Daily GK Update 10th March, 2017

Daily GK Update 10th March, 2017

RBI to issue new Rs 10 notes soon with high-security features

i. The Reserve Bank of India notified that it is soon going to issue Rs 10 denomination notes with enhanced security features for circulation.

ii. Besides, RBI also notified that all the banknotes in the denomination of Rs 10 issued in the past will also continue to be legal tender. The note will be in the Mahatma Gandhi series-2005 and carry inset letter ‘L’ on both number panels.  

iii. The year of printing (2017) will be on the reverse of the note.  Numerals on both the panels will be in ascending size from left to right. The first three alpha-numeric characters (prefix) will remain constant in size.

India-Belgium signs Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement

i. India and Belgium have signed an agreement to amending the existing Agreement and Protocol between the two countries for avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income in New Delhi.

ii. The agreement was signed in the presence of Sushil Chandra, Chairman CBDT and Jan Luykx, Ambassador of Belgium to India.  

10th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance (ICEGOV) 

i. The 10th edition of the International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance (ICEGOV 2017) was held in New Delhi from March 7-9, 2017. The theme is 'Building Knowledge Societies-From Digital Government to Digital Empowerment'. 

ii. The Objective of ICEGOV 2017 is focused on the use of technology to transform relationships between government and citizens, businesses & civil society. It was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Electronics & IT and Law & Justice Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad. 

Odisha govt launched 181 helpline for distressed women

i. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has launched 24*7  helpline number 181 to assist women in distress on the occasion of International Women’s Day (8th March 2017). 

ii. A woman from any part of the Odisha can dial 181 to get immediate assistance. The helpline will extend prompt response to women affected by violence, provide information about women-related government schemes and programs and a range of other services

Tamil Nadu launches Rs 1,580 crore housing scheme

i. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami launched a housing scheme estimated at Rs 1,580 crore.The scheme was implemented by the state government with Central assistance for the economically poor. 

ii. In the year 2016-17, concrete houses will be constructed for 50,170 beneficiaries in town panchayat limits.

Minimum balance penalty needed to offset Jan Dhan account costs: SBI

i. SBI recently announced that penalty for non-maintenance of Minimum Average Balance (MAB) from April 1, 2017 as the government asked SBI to reconsider charges.

ii. Arundhati Bhattacharya, SBI chief clarify that the condition of maintaining minimum balance will not be applicable to the Jan Dhan accounts.

Parliament passes bill to raise maternity leave to 26 weeks

i. Parliament approved a bill granting women working in the organized sector paid maternity leave of 26 weeks, up from 12 weeks now, a decision which will benefit around 1.8 million women.

ii. The law will apply to all establishments employing 10 or more people and the entitlement will be for the first two children. For the third child, the entitlement will be 12 weeks.

iii. With this, India becomes the country with the third highest maternity leave. Canada and Norway grant 50 weeks and 44 weeks respectively as paid maternity leave.

INS Tillanchang commissioned to Indian Navy

i. The Vice Admiral Girish Luthra has commissioned INS Tillanchang to the Indian Navy in Karwar, Karnataka. INS Tillanchang is a Water Jet Fast Attack Craft (WJFAC) and will add to the firepower of the Indian Navy. 

ii. This announcement has come just one day after INS Viraat was decommissioned which the Indian Navy called an end to a glorious era of over 30 years. It was decommissioned in a grand ceremony at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai.

NTPC commissions 45 MW of Bhadla solar plant 

i. Indian Public Sector Undertaking company National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) has commissioned 45 MW solar capacity at Bhadla in Rajasthan. Now the total installed capacity of the project is increased to 160 MW. 

ii. NTPC intends to become a 130-GW company up to 2032 with a with diversified fuel mix and a 600 billion units company in terms of generation. Last month, NTPC had commissioned 115 MW capacity out of the 260 MW Bhadla solar power project.

