Daily GK Update 13th February, 2017

 Daily GK Update 13th February, 2017

PM Narendra Modi extends greetings on World Radio Day 2017

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his greetings on the World Radio Day on 13 February 2017. Terming radio as “a wonderful way to interact, learn & communicate”, the PM stated.  The theme for the 2017 edition of World Radio Day is 'Radio is You'.

 ii. World Radio Day is observed every year on February 13 to celebrate radio as a forum for entertainment and information, as a bridge of communication for remote communities and its role in empowering people. 

iii. In 2011, the Unesco General Conference had proclaimed February 13 as World Radio Day, the day United Nations Radio was established in 1946. Radio is the most prevalent mass medium, with the ability to reach up to 95 percent of the world’s population.

National Women’s Parliament begins in Andhra Pradesh

i. The three-day National Women’s Parliament, being organised by Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly with the theme of ‘Empowering Women - Strengthening Democracy’, began  in the state capital region Amaravati. 

ii. The vision of NWP is to enable and encourage social, political and economic empowerment of women in all strata of the society.

iii. One of the objectives of NWP is to generate new ideas, concepts, theories and ideologies for women empowerment.An ‘International Woman Icon of the World’ award and 12 best young achievers awards for women in different fields will be presented at the NWP.

MRPL launches skill development centre

i. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) launched a skill development centre (Kaushal Vikas Kendra) in Mangaluru. Speaking at the alunch programme, H Kumar, Managing Director of MRPL stated that the centre will train 60 youths in areas such as ‘industrial electrician’ and ‘CNC operator-turning’.

ii. He also stated that all expenses, including food, lodging, tutorial expenses, will be borne by MRPL Kaushal Vikas Kendra. MRPL has got the approval to launch a start-up fund of ₹10 crore, which will be used to support the new ventures and start-ups. 

iii. At another function, Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP from Dakshina Kannada, launched the smoke-free village campaign of MRPL. As a part of oil and gas conservation month, MRPL has identified villages under four panchayats in its surroundings to make them smoke-free.

iv. Under this campaign, families in the below poverty level category are identified and given free LPG kits and gas stoves. MRPL will bear the cost of the gas kit and the gas stove provided to these beneficiaries. In the first phase, the company distributed free LPG kits to nearly 200 families from Soorinje and Chelaru village panchayats.

Second edition of International Spice Conference Begins at Thiruvanantapuram

i. The second edition of the International Spice Conference began at Kovalam in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala from February 12, 2017.

ii. The three days conference has been hosted by All India Spices Exporters Forum (AISEF) in association with the Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The conference was inaugurated by the Nestle India Limited Chairman and Managing director Suresh Narayanan. 

iii. The theme of the conference is '21st Century Spic Industry-Disrupt or be Disrupted' the main aim of the event is to deliberate on effective strategies and innovative technologies to improve the livelihood of spice farmers, address spice industry challenges, food safety concern, demand supply disparity and foster sustainable growth.

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

i. The centre has approved setting up the Electronic Development Fund Tele communication Ministerwith a total corpus of Rs. 6,831 crore to support entrepreneurship and innovation in electronics and IT.

ii. The Minister of Law and IT, Ravi Shankar Prasad approved a seed capital of Rs 681 crore on the basis of which more venture capital will be raised.The Electronic Development Fund will help to contribute to various other funds under it forthose who invest the money in companies for creation of intellectual property rights in the field of electronics and IT.

FSSAI sets up panel to finalise laws on food fortification

i. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has set up a 11 member scientific panel to frame final regulations on fortification of foods and prepare strategies to address malnutrition problem.

ii. Fortification means deliberately adding or increasing the content of essential micro nutrients in food items to improve quality.The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has already issued the draft guidelines on fortification for five food items including salt, milk, wheat flour, rice and edible oil to boost production and consumption of fortified foods.

Sandeep Jajodia appointed Assocham president

i. Monnet Ispat & Energy Ltd. CMD Sandeep Jajodia has been appointed the new president of industry chamber Assocham. Balkrishan Goenka, Chairman, Welspun Group and Kiran Kumar Grandhi, vice-chairman of GMR Infrastructure Ltd, have taken over as senior vice-president and vice-president respectively. 

ii. Assocham will continue to play a transformational role both nationally and globally and the chamber will empower Indian enterprises by focusing on the most critical and relevant issues in a highly impact-oriented manner stated Jajodia who took over from Sunil Kanoria former President of ASSOCHAM

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

i. Former IFS officer Narinder Chauhan  has been appointed as the next Ambassador of lndia to the Republic of the Philippines .

ii. Currently Narinder is working as the Ambassador of lndia to the Republic of Serbia.

