Daily GK Update 22nd February, 2017

 Daily GK Update 22nd February, 2017

Health Ministry launches ‘Saathiya Kits’ to improve adolescent health

i. Union Health Secretary C.K. Mishra has launched “Saathiya Resource Kits” that will provide information on adolescent related issues such as puberty and mental health, among others.

ii. The resource kit comprises of an Activity Book, Bhranti-Kranti Game, a Question-Answer  Saathiya KitsBook and a Peer Educator Diary.

iii. Mishra also launched the mobile app ‘Saathiya Salah‘ for adolescents. The initiative, launched as part of the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) program.

Cabinet approves signing of Air Services Agreement between India and Greece

i. Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the signing of Air Services Agreement (ASA) between India and Greece.

ii. The Agreement has the potential to spur greater trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchange between the two countries bringing it in tune with the developments in the civil aviation sector. 

iii. It will provide enabling environment for enhanced and seamless connectivity while providing commercial opportunities to the carriers of both the sides ensuring greater safety and security.

No info on number of accounts with large deposits post Nov 8, 2016

i. The RBI is not aware of the number of bank accounts in which more than Rs 2.5 lakh in the scrapped currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 were deposited between November 8 and December 30, 2016 under the Right to Information Act.

ii. The RBI also did not have the number of accounts in co-operative banks in which more than Rs 2.5 lakh were deposited in the scrapped notes during the period.

Delhi to get India's first heliport

i. The first heliport in India will be inaugurated by Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju in North Delhi on (28 February 2017). 

ii. The heliport, built by state-owned Pawan Hans, consists of a terminal building, nine parking bays and four hangars with a parking capacity of 16 helicopters. It was built at an investment of ₹100 crore

Government launches ‘Cyber Swachhta Kendra’ to protect citizens

i. At a time when cyber attacks are increasing Union Minister of Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad launched Cyber Swachhta Kendra in New Delhi  for Botnet cleaning and Malware analysis as a part of digital India initiative.

ii. He also launched two mobile apps. Mkavach to protect smart phones and tablets from hackers. Samvid to protect Desktops from suspicious applications from running.

India & China to hold their 1st Strategic Dialogue

i. India and China will hold their first Strategic Dialogue in Beijing. The two sides are expected to discuss all issues of mutual concern and interest including friction points. 

ii. External Affairs spokesman Vikas Swarup stated that two countries will discuss all issues of mutual interest in bilateral, regional and international domain. 

Gujarat Assembly passes Aadhaar Bill, 2017 

i. The Gujarat Assembly passed Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill, 2017 to empower the state government to use Aadhaar number as the sole identifier for the delivery of various subsidies and benefits in an effective and targeted manner.

ii. This bill will help the government create a credible system to authenticate the identity of actual beneficiaries. The assembly also passes two other bills which includes the Gujarat Panchayats (Amendment) Bill and the Gujarat Town Planning and Urban Development (Amendment) Bill.

Arunachal CM Pema Khandu inaugurates Composite Regional Centre in Itanagar

i. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu in the presence of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju inaugurated the Composite Regional Centre at Itanagar Banquet Hall, Arunachal Pradesh.

ii. To create resources and infrastructure required for developing services for persons with disabilities with an outlay of Rs.20 Crore. The centre is established under the National Institute for Locomotor Disabilities (NILD), Kolkata.

CCEA approves investment proposal for generation component of Arun-3 Hydro Electric Project in Nepal

i. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, CCEA has approved investment proposal for generation component of Arun-3 Hydro Electric Project in Nepal by SJVN Limited.  

ii. Power Minister Piyush Goyal stated that the decision demonstrates government's commitment to promote clean and green energy in India and the sub continent. 

MoU signed for welfare of Handicraft Artisans belonging to Scheduled Castes 

i. Ministry of Textiles and Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment have come together to step up interventions for the economic development of an estimated 12 lakh scheduled caste artisans.  

ii. An MoU was signed between Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles and National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC) with the objective of working together to improve the earnings of artisans across the country, belonging to Scheduled Castes categories.