Iran successfully tests ballistic missile

i. Iran's Revolutionary Guard has successfully tested a ballistic missile named Hormuz 2.

ii. Gen Amir Ali Hajizadeh, chief of the Guard's aerospace division stated that the missile destroyed a target from a distance of 250 kilometers (155 miles).

iii. The Hormuz 2 is capable of hitting floating targets with high accuracy within a range of 300 kilometers (186 miles). It provided no additional details.

Mohan Bhagwat conferred honorary degree of Doctor of Science

i. RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat was conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Science (DSc) by the Nagpur-based Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University. 

ii. He was conferred the degree for his contribution in the field of veterinary sciences and social work.

Konkani writer gets Saraswati Samman

i. Eminent Konkani writer Mahabaleshwar Sail has been honored with the Saraswati Samman 2016 for his novel 'Hawthan'.

ii. The 74-year-old’s novel was shortlisted out of 22 books written in as many languages. iii. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh and a citation. Mr. Sail is a bilingual writer who has four Marathi dramas and seven Konkani novels to his credit. He has also written five short stories and a novel in Marathi.

Viola Davis Conferred with Harvard’s Artist of the Year Award 2017

i. The popular actress Viola Davis was awarded the 2017 Artist of the Year Award by Harvard Foundation during its 32nd annual Cultural Rhythms Festival in Memorial Hall’s Sanders Theatre at Harvard University in Cambridge. 

ii. She also won her second Tony Award for the 2010 Broadway revival of the play.  

QUIZ-09

Q1. Name the oldest Indian Aircraft Carrier, which has been decommissioned recently after serving the country for nearly three decades.

(a) INS Vikramaditya

(b) INS Arihant

(c) INS Viraat

(d) INS Vishal

(e) None of the given options is true

Q2. The tallest Indian flag in the country measuring 360 feet was hoisted recently from ___________.

(a) New Delhi

(b) Ranchi

(c) Haryana

(d) Punjab

(e) Gujarat

Q3. Centre has launched the first ever across-the-river survey in Ganga to determine the population of aquatic life. It is specially aimed at Gangetic _____________.

(a) Dolphins

(b) Alligators

(c) Shark

(d) Turtle

(e) Hilsa Fish

Q4. Name the American player who has won the ATP Mexico Open hardcourt tennis tournament.

(a) Andy Murrey

(b) Rafael Nadal

(c) Sam Querrey

(d) Stan Wawrinka

(e) Milos Raonic

Q5. Name the Indian state that has recently declared Sanskrit as a compulsory language for students up to class 8th.

(a) Kerala

(b) Assam

(c) Odisha

(d) Karnataka

(e) Meghalaya

Q6. The West Bengal government has recently given an official status to which one of the following languages in the state, that has been listed as an endangered language by the UNESCO?

(a) Ol-Chiki

(b) Gurmukhi

(c) Kramana

(d) Kurukh

(e) Lobito

Q7. As per recent declaration of the RBI, bank branches that refuse to exchange soiled notes from people will have to pay a penalty of ____________.

(a) Rs 8,000

(b) Rs 10,000

(c) Rs 12,000

(d) Rs 15,000

(e) Rs 17,000

Q8. Telecom operator Bharti Airtel has signed an agreement with Millicom International Cellular to combine their operations in which one of the following countries?

(a) Ghana

(b) Nigeria

(c) Liberia

(d) Mozambique

(e) Togo

Q9. Name the operation/s, recently coordinated by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) under the Ministry of Environment and Forests nationwide.

(a) Operation Thunder Bird 

(b) Operation Save Kurma

(c) Operation Save Turtles

(d) Both (a) and (b)

(e) Both (a) and (c)

Q10. Name the Indian state that has recently approved proposal to rename two of its Airports.

(a) Andhra Pradesh

(b) Tamil Nadu

(c) Maharashtra

(d) Gujarat

(e) Kerala

                                                             ANSWERS

S1. Ans.(c)

Sol. INS Viraat, the world’s oldest aircraft carrier in active service will be decommissioned on 6 March 2017 with a ceremonial send-off in Mumbai. A glorious chapter in the Indian Navy’s history will come to an end when INS Viraat, the longest serving aircraft carrier will retire after serving the country for nearly three decades.

