Daily GK Update 26th September 2017

1. PM Modi Launched 'Saubhagya Scheme'

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana or ‘Saubhagya’, to supply 24/7 electricity supply to poor households.

ii. The government stated that states will be required to complete the household electrification by March 31, 2019. The total outlay for the Saubhagya scheme will be Rs 16,320 crore.

2. PM Narendra Modi forms Economic Advisory Council

i. PM Narendra Modi reconstituted the Economic Advisory Council (EAC) to guide him on economic issues and appointed economist Bibek Debroy as its chairman. Debroy is a member of government think tank Niti Aayog.

ii. The council has been defunct since former RBI governor C Rangarajan resigned as its chairman. The four other part-time EAC members are Surjit Bhalla, Rathin Roy, Ashima Goyal and Ratan Watal.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Rajiv Kumar is the Present Vice-Chairman of NITI Ayog.
• NITI stands for National Institution for Transforming India.

3. Odisha Government Launched ‘Sampurna Yojana’

i. Odisha Government launched ‘Sampurna (Sishu Abond Matru Mrityuhara Purna Nirakaran Abhijan) Yojna’ scheme for pregnant women, in Odisha. Under the scheme, Odisha government will provide Rs.1,000 as transport cost for pregnant women to travel to the hospital.

ii. The main objective of this scheme is to reduce the death ration of the newborn child and mother mortality rate. Around 7853 villages will be covered from 30 districts of Odisha, under this scheme.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Governor of Odisha is Senayangba Chubatoshi Jamir.
• Chief Minister of Odisha is Naveen Patnaik.

4. New Underground Water Treatment Plant in Agartala

i. In Tripura, a new underground water treatment plant has been commissioned at Sadhutilla in the southern part of Agartala. The plant has fulfilled the need for drinking water free from iron and other contamination.

ii. The plant has started functioning with the supply of quality treated water initially to 565 households through the pipeline. It has the treatment capacity of 4 point 8 million litres per day.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• The speciality of the plant is that it would be treating water at higher standards with minimizing turbidity and iron in the water. 
• The built-up cost of this water treatment plant was Rs. 4 crore 99 lakh. 
• It has been funded jointly by the Asian Development Bank with 70% share of assistance and the Union Government with 30 % share of assistance.

5. TRIFED Organised National Workshop on Minimum Support Price for Minor Forest Produce

i. Minister of Tribal Affairs Shri Jual Oram inaugurated the National Workshop organized by TRIFED on “Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Minor Forest Produces (MFP) scheme – Taking it to the next level for a Fair and Equitable Deal to the Tribals”.

ii. TRIFED has also signed MoU with Amazon for the marketing of tribal handicrafts scaled-up for the empowerment of tribals.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) came into existence in August 1987 and got registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act 1984.

6. ISRO’s Mars Orbiter Mission Completes 3 Years in Orbit

i. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) stated that its Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) which has completed three years in its Martian orbit is in good health and continues to work as expected. On the occasion of completion of three years in its Martian orbit released MOM second-year science data from September 24, 2014, to September 23, 2016.

ii. The 450-crore rupees MOM mission aims at studying the Martian surface and mineral composition. It will also scan its atmosphere for methane which is an indicator of life on Mars.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• ISRO had launched the spacecraft on its nine-month-long odyssey on a homegrown PSLV rocket from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on November 5, 2013.
• AS Kiran Kumar is the Present Chairman of ISRO.

7. All About the "Power for All - Saubhagya Scheme"

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched - Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana ‘Saubhagya’ to provide electricity connections to over 4 crore families in rural and urban areas by December 2018.

ii. In India, four crore out of 25 crore families do not have power connection even after 70 years of independence. India will achieve the target of power for all by December 2018, while all villages will be electrified by the end of 2017.

Here are things you must know about the Saubhagya Scheme:-

• The Saubhagya scheme basically means Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana,
• It aims to provide access to electricity to all families in India,
• The Saubhagya scheme will provide free electricity connection to poor families of India,
• The total outlay for Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana is pegged at Rs 16,320 crore,
• The Centre will provide largely funds for the scheme to all States/UTs,
• Saubhagya Yojana will give access to electricity to all ‘willing’ households in India.

