DAILY GK BANKERS ADDA -- 11TH TO 20TH FEBRUARY 2017

11/02/2017

 

Govt clears single exam for engineering and architecture across India from 2018

Admission to all engineering colleges in the country will be done through a single entrance examination from next year (2018), the government stated doing away with multiple tests conducted by central agencies, state governments and private institutions. A single test for engineering, as well as architecture courses, will be on lines of the National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test (NEET), a single, all-India test for entry to medical and dental colleges launched in 2016.However, students seeking admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) will have to clear the JEE-Advanced after taking the engineering entrance exam.The human resource development ministry cleared a proposal by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the country’s top body which frames rules and regulations for engineering and technical institutes.

By June, 2017 govt aims to link 5.58 lakh ration shops with Aadhaar

The government stated that it would make 5.58 lakh ration shops Aadhaar-enabled by June 30, 2017 adding that it would not force it on the people and request those who chose to stay out, to come and join the platform. This follows a Food Ministry notification making Aadhaar mandatory for food subsidies from February 8, and asking those not enrolled to do so by June 30, 2017.

Ananth Kumar Inaugurates Orientation Programme for Launching of 1000 PMBJKs

The Union Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Ananthkumar inaugurated the Orientation Programme for the district heads of National Yuva Cooperative Society (NYCS) in New Delhi to launch the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) in the country.The workshop was organized based upon the MoU signed earlier between Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) and NYCS for establishing 1000 PMBJKs in the country. The basic details regarding the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) were laid down during the workshop for the effectiveness of the scheme.

Andhra Pradesh Government constitutes 33 member committee for Sagarmala Project

A 33 member committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of Andhra Pradesh’s Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for the speedy implementation of the Sagarmala Project in Andhra Pradesh. Sagarmala project aims to improve the state’s  coastline and inland waterways.The committee will be responsible for overseeing the entire project and will bring together all the concerned departments and review their work on a daily basis for timely completion of the project. A nodal officer has also been appointed from every department who would represent the department.

Piyush Goyal Launches TAMRA Portal and Mobile Application for Transparency in Statutory Clearances for Mining Operations 

The Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal launched the TAMRA (Transparency, Auction Monitoring and Resource Augmentation) portal and Mobile Application in New Delhi. TAMRA Portal and Mobile Application aims to enhance the transparency and  Piyush Goyalaccountability in the mining sector as a part of the Ease of Doing Business. The initiative will speed up mining activity in India and enable all the stakeholders to track the status of the statutory clearances associated with mining blocks for getting mines to reach till operationalization for the same.

World’s first Braille Atlas for visually impaired persons Launched by NATMO in New Delhi

The Union Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Harsh Vardhan released the world’s first comprehensive Braille atlas for nearly 50 lakh visually challenged people in New Delhi, India.This is for the first time that such atlas has been prepared for physically challenged with such minute details. The Braille Atlas has been prepared by National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organisation (NATMO) under Department of Science & Technology.

The Braille atlas has 20 maps on different themes like physical, socio-economic, river system, crops pattern, natural vegetation, cultural, metropolitan areas, roads and railways, soil types and crops.

Industrial production contracts 0.4% in December, 2016 following demonetization

Industrial output fell 0.4% in the month of December, 2016 from a year 2015, driven down by a contraction in consumer and capital goods production. It fell 0.4% in December, 2016 as per the data release by the government.

Task force set up to check tax evasion by deviant shell firms

In the latest move to curb tax evasion, the government has set up a task force to monitor actions of deviant shell companies. The setting up of the task force, under the co-chairmanship of revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia and corporate affairs secretary Tapan Ray, followed a meeting held in Prime Minister’s Office to review the functioning of shell companies to prevent their misuse for money laundering and tax-evasion, especially post-demonetisation.

GMR Hyderabad Airport bags CAPA award

GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd, which operates Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, has won the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) Chairman’s Order of Merit for its focus on environmental sustainability and becoming the first airport in Asia Pacific to become carbon neutral.Airports Council International (ACI) has certified Hyderabad International Airport with Level 3+ Neutrality under its Airport Carbon Accreditation programme.

Govt. appoints IAS officer Ajay Tyagi as SEBI chief for 5 years

Senior Finance Ministry official Ajay Tyagi has appointed as chairman of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).  He will succeed U K Sinha, whose extended tenure ends on 01st March 2017. Tyagi, a 1984 batch IAS officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre, is at present Additional Secretary (Investment) in the Department of Economic Affairs and handles capital market, among others.The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved Tyagi's appointment for a period not exceeding five years or till the age of  65 years.

India Proposes Global Services Accord Pact to WTO Chief Azevedo

. India presented the proposed Trade Facilitation in Services (TFS) Agreement to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director General Roberto Azevedo and India Inc. in an event organized by Confederation of Indian Industry in New Delhi. The global pact proposed by India to boost services trade at the WTO-level aims to ease norms including those relating to movement of foreign skilled workers and professionals across borders for short-term work.

China releases theme for BRICS Summit 2017

2017 BRICS association of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to be held in Xiamen, China in September 2017.The summit will be held under the theme “BRICS: Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future,” state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

.It will also feature five key priorities such as deepening cooperation, strengthening global governance, carrying out people-to-people exchanges, making institutional improvements and building broader partnerships.The BRICS comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

UNO ropes in Satinder Sartaaj for campaign against trafficking

Folk singer from Punjab Satinder Sartaaj has been selected for the awareness project against human trafficking 'Blue Heart Campaign' by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The 34-year-old artist has collaborated with other celebrated Indian musicians like AR Rahman and Sonu Nigam in this drive to spread awareness about the illegal practice through 'Music to Inspire' album.

Nokia to acquire Finnish telecom software company Comptel for $371 million

Finland multinational communications and information technology company Nokia announced to buy telecoms software firm Comptel for 347 million euros ($371 million). 

The aim of the acquisition to help phone carriers manage their networks as mobile andmore and more rely on software to improve their networks.

Sudarsan Pattnaik creates Guinness World Record by creating 48.8 feet tall sand castle

Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has created a Guinness World Record by creating a 48.8 feet tall sand castle at Puri beach in Odisha. The record-breaking sculpture was built with a message of world peace, and featured sculptures of Mahatma Gandhi, Gautama Buddha and Nelson Mandela. Patnaik achieved the rare feat in four days. The previous record holder, an American, had completed his art of 45.10 feet in seven days.

MRI pioneer and Nobel laureate Sir Peter Mansfield passes away at 83

UK physicist and Nobel laureate Sir Peter Mansfield  has died. He was 83. Peter led a team of experts who revolutionised science and worked on MRI scans. He had won the Nobel prize for Physiology or Medicine for developing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 2003.

Sports Ministry Launches Mission XI Million in New Delhi

The Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Vijay Goyal launched the Mission XI Million, the biggest school sport outreach programme, in New Delhi in the presence of President of AIFF Shri Praful Patel.The programme has been launched with an aim to make football a sport of choice in India and encourage children to play the football games on regular basis.

I&B Team win inter-ministry Hockey tournament 2016-17

The inter-ministry Hockey tournament 2016 - 17 was held at Central Secretariat Ground Vinay Marg, New Delhi. The final match played between I & B Ministry and Ministry of Health. I&B Team won the final match by three goals to Nil. All the Ministry teams participated in the race for the cup. M.L. Sharma, Chandan Singh, Kuldeep Singh were the scrorer.Most entertaining player Chandan Singh was declared Player of the match.

12/02/2017

Neelu Rohmetra is the first woman to be appointed director of an IIM at Sirmaur

The government recently appointed heads of 10 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), including the first woman to head one of the 20 premier B-schools in the country.The IIMs that got new directors are in Bodhgaya (Bihar), Sirmaur (Himachal Pradesh), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Trichy (Tamil Nadu), Nagpur (Maharashtra), Sambalpur (Odisha), Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Rohtak (Haryana), Ranchi (Jharkhand) and Bangalore.Prof Neelu Rohmetra of Jammu University is the first woman to be appointed director of an IIM at Sirmaur. She specialises in HRD and cross-culture management. 

NPCI launches BHIM App on iOS platform

After its successful launch on Android, the Bharat Interface for Money, or BHIM, an app, has been finally launched on the iOS platform. 

With its debut on iOS, it is currently supporting over 35 banks and is currently available in Hindi and English, unlike the Android version which supports other regional languages as well.BHIM app on iOS also has a limit of Rs10,000 per transaction and Rs20,000 in a day for transfers through the bank account. 

US, Japan successfully intercept missile in space

The US and Japanese military have successfully tested the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA missile defence system by intercepting a medium-range ballistic missile target in space for the first time.The missile was launched from a ship off the west coast of Hawaii, US. 

The US Missile Defence Agency said that the defence system met each of its primary objectives.

Grammy Awards to include first-ever transgender ‘trophy girl’

The three trophy handlers at the ceremony are transgender model Martina Robledo; model and actor Derek Marrocco, and model and actress Hollin Haley. The ceremony host is James Corden.The 59th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony will be held on February 12, 2017.


ISRO set to launch record 104 satellites on 15 February

The PSLV, in its 39th flight (PSLV-C37), will launch the 714kg Cartosat-2 series satellite for earth observation along with 103 co-passenger satellites, together weighing about 664kg at lift-off. PSLV-C37/Cartosat-2 Series Satellite Mission is scheduled to be launched on February 15, 2017 at 9.28 hours IST from SDSC SHAR Sriharikota. The co-passenger satellites comprise 101 nano- satellites, one each from Israel, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and 96 from United States of America (USA), as well as two from India. The two Indian nano-satellites are Isro’s INS-1A and INS-1B.

National productivity week celebrations to begin from 12th February

Every year 12th to 18th of February is celebrated as the National Productivity Week. This year the theme of week is 'From Waste to Profits-through Reduce, Recycle and Reuse.'

National Productivity Council, an autonomous body under Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion was established on 12th February in 1958.
The objective of Council is to stimulate and promote productivity and quality consciousness across all sectors in the country.