Jammu & Kashmir to observe 2017 as Year of Apple

i. J & K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has declared 2017 as ‘Year of Apple’ to promote the famed Kashmiri apples in domestic and foreign markets.

ii. She also launched the High Density Apple Plantation Scheme in Srinagar to provide 50% subsidy.

SIDBI, Vijaya Bank combine to provide concessional loans to micro, small units

i. Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vijaya Bank for providing concessional finance to micro and small enterprises (MSEs).

ii. The MoU aims at promoting and strengthening units in the MSE segment through concessional funding  that is at the marginal cost of funds-based lending rate (MCLR) of Vijaya Bank under refinance from SIDBI.

Telangana Govt signs MoU with NABARD for Rs 874 crore loan

i. The Telangana Government led by K. Chandrashekar Rao signed an  Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NABARD for a loan of Rs 874 crore .

ii. This loan will be used for Horticulture Development Corporation to cover 3.15 lakh acres under Micro Irrigation scheme for 2016-17 and 2017-18.

Indian Coast Guard offshore patrol vessel commissioned in Goa

i. Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu commissioned the fourth ship of Indian Coast Guard named ‘Shaunak’, in the series of six offshore patrol vessels (OPV) in Vasco, located in South Goa. 

ii. 'Shaunak' has been designed and built indigenously by Goa Shipyard Ltd that can carry one twin engine light helicopter and five high speed boats.

Azerbaijan Prez names wife as country’s First Vice President

i. Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev appointed his wife Mehriban Aliyev as the First Vice President of the country. 
ii. The position was created after a constitutional referendum in September, 2016. 

iii. According to Azerbaijan's constitution, the First Vice President takes over the country's presidency if the president is unable to perform the duties.

Dish TV partners with ICICI Bank for digital payments

i. Direct-to-home operator Dish TV joined hands with India’s largest private sector lender ICICI bank for digital payments. 
ii. It will enable customers to do recharge through unified payment interface (UPI) transactions.

CII signs MoU with Singapore trade and business agencies

i. For the first time, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has signed a Technology Partnership MoU with two Singapore agencies International Enterprise (IE) Singapore and the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) to promote expertise in expanding businesses.

ii. It will help build platforms to forge partnerships that connect our small enterprises and startups

Justice Sapre appointed chairman of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal

i. Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre has been appointed the chairman of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT). 

ii. He was nominated for the post by Chief Justice J.S. Khehar. The post fell vacant following the resignation of Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan.

For the first time in the world, Microsoft to deploy Azure Stack in Andhra Pradesh

i. The chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella singed an MoU during an event called ‘Microsoft Future Decoded’ in Mumbai.
ii. Under the MoU, Microsoft Azure Stack for the first time in the world will be used to migrate live applications currently hosted in Hyderabad State Data Centre (SDC) to Vizag data centre.

An international zip line connects Spain and Portugal

i. A zip line connecting Spain and Portugal, is known to be the first cross-border zip line in the world.
ii. The 720-metre-long zip line joins the two countries, allowing people to reach Portugal within a minute.
iii. On reaching Portugal, the participants gain one hour because of the time zone change.

Dustin Johnson dominates Genesis Open to overtake world No. 1

i. American professional golfer Dustin Hunter Johnson  has claimed No 1 Position in  Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career.

ii. This feat comes after he ended up with a world-class performance by winning Genesis Open 2017 at Riviera.

Haryana CM, confer Bhim Award to 42 sportspersons

i. The Haryana government gave away the Bhim awards to 42 sports persons of the state, spotting them for their outstanding performance at the national and international fronts between the years 2013 and 2017.

ii. The awards were given by the Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki at a function held at Haryana Raj Bhawan.
iii. A total prize money of Rs 2.10 crore was distributed among the 42 sports persons and the awardees would be presented Bhim award.

Daily GK Update 21st February, 2017

Daily GK Update 21st February, 2017

Bharat QR code launched to push less-cash economy

i. Bharat QR code the world's first inter-operable payment acceptance solution, was launched as part of efforts to move towards less-cash economy at an insignificant cost, according to RBI.  

ii. Payment networks such as MasterCard and Visa have joined hands with NPCI to launch Bharat QR, a common Quick Response(QR) code that would enable seamless digital payments without card swiping machines. 

iii. Built under the direction of the Reserve Bank of India in September 2016 . This Bharat QR code is expected to be convenient for those who are into mobile banking and do not want to use debit or credit cards for small ticket payments. Bharat QR code is seen as a better alternative to physical Point-of-Sale (PoS) machines which involves capital costs.

