be located at Mumbai. Lloyd’s will bring expertise and specialist capacity to India’s insurance market and work in partnership with local insurance businesses to develop innovative solutions that meet the unique needs of the growing economy.

Delhi Police commissioner Alok Verma appointed next CBI chief

A 3-member committee headed by PM Modi selected Alok Kumar Verma as next CBI chief for a period of 2 years. Verma, a 1979-batch IPS officer, has been Delhi Police chief for the last 11 months. Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana was acting as CBI's interim director

Alibaba Becomes Worldwide Sponsor of Olympic Games through 2028

 i.The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Chinese e-commerce firm Alibaba Group entered into a long-term partnership through 2028  at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. This makes Alibaba the worldwide sponsor of Olympic Games through 2028.

ii. The partnership was agreed between IOC President Thomas Bach, Alibaba Group Founder and Executive Chairman Jack Ma and Alibaba Group Chief Executive Officer Daniel Zhang.

 iii.With this Alibaba has become the first company in the world to make a long-term commitment to the IOC through 2028 as well as first Chinese company to commit to the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. 

Punjab Royals bagged ProWrestling League Season 2 title

i.Punjab Royals have bagged the Pro Wrestling League Season 2 title. 

ii.In the summit clash in New Delhi, the Punjab team beat Haryana Hammers 5-4.Punjab reigned supreme with their foreign imports Vladimir Khinchegashvili, Vasilisa Marzaliuk and Ilias Bekbukatov, besides India's Nirmla and Jitendra doing the damage in the crucial ties of the day. 

iii.Haryana, who had remained undefeated in the tournament, thus failed to cross the last hurdle.

21/01/2017

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.

 

22/01/2017

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 

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