8. Karnataka Government Launches Vision-2025 Project

i. The Karnataka Government Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has launched 'Vision-2025' project across the state. It aimed at evolving a draft policy for the development of the state in next seven years by seeking the opinion of the public.

ii. Under the project, the government would seek public opinion on how they want their dream state to be in the next seven years. The CM has also launched the website 'www.navakarnataka2025.in'.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Shri Vajubhai Vala is the Present Governor of Karnataka.

9. ADB Lowers India Growth Forecast for this Fiscal

i. Asian Development Bank (ADB) has downgraded India’s growth projection to 7 percent for the current fiscal while lowering its forecast for the next financial year as well.

ii. India’s GDP growth is downgraded to 7 percent in the financial year 2017-18, a 0.4 percentage point drop from the April forecast. In the financial year 2018-19, the forecast is adjusted down to 7.4 percent, from 7.6 percent, according to the Asian Development Outlook 2017 update.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• ADB headquarters in Manila, Philippines.
• Takehiko Nakao is the President of ADB.

10. BDL Signs Contract for Supply of MRSAM to Indian Army

i. Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) has signed a contract with Research Centre Imarat (RCI) for  the supply of Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (MRSAM) to Indian Army.

ii. The contract was signed to facilitate production, deliveries and product support of MRSAM system for the Indian Army.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• V. Udaya Bhaskar is the Present CMD of BDL.
• BDL is headquartered in Hyderabad, Telangana.

11. Shashi Shankar appointed CMD of ONGC 

i. Shashi Shankar was appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of India's biggest oil and gas producer ONGC.

ii. Shankar, at present director (technical and field services), ONGC, will take over the charge as CMD from October 1. He will replace Dinesh K Sarraf. Mr Shankar will have a nearly four-year term until March 2021. 

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• ONGC stands for Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited.

12. Two Indians on Fortune's List of 'Most Powerful Women in International Business'

i. Two Indian women have featured on Fortune's list of Most Powerful Women in business outside the US. Managing Director and CEO of ICICI Bank Chanda Kochhar was ranked fifth and Managing Director and CEO of Axis Bank Shikha Sharma was ranked at 21.

ii. Group Executive Chairman of Spain's Banco Santander Ana Botín topped the list. The 50 global businesswomen represent 17 countries and many industries.

iii. Top three Most Powerful Women in business in the List are-

1. Ana Botin (Spain)

2. Emma Walmsley (UK)

3. Isabelle Kocher (France).

13. SBI Launches Chatbot to Help Customers in Banking Activities

i. Artificial intelligence banking platform Payjo has launched an AI-powered chat assistant for State Bank of India to addresses customer enquiries. 

ii. The chat assistant, known as SBI Intelligent Assistant, or SIA, will help customers with everyday banking tasks just like a bank representative 

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Arundhati Bhattacharya is currently the Chairman of the State Bank of India.
• Headquarter of SBI is in Mumbai.
• Founder and CEO of Payjo Srinivas Njay.

14. SBI Eases Minimum Balance Rules On Savings Accounts

i. State Bank of India lowered the Minimum Average Monthly Balance (MAB) requirement in a savings account to Rs 3,000 from Rs 5,000 and also revised downwards penalties for not maintaining such a balance.

ii. The public sector lender also decided to exempt pensioners, beneficiaries of social benefits from government and minors from the requirement of minimum balance in the savings account.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Arundhati Bhattacharya is currently the Chairman of the State Bank of India. 
• Headquarter of SBI is in Mumbai.

15. ICC Announces Major Changes in Cricket Rules

i. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced several changes to the existing template of how the sport of cricket is played. All the new rules will be implemented from September 28.  The new rules incorporate bat thickness, player conduct, DRS, run outs and catches.

ii. Here are the major excerpts from the release:

1. The restriction on the length and width of bats remain unchanged but the thickness of the edges can’t be more than 40mm and the overall depth can be 67 mm at the most.

