INTERNATIONAL
China operationalises stealth fighter J-20
China has announced commissioning its first radar-evading J-20 stealth fighter jets into military service, giving its air force an edge in the region. The Chengdu J-20 is China’s fourth-generation medium and long-range fighter jet.
Saudi Authorises Women to Issue Fatwas
Saudi Arabia women can now issue fatwas after the historic recommendation was approved by 107 votes in the Shoura Council. With this, the 45 years old tradition of only specialist men being able to issue fatwas in the Kingdom ended. The ruling comes just days after Saudi Arabia lifted a ban on women’s driving.
Russia destructed its last Chemical Weapons
Russia has liquidated the last arsenals of chemical weapons in the Southwest of the country, 3 years ahead of schedule. In 2010, Moscow set a 2015 target date for eliminating its chemical stockpile and later extended it to 2020. Russia & United States are parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention, which required them to destroy their stockpiles by 2007 with a potential extension until 2012.
Russia and US partner to build 1st ever Space Station near Moon
Russian and the United States space agencies, Roscosmos and NASA, have agreed to jointly build a “deep space gateway”, the first-ever astronaut-tended space station around the Moon. It would help prepare for manned missions to deep space destinations including Mars. NASA and Roscosmos are two of the major partners in the $100-billion Earth-orbiting International Space Station (ISS).
Angola swears in its First New President after 38 years
Angola swore in Joao Lourenco as the country’s President making him the first new President of the country in 38 years. He served as Angola’s Defence Minister earlier, vowed to attract more foreign investment. The People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) governed since Angola’s hard-fought independence from Portugal in 1975 with Dos Santos taking power in 1979.
Russia launches world’s biggest, most powerful icebreaker
Russia has launched the world’s largest and most powerful icebreaker ship, designed to transport cargo via the Northern Sea Route in the Arctic Ocean. The nuclear-powered vessel, capable of breaking ice fields up to three metres thick, will also carry out rescue work in ice conditions and ice-free waters.
China bans export of key petroleum products to North Korea
China ban exports of some petroleum products to North Korea and as well as imports of textiles from the isolated North, in line with a UN Security Council resolution, passed after Pyongyang’s latest nuclear test. The USA and South Korea are technically still at war with North Korea because the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce and not a peace treaty.
DRUZBA 2017, Pak-Russia joint Military Drill started
The joint exercise DRUZBA 2017 between special forces of Pakistan and Russian Armies started in Mineralnye Vody, Russia. Pakistan and Russia are holding two-week long joint military drill focussing on counter-terrorism operations to enhance military ties between the two countries.
Saudi allows women into stadium
Saudi Arabia has allowed women into a national stadium for the first time as it launched celebrations to mark the 87th anniversary of its founding. This marks a shift from previous celebrations in the kingdom where women are effectively barred from sports arenas. This measure represents another step into relaxing some norms as part of its “Vision 2030″ plan for economic and social reforms.
China, Australia joint military training exercise Panda Kangaroo 2017
China and Australia joint military training exercise called “Panda-Kangaroo 2017″ concluded in Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province. This exercise kicked off on September 10, China and Australia each sent 10 soldiers to participate in the joint training.
Britain and Saudi Arabia sign Military Cooperation deal
Saudi Arabia and Britain signed a framework deal for military cooperation. The agreement came after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed security ties with visiting British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah. The agreement comes as Britain seeks to explore lucrative trade deals outside Europe, including energy-rich Gulf monarchies, after voting to leave the European Union.
Qatar Airways becomes World’s First Airline to launch Double beds in Business Class
Qatar Airways has launched double beds in the business class sections of aeroplanes from London to Doha in Qatar. Such cabins, called Qsuites will be rolled out next in flights from Paris and New York.
China bans use of anti-Islam words on social media
Islamophobic terms used by Chinese internet users to stigmatise Muslims have been blocked by authorities to prevent bias against Islam. The move is aimed at removing radical phrases that discriminate against Islam and are biased against Muslims to prevent worsening online hatred towards the group. The ban came after an alleged brawl involving Muslim people at a toll booth went viral. Following which netizens inundated the official Weibo accounts of Tangshan city government departments with complaints of partial treatment of Muslims for the sake of social stability.
China launches fastest bullet train in the World between Beijing and Shanghai
China launches the world’s fastest bullet train ‘Fuxing’ between Beijing and Shanghai at 350 kms per hour, covering the 1,250-km-long distance in just 4 hours and 30 minutes. China has the world’s longest high-speed rail network of over 22,000 kilometres, about 60% per cent of the world’s total.
50 Nations inks UN Nuclear Ban Treaty
Fifty countries have signed a treaty to ban nuclear weapons, a pact that the world’s nuclear powers spurned but supporters hailed as a historic agreement nonetheless. More than 120 countries approved the new nuclear weapons ban treaty in July 2017 over opposition from nuclear-armed countries and their allies, who boycotted negotiations. Among 50, Brazil was the first country to sign onto the ban yesterday, followed by nations from Algeria to Venezuela.
Russia unveils statue of AK 47 inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov
The nine-metre (30ft) statue of Mikhail Kalashnikov, the inventor of the AK-47 assault rifle, has been unveiled in Russian capital Moscow in a controversial ceremony. Kalashnikov designed “Avtomat Kalashnikova”, which became the standard issue rifle of the Soviet army, in 1947 – hence the abbreviation AK-47.
The world is running out of antibiotics: WHO Report
The World Health Organisation has released a report titled “Antibacterial agents in clinical development – an analysis of the antibacterial clinical development pipeline, including tuberculosis”. The report shows a serious lack f new antibiotics under development to combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.
Saudi Arabia to lift ban on internet calling applications
Saudi Arabia will lift ban on voice and video calling apps such as WhatsApp and Skype will be widely available to users, in a move aimed at improving business confidence as the kingdom transitions into a post-oil era. Access to VoIP (Voice over internet Protocol) will reduce operational costs and spur digital entrepreneurship. Saudi Arabia, with its bulging youth population, is among the world’s top per capita users of social media. More than half of Saudi Arabia’s citizens are under 25, who spend much of their time on social media platforms.
China opens dual-use highway to Nepal through Tibet
China opened a dual-use highway in Tibet to the Nepal border which could be used for civilian and defense purposes in China. The highway is 40.4 km long and 25 m wide. It has 4 double lanes. It is classified a first-tier highway. It connects Xigaze airport and Xigaze city center in Tibet. The road helps to ease the congestions and export economy of China.
Russia and Iraq Restore Air Travel after 13-Year Freeze
Russia and Iraq restored commercial airline services for the first time since 2004, with an Iraqi Airways plane leaving for Moscow from Baghdad. Russia suspended flights to Iraq after the 2003 US-led invasion pushed the Arab country into war. It is a signal on the part of the Iraqi authorities that Russian nationals can safely visit Iraq.
Iron Union 5: US and UAE Joint Military Exercise
The US and UAE’s ground forces had begun a joint military exercise in Abu Dhabi, as part of efforts to consolidate their bilateral relations and exchange training and military expertise. Code-named Iron Union 5, the drill is an extension of a series of Iron Claw exercises. The exercise aims to upgrade and boost the readiness of the UAE’s armed forces and to allow both armies to promote their international co-operation in joint military operations.
Nepal begins its first attempt to remeasure Mount Everest
Nepal has begun its first-ever survey to remeasure Mount Everest to check if the world’s tallest peak’s height was altered by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the country in 2015. Notably, the official height of Mount Everest, which lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas, is 8,848 metres (29,029 feet), first recorded by an Indian survey in 1954.
Cassini spacecraft ends 20-year journey
NASA’s $3.9 bn Cassini spacecraft ended its 20-year-long groundbreaking journey with a fiery plunge into Saturn’s crushing atmosphere. Cassini began its mission to Saturn in 1997, reaching the ringed planet in 2004. Its aim was to take pictures, giving the most detailed look at Saturn’s rings & it’s moons. Cassini found new moons orbiting the planet, signs of possible life on existing moons.
Tunisia abolishes ban on Muslim women marrying non-Muslims
Tunisia has abolished a decades-old ban on Muslim women marrying non-Muslims. Until now a non-Muslim man who wished to marry a Tunisian woman had to convert to Islam and submit a certificate of his conversion as proof. The announcement comes a month after President Beji Caid Essebsi called for the government to scrap the ban dating back to 1973. Human rights groups in the North African country had campaigned for the ban’s abolition, saying it undermined the fundamental human right to choose a spouse.
World Economic Forum released Human Capital Report 2017
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has released the Global Human Capital Report 2017. The Global Human Capital Report 2017 proposes a new benchmark for leaders to build the workforces of the future. The index provides a means of measuring the quantifiable elements of the world’s talent potential so that greater attention can be focused on delivering it. The Global Human Capital Index aims to provide a holistic assessment of a country’s human capital-both current and expected-across its population.
London tops in 2017 Global Financial Centres Index
London topped in the 2017 Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI) among 92 financial centres released by the Z/Yen and China Development Institute. It was ranked at 60th position, up by three positions compared to the previous edition. The index is a ranking of the competitiveness of financial centres based on an aggregate of indices from five key areas: business environment, the financial sector.
UNSC unanimously adopts new sanctions against North Korea
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has unanimously passed new set of tougher sanctions against North Korea over its sixth and most powerful nuclear test (claimed to be Hydrogen bomb). It was overall the ninth sanctions resolution unanimously adopted by UNSC since 2006 over North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs. The new sanctions imposes ban on North Korea’s textile exports and capping imports of crude oil. New sanctions include:
It limits on imports of crude oil and oil products to North Korea. It bans exports of textiles, which is North Korea’s second-biggest export worth more than $700million a year. It also limits North Koreans from working overseas, which may cut off $500 million of tax revenue per year.
British Parliament passed EU Withdrawal Bill
The Union Government to extract the UK from EU law in time for Brexit passed its first Parliamentary test. The EU Withdrawal Bill was backed by MPs by 326 to 290. The bill which will end the supremacy of EU law in the UK now moves onto its next Parliamentary stage. It was previously referred to as the Great Repeal Bill, the EU Withdrawal Bill overturns the 1972 European Communities Act which took the UK into the then European Economic Community.
Shaheen VI: China-Pakistan Air Forces Joint Exercise
The air forces of China and Pakistan began a joint training exercise named “Shaheen VI” and deployed their latest fighter jets and AWACS aircraft. China has dispatched J-11 fighters, JH-7 fighter-bombers, KJ-200 AWACS aircraft and ground forces including surface-to-air missile and radar troops. The exercise will run in China. AWACS is Airborne Warning And Control System, a mobile, long-range radar surveillance and control centre for air defence.
Saudi Arabia suspend dialogue with Qatar
Saudi Arabia says it has suspended dialogue with Qatar, shortly after a phone call between the Qatari leader and the Saudi crown prince. The two sides had discussed holding talks to resolve the Qatar crisis, which has seen Doha cut off from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE. The development came after US President Trump spoke separately with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar & UAE.
Pakistan PM opens China backed 5th nuclear power plant
Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi inaugurated the country’s fifth nuclear power plant (C-4 plant) located at Chashma in Mianwali district of the Punjab province. This 340 MW Chasma – IV (C – 4) nuclear power plant is developed in collaboration between the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).
Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Aung San Suu Kyi in 1991 cannot be revoked
Myanmar’s Suu Kyi received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for “her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights” while standing up against military rulers. An online petition signed by more than 386,000 people on Change.org is calling for her prize’s removal over the persecution of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims. The Norwegian Nobel Institute announced that prize awarded to Myanmar’s Aung Sang Suu Kyi cannot be revoked.
North Korea claims successful test of Hydrogen bomb
North Korea has announced that it successfully tested a hydrogen bomb that can be placed on an intercontinental ballistic missile. The announcement was made by the state news agency after geological agencies registered a man-made quake in the north-east of the country. As per the analysts, previous North Korean nuclear tests have resulted in earthquakes, however, a 6.3 magnitude tremor indicates that the size of the nuclear test was larger than previous one.
Astronaut Peggy Whitson returns Earth after 288 days in Space
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut Peggy Whitson finishing a 288-day mission that put her over the top as the American who has spent the most cumulative amount of time in space. The oldest female astronaut in the history of space exploration was the first female International Space Station commander and holds the record for number of spacewalks by a woman.
Lebanon gets first animal protection law
Lebanese President Michel Aoun has signed the country’s first animal welfare bill into law, guaranteeing that domestic and wild animals will be legally protected from abuse. The bill is the culmination of years of lobbying for the protection of animals in the Mediterranean country. The law, passed by parliament on August 16, outlines requirements for keeping domestic pets, regulations for zoos and pet shops, and penalties for violations – including jail time and fines.
INDIA & WORLD
India and Norway sign Letter of Intent to bilateral extend health cooperation
India has signed Letter of Intent (LoI) with Norway to extend cooperation within health sector through Norway India Partnership Initiative (NIPI) for period of three years starting from 2018. Through this LoI, cooperation between both countries will continue to be aligned with development goals of India as outlined in its National Health Policy, 2017 for achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
India jumps to 14th rank as best country for expats: HSBC
India leapt up the global rankings by 12 places to take the 14th spot in terms of best country for expats to live and work in, says a HSBC survey. The list, which is topped by Singapore, is part of HSBC’s latest ‘expat explorer survey’ that covered 27,587 expats from 159 countries and territories in March and April this year.
Resolution introduced to support India’s UNSC membership
In the United States, two influential Democratic lawmakers have introduced a legislation in the House of Representative to support India’s permanent membership to the UN Security Council. Introduced by Congressman Ami Bera and Congressman Frank Pallone, the resolution would put the House officially on record in support of India’s bid. Ami Bera, Vice Ranking Member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and longest serving Indian-American in Congress stated that securing a permanent spot for India on the UN Security Council would strengthen democracy around the world.
India ranks 40th in 2017 Global Competitiveness Index
India was placed at 40th spot among 137 countries in World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) 2017-18. India has slipped by one position compared to 39th spot in 2016 GCI.
Top 5 Countries: Switzerland (1st), United States (2nd), Singapore (3rd), Netherlands (4th) and Germany (5th).
BRICS Countries: China (27th), Russia (38th), India (40th), South Africa (61st) and Brazil (80th).
‘Incredible India’ Campaign Launched in Cairo
India launched a campaign to woo Egyptian travellers and make them aware of magnificent holiday options in the country. The month-long “Incredible India!” campaign has been organised by the Embassy of India in Cairo. As a part of the campaign, 12 buses of transport authority will showcase various tourist destinations in India, including culture, festivals, monuments, landscape, wildlife, people and food.
Railway line between India, Nepal
After remaining non-functional for the last 3 years the Janakpur-Jayanagar Railway line connecting Nepal and India is expected to become functional by 2018. It is the only railway line that once used to link India with Nepal but after 2014 its service got discontinued. The project will be completed in three phases and is estimated to cost Rs. 5.48 billion, mostly aided by Indian Government.
India to collaborate with Russia for Bangladesh nuclear power plant
India announced a collaboration with Russia to build a nuclear plant in Bangladesh. The move is the first initiative under the Indo-Russia deal to undertake atomic energy projects in the third-world nations. It will also be India’s first atomic energy venture abroad.
India replaces China as Top Retail Destination in 2017
India has replaced China as the top retail destination in 2017 as part of the global retail development index. The change in ranking was an outcome of four factors including increased consumer spending beyond essentials, rising mobile and internet penetration, favorable foreign investment climate and bold action on cashless transaction and GST. In addition to the bigger retailers and brands, the mid-size brands from across the world are also looking to cash on the relaxed retail policy in India.
Japan releases postage stamps on Indian Yoga experts
Japanese postal department released postage stamps on Yoga Expert Mr.Bishnu Charan Ghosh and his family members, in Kolkata. The country released postage stamps on Indian Yoga experts Mr.Bishnu Charan Ghosh, his son Mr.Biswanath Ghosh, daughter Ms.Karuna Ghosh and Karuna’s father in law Mr.Asutosh Ghosh. These stamps were officially displayed in Kolkata by the Japanese Consul General in Kolkata, Masayuki Taga. He is a Bengali bodybuilder and a Yoga expert.
Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2017 commences
The 13th edition of Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2017, a joint military exercise between Indian and US armies commenced at Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington, USA. During the two week long exercise soldiers from both countries will hone their tactical skills in counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations under a joint brigade headquarter. Both sides will jointly train, plan and execute a series of well-developed tactical drills for neutralization of likely threats that may be encountered in UN peace keeping operations. The Yudh Abhyas series of joint military exercise started in the year 2004 under US Army Pacific Partnership Program.
India and Pakistan begin high-level talks on Indus Waters Treaty
The two-day high-level talks on technical issues of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) began between India and Pakistan in Washington, United States. According to the World Bank, the meetings between two countries are taking place between 14 and 15 September. The talks are a continuation of a discussion on how to safeguard the traety for the benefit of the people in both the countries.
Govt launches Operation Insaniyat to help Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
The Ministry of External Affairs has started Operation Insaniyat to provided assistance to Bangladesh in response to humanitarian crises being faced by it due to large influx of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. Under this operation, India will provide relief material consisting of items including rice, sugar, salt, pulses, cooking oil, biscuits and mosquito nets to the affected people. The relief material will be delivered in multiple consignments. The first tranche will be brought to Chittagong by an Indian Air Force (IAF) plane. Rohingya are stateless ethnic minority (mostly Muslim) from Rakhine province of Buddhist-majority Myanmar, who are forced leave their country due to communal violence and repeated military operations.
INDRA 2017: India-Russian to conduct first tri-services military exercise
India and Russia have begun discussions to work out modalities for conducting their first tri-service military exercise INDRA 2017 in October 2017 in Russia. It will be India’s first bilateral military exercise with any country involving all three services. The Final Planning Conference (FPC) of exercise will be held from September 2017 in Russia to finalise all logistical issues and modalities.
India, Belarus sign 10 pacts to expand cooperation
India and Belaru have inked 10 agreements to expand cooperation in range of areas including oil and gas, education and sports and also decided to explore joint development and manufacture of military platforms. The agreements were signed after extensive delegational levels talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Belarus President A G Lukashenko in New Delhi. Both leaders agreed to focus on ramping up economic engagement between two countries and held that their is huge scope for boosting trade and investment.
India & Afghanistan sign four pacts in areas of health and transport
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Salahuddin Rabbani in New Delhi signed four agreements recently. The four agreements were exchanged in areas like health and transport. India’s commitment to support Afghanistan as a secure, stable, united and prosperous nation. Both the nations remain united in overcoming challenges posed by cross border terrorism and safe havens and sanctuaries of terrorism.
India imposes countervailing duty on some Chinese steel products for 5 years
The Union Finance Ministry has imposed 18.95% countervailing duty (CVD) on certain Chinese flat steel products for period of five years to protect domestic players from cheap subsidised imports. The decision to impose CVD was taken by finance ministry based on the recommendation of Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD).This is first case of imposition of CVD on any steel product in India.
India refuses to sign Bali Declaration over Rohingya issue
India has refused to be a part of Bali Declaration adopted at conclusion of World Parliamentary Forum on Sustainable Development held in Bali, Indonesia to show of solidarity with Myanmar. It was not adopted because it carried “inappropriate” reference to violence in Rakhine State from where 1,25,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh and was not in line with agreed global principles of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
UJALA scheme launched in Melaka, Malaysia
Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) of India launched UJALA (Unnati Jyoti by Affordable Lighting for All) Scheme in the State of Melaka, Malaysia. With this, Malaysia becomes the second country after the United Kingdom (UK) where EESL has launched the UJALA scheme. Under this scheme, each household in Melaka will get 10 high quality 9-watt LED bulbs at a cost of only RM 10. With this initiative Melaka will be able to reduce carbon emissions by around 19,000 tonnes per year.
SLINEX 2017: India-Sri Lanka joint maritime naval exercise
The seventh edition of India-Sri Lanka joint maritime naval exercise SLINEX 2017 was held near Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) in Bay of Bengal. It will be conducted from 7th to 14th September 2017. The seven days exercise aimed to reinforce strong neighbourly ties between both countries underscored by extensive maritime interaction and improved understanding. SLINEX 2017 focuses on fleet work, seamanship, communication, replenishment at Sea, Visit Board Search and Seize (VBSS) operations as well as helicopter operations.
Trump revokes Obama’s amnesty programme, 7000 Indian Americans to be affected
US President Donald Trump has scrapped an amnesty programme introduced during Obama’s term that granted work permits to immigrants who arrived in the country illegally as Children. The move is likely to impact over 800,000 undocumented workers including more than 7000 Indian-Americans. The announcement was made by US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who said that the programme known as DACA (Deferred Action for Children Arrival) that was effectuated under the Obama Administration is being withdrawn.
Surya Kiran: Indo-Nepal joint Military exercise
The 12th edition of India-Nepal joint military exercise- Surya Kiran XII was held at Nepal Army Battle School (NABS) in Saljhandi, Nepal. The 14 day exercise (from 3 to 16 September 2017) focused on skills required counter-terrorism and counter-terror, forest fighting and natural disaster management operations.
Five banks of BRICS nations sign pact for credit lines
Five banks of the BRICS Bank Cooperation Mechanism have agreed to establish credit lines in the national currencies and cooperate on credit ratings. The agreement to this effect was signed ahead of the BRICS Summit in China’s Xiamen city. Brazilian Development Bank, Vnesheconombank, Export-Import Bank of India, China Development Bank and Development Bank of South Africa signed the agreement in Beijing. Ahead of the BRICS summit, the New Development Bank (NDB) of the BRICS countries has approved 1.4 billion US dollar loans for sustainable development projects in India, Russia and China.
India most corrupt Asian country, Vietnam second: Forbes
A recent survey by the Transparency International states that India is the most corrupt country in Asia. Depicting how pervasive the problem is across Asia, a list released by Forbes – Asia’s Five Most Corrupt Countries – says that India beats Vietnam, Thailand, Pakistan and Myanmar, when it comes to bribery rate. India is closely followed by Vietnam at 65 per cent bribery rate.
NATIONAL
Union Cabinet approves installation of telecom towers in cantonments and military areas
The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal for revision of policy of Ministry of Defence for providing Defence land to Communication Operators for construction of Shared Communication Towers and allied Infrastructure. The Decision in this regard was taken based on experience in implementing policy and guidelines issued by Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for the issue of clearance for installation of Mobile Towers. The revised policy will cover allotment of Defence land on lease and grant of permission in Defence areas and Cantonments to Access Service Licensees and Companies registered with DoT as IP-I (Infrastructure Providers – Category-I for setting up shared communication towers and allied infrastructure.
Directorate General of Quality Assurance celebrates its Diamond Jubilee
The Diamond Jubilee of Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) observed on 28 September 2017 as it completed 60 years of its existence. To commemorate the occasion, Minister of State (MoS) for Defence, Dr Subhash Bhamare released the ‘First Day Cover’ of DGQA. He also launched portal for e-registration of vendors. The main aim is to provide Quality Assurance (QA) cover for an entire range of Arms, Ammunitions, Equipment, and Stores supplied to Armed Forces.
CARA launches monthly Jan Sampark Program to facilitate adoption
The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) launched monthly Jan Sampark program to enable public to interact with its officials to obtain information related to child adoption. The first of its kind programme under it was held recently in New Delhi. Nearly 150 Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs), adoptive parents and representatives of agencies participated in the session.
INS TARASA commissioned into Indian Navy
INS Tarasa (T94), the fourth and last ship in series of Water Jet Fast Attack Craft (WJFAC) was commissioned into Indian Navy at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. It is an improved variant of Car Nicobar-class high-speed offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) built indigenously by Kolkata (West Bengal) based Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE), for the Indian Navy. INS Tarasa has been named after the picturesque island in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago in Bay of Bengal. It is powered by the latest 4,000-series MTU engines and has displacement capacity of 315 tonnes.
Rajnath Singh unveils ‘PENCIL’ Portal on Child Labour Elimination
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has launched a web portal called ‘PENCIL’ for effective implementation of the National Child Labour Project, (NCLP) in the National Conference on Child Labour organized by Ministry of Labour & Employment. PENCIL (Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour) – an electronic platform for no child labour in the country is being developed by the Labour Ministry. PENCIL portal has five components – Child Tracking System, Complaint Corner, State Government, National Child Labour Project and Convergence.
Government launches Divyang Sarathi Mobile Application
The Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment has launched Divyang Sarathi-The accessible and comprehensive mobile application for easy dissemination of information to ‘Divyangjans’. The mobile app aims to empower Divyangjans by providing them easier and convenient access to information pertaining to schemes, scholarships, statutes, institutional support systems, jobs and other crucial information.
PM Narendra Modi launches ‘Saubhagya’ scheme
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the ‘Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana-Saubhagya’ in New Delhi to mark the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. Listed on the agenda of the Cabinet meeting held, the scheme is expected to cover all rural families after expected electrification of all villages by the end of 2017. The Yojana mainly aims to provide last mile power connectivity to all rural and urban households.
Sports Ministry recommends P.V. Sindhu for Padma Bhushan Award
Olympic silver medallist shuttler P.V. Sindhu recommended for the prestigious Padma Bhushan, country’s third highest civilian award, by the Sports Ministry. She is two-time bronze medallist at World Championship. She was awarded India’s fourth highest civilian honor, the Padma Shri.
India third in nuclear power installations: study
According to the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2017, India is third in the world in the number of nuclear reactors being installed, at 6, while China is leading at 20. 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. In India itself, five out of the six reactors under construction is behind schedule.
Govt launches Pradhan Mantri LPG Panchayat
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas launched country-wide Pradhan Mantri LPG Panchayat scheme to distribute LPG connections among rural areas where conventional fuel is used for domestic purposes. The scheme was launched by Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at Mota Ishanpur village in Gandhinagar district in Gujarat. It is backup scheme to existing Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana.
Tihar Jail, largest jail in India got its first open air gymnasium
Open-air gyms for prisoners has now been set up in jail number 1 of Tihar in west Delhi, which is the largest and the most populated prison in India with over 14,400 inmates. This gym is mostly used by elderly prisoners facing problems, like obesity or arthritis.
PM Narendra Modi releases Postage Stamp on Lord Ram in Varanasi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a postage stamp on different aspects of Lord Ram’s life at the historic Tulsi Manas Mandir Varanasi. The Tulsi Manas temple holds great historical and cultural importance in Hinduism as it is believed that Hindu epic Ramcharitmanas was originally written by poet-saint Goswami Tulsidas in Varanasi.
Govt launches campaign to Sensitise Women about Cancer
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. Themed ‘Nurturing the Nurturer’, the campaign was launched by FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) in partnership with the Apollo Hospitals group.
INS Kalavari: India’s first home built submarine handed over to Indian Navy
India’s first indigenously built INS Kalavari submarine was handed over to Indian Navy by state-owned Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai, Maharashtra. This is Indian Navy’s first new conventional submarine in two decades. Its induction will be landmark milestone in India’s bid to build its underwater warfare capabilities with an eye on China and Pakistan. INS Kalavari is first of six Scorpion class submarines built in India under Project-75 by Mazagon Docks Limited with technology transfer from France’s DCNS (Direction des Constructions Navales Services), a naval shipbuilder.
‘Newton’ India’s Official Entry for Oscars 2018
‘Newton’ will be India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Film category at the Oscars 2018, according to the Film Federation of India. The movie directed by Amit Masurkar movie, starring Rajkummar Rao, tells the story of a polling officer Newton Kumar who is bent on conducting free and fair elections in the conflict ridden jungles of Chhattisgarh.
India third among countries that faced most natural disasters
According to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres India ranked third among the countries that have faced the most natural disasters in the last half century. United States, followed by China, India, the Philippines and Indonesia, have experienced the most disasters since 1995 – more than 1,600, or once every five days. Climate change was among the seven global threats that listed needing immediate global action.
Govt to introduce ‘Food Street’ global food fair in New Delhi
With an aim to attract investment in the food processing sector under the Make in India initiative, the government has decided to introduce a curated food experience zone ‘Food Street’ at the global food fair in November in New Delhi. Chef Sanjeev Kapoor will be the brand ambassador of the event at the World Food India 2017 that will be held between 3 November and 5 November 2017. The experiential platform will bring together culinary practices, flavours, fragrances from cuisines across the world.
India joins quantum computing race
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is planning to fund project to develop quantum computers in order to tap into the next big advance in computing technology. In India, Physics departments at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and Harish Chandra Research Institute, Allahabad, so far have only forayed into theoretical aspects of quantum computing. Experts from across country are expected to gather in Allahabad for a workshop to develop such computer.
6th international Textile and Apparel Fair, ‘VASTRA’ inaugurated
The sixth edition of the 4-day international textile and apparel fair “Vastra’ was inaugurated at Jaipur Exhibition and Convention Centre (JECC) in Sitapura. It was inaugurated by Union Textiles & Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Zubin Irani and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. Over 250 exhibitors from 13 states will showcase their products. Around 300 overseas buyers from more than 50 countries and 200 representatives from around 100 Indian buying houses/ agents are slated to attend the event.
Zero Hunger Programme to be launched in October
India’s ambitious Zero Hunger Programme through interventions in farm sector will be launched on occasion of World Food Day (October 16) with focus on agriculture, nutrition and health in a symbiotic manner. The Programme will be initiated by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The programme consists of organisations of a farming system for nutrition, setting up genetic gardens for biofortified plants and initiation of ‘Zero Hunger training. The program will be launched in three districts namely Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), Koraput (Odisha) and Thane (Maharashtra).
Vice President released Commemorative Coin on MS Subbulakshmi
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has released a commemorative Coin on Bharat Ratna Dr MS Subbulakshmi on the occasion of the Birth Centenary Commemoration of M.S. Subbulakshmi. M.S. Subbulakshmi was a legendary and iconic figure who said that what defines India is this rich heritage of music and its unifying role in bringing people together. Subbulakshmi was not only a singer but was an encyclopedia of singing. She was the first musician to be awarded Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian honour and first Indian musician to have performed at the United Nations General Assembly on 50th anniversary celebrations of the United Nations.
Union Government to launch mobile app for retiring govt staff
Union Government will launch a mobile application for central government employees to help them to monitor the progress of their pension settlement cases. Retired employees will also be able to assess their superannuation funds and record complaints through the pension calculator. Minister of State for Public Grievances and Pensions Dr. Jitendra Singh will launch the app in New Delhi. He will also inaugurate the first Pension Adalat.
BCCI nominates MS Dhoni for Padma Bhushan award
The Indian cricket board nominated Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the country’s third highest civilian award the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to the game. Two World titles (2011 50-over World Cup and 2007 World T20), nearly 10,000 runs, 90 Test matches. There is no one better than him, who could have been nominated, a senior condition of anonymity. The BCCI not sent any other nominations for the Padma awards this year. The 36-year-old has scored 9737 runs in 302 ODIs besides 4876 runs in 90 Test matches. He has also played 78 T20 Internationals, notching up 1212 runs.
Railways cuts down Sleeping Hours for passengers
According to a circular issued by the railway board, the passengers in the reserved coaches can only sleep between 10 pm and 6 am to allow others to sit in the seats for the rest of the time. Until the circular was issued, the existing permissible time for sleeping was between 9 pm and 6 am. The new provision replaces paragraph 652 in the Indian Railways Commercial Manual, Volume I. This provision is applicable to all reserved coaches with sleeping accommodation.
Modi inaugurates Sardar Sarovar Dam, Called ‘Gujarat’s Lifeline’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the Sardar Sarovar Dam – the world’s second biggest – on the river Narmada in Gujarat. The 1.2-km-long dam, which is 163 metres deep, will irrigate over 18 lakh hectares in the state, according to officials; the water from Narmada will flow into over 9,000 villages through a canal network, Sardar Sarovar Nigam Limited (SSNL). After inaugurating the dam, PM Modi will head to Sadhu Bet, an island in the river Narmada where a 182-metre-tall statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel – called the ‘Statue of Unity’.
President launches Swachhata Hi Campaign
President Ram Nath Kovind launched the nation-wide ‘Swachhata Hi Seva’ (Cleanliness is Service) campaign. The fortnight long campaign will conclude on Gandhi Jayanti on October 2, 2017. The campaign is an initiative under Swachch Bharat Mission and it was launched from Ishwari Ganj village, Kanpur. He administered nation-wide Swachhta Hi Seva pledge initiating parallel action in all the two lakh 50 thousand plus Gram Panchayats and cities in India. It is being coordianted by the Ministry of Drinking water and sanitation and will focus on mass mobilisation and reinforce ‘jan andolan’ for sanitation to contribute to Mahatma Gnadhi’s dream of a clean India.
Nation-wide Hackathon #OpenGovDataHack launched
Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad launched a nation-wide hackathon #OpenGovDataHack. As part of the Startup Eco-system Development program, NIC and IAMAI have collaborated to conduct Nation wide Hackathon #OpenGovDataHack across seven states of India. It aims to Support & Showcase potentially great Ideas./ Talent from Inner India. It is to enable them making their ideas developed into Apps/ Infographics primarily by use of Open Government Data around the themes of Drinking Water & Sanitation, Transport, Education, Crime and Health.
Chennai-Vladivostok sea route: India’s effort to counter China’s OBOR
India is planning to launch major connectivity initiative, connecting Chennai with key Russian port Vladivostok via sea route with an aim to harness natural resources from Northeast Asia and Western Pacific region. The Chennai-Vladivostok sea route will enable to transfer cargo between Chennai and Vladivostok in 24 days in comparison to over 40 days currently taken to transport goods from India to Far East Russia via Europe.
PM Narendra Modi, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe lay foundation stone for bullet train
Foundation stone of India’s first high-speed rail project (bullet train) project was jointly laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe at Sabarmati Station ground in Ahmedabad. The 508km-long Mumbai to Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project will be built at cost of Rs 1.10 lakh crore. It is expected to be completed by 2022. (It was recently advanced by year from earlier deadline of 2023).
India’s first advanced Homoeopathy Virology lab inaugurated in Kolkata
India’s first state of art virology laboratory was inaugurated at Dr. Anjali Chatterjee Regional Research Institute for Homoeopathy in Kolkata, West Bengal. The lab will play important in developing new drugs and technologies in Homoeopathy to combat emerging challenges of viral diseases.
RBI to Introduce Rs 100 Coin to Mark MG Ramachandran’s Birth Centenary
As per the notification of Finance Ministry, the Reserve Bank of India will introduce 100 rupees coin to mark the birth centenary (hundredth anniversary) of AIADMK founder Late Dr. M G Ramachandran. On the obverse, the face of the coin will bear Lion Capitol of Ashoka Pillar in the center with Satyamev Jayate inscribed below on it in Devanagari script. It will also bear the rupee symbol and denominational value of 100. On the reverse side, the portrait of Dr. MG Ramachandran will be in the center. The standard weight of the coin will be 35 grams.
National Pension Scheme Upper age limit raised to 65
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) announced that the upper age limit for joining the National Pension Scheme (NPS) had been raised to 65 years, from the current 60. NPS is currently open for people between 18 and 60, and the Board has approved raising the age limit for joining to 65.
Venkaiah Naidu laid foundation of Country’s First ‘Green-Field’ Smart City
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu laid the foundation stone for Ranchi Smart City coming up on the Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC) land. According to the Urban Development Minister CP Singh, this would be the country’s first ‘green-field’ smart city. The smart city is coming up on 656 acres of HEC land which would be fully wi-fi, carbon free, garbage free locality with modernized housing, traffic management system, education hub and equipped with facilities like round the clock power and water supplies.
All Women-crew “Navika Sagar Parikrama” flagged off
Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman flagged off Indian Naval Sailing Vessel Tarini (INSV Tarini) with an all women crew from INS Mandovi boat pool, Goa. This is the first-ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-women crew. With aim to empower women and also to discard the societal attitudes and mindset towards women in India, the expedition is titled ‘Navika Sagar Parikrama’. The crew is expected to return to Goa in April 2018, on completion of the voyage. During the voyage, the crew would monitor and report marine pollution on the high seas, as also interact extensively with local PIOs during various port halts to promote Ocean sailing.
Nestle sets up First Food Safety Institute in India
The new FSSAI CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal inaugurated the Nestle Food Safety Institute in Manesar, Gurugram. It will provide guidance and training on food safety. The FSSAI has been working with Nestle India for setting up the institute at Manesar. While this is the first such institute in India, Nestle already runs a similar Institute each in China and Lausanne, Switzerland.
Johnson & Johnson India introduces paternity leave
Johnson & Johnson India has announced that new and adoptive fathers would be entitled to eight weeks of paid leave during the first year of birth or adoption. For new mothers, the company has been offering up to 26 weeks of maternity leave for the past six years.
Indian Army to induct women in military police
The Indian Army has finalised plan to induct women in military police. The plan is seen as major step towards breaking gender barriers in force. Under this plan 800 women will be inducted initially with yearly intake of 52. The decision to induct women in Corps of Military Police will help in investigating allegations of gender specific crimes. Currently, women are allowed in select areas such as medical, educational, legal, signals and engineering wings of Indian Army.
NITI Aayog launches the National Nutrition Strategy
To make sure that malnutrition (Kuposhan) bids a goodbye to India, NITI Aayog has launched the National Nutrition Strategy aimed at Kuposhan Mukt Bharat. Under the strategy, the problem of malnutrition will be eradicated in a phased manner. The strategy intends at bringing nutrition to the center-stage of the National Development Agenda. The strategy was launched jointly by the leader of the Green Revolution, Cr. M S Swaminathan, Padma Shri H Sudharshan and Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog Dr. Rajiv Kumar and Member Dr. Vinod Paul in New Delhi.
Union Health Ministry launched two New Contraceptives Antara and Chhaya
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched two new contraceptives- an injectable contraceptive MPA under the ‘Antara’ program and a contraceptive pill ‘Chhaya’ in the public health system to expand the basket of contraceptive choices for couples. These contraceptives have been launched in 10 states including Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Haryana, West Bengal, Odisha and Goa. The ‘Antara’ injectable is effective for three months and the ‘Chayya’ pill is effective for one week.
Modi Cabinet reshuffled- 9 New Faces as Ministers
Nine new Ministers of state were inducted into the Union Council of Ministers. Four Ministers of state were elevated to the cabinet rank. They are Minister of State for Commerce and Industries Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State For Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines, Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office and secrecy to them at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The portfolios of the Ministers will be announced later.
Cabinet Ministers:
New Faces in the Council of Ministers:
Outgoing Ministers:
Nirmala Sitharaman: India’s first full time woman Defence Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman (58) became first full time woman Defence Minister of India after she was promoted to the Union Cabinet. She takes charge of the crucial ministry from Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Ms Sitharaman is second woman to become Defence Minister of India. First was former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who was holding additional portfolio as Defence Minister from 1980-82.
CERT-In issues alert on spread of new malware Locky Ransomware
Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY) issued an alert on spread of new malware “Locky Ransomware” that can lock computers and demand ransom for unlocking them. The alert, issued on Cyber Swachhta Kendra , is a new wave of spam mails is circulating with common subject lines to spread variants of Locky.
STATES
Gujarat to be first big state to use EVMs with VVPAT
Gujarat will become first big state to use Electronic Voting Machine (EVMs) equipped with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) in coming Assembly elections to make election process more transparent. It was announced by Election Commission of India. Gujarat will be second state after Goa to use VVPAT system for the Assembly elections in entire state. The VVPATs will cover all 50,128 polling booths during 2017 Gujarat Assembly elections. As many as 70,182 VVPAT machines will be used during election elections. Earlier, VVPATs were used on pilot basis in limited polling booths of state in 2012 elections.
Madhya Pradesh bags ‘Best Tourism State’ Award
Madhya Pradesh has won the ‘Best Tourism State’ national award for the third consecutive year. President Ram Nath Kovind handed over the award, named as ‘Hall of Fame Award’, to Minister of State for Tourism Surendra Patwa at a ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The state bagged total 10 awards in this programme, organised on the occasion of World Tourism Day (27 September). Madhya Pradesh also received a national award for Film Promotion Policy in the category of Best Film Promotion Friendly State/Union Territory.
Kandla Port renamed as Deendayal Port
The Kandla Port one of the top 12 major ports in the country renamed as Deendayal Port from Monday in the name of Hindutva icon Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, earlier this year while laying the foundation stone for Rs 933 crore projects at Kandla Port. The port’s journey began in 1931 with the construction of a jetty by Maharao Khengarji. It became the number one port in India and created history by handling 100 million tonnes cargo in a year.
Maharashtra Govt signs MoU with South Korea
The Maharashtra government signed a MoU with South Korea for increased co-operation in infrastructure projects like development of smart cities, roads, airports, and metros on the first day of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ visit to that country. It helps with implementation strategy, legal systems, policies, technologies and information in infrastructure development. Fadnavis embarked on a three-day tour to South Korea and Singapore.
New Underground Water Treatment Plant in Agartala
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. The plant has started functioning with supply of quality treated water initially to 565 households through pipeline. It has treatment capacity of 4 point 8 million litre per day. It has two Over Head Storage Reservoirs with capacities of 1,130 Kilo Liter and 450 Kilo Liter.
Odisha govt launched ‘Sampurna Yojana’
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 from inaccessible areas arranging their own vehicles. 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.
Karnataka Govt launches Vision-2025 project
Karnataka Government to launch The Nava Karnataka 2025 or Vision 2025 was launched for charting out a development roadmap for the next seven years. The main aim of the government on several developmental goals, whether it was eliminating hunger, creating employment or decreasing malnutrition among children. The Vision 2025 exercise will cover 13 sectors including agriculture and allied sectors, infrastructure, industrial development, education, employment, health and nutrition, rural development, social justice, urban development.
UP Govt to release 100 prisoners on birth centenary of Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya
Uttar Pradesh government will release 100 inmates from various jails of the state to mark the birth centenary of Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya. The prisoners will be released from Lucknow, Varanasi, Faizabad, Mathura, Agra, Kanpur, Naini, Aligarh, Banda, Mirzapur, Orai, Hardoi, Maharajganj, Bahraich, Saharanpur and Gorakhpur jails, Bareilly, Varanasi, Agra, Fatehgarh, Naini and Gorakhpur jails.
Seven States of Northeast India to launch Mission Indradhanush
Seven states in North-East India will launch ‘Mission Indradhanush’, a flagship immunization scheme of the Government of India, in an intensified manner from October 7, 2017. Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) will focus on select urban areas and other pockets where immunization coverage has been low. Under IMI, the Centre aims to reach every child under two years and pregnant women with all available vaccines under Universal Immunization Programme by 2018.
NITI Aayog’s SATH Program launched in Assam
National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog’s SATH (Sustainable Action for Transforming Human capital) Program was launched in in Guwahati, Assam. The SATH program aims to provide structured support to Assam in identifying key health priorities and implement the solutions towards transforming the health and improving the well-being of people of state.
Telangana govt releases music video on 9 day Bathukamma festival
Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has released a new music video prepared by Telangana Jagruthi to celebrate the nine-day Bathukamma festival, which began on September 20. This Exclusive Bangaru Bathukamma song featuring Anchor and Actress Udaya Bhanu and TRS MP Kavitha. Telangana government recently began free distribution of over one crore sarees for women below the poverty line on the occasion of Bathukamma.
Himachal Pradesh becomes first state to launch Electric Bus service
The Himachal Pradesh government has launched first-of-its-kind electric bus service in the ecologically fragile 51 km – long stretch between Manali and Rohtang Pass. The bus service was flagged off by State Transport Minister GS Bali along with Kullu Deputy Commissioner Yunus. The move was made amidst concern over increasing environmental degradation in the Rohtang Pass area due to plying of diesel taxis. With this initiative, the state has become the first in the world to ply electric buses at an altitude of 13 thousand feet.
Andhra CM Naidu releases ‘People First’ mobile app for grievance redressal
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has released ‘People First’ mobile application for grievance redressal at the Collectors’ conference in Vijayawada. Under this application, people of Andhra Pradesh can dial 1100 to register complaints about government services and schemes. The citizens of Andhra Pradesh can now ride the wave of technology and use the medium of mobile to register their complaints.
Puducherry to ban plastic of less than 51 microns
The Puducherry Government decided to ban manufacture and use of plastic packaging materials of less than 51 microns as these were found to be injurious to health and a source of menace during monsoon in the Union Territory. The Welfare and Environment Minister M Kandasamy informed officials of departments concerned with solid waste management that the ban would come into force in the next six months. The Government advised hotel and restaurant owners to abstain from packing ‘ready to eat’ food items in ‘butter paper’ or such plastic transparent sheets. They also directed shop owners not to use newspapers for supplying such food items.
International Yoga Festival starts in Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir governor N N Vohra inaugurated the second International Yoga Festival and International Yoga Sports Championship 2017 in which about 300 people from across the world are participating. The festival is being organized by the Yoga Society of Kashmir at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre. About 300 participants from various parts of India, Vietnam, Taiwan, Canada, Bulgaria, USA, and Nepal are participating in the festival.
Special canteen for labours in Chhattisgarh and Meals at just Rs.5
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh launched the ‘Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Shram Anna Sahayata Yojna’ under which nutritious meal will be provided to laborers at price of Rupees five. As many as 60 such food centers will be set up in 27 districts of the states which will provide food to nearly 60,000 laborers on a daily basis. The programme aims to reach 7000 laborers across 27 districts in Chhattisgarh. The government has also registered 21 lakh workers from the organized and the unorganized sectors.
Tripura becomes first state to set up District Family Welfare committees
Tripura has became the first state in India to set up family welfare district committees. State Governor Tathagata Roy formally launched the family welfare committees in all eight districts in Tripura at a function in Tripura High Court. The committees have been set to deal with the issue of fake and biased complaints by women against their husbands, in-laws and husband’s relatives. The decision to set up the committees came following an order of the Supreme Court to form such committees in all states.
Jharkhand Government launches Shaheed Gram Vikas Yojana
Jharkhand Government has launched Shaheed Gram Vikas Yojana aimed at developing villages of freedom fighters in the state. It was launched from Ulihatu Village, birthplace of freedom fighter Birsa Munda. Under this scheme, villages of many tribal freedom fighters will be developed and their habitants will be provided basic amenities. These villages had remained inaccessible for long time after Independence because of Left-wing extremism. Now they will be provided with 136 pucca houses.
India’s First Lithium-Ion Battery Unit in Gujarat
Suzuki Motor invest more than Rs 1,150 crore along with Japanese partners Toshiba and Denso to set up India’s first lithium-ion battery facility in Gujarat. The announcement by the parent of the country’s largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki is a major boost to the government’s ambitious vehicle electrification and Make in India initiatives. It will hold half the stake and meanwhile, Toshiba will own 40% and Denso the remaining 10%.
Two hydro-electric projects in Arunachal Pradesh to be commissioned in 2018
The North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) its two hydro-electric projects in Arunachal Pradesh are on the verge of completion and they would be commissioned next year. The commissioning of the 600 MW Kameng Hydro Electric Project and the 110 MW Pare Hydro Electric Project was delayed by about a couple of months due to floods and landslides. According to the officials, the Pare Hydro Project is set to be commissioned by February end next year, while the Kameng project would take another two months.
India’s First Centre for Animal Law set up in Hyderabad
India’s first Centre for Animal Law established at the city-based NALSAR University of Law. Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi inaugurated the centre according to a release issued by Humane Society International (HSI). The Centre will create curriculum on animal welfare laws, including developing topics for research. It will also conduct workshops on animal laws and animal welfare issues with judicial magistrates, animal welfare advocates, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders in the government.
Odisha to set up the first Odia language university
The Odisha government passed a bill to launch the first-ever Odia language university for post-graduation in literature and linguistics among other subjects. The university which will be established in Bhubaneswar will also devise ways to make Odia script more adaptable to technology. It mainly aims at making Odia script more adaptable to computer technology. It would also administer PG courses in literary criticism, the evolution of East Indian language scripts, historical scripts, archaeology, musicology and translation into and from Odia.
Maharashtra CM launches Maha Mission 1 Million
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today launched the ‘Maharashtra Mission 1 Million’ initiative under which over 10 lakh students across the state will play football. It is the first time in the country and Maharashtra to support was decided by Tawde. The entire Maharashtra becomes Pro football the Mission will not only create football players and lovers of the game but will also help in overall development of the state. Under the initiative, the state government aims to ensure that children come out in open spaces and play.
Karnataka, 1st Indian State to approve e-vehicle Policy
Karnataka is the first state to roll out an Electric Vehicle and Energy Storage Policy that looks not only at boosting sales of Electrical Vehicles, but also setting up charging infrastructure and special manufacturing zones. Karnataka is looking to attract investments to the tune of Rs 31,000 crore from companies looking at R&D and manufacturing of electric vehicles in the state.
Kerala to open India’s first transgender-exclusive clinics
Kerala opens India’s first transgender-exclusive clinics at government medical colleges across the state. They are planning to open Transgender Clinics in all government medical colleges in the state. We also plan to provide facilities for their surgery at least in two medical colleges. The first clinic will be set up at the government medical college of Kottayam within the next two months and will be one of the first clinics to provide the sex-change surgery.
Sachin Tendulkar launches project to develop the poorest ward in Mumbai
Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has launched Mission-24 a programme aimed at improving the quality of life in one of Mumbai’s poorest wards through collaborative efforts in the next 24 months. The main aim of the program to provide basic amenities to residents of M-East ward that includes slums of Shivaji Nagar, Deonar and Mankhurd. Through this project, the organisations aim to provide amenities like secondary schools and colleges, Anganwadi’s, maternity homes, health posts and dispensaries in the ward. It also aims to improve sanitation, create more open spaces and look at computer safety.
Netaji statue unveiled at Naval base in Kolkata
An eight feet bronze statue of Indian freedom struggle leader Subhash Chandra Bose was unveiled at the Naval base INS Netaji Subhash at Kolkata. The statue was unveiled by Netaji’s niece-in-law Krishna Bose and Eastern Naval Command Chief, Vice Admiral H.C.S. Bisht by cutting the ribbon together.
Assam govt to provide skill training to 30000 surrendered militants
The Assam government would be providing skill development training to around 30,000 surrendered militants. The training will also be extended to jail inmates. Along with providing training to the surrendered militants, the Assam government would be training over 24000 Assamese youth under the Prime Minister Kaushal Vikas Yojna. The Assam Skill Development Mission would be providing skill training in 40 sectors. The training sessions would be starting by the end of September 2017.
New species of edible fish found in Pampa river in Kerala
A group of researchers discovered a new species of edible freshwater fish while exploring the waters of the Pampa river in Pathanamthitta in Kerala. As per the researchers, the newly found fish could possibly be farmed on a commercial scale. The two researchers, Mathews Plamoottil, Assistant Professor, government college, Chavara, Kollam, and Primoz Zupancic from the Dinaric Research Institute, Slovenia, Europe, have reported the discovery in the latest issue of an open access research journal Bioscience Discovery.
Telangana Home Minister inaugurates water ATMs
Safe Water Network, an international NGO has partnered with Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to launch water ATMs, providing affordable, 24×7 safe water access in Hyderabad. The first of the ATMs was inaugurated by Telangana State Home Minister N Narasimha Reddy at Nalgonda X Roads. A total of 200 ATMs will be set up to reach a targeted 150,000 people. In the first phase 50 water ATMs will be operationalised by next year. The initiative is supported by USAID under the Urban WaSH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) Alliance Partnership and funded by Honeywell India.
Amazon’s Largest Fulfilment Center in Hyderabad
American e-commerce company Amazon opened its largest fulfillment center (FC) in the country at the GMR-led Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. The new facility has a carpet area of around 4 lakh square feet, along with a storage space of close to 2.1 million cubic feet. Amazon’s fifth fulfillment center in Telangana, thereby increasing the firm’s overall storage capacity to 3.3 million square feet in the state.
Andhra Pradesh Signs MoU to Build India’s First Hyperloop
The Andhra Pradesh government has signed an MoU with the US-based Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT)to build India’s first Hyperloop system. The planned project is aimed at connecting cities Amaravati and Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, supposedly covering the distance of over 35 km in just five minutes. The AP Economic Development Board (AP-EDB) and HTT signed the MoU in Amaravati. Under the MoU, a six-month feasibility study would be conducted from October.
Jharkhand Governor gives assent to Religious Freedom Bill, 2017
Jharkhand Governor Draupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Jharkhand Religious Freedom Bill, 2017. The state government will now issue notification on the Religious Freedom Bill, after which it will become an Act. With this Jharkhand, become seventh state in the country to have anti-conversion law. Other six states with similar law are Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.
President to lay foundation stone for Link-4 of SAUNI Scheme in Rajkot
President Ramnath Kovind will today lay the foundation stone for the link – 4 of Saurashtra Narmada Avataran Irrigation Scheme -SAUNI- Yojana in Rajkot district. The project launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat aims to fill up 115 major dams by diverting overflow of water from the Sardar Sarovar Dam on Narmada River. Three phase of SAUNI Yojana already dedicated to the people following completion of the work.
Gurugram Metro stations to get 1,000 new e-rickshaws
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in collaboration with Smart-E company will launch 1,000 e-rickshaws at five metro stations across the city. Smart-E is uniquely poised to address the last-mile connectivity challenge faced by millions of people every day. The launch of 1,000 e-rickshaws in exclusive partnership with DMRC is an important step towards making last-mile commute easy, safe, affordable and eco-friendly for the citizens.
Assam for first time extends AFSPA orders on its own
Assam Government has extended term of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958 and declared entire state a Disturbed Area for six more months under Section 3 of AFSP Act. This is for first time state government has extended AFSPA and Disturbed Area provision on its own. In the past, AFSPA provisions in state were always extended by the Centre. The law and order situation in Assam continues to be matter of concern due to violent incidents carried out by the underground groups, as many as 16 incidents involving these groups were reported between May and July 2017. These incidents had resulted in deaths of civilians, security personnel and militants.
Friday declared ‘Day of Helping Hand’ in Andhra Pradesh by CM Naidu
Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has declared Friday as the day of the week when he will meet with the poor and underprivileged sections of Andhra Pradesh society to hear their grievances and try to resolve them. The day has been declared as the “Day of Helping Hand”. Recently, an amount of nearly Rs.9 lakhs was disbursed from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to the poor.
Arunachal Pradesh and J&K are Fastest Growing Economies
Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh were the fastest expanding State economies in 2015-16, according to a new series of gross State domestic product data with 2011-12 as the base year published by the Central Statistics Office. The two States also reported the fastest rise in per capita income in the same year. Arunachal Pradesh’s gross State domestic product (GSDP) expanded 16.5 per cent and that of Jammu and Kashmir 14.7 per cent at constant 2011-12 prices.
CONFERENCES
3-day India Mobile Congress 2017 starts in New Delhi
The first ever mobile, Internet and technology event in India – India Mobile Congress 2017 has started in New Delhi from 27th September. India Mobile Congress is a dedicated platform for B2B and B2C interaction and developing a network with various experts from the industry. The exhibitors include Google, Reliance Jio, Qualcomm, BSNL, Airtel, and many other companies.
7th ASEM Economic Ministers Meeting held in South Korea
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’. 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.
India, US, Afghanistan join hands for 1st Trade Show in Delhi
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. The trade event, sponsored by the US and hosted by India, will be inaugurated by Afghan CEO Dr Abdullah. Abdullah’s visit will follow the first visit to India by US defence secretary James Mattis who will be holding high level talks with India on the Trump Administration’s new South Asia policy.
13th Inter-Governmental Commission Meeting in Kazakhstan
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan is in Astana, Kazakhstan to co-chair the 13th Meeting of Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC) with Kazakhstan. Mr Kanat Bozumbayev, Minister of Energy of Kazakhstan will co-chair the meeting from Kazakhstan side. The IGC meeting aims to follow up on the agenda set between India and Kazakhstan during the two visits of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Kazakhstan.
India-US-Japan trilateral talks held in New York
Foreign ministers of India, US and Japan held a trilateral meeting in New York on the sidelines of the 72nd annual session of the UN General Assembly. The meeting was held to give momentum to their cooperation amid China flexing its muscles in the region. The three ministers, namely Sushma Swaraj (India), Rex Tillerson (US) and Taro Kono (Japan), emphasised on the need for ensuring freedom of navigation, respect for international law and peaceful resolution of disputes. The decision to hold the trilateral meeting was taken at the first India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue. the first India-US-Japan trilateral meeting was held in December 2011.
South Asian Women Development Forum to organize summit at Kathmandu
The South Asian Women Development Forum (SAWDF) would be organising ‘Across Barriers-International Business Women’s Summit’ on 11th & 12th September 2017 at kathmandu, nepal. The two-day event aims to encourage partnerships between women entrepreneurs from the SAARC and ASEAN member countries and China. The Ministry of Agriculture, US Embassy in Nepal and the Department for International Development (DFID), UK would be providing financial support to the event.
9th BRICS summit held in Xiamen, China
The 9th Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) summit was held in Xiamen, China. The summit is hosted by China for the second time after the 2011 Summit.The theme of the 2017 BRICS Summit is “BRICS: Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future”.
The four documents were signed in the presence of BRICS Leaders and they are:
Strategic Framework of BRICS Customs Cooperation
BRICS Action Plan for Innovation Cooperation(2017-2020)
BRICS Action Agenda on Economic and Trade Cooperation.
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between BRICS Business Council and New Development Bank on Strategic Cooperation.
PM inaugurates annual conference ‘Rajaswa Gyan Sangam’ in Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the annual conference, Rajaswa Gyan Sangam, 2017 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The conference jointly organised by the Central Board of Direct Taxes and the Central Board of Excise and Customs. The Prime Minister addressed the tax administrators during the conference. The closing function would be conducted on 2 September 2017.
AWARDS & HONOURS
Mahtab Bamji selected for living legend award of IUNS
Mahtab Bamji selected for the Living Legend Award of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences ((IUNS). The award will be presented at its General Assembly to be held at the IUNS-ICN in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 18th October. The IUNS Council presents Living Legend Awards to individual members of Adhering Bodies in good standing who are eighty (80) years or above.
President of India presents the National Tourism Awards 2015-16
The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind presented the ‘National Tourism Awards 2015-16′ to various segments of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry at a function organised by the Ministry of Tourism on the occasion of ‘World Tourism Day’ at New Delhi. The event also saw the launch of ‘Incredible India 2.0 campaign’ and ‘Adopt a Heritage’ project and new Incredible India website by the President.
CNR Rao selected for 2017 Von Hippel Award
Eminent Scientist and Bharat Ratna Prof C.N.R. Rao was awarded 2017 Von Hippel Award, the highest international prize in materials research. He is first Indian and first Asian to win this honour. The award will be presented to Prof Rao for his interdisciplinary contributions to development of novel functional materials, including nanomaterials, graphene, superconductivity, 2D materials and colossal magnetoresistance at Boston in November 2017.
Anushka, Ranveer Singh, Rajkummar Rao, Aamir won GQ Men of the Year 2017 Awards
GQ Men of The Year Awards 2017 kicked off in Mumbai. The Award Winners are:
Irrfan Khan – Outstanding Achievement
Anushka Sharma – Woman of the Year
Karan Johar – Producer of the Year
Rajkummar Rao – Actor of Year
Ranveer Singh – Entertainer of the Year
Sridevi – Excellence in Acting
Aamir Khan – Creative Maverick
Nigerian Zannah Mustapha wins UN award
Zannah Mustapha won the annual Nansen Refugee Award for his ‘crucial mediating’ role and efforts to help children affected by the insurgency in the country. Mustapha is the founder of Future Prowess Islamic Foundation School, a school that provides free Islamic-based education to children orphaned by insurgency. The school also provides free meals, uniforms and health care to its pupils.
JNPT wins “Rajbhasha Kirti Award” for 11th consecutive time
Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) won the “Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar” for the year 2016-17 in the category of ‘B’ region for autonomous bodies and boards, for its excellent implementation of the Official Language. Ram Nath Kovind gave away the award at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi on the occasion of Hindi Divas celebration. This is the 11th consecutive year that JNPT has won this award.
69th Primetime Emmy Awards announced
The 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards was announced at the Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles, California, U.S. The Handmaid’s Tale became the first web television series to win the award for Outstanding Drama Series. Westworld and Saturday Night Live were the most nominated programs, each with 22 nominations.
Complete list of the winners:
Outstanding Comedy Series: Veep
Outstanding Drama Series: The Handmaid’s Tale
Outstanding Variety Talk Series: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Outstanding Variety Sketch Series: Saturday Night Live
Outstanding Limited Series: Big Little Lies
Outstanding Television Movie: Black Mirror: “”San Junipero”"
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Donald Glover as Earnest “”Earn”" Marks on Atlanta
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer on Veep
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Sterling K. Brown as Randall Pearson on This Is Us
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne/ Offred on The Handmaid’s Tale
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series: Atlanta (Episode: “”B.A.N.”"), Directed by Donald Glover
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series: The Handmaid’s Tale (Episode: “”Offred”"), Directed by Reed Morano
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series: Master of None (Episode: “”Thanksgiving”"), Written by Aziz Ansari and Lena Waithe
Indian start-up wins award in Israel
An Indian startup has won a prestigious award in Israel for developing an affordable modular greenhouse that aims to give farmers steady & dependable income. Kheyti, was chosen among 10 finalists in MassChallenge Israel contest that saw participation from over 500 companies. Kheyti design, adapt & implement low-cost farming solutions that help farmers increase yield & predictability of produce.
Salman Khan honoured at Britain’s House of Commons
Salman Khan received a Global Diversity Award at Britain’s House of Commons. The Global Diversity Award is given to people of immense stature in terms of diversity in the world, and he is certainly one of them. The Being Human NGO is run by the Salman Khan.
3 India-born scientists to be awarded by US’ Marconi Society
Bengaluru-born 28-year-old Google research scientist Ananda Theertha Suresh in New York has won the Paul Baran Young Scholar award for 2017. Kailath, 82, from Pune and a former professor at Stanford, is the Hitachi American Professor in Engineering Emeritus at the reputed university. He was also conferred with the Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian award, in 2009. Netravalli, 71, a native of Ankola on Karnataka’s west coast, studied at Mumbai’s Elphinstone College and graduated in electrical engineering from IIT-Bombay before migrating to the US in 1967 for his post-graduation and doctorate from Houston’s Rice University.
74th Venice Film Festival Awards 2017
The 74th annual Venice International Film Festival was held from 30 August to 9 September 2017. The most important award is the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale and considered one of the most prestigious film awards, like the Golden Palm in Cannes and the Golden Bear of Berlin.
The awards are listed below:
Best Film – Nico, 1988, directed by Susanna Nicchiarelli
Best Director – Vahid Jalilvand, No Date, No Signature
Special Jury Prize – Caniba, directed by Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel
Best Actress – Lyna Khoudri, Les Bienheureux
Best Actor – Navid Mohammadzadeh, No Date, No Signature
Best Screenplay – Los Versos Del Olvido, directed by Alireza Khatami
Best Short Film – Gros Chagrin, directed by Céline Devaux
Lion of the Future – “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Film Jusqu’à la Garde, directed by Xavier Legrand.
2 US Scientists, Indian Economist among 2017 Balzan Prize awardees
The International Balzan Foundation has announced the winners of the 2017 Balzan Prize. This year, Indian Economist Bina Agarwal was recognised among other awardees for her work on women’s contributions to agriculture in India.
List of 2017 Balzan Prize awardees:
Tahir Mahmood awarded N R Madhava Menon Best Law Teacher Award
Eminent jurist Tahir Mahmood was awarded the prestigious N R Madhava Menon Best Law Teacher Award 2017 for his distinguished services to legal education and the legal profession on the occasion of Law Teachers’ Day celebrations. The function was organized by the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF) and Menon Institute of Legal Advocacy Training (MILAT). The awards are bestowed every year to honor the most deserved law teachers and institutions in India and across the SAARC region.
World University Rankings 2018: IISc ranked highest from India
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) retained top position among Indian Universities in the Times World University Rankings 2018, but its position fell in global rankings compared to its last year position. Top 10 in Universities in World are Oxford University (1st, UK), Cambridge University (2nd, UK), California institute of Technology (3rd, US), Stanford University (4th, US), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (5th, US), Harvard University (6th, US), Princeton University (7th, US), Imperial College London (8th, UK), University of Chicago (9th, US), ETH-Zurich (10th, Switzerland). IISc slipped from the 201-250 band to the 251-300 one due to drop in its research influence score and research income. IIT Delhi and IIT Kanpur, which were among best Indian institutions, slipped down from previous year’s position of the 401- 500 club to 501-600 band. IIT Bombay was placed in t351-400 club, same as in 2017 ranking and. IIT Kharagpur and IIT Roorkee also retained their positions in 501-600 bracket.
GIFT City wins ASSOCHAM Services Excellence Awards
India’s first operational Smart City and IFSC, Gujarat International Finance-Tec City (GIFT City), has won the prestigious Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) Services Excellence Award. At a summit held in New Delhi, GIFT SEZ was honored for its contribution to the growth of the International Financial Services and Technology Hub in India.
Narayana Murthy receives PLuS Alliance Prize
N R Narayana Murthy and Mumbai-born scientist veena Sahajwalla have been conferred the PLuS Alliance Prize – a prestigious honour that recognises research Innovation, Education Innovation, Global Leadership and Global Innovation. Both winners were recognised for the development and implementation of innovation solutions to significant global issues. Murthy was presented the PLuS Alliance Prize for Global Leadership while professor Sahajwalla was awarded the PLuS Alliance Prize for Research Innovation for her project.
Vice President honours 219 teachers with National award
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu gave away the National awards for teachers on Teachers day Function. A total of 219 teachers, including 124 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) teachers, were awarded. He also launched DIKSHA, a national digital infrastructure for teachers. DIKSHA is a customisable national digital infrastructure that states, Teacher Education Institutions (TEI) and private entities can use for their respective teacher-centric initiatives.
NHAI Awards First International Project in Myanmar to Punj Lloyd-Varaha
The National Highway Authority of India has awarded its first international project in Myanmar to a joint venture of Punj Lloyd-Varaha. This is for the upgradation of the Yagyi-Kalewa section in Myanmar to two lanes with earthern shoulder in the engineering, procurement, and construction mode. The 120-km-long project was estimated to cost Rs. 1,177.02 crore and is to be completed within 36 months. Punj Lloyd-Varaha’s bid was identified as the most competitive among four qualified bidders. It was at Rs. 1,177 crore.
UNESCO announces winners for Girl’s and Women’s Education Prize 2017
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural organization (UNESCO) in September 2017 announced the winners of 2017 edition of the UNESCO Prize for Girl’s and Women’s Education. UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova announced the names of the two laureates from Peru and Thailand recommended by an International Jury. Each of the two organisations was honoured with the prize money of USD 50000 at an official ceremony held in Xiamen, People’s Republic of China.
UNESCO announces winners of International Literacy Prizes 2017
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has announced the winners of the 2017 International Literacy Prizes that honour excellence and innovation in the field of global literacy. The UNESCO International Literacy Prizes are divided into two categories namely the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy that is sponsored by China and the King Sejong Literacy Prize that is sponsored by South Korea.
Hyderabad Airport bags Energy Efficiency Award
Hyderabad International Airport Ltd has bagged the National Award for ‘Excellence’ in Energy Management at a conference hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The event held here focused on recognizing companies that are engaged in energy efficiency initiatives and displaying commitment towards energy conservation.
SPORTS & GAMES
For the First Time, Five Indian Shuttlers in Top-20 of BWF Men’s Rankings
For the first time, Five Indians are in the top-20 of the BWF men’s singles rankings with H S Prannoy being the biggest gainer after his quarterfinal showing at the Japan Open. Prannoy has jumped four places to be world no.15.
The 5 Indian Shuttlers in the top 20 BWF men’s singles rankings are-
Kidambi Srikanth (8th)
HS Prannoy (15th)
B Sai Praneeth (17th)
Sameer Verma (19th)
Ajay Jayaram (20th)
India to host South Asian boxing Championship in Guwahati
Boxing Federation of India (BFI) announced that India will be hosting the South Asian boxing Championship for the first time in Guwahati from December 6 to 10. The championship will see a potential blockbuster clash against arch-rivals Pakistan besides other SAARC countries – Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, among others. The South Asian Championship will be followed by the India International Open Tournament in the third week of January 2018.
Lakshmanan Wins 5,000m gold in Athletics Nationals
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. Lakshmanan has recently won gold in the 3,000m event at the Asian Indoor Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
Laver Cup 2017: Roger Federer & Rafael Nadal win first doubles match
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal played as doubles partners for the first time on the second day of the inaugural Laver Cup in Prague. They beat Americans Sam Querrey and Jack Sock to win Laver Cup 2017 in men’s doubles. Also, Roger Federer, ranked No. 2 in the world, defeated Australia’s Nick Kyrgios to win men’s singles in Laver Cup 2017.
ICC launches Anti-Corruption Probe into Sri Lanka Cricket
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. The ICC Anti-Corruption Unit works to uphold integrity in cricket and this includes conducting investigations where there are reasonable grounds to do so.
India become World No. 1 in both ODIs and Tests
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. 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.
Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar nominated for 2017 FIFA Best Mens Player award
Famous Football players Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Neymar Jr are the final three players in contention for FIFA Best Men’s Player of the Year 2017 award. The final three nominees for the Best FIFA Men’s Coach of the Year 2017 award are Real Madrid’s Zinedine Zidane, Juventus’ Massimiliano Allegri, and Chelsea’s Antonio Conte.
India bags 4 more Medals at 5th Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games in Turkmenistan
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. Wrestler Keduovilie Zumu from Nagaland won the bronze medal in the 90 kg category of Kazakh Kuresh style belt wrestling. Meanwhile, Sourav Kothari assured himself of a medal after winning his semifinal contest in men’s billiards singles against Thailand’s Thawat Sujaritthurakaran 3-0. India is at 11th spot in the medals tally with 5 gold, 7 silver and 7 bronze.
First Indian team for FIFA U-17 World Cup announced
The first ever Indian squad to participate in the a FIFA World Cup, U-17 World Cup Squad has been announced. 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 Antonay. FIFA U-17 World Cup is scheduled to start in Panaji from 6 October. India will take on USA on 6 October, followed by Colombia and Ghana on 9 and 12 October respectively at New Delhi.
Kuldeep Yadav becomes First Indian spinner to take hat trick in ODIs
Chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav (22-year-old from Kanpur) became the first Indian spinner to take a hat-trick in ODI cricket during the second match of the ongoing series against Australia at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Yadav took the wickets of Matthew Wade, Ashton Agar and Pat Cummins in consecutive balls in his eighth over. This was the first ODI hat-trick by an Indian in over 26 years. He becomes the third Indian to achieve this feat, after Kapil Dev and Chetan Sharma. Yadav had also become the first Indian to take a hat-trick in the U-19 World Cup, achieving the feat against Scotland in 2014.
Australia invited for 2022 Asian Games for 1st time in history
Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) invited Australia to compete at Asiad (Asian Games) in 2022, for the first time. The invite is for selected sports like football and basketball to enable athletes to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Australia, New Zealand and a group of Pacific islands – has not taken part in the Asian Games before, but sporting ties with Asia (Olympic Council of Asia) have been growing.
Sindhu jumps to World No 2 in BWF women’s singles rankings
India shuttler P V Sindhu has jumped two places to second spot in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) women’s singles rankings, riding on her Korea Open Series title. This is the second time in her career that Sindhu, the Olympics silver medalist, occupied the second spot. Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying retained her top spot.
Asian Indoor Games: Chitra, Lakshmanan win Gold
Asian champions G. Lakshmanan and P. U. Chitra won gold medals in the athletics events of the fifth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Tamil Nadu’s Lakshmanan won the men’s 3000m while Kerala’s Chitra, who was not cleared by the national body Athletics Federation of India for the recent World Championships in London despite making the cut, took the women’s 1500m title.
FIFA Women World Cup France 2019 official slogan, emblem launched
The official emblem and slogan for FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 were unveiled in Paris, France. The emblem features the competition trophy wrapped in blue and white, with eight shards of light around football at the top of the trophy symbolizing the eighth edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The slogan of the tournament “Dare To Shine” reflects the development of football, especially women’s football. FIFA President Gianni Infantino and French Football Federation (FFF) President Noel le Graet attended the unveiling event.
Asian Indoor Games: Purnima Wins Gold in Pentathlon
India won its first athletics gold, through Purnima Hembram in women’s pentathlon, in the fifth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games at Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. India also got two silvers, through Sanjivani Jadhav in women’s 3000m and Tejinder Singh Toor in men’s shot put, and a bronze through Kerala’s V. Neena in women’s long jump.
India wins four medals at Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
India won its first athletics gold through Purnima Hembram in women’s pentathlon in the fifth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games at Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. The one gold two silver and one bronze through track and field athletes on the third day of fifth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, in Ashgabat. India is now at a 11th spot in the medals tally, which is led by hosts Turkmenistan (26 gold, 21 silver, 12 bronze). It is being represented by 203 athletes in 15 sports disciplines in the Games and it is second biggest multi-sporting event of the continent after the Asiad.
Lewis Hamilton won Singapore Grand Prix
Mercedes’ British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton registered his 60th career won at the Singapore Grand Prix. He defeated Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel score and reached the top of the table with 28 points. Daniel Ricciardo won the second place in the race.
PV Sindhu wins gold
PV Sindhu becomes the first Indian to win the Korea Open Superseries with an outstanding 22-20, 11-21, 21-18 win over Nozomi Okuhara in the much-talked-about women’s singles final in Seoul. Olympic silver medallist shuttler P V Sindhu beat world champion Nozomi Okuhara in a thrilling final to clinch the women’s singles title at the Korea Open Super Series.
Shuttlers Sai Praneeth and Sameer Verma improve BWF ranking
Shuttlers Sai Praneeth and Sameer Verma improved a rung each to reach the 16th and 25th spots respectively in the latest BWF ranking. Female Shuttler PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal were static at the fourth and 12th positions respectively. Women’s doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy slipped a place to be at the 25th spot, while mixed doubles pair of Pranav Jerry Chopra and Sikki was steady at the 20th position.
Goa to host 36th National Games
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) formally awarded the rights to host the 36th National Games to Goa in November 2017. The announcement was made by the state sports minister Manohar Ajgaonkar. The National Games of India comprises various disciplines in which sportsmen from the different states of India participate against each other. The National Games were formally known as the Indian Olympic Games.