Jiro Taniguchi, legend in Japan's comic art of manga, dies at 69

Jiro Taniguchi, a legend in Japan's comic art of manga, died at the age of 69.
Taniguchi achieved an international following with works such as The Walking Man, The Summit of the Gods and The Magic Mountain, hailed for exquisite line drawing and intricately-constructed landscapes.


India beat Pakistan by 9 wickets to win T20 Blind World Cup 2017 

India beat Pakistan by 9-wickets to win T20 Blind World Cup at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Successfully defending their title in the T20 Blind World Cup, India achieved the victory target of 198-runs in the 18th over in the final of the tournament.Man-of-the-match was Prakash Jayaramaiah. Man-of-the-series Badar Munir was the top-scorer for Pakistan. 

13/02/2017

 

PM Narendra Modi extends greetings on World Radio Day 2017

Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his greetings on the World Radio Day on 13 February 2017. Terming radio as “a wonderful way to interact, learn & communicate”, the PM stated.  The theme for the 2017 edition of World Radio Day is 'Radio is You'.World Radio Day is observed every year on February 13 to celebrate radio as a forum for entertainment and information, as a bridge of communication for remote communities and its role in empowering people. In 2011, the Unesco General Conference had proclaimed February 13 as World Radio Day, the day United Nations Radio was established in 1946. Radio is the most prevalent mass medium, with the ability to reach up to 95 percent of the world’s population.

National Women’s Parliament begins in Andhra Pradesh

The three-day National Women’s Parliament, being organised by Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly with the theme of ‘Empowering Women - Strengthening Democracy’, began  in the state capital region Amaravati. The vision of NWP is to enable and encourage social, political and economic empowerment of women in all strata of the society.One of the objectives of NWP is to generate new ideas, concepts, theories and ideologies for women empowerment.An ‘International Woman Icon of the World’ award and 12 best young achievers awards for women in different fields will be presented at the NWP.

MRPL launches skill development centre

Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) launched a skill development centre (Kaushal Vikas Kendra) in Mangaluru. Speaking at the alunch programme, H Kumar, Managing Director of MRPL stated that the centre will train 60 youths in areas such as ‘industrial electrician’ and ‘CNC operator-turning’. He also stated that all expenses, including food, lodging, tutorial expenses, will be borne by MRPL Kaushal Vikas Kendra. MRPL has got the approval to launch a start-up fund of ₹10 crore, which will be used to support the new ventures and start-ups. At another function, Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP from Dakshina Kannada, launched the smoke-free village campaign of MRPL. As a part of oil and gas conservation month, MRPL has identified villages under four panchayats in its surroundings to make them smoke-free.Under this campaign, families in the below poverty level category are identified and given free LPG kits and gas stoves. MRPL will bear the cost of the gas kit and the gas stove provided to these beneficiaries. In the first phase, the company distributed free LPG kits to nearly 200 families from Soorinje and Chelaru village panchayats.

Second edition of International Spice Conference Begins at Thiruvanantapuram

The second edition of the International Spice Conference began at Kovalam in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala from February 12, 2017.The three days conference has been hosted by All India Spices Exporters Forum (AISEF) in association with the Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The conference was inaugurated by the Nestle India Limited Chairman and Managing director Suresh Narayanan. The theme of the conference is '21st Century Spic Industry-Disrupt or be Disrupted' the main aim of the event is to deliberate on effective strategies and innovative technologies to improve the livelihood of spice farmers, address spice industry challenges, food safety concern, demand supply disparity and foster sustainable growth.

Government Approves Setting Rs. 6,831 crore Electronics Development Fund 

The centre has approved setting up the Electronic Development Fund Tele communication Ministerwith a total corpus of Rs. 6,831 crore to support entrepreneurship and innovation in electronics and IT.The Minister of Law and IT, Ravi Shankar Prasad approved a seed capital of Rs 681 crore on the basis of which more venture capital will be raised.The Electronic Development Fund will help to contribute to various other funds under it forthose who invest the money in companies for creation of intellectual property rights in the field of electronics and IT.

FSSAI sets up panel to finalise laws on food fortification

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has set up a 11 member scientific panel to frame final regulations on fortification of foods and prepare strategies to address malnutrition problem.Fortification means deliberately adding or increasing the content of essential micro nutrients in food items to improve quality.The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has already issued the draft guidelines on fortification for five food items including salt, milk, wheat flour, rice and edible oil to boost production and consumption of fortified foods.

Sandeep Jajodia appointed Assocham president

Monnet Ispat & Energy Ltd. CMD Sandeep Jajodia has been appointed the new president of industry chamber Assocham. Balkrishan Goenka, Chairman, Welspun Group and Kiran Kumar Grandhi, vice-chairman of GMR Infrastructure Ltd, have taken over as senior vice-president and vice-president respectively. Assocham will continue to play a transformational role both nationally and globally and the chamber will empower Indian enterprises by focusing on the most critical and relevant issues in a highly impact-oriented manner stated Jajodia who took over from Sunil Kanoria former President of ASSOCHAM

Narinder Chauhan appointed as Ambassador of India to the Republic of Philippines

Former IFS officer Narinder Chauhan  has been appointed as the next Ambassador of lndia to the Republic of the Philippines .Currently Narinder is working as the Ambassador of lndia to the Republic of Serbia.

Diego Maradona Gets Ambassador Role at FIFA.

The FIFA governing body has named Argentina’s former soccer player Diego Maradona as the new Ambassador of the FIFA .The 56 year old will have major role in FIFA’s activities to promote the game across the globe and will also be be involved in relevant development projects. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association is the international governing body of association football, futsal, and beach soccer. President is Gianni Infantino and Headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland

Yo-Yo Ma and his ensemble win Best World Music Grammy

 Cello virtuoso Yo-Yo Ma won a Grammy with his Silk Road Ensemble for Sing Me Home, an exploration of the musical connections across Eurasia.The French-born Chinese American cellist had previously won an impressive 17 Grammys, but his latest is his first for Best World Music Album.Ma set up The Silk Road Ensemble to bring together musicians from the historic route that connected the Middle East and Asia, in hopes both of finding artistic commonalities and furthering the cause of intercultural understanding.

BAFTA 2017: La La Land takes 5 trophies, Dev Patel wins for Lion

Director Damien Chazelle’s musical 'La La Land' continued its award dominance by taking five trophies, including the best film and best actress for Emma Stone, at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards , which also recognised British-Indian star Dev Patel in the best supporting actor category for 'Lion'.'La La Land', which also won Chazelle a best director Bafta, is expected to sustain its momentum at the Oscars on February 26 where it has scored a record 14 nominations.

Eminent journalist and Laughter Persona Pandit Dharmsheel Chaturvedi Dies 

The eminent thinker, writer and journalist Pandit Dharmsheel Chaturvedi passed away. The Hindi Kavi Pt. Dharmsheel Chaturvedi was considered ‘Swayam Mein Benaras’ means ‘Banaras in Himslef’ in elite circle.

Jiro Taniguchi, a Japanese manga legend Dies at 69

Jiro Taniguchi, a Japanese manga writer died in Tokyo on February 11, 2017. He was 69.

Taniguchi began his career as an assistant to the artist Kyota Ishikawa.His own first piece of manga was published in the year 1970 named 'A Desiccated Summer'.Taniguchi first shot to fame in Japan at the end of the 1980s with the first volume of 'The Times of Botchan'

Ravichandran Ashwin Becomes Fastest Bowler To Claim 250 Wickets

Indian off-spin specialist Ravichandran Ashwin became the fastest cricketer to take 250 wickets in Test matches. He achieved this feat in his 45th test match against Bangladesh on 12 February 2017, when he dismissed captain of Bangladesh team Mushfiqur Rahim at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium in Hyderabad.Ashwin surpassed Australian fast bowler Dennis Keith Lillee, who played 48 matches to reach the milestone of 250 Test wicket.

NBA & Take Two to Launch NBA 2K E-League

The National Basketball Association (NBA), an American professional basketball league is creating a brand new e-sports league called NBA 2K e-League in partnership with Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., the developers of the popular NBA 2K video games.This is the first time that a professional sports organization will operate an e-sports league. The competitive gaming league will be launched in 2018.

14/02/2017

11th International Aero India 2017 to begin at Yelahanka in Bengaluru

The 11th International Aerospace and Defence Exhibition - Aero India 2017 will begin at the Air Force Station, Yelahanka in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
The five-day biennial event is being organized by Defence Exhibition Organisation (DEO). Nearly 270 Indian and 279 foreign companies will take part in the expo.
 Surya Kiran Aerobatics team of the Indian Air Force will display 500th public show since its formation in 1996. Aircraft from different parts of the world and India could be seen at the base, waiting to enthral the crowds.
 Fighter aircraft manufacturers like Lockheed Martin, SAAB, Dassault Aviation, BAE and others are setting up stalls where they will showcase their products. 72 aircraft will participate in airshow.

I-T dept issues refunds of Rs 1.42 cr this fiscal; 41.5% higher than last year, 2016

The income tax department has issued refunds of 1.42 lakh crore rupees so far this fiscal. It is 41.5 per cent higher than last year, 2016. The centralised processing centre of the tax department has already processed over 4.19 crore income tax returns and issued over 1.62 crore refunds during the current financial year. Finance Ministry in a release stated that, 92% of the refunds issued are below 50 thousand rupees, due to the high priority given to expeditious issue of refunds to small taxpayers. It stated that, only 2% of refunds less than 50 thousand rupees remain to be issued. The Ministry said that 92% of all I-T returns were processed within 60 days. 

Thailand seeks India’s partnership in pharma, bio-tech

Thailand is seeking India’s cooperation in a number of sectors, such as aerospace, automation, medical devices, pharmaceutical, bio-technology and IT/ITes, as it strives to transform into a value-based economy.The Thailand Board of Investment, which has invited 2,500 investors from across countries to its mega seminar Opportunity Thailand 2017 this week, is especially interested in investments from India, an official from the thai government has stated.The India-Thailand Free Trade Agreement being considered by the two countries could play a big role in boosting trade and investments.

