Daily GK Update 22th January, 2017

Himachal Pradesh beats Kerala in learning outcomes: ASER

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PNB launches Contactless Credit Card

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

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

Special Task Force for women safety reconstituted

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

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

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

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

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

Apple named most innovative company of 2016

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

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

Saina Nehwal wins Malaysian Masters Grand Prix Gold tournament

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

Daily GK Update 21st January, 2017

                  Daily GK Update 21st January, 2017

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

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

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

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

Donald Trump sworn in as 45th US President

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

PM Modi addresses Combined Commanders Conference at Dehradun

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

Tamil Nadu: Govt to promulgate ordinance to conduct Jallikattu

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

Cooperative banks can't accept deposits under PMGKY: Govt

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

Kerala Gramin Bank to propagate financial literacy among school children

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

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

Shri Kalraj Mishra Inaugurates Workshop on MSME Cooperation among IORA

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

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

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

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

Dharamsala declared the second capital of Himachal Pradesh

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

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

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

RBI imposes Rs 75 lakh penalty on Bombay Mercantile Cooperative Bank

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

ISKCON’s Govardhan eco village bags UN award

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

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Daily GK Update 20th January, 2017

Current Affairs: Daily GK Update 20th January, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PM to address 3 day National Conference in Kutch

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

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

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

UDAN scheme set for take off

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

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

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

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

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

PM Narendra Modi inaugurates second Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10th Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) Begins in Jaipur

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

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

Entrepreneurship Development Scheme inaugurated in Mizoram

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

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

Suresh Prabhu unveils Mission 41k energy plan for Railways

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

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

9.2 lakh cr rupees remonetised till date:RBI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Delhi Police commissioner Alok Verma appointed next CBI chief

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

Alibaba Becomes Worldwide Sponsor of Olympic Games through 2028

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

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

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

Punjab Royals bagged ProWrestling League Season 2 title

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

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

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

Daily GK Update 31st January, 2017

 Daily GK Update 31st January, 2017

Budget session of Parliament begans today (31 January 2017)

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

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

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

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

Economic Survey 2017 tabled in Parliament: Key highlights

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

India Post Payments Bank starts pilot services

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

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

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

RBI lifts ATM withdrawal limits from Feb 1, 2017

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

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

FGII Enters Into Bancassurance Tie-Up With Bank Of Maharashtra

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

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

First Edition of the North East Investors Summit Held in Shillong

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

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

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

UberMOTO launches service in Hyderabad

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

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

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

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

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

Bombay Natural History Society launches climate change programme in Central Himalayas

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

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

CAF-India.

Trump Bans 7 nations from Entering US on Security Issues

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

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

Dushyant Chautala is new TTFI president

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Priyanka Chopra among 150 most fashionable women

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

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

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

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

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

Amulya Patnaik appointed as Delhi Police Chief

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

Atomic clocks of Satellite IRNSS-1A Develops Technical Snag

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

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

Veteran journalist Devdutt passes away

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

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

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