2. In a new playing condition pertaining to players’ conduct, a player can now be sent off the field for the rest of the match for any serious misconduct, meaning it will apply to Level 4 offences while the Level 1 to 3 offences will continue to be dealt with under the ICC Code of Conduct.

3. The above changes will be applicable across all formats, as will be a change in the DRS rules by which a review will now not be lost in case of a decision that remains unchanged, solely as the result of an ‘umpire’s call’. The DRS will now also be allowed to be used in T20Is.

4. An important change with respect to run outs is that if a batsman is running or diving towards the crease with forward momentum, and has grounded his/her bat behind the popping crease but subsequently has lost contact with the ground at the time of the wickets being put down, the batsman will not be run out.

5. For boundary catches, airborne fielders making their first contact with the ball will need to have taken off from within the boundary, otherwise, a boundary will be scored. Also, a batsman can now be out caught, stumped or run out even if the ball bounces off the helmet worn by a fielder or wicket-keeper.

16. Lakshmanan Wins 5,000m gold in Athletics Nationals

i. Reigning Asian champion Govindan Lakshmanan of Services cruised to victory in the men’s 5000-metre race on the opening day of the 57th National Open Athletics Championships at the Nehru Stadium in Chennai.

ii. Lakshmanan has recently won gold in the 3,000m event at the Asian Indoor Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• In the 5000m women’s race, L Surya won Gold.

AP DSC TET cum TRT 2018 Teacher Recruitment Notification

AP DSC TET cum TRT  2018 Teacher Recruitment Notification, Apply Online for  Andhra Pradesh Teachers Jobs District Wise Vacancy list @ apdsc.cgg.gov.in


AP DSC Recruitment Notification 2018 – 24524 Teacher Posts | Andhra Pradesh DSC Jobs District Wise @ apdsc.cgg.gov.in, AP DSC  2018  Notification District wise  vacancies List Online application with  Syllabus and Model  Papers: Job Details for AP DSC Recruitment 2018, Educational Qualification for DSC Recruitment 2018, Age Criteria for AP DSC Recruitment 2018, Application Fee for Andhra pradesh Government Recruitment 2018 , Selection Procedure for Teacher Post Recruitment 2018 : How to Apply for Andhra pradesh DSC Recruitment 2018, Important Dates for AP DSC Recruitment 2018, Important link for AP DSC Notification 2018.AP DSC Recruitment 2018 : The AP Teacher Vacancy 2018 recruitment has been calling for the recruitment for the teacher post in the state of the Andhra Pradesh state government had released announce the notification for this teacher vacancy posts for the purpose of the filling up the 24524 posts then the interested and eligible candidates can check the below official notification and then after they may apply online for this recruitment through our official website which can be provided in the below links and also mentioned in the above .for more details can click on official website.


Notification For Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) Cum Teacher Recruitment Test: AP DSC Teacher Recruitment Notification 2018 - 24524 DSC Posts  in Andhra Pradesh vacancies District Wise @ apdsc.cgg.gov.in


The interested candidates for filling the application form of APPSC DSC Jobs can have age minimum 18 years and not more than 39 years as on the date mentioned in the official notification released by the organization and age relaxation will be applicable to the reserved candidates as per the Govt rules. The candidates can need to pay the application fee as per the notification released by the organization in the required mode. The applicants can be selected based on the selection process of written examination and interview conducted by the organization for the AP DSC Vacancies. The candidates can get the salary as per the notification released by the organization. The candidates who want more information about the AP DSC Recruitment 2018 like application last date, online application, exam date, and other details.