India’s first floating elementary school inaugurated on Manipur’s Loktak Lake

India’s first floating elementary school particularly for drop outs has been inaugurated on Loktak lake at Langolsabi Leikai of Champu Khangpok floating village in Manipur on the occasion of World Wetlands Day on February 2, 2017.The school named as Loktak Elementary Floating School has been opened under an  floating elementary schoolinitiative of All Loktak Lake Fishermen’s Union, Manipur (ALLAFUM) with the support of NGO, People’s Resources Development Association (PRDA) under a programme of Action Aid India.

Bill Passed in Karnataka Assembly to allow ‘Kambala’

The Karnataka assembly unanimously passed the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2017 to legalize the conduct of 'Kambala' and bullock cart races in Karnataka.The Bill seeks to amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, (Central Act 59 of 1960) and exempt the two sports from the ambit of the Act keeping in mind their traditional nature and also to protect native breeds of buffaloes.The bill states that the traditional sports events of 'Kambala' and 'Bulls race or Bullock cart race' plays significant role in preserving and promoting traditions and culture among the people in the state.

Be friends with condom: AHF on International Condoms Day

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) celebrated its annual International Condoms Day on 13 February 2017 in a unique style to raise awareness about HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).The event themed 'Always in Fashion' gave it a sartorial prominence and promoted the idea that condoms were not some alien rubber, but crucial for safety during sex.A 40-feet inflatable condom-shaped balloon was also installed at Central Park in Connaught Place, on which public was encouraged to sign and endorse condom use

National Career Services (NCS) and Jeevan Praman Facility for EPFO Pensioners Launched in Hyderabad Post Office

The Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya launched the National Career Service (NCS) for youths and Jeevan Praman facility to EPFO pensioners through Post Offices at DakSadan in Hyderabad.The Post Offices will serve as an Employment Registration Centres for Unemployed rural youth on behalf of the 'National Career Service' Portal where youths can register themselves for employment in 1,55,000 post offices established across the country for over 3000 occupations offered under 52 sectors in NCS

MEA & Gateway House Co-Hosts 2nd Gateway of India Geoeconomic Dialogue 

The Ministry of External Affairs and Gateway House are co-hosting the Second Gateway of India Geoeconomic Dialogue from February 13-14, 2017 in Mumbai.The theme of the conference is 'Where Geopolitics meets Business'.This is India’s premier geo-economics conference with the focus on building synergies between business and foreign policy

Sachin Tendulkar adopts another village for transformation

After transforming the lives of villagers in Puttamraju Kandriga in Andhra Pradesh, Indian cricket icon and Rajya Sabha MP Sachin Tendulkar is now set to adopt Donja in Osmanabad (Maharashtra) under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojna.Tendulkar has sanctioned over Rs 4 crore from his MPLAD fund for development of Donja.

GNFC township becomes India’s first cashless Township

India’s first cashless township “Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers and Chemicals (GNFC) township”was inaugurated by Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani.  Nearly 10,000 residents in GNFC have embraced various digital mode of payments instead of cash.In the township, residents are making cashless payments at shopping centres, schools, colleges, hospital, stadium, laundry and even at tea stalls.

Government to launch Indradhanush 2.0 for Recapitalization of PSBs

Union Government has decided to launch ‘Indradhanush 2.0’ for recapitalisation of public sector lenders so that the banks remain solvent and fully comply with the global capital adequacy norms namely Basel-III.The Indradhanush 2.0 programme will be finalised by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) after completion of Asset Quality Review (AQR) being undertaken and is likely to be completed by end of March 2017.Asset Quality Review is being undertaken to recognize the top defaulting accounts as Non-Performing Assets (NPA) and make adequate provisions for them as they have negative impact on banks and their stocks.Post AQR, revised programme of capitalisation will be also issued as part of ‘Indradhanush 2.0.Earlier in 2015, under Indradhanush roadmap, the government had announced to infuse Rs 70,000 crore for recapitalization in state-run banks over four years while the banks had to raise a further Rs 1.1 lakh crore from the markets to meet their capital requirement in line with global risk norms known as Basel-III.

INS Sarvekshak Becomes India’s First Ship to be Installed with Solar Power System

Indian Navy’s survey class vessel INS Sarvekshak has become the first ship in India to be fitted with solar power system on board.The ship has been equipped with 18 sheets of solar panel of 300 Watt which is capable of generating 5.4 kW power.

Reliance Defence Signs Master Ship Repair Agreement with US Navy

The Reliance Defence and Engineering Ltd (RDEL) has signed a Master Ship Repair Agreement (MSRA) with US Navy  to perform repair and alteration services for US Navy’s Seventh Fleet vessels.The Reliance Infrastructure Ltd (RInfra) controlled RDEL will perform complex repair and alternation services for the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet vessels operating in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean.The Reliance Shipyard was qualified by US Navy as an approved contractor to perform complex repair for the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet vessels in January 2017.Reliance Shipyard at Pipavav, Gujarat is the first shipyard in India to have received MSRA Certification to undertake servicing and repairing works for the vessels of Seventh Fleet.

L&T and MBDA Missile Systems Forms JV to Develop Missiles in India

Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T), an Engineering and construction major has entered into a Joint Venture with European defence major MBDA Missile Systems.The main aim of the JV is development of missiles in India under the Make in India initiative while procuring the missile systems from abroad.As per the agreement, L&T will own 51 percent stake in the JV named L&T MBDA Missile Systems while the rest 49% the European partner.L&T is targeting an annual turnover of Rs 10,000 crore from the JV by 2021.

Ruchi Soya ties up with Patanjali

India's leading agri and FMCG company Ruchi Soya Industries Ltd has signed an agreement with Baba Ramdev-promoted Patanjali Ayurved Ltd for physical refining and packaging of edible oils. The agreement is valid initially for three years. As per the agreement, Ruchi Soya Industries would process the crude oil provided by Patanjali Ayurved and pack the refined oil as per their specifications.

New bird species found in Nepal

A Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush has been spotted in the high mountainous region of Nepal by Friends of Nature (FoN) reasearchers and then confirmed by the bird experts Carol Inskipp and Hem Sagar Baral.Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush is considered an autumn passage migrant bird species in Pakistan and India.With this the total number of avian species in the Himalayan country to 866. 

Longest elevated cycle path in the world opens in China

The world’s longest elevated cycle path has been opened in Xiamen, China which can handle about 2,023 cyclists with a speed limit of 15 miles per hour.The path is five miles long and 16 feet wide having 11 entrances and connects to 11 bus stops and two underground rail stations.The architecture firm responsible is Copenhagen-based firm Dissing + Weitling, known for the creation of the Danish Bicycle Snake cycle route.

Frank Walter Steinmeier Elected New President of Germany

Germany’s former Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier has been elected as the new President of Germany.The 61-year old won by 931 votes out of 1,239 valid votes cast by the members of the Federal Assembly.He is due to take office as the 12th Federal President of Germany on 19 March 2017.Steinmeier, a member of the Social Democratic party will succeed incumbent President Joachim Gauck who will step down on March 18, 2017 at the age of 77.

US National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigns over his contacts with Russia

In the United States, National Security Adviser Michael Flynn has resigned over his contacts with Russia. Mr Flynn is alleged to have discussed US sanctions with the Russian Ambassador before President Donald Trump took office.

Maiden ITTF World Tour event in India to kick of in New Delhi

The first ever ITTF World Tour event in India will begin at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex in New Delhi. The 1.5 lakh US dollar India Open also happens to be the biggest ever ITTF event in terms of prize money. But despite the rewards on offer, a majority of the top international table tennis stars have given the competition a miss. Overall, 80 players have confirmed their participation, 52 in the men's section and 28 in the women's section.

Dutch Women Germaine De Randamie crowned first UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion

Netherland native Germaine de Randamie defeated Holly Holm (7-3) to claim the UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion at the UFC 208 in Brooklyn, New York .The featherweight division was newly introduced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 2016.

Joe Root Becomes New Test Captain of England 

 The England and Wales Cricket Board named Joe Root as England’s Test captain who will take over Alastair Cook. Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes has been named as the vice-captain.Alastair Cook resigned on February 6, 2017 after captaining England for four and a half years in 59 Tests.

15/02/2017

PSLV-C37 carrying CARTOSAT-2 series earth observation satellite lifts off from Sriharikota: ISRO

PSLV-C37 carrying CARTOSAT-2 series earth observation satellite and 103 nano satellites has lifted off from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

PSLV-C37 successfully placed in orbit India’s CARTOSAT-2 series satellite and two other satellites.India successfully launched record 104 satellites, including CARTOSAT-2 series weather observation satellite, in a single mission onboard PSLV-C37 rocket.

Haryana govt imposes curbs on liquor consumption

Haryana government has notified that no person will be allowed to consume liquor at a place which is not licensed or authorized under the Punjab Excise Act, 1914 except his dwelling unit. Giving this information, Excise and Taxation Minister, Capt. Abhimanyu stated at Chandigarh that the consumption of liquor in a vehicle running or parked, along the road or in a park/garden/market or a river side etc. shall be an offence. 

Harsh Vardhan to inaugurate International Conference on NexGen Technologies for Mining, Fuel Industries

Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan will inaugurate the International Conference on NexGen Technologies for Mining and Fuel Industries in New Delhi .The three day conference will cover areas like Innovative ming technology for sustainable development and advances in mine design mine planning recent advancement in drilling and blasting. The conference, organized by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry will take place at Vigyan Bhawan.

