Daily GK Update 16th February , 2017

Daily GK Update 16th February , 2017

Cabinet approves merger of five subsidiary banks with SBI

i. 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. 

ii. 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

i. Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasagar Rao appointed Edappadi K Palaniswami as chief minister after replacing of o panneerselvam .

ii. 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

i. A two-day mega event of Global Investor Summit, branded as "Momentum Jharkhand" is kicked off at Khelgaon of Ranchi. 

ii. 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

i. 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. 

ii. 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

i. 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.

ii. 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

i. 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.

 ii. 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

i. 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.

ii.  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

i. 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. 

ii. 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

i. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee declared Kalimpong as 21st district of West Bengal  Kalimpong as separate district of West Bengal .

ii. 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

i. 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. 

ii. 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. 

iii. 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.

i. 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.

ii. 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. 

iii.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

i. 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.

ii. 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

i. 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. 

ii. 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

i. 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.

ii. 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

i. 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.

ii. 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

i. 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.

ii. 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

i. The multinational Airbus Group division Airbus joined hand with Telangana government, National Skill Development Corporation  Airbus signs MoU for setting up centre of excellence in Hyderabad. 

ii. 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

i. 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.

ii. 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’

i. 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 .  

ii. 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

i. 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.

ii. 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

i. 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.

ii. PCB is investigating into the corruption scandal that hit the Pakistan Super League.

Quiz-16

                                        Quiz-16

Q1. The two day Assam Biotech Conclave began in Guwahati recently. Name the Chief Minister of Assam, who has inaugurated the conclave in presence of Science and Technology minister Keshab Mahanta?
Answer: Sarbanand Sonowal

Q2. Which two states has signed an MOU to join the Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojna (UDAY) scheme, recently?
Answer: Telangana and Assam

Q3. Which private sector bank has entered into a tie-up with Bajaj Electricals for vendor financing using blockchain solution, and announced to use the technology more aggressively as it saves over 70% in cost recently?
Answer: Yes Bank

Q4. State-owned fuel retailers, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) will offer an upfront discount of _________ on every LPG refill to all LPG customers who will book and pay for it online.
Answer: Rs. 5

Q5. For the benefit of voters, candidates, election staff as well as the Election Commission of India (ECI), the district administration of Ludhiana has developed a mobile application named..............?
Answer: ECI360

Q6. The Government has imposed an anti-dumping duty ranging from 6.30 US dollars to 351.72 US dollars per tonne on imports of jute and its products from which of the countries recently? 
Answer: Bangladesh and Nepal

Q7. A telecommunication technology test satellite has successfully test fired by ___________ from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre recently?
Answer: China

Q8. The Supreme Court has restrained transfer of 2G spectrum licences from Maxis, originally allotted to Aircel in 2006, to any other telecom company. Maxis is based in
Answer: Malaysia

Q9. Japan has temporarily withdrew its Ambassador to which country recently, amid an escalating row over a statue representing wartime sex slaves?
Answer: South Korea

Q10. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth is estimated at ________ in 2016-17 as per the data released recently by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Answer: 7.1 per cent

Q11. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Portuguese counterpart ________________ has inaugurated the main convention of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) in Bengaluru.
Answer: Dr Antonio Costa

Q12. China's Central Bank has says, the country's foreign currency reserves shrank last year, marking large annual losses for the 02nd year in a row.The Central Bank of China is?
Answer: People's Bank of China

Q13. US President-elect Donald Trump has named ____________ as his National Intelligence Director.
Answer: Dan Coats

Q14. Who has won the Qatar Open tennis title. In an epic final in Doha, the Serbian defeated Andy Murray of UK by 6-3 5-7 6-4 recently?
Answer: Novak Djokovic

Q15. The GAAR, will kick in from April 1, 2017 said the Central Board for Direct Taxes (CBDT). What is GAAR stands for?
Answer: General Anti-Avoidance Rule

Ratio and Proportion for SBI PO

Quantitative Aptitude SBI PO 2017 Exam

Q1. Half the girls and one-third of the boys of a college reside in the hostel. What fractional part of the student body is hostel dwellers if the total number of girls in the college is 100 and is one-fourth of the total strength?   