Prakash Padukone to get badminton’s first lifetime award
Badminton Prakash Padukone conferred with the first Lifetime Achievement Award instituted by the Badminton Association of India (BAI) for his rich contribution to the sport. He is the first recipient of the lifetime achievement award. He won the 1980 All England and won a bronze at the 1983 World Championship in Copenhagen. He also won a gold medal at the 1978 Commonwealth Games. He was bestowed with the Arjuna award in 1972 and the Padma Shri in 1982.
BWF World Senior Badminton Championships- First Time in India
The coastal city of Kochi is hosting the BWF World Senior Badminton Championships. The championship is been held in India for the first time. The week-long tournament will see a total of 665 players from 40 countries battle it out. A total of 175 players will represent India including Olympians – Abhinn Shyam Gupta, Nikhil Kanetkar, and V Diju. The Indian contingent will also have Arjuna awardee and Kerala player George Thomas and Commonwealth medallist and former India doubles players Sanave Thomas and Roopesh Kumar.
Nadal wins US Open for his 16th Grand Slam title
Rafael Nadal has won his third US Open Grand Slam title in New York. Nadal defeated South Africa’s Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 to grab the prestigious title. The Spaniard has now won two Slams in the same year for the first time since 2013, having won 5the French Open in June 2017.
India finishes 5th at Moscow Shotgun World Championships
India has finished fifth in the medals tally with one gold and two silver medals at the Moscow Shotgun World Championships. Only 16 of the 76 participating nations got amongst the medals and Italy topped the tally with nine gold medals for a total of 17 medals in all. Both their Olympic skeet champions Gabrielle Rossetti and Diana Bacosi were also crowned world champions in the process. The USA stood second with five gold medals for a total of 12. Hosts Russia were third in the overall tally with two golds for a total of eight.
Martin Hingis, Chan Yung-Jan wins US Open Women’s Doubles title
Defeating the Czech partnership of Lucie Hradecka and Katerina Siniakova, Martina Hingis of Switzerland and Taiwan’s Chan Yung-Jan won the US Open Women’s Doubles title. The win was Hingis 13th Grand Slam women’s doubles title and overall 25th Grand Slam title. On the other hand, the win gave Chan her first Grand Slam.
India wins 37 medals at 2017 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship
India won 37 medals, including 23 Gold, in the just-concluded Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Gold coast Australia. India on the penultimate day of 2017 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships bagged two gold medals, one silver and two bronze to wrap up their successful campaign in style. In the last five days of the Championships, 34 new records were created by the Indians.
India wins 2nd SABA U-16 Championship
India has won 2nd South Asian Basketball, SABA, Under – 16 Championship. India defeated Bhutan by 131-50 in its last league match at Kathmandu in Nepal. India remained unbeaten in its all four matches and accumulated 8 points. Bangladesh finished second and host Nepal third. The championship was played in a round robin league format. India has now qualified for 2017 International Basketball Federation, FIBA, Under-16 Asian Championship to be played in Malaysia later this year.
Sloane Stephens lifts US Open Women’s Singles Title
Unseeded American Sloane Stephens lifted the US Open women’s singles title. Sloane ranked 83rd completed a spectacular return from injury to beat 15th seed Keys 6-3, 6-0 in the finals. The 24-year-old was ranked as low as 957th six weeks ago went on to become only the fifth unseeded woman to win a major title in the Open era. Sloane stunned Venus Williams in the semifinal.
India retains top position, Australia slips in latest ICC Test rankings
India continued to be at the top in the latest ICC Test rankings but Australia slipped one rung to fifth in the latest list after drawing the series against Bangladesh. India with a score of 125 points is on the top of the table, Australia just decimals behind New Zealand with a score of 97 holds for fifth position. South Africa is at second place with 110 points, England is third with 105 points.
Sjoerd Marijne Named New Coach of Indian Men’s Hockey Team
Women’s national hockey coach Sjoerd Marijne was named chief coach of the men’s side. He has replaced Roelant Oltmans. Besides, World Cup-winning junior team coach Harendra Singh was appointed High-Performance Specialist coach of the senior women’s team. The decisions were announced by newly-appointed Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.
India’s Sonam wins Gold in Cadet World Wrestling Championship
India’s Sonam 43 kilogram weight category wins Gold in Cadet World Wrestling Championship. Wrestler Neelam also bagged Bronze Medal in the 43-kilogram weight category. Meanwhile, Four other wrestlers Simran, Manisha, Minakshi, Karuna will also fight for Bronze Medal in different weight categories.
India’s Ankur Mittal wins silver at ISSF World Shotgun Championship
India’s Ankur Mittal won silver medal in the men’s double trap event at the ongoing ISSF World Shotgun Championship. Sangram Dahiya ended in 20th place with 135, while Md. Asab came in 23rd with 133 hits in the qualifying round. The trio combined for a fifth spot in the Team category with 413 points, where Italy won Gold with 418. In the junior category, 17-year-old Ahvar Rizvi also won a silver medal in the same event.
India to host Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in 2019
India will host the 2019 edition of the Commonwealth (Youth, Junior and Senior) Weightlifting Championships. The Executive Board of Commonwealth Weightlifting Federation met at Gold Coast, Australia and decided to allot the 2019 edition of the competitions to India. The current edition of the tournament is being held at the Gold Coast, Australia.
FIFA U-17 World Cup song officially launched
The official song for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup football tournament was formally launched by the Local Organising Committee and Sony Pictures Networks India in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The song, “Kar Ke Dikhla De Goal”, is written by lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya and is composed by Pritam.
Wrestler Satish Kumar awarded Rs 25 lakh for being barred from 2002 Asian Games
Decorated wrestler Satish Kumar has been awarded Rs 25 lakh as compensation by a Delhi court for being wrongly restrained from taking part in the 14th Asian Games in Busan, South Korea in 2002. Kumar was barred from participating in the games due to mistaken impression that he had taken performance-enhancing drugs. The court directed the government to ensure that such incidents are never repeated and no other sportsperson goes through the humiliation which he has undergone.
Konsam Ormila Devi bags Gold at Commonwealth Young Weightlifting Championship
India’s Konsam Ormila Devi has bagged a gold medal in 44kg weight category on the opening day of the Commonwealth Young (boys & girls) weightlifting championships, held at Gold Coast, Australia. Ormila lifted 57kg in snatch and 76kg in clen and jerk for an overall effort of 133kg, to finish on the top of the podium. With this effort, Ormila has registered her best lift so far.
World Chess Cup: Viswanathan Anand wins, Harikrishna suffered defeat
Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand started off with a clinical victory over Li Tian Yeoh of Malaysia in the first round of the first game of World Chess Cup in Tbilisi. The second highest rated Indian, P Harikrishna, however suffered a defeat at the hands of Yuri Vidal Gonzales of Cuba. Harikrishan now needs to win the return match and then win the tie-breaker as well to remain in this 128-player knockout event.
Amritpal Singh: first Indian signed by Australian Basketball team
Former Indian basketball team captain Amritpal Singh will be seen shooting and guarding the Sydney King’s rim in Australia’s National Basketball League. He is the first Indian-born player to take to the court in Australia’s National League. Amrit, has been signed by the Australian club as a back-up centre, and Sydney Kings managing director.
MS Dhoni, 1st Wicketkeeper to effect 100 Stumpings
Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni became the first wicketkeeper in world cricket to effect 100 stumpings in One Day Internationals (ODIs). Dhoni achieved the feat in his 301st ODI in Colombo, Sri Lanka. 36-year-old Dhoni has also taken 281 catches apart from scoring 9,657 runs so far. In 90 Tests, Dhoni has taken 256 catches and effected 38 stumpings. In T20 Internationals, Dhoni has taken 43 catches and affected 23 stumpings.
Tejasvi Duduka wins women’s singles of US Open Grand Slam Carrom tournament
25-year-old Tejasvi Duduka from Hyderabad won the women’s singles of U.S. Open Grand Slam Carrom tournament. Earlier, she had won the Telangana State Women’s singles title in Nizamabad. In the men’s singles, Vemuri Anil Kumar of India finished runner up for the second year in the U.S Open. It was won by former National Champion Radhakrishnan.
India wins bronze at World Boxing Championships
Wildcard entrant Gaurav Bidhuri’s remarkable run at the World Boxing Championships ended with a bronze medal after he lost his semi-final clash to American Duke Ragan. India thus ended the tournament with a bronze medal, equalling the performance of 2009 (Vijender Singh), 2011 (Vikas Krishan) and 2015 (Shiva Thapa).
ECONOMY
US fines HSBC $175 mn for Lax Forex Oversight
The US central bank has fined global banking giant HSBC $175 million for failing to oversee foreign exchange traders who misused confidential client information and colluded with traders at competing banks. Between 2008 and 2013, the bank failed to detect misconduct by senior traders, including its global head of foreign exchange cash trading, according to the Federal Reserve. The enforcement action comes two months after the Fed also fined BNP Paribas USD 246 million over similar violations. HSBC was one of six major US and European banks fined a total of $4.2 billion by global regulators in a November 2014 crackdown for attempted manipulation of the foreign exchange market.
Govt keeps interest rates unchanged
The government has kept the interest rates unchanged on small savings schemes like PPF, Kisan Vikas Patra & Sukanya Samriddhi for October-December quarter. Investments in public provident fund scheme will fetch annual rate of 7.8%, while Kisan Vikas Patra investments will yield 7.5%. Since April last year, interest rates of all small saving schemes have been recalibrated on a quarterly basis.
Syndicate Bank cuts Savings Account interest rate by 0.5%
Public sector Syndicate Bank has cut savings account interest rate by 0.50 percent to 3.50 percent for deposits up to Rs 25 lakh. The bank has revised rate of interest on savings bank deposits with effect from October 10 to 3.50 percent from 4 percent existing rate. For the deposits above Rs 25 lakh, the interest rate is unchanged at 4 percent. With this, Syndicate Bank has joined over two-dozen banks, both from the public and private sector, who have cut the interest rate on deposits in various quantum.
ICICI Bank launches ‘Cashback’ Home Loans
India’s largest private sector lender, ICICI Bank announced a new home loan scheme that offers borrowers the benefit of 1% cashback on every EMI, for the entire tenure of the loan. The offer will be valid for home loans with a minimum tenure of 15 years and maximum tenure of 30 years. Customers can choose to adjust the cashback against principal outstanding of their home loan. The cashback will start to accrue from the first EMI itself. It will first get credited to the customer after completion of the 36th EMI.
SBI eases Minimum Balance rules on Savings Accounts
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. From July 1, tax on banking has been revised to 18 percent under Goods and Services Tax (GST), the new indirect tax regime. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allowed banks to levy charges on non-maintenance of minimum balance in normal savings accounts.
Apple, Google and Microsoft top list of the 100 most valuable brands
Apple and Google respectively have once again take the two top spots in a list of the world’s 100 most valuable brands, according to rankings by consultancy group Interbrand. This is the fifth consecutive year with Apple and Google at the top of the list.
Masala Bonds to be Treated as ECB: RBI
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. 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. This includes masala bonds of Rs.44,001 crore.
SBI launches Indian bond index series in London
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. 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.
WHO grants $175,000 for Rohingyas
WHO has released its first tranche of emergency funding of $175,000 to provide lifesaving healthcare to “vulnerable population” in Bangladesh. Grant will support 20 mobile medical teams to provide essential services for at least two months. WHO is working closely with UNFPA, UNICEF & other health, partners in ensuring that adequate health services are provided to the vulnerable population.
World’s Biggest Wealth Fund hits $1 Trillion value for first time
Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the largest in the world, reached the value of $1 trillion for the first time. This amount equals nearly $189,000 (157,000 euros) for each of the 5.3 million people living in Norway. The fund mainly invests in stocks (accounting for 65.1 per cent of the portfolio at the end of the second quarter), but also in bonds and real estate. With stakes in nearly 9,000 companies, it owns 1.3 per cent of the world’s market capitalization, and 2.3 per cent in Europe.
India signs 76 Million US Dollar loan deal with JICA
The Union Government of India signed a loan deal worth $76 million with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The total cost of the project will be $ 111 million, out of which $76 million will be provided as a soft loan from JICA. The project will be executed by Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) and is likely to be completed by 2022. The JICA is the governmental agency that coordinates official development assistance (ODA) for Government of Japan.
HDFC Bank is India’s Top Brand: BrandZ Top 50 Report
India’s second largest private sector bank HDFC Bank topped the list of the country’s top 50 brands according to a report released by marketing and advertising conglomerate WPP Plc and Kantar Millward Brown. The bank has retained the top slot for the fourth year in a row. Banks and telcos dominate the listing, WPP’s BrandZ Top 50. Airtel is at 2nd spot and State Bank of India is at 3rd. According to the report, consumption of packaged consumer goods fell 4.2% and 2.4% year on year in November and December 2016 respectively, but recovered 0.6% in March this year and 3.9% in April.
India’s Forex Reserves Top $400 billion for the First Time
According to the RBI Data, India’s foreign-exchange reserves rose past $400 billion for the first time ever, strengthening policy makers’ buffers ahead of an expected reduction in US stimulus. The stockpile stood at $400.7 billion. With the Federal Reserve set to shrink its balance sheet-details of which could be announced recently, the holdings may help the rupee withstand any volatility even if global funds turn away from India’s slowing economy.
Amazon ties up with Bank of Baroda to attract more sellers
Online marketplace giant Amazon India is racing against time to bring in more sellers so that they sell more on its platform during the festive season. Amazon tied up with the Bank of Baroda to offer micro loans to its sellers. The firm’s arm, Amazon Seller Services Pvt Ltd (ASSPL), is bringing in more financial partners so that it can cater to its 225,000 seller base. The company had last year announced the launch of a seller lending programme in India for small and medium businesses to get fast and easy access to working capital.
New Plastic Jane Austen 10-pound note launched in Britain
In an effort to tackle counterfeiting, Britain launched a new plastic 10-pound note featuring Jane Austen, one of Britain’s most renowned authors. Apart from the Queen, whose portrait is on all U.K. currency, Austen is only the third woman to feature on a modern-day British banknote, after medical innovator Florence Nightingale and social reformer Elizabeth Fry. The new ‘tenner’, as it’s commonly known, is the first British banknote with a tactile feature, a series of raised dots in the top left-hand corner to help blind and partially sighted users. In 2016, it launched a similar five-pound note that showcases Winston Churchill. A new 20-pound note featuring artist JMW Turner will follow in 2020.
Force Motors, Rolls-Royce Power Tie up
Pune-based auto firm Force Motors Ltd has entered into a non-binding joint venture agreement with Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG to produce engines for power generation and rail application and complete power generation systems, including spare parts, for Indian and global markets. The joint venture with Rolls-Royce will be the company’s first step towards diversifying into the non-auto segment. In the joint venture, Force Motors will hold a 51% stake and Rolls-Royce the rest.
Paytm Partners with NPCI
Paytm Payments Bank (PPB) has partnered with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to launch a RuPay-powered digital debit card. With the PPB Digital debit card, customers will now be able to transact at all merchants who accept credit and debit cards. Existing Paytm users need to complete a KYC process to become an account holder with PPB. Following this, they will be issued a free digital RuPay card.
Infosys completes Brilliant Basics acquisition
India’s second largest software services firm Infosys has completed the acquisition of London-based Brilliant Basics. Through this acquisition, Infosys further expands its worldwide connected network of Digital Studios that are focused on fulfilling the needs of global clients for end-to- end digital transformation solutions. Infosys had acquired the company in a cash deal worth GBP 7.5 million, including earn-out and employee retention amounts.
Fiscal deficit touches 92.4% of budget estimates at July-end
India’s fiscal deficit at July- end touched 92.4 % of the budget mainly because of front loading of expenditure by various government departments. In absolute terms, the fiscal deficit- difference between expenditure and revenue – was Rs 5.04 lakh crore during April- July 2017-18, according to the data of Controller General of Accounts (CGA). During the same period of last financial year, 2016-17, it was 73.7 % of the target. For 2017-18, the government aims to bring down the fiscal deficit to 3.2 % of the GDP. Last fiscal, it had met the deficit target of 3.5 % of the GDP.
Pakistan’s Habib Bank to pay $225-mn New York fine for compliance failures
The New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) announced a fine of USD 225 million on Pakistan’s Habib Bank Limited (HBL) and its New York branch for failure to comply with New York laws and regulations designed illicit financial transactions. Earlier, the bank facing a possible $630 million fine over compliance failures by its New York branch. The bank also announced that it would close its branch in New York after the United States financial regulator imposed a penalty of nearly USD 630 million.
RBI releases 2017 list of Domestic Systemically Important Banks
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released its 2017 list of the Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs). The list identifies private sector lender HDFC Bank Ltd as a D-SIB. With this, inclusion in the list, the HDFC has joined State Bank of India (SBI) and ICICI bank Ltd, which has been tagged as D-SIBs or too-big-to-fail for the consecutive third year.
DBS Bank Gets RBI Nod for Subsidiary in India
DBS Bank India, part of Singapore-based financial services group DBS Group Holdings, has received in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to convert its existing India franchise to a locally incorporated wholly-owned subsidiary (WOS) in India. In its guidelines, the RBI had pointed out that the WOS model for foreign banks in India would involve local incorporation, a local board of directors, and a ring-fenced capital and assets profile that would not be affected by the impact of global events on its parent.
SAAB ties up with Adani Group to build Gripen E fighter jets in India
Swedish defence major SAAB announced its tie-up with Adani Group to manufacture the Gripen E fighter jets in India under the Defence Ministry’s $10 billion single-engine fighter jet procurement programme. The announcement comes within months of US’ Lockheed Martin announcing its joint venture with Tata Advanced Systems for producing the latest version of F-16 in India.
99 per cent of demonetised notes returned: RBI report
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released the Status of the Return of SBNs- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Annual Report 2016-17. The report states that around 99 per cent of the demonetised notes that is Rs 15.28 lakh crore have been returned to the bank. The high value currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 were banned by Union Government in November 2016 as a means to combat counterfeiting, black money and the financing of terrorist activities. RBI was under intense scrutiny since January 2017 after the window for depositing the withdrawn Rs 500 and Rs 1000 banknotes was closed.
SEBI bans Orion Capital, Orion Broking from Markets for 10 years
Markets regulator SEBI barred Orion Capital as well as Orion Broking and their partners from the securities markets for 10 years for failing to redress several investor grievances pertaining to non- settlement of funds due to the clients. The nature of investor complaints received against both the firms are predominantly on non-settlement of the funds and securities and balances due to their clients. The claim amount is more than Rs 6 crore against Orion Capital and over Rs 4 crore against Orion Broking.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Isro’s Mars Orbiter Mission completes 3 years in orbit
India’s rendezvous with the red planet continues as its celebrated Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) completes three years in orbit. The country had on 24 September 2014 successfully placed the Mars Orbiter Mission spacecraft in the orbit around the red planet, in its very first attempt, thus breaking into an elite club.
Google launches mobile wallet and payments app ‘Tez’ in India
Google launched a mobile wallet and payments app ‘Tez’ in India that will let users link their phones to their bank accounts to pay for goods in physical stores and online. It is available for both Android and iOS users, the app also allows person-to-person money transfers. Google linking up with several major banks in the country by way of UPI (Unified Payments Interface) a payment standard and system backed by the government in its push to bring more integrated banking services into a very fragmented market.
IAF successfully conducts development trials of Astra missile
The Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully conducted developmental trials of indigenously developed Astra beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM). Total of seven trials of Astra BVRAAM conducted in various missions and two of them were against Pilotless Target Aircrafts (PTA) successfully fired. It is one of the smallest weapon system developed by DRDO, having a length of 3.8-metre and weighing 154kg. It is a single stage solid fuelled missile.
NASA finds ‘Shape-shifting’ bacteria on the International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) has uncovered in a report that microscopic organisms bacteria “shapeshift” in space to counteract any harm to itself. Experiments on the ISS (International Space Station) has been undergoing for a long while to see the response of microscopic organisms under different conditions. ISS noticed that the bacteria cells when treated with a common antibiotic, changing its shape to survive in near-zero gravity environments. It may pose a serious threat to astronauts getting treated for infections.
Scientists create first global map of water on Moon
Scientists from Brown University in US have created first map of water trapped in uppermost layer of Moon’s soil. The was build using NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper onboard of India’s Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft. The map builds on initial discovery of water and related molecule – hydroxyl (consists of one atom each of hydrogen and oxygen) in lunar soil in 2009. It may prove useful to future lunar explorers.
3rd Generation Anti Tank Guided Missile NAG successfully test-fired
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully test-fired NAg, the 3rd generation Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM), against two different targets in the ranges of Rajasthan. The ATGM NAG missile successfully hit both the targets at different ranges and it marks the successful completion of development trials of NAG Missile. The missile is equipped with highly advanced Imaging Infrared Radar (IRR) seeker and has integrated avionics technology in its arsenal.
Scientists make cheap and clean fuel from air
Scientists from Cardiff University, UK have discovered a new way to produce methanol from methane using oxygen from the air. Methanol is an important chemical often used as fuel in vehicles. The discovery has major implications for cleaner, greener industrial processes worldwide. The new technique uses freely available air, inexpensive chemicals and an energy efficient methanol production process.
President to lay foundation stone for Link-4 of SAUNI Scheme in Rajkot
President Ramnath Kovind will today lay the foundation stone for the link – 4 of Saurashtra Narmada Avataran Irrigation Scheme -SAUNI- Yojana in Rajkot district. The project launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat aims to fill up 115 major dams by diverting overflow of water from the Sardar Sarovar Dam on Narmada River. Three phase of SAUNI Yojana already dedicated to the people following completion of the work.
Launch of navigation satellite IRNSS-1H unsuccessful: ISRO
The launch of ISRO’s eight navigation satellite IRNSS-1H onboard of PSLV-C39 from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh was unsuccessful. The heat shield did not separate as a result of which satellite did not complete the 4th stage. The IRNSS-1H was being sent to space to backup and replace the functions of India’s first navigation satellite IRNSS-1A (launched in July 2013) as its three rubidium atomic clocks on board had stopped functioning. The rubidium atomic clocks on board of IRNSS-1A that stopped working were imported from European aerospace manufacturer Astrium. The atomic clocks are used to find satellite’s position with an accuracy of 0.5 metre.
PERSONS IN NEWS
A). APPOINTMENTS
President appoints five new Governors for states and Lt Governor for Andaman
President Ram Nath Kovind, has appointed five new Governors. The appointments are as:
Rajiv Sabharwal to take charge as Tata Capital CEO
Tata Capital announced the appointment of Rajiv Sabharwal as Managing Director & CEO designate of the company. Sabharwal will be joining Tata Capital in January 2018 and would be taking over from the company’s current Managing Director & CEO Praveen P Kadle. Mr Kandle will be assuming other responsibilities in the Tata Group effective April 1, 2018. Sabharwal is currently a partner at True North Managers LLP, formerly India Value Fund Advisors. He was an Executive Director on ICICI Bank’s board before joining True North.
Bilal Dar, ambassador for Swachhata Hi Seva
Bilal Dar, a young boy from Srinagar has become the brand ambassador for Srinagar Municipal Corporation. Dar has been contributing to the ‘Swachhta Abhiyan’ since the age of 12. ‘Swachhta Hi Sewa’ campaign has turned out to be monetarily beneficial for residents and scrap buyers/dealers, besides helping in enhancing preventive measures against vector-borne diseases.
Shashi Shankar appointed CMD of ONGC
Shashi Shanker has been appointed as the chairman and managing director of India’s biggest oil and gas producer ONGC. 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, who retires on September 30, upon attaining superannuation age. Shankar will have a nearly 4-year term until March 2021.
Angela Merkel wins 4th term as Chancellor of Germany
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. Her nearest rivals, the Social Democrats, and their candidate Martin Schulz came in the second position with a post-war record low 20.8 percent.
Rajiv Mehrishi sworn in as CAG of India
Former Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi was sworn in as new Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) of India. He was administered oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Nath Kovind. He succeeded Shashi Kant Sharma. Mr Mehrishi is 1978 batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre. He has worked for both Union and State governments at top positions and his bureaucratic career spanned more than 30 years. Before retirement from service, he had served as Home Secretary.
Balraj Joshi appointed CMD of NHPC
Balraj Joshi has been appointed as the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of NHPC, the country’s premier hydro power utility. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment to the post till December 31, 2019. Joshi is at present Director (Technical) in the organisation. NHPC is among the TOP TEN companies in the country in terms of investment.
B Sambamurthy Appointed as NPCI Interim Chairman
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has appointed B Sambamurthy as interim Chairman of the board. He will replace M Balachandran, who was Non-Executive Chairman of NPCI. Sambamurthy was formerly Director and CEO of the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT) and Chairman and Managing Director of Corporation Bank prior to that.
Akshay Kumar appointed Uttarakhand Swachh Bharat Mission Brand Ambassador
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat announced the appointment of actor Akshay Kumar as the brand ambassador of the Swachh Bharat Mission in the state. Akshay was also appointed as the brand ambassador for the cleanliness campaign in Uttar Pradesh in August 2017 and his film “Toilet: Ek Prem Katha” was made tax-free in the state.
India appoints Ajay Bisaria New High Commissioner to Pakistan
India’s ambassador to Pakistan Gautam Bambawale will now head the Indian mission in China, while envoy to Poland Ajay Bisaria will replace him in Islamabad. The reshuffle was necessitated by appointment of India’s ambassador to China Vijay Gokhale as Secretary (Economic Relations) in MEA. Gokhale played the lead role in defusing the Doklam crisis with Beijing.
Robbins as Executive Chairman of Cisco
Cisco has announced that its CEO Chuck Robbins will be appointed as the Executive Chairman of the company. The announcement came after John Chambers, present Executive Chairman, notified the Board of Directors that he will not stand for re-election. Robbins had joined Cisco in 1997 & assumed the role of CEO in July, 2015. Chambers will be given the honorary title of Chairman Emeritus.
Bambawale is new envoy to China
India’s high commissioner to Pak Gautam Bambawale has been appointed as the ambassador to China. He has served as joint secretary of East Asia division where he handled both China & Japan. Reshuffle was necessitated as India’s current ambassador to China Vijay Gokhale was appointed as Secretary (Economic Relations) in MEA. Gokhale played a lead role in defusing the Doklam crisis with Beijing.
Raquel Dodge became first woman General Prosecutor of Brazil
Raquel Dodge was appointed the first woman General Prosecutor of Brazil. She took over the position, replacing Rodrigo Janot, who held the position for four years. Raquel Dodge was sworn in as the new prosecutor general in the presence of President Michel Temer and Supreme Court President Carmen Lucia.
Rajni Kant Mishra appointed new DG of SSB
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed senior IPS officer Rajni Kant Mishra (58) as new Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). He will succeed Archana Ramasundaram, who holds distinction of being first woman IPS officer to head a para-military force in the country. Mr. Mishra is a 1984 batch IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre. He is native of Bihar and had joined Border Security Force (BSF) as Inspector General in 2012. He was elevated to Additional Director General of the BSF in November 2014. He was recently elevated to Special Director General rank in the BSF.
Y C Modi appointed as Director General of National Investigation Agency
Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Y C Modi was appointed the new Director General of National Investigation Agency (NIA). The order regarding the appointment was issued by the Union Ministry for Home Affairs. Modi will replace Sharad Kumar, who is will retire on 30 October 2017. Modi is an IPS officer of the 1979 batch of the Haryana cadre. He had also been part of a Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) that probed 2002 Gujarat riots case. He has also served as the Additional Director General of Police in Shillong, and Additional Director in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Peruvian President appoints Mercedes Araoz Fernandez as New PM
The President of Peru, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has appointed a former Economy Minister Mercedes Araoz Fernandez as new Prime Minister of Peru. Mercedes Araoz, who is also a lawmaker and one of Peru’s two Vice Presidents, is the new Chief Minister in a reconstituted Cabinet. She served as an economy minister during part of the 2006-11 administration of President Alan Garcia. Araoz replaced Fernando Zavala, who lost the vote of confidence by lawmakers on 15 September 2017.
Former UN Secretary-General elected as Chair of the IOC Ethics Commission
Former United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was elected as Chair of Ethics Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for a four-year term. Ban succeeds Youssoupha Ndiaye of Senegal whose term has come to an end. His appointment was proposed by the IOC Executive Board and was approved during the IOC Session in Lima with a 74-4 majority.
Mahendra Pratap Mall Appointed IRCTC CMD
Mahendra Pratap Mall was appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Ltd. He is at present director (finance) in the same organisation. The appointments committee of the Union cabinet has approved his appointment to the post for a period of five years, as per the order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
M Nagaraja Sarma is the new CMD of United India Insurance
M. Nagaraja Sarma appointed the chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) of the United India Insurance Co. Ltd. He is at present the general manager, Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd. He is appointed for five years.
Trump appoints Indian-American Raj Shah to key position in Communications team
US President Donald Trump has appointed Indian-American Raj Shah to a key position in his Communications team. Shah will serve as Deputy Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy Press Secretary. Formerly, Shah was served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Communications Director. Trump also appointed Hope Hicks as his Communications Director. Earlier, Hicks was served as Assistant to the President and Interim Communications Director.
Halimah Yacob- 1st Female President of Singapore
Halimah Yacob was sworn-in as the 8th President of Singapore. She became the country’s first female President and the first in five decades to come from the Malay ethnicity. She was certified by the Presidential Elections Commission as the only eligible candidate, and since she has no opponent, there was no election held.
UN Secretary-General appoints Peter Thomson as 1st Special Envoy for Oceans
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Peter Thomson, the outgoing president of the UN General Assembly as the first Special Envoy for the oceans. Peter Thomson had played a leading role in the first-ever UN conference on oceans, which was held in June 2016. The conference saw 193 UN member states issue an urgent call for action to reverse the decline in the health and productivity of the world’s oceans.
Viveck Goenka elected as chairman of Press Trust of India
Viveck Goenka, chairman and managing director of Express Group was unanimously elected as Chairman of Press Trust of India (PTI). N Ravi, former editor-in-chief of The Hindu was elected vice-chairman. They were elected at meeting of board of directors of PTI following the company’s 69th annual general meeting. Goenka who was earlier vice-chairman, will succeed Riyad Mathew of Malayala Manorama group.
Parineeti First Indian Women Ambassador for Tourism Australia
The Tourism Australia has roped in Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra to be its first Indian woman Ambassador to encourage Indians to visit the country. She was presented the Friend of Australia (FOA) recognition by Australian COnsul General Tony Huber for her contribution to promote Australia. Chopra will be the first Indian woman ambassador to be a part of the FOA advocacy panel. The panel also includes influential personalities like Chef Sanjeev Kapoor and cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle.
Dr Inder Jit Singh appointed Chairperson of NACWC
Dr. Inder Jit Singh has been given the additional charge of the post of Chairperson, National Authority Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC). Dr. Inder Jit Singh is a 1985-batch IAS officer of Kerala Cadre and at present he is serving as the Additional Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat.
N Baijendra Kumar CMD of National Mineral Development Corporation
N Baijendra Kumar, the IAS officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre take charge as Chairman-Cum-Managing Director (CMD) of the state-run National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC). He was additional chief secretary to the Chhattisgarh chief minister and held the charge of power, commerce & industries.
Sankara Narayanan takes charge as MD & CEO of Vijaya Bank
R A Sankara Narayanan has taken charge as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Vijaya Bank. He has taken over the reigns of the bank from Kishore Sansi, who reached superannuation on August 31. He joined Bank of India as a direct recruit officer in 1983 and has headed various branches.
Tamilnadu Mercantile Bank gets new CEO & MD
KV Rama Moorthy took charge as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Tamilnadu Mercantile Bank. He succeeds HS Upendra Kamath. His appointment is for a period of three years. Prior to joining TMB, he was Executive Director of United Bank of India.
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore appointed as New Sports Minister
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is appointed as the new Youth Affairs and Sports Minister. The 47-year-old Rathore was up until now serving as the Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting. Rathore served as a commissioned officer in The Grenadiers regiment of the Indian Army before retiring in 2013 as a colonel. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2005.
Hockey India sacks chief coach Roelant Oltmans
Hockey India sacked national coach Roelant Oltmans of the Netherlands after a string of unimpressive outings at the international level. High Performance Director David John will be in charge till a suitable replacement is found for a smooth transition of the men’s team. The most notable performance for India under Oltmans was a silver medal at the Champions Trophy last year. He also guided the junior team to World Cup gold as an advisor.
Indian-origin Joseph Yuvaraj Pillay appointed as Interim President of Singapore
Indian-origin civil servant Joseph Yuvaraj Pillay was appointed as Interim President of Singapore until the new President is sworn-in. Pillay succeeds Tony Tan Keng Yam who completed a six-year term on 31 August 2017. At present, Pillay is serving as the Chairman of the Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA). This is the first time that the office of the President of Singapore has fallen vacant since the elected presidency was introduced in 1991. As per Singapore law, when the office of the President is vacant, the first in line to exercise its powers is the CPA Chairman followed by the Speaker of Parliament.
Rajiv Kumar assumes charge of Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog
Noted economist Rajiv Kumar took over as the vice-chairman of government think tank Niti Aayog. Kumar succeeded Arvind Panagariya, an Indian-American Economics Professor at Columbia University. Kumar had also served as the chief economist of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and held senior positions in the Asian Development Bank, the Indian Ministry of Industries, and the Ministry of Finance.
Kenneth I. Juster Named U.S Ambassador to India
Kenneth I. Juster, deputy director of the National Economic Council at the White House, has been nominated as the next U.S ambassador to India. The appointment will take effect once the U.S Senate confirms him. The post has been vacant since January 20, 2017.
Rajiv Mehrishi appointed as Comptroller and Auditor General
Rajiv Mehrishi was appointed as the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. Mehrishi retired as Union Home Secretary on 30 August 2017. Mehrishi will succeed incumbent Shashi Kant Sharma who will complete his tenure on 23 September 2017. sharma assumed the office of CAG in May 2013. Mehrishi is the first Home Secretary who completed his two-year tenure after the NDA government came to power.
Sunil Arora appointed Election Commissioner
Former bureaucrat Sunil Arora was appointed as the Election Commissioner of India. Arora’s appointment will be effective from the day he assumes charge. After Nasim Zaidi retired as Chief Election Commissioner in July 2017, there was a vacancy in the Election Commission of India. While Achal Kumar Joti is the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and the Om Prakash Rawat is the other Election Commissioner. Before being appointed as the Election Commissioner, Arora had been the Information and Broadcasting Secretary, and Secretary in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
Anita Karwal replaces RK Chaturvedi as CBSE Chairperson
IAS officer Anita Karwal was appointed as the new Chairperson of Central Board of Secondary Education, CBSE. The 1988-batch officer from Gujarat cadre is currently serving as additional secretary in HRD Ministry. She was the Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer during the Lok Sabha election in 2014. She would be replacing Rajesh Kumar Chaturvedi, who has been appointed as Director General of the National Skill Development Agency.
B). RESIGNS
Infosys Senior VP Sanjay Rajagopalan Quits
Infosys Senior Vice President Sanjay Rajagopalan has resigned from his post. The decision has come a month after Vishal Sikka stepped down as the company’s MD and CEO. He was employed with Infosys from August 2014 to September 2017.
Iceland Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson resigns
Iceland Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson gave his resignation to President Gudni Th. Johannesson. Th resignation paves the way for new election to be held on November 4, 2017. Benediktsson took office in January 2017, uniting his Independence Party, the Reform Party and the centrists. Benediktsson lost his nine-month-old, center-right coalition after one party quit over an attempt by the prime minister’s father to help clear the name of a convicted pedophile.
Stephane Cottalorda, India’s first foreign coach for Women Boxers resigns
Indian women’s boxing’s first foreign coach, Stephane Cottalorda, has resigned after just one month of appointment, alleging delay in salary and other payments. Cottalorda has claimed in his resignation letter that he hasn’t been paid his salary for the first month in full and has also cited ‘lack of professionalism’ on part of Boxing Federation of India (BFI) as his reasons for not coming back to India.
NITI Aayog’s Rajiv Kumar resigns from DHFL board
NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar has reigned from his post of independent director in the board of Dewan Housing Finance Corporation (DHFL), the third largest home loan & housing finance company in India. The move came after Kumar got the top post at NITI Aayog, the government think tank.
Uruguay Vice President resigns amid allegations of credit card graft
Uruguay’s Vice President Raul Sendic resigned amid allegations of corruptions stemming from his tenure as head of state oil company ANCAP. He has been accused of engaging in unacceptable use of public funds. As per allegations, he used corporate credit cards to make purchases at jewellery, electronics, furniture and other stores apparently unrelated to his official business between 2010 and 2013. It is the first time a vice president has stepped down in the South American nation.
Ashish Kashyap resigns as President and Co-founder of MakeMyTrip
Ashish Kashyap resigned as the President and Co-founder of MakeMyTrip with effect from 30 September 2017. As per the settlement agreement, kashyap will be under non-solicitation and non-competition obligation for the next two year. Kashyap had assumed the role of President and Co-founder after MakeMyTrip acquired Ibibo Group in October 2016. Kashyap was earlier designated as the Chief Executive Officer of the Ibibo Group.
C). DEATHS
Veteran actor Tom Alter dies at 67
Veteran film, television and theatre actor and Padma Shri Tom Alter has died at aged 67. The renowned actor and one-time sports writer and author had been battling stage four skin cancer. Alter acted in over 300 movies apart from numerous TV shows, most famously as the gangster Keshav Kalsi in the hit soap opera Junoon which ran for a record five years during the 1990s. In addition to acting, Alter also ventured into direction and was a sports journalist in the 80s and 90s. He was the first person to interview Sachin Tendulkar for TV when the cricketer was yet to debut for India. Alter has written three books, one non-fiction and two fiction, and in 2008 was awarded the prestigious Padma Shri by the Indian government in recognition for his services to the field of arts and cinema.
Playboy founder Hugh Hefner passes away
Playboy magazine founder and sexual revolution symbol Hugh Hefner has passed away. He was 91. He died at his home of natural causes. He founded the magazine in 1953. Hefner built a brand that defined the sexual culture of the second half of the 20th century.
Former world’s heaviest woman Eman Abd El Aty dies
Eman Ahmed, the world’s heaviest woman who made news when she arrived in Mumbai earlier this year for a weight-loss surgery, passed away in Abu Dhabi. She had lost more than 300kg (660lb) of her 500kg but had died from complications from other health conditions.
Liliane Bettencourt, Richest Woman in the World dies at 94
French businesswoman and heiress of cosmetics giant L’Oreal Liliane Bettencourt, 94, has died. In March 2017, Forbes ranked Bettencourt the world’s richest woman, putting her net worth at $39.5 billion.
Yesteryear Bollywood actress Shakila passes away
Yesteryear Bollywood actress Shakila was passed away following a massive heart attack. She was 82. Shakila was best known for her roles in Aar Par and CID. Shakila’s nephew Nasir Khan announced the death of her aunt on social media website Facebook.
Legendary Boxer, Jake LaMotta passes away
Jake LaMotta, former boxing champion whose life of violence in and out of the ring was portrayed in the movie “Raging Bull” passed away in Miami. He was in his 90s and died of complications of pneumonia. Fighting mostly as a middleweight and known as the “Raging Bull” and “Bronx Bull,” LaMotta finished his 13-year career with 83 victories (30 by knockout), 19 losses and four draws. He was ranked 52nd in the list of 80 best fighters in the year 2002.
Kirpal Chugh, India’s father of nephrology dies
Dr Kirpal Chugh, fondly called father of nephrology in India, passed away at 85. He is fondly called father of nephrology in India for single-handedly first separating this discipline from medicine & then developing this into super-specialty in India. He was awarded Padma Shri, 4th highest civilian award in 2000. He produced 72 Doctorate in Medicine in his career of 3 decades at PGIMER.
Arjan Singh: Sole marshal of IAF passes away
The sole Marshal of the Indian Air Force (IAF) Arjan Singh passed away following cardiac arrest in New Delhi. He was 98. He was known for shaping IAF in its early years as well as during some of its most difficult junctures. In 2002, on the occasion of Republic Day, he was granted honorary rank of Marshal, highest military rank attainable, which before him only two Army chiefs, K M Carriappa and Sam Manekshaw, had achieved.
World’s Oldest Person Dies at 117
The world’s oldest person Violet Mosse-Brown from Jamaica has died at the age of 117. She was born on March 10, 1900, in Jamaica. The prime minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, informed about Mosse-Brown’s death. Brown had been given the honor in April 2017 when Italy’s Emma Morano died, also at the age of 117. With the death of Brown, Japanese 117-year-old Nabi Tajima is now the known oldest human on the planet.
Frank Vincent, Veteran Actor passes away
Frank Vincent, who played tough guys and mobsters in “The Sopranos” and a number of director Martin Scorsese movies, died at age 80. In 2006, Vincent wrote the nonfiction book ‘A Guy’s Guide to Being a Man’s Man’. “The Death Collector,” was his debut movie.
Constitutional law expert Pavani Parameswara Rao dies
Senior Supreme Court lawyer Pavani Parameswara Rao passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest in New Delhi. He wa 84. Widely considered a doyen of Constitutional Law, Rao argued a number of landmark cases before the Supreme Court. He had helped develop the argument against the legal challenge to President’s Rule in four Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, after demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992.
Gay rights activist Edith Windsor passes away
Gay rights activist Edith Windsor, whose same-gender marriage fight led to a landmark US ruling, passed away. She was 88. It was Windsor’s efforts that Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act in 2013, granting same-sex married couples federal recognition for the first time.
Noted Journalist Gauri Lankesh shot dead in Bengaluru
Noted journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead. She was shot down from close range by unidentified persons at her residence at Bengaluru’s Rajarajeshwari Nagar. Gauri Lankesh was the editor of popular Kannada tabloid Lankesh Patrike founded by her father and well-known writer P Lankesh. Gauri Lankesh was also part of a panel formed by State government to help Surrender Naxals to reform.
Former Union Minister Shri Sultan Ahmed passes away
Sultan Ahmed, Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP, passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was 64. Ahmed had served as the Union Minister of State for Tourism in the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Uluberia constituency on a Trinamool Congress ticket and was elected to the West Bengal Assembly twice.
Arunachal Pradesh Health Minister passes away
Arunachal Pradesh Health and Family Welfare Minister Jomde Kena died at a private hospital in Guwahati after a prolonged illness. 52-year-old Kena, a resident of Gensi village in Lower Siang district was undergoing treatment at Guwahati for the past one month.
Pulitzer-Prize Winning Poet John Ashbery Passes Away
Pulitzer-prize winning poet John Ashbery, a post-modern American trailblazer, has passed away at age of 90 in Hudson, New York. His 1975 collection “Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror” made history when he became the lone writer to earn three major accolades the same year for the same work: the Pulitzer in addition to a National Book Award and a National Book Critics Circle Award.
D). VISITORS
Japan PM in Ahmedabad for India-Japan Annual Summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe at Ahmedabad in Gujarat. Mr. Abe is in India on a two-day visit to attend the India-Japan annual summit meeting. The 12th edition of the summit will be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The two leaders will review the recent progress in the multifaceted co-operation between India and Japan under the framework of their ‘Special Strategic and Global Partnership’. They will also attend a function to mark the commencement of work of India’s first high-speed rail project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai.
Belarus President on Two-Day Visit in India
India and Belarus are signed agreements on their bilateral cooperation, including in defence and security, as the Eastern European country’s President Alexander Lukashenko is on a two-day visit to New Delhi. Belarus and India are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Bilateral trade between India and Belarus stands at $200 million, with pharmaceutical products being India’s main exports to the East European nation.
List of MoUs signed during Visit of PM Modi to Myanmar
After attending the BRICS Summit in China, PM Modi left for his three-day visit to Myanmar. He was received by the Myanmar President Htin Kyaw. Following set of agreements were signed between the two nation.
Sushma Swaraj arrives in Russia for third Eastern Economic Forum
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived in Russian port city of Vladivostok on a three-day visit to attend the third Eastern Economic Forum which will deliberate on pressing issues relating to global trade. She holds bilateral talks with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov during which various issues relating to trade, investment, and defense cooperation. The Eastern Economic Forum is considered as the biggest international communication platform for cooperation between businesses leaders and senior government representatives from Russia, the Pacific Region and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Swiss President on 3-Day Visit to India
President of Swiss Confederation Doris Leuthard is on the three-day visit to India. A number of agreements are expected to be signed in several areas after the talks. India and Switzerland enjoy robust economic ties, with Switzerland being seventh largest trading partner and eleventh largest foreign investor for India.
E). MISCELLANEOUS
Aparna Kumar, First Indian woman to scale Mt Manaslu
An Indian Police Service Officer of UP Cadre, Aparna Kumar became the first Indian woman to scale Mount Manaslu, which is the 8th highest mountain peak in the world. Exactly at 10.00 am on September 25, Kumar took up a mission to climb Mount Manaslu in the west-central part of Nepal. She has already successfully scaled the highest peaks of six continents out of seven continents.
CISF Security at Mumbai Airport rated Best in World
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) security at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) in Mumbai has been recognised as the best service in this domain by a global quality rating agency. The latest initiative of doing away with the tagging and stamping of hand baggage, handling increasing passenger footfalls smoothly, and feeling of being safe and secure by passengers, etc, were taken into account while deciding the award.
Priyanka is eighth highest paid TV actress, Sofia Vergara tops the list
According to Forbes, Priyanka Chopra came in at number eight as the ‘Quantico’ star made USD 10 million ( INR 65 crore) between June 1, 2016 and June 1, 2017, while ‘Modern Family’ star Sofia Vergara earned a whopping USD 41.5 million (Rs 271 crore) during the same period, topping the list for the sixth consecutive year.
Sebi chief Ajay Tyagi named among world’s top 10 regulators
Sebi Chairman Ajay Tyagi has been named among the top ten regulators in the world, according to a report. He has been ranked at the seventh position among the top 10 regulators worldwide. The rankings are part of the World’s Most Influential People in Market Structure. The list of ten regulators is topped by European Union’s Commissioner (Competition) Margrethe Vestager.
Nooyi, Kochhar, Shikha on Fortune’s most powerful women in business list
Two Indians – Chanda Kochhar and Shikha Sharma – have made it to the rankings of most powerful women in business outside the United States drawn up by the Fortune magazine while Indra Nooyi featured in the top three on the US edition list. The Most Powerful Women in Business Outside the US list, which was topped by Banco Santander group executive chairman Ana Botin, placed ICICI Bank’s Kochhar at the fifth spot while Axis Bank’s Sharma has been ranked 21st. PepsiCo chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi came in at No. 2 on the US Most Powerful Women in Business list, led by General Motors chairman and CEO Mary Barra.
Patanjali CEO among top 10 richest Indians with ?70,000 cr wealth
Patanjali Ayurved CEO Acharya Balkrishna has been named among India’s top 10 richest people for the first time in Hurun Rich List 2017, with a wealth of ?70,000 crore. Now India’s 8th richest person, Balkrishna saw a 173% increase in his wealth in a year. Notably, he is the most followed entrepreneur on the Indian social media. Mukesh Ambani retains the richest Indian title for the sixth year.
Mary Kom to be AIBA representative at IOC athletes’ forum
Five-time world champion and Olympic bronze-medalist M C Mary Kom has become the first Indian to be picked as the International Boxing Association’s (AIBA) representative for the 8th IOC Athletes’ Forum, which will take place in Lausanne from November 11 to 13, 2017. She is a five-time World Amateur Boxing champion, and the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six world championships. Nicknamed “Magnificent Mary”, she is the only Indian woman boxer to have qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics, competing in the flyweight (51 kg) category and winning the bronze medal. The International Boxing Association (AIBA) announced Mary Kom as the brand ambassador for 2016 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships.
China Hui Ka Yan becomes the Richest Man in Asia
According to the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List, Hui Ka Yan, the chairman of Chinese real estate giant Evergrande Group, has become Asia’s richest man, with a net worth of $41.1 billion. Hui ranks No. 15 globally. The Asia’s second and third richest persons are Tencent Holdings Chairman Ma Huateng ($39.1 billion), Alibaba Group Chairman Jack Ma ($38.9 billion) respectively.
Vanlalawmpuii Chawngthu becomes first woman minister in Mizoram in 30 yrs
The 38-year-old Vanlalawmpuii Chawngthu became the first woman minister in Mizoram in 30 years, since the 1987 state assembly elections. She is the president of the Mizoram Pradesh Youth Congress Committee and was elected from Hrangturzo seat in central Serchhip district in a bye-election. In Mizoram’s political history, Chawngthu became the fourth woman legislator. Lalhlimpui Hmar was the first woman to hold a ministerial post in Mizoram, in 1987.
Three Indians among World’s ’100 Greatest Living Business Minds’
Three Indian entrepreneurial legends, Ratan Tata, Lakshmi Mittal and Vinod Khosla have been included in Forbes’s special list of the world’s ‘100 Greatest Living Business Minds. Some of the notable honorees alongside Blank are- Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Ted Turner, Rupert Murdoch, Donald Trump and more.
Cyclist Mark Beaumont Breaks the World Record
Mark Beaumont broke the world record for cycling around the world – by 44 days. The 34-year-old, from Perthshire, arrived in Paris one day ahead of schedule having cycled the 18,000-mile route in 79 days. He set a new world record of 194 days in 2008. He was on his bike for more than 16 hours a day and only slept for five hours each night.
Prince Charles becomes Longest-serving Prince of Wales
Prince Charles has become the longest-serving Prince of Wales in history. The 68-year-old broke the record of Queen Victoria’s son Albert, who went on to become King Edward VII after holding the title of Prince of Wales for more than 59 years before becoming monarch. The milestone came a day after his wife, Camilla – Duchess of Cornwall, named a Royal Navy aircraft carrier after her husband.
Mother Teresa declared as co-patron of Archdiocese of Calcutta
Saint Teresa, also known as Mother Teresa, was declared as the co-patron of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Calcutta, 131 years after St Francis Xavier was declared as first patron. the declaration was made by Vicar General, Archdiocese of Calcutta in the presence of the Vatican’s ambassador to India Giambattista Diquattro, bishops from across the state and nuns of the Missionaries of Charity which was founded by Mother Teresa in 1950 within Archdiocese of Calcutta.
PLACES IN NEWS
Parali I island: Uninhabited Lakshadweep island vanishes
According to a study, Parali I island, one of biodiversity-rich uninhabited islands part of Lakshadweep has disappeared due to coastal erosion and another four such islands in Lakshadweep sea are shrinking fast. The researcher had conducted studies on assessment of biodiversity confining to five uninhabited islands– Parali I, II and III, Bangaram, Thinnakara in Lakshadweep, an archipelago of 36 islands in Lakshadweep sea.
Ahmedabad gets India’s first ‘World Heritage City’ tag from UNESCO
The city of Ahmedabad, known as the commercial hub of Gujarat, was formally accorded the status of India’s first ‘World Heritage City’ by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The certificate for the same was handed over by UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova to the state’s Chief Minister, Vijay Rupani.
World’s Highest Sandcastle Built in German City
The world’s highest sandcastle is now standing 16.68 meters tall in the German city of Duisburg. A German travel operator organized the construction of the mammoth sandcastle, bringing in 3,500 tons of sand over the past three and a half weeks to the site at a former steelworks in the inland city. It takes the title from a 14.84-metre sandcastle built early this year in India by sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik.
BOOKS IN NEWS
Union Finance Minister releases book on Financial Management
The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Arun Jaitley along with the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu released a book on financial management in New Delhi. The book titled “A to Z of Financial Management in Autonomous Institutions” is authored by Dr. Rajat Bhargava and Shri Deenanath Pathak.
The Golden House by Salman Rushdie
The book titled “The Golden House” by Salman Rushdie is “NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER”. It ranks among Rushdie’s most ambitious and provocative books and displays the quicksilver wit and playful storytelling of Rushdie’s best work. It is a modern American epic set against the panorama of contemporary politics and culture – a hurting, page-turning mystery. The Golden House also marks Salman Rushdie’s triumphant and exciting return to realism. The result is a modern epic of love and terrorism, loss and reinvention- a powerful, timely story told with the daring and panache.
The Shershah of Kargil: the biography of Kargil war hero Vikram Batra
The book titled “”The Shershah of Kargil” is a biography of Kargil war hero Late Captain Vikram Batra, who was posthumously awarded Param Veer Chakra (PVC) – the highest gallantry award of India. The book written by Deepak Surana is an inspiring story of the young captain Vikram Batra, which takes you through the various dimensions of Captain Batra’s life.
Book titled “India: Priorities for the Future” by Bimal Jalan
Book title “India: Priorities for the Future” authored by Bimal Jalan is a formadable analysis of the last four decades of India’s economic journey. The book illuminates the nation’s transition from a strictly regulated, slow-growth state enterprise to one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.
Unstoppable: My Life So Far authored by Maria Sharapova
The book titled “Unstoppable: My Life So Far” authored by tennis star Maria Sharapova was unveiled in September 2017. The book talks about Sharapova’s rise from nowhere to tennis stardom, and the unending fight to stay on top. The book tells how a seventeen-year-old Maria Sharapova became an overnight sensation by defeating the two-time defending champion Serena Williams to win the prestigious Wimbledon.
COMMITTEES
PM Modi forms Economic Advisory Council
Prime Minister 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. The four other part-time EAC members are Surjit Bhalla, Rathin Roy, Ashima Goyal and Ratan Watal.
Centre decides to form inter-ministerial committee to monitor schools
The Union Government has decided to form an inter-ministerial committee to monitor implementation of safety measures in its schools across the country. The committee was formed in the wake of the brutal killing of a student in Gurugram and rape of a girl by a school peon in the national capital, Delhi. The decision was taken during a meeting between Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar and Women & Child Development (WCD) Minister Maneka Gandhi in New Delhi. The WCD minister also informed that a committee of six secretaries will be constituted to monitor the implementation and progress of the guidelines.
AIMPLB to form committee to examine Supreme Court’s verdict on Triple Talaq
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has decided to constitute a committee comprising experts that would look into the method and process for undertaking large scale community reform program within the Islamic Sharia (Islamic Law). The board passed a resolution in this connection in its one-day-long marathon meeting that was held in Bhopal to discuss the way forward after Supreme Court of India recently adjudged the popular Islamic divorce practice of instant triple talaq as unconstitutional.
IMPORTANT DAYS & DATES
30 September: International Translation Day
The observance of this day seeks to recognize contribution of unsung heroes behind international diplomacy who work as language professionals to facilitate dialogue and contribute to development and strengthens world peace and security. International Translation Day 2017 theme is Translation and Diversity.
28th September: World Rabies Day
World Rabies Day is celebrated annually to raise awareness about rabies prevention. This day also marks the anniversary of Louis Pasteur’s death, the French chemist and microbiologist, who developed the first rabies vaccine. World Rabies Day is the first and only global day of action and awareness for rabies prevention. The 2017 World Rabies Day theme is ‘Rabies: Zero by 30′.
World Maritime Day is observed on 28 September
The World Maritime Day is celebrated across the world on 28 September across the world. The theme for 2017 World Maritime Day is ‘Connecting Ships, Ports and People’. The main aim is to do so by focusing on helping International Maritime Organization (IMO) member states to develop and implement maritime strategies to invest in a joined-up, interagency approach.
27 September: World Tourism Day
The World Tourism Day is celebrated across the world on 27th of September. Its purpose is to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value. The theme for World Tourism Day 2017 is ‘Sustainable Tourism – a Tool for Development’. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the United Nations agency is responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.
PM Modi salutes brave Indian soldiers on occasion Haifa Day
On the occasion of Haifa Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi saluted the brave Indian soldiers who fought for the liberation of Haifa city in modern day Israel in 1918. On his visit to Israel in July 2017, Modi had visited the Indian cemetery in Haifa, along with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu to lay wreaths. In the Battle of Haifa, the India’s 15th (Imperial Service) Cavalry Brigade, 5th Cavalry Division and part of the Desert Mounted Corps attacked rear guard forces of the Ottoman Empire that resulted in the capture of the towns of Haifa and Acre.
International Day of Peace is observed around the world
Every year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. This day was established in 1981 by unanimous United Nations (UN) resolution. Theme for 2017 is “Together for Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All”.
16th September: World Ozone Day
The International Day for Preservation of Ozone Layer (World Ozone Day) is observed every year on September 16 for the preservation of the Ozone Layer. The theme of the year 2017 is ‘Caring for all life under the sun’. The ozone layer, a fragile shield of gas, protects the Earth from the harmful portion of the rays of the sun, thus helping preserve life on the planet. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol. As part of the anniversary celebrations, the Ozone Secretariat will launch a communication campaign ahead of World Ozone Day to be marked on 16 September 2017.
15 September: International Day of Democracy
The International Day of Democracy is observed on September 15th across the world. The theme of the year 2017 is Democracy and Conflict prevention. This year’s theme of democracy and conflict prevention focuses on the critical need to strengthen democratic institutions to promote peace and stability.
15th September: Engineer’s Day
The Indian nation celebrates Engineer’s Day to mark the 156th birth anniversary of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya, one of the greatest engineers India produced and a person behind many iconic constructions in India. He will mark the 49th anniversary of the Engineers Day in India. He began his career as an Assistant Engineer with Public Works Department (PWD) at Mumbai (then Bombay) in 1884 and was later requested to join the Indian Irrigation Commission. As a Public Works Department engineer, he accomplished several projects related to maintenance of public buildings, road construction and laying out city developments plans in several important towns.
14 September: National Hindi Day
Hindi Day is being celebrated across the country on 14 September 2017. It was on this day in 1949 that the Constituent Assembly adopted Hindi written in Devanagari script as the official language of the country. On this occasion, President Ram Nath Kovind gives away Rajbhasha awards for the year 2016-17 at a function in New Delhi. The Rajbhasha awards were instituted by the Department of Official Language of Home Ministry to recognize the excellent contribution of Ministries, Departments and Nationalized Banks in the field of Hindi.
International Day for South-South Cooperation 2017 observed globally
The International Day for South-South Cooperation was observed on 12 September 2017 by United Nations (UN). The day celebrates the economic, social and political developments made in recent years by regions and countries in the south. It also highlights UN’s efforts to work on technical cooperation among developing countries. South-South cooperation is a broad framework of collaboration among countries of the South in the political, economic, social, cultural, environmental and technical domains.
8 September: International Literacy Day
The International Literacy Day (ILD) is being observed every year on 8 September to emphasize the importance of literacy to individuals, society and communities. The day was established in 1966 by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This year it is 51st International Literacy Day. The theme announced by UNESCO for this year is `Literacy in a digital world’. In India to observe this day, several functions were organised by the National Literacy Mission Authority. It included distribution of Saakshar Bharat Awards to best performing States, Districts, Gram Panchayats and NGOs. Government uses occasion of ILD for raising public awareness to eradicate illiteracy and create environment in favour of adult education programmes.
September 5th: National Teachers Day
In India, National Teachers Day is celebrated on September 5th to honor Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Birthday. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan a great scholar, philosopher, and teacher of modern India and was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1954. He became the first Vice President of India (from 1952 to 1962) and the second President of India (from 1962 to 1967). Since 1962, India has commemorated his birth anniversary. Teachers Day is an occasion to pay reverence to the teachers and convey them that they hold special respect in our hearts. Celebrating Teachers Day is acknowledged by UNESCO and fairly popular in several countries across the globe.
September 5: International Day of Charity
The United Nations (UN) observes September 5 every year as International Charity Day. The Day calls for a spirit of strengthened global solidarity, focused in particular on the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable. The Day also acknowledges the role of the diverse private sector, ranging from micro-enterprises to cooperatives to multinationals, and that of civil society organizations and philanthropic organizations in the implementation of the new Agenda.
10:00 PM, 26-Oct-2017
INTERNATIONAL
Kenya Imposes World’s Toughest Law against Plastic Bags
In Kenya, selling or even using plastic bags will risk imprisonment of up to four years or fines of $40,000. It is the world’s toughest law which is aimed at reducing plastic pollution came into effect. The East African nation joins more than 40 other countries that have banned, partly banned or taxed single use plastic bags, including China, France, Rwanda, and Italy.
IAEA opens world’s first low Enriched Uranium bank in Kazakhstan
The UN global nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has opened world’s first low Enriched Uranium (LEU) Bank in Oskemen in Kazakhstan. The bank is owned and managed by IAEA. It will be the first of its kind LEU bank not to be under control of any individual country. The IAEA also manages 123 tons of uranium in Angarsk, Russia but it is under the control of Russian government.
Canada to allow gender-neutral passports to promote equality
The Canadian government announced that citizens, who do not identify with a particular gender, whether male or female, would soon be able to obtain gender neutral passports. the citizens would be able to mark “X” in space of gender on their passports and other identity documents. the decisiobn would be effective starting 31 August 2017.
Qatar restores its diplomatic relation with Iran
Qatar restored full diplomatics relations with Iran, disregarding the demands of Arab Nations now loked in a regional dispute with the energy-rich country that it lessens its ties to Tehran. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry announced that the contry’s amabassador would return to Tehran. Qatar pulled out its ambassador in early 2016 after Saudi Arabia’s execution of a prominent Shiite cleric sparked attacks on two Saudi diplomatic posts in Iran, a move to show solidarity with the kingdom.
Nepal launches Climate-Smart Snow Leopard plan
Nepal has launched its climate-smart snow leopard landscape management plan. The plan aims to safeguard them endangered species of snow leopard and its habitat. The plan is the first climate-smart landscape management plan for snow leopard conservation in the world. The conservation plan was launched ahead of the International Snow Leopard Summit and Ecosystem Forum that addresses key current and emerging threats to the snow leopards, including climate change.
China launches first cyber court in e-commerce hub of Hangzhou
China launched its first cyber (internet) court specialising in handling internet-related cases in the e-commerce hub of Hangzhou, amid a spike in the number of online disputes. The cyber court will handle cases such as online trade disputes and copyright lawsuits. These cases handled by the court will be tried online. According latest report of China Internet Network Information Center, China had about 751 million netizens and 724 million mobile Internet users as of the end of June 2017. With high internet penetration, Chinese people have increasingly turn to online shopping and payment.
First Regional Centre of NDB Opens in S Africa
The first regional centre of the New Development Bank, set up by India and other BRICS nations, was officially opened by South African President Jacob Zuma and the bank’s Indian head K V Kamath. NDB has anauthorized capital of the bank is USD 100 billion. In 2018 it is expected to present about 15 to 20 projects involving a total lending of about USD 4 billion for the boards consideration.
World’s largest data centre to be built in Arctic Circle
A small town in the remote north of the Arctic Circle is set to be home to the world’s largest data center. The Kolos facility is being developed by a US-Norwegian partnership, also called Kolos, who say the site will eventually draw on a record-setting 1000 megawatts of power. The company added that Kolos will be a “fortress for data”.
US designates Hizbul Mujahideen as Foreign Terrorist Organisation
The United States has named Pakistan based Kashmiri terrorist outfit Hizbul Mujahideen as a “Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO)”. The designation slaps a series of US sanctions on the outfit. With this, Hiz Mujahideen joins them other terrorist outfits Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) on the US list of FTO designated in 2001. Moreover, two other anti-India groups, al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (2016) and Indian Mujahideen (2011) are also in the list.
Saudi king orders Qatar border be reopened to pilgrims
King Salman of Saudi Arabia has ordered the country’s border with Qatar to be reopened in order to allow Qatari pilgrims to carry out their annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. The move represents the first forward step ever since Saudi Arabia along with other Gulf nations completely cut off ties with Doha, after accusing it of supporting and funding extremist groups. The Salwa border crossing has remained shut since then. The announcement to reopen after Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman received an envoy from Doha, the first-ever public high-level encounter between the nations since the crisis erupted.
China Bans Imports from N. Korea as part of U.N. sanctions
China will halt iron, iron ore and seafood imports from North Korea, following through on new UN sanctions after U.S. pressure for Beijing to strong arm Pyongyang over its ally’s nuclear programme. The United Nations Security Council, including permanent member Beijing, approved tough sanctions against Pyongyang that could cost the country $1 billion a year. China, which is suspected of failing to enforce past UN measures, accounts for 90% of North Korea’s trade. Among the latest banned products, China imported $74.4 million worth of iron ore in the first five months of this year, almost equalling the figure for all of 2016.
Nepal, China signed three pacts to boost energy, economic ties
China and Nepal have signed three pacts to further boost their ties in power, energy and economic sectors. The agreements signed cover oil and gas resources exploration, economic and technological cooperation and promotion of investment. These agreements were signed after visiting Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Yng held discussions with Nepal’s Deputy Prmie Minsters Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar and Krishna Bahadur Mahara.
WHO declares Somalia free of Polio
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Somalia free of polio. The UN Health agency announced that it had not recorded any case of polio disease in Somalia in the last three years. The declaration by WHO keeps Somalia outside the last group of countries which still record cases of polio in the world. Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan are the remaining countries where polio is still being recorded. The WHO stated that Somalia recorded the case of polio in 2014 in the central part of the country. However, since then it has remained free of the disease.Poliomyelitis, often called polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus.
Iran responds to US sanctions by voting to boost military defence
Iran’s parliament has voted in favor of boosting investment in its missile defence and foreign operations programmes by more than $500 million. The bill was passed with an overwhelming majority. Among 244 parliamentarians present, 240 voted in favour of passing the bill. The move is in response to the latest round of sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States of America. The US had imposed sanctions on the country after it conducted ballistic missile test in January 2017.
2016 warmest on record for the planet as a whole
An annual report compiled by scientists around the globe has stated that the year 2016 was the warmest on record for the planet as a whole. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released its annual checkup of the Earth, highlighting numerous records including hottest year, highest sea level, and lowest sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctica. The year 2016 even surpassed the temperature records that date back 137 years. For global temperatures, last year also surpassed the previous record-holder, i.e. the year 2015.
Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta wins second term
President Uhuru Kenyatta won re-election in Kenya defeating veteran opposition leader and longtime rival Raila Odinga in a tense contest. Election Commission Head Wafula Chebukati announced in Nairobi that Kenyatta got 54.27 per cent votes beating his rival Raifa Odinga who got 44.74 per cent of votes. The opposition rejected the results even before they were declared, calling the process a charade.
Two massive earthquakes hit China
At least nine people were killed and 164 others injured in an earthquake that struck China. A seven magnitude earthquake jolted a remote but popular tourist destination in China’s southwest in which 100 people are feared dead and thousands injured. The condition o 30 hospitalized injured was stated to be serious. Five among the dead were visitors to the popular tourist destination of Jiuzhaigou national park.
UNSC adopts resolution to prevent terrorists access to weapons
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) unanimously adopted a resolution to prevent terrorists from aquiring weapons, particularly small arms and light weapons. The resolution came after the UN body witnessed that there is a continuous flow of weapons, unmanned aircraft systems and improvised explosive device (IED) components between the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Al-Qaida, their affiliates and associated groups. The accumulation and misuse of these weapons continue to pose threats to international peace & security and cause significant loss of life.
China officially opens its first overseas military base in Djibouti
China formally opened its first overseas military base with a flag raising ceremony in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa, the same day as the People’s Liberation Army marks its 90th birthday. Djibouti’s position on the northwestern edge of the Indian Ocean has fueled worry in India that it would become another of China’s “string of pearls” military alliances and assets ringing India, including Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka. China began construction of a logistics base in Djibouti last year. It will be used to re-supply navy ships taking part in peacekeeping and humanitarian missions off the coasts of Yemen and Somalia, in particular.
INDIA & WORLD
10th India-European Union Counter Terrorism Dialogue
India and the European Union have agreed to strengthen cooperation between their security and intelligence agencies to combat the threat of terrorism and check terror financing. During the 10th India-European Union Counter Terrorism Dialogue in New Delhi, the two sides deliberated extensively on combating terror financing and challenges posed by radicalization.
Joint Proposal by India & China in WTO
India and China have jointly submitted a proposal to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) calling for the elimination of the most trade-distorting form of farm subsidies, known as Aggregate Measurement of Support (AMS) as a prerequisite for consideration of other reforms in domestic support negotiations. The proposal is significant in view of the ongoing negotiatiobs for the upcoming 11th Ministerial Conference of the WTO, which is scheduled to be held in Buenos Aires in December 2017. It counters the efforts of some countries to target the subsidies of the developing countries while letting the developed countries retain their huge farm subsidies.
India, China agree to end Doklam standoff
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a press statement declaring that India and China have agreed to an ‘expeditious disengagement of border personnel at faceoff site in Doklam’ along the China-Bhutan border. The foreign ministry of China, however, maintains that while India was withdrawing its troops, they will continue to patrol in the Doklam Plateau.
Govt restricts gold, silver imports from South Korea
The government has restricted imports of gold and silver items from South Korea in a bid to check spurt in inbound shipments of precious metals from that country. The importers will now have to obtain a license from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) for importing gold and silver from South Korea. These restrictions are being imposed against the backdrop of sudden surge in imports of precious metal from South Korea, with which India has a free trade agreement since January 2010.
Indian Navy Band Participates in International Military Music Festival
The International Military Music Festival “Spasskaya Tower” is the parade of the best military music bands of Russia and other countries that takes place every year at Red Square in Moscow. This time Indian Navy Band is participating in the festival. Every year about 1500 musicians, military men and other artists from around 40 countries perform at the “Spasskaya Tower”. The Festival is duly considered one of the largest international events in Russia and attracts tremendous response of the general public.
ISA extends India’s exclusive rights to explore Polymetallic Nodules
The International Seabed Authority (ISA) in its 23rd session recently held at Kingston, Jamaica has extended India’s exclusive rights to explore polymetallic nodules from seabed in Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB). These rights extend over 75000 sq. km of area in international waters allocated by ISA for developmental activities for polymetallic nodules. The estimated polymetallic nodule resource potential of this area is around 380 million tonnes, containing nickel (4.7 million tonnes), copper (4.29 million tonnes), cobalt (0.55 million tonnes) and manganese (92.59 million tonnes).
India, US Establish TWO-BY-TWO Ministerial Dialogue
India and US have established new two-by-two (2 by 2) ministerial dialogue to enhance strategic coordination between them and maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The new dialogue format will replace the earlier India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue. It will be similar to the India-Japan 2+2 dialogue format between foreign and defence secretaries of the two countries.
India Ratifies 2nd Commitment Period of Kyoto Protocol
India has ratified the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol that commits countries to contain the emission of greenhouse gases, reaffirming its stand on climate action. With this, India became the 80th country to accept the amendment relating to the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, the international emissions reduction treaty. The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which commits its Parties by setting internationally binding emission reduction targets.
India ranks 43rd in 2017 Global Retirement Index
India ranked 43rd position in 2017 Global Retirement Index (GRI). It is published by French asset management company Natixis Global. The 43 countries include members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), International Monetary Fund (IMF) advanced economies and the BRIC countries. The top three countries in 2017 GRI are Norway, Switzerland, and Iceland.
Sri Lanka Commissions an Offshore Patrol Vessel built in India
Sri Lankan Navy has commissioned an India-built state-of-the-art Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV), the first-ever purchase from a foreign ship builder, to boost its search and rescue capabilities. Sri Lankan President and Armed Forces commander-in-chief Maithripala Sirisena commissioned the new patrol vessel “SLNS Sayurala”. It is the largest vessel built by an Indian ship builder for a foreign navy to date. Built at the Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) in India, SLNS Sayurala is the first-ever brand new platform purchased from a foreign ship builder. The 105.7 metre-long and 13.6 meter-wide vessel can also be used for external fire-fighting missions.
India, AIIB sign 329 mln USD loan for Gujarat Road Project
India signed a loan agreement with Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) for providing loan of 329 million U.S. dollars to improve rural road connectivity in western state of Gujarat. The objective of the project is to improve the rural road connectivity and accessibility to 1,060 villages in all the 33 districts in Gujarat state benefiting about 8 million people. The project will also benefit the service providers such as public transport operators, educational institutions, hospitals, local markets and traders.
USISPF set up to deepen Indo-US ties
A new representative body US- India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) is being set up to enhance business relations between India and US. The body will work with businesses and government leaders to achieve its goals of driving economic growth, job creation, innovation, inclusion and entrepreneurship. Mukesh Aghi will serve as a USISPF President while GauravVerma will serve as Chief Operating officer. USISPF’s board of directors will include Chairman John Chambers (Executive Chairman, Cisco), Vice-Chairs Punit Renjen (Global CEO, Deloitte LLP) and Edward Monser (President, Emerson Electric), and board members Indra Nooyi (Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo), and Ajay Banga (President and CEO, MasterCard).
India can go ahead with Kishanganga, Ratle projects under IWT
World Bank allowed India to construct hydroelectric power facilities on tributaries of the Jhelum and Chenab rivers with certain restrictions under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). Pakistan opposes the construction of the Kishanganga (330 megawatts) and Ratle (850 megawatts) hydroelectric power plants being built by India in Jammu and Kashmir. The IWT was signed in 1960 after nine years of negotiations between India and Pakistan with the help of the World Bank, which is also a signatory.
India & Somalia sign agreement on transfer of sentenced persons
India and Somalia signed a bilateral agreement for the transfer of sentenced persons. The move is step forward in deepening humanitarian cooperation between the two nations. Signing the agreement with Somalia will facilitate the Indian prisoners imprisoned in Somalia or vice-versa to be near to their families, for serving remaining part of their sentence. The step will also facilitate their social rehabilitation. The agreement was signed between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia Yusuf Garaad Omar.
India-Bhutan trade & transit pact come into force
The new bilateral Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit between India and Bhutan came into force. It aims to strengthen the bilateral relations between India and Bhutan. The Agreement provides for a free trade regime between the territories of India and Bhutan. It also provides for a duty-free transit of Bhutanese merchandise for trade with third countries.
NATIONAL
Union Cabinet approves equivalence of posts
The Union Cabinet has approved the norms for establishing equivalence of posts in Government, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), Banks, Insurance Institutions for claiming benefit of OBC reservations. This approval came after nearly 24 years. This will ensure that the children of those serving in lower categories in PSUs and other institutions can get the benefit of OBC reservations. It will prevent treatment of Children of OBC category individuals in senior positions as non Creamy Layer by virtue of wrong interpretation of income standards. The cabinet also approved the increase in the Creamy Layer ceiling of OBCs from Rs 6 lakh per annum to Rs 8 lakh per annum. This increase came with the increase in the Consumer Price Index.