AP DSC /Teacher Recruitment Notification with 22814 Teacher Posts



Name  Of the District  SA L.P PET  SGT Total
Srikakulam District Vacancies Lists SA , LP , PET, SGT, Total
220 103 21  375 719

Vizianagaram District Vacancies
SA , LP , PET, SGT, Total
104  33  07  218 362

Visakhapatnam District Vacancies
SA , LP , PET, SGT, Total
307  59  28  793  1187

East Godavari District Vacancies
SA , LP , PET, SGT, Total
192 120 19  884  1215

West Godavari  District Vacancies
SA , LP , PET, SGT, Total
123  84  00  394 601

Krishna District Vacancies Lists
SA , LP , PET, SGT, Total
104  49  13  213 379

Guntur District Vacancies Lists
SA , LP , PET, SGT, Total
159  43  23  682 907

Prakasam District Vacancies Lists
SA , LP , PET, SGT, Total
79 16  21  723 839

Nellore District Vacancies Lists
SA , LP , PET, SGT, Total
57 42  10  307 416

Chittoor District Vacancies Lists
SA , LP , PET, SGT, TotalT
221 182 09 1194 1606

YSR Kadapa District Vacancies Lists
SA , LP , PET, SGT, Total
104  40  06  206 356

Anantapur District Vacancies Lists
SA , LP , PET, SGT, Total
57  106 15 1108 1286

Kurnool District Vacancies Lists
SA , LP , PET, SGT, Total
122  98  13  497 730

Total Number Of Vacancies
SA , LP , PET, SGT, Total
1849  975  185  7594  10603

Secondary Grade Teacher SGT Posts  -7594

School Assistants SA Posts  -1849

language pundits LP Posts  -975

Physical education teacher PET posts -185

Daily GK Update 24th and 25th September 2017

1. Union Minister launches Pradhan Mantri LPG Panchayat in Gujarat

i. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan has launched Pradhan Mantri LPG Panchayat at Mota Ishanpur village in Gandhinagar district of Gujarat.

ii. About 100 such beneficiaries- most of them women have participated in this LPG Panchayat. Mr Pradhan also inaugurated the Skill Development Institute at Adalaj near Ahmedabad as part of National Skill Development Mission.

Must Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) was launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 1st May 2016 in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. 
• Under the PMUY, 5 Cr LPG connections will be provided to BPL families with a support of Rs.1600 per connection in the next 3 years.
• Mr Vijay Rupani is present Chief Minister of Gujarat.
• The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is a one-of-its-kind, Public Private Partnership ( PPP ) model in India, under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship ( MSDE ).

2. Angela Merkel Wins 4th Term as Chancellor of Germany

i. Angela Merkel won a fourth term as chancellor in Germany elections that lifted the far-right party Alternative for Germany into parliament for the first time since the immediate aftermath World War II.

ii. Merkel’s Christian Democrat-led bloc took 32.5% to defeat Martin Schulz’s Social Democrats, whose 20% is its worst result since the war, the exit polls for national broadcasters ARD and ZDF showed.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Berlin is the Capital of Germany. 
• Euro is the Currency of Germany.

3. China's Hui Ka Yan Becomes Asia's Richest Man

i. Hui Ka Yan, the chairman of big China real estate developer China Evergrande Group, has become Asia’s richest man according to the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List.

ii. Among mainland Chinese, Hui’s estimated fortune of $42.2 billion puts him ahead of Tencent Holdings Chairman Ma Huateng ($39.1 billion), Alibaba Group Chairman Jack Ma ($38.9 billion), and Wanda Group Chairman Wang Jianlin ($30.4 billion). Ma Huateng currently ranks second in Asia and Jack Ma third.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Forbes magazine was founded 100 years ago on September 17, 1917, by B.C. Forbes. 

4. Andhra CM Naidu Declares 2017 as e-Pragati Year

i. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu declared the year of 2017 as e-Pragati year. The flagship program will help the government to make real-time governance.

ii. The Chief Minister also inaugurated the Andhra Pradesh Sports Policy 2017.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Shri E.S Lakshmi Narasimhan is the Present Governor of Andhra Pradesh.