International Coin Fair Begins in Thiruvananthapuram

The International Coin Fair was inaugurated at Kanakakunnu Palace in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala by the Kerala state Minister for Tourism, Cooperation and Devaswoms Kadakampally Surendran.The three day exhibiton 13-15 February, 2017 has been organized by the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC).The exhibition has been organized to showcase more than 2,500 coins from around 500 regions including those from the time of empires and princely states.It would also feature the collection of Justin Gilbert Lopez who holds a Guinness world record for the largest coin collection of nearly 310 countries.

Centre Allocates Rs. 500 crore to India Post Payments Bank for FY18

Government has allocated an amount of Rs 500 crore to India Post Payments Bank for the financial year 2017-18 to help it in setting up 650 branches across country by September 2017.As per Output-Outcome Framework for Schemes 2017-18 for the Department of Posts released that out of the allocated amount, Rs. 125 crore has been allocated as capital infusion into corporate entity for India Post Payments Bank” and Rs 375 crore as grant in aid to India Post Payments Bank (IPPB).Besides, Rs 110.83 crore has been allocated for establishing e-commerce, parcel booking, international business centres, Rs 73.5 crore for estates management, Rs 32 crore for mail operations and Rs 17.7 crore for equipments and IT infrastructure in rural post offices.Apart from this, government has allocated Rs 3.8 crore for setting up 246 offices and 200 outlets for providing better access to communication and financial services.

Nomura Projects India’s GDP at 5.7 % in January-March quarter, 2017

According to the global financial services major Nomura, the GDP growth of India is estimated to remain low at 5.7% in the January-March quarter due to the effect of demonetization of high value currency.Nomura expects the economic growth to slow from 7.3% GDP growth in the July-September 2016 to 6% in the October-December 2016 quarter and further to 5.7% in the first quarter of 2017 ending March 2017. However, the growth is also expected to recover after the first quarter of 2017 due to remonetization and wealth redistribution.

UNESCOs Nature Fest held in Himachal Pradesh

France based UNESCO organised the two-day Nature Fest at the World Heritage Site Great Himalayan National Park (GNHP) at Sairopa in Kullu district in the state of Himachal Pradesh.The festival was organised in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and would be attended by prominent conservationists.A media workshop held on the sidelines and Discussion on nature conservation to discuss various aspects of environmental journalism.

Catholic Syrian Bank’s ‘name and shame’ campaign starts paying dividends

The ‘name and shame campaign’ initiated by Catholic Syrian Bank Employees and Retirees against wilful defaulters in Kerala seems to have started paying dividends.Of the 30 defaulters identified by the bank with dues of more than Rs50 lakh each, 10 borrowers have already approached the bank with settlement proposals, following dharnas organised at 20 locations in the State.According to EJ Kurien, DGM in charge of Asset Recovery, the bank has already received firm assurance for payments worth Rs25 crore from defaulters.The bank is now looking at getting these accounts closed before March. However, non-availability of adequate cash with the borrowers post demonetisation is posing a challenge, he stated.The benefit derived from the campaign is that the bank has succeeded in sending a strong message to defaulters not to avoid loan repayments.

IDFC Asset Management Company launches Open-Ended Fixed Income Fund

IDFC Asset Management Company launched an open-ended fixed income fund  named Credit Opportunities Fund in Mumbai which is expected to raise the revenue of the company in the range of Rs 300 crore-500 crore within the NFO period itself.A new fund offer (NFO) is the first time subscription offer for a new scheme launched by the asset management companies (AMCs). A new fund offer is launched in the market to raise capital from the public in order to buy securities like shares, govt. bonds etc. from the market.The Credit Opportunities Fund will open for subscription on February 14, 2017 and close on February 27, 2017. It will reopen for continuous sale and repurchase from March 6, 2017.The new fund scheme aims to optimise the higher risk associated with the credit fund category.

World Bank Group to conduct training programmes for NBFCs

International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group, has teamed up with Finance Industry Development Council (FIDC) to conduct training programmes for Non Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs).The training programmes will be on 'movable asset financing' and 'commercial credit reporting'. For this purpose, two engagement letters have been signed between IFC and FIDC, a representative body for NBFCs, especially those engaged in asset financing.Such programmes are expected to enhance the awareness, expertise and professionalism of NBFCs, especially the large number of small and medium sized NBFCs catering to the credit needs in rural and semi-urban areas.These training programmes would be conducted at various centres across the country under the guidance of leading consultants from the World Bank Group.

Nilesh Shivji Vikamsey appointed new President of ICAI

Nilesh Shivji Vikamsey was elected as the new President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) for the year 2017-18.The 40-member Central Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) also elected Naveen N D Gupta as the Vice-President for the year 2017-18.Prior to this, Vikamsey served as vice-president and has been the member of ICAI since 1985 while Gupta was Chartered Accountant of ICAI for more than 20 years. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) was established under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 passed by the Parliament of India with the objective of regulating accountancy profession in India.The council has 32 elected members and eight are nominated by the Central government

Tehmina Janjua Appointed First Women Foreign Secretary of Pakistan

Pakistani Career diplomat Tehmina Janjua was appointed as the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.She is the first women to be appointed on the post and will serve as the 29th Foreign Secretary of Pakistan. Tehmina Janjua will replace outgoing foreign secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry and assume office in the first week of March 2017.Presently, she was serving as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to  Tehmina Janjua Athe United Nations in Geneva since October 2015.

Veteran Journalist T V Parasuram Passed Away

Former correspondent of the Press Trust of India,  T V Parasuram passed away. He was 93.Parasuram has won a Harvard Niemen Fellowship in journalism. He had served as the correspondent for The Indian Express for two decades.He has authored two books -‘ A Medal for Kashmir’, and ‘Jewish Heritage in India‘

Winning Legendary Jazz Singer Al Jarreau Dies at 76 

Legendary American jazz singer Al Jarreau passed away in Los Angeles. He was 76.Al Jarreau was nicknamed as 'Acrobat of Scat'  for his unique singing style and was best known for his 1981 album 'Breakin’ Away and singing the theme song to the popular 1980’s TV show Moonlighting.

Australia’s Adam Voges Announces Retirement from International Cricket

 Australian cricketer Adam Voges has decided to retire from all formats of international cricket after playing his last match as captain of the team Prime Minister’s XI against Sri Lanka in Canberra.Voges has played only 20 Tests for Australia after debuting at the age of 35 in 2015 and became the oldest debut centurion when he scored an unbeaten 130 against West Indies in Dominica.

Jehan Daruvala wins New Zealand GP, finishes fifth in Toyota series

Jehan Daruvala became the first ever Indian to claim the New Zealand Grand Prix at Jehan Daruvalathe Chris Amon Circuit in Manfeild, New Zealand.With this win, Jehan, a Force India F1 team racing driver, scored 781 points in the Toyota Racing Series having 15-race held in January-February and was placed in fifth position.Australia’s Thomas Randle became the first Australian to win the Toyota Racing Series with 855 points followed by Brazilian Pedro Piquet (850 pts) at second and Dutch driver Richard Verschoor (843) at third.

Mumbai Boy Kush Bhagat Awarded CM Title by World Chess Federation

Mumbai based Kush Bhagat has been awarded the Candidate Master (CM) title by the World Chess Federation body, FIDE on February 14, 2017 for his outstanding performance in Western Asian Youth Chess championship 2016 at UAE. Kush, a second grade student from Hill Spring International School has presented tremendous performances in the past 6 months

16/02/2017

 

Cabinet approves merger of five subsidiary banks with SBI

Cabinet has approved merger of five subsidiary banks with State Bank of India. Briefing reporters in New Delhi , Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has stated that, the merger is likely to result in recurring saving, which is estimated at more than one thousand crore rupees in first year. He said, SBI will acquire State bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Patiala and State Bank of Travancore. Mr Jaitley also said, existing customers of these subsidiary banks will benefit from access to SBI's global network. He said, the move is excepted to strengthen banking sector and improve its efficiency and profitability.

Tamil Nadu Governor appoints Edappadi K Palaniswami as chief minister

Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasagar Rao appointed Edappadi K Palaniswami as chief minister after replacing of o panneerselvam .The governor requested the chief minister designate to seek the vote confidence of the assembly within 15 days.His appointment is in acceptance of the letter of submitted by Palaniswami that he was elected as the leader of the AIADMK  legislature party at a meeting of the party MLAs held.

2-day Global Investor Summit 'Momentum Jharkhand' begins in Ranchi

A two-day mega event of Global Investor Summit, branded as "Momentum Jharkhand" is kicked off at Khelgaon of Ranchi. More than one thousands delegates, including many leading industrialists, both Indian and from other countries, will take part in this. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the Submit through viedo-conferencing. A number of Central Ministers will also be present at the occasion.

India, Croatia signs agreement to boost bilateral trade & enhance economic cooperation

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Martina Dalic, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy,Republic of Croatia have signed an agreement to boost bilateral trade and enhance economic cooperation in Zagreb, Croati. To promote and develop bilateral trade and economic relations. This Agreement would be a step in continuity of the previous agreemebt which expired in November, 2009. India’s bilateral trade with Croatia during 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 stood at USD 148.86 million, USD 205.04 million and USD 148.44 million respectively.

Kerala: A group launches helpline number for waste management

 In Kerala, Thanal, a city-based group in Thiruvananthapuram has launched a helpline for providing technical support in treating organic waste and managing non-biodegradable solid wastes. The helpline 94001 47150 will provide information and guidance for composting kitchen waste, terrace farming, organic farming, and pest/fungi control by organic means.Free demonstration and technical guidance on treating organic waste will be provided. In the case of organic farming, technical demonstration will be organised for groups.

5-day Indian Panaroma Film Festival organised in Port Blair

 The five-day ‘Indian Panorama Film Festival’ being organised by the Directorate of Information and Publicity, Andaman & Nicobar Administration, in association with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and Directorate of Film Festivals/IFFI, New Delhi, Govt. of India got underway in Port Blair.The Directorate of Film Festivals in India is an organisation that initiates and presents the International Film Festival of India, the National Film Awards and the Indian Panorama.