Rajnath Singh inaugurates “YUVA-Skill Development Programme”
The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has inaugurated “YUVA – Skill Development Programme”. YUVA is an initiative by Delhi Police under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana. The YUVA initiative by Delhi Police aims to connect with youth by upgrading their skill as per their competencies. The programme will help the youth to get a gainful employment under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) under the Union Ministry of Skill Development.
Govt launches National Sports Talent Search Portal
The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has launched ‘National Sports Talent Search Portal’ to unearth sporting talent from every nook and corner of the country. The portal will be also available as smart phone application. The portal will enable any person from across country to upload their information through a simple three step process for registration, profile creation and also upload their achievements. Using this portal, a child or his parents, coaches or teachers can upload their bio data or video on the portal.
Government to launch Deep Ocean Mission
The Union Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) is going to launch Deep Ocean Mission by January 2018 to spur research activities in ocean science and develop technology to harness ocean resources. The proposed inter-ministerial and interdisciplinary project aims to explore and harness mineral resources beneath the ocean floor. The mission is intended to harness ocean resources in responsible way and play important transformative role in prosperity and security of the nation. It will also seek to create jobs and business opportunities in ocean science.
Govt inaugurates India’s first Videsh Bhavan in Mumbai
The Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) launched country’s first Videsh Bhavan by assimilating all Regional Passport Offices and allied departments under a single roof at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Currently, 90-plus RPOs and PoEs across the country function from rented offices. Merging and integrating them into similar Videsh Bhavans in different state capitals is expected to cut costs besides ensuring improving efficiency and speeding up the delivery of various services.
Arun Jaitley hands over LRSAM to Indian Navy
Defence Minister Arun Jaitley handed over the Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM) jointly developed by India and Israel, to the Indian Navy, at Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL). LRSAM is an advanced combat suit for missile defence against air targets and missiles, and has full capabilities of air and surface surveillance, threat alert and fire control. The minister also dedicated a first-of-its kind 50-tonne Rocket Motor Static Test Facility. He inaugurated the ASTRA Manufacturing Unit at the BDL’s Bhanur unit.
Govt imposes anti-dumping duty on sodium nitrate imports from China
The Union Finance Ministry’s Revenue Department has imposed a five year anti-dumping duty on Sodium Nitrite imports from China. It was imposed based on recommendations of Directorate General of Antidumping and Allied Duties (DGAD). In its sunset review, the DGAD concluded that there is “continued dumping” of the ‘sodium nitrite’ from China and it is causing injury to the domestic industry.
Coast Guard Training Ship Varuna Decommissioned
The Indian Coast Guard Ship Varuna, which was part of the First Training Squadron of the Navy, was decommissioned with full armed forces honors at a ceremony. The ship had an illustrious service spanning about 30 years. ICGS Varuna was the fourth of in its class of offshore patrol vessels built by the Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock. The ship had numerous operational achievements to its credit, including a record number of apprehension of smugglers with gold worth crores of rupees during the late 1980s.
Amit Shah, Smriti Irani sworn in as Rajya Sabha members
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah and Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Irani took oath as Rajya Sabha members. The oath was administered to both BJP leaders by Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu. Smriti Irani took the oath in Sanskrit. While this would be Amit Shah’s first stint in the parliament, for Smriti Irani it would be her second term, as she was sworn in as a member of parliament from Gujarat to the upper house in 2011 as well.
Supreme Court declares Right to Privacy as Fundamental Right
The Supreme Court of India pronounced that individual privacy is a fundamental right protected by the Constitution. A nine-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar ruled that the right to privacy is intrinsic to life and liberty, thus coming under Article 21, and comes under the various fundamental freedoms in PART III of the Indian Constitution. All the nine judges arrive at the same conclusion, though through different but concurring judgments, that right to privacy is intrinsic to right to life and liberty. With this now India has total seven fundamental rights.
SAMPADA renamed as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minster Narendra Modi has approved the renaming of SAMPADA (Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters) as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY). The new Central Sector Scheme PMKSY was approved for the period of 2016-20 coterminous with the 14th Finance Commission cycle.
NITI Aayog launches Mentor India Campaign
The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog has launched Mentor India Campaign, a strategic nation building initiative to engage leaders for guiding and mentoring students at Atal Tinkering Labs. The Mentor India Campaign aims at maximising the impact of Atal Tinkering Labs by engaging leaders who will nurture and guide students in the Atal Tinkering Labs. Under this initiative, NITI Aayog is looking for leaders who can spend one to two hours every week in one or more such labs to enable students learn, experience and practice future skills such as design and computational thinking.
Swasth Bachche, Swasth Bharat Programme launched
The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) launched ‘Swasth Bachche, Swasth Bharat’ Programme. It was launched by Union HRD Minister Prakash Javdekar in Kochi, Kerala The programme is an initiative of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) to prepare a physical Health and Fitness Profile Card for more than 12 lakhs of Kendriya Vidyalaya students. The programme aims to provide a comprehensive and inclusive report card for children covering all age groups and children of different abilities. Its main objective is to make students, teachers and parents aware about the importance of good health and fitness and encouraging 60 minutes of play each day.
Supreme Court strikes Triple Talaq by 3:2 majority
With its trial to give an end to the issue of the Triple Talaq in Muslim community, the five judges of five faith of the Supreme Court of India in its judgement struck down the validity of triple talaq by a majority of 3:2. The court in its verdict also said that the practice of instant triple talaq was violative of Article 14 and Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. The bench said that the practice violates the fundamental right of Muslim women as it irrevocably ends the marriage without any chance of reconciliation.
Police verification for passport to go online within a year
Soon passport applicants will be free of the tiresome procedure of physical police verification, as the Union Government is planning to connect the procedure with the national database of crimes and criminals, the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS). The CCTNS is expected to be linked with the passport service of the External Affairs Ministry and it will replace physical police verification for passport applicants with online verification within a year.
Government launches digital police portal under CCTNS
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs launched digital police portal under Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems Project (CCTNS). The portal is a smart policing initiative of the Government to provide services to citizens and aid efficient police investigation. It will help in realising Government’s dream of ‘Minimum Government Maximum Governance’. The police portal is a platform for citizens to file online crime related complaints and also request for antecedent verification. It will also provide 11 searches and 46 reports from the national database for state police and central investigation agencies. Central investigating and research agencies. Central investigating and research agencies also have been provided logins to the portal to access crime statistics.
Champions of Change’ Initiative Organised by NITI Aayog
PM Narendra Modi addressed a gathering of young entrepreneurs and CEOs startups at an event organised by NITI Aayog. The event called ‘Champions of Change’ was organised by India’s policy think-tank, was aimed at bringing together young businessmen at a place and share ideas. The “Champions of Change” initiative is one effort to bring together diverse strengths for the benefit of the nation and society.
Centre doubles Child Care allowance for Women with Disabilities
The Centre has doubled the Child Care allowance from Rs 1500 to Rs 3000 for women employees with disabilities. The allowance shall be payable from the time of the child’s birth till the child is two years old. Moreover, it shall be payable for a maximum of two eldest surviving children. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) also issued orders for the reimbursement of children education allowance, which will be Rs 2,250 per month.
NHAI launches MyFASTag and FASTag Partner mobile apps
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) launched two mobile Apps – MyFASTag and FASTag Partner in to facilitate the availability of FASTags for Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) project. The mobile apps will ease the process, making it possible to buy or recharge FASTags easier using mobile button. MyFASTag is a consumer application that will facilitate consumer to purchase or recharge FASTags on it. It also helps to keep track of transactions and provides for online grievance redressal. FASTag Partner is a merchant application. it will allow agencies like Common Services Centre (CSC), banking partners and vehicle dealers to sell and enroll FASTag.
Govt launches Harit Diwali, Swasth Diwali Campaign
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Dr Harsh Vardhan has launched the “Harit Diwali, Swasth Diwali” campaign. The Ministry also administered a pledge or a Green and Healthy Diwali to the gathering of students. The pledge will be widely circulated to the schools, colleges and other educational institutions. The Ministry launched the campaign while addressing a gathering of about 800 children from schools of Delhi and NCR.
Navika Sagar Parikrama: Indian Navy’s all-woman team to circumnavigate globe
A six-member all-woman team of the Indian Navy will set sail to circumnavigate the globe on the sailing vessel INSV Tarini. This is the first-ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-woman crew. The expedition has been aptly titled ‘Navika Sagar Parikrama’ with an aim to promote women empowerment in the country and ocean sailing by the Indian Navy.
Government to Conduct ‘World’s Largest Sample Survey’ for Students
The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has announced November 13 as the date for conducting its National Assessment Survey (NAS) for the students of class 3, 5, and 8. So far, during several rounds of the survey, a total of 4.45 lakh students have been tested for various learning outcomes. This time, approximately 30 lakh students will be assessed in the year 2017-18 making it the world’s largest sample survey of student learning achievement.
Aadhaar must for subsidised farm loans: RBI
To ensure hassle-free benefits to farmers under Interest Subvention Scheme, the Reserve Bank of India has advised banks to make Aadhaar linkage mandatory for availing short-term crop loans up to Rs 3 lakh in 2017-18. In order to provide short-term crop loans to farmers at an interest rate of 7 percent during the year 2017-18, the RBI said it has been decided to offer interest subvention of 2 percent to lending institutions, public sector banks, private sector commercial banks on use of their own resources. Banks have been asked to include land details, even after providing gold as a security, for the loan to avoid multiple loaning and to ensure that only genuine farmers avail of concessional crop loans through the mechanism of gold loans.
India’s first Partition Museum to come up in Amritsar
India’s first museum on Partition of the Indian subcontinent will open in Amritsar Punjab, as India and Pakistan celebrate 70 years as independent nations. The Punjab government has joined hands with the World Bank to set up India’s first ever official Partition museum at Amritsar, barely 30 km from Pakistan. The museum will include photographs, newspaper clippings, donated personal items, and screens showing video interviews with survivors. It will also have ‘The Gallery of Hope’, where visitors can scribble messages of love and peace. Tickets are priced low at Rs10 for Indians and Rs150 for foreigners.
Nation celebrated its 71st Independence Day on 15th August 2017
The nation celebrated its 71st Independence Day today (15th August 2017) and the main function was held at the Red Fort of the national capital where Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the National Flag. The unfurling of the tri-colour was synchronized with the 21 Gun Salute fired by the valiant gunners of the elite 2281 Field Regiment (Ceremonial).
Prez approves Gallantry Awards to Armed Forces and Paramilitary Forces
On the occasion of 71st Independence Day, President Ram Nath Kovind has approved 112 Gallantry Awards to Armed Forces Personnel and members of Paramilitary Forces which include 5 Kirti Chakras, 17 Shaurya Chakras, 85 Sena Medals (Gallantry), 3 Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) and two Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry). Havaldar Giris Gurung from first Gorkha Rifles who was martyred during a major counter-infiltration operation along the Line of Control in Naugam sector of Kashmir has been awarded Kirti Chakra posthumously. Major David Manlun, who was martyred during an encounter with militants in Mon district of Nagaland, CRPF commandant Pramod Kumar who was martyred in a terror attack in Srinagar’s Nowhatta hours before last Independence Day has also been awarded Kirti Chakra Posthumously. CRPF commandant Chetan Kumar Cheetah who miraculously recovered from the deep coma after being hit by at least nine bullets during a gun battle with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir has been awarded Kirti Chakra, the 2nd highest peacetime gallantry award.
Rajnath launches live Twitter wall on ‘Bharat Ke Veer’
The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has launched the live twitter wall for promoting ‘Bharat Ke Veer’ portal on the eve of 71st Independence Day. On the occasion, Mr Singh and Ministers of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir and Kiren Rijiju contributed their one month salary for Bharat Ke Veer corpus. Mr Singh has handed over a cheque of 1.59 lakh rupees to the Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi in New Delhi. This “social media awareness” campaign will display all tweets with hashtag Bharat Ke Veer, at Connaught Place, CGO complex and Khan Market in New Delhi where huge LED display screens have been installed.
Govt asks Internet Giants and others to remove Blue Whale links
The Indian government has directed internet majors- Google, Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, Microsoft and Yahoo – to immediately remove the links of dangerous online game Blue Whale Challenge, which has led to suicide of children in India and other countries. Mumbai and West Midnapore district have reported deaths linked to this game. Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity) instructed the internet majors in a letter to ensure that any such link of this deadly game in its own name or similar game is immediately removed from their platform.The letter was issued following instructions from Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. The Blue Whale challenge is reportedly a suicide game in which the player is given certain tasks to complete for a period of 50 days and the final task leads to suicide. The player is also asked to share photos after finishing the challenge.
Nation Tribute to Sri Aurobindo on 145th Birth Anniversary
India paid tributes to Sri Aurobindo on his 145th Birth Anniversary. Sri Aurobindo’s rich thoughts and grand vision for India continues to be a great source of inspiration. A spiritual reformer and philosopher, Sri Aurobindo had a major contribution in the Indian freedom struggle.
PM Modi launches website to honour Gallantry Award Winners
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a website to honour all the gallantry award winners since Independence. The portal will preserve and tell the stories of bravest men and women, civilians as well as armed forces personnel. In remembrance of heroes who have been awarded gallantry awards since Independence, launched the site http://gallantryawards.gov.in. While launching the site PM said that, If you have any information/ photo that is missing and can be added to the portal, please share it through the feedback link on the site.
Ministry of Culture Organizes ‘Sankalp Se Siddhi Program’
To take forward the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a New India movement from 2017-2022, a Sankalp Se Siddhi (Attainment through Resolve) Program was organized at Coimbatore. Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge), Dr. Mahesh Sharma graced the occasion. The New India Movement 2017-2022 envisages an India free of Poverty, Corruption, Terrorism, Communalism, Casteism and Un-cleanliness. The participants took the New India Pledge of “Come, let us together pledge for building a New India by 2022, a Clean India, a Poverty-free India, a Corruption-free India, a Terrorism-free India, a Communalism-free India, and a Casteism-free India”.
India’s First Online Course on Infusion Therapy launched
The Infusion Nurses Society (INS)-India in its 6th National conference launched country’s first online course on Infusion Therapy for nurses. INS is global authority in infusion therapy. Under the online course, the INS aims to train over 3000 nurses in the vital medical procedure. The course will enable members to access the various infusion therapy modules and presentations through its website.
Coast Guard inducts new ship Shaurya
Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) ‘Shaurya’, the fifth in the series of six 105-metre Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), was commissioned in Vasco, Goa by Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan. ICGS Shaurya is an offshore patrol vessel designed and built indigenously by Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL). It will be based at Chennai under administrative and operational control of Commander Coast Guard Region (East).
Govt launches video of National Anthem in sign language
Union Minister of State for HRD Mahendra Nath Pandey has launched an Indian National Anthem video in sign language, featuring differently-abled and partially differently-abled children. The 3.35-minute video, directed by Govind Nihalani, stars Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan, along with physically challenged children performing the anthem in sign language, with the Red Fort in the background. The video was also launched in Goa, Bhopal, Chandigarh and Kolhapur.
Gehlot inaugurates Inclusive Independence Day Celebrations
Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot has inaugurated Inclusive Independence Day celebrations organized by the National Trust. Around 2500 people from all walks of life participated in the event along with 500 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. On the occasion, Mr Gehlot administered New India Pledge “Sankalp se Siddhi” to participants. The Initiative aims to provide equal access to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, by means of Inclusive Education, Inclusive Employment and Inclusive Community Life.
Central Govt offices to retrofit energy efficient appliances
The Union Finance Ministry has issued guidelines for mandatory installation of energy efficient appliances in all Central Government buildings across India. It has directed that usage of LED based lightings and energy efficient cooling equipment such as fans and air conditioners in government buildings will lead to savings in the long run through reduction in energy consumption. Under the programme, Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) intends to bring in investment of around Rs. 1000 crore covering more than 10,000 large government/private buildings by 2020.
Govt launches Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana
The Government of India has decided to launch a new sub-scheme named “Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY)”, a sub-scheme under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY_NRLM). AGEY aims to provide an alternative source of livelihood to members of Self Help Groups (SHGs) by facilitating them to operate public transport services in backward rural areas. This will help to provide safe, affordable and community monitored rural transport services to connect remote villages with key services and amenities. AGEY will be initially implemented in 250 Blocks in the country on pilot basis.
Govt reconstitutes Existing CBFC for three years
The Centre has appointed lyricist Prasoon Joshi as Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for a period of three years. Mr Joshi has replaced former Chairman Pahlaj Nihalani. Government has also reconstituted the existing CBFC with immediate effect for a period of three years. There are 12 members in the new board, which include Ms. Gautami Tadimalla, Shri Narendra Kohli, Shri Naresh Chandra Lal, Shri Neil Herbert Nongkynrih, Shri Vivek Agnihotri, Shri Waman Kendre, Ms. Vidya Balan, Shri T.S. Nagabharana, Shri Ramesh Patange, Ms. Vani Tripati Tikoo, Ms. Jeevitha Rajasekhar, Shri Mihir Bhuta.
Govt launches Gaj Yatra campaign to protect Elephants
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forest has launche a nationwide campaign Gaj Yatra to protect elephants. It was launched on the occasion of World Elephant Day on 12 August 2017. The Ministry also released the All India Census 2017 Report on elephants and Agreed Points of Action on Trans-Boundary Conservation of Elephants by India and Bangladesh.The campaign is planned to cover 12 elephant range states across the country. It is 15 months campaign that will be led by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). The ‘Gaju’, mascot, which was released by the Ministry in 2012, will be helm of the campaign.
Google, NSDC Launch Android Skill Development Programme
National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Google India launched Android Skill Development Programme to impart mobile app development training on the Android and Web platform and improve the quality of mobile app development ecosystem in India. Under the initiative, NSDC would introduce a specific course to create applications for the mobile platform that can be used on smart phones and tablets running on the Android operating system. The 100-hour duration course is designed to be delivered by NSDC’s partner agencies, outside the formal education system. NSDC and Google India will also work together to focus on up-skilling Android trainers under the programme.
Govt approves 10 Namami Gange projects worth Rs 2033 crore
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has approved ten projects in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal to the tune of about Rs. 2,033 crore. These projects were approved in the 5th meeting of the Executive Committee of NMCG. Eight of ten projects pertain to sewage infrastructure and treatment, one each to ghat development and Ganga Knowledge Centre. In bihar, three major sewage infrastructure projects were approved in Brh, Kankarbagh and Digha. In West Bengal, three projects were approved. Out of these two pertain to sewage infrastructure while the third one is for ghat development. In Uttar Pradesh, sewage infrastructure work in Chunar, district Mirzapur, has also been approved at an estimated cost of around 28 crore rupees.
LS passes bill to approve SBI associates’ merger
The Lok Sabha passed a bill that approved merger of associate banks with the SBI with the government. The Lok Sabha passed the bill to repeal the SBI (Subsidiary Banks) Act 1959, State Bank of Hyderabad Act 1956 and to further amend the State Bank of India Act, 1955, following the merger of five associates with the parent SBI. State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (SBBJ), State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH), State Bank of Mysore (SBM), State Bank of Patiala (SBP) and State Bank of Travancore (SBT) merged with SBI on 1 April along with the Bharatiya Mahila Bank.
Kerala, Haryana Top Sanitation Survey
According to the survey, almost all rural households in Kerala and Haryana had access to a toilet report. The survey is released by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation and was carried out by the Quality Council of India (QCI). The survey, covering 4626 villages across all States and Union territories, claimed that 62.45% of the households had access to a toilet. Bihar and Uttar Pradesh has least access to toilets compared to other states.
6 states chosen Under NITI Aayog’s SATH initiative
NITI Aayog has shortlisted Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Karnataka under its ‘Sustainable Action for Transforming Human Capital’, SATH initiative to handhold them and transform their health sector. The Aayog has also selected Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Odisha under its SATH initiative to transform their education sector. To give major push to competitive, cooperative federalism, the government think tank had invited all states and Union Territories to participate in its SATH initiative to transform Health and Education sectors. States then made presentations for each sector which was assessed by a committee comprised of senior members of NITI Aayog and Health and Human Resources Development ministries.
Oxford Launches Tamil, Gujarati Online Dictionaries
After the Hindi version, Oxford University Press (OUP) has launched online dictionaries in Tamil and Gujarati as part of its special focus on Indian languages. Launched in September 2015 Oxford Global Languages (OGL) is a major initiative from Oxford Dictionaries which aims to build dictionaries and lexicographical resources for around 100 of the world’s languages and to make them available online.
Parliament special session marking 75th anniversary of Quit India movement
Both the Houses of the Parliament today will hold a special session to mark the 75th anniversary of the Quit India movement. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will hold the treasury bench of the Lower House while Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will lead the treasury bench of the Upper House. The Parliament will suspend the Question Hour and Zero Hour to make way for this special session. All the parties are also expected to express their views on the same, with the discussion culminating into a resolution that will be passed in order to reaffirm their commitment to the nation. The Quit India Movement also known as the India August Movement in August 1942, during World War II, demanding an end to British Rule from India.
Flipkart Launches ‘Budding Star Programme’ for Staff
Flipkart has launched ‘Budding Star Programme’, an exclusive programme aimed at Flipkart employees to help them achieve their dreams by providing them financial assistance and paid leave. The programme will cover all national and international sports and non-sports competitors recognized by the govt. authorities. Flipsters who have completed six months with the company are eligible for the ‘Budding Star Programme’.
Railways earned Rs 540 crore through flexi fare in less than a year
The Railways has earned an additional revenue of Rs 540 crore in less than a year through the flexi fare scheme and there is no plan to discontinue it. The scheme, launched on 09th September 2016, is applicable in Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto trains, allowing 10 per cent of the seats to be sold at the normal fare and thereafter increasing it by 10 per cent with every 10 per cent of berths sold with a ceiling of 50 per cent. The Railways made changes in the flexi fare structure to attract last minute travellers and introduced a range of discounts.
India’s First Private Missile Production Facility Unveiled
India’s first private sector missile sub-systems manufacturing facility, a joint venture between the $2.5 billion Kalyani Group and Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Ltd., was inaugurated near Hyderabad. The Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems (KRAS) plant will make anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) Spike. Besides supplying to the Indian Army, the plan is to export to South East Asian countries. Formed in line with the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Centre and the policy to encourage private sector participation in defence production, the 51:49 joint venture will develop a wide range of advanced capabilities.
WCD Ministry launches contest for logo design for ‘Women of India Festival’
The Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched a contest for designing a logo for the ‘Women of India Festival’, which is scheduled to be held at Dilli Haat in New Delhi in October 2017. The festival is being organised and fully funded by the Ministry as a part of their major initiative of economic empowerment of women. The festival lays a platform for designers who aspire to see their creation displayed on a National platform. Details of the contest have been made available on the official social media accounts (Facebook and Twitter) of the Women and Child Development Ministry. The last date to submit entries is 21 August 2017.
Govt inks MoA to set up IRRI’s regional centre in Varanasi
The Agriculture Ministry signed a Memorandum of Association (MoA) for setting up a regional centre of the global rice research institute IRRI in Varanasi to develop high- yielding rice varieties. The Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), which has offices in 17 countries, is known for its work in developing rice varieties that contributed to the green revolution in 1960s. IRRI’s South Asia Regional Centre will be set up at the campus of National Seed Research and Training Centre (NSRTC) in Varanasi. The MoA was signed between Agriculture Secretary Shobhana K Patnaik and IRRI Director General Matthew Morell.
Book Tatkal Train tickets now & Pay later: Indian Railways
Indian Railways has announced that people can book now & pay later for tickets booked under the tatkal quota on the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corp (IRCTC) website. Till now, this service was available only for general reservations. The book now and pay later mode enables customers to book tatkal e-ticket and pay the fare within a period of 15 days. While booking an e-ticket, the customer will be provided with an ‘ePaylater’ scheme and a service charge of 3.5 per cent will be levied on the transaction amount along with other taxes.
2nd Agri UDAAN accelerator program launched in New Delhi
In an attempt to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in agriculture, Government launched the 2nd AGRI-UDAAN program in New Delhi. It will mentor start-ups and help them connect with potential investors. The program focuses on catalyzing scale-up stage food and agribusiness start-ups through rigorous mentoring, industry networking and investor pitching. This 6-month program is a unique platform for scale up stage innovators, entrepreneurs and startups in the Food and Agribusiness sectors. Top 40 startups will be shortlisted and allowed to pitch in front of the panel of evaluators during cohort finalization program.
Rajya Sabha passes RTE amendments
The Rajya Sabha has passed the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2017 that amends Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009. The Bill extends the deadline for teachers to acquire the prescribed minimum qualifications for appointment by 4 years. The teachers can get the prescribed qualification using the Swayam portal. They will also be provided practical experience by the respective states.
Cabinet approves India-BRICS MoU for Agriculture Research Platform
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed among India and various BRICS countries for establishment of the BRICS Agriculture Research Platform (BRICS-ARP). During the 7th BRICS Summit held in July 2015 at Ufa in Russia, PM Modi proposed to establish BRICS Agriculture Research Centre which will be a gift to the entire world. The Centre will promote sustainable agricultural development and poverty alleviation through strategic cooperation in agriculture to provide food security in the BRICS member countries which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. BRICS-ARP will be the natural global platform for science-led agriculture-based sustainable development for addressing the issues of world hunger, under-nutrition, poverty and inequality, particularly between farmers’ and non-farmers’ income, and enhancing agricultural trade, bio-security and climate resilient agriculture.
Cabinet scraps no-detention policy for kids of Class 5 and 8
The Union Cabinet approved the scrapping of the no-detention policy in schools till Class 8th. It also gave its nod to the Human Resource Development Ministry’s plan of creating 20 world-class institutions in the country. An enabling provision will be made in the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Amendment Bill which will allow states to detain students in class 5 and class 8. However, students will be given a second chance to improve via an examination before they are detained. The bill will now be placed in Parliament for approval.
Union Cabinet clears proposal to extend proxy voting for NRIs
The Union Cabinet has cleared a proposal to extend proxy voting to overseas Indians by amending electoral laws. This was informed by a senior government functionary. For overseas Indians, the representation of the People Act needs to be amended to include proxy voting as other means to cast their votes. While NRIs and overseas Indians are free to cast their votes in constituencies where they are registered, according to the proposal, they will also be allowed to use the option of proxy, which as of now is only available to service personnel.
Lok Sabha passes Bill to replace NPA Ordinance
The Lok Sabha gave its nod for a Bill to replace the NPA Ordinance promulgated in May 2017. The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2017 sought to amend the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, for this purpose. The NPA Ordinance had conferred powers on the Centre for authorising the Reserve Bank of India to issue directions to banks to initiate the insolvency resolution process in respect of a default, under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016. It had also conferred powers upon the RBI to issue directions to banking companies for resolution of stressed assets and allow it to specify one or more committees to advise banking companies on resolution of stressed assets.
PM announces Rs 100cr corpus to find permanent solution to flood problem in North-East
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a Rs 100 crore corpus to study and find a permanent solution to the North-Eastern states of India. In addition to this corpus of Rs 100 crore, the Prime Minister also announced Rs 2350 crore as an immediate aid for the North East after holding a review meeting on the flood situation with several North Eastern states in Guwahati. The corpus was announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Guwahati, Assam. He was in Assam to take stock of flood situation of Assam and few other North-Eastern States.
Union Govt launches e-RaKAM portal for selling Agricultural produce
The Union Government has launched a portal, e-RaKAM, to provide a platform to sell agricultural produce. The portal is a joint initiative by state-run-auctioneer MSTC and Central Warehousing Corporation arm CRWC. The platform is a digital initiative that aims to bring together the farmers, PSUs, civil supplies and buyers on a single platform to ease the selling and buying process of agricultural products.
Govt enters into 9 Unilateral APAs with Indian taxpayers in July
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) entered into nine Unilateral Advance Pricing Agreements (UAPAs) with Indian taxpayers in the month of July 2017. The APA Scheme endeavors to provide certainty to taxpayers in the domain of transfer pricing by specifying the methods of pricing and determining the Arm’s Length Price of international transactions in advance for a maximum period of five future years. CBDT has signed its first APA with a taxpayer engaged in supplying rigs used in Oil & Gas exploration. The international transactions covered in these nine APAs include provision of software development services, engineering design services, distribution, contract manufacturing, etc.
Union Govt orders LPG prices to be hiked by Rs 4 per month
With an aim to eliminate all subsidies by March 2018, the Union Government has ordered state-run oil companies to raise subsidised cooking gas, LPG (liquified petroleum gas), prices by four rupees per cylinder every month. The information in this regard was provided in the Lok Sabha by Petroleum and natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on 31 July 2017. In a written reply, Pradhan informed that the govt in its order dated 30 May 2017 has authorised the oil companies to increase the price by four rupees excluding tax per month. the order came into effect on 1 June 2017.
Swachh Survekshan-2018 launched to assess sanitation
Central Government has launched the third cleanliness survey ‘Swachh Survekshan-2018’ to rank all the 4,041 cities and towns of the country based on infrastructure development for improved sanitation services and their sustainability, outcomes, citizen connect and visible impact on ground. Under the survey, launched by Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, 500 cities with more than 1 lakh population and state and UT capitals will have all-India ranking. Also, 3,541 cities with less than 1 lakh population will have state and zonal rankings. Under this survey, cities will be ranked based on 71 sanitation related parameters with different weightages for a total of 4,000 marks. Total score has been doubled this time to avoid crowding of cities with very marginal differences in scores that happened in the previous survey.
SC bans use of five harmful metals in firecrackers
The Supreme Court of India announced a ban on the use of five metals including lithium, mercury, arsenic, antimony and lead in firecrackers, deeming them as harmful for the environment. The decision was taken by a bench of justices headed by Justice Madan B Lokur who cited air pollution as one of the main reasons behind the move. The order came after the Central Pollution Control Board;s (CPCB) Member Secretary informed the apex court that standards on air pollution caused by the bursting of firecrackers are yet to be laid down and the exercise would be completed by 15 September.
STATES
Amazon to help implement Karnataka’s Ksheera Bhagya Scheme
Amazon has announced a partnership with the Akshaya Patra Foundation to implement the Karnataka Government’s Ksheera Bhagya Scheme in the city. Under the scheme, the school children of the city would be provided a glass of milk each five days a week. This scheme ensures that children start their day in school with a healthy glass of milk, which is rich in protein and fat, essential for healthy growth and all-round development of children. the partnership aims to reach out to 170000 children across 1300 government schools in the state.
No interview for Non-Gazetted posts in UP
The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to end the process of holding interview for selection of candidates for the government jobs in all the non-gazetted posts of Group B, C and D categories. The decision was made at at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adithyanath. The decision has been taken keeping in mind the system followed by the Government of India. however, for recruitment of gazetted officers in Class II category, Interview will be a must. this new rule will not be binding on the ongoing recruitment for Class II officers.
Kerala CM launches FIFA U-17 World Cup logo for Kochi venue
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has launched the host city logo for Kochi, one of the venues of FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017. The logo launched by the CM represents Kochi’s identity and will also serve as a valuable tool in linking the local community in a global World Cup. Alongside the FIFA U-17 World Cup India official emblem, the logo for Kochi venue will form a crucial link in the promotions and communications regarding the host city. The tournament will be hosted in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium of the city.
Modi dedicates 11 completed highway projects in Rajasthan to Nation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated to the nation 11 completed highway projects in Rajasthan, covering a total length of about 873 kilometres. The projects include six Lane Cable Stayed Bridge across River Chambal at Kota, four laning of Gomati Chauraha – Udaipur section and four laning of Rajsamand – Bhilwara section. During his visit to Udaipur, Modi also laid the foundation stone of national highway projects including the Jaipur Ring Road. The total outlay on these projects is estimated to be over Rs 15000 crore.
West Bengal’s Gobindobhog rice gets geographical indication status
The Geographical Indications Registry (GIR) has granted geographical indication (GI) status to Gobindobhog rice, a speciality from Burdwan district of West Bengal. The state government had applied for GI status for Gobindobhog rice in August 2015. Gobindobhog variety of rice is a short grain, white, aromatic, sticky rice having a sweet buttery flavor. It derives its name from principal ingredient usage in preparation of offerings to Govindajiu, the family deity of Setts of Kolkata.
Kerala Govt has launched E-waste disposal in state schools
Kerala government has begun e-waste disposal in its state schools with about 12500 kg being disposed state wide on a single day under a programme aimed at clearing the accumulated junk. The programme is a joint initiative of Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE), formerly IT@School project and Clean Kerala Company. The initiative mainly aims to dispose e-waste such as desktop computers, CRT monitors, laptops, disk drives, printers, UPS, camera, speaker system, television, network components and generators from 10,000 odd schools and educational offices in the state. The accumulated junk is reported to be over 1 Cr kg.
Nungthaang Tampak- North East’s First 100% Computer Literate Village
Manipur’s Nungthaang Tampak village has emerged as the ’100 percent computer literate’ not only in the state but in the entire North East. The computer course, which is affiliated to All India Society for Electronics and Computer Technology (AISECT), was organized by Mangal Rural as a part of the Digital India program. Nungthang Tampak has become India’s second 100 percent computer literate village. Kerala’s Chamravattom village is the country’s first 100 percent computer literate village.
‘Food ATM’ installed for poor and needy in Kolkata
‘Food ATM’, a 320-litre refrigerator laden with leftovers, is ensuring that the poor and needy in the city do not go hungry, thanks to an initiative by a restaurateur. Asif Ahmed, the co-owner of Sanjha Chulha restaurant chain, started the ‘Food ATM’ with the support of three organisations (Rotary, Round Table, JITO) in front of one of his outlets in Park Circus to help curb food wastage and feed the needy. The refrigerator is topped with a placard saying “the amount of food India wastes annually is enough to feed entire Egypt for a year”.
Odisha Govt launches rooftop solar project
Odisha Government has launched a grid-connected rooftop solar programme through net-metering system at the State Secretariat in capital city of Bhubaneswar. The programme aims at harnessing renewable solar capacity through people’s participation to further strengthen the grid and reduce power losses and benefit the public. It will also help state to targets in addressing the climate change action plan. The programme is being implemented by Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA).
Andhra Pradesh First to Implement Bharat QR Digital Payments
Andhra Pradesh’s Eastern Power Distribution Company Ltd (EPDCL) and the Southern Power Distribution Corporation of AP Ltd. (SPDCL) have become the first state-owned distribution companies in India to accept payments through Bharat QR. As part of the ‘Vizag less–cash city’ initiative underway between Visa and the Andhra Pradesh government, the state has witnessed a slew of initiatives aimed at increasing the rate of digital payment adoption across the masses.
Mumbai amongst 17 most-polluted cities in Maharashtra
Mumbai is among the 17 most polluted cities of Maharashtra and 123 cities from the country. The data is based on the reports of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Other cities that have been marked as having poor air quality by CPCB are Nagpur, Badlapur, Pune, Nashik and Ulhasnagar. The air quality in these cities is way below the prescribed pollution standards.
Karnataka Govt launches clouding seeding Project Varshadhari
Karnataka Government has launched clouding seeding Project Varshadhari in Bengaluru under which an aircraft will spray chemicals to induce rainfall. The cloud seeding project is an experimental project that will cover Bengaluru, Gadag and Yadgir districts of the state. The experimental project aims to condense small water particles by clouds (size less than 10 microns) to droplets of 50 microns, which can constitute rains. The flight for cloud seeding – BQ-100 Beechcraft will spray Silver Iodide, Sodium Chloride and Potassium Chloride to condense the water particles.
First 3 fast track courts for Maharashtra to be set up in Mumbai, Thane
The Law and judiciary department has issued an order for setting up of the first three of 24 fast track courts for Maharashtra in two of its most popular cities. While one of the courts would be set up in Mumbai, the other two would be set up in Thane. The courts would be dealing with heinous crimes like rape and murder.
India’s First World Peace University Inaugurated in MIT, Pune
MIT World Peace University, the first of its kind in India, was inaugurated by Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis. Following the celebrations, a two-day ‘Global Summit Science and Spirituality for World Peace’ was organized on the next day discussing issues of national and international importance and how a different outlook towards education could solve many of them.
Odisha launched ‘DAMON’ to prevent spread of malaria
Odisha Government will soon launch “Durgama Anchalare Malaria Nirakaran” (DAMON), a special programme to prevent the spread of malaria in remote areas of Ganjam district. Under this programme, camps will be held in remote areas for mass test for malaria. As many as 103 camps will be held in the next three months. Around 15,000 people would be covered under the programme. The health officials have identified over 135 remote villages under the jurisdiction of five community health centres as malaria prone areas. The community health centres that have been identified are Patrapur, Adapada, Badagada, Dharakote and Gallery.
Karnataka launches ‘Indira Canteen’ in Bengaluru
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi launched the ‘Indira Canteen’ scheme, dedicated to former Prime minister Indira Gandhi- a state government initiative to provide food at low cost to cater to the urban poor. The canteen, located in Kanakana Palya (Jayanagar) in Bengaluru, is one of 101 such that opened across various locations in Bengaluru. The canteens are loosely modelled on the late Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa’s “Amma canteens”.
Maharashtra CM launches ‘Namo Yuva Rojgar Kendra’
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched Namo Yuva Rojgar Kendra an initiative on the part of the state government providing job opportunities to unemployed youth in Mumbai. Under this programme, there will be various schemes including farmers weekly market, farmers mobile market and mother’s tiffin, enabling the people living in Mumbai to procure fresh and healthy food as well as farm produce directly from the farmers. These products will be made available with the help of mobile vans all over Mumbai and the information about the location of the vans is made available through an app.
Jharkhand Assembly passes Religious Freedom Bill
Jharkhand Assembly has passed Religious Freedom Bill 2017. It aims to stop the forced conversions in the state. The bill will now be sent to the governor, following whose approval it would go to the President for assent. The Bill has provision for the imprisonment of three years and fine of 50,000 rupees or both, and four-year imprisonment and 1 lakh rupee fine, or both, if the person converted is a minor, woman or a member of Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe. It also says, that a person converting willingly will have to inform the Deputy Commissioner about details such as time, place and the person who administers the conversion proceedings.
Gujarat govt to give ‘Namo’ tablets to 3.5 lakh college students
Around 3.5 lakh college students in Gujarat will get tablets at a subsidised rate of Rs 1,000 each under a state government scheme launched by chief minister Vijay Rupani in Ahmedabad. Under this scheme, the first year college students in the state will get 7-inch ‘NAMO E-Tab’ tablets, which have a market value of Rs 8,000 each, by just paying Rs 1,000. Several students, who had already registered for the scheme, received the tablets from the chief minister at the launch ceremony in Ahmedabad. NAMO E-Tab is the acronym for ‘New Avenues of Modern Education through Tablets’. The state government has allocated Rs 200 crore for this scheme.
Telangana Govt launches ‘Smart Streets Lab’ for road safety
The government of Telangana in association with the World Resources Institute (WRI) India – Ross Centre and the Indian School of Business (ISB) launched the ‘Smart Streets Lab’ program. The Lab will pilot innovative road-safety and women safety solutions and leverage new developments in technology and IT to transform the streets of Hyderabad. Through the ‘Smart Streets Lab’, the state government aims to utilize technological interventions from outside and integrate them with its various departments.
Odisha Govt & FB launches ‘SheMeansBusiness’
Odisha government and social networking giant Facebook has launched ‘SheMeansBusiness’ programme to train women entrepreneurs in the state. It was launched in partnership between Odisha’s MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) department and Project Mission Shakti. Under this initiative, 25,000 women entrepreneurs and self-help group (SHG) members from the state will be given training on digital marketing skills within by the end of 2018. Facebook will monitor the growth of MSMEs in Odisha after imparting training to them in next one year.
UP Government launches Namami Gange Jagriti Yatra
Uttar Pradesh Government has launched a new awareness drive called Namami Gange Jagriti Yatra. The drive will be focusing on cleanliness along the banks of Ganga river and maintain hygiene. The drive will be covering a total area of around 1,025 kms. It will pass through 108 blocks of 25 districts of UP from Bijnore to Ballia alongside the Ganga covering around 1,025 kms. Under it, above one lakh Homeguard volunteers will organise public gathering and other awareness programmes in the district under Namami Gange Project.
NGT bans use of plastic bags of less than 50 microns in Delhi
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has banned plastic bags thinner than an average human hair in the capital, stepping in to eliminate the most common shopping accessory that clogs sewers, pollutes the environment and even kills cattle. In an interim order, a bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar also slapped a fine of Rs 5,000 on anyone found in possession of non-biodegradable plastic bags less than 50 microns, which is the thickness of a human hair. Microns, short for micromillimetre, is the global measurement unit for thickness of plastic bags. The thinner the bag, the more harmful they are to the environment. The green court directed the Delhi government to seize the banned bags within a week. However, implementing the NGT order could be a tough job as a similar ban by the Centre last year failed to make stop the use of such bags.
Gujarat First State to Implement Coal Utilisation
The Gujarat government has issued a tender for power developers to receive cheap coal marked for the state in return for selling coal-based power at less than Rs 2.82 a unit. Through the auction, Gujarat will transfer the coal allocated to power generating stations owned by Gujarat State Electricity Corporation (GSECL) to more fuel-efficient private power plants. The aim is to reduce the cost of fuel for financially ailing distribution companies and ensure effective distribution of domestic coal.
Telangana CM Initiates Rs. 2,000-cr Sriram Sagar Modernization Project
In an effort to modernize the Sriram Sagar project and increase the area served, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao initiated a Rs. 2,000-crore project that seeks to modernize the project. This project on the Godavari river has the potential to serve several districts in the state. Under the Sriram Sagar project revival and restoration initiative, water from the Pranahitha river, which joins the Godavari, will be diverted at Medigadda and pumped into the Sriram Sagar project.
Maharashtra to raise $270 m from Green Climate Fund
The 2030 Water Resources Group (2030WRG) will help the Maharashtra Government raise $270 million from the Green Climate Fund, which will be invested in integrated watershed programmes such as Jalyukt Shivar Yojana. The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a new fund under the UN and is guided by the principles and provisions of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The 2030WRG is hosted by the International Finance Corporation and is a public-private-civil society collaboration for water resources reform in developing economies. Its ultimate aim is to close the gap between water demand and supply by the year 2030.
Centre declares entire Assam as ‘disturbed’ for another month
The Centre has declared entire Assam as a “disturbed” area under the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) for one more month, citing various violent activities by insurgent groups ULFA, NDFB, and others. The Union home ministry also declared Meghalaya’s border areas adjoining Assam, and three districts in Arunachal Pradesh as “disturbed” under the AFSPA for two more months with effect from 03 August, 2017. It has also declared as “disturbed” under the AFSPA three districts of Arunachal Pradesh – Tirap, Changlang, Longding and areas falling within the jurisdiction of 14 police stations in nine other districts of the state with effect from 04 August 2017 to 30 September 2017.
J&K Govt to spend Rs 1 lakh Cr on Development
The state government of Jammu and Kashmir has announced that it would be spending around Rs 1 lakh Cr on development works with special emphasis on education and road connectivity over the next five years. According to Public Works Minister, Naeem Akhtar the state is set to enter an era of unprecedented development as the government is spending Rs 1 lakh Cr on roads, buildings and creation of other public assets in the next five years.
‘Dawn of cruise tourism in India’ inaugurated in Mumbai
In order to promote cruise tourism in India, a special event, ‘The dawn of cruise tourism in India’ was inaugurated in Mumbai. The preparedness of Mumbai Port and Ministry of shipping to host cruise vessels in the country is revealed to a worldwide audience at the event. It also saw the launch of three reports, “Mumbai Port SoP’s for cruise operations”, “Road map for Sea cruise tourism” and “Cruise terminals in India”.
FMCG Britannia to set up largest plant in Maharashtra
India’s leading FMCG Britannia Industries would set up its largest plant in Maharashtra in a food park at Ranjangaon. There will be an investment of Rs 1000 crore at the Ranjangaon food park over a period of four to five years with an employment potential for 3000 people. The plant would have six biscuit lines, and one each for rusk and croissant. Besides, Britannia would set up its first greenfield unit in Nepal & commissioning two plants one each at Mundra and Guwahati.
Amazon India ties up with Telangana Handloom dept
Amazon India has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Telangana Department of Handloom and Textiles, to educate, train and enable weavers and artisans to directly sell their products to Amazon customers across the country. According to a statement issued by the e-commerce giant, with over 17,000 handlooms in the state, this association will further help elevate popular handloom products from clusters such as are Pochampally, Warangal, Gadwal, Narayanpet and Siddipet which have a tremendous potential and demand in urban areas.
Coconut regains tree status in Goa as Assembly passes bill
Goa Legislative Assembly has passed Goa, Daman and Diu, Preservation of Trees Act, 1984. The bill seeks to reclassify coconut as a tree and ensure legal protection to it. The bill was passed to regulate felling of coconut trees and reclassify it as a tree on he last day of the Monsoon session of the state. Goa Forward Party, a partner in the Manohar Parrikar-led government, had promised to reclassify coconut as a tree. The previous Laxmikant Parsekar-led government had changed the classification of the coconut tree to a palm.
Maharashtra govt launches online portals MahaDBT, MahaVASTU
Maharashtra Government has launched MahaDBT and MahaVASTU, two line portals to streamline the process of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The portals were launched with an aim to bring more transparency in construction sector and to provide direct benefits with ‘Aadhaar’ authentication. MahaDBT portal is an Aadhaar-aunthenticated electronic mechanism that will enable direct transfer of benefits for over 40 schemes currently implemented by state’s various departments. MahaVASTU is an Online Building Permission Management System with an electronic workflow for sanctioning building approvals with full transparency.
Mughalsarai railway station renamed after Deen Dayal Upadhyaya
The Centre recently approved the Adityanath-led UP government’s proposal to rename the Mughalsarai railway station after the Jan Sangh leader as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) station. This comes as the part of the state government’s attempt to revive the legacy of Upadhyaya who died in 1968. The UP government in its proposal pointed to the mysterious death of Upadhyaya at the Mughalsarai station as one of the primary reasons to rename the station.
Delhi Police ties up with Uber to enhance Women Safety
Passengers can now access the Delhi Police’s women safety mobile application ‘Himmat’ via cab aggregator Uber’s application while travelling in taxis. This is Delhi Police’s first partnership with a technology company to intensify its focus on the safety of women in the city. With this partnership, Himmat will now be accessible to lakhs of women riders in one go. Uber also aims to act as a force multiplier and expand its access to all of its women riders. In the first phase of the partnership, Uber will develop a permanent in-app access for Himmat app, including a link to download it from the app store. The second phase will allow users to directly access the Himmat app from within the Uber app.
Non-Performing Teachers will be forced to Retire in Bihar
The Bihar government has informed that it has decided to compulsory retirement to the non-performing head masters, teachers and education department officials above the age of 50 years. The decision was taken after the review of the Education department by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. According to the Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar the state government is in process of identifying non-performing institutions and all those responsible for the poor show will be given compulsory retirement. He informed that those teachers having failed thrice in assessment test would be removed or will be given compulsory retirement, as per government norms.
Aadi Perukku Festival Celebrated in Tamilnadu
Aadi Perukku is celebrated for the birth of the Tamil month of Aadi. This is the beginning of all the festivals during the festival seasons. The Aadiperukku festival was celebrated with religious fervour in the towns of Mettur, Poolampatti etc situated on the banks of River Cauvery. During the month of Thai and Aadi the sun changes directions so it is celebrated Aadi Perukku festival celebrated in Tamilnaduin that way. The 18th day of Aadi is observed as ‘ Aadiperukku’, a day of offerings and prayers to the water bodies like rivers and lakes.
Govt to develop green airports in Andhra Pradesh
As a part of Government of India’s initiative to develop green airports, two airports in Andhra Pradesh-Tirupati and Vijayawada are going to go completely green. The work on the same has already begun with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) commencing the process of installing 1 Mega Watt solar power plant at both the airports. The Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) in Kerala is the first airport in the world to be completely powered by solar energy.
Telangana govt to use Artificial Intelligence for eye screening
Microsoft is tying up with the state of Telangana to use its artificial intelligence-based MINE platform to screen children for eye problems and prevent avoidable blindness. The government of Telangana and Microsoft had signed an MoU in November 2016 to use Microsoft’s cloud technology to drive citizen services and digital inclusion. The latest tie up is the result of an initial pilot to understand the health screening programme conducted under the National Health Mission. MINE -Microsoft Intelligent Network for Eyecare -is a global consortium of eyecare providers, research and academic institutions that will apply artificial intelligence to help in eyecare delivery.
Bengaluru Airport to be first in India to get HeliTaxi service
Thumby Aviation, a private helicopter service provider, and Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) have partnered to launch HeliTaxi services from Bengaluru Airport. The helicopter service will initially be launched from Bengaluru Airport to Electronic City and gradually expanded to other parts of the city.
NOTA will remain applicable in Gujarat Rajya Sabha polls
The Election Commission has rejected the demands of the political parties to remove the Nne of the Above (NOTA) option in the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat. The Commission said that the NOTA option will be applicable in the Rajya Sabha Elections in Gujarat. The electoral body made this announcement in the wake of protests by the opposition against the insertion of the option.
Jharkhand Cabinet approves Religious Freedom Bill 2017
Jharkhand Cabinet has approved Religious Freedom Bill 2017. The bill named as Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Bill, 2017 seeks to bring the stringent anti-conversion law in place under which forceful or allurement induced religious conversion will be a non-bailable criminal offence. According to an official release, Section three of the Bill prohibits forceful conversion. In the event of violation of section three, there will be up to three years imprisonment or Rs 50000 penalty or both. If the crime involves a minor, woman or person from SC or ST community then the prison term would be up to four years and penalty of one lakh rupees.
Maharashtra Govt planning to relocate tigers
Maharashtra Government is planning to relocate tigers from Vidarbh region to the state of the sanctuaries elsewhere where their population is smaller, including Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR). Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR) is located in Sahyadri ranges in the western Maharashtra, which has only seven tigers at present. The information was given in the Legislative Assembly of the State by State’s forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar. The forest minister said that the government has set up a committee to examine this issue, and a decision will be taken based on its recommendations.
Maharashtra govt to launch pilot project to encourage use of bicycle
The Maharashtra state government is planning to create cycle tracks through ‘streets with cycle track’ project in order to encourage the use of bicycles, to ease congestion and reduce air pollution. The pilot project will be at first implemented in 10 cities across the state including Nagpur, Amaravati, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Solapur, Latur, Jalgaon, Chandrapur and Kolhapur. A government resolution confirming the same was issued recently. A committee comprising four members including the Additional Director General of Police (Traffic), Secretary PWD (Roads) and two members of NGO Mission Olympics will be studying the project and providing technical inputs.
CONFERENCES
Fourth Session of India-Tanzania Joint Trade Committee
The Fourth Session of India-Tanzania Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meeting was held in New Delhi. The Indian delegation was led by Minister of Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman and Tanzanian delegation was led by Charles John Mwijage, Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment. During the meeting both sides discussed potential areas of cooperation and agreed to enhance sectoral co-operation based on respective needs comparative advantage for mutual benefit.
Australian Trade Minister to lead ‘Business Week’ in India
Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Steven Ciobo will lead a major mission named to India – the second Australia Business Week in India (ABWI) - to India. Ths mission scheduled to be held from 28 August to 1 September 2017 will aim at deepening the collaboration between the two nations in different fields. Fields that will be covered during the visit include agri-business and food, higher education and research and smart cities and infrastructure. Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment.
17th meeting of FSDC Held in New Delhi
The seventeenth Meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) was held in New Delhi under the Chairmanship of the Union Minister of Finance, Shri Arun Jaitley. A brief report on the activities undertaken by the FSDC Sub-Committee Chaired by Governor, RBI was placed before the FSDC. The Council discussed the Central KYC Registry (CKYCR) system. The Council also deliberated on strengthening the regulation of the Credit Rating Agencies (CRAs).
India to host Steering Committee Meeting of TAPI Gas Pipeline
India (New Delhi) will host the next steering committee meeting of the proposed 1,814 kilometre-long Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline. The decision came during the sixth joint Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) meeting on trade, economic, scientific and technological cooperation. The meeting was followed by a meeting between visiting Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov and Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan.
Italy to host G-7 Interior Ministers summit on security
Italy would be hosting the summit of the Group of Seven Interior Ministers on security issues in October 2017. According to Italy’s Interior Minister, Macro Minniti, the meaning is being organised at the request of Italy’s G-7 partners-Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan and the United States. Italy currently holds the rotating helm of the G-7 industrialised nations.
Make in India Seminar held in New Delhi
As a step in this direction, second Seminar on ‘MAKE’ projects for Indian Army was held on 12 Aug 17 at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi jointly under aegis of Indian Army and Confederation of Indian Industry (Cll). During the course of the seminar, a round table interaction of various Directorates of Integrated Headquarters of MoD (Army) with industry reps was also held at the same venue. The seminar was attended by Senior Officers of the Army as well as from Ministry of Defence.
India-ASEAN Youth Summit Begins in Bhopal
The India-ASEAN Youth Summit begins in Bhopal. The event is being organised by Foreign Ministry, Madhya Pradesh government and India Foundation. Minister of State for External Affairs General VK Singh (in picture), and Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the five day Summit. The exercise will mark the 25th anniversary of the ASEAN-India dialogue partnership in the ongoing year and also the commemorative year’s theme of “Shared Values, Common Destiny”.
15th BIMSTEC ministerial meeting in Kathmandu
The 15th Ministerial Meeting of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) concluded at Kathmandu, Nepal. The members agreed to intensify their collaborative efforts to realize the aims and purposes of the group embodied therein and pledged to make BIMSTEC stronger, more effective and result oriented. They agreed to emphasize the need for greater cooperation in trade and investment in order to deepen regional integration in the Bay of Bengal region.
India and US to co-host Global Entrepreneurship Summit
India and US are going to co-host the Global Entrepreneurship Summit at Hyderabad, Telangana from 28th to 30th November 2017. American delegation will be led by US President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump. The summit will serve as a unique opportuniy for bringing together entrepreneurs and start-ups with global leaders. The summit is being organized by the NITI Aayog in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs. Earlier it was hosted by the US State Department.
Sushma Swaraj in BIMSTEC Meeting
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj departed for Kathmandu to participate in the 15th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting (10th and 11th August). During the two-day meet, Foreign ministers of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries will review the progress in identified fourteen areas of cooperation and discuss ways to accelerate cooperation. She will attend inaugural session of the 15th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting.
8th meeting of Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process held in New Delhi
The eighth meeting of the Regional Technical Group of Confidence Building Measure on Trade, Commerce & Investment Opportunities under the Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process was hosted by India in New Delhi. The meeting was co-chaired by the Acting Director General, Economic Cooperation Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, Mr. Hassan Soroosh, and Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Dr. Deepak Mittal and attended by representatives of 17 participating countries and supporting international organisations, including Azerbaijan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, UAE, Australia, Egypt, Germany, the UK, the US, the EU and the UN. The participants shared the view that Afghanistan acted as a natural bridge in promoting regional connectivity and economic integration.
Japan-India Coordination Forum held in New Delhi
The first meeting of the Japan-India Coordination Forum (JICF) for Development of North-Eastern Region was held in New Delhi. Secretary, Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), Shri Naveen Verma led the Indian side while the Japanese delegation was led by the Japanese Ambassador to India, Mr. Kenji Hiramatsu. Priority areas of cooperation identified by Indian side including Connectivity and Road Network Development, especially inter-State roads & major district roads; Disaster Management; Food Processing; Organic Farming and Tourism were discussed in the meeting.
7th Meeting of BRICS Trade Ministers held in Shanghai
The 7th Meeting of BRICS Trade Ministers was held in Shanghai, China. A six-member delegation led by Commerce and Industry Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman. Mr. Zhong Shan, Minister of Commerce from China, presided over the meetings. The other delegations were represented by Mr. Rob Davies, Minister of Trade and Industry (South Africa), Mr. Marcelo Maia Tavares de Araujo, Secretary of Commerce and Services of Ministry of Industry (Brazil) and Mr Maxim Oreshkin, Minister of Economic Development (Russia). Sitharaman discussed with her Chinese counterpart, Zhong Shan, the trade deficit in India-China bilateral trade which stands at $51 billion for 2016-17 from the $71.48 billion bilateral trade between the two countries.
The Ministers adopted the following documents at the conclusion of the meeting:
AWARDS & HONOURS
Konkani writer Mahabaleshwar Sail receives 2016 Saraswati Samman
Eminent Konkani writer Mahabaleshwar Sail (74) was bestowed with prestigious Saraswati Samman 2016. He was awarded for his novel “Hawthan” that captures cultural lives of traditional potter community in Goa. He was presented the award, comprising plaque and a cash purse of Rs.15 lakh by Union minister for commerce and industry Nirmala Sitharaman at event held in New Delhi.
WCD Minister to confer National Level Awards to Anganwadi workers
The Minister of Women and Child Development, Maneka Sanjay Gandhi will be giving away National Level Awards to Anganwadi workers at New Delhi. The annual awards aim to recognize the exemplary service by the Anganwadi workers in the field of child development and related areas under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme.
NITI Aayog announced Winners of the Women Transforming India Awards 2017
NITI Aayog, in partnership with MyGov and the United Nations, announced the winners of the Women Transforming India Awards, 2017. Launched on International Women’s Day on 8 March, the contest aimed to gather lesser-own stories of women leading change. Honourable Minister for Textiles and Information and Broadcasting, Smriti Irani has awarded top 12 winners, honoring their courage and role in transforming societies.
Top 6 Contestants-
President presents National Adventure Awards 2017
President Ram Noth Kovind presented the National Sports & Adventure Awards on National Sports Day.
National Sports Awards 2017 announced
The Union Sports Ministry announced the National Sports Award for the year 2017. Th conferment of National Sports Award on 29 sportsperson was made on the recommendations of the Selection Committees set up for the same. Selection Committee for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award an Arjuna Awards was headed by Justice C. K. Thakkar (Former Judge Supreme Court of India, Chief Justice of High Court of Himachal and Bombay). Selection Committee for Dronacharya Awards and Dhyan Chand Awards was headed by Pullela Gopichand.
Winners are:
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna 2017: Instituted in the year 1991-92, it is given for the spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a period of four year. The first recipient was Grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand. The winners will receive a statuettes, certificate and cash prize of Rs 7.5 lakh. The winners are:
Dronacharya Awards 2017: Instituted in the year 1985, it is given to coaches for producing medal winners at presigious International sports events. The winners will receive a statuettes, certificate and cash prize of Rs 5 lakh. The winners are:
Arjuna Awards 2017: Instituted in the year 1961, it is given for consistency outstanding performance for four years. The winners will receive a statuettes, certificate and cash prize of Rs. 5 Lakh. The winners are:
Dhyanchand Award 2017: Instituted in the year 2002, it is given for life time contribution to sports development. The winners will receive a statuettes, certificate and cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh. The winners are:
The award distributing ceremony will held on August 29, 2017 where the achievers will be awarded for their outstanding performance by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind.
Telangana CM chosen for Agriculture Leadership Award
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has been selected for the prestigious Agriculture Leadership Award-2017. A Committee headed by agriculture scientist MS Swaminathan has recommended the CM’s name. The award will be presented on September 5 at Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi. The Chief Minister has been selected for the award for his innovative services rendered to the welfare of farmers and the farm sector.
Prez gives away National Safety Awards (Mines) for 2013 & 2014
President Ram Nath Kovind has presented the National Safety Awards (Mines) for the years 2013 and 2014. The awards were given away at a function held at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. In all, there were 37 Winner prizes and 34 Runner-up prizes which were given away to the winning mines in the award function organized by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Corporation Bank bagged Best performance award from NABARD
Corporation Bank bagged the best performance awards for SHG-bank linkage program for Karnataka for 2015-16 and 2016-17 from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). The bank was given the award for its overall performance under SHG-bank linkage program for 2015-16 and 2016-17 among commercial banks operating in Karnataka. The bank formed more than 1.32 lakh self-help groups (SHGs).
KVGB bags Best Performer Award
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has conferred the ‘best performance award’ for 2015-16 and 2016-17 to Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank (KVGB) for its work in the field of credit-linking joint liability groups (JLGs). 1,194 JLGs(Joint Liability Group) were credit-linked by disbursing Rs 19.38 crore during 2016-17. The outstanding accounts under JLGs stood at 6,329 involving an amount of Rs 63.83 crore.
T J S George bags first-ever Kesari Media Award
Veteran journalist T J S George has been chosen for the first Kesari Media Award, instituted by the Kesari Memorial Journalist Trust. The award comprises a purse of Rs 50,000, citation and a statuette designed by renowned artist Bhatathiri. A jury, comprising filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Asianet editor M G Radhakrishnan, Media Academy chairman R S Babu and Kesari Memorial Journalist Trust chairman C Rahim as members, selected the award winner.
Actor Dev Patel gets Asian Game Changer Award
Indian-origin actor Dev Patel is to be honored by a leading educational organization for making a “transformative and positive” difference for the future of Asia and the world. London-born Dev Patel, who became popular with his debut film Slumdog Millionaire, will be felicitated with the Asia Society 2017 Asia Game Changers Award at a ceremony to be held at the United Nations, New York, in November 2017. The Aga Khan is also being honored this year with the Asia Game Changer Lifetime Achievement Award.
Dr. Madhu Chitkara conferred with Environment Leadership Award 2017
Chandigarh’s Chitkara University’s Pro-Chancellor, Dr. Madhu Chitkara was awarded the prestigious Himachal Pradesh Environment Leadership Award 2017 for excelling in the promotion of environmental conservation and sustainable development through inspiring and exemplary initiatives, vision, and transformative action. Chitkara University was awarded for its effort of recycling waste paper into sheets, folders, envelopes and carry bags and water by dual plumbing. The government introduced ‘Himachal Pradesh Environment Leadership Awards’ to be conferred annually to recognise the outstanding contribution by institutions or individuals in the promotion of environmental protection and conservation and sustainable development through inspiring and exemplary initiatives, vision, transformative action on their own.
Prem Nazir Award for actor Sharada
Veteran actress and national award winner Sharada has been selected for this year’s Prem Nazir Award. The award, carrying a purse of Rs 75,000, a statuette and a citation, was instituted by people of Chirayankeezhu, Nazirs home town in the district, in memory of Keralas evergreen actor. It will be presented to Sharada by state Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran at a function at Chirayankeezhu on August 15. Sharada had won three national awards with the first being for her performance in 1968 tragedy film “Thulabharam”, which was remade in Tamil also. She has acted in several Telugu, Malayalam and Tamil films.
Dhanraj Pillay conferred with Bharat Gaurav
Former Indian Hockey captain Dhanraj Pillay was honoured with the ‘Bharat Gaurav’ by East Bengal Football Club on its foundation day. Bharat Gaurav is the highest award of the club. On the other hand, the club presented lifetime achievement awards to Subhsh Bhowmick, a member of the 1970 Asian Games bronze medal-winning national football team and syed Naeemuddin, former national team coach. meanwhile, Gurwinder Singh bagged the Footballer of the Year award while Boddupalli Amit was adjudged as the Cricketer of the Year.
Trump Awards First Medal of Honor to Vietnam Army Medic
An Army medic from Michigan who risked his life multiple times to rescue Vietnam War comrades is the first person to receive the Medal of Honor from President Donald Trump in Washington. Trump presented America’s highest military honor to James McCloughan at a White House ceremony. McCloughan was a 23-year-old private first class who had been drafted into the Army when, in 1969, he found himself in the middle of the raging, days long Battle of Hui Yon Hill. McCloughan voluntarily entered the “kill zone” to rescue injured comrades, even as he was pelted with shrapnel from a rocket-propelled grenade.
SPORTS & GAMES
Indian Police wins record 321 medals at World Police & Fire Games
A 101-member Indian Police contingent has returned to country with record breaking haul of 321 medals including 151 Gold, 99 Silver and 71 Bronze medals at the World Police & Fire Games held in Los Angeles, Calfornia in USA. Indian Police contingent participated only in seven sport events i.e. Athletics, Archery, Wrestling , Boxing, Judo, Swimming and Shooting. It is a rarest of the rare occasion that each team member of India won a medal irrespective of individual or relay events in which they participated.
Indian U-15 Football Team wins SAFF Championships
The Indian U-15 football team completed a brilliant comeback win over Nepal to win the SAFF U-15 Championships in Kathmandu, Nepal. They were trailing 0-1 at the interval, but second half goals from Lalrokima and Vikram clinched the trophy for the Indian side. India beat Nepal by 2-1 in the final and the match took place at ANFA Complex, Lalitpur in Nepal.
Hamilton Wins Belgian Grand Prix
Mercedes’ British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton registered his 58th career race win after claiming the Belgian Grand Prix title. Hamilton’s rival Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel came second, while Daniel Ricciardo was placed third. With the win, Hamilton has cut Vettel’s lead at the top of the drivers’ championship to seven points.
Nozomi Okuhara wins World Badminton Championship: Sindhu settles for Silver
Nozomi Okuhara of Japan has defeated PV Sindhu 19-21, 22-20, 20-22 to claim the 2017 BWF World Championships. The final match was held at Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland. It was Sindhu’s first final appearance in the World Championship and also her best performance ever. This was a third medal for the Rio Olympics silver-medalist at Worlds, having won bronze twice in 2013 and 2014 after losing at the semifinal stage in both the editions.
Boxer Floyd Mayweather extends his perfect career record to 50 fights unbeaten
Floyd Mayweather beat Conor McGregor with a 10th-round stoppage through a Technical Knock Out (TKO) to win their money-spinning superfight and clinch his 50th straight victory. Mayweather will now head into what he says is a permanent retirement with a perfect 50-0 record, one better than heavyweight legend Rocky Marciano.
Messi becomes First Ever Player to score 350 La Liga Goals
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi scored a second-half brace against Alaves, becoming the first ever player to score 350 goals in La Liga. Messi’s best goal tally for a season came in 2011/12 when he netted 50 goals in 37 appearances. Messi, who has played 384 league matches, is now 66 goals ahead of rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
Australia beats Iran to clinch 2017 FIBA Asia Cup
Australia was crowned the FIBA asia Cup 2017 basketball champions. The team defeated Iran 79-56 in the final to grab the title. On the other hand, South Korea clinched the third place with a win over New Zealand 80-71.
Shapath Bharadwaj wins bronze at Jr Shotgun World Cup
Teenager Shapath Bhardwaj won a bronze medal in the double trap event in the Junior Shotgun World Cup in Porpetto, Italy. The 15-year old Bharadwaj, from Meerut, shot a 48 in the final to finish behind gold-medal winning Briton James Dedman and Finland’s Miki Ylonen. This was India’s first medal in the competition apart from the bronze won by Sheoran and Keer in the mixed team trap competition, which had the status of a test event.
Ghosh-Sathiyan wins silver at Bulgaria Open
India’s Soumyajit Ghosh and G Sathiyan won silver medal in the men’s doubles at the Bulgaria Open Table Tennis in Panagyurishte, Bulgaria. The Indian pair lost to Jin Ueda and Maharu Yoshimura of Japan, who won the gold of the tournament. This was Japanese pair’s second title in three World Tour final appearances. Earlier, they had won the 2013 Japan Open and 2017 China Open.
Indian Athletes Bag 37 Medals at 7th World Dwarf Games
The Indian contingent created history by winning a record haul of medals at the World Dwarf Games in Canada. The 7th edition of the World Dwarf Games was held over a week at the University of Guelph in Ontario province and featured nearly 400 athletes from 24 countries. Joby Matthew bagged two golds, three silvers and a bronze. The 21-men Indian team won 37 medals including 15 golds, 10 silver and 12 bronze medals. Arunachalam Nalini won five medals, including one gold.
Lakshya Sen Wins Bulgaria Open International Series
Young Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen clinched the Bulgaria Open International Series title after notching up a hard-fought win over Croatia’s Zvonimir Durkinjak in the men’s singles final in Sofia, Bulgaria. The 16-year-old shuttler defeated second seed Zvonimir 18-21 21-12 21-17 in a 57-minute match.
Real Madrid wins Spanish Super Cup without Ronaldo
Real Madrid defeated Barcelona in the second leg of the 2017 Spanish Super Cup to seal the win at the Bernabeu, Spain. Real Madrid achieved the feat without Cristiano Ronaldo, who was slapped with a five-game ban for pushing the referee after he was sent-off in the first leg.
IAAF World Championships London 2017
The 16th edition of IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) World Championships 2017 was held in London. The championships were held in the London Stadium in Stratford. ‘Hero-the Hedgehog’ was a Mascot of 2017 IAAF World Championships and ‘Whizbee-the Bee’ was the Mascot for the Para Athletics. The USA topped the tally of Medals with 30 medals. Top 5 Countries in the list of Medals were-US (30 Medals), Kenya (11 Medals), Great Britain (6 Medals), Poland (8 Medals), China (7 Medals).
Alexander Zverev beats Roger Federer to win 2017 Rogers Cup
Germany’s Alexander Zverev has defeated Roger Federer 6-3, 6-4 to claim his second Masters 1000 title in Montreal, Canada. With this, Zverev became the third man to beat Federer in the year 2017. By claiming the 2017 Rogers Cup, Zverev became the first player outside the Big Four to win multiple Masters 1000 titles in a season since David Nalbandian in 2007. Alexander Zverev and Roger Federer now have five tournament titles this year.
Cristiano Ronaldo hit with five-match ban for pushing referee
World Player of the Year, Cristiano Ronaldo was banned for five matches for pushing the referee after he was shown a red card against Barcelona in Real Madrid’s 3-1 Spanish Super Cup first leg victory. Ronaldo received an automatic one-match ban for his dismissal and an extra four games for his reaction towards referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea. He has also been fined 4,500 US dollars and has 10 days to appeal the ban.
Indian boxers clinch 10 medals at Serbian tournament
India won 10 medals, including two gold, in the 6th Golden Glove women’s Boxing Tournament at Vojvodina, Serbia. While Jyoti won Gold in 51 kg category, and Vanlalharitpuii bagged it 60 kg category. In all, India won two gold, four silver and four bronze medals in the tournament. The silver medals were clinched by Anjali in 48kg, Sakshi in 54kg, Ashtha in 69kg and Anupama in 81kg categories. Mandeep in 57kg, Nisha in 64kg, Shruti in 75kg and Neha in 81+kg category settled for bronze medals after losing in the semi-finals.
Gabriel chundan lifts 2017 edition of Nehru trophy
Gabriel Chundan won the 65th edition of the prestigious Nehru Trophy held at the Punnamda Lake in Kerala. The oarsmen of Gabriel Chundan lifted the trophy after a thrilling photo finish. While ‘Mahadevikkad Kattilthekkethil’ came second, ‘Payippad’ and ‘Karichal’, last year’s winner, secured the third and fourth spots respectively. Around 20 snake boats, known as chundan vallam in local parlance, took part in five heats in the event, which is held on the second Saturday of August every year. The members of the Ernakulam-based boat club dipped their oars in unison, leading the majestic Chundan (snake boat) to the finishing point, pushing fellow competitors behind.
Mairaj-Rashmmi pair bags gold at Asian Shotgun Championship
The Indian duo of Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Rashmmi Rathore eked out a narrow 28-27 win over the Chinese pair of Liu Jiangchi and Gao Jianmei. The host combination of Vladislav Mukhamediyev and Olga Panarina settled for the bronze. India finished the championship with a total of eight medals. Ankur Mittal had earlier won a gold in the men’s double trap and had also helped India bag the team gold in the event. Kynan Chenai won a bronze in the men’s trap and also partnered Shreyasi Singh to claim the trap mixed team bronze. Maheshwari Chauhan clinched a bronze in the women’s skeet, along with a team silver in the event before the men’s skeet team picked up another bronze.
Maheshwari strikes Memorable Bronze at Asian Shotgun Championship
Shooter Maheshwari Chauhan bagged a bronze medal at the Asian Shotgun Championship to earn India’s first women’s skeet individual medal at a top international competition in Astana, Kazakhstan. Maheshwari also led India to the team silver alongside compatriots Rashmmi Rathore and Saniya Sheikh.
Kang becomes first Indian to qualify for javelin throw finals
Davinder Singh Kang has become the first Indian to qualify for the final round of the javelin throw World Championships while his compatriot Neeraj Chopra crashed out in the qualification round. He had an 82.22m in his opening throw and then came up with 82.14m in his second. No Indian has ever qualified in the men’s javelin throw final round in any world championship.
Real Madrid wins 2017 UEFA Super Cup
Real Madrid has defeated Manchester United, the winners of the 2016-17 UEFA Europa League, to grab the 2017 UEFA Super Cup. Real Madrid won the match 2-1 for their fourth UEFA Super Cup title. The match was played ta the Philip II Arena in Skopje, Macedonia. It was the first UEFA final staged in the country. Real Madrid’s Isco was declared the Man of the Match.
Kynan Chenai wins bronze for India at 7th Asian Shotgun Championships
Indian shooter Kynan Chenai won a bronze in men’s trap event, his first international medal at the senior level, at the 7th Asian Championship Shotgun at Astana, Kazakhstan. He shot a score of 30 to finish behind gold medallist Abdulrahman Al Faihan of Kuwait, who shot 39 for a new Asian finals record and another Kuwati Talal Al Rashidi, who bagged the silver with an effort of 38.
Usain Bolt beaten by Justin Gatlin in Swansong 100m final
Justin Gatlin tore up Usain Bolt’s farewell script as he stole world 100m gold with the run of his long and controversial career. Bolt was left with only a bronze in his final individual 100m race as 21-year-old Christian Coleman made it a USA one-two. The 35-year-old Gatlin, twice banned for doping, came through almost unnoticed in lane seven in 9.92 seconds, with Coleman’s 9.94 holding off the greatest sprinter of all time.