International Mother Language Day

i. UNESCO celebrates International Mother Language Day (IMLD) on February 21, 2017 under the theme "Towards Sustainable Futures through Multilingual Education". 

ii. To foster sustainable development, learners must have access to education in their mother tongue and in other languages. 

iii. It is through the mastery of the first language or mother tongue that the basic skills of reading, writing and numeracy are acquired. Local languages, especially minority and indigenous, transmit cultures, values and traditional knowledge, thus playing an important role in promoting sustainable futures.

BHIM downloads at over 17 mn, a world record

i. Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM), a mobile app pushed by the government to make digital payments a mass movement in India, has seen over 17 million installs (downloads), a world record, Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, has stated.

ii. The Centre will also soon roll out a cash-back scheme to give a further boost to the use of BHIM

Buying jewellery over Rs 2 lakh in cash will attract 1% tax from April 1, 2017

i. Cash purchases of jewellery will attract 1% TCS (Tax Collected at Source) from April 1, 2017 if the amount exceeds Rs 2 lakh,as against the current threshold of Rs 5 lakh. 

ii. Once the Finance Bill 2017 is passed, jewellery will be treated on par with generalgoods which attract 1% TCS on cash purchase of above Rs 2 lakh. The Bill seeks to do away with the threshold of Rs 5 lakh on jewellery purchases for applicability of TCS because the Union Budget 2017-18 has proposed to ban cash dealings of over Rs 3 lakh andmake violations punishable with a penalty of an equivalent amount to be paid by person receiving the cash.

India as the World’s Largest Arms Importer in the Last Four Years

i. According to a report released by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) India emerged as the world’s largest importer of major arms during 2012–16.As per the report, India accounted for 13% of the global total sales.

ii. The total volume of international transfers of major weapons has grown continuously since 2004 and increased by 8.4 per cent between 2007–11 and 2012–16 According to the data in Asia,India increased its arms imports by 43 percent between 2007–11 and 2012–16 which is far greater than the imports by its rivals China and Pakistan. 

iii. Between 2007 and 2011, India accounted for 9.7% of global imports which is still more than any other country.Major arm suppliers to India include Russia, USA, European states, Israel and South Korea.

State Bank of India website gets a new avatar 

i. Country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) has rebranded its corporate website as "bank.sbi" from the earlier sbi.co.in.  Bank.sbi is the highest domain protocol, known as generic top level domain (gTLD).

ii. The adoption of gTLD enables an organisation to use its corporate name .sbi as their website’s top-level identifier instead of using a more traditional ".com" or ".co.in" domains

iii. The existing web address will remain active till customers become familiar with operating through the new address.With this, SBI has become the first banking organisation in India to use a gTLD for its internet presence. This is expected to provide enhanced security to its customers.

Apollo Hospitals Foundation signs agreement with WWF-India

i. Apollo Hospitals Foundation will provide medical support to forest department employees and local communities in the areas where WWF-India operates for conservation.

ii. The two organisations have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard.The medicare will be available to over 27,000 staff and people in about 17 states of WWF-India operations. 

iii. They will be provided with medical treatment, including air ambulance services in critical and emergency conditions. 

Shurhozelie Liezeitsu elected new Nagaland CM

i. Nagaland People’s Front (NPF) president Shurhozelie Liezeitsu will be sworn in as the state’s eleventh Chief Minister. 

ii. As Nagaland Former Chief Minister T R Zeliang stepped down from the post on February 19, 2017 facing revolt from his party MLAs against the decision to reserve 33% seats for women in urban local bodies.

EDII wins International Mercury Award 2016-17

The Ahmedabad-based Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), an acknowledged national resource institute for entrepreneurship education, research, training and institution-building, has received the prestigious International Mercury Awards (IMA) for the year 2016-17 for the best overall presentation of its 2015-2016 annual report. 