Diego Maradona Gets Ambassador Role at FIFA.

i. The FIFA governing body has named Argentina’s former soccer player Diego Maradona as the new Ambassador of the FIFA .The 56 year old will have major role in FIFA’s activities to promote the game across the globe and will also be be involved in relevant development projects. 

ii. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association is the international governing body of association football, futsal, and beach soccer. President is Gianni Infantino and Headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland

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

i. Cello virtuoso Yo-Yo Ma won a Grammy with his Silk Road Ensemble for Sing Me Home, an exploration of the musical connections across Eurasia.

ii. The French-born Chinese American cellist had previously won an impressive 17 Grammys, but his latest is his first for Best World Music Album.

iii. Ma set up The Silk Road Ensemble to bring together musicians from the historic route that connected the Middle East and Asia, in hopes both of finding artistic commonalities and furthering the cause of intercultural understanding.

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

i. Director Damien Chazelle’s musical 'La La Land' continued its award dominance by taking five trophies, including the best film and best actress for Emma Stone, at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards , which also recognised British-Indian star Dev Patel in the best supporting actor category for 'Lion'.

ii. 'La La Land', which also won Chazelle a best director Bafta, is expected to sustain its momentum at the Oscars on February 26 where it has scored a record 14 nominations.

Eminent journalist and Laughter Persona Pandit Dharmsheel Chaturvedi Dies 

i. The eminent thinker, writer and journalist Pandit Dharmsheel Chaturvedi passed away. 

ii. The Hindi Kavi Pt. Dharmsheel Chaturvedi was considered ‘Swayam Mein Benaras’ means ‘Banaras in Himslef’ in elite circle.

Jiro Taniguchi, a Japanese manga legend Dies at 69

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

Taniguchi began his career as an assistant to the artist Kyota Ishikawa.

ii. His own first piece of manga was published in the year 1970 named 'A Desiccated Summer'.

 iii. Taniguchi first shot to fame in Japan at the end of the 1980s with the first volume of 'The Times of Botchan'

Ravichandran Ashwin Becomes Fastest Bowler To Claim 250 Wickets

i. Indian off-spin specialist Ravichandran Ashwin became the fastest cricketer to take 250 wickets in Test matches. 

ii. He achieved this feat in his 45th test match against Bangladesh on 12 February 2017, when he dismissed captain of Bangladesh team Mushfiqur Rahim at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium in Hyderabad.

iii. Ashwin surpassed Australian fast bowler Dennis Keith Lillee, who played 48 matches to reach the milestone of 250 Test wicket.

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

i. The National Basketball Association (NBA), an American professional basketball league is creating a brand new e-sports league called NBA 2K e-League in partnership with Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., the developers of the popular NBA 2K video games.

ii. This is the first time that a professional sports organization will operate an e-sports league. The competitive gaming league will be launched in 2018.

APPSC Hall Ticket 2017 – Group II

APPSC Hall Ticket 2017 – Group II Services Screening Test Call Letter: Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) has recently released hall ticket for attending screening test for the Group II Services of Advt No. 18/2016 (General Recruitment). Screening Test will be held on 26-02-2017. Candidates who have applied for these services can download their call letter at below link…

Click here to Download Group II Services Screening Test Call Letter

Note: Except for the Candidates who opted Hyderabad as Primary center and for them Hall Tickets will be uploaded on 14-02-2017.

Quiz-13

Quiz-13

Q1. In which among the following cities, the 03-day global conference on Nuclear Terrorism has begun on 08th February 2017?

(a) Sydney, Australia

(b) Paris, France

(c) New Delhi, India

(d) Beijing, China

(e) New York, USA

Q2. Name the person, who has won the women’s singles titles in the 81st Senior National Badminton Championships tournament in Patna, Bihar?

(a) Prajakta Sawant

(b) Reshma Karthik 

(c) Saina Nehwal

(d) PV Sindhu

(e) Rituparna Das

Q3. Who has been appointed as the CEO of Adani Group 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?