(a) Two-fifths 

(b) Five-twelfths 

(c) One-fifth 

(d) Three-eights 

(e) None of these

Q2. The monthly incomes of two persons are in the ratio of 4 : 5 and their monthly expenditures are in the ratio of 7 : 9. If each saves Rs. 50 a month, then what are their monthly incomes? 

(a) Rs. 100, Rs. 125

(b) Rs. 200, Rs. 250

(c) Rs. 300, Rs. 375 

(d) Rs. 400, Rs. 500 

(e) None of these

Q3. When a bus started from the first stop, the number of male passengers to the number of female passengers was 3 : 1. At the second stop, 16 passengers got down and 6 more female passengers got in. The ratio of the male to female passengers now become 2 :1. What was the total number of passengers in the bus when it started from the first stop?

(a) 64

(b) 48

(c) 54

(d) 72

(e) 80

Q4. X’s income is three-fourths of Y’s income, and X’s expenditure is fourth-fifths of Y’s expenditure.  If X’s income is nine-tenths of Y’s expenditure, find the ratio of X’s savings to Y’s savings.  

(a) 1 : 2

(b) 2 : 1

(c) 1 :4

(d) 2 : 3

(e) None of these

Q5. Two persons are climbing up on two moving escalators which have 120 steps. The ratio of 1st person’s speed to that of 1st escalator is 2 : 3 (steps). The ratio of 2nd person’s speed of that of 2nd escalator is 3 : 5 (steps). Find the total number of steps they both have taken together.

(a) 85 

(b) 93

(c) 80

(d) 75

(e) None of these

Q6. A man ordered 4 pairs of black socks and some pairs of brown socks. The price of a black pair is double that a brown pair. While preparing the bill, the clerk interchanged the number of black and brown pairs by mistake which increased the bill by 50 per cent. The ratio of the number of black and brown pairs of socks in the original order was:  

(a) 4 : 1

(b) 2 : 1

(c) 1 : 4

(d) 1 : 2

(e) None of these

Q7. Two companies A and B quote for a tender. On the tender opening day, A realizes that the two quotes are in the ratio 7 : 4 and hence decreases it price during negotiations to make it Rs. 1 lakh lower than B’s quoted price. B then realises that the final quotes of the two were in the ratio 3 :4. By how much did A decrease its price in order to win the bid?   

(a) Rs. 7 lakhs 

(b) Rs. 4 lakhs 

(c) Rs. 9 lakhs 

(d) Rs. 8 lakhs 

(e) None of these

Q8. A student is studying for a test from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm on weekdays and one-third of that on Saturdays. On Sundays he takes a break from school and goes fishing. For what fractional part of the entire week is the student studying?  

(a) 2/5

(b) 3/7

(c) 2/7

(d) 3/8

(e) None of these

Q9. A sum of Rs. 430 has been distributed among 45 people consisting of men, women and children. The total amounts given to men, women and children are in the ratio 12 : 15 :16. But, the amounts received by each man, woman and child are in the ratio 6 : 5 : 4. Find, what each man, woman and child receives (in Rs.). 

(a) 12, 10, 8

(b) 180, 150, 120

(c) 120, 150,160 

(d) 60, 75, 80

(e) None of these

Q10. The ratio between the number of passengers travelling by I and II class between the two railway stations is 1 : 50, whereas the ratio of I and II class fares between  the same stations is 3 : 1. If on a particular day, Rs. 1325 were collected from the passengers travelling between these stations, then what was the amount collected from the II class passengers? 

(a) Rs. 750

(b) Rs. 850

(c) Rs. 1000

(d) Rs. 1250 

(e) None of these

Q11. Fresh grapes contain 90 per cent water by weight while dried grapes contain 20 per cent water by weight. What is the weight of dry grapes available from 20 kg of fresh grapes? 