S2. Ans.(d)

Sol. The tallest national flag in the country measuring 360 feet was hoisted at the Attari-Wagah joint checkpost in Punjab. Earlier, the record was held by the one in Ranchi which is 293 feet high.

S3. Ans.(a)

Sol. Centre has launched the first ever across-the-river survey in Ganga to determine the population of aquatic life, specially aimed at that of the endangered Gangetic dolphin. The study is crucial as the animal population in a river indicates the quality of its water.

S4. Ans.(c)

Sol. Unseeded American Sam Querrey has won the ATP Mexico Open hardcourt tennis tournament. In the final at Acapulco in Mexico, Querrey stunned second-seeded Rafael Nadal in straight sets 6-3, 7-6.

S5. Ans.(b)

Sol. In a cabinet meeting, the Assam government led by the Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal decided to make Sanskrit a compulsory language for students up to class 8th in the state.

S6. Ans.(d)

Sol. The West Bengal government has given an official status to 'Kurukh' language in the state which has been listed as an endangered language by the UNESCO. The language was given the official status on the occasion of the International Mother Language Day. Kurukh is a tribal language that belongs to the Dravidian family.

S7. Ans.(b)

Sol. The Reserve Bank of India has clarified that currency notes, which have messages scribbled on it are legal tender. According to the RBI, bank branches that refuse to exchange soiled notes from people will have to pay a penalty of Rs 10,000.

S8. Ans.(a)

Sol. Telecom operator Bharti Airtel has signed an agreement with Millicom International Cellular to combine their operations in Ghana. The companies through their respective subsidiaries entered into an agreement for Tigo Ghana and Airtel Ghana to combine their operations in Ghana.

S9. Ans.(d)

Sol. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) under the Ministry of Environment and Forests coordinated 'Operation Thunder Bird' and 'Operation Save Kurma' nationwide. The aim of ‘Operation Thunder Bird’ is to combat illegal trade of wildlife animals in the country.

S10. Ans.(a)

Sol. The Andhra Pradesh State Cabinet during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu approved proposals to rename the Vijayawada Airport and the Tirupati Airport. The cabinet proposed to rename the Vijayawada Airport in Gannavaram as ‘Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (NTR) Amaravati Airport'. The Tirupati Airport at Renigunta has been renamed as ‘Sri Venkateswara Airport’.

Daily GK Update 09th March, 2017

Daily GK Update 09th March, 2017

List of Winners of BCCI Annual Award 2017

i. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the 'BCCI Annual Awards for 2015-16'. The awards were given away at a ceremony held in Bangaluru March 8, 2017 which also marks the International Women’s Day.  

ii. Indian Skipper Virat Kohli was honored with the Polly Umrigar Award for third time.   
iii. R Ashwin was awarded the Dilip Sardesia Award for the second time for his brilliant performance in test cricket in 2016. He is also the only one to be awarded twice. 

iv. Vaman Viswanath Kumar and late Ramakant Desai were given the BCCI Special Award in recognition of their yeoman services to Indian Cricket.

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2-day North-East Business Summit begins in New Delhi 

i. A two-day North-East Business Summit (NEBS) begins in New Delhi.The summit aims to display the strengths, potentials, and initiatives of the North-East, promote investment the region and also have focused deliberations on strategic areas like healthcare, connectivity, agriculture, food processing and energy. 

ii. The Summit will also showcase the untapped business potential of North-East to investors worldwide.

EPFO extends Digital Life Certificate submission through Jeevan Pramaan Patra by March 31

i. The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has extended the last date of submission of digital life certificate through Jeevan Pramaan Patra by March 31st, 2017 under Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS).

ii. The decision was taken as many pensioners failed to submit their life certificates for continuation of drawal of pension. 

iii. An official released that members and pensioners of the EPS are required to furnish Aadhaar number by the end march, 2017.

First time Mobile World Congress to be held in India

i. India to host its first mobile congress on 27 September 2017 with a special focus on reaching out to the South East Asian markets at Pragati Maidan, Delhi.This was announced by Rajan S Mathews, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) Director General. 

ii. The three-day event will be organized by GSM Association. All Indian mobile operators, Facebook, Huawei, Ericsson, Cisco etc are likely to participate in the mobile congress. This is the first time held in India after Barcelona(Spain) and Shanghai(China).