AP signs MoUs for 12 textile units

During the recent CII partnership summit in AP 12 MoUs were signed by the State Government with different companies for setting up 12 apparel units in the State entailing investment of Rs. 963 crores in all and generating 46,000 jobs. These 12 projects will come up in the next one to one-and-a-half years.Four of the units will come up in the Brandix apparel park , including two by Chinese companies, five units in Anantapur district and the remaining in Chittoor district.  The Andhra Pradesh Government is encouraging the textile sector in a big way and entrepreneurs should make use of the benefits being offered by the State as well as the special package given by the Union Government in the Budget to set up more units, according to K. Srikanth Prabhakar, the Joint Director in the office of the Commissioner of Handlooms and Textiles, AP Government.

J&K govt launches e-Prison project

The Jammu and Kashmir government launched the e-Prison project to enumerate jail inmates in the State, where numbers of detainees keep swelling during unrest.State Minister for Information Technology Molvi Imran Raza Ansari, who inaugurated the project in Jammu stated that The information about jail inmates is currently being maintained manually. To avoid delays in processing the information and manage all the jails efficiently, the automation of prison department has been started.The government has already digitised records of 500 inmates. The project will digitise 25 district jails, two Central jails and one sub-jail in the State. The second phase of the project will focus on videoconferencing between jails and prison headquarters, e-court, tele-medication in jails.

Mamata Banerjee declares Kalimpong as separate district

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee declared Kalimpong as 21st district of West Bengal  Kalimpong as separate district of West Bengal .The new district is from Darjeeling. On the same day Banerjee announced two projects for the development of newly created Kalimpong Rs 220 crore road link project to connect Kalimpong with Sikkim via the old Silk Route.Rs 50 crore water supply project to address Kalimpong’s water scarcity problem.

Madhya Pradesh government to set up Tourism Board

The state government of MP decided to set up a tourism board. The decision was reached at a meeting of the tourism cabinet in Pachmarhi.The chief minister Shivraj singh chauhan will be the chairman of the board. According to the state government, the decision to constitute the Tourism Board has been taken to encourage and promote Madhya Pradesh tourism nationally and internationally. The main work of the board would be implementation of the state's tourism policy, attract private sector participation, facilitate investors and extend benefits to them as is permissible under the tourism policy. The Board would also have to formulate new policies, monitor new tourism projects, select and increase land banks and organise fairs, food festivals, cultural programmes, cottage industry carnivals.

India Joins UN Network to Prevent Maternal, Newborn and Child Deaths by 2030.

India has become one of the nine members of the new ‘Network for Improving Quality of Care for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health’ that aims to improve the quality of care for new mothers and babies.The global health network is supported by World Health Organisation (WHO), UN International Children’s Fund (Unicef) and other partners.Besides India the other member nations of the network includes, Bangladesh, A Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda. The main aim of the network is to strengthen national efforts to improve the quality of care for new mothers and babies so that countries can achieve the Sustainable Development Goals targets to end preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths by 2030.

2017 Cobra Gold Exercise Begins in Thailand

The 2017 Cobra Gold Military Exercise kicked off at the Sattahip Royal Thai Marine Corps Base in Chonburi Province, Thailand .Cobra Gold 2017 is the 36th edition of the multinational drill and is co-organized by  Cobra GoldUnited States and Thailand. It will expand regional cooperation and collaboration for disaster relief.The ten day exercise would continue till February 24, 2017 and the closing ceremony of the event will take place in Phu Lamyai Training area in Nakhon Ratchasima Province. As many as 30 nations are participating in the drill including China, India, Singapore, South Korea and Malaysia, who are either involved in or are observing the exercises.

Suguna Foods, Tata DoCoMo tie up

Suguna Foods has, with deployment of Tata DoCoMo data connectivity solutions managed to achieve operational efficiency across its offices in rural areas. The company, according to a release faced typical connectivity challenge as its offices are located in remote areas. Tata DoCoMo provided domestic Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) to Suguna Foods in Coimbatore and 42 sites with traditional MPLS and 7 sites of Xpress Virtual Private Network (VPN).

SoftBank to buy Fortress Investment for $3.3 billion

Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp has agreed to buy Fortress Investment Group LLC for about $3.3 billion, looking to add investment expertise as it prepares to launch the world’s largest private equity fund.The all-cash deal is SoftBank’s first major investment in an asset manager and represents yet another unpredictable gambit for a group that has to date focussed on telecoms and technology.

IMF Launches South Asia Training and Technical Assistance Center in New Delhi

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) launched its first fully integrated capacity development centre, South Asia Training and Technical Assistance Center (SARTTAC) in New Delhi.The SARTTAC was inaugurated by Shaktikanta Das, Secretary of India’s Ministry of  IMF's SARTTAC Finance.SARTTAC will help to assist the local member countries of South Asia including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.It has been financed jointly by the IMF, the member countries, and development partners (Australia, South Korea the EU and the UK).The main objective of SARTTAC is to help its member countries strengthen their institutional and human capacity to design and implement macroeconomic and financial policies that promote growth and reduce poverty.

HDFC Life Launches ‘Pragati’ Plan For Low Income Group

Life insurance firm, HDFC life launched a traditional life insurance plan 'Pragati' for low income group people.The plan has been designed especially to empower low income families by making the plan available at affordable rate to every person who has the desire to secure his family.Pragati will offer dual benefit. Firstly a systematic savings with guaranteed premium returns and secondly a wholesome life protection making it an ideal financial product for every Indian household.

Airbus signs MoU for setting up centre of excellence in Hyderabad

 Airbus has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for establishing a Centre of Excellence for aerospace skill development in Hyderabad, together with the Telangana government, National Skill Development Corporation India and AEROCAMPUS France. India and AEROCAMPUS France for establishing a Centre of Excellence at at Begumpet Airport for aerospace skill development in Hyderabad.To enhance the employability of young aspirants by imparting the required skills to them.

First Ever Indian Genomics Beacon Launched in UK

The Global Gene Corp and Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH) launched an Indian Beacon for Indian genomics data to enable the scientists in developing more effective drug delivery systems. It was launched by the Indian deputy high commissioner to the UK, Dinesh Patnaik at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Hinxton, Cambridgeshire. A beacon is an online web service that allows researchers to determine whether an institution has particular genomic data in its data set. Genomics is the science that will define healthcare in our lifetime.

Usain Bolt honored with ‘Sportsman of the Year’

Usain Bolt honored with ‘Sportsman of the Year ’Jamaica’s sprinter Usain Bolt won the ‘Sportsman of the Year’ award at the Laureus World Awards or the ‘Oscar of Sports’ held in Monaco .  Usain Bolt received his award from legendary Michael Johnson. This is the fourth time that the world’s greatest sprinter has won the honor. Earlier in 2009, 2010 and 2013 too he won the award.

Sandeep Singh Indian International Hockey Player Receives Honorary Doctorate

Indian professional hockey player Sandeep Singh has been honored with an Honorary Doctorate Degree by Desh Bhagat University, a private educational institution in Amloh, Fatehgarh Sahib District of Punjab.He is the second Indian hockey player to receive this award. The only first player was Dileep Tirkey, former captain and sitting Member of Parliament, to receive an honorary degree for sporting excellence from Sambalpur University in 2010.

Pakistani Batsman Jamshed Suspended from all forms of Cricket

The Left-handed opening batsman of Pakistan Nasir Jamshed on February 13 has been provisionally suspended from all forms of cricket by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for violating its anti-corruption code.PCB is investigating into the corruption scandal that hit the Pakistan Super League.

 17/02/2017

Cabinet Approvals on 17 February 2017

The Union Government chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved setting up of Food Legumes Research Platform (FLRP) at Amlaha, Sehore in Madhya Pradesh for meeting the emerging food security challenges.The Cabinet approved the signing of Air Services Agreement between India and Rwanda which will enable the airlines of the two countries to operate services in each others’ territory.The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its approval to award contract in 31 contract areas under Discovered Small Fields Policy 2016 undertaken last yearThe Union Cabinet approved the merger of the State Bank of India with its 5 subsidiary banks namely State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur; State Bank of Hyderabad; State Bank of Mysore; State Bank of Patiala and State Bank of Travancore.

India Ranked 143 in the 2017 Index of Economic Freedom Index

India has been ranked 143 out of 186 economies in the annual Index of Economic Freedom 2017 released by top US based Think Tank, The Heritage Foundation.The Index measures the degree of economic freedom in the countries of the world.Hong Kong, Singapore and New Zealand are the top three nations in the Index respectively.India has been placed in the category of “Mostly Unfree” Economies in which the points ranges from 50.0-59.9.

Science Express Climate Action Special to be flagged off 

Science Express Climate Action Special (SECAS II) will be flagged off today (17 February, 2017) from Safdarjung Railway station in Delhi. The train will be open for public viewing at Delhi Cantonment Railway Station tomorrow (18 February 2017) and the day after (19 February 2017). The train will later embark upon its journey across the country.The SECAS II will run till 8th September and culminate its journey at Gandhinagar.During its journey, the Science Express will cover over 19,000 kilometres, and will be exhibited at 68 stations across 20 states. SECAS will roll into Tripura for the first time. Science Express, redesigned as SECAS, intends to contribute towards increasing understanding of the science of climate change, the observed and anticipated impacts, and different possible responses. The exhibition will convey a message about Climate Change and will also be a good opportunity to generate a dialogue and discussion. It aims to create awareness among various sections of society, as to how climate change can be combated through mitigation and adaptation.

Axiscades partners Slovakian firm

Axiscades, a aerospace and defence technologies company and Virtual Reality Media a Slovakian firm have signed an industrial cooperation agreement (ICA) at the Aero India 2017. Sudhakar Gande, Vice-Chairman of Axiscades, stated in a statement that Under the ICA, both companies will evaluate opportunities for full flight simulator for the aerospace and defence sector and to address therequirements for Russian platforms such as the Dornier 228 aircraft and other platforms.