(a) 2 kg 

(b) 2.4 kg 

(c) 2.5 kg 

(d) 3 kg

(e) None of these

Q12. In a certain company, the ratio of the number of managers to the number of production-line workers is 5 to 72. If 8 additional production-line workers were to be hired, the ratio of the number of managers to the production-line workers would be 5 to 74. How many managers does the company have?  

(a) 10

(b) 20

(c) 30

(d) 25

(e) None of these

Q13. Mayank, Mirza, Little and Jaspal bought a motorbike for Rs. 60,000. Mayank paid one half of the sum of the amounts paid by the other boys, Mirza paid one third of the sum of the amounts paid by the other boys, Little paid one fourth of the sum of the amounts paid by the other boys. How much did Jaspal has to pay?  

(a) Rs. 15,000

(b) Rs. 13,000

(c) Rs. 17,000

(d) Rs. 16,000

(e) None of these

Q14. I have one rupee coins, fifty paise coins and twenty five paise coins. The number of coins is in the ratio 2.5 : 3 : 4. If the total amount with me is Rs. 210, find the number of one rupee coins.

(a) 90

(b) 85

(c) 100

(d) 105

(e) None of these

Q15. The cost of diamond varies directly as the square of its weight. Once, this diamond broke into four pieces with weights in the ratio 1 : 2 : 3 : 4. When the pieces were sold, the merchant got Rs. 70,000 less. Find the original price of the diamond. 

(a) Rs 1.4 lakhs 

(b) Rs 2 lakhs 

(c) Rs. 1 lakhs

(d) Rs. 2.1 lakhs 

(e) None of these

Solutions

S1. Ans.(d)

Sol. Number of girls = 100

∴ Number of boys = 300 

∴ Number of hostel dwellers = 50 + 100 = 150 

⇒ Required ratio = 150 : 400 

=3∶8=3/8 

S2. Ans.(d)

Sol. Let the incomes of the two persons be 4I and 5I respectively

Let the expenditure of the two persons be 7E and 9E respectively.

∴ 4I - 7E = 50 and 5I - 9E = 50 

⇒ 20I - 35E = 250

20I - 36E = 200 

E = 50 and I = 100 

∴ Monthly incomes of the two persons are Rs.400 and Rs. 500 respectively. 

S3. Ans.(a)

Sol. Let, initially, the number of males and females in the bus be 3x and x respectively. 

At the first stop, suppose m males and f females left the bus. 

∴ At the first stop: Number of the males is 3x - m 

And number of females 

 

∴ f = 4, x = 16 

∴ Total number of passengers in the beginning 

= 4x = 64 

For no other value of f any of the other alternatives holds good.  

S4. Ans.(a)

Sol. Let X’s income be 3k then Y’s income is 4k. Let X’s expenditure be 4g then Y’s expenditure is 5g. 

 

S6. Ans.(c)

Sol. Let x pairs brown socks were ordered 

Let p be the price of a brown pair 

∴ 2p is the price of a black pair 

∴ (2p × 4 + px) + 50% of (2p × 4 + px) 

= 2p × x + 4p 

⇒ x = 16 

∴ Required ratio = 1 : 4 

S7. Ans.(b)

Sol. Let the quotes of A and B be 7X and 4X, respectively. 

After decreasing, quotes of A = 4x - 1 

Then, we are given 

 

⇒ X = 1

Then, decreasing by A = 7X - (4X - 1) 

= 3x + 1 = 3 + 1

= Rs. 4 lakhs 

S8. Ans.(c)

Sol. Student studies for 9 hrs from 11 am to 8 pm on Monday to Friday 

Also, be studies 1/3rd of the time on Sunday i.e. 1/3×9=3h 

Total hours, he studied during the week 

= 5 × 9 + 3 = 45 + 3 = 48h 

Total hours, in a week = 24 × 7 = 168 

∴ Required fraction 

=48/168=2/7 

S9. Ans.(a)