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah launches 'Pratibimba' to project achievements 

i. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah launched a comprehensive web-based platform Pratibimba to showcase the government’s performance and achievements to the citizens.

ii. This dash board will serve as a tool to improve efficiency in governance and allow citizens to track government’s progress.It is available both in English and Kannada. 

iii. After Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka has such dash board which will help to report, track and measure departmental performance on programmes, projects and promises made by the government.

Committee to resolve women’s grievances

i. The Sports Ministry has decided to constitute a high-level committee to resolve the grievances and complaints of women sports persons in India.

ii. Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel addressed a congregation of top women athletes of the country on International Women’s Day at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi. 

iii. He assured the equality of right and all support to the sports women. The committee will function under the chairmanship of Joint Secretary (Sports) and will comprise athletes, an advocate, senior officers of the Sports Ministry and sports journalists.

India Has Highest Bribery Rate Among 16 Asia-Pacific Nations

i. According to the Global Corruption Barometer released by Transparency International (TI), in Berlin for 16 Asia Pacific countries India tops the list for being the most corrupt nation.

ii. According to the survey, about 69 percent of the population in India paid bribe to get their work done. India was followed by Vietnam (65%), Thailand (41%), Cambodia, Pakistan and Myanmar, each with 40%.  Besides, China (26%) was one of the least corrupt nations and it was the lowest in Japan (0.2%).

 Vice President Hamid Ansari Attends IORA Summit in Jakarta

i. Vice President Hamid Ansari was on a two-day visit to Indonesia to attend the 21-nation Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia from March 6-7, 2017.

ii. The theme of Summit is ‘Strengthening Maritime Cooperation for a Peaceful, Stable and Prosperous Indian Ocean’.

iii. IORA has 21 member states, including Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, UAE, and Yemen.

'India by Nile' fest to begin in Egypt

i. India has organized the fifth edition of the mega cultural festival 'India by the Nile' in Egypt on 8th March to showcase the diversity of the country's culture, arts and cuisine for building enduring partnership between the two ancient civilizations.

ii. For the first time, the Indian flag will be projected onto the Giza Pyramids as part of the celebration. The festival, to be held in Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Port Said and Ismaila governorates from March 8 to April 27, 2017.

iii. It is the largest cultural foreign festival in Egypt and has been a great success in the country.

IDFC Aadhaar Pay launched

i. IDFC Bank has launched India’s first biometric-based payment system 'Aadhaar Pay' in New Delhi.

ii. The Aadhaar Pay app has been developed by IDFC Bank under the guidance of the Ministry of IT, NITI Aayog, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

iii. The android app will use the fingerprint of the customer as a digital identity. Customers simply need to select their bank’s name and enter their Aadhaar number in the merchant’s phone.

Karur Vysya Bank launches 3 technology services

Karur-based Karur Vysya Bank’ s Chief Executive K. Venkataraman has rolled-out of three technology services FASTag, UPI and BBPS.

i.FASTag : The FASTag service has been launched in association with the Indian Highways Management Company, a subsidiary of National Highways Authority of India.The preloaded tags affixed on vehicles are valid at all toll plazas throughout the country.

ii.UPI app : United Payments Interface (UPI) is a mobile app that enables inter-bank transfer of funds. The transfer is effected through the IMPS (Immediate Payment Service) platform of NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India).

iii.BBPS : BBPS (Bharat Bill Payment System) will make utility bill payments such as electricity bills, water charges and gas cylinders, among others, at a single site instead of accessing multiple sites.

D. Bala Venkatesh Varma concurrently accredited as the Ambassador of India to Andorra

i. IFS officer, D. Bala Venkatesh Varma has been concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of lndia to the Principality of Andorra, with residence in Madrid (Spain). Venkatesh was presently working as the ambassador of lndia to the Kingdom of Spain.