Vetiver Network launched

India Vetiver Network (INVN) has been launched at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. INVN is a not-for-profit scientific network to promote vetiver in India. Vetiver has worldwide application to tackle many environmental issues like soil erosion, mitigation of soil and water pollution.The mission of INVN is environmental protection using vetiver. Promotion of research in vetiver identification of varieties, improved production technologies and distillation techniques.

BEL launches communication radio

PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has unveiled a new communication radio for the Indian armed forces, called STARS-V Mk III, at the Aero India 2017 show. MV Gowtama, CMD of BEL stated that The radio is completely designed, developed and made in BEL. It is a multi brand, high data rate, software intensive IP radio with mobile ad hoc networking (MANET) functions supporting up to 64 notes, stated the firm in a statement.

Shah Rukh Khan to host Hindi version of Ted Talks

Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan will soon host the Hindi version of popular international show TED Talks. Star India will air the Indian version TED Talks India Nayi Soch, a global first Hindi TV talk show created in partnership with TED, the non-profit devoted to ideas worth spreading .This is the first time TED is collaborating with a network and mega-star to produce a TV series featuring original TED Talks in a language other than English.Uday Shankar, Chairman & CEO, Star India, stated that, In an age of high volatility, the role of ideas to fuel positive change cannot be overstated. We are delighted to have Shah Rukh Khan share our vision and lend his charisma to this exciting endeavour.

Vikas Swarup appointed High Commisioner to Canada

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Vikas Swarup has been appointed the new High Commissioner to Canada.Mr. Swarup, a well-known author became the MEA spokesperson in April 2015. He is expected to join his new post in Ottawa by mid-March, 2017.

Himachal Pradesh Governor Inaugurates Campaign against Drug Addiction

The Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Devvrat inaugurated a Campaign against Drug Addiction organized by Shimla Press Club in Shimla.The campaign aims to make the state drug free.The Governor has announced to grant Rs 1 lakh to the Press Club Shimla for organising the campaign against drugs.Through the campaign, the state will make effort to eradicate drugs that not only affect the physical and mental health of the addict but also lead them towards increase in crime.

Kerala cabinet Gives In-Principle Approval for Greenfield Airport at Sabarimala

The Kerala cabinet gave its in-principle approval for setting up a Greenfield Airport at pilgrim centre Sabarimala located at the Periyar Tiger Reserve in the Western Ghat mountain ranges of Pathanamthitta District, Kerala.The state government has also directed Kerala State Industrial Development Corp (KSIDC) to conduct a study on the proposed airport. 

Five new Supreme Court judges take oath, apex court now has 28 justices

 Five Supreme Court judges took oath of office with the swearing in of Justice Sanjay K Kaul, Justice Mohan Shantanagoudar, Justice S A Nazeer, Justice Navin Sinha and Justice Deepak Gupta, the total strength of the Supreme Court now stands at 28, three short of its sanctioned strength of 31.Justice Kaul was the Chief Justice of Madras High Court, Justice Sinha was the Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court, Justice Shantanagouder was the Chief Justice of Kerala High Court, Justice Gupta was the Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court and Justice Nazeer was a judge in the Karnataka High Court.

Shri Radha Mohan Singh Inaugurated 2017 Indian Seed Congress in Kolkata

The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Radha Mohan Singh inaugurated the Indian Seed Congress 2017 in Kolkata.The theme of Seed Congress is “Seed of Joy”.2017 Indian Seed Congress in Kolkataiii. The theme is in line with vision of PM Modi government to bring happiness and prosperity in the lives of farmers by doubling their farm income by 2022.

Sunil Mehta appointed non-executive Chairman of PNB

 Punjab National Bank (PNB) has a new non-executive Chairman in Sunil Mehta.The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal of the Department of Financial Services (DFS) for the appointment of Mehta as non-executive Chairman of PNB. He has been appointed for a period of three years. The only condition is that he would be required to resign from the board of State Bank of India before joining the board of Punjab National Bank.

Neelam Damodaran is Bank of India new ED

The Government has appointed Neelam Damodaran as Executive Director of Bank of India. His tenor is up to November 30, 2019.Prior to his elevation as ED, Damodaran was General Manager with Bank of Baroda.He took charge on February 16,2017 .With this appointment, Bank of India now has two EDs. R A Sankara Narayanan has been ED of the bank since May 15, 2015.

UNICEF Makes $110 Million Appeal for Sudan Children 

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has launched a $110 million appeal to help two million acutely malnourished children across Sudan including hundreds of thousands living in conflict areas. Sudan is home to around 13 percent of all children suffering from acute malnutrition across Africa. Two million children under five in Sudan are acutely malnourished.

RBI will Reimburse Banks MDR Charges Effective January 1, 2017

The Reserve Bank will start reimbursing MDR charges to banks for payments made since January 1 through debit cards by citizens, in line with the government's move to further digital solutions.In December 2016, the government had decided to absorb the merchant discount rate (MDR) charges in respect of debit card transactions for making payments to it. The move was aimed to encourage people to use digital payments post demonetisation.

Citi Bank launches instant chat service for customers

 Mumbai based Citi Bank has launched instant chat services for customers named Citibank Online (CBOL) on February 16, 2017. With this India become the first country in Asia Pacific within the Citi network to have this kind of service.CBOL will focuses on resolving queries instantly regarding cards,loans, domestic and non-resident accounts, and online transactions Citi Bank.It will features a regular chat facility for generic query resolutions. It  does not require additional verification for the customer once logged in and authenticated.

RBI Doubles Gold Loan Limit for Regional Rural Banks to Rs. 2 lakhs 

The Reserve Bank of India increased the gold loan limit for RRBs (Regional Rural Banks) to Rs 2 lakh from the current Rs 1 lakh to help the farmers and artisans have access to credit who are willing to pledge gold as collateral.The limit has been doubled for the loans not exceeding 12 months from the date of sanction.Besides, the facility will be available with bullet repayment scheme. Under the scheme, while interest will be charged on a monthly basis on the total outstanding, it will become due for payment along with principal only at the end of 12 months from the date of sanction.However, RBI has also directed that the gold loans should not exceed 75% of the value of the gold pledged for taking the loan.

Tata Motors Signs Strategic Technological Agreement with Microsoft

Tata Motors Ltd and Microsoft India entered into strategic agreement to collaborate on the technology front for making driving a more personalized experiences for the customers. As per the agreement, Microsoft will make use of its IoT (internet of things), AI (artificial intelligence) and machine learning technologies to develop a highly personalized, smart vehicle for the customers.The first vehicle showcasing such technological advancements will be unveiled at the Geneva International Motor show on March 7, 2017. The tie-up will act as a new revenue opportunity for the company as car buyers increasingly look for value-added services.

NASA Scientists Record January 2017 as Third Warmest January in 137 years

According to the Monthly Analysis of Global Temperatures report published by the NASA scientists at Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), New York, January 2017 has been recorded as the third warmest January in 137 years of modern record-keeping.As per the report, January 2016 was the hottest month with a temperature of 1.12 degree Celsius warmer than the mean January temperature from 1951-1980.This was followed by January 2007 at 0.96 degree Celsius and finally January 2017 with a temperature of 0.92 degree Celsius warmer than mean January temperature.

Indian-origin Shand Panesar Wins UK’s Bravery Award

An Indian-origin Scotland Yard officer Shand Panesar along with his colleague Craig Nicholson was honored with the 2017 Outstanding Bravery of the Year Award in central London during a special award ceremony of the Total Excellence in Policing Awards.

AIIMS, New Delhi Wins First Prize for Sanitation & Hygiene under Kayakalp Awards

India’s premier health institute the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi was awarded the first prize of the Government’s Kayakalp Award under the Central Government Hospitals category in New Delhi for maintaining high standards of sanitation and hygiene.. The award was presented by the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Shri J P Nadda and the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi received a cash prize of Rs. 5 crore.

FIBA Appoints Norman Isaac as its First Indian Technical Delegate

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has promoted Norman Isaac as the Technical Delegate (TD) of the sport’s worldwide governing body. He has become the first Indian to be ever appointed to the post. In 2006, FIBA appointed him as the FIBA Commissioner at Muscat, Oman.

18/02/2017

Aadhaar card to be mandatory for College & University students availing benefits under Central Scholarships scheme

Union Human Resource Development Ministry has stated that to avail benefit under the Central Sector Scholarship Scheme for College and University students, applicants will now have to furnish proof of possession of Aadhaar card or undergo Aadhaar authentication.  HRD ministry notification issued in New Delhi stated that those who are receiving these scholarships but don't have an Aadhar card will have to apply for enrolment by June 30th,2017. It is, however, not applicable in Jammu and Kashmir

Banks Board Bureau Appoints Eight Executive Directors in Various Banks

Eight Executive Directors (EDs) have been appointed in various public sector banks on the recommendations of Banks Board Bureau Initially, they have been appointments for a three-year period.

List of Appointed Executive DirectorsNeelam Damodharan and Atanu Kumar Das have been appointed as EDs in Bank of India. Presently, Damodharan serves as the General Manager in Bank of Baroda and Das is General Manager in Vijaya Bank.K Swaminathan, the General Manager in Indian Overseas Bank, has been appointed as ED in Indian Overseas Bank.Ashok Kumar Pradhan has been appointed as the ED in United Bank of India. Presently he serves as the Chief General Manager with State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur.P Ramana Murthy will be Executive Director of Central Bank of India. He is GM of Allahabad Bank.Fareed Ahmed Khan, General Manager of Corporation Bank, has been appointed as the ED in Punjab and Sind Bank.M K Bhattacharya, Chief General Managers of State Bank of Mysore has been appointed as the EDs of Indian Bank S Harishankar who serves as Chief General Managers of State Bank of Travancore has been appointed EDs of Allahabad Bank.