(a) Jennifer Purdie

(b) Moussa Faki Mahamat 

(c) Nikki Haley

(d) Antonio Tajan

(e) None of the given options is true

Q4. Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh stated that over 13 thousand Divyangs have been given jobs in various central government departments recently. Where is the constituency of Jitendra Singh?

(a) Patna Sahib, Bihar

(b) Gurugram, Haryana

(c) Alwar, Rajasthan

(d) Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir

(e) Shimla, Himachal Pradesh

Q5. Israel’s Parliament has passed a law retroactively legalising about 4,000 homes built in Area (C) of the occupied West Bank. What is the name of Parliament of Israel?

(a) National Assembly

(b) Knesset

(c) Rajya Sabha

(d) House of Representatives

(e) None of the given options is true

Q6. Which among the following banks has tied up with IFFCO, a cooperative, to provide co-branded debit cards with inbuilt overdraft facilities to the farmers?

(a) Bank of Baroda

(b) Central Bank of India

(c) HDFC Bank

(d) State Bank of India

(e) ICICI Bank

Q7. Which 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?

(a) South Indian Bank

(b) Federal Bank

(c) Kotak Mahindra Bank

(d) Bandhan Bank

(e) IDFC Bank

Q8. RBI governor Urjit Patel led Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has kept the key repo rate unchanged at _____________ in the first monetary policy review of 2017 and after Budget 2017. 

(a) 6.75 percent

(b) 5.75 percent

(c) 6.25 percent

(d) 6.50 percent

(e) 4.75 percent

Q9. ICICI Securities, a subsidiary of ICICI Bank, has entered into a strategic partnership with Saxo Bank, an online multi-asset trading and investment specialist. Saxo Bank based in-

(a) France

(b) Malaysia

(c) Singapore

(d) Denmark

(e) Germany

Q10. The Supreme Court has approved the government‘s plan to record the identification details of mobile subscribers through an e-KYC mechanism linked to Aadhaar in a bid to enhance national security and prevent fake users. What is meaning of "C" in KYC-? 

(a) Credit

(b) Coverage

(c) Certificate

(d) Council

(e) Customer

Q11. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that the cash withdrawal limit on savings accounts will be scrapped from-

(a) 13th April 2017

(b) 01st April 2017

(c) 13th March 2017

(d) 01st March 2017

(e) 19th March 2016

Q12. Which among the following two private sector banks are live with the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) that is aimed at easing utility and other repetitive bill payments for consumers?

(a) Federal Bank and RBL Bank Ltd

(b) Yes Bank and IDFC Bank

(c) ICICI Bank and Axis Bank

(d) South Indian Bank and Bandhan Bank

(e) HDFC Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank

Q13. In which Indian city, the 23rd edition of International Conference and Exhibition on Terrestrial & Satellite Broadcasting was held?

(a) New Delhi

(b) Kolkata

(c) Nagpur

(d) Lucknow

(e) Guwahati

Q14. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to phase out weekly limit on cash withdrawal from savings accounts recently. The weekly withdrawal limit for savings accounts will be raised to how much amount from 20th February 2017? 

(a) Rs. 10,000

(b) Rs. 20,000

(c) Rs. 30,000

(d) Rs. 50,000

(e) Rs. 40,000

Q15. With the government taking steps to improve ease of doing business and relax regulations, FDI into the country surged by 60% to USD 4.68 billion in November 2016. What is the meaning of "I" in FDI?

(a) Infrastructure

(b) Investment

(c) International

(d) Insurance

(e) Indians

                                                        Solutions

S1. Ans.(c)
Sol. The Implementation and Assessment Group Meeting of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism has begun in New Delhi on 08th February 2017. Nearly 150 delegates from various partner countries and international organisations will take part in the three-day event.

S2. Ans.(e)
Sol. Rituparna Das has claimed the Women's Singles title defeating Reshma Karthik in the tournament. Second seed Rituparna defeated 9th seed Reshma 21-12, 21-14. 

S3. Ans.(a)
Sol. 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. 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.

S4. Ans.(d)
Sol. Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh stated that over 13 thousand Divyangs have been given jobs in various central government departments. 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. Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir is the constituency of Jitendra Singh.

S5. Ans.(b)
Sol. Israel’s Parliament (Knesset) has passed a law retroactively legalising about 4,000 homes built in Area (C) of the occupied West Bank. The law was passed by 60 votes to 52. The new law states that the original Palestinian landowners will be compensated with money or alternative land.