Environment Minister launches Web Portal for obtaining CRZ Clearances

i. Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Anil Madhav Dave, launched the web portal for obtaining Coastal Regulation Zone clearances in New Delhi. 

ii. The interactive Portal is for obtaining clearances required from the Ministry under the 'Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)' by the Project proponents which Minister also termed the launch of the portal as a good example of ‘Ease of Doing Business’.

IIT-M solar inverter system wins award

i. Indian Institute of Technology-Madras has won the 2017 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Spectrum Technology in the Service of Society Award for its solar-direct current (DC) inverter system.

ii. The system, developed using microgrid technology, converts in-home power distribution from 230V Analog Current to 48V DC to directly power appliances and devices. 

Veteran journalist Arvind Padmanabhan dies

i. Veteran journalist Arvind Padmanabhan, an Executive Editor at IANS, died of cardiac arrest.Padmanabhan, who would have turned 50 next month, breathed his last . 

ii. Arvind Padmanabhan had a long inning at IANS, joining the India Abroad newspaper that was then part of the wire service in 1999 as in-charge of its Business Section.He was earlier with the PTI, The Times of India and TV18.

Ashwin, Jadeja jointly ranked number one in ICC Test rankings

i.India’s Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have become the first pair of spinners to be jointly top-ranked in the MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers as Jadeja has caught up with his spin-partner in the rankings after the second Test against Australia in Bengaluru.  

QUIZ-08

Q1. The first edition of the North East Investors Summit has inaugurated by the Union Textiles Minister, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani in-
Answer: Shillong, Meghalaya

Q2. Which organisation has launched climate change programme to assess the status, distribution and conservation of pheasants and finches in the Central Himalayas?
Answer: Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

Q3. Which state cabinet has 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 the state?
Answer: Karnataka

Q4. Which public sector lender has announced an agency tie-up with Future Generali India Insurance Company (FGII)?
Answer: Bank of Maharashtra (BOM)

Q5. Who has been appointed as the United Nations in India to Goodwill Ambassador for the Sustainable Development Goals?
Answer: Ashok Amritraj

Q6. Which countries has become the first country in the world to divest coal, oil and gas investments from Ireland Strategic Investment Fund?
Answer: Ireland

Q7. Start-up firm E-paathsala has launched an integrated accreditation and ERP technology solution for the colleges and universities to enable them better manage their multiple accreditation standards in an easy, efficient and fast manner and bridge the gap identified for specific accreditations. E-paathsala is based in-
Answer: Bengaluru

Q8. Which countries has introduced a legislation by making it mandatory to raise the minimum salary of the H-1B visa holders to more than double at USD 1,30,000 from the previous USD 60,000? 
Answer: USA

Q9. NABARD has hailed the increased focus on irrigation and dairy sectors in the Budget which has hiked the corpus of long-term irrigation fund by another Rs 20,000 crore, taking the total fund size to how much amount?
Answer: Rs 40,000 crore

Q10. Name the Operation, which has been launched by Income Tax Department to verify the cash deposited in the banks during November 09th to December 30th 2016?
Answer: Operation Clean Money

Q11. To augment income of farmers budget has proposed setting-up of a Dairy Processing and Infrastructure Development Fund with a corpus of ___________ over three years.
Answer: Rs 8,000 crores

Q12. Name the player, who has become the World No 1 Junior Badminton player?
Answer: Lakshya Sen

Q13. In which Indian cities Tech giant Apple has set up a manufacturing plant recently?
Answer: Bengaluru, Karnataka

Q14. As a core element of its transformation journey 'FutuReady', Tata Motors presented its new Passenger Vehicle strategy and introduced its new sub-brand TAMO. TAMO will premiere at the upcoming _______ Geneva International Motor Show on March 07, 2017.
Answer: 87th

Q15. India is expected to clock GDP growth of how much percent in 2017—18 as the country gets sufficiently remonetized and the schemes in the Budget play a supportive role, says an HSBC report.
Answer: 7.1 percent

Daily GK Update 08th March, 2017

Daily GK Update 08th March, 2017

RBI's Monetory Policy February 2017 : Keeps repo rate unchanged at 6.25%

i. RBI governor Urjit Patel led Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) kept the key repo rate unchanged at 6.25% in the first monetary policy review of 2017 and after Budget 2017. 