5. President Ram Nath Kovind’s First Foreign Trip will be to Africa

i. President Ram Nath Kovind will make his first foreign trip as head of state to the strategically-significant African continent in the first week of October. The President will visit to Ethiopia and Djibouti.
ii. Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia is the seat of African Union, had hosted the first India-Africa summit outside India in 2012. There are more than 540 Indian firms in Ethiopia.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Indian ambassador to Ethiopia and Djibouti is Anurag Srivastava.

6. India, US, Afghanistan Join Hands for 1st Trade Show in Delhi

i. For the first time, India, US and Afghanistan will hold a joint trade and investment show in Delhi, as New Delhi steps up to its role of being a bigger development partner to Afghanistan.

ii. The trade event, sponsored by the US and hosted by India, will be inaugurated by Afghan CEO Dr Abdullah.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Kabul is the capital of Afghanistan.

7. India Third in Nuclear Power Installations: Study

i. India is third in the world in the number of nuclear reactors being installed, at six, while China is leading at 20, the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2017.

ii. The number of nuclear reactor units under construction is, however, declining globally for the fourth year in a row, from 68 reactors at the end of 2013 to 53 by mid-2017.

8. 7th ASEM Economic Minister’s Meeting Held in South Korea

i. The 7th ASEM (Asia–Europe Meeting) Economic Ministers’ Meeting was held in Seoul, South Korea. Theme for this year’s meeting was ‘Innovative Partnership for Inclusive Prosperity’.

ii. The meeting was conducted under the Chairmanship of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of the Republic of Korea. 51 member countries signed a Joint Statement on Supporting the Multilateral Trade System.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Commerce Minister Mr. Suresh Prabhu represented India. 
• ASEM was established in 1996.

9. DRUZBA 2017, Pak-Russia Joint Military Drill Started

i. The joint exercise DRUZBA 2017 between special forces of Pakistan and Russia Armies started in Minralney Vody, Russia.

ii. Pakistan and Russia are holding two-week long joint military drill focusing on counter-terrorism operations to enhance military ties between the two countries.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Moscow is the Capital of Russia.
• Islamabad is the Capital of Pakistan.

10. C.N.R. Rao Chosen for International Honour for Materials Research

i. Eminent scientist, Professor C.N.R Rao, has become the first Asian to be chosen for the prestigious Von Hippel Award for his immense contribution in materials research.

ii. The award is the US-based Materials Research Society’s (MRS) highest honour. Mr Rao is the Bharat Ratna awardee. The award will be presented in Boston on November 29, during an MRS meeting.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Susan Trolier-McKinstry is the President of MRS.

11. Sports Ministry Recommends P.V. Sindhu for Padma Bhushan

i. Olympic silver medallist shuttler P.V. Sindhu has been recommended for the prestigious Padma Bhushan, country’s third highest civilian award, by the Sports Ministry.

ii. She is two-time bronze medallist at World Championship. In March 2015, Sindhu was awarded India’s fourth highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• PV Sindhu has recently become the first Indian to win the Korea Open Superseries.

12. Rajkummar Rao Bags GQ Actor of the Year Award

i. Rajkummar Rao was awarded the GQ Actor of the Year Award, in Mumbai. GQ (Gentlemen’s Quarterly) magazine conducted the GQ Men of the Year Awards for 2017, in Mumbai.
ii. Woman of the Year award was won by Anushka Sharma.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

•  ‘Newton’ will be India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Film category at the Oscars 2018.

13. Rajiv Mehrishi Took Oath as New CAG

i. Former home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi took over as the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. Mehrishi succeeded Shashi Kant Sharma.

ii. President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mehrishi (62) at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. Mehrishi will have a tenure of about three years.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• V.Narhari Rao was the first CAG of India, post Independence.(1948-1954)

14. Masala Bonds to be Treated as ECB: RBI

i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced that Masala bonds will be treated as External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) from 3rd October 2017 thereby freeing up more investments by FPIs.

ii. Masala bonds are rupee-denominated overseas bonds. Currently, the limit for investment by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) in corporate bonds is Rs 2,44,323 crore.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• The 24th Governor of RBI is Mr.Urjit Patel.