UDAN scheme to increase number of airports by 50

The implementation of the regional air-connectivity scheme, UDAN, will see the number of operational airports in the country shoot up by over 50, while the cost of travelling will come down to as low as ₹2,500 for up to an hour of air journey. According to Sinha, there are 75 small operational airports in the country, and this number will increase to over 125 with the successful implementation of UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) — the new scheme through which the government hopes to make flying viable to Tier II and III cities.

Sumitra Mahajan to inaugurate 2-day South Asian Speaker’s summit at Indore in Madhya Pradesh

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will inaugurate the two-day South Asian Speaker’s summit at Indore in Madhya Pradesh.Speakers of six countries will deliberate on ways to achieve sustainable development goals. Summit is organized by the Indian Parlianment and Inter-Parliamentary Union which is focused on Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in member countries. Representive from Afganistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri lanka are attending the summit. Representatives from Pakistan and Myanmar are not attending the sumit due to their personal reasons. 

Aero India 2017 begins at Yelahanka in Bengaluru

11th biennial edition of the International Aerospace and Defence exhibition Aero India begans at the Air Force Station, Yelahanka in Bengaluru. The five-day event was inaugurated by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.On the first three days number of MOUs was signed under manufacturing sector. HAL, the premier Aeronautics giant received several crore rupees worth contracts for manufacturing sub-parts of aircrafts. Boeing and Rolls Royce have signed MOUs to set up manufacturing base in India and Airbus will set up Centre of Excellence for Aerospace skills development in Hyderabad.

Madhya Pradesh launches 'Mil Banche' programme in all govt schools

 In Madhya Pradesh 'Mil Banche’ programme was held in all the primary and middle government schools. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, his minister colleagues, public representatives and other dignitaries took classes in these schools to motivate children.After taking class, they urged students to adopt good virtues and set a big target for the life. He also shared his memories and experiences with students.

Government Increases the Cash Credit Limit For MSMEs To 30 %

The Union government has increased the Cash Credit (CC) limit for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to 30% of turnover from the existing 20% to encourage them to conduct businesses digitally.Through digital means of conducting the business, the balance sheet of companies would be clean and this would help MSMEs to get loans from banks and promote Ease of Doing Business.Presently the taxes for MSMes are calculated at 8% for revenue of up to Rs 2 crore. With digital transaction, tax liability will be reduced from 8% to 6%.

Karnataka Bank Launches National Pension System in Mangaluru

Mangaluru based private sector lender Karnataka Bank Ltd launched National Pension System (NPS) at its corporate office in Mangaluru. To provide financial security at old age by giving regular income in the form of pension.Under the scheme, one can contribute to NPS while earning and eventually start receiving pension on his/her attaining the age of 60 years to meet their financial needs.To avail the benefit, any individual between the ages 18-60 years can register their name with the bank branch to contribute and to get pension benefit.

Canara Bank Inks MoU with HRD Ministry to Start Higher Education Financing Agency

Bangalore based Public sector Canara Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry to operationalize the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA).  The establishment of the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) was approved by the Union Cabinet in September 2016.Through this MoU, HRD Ministry and Canara Bank will jointly promote the HEFA with an authorised capital of Rs. 2,000 crore.

Mastercard to Provide Payments Processing Solution for Airtel Payment Bank

Leading global payments and technology firm, Mastercard is set to provide payments processing solution to Airtel Payments Bank.The payment processing platform will enable the Airtel Payment Bank in providing various payment services like switching, card management along with support for reconciliation and dispute management processes

AirAsia signs MoU with Odisha Government for two-ways Direct Flights

Malaysia-based low-cost airline AirAsia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Odisha government to start two-way direct international flights from Bhubaneswar to Kuala Lumpur.The agreement was signed between Nitin Bhanudas Jawale, Director of Tourism  AirAsia signs MoU with Odisha Government for two-ways Direct FlightsDepartment in Odisha and AirAsia Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Aireen Omar.The airline will begin its flight service from the Biju Patnaik International Airport by end of March 2017.

South Indian Bank bags award for tech security practices

South Indian Bank has been awarded with ISO 27001: 2013 certification for its Information Security Management System (ISMS). V.G. Mathew, MD and CEO of the bank received the certificate from Venkataram Arabolu, Managing Director, BSI Group India at an official ceremony.

Corporation Bank Bags 2017 National MSME Excellence Award

Mangalore based public sector lender Corporation Bank was awarded the 2017 National MSME Excellence Award at a function in New Delhi.. D V Subramanya Varma, General Manager of Corporation Bank received the award from Union Minister of State for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises, Haribhai P Choudhary. The award is instituted by the Federation of Industry, Trade and Services (FITS).

ISRO successfully tests its indigenously developed Cryogenic Upper Stage engine for GSLV Mark III rocket

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully ground tested its indigenously developed Cryogenic Upper Stage engine for GSLV Mark III at its Liquid Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.The C25 stage is the most powerful upper stage developed by ISRO and uses Liquid Oxygen and Liquid Hydrogen propellant combination. The development of C25 cryogenic stage will provide ISRO capability to launch four ton class satellites in Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit.

Melody Queen Lata Mangeshkar honoured with 'Legendary Award ' 2017

 Melody Queen Lata Mangeshkar has been honoured with the 'Legendary Award ' 2017 by Brand Laureate. The Brand Laureate Awards recognise world-class achievement in branding amongst individuals and companies.  Lata expressed her heartfelt thanks to the Brand Laureate on twitter for honouring her. In 2012, actor Shah Rukh Khan was honoured with the Brand Laureate Legendary Award for his unmatched contribution to Indian Cinema.

President Mukherjee greets on eve of Independence Day of Gambia

President Dr. Pranab Mukherjee has extended his greetings and felicitations to the Government and people of the Islamic Republic of The Gambia on the occasion of their Independence Day (18 February 2017). On the 18th February of each year which marks the day when Gambia gained full independence from colonial Britain in 1965. It is normally celebrated in Banjul at McCarthy Square with a march pass by school children, civil servants, the army, teachers and others in front of the President and other dignitaries.

Veteran Hindi Scholar and Novelist Surendra Verma Selected for 2016 Vyas Samman

Renowned Hindi litterateur and playwright Surendra Verma has been selected for 2016 Vyas Samman for his novel Kaatna Shami Ka Vriksha Padma Pankhuri Ki Dhar Se. This novel was published in the year 2010. Mr Verma would be presented a cash prize of Rs. 3.50 lakh a citation and a logo for the prestigious award instituted by K K Birla Foundation.

NRAI gets highest WHO ratings for vaccine regulations

National Regulatory Authority of India (NRAI) has been given the maximum ratings by the World Health Organisation for vaccine regulations.An official statement stated that in New Delhi  WHO completed the assessment of the status of the Indian vaccine regulatory system against WHO NRA Global Benchmarking Tool and measured the maturity of the system in India. India is one of the main players in the pharmaceutical industry worldwide. India, as a large vaccine producing country, is currently supplying several vaccines to the UN agencies (UNICEF, WHO and PAHO)

Aero India copy 5HAL signs MoU with CPWD to build helicopter facility at Tumakuru,Karnataka

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Central Public Works Department (CPWD) for execution of infrastructure development works at HAL’s new Greenfield helicopter facility at Tumakuru. The MoU was signed at Aero India 2017 

Muthoot Exim, Divine Solitaires tie up

Muthoot Exim has tied with Divine Solitaires Pratham to retail Swarnavarsham diamond jewellery. To start with, the company will offer 18-karat gold rings studded with 0.14 cents diamond of EF colour and VVS clarity.. The ring is being offered in three sizes of 12mm, 14mm and 16mm with weight of gold as 2gm, 2.2gm and 2.4gm. One year free insurance is also offered on diamonds.

Raytheon signs MoU with TASL for co-production of Stinger missile components

Raytheon Company has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU)with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) to engage in the co-production of Stinger air defence missile components.Agreement with Tata Advanced Systems deepens  industrial partnership in India with a global technology leader and will expand the range of options and capabilities for US and coalition forces to achieve their missions

Maini Precision ties up with Marshall Aerospace for aircraft machined parts

. Maini Precision Products (MPP) and Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group, Cambridge, UK, have entered into a multimillion dollar contract for structural machined parts and sub-assemblies for a major aircraft programme.With this contract, MPP is now positioned as the single source from India to support Marshall for their manufacturing requirements for the duration of this program.

NALCO signs MoU with TERI for sustainable rehabilitation

Odisha based National Aluminium Company Limited(NALCO) has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in New Delhi.Objective of the agreement is to Scientific, technological and educational activities in the area of mining rehabilitation.The agreement will further strengthen initiatives being undertaken under Sustainable Development Framework (SDF).

JLL Named to FORTUNE’s 2017 World’s Most Admired Companies List

Leading professional services firm JLL has once again been named to FORTUNE magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies list of 2017 based on their reputation for innovation, top talent and global competitiveness.. JLL is an American professional services and investment management company specializing in real estate and investment management and helps real estate owners, occupiers and investors achieve their business ambitions.

Havells India to buy Lloyd Electric’s consumer business for Rs 1500 crore

. An electrical equipment company, Havells India has announced to acquire Lloyd Electric & Engineering for its consumer durables business for around Rs 1200 -1500 crore.Lloyd’s other business divisions includes heat exchangers, original equipment manufacturing and packaged AC business.

Former MP Jambuvantrao Dhote passes away

Former MP Jambuvantrao Dhote died this morning in Yavatmal of Maharashtra due to heart attack. The 83 year old leader was known for his demands of a separate state for Vidarbha. Mr Dhote won his first election to Lok Sabha in 1971 from Nagpur as a Forward Bloc nominee. Later in 1980, he joined Congress and won the Nagpur seat on the Congress ticket. 

PV Sindhu Attains Career-Best Rank at No. 5 in BWF Rankings, Saina Placed at No. 9

Indian ace shuttler PV Sindhu achieved her career best Badminton World Federation (BWF) women’s single ranking by being placed at 5th spot Previously the top seeded player was placed at sixth position. The only second Indian to be placed among the top 10 spots is Saina Nehwal who has  PV Sindhubeen placed at No. 9. The BWF women’s single ranking has been topped by Tai Tzu Ying of the Chinese Taipei.