ii. Limit on cash withdrawal from savings banks accounts to be relaxed in 2 stages. From 20 February, 2017 limit to be increased from Rs 24k to Rs 50K. From 13 March, 2017 there will be no limit on cash withdrawal from savings bank accounts. 

iii. 9.92 lakh crore new notes infused into market as on January 27, 2017.Inflation seen at 4-4.5% for April-September,2017. For January-March, 2017 CPI stay below 5%

Policy rates:

Repo Rate- 6.25%

Reverse Repo Rate- 5.75%

Marginal Standing Facility Rate- 6.75%

Bank Rate-  6.75%

Reserve Ratio:

CRR- 4%

SLR- 20.50%

3-day global conference on Nuclear Terrorism to begin in New Delhi

i. The Implementation and Assessment Group Meeting of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism begins in New Delhi. Nearly 150 delegates from various partner countries and international organisations will take take part in the three-day event. 

ii. Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar will inaugurate the meet organised by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Department of Atomic Energy.

iii. The meeting highlights India’s commitment to global nuclear non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy. 

SC clears plan to verify mobile phone users through Aadhaar

i. The Supreme Court has approved the government‘s plan to record the identification details of mobile subscribers through an e-KYC (Know Your Customer) mechanism linked to Aadhaar in a bid to enhance national security and prevent fake users.

ii. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar asked the government, represented by Attorney-General Mukul Rohatgi, to put in place the mechanism within a year. 

iii. The mechanism would cover at least 100 crore mobile phone subscribers, 90% of whom use pre-paid cards.

International Conference & Exhibition on Terrestrial & Satellite Broadcasting held in New Delhi

i. The 23rd edition of International Conference and Exhibition on Terrestrial & Satellite Broadcasting was held in New Delhi. The 3-day conference was organized by the Broadcast Engineering Society (India). 

ii. The theme of the conference is 'Hybrid Technologies in Broadcasting New Opportunities'. In this EXPO, nearly 300 companies from 25 countries displayed their products directly or through their dealers and distributors in India. 

Over 13,000 Divyangs have been given jobs by Centre

i. Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh stated that 13 thousand Divyangs have been given jobs in various central government departments. 

ii. Talking to media in New Delhi yesterday,Dr Singh said efforts are on to fill all the 15,694 vacancies in the central government. He said till now nearly 84% of vacant posts meant for Divyangs have been filled.

No cash withdrawal limit from March 13,2017:RBI

i. The Reserve Bank of India announced that the cash withdrawal limit on savings accounts will be scrapped from March 13, 2017 . 

ii. Further, the current limit of withdrawal fixed at ₹24,000 per week will be raised to ₹50,000 per week from February 20,2017 the RBI added. The limits on bank withdrawals were placed after demonetization

Federal Bank ties up with data portal for loans against warehouse receipts

i. Federal Bank has partnered with leading online data and information portal Commodity Online for the distribution of loans against warehouse receipts and collateral management services across the country.

ii. Commodity Online will roll out an agri commodity financing platform through its flagship portal www.commodityonline.com where farmers and traders can track commodity markets and warehouses online and get financing for their commodities quickly.

iii. According to Mohan K, Deputy General Manager (SME & Agri), Federal Bank, the bank’s partnership with Commodity Online enables it to aggressively get into the online space to provide financing for agri commodities with collateral management across India.

Bank of Baroda, IFFCO launch co-branded debit card for farmers

i. In a novel initiative that would push digitalisation and cashless economy, Bank of Baroda (BOB) has tied up with IFFCO, a cooperative, to provide co-branded debit cards with inbuilt overdraft facilities to the farmers.

ii. In this regard, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between G.B.Panda, General Manager (government relationship) BOB and Yogendra Kumar, General Manager (Marketing) IFFCO.

iii. Under this MOU, two lakh co-branded debit cards will be issued to the farmers beginning with the state of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Subsequently more cards will be issued across rest of India.These co-branded debit cards will be exclusively used for the purchase of IFFCO products only.

iv. BOB has agreed to issue the co-branded debit cards to the farmers with an overdraft limit of Rs. 2,500 per cardholder.BOB will also provide 2500 PoS machines initially at the various locations across India recommended by IFFCO at mutually agreed terms and conditions.