15. The Shershah of Kargil- The biography of Captain Vikram Batra Unveiled

i. Kargil war hero Captain Vikram Batra was martyred at the tender age of 24. The biography of Captain Vikram Batra "The Shershah of Kargil" has been written by 21-year-old Deepak Surana.

ii. Though books on Captain Batra have been written before, according to Deepak this is the first book that is based entirely on primary sources.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• General Bipin Rawat is the 27th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army.

16. ICC Launches Anti-Corruption Probe into Sri Lanka Cricket

i. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has launched an anti-corruption investigation in Sri Lanka. The ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) officers had recently visited the country as part of the probe.

ii. The ICC Anti-Corruption Unit works to uphold integrity in cricket and this includes conducting investigations where there are reasonable grounds to do so.

17. MC Mary Kom, First Indian to be AIBA Representative at IOC Athletes’ Forum

i. Five-time world champion and Olympic bronze-medallist M C Mary Kom has become the first Indian to be picked as the International Boxing Association’s (AIBA) representative for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes’ Forum.

ii. The event, however, overlaps with the Asian Championship in Vietnam, which is scheduled from November 2 to 12.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Headquarters of AIBA is in Lausanne, Switzerland.
• Thomas Bach is the president of International Olympic Committee.

18. India Becomes World No. 1 in Both ODIs and Tests

i. India beat Australia by 5 wickets in the third ODI played between the two sides at Indore. The victory helped them to pip South Africa to claim the no. 1 spot in the ICC ODI rankings.

ii. This now means that India is now at the top of both the Test and ODI rankings. This was India’s ninth consecutive ODI win while it is Australia 11ts successive defeat away from home.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Top three teams in ODI are 1. India, 2. South Africa, and 3. Australia.

19. India bags 4 more Medals at 5th Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games in Turkmenistan

i. In the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games at Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, India bagged four medals. Sajan Prakash of India finished second with the silver medal in the Men's 100-metre butterfly event. Divya Gurling Shilwant and Pratiksha Chandrakant Parhar bagged a bronze each in women's Alysh classic in 70 kg and 75 kg categories in the Belt Wrestling Discipline.

ii. Wrestler Keduovilie Zumu from Nagaland won the bronze medal in the 90 kg category of Kazakh Kuresh style belt wrestling. India is at 11th spot in the medals tally with 5 gold, 7 silver and 7 bronze.

Daily GK Update 23rd September 2017

1. Dharmendra Pradhan to host first LPG Panchayat in Gandhinagar

i. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan will inaugurate one of the ambitious programmes of the Centre, LPG Panchayat, aimed at encouraging rural communities to turn to clean fuel.

ii. The First LPG Panchayat will be held in Gandhinagar, where Pradhan will preside over the interaction between women using LPG under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana (PMUY) and the companies.

iii. According to data shared by the oil marketing companies, so far three crore connections have been allotted under the PMUY against the target of five crore by 2019.

2. SBI launches Indian bond index series in London

i. State Bank of India (SBI) has launched the FTSE SBI Bond Index series in partnership with global index provider FTSE 100, which will give tools to investors from India, the UK and globally to analyse India’s government bond market, and drive growth in this market.

ii. This index, launched in collaboration with the London Stock Exchange, will ensure that international investors have an international benchmark that is transparent, that is well governed and that is something they can easily rely on.

3. Samsung’s Bixby Voice now works in India

i. Bixby takes some initial setting up, requiring users to input their voice, reading commands and sentences and trying out a few tasks. 

ii. Bixby is meant to do additional and on-phone tasks which Samsung hopes will make getting things done faster and easier. Bixby Voice can be triggered by saying “Hi Bixby” to a sleeping device also.

4. Dr. Harshvardhan Launches Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Vigyan Gram Sankul Pariyojana

i. Dr. Harshvardhan launched “Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay Vigyan Gram Sankul Pariyojana” which will experiment and endeavour to formulate and implement appropriate S&T Interventions for Sustainable Development through cluster approach in Uttarakhand.

ii. Department of Science and Technology is implementing several initiatives for upliftment and economic development of rural areas in the country. 