S6. Ans.(a)
Sol. 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. 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.

S7. Ans.(b)
Sol. 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. 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.

S8. Ans.(c)
Sol. RBI governor Urjit Patel led Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has kept the key repo rate unchanged at 6.25% in the first monetary policy review of 2017 and after Budget 2017. Limit on cash withdrawal from savings banks accounts to be relaxed in 2 stages. From 20 February 2017 limit to be increased from Rs 24,000 to Rs 50,000. 

S9. Ans.(d)
Sol. ICICI Securities, a subsidiary of ICICI Bank, has entered into a strategic partnership with Saxo Bank, an online multi-asset trading and investment specialist. This partnership will offer Saxo's trading and investment capabilities via a digital platform to Indian investors. Saxo Bank based in Denmark.

S10. Ans.(e)
Sol. 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. 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. 

S11. Ans.(c)
Sol. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that the cash withdrawal limit on savings accounts will be scrapped from March 13, 2017. Further, the current limit of withdrawal fixed at Rs 24,000 per week will be raised to Rs 50,000 per week from February 20th, 2017 the RBI added. The limits on bank withdrawals were placed after demonetization. 

S12. Ans.(e)
Sol. 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. 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.

S13. Ans.(a)
Sol. The 23rd edition of International Conference and Exhibition on Terrestrial & Satellite Broadcasting was held in New Delhi. The 3-day conference organised by the Broadcast Engineering Society (India). The theme of the conference is 'Hybrid Technologies in Broadcasting New Opportunities'. 

S14. Ans.(d)
Sol. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to phase out weekly limit on cash withdrawal from savings accounts in two stages, starting from 20th February 2017. First, the weekly withdrawal limit for savings accounts will be raised to Rs 50,000 from February 20th, 2017. From March 13th, 2017, there will be no limit on cash withdrawal from savings accounts, the RBI announced at the sixth bi-monthly monetary policy review on 08th February 2017.

S15. Ans.(b)
Sol. With the government taking steps to improve ease of doing business and relax regulations, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the country surged by 60% to USD 4.68 billion in November 2016. 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. 

Daily GK Update 12th February, 2017

 Daily GK Update 12th February, 2017

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

i. The government recently appointed heads of 10 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), including the first woman to head one of the 20 premier B-schools in the country.

ii. The IIMs that got new directors are in Bodhgaya (Bihar), Sirmaur (Himachal Pradesh), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Trichy (Tamil Nadu), Nagpur (Maharashtra), Sambalpur (Odisha), Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Rohtak (Haryana), Ranchi (Jharkhand) and Bangalore.

iii. Prof Neelu Rohmetra of Jammu University is the first woman to be appointed director of an IIM at Sirmaur. She specialises in HRD and cross-culture management. 

NPCI launches BHIM App on iOS platform

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

ii. With its debut on iOS, it is currently supporting over 35 banks and is currently available in Hindi and English, unlike the Android version which supports other regional languages as well.

iii. BHIM app on iOS also has a limit of Rs10,000 per transaction and Rs20,000 in a day for transfers through the bank account. 

US, Japan successfully intercept missile in space

i. The US and Japanese military have successfully tested the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA missile defence system by intercepting a medium-range ballistic missile target in space for the first time.

ii. The missile was launched from a ship off the west coast of Hawaii, US. 

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

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

i. The three trophy handlers at the ceremony are transgender model Martina Robledo; model and actor Derek Marrocco, and model and actress Hollin Haley. 
ii. The ceremony host is James Corden.

iii. The 59th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony will be held on February 12, 2017.




ISRO set to launch record 104 satellites on 15 February

i. The PSLV, in its 39th flight (PSLV-C37), will launch the 714kg Cartosat-2 series satellite for earth observation along with 103 co-passenger satellites, together weighing about 664kg at lift-off. 

ii. PSLV-C37/Cartosat-2 Series Satellite Mission is scheduled to be launched on February 15, 2017 at 9.28 hours IST from SDSC SHAR Sriharikota. 
iii. The co-passenger satellites comprise 101 nano- satellites, one each from Israel, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and 96 from United States of America (USA), as well as two from India. The two Indian nano-satellites are Isro’s INS-1A and INS-1B.