Suspended Jadeja ranked No 1 Test all-rounder
Indian Cricketer Ravindra Jadeja has edged past Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan to become the number one all -ronder in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Player Rankings 2017. This honour adds to the bowler’s already existing top rank in the test bowler’s chart. Jadeja with 438 points has a seven pointer lead over Shakib who has 431 points among the all-rounders. Coming to the batting rankings, Steve Smith and Joe Root retained their positions at Number 1 and 2. India’s Cheteshwar Pujara gained a position to be at the 3rd position with 888 points, while Indian skipper Virat Kohli maintained his stand at the 5th position with 813 points.
Vijender Singh beats Maimaitiali to win WBO Oriental Super
Indian professional boxer Vijender Singh outslugged his Chinese opponent Zulpikar Maimaitiali to retain the WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight title and win the WBO Oriental Super Middleweight title. In the pro boxing bout, termed as ‘Battleground Asia’, at Mumbai, Vijender recorded a unanimous decision win over his Chinese opponent and continued his undefeated streak. It was Beijing Olympic bronze medallist’s ninth successive win in his professional career.
Los Angeles agrees to host 2028 Summer Olympics, Paris set for 2024
Los Angeles formally announced its bid for the 2028 Summer Olympics after agreeing on a deal with the Olympic organizers. This deal with Olympic organizers paves the way for Paris to host the Summer Olympics in 2024. With this Los Angeles will be hosting the games for the third time since it first hosted in 1932. It last hosted Olympics in 1984. Games in Paris, the French Capital, marks 100 years since the last tie it hosted the Games. Paris last hosted the Olympics in 1924 and had narrowly lost out to London or the right to host the 2012 Games.
Rahul, Manu-Sumeeth clinch titles at Lagos Open
Indian shuttler C Rahul Yadav and men’s doubles pair of Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy clinched the men’s singles and men’s doubles title respectively at Lagos International challenge in Nigeria. Rahul surpassed another Indian player Karan Rajan Rajarajan in the final clash to the title at the MoladeOkoya-Thomas Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium. In the doubles pair, Manu and Sumeeth, who played at the Rio Olympics, defeated local pair of Godwin Olofua and Anouluwapo Ju won Opeyori.
ECONOMY
GST Collection for First Month at Rs 92,283 Crore
The goods and services tax, GST, launched on 1 July, has got off to a good start, with collections exceeding the revenue target for the first month. According to the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, taxes worth Rs 92,283 crore were collected in July from just 64.42 per cent of the total taxpayer base. The finance minister added that even after the compensation cess is excluded, the target will still be surpassed when all taxpayers file returns.
RBI issues Rs 200 and Rs 50 notes
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued new Rs 200 and Rs 50 denomination banknotes in the Mahatma Gandhi (New) series, bearing the signature of the RBI Governor Urjit Patel. The bright yellow colored Rs 200 notes have Motif of Sanchi Stupa on the reverse, depicting the country’s cultural heritage. The note will carry the signature of RBI Governor Urjit Patel, the year of printing on the left, and the Swachh Bharat logo with the slogan. The dimension of the bank note will be 66mm X 146mm. The new denomination of Rs 50 has the motif of ‘Hampi with Chariot’ on the reverse, depicting the country’s cultural heritage.
Two RRBs Record Over Rs 150-cr Profit in FY17: RBI
Of the 56 regional rural banks (RRBs), Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank and Andhra Pragathi Grameena Bank recorded net profit of more than Rs 150 crore during 2016-17. These are among the 49 RRBs that recorded a profit in 2016-17. According to the Reserve Bank of India’s ‘Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India’, 45 of the 56 RRBs earned profits without carrying any accumulated losses during 2015-16.
FDI jumps 37% to $10.4 billion during April-June 2017
Foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country grew by 37 percent to USD 10.4 billion during the first quarter of the current fiscal. According to the figures of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), India had received USD 7.59 billion FDI during April-June 2016-17. The main sectors which attracted the highest foreign inflows include services, telecom, trading, computer hardware and software and automobile. The bulk of the FDI came in from Singapore, Mauritius, the Netherlands and Japan.
RBI to issue new Rs 50 currency note
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will shortly issue new banknotes of Rs. 50 denomination in the Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series. The base colour of the new notes will be fluorescent blue. RBI also has clarified that all banknotes in Rs. 50 denomination issued in the earlier series will continue to be legal tender. Its dimension will be 66 mm x 135 mm. It will have a motif of Hampi with Chariot on the reverse, depicting the country’s cultural heritage along with the Swachh Bharat logo, numeral 50 in devnagiri, year of printing and the language panel.
Government Slaps $264 Million Penalty on RIL
The government has imposed a new penalty of USD 264 million (about Rs 1,700 crore) on Reliance Industries Ltd and its partners for producing less than the targeted natural gas from eastern offshore KG-D6 fields in 2015-16. The Production Sharing Contract (PSC) allows RIL and its partners BP Plc of the UK and Canada’s Niko Resources to deduct all capital and operating expenses from the sale of gas before sharing profit with the government.
Indian Exports in July Grow Nearly 4 Percent over Last Year
The country’s exports grew three point nine percent in July this year (2017), on a yearly basis to 22 (point) 5 billion dollars. Exports rose due to an increase in shipments of petroleum, chemicals and marine products. The imports rose 15.4 per cent in July, to 34 billion dollars, due to a rise in inward shipments of crude oil and gold. The country’s trade deficit widened to 11.4 billion dollars during the month under review, from 7.8 billion dollars in July last year (2016). Gold import spurted 95 per cent, to 2.1 billion dollars in July. Oil imports increased 15 per cent in July.
India one of the most Open Economies Globally for FDI
According to the Economic Survey, India has now emerged as one of the most open economies in the world for receiving foreign direct investments (FDI), on the back of a host of liberalisation measures. It pointed out that measures taken by the government have resulted in FDI equity inflow of $43.4 billion in 2016-17, which is not only an increase of 8% over the previous year but also the highest ever. Mauritius, Singapore and Japan have been top three source countries of FDI inflows to India contributing 36.2%, 20% and 10.8%, respectively, during 2016-17, according to the survey.
Indian Oil Corps buys First Shale Oil from United States
State-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has bought the country’s first shale oil from the US and is looking to step up imports from America as part of its crude diversification strategy. IOC bought 1.9 million barrels of US crude in its second import tender seeking oil from the America. India, the world’s third-largest oil importer, joins Asian countries like South Korea, Japan and China to buy US crude after production cuts by Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) drove up prices of Middle East heavy-sour crude, or grades with a high sulphur content.
Hike Messenger acquires hardware Startup Creo
Homegrown messaging and social media technology company Hike Messenger has acquired Bengaluru-based tech start-up Creo for an undisclosed amount. The Creo team constitutes over 50 members and was founded in December 2013 by Sai Srinivas Kiran G and Shubham Malhotra. In the past, Creo has launched hardware products that include streaming media dongles and smartphones.
For Technical Assistance SEBI ties up with Iran Counterpart
Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) entered into a pact with its counterpart Securities & Exchange Organization (SEO) from Iran to promote technical assistance and facilitate cross-border co-operation in the area of securities regulations. It will facilitate mutual assistance, contribute towards efficient performance of the supervisory functions, and enable effective enforcement of laws and regulations governing the securities markets. The MoU was signed by SEBI chief Ajay Tyagi and SEO Iran chairman Shapour Mohammadi. SEBI has signed nearly two dozen bilateral MoUs with the regulators of various jurisdictions. The markets regulator is also a signatory to the multilateral MoU of International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO).
Indian Bank brings 2-tier Interest Rate for Savings Accounts
PSU lender Indian Bank has introduced two tier interest rate structure for saving bank accounts and will offer interest rate of 4 per cent per annum on savings account with incremental balance of over Rs 50 lakh and 3.50 per cent per annum for deposit up to Rs 50 lakh. The new interest rate will be effective from August 16, 2017. Recently, the country’s largest lender State Bank of India had slashed interest rate on savings account deposits by 50 basis points to 3.5 per on balance of Rs 1 crore and below.
RBI to pay Rs 30,659 cr dividend to Govt for 2016-17
According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), it will pay Rs 30,659 crore dividend to the government for the year ended June 30, less than half of what it paid in 2016. The central bank had in the previous year paid Rs 65,876 crore dividend to the government. RBI had in 2014-15 paid Rs 65,896 crore dividend and Rs 52,679 crore in the year prior to that. The dividend payout was less than Rs 33,010 crore in 2012-13.
PNB Introduces Biometric Attendance System
Punjab National Bank (PNB) has introduced biometric attendance in the place of the existing system of signing attendance in the attendance register. The biometric attendance system has already been integrated with the in-house human resources management system. The new system of marking attendance will be implemented in branches/offices with immediate effect. Manual attendance system will run parallel up to August 31, to streamline the process. In exceptional cases, but in no case more than three occasions in a month, an employee may be permitted a grace margin of up to 15 minutes. Reporting/exit timings will be uploaded in the HR system automatically.
BitBay launches cryptocurrency trading platform in India
BitBay, one of the top ten cryptocurrency trading platforms in the world, has launched a dedicated platform for trade and exchange of digital currencies such as bitcoin, litecoin, ether, Lisk, monero, dash and gamecredits. The company will also work towards creating awareness about digital currencies and also removing misconceptions related to these currencies in a market like India.
SoftBank Vision Fund invests in Flipkart
Flipkart Group (Flipkart), India’s leading e-commerce marketplace, has announced an investment – a mix of primary and secondary capital – from SoftBank Vision Fund (Vision Fund), the world’s largest technology-focused investment fund. This is the biggest ever private investment in an Indian technology company and will make the Vision Fund one of the largest shareholders in Flipkart. The amount is about $2 billion. The deal will provide a partial exit to Tiger Global, the New York-based investment firm, which until now was the largest and most influential investor in Flipkart.
MCX gets Sebi approval for launching gold options
The Multi Commodity Exchange Ltd (MCX), the country’s largest commodity exchange has received capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (Sebi) approval to launch options trading in gold. It will allow investors and hedgers to minimise their price risk at a fraction of cost compared to currently available futures trading.
Bajaj Auto ties up with Triumph to make mid-capacity motorcycles
Bajaj Auto and Triumph Motorcycles UK have announced a global partnership. This non-equity tie-up between Bajaj and Triumph will enable the former to build a range of mid-capacity motorcycles, building on the collective strengths of both companies. The aim of this partnership is to deliver a range of outstanding mid-capacity motorcycles. It will enable to offer a wide range of motorcycles within its domestic market and other international markets.
Hrithik Roshan signs Rs 100 crore deal with Startup Cure.Fit
Hritik Roshan has been signed as a brand ambassador by a health and wellness startup Cure.fit in a deal worth Rs 100 crore. The actor will be associated with the brand for five years. The deal also includes the actor’s equity stake in the company in lieu of cash investment, promotions and royalty from his personal brand HRX’s specialised workout plan. Cure.fit will soon be launched as a mobile app and is expected to rake in Rs 250-crore annual business in the coming years.
ICICI Bank launches instant credit cards
The country’s largest private sector lender, ICICI Bank, launched instant credit cards enabling its savings account customers to get a credit card instantly, in a completely digital and paperless manner. The bank has opened up this offering to a few lakh of pre-qualified customers who can apply for the card online and generate card details and start shopping online instantly. Currently, this facility to apply for a credit card in–a-flash is available through the Bank’s internet banking platform. It will also be available shortly on iMobile, the Bank’s mobile banking application.
IDFC Bank partners with Zeta for e-payments solution
Private sector lender IDFC Bank has partnered with digital payments company Zeta, to launch ‘IDFC Bank Benefits’. It is a payment solution for corporates that digitizes employee spends and claims, making the process simple, real-time and paperless. The end-to-end digital solution comprises an IDFC Bank Benefits Card and Zeta app which integrates the full suite of allowances and reimbursements offered by an employer into one preloaded card. Employees can also access the Benefits Card via the Zeta app on mobile or web. The Zeta app offers employees a real time view of spends, reimbursement limits and claims.
Syndicate Bank cuts lending rate by 5-10 bps
Syndicate Bank has pared its marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR) by 5-10 basis points in certain maturity buckets. MCLR for six months and one year will be 8.3 per cent (8.35 per cent now) and 8.5 per cent (8.60 per cent now), respectively, with effect from 10th August, 2017. MCLR for all other maturities have been left unchanged.
Axis Bank cuts interest rate on savings account by 50 bps points to 3.5%
Private sector lender Axis Bank reduced interest rate on savings bank accounts by 50 basis points to 3.5 per cent for deposits up to Rs 50 lakh. However, the bank will continue to pay 4 per cent interest on deposits of above Rs 50 lakh. Axis Bank is the fourth lender to reduce the interest rate after market leader State Bank of India (SBI) begun the process of reducing interest rate on savings account. On 31 July, 2017, SBI slashed interest rate on savings account deposits by 50 basis points to 3.5% on balance of Rs1 crore and below.
Netflix Made its ‘First Ever’ Acquisition with Millarworld purchase
Online entertainment platform Netflix announced that it has acquired Millarworld, a comic book company. The acquisition was the first ever by Netflix. Together, the two companies will bring Millarworld’s portfolio of character franchises to life through films, series and children’s shows available exclusively to Netflix members. Millarworld was founded in 2004 by Scottish comic book writer Mark Millar who has created characters and stories like Kick-Ass, Kingsman, and Old Man Logan.
Customers of PNB to pay higher charges for non-credit services
Come September, PNB customers will have to pay charges for depositing cash above Rs. 5,000 in a non-base branch even if it is located in the same city. Currently, the customers of Punjab National Bank have levied charges only for depositing cash over Rs. 25,000 at a non-base branch within the same city. It has been decided to revise the non-credit related charges (exclusive of GST) with effect from September 1st, 2017 for cash deposit above Rs. 5,000 at other than base branch within the same city. A customer will have to pay Re 1 per Rs 1,000 for above Rs 5,000 cash deposit or part thereof with a minimum of Rs 25 per transaction. At an outstation branch, cash deposit up to Rs 5,000 will be free of cost from September 1, which at present is limited for Rs 25,000.
Iran signs its biggest-ever car deal with France’s Renault
Iran’s official news agency says two Iranian companies have signed the country’s biggest-ever car deal with French multinational automobile manufacturer Group Renault to produce 150,000 cars, beginning in 2018. The Euro €660 million or $778 million deal follows the lifting of international sanctions after Iran’s 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers. It’s expected to create about 3,000 jobs for the two companies, Iran’s IDRO and the privately owned Negin Group. Renault has a 60% partnership in the deal.
Mastercard, PayPal expand partnership into Asia Pacific
Mastercard and PayPal have announced an extension of their partnership into Asia Pacific for making MasterCard a clear payment option within PayPal. PayPal will add Mastercard as a payment method to their e-wallet and consumers can make it their default payment option. Card Company will provide tokenization services and will enable mobile payments using PayPal’s digital wallet at more than 6.5 million contactless-enabled merchant locations across the globe. The partnership will also add Master pass as a payment option for merchants that process payments via Braintree. The partnership will allow consumers and small businesses across Asia Pacific to cash ou t funds held in their PayPal e-wallet to a Mastercard debit card.
Kotak Bank’s New Forex Service
Kotak Mahindra Bank has launched Kotak Remit – an Aadhaar-based integrated outward forex remittance solution for both customers and non-customers. The 24×7 forex remittance service offers a completely paperless process that enables users to register online using Aadhaar and PAN numbers, and initiate remittances instantly.
L&T bags Rs 3375-crore Mauritius metro order
Engineering conglomerate Larsen & Tourbo in August 2017 has announced Rs 3375 crore (18.8 Bn MUR) worth metro order from the Mauritius government to design and build an Integrated Light Rail-based Urban Transit System in the African island nation. The projects will be fully funded through a grant by Union Government and line of credit.
MobiKwik Partners Bajaj Finance for Larger Financial Services Pie
Mobile wallet major MobiKwik has entered into a strategic partnership with Bajaj Finance to transform itself into a financial services app from a payments app at present. Under this partnership, Bajaj Finance has picked up 10.83 per cent equity stake in MobiKwik for about Rs 225 crore and offer its lending (purchase finance, credit card, mortgage loans and personal loans) and insurance products to be sold through the MobiKwik app.
MCX inks MoU with Mahindra Agri for data on farm pricing
Multi Commodity Exchange of India Limited (MCX) and Mahindra Agri Solutions Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Mahindra and Mahindra, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide agriculture related price information. This information would be available on their recently launched mobile application- ‘MyAgriGuru’, which is available for free on Google play store. This MoU would enhance the decision-making ability of the farmers further. To start with, MCX will be providing price information, open interest information, spot price, future price and derived data (analytics) for all the agri commodities namely – CPO (crude palm oil), cotton, cardamom and mentha oil.
Patanjali Team ties Up With FB, Google for Digital Push
Patanjali Ayurved Ltd., the herbal products manufacturer founded by yoga guru Baba Ramdev collaborates with Google and Facebook, Patanjali is for the first time investing in advertisements tailored for online audiences. By June, views for Patanjali on YouTube climbed to 15 crore from 30 lakh, according to the official. Searches for Patanjali products on Google have gone up 11 times in the past four years and three-fold over the past three years. The live interactions, promotional campaigns, and reducing the 30-second ad duration to six seconds for the Facebook audience paid off for the company as it received more than 80 per cent favourable response from the youths in Karnataka, Odisha, and Punjab.
Karnataka Bank to offer 5% for savings bank deposits over Rs 1 cr
Karnataka Bank has raised interest rates on savings bank account for large balance above Rs 1 crore to 5% while for small balances below Rs 1 lakh, the bank has reduced it to 3%. Earlier the private bank was charging 4% irrespective of the amount in the account. Karnataka Bank has said that the bank will offer 4% on deposits in savings account between Rs 50 lakhs and Rs 1 crore. For deposits between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50 lakhs, the bank will offer 3.5%. The reduction in rate will be with immediate effect.
Airtel-Telenor receive NCLT nod for proposed merger
The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has approved the proposed merger between Bharti Airtel and Telenor India. Bharti Airtel in June received nod from the Competition Commission of India (CCI), Securities & Exchange Board of India (Sebi), BSE and the National Stock Exchange of India. Airtel would take over its spectrum in all seven circles – Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat, UP (East), UP (West) and Assam. It would also acquire its licences and operations, including its employees and customer base of 44 million. It will also enable Airtel to bolster its spectrum footprint in the seven circles, with the addition of 43.4 MHz spectrum in the 1800 MHz band.
FB Acquires AI Asst Startup Ozlo to Make Messenger Smarter
To build out a more elaborate personal assistant for the Messenger users, Facebook has acquired an artificial intelligence (AI) startup Ozlo that specialises in understanding text-based conversations. Ozlo claims that its virtual assistants can understand and provide answers to questions which do not have simple “yes” or “no” answers. Ozlo has raised $14 million from a number of investors, including Greylock. The start-up has 30 employees, majority of which will be joining Messenger in Facebook’s offices in either Menlo Park, California or Seattle, Washington.
Airtel Payments Bank, HPCL tie-up for digital payments
Airtel Payments Bank, India’s first payments bank has announced a strategic partnership with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL). There are around 14,000 HPCL fuel stations will act as banking points for Airtel Payments Bank. It also offers facilities such as the opening of the account, cash deposit and cash withdrawal to the payment bank’s customers. These cashless payments can be made by smart phones (MyAirtel App).
RBI cuts key policy rate by 25 basis points to 6%
On the basis of an assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation at its meeting, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), headed by Urijit Patel, decided to reduce the Policy Repo Rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points from 6.25 per cent to 6.0 per cent with immediate effect. Consequently, the reverse repo rate under the LAF stands adjusted to 5.75 per cent, and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to 6.25 per cent.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
IIT Researchers develops bioartificial implantable pancreas
Researchers from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have successfully created an implantable bioartificial pancreas model grown within 3D silk scaffold. The bioartificial pancreas encapsulates insulin-producing beta cells, capable of naturally producing insulin in sustained manner. If successful in animal and human trials, it can be used for treating people with Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes arises when the body’s immune system kills the insulin-producing beta cells.
NASA’s WINDY Mission to create white artificial clouds that glow in night
A NASA rocket mission named “WINDY” will form night-time white artificial clouds visible by residents of the Republic of the Marshall Islands during two rocket flights between 29 August 2017 and 9 September 2017. The Waves and Instabilities from a Neutral Dynamo (WINDY) Mission will study a phenomenon that occurs in the Ionosphere, a layer of charged particles in the upper atmosphere.
IIT Researchers develop biosensor to detect kidney disorders
Researchers from Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), Bombay and Indore, have jointly developed a biosensor that makes it possible to detect kidney disorders in less than eight minutes. The biosensor can accurately measure both the pH and urea concentration with a single drop of urine. It will help make a point-of-care test to determine whether the kidneys are functioning normally.
Nasikabatrachus bhupathi: New frog species with pig face discovered
Indian scientists have discovered Nasikabatrachus bhupathi, a new species of frog that has a snout-shaped nose, just like a pig in West Ghats. It has been named after the Indian herpetologist S. Bhupathy. Nasikabatrachus bhupathi species show comparisons with the Purple frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis) which was discovered in 2003 in Seychelles. Nasikabatrachus bhupathi is soiled-dwelling species of purple frog. It inhabits the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats, near the Srivilliputhur Grizzled Giant Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. It differs from the Purple frog morphologically and acoustically. It is dark brown in colour and each of its calls consists of four distinct pulses while the Purple frog pauses once between its three-pulse-call.
Indian student develops Nano Missile for Indian Army
Dacharla Panduranga Rohith, a student of Chennai’s SRM University was recognised by World Records of India for developing a nano missile. The basic prototype of the missile was tested in the presence of Assistant Commissioner of Police Ramapuram in Chennai and the video was submitted to World Record of India for recognition in July 2017. He developed the missile for the Indian Army and local police in fighting terrorism. The missile was developed for launch through a robot. This 1 cm nano missile can fly by burning the red phosphorus, and hit the target of three metres distance.
Scientists discover new therapy to prevent sepsis in new born babies
A team of scientists from US have discovered an inexpensive prevention technique (therapy) against sepsis in new born babies. The team was led by US-based Indian doctor Dr Pinaki Panigrahi. The therapy has been found to reduce the risk of sepsis infection by 40% in trials and it can be inexpensive –less than one dollar for a course. Each year globally, more than 600,000 infants die of sepsis most of them in developing countries. In India, more than a quarter of neonatal deaths are due to sepsis. In a significant number of these cases, the infection probably begins in the gut.
Android Oreo released by Google
Keeping up its tradition of naming its Android upgrades with delectable desserts, Google has launched its version 8.0 of the operating system as Android Oreo. The Oreo boasts of a two times faster boot speed, autofill option, and a longer battery life. The new update comes with a Picture-in-Picture feature that allows the user to see two apps simultaneously.
Scientists discover new state of matter
Scientists Los Alamos National Laboratory, US have discovered a potential new state of matter that may help explain phenomena like superconductivity. It was discovered in the high-magnetic-field state of the heavy fermion superconductor CeRhIn5. Heavy fermions are intermetallic compounds, containing rare earth or actinide elements.
NASA Launches Satellite to Help Astronauts Talk to Earth
NASA launched the latest in a series of satellites aimed at ensuring astronauts at the International Space Station can communicate with Earth. The $408 million Boeing-made Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-M) soared into space atop an Atlas V rocket that launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The satellite will support critical space communication into the mid-2020s. TDRS-M is the last of 13 such satellites that have been launched since 1983.
Japan launches Michibiki No. 3 satellite for better GPS System
Japan launched the Michibiki No. 3 satellite of its new quasi-zenith satellites to improve the global positioning system (GPS) navigation services in the country. The satellite was launched aboard an H-IIA rocket, which blasted from the Tanegashima space centre in southern Japan, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The Michibiki system is aimed at improving the accuracy of car navigation systems and smartphone maps to mere centimetres.
Two new species of Earthworm discovered in Kerala
Scientists have discovered two new species of earthworm belonging to the primitive family Moniligastridae in Western Ghats ranges of Kerala. The new earthworms distinguished by a set of characters have been named as Drawida polydiverticulata and Drawida thomasi. In total, there are about 200 species of earthworm known in genus Drawida. To date, there are 73 earthworm species belonging to genus Drawida living in Indian subcontinent. The greatest concentration (43 species) is found in Western Ghats.
Scientists develops artificial womb to save premature babies
Scientists have developed an artificial womb that can be used in future to save the lives of extremely premature human babies. It was successfully used to incubate healthy baby lambs for a week. The research showed that preterm lambs were successfully maintained in a healthy, infection-free condition with significant growth, for a period of one week using ex-vivo uterine environment (EVE) therapy.
Scientists discover 91 volcanoes underneath Antarctica
A group of scientists have uncovered the largest volcanic region on earth, only two kilometres underneath the surface of the vast ice sheet that covers west Antarctica. A paper published by a research team from Edinburgh University revealed that there are 91 volcanoes under the ice sheets in the west of Antarctica. These are in addition to the 47 already known in the region. The largest volcano stands at almost 4000 metres, which is taller than Aoraki Mount Cook (3724 metres tall), Which is New Zealand’s highest peak.
Scientists develop world’s first plant-based Zika vaccine
Scientists from US have developed the world’s first plant-based Zika vaccine that may be more effective, safer and cheaper than other vaccines against the mosquito-borne Zika virus. The vaccine was developed using proteins derived from Tobacco plant. Currently, there are no licensed vaccines or therapeutics available to combat Zika.
Canara Bank unveils two new Digital Services
Canara Bank unveiled two new digital services for online payments. Bharat QR (Quick Response) is for payment settlement at merchant locations and Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) is an integrated bill payment system for net banking customers. The first service is a mobile application, which enables a merchant to accept payments as settlement for sale of goods or services. The second product (BBPS), an initiative of the RBI offers bill payment services to the bank’s net banking customers with network of agents.
Facebook launches ‘Watch’ for original TV content
In an apparent bid to take on Google-owned YouTube, Facebook has rolled out ‘Watch’, a redesigned video platform for creators and publishers. Watch is a platform for all creators and publishers to find an audience, build a community of passionate fans, and earn money for their work. It is personalized to one in discovering new shows, organized around what your friends and communities are watching.
US Scientists develop micropropulsion system based on liquid water
Engineers from Purdue University in US have designed and tested a micropropulsion system called a Film-Evaporation MEMS Tunable Array (FEMTA) thruster that uses liquid water as the propellant for orbital maneuvering of tiny satellites called CubeSats. CubeSats are basically miniature satellites which typically weigh around two kilograms. In the future, they have potential to carry out tasks like imaging and remote-sensing currently performed by the heavier satellites which are expensive to build and launch. CubeSats at present cannot totally replace their larger counterparts as they are incapable of changing orbit or performing complex manoeuvres as they do not have a propulsion system. If CubeSats would be having system would allow such tiny satellites to correct their orbit or maintain their altitude, thereby prolonging their operating life in space before becoming space debris.
NASA’s Hubble detects Exoplanet with glowing water atmosphere
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has discovered the strongest evidence to date for a stratosphere on a planet outside our solar system, WASP-121b. The stratosphere is a layer of atmosphere in which temperature increases with higher altitudes. The discovery was made by an International team of researchers led by the the University of Exeter by observing glowing water molecules in WASP-121b’s atmosphere.
IIT Delhi researchers develops new nanotechnology-based drug delivery system
An all-women team of researchers from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has developed a new drug delivery platform using nanoparticles. The nanotechnology-based drug delivery system has ability to boost the efficacy of antibiotics at the cellular level and improve chances of recovery from cancer-related bacterial infections. The nanoconjugate was able to kill 50% of bacteria at much lower concentration (400 nM) while the free peptide’s antibacterial activity was not significant at the same concentration.
IISc researchers develop low-cost, sensitive CO sensor
Indian Institute of Science (IISc) researchers from Bengaluru have developed a highly sensitive , low cost nanometre-scale carbon monoxide (CO) sensor, with potential applications in environmental pollution monitoring. The sensor was eveloped using novel fabrication technique that does not involve costly and time consuming lithography technology. Carbon Monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas. It is harmful when inhaled in large amounts. The greatest source of CO is internal combustions (IC) engines of cars, trucks and other vehicles or machinery that burn fossil fuels.
First Environmental Research Satellite ‘Venus’ launched by Israel
Venus’, the first Israeli satellite for environmental research was launched from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The satellite is a joint effort by the Israel Space Agency and the French Space Agency (CNES). The satellite was built in Israel Aerospace Industries. Venus is considered the smallest satellite of its kind in the world. It is crafted to survey and monitor large areas to study soil, vegetation, forests, agriculture, water and air quality and other aspects of the environment.
ISRO, NASA working towards completion of NISAR mission by 2021
The Indian Space Research Organistaion (ISRO) is working along with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to co-develop and launch a dual frequency synthetic aperture radar satellite in the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission 2021. The satellite will be the first radar imaging satellite to use dual frequency and it is planned to be used for remote sensing purposes, to observe and understand natural processes of the Earth. In the joint mission, NASA and Jet Propulsion Laboratory will be responsible for the design & development of L-band SAR, a 12m unfurlable antenna & its deployment elements, GPS system and data recorder. ISRO will be responsible for the design & development of S-ban SAR, Spacecraft Bus, data transmission system, Spacecraft integration & testing, launch using GSLV and on-orbit operations.
Indian Army develops Humraaz app for soldiers to track promotions, postings
The Indian Army has developed a mobile application named Humraaz. The app will allow serving soldiers to track details like postings and promotions. Report suggest thst an army official has that through the app ‘Humraaz’, soldiers can aloso view their monthly slips and the Form 16 and also download them. The mobile app has been developed in-house by the Army and will be launched in the second week of August 2017. The app will allow prompt communication of information to junior commissioned officers and other personnel. For security reasons, the installation of the application has been linked to verification of Aadhaar details.
Historic discovery, Sun’s Core rotates four times faster than its surface
A team of researchers have recently made a historic discovery of solar seismic waves which reveals that Sun’s core is rotating four times faster than its surface. The researchers made the calculations using 16 years of observations from an instrument called GOLF (Global Osciallations at Low Frequency) on a spacecraft called Solar and Heliospheric bservatory (SOHO). SOHO is a joint project of the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. The method was developed by a team of researchers led by astronomer Eric Fossat.
Human Embryos edited to stop disease
For the first time, an international team of scientists have dicovered a way to successfully edit/ free embryos of a piece of faulty DNA that causes deadly heart disease in families. The process named as CRISPR, was completed without introducing any harmful mutations, which was a problem in previous attempts. In short, CRISPR is a gene-editing technique which allows scientists to insert, remove and correct DNA within a cell with pinpoint precision.
Research says Chemical from turmeric helps treat cancer in children
A group of scientists in the U.S. discovered that curcumin, the bioactive component of turmeric, holds the power to treat cancer in children. Researchers at Nemours Children’s Hospital and the University of Central Florida (UCF) found that nanoparticles loaded with curcumin can target and destroy neuroblastoma tumour cells. In the study conducted by the researchers, curcumin was attached to cerium oxide nanoparticles and then tested the nano-curcumin formulation in cell lines of a high-risk form of neuroblastoma.
PERSONS IN NEWS
A). APPOINTMENTS
PV Sindhu, First Brand Ambassador for Bridgestone India
Badminton ace PV Sindhu, who recently won Silver at the World Championship, was appointed the first brand ambassador of tyre maker Bridgestone India. The shuttler has signed a three year deal with Bridgestone India, a subsidiary of Bridgestone which is one of the sponsors for the Olympics 2020 in Japan. The Padma Shri recipient became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal in the Olympic Games Rio 2016.
Rajiv Gauba Takes Over as Union Home Secretary
Mr. Rajiv Gauba took over as Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of Home Affairs. Mr. Gauba joined the Ministry of Home Affairs as Officer on Special Duty on June 27, 2017 and took charge as the Union Home Secretary upon the superannuation of Shri Rajiv Mehrishi. Mr. Gauba also served in the International Monetary Fund representing the country for four years on the Board of IMF.
R.K. Raghavan is New High Commissioner of India to Cyprus
According to the External Affairs Ministry, Former CBI Director R.K. Raghavan has been appointed High Commissioner to Cyprus. His specialization is cybersecurity. He had been CBI Director from January 1999 to April 2001. The Supreme Court appointed him head of the Anti-Ragging Monitoring Committee in 2006.
Indian Hotels Company appoints Puneet Chhatwal as MD and CEO
Tata group hospitality firm Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) has appointed Duetsche Hospitality chief executive Puneet Chhatwal as its Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He will take over from incumbent Rakesh Sarna, who is stepping down on 30 September. Before he joined IHCL, Sarna was the group president – Americas of Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
Mohammad Mustafa takes charge as SIDBI chairman
Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) said Mohammad Mustafa has assumed office as the chairman and managing director. Prior to this, Mustafa was working as joint secretary in the department of financial services at the Centre. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment for a period of three years, according to a Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) order.
Dara Khosrowshahi appointed as CEO of Uber Technologies Inc
Dara Khosrowshahi was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Uber Technologies Inc. His appointment was approved by the Uber Board. Prior to this appointment, Khosrowshahi was served as the Chief Executive Officer of travel company Expedia Inc. He succeeds Travis Kalanick, Uber’s co-founder who was expelled as CEO in June 2017 after shareholders representing about 40 per cent of the company’s voting power signed a letter asking him to resign amid growing concern over his behaviour.
Justice Dipak Misra sworn in as 45th Chief Justice of India
Justice Dipak Misra was sworn in as the 45th Chief Justice of India (CIJ). He was administered the oath of office by President Ram Nath Kovind. Justice Misra will retire on 2 October 2018. Justice Misra succeeds Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar who demitted office on 27 August 2017. With this, Misra became the third from Odisha to assume charge as the Chief Justice of India (CIJ). The other two were Justice Ranganath Misra and Justice G B Pattanaik.
Tata Sons appoints Roopa as Chief Economist & Head of Policy Advocacy
Tata Sons appointed Roopa Purushothaman as Chief Economist and Head of Policy Advocacy to drive macro-economic research as well as all policy and advocacy initiatives as relevant to the businesses of the salt-to-software conglomerate. Purushothaman joins Tata Sons from Everstone Capital, where she was leading the research function. Before that, she was with Goldman Sachs International as Vice President & Global Economist. She will join the group with effect from 1st September 2017.
Dharmendra Kumar appointed Director General of RPF
CISF ADG Dharmendra Kumar has been appointed as Director General of the Railway Protection Force. Kumar, who is a 1984 batch IPS officer of Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre, took charge. After the retirement of S K Bhagat in June 2017, the additional charge of DG, RPF, was being handled by National Security Guard (NSG) DG, Sudhir Pratap Singh. Kumar will retire on September 30, 2018.
Nandan Nilekani appointed as Chairman of Infosys Board
Nandan Nilekani was appointed as the Non-Executive Chariman of Infosys Board, returning to the company ten years after he stepped down as its Chief Executive Officer. The decision in this regard was taken at the meeting of the Board of Directors of Infosys. Meanwhile, UB Pravin Rao will continue to serve as the interim CEO and MD at Infosys. Nilekani’s appointments came amid high-level exists from the company as CEO Vishal Sikka, Chairman of the board R Seshasayee and Co-Chair Ravi Venkatesan resigned from the Infosys board.
Union Govt names Rajiv Bansal as CMD of Air India
The Union Government has named Rajiv Bansal, additional secretary and financial advisor in the Petroleum Ministry, as interime CMD of Air India Ltd. The decision came after the previous Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani was appointed as the Chairman of the Railway Board. Bansal is a 1988 batch IAS officer.
Ajay Vipin Nanavati is New Syndicate Bank Chairman
Ajay Vipin Nanavati was appointed as the chairman of Syndicate Bank. The appointments committee of the cabinet has approved his appointment as non-official director/non-executive chairman of Syndicate Bank for three years. In 2015, the government had bifurcated the posts of chairman and managing directors in public sector banks. While the chairman became responsible for overall policy directions, the managing director and chief executive officer became the executive head, accountable for day-to-day functioning of the bank.
O Pannerselvam sworn in as Dy CM of Tamil Nadu
O Pannerselvam was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister (CM) of Tamil Nadu, following the much speculated merger of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) factions. He was administered oath by Governor Vidyasagar Rao at Raj Bhavan. Meanwhile, Edappadi Palaniswamy will continue to stay on as the Chief Minister of the state. Pannerselvam is tasked to look after Finance of the State besides Housing, Rural Housing and Housing Development, Slum Clearance Board and Accommodation Control, Town Planning, Urban Development and CMDA.
Nikolay Kudashev appointed Russia’s new ambassador to India
Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed career diplomat Nikolay Kudashev as Russia’s new ambassador to India. Kudashev, a specialist in South East Asia, is currently the Deputy Director General Secretariat of the Ministry of foreign Affairs of Russia. The appointment of Kudashev comes nearly seven months after the death of Russia’s previous ambassador to India Alexander Kdakin. Kudashev was the Russian Ambassador to Micronesia and the Marshall Islands in 2014-2015.
Sri Lanka Appoints First Tamil Navy Chief After Four Decades
Rear Admiral Travis Sinniah appointed as the chief of Sri Lanka’s naval forces to head the Navy since the brutal civil war erupted in the country 45 years ago. He succeeds Vice Admiral Ravi Wijegunaratne got retired. He got appointed as the Navy Chief by President Maithripala Sirisena.
Mamta Suri Takes Charge as Executive Director of IBBI
Dr. Mamta Suri took charge as Executive Director of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) in New Delhi. Before joining IBBI, Dr. Suri was serving as Chief General Manager, Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India (IRDAI). She has also received Honorary membership for High Scholastic Achievement from USA.
Neymar Becomes Goodwill Ambassador for Disabled
World’s Most expensive player Neymar became the Goodwill Ambassador for Handicap International, pledging to work for millions who are “less visible” but deserve equality. The charity was founded in 1982 to assist 6,000 Cambodian refugees who had lost limbs and later co-founded the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) in 1992 which won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Sohail Mahmood- Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India
Sohail Mahmood has assumed the charge of Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India in New Delhi. Mahmood, who joined foreign service in 1985, was earlier deputed in Turkey as Ambassador of Pakistan. He replaced Abdul Basit after his premature retirement.
KVB appoints P R Seshadri as MD & CEO
Karur Vysya Bank Ltd has informed BSE that the Reserve Bank of India has accorded their approval for the appointment of Shri P R Seshadri as Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of the Bank for a period of three years from the date of his taking charge. He has replaced K Venkataraman.
P B Balaji named Tata Motors New CFO
Tata Motors announced the appointment of P B Balaji as the new Chief Financial Officer, Tata Motors Group from November 2017 replacing C R Ramakrishnan, the current CFO who retires by September 30, having already served a several extensions. Having started his career with Unilever in 1995 and worked in different corporate finance roles across Asian markets, Switzerland, UK and India, Balaji is very well oriented in global finance stream with over two decades of experience in the corporate sector. Since 2014, Balaji has been heading the finance function as the Chief Financial Officer of Hindustan Unilever.
Santosh Sharma appointed Hindustan Copper CMD
Santosh Sharma has appointed as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Hindustan Copper Ltd (HCL). He is currently Director (Operations) in the same company. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved his appointment to the post for a period of five years, an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
Emandi Sankara Rao appointed MD & CEO of IFCI
IFCI Ltd, a government company, is set to have a new Managing Director & CEO in Emandi Sankara Rao, who is currently Chief General Manager at India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL). The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has given its nod for the Department of Financial Services (DFS) proposal to appoint Emandi Sankara Rao as Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of IFCI Ltd. Rao’s appointment will be valid for three years. Rao is also currently a director and chief executive officer at IIFCL Asset Management Company Ltd.
Prasar Bharati CEO given additional charge of Rajya Sabha TV
Shashi Shekhar Vempati, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at public broadcaster Prasar Bharati has been appointed as the chief of Rajya Sabha TV. Rajya Sabha TV is owned and operated by Rajya Sabha and covers the proceedings of the upper house of the Parliament. Prasar Bharati runs Doordarshan television and All India Radio. Vempati will replace Gurdeep Singh Sappal who has been serving as the CEO and editor-in-chief of Rajya Sabha TV since 2011. Sappal, also the officer on special duty to the vice-president of India, resigned earlier in July.
David Rasquinha Appointed as Exim Bank MD
David Rasquinha, who is currently Deputy Managing Director of Exim Bank of India, has been appointed as Managing Director of the bank. This appointment will be valid for a period of three years. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has given its nod for the elevation of Rasquinha to the post of Managing Director, official sources said. A formal order in this regard is expected from the Department of Financial Services in the Finance Ministry in the next few days.
I V Subba Rao appointed secretary to Venkaiah Naidu
Retired IAS officer I V Subba Rao has appointed the secretary to Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu. The Prime Minister’s Office cleared the appointment a day on which Naidu assumed charge as the 13th vice president of the country. N Yuvaraj, Andhra Pradesh cadre IAS officer of 2006 batch, will be the private secretary to Naidu. Rao, a 1979 batch IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, retired from service as special chief secretary last year. He held several important posts in Andhra Pradesh and later served the UNESCO.
Milkha Singh appointed WHO’s ambassador for physical activity
Sprint legend Milkha Singh has been appointed as the World Health Organisation’s goodwill ambassador for physical activity in South-East Asia Region (SEAR). As WHO goodwill ambassador, Singh, also known as ‘the Flying Sikh’, will promote WHO SEAR’s non-communicable diseases (NCDs) prevention and control action plan which seeks to reduce the level of insufficient physical activity by 10 per cent and NCDs by 25 per cent by 2025.
Vinay Dube appointed Jet Airways CEO
Jet Airways India Ltd named Vinay Dube as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Jet Airways has been without a full-time CEO since Cramer Ball quit in February 2016. Mr. Dube is currently senior vice president, Asia Pacific with Delta Air Lines Inc., one of the world’s largest and most profitable airlines. Dube has served in various roles at Delta Airlines, Sabre Inc and American Airlines in the USA, Europe and Asia.
Dilip Asbe appointed as Acting Chief Executive of NPCI
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has appointed Dilip Asbe to act as its chief executive officer in the wake of the retirement of A. P. Hota, its founding managing director. Hota who had served as the MD of NPCI since its inception retired recently. Asbe who currently serves as the organisations’ chief operating officer will continue in the same designation, but will also act as the chief executive of NPCI.
Venkaiah Naidu sworn in as the 13th Vice President of India
M. Venkaiah Naidu was sworn in as the 13th Vice President of India at Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi. President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath to 68-year-old Naidu at a grand ceremony. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader defeated opposition candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, by more than 270 votes in the vice-presidential election held on 5 August. Naidu succeeds Hamid Ansari, who finished his decade-long tenure as the vice president and Rajya Sabha chairman. He was born on 1st July 1949 in Chavatapalem, a village in the Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh. Before nomination to vice-president post, Venkaiah Naidu was Union Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Information and Broadcasting Minister under the Narendra Modi government. Naidu is also the founder of Swarna Bharath Trust, a social service organization.
Justice Dipak Misra to be next Chief Justice of India
Justice Dipak Misra, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, was appointed as the next Chief Justice of India. An official notification announcing 63-year-old Misra’s appointment was issued by the law ministry. He will be replacing incumbent Justice J S Khehar, who is set to retire on August 27. It was Khehar who had recommended Misra’s name to succeed him as the next Chief Justice of India.
Indian American appointed US Dy Comptroller For Minority Affairs
Indian American Dilip Chauhan has been appointed as the Deputy Comptroller for Minority Affairs in New York’s Nassau county. He was nominated for the post by Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos. Chauhan had joined the Comptroller’s office in 2015 as Director for Community Affairs, South and East Asia. He has served as senior advisor to the Comptroller since early 2017.
PIO named Canada’s consul general in San Francisco
Rana Sarkar, an Indo-Canadian entrepreneur, has been appointed Canada’s consul general in San Francisco as well as a member of the Canadian official team tasked with renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the US and Mexico. Sarkar was till recently national director for high growth markets at the Toronto-based multi-national KPMG. Sarkar is part of a 13-member group tasked with helping Canada navigate the renegotiation of NAFTA.
Aparna appointed as Executive Director of World Bank
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed senior IAS officer from Gujarat S. Aparna as Executive Director of the World Bank. At the World Bank, she will represent the constituency of India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka for three years. She will replace Subhash Garg, who was recently appointed Economic Affairs Secretary, Union Ministry of Finance. Aparna is 1988-batch IAS officer, currently prinicipal Secretary to Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. Besides, she also has senior positions in Gujarat such as Economic Affairs, Surat Municipal Commissioner and Joint secretary, Urban Development at centre.
Economist Rajiv Kumar is NITI Aayog’s new Vice-Chief
Noted economist Rajiv Kumar will be the next Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog, which is a think-tank that replaced the Planning Commission. He will succeed Arvind Panagariya, who had recently quit as Vice Chairman of Niti Aayog. Meanwhile, the Centre has also appointed Vinod Paul, a Paediatrician at AIIMS, as a member of NITI Aayog.
Prabhat Kumar as the Next Ambassador to The Republic of Kazakhstan
Shri Prabhat Kumar, (IFS 1991), presently Ambassador of India to Colombia has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Kazakhstan. Prabhat Kumar was Director General, in-charge of the Energy Security and Investment and Technology Promotion Division in the Ministry of External Affairs Kumar was earlier posted to the Permanent Mission of India to the conference of disarmament in Geneva. He also served in the Indian Embassies of Nepal, Croatia and Spain.
Akshay Kumar is Brand Ambassador for Swachh Bharat Mission in UP
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced the appointment of Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar as the brand ambassador of the Swachh Bharat Mission in the state. The chief minister also announced to make the film tax-free in the state. The chief minister also released the film’s toilet anthem, ‘Karle Toilet Ka Jugar’, which has been sung by the actor himself. The movie stresses on the importance of building toilets and ending open defecation in the country.
Devendra Chawla appointed EVP and COO of Walmart India
Wal-Mart India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of US-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc., has appointed Devendra Chawla as chief operating officer and executive vice president. Chawla had last month resigned from Future Consumer, a part of Kishore Biyani-led Future Group, where he was the CEO. Devendra will lead merchandising, marketing, and omni channel functions for Walmart India’s cash and carry business.
Mohammad Mustafa appointed as CMD of SIDBI
Senior bureaucrat Mohammad Mustafa was appointed as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI). His appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) for a period of three years. Prior to this appointment, Mustafa was working as a Joint Secretary in Department of Financial services. Mustafa is 1995 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre.
Hemant Narayan Bhagwat appointed Air Officer-in-charge Administration of IAF
Air Marshal Hemant Narayan Bhagwat took over as Air Officer-in-Charge Administration (AOA) of Indian Air Force at Air Headquarters in New Delhi. Air Marshal Bhagwat, the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and Vayu Sena Medal (VM) awardee, was commissioned in Administrative branch of the Indian Air force in June 1981. Prior to assuming the appointment of AOA, he served as the Director General (Works & Ceremonials) at Air HQ. He was commissioned by Chief of Air Staff in 1999 and was awarded Vayu Sena Medal by the President of India in 2005 for his contribution to paratrooping field.
US Senate confirms appointment of three Indian Americans
Three Indian-Americans picked by President Donald Trump have been cnfirmed by the US Senate to key governmental posts. While Neil Chatterjee was confirmed as the member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), a body that oversees electricity, natural gas and oil at the national level, Vishal Amin got confirmed as the Intellectual Property (IP) Enforcement Coordination in the Trump administration. The third Indian- American to get confirmed to a key governmental position was Krishna R Urs, who was confirmed as the US Ambassador to Peru.
SEBI approves Dhirendra Swarup as BSE chairman
SEBI has approved the appointment of Dhirendra Swarup as the chairman of the board of directors of the BSE. Dhirendra Swarup, who was a public interest director at the BSE, replaces incumbent Sudhakar Rao. Swarup, former Chairman of the Pension Funds Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), has more than four decades of experience across finance, budgeting, public debt management, public policy and pension reforms. Besides, he was the chairman of the Cash and Debt Management Committee of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) from 2000 to 2003. He was the government nominee director on the board of Sebi for three years and on a public sector bank for five years.
Punjab Govt to appoint cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur as DSP
The Punjab State government has initiated the process of appointing Indian all-rounder cricketer, Harmanpreet Kaur to the post of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in the state police. The Young star, whose astounding knock of 171 against Australia in the semi-finals steered India into the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 final, said that it was her childhood dream to work with the state police. Kaur met Chief Minister Amarinder Singh who directed the State Director General f Police (DGP) Suresh Arora to complete the necessary formalities for her appointment. Kaur had scored 171 not out from 115 balls in the semi-final against Australia, one of her best innings till date.
Hassan Rouhani sworn in as Iran’s President for 2nd term
Hassan Rouhani was officially sworn in as the President of Irn for a second term. Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei gave his official approval for Rouhani’s appointment by giving him a decree to assign him his duties. Rouhani will administer the oth before the parliament on 5 August 2017 and before that, he has to present his cabinet before the parliament for a vote of confidence. As per Iran’s Election Law, a president-elect is required to get the Leader’s approval before being sworn-in before the Parliament. Rouhani won the re-election in May 2017, after securing 57 per cent of the votes and defeating his main contender Ebrahim Raeisi.
Payback announces Gautam Kaushik as new CEO
Payback India has appointed Gautam Kaushik as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Gautam Kaushik will spearhead the India operations and lead all the critical business areas including Strategic Business Planning and Development, Partner Management & Acquisitions and Customer Engagement. Prior to joining PAYBACK, Gautam was working with American Express (AMEX) as Vice President (VP) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
O’Neill re-elected Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea
Peter O’Neill has been re-elected prime minister of Papua New Guinea by a newly elected parliament. He is the leader of the People’s National Congress and represents the constituency of Ialibu-Pangia. Peter O’Neill won the parliamentary vote 60 to 46. The election has been widely criticized because thousands of voters were excluded and there were blazing abuses of the electoral process.
US Senate confirms Christopher Wray as FBI Director
The US Senate has confirmed the appointment of Christopher Wray as the Director of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Wray was elected to the post by winning 92-5 votes of the Senate. With this, Wray succeeds James Comey, who was unexpectedly fired by President Donald Trump in May 2017 in the midst of the investigation into Russian meddling in US Presidential Elections 2016. Since then, Andrew McCabe has been serving as acting FBI director. Wray, a former high-ranking official in President George W Bush’s Justice Department who oversaw investigations into corporate fraud, takes over the FBI at such a challenging tme when Trump expelled Comey, who was admired within FBI.
Sanjaya Baru appointed as Secretary General of FICCI
Sanjaya Baru was on appointed as the Secretary General of the Freedom of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) with effect from 1 September 2017. He succeeds A Didar Singh, who served as Secretary General for 5 years. However, Didar Singh will continue to serve as a strategic advisor to Pankaj Patel, President of the FICCI. Baru had earlier served as the media advisor to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from May 2004 until August 2008.
Lt Gen Abhay Krishna appointed as Chief of Eastern Command
Lt General Abhay Krishna, who owns extensive service experience of the Northeast India was appointed as the Chief of the Indian Army’s Eastern Command. Krishna succeeds Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi who has retired from service. The appointment of Krishna comes at a time when India is facing a stand-off with Chinese troops along the Sikkim sector. Krishna was currently serving as the Head of the Army’s Jaipur-based Southwestern Command.
Cisco appoints Sameer Garde as India and SAARC President
Networking giant Cisco has appointed former Philips Healthcare executive, Sameer Garde as its India head effective August 1, following the exit of Dinesh Malkani, who was President Cisco India and SAARC. Malkani will remain associated with Cisco as strategic advisor till the end of September.
B). RESIGNS
Sri Lankan Selection Committee headed by Sanath Jayasuriya Resigns
The Sanath Jayasuriya-led Sri Lankan cricket selection panel has stepped down in the wake of the country’s horrible performance against India. Sri Lanka suffered 3-0 defeat in the Test series and have already lost the five-match ODI series against Virat Kohli’s Indian cricket team. Sri Lanka Cricket vice-president Mohan de Silva has confirmed that Sanath Jayasuriya’s panel has indeed stepped down.
Qualcomm President quits amid legal battle with Apple
Qualcomm President Derek Aberle, who was closely fighting a legal battle with Apple, has quit after a successful 17-year career. According to a Qualcomm statement, Aberle has decided to quit after he helped drive the company’s overall global strategy and vision as member of the company’s Executive Committee. Aberle will stay till December 31 for a smooth transition Over the past 30 years, Qualcomm has invented the core technologies that have enabled te mobile revolution and made all modern smartphones possible. Executive Vice President Alex Rogers would now reprt directly to Qualcomm CEO Mollenkopf.
England’s record goalscorer Wayne Rooney retires
Wayne Rooney, hailed from England retired from international football to prioritize ending his career on a high with boyhood club Everton. The 31-year-old was England captain and is the all-time record goalscorer. Rooney’s England career spanned 14 years.
Ashok Mittal resigns as Railway Board Chairman, Ashwani Lohanin is new Chairman
Ashok Mittal, Chairman of the Railway Board submitted his resignation to Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu. His resignation comes in the wake of a number of a high-profile accidents and derailments on the Indian Railways. Two Indian Rails namely Kaifyat Express and Utkal Express derailed, recently. Ashwani Lohani, the CMD of Air India has been named as the new Chairman of Railway Board. Ashwani Lohani, an IRSME cadre has previously served as DRM, Delhi Division. Mr. Lohani holds four engineering degrees, has authored two books and is credited with the turnaround of the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation and the India Tourism Development Corporation.
Vishal Sikka resigns as Infosys CEO, Pravin Rao appointed interim chief
Vishal Sikka has resigned as Managing Director and CEO of Infosys. The board has accepted his resignation with immediate effect. Infosys in a notice stock exchanges said Sikka will remain with Infosys as executive vice-chairman. The position is a newly created position at Infosys. Infosys, second largest software exporter of India, has appointed chief operating officer UB Pravin Rao as interim managing director and CEO.
Lalit Modi quits Rajasthan cricket body
Lalit Modi has resigned as president of the Nagaur District Association, marking an end to his presence in the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA), which was banned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for allowing him in its fold. The 50-year-old, who left India after being charged with money laundering, sent his resignation to both the RCA as well as BCCI CEO Rahul Johri. He requested the BCCI to release the funds meant for the RCA after his resignation.
Legendary sprinter Usain Bolt retires
Usain Bolt, the greatest sprinter of modern times, retired from the Athletics world. But the farewell ended in pain as he injured himself while running the last lap of the men’s 4x100m relay race at the World Athletics Championships in London. While running the final race of his career, the 30-year-old Bolt, after taking the baton from his Jamaican teammate Yohan Blake, suffered cramps on his left hamstring as he tried, in vain, to chase down his rivals in the race. Since 2008, when Bolt set his first world record, he had not lost a championship race and collected 19 gold medals in 100, 200 and 4×100 meters. The only time, he did not win the gold was in 100 meters at the 2011 world championships, when he was disqualified for a false start and the 2008 Olympic 4×100, a gold won by Jamaica that was subsequently stripped because a teammate tested positive for banned substances.
NITI Aayog Vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya quits
Arvind Panagariya, the first vice-chairman of Niti Aayog who was considered to be Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal pick for economic reforms, announced his resignation. The 62-year-old Panagariya is an Indian-American economist and Professor of Economics at Columbia University. Panagariya is known for his market-friendly views and is a close associate of well-known trade economist Jagdish Bhagwati. Panagariya has earlier been the chief economist of the Asian Development Bank and a professor of Economics and co-director at the Centre for International Economics, University of Maryland, at College Park. Mr Panagariya was appointed to the post in January 2015.
C). DEATHS
Olympian Footballer Ahmed Khan passes away
India’s two-time Olympic footballer and East Bengal legend Ahmed Khan passed away at the age of 90. Khan, who played in the 1948 and 1952 Olympics, was one of the most famous of the legendary quintet of forwards called the “Five Pandavas” who played for East Bengal in an India that had just become an independent nation.
India’s Oldest Cinematographer Ramananda Sengupta Passes Away
Country’s oldest cinematographer Ramanda Sengupta, who worked with legends like Jean Renoir, Ritwik Ghatak, and Mrinal Sen, died in Kolkata, West Bengal. Sengupta was 101 years old. He got his first break in 1938 when he joined Film Corporation of India in Kolkata (then Calcutta) as an assistant cameraman. His first film as a full-time cinematographer was in Purbaraag directed by Ardhendu Mukherjee in 1946.
Tony de Brum passed away
Tony de Brum, the former Marshall Islands foreign minister who became a leading advocate for the landmark Paris Climate Agreement and an internationally recognised voice in the fight against climate change, has died aged 72. De Brum was also the Pacific nation’s climate ambassador.
Former Manipur CM Rishang Keishing passes away
Former Manipur Chief Minister and Veteran Congress leader Rishang Keishing passed away in Imphal following a brief illness. He was 96. He was freedom fighter and member of India’s first parliament (1952-57). He had served as the Chief Minister of Manipur for four terms from 1980 to 1988 and 1994 to 1997.
Brian Aldiss, British Science Fiction Writer passes away
Brian Aldiss, one of the most prolific and influential science fiction writers of the 20th century, has died aged 92. Born in 1925, Aldiss served in India and Burma with the British Army during World War II and later became a bookseller, publishing his first stories in a trade magazine. He went on to have a huge influence on sci-fi, as a writer of stories and novels and as editor of many anthologies.
Comedy Legend Jerry Lewis Dies
Veteran American entertainer Jerry Lewis died aged 91. One of the most popular comic actors of the 1950s and ’60s, Lewis perfected the role of the quirky clown in slapstick comedies like “The Nutty Professor” but also won acclaim as a writer, actor, and philanthropist. Honoured with accolades at home and abroad, including a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977.
Veteran Photographer S Paul passed away
Veteran Photographer S Paul passed away in New Delhi. He was 88. Paul was a self-taught photographer who discovered his passion for the art as a teenager. He joined The Indian Express in the 1960s and retired in 1999. He was the first Indian to win the Nikon International Photo Contest in 1971. Famous B&W Magazine of US had described him as ‘The Henry Cartier-Bresson of India’.
Poet, writer Vijay Nambisan passes away at 54
Noted Poet and writer Vijay Nambisan, who became the first All India Poetry Champion in 1988, passed away. He co-authored Gemini, a poetry book, with Jeet Thayil and Dom Moraes. He championed the ethical use of language and made an appeal to readers, writers and enthusiasts of literature in his book ‘Language as an Ethic’. He was 54 years old.
Ruth Pfau, Pakistan’s ‘Mother Teresa’ dies aged 87
Ruth Pfau, a German nun who devoted her life to combatting leprosy in Pakistan, has died at the age of 87. Pfau, who was known locally as Pakistan’s Mother Teresa, came to the southern port city of Karachi in 1960 and spent half a century taking care of some of the country’s sickest and poorest people. Dr. Pfau first visited Pakistan in 1960 and was so touched by the plight of leprosy victims that she decided to stay forever in the country to treat them. The nun founded the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre in Karachi in 1962 and later set up its branches in all provinces of Pakistan, including Gilgit-Baltistan, and treated over 50,000 families. Due to her tireless efforts, the World Health Organisation in 1996 declared Pakistan one of the first countries in Asia to be free of leprosy. She was born in 1929 in Germany and lived through the horrors of the World War II.
World’s oldest man, Holocaust survivor, dies aged 113
Israeli Holocaust survivor Yisrael Kristal, certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest man, died aged 113. Kristal, originally from Zarnow, Poland, was born on September 15, 1903, three months before the Wright brothers’ first successful powered airplane flight. Guinness World Records recognised him as the world’s oldest man in March 2016.
Bollywood Actor Sitaram Panchal passes away
Bollywood actor Sitaram Panchal passed away after almost a year-long battle with kidney and lung cancer. He was 54. Sitaram Panchal, who made his Bollywood debut in 1994 with Bandit Queen, was best known for his work in films like Peepli Live, Pan Singh Tomar, The Legend of Bhagat Singh and Slumdog Millionaire.
Santosh Mohan Dev, former Union minister, dies at 83
Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Santosh Mohan Dev has passed away in Silchar, Assam. He was the son of freedom fighter Satindra Mohan Dev. Santosh served as the Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises under the UPA-1 government led by Manmohan Singh. He was the Minister of State for Communications from 1986-1988 and Minister of State for Home from 1988 to 1989. The seven-time Congress MP is survived by his wife and four daughters, including Sushmita. Dev was first elected to the Parliament in 1980. Out of the seven term as the Lok Sabha MP, he represented Silchar, Assam, five times and twice from Tripura.
Renowned scientist Pushpa Mitra Bhargava passes away
Pushpa Mitra (PM) Bhargava, a veteran molecular biologist and a ardent critic of Genetically Modified crops, passed away following a prolonged illness. He was 89. Bhargava was the Founder-Director of Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB). He was one of the leading scientists who led to the discovery of 5-fluorouracil, an anticancer drug. He is a recipient of over 100 national and international honours and awards, including the Padma Bhushan in 1986 and the Legion d’Honneur in 1998 of France.
Marian Diamond, known for studies of Einstein’s brain, passes away
Marian Diamond, one of the founders of modern neuroscience, passed away in July 2017. She was 90. Diamond is mostly known for her investigations of Albert Einstein’s brain. After receiving four preserved slices of the physicist’s brain in 1984, she discovered that it contained an uncommonly high number of gila, cells that were once believed to merely be supporting structures in the brain. She was the first woman science instructor at Cornell University where she taught human biology and comparative anatomy.
Dhrupad maestro Ustad Hussain Sayeeduddin Dagar passes away
Ustad Hussain Sayeeduddin Dagar, a classical vocalist and one of the leading exponents of Dhupad tradition, passed away following a brief illness in Pune. He was 78 and is survived by his wife and two sons. Known to his admires as Sayeed Bhai, Sayeeduddin belongs to Dagar family of musicians that is the only one to practice Dhrupad, a form of Hindustani classical vocal music. He is the 19th generation of the family practising this form of music. With his demice, Sayeeduddin’s sons Nafeesuddin and Aneesuddin Dagar will now be the 20th generation of the family to practice Dhrupad.
D). VISITORS
Nepalese PM Deuba to Begin Four-Day Visit to India
In his first foreign visit after assuming office, Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba will arrive on a four-day trip. During the visit, he will hold wide-ranging talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on issues of mutual interest. Deuba will be accompanied by a high-level delegation and will also call on the President and the Vice-President.
E). MISCELLANEOUS
Nitasha Biswas, The Winner of Miss Transqueen India 2017
Nitasha, a trans woman who hails from Kolkata, was named the first Miss Transqueen India in Gurgaon. Nitasha, 26, is currently pursuing Masters in Business Management in Kolkata. Loiloi from Manipur bagged the first runner-up position and Ragasya from Chennai was crowned the second runner-up.
Ronaldo First to be named Men’s Player of the Year for three times
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo won The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Men’s Player of the Year award for the 2016-17 season. Ronaldo picked up the trophy for the second consecutive season and third time in total. Ronaldo received 482 points in the poll, with Messi (141 votes) and Buffon (109 votes) finishing second and third respectively.
Alibaba’s Jack Ma is Asia’s Richest Man: Forbes
Alibaba Group’s Jack Ma is back on top as Asia’s richest man following gains in the company’s earnings and share price. Jack Ma is worth $37.4 billion, according to the Forbes real-time billionaires list. In the latest rankings, Chinese Internet billionaire- Tencent Chairman Ma Huateng, the latter has slipped to No. 2, with a fortune worth $36.7 billion. Jack Ma currently ranks as the world’s No. 18 richest man and is No. 1 in Asia. Ma Huateng is No. 19 in the world and is No. 2 in Asia.
World’s Highest-Paid Actors 2017: Forbes List
The former rapper-turned-actor Mark Wahlberg is Hollywood’s highest-paid leading man, earning $68 million pretax in 12 month scoring period. From India, Shahrukh Khan is the highest paid actor (Rank 8) followed by Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar. Wahlberg has replaced out last year’s top-ranked star, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
The Top 10 Highest Paid Actors in the List are:
1. Mark Wahlberg ($68 million)
2. Dwayne “”The Rock”" Johnson ($65 million)
3. Vin Diesel ($54.5 million)
4. Adam Sandler ($50.5 million)
5. Jackie Chan ($49 million)
6. Robert Downey, Jr. ($48 million)
7. Tom Cruise ($43 million)
8. Shah Rukh Khan ($38 million)
9. Salman Khan ($37 million)
10. Akshay Kumar ($35.5 million).
Serena Williams Heads The Highest-Paid Female Athletes 2017
Forbes recently released its list of the highest-paid female athletes, and to no-one’s surprise, Serena Williams is right at the top and leads by a significant margin. Between June 2016 and June 2017, Williams earned $27 million (R361,19 million), Forbes reports. This is more than double any other female athlete in the world this year. While she’s earned a lot from prize money, much of Williams’ revenue comes from her multitude of endorsements. This is Williams’ second straight year as the highest-earning athlete. Before last year, Maria Sharapova held the spot for 11 years straight.
12-yr-old Indian-origin boy crowned as UK’s ‘child genius’
A 12-year-old Indian-origin boy has been crowned as the UK’s ‘Child Genius’ in a popular television quiz competition, days after he became an overnight sensation after answering all questions correctly. Rahul Doshi won the Channel 4 show ‘Child Genius’ by beating his nine-year-old opponent – Ronan – 10-4 in the programme’s finale. The schoolboy from north London clinched the title by answering a question on 19th Century artists William Holman Hunt and John Everett Millais.
5 Indian-Origin Persons in Fortune’s Annual ’40 Under 40′ List
Five Indian-origin persons, including Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, have featured in Fortune’s annual list of 40 young and influential people in the field of business. Fortune’s 2017 ‘40 Under 40’ list is an annual ranking of the most influential young people who are under 40 in business. The list has been topped by 39-year-old French President Emmanuel Macron “France’s youngest leader since Napoleon”. The Indian-origin persons on the list are 26-year-old Divya Nag, who oversees Apple’s ambitious ResearchKit and CareKit programmes, Rishi Shah, 31, and Shradha Agarwal, 32, 31-year-old Leila Janah. The list also includes Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on the second spot.
Emma Stone named as 2017’s Highest-Paid Female Actor
Emma Stone has been named Hollywood’s best-paid female actor in Forbes annual list of top earners. The 28-year-old made $26m in the last 12 months, the majority of which was earned from her Oscar-winning performance in the musical romance La La Land. The film made over $445m worldwide.
Norway has the fastest mobile internet in the world
Norway has the fastest mobile Internet in the world, according to broadband testing app Ookla. The Netherlands and Hungary are ranked number two and three on the list of the world’s fastest mobile networks. In only 13 months, Norway has jumped from 11th to first place on the list of world best providers of fast Internet connection. The average Internet speed of Norwegians’ mobile phones has increased by 69% during the last year and has a speed of 52.6 Mbps.
Australia to get World’s Biggest Single Tower Solar Thermal Plant
Australian state government has approved the world’s biggest single tower solar thermal power plant, a 150-megawatt structure to be built in South Australia by 2020. Solar thermal technology uses mirrors to concentrate the Sun’s light at the top of a tower. This heats the stored molten salt and the heat is then used to operate steam turbines. The Aurora Solar Energy Project will be built and managed by SolarReserve company.
Melbourne named ‘World’s Most Liveable City’ for seventh-straight year
Melbourne (in Australia) has been named the World’s Most Liveable City for an incredible seventh-straight year. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Liveability Index 2017 ranks 140 of the world’s best cities and once again, Melbourne has come out on top – securing perfect scores for healthcare, education and infrastructure. Melbourne scored an overall rating of 97.5 out of 100 on the liveability index. Damascus in Syria was deemed the world’s worst among the 140 cities surveyed. It is the first time in the survey’s 15-year history that a city has held the No 1 rank in its own right for seven consecutive years. The Canadian cities of Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary took the next positions, with Adelaide in a tie with Calgary for fifth place.
10 year old Indian Youngest to climb 6,153m Mountain
A 10-year-old mountaineer from Visakhapatnam, Kaamya Karthikeyan, successfully summited one of the highest peaks in the Himalayas, making her one of the youngest people in the world to achieve this feat. Kaamya completed the expedition three days before she turned 10, on August 7, thereby conquering Mount Stok Kangri. At a height of 6,153 metres (20,187 ft), Stok Kangri is not recommended for beginners and is considered ideal for advanced trekkers.
HUL, Asian Paints in Forbes’ top 10 Innovative Firms List
Three major Indian companies including Hindustan Unilever, Asian Paints and Bharti Airtel have been ranked among Forbes’s list of ‘The World’s Most Innovative Companies’. This is a weaker performance compared to last year, when five Indian firms were a part of the list. After two consecutive years in second place, Salesforce finally overtook Tesla Motors (No. 2), regaining the top spot as the world’s most innovative company – a title Salesforce had held from the list’s inception in 2011 to 2015. Amazon vaulted eight spots, emerging as No. 3 this year after 20 years in the public markets. Rounding out the top 5 are Shanghai Raas Blood Products (No. 4) and Netflix (No. 5). While HUL and Asian Paints have moved up in their ranks to seventh and eighth respectively (from 31st and 18th last year), Bharti Airtel has entered the ranking at 78th position.
Aishwarya becomes first woman to raise Indian flag at IFFM 2017
Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has become the first female actor ever to hoist the Indian National Flag at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), Australia’s annual celebration of film from India and the subcontinent. The official handle of IFFM posted a picture on Twitter with a caption that read, “Aishwarya Rai Bachchan hoists the Indian national flag at @FedSquare celebrating the 70th yr of Indian independence”.
Flipkart is the world’s 3rd most funded private company
With the $2.4 billion it just received from Japanese technology and telecom giant SoftBank, Flipkart has become the third most funded private company globally. The homegrown e-commerce company has to date raised almost $7 billion in capital, higher than that raised by global behemoths like online house rental aggregator Airbnb ($3.3 billion) and mobile phone maker Xiaomi ($1.4 billion). The top two are both ride hailing platforms – Chinabased Didi Chuxing and USbased Uber. In April, Didi Chuxing raised $5 billion and increased its total fund raise to $15 billion, overtaking Uber that has raised $12.9 billion. In the top 10, four are ride-hailing platforms, the other two being Silicon Valley-based Lyft and India’s Ola. Flipkart is the only e-commerce company in the top 10. The Flipkart funding reaffirms the faith of global players like SoftBank, Tiger Global, eBay, and Microsoft in Indian companies.
JK Rowling named World’s Highest Paid Author by Forbes
Harry Potter creator JK Rowling has been named the world’s most highly-paid author with earnings of £72.2m ($95m). It is the first time that Rowling has topped Forbes’ list of the 10 highest earners in the global industry for the first time in almost 10 years. Other authors included in the list were Paula Hawkins and EL James.
Neymar becomes world’s most expensive footballer at Rs 1,680 crore
Brazil’s Neymar has become the world’s most expensive footballer, with Paris Saint-Germain signing him for a five-year deal from Barcelona for a fee of Rs1,680 crore (€222 million). The 25-year-old, who scored 105 goals in 186 Barcelona appearances, will earn Rs6.5 crore-a-week before tax. His transfer fee is more than double that of Paul Pogba’s record move to Manchester United.
Mukesh Ambani Becomes Asia’s Second-Richest Person
Mukesh Ambani has elbowed past Li Ka-shing to become Asia’s second-richest man as investors rallied behind his efforts to arm India’s poor with cheap data-loaded phones. The chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has added $12.1 billion to his wealth in 2017, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He passed Li Ka-shing, whose empire spans telecommunications, retail, and ports. Jio took just nine months after launching with a free introductory offer to rope in 117.3 million users and become India’s fourth-largest operator, according to government data.
PLACES IN NEWS
Island of Tuvalu World’s Least Visited Country: UN Report
According to a report by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the island of Tuvalu was the least visited country in 2016. According to the report, 2,000 people visited Tuvalu in 2016, while 1,000 people visited the country in 2014. Located in the South Pacific Ocean, Tuvalu is 4.6 meters above sea level and has a population of 11,000 people.
Arabian cap-shaped World Cup stadium to be built in Qatar for FIFA 2022
The organisers of the 2022 FIFA World Cup announced that Qatar, the host nation, would be building a stadium shaped like an Arabian skull cap for the event. The gulf state has moved ahead with its preparations for the big tournament despite rising tensions due to a diplomatic rift with its Arab neighbours. Four Gulf States including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates boycotted Qatar in June 2017, accusing it of supporting and sponsoring terrorism-a charge that Qatar has denied. The states not only cut off all links with the country but also imposed economic sanctions on it. Despite the boycott, Qatar has got food flown in from Turkey and Iran and chartered ships through Oman to bring in construction material needed for World Cup building projects.
UNESCO worried about Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
The UNESCO has cautioned that the damage caused to the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR)in the northern part of West Bengal due to the Gorkhaland agitation may put in peril the World Heritage tag it earned in 1999. Two prime stations Gayabari and Sonada were torched while an arson attempt was made on Elysia Building – the headquarters of the DHR during the pro-Gorkhaland bandh.
World’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge opens in Swiss
Spanning an awesome 1621 feet and rising as high as 279 feet, the newly opened Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge in Switzerland has broken the record for the world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge, according to Zermatt Tourism. The bridge, which has replaced an older bridge that was damaged by falling rocks, was named after its chief sponsor, a psychologist and co-owner of a Swiss winery. The span is impossibly narrow, at just 25.6 inches wide. Hikers can now cross the Europaweg (Europe Bridge) which connects Grächen and Zermatt and measures nearly 500m.
BOOKS IN NEWS
Raghuram Rajan Pens Book ‘I Do What I Do’ on his RBI Stint
Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has penned a book titled ‘I Do What I Do: On Reform, Rhetoric & Resolve’. Raghuram Rajan explains economic concepts and talks of issues like tolerance and connection between political freedom and prosperity in his new book. The book is a collection of essays and speeches during his stint as Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor. The book will hit stores on 4 September, exactly a year after he quit as the RBI governor.
N.K. Jemisin’s ‘The Obelisk Gate’ wins Best Novel 2017
The Hugo Award for Best Novel 2017 was given to Nora K. Jemisin, an American speculative fiction writer for her work ‘The Obelisk Gate’. The award was presented at the 75th World Science Fiction Convention in Helsinki. The awarded book was the second in the trilogy that started with ‘The Fifth Season’, which was New York Times Notable Book of 2015 and won Jemisin the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2016. The fantasy novel tells a story about the life on a planet where the inhabitants would undergo a “Fifth Season” of catastrophic climate change every a few centuries.