ICICI Securities partners with Saxo Bank

i. ICICI Securities, a subsidiary of ICICI Bank, has entered into a strategic partnership with Saxo Bank, an online multi-asset trading and investment specialist.

ii. This partnership will offer Saxo's trading and investment capabilities via a digital platform to Indian investors.

iii. It will enable ICICI Securities' 4 million clients of ICICIdirect.com to diversify their investments outside of the domestic Indian market and access multi-asset investment opportunities on 36 stock exchanges across 24 countries, through SaxoTraderGo.

iv. Clients opting for these services to invest outside India will gain access to third party research with Tradingfloor.com.

HDFC Bank, KMB go live with Bharat Bill Payment System

i. Private sector lenders HDFC Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank are live with the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) that is aimed at easing utility and other repetitive bill payments for consumers.

ii. The BBPS is a centralised system created by the National Payments Corporation, involving banks and non-banks and allows agents to access bill payments services in an interoperable manner, HDFC Bank stated. 

iii. A customer can pay multiple bills from a single platform without the hassle of visiting multiple websites or issuing individual cheques, or also registering billers with her bank for standard instructions for debit.

Adani appoints Purdie as CEO for renewable energy unit in Australia

i. The Adani Group has appointed Jennifer Purdie as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for its renewable energy business unit in Australia in a bid to drive its plans to become the largest renewable energy player in the country.

ii. Adani’s aim is to become the largest renewable energy industry participant in Australia with a total capacity of 1,500 MW in the near term.

HDIL to launch budget homes in Mumbai Metropolitan Region

i. Housing Development and Infrastructure Ltd will soon launching its new budget homes brand in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

ii. Through this brand, HDIL aims at making quality housing at affordable prices accessible to a wider section of people.

iii. Under this brand, HDIL will provide affordable homes within Rs. 50 lakh inclusive of stamp duty and registration in Mumbai’s suburbs and within Rs. 20 lakh, including stamp duty and registration charges, in the Vasai–Virar region.

Education Secretary nominee Betsy DeVos wins Senate confirmation vote

i. In United States, Senate has confirmed President Donald Trump's controversial nominee for Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, by the slenderest possible margin. 

ii. US Vice-President Mike Pence cast the tie-breaking vote to secure her cabinet role, splitting the chamber 50-50. 

Foreign direct investment zooms 60 pc to USD 4.68 bn in Nov 2016
i.With the government taking steps to improve ease of doing business and relax regulations, foreign direct investment into the country surged by 60% to USD 4.68 billion in November 2016.
ii. The FDI stood at USD 2.93 billion in November 2015.During the period, India received maximum FDI from Singapore, Mauritius, the UK, the US, the Netherlands and Japan, an official stated.

National Badminton Championship: Sourabh Verma clinches Men’s Singles title

i. Sourabh Verma clinched the Men’s Singles title defeating Lakshya Sen in the 81 st Senior National Badminton Championships tournament played in Patna. Sourabh beat Lakshya Sen 21-13, 21-12. 

ii. Rituparna Das claimed the Women's Singles title defeating Reshma Karthik in the tournament. Second seed Rituparna defeated 9th seed Reshma 21-12, 21-14.

iii. In Women's doubles event, the pair of Aparna Balan and Prajakta Sawant clinched the title defeating the pair of Shikha Gautam and Sanyogita Ghorpade 21-9, 21-11. 

iv. In the mixed doubles, the duo of Satwik Sai Raj and Maneesha K defeated Venkat Gaurav Prasad and Juhi Dewangan 21-14, 21-18 to claim the title.In Men's doubles event, the duo of Satwik Sai Raj and Chirag Shetty clinched the title defeating Nand Gopal K and Sanyam Shukla 21-17, 16-21 and 21-16.