National productivity week celebrations to begin from 12th February

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

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


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

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






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

i. India beat Pakistan by 9-wickets to win T20 Blind World Cup at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium. 
ii. Successfully defending their title in the T20 Blind World Cup, India achieved the victory target of 198-runs in the 18th over in the final of the tournament.

iii. Man-of-the-match was Prakash Jayaramaiah. Man-of-the-series Badar Munir was the top-scorer for Pakistan. 

Quiz-12

             Quiz-12


Q1. Who has stepped down as the captain of India's T-20 & ODI format of cricket recently?
Answer: MS Dhoni

Q2. The United Nations 70th General Assembly has recognised the year 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. Who is the present General Secretary of United Nations?
Answer: Antonio Guterres

Q3. Who has been appointed as Executive Director (ED) of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently?
Answer: Surekha Marandi

Q4. Solar power producer Azure Power has commissioned 150 MW solar power project in ____________, which is its largest in North India.
Answer: Punjab

Q5. Who has been elected as the President of Haiti recently?
Answer: Jovenel Moise

Q6. Which state government has announced a new scheme to provide financial assistance of one thousand rupees per month each to single women in the state recently?
Answer: Telangana

Q7. The Munich Re is opening a composite branch office in Mumbai. This world’s leading reinsurer is based in-
Answer: Germany

Q8. Name the veteran actor, who gave countless memorable performances in movies of diverse genres, died at his residence in Mumbai recently?
Answer: Om Puri

Q9. Name the Insurance Company, which has been tied up with Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) for augmenting capital support to enterprises in the country?
Answer: Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC)

Q10. Which private sector bank has launched a month-long campaign to promote a group personal accident insurance scheme for savings bank account-holders?
Answer: Karnataka Bank

Q11. The 14th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) convention has begin in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The three-day event has kicked start with the Youth PBD, the theme of 14th PBD is-
Answer: Role of Diaspora Youth in the Transformation of India

Q12. Name the Company, which have signed a three-year global strategic partnership with TaTa Motors, recently?
Answer: Castrol

Q13. Which country has launched the longest high-speed train service named 'Shangri-la of the World'?
Answer: China

Q14. Which country has decided to development of Chennai, Ahmedabad and Varanasi as smart cities recently?
Answer: Japan

Q15. In which city the All India Conference of Chairpersons and Chief Executive Officers of States and Union Territories' Waqf Boards has held? 
Answer: New Delhi

Daily GK Update 11th February, 2017

Daily GK Update 11th February, 2017

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

i. Admission to all engineering colleges in the country will be done through a single entrance examination from next year (2018), the government stated doing away with multiple tests conducted by central agencies, state governments and private institutions. ii. A single test for engineering, as well as architecture courses, will be on lines of the National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test (NEET), a single, all-India test for entry to medical and dental colleges launched in 2016.

iii. However, students seeking admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) will have to clear the JEE-Advanced after taking the engineering entrance exam.The human resource development ministry cleared a proposal by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the country’s top body which frames rules and regulations for engineering and technical institutes.

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

i. The government stated that it would make 5.58 lakh ration shops Aadhaar-enabled by June 30, 2017 adding that it would not force it on the people and request those who chose to stay out, to come and join the platform. 

ii. This follows a Food Ministry notification making Aadhaar mandatory for food subsidies from February 8, and asking those not enrolled to do so by June 30, 2017.

Ananth Kumar Inaugurates Orientation Programme for Launching of 1000 PMBJKs

i. The Union Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Ananthkumar inaugurated the Orientation Programme for the district heads of National Yuva Cooperative Society (NYCS) in New Delhi to launch the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) in the country.

ii. The workshop was organized based upon the MoU signed earlier between Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) and NYCS for establishing 1000 PMBJKs in the country. 

iii. The basic details regarding the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) were laid down during the workshop for the effectiveness of the scheme.

Andhra Pradesh Government constitutes 33 member committee for Sagarmala Project

i. A 33 member committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of Andhra Pradesh’s Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for the speedy implementation of the Sagarmala Project in Andhra Pradesh.

ii. Sagarmala project aims to improve the state’s  coastline and inland waterways.The committee will be responsible for overseeing the entire project and will bring together all the concerned departments and review their work on a daily basis for timely completion of the project. A nodal officer has also been appointed from every department who would represent the department.