COMMITTEES
Govt constitutes task force on artificial intelligence
The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry has constituted a Task Force on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for India’s Economic Transformation. The 18-member panel will be headed by Dr. V. Kamakoti of IIT Madras. It will comprise of experts, academics, researchers and industry leaders. The Task force will explore the possibilities to leverage AI for development across various fields. It will submit concrete and implementable recommendations for government, industry and research institutions.
RBI appoints Committee to link Home Loan Rates to Repo Rate
Reserve Bank of India appointed committee on Household Finance has suggested that banks link their home loan rates to the RBI’s repo rate, the rate at which it lends to banks. In the past three years the central bank has reduced the policy rate by 200 basis points, but the weighted average lending rates have fallen by 145 basis points. A basis point is 0.01 percentage point.
Olympic Task Force recommends steps to improve sports in India
The eight-member Olympic Task Force (OTF) that submitted its report in the second week of August 2017 has emphasised the need to be “athlete-centric, coach-led and system-driven”. They submitted an extensive report titled as “Preparation of 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games” to the Sports Secretary, Injeti Srinivas. The report focuses on three fold formula of being athlete-centric, coach-led and system-driven.
AIFF Special Committee names Banerjee as Chairman
The AIFF has appointed senior advocate Ushanath Banerjee as the chairman of a special committee that will be dealing with players’ transfer disputes. The Committee entrusted the Chairman to make a detailed and reasoned paper based on the review of the rules and regulations as mentioned above for consideration of the members for a decision thereafter.
Justice Srikrishna to head expert group on Data Protection Framework
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has appointed an expert panel committee that would study various issues relating to data protection in the country and will suggest a draft data protection Bill. It is a 10 member panel and it is headed by former Supreme court Judge Justice B N Srikrishna. The committee will design a broader framework which will cover all other kinds of data and ensure that the deliberations on the issue start as soon as possible. Aruna Sundararajan, Secretary, Department of Telecom, Ajay Bhushan CEO, Unique Identification Authority of India, Gulshan Rai, National Cyber Security Coordinator and Arghya Sengupta, Research Director, Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy are other members of the committee.
SEBI forms committee on fair market conduct
Regulator SEBI has set up a committee on ‘fair market conduct’ which will suggest measures for improving surveillance of the markets and strengthen rules for trades. The panel, under the chairmanship of former law secretary T K Viswanathan, would suggest measures for improvement in PIT (Prohibition of Insider Trading) norms, PFTUP (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices) regulations and mainly related to ‘trading plans’ and handling of ‘unpublished price sensitive information’ during takeovers. It would be responsible for recommending steps to align insider trading regulations with Companies Act provisions.
IMPORTANT DAYS & DATES
30 August: International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances
The International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances was observed across the world on 30 August 2017. The day was first observed in 2011 after a declaration by the United Nations General Assembly. The declaration followed the adoption of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Diappearance by the assembly on 20 December 2006.
International Day against Nuclear Tests: 29 August
The United Nations (UN) every year on 29 August observes the International Day against Nuclear Tests. The Day was adopted at the 64th session of UN General Assembly (UNGA) vide resolution 64/ 35 in the year 2009. The resolution was adopted with an aim to increase awareness and education about the effects of nuclear explosions and the need for their cessation so as to acheive the goal of “Safer world”.
National Sports Day: 29 August
The National Sports day is celebrated on 29th August every year to mark the birthday of legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand. To celebrate the day various programs are being conducted through the country. On this occasion, President Ram Nath Kovind will give away the sports Awards. A total of 29 players have been selected to receive the honours from President. The President will confer Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Arjuna Award and Dronacharya Award at Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi.
23 August: International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition
The International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition was observed across the world on 23 August 2017. The Day marks the anniversary of the 1791 insurrection of enslaved men and women in the western part of the island of Santo Domingo, which is known as Haiti. This Haitian Revolution led to their freedom and independence in 1804. This uprising was a turning point in human history.
August 20: Sadbhavana Diwas
The Sadbhavana Diwas or Harmony Day is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary (August 20) of Rajiv Gandhi. On this day national integration, peace, love, affection and communal harmony among all Indians is encouraged. Shri Rajiv Gandhi was born on August 20, 1944, in Bombay. At 40, Mr. Rajiv Gandhi was the youngest Prime Minister of India.
19 August: World Humanitarian Day
World Humanitarian Day (WHD) was observed across the globe on 19 August 2017 wit the theme #NotATarget. The day is commemorated every year to pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service and also to rally support for people affected by crisis around the world. This campaign follows a report by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, which called for the protection of civilians. Laying out his ‘path to protection’, Guterres appealed for enhanced respect for international humanitarian and human rights law and protection of civilians, including humanitarian and medical workers as well as civilian infrastructure.
International Youth Day observed globally
The international Youth Day was observed across the world on 12 August 2017 with the theme ‘Youth Building Peace’. This year, the Day is aimed at celebrating young people’s contributions in preventing conflicts and bringing about transformations along with inclusion, social justice and sustainable peace. The international Youth Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 17 December 1999 through its resolution 54/120.
Second National Deworming Day to cover 11 cr children
The second round of National Deworming Day (NDD) is observed on 10 August in 33 States and Union Territories to tackle worm Infections, targeting more than 11 crore children. August 10, is the second round of National Deworming Day, held twice a year. The NDD program was launched in 2015. Under the NDD programme, children aged between 1-19 are provided deworming tablets in schools and anganwadis across the country, except in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh where deworming is carried out once a year.
9th August: Nagasaki Day
The atomic age began with the US dropping the first atomic bomb dubbed “Little Boy” on August 6, 1945, on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, after its July 16 pre-dawn birth in successful testing at Alamogordo, New Mexico. Three days later, on August 9, 1945, the second bomb – “Fat Man” – was dropped on Nagasaki, incinerating the city and its unexpecting inhabitants. Their combined devastation was unimaginable.
7 August: National Handloom Day
The National Handloom Day is being observed every year on 7 August to honour the handloom weavers in the country and also carter an impetus to India’s handloom industry. This year it was third edition of the National Handloom Day after it was instiuted in 2015. The Union government had declared 7 August as the National Handloom Day in July 2015 with the objective to generate awareness about imprtance of India’s handloom industry. The date August 7 was chosen to commemorate the Swadeshi Movement which was launched on this date in 1905 in the Calcutta Town hall to protest against partition of Bengal by the British Government.
World breastfeeding week (August 1 to 7, 2017)
World breastfeeding week 2017 is being celebrated from 1st to 7th August 2017 with the theme “Sustaining Breastfeeding Together”. It was first celebrated in 1992 by World Alliance for Breastfeeding World Breastfeeding WeekAction (WABA) and is now observed in over 120 countries by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization (WHO) and their partners including individuals, organizations, and governments.
10:02 PM, 26-Oct-2017
INTERNATIONAL
Russia asks 755 US diplomats to leave country following American sanctions
Russian President Vladmir Putin has asked 755 US diplomats to leave the country. The action was taken three days after the US Congress approved sanctions against Russia. Earlier, the US Senate approved a bill to toughen sanctions on Russia for allegedly meddling in the 2016 US Presidential election and for its annexation of Crimea in 2014. Putin in an interview to a Russian TV channel said, more than 1000 people are working at the US embassy and consulates in Russia. He said 755 of them should stop their activities and return.
Four Arab States ready for dialogue with Qatar
The four Arab nations boycotting Qatar have announced willngness to initiate a dialogue with the country, bringing the hope of some sort of resolution to the gulf crisis. The foriegn ministers of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have expressed readiness to engage in a dialogue with Doha if it agrees to some of their demands including showing genuine willingness to stop funding terrorism. The same was revealed by Bahrain’s foreign minister, after a two-meet with his counterparts from the other three nations.
7th edition of SAARC Artists Camp & Paintings Exhibition begins in Nepal
The 7th edition of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Artists Camp and Exhibition of Paintings has begun at Kathmandu. Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation of Nepal, Jitendra Narayan Devhas inaugurated the event. These events provide platform to artists for exchanging ideas with fellow artists and helping in creating special bonding among them and 40 artists from SAARC member countries except Afghanistan taking part in the 4 day camp. The event is organised by Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Nepal and SAARC Cultural Centre, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
US tests missile-defence system after North Korea missile launch
The United States (US) has tested the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system in Alaska by launching a ballistic missile over the Pacific Ocean. The missile-defence system test came after North Korea conducted an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) test. A medium-range target ballistic missile (MRBM) was launched by US Air Force C-17 over the Pacific Ocean and the THAAD weapon system detected, tracked and intercepted the target. This was the 15th successful intercept out of the 15 tests carried out for the THAAD weapon system. The THAAD interceptors are meant to help guard the US against a missile attack from a country such as North Korea.
China produces natural gas from flammable ice
China successfully produced natural gas from flammable ice, also known as methane hydrate, in an experimental project conducted in the South China Sea. As a part of the experiment, a drilling platform was deployed off the coast of the south-eastern Chinese city of Zhuhai for 60 days. It produced around 309,000 cubic metres of natural gas, which is a record extraction volume from gas hydrate. According to China’s Ministry of Land and resources, China has made a historic breakthrough. The ministry stated that the country has achieved theoretical, technological, engineering and equipment innovations after nearly 20 years of unremitting efforts.
Amazon’s Jeff Bezos overtakes Gates to become world’s richest
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos briefly became the world’s richest man in Forbes magazine’s tracking of wealth, as stock in his e-commerce company hit an all-time high. Mr Bezos, who is also chairman and chief executive of the Seattle-based company, was worth almost $91bn (£70bn) after Amazon’s share price rose more than 1 per cent in morning trading in New York. That put his fortune ahead of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates’. The latter has a net worth of around $90.7bn and has been at the top of Bloomberg’s rich list since 2013. But Mr Bezos slipped back into second place later in the day.
BRICS nations sign memorandum to facilitate taxation cooperation
Tax authorities of the five BRICS countries have signed a landmark document to establish a mechanism for taxation cooperation. The BRICS Taxation Cooperation Memorandum, signed at the fifth meeting of BRICS Heads of Tax Authorities, is the bloc’s first document that elevates taxation cooperation to the institutional level. The authorities also agreed to cooperate on taxation information exchange, improve consultation procedures efficiency, boost taxation capacities and plan paths for coordination of taxation policies and tax collection. The meeting comes ahead of the 2017 BRICS Summit to be held in Fujian province’s Xiamen city from September 3 to 5.
Bolivian President declares ‘Total Independence’ from World Bank & IMF
Bolivia’s President Eva Morales has declared that his nation has achieved “total independence” form the IMF and the World Bank. President Morales declared the news on his official twitter account. The socialist leader published his comments following a meeting with his peers at a gathering in Argentina of the Mercosur, a sub-regional economic bloc.
Trump administration urges NSG members to support India’s application
Donald Trump’s administration has urged other members of the Nuclear Suppiers Group to support India’s membership bid to the elite grouping. The NSG controls international nuclear trade. The US Department of Defence and Department of State said in a report that the United States welcomed India’s application to join the NSG and it continues to re-affirm that India is ready for membership. It also added that the US has called upon other NSG members to support India’s application.
BRICS Youth Forum opens in Beijing
The 2017 BRICS Youth Forum opened in Beijing, China to discuss the development of the youth in the countries of the grouping. The theme of three-day forum is ‘Enhance BRICS Partnership, Promote Youth Development’. It gathered 50 youth representatives working as civil servants, scholars, entrepreneurs, artists and journalists from the BRICS countries. The five BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – first came up with the idea of establishing a dialogue mechanism for BRICS youth in 2014 during a meeting between BRICS leaders in South Africa.
World’s first floating wind farm emerges off coast of Scotland
The world’s first floating windfarm has taken to the seas in a sign that a technology once confined to research and development drawing boards is finally ready to unlock expanses of ocean for generating renewable power in Scotland. The £200m Hywind project is unusual not just because of the pioneering technology involved, which uses a 78-metre-tall underwater ballast and three mooring lines that will be attached to the seabed to keep the turbines upright. It will bring power to 20,000 homes.
World’s largest supercarrier USS Gerald R Ford commissioned in USA
US Navy commissioned world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R Ford into the fleet. The commissioning ceremony was held at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia in presence of US President Donald Trump. USS Gerald R. Ford is the first ship in this new class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers for the U.S. Navy. The ship is named after the 38th President of the United States Gerald Ford and has been built by Newport News Ship Building Company. The massive 1,106-foot-long carrier displaces a staggering 100,000 tons fully loaded and is powered by two new generation nuclear reactors.
UAE Minister tops most powerful Arab women: Forbes
Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, the UAE Minister of State for Tolerance has topped a poll of the most powerful Arab women in government for 2017, according to Forbes Middle East. Ms. Qasimi was followed by two women from Egypt – Sahar Nasr, the country’s minister of investment and international cooperation and Ghada Wali, the minister of social solidarity. Forbes has also released a list of the top 100 most powerful Arab business women for 2017, and the UAE represents the highest number of women, with 18, followed by Egypt, with 16. Saudi Arabia’s Lubna Olayan, who runs Saudi conglomerate the Olayan Group, tops the businesswoman list. The rankings were compiled by taking into account scope of the role or ministry, years of experience and company revenues, or GDP in the case of government.
Indonesia bans Islamic organization Hizb-ut-Tahrir
Indonesia has banned Islamic organization Hizb-ut Tahrir Indonesia under a contraversial presidential decree. The step has been taken to safeguard the existence of the Island nation’s pluralist state ideology Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution. The legal status of Hizb ut-Tahrir, which compaigns for the country to adopt Islamic law and become a caliphate, was revoked to protect Indonesia’s unity. On the other hand, the Islamic organization condemned the ban and said it “will not remain silent”, vowing to challenge the decision in court.
Google introduces recruiting app ‘Hire’ for business
Google launched ‘Hire, a recruiting app for small and medium sized businesses that integrates seamlessly with G Suite. The launch of Hire app is seen an apparent move to compete with Microsoft-owned LinkedIn. Hire makes it easy to identify talent, build strong candidate relationships and efficiently manage the interview process end-to-end. It integrates seamlessly with G Suite apps like Gmail and Google Calender that are being used by over three million businesses to drive recruiting efforts.
Indonesia Renames its portion of the South China Sea
Indonesia has named waters in its exclusive economic zone that overlap with China’s expansive claim to the South China Sea as the North Natuna Sea. The part of the renamed area falls in China’s “nine-dash line” waters extending hundreds of miles to the south and east of China’s island province Hainan. Several South-East Asian states dispute China’s territorial claims and are competing with China to exploit the South China Sea’s abundant hydrocarbon and fishing resources.
Japan’s men only island gets UNESCO Heritage tag
Japan’s Okinoshima island, an ancient religious site where women are banned, has been declared a World Heritage site by the UN’s cultural body Unesco. Okinoshima is home to the Okitsu shrine, built in the 17th century to pray for the safety of sailors. Before setting foot on the island, men must take off their clothes and undergo a cleansing ritual. When they leave they are not allowed to take away any souvenirs, or disclose details of their visit. Okinoshima, which is a part of the city of Munakata, Fukuoka, Japan, is located in south-west Japan between the main island of kyushu and the Korean Peninsula. Referred as the men only island, the island is permanently manned by a Shinto priest who prays to the island’s goddess, in a tradition that has been kept up for centuries.
Govt to organise global food fair in Nov to boost food sector
The government of India will organize a global food fair in November 2017 to provide a platform to Indian farmers and manufacturers to showcase their products and explore partnerships with foreign companies. The three-day international level fair ‘World Food India 2017′ is being organized on November 3-5 by the Food Processing Ministry, where industry body CII will be an event partner. The World Food India is a step aimed at creating India a ‘Global Food Factory’ and ‘Global Food Retail Market’. The food processing sector received USD 5.76 billion in FDI equity inflows from 2010-11 to 2015-16. In 2016-17 (April-December), the food processing sector in the country has received USD 663.23 million worth of FDI.
Brazil’s Archaeological Site added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List
The World Heritage Committee of UNESCO added Valongo Wharf Archaeological Site in the World Heritage List. The committee, during its meeting in Krakow, Poland, stated that Valongo is the most important physical trace of the arrival of African slaves on the American continent. It is located in central Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and encompasses the whole of Jornal do Comercio Square.
122 Countries adopts historic global treaty to ban Nuclear Weapons
The United Nations has adopted a historic global treaty banning nuclear weapons. The treaty was adopted by a vote of 122 members in favour. The Netherlands was the only country who voted against the treaty. Singapore abstained from voting. Costa Rica’s ambassador, Elayne Whyte Gomez, was the president of the UN conference that negotiated the treaty. Nearly 129 countries signed up to take part in the drafting of the treaty which represents two-thirds of the UN’s193 member states. Nearly 141 countries led by Austria, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa and New Zealand drafted the treaty in a hope that the treaty would increase pressure on the nuclear powers to take disarmament more seriously. The treaty would be opened for signature on September 20. It will enter into force once 50 countries ratified it. All of the ratifying countries should never under any circumstances develop, test, produce, manufacture, otherwise acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. The treaty also bans any transfer or use of nuclear weapons or nuclear explosive devices.
European Parliament approves first ever EU-Cuba agreement
The European Parliament overwhelmingly approved a first-ever cooperation deal between the European Union and Cuba. MEPs in the eastern French city of Strasbourg approved the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement which was signed in December 2016. With the deal, Cuba joins other Latin American countries with similar agreements with the EU, whose relations with the island had previously been conducted in the so-called Common Position that linked ties to improvements in human rights.
INDIA & WORLD
India, Pakistan to hold talks on hydropower projects under Indus Waters Treaty
India and Pakistan will hold talks on two hydrpower projects, namely Kishenganga and Ratle, under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) at the World Bank headquarters in Washington. Union Water Resources Secretary Amarjit Singh is leading the Indian delegation during the talks. The delegation will include officials from ministries of external affairs and water resources. World Bank Vice President for South Asia resion Annette Dixon – in a letter to the Indian Ambassador to the US, Navtej Sarna – has welcomed the participation of both the countries in the dialogue. The meet at Washington is being held as part of efforts by the World Bank to resolve the issues raised by Pakistan over India’s hydroelectricity projects.
Delhi Metro declared as world’s first green metro
The Delhi Metro Railway Corporation (DMRC) was declared as the owrld’s first green metro after it added a green certification for all its major buildings and installations. Apart from depots and sub stations, DMRC was also awarded the platinum rating for its 10 residential colonies for adherence to green building norms by the IGBC. The declaration was made during National Conference on Green Metro Systems by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC). The conference was attended by delegates from all other Metro systems in the country.
India, Bangladesh sign pact to connect both countries by waterways
India and Bangladesh have signed a pact to connect both the countries by waterways. The waterways will facilitate movement of passengers and goods between India’s northeast and West Bengal with Bangladesh. Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Mansukh Mandaviya said in Agartala that infrastructure for the services would be set up along the major rivers in Bangladesh, West Bengal and Brahmaputra in Assam. He said, the services are expected to start by the end of this year.
India ranks 132 in commitment to narrow income inequality
India has ranked 132nd out of 152 countries on the inaugural “Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index” released by international NGO Oxfam in association with Developmental Finance International. Sweden topped the index while Nigeria took the bottom most spot. Sweden is followed by Belgium, Denmark, Norway and Germany. Among India’s neighboring countries, China’s rank is 87; Pakistan fared worse than India at 146 while Bangladesh ranked at 148.
India, Japan civil nuclear deal comes into force
India-Japan agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy has come into force recently. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Ambassador of Japan to India Mr. Kenji Hiramatsu exchanged diplomatic notes in this regard. The agreement was signed on 11th November 2016 in Tokyo during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan. The agreement is a reflection of the strategic partnership between the two sides and will pave the way for enhanced cooperation in energy security and clean energy.
Australia joins International Solar Alliance led by India & France
Australia became the 35th country to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA), an initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2015 in Paris. It is co-led by India and France. The aim of ISA is to support developing countries to boost their solar production capacity. India on its part through the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) and Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) is contributing $1 million to the ISA fund. The larger aim of ISA is to mobilize over $ 1000 billion by 2030 towards promoting solar power on all fronts generation and storage. The solar alliance, whose head office is in India, has grown stronger in the past two years with more countries joining the group and signing the agreement.
India & Sri Lanka sign MoU to develop village in Sri Lanka
India and Sri Lanka have signed a MoU to develop a village in Anuradhapura District in Sri Lanka at a cost of 30 crores Sri Lankan rupees. The village in the name of a famous Buddhist monk Sobitha Thero, envisages construction of 153 new houses, a multi-purpose community building, internal water supply system and renovation of monk’s quarters & library. The project is in line with Government of Sri Lanka’s policy of rehabilitation of rural villages for economic development. It will benefit 153 families residing in the village.
India launches solar project to electrify the remote village of Agaween in Egypt
India has launched a solar project with state-of-the-art technology to electrify a remote village in Egypt. The Solar Electrification Project is an off-grid system that is ideal fr remote locations. The project has been launched at Agaween village in the Western Desert in Matrough Governorate, close to the Libyan border. The project was inaugurated by India’s Ambassador to Egypt Sanjay Bhattacharya and Major General Alla Fathi Abou Zeid, Governor of Matrough. To successfully launch the Solar Electrification Project, India provided all the solar panels and sub-systems, machinery, equipment and technical support, as well as training for technicians. The Egyptian Government provided the location for implementation of the project.
India ranks 116 out of 157 nations on 2017 SDG index
India is ranked 116 out of 157 nations on a global index that assesses the performance of countries towards achieving the ambitious sustainable development goals (SDGs). The SDG Index and Dashboards Report produced by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the Bertelsmann Stiftung shows that world leaders need to strengthen their joint efforts to realise the 17 global goals. India is ranked 116th on the index with a score of 58.1, behind countries such as Nepal, Iran, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and China. Pakistan is ranked 122. Sweden leads the list, followed by Denmark and Finland. The United States ranks 42nd on the Index, while Russia and China rank 62nd and 71st respectively.
US House of Representatives passes Bill on defence co-operation with India
The United States House of Representatives has passed an amendment to National Defense Authorisation Act (NDAA), 2018, a $621.5 billion defence expenditure bill to advance defence cooperation with India. India related amendment in the bill was adopted by a voice vote in the House by 344-81. Now, NDAA needs to be passed by the US Senate before it can be sent to US President Donald Trump to sign into law. The India-related amendment in NDAA 2018, requires the US Secretary of Defence, in consultation with the Secretary of State to develop a strategy for advancing defence cooperation between US and India. The NDAA is a United States federal law specifying the budget and expenditures of the United States Department of Defence. Each year’s NDAA also includes other provisions. The US Congress oversees the defence budget primarily through two yearly bills: the NDAA and Defense appropriations bills.
India Rise to 96th in FIFA World ranking, Best in Two Decades
India has moved four places up to the 96th position in the FIFA World Ranking released recently. This is the country’s second-best ranking and its previous best was the 94th position in February 1996. India has moved 77 positions up from the 173rd rank on March 2015. The team has now won 13 of its last 15 matches and is unbeaten in the last eight games (including the unofficial match against Bhutan).
India ranked 23rd in second Global Cybersecurity Index
India has been ranked 23rd out of 165 nations in the second Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) that measures the commitment of nations across the world to cyber security. The Index has been released by the UN telecommunications agency International Telecommunication Union (ITU). India has been listed in the “maturing category” of the index with a score of 0.683. Around 77 countries have been placed in the maturing category as they have developed complex commitments to cyber security and engage in cybersecurity programmes and initiatives. Singapore has topped the index with a score of 0.925. Singapore is followed by United States (2nd), Malaysia (3rd), Oman (4th), Estonia (5th), Mauritius (6th), Australia (7th), Georgia (8th), France (9th), Canada (10th) and Russia (11th). China has been placed at 34th.
India and Israel sign 7 Agreements
India and Israel have signed 7 agreements on areas including space, tech and agriculture during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel. Also, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit marks the 25 years of establishment of diplomatic relationship between India and Israel.
MoUs between India & Israel are:
MoU for setting up of India-Israel Industrial R&D & Technological Innovation Fund (I4F).
MoU for conservation of water in India.
MoU on State Water Utility Reform in India India-Israel Development Cooperation- 3-year work program in Agriculture (2018-2020).
Plan of cooperation regarding cooperation in atomic clocks.
MoU regarding cooperation in GEO-LEO optical link.
MoU regarding cooperation in electric propulsion for small satellites.
India’s TERI ranked second among world’s climate think tanks
New Delhi-based The Energy Resources Institute (TERI) was ranked second among world’s best climate think tank by the International Centre for Climate Governance (ICCG). TERI was ranked number two under the category ‘2016 Top Climate Think Tanks in the Rest of the World-Absolute Global Rankings’ during ICCG’s 23rd annual conference of the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE) in Athens, Greece. ICCG is an internationally-renowned body whose activities focus on the design of climate policy and related governance issues. It rankings helps to highlight the scale and magnitude of work done by the think tanks working in the field of climate change.
Indo-Thai joint military exercise Maitree 2017 begins in HP
A 14-day joint military training exercise between India and Thailand started in Himachal Pradesh. The joint exercise of the Indian Army with the Royal Thailand Army commenced at Bakloh in Chamba district. The aim of this exercise is to build and promote closer relations while exchanging skills and experiences between the two armies. ‘Exercise Maitree 2017′ is a continuation of a series of joint exercises between the Indian Army and the Royal Thailand Army. The previous edition of the exercise was held at Krabi in Thailand in 2016. The Maitree series of bilateral exercises has been one of the major defence cooperation initiatives between India and Thailand.
Two Indian-Americans to be honoured with Great Immigrants award
Two Indian-Americans, Adobe Chief Shantanu Narayen and former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy are among 38 immigrants to be honoured this year for their role in helping advance the country’s society, culture and economy. Narayen and Murthy will be honoured with the prestigious ‘Great Immigrants’ annual award on US’s Independence day. Murthy, born in the UK and a Harvard and Yale alumnus, was appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2014, becoming the first-ever Indian-American to occupy the post and also the youngest ever surgeon general of the country. Narayen, a native of Hyderabad has an undergraduate degree in electronics engineering, a master’s degree in computer science, and an MBA from UC Berkeley.
India contributes Rs. 3 Crores to UN Peacebuilding Fund
India has contributed $500,000 (Rs. 3 Crores) to the UN Peacebuilding Fund, expressing hope that more funding by nations will boost efforts by the world body to build and sustain peace. India has been a member of the Peacebuilding Commission since its inception in December 2005 and has so far contributed $5 million to the Peacebuilding Fund. The fund was launched to support activities, actions, programmes and organisations that seek to build a lasting peace in countries emerging from conflict.
NATIONAL
Union Govt launches Sagar Vani to alert coastal community
Union Minister of Science & technology Harshavardhan has launched Sagar Vani application on the occasion of Foundation Day of Ministry of Earth Sciences. The portal was launched with an aim to alert the coastal communities. This Integrated Information Dissemination System (IDS) was developed by ESSO-Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS). It is aimed at disseminating the advisories effectively and timely, directly from the lab to the end user.
Niti Aayog clears six proposals for high-tech public transport
The NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog has approved 6 transport proposals of the transport ministry exploring options to improve public transport. It includes high-tech mass rapid transportation technologies such as metrino, hyperloop, pod taxis, stadler buses, hybrid buses and freight rail road. The proposals of the transport ministry were approved with a condition that the transport ministry conducts trial run of all these technologies and puts in place safety measures before starting operations commercially. Following the go-ahead from NITI Aayog, the transport ministry has formed a six member committee, headed by former top official of Railways, to study safety parameters associated with these technologies and their best global practices.
No immediate arrest under dowry harassment law:SC
The Supreme Court ruled that the police cannot arrest the accused without conducting a preliminary inquiry under dowry harassment cases. With this, the court puts an end to immediate arrests in dowry harassment cases, under Section 498A of Indian Penal Code (IPC). The ruling was made by a bench of Justices A K Goeal and UU Lalit.
National Centre for Seismology launches app ‘India Quake’
Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment, Forests & Climate Change has launched an app Inida Quake for Earthquake Parameter Dissemination. The minister launched the application on the occasion of Foundation Day of Ministry of Earth Sciences in New Delhi. The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) operates national seismological network with 84 stations. These stations are connected to NCS headquarter through Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) for real time data communication.
Union Govt plans to open over 100 new post offices by 2018
The Union government is planning to open 81 sub-post offices and 100 branch post offices during the 2017-18 fiscal year under the “Rural Business & Access to Postal Network” scheme. The same was notified to the Parliament. The Communications Minister, Manoj Sinha in a written reply in the Lok Sabha said that under the scheme, the Department of Posts plans to open 66 new branch post offices during the current fiscal year by creation of new post offices in 32 worst affected Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-hit districts in the country.
Delhi Govt constitutes State Names Authority
The Delhi government constituted the state Names Authority, a seperate body mandated to name government roads and institutions under the state purview. The State Names Authority (SNA) will be headed by deputy CM Manish Sisodia. While, Urban Development Minister Satyendar Jain will be the Vice-Chairman of the Authority. Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has gave his approval for the formation of the authority. The authority will have a total of 34 members including the Union home secretary, the Union HRD secretary, the DDA vice-chairman, the Delhi PWD secretary and the Delhi Principal secretary (Home). Aam Aadmi Party lawmakers Rajesh Gupta, Nitin Tyagi, Vishesh Ravi, Sanjeev Jha, Rakhi Birla, Bhavna Gaur and Adarsh Shastri will also be the members of the Authority.
Union Home Minister chairs first meeting of IDA
The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh chaired the first meeting of the newly constituted Islands Development Agency (IDA). The Union Home Minister presented the vision for developing India’s maritime economy while preserving the natural eco-system and addressing the security concerns. He emphasized upon the need for sustainable development of Islands with people’s participation. After detailed consultations with key stakeholders, 10 islands namely Smith, Ross, Aves, Long and Little Andaman in Andaman & Nicobar and Minicoy, Bangaram, Suheli, Cherium and Tinnakara in Lakshadweep have been identified for holistic development in the first phase. With this meeting, the efforts for holistic development of Islands of India received a major boost.
Right to Education is Right to Quality Education says SC
The Supreme Court quashed the regularisation of 1.78 lakh Shiksha Mitras as teachers in Uttar Pradesh (UP) or not holding adequate qualification as fixed under Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. A bench of Justices AK Goel and UU Lalit ruled that their jobs could not be regularised at the cost of fundamental right of children to free quality education by duly qualified teachers. It ruled that Right to Education means to right to quality education. The court held that appointment of Shiksha Mitras was not as per qualification prescribed for a teacher and they could not be regularized as teachers.
Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2017 introduced in Lok Sabha
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley introduced the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2017 in Lok Sabha. The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2017 seeks to amend the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 and replace the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance 2017, which was promulgated in May 2017.
Provisions of the Bill:
1. It authorises the RBI to direct the banking companies to resolve the problem of stressed asstes.
2. It also allows the RBI to initiate insolvency resolution process on specific stressed assets.
3. It empowers RBI to issue other directions for resolution, appoint or approve authorities or committees to advise the banking companies for stressed asset resolution.
4. The recovery proceedings will be carried out under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 that provides for a time-bound process to resolve defaults.
Union Govt launches SHe-box portal
The union Ministry of Women and Child Development launched an online patform ‘SHe-box (Sexual Harassment Electronic Box) to enable women employees of the Central government to file complaints related to sexual harassment at the work place. The Ministry also instructed officials to make the ‘SHe-box’ portal as interactive as possible. The e-platform will be hosted on the WCD ministry’s website and the complaints will then be taken up with the respective ministries or departments. Once a complaint is registered, it will be forwarded to the concerned ministry or department where the woman works. Initially, only the central government women employees can file complaints through the portal, but later its ambit will include the private sector as well.
Supreme Court asks Centre & States not to protect any kind of vigilantism
The Supreme court of India asked the Union Government and the states not to protect any kind of vigilantism. It alsom sought their response on violent incidents of cow vigilantism. A three-judge bench of the apex court headed by Justice Dipak Misra comprising Justice A M Khanwilkar and Justice M M Shantanagoudar was informed by the Centre that law and order is a state subject but it does not support any kind of vigilantism in the country. The bench also sought the assistance of the Centre and states for removing violent content related to cow vigilantism uploaded on social media. The centre’s response was on a petition filed by social activist Tehseen Poonawala, who in his plea seeks a direction to states and centre to take action against so-called Gau Rakhasks, who profess to protect cows.
Jaitley releases National Trade Facilitation Action Plan
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley released the National Trade Facilitation Action Plan. The WTO-Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) was a major milestone for the global trading system. This Action Plan gives a time bound map, not only for implementing TFA, but also for India’s initiatives for trade facilitation and ease of doing business which goes beyond TFA. According to a Finance Ministry statement, all actions covered under the plan have been categorised by prioritising the activities into short, mid and long term.
Union Govt launches quality mark logo for milk and milk products
Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh launched National Dairy Development Board’s (NDDB) quality logo for milk and milk products to signify safe and quality milk and milk products from dairy cooperatives. This move will reinforce the consumer’s recgnition that the quality mark is synonymous with good quality. NDDB’s quality mark will provide dairy cooperatives and producer institutions the much-needed brand identity and a competitive edge.
Union Govt launches quality mark logo for milk and milk products
Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh launched National Dairy Development Board’s (NDDB) quality logo for milk and milk products to signify safe and quality milk and milk products from dairy cooperatives. This move will reinforce the consumer’s recgnition that the quality mark is synonymous with good quality. NDDB’s quality mark will provide dairy cooperatives and producer institutions the much-needed brand identity and a competitive edge.
Union Govt launches Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley formally launched the Pradhan mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY). PMVVY is a pension scheme announced by the Union Government exclusively for the senior citizens aged 60 years and above. The scheme is available from 4 May 2017 to 3 May 2018. The scheme can be purchased offline as well as online through Life Insurance Corporation of India which has been given the sole privilege to operate this scheme. The scheme provides an assured return of 8 per cent per annum and is payable monthly for 10 years. The pension is payablle at the end of each period during th policy term of 10 years, as per the frequency of monthly/ quarterly/ half-early/ yearly as chosen by the pensioner. This scheme is exempted form Service Tax or GST.
UIDAI launches mAadhaar app with biometric check
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has launched new app for Android called mAadhaar. The mobile Aadhaar app lets users carry their Aadhaar information such as name, date of birth, gender, address as well as the photos linking to their Aadhaar card on their smartphones, making it easily accessible when needed. The app is currently only available for Android devices and is available via the Play Store. There is no information on an iOS Aadhaar app so far. For added security, the mAadhaar app also comes with biometric locking/unlocking that should keep users’ personal information safe. There is only a Time-based One-Time Password system (TOTP) that can be used to create a temporary password, which can be used in place of a traditional SMS-based OTP. Users will also see their updated profile after they have successfully filed an update request. They can also share QR codes and password protected eKYC data to retrieve information. UIDAI has noted that the app is currently in beta, and some of the features will be made available in the future via updates.
Cabinet Approvals on 19th July 2017
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved following agreements and MoUs on different fields.
The Cabinet has approved:
MOC in respect of tax matters between India and BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa.
MoU between India and Netherlands on cooperation in space technology.
IRDAI’s admission as a signatory to International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS), Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MMoU).
Central Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2017.
Integrated Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2017.
Revision of Indian Community Welfare Fund guidelines.
Cadre Review of Indian Defence Accounts Service, IDAS.
Smriti Irani gets I&B ministry, Narendra Singh Tomar Urban Development
Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the Information and Broadcasting portfolio to Smriti Irani, a day after M. Venkaiah Naidu, who was handling the Ministry, was picked to be the NDA’s Vice Presidential candidate. The Urban Development Ministry, which was also being handled by Naidu, has been given to Narendra Singh Tomar. Naidu had resigned from his ministerial responsibilities.
PM Modi to inaugurate APJ Abdul Kalam’s memorial
Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be inaugurating a memorial for former Indian President A P J Abdul Kalam at his birthplace, Peikarumbu near Rameswaram on 27 July 2017. The same was announced by Union Minister of State for Road Transport Highways and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan in Madurai. The minister stated that the Prime Minster will come to Tamil Nadu next week to open the memorial.
Matunga becomes India’s first railway station with All-Women Staff
Central Railway has taken a step towards women empowerment by appointing an all-female work staff at the suburban Matunga station. Matunga station has now become the first such ladies special station. According to the official, women have been manning this station, which falls on the Central Railway, since the past two weeks. A total of 30 women staffers, including 11 booking clerks, five RPF personnel, seven ticket checkers are working under the supervision of station manager Mamta Kulkarni since last two weeks. This is not the first time the Central Railway is taking the lead in empowering women. In 1992, its staffer Mamta Kulkarni became the Mumbai’s first woman station master. Kulkarni was posted in Kurla. Currently, the all-women staff at Matunga Railway Station has been handling overall operations of the railway station round the clock. Matunga railway station, which is located in central Mumbai, gets a huge number of student population as a lot of colleges are located in the area.
Railways launches mobile app ‘Rail SAARTHI’
Indian Railways launched an integrated mobile application to cater to various passenger requirements including ticket booking, inquiry, on-board cleaning and ordering meal on a single platform. The app is called Rail SAARTHI and was launched by Railway Minister. The Rail SAARTHI (synergised advanced application rail travel help and information) such as safety for women, complaint facility and suggestion for improvement. One can also book air ticket through the app and give feedback. Railway Minister also announced a quota facility for differently- abled people in 3AC coach and extending the advance booking period for foreigners to 365 days from present 120 days. Now a lower berth in a 3AC coach will be reserved for physically-challenged people and the middle for the individual accompanying them. However, there will be only one such berth in the 3AC coach of a train.
Indian Railways launches RailCloud, NIVARAN & CTSE Scheme
Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu has launched RailCloud project, NIVARAN-Grievance Portal (First IT Application on Rail Cloud), Cashless treatment Scheme in Emergency (CTSE) Scheme and Handing over of 1st CTSE Card.
1. RailCloud: Indian Railway has started a strategic IT initiative, christened IR-OneICT, for enterprise wide digital single platform with an aim to improve customer satisfaction, improve revenue and effective, efficient and safe operations. To achieve the goal of single digital platform for IR a few foundational projects need to be implemented first, establishment of RailCloud is one such project.
2. NIVARAN-Grievance Portal First IT application on RailCloud: ‘NIVARAN-Grievance Portal’ is the first IT application to be launched on the RailCloud. It is the platform for resolution of service related grievances of serving and former railway employees. The existing application was hosted on a conventional server; it has been made cloud-ready and being migrated as the first cloud application of Indian Railways. It will save significant revenue and at the same time user experience will also improve.
3. Cashless treatment Scheme in Emergency (CTSE): Railway provides Comprehensive Health Care Facilities to its beneficiaries through in-house health Institutions, supplementing with referrals to recognized hospitals whenever necessary. The beneficiaries include retired employees and their dependent family members. Large no. of retired beneficiaries lives in the newly developed suburbs of various cities. These parts of the city are often far away from the established Railway Health Institutions. In this scenario the RELHS beneficiaries coming to Railway Health Institutions in routine is acceptable, however in emergency situations, precious time (Golden Hour) is lost in travel.
National Strategic Plan for Malaria Elimination 2017-22 launched by Nadda
J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare has launched the National Strategic Plan for Malaria Elimination (2017-22). The Strategic Plan gives year wise elimination targets in various parts of the country depending upon the endemicity of malaria in the next 5 years. This plan focuses on the states such as Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The strategies involve strengthening malaria surveillance, establishing a mechanism for early detection and prevention of outbreaks of malaria, promoting the prevention of malaria by the use of Long Lasting Impregnated Nets (LLINs), effective indoor residual spray and augmenting the manpower and capacities for effective implementation for the next five years.
Govt empowers Army to procure weaponry for short intense wars
Tne Union Government empowered the Army to directly procure critical weapons systems and military platforms to maintain cmbat readiness for short duration intense wars. This decision will help the Army to complete the procurement process for such ammunition and equipment in a faster way. The Army vice-chief Sarath Chand has been given the full financial powers to procure ammunitions. The decision was made after an internal review found that the optimum holding state was not maintaine in a proper way. As part of the decision, the Army has been allowed to procure 46 types of ammunition and spares for 10 different types of weapons systems. Another proposal to allow the Army to procure 20 types of armament and 6 types of mines is also under consideration.
Mithali Raj Creates Women’s Cricket History
Mithali Raj has been India’s premier player ever since she made her debut in 1999. Her exploits in the international stage in both Tests and ODIs have made her India’s premier player. She created a world record by smashing seven consecutive fifty-plus scores, making her the first woman player to achieve the feat. In the crucial game against Australia, Mithali became the woman cricketer who has scored most runs in ODIs. Mithali Raj became the first women’s player to reach 6000 ODI runs. England’s Charlotte Edwards was the previous leading run-getter in ODIs with 5992 runs. 164 – Number of innings that has taken Mithali to achieve this feat. She has 48 not-outs to her name, which is the most in women’s cricket.
Union Govt launches new tax payer service module Aaykar Setu
The Union Finance Ministry has launched Aaykar Setu, a new tax payer service module. The new e-initiative literally means taxpayer’s bridge and will be available in android phones. It compiles various tax tools, dynamic updates, live chat facility and important links to various processes within the Income Tax Department (ITD) in a single module. Aaykar Setu has been launched in mobile responsive android application and also in desktop version to enhance mobile access as well as desktop access. This e-initiative aims provide better taxpayer services and also help in reducing the direct physical interface between assesses and tax assessing authorities.
Prez launches 3 digital initiatives over e-education
President Pranab Mukherjee has launched digital initiatives – Swayam, Swayam Prabha and National Academic Depository – in New Delhi to push e-education in the country. The aim of the initiatives is to raise the Gross Enrollment Ratio in the higher education from 24.5 to 30 by 2020.
Swayam will host courses taught in classrooms from Class 9th to post-graduation, which can be accessed by anyone, anywhere at any time. It will target those students who could not complete their studies and professionals who wish to upgrade their knowledge.
Swayam Prabha is the platform of 32 DTH channels devoted to telecasting high-quality educational programmes 24X7 using GSAT-15 satellite.
National Academic Depository will facilitate online verification of certificates. All the courses are interactive and available free of cost. Students from various recognised institutes in India will be able to earn credits on clearing these online courses.
He also launched the National Digital Library which containing 6.5 million books.
GST Rates Finder’ App launched by Govt to allow consumers verify accurate tax rate
Ministry of Finance has launched an app – GST Rates Finder to verify the accurate tax rate on commodity and services under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley launched the app in New Delhi. Through this app, user can determine GST rate by entering the name of the commodity or service. The search result will list all the Goods and Services containing the name which was typed in the search box. A taxpayer can search for applicable CGST, SGST, UTGST rate and Compensation Cess on a supply. This mobile app can be downloaded on any smartphone and can work in offline mode, once downloaded. The application has been launched on Android platform, and is expected to be unveiled for iOS users shortly.
STATES
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi launches Jiyo Parsi Publicity Phase-2 in Mumbai
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Minority Affairs & Parliamentary Affairs, has launched the Jiyo parsi Publicity hase-2 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. While launching the Phase-2, Naqvi said that Parsi community has immense contribution in nation building and Parsi community has been a “role model” for other communities for its culture and traditions. The Parsi Community has given so many great people who have been ‘architects of nation building”. The main aim of the Jiyo Parsi scheme is to reverse the declining trend of Parsi population by adopting a scientific protocol and structured interventions. The scheme also aims to stabilize their population and increse the population of Parsis in India.
Punjab launches ‘Apni Gaddi Apni Rozgar’ scheme
The Punjab government has recently announced the launch of its flagship ‘Apni Gaddi Apna Rozgar’ scheme by flagging off over 100 uber MOTO bikes. Under the scheme, the state government will be providing commercial two wheelers and four wheelers to unemployed youth at subsidized rates. Though Uber will be able to operate easily with in Punjab, but it may not have a smooth ride with in the Chandigarh Central Region. Since Haryana is charging a high entry tax on commercial passenger vehicles entering from Chandigarh and Punjab. Uber and Ola- both have taken up the matter with Monahar Lal led BJP government. The scheme aims to generate job opportunities for youth and providing better mobile transport in Punjab. Uber target is to create 10,000 entrepreneurial opportunities in one year and 45,000 in next five years.
Mumbai Metro launches ‘OnGo’, India’s first mobile ticketing system
Mumbai Metro announced the launch of India’s first Mobile Ticketing System ‘OnGo’ which will help commuters pass the AFC gates using their mobile phones. The system is in the final advanced stage of testing and will be implemented by mid-August. Through the Mumbai Metro App, commuters will be able to buy their token or pass and generate a QR Code which will be used to gain access through the automated fare collection (AFC) gates. Commuters will be able to generate a QR Code through ‘OnGo’ service for current or future journeys upto a week in advance by clicking the mobile app wherein they would pay for their journey.
PM Modi inaugurates Kalam’s memorial in Rameswaram
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the former President, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s memorial at Pei Karumbu in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu on the second death anniversary of the former President. Mr Modi unveils a statue of Dr. Kalam and hoisted the National flag at the memorial. Mr. Modi will flag off Kalam Sandesh Vahini, an exhibition bus which will travel across the country and reach Rashtrapati Bhavan on 15th of October, which marks the birth anniversary of the former President. The majestic memorial for the missile man Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam has been designed and built by the Defence Research and Development Organization.
Uttarakhand records second highest tiger count in India
The count of tigers in Uttarakhand shot up 242 with an increase of 63 big cats in the year 2017. the news was announced by Trivendra Singh Rawat, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. In addition, 11 cubs were also found in the two tiger reserves, the Corbett Tiger Reserve and the Rajaji Tiger Reserve, in the state. While announcing the statistics, the Chief Minister congratulated the forest department for the great work being done for the conservation of tigers and added that in terms of area and tiger population ratio. Uttarakhand is the second state in terms of tiger count behind Karnataka, which has 400 big cats.
Madras HC makes Vande Mataram mandatory in schools, private & govt offices
The Madras High Court ruled that Vande Mataram should be sung in all schools and colleges across Tamil Nadu atleast once in a week and in government and private offices atleast once in a month. while issuing order, Justice MV Muralidharan stated that to instil a sense of patroitism in each and every citizen of Tamil Nadu, the National song ‘Vande Mataram’ shall be played and sung in all educational institutions atleast once a week, preferably on Monday and Friday.
Rajya Sabha passes Maritime Admiralty Bill, 2017
The Rajya Sabha passed the Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2017. The Bill was presented by the Minister of State or Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Mansukh L Mandaviya. The Bill repeals laws such as the Admiralty Court Act, 1861 and the Colonial Courts of Admiralty Act, 1890. The bill was earlier passed by the Lok Sabha in March 2017.
AAI, Uttarakhand Govt ink MoU on Aviation Development
Airports Authority of India (AAI), has signed an MoU with Government of Uttarakhand and joined hands with Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA). The MoU was signed by S. Ramaswamy, Chief Secretary, Government of Uttarakhand and Anil Gupta, General Manager (Business Development), AAI. The scope of the MoU is to identify relevant factors influencing the development of civil aviation infrastructure in Uttarakhand, assessing the commercial potential of various airports of the State, and identifying technical considerations for airport operations in the State.
UP Govt to launch all-women ‘Pink’ AC busses with CCTV cameras
The Uttar Prasedh (UP) Government announced to launch ‘Pink’ air-conditioned buses installed with CCTV cameras exclusively for women. The staff including the conductor in these buses, will be women only. The ‘Pink’ buses will have panic buttons installed for emergencies. The presentation in this regard was made before the Union Ministry of Women Child Development by the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) authorities. Following this, the Union Ministry sanctioned funds for the 50 buses from its ‘Nirbhaya Fund’ for the ‘Pink’ buses in UP. The ministry permitted the state government to buy the buses and install CCTV cameras in the other 12500 busesn owned by the UPSRTC.
Literary Festival themed ‘Tolerance’ to be held in Kerala
At a time when the country witnesses raging debate over intolerance, Kerala is getting ready to host a literary festival with tolerance as the core theme. Creative writers, journalists, theatre and film personalities will deliberate on tolerance at the fifth edition of South India Writers Ensemble (SIWE), to be held at Chengannur, a sleepy town in coastal Alappuza district, from July 24. Organised by People for Performing Arts and More, an art-cum-cultural outfit, the three-day annual literary gathering is aimed at bringing about an enriching interaction between writers from different languages and regions.
Castor plant can reduce soil pollution: Study
According to study conducted by researchers from University of Hyderabad, Castor bean plants can prove useful in fighting soil pollution. It was found that these plants can absorb toxic heavy metals from soil from these polluted areas due to industrial pollution. The roots, leaves and stem of these plants from the polluted areas contain heavy metals such as lead. It was also observed that these plants accelerate the remediation of polluted soils due to presence of some chemicals in them known as chelators which enhances the capability of the plant to accumulate heavy metals. Castor seed plants are generally known to be one of the sturdiest plants that can grow in areas where the soil is highly polluted, including in areas where mining is carried out. Traditionally, Castor oil (also known as ‘Arandi ka tel’ in Hindi) has been an age old home remedy for a variety of ailments in India.
Kamal Haasan is the brand ambassador of Tamil Thalaivas
Actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan has been appointed as the brand ambassador of team Tamil Thalaivas in the fifth season of Pro Kabbadi League. Tamil Thalaivas is owned by a consortium of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and businessman N Prasad. The tournament starts from 28 July in Hyderabad.
Prez inaugurates Bicentenary Celebration of Paika Rebellion of Odisha
The President of India Pranab Mukharjee inaugurated the bicentenary celebration of the Paika Rebellion of Odisha organised by the Union Ministry of Culture. The Paika Rebellion was an armed rebellion against the British East Inida Company’s rule in Odisha in 1817. The Paikas rose in rebellion under their leader Bakshi Jagabandhu and, projecting Lord Jagannath as the symbol of Odia unity. The rebellion quickly spread across most of Odisha before being ruthlessly put down by the company’s forces. The Paikas were the traditional landed militia of Odisha. They served as warriors and were charged with policing functions during peacetime.
Odisha CM dedicates longest bridge to nation, names it after Netaji
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik dedicated to the nation the state’s longest bridge and named it after Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The 2.88 km bridge connects Barang on the outskirts of capital city Bhubaneswar with Judicial Academy Chhak in Cuttack. It reduces the distance between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar by almost 12 kms. Although the construction work of the bridge started after Mr. Patnaik laid the foundation in February 2011, the completion missed the deadline by over three years.
Telangana launches ‘Janahitha’ for speedy redressal of public grievances
The Telangana government launched a special portal called “Janahitha” to receive complaints from the public. The programme was inaugurated in Suryapet district on a pilot basis by Telangana Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy. The portal, which has been developed by Telangana’s IT department is a single window for all grievances and their redressal management. It is aimed at facilitating the public to submit their complaints online and get speedy redressal.
Maha govt revamps scheme for girl child welfare
The Maharashtra government has approved a revised policy of the ‘Majhi Kanya Bhagyashree’ scheme, according to which families who have a yearly income of upto Rs 7.5 lakh will be benefited. The scheme was launched by the state government on April 1, 2016 in place of ‘Sukanya’ scheme. It is aimed at improving the skewed girl child ratio, prevent sex determination and female foeticide, and support female education.
In a first, Telangana to have eco-friendly bridges for movement of tigers
In a first of its kind, the Indian state of Telangana will soom have eco-friendly bridges for easy movement of tigers. The state will have the bridges over a canal cutting across the tiger corridor linking the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra with the dforstsrs in Telangana’s Kumram Bheem Asifabad district. the inttcention requioires the laying of fertile soil to grow grass and plants over the structure, so that fragmentation of the reserve forest is camouflaged.
J-K govt launches weekly festival ‘Culture on Cruise’ at Dal Lake
The spectacular Dal Lake here hosted first ever ‘Cultrue of Cruise’, a weeekly cultural programme organised by the Jammu and Kashmir government aimed to bring artists from various fields on one stage. The innovative programme series brings writers, performance artistes, musicians, poets and academics together and offers a program of performances, workshops, talks, forums and debates. The inaugural programme of the series saw artistes such as Mohammed Yaseen Gundpuri, Mohammed Subhan Shah, and Bashir Kotur perform before a select gathering of audience comprising singers, artists, writers, and poets.
Karnataka Govt appoints panel to design its own state flag
The Congress-led Sidsaramaiah government in Karnataka has constituted a nine-member committee to study the possibility of designing its own ‘state flag’. The panel headed by Principal Secretary, department of Kannada and Culture is expected to prepare a design for a seperate state flag and soon submit a report looking into the legal sancity of the same to the state government. If the move does get legal sanction then it would make Karnataka the only second state in the country to officially have its own flag after Jammu & Kashmir, which enjoys special status under Article 370 of the Constitution.
Raipur, the most customer-friendly airport
Raipur’s Swami Vivekananda Airport was ranked first in Customer Satisfaction among 53 non-metro airports in the country. Raipur Airport achieved 4.84 score on a five point scale index in the latest CSI (Customer Service Index) survey conducted by an independent agency for the period of January-June 2017, followed by Udaipur, Amritsar and Dehradun airports which have scored 4.75, 4.74 and 4.73 respectively. Customer Satisfaction is one of the key performance objectives of AAI which is evaluated through Customer Satisfaction Survey conducted by an independent agency commissioned by the Airport Authority of India (AAI). The survey covers a wide range of parameters like transportation, parking, passenger facilities and cleanliness, etc
Maharashtra passes law against social boycott
Maharashtra has become the first state to make social boycott a crime after President Pranab Mukherjee cleared the legislation. The Maharashtra Prohibition of People from Social Boycott (Prevention Prohibition and Redressal) Act prescribes a maximum punishment of three years in jail and a fine of Rs1 lakh. It aims to prevent atrocities carried out by extra-judicial courts and caste panchayats. The Act also provides for compensation to victims. The fines imposed on violators will be used to compensate them. The Act also has a provision to withdraw cases with the consent of victims and permission from a court. In case of a withdrawal, the accused will have to perform community service.
Delhi Police to get ‘super cop belt’
National capital police will be the first state police in India who will get ‘super cop belt’, a specially designed belt, widely used by Police in UK, USA, Russia and para-military forces like CRPF, CISF, NSG etc. This belt will help cops to keep things like Gun, Mobile Pouch, Security Batten, Wireless Set Pouch & ammunition pouch. According to the Delhi Police, currently a cop has to carry wireless set, pistol, and cartridge separately. During any protest or event which have large public gathering, these equipments become liability.
Maharashtra launches free injectable contraceptive for women
Maharashtra has become the first state in the country to provide women an injectable contraceptive for free. The state’s public health department launched a program called Antara to offer women an injection of Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), a birth-control hormone. According to state health officials, the injection, a safe means of birth control, is effective for three months. The injection will be given intramuscularly to women in the age bracket of 18-45 years. Currently, the injections are available for free at public health facilities in Mumbai, Pune, Raigad, Nandurbar, Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Sangli, Ratnagiri and Beed.
Rajasthan fixes min education qualification for cooperative body poll
Rajasthan has laid down the minimum educational qualifications for contesting elections to village cooperative societies and various other cooperative bodies. With this, Rajasthan became India’s first state to fix minimum educational qualification for cooperative body poll. In this regard, the Rajasthan Gvernment amended State Cooperative Societies Rules, 2003. The new rules would benefit about 10000 cooperative and agricultural credit societies. Moreover, the benefit of education will accrue to the societies as their management will go to expert hands.
Delhi becomes second state to accept online RTI applications
Filing an RTI application with the Delhi government is now just a click away. Delhi became the second state to launch e-RTI portal that will enable citizens to file online Right to Information (RTI). Maharashtra is the first state to launch the online RTI platform. The portal launched recently will enable citizens to file RTI and seek information related to 172 departments of the Delhi government including the office of the CM and his ministers. The e-RTI portal, which has been designed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), includes filling of application, payment of fees and getting replies online. An applicant will also be able to track the status of RTI application. The e-RTI application fee will have to be paid through net banking. Citizens can file the e-RTIs by logging at www.rtionline.delhi.gov.in. You can also call at 011-23392726 and 011-23392421 for any queries related to the process of filing the RTI.
Kerala Govt proposes Stray Dog Zoos
The Kerala government is planning “stray dog zoos” to keep them off the streets in the State. The State government informed a Supreme Court Bench led by Justice Dipak Misra that it had asked all district panchayats to keep aside two to three acres and notify them as ‘stray dog zoos’. The State government, represented by senior advocate V. Giri, was responding to a question from the Supreme Court on the construction of shelter homes for the stray dog population, which has increased aggressively over the years and become a dangerous presence on the streets, especially after dark. However, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and activists refused to be convinced by the solution Kerala has arrived at concerning stray dogs.
J&K Assembly passes resolution to implement GST in the state
Jammu and Kashmir Assembly adopted a resolution to implement the goods and services tax (GST), bringing the state’s indirect taxation into the new unified tax regime that the rest of the country adopted on 1 July at a landmark ceremony in Parliament. The resolution moved by state Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu, was adopted through a presidential order calling on the Centre to safeguard the special status and exclusive taxation powers of the state. With this Jammu and Kashmir has become the last state to pass the GST bill in the state.
CONFERENCES
India to host 2017 Global Conference on Cyber Space
India will host Global Conference on Cyber Space (GCCS) 2017, the world’s largest conference on cyber space and related issues in New Delhi in November 2017. This is for the first time GCCS is taking place outside Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations. It will be the fifth edition the conference. The theme for the GCCS 2017 is ‘Cyber4All: An Inclusive, Sustainable, Developmental, Safe and Secure Cyberspace‘. The cyber security will be one of the major focus areas in GCCS 2017. It will serve as a platform for the exchange of ideas with global think thanks and promote closer co-operation among the international community. The GCCS is a prestigious international conference that aims at encouraging dialogue among stakeholders of cyberspace. It was incepted in 2011 in London.
22nd World Petroleum Congress (WPC) held in Istanbul
The 22nd World Petroleum Congress (WPC) International Conference was held recently in Istanbul, Turkey. Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan visited Istanbul to represent India at the Conference. The theme for 22nd World Petroleum Congress was ‘Bridges To Our Energy Future’. WPC was first organized in year 1993. Currently, it is being held at the interval of three years. “This time – Istanbul!” was the motto for the Turkish delegation as they faced the USA with Houston, Kazakhstan with Astana and Denmark with Copenhagen in the election to host the 22nd World Petroleum Congress in 2017. In a tightly run competition, Istanbul won the right to host the prestigious Congress with 55% of the votes in the third round against its strongest rival Houston with 45%.
Model UN Regional Conference begins in Kathmandu
A Model United Nations (MUN) Regional Conference is being held at Kathmandu. The event is organised by the US Embassy in partnership with the Youth Thinker’s Society. Youths from 12 South and Central Asian countries including India are participating in 5-day conference. The basic aim of the MUN is to provide a platform to young minds to channelize energy and resources for a more prosperous and peaceful world. The conference simulate four UN committees-United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Economic and Financial Committee (ECOFIN), United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
Danfoss India conferred with Golden Peacock Award
Climate and energy efficiency solutions company Danfoss India has been conferred with the ‘Golden Peacock Award’ for Environment Management. The award was presented in Hyderabad during the 19th World Congress on Environment Management’ in the presence of Supreme Court Justice Kurien Joseph. Acknowledging its commitment towards the environment, the company has been recognized for its LEED Platinum rated constructed the manufacturing facility in Chennai. Danfoss’s commitment towards sustainable development via its energy-efficient products, green initiatives at the Oragadam campus and its ongoing pan India CSR Programmes driving Sustainability are some the key contributing factors for the award.
12th G20 Summit held in Hamburg, Germany
Hamburg is hosting the twelfth G20 Summit on 7th and 8th of July, 2017. The G20, or group of 20, is an international meeting between heads of states, finance ministers and central bank governors from the world’s leading economies. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is hosting this year’s G20 Summit in Hamburg. The theme of the German presidency of the G20 is ‘Shaping an interconnected world’. Leaders of the G20 countries agreed to swift action and targeted exchange of information on terrorism and its financing. In a statement released at the end of the first day of the 12th G20 Summit, the member countries decided to take concrete steps to stop funding of the terror activities. The leaders also decided that the private sector will also be involved in the global efforts to counter terror financing.
5th Meeting of BRICS Education Ministers held in Beijing, China
Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Education was held in Beijing, China. The Indian delegation was led by Union Minister of Human Resource Development, Prakash Javadekar. The delegation of all the five BRICS countries participated in the two-day deliberations. Javadekar highlighted some of the initiatives of the Govt. of India in education. He specifically spoke about the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), SWAYAM platform which has already hosted over 480 courses online, research initiative IMPRINT and Smart India Hackathon. He also appreciated the creation of institutional mechanism in the form of BRICS Network University and BRICS Think Tank Council. Under BRICS Network University proposal, 12 universities from each of the 5 countries will engage with each other in education research and innovation. The 5 areas of cooperation which have been prioritised are–Communication and IT, Economics, Climate Change, Water Resources and Pollution, and BRICS study.
10th Session of the India- Jordan Trade and Economic Joint Committee held in New Delhi
The 10th India-Jordan Trade and Economic Joint Committee (TEJC) Meeting was held in New Delhi under the co-chairs of Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce and Industry, (India) and Mr. Yarub Qudah, Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply (Jordan). The two leaders also inked the revised Economic and Trade Cooperation Agreement between India and Jordan, aiming at boosting and diversifying bilateral trade relations, in addition to promote economic, trade and investment cooperation based on the principle of equity, non-discrimination. On the sidelines of the TEJC, business federations from both sides also met and discussed the roadmap for the promotion of trade and investment through a B2B mechanism.
AWARDS & HONOURS
Japanese, Sri Lankan among 2017 winners of Magsaysay awards
Yoshiaki Ishizawa, a Japanese historian who helped Cambodians preserve the Angkor temples, and Gethsie Shanmugam, a Sri Lankan teacher who counseled war widows and orphans to overcome their nightmares, are among the six winners of this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Awards. The other recipients named are Abdon Nababan, an Indonesian, a Singaporean businessman Tony Tay, a Philippine theater group and Lilia de Lima , a Filipino. The awards, named after a Philippine president who died in a 1957 plane crash, are to be presented in Manila on August 31.
Jhulan Goswami and Subrata Bhattacharya felicitated by Mohun Bagan
Mohun Bagan was conferred former club captain and coach Subrata Bhattacharya with prestigious Mohun Bagan Ratna award at the club’s annual day programme in kolkata. The city football gaint also felicitated India Women’s cricket team veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami with a special award. On the other hand, former club striker Balwant Singh was awarded the Best Football Player of the Year prize. Debabrata Das was honoured with the Best Cricket Player of the Year award. Former Bengal batsman Shyam Sundar Mitra was bestowed the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Advani receives Lifetime Achievement Award for contributions in Lok Sabha
Veteran BJP leader L.K. Advani received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions as a parliamentarian in the Lok Sabha. JD-U leader Sharad Yadav also received the Lifetime Achievement Award as a Rajya Sabha representative from Vice President Hamid Ansari at a function organized by the Lokmat Media Group to honor distinguished Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members. The awardess were selected by a jury headed by former Lok Sabha Speaker Shivraj Patil. The criteria for choosing the awardees included whether the parliamentarians followed the rules of procedures of the house. The jury also considered if these parliamentarians spoke only about their constituencies, their states or the nation as a whole. They also considered if parliamentarians took into account the situation developing across the world in terms of economic situation, international relations, cultural relations, war and peace and science & technology.
IIFA Awards 2017: Shahid-Alia win Best Actor and Actress, Neerja wins Best Film
The 18th edition of the International Indian Film Academy Awards was held in New York. Sonam Kapoor’s film Neerja won the best film award. Actor Shahid Kapoor earned the Best Actor award for his role in Udta Punjab, while Alia Bhatt won the Best Actor (Female) award for the same film.
Here is the list of winners of the IIFA Awards 2017:
Best Actor: Shahid Kapoor (Udta Punjab)
Best Actress: Alia Bhatt (Udta Punjab)
Best Film: Neerja
Best Actor in a Comic Role: Varun Dhawan (Dishoom)
Best Actor in a Negative Role: Jim Sarbh (Neerja)
Style Icon of The Year: Alia Bhatt
Best Debutante: Disha Patani (M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story)
Best Debutant: Diljit Dosanjh (Udta Punjab)
Woman of The Year: Taapsee Pannu
Special Contribution to Indian Cinema: AR Rahman
Best Supporting Actress: Shabana Azmi (Neerja)
Best Supporting Actor: Anupam Kher (M.S Dhoni: The Untold Story)
Best Director: Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury (Pink)
Best Story – Shakun Batra and Ayesha DeVitre Dhillon (Kapoor & Sons)
Best Music Director: Pritam (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil)
Best Lyricist: Amitabh Bhattacharya (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil)
Best Singer Male: Amit Mishra (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil)
Best Singer Female- Tulsi Kumar (Airlift) and Kanika Kapoor (Udta Punjab).
NABARD celebrates 36th Foundation Day
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley inaugurated the 36th National Bank For Agriculture & Rural Development (NABARD) Foundation Day and Silver Jubilee of SHG Bank Linkage Programme, in New Delhi. Self Help Group Bank Linkage Programme (SHG BLP) is a pioneering initiative of Financial Inclusion by NABARD. The pilot stage of this programme was started in year 1992.
Sindhu bags ‘Sportsperson of the Year’ award
Rio Olympics silver medallist P V Sindhu was bestowed with the ‘Sportsperson of the Year’ award during the ‘Maruti Suzuki Sportsperson of the Year’ Charity Gala Awards. Sindhu’s coach P Gopichand received the Coach of the Year award while the Flying Sikh Milkha Singh was given the Living Legend of the Year award. Young India cricketer K L Rahul, who made a mark in the last Test series against Australia, was awarded Gamechanger of the Year award. The 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medallist and the country’s sole gold medal winner in individual events at Olympics, Abhinav Bindra was given the Lifetime Achievement Award. Para athletes Devendra Jhajaria, Mariappan Thangavelu, Varun Bharti and Deepa Malik also received awards.
Kambala’ Buffalo Race Gets President’s Assent
The President gave his assent to the bill passed by Karnataka Assembly to legalise traditional buffalo race ‘Kambala’. In pursuance of the proviso to clause (1) of article 213 of the Constitution of India, the President of India hereby approves the promulgation of ‘The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Ordinance, 2017′ by the Governor of Karnataka. Bowing to public pressure, a bill to legalise traditional buffalo race ‘Kambala’ and bullock cart races in Karnataka was passed by the state Assembly in February with all parties backing the move. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, was amended in its application to Karnataka by the bill which was tabled after the clamour for Kambala grew, spurred by the success of pro-jallikattu (taming of bull) stir in Tamil Nadu. Kambala, held from November to March, involves a pair of buffaloes tied to the plough and anchored by one person.
SPORTS & GAMES
Caeleb becomes first ever to win three gold medals in one night
The 20-year-old Caeleb Dressel established himself as America’s newest star of the pool recently, becoming the first swimmer to win three gold medals on a single night at either the worlds or the Olympics. Caeleb Dressel accomplished this feat at 2017 FINA World Aqatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Not even Phelps managed such an audacious feat. Dressel raced three times over the course of about two hours – and won every time. Dressel’s sprint heroics were compiled in just over 90 minutes, interspersed by Sarah Sjostrom’s world record in the women’s 50 metres freestyle on another stunning night’s racing at the Duna Arena.
Shiva Thapa, Manoj Kumar strike gold at Czech Boxing tourney
Indian boxers packed quite a heavy punch at the 48th Grand Prix Usti Nad Labem, clinching five gold, two silver, and one bronze medal at the event in the Czech Republic. World Championships bronze-medallist Shiva Thapa (60kg), former Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Manoj Kumar (69kg), Amit Phangal (52kg), Gaurav Bidhuri (56kg) and Satish Kumar (+91kg) claimed gold medals after winning their respective summit clashes. Kavinder Bisht (52kg) and Manish Panwar (81kg), on the other hand, settled for silver medals.
India clinch Division B crown in front of sellout home crowd
India defeated Kazakhstan, 75-73, to clinch the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup’s Division B title. The thrilling final was held at the Kanteerava Inddor stadium in Bengaluru. To celebrate the win, the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) announced a cash award of Rs. 10 lakh for the Indian team. On the other hand, Japan defeated Australia 74-73 in the Division A summit clash.
Sebastian Vettel wins 2017 Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix
Sebastian Vettel of Germany and the Ferrari driver won the Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix at the Hungaroring in Mogyorod. The second and third place was taken by Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen of Finland and Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas of Finland respectively. The 2017 Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix was the eleventh round of the 2017 Formula One season and the 32nd running of the Hungarain Grand Prix.
Indonesia to host AFC U-19 championship in 2018
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Competition Committee awarded Indonesia the hosting of the AFC Under-19 championship 2018. The AFC U-19 championship is scheduled to be held from October 18 to November 4 of 2018. The committee felt that Indonesia was regarded as the most favourable among the bidders.
India finishes 7th in Youth Commonwealth Games with 11 medals
The Indian contingent finished an impressive seventh in the recently-concluded 6th Youth Commonwealth Games at the Bahamas with a total tally of 11 medals including for four gold, one silver and six bronze medals. England topped the medal list with atotal of 51 medals including 23 gold, 16 silver and 12 bronze followed by Australia at the second position with atally of 39 medals that includes 14 gold, 14 silver and 11 bronze. The other countries to finish ahead of India include New Zealand, Scotland, Soth Africa and Singapore.
Sachin Siwach strikes gold at Commonwealth Youth Games
World Youth Champion Sachin Siwach clinched a gold medal at the Commonwealth Youth Games, Bahamas after defeating Welsh boxer James Nathan Prober 4-1 in the final. Siwach, who won gold last year, was the only one of the 103 boxers to have clinched a gold so far in the tournament, taking place in Bahamas. He had stormed into the finals after defeating SA Kuse 5-0. The World Youth Champion was also the flag bearer of India for the tournament.
India lose Women’s World Cup 2017 final to England by 9 runs
Indian eves lost to England by a narrow margin of nine runs in the ICC Women’s World Cup final at Lord’s in London. Chasing a target of 229, Indian middle-order collapsed like a pack of cards, being bowled out for 219 in 48.4 overs. India put up a tough fight but England lift the World Cup. It is the fourth time England has won, following successes in 1973, 1993 and 2009. Opener Poonam Raut was top scored with 86, while Harmanpreet Kaur contributed 51. Earlier, Natalie Sciver’s 51 and Sarah Taylor’s 45 laid the foundation for England’s decent total of 228 for 7. For England, it was their fourth Women’s World Cup.
CM Mukul Sangma launches ‘Mission Football’ in Shillong
Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr. Mukul Sangma launched ‘Mission Football’ at a grand ceremony at JN Sports Complex, Shillong recently. During the occasion, Dr. Mukul Sangma stated that through this mission the future of Meghalaya can be foreseen when the State will be connected with the rest of the world because of the love and passion for the game. Mission Football is an initiative to help develop skills of football enthusiasts and develop young footballers for the country. It is a dedicated program for talent identification and nurturing of talents to develop national and international players. A total of eight grounds will be developed and the development of football stadiums in seven districts with an investment of Rs 5 crores per stadium.
Prannoy Clinches 2017 US Open Grand Prix Gold Badminton title
Rising shuttler H S Prannoy defeated Parupalli Kashyap to clinch the $120000 US Open Grand Prix Gold in Anaheim, Calfornia. Prannoy defeated Kashyap 21-15 20-22 21-12 in the summit clash, which lasted an hour and five minutes. In the women’s singles category of the tournament, Aya Ohori of Japan won the final by defeating Michelle Li of Canada. The 2017 US Open Grand Prix Gold was the eleventh Grand Prix’s badminton tournament of the 2017 BWF Grand Prix and overall eight Grand Prix Gold title of 2017 BWF Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament.
Karamjyoti Dalal bags Bronze at World Para Athletics
India’s Karamjyoti Dalal has won bronze medal at the World Para Athletics Championships 2017 in the discus-throw. In the women’s F55 category of discus-throw, she managed a throw of 19.02 m. Earlier, Sundar Singh Gurjar had opened India’s account at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships by winning gold medal in the men’s javelin throw event. Later, Amit Saroha won silver medal in the club throw event in the F-51 category. Dalal is currently ranked World No. 8 and had finished fourth at the 2015 IPC Para-athletics championships.
FIFA lifts suspension of Sudan Football Association
World football’s governing body FIFA lifted the ban on the Sudan Football Association (SFA) imposed on it for the failure to abide by agreements mentioned in articles 14 and 19 of the FIFA statute. The SFA and its member officials are now eligible to benefit from the FIFA development program, course or training. It does mean that Sudan will be able to continue their campaign in the 2019 African Nations Cup qualifiers. They have already been knocked out of the 2018 World Cup preliminaries.
Roger Federer wins historic 8th Wimbledon Title
Roger Federer won a record eighth Wimbledon title and became the tournament’s oldest champion with a straight-sets victory over injury-hit Marin Cilic who dramatically broke down in tears midway through the final. Federer claimed his 19th Grand Slam title beating Cilic 6-3, 6-1, 6-4. The 36-year old Federer is also Wimbledon’s oldest men’s winner of the modern era, succeeding Arthur Ashe, who was almost 32 when he won in 1976. This was his 11th Wimbledon final and 29th title at the majors. With this victory, Federer also became the first player since Bjorn Borg in 1976 to win Wimbledon without dropping a set in the entire tournament.
Lewis Hamilton wins record fifth British Grand Prix
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton won the British Grand Prix for the fifth time – matching the record of Jim Clark and Alain Prost to cut Sebastian Vettel’s championship lead to just a single point. They allowed Valtteri Bottas to grab second from Kimi Raikkonen to secure a Mercedes one-two, as Vettel trailed home seventh. Hamilton was 1.6 seconds clear after the first lap before the race was neutralised by a safety car following a collision between the Toro Rosso drivers.