Tata Steel's Katamati Mine wins Best Green Award

i. Tata Steel's Katamati iron mine has been honoured with the the Best Green Organisation of the Year Award at the Global Green Future Leadership Awards in recognition of its environmental protection measures. 

ii. The award was presented at a function organised by World CSR Day on February 18, 2017 in Mumbai. 

Britannia Industries signs non-binding MoU with Chipita

i. FMCG major Britannia Industries has signed an MoU with Greece’s cakes and confectionery major Chipita and is in advance stage of discussion to finalise definitive agreements, including a joint venture. 

ii. Chipita is already operating in India. The company has been operating outside Greece since 1995 by setting up manufacturing plants in Bulgaria, Portugal and Egypt, followed by Poland, Romania, Russia and Saudi Arabia and more recently India, and Turkey.

V Ramakrishnan appointed as TCS CFO, N Chandrasekaran named TCS Chairman too

i. Tata Sons Chairman designate Natarajan Chandrasekaran will also hold the chairmanship of the group's crown jewel Tata Consultancy Services . 

ii. The country's largest software services provider has also named V Ramakrishnan as its Chief Financial Officer to succeed Rajesh Gopinathan, who will take over as the CEO and MD of the Tata Group company.     

Russia to begin military helicopters deliveries to India in 2018

i. Russia will start initial deliveries of military helicopters to India in 2018, with assembly and manufacturing to follow in Asia's fastest growing economy.India and Russia signed an agreement in October, 2016 to jointly manufacture 200 of the KA-226T helicopters for the Indian Armed Forces. 

ii. Both countries have agreed to cooperate in energy and defence as India seeks to modernise its armed forces and build a nuclear industry and sanctions-hit Russia looks for investment and new markets.

US President appoints Lt. Gen. Herbert Raymond McMaster as new National Security Advisor

i. US President Donald Trump has appointed Lt Gen Herbert Raymond McMaster as his new National Security Advisor following the ouster of Michael Flynn last week. 

ii. Making the announcement at his residence in Florida, Mr Trump described McMaster, currently Director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center, as a man of tremendous talent and experience.

SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Successfully Launches From NASA launch Pad

The California-based SpaceX onboard its Falcon 9 rocket launched a robotic Dragon cargo ship with about 5,500 pounds (2,500 kg) of supplies and science experiments toward the International Space Station on February 19, 2017 from Launch Complex 39A of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Noted bureaucrat V. K. Srinivasan passes away

i. V. K. Srinivasan, noted bureaucrat, columnist and director of the Institute of Economic Studies passed away after a prolonged illness in Hyderabad. 

ii. He was 76 and is survived by a son and a daughter.

Hindi novelist Ved Prakash Sharma passes away

i. Famous Hindi novelist Ved Prakash Sharma was passed away in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh on February 18, 2017 . He was 62. He has written nearly  176 novels includes “Qaidi No 100” and “Vardi Wala Gunda“.

ii. He had also written scripts for about half-a-dozen Hindi movies.

Daily GK Update 20th February, 2017

Daily GK Update 20th February, 2017

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

i. 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. ii. 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

i. 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. 

ii. 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

i. India has sanctioned a soft loan of 340 million US dollar to Nepal for various infrastructure development programmes.

ii. 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’

i. 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’.

ii. 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. 

iii. 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

i. 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. 

ii. 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

i. The CA Institute’s Accounting Research Foundation (ARF) has signed an agreement with Indian Railways for the national rollout of accrual accounting in Railways. 

ii. 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

i. 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.

ii. 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

i. 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.

ii. 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

i. AirAsia became the first foreign airline to begin its operations from Srinagar international airport in Jammu and Kashmir. 

ii. 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 

i. 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. 

ii. 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

i. 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. 

ii. 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

i. 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.

ii. 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

i. 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‘ .

ii. The biography is written by author-columnist Ram Kamal Mukherjee.

Former Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir Passes Away

i. 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. 

ii. 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

i. 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. 

ii. 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

i. Bangalore has been chosen to host the next Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Zone group-1 tie against Uzbekistan from April 7 to 9, 2017.

ii. 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

i. 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.

ii. 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

i. 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.

ii. 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

i. 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.

ii. 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.