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

i. The Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal launched the TAMRA (Transparency, Auction Monitoring and Resource Augmentation) portal and Mobile Application in New Delhi.

ii. TAMRA Portal and Mobile Application aims to enhance the transparency and  Piyush Goyalaccountability in the mining sector as a part of the Ease of Doing Business.

iii. The initiative will speed up mining activity in India and enable all the stakeholders to track the status of the statutory clearances associated with mining blocks for getting mines to reach till operationalization for the same.

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

i. The Union Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Harsh Vardhan released the world’s first comprehensive Braille atlas for nearly 50 lakh visually challenged people in New Delhi, India.

ii. This is for the first time that such atlas has been prepared for physically challenged with such minute details. The Braille Atlas has been prepared by National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organisation (NATMO) under Department of Science & Technology.

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

Industrial production contracts 0.4% in December, 2016 following demonetization

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

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

i. In the latest move to curb tax evasion, the government has set up a task force to monitor actions of deviant shell companies. 

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

GMR Hyderabad Airport bags CAPA award

i. GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd, which operates Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, has won the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) Chairman’s Order of Merit for its focus on environmental sustainability and becoming the first airport in Asia Pacific to become carbon neutral.

ii. Airports Council International (ACI) has certified Hyderabad International Airport with Level 3+ Neutrality under its Airport Carbon Accreditation programme.

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

i. Senior Finance Ministry official Ajay Tyagi has appointed as chairman of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).  He will succeed U K Sinha, whose extended tenure ends on 01st March 2017. 

ii. Tyagi, a 1984 batch IAS officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre, is at present Additional Secretary (Investment) in the Department of Economic Affairs and handles capital market, among others.

iii. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved Tyagi's appointment for a period not exceeding five years or till the age of  65 years.

India Proposes Global Services Accord Pact to WTO Chief Azevedo

i. India presented the proposed Trade Facilitation in Services (TFS) Agreement to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director General Roberto Azevedo and India Inc. in an event organized by Confederation of Indian Industry in New Delhi. 

ii. The global pact proposed by India to boost services trade at the WTO-level aims to ease norms including those relating to movement of foreign skilled workers and professionals across borders for short-term work.

China releases theme for BRICS Summit 2017

i. 2017 BRICS association of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to be held in Xiamen, China in September 2017.

ii. The summit will be held under the theme “BRICS: Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future,” state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

iii.It will also feature five key priorities such as deepening cooperation, strengthening global governance, carrying out people-to-people exchanges, making institutional improvements and building broader partnerships.

iv. The BRICS comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

UNO ropes in Satinder Sartaaj for campaign against trafficking

i. Folk singer from Punjab Satinder Sartaaj has been selected for the awareness project against human trafficking 'Blue Heart Campaign' by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

ii. The 34-year-old artist has collaborated with other celebrated Indian musicians like AR Rahman and Sonu Nigam in this drive to spread awareness about the illegal practice through 'Music to Inspire' album.

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

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

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

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

i. Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has created a Guinness World Record by creating a 48.8 feet tall sand castle at Puri beach in Odisha. 

ii. The record-breaking sculpture was built with a message of world peace, and featured sculptures of Mahatma Gandhi, Gautama Buddha and Nelson Mandela. 

iii. Patnaik achieved the rare feat in four days. The previous record holder, an American, had completed his art of 45.10 feet in seven days.

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

i. UK physicist and Nobel laureate Sir Peter Mansfield  has died. He was 83. Peter led a team of experts who revolutionised science and worked on MRI scans. 

ii. He had won the Nobel prize for Physiology or Medicine for developing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 2003.

Sports Ministry Launches Mission XI Million in New Delhi

i. The Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Vijay Goyal launched the Mission XI Million, the biggest school sport outreach programme, in New Delhi in the presence of President of AIFF Shri Praful Patel.

ii. The programme has been launched with an aim to make football a sport of choice in India and encourage children to play the football games on regular basis.

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

i. The inter-ministry Hockey tournament 2016 - 17 was held at Central Secretariat Ground Vinay Marg, New Delhi. The final match played between I & B Ministry and Ministry of Health. I&B Team won the final match by three goals to Nil. 

ii. All the Ministry teams participated in the race for the cup. M.L. Sharma, Chandan Singh, Kuldeep Singh were the scrorer.

iii. Most entertaining player Chandan Singh was declared Player of the match.