Muguruza defeated Venus to clinch Maiden Wimbledon
Spain’s Garbine Muguruza won her maiden Wimbledon title with a straight-set win over five-time champion Venus Williams. It was 23-year-old, the 14th seed Muruguza’s first Wimbledon title. Also Muruguza’s 2nd Grand Slam title – the first was in French Open 2016 defeated Sarena Williams. Muruguza, playing her 4th Wimbledon Tournament, reached the final two years ago as nearly unknown player and was stricken in straight sets by Venus’ sister Serena. She saved two set points and won the last nine games in a 7-5, 6-0 victory under the Centre court roof.
Sundar Singh Strikes Gold at 2017 World Para Athletics Championships
India’s Sundar Singh Gurjar claimed gold medal in men’s javelin throw event at the World Para Athletic Championships taking place in London on the opening night of the tournament itself. He attempted his personal best, an effort of 60.36m in the men’s javelin throw F46, which was enough for him to take the top spot and open India’s medal tally. Sri Lanka’s Dinesh Priyantha Herath came second with 57.93 meters while defending champion Guo Chunliang of China was third with a season’s best 56.14 meters.
In a First, India to Host 8th Theatre Olympics in 2018
Dr Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (Independent charge) for Culture and Tourism has announced that 8th edition of the greatest carnival of Theatre in the World will take place in India for the first time ever from February 17 – April 08, 2018 simultaneously in various cities across the country. There will be 500 plays & 700 ambience performances from across the world and Allied activities like exhibitions, seminars, symposia, interactive discussions and workshops with well-known academicians, authors, actors, designers and directors will be held. In a development that puts India firmly among the top nations in the world theatre map, the country is all set to host the next edition of the prestigious Theatre Olympics. Established in 1993, the Theatre Olympics is the foremost international theatre festival, presenting the finest productions of well-known theatre practitioners from around the world. The Theatre Olympics, being held in India for the first time, is being organised by National School of Drama, under the aegis of Ministry of Culture.
India tops medal tally at Asian Athletics
India has topped the medal tally for the first time in the history of Asian Athletics Championships. In a stunning show of dominance on the fourth and final day of competitions in Bhubaneshwar, India clinched five gold, 1 silver, and 3 bronze. With that, the hosts ended the championships on top with a haul of 29 medals which included 12 gold, 5 silver, and 12 bronze. India’s earlier best came way back in the 1985 Jakarta edition where they had won 22 medals (10 gold, 5 silver, 7 bronze). India pushed China to the second spot (20 Medals). China ended this edition with a tally of 8 gold, 7 silver, 5 bronze. Kazakhstan finished third (8 Medals) with 4 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze while Iran ended on fourth with 4 gold and 1 bronze.
Harinder wins South Australian Open title
India’s Harinder Pal Sandhu beat Rhys Dowling of Australia in the final to lift South Australian Open squash title. Sandhu was down 1-7 after winning the first game comfortably as the Australian fought back strongly. He mounted a comeback to win it on extra points. The third game was a no-contest as the Indian, a former national champion, shut out Dowling’s challenge 11-4 to wrap up the victory. It was Sandhu’s eighth title at the PSA level and the third this season after winning two in Malaysia in the month of May.
Valtteri Bottas wins Austrian Grand Prix
Valtteri Bottas roared to the second victory of his career when he won the Austrian Grand Prix for Mercedes ahead of championship leader Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari. The Finn, in his first season with Mercedes after replacing 2016 champion Nico Rosberg, came home 0.658 seconds clear of Vettel who increased his lead over Lewis Hamilton in the drivers’ championship to 20 points. Bottas finished ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo, who finished second and third respectively. Three-time Formula One champion, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton finished fourth in the race.
Pankaj Advani-led Indian beat Pakistan to win Asian Snooker Championship
India’s leading cueist Pankaj Advani teamed up with Laxman Rawat to demolish Pakistan in the final of the Asian Team Snooker Championship in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Advani drew first blood by putting on a sterling performance against Mohammad Bilal. After the Pakistani scored the first solitary point and benefited from a foul from Advani, the Indian bounced back to piece together a brilliant break of 83 to seal the first tie of the best-of-five final. To complete a whitewash, the Indian pair maintained their superlative performance in the doubles tie. Advani remained the only player not to lose a single individual match in the team event. This title brings up Advani’s second Asian title this season and 8th overall while it was a first major first international title for Rawat.
Germany Defeats Chile to Win Maiden Confederations Cup Title
Germany was crowned 2017 Fifa Confederations Cup champions after a hard-fought 1-0 final victory over Chile in Saint Petersburg. In the final played, the four-time World Cup winners defeated Chile by a solitary goal. Lars Stindl put Germany ahead in the first half against the run of play, and Germany then held on to the lead. Earlier, in the third-place play-off match in Moscow, Portugal defeated Mexico 2-1. The match was held at the Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
ECONOMY
Canara Bank launches its first digital branch ‘CANDI’
Canara Bank has launched its first ‘Digital Banking Branch’ named ‘CANDI’ in Bengaluru. The branch will provide an end-to-end digital experience to customers. The bank has introduced customer-friendly mobile apps which help customers get most of the information related to their accounts from the app without the need to visit the branch. The most attractive feature of the Digital Branch is a humanoid robot that addresses basic queries of customers on banking products and services. This is a first-of-its kind initiative by a public sector bank in the country.
SBI cuts savings bank rate on deposits up to Rs. 1 cr
The decline in rate of inflation and high real interest rates have prompted State Bank of India to cut the savings bank deposits rate from 4 per cent to 3.5 per cent on deposits below Rs. 1 crore. This cut in savings bank rate will prompt many banks to follow suit. The savings bank deposits above Rs. 1 crore will continue to earn 4 per cent interest. The cut in SB rate will enable it to maintain the marginal cost of funds based lending rate at the current level.
Union Bank slapped with Rs. 1 crore penalty by RBI for KYC non-compliance
The RBI has imposed a penalty of Rs. 1 crore on state-owned Union Bank of India for “non-compliance” with the directions on Know Your Customer (KYC) norms. This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. The central bank said it had examined the documents regarding the complaint and notice was issued to the state-owned lender. The bank was asked to show cause “as to why penalty should not be imposed” for non-compliance with directions issued by the RBI. The RBI said after considering the bank’s reply, oral submissions, additional information and documents, it concluded that the charge was substantiated and warranted imposition of monetary penalty.
NPCI gets RBI nod to operate Bharat Bill Payment System
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the umbrella organization for all retail payment systems has received a final nod from the Reserve Bank of India to function as the Bharat Bill Payment Central Unit (BBPCU) and operate the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS). The final clearance from RBI comes almost a year after NPCI launched the BBPS pilot project to make payment of utility bills easier. The pilot started on 31 August 2016 with eight BBPS operating units that had received in-principle approval from RBI.
Six Scheduled Commercial Banks got Supervisory Colleges
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set up Supervisory Colleges for six Scheduled Commercial Banks which have sizeable international presence. The six Scheduled Commercial Banks are State Bank of India, ICICI Bank Ltd., Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Axis Bank Ltd. and Punjab National Bank. The objectives of the colleges are to enhance information exchange and cooperation among supervisors, to improve understanding of the risk profile of the banking group and thereby facilitate more effective supervision of internationally active banks.
IOB goes live with Bharat Bill Payment system
Public sector Indian Overseas Bank has offered Bharat Bill Payment System, introduced by the National Payments Corporation of India, for its customers. BBPS is an integrated bill payment system that offers inter-operable online bill payments to customers. The services include online payments of electricity, telecommunication, DTH, water and gas bills, the Chennai headquartered bank said in a statement. Indian Overseas Bank is one of the three public sector banks (apart from Bank of Baroda and Union Bank of India) to get the approval from RBI for providing the service.
PNB ties up with Bajaj Allianz General for distribution
Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance have signed an agreement for the distribution of insurance products through the branches. Under this agreement, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance will offer personal lines of insurance products such as health, personal accident, home, motor and travel along with commercial line of insurance products such as property, marine and engineering insurance, etc to the bank’s customers.
BSE inks pact with Egyptian Exchange
Leading bourse BSE joined hands with Egyptian Exchange (EGX) for cooperation in exchange of information across business areas. Through this MoU a range of opportunities has been explored for the development of their businesses, products and markets to share knowledge and strengthen international connectivity.
Guidelines of Sovereign Gold Bonds Scheme revised
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given approval for revision of guidelines of Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGB) Scheme with a view to achieve its intended objectives.
Two sets of changes have been made in the scheme:
1. Specific changes have been made in the attributes of the scheme to make it more attractive, mobilise finances as per the target and reduce the economic strains caused by imports of gold and reduce the Current Account Deficit (CAD).
2. Flexibility has been given to Ministry of Finance to design and introduce variants of SGBs with different interest rates and risk protection / pay-offs that would offer investment alternatives to different category of investors. Ministry of Finance (the issuer) has been delegated this power to amend / add to the features of the Scheme with approval of the Finance Minister to reduce the time lag between finalizing the attributes of a particular tranche and its notification.
CAC adopts universal standards for pepper, cumin and thyme
The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) adopted three Codex standards for black, white and green pepper, cumin and thyme, paving the way for universal agreement on identifying quality spices in various countries. The decision was taken during the Codex Alimentarius Commission’s 40th session in Geneva. The step is seen as a major recognition of India’s efforts to benchmark global spices trade.
Axis Bank acquires FreeCharge from Snapdeal for Rs. 385 crore
Axis Bank announced the acquisition of Snapdeal-owned mobile payments provider Freecharge in an all-cash deal worth Rs. 385 crore. The deal is subject to regulatory approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the indicative time-frame to complete the acquisition is two months, the private sector lender said in an exchange filing. With this buyout, Axis Bank will get over 50 million customers of Freecharge along with its niche and patented technology and human resources. Founded in 2010 by Mumbai based entrepreneur Kunal Shah, FreeCharge started as a recharge deal coupons platform before turning into a full-scale mobile wallet. Amazon had in fact placed a higher bid for FreeCharge, however the Snapdeal-owned payments platform opted for the Axis Bank offer.
Yatra acquires Air Travel Bureau
Yatra Online Inc, India’s second-largest online travel operator, has acquired corporate travel service provider Air Travel Bureau (ATB). ATB is India’s ‘largest corporate travel services provider’ with gross bookings of Rs 1,500 crore and a client base of 400 companies in the country. Yatra has agreed to acquire all of the outstanding shares of ATB and assume its debt. The debt amount has not been disclosed. ATB specialises in corporate travel management, MICE operations and leisure tourism. Its web site says it has been in this business for 54 years with a pan-India presence through a team of over 700 travel experts.
Sidbi starts merchant banking operations for MSMEs
Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has started full-fledged merchant banking operations to benefit the expanding number of growth-oriented micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), especially those with a strong technology and innovation quotient. The initiative is aimed at enhancing the access of MSMEs to the capital markets, including the SME Trading Platform and Institutional Trading Platform.
BoB signs MoU with DGS&D for services to govt’s e-marketplace
Bank of Baroda has entered into an agreement with Directorate General of Supplies & Disposal (DGS&D) for extending various banking services to Government e-Marketplace (GeM). DGS&D has been mandated to set up GeM, an initiative intended to bring greater transparency and efficiency in public procurements. The relationship of the bank with GeM will immensely benefit all stakeholders and ensure a support system including a dedicated team for seamless functioning of the portal.
Karnataka Bank, PNB MetLife launch Met Loan and Life Suraksha
Karnataka Bank, in association with its PNB MetLife, has launched Met Loan and Life Suraksha (MLLS), a single premium plan covering the loan liability of a customer. In the year of celebrating 15 years of its partnership with M/s PNB MetLife, the bank also introduced ‘KBL MLLS’ app exclusively for KBL employees to instantly calculate insurance cover and premium based on loan liability of their borrowers.
ADB projects 7.4% growth for India in 2017
According, to Asian Development Bank supplement report India is expected to achieve the projected growth rate of 7.4 per cent in 2017 and further up to 7.6 per cent next year on strong consumption demand, with South Asia leading the growth chart in Asia and the Pacific. According to the report, South Asia will be the fastest growing of all sub-regions in Asia and the Pacific, with growth on track to meet original projections of 7 per cent in 2017 and 7.2 per cent in 2018.
SBI to cut NEFT, RTGS charges by up to 75%
To encourage more customers to transact digitally, State Bank of India will slash charges for National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) and Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) transactions by up to 75 per cent with effect from July 15. The reduced charges will be applicable on the transactions done through the internet banking (INB) and mobile banking (MB). Additionally, the bank has also waived off charges for fund transfer of up to Rs. 1,000 done through Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) effective July 1, 2017.
SBI waives off IMPS charges for fund transfer up to Rs 1000
Country’s largest bank SBI has waived charges for fund transfer of up to Rs 1,000 through its IMPS (Immediate Payment Service) to promote small transactions. State Bank of India had been charging Rs 5 along with the applicable service tax for IMPS fund transfer of up to Rs 1,000. IMPS is an instant interbank electronic fund transfer service through mobile phones as well as internet banking. For IMPS, the charge will be Rs 5 along GST for fund transfer in the range of Rs 1,000 to Rs 1 lakh. The charge will go up to Rs 15 for transactions of Rs 1-2 lakh. GST at the rate of 18 per cent is applicable on all financial transactions.
Google acquires Bengaluru-based AI startup Halli Labs
Google has acquired Bengaluru-based artificial intelligence startup Halli Labs for an undisclosed sum. Halli Labs was founded in 2017 by Pankaj Gupta with the goal of applying modern artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to solve old problems. Halli Labs becomes the latest AI start up to be acquired by a technology giant after a mass of similar acquisitions by firms such as Microsoft, Facebook, Apple among others. Over 30 artificial intelligence startups have been acquired in the first quarter of this year. Google has been the most aggressive buyer in this space with 11 acquisitions since 2012 followed by Apple, Facebook and Intel.
Finance Ministry launches next gold bond tranche
The next tranche of sovereign gold bond (SGB) scheme was launched by the Government. This time, provided a 2.5 percent annual interest to investors. The bonds will be available in banks, Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL), designated post offices and recognized stock exchanges namely National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). Finance Ministry has announced the sixth tranche of gold bonds applications for which will be accepted from July 10 to July 14, 2017. The bonds will be issued to eligible applicants on July 28. The investors will get the interest payable semi-annually on the nominal value of the investment. The minimum investment will be 1 gram of gold. The maximum limit can be subscribed up to 500 grams per person per fiscal year. A self-declaration to this effect will be obtained. Payment options available are cash payment (up to a maximum of Rs 20,000) or demand draft or cheque or electronic banking.
ICICI Bank ends joint venture pact with Fairfax Financial
In pursuance of the proposed sale of a part of its shareholding in ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company (ICICI General) via an initial public offering, ICICI Bank said its joint venture agreement with Canada-based investment firm Fairfax Financial Holdings has been terminated. In May 2017, Fairfax Financial Holdings offloaded 12.18 per cent in ICICI General to a clutch of investors, including Warburg Pincus, Tamarind Capital Pte and IIFL Special Opportunities Fund, for ?2,473 crore. In 2015, Fairfax Financial Holdings had increased its stake in the Indian insurance firm to 35 percent by picking up an additional 9 per cent stake in ICICI Lombard for about Rs. 1,600 crore. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has already given its initial approval to Fairfax’s new insurance venture.
FINO becomes payments bank
FINO Payments Bank has commenced operations as a payments bank with effect from 30th June 2017 according to the Reserve Bank of India. FINO PayTech Ltd, Mumbai, was one of the 11 applicants which were issued in-principle approval for setting up a payments bank. Besides FINO, the other applicants which have launched payment bank operations are Airtel M Commerce Services, Department of Posts and Paytm Payments Bank.
India’s economic growth rate at 7.3% in 2017-18 – RBI report
The Reserve Bank of India stated the ongoing accelerated reform initiatives like Goods and Service Tax and continuing political stability will push the economic growth scale to 7.3 per cent in terms of Gross Value Added – GVA in the current fiscal year (2017-18). The Financial Stability Report 2017 released, going forward, reforms in FDI and real estate sector, implementation of GST, and revival in external demand are likely to contribute to a better growth outlook. According to the RBI report, GVA growth is expected to be higher at 7.3 per cent in 2017-18. On inflation, it paints a rosy picture and projects CPI inflation to be in the range of 2-3.5% in the first half of the year and 3.5-4.5% in the second half.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
DRDO develops India’s first indigenous unmanned tank
Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed India’s first unmanned remotely operated tank, which has three variants – surveillance, mine detection and reconnaissance in areas with nuclear and bio threats. It is called Muntra (Mission UNmanned TRAcked) and has been rolled out of the Chennai lab. The tanks will facilitate Indian Armed forces in conducting unmanned surveillance missions. Muntra-S is the country’s first tracked unmanned ground vehicle developed for unmanned surveillance missions while Muntra-M is for detecting mines and Muntra-N is for operation in areas where there is a nuclear radiation or bio weapon risk.
Scientists journey to the world’s hidden 8th continent
A group of scientists set sail in a new expedition aimed at unlocking the secrets of the lost continent ‘Zealandia’. The lost continent, which is mostly submerged, is said to have sunk after breaking away from Australia 60-85 million years ago. In a paper published in the Geological Society of America’s journal GSA Today in February 2016, scietists argued that the Earth has a hidden eighth continent, which should be reflected on the maps. The researchers said that the submerged continent met all the criteria applied to Earth’s other continents including elevation above the surrounding area, distinctive geology, a well-defined area and a crust much thicker than that found on the ocean floor.
Iran successfully launches rocket designed to carry satellites
Iran successfully launched its most advanced satellite-carrying rocket called ‘Simorgh’ into space. The launch took place at the Imam Khomeini National Space Station in Semnan, some 220 kilometers (138 miles) east of Tehran. The development marks a significant step forward for the Islamic Republic’s young space program. It also raises alarm among the nation’s adversaries who fear that the same technology could be used to produce long-range missiles. the U.S. State Department has termed the launch as “provocative”. The rocket is capable of carrying a satellite weighing 250 kilograms (550 pounds).
In a first in USA, scientists edit DNA of human embryos
A group of scientists at the Oregon Health & Science University edited the DNA of viable human embryos efficiently and apparently with few mistakes. However, the experiment was just an exercise in science and the embryos were not allowed to develop for mor than a few days and were never intended to be implanted into a womb.
Researchers generate human antibodies in the lab
A team of scientists developed a method to rapidly produce specific human antibodies in the laboratory. The revolutionary technique could speed the production of antibodies to treat a wide range of diseases and facilitate the development of new vacancies. Antibodies are produced by the body’s B cells to fight off infections by bacteria, viruses, and other invasive pathogens. When an individual B cell recognizes a specific pathogen-derived “antigen” molecule, it can proliferate and develop into plasma cells that secrete large amounts of antibody capable of binding to the antigen and fending off the infection.
US Navy tests world’s first drone-killing laser weapon
The U.S. Navy recently tested the world’s first-ever active laser weapons system, which is now deployed and ready for war. The system has special materials that release photons and at the speed of light, it silently hits an object, burning it to a temperature of thousands of degrees. Each strike travels 50,000 times the speed of an incoming intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). In the test, the system was able to destroy a drone in flight and moving targets in the Persian Gulf. With its addition, USS Ponce becomes the first ship in the world to be deployed with such an advanced weapons system.
Scientists discover galaxy 1000 times brighter than Milky Way
A group of researchers discovered a very distant galaxy, which is about a thousand times brighter than the Milky Way. As per the researchers, it is the brightest of the submillimetre galaxies, a class of ultraluminous infrared galaxies. To measure this galaxy, the researchers used the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (Garfia, La Palma) in Spain.
Indian scientists discover ‘Saraswati’, a supercluster of galaxies
Indian scientists have discovered Saraswati, a large supercluster of galaxies located in the direction of the constellation Pisces, and at a distance of 4,000 million (400 crore) light years away from Earth. A team of astronomers from the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, and members of two other Indian universities, have discovered this supercluster of galaxies. Supercluster is a chain of galaxies and galaxy clusters, bound by gravity, often stretching to several hundred times the size of clusters of galaxies, consisting of tens of thousands of galaxies. This newly-discovered Saraswati supercluster, extends over a scale of 600 million light years and may contain the mass equivalent of over 20 million billion suns.
Pakistan successfully test fires ‘Nasr’, a short-range ballistic missile
Pakistan has successfully test-fired short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile ‘Nasr’. NASR is a high-precision weapons system with the ability for quick deployment and a range of 70 kilometers, or 43.5 miles. Pakistan Army has conducted a series of training launches and tests during the current week for validation of new technical parameters of ‘NASR’ with an enhanced range of 60-70 kilometers and flight maneuverability.
India Successfully Test-Fires Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile
India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) added another feather to its cap by successfully test-firing the Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) from ITR Chandipur, off the Odisha Coast. The technologies and subsystems incorporated in the missile met all the mission requirements. All the radars, Electro Optical Systems, Telemetry Systems and other stations have tracked the Missile and monitored all the Parameters. The missile has a strike range of 25 km to 30 km. Designed to be a quick reaction missile, it involves an all- weather weapon system capable of tracking and firing. The missile was test-fired from a truck-mounted canister launcher from launch complex-3 at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, Odisha.
PERSONS IN NEWS
A). APPOINTMENTS
Ravi Mittal appointed part-time member on IRDAI board
Ravi Mittal, who has joined as additional secretary in the Finance Ministry in place of Anil Khachi, is now a part-time member on the board of IRDAI. Mittal has replaced N S Rao at IRDAI, who is a joint secretary level officer. Maruthi Prasad Tangirala, has been appointed as an Executive Director (ED) at IRDAI. Tangirala has replaced Sriram Taranikanti, who is a 1992 -batch IAS officer. Suresh Mathur will be handling reinsurance portfolio at IRDAI as Executive Director.
Shehbaz Sharif to succeed Nawaz Sharif as PM of Pakistan
Shehbaz Sharif, The Chief Minister of Punjab and the brother of ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, will replace Nawaz as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. The name of Shehbaz was announced during a high-level PML-N meeting. The decision came following Nawaz Sharif’s resignation as Prime Minister of the country on 28 July 2017. He resigned following a decision by Pakistan’s Supreme Court to disqualify him from office on corruption charges. Shehbaz is not a member of the National Assembly or Senate, and in order to be appointed as the Prime Minister of the country, he will have to get elected to the Senate.
Shikha Sharma re-appointed MD & CEO of Axis Bank
Shikha Sharma has been re-appointed as MD&CEO of Axis Bank for three-year term from June 2018. Her current term was to end in June 2018. Axis Bank informed Bombay Stock Exchange that board of directors has approved the re-appointment. Sharma began her career with the erstwhile infra lender ICICI Ltd in 1980 and played a key role in setting up the group’s investment banking business. She joined Axis from ICICI Prudential Life where she was the managing director and chief executive and replaced the first chairman and chief executive of the bank P J Nayak.
PV Sindhu appointed Group-I officer by Andhra Pradesh Govt
Olympic silver medallist P V Sindhu has been appointed a Group-I officer in Andhra Pradesh. Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu handed over the government order to the Rio Olympics silver winning shuttler. Chandrababu Naidu had promised a Group-I post to Sindhu when she won the silver medal in Olympics. Accordingly, she was appointed the deputy collector. The 21-year-old shuttler has been working with Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) since 2013 and is currently an assistant manager (sports) at its Hyderabad office. Although Sindhu had missed out on gold in Rio de Janeiro, she scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman athlete ever to win silver at the Olympics.
Nitish Kumar takes oath as Bihar CM, Sushil Modi as his Deputy
Nitish Kumar, who resigned as Chief Minister of Bihar iting circumstances prevailing in Bihar, was sworn-in as the Cheif Minister of the state on 27 July 2017. He took oath as Bihar Chief Minister with Bharatiya Janata Party as a partner of his Janata Dal-United. With this, the JD(U) President Nitish Kumar has sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the sixth time. Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi adminstered the oath of office to Nitish Kumar at the Raj Bhavan in Patna. In addition to this, BJP’s Sushil Kumar was sworn-in as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state.
Subhash Garg appointed on ADB Board of Governors
Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg has been appointed as Indias Alternate Governor on the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Finance Ministry announced recently. Garg has been appointed in place of former DEA Secretary Shaktikanta Das. The appointment came into effect from July 12.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai joins Alphabet Board of Directors
Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who has led the company for the past two years, is joining the board of directors of Alphabet, Google’s parent company. The move represents a vote of confidence in Pichai, who has led Google through a period of sustained growth. Alphabet shares have risen by more than 50% since Pichai, following a lighting fast ascent through Google’s managerial ranks, became CEO of Google in August of 2015. Google accounts for the vast majority of Alphabet’s revenue and virtually all of its profits. Alphabet is the second most valuable U.S. company behind Apple. Pichai is best known for doubling down on Google’s commitment to artificial intelligence, which has led to a long list of improvements for Google’s consumer and enterprise services. Pichai becomes the fifth insider to join the Alphabet board, which now has 13 members.
Janalakshmi Financial Services appoints TPG’s Ajay Kanwal as CEO
Gearing up for the launch of their small finance bank, Janalakshmi Financial Services (JFS), the largest microfinance company, has announced the appointment of its new CEO Ajay Kanwal. Kanwal, a veteran banker having 27 years of experience in both consumer and commercial banking sector, will take charge of office from August 1. V. S. Radhakrishnan, the current CEO, will take over as Vice-Chairman and R. Srinivasan, the current Vice-Chairman, having reached the age of superannuation, will retire but will continue his association with Janalakshmi.
Mithali Raj named Captain of ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 team
India Skipper Mithali Raj was named as the Captain of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 team by the International cricket Council (ICC). Besides Mithali, Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma were the other two Indians included in the ICC’s team. This is the second time that Mithali has been named in the team of the tournament at a World Cup. She was first included in the team in 2009.
Ramnath Kovind takes oath as 14th President of India
Ramnath Kovind took oath as the 14th President of India. He was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice of India Justice JS Khehar at a special function in the Parliament. After swearing-in ceremony of kovind, he was given 21-gun salute. With this, Kovind has become the second Dalit President of India after KR Narayanan. The ceremony was attended by outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior members of the Cabinet. Kovind was elected as the President on 20 July 2017 after he defeated the Opposition parties nominee Meira Kumar by a huge margin.
Brenda Hale to be First Woman President of UK SC
The UK government has appointed 72-year-old Brenda Marjorie Hale as the first female president of the Supreme Court, the head of the highest court in the country. Hale will take charge as the head of Britain’s top judging panel in September following the retirement of current President, Lord Neuberger. She has served as Neuberger’s deputy since 2013. Three new justices have also been appointed to the Supreme Court – Lady Justice Black, Lord Justice Lloyd Jones and Lord Justice Brigg – who will take up the role when Lady Hale is sworn in officially as President on 2nd October.
Gopal Baglay appointed Joint Secretary in PMO
Senior diplomat and External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay was appointed as Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office. Baglay, a 1992 batch Indian Foreign Service Officer. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Baglay’s appointment to the post for three years. He has been appointed in place of Vinay Mohan Kwatra, who has been already named as India’s Ambassador to Paris.
Sanjay Kothari appointed Secy to new Prez Ram Nath Kovind
Sanjay Kothari, Chairman of Public Enterprises Selection Board, has been appointed as Secretary to President-elect Ram Nath Kovind. Senior journalist Ashok Malik has been named as Press Secretary to Kovind, by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). Senior Gujarat-cadre forest service officer Bharat Lal will be Joint Secretary to Kovind. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has cleared these appointments for an initial period of two years. Kothari, a 1978-batch IAS officer of Haryana cadre, retired in June last year as DoPT secretary. He was in November 2016 appointed as the chief of the government’s head-hunter the PESB.
Lord Mervyn Davies appointed as Chair of UK India Business Council
Lord Mervyn Davies was apponted as the Chair of the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) with effect from 1 September 2017. He will succeed Patricia Hewitt, who is stepping down after 8 years. Davies will serve a three- year term. UK India Business Council is the leading market entry advisory and advocacy consultancy fcused on the United Kingdom and India trade opportunity. It supports the UK Government in its volume services as well as providing a business voice in Government to Government discussions.
Bharat Arun appointed Team India bowling coach until 2019 World Cup
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed Bharat Arun as the Indian Cricket team’s bowling coach. BCCI’s acting Secretary Amitabh Chaudhary announced that the cricket body has also decided to retain Sanjay Bangar as an assistant coach and R Sridhar as fielding coach till the 2019 ODI World Cup. The confirmation of their appointment came after newly appointed Indian coach Ravi Shastri met the four-member committee comprising of acting president CK Khanna, acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary, BCCI CEO Rahul Johri and Committee of Administrators member Diana Edulji in Mumbai.
T R Zeliang appointed new CM of Nagaland by Governor
TR Zeliang has been appointed as the Chief Minister of Nagaland by Governor PB Acharya. This will be the second term for Zeliang, his earlier term was from 2014 to 2017. Zeliang’s appointment came after Nagaland Chief Minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu and nine ruling Naga People’s Front (NPF) legislators failed to appear for the floor test. Zeliang was asked to prove his majority on the floor of the House on or before 22 July 2017. Zeliang claims the support of 43 MLAs including seven independents.
Swami Smarananandaji Maharaj elected as President of Ramakrishna Math
Swami Smarananandaji Maharaj was elected as the 16th President of Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission. The office of the President fell vacant following the death of Swami Atmasthanandaji Maharaj on 18 June 2017. Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission are twin organizations which form the core of a worldwide spiritual movement Ramakrishna Movement or Vedanta Movement.
Parajuli to be Nepal’ new SC Chief Justice of Nepal
Justice Gopal Prasad Parajuli will be the new Chief Justice of Nepal. The Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee (PHSC) unanimously endorsed Justice Parajuli’s name for the post of Chief Justice of Supreme Court. After endorsement by PHSC the President will now appoint him as the Chief Justice. He will head the judiciary till April 28, 2018. Parajuli, the senior-most Justice at the Supreme Court, has taken up the responsibility of acting Chief Justice since June 7, this year after the retirement of then Chief Justice Sushila Karki on June 6.
Lilly Singh appointed UNICEF’s Global Goodwill Ambassador
UNICEF appointed Indian- origin Canadian YouTube star Lilly Singh as its newest Global Goodwill Ambassador at a special event in New Delhi. Lilly was in the capital to support UNICEF’s Youth4Change initiative, a programme for youth that brings them together to support their peers and communities in taking action on issues such as health, hygiene, child labour and gender equality. As the UNICEF ambassador Lilly, who has 11.9 around million subscribers on the video sharing website, will use her channel to showcase the organisation’s work and urge millions of her followers to work for children’s rights.
Mukesh Kumar Jain appointed MD & CEO of Oriental Bank
The Centre has appointed Mukesh Kumar Jain as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Oriental Bank of Commerce, a public sector bank. His appointment is for a period of three years. Prior to this appointment, Jain was an Executive Director at Punjab & Sind Bank. At OBC, Jain comes in the place of Animesh Chauhan, who has superannuated.
Aarthi Subramanian appointed as Chief Digital Officer of Tata Sons
Tata Sons, the holding company of salt-to-software Tata Group, has appointed Aarthi Subramanian as the group’s Chief Digital Officer. Subramanian, currently the Executive Director at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), will join Tata Sons in august. She will, however, continue with TCS in a non-executive capacity. Subramanian is the second TCSer whom Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran has picked up to be a part of his core team after Suprakash Mukhopadhyay.
Justice Vikramajit Sen appointed as Chairperson New BCCC
Justice Vikramajit Sen was appointed as the Chairperson of the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC). His appointment was approved by the Board of Directors of Indian Broadcasting foundation (IBF). Justice Sen succeeds Justice Mukul Mudgal, former Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice, whose three-year term as BCCC Chairperson came to an end. Justice Vikramajit Sen is an alumnus of St Xavier’s School (Delhi) and St Stephen’s College (Delhi). He earned his degree in Law from Faculty of Law, Delhi University. After a long tenure as a Judge of the Delhi High court, he was appointed as Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court. He was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India in 2012, an office he served till December 2015.
Ravi Shastri named new India coach
Former skipper Ravi Shastri has been named as the new coach of the Indian cricket team. The appointment was confirmed by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Shastri will take charge from India’s upcoming three-Test series against Sri Lanka, starting July 26. Shastri, was chosen by the BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) that included former captains Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and veteran batting star VVS Laxman. Shastri, who has represented India in 80 Tests and 150 One-Day Internationals between 1981 and 1992, he had initially not applied for the post but when the BCCI extended the deadline for acceptance of applications till July 9, the former skipper jumped into the fray and suddenly became the hot favourite.
GST intelligence agency gets new chief John Joseph
A key intelligence agency tasked with checking evasion of Goods and Services Tax (GST) has got its new chief. Senior bureaucrat John Joseph has been appointed Director General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence (DG GSTI). Joseph, a 1983 batch officer of Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise), has worked in the Finance Ministry’s important departments, including the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). The DG GSTI is the new name given to the Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence (DGCEI), mandated to check service tax and central excise duty evasion. The post of chief of central excise intelligence (now GST intelligence) was lying vacant for over a month after R K Mahajan took charge as Member, Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC).
Saima Wazed made WHO goodwill ambassador for autism
Saima Wazed Hossain, a globally renowned champion for the cause of autism spectrum disorder has been appointed as the WHO’s goodwill ambassador for autism in the world body’s Southeast Asia region. Her appointment is for a period of two years. As WHO Goodwill Ambassador, Hossain will be promoting the Thimphu Declaration which emphasizes on integrating the needs of autism affected people into national health and socioeconomic development plans. Autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders are life- long disabilities that affect brain functioning, and when left without proper support can cause significant impairment in exercising of an individual’s human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Achal Kumar Joti Appointed Next Chief Election Commissioner
Achal Kumar Joti has been appointed as the next Chief Election Commissioner, the Law Ministry informed. Mr. Zaidi will demit office on July 5. Mr. Joti, a 1975-batch IAS officer joined the three-member Commission as an Election Commissioner on May 8, 2015, will be in office till January 17, 2018. He was retired as the Gujarat Chief Secretary in January 2013. A CEC or an EC can have a tenure of six years or hold office till the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. Mr. Joti, who will be the 21st CEC, has also served as the Gujarat Vigilance Commissioner and worked in various capacities in the State, including as the chairman of the Kandla Port Trust between 1999 and 2004 and the managing director of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd. (SSNNL).
New chiefs of Union Bank of India & Syndicate Bank take charge
Rajkiran Rai G & Melwyn Rego has been assumed charge as Managing Director & CEO of Union Bank of India, Syndicate Bank respectively. Prior to joining Union Bank of India, Rai was Executive Director of Oriental Bank of Commerce & Rego was MD & CEO of Bank of India. Rajkiran Rai started his career in 1986 as an Agricultural Finance Officer in Central Bank of India. Rai has been appointed by the government to head Union Bank of India for a period of three years from the date of his taking over charge of the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier, according to a finance ministry notification. Melwyn Rego started his career with IDBI Bank Ltd in 1984 and rose to the position of Deputy Managing Director. Rego will be at the helm of the bank till the remainder of the term up to August 13, 2018, according to a finance ministry notification.
Trump appoints Indian-American as US Ambassador to Peru
US President Donald Trump has appointed Indian-American Krishna R. Urs as the new US Ambassador to Peru. The appointment of Urs, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, would have to be approved by the Senate. He is currently Charge d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Madrid. Urs took over after James Costos, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, resigned. Urs, a 30-year veteran of the foreign service was earlier the Deputy Chief of Mission in Spain. During his three decades of State Department service, Mr. Urs has specialised in economic issues and developed extensive policy experience in the Andean region of South America.
B). RESIGNS
Bollywood actor Inder Kumar passes away
Bollywood actor Inder Kumar passed away recently. He was 44. Inder Kumar suffered a heart attack at his residence in Andheri’s Four Bungalows. He has worked in more than 20 films. He also shared the screen space with Salman Khan in Wanted and Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge among others. He was currently shooting for his next film Phati Paid Hai Yaar. The cremation will be held today evening at Yaari Road Shamshaan Bhoomi.
Nawaz Sharif resigns as Pakistan PM in Panama Papers case
Nawaz Sharif has resigned as prime minister of Pakistan following a decision by the country’s Supreme Court to disqualify him from office. The ruling came after a probe into his family’s wealth following the 2015 Panama Papers dump linking Mr Sharif’s children to offshore companies. Defence Minister Khwaja Asif and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif are the new contenders for the post of Pakistan Prime Minister. Pakistan’s stock market fell by 3.4 percent after Supreme Court ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Nitish Kumar resigns as Bihar Chief Minister
Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar, has resigned from his office. He resigned on 26 uly 2017 after citing differences with ally RJD in the issue of corruption charges against Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav. After submitting his resignation to Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi, Nitish said under the circumstances prevailing in Bihar, it bacame difficult to run the grand alliance government. He said, I tried to work it out and didn’t ask for anybody’s resignation but asked Tejashwi Yadav to explain the charges of corruption.
Renowned Indian Scientist Yash Pal passes away
Renowned Indian Scientist and Padma Vibhushan awardee, Professor Yash Pal passed away at his residence in Noida in the National Capital Region of India. He was 90. Though the cause of death is not yet known, he had reportedly recovered from cancer a few years ago. Known for his contributions to the study of cosmic rays, as well as for being an institution-builder, he was awarded India’s thrid highest civilian honour, the Padma Bhushan in 1976 and India’s second highest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhushan in 2013. In his later years, he became one of the leading science communicators of the country.
Sean Spicer resigns as Press Secretary of US White House
Sean Spicer, the White House Press Secretary, resigned from his position following the appointment of Wall Street financier Anthony Scaramucci as Communications director by President Donald Trump. After the appointment of Scaramucci, Spicer was asked to stay on as the Press Secretary and was asked to report to Scaramucci. However, Spicer rejected the offer and resigned. Following his resignation, Spicre’s top deputy Sarah Huckabee Sanders was appointed as Press Secretary. Sacramucci is a Fox News contributor and is known for his on-air defence of President Trump.
C). DEATHS
Former Karnataka CM Dharam Singh passes away
N. Dharam Singh, former Chief Minister of Karnataka, passed away following a heart attack. He was 80. He was the 17th Chief Minister of the state. He headed the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government from May 2004 to February 2006. Dharam Singh represented the Karnataka Legislative Assembly seven times without a defeat and was a member of the Lok Sabha from Bidar constituency once (2009).
Former ISRO Chief U R Rao passes away at 85
Eminent space scientist and former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Udupi Ramachandra Rao passed away due to age related ailments. He was 85. He was currently serving as the chairman of the governing council of the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad and the chancellor of the Indian institute of science and technology in Thiruvananthapuram. Professor Rao, who served as ISRO Chairman for 10 years during 1984-1994, was inducted into International Aeronautical Federation (IAF) Hall of Fame last year during the closing ceremony of IAF Congress 2016 in Guadalajara, Mexico. Under the 2017 Padma Vibhushan award winning scientist, India carried out at least 20 satellites project including the country’s first, Aryabhatta.
Sr Congress Leader & Freedom Fighter Shivajirao Patil passes away
Shivajirao Girdhar Patil, Senior Congress Leader, freedom fighter and former Maharashtra Minister passed away at a private hospital in Mumbai. He was 92. The father of late national Award winning actress Smita Patil, he began his social activism at an early age when he took part in the Indian Independence movement. Patil like his daughter had always displayed a staunch commitment to social causes across sectors with unwavering resolve and contribution in the fields of education and agriculture through the cooperative sector. He was married to Vidyatai Patil, a social worker, who passed away in March 2015 after 77 years of marriage. He served as an active politician since a very young age and had been associated with several political parties including CPI, Congress, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party.
Former Sikkim CM Nar Bahadur Bhandari passes away
Nar Bahadur Bhandari, the former Chief Minister of Sikkim who served the state from 1979 to 1994, died at a Delhi hospital. He was 77. Born on 5 October 1940 at Malbasey in Sikkim, Bhandari was serving a givernment school as a teacher before joining the active politics. He became the Chief Minister of Sikkim for the first time in 1979 on a Sikkim Janata Parishad ticket, a party founded by him in 1977. In 1984, he dissolved the Sikkim Janata Parishad and formed a new party known as Sikkim Sangram Parishad (SSP). In 1985 and 1989, he became Chief Minister of the state. He was also a former president of Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee. Bhandari was the first Gorkha to ever hold the office of the Chief Minister in the history of Indian polity. He remained the President of SSP until his death.
China’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo dies at 61
China’s Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo has died at the age of 61 while still in custody following a battle with cancer, after officials ignored international pleas to let him spend his final days free and abroad. Liu was awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China. The Chinese intellectual and activist is the first Nobel Peace Prize winner to die in custody since German pacifist Carl von Ossietzky, the 1935 recipient, who died under surveillance after years confined to Nazi concentration camps.
Syrian Observatory says ISIS Chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has died
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has confirmed that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the chief of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), has died. Observatory sources in Syria’s eastern town of Deir al-Zor had been told by IS sources that Baghdadi had died but they did not specify when. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s original name is Ibrahim Awad al-Samarrai born in Tobchi in a poor area near Samarra, north of the capital Baghdad. Baghdadi is the leader of the Sunni Salafi-Jihadist militant, a jihadist organisation known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
D). VISITORS
Navy chief begins visit to Mozambique, Tanzania
Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba had begun an eight-day-long two-nation tour of Mozambique and Tanzania with an aim of exploring new avenues of bilateral defence cooperation. Admiral Lanba, who also heads the powerful Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC), will visit first Mozambique. Later on his tour, Admiral Lanba will begin his five-day-long visit to Tanzania on July 26. He is scheduled to meet President of Tanzania John Magufuli, Defence Minister Hussein Mwinyi and other higher delegations. Indian Armed Forces cooperate with the armed forces of Mozambique and Tanzanian on many fronts, which include training and hydrography, besides participating in each other’s defence events. India and Mozambique have a Joint Defence Working Group (JDWG) for defence and security cooperation.
E). MISCELLANEOUS
Microsoft launches ‘Made for India’ Kaizala app
Technology giant Microsoft has officially launched ‘Kaizala’, a productivity app that has been designed to enhance the collaboration and communication experience for Indian enterprises. The ‘Made for India’ app is designed for large group communications and work management and works even on 2G networks. The product will make it possible for organizations to interact with people within the organization as well as outside like partners and vendors in a seamless manner.
Scientists discover glow-in-the-dark shark in Pacific Ocean
A group of scientists identified a new species of glow-in-the-dark shark in the Pacific Ocean off the coast f the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The shark has an unusually large nose, weighs a little less than a kilo measures less than a foot. TThe new species is a member of the lantershark family. The species has been named Etmopterus Lailae.
World’s oldest emoji discovered on 3700-year-old pot in Turkey
A group of archaelogists working on a site in Southern Turkey discovered a 3700-year-old smiley face, which is drawn on the side of a jug. A team of Turkish and Italian archaeologists have been exploring a site on the Turkish-Syrian border, but they have never encountered such an object before. The site depicts the era of the Hittities, an ancient civilisation and empire that is beleived to have existed in the north-central Anatolian region. the ancient smiley jug will be displayed at the nearby Gaziantep Museum of Archaeology.
Neil Armstrong Moon Bag sold for USD 1.8 million in New York
Neil Armstrong bag containing traces of moon dust was sold at an auction for USD 1.8 million in New york. The bag was sold to an anonymous buyer following a sluggish five-minute bidding war on the telephone. The collection bag was used by astronaut Neil Armstrong to collect the first dust samaples from the Moon during the 48th anniversary of that mission. During the Apollo 11 mission, Armstrong collected nearly 500 grams of material finer than 1 cm, as well as 12 rock fragments larger than one cm ffrom five different locations at th Sea of Tranquility.
Study indicates Mars soil may be toxic to alien life
As per a research conducted by scientists at the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom, surface of Mars has chemical compunds called perchlorates that can wipe out living organisms. The discovery has major implications for hunt for alien life on the red planet as it means any evidence is likely to be buried deep underground.
Hubble telescope spots two dozen groups of newborn stars
Researchers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope found a new dsk-shaped galaxy surrounded by clusters of newborn stars. They compared the sighting as if the universe launched fireworks. Apparently, the cosmic event took 11 billion years before reaching the Hubble’s lenses, which is just 2.7 billion year after the Big Bang. The data comes from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which features the sightings made during the Hubble Telescope’s four-year mission. The sum of all image data from the survey adds up to one-fourth of the observable sky.
Britain’s first pregnant man gives birth to girl
Britain’s first pregnant man has given birth to a girl. Hyden Cross, 21, made headlines around the world earlier in 2017 when he announced that he was pregnant by a spem donor. Three years ago, Cross had legally become male through gender assignment. Reports suggest that his daughter, Trinity-Leigh, was born on 16 June 2017 by caesarian at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. With her birth, Cross became the first transgender man to give birth in the United Kingdom.
India declares itself free from Avian Influenza (H5N1 and H5N8)
India has declared itself free from highly pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1 and H5N8) after surveillance in the states showed no evidence of its presence. It has been notified to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). The surveillance was carried out throughout the country since completion of the operation including culling, disinfection and clean-up and surveillance in the states showed no evidence of the presence of Avian Influenza Virus. India had reported outbreaks of influenza at various epicenters in different states across the country between October 2016 and February 2017. Avian Influenza known avian flu or bird flu refers to influenza caused by viruses adapted to birds.
BOOKS IN NEWS
Amartya Sen releases ‘Future of Indian Universities: Comparative and International Perspectives’
Nobel Laureate Professor Amartya Sen released a book titled “Future of Indian Universities: Comparative and International Perspectives” at Rashtrapati Bhavan. President Pranab Mukherjee, who received the first copy of the book. The book is the academic and research work of scholars, educationists and practitioners from India and abroad. It aims to provide international and comparative perspectives on higher education and highlights issues being faced by Inidan Universities. The book ‘Future of Indian Universities: Comparative and International Perspectives’ has been complied by Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, Vice Chancellor of JGU University and is published by Oxford University Press.
IMPORTANT DAYS & DATES
UN World Day against Trafficking in Persons 2017 observed
The United Nations World Day against Trafficking in Persons 2017 was observed across the world on 30 July 2017. This year, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDODC) selected ‘Act to Protect and Assist Trafficked Persons’ as the focus of the Day. The theme emphasizes one of the most pressing issues of the large mixed migration movements of refugees and migrants. The theme puts focus on the significant impact of conflict and natural disasters, as well as the resultant, multiple risks of human trafficking that many people face. In addition, it addresses the key issue concerning trafficking responses: that most people are never identified as trafficking victims and therefore cannot access most of the assistance or protection provided.
29 July: International Tiger Day
The International Tiger Day (also known as Global Tiger Day) is observed annually on 29 July to raise awareness for tiger conservation. This year’s International Tiger Day would be celebrated with the slogan ‘Fresh Ecology For Tigers’ Protection’. The goal of observance of the day is to promote the protection and expansion of the wild tigers habitats and to gain support through awareness for tiger conservation. Many international organisations are involved in the celebration of this day, including the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), the IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) etc. The International Tiger Day was founded in 2010 at the St. Petersburg Tiger Summit. The summit had issued St. Petersburg Declaration on Tiger Conservation with an aim to double the big cat population by 2022. The tiger is the largest of the world’s big cats with its distinctive orange and black stripes and beautifully marked face. It is has been founded that in the last century 97% of all wild tigers had disappeared, with only around 3,000 left alive.
28 July: World Hepatitis Day
World Hepatitis Day (WHD) takes places every year on 28 July and brings the world together under a single theme to raise awareness of the global burden of viral hepatitis and to influence real change. The Theme for World Hepatitis Day 2017 is ‘Eliminate Hepatitis’. Viral hepatitis is one of the leading causes of death globally, accounting for 1.34 million deaths per year – that’s as many as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis or malaria. Together, hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C cause 80% of liver cancer cases in the world.
26 July: Nation celebrates Kargil Vijay Diwas
The country is celebrating the 18th Anniversary of ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’ today. On the occasion, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and three Chiefs of Services will lay floral tribute at Amar Jawan Jyoti, India Gate. Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated on 26 July, commemorates India’s emphatic victory against Pakistan and honors the war heroes. On this day in 1999, the Indian Army successfully took control of posts at a treacherous high altitude and glaciated terrain across the Himalayas in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, after fighting for 60 days.
18th July: Nelson Mandela International Day
Nelson Mandela International Day (or Mandela Day) is an annual international day in honour of Nelson Mandela, celebrated each year on 18 July, Mandela’s birthday. The Nelson Mandela Foundation is dedicating this year’s Mandela Day to Action Against Poverty, honouring Nelson Mandela’s leadership and devotion to fighting poverty and promoting social justice for all. Nelson Mandela devoted his life to the service of humanity as a human rights lawyer, a prisoner of conscience, an international peacemaker and the first democratically Elected President of a free South Africa.
15 July: World Youth Skills Day
The World Youth Skills Day (WYSD) is observed golbally on 15 July every year to raise awareness about the importance of investing in youth skills development. This year, the United Nations along with WorldSkills.orgorganised campaigns #SkillsForAll and #WYSD to raise awareness about the importance of youth developing skills. #SkillsForAll campaign was aimed at creating awareness that everyone should have the oppurtunity to discover and develop their talents. Through skills individuals, communities, and countries can create a more prosperous future. The theme of this year is “Skills for the Future of Work”. The World Youth Skills Day was established by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on 11 November 2014. The Assembly designated 15 July as the World Youth Skills Day in order to raise awareness about the importance of investing in youth skills development.
11 July: World Population Day
World Population Day is being observed globally on 11th July. The objective of the day is to increase the awareness of the people towards the worldwide population issues. The theme of this year is ‘Family Planning- Empowering People, Developing Nations’. This year’s celebrations coincide with the Family Planning Summit, the second meeting of the Family Planning 2020 (FP2020) initiative, which aims to expand access to voluntary family planning to 120 million additional women by 2020. The Day was first marked on 11 July 1990 in more than 90 countries.
Bank unions to observe July 19 as ‘Save public sector banks’ day
The United Forum of Bank Unions has decided to observe July 19, the 48th anniversary of nationalisation of major banks, as ‘Save public sector banks’ day. All members will wear a commemorative badge on the day, display posters in front of all branches, distribute leaflets and hold rallies/ demonstrations at all centres across the country.
10:04 PM, 26-Oct-2017
INTERNATIONAL
British PM Theresa May narrowly wins Parliament confidence vote
British Prime Minister Theresa May narrowly won the confidence vote in the parliament, winning her first major test as the Prime Minister of a minority government in the United Kingdom (UK). With this, May was finally confirmed as the British Prime Minister three weeks after the election, after winning the vote on her legislative program known as the Queen’s Speech was approved by 323 votes in favour and 309 against in the 650-seat parliament.
UN Votes to Sharply Reduce Peacekeepers in Sudan’s Darfur
The UN Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution sharply reducing the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force in Sudan’s troubled Darfur region. The British-drafted resolution will reduce the number of peacekeepers by 44 per cent and the number of international police by about 27 per cent in the Darfur mission, whose current budget is over USD 1 billion annually. The Darfur conflict began in 2003 when ethnic Africans in the vast western region rebelled, accusing the Arab-dominated Sudanese government of discrimination. The UN-AU force was established in 2007 with a mandate to help protect civilians in Darfur.
Hizb chief Syed Salahuddin designated ‘Global Terrorist’ by US
The USA designated Pakistan-based Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin as a specially designated global terrorist. The move by the US state department came before the first meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump at the White House. The move has been welcomed by India. The US designation of terrorist individuals and groups expose and isolate them and result in denial of access to the US financial system.
China unveils World’s first track-less train that runs on virtual rails
China has unveiled the world’s first train that operates on a virtual track using sensor technology instead of metal rails. China has unveiled world’s first train that runs on a virtual track making use of sensor technology instead of metal rails. The new trains are non-polluting as they are battery powered. The train is capable of reaching a top speed of 70 kmph and can travel a distance of 25 km by just charging for 10 minutes. The train which is only about 32 metres long can carry up to 307 passengers. The new trains are fitted with sensors which are capable of detecting the dimensions of the road permitting it to follow the routes without the need for metal rails. So it can run without the presence of tracks. The new trains will make use of rubber wheels on a plastic core and can be automatically guided without rails. This new technology has been copyrighted by the Chinese rail corporation. The train will be rolled out for public use in 2018.
China to have second biggest International Yoga Day celebrations in the world after India
In China, ahead of the third UN International Day of Yoga, thousands of Chinese would participate in scores of events organized across the country. It will be the second biggest yoga day celebration in the world after India. The Indian Embassy in Beijing besides Indian Consulates in Shanghai and Guangzhou are also organizing dozens of events commemorating the events featuring Chinese officials. However, yoga has become immensely popular over the years in China vying with ancient indigenous physical fitness martial art form Tai Chi. China also backed India’s move in the UN to make June 21 as International Yoga Day, giving a fillip to hundreds of yoga clubs and organizations.
AIIB approves Argentina, Madagascar and Tonga as new members
The China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved the membership of Argentina, Madagascar, and Tonga at its second annual meeting of Governors. The AIIB’s Board of Governors adopted resolutions approving the three applicants to join the bank at the second annual meeting, which kicked off earlier in the day in South Korea’s southern resort island of Jeju. The first meeting was held in Beijing in 2016. The approved applicants included one regional prospective member of Tonga and two non-regional members of Argentina and Madagascar. The three prospective members will officially join the AIIB once they complete the required domestic processes and deposit the first installment of capital with the bank.
World’s largest floating Solar Farm launched in China
China has launched world’s largest floating solar farm in Anhui province. The 40-megawatt power plant has 160,000 panels resting on a lake that emerged after the collapse of a coal mine in central Anhui province. As per the Reports, China has been the world’s largest investor in clean energy since 2012, spending $88 billion on the wind and solar power in 2016. The plant has been built in Huainan City, Anhui Province, bySungrow Power Supply, a Chinese company specialized in renewable energy.
Montenegro becomes NATO’s 29th member
Montenegro has officially joined North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and hence became the 29th member country of NATO. Montenegro Foreign Minister Srdjan Darmanovic submitted the official accession papers in a ceremony at the US State Department. The move came in the face of bitter opposition from Russia, which says NATO’s steady expansion into the former communist states of Eastern Europe threatens its own security and cannot go unchallenged. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated that the alliance will benefit from Montenegro’s insight into the Balkans.
Nepal signs MoU with China for construction of Budhigandaki Hydropower Project
Nepal has signed a major deal with a China to develop a 1,200 MW Budhigandaki Hydroelectric Project, the biggest hydro project in the landlocked country that could resolve its perennial power crisis. Nepal’s Ministry of Energy has signed an MoU with China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) for the development of the 1,200 MW Budhigandaki Hydroelectric Project. The government has allocated a budget of Rs. 5.33 billion for the project’s development in the current fiscal year. The project will be developed in Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Financing (EPCF) model, as per which, the concerned construction company itself generates the required fund for the project, Minister for Women Children and Social Welfare Development Kumar Khadka told The Himalayan Times. “The EPCF is a new model to develop hydel projects in Nepal,” Minister Khadka said. “So far we have been developing projects in EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) model”.
UN chief announces new talks on Cyprus reunification
The agreement to resume negotiations on a historic deal was reached during a meeting between Greek Cypriot President, Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci and Guterres at UN headquarters on 5th June. UN Chief said all agreed that the chapter on security and guarantees is of vital importance to the two communities and agreed to reconvene the conference on Cyprus in the month of June.
INDIA & WORLD
India becomes 1st country to contribute $100000 to UN Tax Fund
India has contributed $100,000 to a UN fund to help developing countries actively participate in the discussion of tax issues, becoming the first country to make the contribution. The UN Tax Trust Fund aims to support the work of the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters. The UN Tax Committee, a subsidiary body of the UN Economic and Social Council (ESOSOC), has provided guidance on current issues such as double taxation treaties, transfer pricing (profit shifting) taxation of the extractive industries and taxation of services. The committee also provides a framework for dialogues with a view to enhancing and promoting international tax cooperation among national tax authorities, while making recommendations on capacity-building and the provision of technical assistance to developing counties and countries with economies in transition.
India, Portugal sign 11 MoUs in various fields
India and Portugal have signed eleven MOUs for cooperation in areas including double taxation avoidance, science and technology, trade and investment, nanotechnology, space research, administrative reforms and culture. 11 MoU’s were exchanged in the meeting and there was the announcement of the launch of a joint science fund for which both India and Portugal will contribute Euros two million each. 5 of the MoU’s were in the area of science and technology. One of the MoU’s was signed for the creation of an India Portugal Space Alliance and for advancing collaborative research. These agreements will promote India’s science and technology partnership with Portugal, towards the establishment of a unique Centre on the Azores Archipelago – the Atlantic International Research Centre.
India, Russia Sign ‘Military Cooperation Roadmap’
India and Russia have agreed to a roadmap for the development of bilateral defense cooperation. The roadmap includes specific activities to be concluded by both sides, and aims to enhance cooperation in the field of political and military dialogue, exercises, exchange of visits, military cooperation and training of military personnel. The agreement was reached at the 17th meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation which was held in Moscow. The meeting took place was held under the Co-Chairmanship of the Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and the Defence Minister of Russia Sergei Shoigu.
US approves sale of Predator Guardian drones to India
The US has cleared the sale of 22 unmanned Guardian drones to India. This deal has been termed as a “game changer” ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington for his maiden meeting with President Donald Trump. The deal, estimated to be worth $2 to 3 billion, has been approved by the State Department. The sale of 22 predator drones being manufactured by General Atomics is “a game changer” for US-India relations as it operationalises the status of “major defense partner.” The Indian Navy had made the request for this intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platform last year.
India, Russia identify areas to boost cooperation in S&T sector
India and Russia have identified key areas to bolster cooperation in the science and technology sector, including space and marine technologies, IT and deep ocean engineering. The areas were chosen at the first meeting of India-Russia Joint Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk. The meeting was co- chaired by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitryi Rogozin. The India-Russia high-level committee on Science & Technology is a newly established committee and it was established to discuss cooperation in high technologies. Inspired by India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, Moscow has launched a “Do It In Russia” initiative to promote local manufacturing and technology development.
India and Portugal inks Agreement to Promote Cooperation in The Field of Archives
India and Portugal have signed a protocol of cooperation in the field of archives. The agreement has been signed between the National Archives of India and the Ministry of Culture of the Portuguese Republic in Lisbon, Portugal. As a part of the Cooperation, the Torre do Tombo (National Archives of Portugal) has handed over digital copies of 62 volumes of the collection known as ‘Moncoes do Reino’ (Monsoon correspondence) to the National Archives of India. These volumes were originally part of over 456 volumes which is the largest of all record collections in the Goa State Archives. The collection consists of direct correspondence from Lisbon to Goa and covers the period from 1568 to 1914. These volumes serve as the most important primary source for the study of the Portuguese expansion in Asia and their trade rivalries with the Arabs and European powers as well as their relations with neighbouring Kings in South Asia and East Asia.
India becomes 71st country to ratify UN TIR Convention
India has become the 71st country to ratify the United Nations International Convention on Road Transports, TIR, a move that will help boost trade through smoother movement of goods across territories. TIR is managed and developed by IRU – the world road transport organisation. The TIR Convention is part of India’s multi-modal transport strategy that aims to integrate the economy with global and regional production networks through better connectivity. TIR will help India to integrate with Myanmar and Thailand as well as Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. China was the last TIR contracting party who acceded to the Convention in July 2016.
Afghan Prez inaugurates first air corridor with India, bypassing Pak
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has inaugurated the first Afghanistan-India air corridor at the Kabul International Airport. The corridor is a direct route that will bypass Pakistan and is meant to improve commerce in Afghanistan. The aim of the route is to create more opportunities and make Afghanistan an exporter country. Afghan agricultural products will for the first time head to India on cargo planes. Afghanistan is a mountainous landlocked country and all imports and exports depend on neighboring countries. The first India-bound flight included 60 tons of medicinal plants and a second flight will carry 40 tons of dry fruits from the southern Kandahar province.
India 60th most-innovative globally: GII rankings
India continued to rise in the Global Innovation Index (GII) rankings for the second year in succession, after four consecutive years of decline. In 2017 rankings released in Geneva (Switzerland), India improved its position from 66 to 60. It highlighted the continual improvement of India in terms of investment, tertiary education, quality of its publications and universities, its ICT services exports and innovation clusters. Its improvement is part of a trend both in the middle-income countries and Asian countries, many of which have improved their innovation capacities in recent years. The GII was first developed 10 years ago by the business school INSEAD in Paris.
India top remittance-receiving country in 2016: UN report
India has claimed the top spot among the remittance-receiving nations, surpassing China. The United Nations, in its report, stated that Indians working across the globe sent home 62.7 billion US dollars in 2016. According to the ‘One Family at a Time’ study by the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development, about 200 million migrants globally sent more than 445 billion dollars as remittances in 2016 to their families. Remittance flows have grown over the last decade from 296 billion in 2007 to 445 billion dollars in 2016. It said 80 percent of remittances are received by 23 countries, led by India, China, the Philippines, Mexico, and Pakistan. India, while retaining its top spot as the world’s largest remittance recipient, led the decline with remittance inflows amounting to $62.7 billion last year, a decrease of 8.9 per cent over $68.9 billion in 2015.
India-Australia naval exercise ‘AUSINDEX 17’ begins
Indian warships began a week-long naval exercise off the coast of Western Australia. The second AUSINDEX exercises are aimed at increasing interoperability between Australian and Indian naval forces, executing complex naval manoeuvres. The first AUSINDEX was held in the Bay of Bengal in 2015. As the only countries with the largest Indian Ocean coastline, Australia and India are natural partners in maritime security, particularly in the region where India has its greatest strategic interests.
India ratifies two key ILO conventions on child labour
India ratified two key ILO conventions on child labor, according to a statement issued by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland. Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, who is in Geneva stated that the ratification reaffirmed India’s “commitment to a child labor free society”. According to ILO, the Government of India deposited with the International Labour Office the instruments of ratification of the two fundamental ILO Conventions concerning the elimination of child labor, the Minimum Age Convention (No 138) and the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention (No 182). India is the 170th ILO member state to ratify Convention No 138, which requires states to set a minimum age under which no one shall be admitted to employment or work in any occupation, except for light work and artistic performances. In addition, India is the 181st member to ratify Convention No. 182, which calls for the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including slavery, forced labour and trafficking; the use of children in armed conflict; the use of a child for prostitution, pornography and in illicit activities (such as drug trafficking); and hazardous work.
India, Mauritius sign MoU to institutionalize cooperation between Parliaments
India and Mauritius have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to institutionalize cooperation between Parliaments of the two countries. The MoU was signed by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Speaker of National Assembly of Mauritius Santi Bai Hanoomanjee in Port Louis. Mrs. Mahajan was on a five-day visit to Mauritius from 6th of June with a Parliamentary delegation. She stated that the MoU on a joint framework for parliamentary support and capacity building is a visionary step forward.
EU, France grant 3.5m euros to curb emissions in India
Aiming to reduce emissions and promote sustainability to help India’s smart city programme, France and the European Union have extended a grant of 3.5 million euros under the ‘Moblise Your City’ (MYC) initiative. Three Indian cities- Nagpur, Kochi and Ahmedabad — will get the grant as part of the EU’s commitment under the Paris Climate agreement according to French Development Agency (AFD). More funds would be provided to India as the loan to take forward the smart city and sustainable transport initiatives in the three cities on the pilot basis. The MYC, supported by the French and German government, also has financial support from the European Union (EU).
India, Pakistan Become Full Members Of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
India and Pakistan became full members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the first-ever expansion of the China-dominated security grouping after 2001. With the inclusion of India and Pakistan, SCO now represents over 40% of world population and nearly 20% of the global GDP. 2017 SCO summit was based on the theme “Future Energy”. The document was signed at Astana, Kazakhstan during the SCO Summit. (SCO) member-states viz. China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
India signs OECD pact to check tax evasion by MNCs
India signed the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) multilateral convention that aims to check cross-border tax evasion by multinational companies. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley signed the multilateral convention in Paris, France to implement tax treaty- related measures to prevent base erosion and profit shifting. More than 65 countries, including India, signed the convention. As per the Finance Ministry, the Convention will modify India’s treaties in order to curb revenue loss through treaty abuse and base erosion and profit shifting strategies by ensuring that profits are taxed where substantive economic activities generating the profits are carried out and where the value is created. The Multilateral Convention is an outcome of the OECD/ G20 Project to tackle Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) which is resorted to by MNCs through tax planning strategies by exploiting gaps and mismatches in tax rules.
India Signs Loan Agreement with the World Bank for the project “Assam Citizen Centric Service Delivery”
An agreement for International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) Credit of USD 39.2 Million from World Bank for the project ‘Assam Citizen Centric Service Delivery’ was signed recently. Loan agreement was signed by Shri Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary (MI), Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance on behalf of the Government of India and Mr. Hisham Abdo, Manager, Operations (India) on behalf of the World Bank. The programme size is USD 49 million, of which USD 39.2 million will be financed by the Bank, and the remaining amount will be funded-out of State Budget. The programme duration is 5 years. The objective of the project is to improve access in the delivery of selected public services in Assam.
India signs agreement with Sri Lanka for developing Railway sector
India signed an agreement to provide fresh assistance of 318 million US Dollar credit line to Sri Lanka for the development of the railway sector in the country. The agreement was signed in Colombo amidst the presence of senior officials of Sri Lanka’s finance and transport ministries. The Indian side was represented by Managing Director of the Export- Import (EXIM) Bank of India David Rasquinha and Deputy High Commissioner Arindam Bagchi. India has already provided four Lines of Credit for the development of railway sector in Sri Lanka through its EXIM Bank amounting to approximately USD 966 million.
India overtakes China to top global retail index: Study
India has surpassed China to secure the top position among 30 developing countries on ease of doing business, according to a study that cited India’s rapidly expanding economy, relaxation of FDI rules and a consumption boom as the key drivers. The 2017 Global Retail Development Index (GRDI), now in its 16th edition, ranks the top 30 developing countries for retail investment worldwide and analyses 25 macroeconomic and retail-specific variables. India’s rapidly expanding economy easing of foreign direct investment (FDI) rules and a consumption boom are the key drivers for India’s top ranking in the GRDI.
India slips to 45th spot in IMD’s World Competitiveness list
India has been ranked 45th, down four notches from last year, in terms of competitiveness in the annual rankings compiled by IMD which saw Hong Kong topping the list. US was pushed out of the top three slots while Hong Kong consolidated its dominance of the annual rankings for the second year in the list compiled by the International Institute for Management Development’s (IMD) World Competitiveness Center. Switzerland and Singapore were ranked second and third respectively, with the USA at the fourth spot – its lowest position in five years and down from third last year. The IMD World Competitiveness Center is a research group at IMD business school in Switzerland. It has been publishing the rankings every year since 1989. This year’s list comprises 63 countries with Cyprus and Saudi Arabia making their first appearance.
India ranked 137th in the Global Peace Index 2017
India has ranked 137th out of 163 countries on Global Peace Index 2017 published by The Institute of Economics and Peace. This is the eleventh edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI). Iceland has been named the world’s most peaceful country, topping the Global Peace Index for the tenth consecutive year followed by New Zealand and Portugal at second and third position while Syria has been named the least peaceful country.
India, Spain strengthen bilateral cooperation to fight against terrorism: PM
PM Modi has said that India and Spain should strengthen their bilateral cooperation to fight against terrorism.Both the nations have faced the security challenge. Modi met Spain’s President Mariano Rajoy at the Moncloa Palace, the official residence of the president and the king of Spain in the first engagement during his stay in the country. Modi said, the focus of his discussion in Spain will be on the international developments. The prime minister praised the Spanish president saying under Rajoy’s leadership the country has undergone economic reforms “which is also the biggest priority of my government.
NATIONAL
Govt launches National Data Repository (NDR) & Open Acreage Licensing Process
Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced a new oil and gas block licensing policy that is expected to open up 2.8 million square kilometers of sedimentary basins to exploration and production activities. The OALP, a part of the government’s Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP), gives exploration companies the option to select the exploration blocks on their own, without having to wait for the formal bid round from the Government. OALP is a fundamental shift and a very transformative step in India’s E&P history. This policy reiterates GoI’s commitment to reduce administrative & regulatory burden, thus enhancing ease of doing business.
New training programme ‘COMMIT’ was launched for State Govt officials
The Minister of State for Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh launched a new training program ‘Comprehensive Online Modified Modules on Induction Training’ (COMMIT) for State Government officials. The objective of this training program is to improve the public service delivery mechanism and provide citizen- centric administration through capacity building of officials who interact with the citizens on day-to-day basis. COMMIT will be launched in 6 States of Assam, Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal initially on the pilot basis during the current financial year 2017-18 and within next year it is expected to cover all India level. The COMMIT programme, developed by DoPT in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will supplement the existing 12-Day ITP launched in 2014-15 for newly recruited state Government officials to develop in them Generic & Domain specific competencies. The programme will cover approximately 74,000 State Government officials in the financial year 2017-18.
PM Modi inaugurates filling of Aji Dam under Sauni Yojana
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated various irrigation and water-related initiatives at Aji Dam in Rajkot, Gujarat including the filling of Aji dam with Narmada waters under Sauni Yojana. PM recognized the role of younger generation in finding solutions to the everyday problems. PM on the occasion launched Smart Rajkot Hackathon where urban local body will engage with young students to find innovative solutions to improve the efficiency of various government departments. The Narmada water reaching the dam will resolve the water woes of the people of this city in Saurashtra region which has been facing perennial water shortage due to deficient rains.
EC joins hands with FB to Launch First Time Nationwide “Voter Registration Reminder”
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has joined hands with Facebook to launch nationwide voter registration reminder aimed at reminding eligible Indian voters to register themselves on the electoral rolls. As a part of the initiative, Facebook will activate a unique ‘Register Now’ button reminding all the eligible Indian users to enroll themselves as voters. The reminder will be made available for four days beginning July 1. When the users click the button, they will be redirected to National Voters’ Services Portal, where they can register themselves as voters. The reminder will be available in 13 languages-English, Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Bengali, Urdu, Assamese, Marathi and Oriya.
MSME Ministry launched ‘Digital MSME Scheme’ & exchanged three MoUs
Ministry of Micro,Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) Minister Mr. Kalraj Mishra has launched the Digital MSME Scheme and also exchanged three MoUs with SAP India, Intel and HMT. The MSME has a total budget of Rs. 85.705 Crore including Government of India’s contribution of Rs. 58.105 crore during 2017- 18 to 2019-20.
Finance Ministry sets up ‘War room’ to battle GST crises
Equipped with multiple phone lines and computer systems and manned by tech-savvy youngsters, a “mini war room” has been set up in the finance ministry to deal with crises related to the implementation of GST. The unit will act as a quick resource centre for central and state government officials to address their queries on the historic tax reform scheduled to be implemented from July 1. The action room will function from 8 am to 10 pm. It will provide prompt response to queries raised by states and central government officials. The room will act as a single-window for anything and everything related to the GST.
Centre clears proposal for setting up new airport in Greater Noida
The Government has cleared the proposal for setting up a new airport in Jewar in Greater Noida. Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju stated that in-principle approval for a greenfield airport at Jewar has been granted to cater to the growing flying requirements of National Capital Region. The Noida International Airport will cater to 30 to 50 million passengers per year over the next 10 to 15 years.
Aadhar not valid ID proof for travelling to Nepal, Bhutan: Govt
Aadhaar is not a valid identification document for Indians traveling to Nepal and Bhutan, according to the Union home ministry. Indians can travel to Nepal and Bhutan- both countries for which they don’t need visas – if they possess a valid national passport or election ID card issued by the Election Commission. Moreover, to ease travel, persons over 65 and below 15 years can show documents with photographs to confirm their age and identity. These include PAN card, driving licence, Central Government Health Service (CGHS) card and ration card but not Aadhaar. The move is aimed at ensuring hassle-free movement of Indians going abroad. The Aadhaar card, which has a 12-digit unique identification number and personal details like name and address, acts as a proof of identification and residence.
MeitY launches Web Portal for smooth GST implementation
In order to ensure smooth GST implementation from 1st July 2017, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has launched a dedicated Webpage for facilitating taxpayers with regard to addressing issues related to Information Technology Services and Electronics goods. The webpage can be accessed through Ministry’s Web Portal www.meity.gov.in. Individuals, Companies, and Entrepreneurs in IT and Electronics sector can visit the webpage for sector-specific information. It also enables filing of grievances in relation to the implementation of GST.
Union Govt launches VAJRA scheme to attract Indian scientists abroad
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) under Ministry of Science and Technology has launched the Visiting Advanced Joint Research Faculty (VAJRA) scheme in a bid to bring together the Indian scientists abroad and India-based researchers for conducting joint researches in India. The web portal of VAJRA was launched by Union Minister of Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan. The motive behind the launching of VAJRA scheme is to bring the best of the world to India and conduct research in the country itself. It aims to convert brain-drain into brain-gain.
Cabinet aprroves agreements & MoUs on different fields
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved following agreements and MoUs on different fields. Those includes:
1. Amendment of the Bilateral Social Security Agreement (SSA) between India and the Netherlands by incorporating the ‘Country of Residence’ Principle into the said SSA.
2. MoU between Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands for bilateral cooperation in the field of water resources management.
3. Constitution of Indian Naval Material Management Service (INMMS) as an Organized Group ‘A’ Engineering Service.
4. MoU on cooperation in the textiles, clothing and fashion sectors between India and Australia.
5. MoU on cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space between India and Armenia.
6. MoU for cooperation in Traditional Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy between India and Sri Lanka.
Union Government launched Mobile App “Celebrating Yoga”
Minister for Science & Technology Dr. Harshvardhan launched a Mobile App “Celebrating Yoga” developed by Ministry of Science & Technology in New Delhi. The Mobile App has been developed by DST on the occasion of International Yoga Day (21 June) 2017. The purpose of the App is to popularize Yoga and encourage people to participate in it for a scientifically healthy living. The App will enable in capturing both mass events being organized in public places, schools and office complexes across the country and individual enthusiasts who are performing yoga to promote the celebration of the day and yoga performances. The App “Celebrating Yoga” can be downloaded from Google Play Store.