19/02/2017

Jharkhand signs MoU with Microsoft in ‘Momentum Jharkhand’

 Jharkhand government and Microsoft India has inked an MoU for the state government to explore cloud, machine learning and mobile based solutions to improve citizen services and provide better facilities in the fields of education and agricultureThe MoU was signed at the ‘Momentum Jharkhand: Global Investors’ Summit & Trade Exhibition’.

India win silver at Asian Women's Rugby Sevens Trophy

The Indian Women's team won a silver after getting defeated by South Kores, at the Asian Rugby Sevens Trophy tournament at Vientiane, Laos.The team participated under the aegis of the Indian Rugby Football Union (IRFU), the governing body for the sport of Rugby in India and supported by Societe Generale, the financial partner of Rugby India.

Haryana's Sandeep Kumar breaks his own national record in 50km race walk

Sandeep Kumar of Haryana won the gruelling men's 50-kilometre event of the National Race Walking Championships held in New Delhi. Sandeep smashed his own national record in a brilliant performance to win the race and qualify for the London World Championships in August. 

Indian Navy inducts first all-women global circumnavigation vessel 'Tarini'

The Indian Navy's second sailboat 'Tarini' was inducted into service at a ceremony in Goa. 

The vessel is slated to be the platform for the first Indian all-women global circumnavigation by the Indian Navy to begin in August.The Indian Navy is operating four sailing vessels capable of open ocean deployments - Tarangini, Sudarshini, Mhadei and Tarini, all four of which have been built in shipyards at Goa.

BCCI General Manager RP Shah resigns from his post

RP Shah, one of the three General Managers of BCCI, resigned from his post citing his age as a “reason”. Shah was the General Manager (Commercial) and was considered to be one of the big decision makers in board’s commercial interest.

20/02/2017

Cash withdrawal limit for savings account increases to Rs 50,000 per week

Savings accounts holders will now be able to withdraw up to Rs 50,000 per week. An RBI notification, issued on January 30,2017  announced that from February 20, 2017 the cash withdrawal limit for savings accounts will be raised to Rs 50,000 from Rs 24,000 a week. The limits on cash withdrawals from savings bank account will be withdrawn completely from March 13, 2017. Till now, there is no limit on current account and there is a cap of Rs 50,000 for farmers a week and Rs 2.5 lakh for marriage.

31st state hood day of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram: 20 February

. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has greeted people of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram on their 31st statehood day (20 February 2017) Conveying his best wishes to people of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.. Prime Minister prayed for the state's progresses immensely in the years to come. Union Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh also greeted both the states. 

T.R. Zeliang steps down as Nagaland chief minister

i. Ending more than two weeks of standoff with Nagaland Tribes Action Committee (NTAC), Nagaland chief minister TR Zeliang resigned from his post. 

ii. T. R. Zeliang is an Indian politician who has been Chief Minister of Nagaland, a state in northeast India, since 2014. Zeliang previously served as a Member of Parliament, representing Nagaland in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.

India sanctions soft loan USD 340 million to Nepal

India has sanctioned a soft loan of 340 million US dollar to Nepal for various infrastructure development programmes.. Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae handed over the approval papers to Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister of Nepal Ramesh Lekhak in the presence of Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu.Under this programme Mahalaki bridge and 15 roads will be constructed in various parts of Nepal.

Oriental Bank launches mobile wallet ‘Batuaa’

On the occasion of the 75th Foundation Day, Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) has come up with several digital offerings including launch of mobile wallet ‘Oriental Batuaa’.Besides introducing a new version of mobile banking, OBC has also launched two new cards.While the Oriental Premium card is a RuPay based Platinum international debit card with airport lounge access, the other card-Oriental Prepaid Card is a RuPay card for individuals and corporates. Besides it has also launched two MSME schemes The two MSME schemes that have been launched are ‘Oriental Sanjeevani’ and ‘Oriental Budget Hotels and Restaurants’.Oriental Sanjeevani is a specialised scheme for doctors for setting up new hospitals and clinics. The other scheme is for individuals, proprietors, companies etc for setting up new hotels, restaurants, lodges, motels etc.

Karnataka Bank inks pact with Daimler India

Karnataka Bank Ltd has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt Ltd (DICV) for extending finance to customers for the purchase of commercial vehicles manufactured by the company. DICV has nominated Karnataka Bank as a preferred financier for the purchase of commercial vehicles manufactured by the company.

ICAI’s Accounting Research Foundation signs pact with Railways

The CA Institute’s Accounting Research Foundation (ARF) has signed an agreement with Indian Railways for the national rollout of accrual accounting in Railways. According to the agreement accrual accounting will be introduced at 17 Railway zones and 8 production units across the country.

IRB InvIT Fund gets SEBI approval to launch IPO

IRB InvIT Fund, an investment trust sponsored by IRB Infrastructure Developers, has received markets regulator SEBI’s approval to raise Rs. 4,300 crore through initial public offering.However, the Securities and Exchange Board of India has asked for clarification from India Grid Trust and Reliance Infra InvIT Fund regarding their proposed IPOs

Fabindia removes ‘Khadi’ brand name from its products

Fabindia has started removing the brand name ‘Khadi’ it uses to promote its cotton products after a legal notice by Khadi India that the use of the word amounted to unfair trade practice and misusing its trade name.The Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC) had sent a legal notice to Fabindia Overseas Pvt Ltd, a chain of ethnic wear retail outlet, asking it to immediately stop using the word Khadi from all its cotton products and remove display banners from its showrooms.

Srinagar Airport Gets Its First Foreign Airline Service

AirAsia became the first foreign airline to begin its operations from Srinagar international airport in Jammu and Kashmir. Srinagar has The Sheikh-ul-Alam International Airport since last five years, but no  Air Asiaforeign airlines had yet operated services from there.The flight operation by AirAsia is expected to give a boost to tourism in the valley.

Microsoft, Flipkart announce strategic cloud partnership

i. Information technology giant Microsoft announced a strategic partnership with Flipkart, wherein as a first step, the online retailer will adopt Microsoft Azure as its exclusive public cloud platform.

ii. The strategic partnership was aimed at providing consumers in the country the best online shopping service.Microsoft chief executive officer (CEO) Satya Nadella and Flipkart Group CEO Binny Bansal announced the partnership at an event in Bengaluru.

Ranganathan, Mehta appointed Non-Official Director in IOB, PNB 

T C A Ranganathan and Sunil Mehta were appointed as Non-Official Directors in Indian Overseas Bank and Punjab National Bank by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet. Both appointed for a period of three years. It is announced by Personnel Ministry. Prior to this,  T C A Ranganathan has worked as the CMD of Exim Bank while Mehta is currently Chairman & Managing Director at SPM Capital Advisors Pvt Ltd.

Indian Movie Newton Wins top Honour at Berlin Film Festival

Indian Cinema movie Newton directed by Amit Masurkar was honored with the Art Cinema Award in the Forum Segment at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival held from February 9-18, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. Over 43 films were screened in the Forum segment out of which 29 had their world premiere.The film is produced by Manish Mundra of Drishyam Films, company best known for bankrolling critically-acclaimed projects such as Masaan, Ankhon Dekhi and Umrika.

Apple acquires Israeli start-up RealFace

In a bid to boost its prospects in the world of artificial intelligence (AI), Apple has acquired Israel-based start-up RealFace that develops deep learning-based face authentication technology.The terms of the deal are not public, but it is estimated at several million dollars. Apple would mainly be interested in the promise of the technology than pure resources.

Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl penned by Ram Kamal Mukherjee

An actor turned politician Hema Malini’s journey from an actor and filmmaker to a politician being chronicled as an authorised biography titled ‘Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl‘ . The biography is written by author-columnist Ram Kamal Mukherjee.

Former Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir Passes Away

Former Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir passed away at a city hospital, recently. He was 68. He was suffering from a kidney ailment and related complications. He was appointed as the Chief Justice of India on September 29, 2012. He retired on July 19, 2013.

Virat Kohli first Indian sportsperson to ink Rs 100-cr deal with Puma

Virat Kohli became the first Indian sports personality to strike a Rs 100-crore endorsement deal with a single brand. Kohli signed an eight-year deal with sports apparel brand Puma worth Rs 110 crore. The Indian cricket captain is now set to join the likes of Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell and Thierry Henry, among others, as a global ambassador for the brand.

India to Host Next Davis Cup tie in Bangalore in April, 2017

Bangalore has been chosen to host the next Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Zone group-1 tie against Uzbekistan from April 7 to 9, 2017.As per the announcement made by the All India Tennis Association (AITA) the tie clash will be held on the hard courts of Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) in Bangalore.

Akhil and Jitender Kumar Signs Deal to Turn Professional Boxers

. Following the path of Indian boxing sensation Vijender Singh, Olympic quarterfinalists boxers Akhil Kumar and Jitender Kumar are also stepping up to enter professional boxing.The former Melbourne Commonwealth Games gold medalist boxer Akhil Kumar and Asian medallist Jitender Kumar signed a multi-year deal with IOS Boxing Promotions confirming turning professional boxers.

Afghan players Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan create IPL history

Afghanistan cricket broke a new barrier when Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan became the first from the war-torn nation to be picked in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction.. Both Nabi and Khan players were bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad, for Rs. 30 lakh and Rs. 4 crore respectively. Five cricketers from Afghanistan were included in the auction for the first time.

Shahid Afridi retires from international cricket

Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has announced his retirement from international cricket, but stated that he wants to play in his country’s domestic league for two more years.The flamboyant allrounder, who played the last of his 27 tests in 2010 and retired from one-day internationals in 2015, quit as Pakistan’s 20-overs captain after the team’s poor World Twenty20 campaign in India last year.

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