Important takeaways from Above News-

• Dr. Harsh Vardhan is the incumbent minister at Ministry of Science & Technology, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Ministry of Earth Sciences.

5. Govt Launches Campaign to Sensitise Women About Cancer

i. Minister of State Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel launched a nationwide health campaign to sensitise women about the early screening and the preventive care for cancer.

ii. Themed 'Nurturing the Nurturer', the campaign was launched by FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) in partnership with the Apollo Hospitals group.

6. Balraj Joshi Appointed as New NHPC Chairman

i. Balraj Joshi was appointed the chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) of NHPC Ltd, the country’s premier hydropower utility. Joshi is at present director (technical) in the organisation.

ii. According to another order, P. Alli Rani has been appointed the CMD of Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) Ltd. She is at present director (finance) in Container Corporation of India Limited. Rani has been appointed to the post for a period of five years.

7. Dabur India Ties Up with Amazon for Ayurveda Marketplace

i. Dabur India has tied up with e-commerce major Amazon for an online Ayurveda marketplace which will house all ayurvedic brands and products of the country.

ii. The company will also offer consumers an insight into various ayurvedic medicines for treating a variety of ailments. The exclusive Ayurveda e-marketplace has been hosted by Amazon India and the content is developed by Dabur India.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Jeff Bezos was the Founder of Amazon.
• Amazon is an e-commerce company based in the USA.

8. SBI Tops Trust and Popularity Charts

i. State Bank of India (SBI) is India’s most trusted and most popular bank according to a survey conducted by Brand Finance, a business valuation and strategic consultancy headquartered in London.

ii. On the trust charts, SBI is followed by HDFC Bank and Central Bank of India whereas, on the popularity charts, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank take the second and third spots respectively.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Recently, SBI had slashed interest rate on savings account deposits by 50 basis points to 3.5 per on balance of Rs 1 crore and below.
• Its is Headquartered in Mumbai.

9. India Gets its First High Horsepower Locomotive from France

i. India has received its first High Horsepower Locomotive with the bodyshell of 12000 HP loco from Alstom France at Kolkata port. This first-of-its-kind high-power electric locomotive will be used to haul freight trains at twice the existing speed by 2018.

ii. This is the first major FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) project in the rail sector. The first such locomotive is estimated to cost about Rs 30 crore. The Indian Railways is currently using 6,000HP locomotives for freight services. The locomotive will run at a speed of up to 120 km/h.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Shri Piyush Goyal is the Present Railway Minister of India.

10. West Bengal Gets $300 Million ADB Loan

i. Multilateral funding agency ADB has sanctioned a USD 300 million loan facility for carrying forward fiscal reforms in West Bengal. The board of Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a loan of USD 300 million to continue a comprehensive series of fiscal reforms in West Bengal.

ii. West Bengal, for the first time in 2012 had received a USD 400 million from ADB, its first policy-based lending with an aim to create a fiscal space necessary to sustain higher public investment in the eastern India.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• ADB headquarters in Manila, Philippines.
• Takehiko Nakao is the President of ADB.

11. First Indian team for FIFA U-17 World Cup announced

i. The first ever Indian squad to participate in the FIFA World Cup, U-17 World Cup Squad has been announced. 

ii. The 21 players who will participate in the World Cup Squad include Dheeraj Singh, Prabhsukhan Gill, Sunny Dhaliwal Boris Singh, Jitendra Singh, Anwar Ali, Sanjeev Stalin and Hendry Antony.

12. World's Richest Woman Liliane Bettencourt Passes Away

i. Liliane Bettencourt, the heir to the French L’Oreal hairspray empire and the world’s wealthiest woman, has died aged 94. She was from France.

ii. Bettencourt, whose net worth was estimated at about €33bn (£29bn) this year, was the face of one of France’s biggest cosmetics conglomerates and had once captured the public’s imagination as the nation’s poor little rich girl.