Piyush Goyal Launches Energy Conservation Building Code 2017
Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines has launched the Energy Conservation Building Code 2017 (ECBC 2017). Developed by Ministry of Power and Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), ECBC 2017 prescribes the energy performance standards for new commercial buildings to be constructed across India. The updated version of ECBC provides current as well as futuristic advancements in building technology to further reduce building energy consumption and promote low-carbon growth. The code aims to optimise energy savings with the comfort levels for occupants, and prefers life-cycle cost effectiveness to achieve energy neutrality in commercial buildings.
DIPP sets up GST facilitation cell
The government has set up a GST facilitation cell in Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) to facilitate the rollout of Goods and Services Tax. The cell is headed by Sudhansu Sekhar Das Economic Adviser of the department. The cell will remain in constant touch with major industry and business associations relating to the Department. It will be the first point of contact for addressing any issue being faced by any sector related to the Department.
Pensioners can now subscribe digitally for APY through APY@eNPS
Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has now introduced “APY@eNPS” which involves a complete digital enrolment process. This is the latest in the series of various initiatives taken by PFRDA for expansion of outreach of Atal Pension Yojana (APY), to give the additional push to cover the as yet unreached population with greater ease. PFRDA has conducted meetings with Banks and Dept of Post at Kolkata, Bengaluru & Mumbai respectively for the earliest roll out of the facility call. The APY was launched by the Prime Minister of India on 9th May 2015 and became operational from 1st June 2015. APY is available for all citizens of India in the age group of 18-40 years.
External Affairs Minister inaugurates KIP for Young Overseas Indians
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has inaugurated Know India Programme (KIP) for NRI and PIO youth with a view to provide them with an exposure to the country of their origin so that they can understand India better and more closely. External Affairs Minister has also launched a portal for the Know India Programme (KIP). Know India Programme is an initiative of the Ministry of External Affairs for the Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) between the age group of 18 to 30 years. The Know India Programme is a three-week orientation programme which is aimed at promoting awareness on different facets of life in India as well as the progress made by the country in fields such as economic and education.
Prime Minister Modi Inaugurates Kochi Metro
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Kochi Metro & dedicated the first phase of Kochi Metro to the nation. He took a ride on the Metro from Palarivattom station to Pathadippalam station. Kerala Governor P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and ‘Metro Man’ E Sreedharan also travelled with Mr Modi. Kochi Metro is the first public transport system to reserve jobs for members of the third sex and it will be manned mainly by women a self-help group. Modi also launched the PN Panicker National Reading Day – Reading Month Celebrations. Kochi Metro Rail Limited is a 50-50 Joint Venture of Centre and the Kerala government. The estimated completed cost of the metro touched Rs 5, 181.79 crore.
Health Ministry launches IDCF to reduce child deaths due to diarrhoea
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched the Intensified Diarrhea Control Fortnight (IDCF) in order to intensify efforts to reduce child deaths due to diarrhoea. The Ministry has made it a national priority to bring health outcomes among children to a level equitable with the rest of the world. Through this initiative, the Ministry will mobilize health personnel, State Governments and other stakeholders to prioritize investment in control of diarrhea, one of the most common childhood illnesses. It aims to create mass awareness about the most effective and low-cost diarrhoea treatment, a combination of Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS) solution and Zinc tablets. Nearly 12 crores under 5-children will be covered during the program across the country. ASHA worker would undertake distribution of ORS packets to households with under-five children in her village. ORS- Zinc Corners will be set-up at health care facilities and non-health facilities such as Schools and Anganwadi centres.
India to be Co-Partner Country in ANUGA 2017
Minister of Food Processing Industries Smt Harsimrat Kaur Badal addressed a Joint Press Conference with the organizers of ANUGA – an international business platform for Food Industry to be held in Cologne, Germany. She also signed the Memorandum of Understanding for Participation in the ANUGA Exhibition with Ms Katharina C Hamma, Chief Operating Officer, Koelnmesse GmBH (Organizers of ANUGA).
Recent Cabinet Approvals-14th June 2017
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval in the various fields and has also approved some important MoUs. The important approvals of the Cabinet are as follows-
The Cabinet has approved-
* The Interest Subvention Scheme (ISS) for farmers for the year 2017-18: This will help farmers getting short term crop loan up to Rs. 3 lakh payable within one year at only 4% per annum. The Government has earmarked a sum of Rs. 20,339 crore for this purpose.
* Ex-post facto approval to the MoU between Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and the Ministry of Agriculture in the State of Palestine on agriculture cooperation.
* The proposal to introduce a Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill, 2017: The Bill would provide for a comprehensive resolution framework for specified financial sector entities to deal with bankruptcy situation in banks, insurance companies, and financial sector entities.
* The signing of MoU between India and Armenia on cooperation on youth matters
* The signing of MoU between India and Bangladesh for promoting cooperation in the field of Information Technology and Electronics.
Railway Ministry launches Mission Retro-Fitment to enhance the passenger experience
To enhance the passenger’s experience by upgrading existing fleet of coaches with better furnishing, aesthetics & amenities and better safety features with a view to provide a safe and comfortable travel, Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhu has launched MISSION RETRO-FITMENT in Rail Bhavan, New Delhi. Mission Retro-Fitment is an ambitious program to upgrade the level of furnishing & amenities in the coaches of Indian Railways. This is one of the largest retro fitment project in the world as Indian Railways’ 40,000 coaches will be refurbished and retrofitted in the next five years.
India’s first canal top solar PV system at NTPC Mouda
State-run power giant National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has energized India’s first 150 kWp canal top solar PV System on cooling water (CW) channel inside power station premises at its 2,320 MW, Mouda Thermal Power Project, near Nagpur in Maharashtra. This novel Solar PV system makes use of side walls of CW channels as load bearing structure thereby significantly decreasing cost of civil and mounting structure. It also has several other unique advantages such as land and water conservation due to reduced evaporation, increased PV generation due to cooling and reduction in dirt, leaves thereby reducing chemicals for water treatment.
GST Council revises rates for 66 items
India’s most comprehensive indirect tax reform the goods and services tax (GST) is inching towards a July 1 rollout with the GST Council cutting the rate on household goods and other essential items, raising the threshold for the scheme that requires lesser compliance and approving another key set of rules relating to audit and accounts. At its meeting in New Delhi, the council revised rates on 66 items such as pickles, sauces, fruit preserves, insulin, cashew nuts, insulin, school bags, coloring books, notebooks, printers, cutlery, agarbattis and cinema tickets, following representations from industry. Restaurants, manufacturers and traders having a turnover of up to Rs 75 lakh can avail of the composition scheme with lower rates of 5%, 2%, and 1%, respectively, with lower compliance, against Rs 50 lakh previously. A GST rate of 5% will be applicable on outsourcing of manufacturing or job work in textiles and the gems and jewelry sector. Bleaching and cleaning of human hair, a big industry in Midnapore, will not face any tax.
Dr. Jitendra Singh announces “Hill Area Development Programme” for Northeast
The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Dr Jitendra Singh announced the launch of “Hill Area Development Programme” (HADP) for Northeast in Imphal, Manipur. He announced the launch of the program to address a meet of Investors and Entrepreneurs, organized by NEDF (North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd), with joint participation of the Union Ministry of DoNER and the Government of Manipur. The program aims to bridge the gap between the hill and valley districts in terms of infrastructure, quality of roads, health and education. HADP was launched during the Fifth Five Year Plan aimed at balanced regional development.
Govt launches Tele Law to provide legal aid in rural areas via video conferencing
The government of India has launched ‘Tele Law’ service to provide legal aid for the people living in rural areas through video conferencing. The service has been launched to make legal aid easily accessible to the marginalized communities and citizens living in rural areas. The Ministry of Law and Justice partnered with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to provide legal aid services through its Common Service Centres, CSC at the panchayat level, spread across the country. The service was launched by IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. Under the scheme, the Tele-Law portal will be available across the CSC network connecting the citizens to legal service providers. In the first phase, the Tele-Law scheme will be tested as a pilot across 1000 CSCs in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
NITI Aayog launches SATH programme
Furthering the agenda for cooperative federalism, NITI Aayog has launched SATH, a program providing ‘Sustainable Action for Transforming Human Capital’ with the State Governments. The vision of the program is to initiate transformation in the education and health sectors. The program addresses the need expressed by many states for technical support from NITI. NITI Aayog invited all States and Union Territories for the three-stage selection process out of which 16 responded. Five States were shortlisted post project presentation by 14 States. Subsequently, three States will be selected through further assessments. SATH programme will be implemented by NITI Aayog along with global consultancy McKinsey & Company and IPE Global consortium in the three selected States after the signing of MoUs.
Ayush Ministry launches yoga awareness drive using attractive mascots
The Central Council for Research in Yoga & Naturopathy (CCRYN) under the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India, has initiated a Yoga Awareness Drive through Mascots and Flash Mobs (YogMob) prior to International Yoga Day (21st June) to increase the popularity of Yoga, especially among the youth. The campaign is underway at Delhi NCR, Haryana and Lucknow. The first such event was held in Rohini area of the National Capital. According to the Ministry, illustrative Yoga sessions with the help of mascots were organised where the Mascots demonstrated a few Yoga asanas to the crowd. The mascots Provide an eye-catching way of helping boost the awareness of International Day Of Yoga. They are connecting with families by providing added entertainment and interactivity, especially at Malls, Public Places, Events & Recreational Tourist Areas.
Indian Overseas Bank launches retail mart in Thiruvananthapuram
Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), the Lead Bank for Thiruvananthapuram district, has launched the Retail Mart, a retail lending concept, in Kerala’s capital city. The exclusive facility that handles retail products has started functioning at the main branch. The Retail Mart has been designed with an aim to complete all the pre-release formalities at the customer’s doorstep and sanction quality retail loans at a competitive rate of interest with a minimum turnaround time.
President Pranab Mukherjee launches ‘Selfie with Daughter’ mobile app
President Pranab Mukherjee today launched the ‘Selfie with Daughter’ mobile application, aimed at raising awareness about female foeticide and sex selection. The President urged people to take photographs with their daughters and upload them to make the campaign a success. The campaign was started by Sunil Jaglan in June 2015 in village Bibipur in Haryana’s Jind district. The former sarpanch had been working in the field of women empowerment and village development. The aim of the campaign is to motivate society to feel proud to be parents of a girl child, which, in turn, will result in improving child sex ratio.
Civil Aviation Ministry to roll out ‘DigiYatra’ for air travellers
Civil Aviation Ministry is adding a digital experience for Air travelers through ‘DigiYatra’ Platform in New Delhi. This initiative aims at bringing together entire industry to develop a digital ecosystem that will deliver customers a seamless and paperless service experience at every stage of journey. Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha stated that the initiative envisages providing airline travelers in India, a digitally unified flying experience across all stages of their journey. The initiative will help passengers plan their trips efficiently by identifying price trends and estimate future airfares at the time of ticket booking. Passengers will also get relevant information pertaining to various facilities, protocols, airline timings, queue lengths at airports.
Nadda launches Skill for Life, Save a Life initiative to promote skill development in the health sector
Shri J P Nadda has launched ‘Skill for Life, Save a Life’ initiative to promote skill development in the health sector. ‘Skills for Life, Save a Life’ Initiative’ aims to upscale the quantity and quality of trained professionals in the healthcare system. Under this initiative, various courses are planned to be initiated targeting specific competencies for healthcare professionals as well as for the general public. Shri Nadda further informed that the curriculum has been designed by National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (NIHFW) and AIIMS, Delhi.
Health Secretary inaugurates ‘Vatsalya – Maatri Amrit Kosh’, a National Human Milk Bank and Lactation Counselling Centre
Shri C K Mishra, Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) inaugurated the ‘Vatsalya – Maatri Amrit Kosh’, a National Human Milk Bank and Lactation Counselling Centre at the Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) in New Delhi. The Vatsalya – Maatri Amrit Kosh will be the largest milk bank and lactation counseling center available in the North India. It is established in collaboration with the Norwegian government, Oslo University and Norway-India Partnership Initiative (NIPI). It is a national human milk bank and lactation counseling center that will collect, pasteurize, test and safely store milk that has been donated by lactating mothers and makes it available for infants in need.
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Korea for export credit of USD 9 billion
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM Bank) and Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM) for export credit of USD 9 billion for infrastructural development in India and for the supply of goods and services as part of projects in third countries. The MoU is proposed to be signed between the two banks during the forthcoming visit of the Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley, to Seoul, the capital city of South Korea during 14-15 June 2017 for the Annual Financial Bilateral Dialogue. The decision is expected to promote the country’s international exports, and deepen political and financial ties between India and South Korea.
Elections for India’s 15th President on July 17
The process for electing the 15th President of India will begin on June 14 with the Election Commission issuing the notification for the polls. As per the Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi (in Picture), the Presidential elections will take place on July 17. The Commission has set June 28 as the last date for filing nominations, while July 1 will be the last date for their withdrawal. Polling will take place in Parliament House and in the Assemblies of the States. Counting of votes will take place in Delhi. The term of President Pranab Mukherjee will come to an end on 24 July 2017. He assumed the office of President in July 2012. The electors, drawn from elected Members of Parliament and State legislatures will be required to use a “particular pen” provided by the Commission to mark their choice(s). The pen uses a particular ink. “The use of any other pen, apart from the particular pen provided by the Commission, will see the vote being declared invalid,” Zaidi said.
SEBI gets nod for MoU with Iran, EU counterparts
The Union Cabinet recently gave its nod for Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to enter into two separate memoranda of understanding (MoU) with securities market regulators of the European Union and Iran. These MoUs are expected to strengthen cooperation between India and the respective countries on matters pertaining to securities market. In the case of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the MoU is likely to establish cooperation arrangements as a precondition for ESMA to recognise Central Counter Parties (CCPs) established in India and supervised by the Securities and Exchange Board of India to provide clearing services to clearing members or trading venues established in the European Union and to provide ESMA with adequate tools to monitor the ongoing compliance by the covered CCPs with the recognition conditions.
Narendra Modi government to scrap UGC, AICTE soon with HEERA
The University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) will soon be a thing of the past as the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre is planning to replace the two education regulators with a new Higher Education Regulator. This is being done to bring one single education regulator named HEERA in place. Higher Education Empowerment Regulation Agency or HEERA is the name of the new proposed regulator. This new body will be implemented with the aim of eliminating the overlaps in the jurisdiction and also to remove the irrelevant regulatory provisions. The Human Resource and Development Ministry (HRD) is working with the Niti Aayog towards the implementation of this new proposed regulatory body. They are working to bring the technical as well as the non-technical institutions under the same umbrella.
Vijaya Bank set to develop 100 digital villages
Vijaya Bank is going to develop as many as 100 digital villages in various States of the country as part of its initiative to promote digital banking among the rural population. Speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration of the bank’s 2031st ATM at Pandit Nehru Bus Station in the Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, Bank Executive Director B.S. Rama Rao stated that Vijaya Bank is the only public sector financial institution to develop digital villages with focus on rural areas and it has already developed five villages including the one in Guntur district.
India will be first in world to run all government ports on green energy
All 12 major domestic ports will soon switch to renewable energy to meet their entire power requirements, making India the first country to have all government-owned ports running on solar and wind energy. As part of this the government plans to install almost 200 megawatt solar and wind power generation capacity at the ports by 2019. A high-level conference attended by shipping minister, Nitin Gadkari, top officials and chairmen of several port trusts was held at JNPT in Mumbai to discuss the road map of implementing the green ports project. These renewable energy projects will help in reduction of carbon emission and lead to improvement of environment around the ports.
Few major Government Ports are Listed Below:
Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Visakhapatnam Port, Andhra Pradesh.
Kochi Port, Kerala.
New Mangalore Port, Karnataka.
Mundra Port, Gujarat.
Kandla Port, Gujarat.
Port of Quilon – The oldest and second largest port in Kerala
India’s GDP slows to 6.1% in fourth quarter, is 7.1% for 2016-2017
India lost its fastest-growing major economy tag in the fourth quarter of 2016-17, with GDP growth coming in at 6.1% compared with China’s 6.9% in the same period. Data from the Ministry of Statistics on Wednesday showed GDP grew 7.1% in the financial year 2016-17, slower than the 8% registered in 2015-16.
Indian Railways to launch ‘buy now, pay later’ feature for tickets
Railways have decided to provide the ‘buy tickets now and pay later’ service for any Express trains, According to the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Ltd. IRCTC has collaborated with a Mumbai-based firm ePayLater for adding the new service option. Through this service a passenger can book a ticket five days prior to the journey with a service charge of 3.5 per cent and pay it in the next 14 days.
STATES
Odisha to set up India’s first blood bank for Cattle
Odisha is all set to become the first state in the country to have a blood bank for the cattle. It is the first of its kind blood bank established on the premises of Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) at an estimated cost of Rs. 3.25 crore. After approval from the National Agriculture Development Programme (NADP), the OUAT is now awaiting approval from the state government. The project will have a 60:40 sharing between the Centre and the state government. The cattle farmers will provide blood voluntarily. The blood bank will also go and collect blood from centers. This will prevent the death of cattle during deliveries and other ailments.
UP Govt signed an agreement with ADB for strengthening of Roads
Uttar Pradesh Government has signed an agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB) for a loan of 1950 crore rupees for strengthening of roads in different districts. As per agreement, ADB will provide the loan amount for Uttar Pradesh Main District Roads Development Project of 2782 crore rupees cost. State government will spend 832 crore rupees form its own resources on the project. Project is scheduled to be completed by 2024 and ADB will provide the loan for the period of 25 years on the interest rate of 2 percent.
Jagannath Rath Yatra 2017: Odisha’s biggest festival begins
In Odisha, the most awaited biggest annual festival of Rath Yatra or Chariot Festival at Puri commences today (25th June 2017). This is one of the most celebrated Hindu festivals of the country as well as the whole world. Rath Yatra (chariot festival) marks the annual journey of the three deities from the 12th century Jagannath temple in the chariots to the temple of Devi Gundicha, their aunt. The celebration ends nine days later with Bahuda Yatra or the return journey of the three to their temple. The rituals started early in the morning. Jagannath Puri temple is called ‘Yamanika Tirtha’ where, according to the Hindu beliefs, the power of ‘Yama’, the god of death has been nullified in Puri due to the presence of Lord Jagannath, popularly known as Lord Krishna, and his siblings – Lord Balbhadra and deity Subhadra – in the Jagannath Puri temple.
‘Mypetrolpump’ of Bengaluru becomes 1st in India to deliver diesel at home
Bengaluru has become the country’s first city where one can have fuel delivered at one’s doorstep, just like milk and newspapers, only weeks after oil ministry announced that the Centre was thinking of rolling out such a system. Mypetrolpump, a one-year-old startup launched this home delivery system with three vehicles, each with the capacity of 950 liters. Diesel is delivered at home at the price declared for that day. The startup is charging Rs. 99 as one-time delivery charges for up to 100 litres whereas for additional one liter of fuel, the customer has to pay Re. 1 each as delivery charge. The order for the supply of fuel can be placed online, through app or through a phone call.
Uttarakhand 4th & Haryana 5th ODF States in the country
Under the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G), rural Uttarakhand and rural Haryana have declared themselves as the 4th and 5th Open Defecation Free (ODF) States of India, respectively. The two states joined the league of Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, and Kerala, which were the first three states to be declared ODF. Nationally, the sanitation coverage has increased from 42% to over 64% in just two and a half years since the launch of SBM. Uttarakhand has 13 districts, 95 blocks, 7256 gram panchayats and 15751 villages while Haryana has 21 districts, 124 blocks, and 6083 gram panchayats – all of which have declared themselves as ODF in formal declarations in Dehradun and Chandigarh, respectively.
Odisha Govt approves 53 projects under AMRUT scheme
The state government approved 53 urban projects with a total investment of Rs 538 crore under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). The scheme, launched in nine urban places in the state since 2015-16 fiscal, has aimed at strengthening drinking water distribution network, development of sewerage system, storm water management, up-gradation of city transport system and development of amusement parks. The scheme will be implemented with fund sharing patter of 50:50 between the Centre and state government.
Indore gets India’s first traffic control robot
The number one clean city of India – Indore has got another milestone to its name. This commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh has reportedly become the first city in India where the robot is being used on an experimental basis to control its ever growing and unruly traffic. The traffic police in association with a private engineering college of the city for the first time has installed a metallic robot at a busy MR 9 intersection on an experimental basis to control the chaotic traffic in the locality. This traffic controller robot has been designed by 2 professors of an engineering college of the city Prof Rahul Tiwari and Aniruddh Sharma.
Free Education for girls in Punjab from Nursery to PhD
The Punjab Government has announced free education for girls in government schools and colleges from Nursery to Ph.D, free textbooks, as well as Nursery and LKG classes in government schools from the next academic session. This is the major step towards women empowerment by Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh. Reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies has already been increased by the government from 33 per cent to 50 per cent. The CM also announced free Wi-FI for 13,000 primary schools and all 48 government colleges.
Telangana launches PashuBazar website for online cattle sale
Soon, farmers in the state will be able to sell and purchase cattle online. The Telangana government has launched a website to facilitate this service. The online sale or purchase of cattle through pashubazar.telangana.gov.in website will help farmers as the cattle need not be brought to shandies every time and farmers can save on transportation cost on cattle. Special Chief Secretary, Animal Husbandry, Suresh Chanda launched the website developed with NIC’s support. The Pashu Bazaar platform was developed to help farmers to sell their animals without physically taking them to weekly markets. The farmer can keep maximum five registrations for sale at any time.
Sikkim govt signs MoU with British Council
The Human Resource Development department of Sikkim government signed an MoU with the British Council to enhance quality of education in the state. The MoU will improve the educational structure of the schools of Sikkim. The purpose of the MoU is to support the aims and aspirations of the young people of Sikkim through collaborative projects in the area of English, education and skills by strengthening the capacity of the teachers and other professionals, working with youth in the state and support its cultural economy.
UP tops the list with maximum child labor in the state-CRY report
According to the Child Rights and You (CRY) report, over 8 lakh children in India between the age group 5 and 6 years are engaged in child labor. A large percentage, over 5 lakh of these children do not attend school. The majority of these kids are engaged in family-based employments. Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of 2,50,672 children engaged in labor, followed by Bihar with 1,28,087 children and Maharashtra where the number stands at 82,847. The report has outlined that reach of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), which was introduced with the intent of providing a strong base to these children, is quite limited as it covers only 50% percent of this population.
Kolkata to get India’s first underwater Metro
Kolkata, the ‘City of Joy’ is about to experience a wonder in the form of an underwater Metro train which will run beneath the Hooghly river. It’s one of the path-breaking projects in India as never before a tunnel has been dug beneath a flowing river. The entire project is 16.6 km long, out of which 10.8 km runs under the ground. Of this 10.8 km, 502 meters is under the water. The project connects Howrah to the west and Salt Lake to the east. The stretch of 16.6 km will have 12 stations, six of which will be under the ground, while the remaining six stations will be on elevated tracks. The train is said to run without a driver. The train would carry around 1,000 passengers in one go and will have six air-conditioned coaches. With the cost of Rs 60 crore, the project is expected to be completed by December 2019.
UDAN scheme: Tamil Nadu govt signs MoU with Aviation Ministry
The Government of Tamil Nadu has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Union Civil Aviation Ministry for the implementation of the UDAN scheme in the state. The MoU has been signed at the Secretariat in Fort St George, Chennai, by the officials in presence of chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and the Airports Authority of India Chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra. Under the Regional Air Connectivity scheme UDAN, three of the tier-two industrial towns such as Hosur, Salem and Neyveli are to be developed in the first phase where airstrips are available, though not in use.
Kerala government implements ‘green protocol’ for weddings
Wedding ceremonies in Kerala are all set to become ‘green’, with the state government coming out with a green protocol to make auspicious occasions more nature-friendly. With the implementation of the protocol, plastic and other non-biodegradable articles including disposable glasses and plates and thermocol decorations will be kept at bay from marriage functions. Instead of this, people would be persuaded to use tumblers, plates and other utensils made of glass and environment-friendly metals.
Centre approves modifications to ‘kambala’ Bill
The Centre has approved the modifications to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Bill 2017 to pave way for organizing ‘kambala’ in the coming season, according to PP Chaudhary, Union Minister of State for Law and Justice. Now, the Bill will be placed before the President for his approval. The approval by the President will help in the smooth conduct of ‘Kambala’ (the traditional slush track buffalo race) in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka. The Bill proposes to exempt ‘kambala’ from the ambit of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960.
Telangana launches single-woman pension scheme
Telangana government launched the single-women pensions scheme across the state. Single women will be given 1,000 per month in what is being described as the first such scheme in India.
AP’s Vizianagaram bags MGNREGA national award
The Ministry of Rural Development has selected Vizianagaram as one among the 17 districts across the nation for the MGNREGA annual award for effective implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act during 2015-16. The award would be presented at the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA Sammelan to the district programme coordinator and District Collector on June 19 in New Delhi.
Odisha to have first automatic coastal warning for disasters
Come the next independence day, Odisha can warn the vast population residing along its 480 km-long coast by pressing a single button from a control room in the State capital in the event of the occurrence of natural disasters like a tsunami or a cyclone. The State government is likely to commission the ambitious Early Warning Dissemination System (EWDS) that would enable loud sirens go off simultaneously from towers at 122 locations by August 15.
Telangana launches T-Wallet for people with and without mobile phones
The Telangana Government has launched a digital wallet, named T-Wallet, which doesn’t charge transaction fee from consumers. The government is planning to use the wallet, available in Google Play, for remittances under job guarantee scheme MNREGA and scholarships for students. Telangana became the first state in the country to launch official e- wallet.
Inauguration of MITS Mega Food Park at Rayagada
The first Mega Food Park in the state MITS Mega Food Park Pvt Ltd at Rayagada has been inaugurated today by Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Minister of Food Processing Industries. This is the 7th Mega Food Park operationalized in the last 3 years by the present government. On this occasion Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, MoS (Food Processing Industries), Government of India, were also present. Ministry of Food Processing Industries is focusing on boosting the food processing industry so that agriculture sector grows exponentially and become a major contributor to doubling the farmer’s income and ‘Make In India’ initiative of the government.
Arun Jaitley inaugurates Telangana solar plant
Defence Minister Arun Jaitley inaugurated a grid-connected solar power plant of 16 MW capacity at the Ordinance Factory in Telangana’s Medak district. The solar power plant at Medak set up at a cost of Rs 105 crore by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEML) with the commissioning of 9 Mega Watt windmill project at Dammit. The excellence awards in the institutional category for 2014-15 was given to Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad while the award for 2015-16 was conferred on Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bengaluru. The best performance award in exports for 2014-15 was given to Goa Shipyard Limited while the award for 2015-16 was conferred on Bharat Electronics Limited, Bengaluru.
CONFERENCES
6th Joint Trade Committee Meeting was held between India & Myanmar
The 6th India – Myanmar Joint Trade Committee (JTC) Meeting co-chaired by Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Commerce & Industry from India and Dr. Than Myint, Union Commerce Minister from Myanmar was held in New Delhi. The Joint Trade Committee plays a key role in facilitating issues related to the enhancement of the bilateral economic partnership between the two countries. Myanmar shares a long land border of over 1600 Kms with India as well as a maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal. During the meeting discussions were held on exploring the feasibilities of direct shipping lines with Sittwe port and Vizag/ Chennai. Similarly, the need for direct air connectivity with Chennai/ Guwahati was discussed.
G7 environment ministers meeting 2017 held in Bologna, Italy
Group of Seven (G7) Environment Ministers Meeting was held in Bologna, Italy to discuss issues ranging from climate change to sustainable development and litter at sea. The meeting was attended by the Environment Ministers of the seven countries (US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan) and the Commissioners of the European Union for Environment and Climate. The Bologna meeting focused on the priority themes of the global environmental challenge, such as the state of implementation of the goals set by the Paris Agreement to fight climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN 2030 Agenda. ‘5-year Bologna Roadmap’ was adopted at the meeting, which focuses on important issues such as resource efficiency indicators, citizen involvement, awareness on food waste and economic analysis of the efficient use of resources.
Minister of Railways Inaugurates 1st Indian Railways HR Round Table Conference
Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu inaugurated Indian Railways’ 1st HR Round Table Conference in New Delhi. The Conference was organized around three themes i.e.,
(i) Stakeholders Expectations from HR.
(ii) The Future of Work – HR Role
(iii) Creativity Within Constraints
HR experts and leaders of industry held round table discussion on each of the above mentioned themes.
Ministry of AYUSH inaugurates 2nd National Health Editors’ Conference on Yoga
The second National Health Editors’ Conference on Yoga has begun in New Delhi. The conference aimed at giving insight to the journalists about the scientific aspects of yoga and its benefits for health. The theme of the conference is ‘Yoga for Health and Harmony’. Eminent experts of yoga and modern medicine present highlights from recent research work on aspects of yoga. The event was inaugurated by Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik. It is being organized by Ministry of AYUSH in association with Press Information Bureau as a part of celebrations of the 3rd International Day of Yoga on 21st of June.
Rajnath Singh inaugurated conference on disaster management
Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a two-day national level conference on “Capacity Building of SDRF-2017″ in New Delhi. The conference was organised by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), holded discussions to develop a synergy and to highlight the way ahead to strengthen the response capabilities of State Disaster Response Forces (SDRF). In the conference, various agenda points like streamlining the training process of SDRFs and conducting it in a planned and coordinated manner, integrations of operational efforts between NDRF and SDRF, requirement and creation of training infrastructure in each state, improving response time by SDRF’s was discussed.
70th World Health Assembly held in Geneva, Switzerland
The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of WHO. It is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States and focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board. The main functions of the World Health Assembly are to determine the policies of the Organization, appoint the Director-General, supervise financial policies, and review and approve the proposed programme budget. The Health Assembly is held annually in Geneva, Switzerland.
AWARDS & HONOURS
Adi Godrej & Andrew Liveris bag USIBC Global Leadership Awards
Adi Godrej Chairman of Godrej Group and Andrew Liveries CEO of Dow Chemical have been awarded the Global Leadership Awards of the US-India Business Council for their role in integrating India in the global supply chain. Both were honored for creating inclusive business environments, integrating India in the global supply chain and advancing core values such as manufacturing, innovation and scale in tough market conditions. Liveris and Godrej were presented with the prestigious annual award at the USIBC’s annual gala.
Uttarakhand was conferred with the award of Excellence at International meet
Uttarakhand was conferred with the award of Excellence at the 2nd Global Skill Development Summit held in Paris recently for innovations and extensive use of IT for skilling the state’s youth. Project Director of Uttarakhand Skill Development Committee Pankaj Kumar Pandey received the honor on behalf of the state.
Hyderabad- based man awarded ‘Best Astrologer of world’
City-based astrologer and numerologist TS Vineeth Bhatt has been conferred with the ‘Best astrologer of the world’ award at the ‘Russian-Indian economic dialogue’ round-table meet held in Moscow. The event was organized by Peacemakers International, a charity that works for the advancement of conflict resolution through mediation services and training. Bhatt, 37, is from Kerala and lives in Bowenpally. Three generations of his family have been practising astrology. He is a personal astrologer to ministers, ambassadors, senators across the globe.
West Bengal’s Kanyashree initiative Honoured with UN Public Service Award
The West Bengal Government’s Kanyashree Prakalpa was awarded the first prize in United Nations Public Service Award for Asia Pacific. Out of 552 initiatives from 62 different countries, West Bengal Government’s initiative was chosen the best. The award was presented at The Hague, Netherlands. Kanyashree Prakalpa is a targeted conditional cash transfer scheme aimed at retaining girls in schools and other educational and skill development institutions and preventing child marriage. The scheme has already enrolled more than for million adolsecent gilrs and the State Government has till date transferred about USD 500 million directly to the beneficiaries bank account. The scheme is being implemented through 16000 institute and schools.
Indian agri microbiologist given environment award in Japan
Indian agricultural microbiologist Shrihari Chandraghatgi has been conferred the Ministry of Environment Award for 2017 in Japan for developing cutting edge technologies to address burning environmental problems. Chandraghatgi, who is President and CEO of EcoCycle Corporation, is the first foreigner to be given the Ministry of Environment Award, the highest award in the environmental sector in Japan. The Ministry of Environment Award is the highest honour given in the environmental sector every year jointly by the Ministry of Environment, Japan, National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Japan and The Nikkan Kogyo Shinbun (a media group).
Qatar Airways named best airline in the world by Skytrax
Qatar Airways has been named Best Airline in the World for 2017 by leading consumer aviation website Skytrax. The Gulf-based carrier was presented with the honor at World Airline Awards at the 2017 Paris Air Show. Qatar Airways was voted Best Airline by travelers across the world in the annual passenger survey. The Doha-based carrier has now won the prestigious Airline of the Year title for a fourth time. Qatar Airways also won the World’s Best Business Class, the World’s Best First Class Lounge and the Best Airline in the Middle East awards. On the other hand, Malaysia-based Air Asia won awards for being the Best Low-Cost Airline in Asia for a month year in the row, and also as World’s Best Low-Cost Airline Premium Cabin 2017.
Member of the British Empire Award for Annabel Mehta
Sachin Tendulkar’s mother-in-law and social activist Annabel Mehta, a British national, has been awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for her work and service to the underprivileged. The award will be presented to her at Buckingham Palace in London later this year. Annabel has been recognized and honored for over 40 years of service to underprivileged communities in India. Much of this has been through her leading role within the NGO, Apnalaya, of which she has been President since 2013. Mehta was born in Birmingham in 1940 and trained in Social Administration at the London School of Economics where she met her Indian husband, Anand Mehta. Annabel moved to India in 1966.
Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute bags first PM’s Yoga award
Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute, Pune has been selected as the first recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award for outstanding contribution to promotion and development of Yoga 2017. The Institute has worked to spread Yoga, internationally, over a period of four decades. The institute has published several books on yoga and these have been translated into multiple languages. There are thousands of Iyengar Yoga teachers popularizing and propagating yoga across the world. The selection was done from among 85 nominations received and 15 more recommended by the Screening Committee. The institution of the award was announced by the Prime Minister on the occasion of the Second International Day of Yoga at Chandigarh in 2016.
Israeli author David Grossman wins Man Booker Prize
Israeli author David Grossman has won the Man Booker International Prize 2017 for his novel ‘A Horse Walks Into a Bar’. Grossman beat out five other finalists, including fellow Israeli author Amos Oz for the counterpart to Britain’s prestigious Booker Prize. Grossman’s novel is about a failing standup comic and his final performance. The award has a prize of 50,000 pounds ($64,000) that is split evenly between Grossman and translator Jessica Cohen.
Bhupen Hazarika Award conferred to Yeshe Dorjee Thongshi
The Fifth Bhupen Hazarika National Award, 2017 has been conferred to an eminent writer from Arunachal Pradesh Yeshe Dorjee Thongshi. This is the fifth edition of the award which was first conferred in 2012. The prestigious Award, instituted by Sarhad, a Maharashtra-based organization, is honoring a person every year since 2012, who has rendered an outstanding literary work at national and international level. The award consists of 51,000 rupees, a memento and a certificate. His most important novel is Mauna Onth Mukhar Hriday (Silent lips, murmuring hearts) which won the Sahitya Akademi award in 2005.
NASA confers Exceptional Public Service Medal to Michael A’Hearn posthumously
NASA has posthumously awarded the Exceptional Public Service Medal to Michael A’Hearn, one of the world’s leading comet scientists. A’Hearn died at the age of 76. The NASA Medal is for “fundamental work on comets and small bodies of the solar system, leadership in space missions, and ensuring public access to data from NASA missions and related projects.”
Nalanda model of water conservation chosen for National Award
A model of water conservation adopted successfully by the authorities in Nalanda district of south-central Bihar, has been selected for the national award for excellence in the Mahatma Gandhi national rural employment guarantee program (MGNREGP), by the ministry of rural development. The award for excellence will be conferred on ‘Project Jal Sanchay’, the water conservation model developed in chief minister Nitish Kumar’s native district, at a function to be organized at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on June 19.
Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar Make It to Forbes World’s Highest-Paid Celebrities List
The Forbes list of world’s highest-paid celebs is out and has Sean Combs right at the top. On the list, Bollywood big stars with Shah Rukh Khan leading the charge at the 65th position with $38 million in earnings this year. On his heels is Salman Khan at the 71st spot with $37 million earned in 2016-2017. Akshay Kumar is at 80th position with $35.5 million. Unlike last year, Amitabh Bachchan has not made to the list.
Indian girl bags Little Miss Universe Internet 2017 crown at Little Miss Universe in Georgia
A 12-year-old Padmalaya Nanda from Odisha has created history by becoming the youngest girl to bag the “Little Miss Universe Internet 2017″ and “Little Miss Actress” crowns at the Little Miss Universe 2017 at the port city of Batumi in Georgia. This is the first time that a 12 yr Indian girl has won this beauty pageant title. She will now participate in the “Little Miss World 2017″ competition that will be held at Greece from Sept 25 to Oct 1, 2017. The award received by the girl was a golden crown which is valid only for a year and will be returned to the Little Miss Universe 2018 competition.
Poet, essayist Haraprasad Das gets Kalinga Literary Award
Legendary poet and essayist Haraprasad Das was conferred with the covetous Kalinga Literary Award for his work and contribution to literature at the fourth edition of Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF). The three-day literary festival was inaugurated by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. This year the KLF introduced two new awards – the Kalinga International Literary Award, which was received by Anand Neelakantan for his contribution towards literature, and the Kalinga Karubaki Award, which was given to Paramita Satpathy for her contribution to Odia poetry.
Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee to receive Legion d’ Honneur
Thespian Bengali actor, Soumitra Chatterjee has been conferred with the France’s highest civilian honour, the coveted Legion of Honour. The award will be presented to the Kolkata-based actor by the Ambassador of France to India Alexandre Ziegler. The award comes with the octogenarian Bengali screen legend exactly 30 years after Satyajit Ray got the honour by the then French President Francois Mitterrand in 1987. Dadasaheb Phalke award winner, Chatterjee featured in some of Ray’s most talked about movies such as Apur Sansar, on one of the famous Apu trilogy, Charulata, Aranyer Din Ratri and Sonar Kella.
SPORTS & GAMES
ISSF Jr World Championship: India finish second with 8 medals
The Indian shooting squad has finished a creditable second at the ISSF Junior World Championship with three gold, two silver and three bronze medals in Suhl, Germany. India picked up a gold and silver in the team and individual sections of the 25m pistol junior men’s event. India also won team bronze in the 25m pistol junior women’s event to shore up their tally on the fourth and final day of competitions. Anish Bhanwala won three medals, one of each colour. The fourth and final day of the tournament saw Anish Bhanwala winning all the three colours in medals for India. His wins included both individual events and team, in which he teamed up with Anhad Jawanda and Shivam Shukla to total 1733 in the 25m pistol to win gold. With 19 medals in their kitty, China topped the medal tally to finish first in the tournament. They claimed eight gold medals in the tournament.
Roger Federer defeats Alexander Zverev to lift Ninth Halle Open title
Swiss legend Roger Federer has clinched his ninth Halle Open title after beating Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-3 in the final. The top seed Roger Federer showed no mercy with fourth seed Alexander Zverev after wrapping up his ninth title in his 11th Halle final. The final took place at the Gerry Weber Stadion in Halle, Germany. With this result, Federer won, for the first time in his career, one tournament nine times. The match was the quickest final in the history of the Halle Open.
Ankush claims gold, Devendro wins silver at Mongolia tourney
The fast-rising Ankush Dahiya (60kg) clinched a gold while the experienced L Devendro Singh (52kg) settled for a silver medal on the final day of the Ulaanbaatar Cup boxing tournament in Mongolia. The 19-year-old Ankush, who is a former Asian youth silver-medalist, defeated Korean Man Choe Chol in a split verdict, while Devendro lost to Indonesia’s Aldoms Suguro, again a split decision. India thus signed off with a gold, a silver and three bronze medals from the tournament. K Shyam Kumar (49kg), Mohammed Hussamuddin (56kg) and Priyanka Chaudhary (60kg) – lost their respective semi-final bouts to settle for bronze medals.
India set record for most 300-plus totals in ODI cricket
India became the team to score the most 300-plus totals in One Day International (ODI) Cricket. India did so when they scored a total of 310 for the loss of five wickets in the second ODI against West Indies. It was the 96th time that India crossed the 300-run mark, surpassing Australia’s 95. India went on to win the match by 105 runs, the highest winning margin they have ever enjoyed against West Indies in the Carribeans. The other teams posted 300+ scores in ODIs as follows: Australia 95, South Africa 77, Pakistan 68, Sri Lanka 62, England 57 and New Zealand 51.
Anish Bhanwala bags gold medal in ISSF Junior Shooting World Championship
Haryana’s Anish Bhanwala gave a robust start for the Indian challenge by clinching the 25-metre standard pistol gold with a world junior record in the Junior World Shooting Championship in Suhl, Germany. The 15-year-old Anish shot 579 to win the gold seven points ahead of Florian Peter of Germany. In the process, Anish also bettered the junior world record of 574 set by Denis Koulakov of Russia in Lahti, Finland, in 2002. Anish’s score was seven points clear of second-placed German Florian Peter who shot 572, while Ukraine’s Pablo Korostylov won the bronze in the event shooting a score of 570.
Kidambi Srikanth clinches Australia Open Super Series title
In Badminton, ace Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth has lifted the Australian Open Superseries trophy in Sydney. In the summit clash, 11th world ranked Srikanth stunned former world number one and Rio Olympics Gold medalist Chen Long of China in straight games, 22-20, 21-16. It was Srikanth’s first victory over the Chinese in 6 matches. The trophy is Srikanth’s second straight title victory in a week after he won the Indonesian Open Super Series Premier.
Kidambi Srikanth clinches Indonesia Open title
Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth lifted the Indonesia Super Series Premier men’s singles title, beating Japan’s Kazumasa Sakai in the final by defeating Japanese qualifier Kazumasa Sakai in straight games 21-11, 21-19. World No.22 Srikanth won in a 37-minute clash against the Japanese qualifier in the $1,000,000 event. This was the 24-year-old’s second Super Series Premier title. His last Super Series Premier triumph had come in the 2014 China Open.
Virat Kohli becomes No.1 ranked ODI batsman
In a major shakeup in the top of the rankings after the group stages of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, Indian captain Virat Kohli displaced South Africa’s AB de Villiers as the No.1 ranked ODI batsman in the world while Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood took over from Proteas pacer Kagiso Rabada as the No.1 ranked bowler.
1. Top three ODI Batsman are-
* Virat Kohli (IND)
* David Warner (AUS)
* AB de Villiers (SA)
2. Top Three ODI Bowlers are-
* Josh Hazlewood (AUS)
* Imran Tahir (SA)
* Mitchell Starc (AUS)
Rafael Nadal rises to second in ATP world rankings
Rafael Nadal’s magnificent run to a 10th French Open title has earned the Spaniard a move into second in the latest ATP world rankings. The 31-year-old clinched his record- breaking Roland Garros crown by demolishing Stan Wawrinka in a one-sided final for a 15th Grand Slam crown. The Top three players in the list are- 1. Andy Murray, 2. Rafael Nadal, and 3. Stan Wawrinka.
Lewis Hamilton wins Canadian GP for sixth time
Lewis Hamilton won the Canadian Grand Prix for the sixth time. He won against Sebastian Vettel’s overall championship and lead to 12 points. It was Hamilton’s third victory of the season and also his third in a row. It was the three-time champion’s sixth victory at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. It was the 56th title of his career.
Jitu Rai-Heena Sidhu clinch gold medal in ISSF World Cup
India’s Jitu Rai and Heena Sidhu combined to clinch the gold medal in mixed team 10m air pistol event of the ISSF World Cup, beating Russia in the final in Gabala, Azerbaijan. France beat Iran by an identical score to win the bronze in the event. 430 athletes from 45 countries are competing for medals in the ongoing World Cup, which is the last chance for rifle and pistol shooters to qualify for the ISSF World Cup Finals.
Shashikant Kutwal wins gold at world chess championship for differently-abled
Shashikant Kutwal has won the gold medal at the 17th World Individual Chess Championship for differently-abled. The World Chess Championship was held in Slovakia. Shashikant Kutwal is a railway employee with Pune Division.
The French Open 2017- Complete list of Winners
The French open title 2017 was held recently from 22 May-11 June 2017 at Roland Garros in Paris, France. Numbers of records were shattered and created during the tournament. The game has witnessed so many turnovers in the matches that have made it one of the most exciting tournaments in the World. Here is the complete list of all the winners in different categories of The French Open 2017.
* French Men’s Singles Open Title- Spain’s Rafael Nadal (10th French Title) defeated Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland).
* French Women’s Singles Open Title- Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko (1st Grand Slam Title) defeated Simona Halep (Rome).
* French Men’s Doubles Title- Michael Venus (New Zealand) and Ryan Harrison (USA) defeated Santiago Gonzalez and Donald Young.
* French Women’s Doubles Title- Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) and Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) defeated Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua.
* French Open Mixed Doubles title- Rohan Bopanna (India) and Gabriela Dabrowski (Canada) defeated Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Robert Farah.
Rafael Nadal wins 10th French Open title
Spain’s Rafael Nadal made history by winning a record 10th French men’s Open title with victory over Stan Wawrinka in the Paris final (French Open 2017). Nadal came through 6-2 6-3 6-1 against the Swiss third seed to claim his 15th major title. He becomes the first man or woman in the Open era to have won a Grand Slam tournament 10 times. Rafael Nadal won his first French Open title at the age of 19 in 2005. Only Australia’s Margaret Court has more victories at a single Grand Slam tournament, with 11 Australian Open wins between 1960 and 1973. He extended his record at Roland Garros to 79 wins and two losses since his first victory in 2005, the only defeats coming against Robin Soderling in 2009 and Novak Djokovic in 2014.
Jelena Ostapenko won French Open title 2017
Jelena Ostapenko won her first Grand Slam title by beating Simona Halep 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in just under two hours in the women’s final of the French Open 2017. With this win, the unseeded Latvian became the youngest women’s champion at Roland Garros in 20 years. Ostapenko also recovered from a break behind in the third set and finished the contest with a flashing backhand winner to become the first unseeded player to win the title since Briton Margaret Scriven in 1933.
Michael Venus-Ryan Harrison clinch French Open men’s doubles title
Michael Venus became New Zealand’s first Grand Slam champion since 1974 when he partnered American Ryan Harrison to the French Open men’s doubles title. Venus and Harrison defeated Santiago Gonzalez of Mexico and American Donald Young 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (4/7), 6-3 in the final at Roland Garros. The 29-year-old is just New Zealand’s second Grand Slam winner in the modern era after Onny Parun teamed up with Australian Dick Crealy to win the men’s doubles crown in Paris 43 years ago.
IOC approves new events for 2020 Tokyo Game
The International Olympic Committee has approved new events for the 2020 Tokyo Games, including a number of mixed gender competitions. The IOC’s Executive Board made the decision at a meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland. The choices reflect the IOC’s focus on gender equality and appeal to young people. The additions include a mixed team event for judo. Table Tennis will also get a mixed doubles competition. The event was featured in the recent world championships in Germany. Three-on-three basketball is an example of the IOC’s focus on youth and urban sports. The IOC has recommended awarding the hosting rights for both the 2024 and 2028 Games at the same time.
Muttiah Muralidaran becomes first Sri Lankan to be inducted into ICC Hall of Fame
Muttiah Muralidaran, the most successful bowler in Tests and One-Day Internationals, was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in London. The Sri Lankan spin great was honored during the innings break of the India versus Sri Lanka Champions Trophy match at The Oval. He became the first player from Sri Lanka and the 83rd overall to be inducted into the Hall of Fame when ICC CEO Dave Richardson presented him with a commemorative framed cap.
Ramkumar Ramanathan lifts ITF men’s Futures tennis title
India’s Ramkumar Ramanathan lifted the ITF (International Tennis Federation) men’s Futures tennis title after outplaying Raymond Sarmiento of the USA in straight sets in Singapore. The top-seeded Indian beat the second seeded player 6-2, 6-2 in the final of the event. It was the first title of the season for Ramkumar. A regular in India’s Davis Cup team, Ramkumar had recently competed in the qualifying event of the French Open but failed to make it to the main round of the Grand Slam tournament.
Virat Kohli sole Indian in top 100 of Forbes list of world’s highest paid athletes
Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli is the sole sportsperson from the country to feature in the world’s 100 highest paid athletes in the latest Forbes list topped by soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo. Virat Kohli has been ranked 89th on the 2017 Forbes list of ‘The World’s highest paid athletes’ with a total pay of $ 22 million that includes $ three million from salary and winnings and another 19 million from endorsements. The list has been topped by Ronaldo with a total pay of 93 million dollars. American basketball star LeBron James comes in at the second spot, followed by Argentine footballer Lionel Messi (3rd) and tennis star Roger Federer (4th). Tennis star Serena Williams, who comes in at the 51 spot with $ 27 million, the lone female athlete to make the cut this year.
Rohan Bopanna wins French Open mixed doubles title to clinch maiden Grand Slam
Indian tennis ace Rohan Bopanna and Canadian partner Gabriela Dabrowski produced a fighting performance to beat their German-Colombian opponents Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Robert Farah in the final to clinch their maiden French Open mixed doubles title in Paris, France. Seeded seventh, Bopanna and Dabrowski took an hour and six minutes to win, saving two match points, as they overcame the unseeded Groenefeld and Farah 2-6, 6-2, 12-10 on Philippe-Chatrier Court. Bopanna has become only the fourth Indian to win a Grand Slam crown, after Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza. Indians have accounted for 20 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles.
Real Madrid wins UEFA Champions League title
Real Madrid beat Juventus 4-1 in the Champions League final 2017 to successfully defend the title. Cristiano Ronaldo, Casemiro and Marco Asensio all scored to take their side to the 12th title in the tournament. It was a historic day for the French manager Zinedine Zidane as well as the Spanish giants, which became the only club to retain the title in the Champions League era.
B Sai Praneeth wins Thailand Grand Prix Gold
B Sai Praneeth came back from a game down to beat Indonesian Jonatan Christie 17-21, 21-18, 21-19. It is Praneeth’s second title of the year after the victory at the Singapore Super Series earlier in the year.
West Indies cricket team’s official name changed to WINDIES
The cricket board for West Indies, on its 91st anniversary, has re-branded themselves as Cricket West Indies from the former West Indies Cricket board. The board also announced in a media release on their official website that the cricket team from now on will be officially known as ‘WINDIES.
ECONOMY
India signs loan agreement with World Bank for projects in Assam
An agreement for IBRD Credit of USD 35 Million from World Bank for “Assam State Public Financial Institutional Reforms Project” was signed in New Delhi. The agreement was signed by Shri Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary (MI), Department of Economic Affairs on behalf of the Government of India and Mr. John Blomquist, Acting Country Director, World Bank (India) on behalf of the World Bank. The program duration is 5 years. The objective of the project is to improve predictability and transparency in budget execution and efficiency in tax administration in Assam. The project will benefit the citizens of Assam through efficient processes, enhanced transparency and better service delivery (such as electronic payments and collections for services, better public procurement, and enhanced taxpayer services) provided by public institutions.
EU fines Google a record 2.42 billion euros
The European Union has handed Google a record-breaking €2.42bn (£2.14bn) fine for abusing its dominance of the search engine market in building its online shopping service, in a dramatic decision that has far-reaching implications for the company. It is the biggest fine the EU has ever imposed on a single company in an antitrust case, exceeding a 1.06- billion-euro sanction handed down to U.S. chipmaker Intel in 2009. The ruling also orders Google to end its anti-competitive practices within 90 days or face a further penalty. However, if it fails to change the way it operates the Shopping service within the three-month deadline, it could be forced to make payments of five percent of its parent company Alphabet’s average daily worldwide earnings.
RBI amends Banking Ombudsman Scheme
The Reserve Bank has extended the scope of Banking Ombudsman Scheme under which banks could be penalised for mis-selling third-party products like insurance and mutual funds via mobile or electronic banking. Under the amended scheme, a customer would also be able to lodge a complaint against the bank for its non-adherence to RBI instructions with regard to mobile banking/ electronic banking services in India The pecuniary jurisdiction of the Banking Ombudsman to pass an award has been doubled to Rs 20 lakh. The pecuniary jurisdiction of the Banking Ombudsman to pass an Award has been increased from existing rupees one million to rupees two million. Banking Ombudsman is a quasi judicial authority functioning under the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006. The authority was created to enable resolution of complaints of customers of banks relating to services rendered by the lenders.
World Bank sanctions 44 million dollars for ASPIRe Project
World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a loan assistance of 44 million dollars for the Assam State Public Finance Institutional Reforms (ASPIRe) Project. The loan was sanctioned by World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development) in its meeting held at Washington DC, USA. The project aims at improving predictability and transparency in budget execution and efficiency in tax administration in Assam.
Hike partners with Yes bank to launch UPI-based wallet
Hike Messenger has launched the new version of the app with a completely new interface and the addition of a mobile wallet, in partnership with YES Bank. With Unified Payments Interface support enabled in Hike 5.0, users can now do free and instant bank-to-bank transfers with their friends. The feature works even if your friends aren’t on Hike. For those who don’t actively use a bank account, Hike still allows them to send and receive money with your friends through the Wallet. The app now also allows users to recharge their phones and pay their postpaid bill right from inside Hike.
Meghalaya signs two MoU with SBI for online payments
Meghalaya government has signed two MoUs with the State Bank of India as a part of an initiative towards migrating government transactions to digital mode. With the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax(GST), these MoUs are expected to give dealers and other citizens the desired platform for conducting financial transactions with the state government on a digital platform. The state government has already established a new treasury called as Cyber Treasury, which dedicatedly handles all online transactions of government receipts across the state centrally for a few selected departments. The state government will now escalate its transactions for the collection of tax and non-tax revenue through the online system – Government Receipt Accounting System (GRAS) covering all departments in a phased manner.
Lockheed signs pact with Tata to make F-16 planes in India
The defence arm of the Tata Group has signed an agreement with American firm Lockheed Martin to produce and export new generation F-16 fighter aircraft, potentially kick- starting a mega ‘Make in India’ project. The agreement has been signed at the Paris Airshow, Lockheed to produce F-16 fighter planes in India. It is the newest and most advanced version of the world’s most successful, combat-proven multi-role fighter.
SBI, Tirumala Milk Products tie up for providing loans to dairy farmers
State Bank of India has entered into a tie-up with Tirumala Milk Products, a South- based company which was acquired by Groupe Lactalis in 2014, to provide loans to dairy farmers who supply milk to the latter. France-based Groupe Lactalis, which also acquired Indore-based Anik Dairy in 2016, wants to double the number of dairy farmers under its fold to three lakh and ramp up the amount of milk it procures daily to 25 lakh litres by 2020 from 14 lakh litres now. Under its scheme for financing dairy units, SBI offers loans for, among others, construction of shed, and purchase of milch animals, milking machine, and chaff cutter.
CCI slaps Rs 87 Crore fine on Hyundai Motor for unfair business ways
The country’s competition watchdog has imposed a penalty of Rs 87 crore on Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor India for anticompetitive conduct. According to the Competition Commission of India (CCI), the carmaker imposed arrangements upon its dealers that resulted in resale price maintenance – a deal not to sell a product below a specified price – in the sale of passenger cars manufactured by it. Such arrangements also included monitoring of the maximum permissible discount levels through a Discount Control Mechanism, in contravention of the provisions of Section 3(4)(e) read with Section 3(1) of the Competition Act, 2002.
Aadhaar must for bank accounts, transactions over Rs 50,000
Stepping up its fight against tax evasion, the Centre has made it mandatory to quote the Aadhaar number for opening bank accounts and for transactions exceeding Rs.50,000. With the amendments to the Prevention of Money Laundering (Maintenance of Records) Rules, 2005 notified earlier this month, banks will have to demand both Aadhaar and the Permanent Account Number (PAN) for verification of identity, starting June 1. By the Finance Act, 2017, the Government had made it mandatory to seed PAN with Aadhaar and quote it in income-tax returns. However, the Supreme Court had held that only those individuals who possess an Aadhaar card need to link it with PAN. The new rules mandate existing bank account-holders to provide their Aadhaar details by December 31, while new applicants will be expected to quote either the 12-digit number or offer proof that they have applied for Aadhaar enrolment.
AIIB grants USD 150 mn loan for India Infrastructure Fund
China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has approved USD 150 million equity investment loan to the India Infrastructure Fund. It is the bank’s first such loan to fund private projects. The Board of Directors of the AIIB, who met in Jeju in South Korea has approved USD 150 million equity investment to the India Infrastructure Fund. The bank, in which India is a lead partner, has approved two loans and one equity investment totalling USD 324 million to support infrastructure projects in India, Georgia and Tajikistan. This initiative will benefit local infrastructure development by enhancing private capital inflows from global long-term investors, such as public pension funds, endowments and insurance companies.
TerraPay partners with Yes Bank to enable instant cross-border money transfer service in India
Private sector lender Yes Bank has partnered with mobile payments switch TerraPay to enable real-time money transfer to bank accounts in India. Powered by TerraPay’s global clearing and settlement service, the partnership will make it faster and convenient for consumers to send money to any bank account. TerraPay has partnered with Yes Bank in a Rupee Drawing Arrangement which enables TerraPay’s network partners to make instant cross-border money transfer to bank accounts in India. This means that Indian migrants worldwide can walk into TerraPay’s partner outlet anytime and send money to their family and friends back home, instantly in their bank account. For bank accounts other than Yes Bank accounts, Yes Bank will disburse funds using the immediate payment service, popularly known as IMPS. The service is available 24X7.
World Bank approves over $500 million for Afghanistan to boost economy
The World Bank has approved financing worth more than 500 million dollars for Afghanistan to support a string of projects to boost the economy, help improve service delivery in five cities and support Afghan refugees sent back from Pakistan. The international troop withdrawal, which began in 2011, and political uncertainties have impacted Afghanistan’s economy deeply. The largest chunk of the package, some 205.4 million dollars, will go toward supporting communities affected by refugees returning from Pakistan.
RBI Issues New Rs. 500 banknotes with inset letter ‘A’
In continuation of issuing of Rs500 denomination banknotes in Mahatma Gandhi (new) series from time to time which are currently legal tender, a new batch of banknotes with inset letter “A” in both the number panels, bearing the signature of Dr. Urjit R. Patel Governor, Reserve Bank of India; with the year of printing ’2017’ on the reverse, are being
issued. The new series earlier released and currently, in circulation has the inset letter “E”. They will continue to be valid. The design of these notes is similar in all respects to the Rs500 banknotes.
Microsoft signs agreement to acquire Israeli security firm Hexadite
Ransomware attacks have prompted Microsoft to sign an agreement to acquire Hexadite. This deal cost $100 million. Hexadite is an Israeli startup that uses Artificial Intelligence to identify and protect against cyber attacks.
Canara Bank ties up with New India Assurance Company
Canara Bank has inked pact with the state-owned general insurer The New India Assurance Company Ltd. to sell policies through its branches. The pact allows Canara Bank to offer non-life insurance products to its customers across metros and tier II and III cities through the bank’s extensive network of over 6,000 branches. The pact also strengthens distribution network of New India Assurance. Under the agreement, New India Assurance will make offer a bouquet of products such as motor, home, health, travel, fire, marine, and engineering insurance policies through branches of Canara Bank.
SBI cuts interest rate on home loans above Rs 75 lakh by 10 bps
The State Bank of India, country’s largest lender cut the interest rate on home loans above Rs 75 lakh by 10 basis points (bps) to 8.60 percent. For salaried women borrowers, the loans will be offered at 8.55 percent. According to SBI, the new rates will be effective from June 15. The home loan rates offered are lowest in the industry. The statement added that taking a cue from the recent RBI reduction in risk weightage on home loans, SBI is passing on the benefit to its customers by reducing its interest rates on home loan above Rs 75 lakh. SBI has the largest share on the home loan market.
Axis Bank to issue biodegradable prepaid gift cards
Axis Bank Ltd has announced biodegradable prepaid gift cards on the occasion of World Environment Day (05th June). With this, the bank has become the first to introduce biodegradable cards in the country. The card has the look and feel of regular plastic cards and can be used in PoS terminals and ATMs. Biodegradable cards can also be recycled.
RBI keeps Repo Rate unchanged in Second Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement, 2017-18
On the basis of an assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation at its meeting today, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to:
NHB approves merger between Aadhar Housing Finance and DHFL Vysya Housing Finance
The proposed merger between Aadhar Housing Finance and DHFL Vysya Housing Finance has hit the final lap with it got the nod from housing finance regulator National Housing Bank (NHB). Aadhar Housing Finance Chief Executive Officer Deo Shankar Tripathi stated that it had applied to National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for the next stage approval. Both the companies are owned by Wadhawan family promoted Wadhawan Global Capital Pvt Ltd. International Finance Corporation owns 20% in Aadhar Housing, while DHFL Vysya is fully owned by Wadhawan family. According to the merger plan, Aadhar Housing will merge into DHFL Vysya, making it a pan-India company. Both the companies operate in mutually exclusive locations at present. Post merger, the Wadhawan family would own 82% in the merged entity and the balance 18% will be with institutions including IFC. The merged entity is proposed to be named as Aadhar Housing Finance, subject to NCLT’s approval.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
India’s communication satellite GSAT-17 successfully launched from French Guiana
India’s latest communication satellite GSAT-17 has been successfully launched from Kourou in French Guiana. GSAT-17 with a lift-off mass of about 3,477 kg carries payloads in Normal C-band, Extended C-band and S-band to provide various communication services. The Satellite also carries equipment for meteorological data relay and satellite-based search and rescue services being provided by earlier INSAT satellites. This was third satellite launch by ISRO, the other two being first developmental flight of GSLV MkIII and PSLV C-38 missions launched from Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh.
Scientists created the Brightest Light ever made on Earth
Scientists have created the brightest light ever produced on the Earth, shining a billion times stronger than the surface of the sun. The researchers discovered that it could be used as a new type of X-ray, capable of taking higher resolution images than the traditional kind. These could be used in hospitals but also by engineers, scientists and for security purposes. When light strikes an object, it scatters – an effect that enables our eyes to see it. Normally an electron scatters just one photon of light at a time but the light beam produced in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Extreme Light Laboratory saw nearly 1,000 photons scattered at a time.
ISRO’s PSLV-C38 Lifts Off From Sriharikota With 31 Satellites
Adding another feather in its cap, Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) workhorse rocket PSLV C-38 blasted off from the spaceport of Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh carrying the Cartosat-2 series satellite – a dedicated satellite for the defense forces – along with 30 co-passenger satellites. The total weight of all the satellites carried on-board the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle is about 955 kg. The co-passenger satellites comprise 29 Nano satellites from 14 countries – Austria, Belgium, Chile, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America besides a Nano satellite from India.
DRDO successfully test fires third generation anti-tank ‘Nag’ missile in Rajasthan
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully test fired the anti-tank missile “Nag” in a desert in Rajasthan’s western sector. The Nag missile is a third generation “fire and forget” anti-tank missile. It has reportedly also been equipped with highly advanced Imaging Infrared Radar (IRR) seeker and has integrated avionics technology in its arsenal.
India successfully test-fires 1st all weather tracked-chassis QR-SAM
India on 4th June successfully test-fired its first all weather tracked-chassis Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QR-SAM) from a mobile launcher at Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Odisha. The Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QR-SAM) was jointly developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Bharat Electronics Limited.
Prithvi-II missile successfully test-fired
India today successfully test-fired its indigenous developed nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile from a test range in Odisha as part of a user trial by the Army. The trial of the surface-to-surface missile, which has a strike range of 350 km, was carried out from a mobile launcher from launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur near here at around 9.50 am, official sources said. The Prithvi-II missile is capable of carrying 500 kg to 1,000 kg of warheads and is thrusted by liquid propulsion twin engines. It uses advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring trajectory to hit its target with precision and accuracy.
PERSONS IN NEWS
A). APPOINTMENTS
Beijing Envoy Vijay Keshav Gokhale is New Secretary (Economic Relations)
Vijay Gokhale, currently Indian Ambassador to China, has been appointed as the Economic Relations Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Vijay Keshav Gokhale, a 1981-batch officer of Indian Foreign Service (IFS). Gokhale has served as Ambassador of India to Germany and also in Indian missions in Hong Kong, Hanoi, Beijing and New York. He has also held the posts of Director (China and East Asia) and then Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the ministry.
Rajiv Kumar appointed as new Chief Secretary of UP
Rajiv Kumar was appointed as the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh. His appointment was approved by the Uttar Pradesh Government. Prior to this appointment, Kumar was a Secretary in the Union Shipping Ministry. He is a 1981 batch IAS Officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre. Mr. Kumar has replaced Rahul Prasad Bhatnagar. Rahul Bhatnagar was shifted to Greater Noida as chairman, with additional charge of investment commissioner of Uttar Pradesh, in New Delhi.
Union Govt appoints Rajesh Shah as NIFT Chief
The Union Government (Ministry of Textiles) has appointed Shri Rajesh V. Shah as Chairperson on the Board of Governors of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT). He has replaced Shri Chetan Chauhan as per the provisions of the National Institute of Fashion Technology Act, 2006. Set up in 1986, the institute, which has centres across the country, comes under the Union Ministry of Textiles.
Kaushik Basu takes over as president of IEA
Former chief economic advisor Kaushik Basu has taken over as president of the International Economic Association (IEA). Mr. Basu has also served as senior vice-president and chief economist at the World Bank from 2012 to 2016 and as the chief economic adviser to the Government of India from 2009 to 2012. He is currently the C. Marks Professor of International Studies at Cornell. The IEA is a leading organisation for professional economists and it seeks to shape global economic policy and research.
Priyanka Chopra appointed as ambassador for Govt’s Skill India campaign
Actress Priyanka Chopra has been appointed as the ambassador for government’s flagship Skill India campaign, with the National Skill Development Corporation. Priyanka will use her celebrity status to motivate youngsters to hone their abilities through a media campaign. Earlier, Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli, batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, Bollywood actors Sidharth Malhotra and Shabana Azmi and singer Mohit Chauhan had also become goodwill envoys for Skill India.
Mihai Tudose designated Romania’s new PM
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis appointed Social Democrat Mihai Tudose, candidate proposed by the parliamentary majority, as prime minister and mandated him to form a new government. Mihai Tudose, the outgoing economy minister of Romania, has been appointed as prime minister, days after the ruling Social Democrat Party (PSD) removed its own government following an internal power row. The 50-year-old Tudose now has 10 days to gain the vote of confidence in his government and his program.
J-K Governor N N Vohra is new president of IIC
Jammu & Kashmir Governor N N Vohra has been appointed the president of the India International Centre (IIC). IIC is one of the premier cultural institutions in the country. The appointment was made after eminent jurist Soli Sorabjee quit the presidential post.
IDFC Bank elevates Sunil Kakar as MD & CEO
IDFC Ltd announced the elevation of its CFO Sunil Kakar as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company for three years. Mr. Kakar has also been appointed as additional director. Both the appointments are subject to shareholders’ approval at the annual general meeting (AGM). Kakar joined IDFC as the Group Chief Financial Officer and was responsible for finance and accounts, business planning and budgeting and investor relations, among others. Besides, the company announced that the Board has approved the resignation of veteran banker Vikram Limaye from the post of MD and CEO who is set to join leading stock exchange NSE as its new Managing Director and CEO.
UN Appoints Vladimir Voronkov as Chief of UN Counter-Terrorism Centre
The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has appointed Russian diplomat Vladimir Voronkov to head the newly established UN Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT), despite growing tensions between the US and Russia. The office is established under the General Assembly resolution 71/291 on 15 June 2017. The Under-Secretary-General will provide strategic leadership to United Nations counter-terrorism efforts, participate in the decision-making process of the United Nations and ensure that the cross-cutting origins and impact of terrorism are reflected in the work of the United Nations. He had served as Russia’s ambassador to Vienna and has been serving as an ambassador to UN organisations since 2011.
Jeevandas Narayan appointed as MD of Manappuram Home Finance
Manappuram Finance has announced the appointment of Jeevandas Narayan as the Managing Director and Subhash Samant as CEO of its fully-owned home loans subsidiary, Manappuram Home Finance. Prior to this Narayan, who has more than 37 years of experience in the financial services industry, was Managing Director of State Bank of Travancore. The company also announced the appointment of Subhash Samant as CEO of Manappuram Home Finance Pvt. Ltd.
Ayurveda specialist appointed special secretary in Ayush
Ayurveda physician ‘Vaidya’ Rajesh Kotecha has been appointed as special secretary in Ayush Ministry. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Kotecha’s appointment for three years on a contract basis, according to an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). Vaidya (physician) Kotecha is the chief consultant of Chakrapani Ayurveda Clinic, Jaipur. The appointment is in line with the Centre’s efforts to bring in specialists from the private sector in the government.
UNICEF appoints teenage refugee as its latest Goodwill Ambassador
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced the appointment of Muzoon Almellehan, a 19-year-old education activist, and Syrian refugee, as its newest – and youngest – Goodwill Ambassador. The appointment makes Muzoon the first person with official refugee status to become an Ambassador for UNICEF. Muzoon, who received support from UNICEF while living in Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan, follows in the footsteps of the late Audrey Hepburn, a Goodwill Ambassador who was also supported by UNICEF as a child. She lived as a refugee for three years in Jordan before being resettled in the United Kingdom.
Govt ropes in Amitabh Bachchan to promote GST
The Union government has roped in Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan to promote Goods and Services Tax (GST), ahead of the sweeping tax reform’s implementation scheduled from July 1. The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) will make the 74-year-old star the brand ambassador of the GST. A 40-second video featuring him had been shot and is being circulated. In the video, Mr. Bachchan explains the GST as an unifying force just like the three colours in the national flag. The megastar has been roped in just as the rollout of the biggest tax overhaul since independence entered its final phase. Ace badminton star PV Sindhu was previously the GST ambassador.
Govt appoints Ramanathan Ramanan to head Atal Innovation Mission
The government of India has appointed a senior executive of Tata Consultancy Services Ramanathan Ramanan to head Atal Innovation Mission, its initiative to promote entrepreneurship in the country. Ramanathan Ramanan, senior vice president at TCS, has been appointed as mission director of Atal Innovation Mission, under the government’s premier think tank NITI Aayog, in the rank of additional secretary on secondment basis from the IT bellwether for two years initially. According to the notification, Ramanan’s appointment will be without pay and allowances. The Atal Innovation Mission is the Centre’s endeavour to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.
Government announces Indian envoys to European Union, Italy, Belgium and Denmark
India has announced a number of new diplomatic appointments in its missions abroad, including envoys to the European Union, Italy, Belgium, and Denmark.
* Gaitri Issar Kumar, joint secretary in the President’s Secretariat, was named as India’s Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union which has its headquarters in the Belgian
capital of Brussels.
* Reenat Sandhu was named as India’s new Ambassador to Italy. He has replaced Anil Wadhwa.
* Ajit Vinayak Gupte, joint secretary in the external affairs ministry, has been named India’s Ambassador to Denmark. He will take over from Rajeev Shahare.
Indian-origin Leo Varadkar becomes Ireland’s youngest PM
Leo Varadkar, a 38-year-old Indian-origin doctor, scripted history by becoming Ireland’s youngest and the first openly gay Prime Minister of the Catholic-majority country. Varadkar, the country’s first Indian-origin premier, officially took over from Enda Kenny as Taoiseach, as the Irish prime ministerial title is known, after a parliamentary vote in Dublin confirmed him as the leader by 57 votes to 50, with 47 abstentions.
Lakshmi Vilas Bank appoints B K Manjunath as part-time chairman for 3 years
Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) has appointed B K Manjunath as a part-time chairman for three years. Lakshmi Vilas Bank has informed the stock exchange that subsequent to an approval granted by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Board of Directors of the bank at their meeting have co-opted B K Manjunath as additional director in the category of Non-Executive and Independent Director. Manjunath is a member of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and a practicing charted accountant for the last 25 years.
K G Karmakar, Gauri Shankar appointed directors of IPPB
K G Karmakar and Gauri Shankar were appointed as Independent Directors of India Post Payments Bank (IPPB). The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved their appointment to the post on the board of directors of the bank for a period of three years. The IPPB has been incorporated as a public sector bank under the Department of Posts with 100 percent equity of the government of India.
Hoshiar Singh appointed chief of copyrights office
Senior bureaucrat Hoshiar Singh has been appointed as Registrar of Copyrights. The Office of Copyrights, under the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, is mandated to protect the music and film industry besides addressing its concerns, among others. The competent authority has approved the appointment of Singh, a 1994 batch officer of the Indian Telecom Service, as Registrar, Copyrights Office, for a period of five years. The Copyright Office is under the immediate control of a Registrar of Copyrights, who acts under the superintendence and directions of the Central Government, according to norms.
Sher Bahadur Deuba elected Nepal’s Prime Minister for the fourth time
Veteran Nepalese politician Sher Bahadur Deuba was elected as Nepal’s Prime Minister for the fourth time. Deuba, 70, was the sole candidate to contest in the Prime Minister election as the main opposition UML or any other party didn’t register their candidacies. He secured 388 votes in his favour and 170 votes against him. A total of 558 were cast during the voting. He needed 297 votes in the 593-strong Parliament to prove his majority. Mr. Deuba served as the prime minister from 1995 to 1997, from 2001 to 2002, and from 2004 to 2005. He was sacked by the then King Gyanendra Shah in 2005 over failure to hold elections and bring Maoist rebels to a round table negotiation.
Leo Varadkar to be next Ireland PM
The son of an Indian immigrant who came out as gay in 2015 will be the next Irish prime minister, after he was voted leader of the country’s main governing party. Leo Varadkar’s victory in the Fine Gael leadership contest on Friday, which took place after outgoing PM Enda Kenny announced his resignation last month, marks another significant step forward for equality in the country, after 2015’s gay marriage referendum. As well as becoming Ireland’s first gay prime minister, Varadkar, 38, will also become the country’s youngest leader, and the first from an ethnic minority background.