Sol. Ratio of personal shares = 6 : 5 : 4 

Ratio of the amounts = 12 : 15 : 16 

Ratio of men, women and children 

=12/6 ∶15/5 ∶16/4 

= 2 : 3 : 4 

Sum of these ratios = (2 + 3 + 4) = 9 

Number of men =((45 × 2)/9)=10 

Number of women =((49 × 3)/9)=15 

And, the number of children = 45 - (10 + 15) = 20 

Now, dividing Rs. 430 in the ratio = 12 : 15 : 16 

Total amount of men’s share 

= Rs. ((430 × 12)/43) 

= Rs. 120 

Total amount of women’s share 

= Rs. ((430 × 15)/43) 

= Rs. 150 

Total amount of children’s share 

= Rs. [430 - (120 + 150)] 

= Rs. 160 

∴ Each man’s share = Rs. (120/10)=Rs.12 

Each woman’s share = Rs. (150/15)= Rs. 10 

Each child’s share = Rs. (160/20) = Rs. 8 

S10. Ans.(d)

Sol. Ratio of the amount collected from the 1st class and the 2nd class passengers = 3 : 50 

∴ Amount collected from the 2nd class passengers 

=50/53×1325 = Rs. 1250.

S12. Ans.(b)

Sol. According to question, 

5x/(72x + 8)=5/74 

⇒ x = 4 

Managers = 5 × 4 = 20 

S13. Ans.(b)

Sol. Mayank paid 1/2 of the sum paid by other three. 
Let the other three paid Rs. x jointly, then Mayank paid x/2

So, x+x/2=60,000 ⇒ x = 40,000. 

Hence, Mayank paid = Rs. 20,000 

Likewise, Mirza and Little paid Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 12,000 respectively. 

Hence, the amount paid by Jaspal is 
Rs. [60,000 - (20,000 + 15,000 + 12,000)] = Rs. 13,000  

S14. Ans.(d)

Sol. Ratio of number of one rupee, fifty paise, and twenty five paise coins = 2.5 : 3:4 

∴ Ratio of value of coins =2.5×1∶3/2 ∶4/4=5∶3∶2 

Let, amount of Rs 1, 50 paise and 25 paise coins be 5x, 3x and 2x respectively. 

So, 5x + 3x + 2x = 210 (given) ⇒ x = 21 

∴ Value of one rupee coins 

= number of one rupee coins = 21 × 5 = 105

Daily GK Update 15th February, 2017

Daily GK Update 15th February, 2017

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

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

ii. 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

i. 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. 

ii. 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

i. Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan will inaugurate the International Conference on NexGen Technologies for Mining and Fuel Industries in New Delhi .

ii. 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

i. The International Coin Fair was inaugurated at Kanakakunnu Palace in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala by the Kerala state Minister for Tourism, Cooperation and Devaswoms Kadakampally Surendran.

ii. 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

i. 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.

ii. 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).

ii. 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

i. 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.

ii. 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

i. 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.

ii. 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

i. The ‘name and shame campaign’ initiated by Catholic Syrian Bank Employees and Retirees against wilful defaulters in Kerala seems to have started paying dividends.

ii. 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.

iii. 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. 

iv. 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

i. 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.

ii. A new fund offer (NFO) is the first time subscription offer for a new scheme launched by the asset management companies (AMCs). 

iii. 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. 

iv. 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

i. 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).

ii. 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.

iii. 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.

iv. 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

i. 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.

ii. 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

i. 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. 

ii. 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

i. Former correspondent of the Press Trust of India,  T V Parasuram passed away. He was 93.

ii. Parasuram has won a Harvard Niemen Fellowship in journalism. He had served as the correspondent for The Indian Express for two decades.

iii. He has authored two books -‘ A Medal for Kashmir’, and ‘Jewish Heritage in India‘

Winning Legendary Jazz Singer Al Jarreau Dies at 76 

i. Legendary American jazz singer Al Jarreau passed away in Los Angeles. He was 76.

ii. 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

i. 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.

ii. 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

i. Jehan Daruvala became the first ever Indian to claim the New Zealand Grand Prix at Jehan Daruvalathe Chris Amon Circuit in Manfeild, New Zealand.

ii. 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.

iii. 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

i. 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. 

ii. Kush, a second grade student from Hill Spring International School has presented tremendous performances in the past 6 months