UN General Assembly elects Slovakian Miroslav Lajcak as new president
The United Nations General Assembly picked Slovak foreign minister Miroslav Lajcak to be its next president. The 193-member assembly, the U.N.’s most representative body, burst into applause when current President Peter Thomson of Fiji announced that Lajcak had been elected by acclamation to lead its 72nd session beginning in September.
B). RESIGNS
Anil Kumble steps down as Indian cricket team’s Head Coach
Anil Kumble, the former Indian Captain, resigned from the post of Head Coach of the Indian Cricket team. His resignation came before the limited-overs tour of the West Indies team. During this trip to the Caribbean, the team management will be supervised by M V Sridhar, the general manager of cricket operations. The batting coach Sanjay Bangar and fielding coach R Sridhar will continue in their roles. Under Kumble, India enjoyed a great record in all formats of the game. In Tests, the Men in Blue attained the No 1 ranking with series victories over West Indies, New Zealand, England and Australia. In ODIs, India edged New Zealand and England on home soil before finishing runners-up in the Champions Trophy, while in the shortest format of the game, Kumble endured his only loss in a bilateral series, when India went down to world champions West Indies in a two-match series, before beating England 2-1 in India.
Ram Nath Kovind resigns as Bihar Governor
Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind has resigned from his gubernatorial post. The resignation follows his nomination as the ruling NDA’s presidential candidate. President Pranab Mukherjee has accepted the resignation of Kovind as the Governor of Bihar. West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi will discharge the functions of the Governor of Bihar, in addition to his own duties. BJP announced the name of 71-year-old Mr. Kovind, a low-profile Dalit leader and a two-term BJP Rajya Sabha member, as its nominee for President.
C). DEATHS
Harry Potter actor Sam Beazley dies at 101
British Actor Sam Beazley, who played Professor Everard in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, has passed away at the age of 101. Beazley passed away in his sleep. Beazley began his professional acting career as a teenager in 1930s and featured in films like Hamlet, and Romeo and Juliet. He most recently did guest roles on Foyle’s War, Kingdom, and Casualty, all in 2007.
Former CJI PN Bhagwati Passes Away
Former Chief Justice of India PN Bhagwati, considered a pioneer of judicial activism in the country for introducing the concept of Public Interest Litigations (PILs) was passed away in New Delhi after the brief illness. Justice Bhagwati, 95, is survived by his wife Prabhavati Bhagwati and three daughters. The 17th Chief Justice of India, Justice Bhagwati remained on the highest judicial post between July 1985 and December 1986. He was a former Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court and was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court in July 1973. As a Supreme Court judge, Bhagwati introduced the concepts of public interest litigation (PIL) and absolute liability to the Indian judicial system.
German reunification architect Helmut Kohl dies at 87
Former German Chancellor, Helmut Kohl, the architect of German reunification, died at his house in Ludwigshafen, in the western state of Germany. He was 87. Mr. Kohl, who led the centre-right Christian Democrats, was the longest-serving German chancellor of the 20th Century. As Germany’s leader for 16 years, Kohl was remembered for reuniting the country and for making a huge political and economic contribution to Europe’s integration. Kohl was credited with bringing East and West Germany together after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Together with his French ally President Francois Mitterrand, he was responsible for the introduction of the Euro.
Veteran Telugu Poet, Writer C Narayana Reddy Passes Away
Legendary Telugu poet and writer C Narayana Reddy passed away. He was 85. He was honored with Padma Shri in 1977 and Padma Bhushan in 1992 by the Government of India. He had received the Jnanpith Award for the year 1988. He was also the president of the Telangana Saraswatha Parishath. He was also a former Rajya Sabha MP.
Adam West, TV’s Batman dies at 88
A well known US actor, Adam West died in Los Angeles. He was suffering to leukaemia for some time. He was 88. Adam West rose to prominence in the 1960s for a TV series Batman. First appearing in season two in 2002, he voiced Quahog’s eccentric Mayor Adam West, described by series creator Seth MacFarlane as an “alternate universe”, satirised version of the actor.
Eminent rights activist Mehrunnisa Dalwai passes away
Mehrunnisa Dalwai, a noted social activist and author, and the wife of one of modern Maharashtra’s most remarkable and formidable social reformers, Hamid Dalwai, passed away. She was 87. Her autobiography, “Mi Bharun Pawle” is considered an inspirational piece for progressive movement.
D). VISITORS
PM Modi’s Three-Day Tour
1. PM Modi in Portugal- The Journey of PM started on 24th June. In the first leg of his tour, he reached Portuguese capital, Lisbon. Over there, India and Portugal have signed eleven MOUs for cooperation in areas including double taxation avoidance, science and technology, trade and investment, nanotechnology, space research, administrative reforms and culture. 5 of the MoU’s were in the area of science and technology.
2. PM Modi in The USA- In the second day of his three-nation tour PM arrived in US capital Washington D.C. This was the first Meet of Mr. Modi with the newly appointed President of USA Mr. Donald Trump. India and the United States agreed to enhance cooperation in fighting the menace of terrorism, extremism and radicalisation.
3. PM Modi in The Netherlands in his 3rd day- In the final day of his three-nation tour, PM Modi arrived in Amsterdam, the capital of Netherlands, after concluding his visit to the US. The Netherlands has backed India’s early entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, NSG, and other multilateral export control regimes. In a joint communique issued after the meeting between PM Modi and his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte in Hague. The Netherlands also supported the country’s bid for a permanent UN Security Council seat. India and Netherlands also signed three MOUs on water management, cultural cooperation and on amending social security arrangement.
PM Narendra Modi leaves for Netherlands after concluding US trip
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left for the Netherlands in his last leg of the three-nation visit after completing his two-day US tour. The Prime Minister will reach Amsterdam where he will hold bilateral talks with his counterpart Mr. Mark Rutte. Both countries are celebrating 70 years of the establishment of Indo-Dutch diplomatic relations this year.
PM Modi leaves for three-nation tour, Portugal to be first stop
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has embarked on a three-nation visit. In the first leg of his tour, he will reach Portuguese capital, Lisbon. After Portugal, the Prime Minister will depart for the US capital, Washington DC. During his two-day US visit, the Prime Minister will meet its President, Donald Trump. This will be the first meeting between the two leaders. In the last leg of his tour, Mr. Modi will visit The Netherlands for bilateral talks with his counterpart, Mr. Mark Rutte.
Arun Jaitely’s four days visit to South Korea
The Union Minister of Finance, Defence and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley was on a four-day official visit (from 14th to 17th June) to Republic of Korea (ROK) and participated in the India-Korea Strategic Economic Dialogue and the 2nd Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
The Key Points of the visit are:
1. China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has approved USD 150 million equity investment loan to the India Infrastructure Fund. It is the bank’s first such loan to fund private projects.
2. India, South Korea agree to increase investment to push infrastructure, bilateral trade
The two countries have signed agreements to establish 9 billion US dollar in concessional credit and 1 billion dollars in Official Development Assistant, ODA funding for infrastructure development projects in India. With this, Republic of Korea became one of the first non-G-7 countries to become an ODA contributor in India.
3. India-Korea Financial Dialogue in Seoul
Both sides agreed that in the face of uncertainty and the risk of rising protectionism, there was a need for the two countries to increase efforts to stimulate investment flows, support for infrastructure development, and bilateral trade among others. The dialogue was followed by the signing ceremony of Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) agreement between India and South Korea and thereafter, an MOU was signed between EXIM Bank of India and South Korea’s KEXIM Bank.
4. 2nd Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of the AIIB
The second annual meeting of the AIIB was held on June 16, 2017, in South Korea’s Jeju Island. The theme of this year’s annual meeting was “Sustainable Infrastructure”. During this second annual meeting of governors, AIIB approved the membership of Argentina, Madagascar, and Tonga.
5. India to host AIIB Annual Meeting 2018
The Board of Governors of the AIIB announced that the Bank’s third Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors will be held in Mumbai, India in June 2018. India is the Bank’s second largest shareholder (China is the 1st) and is becoming an increasingly important geography for AIIB investments.
PM of India leaves for Kazakhstan to attend SCO summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today left for Kazakhstan, where he will attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and meet some foreign leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping. At the summit in Astana, India and Pakistan will become full members of the grouping, which at present comprises China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. Ahead of his two-day visit, PM Modi stated that he looked forward to deepening engagement with the SCO countries. At this meeting, on completion of the process, India will become a full member of the SCO upon which the SCO will represent over 40 per cent of humanity and nearly 20 percent of the global GDP. On the evening of June 9, he will also attend the inauguration of the Astana Expo with the theme of “Future Energy”.
E). MISCELLANEOUS
UNESCO declares Sharjah as World Book Capital 2019
Sharjah, a city in the United Arab Emirates was named ‘World Book Capital for the year’ 2019 by the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, on the recommendation of the Advisory Committee which met at the Headquarters of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) at La Haye. The city was selected because of the very innovative, comprehensive and inclusive nature of the application, with a community-focused activity program containing creative proposals to engage the very large migrant population. The program runs with a slogan ‘Read – you are in Sharjah’. It focuses on six themes: inclusivity, reading, heritage, outreach, publishing, and children. The Sharjah is the first in the GCC and third in the Arab world and Middle East, to have received this recognition. The GCC countries include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Dangal becomes 1st Indian movie to earn Rs 2,000 at globally
The Aamir Khan starrer Dangal has become the first Indian movie to earn Rs 2,000 crore worldwide. Recently, Dangal also created the record of being the fifth highest-grossing non-English film ever. Based on the life of wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat, the sports drama film is also the highest grossing Indian film in China. According to a report by Forbes, on its 53rd day of release in China, Dangal made Rs 2.5 crore ($390,000) at the China box office taking its worldwide total to Rs 2000 crore. The movie has already beaten movies like ‘Captain America: Civil War’, ‘xXx: Return Of Xander Cage’, ‘Transformers: Dark Of The Moon’, ‘Titanic 3D’ and ‘The Jungle Book’. ‘Dangal’ is now behind world’s biggest blockbuster ‘Avatar’ and Chris Pratt’s ‘Jurassic World,’ which are positioned at number 15 and 14, respectively at the China box office.
SpiceJet becomes world’s top airline stock with 124% gain in 2017
Two and a half years after Indian air carrier SpiceJet Ltd was forced to ground its entire fleet on its inability to pay a mere $2.2 million in fuel bills, the budget airline has become the world’s best-performing airline stock – with $26 billion in plane orders to boot. The company’s co-founder and chairman, Ajay Singh, has played the white knight, injecting capital, cutting loss-making routes and aggressively adding capacity in one of the world’s fastest growing markets. SpiceJet shares are the best performers on a Bloomberg Intelligence index of airline stocks this year.
Maharashtra man Gokulnath becomes 1st Indian to finish solo Race Across America
Srinivas Gokulnath from Maharashtra created history by becoming the first Indian to complete the 4,941-km Race Across America (RAAM) in solo category. Srinivas, 37, completed the toughest cycle race in the world in 11 days and 11 hours in the 18-49 age category. The time given was 12 days to complete the race, that is 13 hours earlier than the scheduled time. The race concluded at Odenton. In a feat that marks the Indian arrival on the endurance cycling scene globally, another Maharashtrian, Dr. Amit Samarth followed Gokulnath at the finish line at Annapolis on American east coast. Among the nine men who finished, Gokulnath stood 7th while Samarth was right on his heels at number 8. The race was won by Christoph Strasser.
Doon girl wins Miss World title in bodybuilding championship
Bhumika Sharma, another Indian has become Miss World in bodybuilding championship. Dehradun’s girl gained maximum points in three categories – individual posing, body posing and fall in that eventually bagged her the Miss World title and the gold medal at the world championship in Venice, Italy. The championship drew 50 competitors from different countries. But bodybuilding wasn’t her original choice. During a shooting event in New Delhi three years ago, a chance meeting with a bodybuilding coach changed the life of the 21-year-old.
Manushi Chhillar from Haryana takes the crown of Miss India 2017
The 54th Femina Miss India World 2017 winner is Manushi Chhillar from Haryana, while the first runner-up is Sana Dua from Jammu and Kashmir and the second runner-up is Priyanka Kumari from Bihar. The event was held at Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai. This is the first time the participants wore an Indian dress at the finale designed by Manish Malhotra. The show was hosted by Karan Johar and Riteish Deshmukh. Besides, Vinali Bhatnagar won the Miss Active crown whereas Vamika Nidhi won the special award of ‘Body Beautiful’. The pageant judged by Miss World 2016 Stephanie Del Valle, along with Bollywood stars like Arjun Rampal, Bipasha Basu, fashion designer Manish Malhotra, Abhishek Kapoor, Vidyut Jammwal, Ileana D’Cruz among others.
Rajiv Gauba is new Home Secretary after Major reshuffle in central bureaucracy
Urban development secretary Rajiv Gauba will be the new home secretary after the completion of the tenure of Rajiv Mehrishi on August 30. The 1982-batch officer of the Jharkhand cadre will join immediately as an officer on special duty (OSD) in the home ministry. The government also has transferred 17 IAS officers. In another significant change, N.K. Sinha has been appointed as Information and Broadcasting Secretary in place of Ajay Mittal who has been sent to the Department of Personnel and Training. Sinha is currently serving as Culture Secretary.
Mumbai The Most Expensive City In India For Expatriates
Mumbai is the most expensive city for expatriates in India and is ranked higher than major global cities such as Paris, Canberra, Seattle and Vienna. According to Mercer’s 23rd annual Cost of Living Survey, Mumbai is placed 57th on the list while New Delhi was placed at 99. Chennai (135), Bangalore (166) and Kolkata (184) were the other Indian cities on the list. Luanda, the capital of Angola, was the costliest city, driven by cost of goods and security, followed by Hong Kong and Tokyo at the second and third places, respectively. The improvement of ranking of Indian cities was not just on account of internal factors, but also because some global cities fell in ranking following currency volatility, especially in Egypt, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
Mohammed bin Salman named Saudi Arabia’s crown Prince
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman on Wednesday appointed his 31-year-old son Mohammed bin Salman as crown prince, placing him firmly as first-in-line to the throne and removing the country’s counterterrorism czar and a figure well-known to Washington from the royal line of succession. A royal decree removed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, a 57- year-old nephew of the king, as next-in-line to the throne and replaced him with Mohammed bin Salman, 31, who was previously the deputy crown prince. The newly-announced crown prince was also named deputy prime minister and maintained his post as defense minister. The newly announced Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman heads an economic council tasked with overhauling the country’s economy
India Re-Nominates Dalveer Bhandari to the ICJ
India has re-nominated Justice Dalveer Bhandari as its candidate for another term as judge at the International Court of Justice or ICJ, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. Bhandari, 69, was elected in April 2012 during simultaneous balloting in both the General Assembly and the Security Council to a seat on the International Court of Justice, which is also known as the World Court. His current term runs through February 2018. The ICJ elections will be held in November and if elected, he will serve a term of nine years. During his term at the ICJ, Mr Bhandari has been engaged actively in the work of the Court and has delivered individual opinions in eleven cases covering a broad spectrum of subjects such as maritime disputes, whaling in Antarctica, crime of genocide, delimitation of continental shelf, nuclear disarmament, financing of terrorism and violation of sovereign rights.
BankBazaar.com opens its office in Malaysia
Online financial services marketplace BankBazaar has begun its operations in Malaysia to strengthen its presence in South East Asia. Further, to scale and steer its international operations, BankBazaar has appointed former Visa employee Vipin Kalra to lead the business growth internationally. In line with this vision to expand its foothold across south east Asia, last month, BankBazaar announced an investment of Rs. 5 crore in the Malaysian market and an additional Rs. 10 crore in its Singapore business.
ISRO’s Mangalyaan completes 1000 Earth days in its orbit
Indian Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) also called Mangalyaan completes 1000 Earth days in its orbit. The interplanetary mission of ISRO was launched on 5th November, 2013. It was inserted into Martian orbit on 24th September, 2014 in its first attempt. The Mars Orbiter Mission credited with many laurels like cost-effectiveness, short period of realisation, miniaturisation of five heterogeneous science payloads completed 1000 Earth days which corresponds to 973.25 Martian Solar day. Scientific analysis of the data received from the Mars Orbiter spacecraft is in progress. According to ISRO, the satellite is still in good health and continues to work as expected.
Delhi’s Connaught Place 9th costliest office market, Mumbai lags
Connaught Place in the national capital is the most expensive prime office market in India and the ninth most expensive office market in the world, with an occupancy cost of $153.89 per square feet, according to the bi-annual Global Prime Office Occupancy Costs survey of US-based CBRE. This makes Connaught Place costlier than Dubai, downtown Boston and Shanghai. According to the survey, Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) moved one place up from nineteen to 20 while the CBD of Nariman Point ranked thirty-third on the list of the top 50 most expensive office markets around the world. Hong Kong (Central) became the world’s highest-priced office market with an occupancy cost of $302.51 per sq ft per annum. Asia continues to dominate the list of the world’s most expensive office locations, accounting for seven of the top ten markets, according to the survey.
Katy Perry Becomes First to Hit 100 Million Twitter Followers
Katy Perry just keeps soaring in popularity. The Witness singer and pop culture lightning rod became the first person to reach 100 million followers on Twitter, making her the most-followed person on the platform, Twitter reports. Perry joined Twitter back in 2009, making her something of an early adopter as a celebrity. Since then, she’s been an active user, sending out over 8,500 tweets in her time on the service; that’s about a thousand each year. She’s also been at the center of many memorable conversations and pop culture moments on the platform, from the 2015 Super Bowl’s viral “Left Shark” debacle during her performance to her participation in the 2016 election.
China’s First X-Ray Space Telescope To Study Black Holes
China successfully launched its first X-ray space telescope to study black holes, pulsars and gamma-ray bursts. The 2.5-tonne Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT), named ‘Insight,’ was launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China’s Gobi desert. It was delivered into orbit, 550km (341 miles) above the Earth, by the Long March- 4B rocket. Beijing aims to send a probe to the dark side of the moon by 2018 and to put astronauts on the moon by 2036. The Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT), named Insight, will allow Chinese scientists to observe magnetic fields and the interiors of pulsars and better understand the evolution of black holes.
Neeru Chadha becomes 1st Indian woman as member of ITLOS
Indian nominee Neeru Chadha became the first Indian Woman to be elected as the Member of International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). Chadha, the international law expert, got 120 votes with the highest in the Asia-Pacific group. She will have a nine-year term as the Judge at ITLOS from 2017 to 2026. Currently, an eminent jurist from India P Chandrasekhara Rao is a judge at the tribunal. He was elected as the member of the tribunal in 1996 and his term will expire in September 2017. Neeru Chandha is an eminent lawyer and the first Indian woman to become the Chief Legal Adviser in the Union Ministry of External Affairs and has advised the government on diverse issues relating to the law of the sea involving interpretation of various provisions of the UNCLOS. With an extensive international arbitrattion and ligitation experience, she had served as an agent for the Indian government in its maritime delimitation case with Bangladesh.
IDBI Bank only PSB to get ‘high’ rating for code compliance
According to the Code Compliance Rating of banks done by the Banking Codes and Standards Board of India (BCSBI) 2017, only one (IDBI Bank) out of 26 public sector banks and eight out of 17 private sector banks got ‘high’ rating for their adherence to code compliance. The eight private sector banks that got ‘high’ rating are- Axis Bank, DCB Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, RBL Bank and YES Bank. The three foreign banks are Citibank, HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank, that were surveyed got ‘high’ ranking. The code compliance rating, which is based on five parameters viz. information dissemination, transparency, grievance redressal, customer- centricity, and customer feedback may be considered an indicator of the level of implementation of important code provisions at the grassroot level of a bank.
IRDAI takes over management of Sahara Life Insurance
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has taken over the administration of Sahara India Life Insurance, a first of its kind move in the insurance sector. The administrator will act as per the powers and duties and applicable provisions. R.K. Sharma, general manager, IRDA has been appointed as the administrator with “immediate effect” to manage Sahara India Life Insurance Company. The administrator will act as per the powers and duties and applicable provisions under the Insurance Act, 1938 and manage the business with the greatest economy, compatible with efficiency and regular reporting to the regulator, the order states. The current board of Sahara India Life is headed by Chairman OP Srivastava. Sanjay Agarwal is whole-time director and CEO.
World’s smallest & cheapest private jet ‘Vision Jet’ launched in USA
The World’s smallest and cheapest private jet ‘Vision Jet’ was launched in the USA recently. The Vision Jet can haul five adults up to 1,150 miles at 28,000 feet. It is the first Private Jet with a single engine and can be conveniently operated by a single pilot, thus keeping production and maintenance costs low for the users. The jet can fly at a speed of 345mph and has an operating altitude of 28,000 feet.
Indian American Raja Chari among 12 new astronauts chosen by NASA
NASA has chosen 12 new astronauts, including an Indian American named Raja Chari, from a record number of over 18,000 applicants, who will be trained for missions into Earth orbit and to deep space. The 12 new candidates include six military officers, three scientists, two medical doctors, a lead engineer at SpaceX and a NASA research pilot. Lt. Col. Raja Chari is the first Indian American after Kalpana Chawla to be chosen by NASA for one of its missions at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. This is the largest group NASA has selected in almost two decades. Lt Col Raja “Grinder” Chari, 39, is a commander of the 461st Flight Test Squadron and the director of the F-35 Integrated Test Force at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
PLACES IN NEWS
Mumbai’s Taj Palace becomes first Indian building to get trademark
The iconic Taj Mahal Palace hotel in the Mumbai City has acquired an ‘image trademark’, making it the first building in the country to get intellectual property rights protection for its architectural design. This makes the 114-year-old building the first in the country to get such a registration. The hotel, which has been a defining structure of Mumbai’s skyline, has joined the elite and small club of trademarked properties in the world which includes the Empire State Building in New York, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and Sydney Opera House. Usually, logos, brand names, combination of colours, numerals and even sounds are trademarked but the registration of an architectural design has never been attempted since the Trademark Act came into force in 1999.
BOOKS IN NEWS
Venkaiah Naidu launches Book on democracy’s darkest
Venkaiah Naidu has launched the book which titled ‘The Emergency – Indian Democracy’s Darkest Hour’ a book written by Surya Prakash, chairman of Prasar Bharati. The book was launched at a conference to mark the anniversary of the Emergency and to honor all those who fought for the restoration of democracy in the country in the mid-1970s.
Ex-Uttarakhand CM Pokhriyal authors book on Vajpayee ‘Yug Purush, Bharat Ratna, Atal Ji’
Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank, has officially handed over the first copy of the 450-page book titled -‘Yug Purush, Bharat Ratna, Atal Ji’ to the President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee. However, the book will be launched soon in the market for all.
COMMITTEES
BCCI forms seven-member Committee to oversee Lodha Panel Reforms
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the formation of a special seven-member committee to identify the ‘few critical points’ for the general body of the cricket board to consider before they are submitted to the Supreme Court. The decision to form the panel was arrived at the BCCI’s Special General Meeting in Mumbai. This committee will be responsible for identifying those points that are difficult to be implemented, in regards to the Justice RM Lodha Committee reforms. The seven-member Lodha committee has been formed under the head of Rajeev Shukla. The other members of the committee include former India captain Sourav Ganguly, T.C. Mathew (Kerala Cricket), Naba Bhattacharjee (North East representative), Jay Shah (Gujarat Cricket Association), BCCI Treasurer Anirudh Chaudhary and BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary.
Ex-ISRO head K. Kasturirangan to head panel on National Education Policy
Ex-ISRO Chief & Padma Vibhushan awardee Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan has been appointed the Chairman of the committee to prepare the final draft of the National Education Policy. The Chairperson apart, the committee has eight members. The National Policy on Education was framed in 1986 and modified in 1992. These include Vasudha Kamat, K.J. Alphonse, Manjul Bhargava, Ram Shankar Kureel, TV Kattamani, KM Tripathy, Mahzar Asif & M.K. Shridhar.
RBI expands oversight committee with three more members for faster bad loan resolution
The Reserve Bank of India reconstituted the Oversight Committee by appointing three more members and empowered the panel to approve stressed asset cases where lenders have more than Rs 500 crore exposure. The high-level panel was formed to examine the process to resolve mounting bad loans in the banking sector. According to the RBI former chief vigilance commissioner, Pradeep Kumar will head the now reconstituted 5-member panel. Besides Kumar, the other members of the committee are former SBI Chairman Janki Ballabh, former Canara Bank Chairman and MD MBN Rao, former Chairman of L&T Finance YM Deosthalee and S Raman, member SEBI. Raman would be inducted into the panel from September 7, 2017 after he completes the term at SEBI. The expansion follows promulgation of the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 last month.
Govt sets up 18 sectoral groups for smooth GST rollout
The government has set up 18 sectoral groups, comprising senior members from the Centre and the States, to ensure the smooth rollout of the Goods and Services Tax. The 18 groups pertain to sectors such as banking and insurance, textiles, exports, information technology, transport, and oil and gas. As per the Finance Ministry, these 18 sectoral groups containing senior officers of the Centre and the States are being set up to timely respond to the issues and problems of their respective sectors.
IMPORTANT DAYS & DATES
26 June: International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
By resolution 42/112 of 7 December 1987, the General Assembly decided to observe 26 June as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking as an expression of its determination to strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse. The theme for 2017 is- “Listen First – Listening to children and youth is the first step to help them grow healthy and safe”. It is an initiative to increase support for prevention of drug use that is based on science and is thus an effective investment in the well-being of children and youth, their families and their communities.
21 June: International Day of Yoga
Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India. Yoga is an invaluable gift of ancient Indian tradition. The word ‘yoga’ derives from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolizing the union of body and consciousness. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between man and nature and a holistic approach to health and well-being. The International Day of Yoga is celebrated across the world on 21 June. It aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing yoga. The theme for the 2017 celebration, organized by the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, is ‘Yoga for Health.’ The theme highlights the fact that yoga can contribute in a holistic way to achieving an equilibrium between mind and body.
20 June: World Refugee Day
The World Refugee Day is observed across the world on 20 June to commemorate the strength, courage, and perseverance of millions of refugees. The day is celebrated by United Nations. The Day also marks a key moment for the public to show support for families that are forced to flee for their lives each day. This year, World Refugee Day also marks a key moment for the public to show support for families forced to flee.
World Oceans Day- 8 June
World Oceans Day is a global day of ocean celebration and collaboration for a better future. The overall theme for World Oceans Day 2017 is ‘Our Oceans, Our Future’. Conservation action focuses on Encouraging solutions to plastic pollution and preventing marine litter for a healthier ocean and a better future. World Oceans Day helps raise the profile of the ocean and inspire more involvement in helping to conserve this amazing resource we all depend on.
World Environment Day: 5 June
Once again UN Environment seeks to make the biggest global call and mobilization for action on 5 June, World Environment Day (WED). World Environment Day is the biggest annual event for positive environmental action and takes place every 5 June. This year’s host country Canada got to choose the theme and will be at the centre of celebrations around the planet. World Environment Day is a day for everyone, everywhere. Since it began in 1972, global citizens have organized many thousands of events, from neighbourhood clean-ups, to action against wildlife crime, to replanting forests. “Connecting People to Nature”, the theme for World Environment Day 2017.
World Milk Day: 1st June
In 2001, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) selected June 1 as World Milk Day, which celebrates the important contributions of the dairy sector to sustainability, economic development, livelihoods and nutrition. The Global Dairy Platform coordinated global celebrations on June 1, 2017.
10:08 PM, 26-Oct-2017
INTERNATIONAL
First Women’s TV Channel launched in Afghanistan
The first ever Women television channel “Zan TV” (or Women’s TV) has started in Kabul, Afghanistan. It has been started on May 30, 2017 with a staff of all female presenters and producers. The main purpose to launch the women TV Channels is to highlight the rights of Afghan Women and to improve their status and ensure their equality with men in the conservative society. It has been taken a crucial step for Women’s rights, in a male dominated country which is struggling for peace.
Apple opens first official store in South east Asia
Apple opened its first Southeast Asia store in Singapore on 27 May, 2017. It was drawing hundreds of excited fans to the swanky two stores site in the city’s up market shopping district. Located on the affluent Orchard Road, the new shop easily distinguished by its iconic glass facade is expected to be one of the most popular Apple stores in the World according to US tech giant. Merchandise such as the iphone and Macbook were strategically placed on display across the spacious first floor, while the upper level acted as a classroom for customers to participate in hands on sessions.
Mark Zuckerberg gets honorary Harvard Degree
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg received an honorary doctorate degree from Harvard University. He dropped out of the lvy league school to focus on Facebook. He started Facebook in his Harvard dorm room in 2004. The social network was initially limited to Harvard students only. It later expanded to other lvy league Universities, before being rolled out globally. Now, Mr. Zuckerberg is the World’s fifth richest person.
Egypt blocks 21 Media Websites, including Al-Jazeera
Egypt has blocked 21 media websites including the main website of Qatar based Al-Jazeera news channel for allegedly supporting terrorism, as per reports by one of the countries local news agencies. According to sources, the blocked websites also include some Egypt focussed Websites hosted abroad such as Masr Al Arabia. There claims from the Egyptian Government that the websites are being financed by Qatar. They were blocked inside Egypt of having content that supports terrorism and extremism.
Taiwan Court rules in favour of same sex marriage, first in Asia
Taiwan’s constitutional court has declared that same sex couples have the right to legally marry. This is the first such rule in favour of same sex marriage in Asia. The court gave the country’s parliament a period of two years for laws to be amended to allow same sex marriage. Without a doubt, Taiwan is walking in front of other Asian countries in favour of same sex marriage.
Omar Hegazy becomes first amputee to swim across Red Sea
Egyptian Swimmer Omar Hegazy has become the first amputee to swim across Red Se’s 20 km Aqaba Gulf from Egypt to Jordan. Hegazy, a 26 year old banker who lost his left leg in a motorcycle accident. Aqaba Gulf is a large gulf at the northern tip of the Red Sea. Its coastline is divided between four countries. Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Mumbai and Kota among World’s most Crowded cities
World Economic Forum refers UN-Habitat data named two Indian cities Mumbai and Kota among the World’s most crowded cities. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh has population density of 44,500 people per square Kilometer. Mumbai has a population density of 31,7000 people per square kilometer. Kota in Rajasthan with 12,100 people per square kilometer has been ranked seventh in the list.
PM Modi Calls for Creation of Asia Africa Growth Corridor
PM Narendra Modi on 23 May 2017 called for the creation of an Asia Africa growth corridor for the development of Africa. Modi called for the creation of this corridor while inaugurating the 52nd Annual Meeting of African Development Bank (AfDB) at Mahatma Mandir in Gujarat Gandhinagar. The core theme of the Annual Meeting is “Transforming Agriculture for wealth creation in Africa. “The meeting AfDB is a five day event that will witness about 3,000 delegates from 81 member countries.
70th World Health Assembly Kicks off in Geneva
The 70th World Health Assembly opened on 22 May 2017 at Geneva based UN headquarters in Switzerland. The World Health Assembly is the main decision making body of the World Health Organization (WHO). The Member states of the WHA will elect a new Director General, who will take office for a five year term on 1 July 2017. The three nominees from Ethiopia, Great Britain and Pakistan were address the Health Assembly for 15 minutes each on 23 May 2017.
UN releases the First Draft of Nuclear Ban Treaty
The United Nations on 22 May 2017 released the first draft of the nuclear ban treaty that would legally prohibit the possession of Nuclear Weapons. It would also require the states to make a pledge to never use the weapons and also to never develop, produce, stockpile, transfer or test them. The draft also rejects the concept of nuclear deterrence promoted by nuclear armed countries. The Draft was released in Geneva by Costa Rican UN Ambassador Elayne whyte Gomez . It condemns the use of nuclear weapons a violation of International humanitarian law.
Japan to build war museum in Manipur for Japanese soldiers
Japan will build a war museum at the hillock at Maiba Lokpa in Manipur. Japanese Ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu has announced. Hiramatsu said that around 70,000 Japanese soldiers had died during World War II in Imphal and Kohima, between the months March and June in 1944. Meanwhile Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has offered to assist the Japanese Government.
NASA honours APJ Abdul Kalam by naming new species after him
NASA paid tribute to late President of India APJ Abdul Kalam by naming a newly discovered organism after him. As of now, the bacterium named “Solibacillus Kalamii” by NASA scientist Kasthuri Venkateswaran, is found only on the ISS, which is orbiting Earth at 400 KM. Kalam had trained at NASA in 1963 before setting up India’s first rocket launching facility in Kerala.
Gujarat gets its First Woman Police Chief
Geetha Johri, an IPS officer of the 1982 batch was appointed the new Gujarat DGP, Johri becomes the State’s first woman police chief. Johri was in news of her role in the SIT probing post Godhra riots and as investigating officer in the Sohrabuddin Shaik and Tulsiram Prajapati fake encounter case. She was the supervisory officer of Sohrabuddin encounter case in 2006-07 when the CID investigated the case following the opex court's direction.
Indian American Nominated for Key Post in FERC
US president Donald Trump Nominated Indian American Neil Chatterjee as a member of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) FERC is an agency responsible for overseeing America’s power grid and deciding on multibillion dollar energy projects. He is the second Indian American appointed by Donald Trump to a major regulatory position.
Made in China C 919 passenger jet takes maiden flight
The twin engine, 158-174 seat passenger jet made by state owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation it feature several imported elements like German landing Gear and Austrian interior. Single aisle plan carry up to 168 passengers and is meant to rival Airbus and Boeing Aircraft. China’s first domestically made regional jet, the twin engine regional AR 121, flew its passengers in June 2016.
Trump’s Obama care replacement bill passed by US House
In USA, lawmakers vote to repeal and replace Obamacare with makes Quality health insurance more affordable and available to the Americans. The Republican bill is knows as the American Health Care Act. It would repeal more Obamacare taxes, including a penalty for not buying health insurance. The bill would slash funding for medicaid, a program that provides insurance for the poor replacement.
China to launch its own Encyclopaedia as a Rival to Wikipedia
China plans to launch its own online encyclopaedia next year rivalling Wikipedia and Britain’s Encyclopaedia Britannica. The Main objective of this project is to guide public thought. China fears that its citizens who use Wikipedia are being corrupted by foreign influences. For the compilation of the project, nearly 20,000 Scholars and academics have been tasked to created more than 300,000 entries before its 2018 launch.
Dubai becomes First City in World to gets its Own Microsoft Font
Dubai has become the first city in the World to have its own Microsoft designed font. The font will have typeface both in Latin and Arabic script. It will be made available in 23 languages. The font was launched by the crown prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Not content with having the world's tallest building and biggest shopping centre, Dubai has become the first city to get its own font.
INDIA & WORLD
India, Spain inks seven agreements
India and Spain have signed seven agreements following talks between PM Modi and his Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy at the Moncloa palace in the Spanish Capital on 31 May, 2017. The visit of Pm Modi is the first visit by the Indian Prime Minister to Spain in nearly 30 years. The last Prime Minister to Visit Spain was Rajiv Gandhi in 1988. Spain is India’s 7th largest trading partner in the European Union, Bilateral trade between both the nations have totalled USD 5.27 billion in 2016.
India to be first in World to run all govt ports on green energy
All 12 major domestic ports in India will soon switch to renewable energy to meet their power requirements. Thus India will become first in the world to run all govt ports on green energy. Indian Govt is planning to install 150 mw of solar power and 50 mw of wind power generation capacity by year 2019. The resulting 200 mw of renewable energy generation capacity will be ramped up to 500 mow in the next few years. Total initial investment in the project is expected to be Rs. 500 crore.
India, Fiji Sign MoU on Defence Cooperation
In an endeavour to strengthen defence ties between India and Fiji, the two nations on 29 May, 2017 signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation. Minister of Defence and National Security of Fiji, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola accompanied by his delegation met Minister of Defence Arun Jaitley. A MoU on defence cooperation envisaging several areas of cooperation including in defence industry, military training and humanitarian assistance and disaster management.
Taj Mahal among top 10 global landmarks
Taj Mahal, the magnificent monument of love, has made it to the top 10 landmarks in the World by securing fifth position in the list. One of the most iconic wonders in the World, the Agra based imposing white marble structure, a tourist delight, is the only indian monument to figure in the the World’s top 10 Travellers Choice awards for landmarks Angkorwat in Cambodia topped the list followed by Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre in Abu Dhabi (UAE) Mezquita Cathedral cordoba in Spain and St peter’s Basilica in Vatican city (Italy).
India becomes second largest steel producer in the World
According to data released by the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF), India has become the second largest stainless steel producer in the World after China. The International Stainless Steel Forum is a non-profit research and development organization which was founded in 1996. It serves as the focal point for the International stainless steel industry. India overtook Japan which was the second largest producer last year.
Start UP India Summit to be held in Dubai
Dubai will host a two-day “Startup India Summit in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with Consulate General of India (CGT) Dubai and Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi in partnership with Indian Software product Industry Round Table (iSPIRIT). This is the first “Startup Summit” being held in the UAE. India is the third largest ecosystem in the World leading in tech innovation.
India Ranks at 154, below Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, on health care Index
India has Ranked 154th among 195 countries on health care Index in Lancet Medical Journal’s report titled “Global Burden of Disease”. Performance of countries was assessed for a period of 25 years from 1990-2015, based on death rates from 32 diseases that could be avoided by effective medical care. This study has been funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. During 2008 – 20, it is expected to clock a compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 16.5%.
Election Commission of India Launches National Contact Centre
The Election Commission of India has launched National Contact Centre with a toll free number – 1800111950. The move would enable any citizen from any port of the country to call on the toll free number and get their query or complaint addressed at any time of the day in Hindi or English. The National contact centre is operated on a National Grievance Redressal system software.
India to replace its research station in Antarctica
India has decided to replace the Maitri research station in Antarctica with a new area in the next three to four years. The country is also drafting laws to safeguard its interest in Antarctica and is poised to expand its research activity in the coldest continent. The Maitri station will be replaced by a new station in the next three to four years.
Eager Lion Jordan, US launch major military exercises
Jordan and the United States Kicked off annual military exercises known as “Eager Lion’, with about 7,400 troops from more than 20 nations taking part in it. The manoeuvres would include border security, cyber defence, and “command and control” exercises, to booster coordination in response to threats including terrorism. A global strike mission will be conducted by two US Air Force B – 1 B bomber aircraft. It is the 7th exercise and largest and most complex.
Indian Born Hinduja Brothers top UK’s rich list
The India Born brothers Srichand and Gopichand topped the ‘Sunday Times Rich List 2017’ released and the annual rankings showed that they had added 3.2 billion pounds to their personal fortune in a year to be worth an estimated 16.2 billion pounds. Steel tycoon Lakshmi Nivas Mittal was ranked fourth in the list, released by the Indian High Commissioner to the UK Navtej Sarna. The fortune of Mittal, however has plummeted by 3.3 billion pounds to finish with 6.4 billion pounds.
India Organized Festival in Egypt to mark Tagore’s birth anniversary
India will organise Tagore Cultural Festival in Egypt to mark the 156th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore from May 8 – 12. Tagore Cultural Festival will be organised by the Maulana Azad centre of Indian Culture (MACIC) which is the cultural wing of the Indian Embassy in Cairo. As a part of the festival, a dance drama based on Tagore’s work called “Chitrangada” will be performed by the Kolkata based Dancers Guild.
Facebook launches Express Wi – Fi in India
Facebook has launched its “Express Wi-Fi” in India. This Wi-Fi service is available through 700 hotspot in 4 states. Express Wi – Fi is a program of Facebook's global initiative to enlarge internet connectivity. Express Wi-Fi services are currently active in Kenya, Nigeria, Indonesia and Tanzania. Now, it will include the States of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Meghalaya, Facebook has also mentioned a partnership with Bharti Airtel.
NATIONAL
Amul Inks MoU with ISRO for Fodder Acreage Estimation
Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) on 30 May, 2017 has signed an agreement with ISRO for fodder acreage assessment using satellite observation and space technology. GCMMF markets its products under the brand name of Amul. Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) ISRO will help in Identification between food crops and fodder crops at village level and also locate suitable areas of current fallows and cultivable wastelands at village level for green fodder cultivation.
Delhi Police launches Bicycle Patrols for better Policing
Delhi Police on 30 May, 2017 launched the Bicycle Patrols for better Policing in the capital. The Bicycle Patrols were flagged off by Union Minister of Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir. In the first phase, a total of 65 high end bicycles have been operationalised, out of 65 bicycles, 30 were allotted for North East district, 20 for East district and 15 for Shahdara district. The scheme will be extended to other areas of Delhi as well.
PM Modi to lay foundation stone of bullet train project in September
PM Narendr Modi and Japan’s PM Shinzo Abe will together lay the foundation stone for the bullet train project in the Months of September. Mumbai Ahmedabad bullet train will have the speed of 320 km per hour. The construction work would continue for another five years. And mentioned that the government was committed to complete the project by the end of 2022. The high speed train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad is being constructed at a cost of Rs. 97,636 crore in collaboration with Japan.
Union Government launched new campaign “Darwaza Band” to promote Sanitation
The Union Government launched a new campaign called
Darwaza Band for the Promotion of toilet usage in the rural areas across the country. Bollywood Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan, who leads the campaign, is proposed to be joined by Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation Narendra Singh Tomar and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the formal launch event to be held in Mumbai.
Defence Minister inaugurtes DRDO’s Aeronautical Test Range in Karnataka
Union Defence Minister Arun Jaitley inaugurated the Defence Research and Development organisation (DRDO)’s new Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) in Karnataka. The ATR is a facility under the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) which Works on a range of Unmanned air Vehicles (UAV);s It will be an integrated test center for the DRDO’s cluster of aeronautical laboratories like IISC, ISRO, BABA Nuclear Research organisation most of them in Bengaluru.
Prakash Javadekar launches Anti Ragging Mobile App
The Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar on 29 May, 2017 launched an Anti Ragging Mobile App. It has made by University Grants Commission (UGC). This mobile app will help students to register complaints on ragging. This app will work android system and students can login and register their complaints. One had to register a complaint against ragging and records showed that that timely action has
resulted in the decrease in such cases.
PM Modi lays Foundation Stone for IARI at Gogamukh
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the Foundation Stone of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute at Gogamukh in Assam's Dhemaji district located on the Assam Arunachal border. This will be the third Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) Apart from IARI in the national capital, the work on setting up of second IARI in Ranchi, Jharkhand has commenced. The setting up of a new institute in envisaged to help in the overall development of agriculture sector in North – East India.
Kejriwal, Venkaiah Naidu flag off Delhi Metro Heritage Line
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Union Urban Development Minister, M. Venkaiah Naidu on 28 May, 2017 flagged off Delhi Metro Heritage Line through video
conferencing at Metro Bhavan in Delhi. Union Minister of
Science and Technology. Harsh Vardhan was also present at the event. This Heritage line will connect Old Delhi Areas with the commercial hub of Delhi at Janpath. This Heritage line comprises four stations Delegate,Kashmere Gate, Jama Masjid and Lal Qila on the stretch of 5.17 km.
Gadkari flag off Country’s First E-Vehicle Public Transport
Marking the third anniversary of the Narendra Modi Government, Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari along with Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis flagged off taxi aggregator Ola electric Vehicle (EV) services in the city. Nagpur will be the first in the country to have such a service. A battery Charging station for the vehicles was also inaugurated at the airport where the launch function was held.
PM lays Foundation stone for AIIMS at Changsari in Assam
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of a Unit of the Delhi based. All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Changsari in Assam. The institute will be constructed at a cost of Rs.1123 cores as part of the “Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana”. The seven functioning AIIMS are located in New Delhi, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Patna, Raipur and Rishikesh. The unit is expected to be completed within the next four years.
Union Minister Vijay Goel flags off Slum Yuva Daud
Minister of youth Affairs and Sports Vijay Goel Flagged of the Slum Yuva Daud to mark the beginning of the Adopt Slum Campaign in New Delhi. The run started from Delhi University’s Shankarlal Hall and ended at the Rugby Stadium with participation of about 5000 youngsters from various slums of Delhi. It was initiated by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan.
Union Environment Ministry bans sale of Cattle for Slaughter
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests recently ban the sale of all kinds of cattle for slaughter across India. The rules were issued under the prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. It requires anyone purchasing cattle to provide an undertaking that the animals are bought for agricultural purposes and not for slaughter. The Definition of Cattle includes balls, bollocks, cows, buffalos, steers, calves and camels. The new rule will be implemented in the next three months.
PM Modi inaugurates India’s longest bridge in Asom
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25 May, 2017 inaugurated India’s longest bridge in Asom. It was built in Assam over the Lohit River, a tributary of Brahmaputra. The bridge will span 9.15 km to connect two small towns, Dhola at the river’s South bank and Sadiya in the north. The previous holder of the all-India record for bridge length, the Bandra Worli Sea link in Mumbai is 5.6 km long. The commemoration of three year anniversary of NDA govt time in power and one year anniversary of the BJP govt in Assam the inauguration was held.
Manoj Sinha launches BSNL’s satellite phone service
The Minister of State for Communications Manoj Sinha has launched, BSNL’s Satellite Phone Service, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Telecom Skill Excellence Award scheme and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Sanchar Kaushal Vikas Pratishthan's Scheme BSNL has played an important role in spreading communication network across the country. Global Satellite Phone services is modern satellite Phone service.
India’s First Underwater Rail Tunnel Completed in Kolkata
The two Organizations Afcons Trans Tondl stores and Kolkata Metro Railway Corporation Limited (KMRCL) implemented the India’s first underwater tunnel under the Hooghly river to link Howrah and Kolkata. The length of Kolkata’s East-West Metro is 16.6 km long. Out of which a length of 502 metres is under the Hooghly river. The East-West Metro will have 12 stations, six will be underground stations.
Govt launches ‘e SANAD’ for online Document Verification
The Human Resource Development Ministry and the External Affairs Ministry launched an online verification portal “e SANAD” to make the document Verification process easier for students who planning to study abroad. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) academic repository of degrees and certificates Parinam Manjusha” was also involved in the project of creating eSANAD. The Human Resources development Ministry launched this portal on 24 May, 2017.
Swachh Bharat App Launched in National Museum
“Swachh Bharat App” has been launched in National museum under Ministry of Culture by he Minister of State (I/C) for culture and Tourism Dr. Mahesh Sharma. The main focus of this “Swachh Bharat App” is to basically involve people actively to become part of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Movement). At present this app is available for Android Mobile Phones which can be downloaded from Google Play Store. This app will be monitored by the Ministry of Culture.
Cochin Port Trust Bags TWO Best Performance Awards
Cochin Port Trust has received two Best Performance Awards from Ministry of Shipping for the highest growth in operating surplus and also for achieving third highest growth in cargo traffic among the major ports in the year 2016-17. The awards were received from Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari by P.Raveendran, Chairman to Cochin Port Trust at a function held at Goa on 22 May, 2017.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu flags off Tejas Express from Mumbai to Goa
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on 21st May, 2017 flagged off the much awaited Tejas Superfast Express from Mumbai to Goa. The train, which will cover the distance 630 km in less than 9 hours. The train has Ultra Modern amenities on board like LED TV, Wi-Fi and CCTV. The Tejas Express would operate between Mumbai and Karmali (Goa) five days a week during non-monsoon period and during monsoon. Just three days a week. It will run at a speed of 130 kmph.
Free Wi-Fi facility inaugurated at 28 Railways Stations in India
Union Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu inaugurated free Wi-Fi Internet facility at 28 Railway station in Maharashtra. Indian Railways has tied up with SYSCON/ JOISTER for providing 2 mbps peer to peer 24 hours free Wi-Fi bandwidth. The free Wi-Fi facility would help the travellers, commuters, and tourists access essential information while waiting for trains on railway stations.
Anshu Jamsenpa becomes first Indian Woman to Conquer Mt. Everest twice within 5 days
India’s Anshu Jamsenpa has become the first Indian Woman to Conquer Mount Everest twice within five days. Anshu Jamsenpa along with Nepali climber Furi sherpa scaled the peak on 21st of May. With this Jamsenpa becoming the first woman climber to make double ascent in 5days time. She is also the first Indian woman to scale Mount Everest for the fifth time.
NGT Bans Open Defecation, waste Damping on Yamuna Flood Plains
The National Green Tribunal (Green Court) has banned open defecation and waste dumping on the floodplains Yamuna river and announced an environment compensation or penalty of Rs. 5000 for those violated the rule. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar also constituted a Committee headed by Delhi Jal Board CEO to oversee the execution of work pertaining the cleaning of the river.
Pune doctors successfully perform country’s first uterus transplant
A team of Pune doctors successfully performed country’s first uterus transplant on a 21 year old Solapur woman on 18th of May. Since birth the woman has been suffering from congenital absence of uterus. It was fitted with her mother’s uterus so that She can conceive normally. Transplant performed only through open surgery and it took 9 hours. Pune’s Galaxy Core Laparoscopy Institute (GCLI), where the surgery was done have been licensed to carry out uterus transplant.
Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister launches e-Krishi Samvad
The Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Radha Mohan Singh has launched a portal for addressing problems in the agricultural sector. The platform is known as e-Krishi Samvad and is a portal that allows agricultural workers and other stakeholders to directly approach the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) with the problems they face. The platform is meant for farmers,students, researchers and entrepreneurs.
Rajnath Singh launches an app for Central Armed Police Forces
The Union Home Ministry launched a grievance redressal mobile app for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) on 11 May, 2017. The soldiers serving in the CAPF’s can download the app. If any soldier has a complaint, they can directly log it through the app and it will be taken up by the home Ministry for redressal. The CAPF includes jawans from Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
The SC order Sentencing Justice Karnan to Six Months Imprisonment
The Supreme Court (SC) recently sentenced a sitting judge, C.S. Karnan of the Calcutta High Court, to six months of imprisonment, holding him guilty of contempt of court. He is the first serving high court judge to be sent to prison for contempt. A seven judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar directed the arrest of Karnan.
NBT to host book fairs in Panchayats
The National Book Trust (NBT) has launched Panchayat Pustak Mela its aim is to organize regular book fairs in rural areas across the country. The main objective of hosting book fairs in Panchayat level is to encourage the growth of reading habit in villages. All the books showcased at the fairs will be published by the NBT in regional languages, Hindi and English. The NBT will start to host book fair bodies in the Maoist hit areas of Chhattisgarh.
Supreme Court becomes paperless, digital court
The Supreme Court has taken its first step towards becoming a paperless, digital court. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the digital filing system at a function in New Delhi, where the integrated case Management System will be connected with the Supreme Court. The event will also be attended by Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and judges of the apex court. The Supreme Court of India is the Highest Judicial Forum and final court of appeal.
Union Home Minister announced SAMADHAN to tackle of left wing Extremism
A meeting of the Chief Ministers of states affected by Left Wing Extremism or Maoists, Presided over by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh was held in New Delhi on May 8, 2017. In this meeting Mr. Rajnath Singh Announced SAMADHAN, a new strategy to wipe out left wing terror. The Other Officials attended by Union Home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the Director of Intelligence Bureau and so on.
CRPF Command Shifted from Kolkata to Chhattisgarh
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) shifted back from Kolkata to Raipur, Chhattisgarh. The recent decision was taken due to the backdrop of 37 Jawans killed of the paramilitary force in Sukma district. CRPF is the largest central armed police force or paramilitary force in India. It functions the aegis of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Gadkari inaugurated countries first bio refinery Plant
Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways inaugurated India’s first biorefinery plant that produces ethanol from a variety of biomass in pune on 7 May 2017. Gadkari stated that such projects with help stage a great revolution in India’s agriculture sector. The project is located at Rahu, a village in Daund Taluka in Pune District of Maharashtra. The newly set up plant is capable of producing one million litres of ethanol per annum by processing a variety of agricultural residue including rice and wheat straw, cotton stalk, cane trash, corn cobs with superior product yields.
Odisha’s Sualgiri, Swalgiri Communities notified as Scheduled Castes
Odisha’s Sualgiri and Swalgi Communities have been notified as Scheduled castes following President Pranab Mukherjee’s assent to a new law. The Rajya Sabha had last month passed the bill on it after it was cleared by the Lok Sabha in March, The president gave the nod to the constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Act – 2017.
Uttar Pradesh deploys Ambulances for Cows
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya flagged off an ambulance service that would cater to cows. Under the “Gau Vansh Chikitsa Mobile Vans” service, the ambulance would rescue ill or injured cows and transport them to gaushalas or take them for treatment to the veterinary doctor. A “gau seva toll – free number” was also released so that common people can come to help of such cows.
Gadkari inaugurates The Highway Saga, SRISHTI exhibitions
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated two exhibitions namely The Highway Saga past present and Future, Safe Road and Interstate Highways Transforming India (SRISHTI) at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. The Highway Saga exhibition will depict the evolution of road transport in India. The exhibitions are part of three day India Integrated Transport and Logistics Summit being organized by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways from 3rd to 5th May, 2017.
PM Modi inaugurated Patanjali Research Institute in Uttarakhand
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Patanjali Research Institute at patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar on 3 May, 2017. An amount of 2000 crore was spent on building the patanjali Research centre. The research centre would do a research on forest products and produce herbal products from the same. Patanjali is one of the top brands in the country and has expanded its wings in FMCG sector after health care herbal products.
Narasaraopet set a Guinness World Record in Organ Donor
A Guinness World Record for the most number of people to sign up as organ donors in a single hour was broken at a programme held to mark the 70th birthday of AP Assembly Speaker Kodela Siva Prasada Rao in Narasaraopet, on 3rd May. Dr. Rao himself led the way by signing up as the first donor. Adjudicator from the Guinness World Record Swapnil declared that a new record was created after 11, 987 people signed up as donors in just an hour after the programme began. The earlier record was held by a college in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu which registered 6,697 organ donors in the hour in 2016.
Maharashtra CM inaugurates Automatic Weather Station in Nagpur
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has inaugurated the state’s first automatic weather station at Dongargaon in Nagpur. This is one of the Unique Project in the country, which will measure wind direction, wind speed relative humidity and record amount of rainfall. This information will be shared with farmers who can then manage sowing in a much better and planned as per the weather conditions.
Ganga Swachhata Sankalp Divas celebrated on May 2, 2017
May 2, 2017 was observed as Ganga Swchhata Sankalp Divas by National Mission on Clean Ganga (NMCG) at twelve locations Kanpur, Bithoor, Allahabad, Devprayag, varanasi, Patna, Bhagalpur, Koklata, Raj Ghat, Sahibganj, Srinagar (Uttarakhand) and Vidhur Kuti (Bijnor). Ganga Vichaar Manch and local NGO’s organized the event at 30 more locations. On May 2, 2017, Ganga cleanliness resolution day was observed in 15 cities and 985 Villages situated on the banks of River Ganga.
PM Modi releases stamp on Ramanujacharya’s 1000th Birth Anniversary
Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a commemorative stamp on the 1000th Birth Anniversary of Saint Ramanuja charya on 1st May, 2007 in New Delhi. The central message of Saint Ramanujacharya’s life was inclusive society. Religion and Philosophy. Ramanujacharya saw manifestation of God in human beings and saw all devotees of God as equal. Sri Ramanuja Jayanthi is celebrated each year and Jayanthi is decided based on Tamil Solar Calendar. This year which falls on 1st May.
STATES
IIT Kharagpur develops new pollution free, Biofuel
Researchers at IIt Kharagpur have developed a new technology which will change the way biofuel is manufactured by making the process Cheaper, quicker and pollution free, Professor of Department of Agricultural and Food Engineering Dr. Rintu Banerjee said the technique will ensure relatively quicker production of biofuel and the process is completely green. A new technology known as “soil- to-soil” manufacturing technology for manufacturing cheaper, quicker and pollution free.
Goa bans thin plastic bags to tackle garbage
The Goa State government has decided to ban buying and selling of plastic bags below 50 microns. The ban will come to effects from July 2017. Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar implemented the law with the fine of Rs. 500 and then the fine will be subsequently raised to Rs. 5,000. Goa has already banned plastic bags below 40 microns. This thin plastic has a tendency to cause flooding by Choking drains, and can easily travel by wind and water in floodplains.
Dailong Village in Manipur declared Biodiversity Heritage Site
The Manipur government has declared Dailong Village of Tamenglong district as a Biodiversity Heritage Site of the State. Dailong Village, covering an area of 11.35 sq km, has been declared as Biodiversity Heritage Site under Section 37 (1) of Biological Diversity Act, 2002. The declaration was made after the recommendation of Manipur Biodiversity Board, the state government has stated in the notification.
Haryana announces pension scheme for Journalists
On 27 May, 2017, Haryana Chief Minister Manoharlal Khattar announced following incentives following incentives for journalists at the “Swarna Jayanti Journalists Meet in Panchkula Rs. 10,000 monthly pension scheme, for those who are above 60 years and have completed 20 years in the profession. A life insurance covers of Rs.10 lakh and a cashless media claim policy of Rupees 5,00,000. Media persons, who have completed five years in the profession, who be given recognition by the state government.
J&K agriculture minister launches e-plant clinics
The Jammu and Kashmir agriculture minister launched an e-plant clinic service for farmers with the aim to double farmer’s income by 2022. The Department of Agriculture in collaboration with centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI) has set up 15 plant clinics in Samba, Kathua and Jammu. Under the “Plantwise” programme of CABI, 22 officials have been trained as plant doctors to diagnose various plant diseases in the Jammu region.
UP CM launches JE Vaccination drive in 38 districts
Uttarpradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on 25 May, 2017 launched a massive immunisation drive in 38 districts of the state to eradicate Japanese Encephalitis (JE) This anti-encephalitis drive was launched from Kushinagar district. The government has also involved all the voluntary and social organisations in these JE Prone districts. CM Yogi also launched a toll free number to get or provide any information about encephalitis. The num is 18001805544.
PM Modi inaugurates series of projects in Gujarat
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22 May 2017 inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various projects of the Kandler post in Kutch District in Gujarat. Kandla Port is India’s No.1 Major Port since last 10 years. The projects include construction of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Convention Center. Railway Bridge at sal junction, Mechanised fertiliser handling facility and purchase of two mobile harbour crane. He said that good ports are essential for the progress of india and Kandla has emerged as one of the finest ports in Asia.
Turlapati Kutumba Rao As Ambassador to Swachh Andhra Mission
Veteran Journalist and Columnist Turlapati Kutumba Rao appointed as Ambassador to Swachh Andhra Mission. The Andhra Pradesh’s Swachh Andhra Pradesh Corporation M.D. Murali Reddy appointed him to the honorary post. He was the former secretary to T.Prakasham Pantulu. He was also a former Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Grandhalaya Parishad. He was served to develop telugu language and to develop grandhalayam in Andhra Pradesh.
“Good Morning” Squads to Tackle Open Defecation in Maharashtra
The Maharashtra Government has decided to form ‘good morning’ squads to monitor and prevent open defecation in villages and districts across the state. These squads will comprise representatives of local bodies, self help groups, NGO’s, students and social workers working in the area of sanitation and cleanliness. A government resolution issued and stated that these squads have been asked to keep an eye on the areas this practice is prevalent and to ensure that local have access to toilets there.
“No Helmet No Petrol” drive begins in Lucknow
‘Lucknow Police on 22 May, 2017 began a new drive in Uttar Pradesh Capital where in Petrol will not be provided to refill the tanks of two wheelers, it the riders are found not wearing a helmet. Reportedly, the government has asked all petrol pumps to report Vehicle numbers to transport authorities whenever they found a two-wheeler without a helmet. Banners and posters will be put up at every petrol pump to create awareness among the people about the importance of wearing helmets.
Hyderabad’s Turbo Megha Airways first private airline to get UDAN licence
Hyderabad based Turbo Megha Airways has become the first Private airline to get a licence to fly under UDAN, the government scheme for subsidized regional flights. It flies as TruJet, it will launch Hyderabad cuddapah, Hyderabad Nanded and Nanded Mumbai routes. TruJet is one of the five operators who have been awarded a total of 128 routes Under the UDAN scheme. The airline will use the three ATR-72 aircraft.
Andhra Pradesh to ink MoU with Singapore Government
In a move that can speed up the construction of its new capital, Amaravathi, the Andhra Pradesh Government will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Singapore recently. The MoU will enhance Cooperation between the Singapore government and Andhra pradesh in the development of Amaravathi Masterplan. A joint implementation working committee comprising senior officials from both the governments will report to the JSTC.
Kerala tops, Bihar last in Public Affair Index
Kerala has secured first rank and Bihar has ranked and Bihar has ranked last on this year’s Public Affairs Index (PAI), compiled on basis of a survey by Bengaluru based think tank Public Affairs Centre (PAC). The survey was based on 10 themes, 26 focus subjects and 82 indicators. It was released by former Chief Justice of India MN Venkatachaliah, Former Karnataka Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde, Director of Public Affairs Centre (PAC) G. Guru Charan and former Chief Secretary of Rajasthan C.K. Mathew were also present at the event.
UP CM to declare no school bag day on Saturdays in Govt schools
The UP Government is planning to declare no school bag day on Saturdays in all the state run schools. The proposal for the same was submitted at a meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma on 12 May 2017 in Lucknow. The move aims to encourage more involvement of Children in creative activities on those no school bad day. It will also help establish a good rapport between students and teachers and help in their personality development.
Kochi Metro Rail offer job to members from transgender community
Kochi Metro decided to employ 23 members of the transgender community. This is the first time a government owned company has formally appointed members of transgender community. These 23 transgender workers will be a part of 530 kudumbasree workers to be employed at 11 stations in the Kochi Metro Station.
Odisha to introduce boat ambulances in four districts
Odisha will introduce boat ambulance service in four districts, where people face difficulties in getting health care service. The districts of Koraput, Malkangiri, Kendrapara and Kalahandi people face problems in availing 108 ambulance service due to intervening large water bodies in the form of rivers and dams. The Govt will also shortly add 92 Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances to its fleet of 420 ambulances that are now in operation in different parts of the state.
Govt to set up 100 training institutes to skill drivers
The Union Ministry of road transport and Highway and the Union Skill Development Ministry have signed a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up 100 driver training institutes. The MoU was signed in New Delhi of May 5, 2017 in the presence of Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and Union Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy. Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship will provide stipend up to Rs. 15000 per trainee to compensate the wage loss during the training period.
Jharkhand as second state to announce Jan – Dec FY
Jharkhand will become the second state in the country to announces its financial year from January to december. The new fiscal year for Jharkhand would commence from January 1, 2018 and end on December 31, 2018. Madhya Pradesh was first state to adopt the new financial year. Jharkhand Chief Minister “Raghubar Das in a meeting has directed the officials to spend the money of the current financial year’s budget by end of December.
Police Public Schools will be set up in Haryana
The Haryana Government will set up Police Public Schools in all subdivisions to provide best education facilities to the children of Police personnel in the state by the end of April 2018. 1560 houses for Police personnel are being built by the Haryana Police Housing Corporation in the first Phase. Construction of 1500 more houses will be under taken in the second Phase. The Police Housing Corporation has already constructed 10 such police Schools in the state.
Telangana at 4th, Apat 12th Place in UDAY Scheme
UDAY is basically a scheme of financial turnaround of state owned distribution companies. This objective is mainly to be achieved via phased takeover of the debts of the discoms by state governments. In this Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana Scheme Gujarat occupied 1st place. Telangana State in the fourth position and Andhra Pradesh in the 12th Position, in the recent updated list.
India’s first “Village of Books” inaugurated in Maharashtra
India’s first “Village of Books” was inaugurated and opened for public reading at Maharashtra’s Bhilar Village on 4th May, 2017. A total of 25 premises, including residences, hostels, temples and schools will have about fifteen thousand books belonging to different genres, Wall of each of these of these 25 premises measuring a total of 11,000 square feet have been adorned with different painting signifying the theme of books available here.
Labourers in Haryana to get breakfast for Rs.5, full meal for Rs.10
Construction labourers in Haryana can now look forward to getting food at heavily subsidised rates of Rs.5 for breakfast and Rs.10 for full meal. While they would be provided cheap yet wholesome food right at their workplace, mobile vans would be deployed to make food available to the poor at the labour chowks. The Govt aimed at providing food at affordable Prices to construction workers and the poor people.
AIIB Grants $ 160 MN for AP Power Project
China sponsored Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) on 5th May, 2017 approved $ 160 MN loan for a Power Project in Andhra Pradesh. It is the first credit from this bank for an Indian Project. The Project is co-financed by the World Bank. The 24 X 7 Power of All project is part of Government of India’s Power of All Programme that was launched in 2014. AP is one of the first states selected for roll out of the programme.
Banganapalle Mangoes receives Geographical Indication Tag
The succulent Banganapalle Mango has received a Geograpghical Indication (GI) tag, making Andhra Pradesh the proprietor of the variety known for its sweetness. The registrar of Geographical Indications Registry, Chennai, O.P. Gupta has accorded the registration following an Application from the Horticulture commissioner, Andhra Pradesh. The Andhra Pradesh Government is the registered proprietor of the GI tag for mangoes, often hailed as the king of Fruits.
Swachh Survekshan 2017 : Indore is No-1 Cleanest City
Indore in Madhya Pradesh has been ranked as the No.1 cleanest City in the country, while Gonda in UttarPradesh has been ranked as the dirtiest, as per the “Swachh Survekhan – 2017” The results of the survey were announced on 4 May 2017 by Urban Development Minister M.Venkaiah Naidu. Bhopal has bagged the 2nd position in the ranking of 434 cities. Visakhapatnam was placed 3rd among the top ten cities, the fourth slot has been claimed by Gujarat’s Surat. Mysore which would be first in the Previous lists of clean cities, has slipped to the fifth place.
Vijayawada Airport becomes International Airport
The Union Cabinet has granted International Airport status for the Vijayawada Airport. The approval was given as per provisions of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. The airport is currently undergoing infrastructural upgradations and improvement in facilities for international operations. The upgradation works are being carried out by the Airports Authority of India.
Madhya Pradesh first to switch to Jan-Dec fiscal year
Madhya Pradesh became the first state in India to switch to the January – December financial year from existing April – March cycle. It will break a 150 – year old tradition of adopting the financial year from April to March. This practise of April _March financial year was adopted by the British Government in 1867. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan decided to shift the financial year January- December.
Nandini Siddha Reddy as Chairman for Telangana Sahitya Academy
The Telangana State Government has appointed the Telangana famous poet, author Nandini Siddha Reddy As a Chairperson for Telangana Sahitya Academy. He was completed his M.A. from Osmania University Hyderabad. He did his M.Phil and Ph.D on modern Poetry. He got the Nandi Award for his song “Nageti Salla lona Telangana” in the picture Veera Telangana.
AP CM Chandrababu Naidu selected for USIBC Award
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister (CM) Nara Chandrababu Naidu on 2nd May 2017, selected for the “Transformative Chief Minister Award” of the US – India Business Council (USIBC) He was selected for his role in advancing the US-India partnership at the state level. The Award will be presented to him on 8 May, 2017 at the USIBC coast summit in the Silicon Valley.
Real Estate Act will come into force on 1st May
The Real Estate Regulatory Act, which promises to protect the rights of home buyers and bring in transparency to the sector, comes into force 1st May. Though only 13 states and Union Territories have notified the rules so far, the centre believer that within next two months, others too will follow suit. Real estate developers shall get on going projects that have not received with regulation authorities by July end. This enables the buyers to enforce their rights and seek redress.
CONFERENCES
World Health Assembly (WHA 70) held in Geneva
70th World Health Assembly (WHA 70) was held from 22nd to 31st May, 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland. Dr. Margaret chan gave her last address as Director. General of the WHO, with her tenure coming to an end. Member State of WHO, elected Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as the new Director General of WHO. The World Health Assembly is the supreme decision making body for Who. It generally meets in Geneva in May each year, and is attended by delegations from all 194 Member States.
The two-day G-7 Summit begins in Italy
The two-day G-7 Summit, that will focus on issues surrounding security and growth began on 26 May in Italy. Those participating in the Summit include German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Canadian prime Minister Justin Trudeau, US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, along with the Prime Ministers of Italy, Japan and UI, Paolo Gentiloni, Shinzo Abe and Theresa May respectively.
2017 NATO Summit held in Belgium
The 28th Edition of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit has started in Brussels, Belgium on May 24 and 25, 2017. The top agenda of the meeting was terrorism. It also expected that NATO is to join the US led anti Islamic State Coalition (IS). The main aim is to fight against Islamist terrorism. The 2018 NATO Summit will be held in IStanbul. Turkey, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee was petr Pavel. It was formed on 4th April 1949.
G – 20 Labour and Employment Ministers Meet held in Germany
G – 20 Labour and Employment Ministers Meet was held Bad Neuenahr, Germany from 18 to 19 May 2017. Germany chaired the G-20 Labour and Employment Ministers Meet, as it currently hold the G-20 Presidency. The Meeting focused on the theme “Towards an Inclusive Future Shaping the world of work” This meet had been discussing topics like Boosting Youth Employment, Shape the Future of Work, Decent Work in Global Supply Chains and so on.
ICT4D Conference held in Hyderabad
The ninth annual ICT4D Conference was held in Hyderabad. It was held May 15 to 18, 2017. Around 800 delegates from 74 countries were participated in the conference. They were discussed about Agriculture, Education, Health, Environment, Disaster Management Big Data, Partnerships and Digital Financial Inclusion. The strategic use of technology innovations in relief and development programmes that enhance program quality, improve decision making and increase impact.
India and Palestine Inks 5 Agreements
India and Palestine exchanged five agreements for cooperation in different sectors including agriculture, information technology and health. The agreements were exchanged after a high level delegation talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas in New Delhi. The MoUs were also inked Visa exemption on diplomatic and official passports and cooperation in youth affairs and sport.
AWARDS & HONOURS
President of India Presents Hindi Sevi Samman Awards
The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee Presented the Hindi Sevi Samman Awards to 26 eminent Hindi Scholars for the year 2015 on 30 May, 2017 at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan New Delhi. The ceremony was attended by several dignitaries including the Union Minister of Human Resource Development, Prakash Javadekar, The awards were conferred to the scholars under 12 different categories for their contribution in the field of Hindi language and literature. Every year this award was given to Hindi scholars in the field.
Priyanka Chopra bags Dadasaheb Phalke Award
Actress Priyanka Chopra will be honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award for being an international icon. The Bollywood star will be given the award under the newly introduced . “Internationally Acclaimed Actress” category at a ceremony. The board of trustees for Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Awards include Johny Lever, Pahlaj Nihalani, Mithun Chakraborty and TP Agrawal. The award ceremony will be held on June 1, 2017 in Mumbai.
Dr. Sunil Kothari to be awarded the Akademi Ratna
Dr. Sunil Kothari who was the first one to complete Ph D from Vadodara M S University’s Department of Dance, has been selected for the coveted Akademi Ratna award by the Sangeet natak Akademi. The 83 year old Kothari, who is a native of Matar town of Kheda district will receive the highest Indian recognition given to an artist in October by the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He was starting the school of Arts and Aesthetics at Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Pune city Police receive FICCI smart Policing award
The Pune City Police have received the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) Smart Police Award for the year 2017. Pune Police Commissioner Rashmi Shukla received the award from BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi during a Programme Organised by FICCI and Vivekananda International Foundation on Homeland security in Delhi. The program focussed on the use of modern technology for countering internal security issues.
Three Odias get Sangeet Natak Akademi -2016 Awards
Three eminent personalities from Odisha odissi guru Ratikant Mohapatra, theatre director Satyabrata Raut and Pala singer Laxmidhar Raut have been selected for the prestigious Kendra Sangeet Natak Akademi – 2016 Awards. The legendary artists have been picked by the Kendra Sangeet Natak Akademi from among representatives from 30 states for the immense contribution to dance, music, theatre and other performing arts in the state.
Pranab Mukherjee Presented the Dr. Ambedkar National Awards
The President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee has Presented the Dr. Ambedkar National Awards for the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 on May 26, 2017 in New Delhi. The winners of Dr. Ambedkar National Awards were SK. Thorat, Samta Sainik Dal, Amar Seva Sangam, Shri Babulal Nirmal respectively. These awards has been given for outstanding contribution to the promotion of social understanding and for the upliftment of weaker sections of the society.
Jacqueline Fernandez win International Humanitarian Award
Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez was awarded with the International Humanitarian Award in Editor’s Choice Category of Asian Voice Charity Awards. The award recognises the work of Charity organisations in the United Kingdom (UK) and abroad. Fernandez was awarded for her Philanthropic Work in India. She has been working with the Charity “Habitat for Humanity” for last five years. This Organisation Works to help people to live with dignity by giving them homes to live in.
Drake bagged 13 Awards at 2017 Billboard Music Awards
Rapper Drake grabbed a record 13 wins at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards. He was eclipsing Adele’s previous record of 12 awards in 2012. Drake, who also won top artist, top male artist, and top rap album for “views”, artist of the year. Adele and Justin Bieber picked up five nominations each, with Beyonce on four alongside the chainsmokers. The nominations were announced on U.S. TV Show Good Morning America by singers Joe Jonas and Rachel Platten.
Rohan Chakravarty wins WWF International President’s Award
Rohan Chakravarty an Indian Wildlife and environment cartoonist won World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) International President’s Award. The award ceremony was held recently in Manado, Indonesia. Chakravarthi cartoons under the banner of Green Humour mainly emphasis on environmental issues honoured with the award. The award is top award given by WWF to recognize leadership in young conservationists who are under the age of 30 from around the world.
Indian boy wins top Intel Science Award in US
An Indian boy has won the World’s largest pre-college science competition in the US in the environmental engineering category. His project was on biodegradation of pesticides. Prshant Ranganathan, a 12th grader from Jamshedpur, along with 20 high school students from various parts of India. Participated in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. In all, more than 1700 students from across the world participated in the week-long event.
Pranay Varada wins National Geographic Bee Contest
A 14-year old Indian – American Student, Pranay Varada has won the Prestigious National Geographic Bee competition. He gets $ 50,000 in scholarship and other prizes. Thomas Wright was declared the runner up. Wright has received $ 25,000 in scholarship. Indian Americans have won the National Geographic Bee Competition for the last ten consecutive years. This year six of ten finalists were Indian-Americans.
Indian Scientist Shrinivas Kulkarni wins Dan David Prize 2017
Indian Scientist Shrinivas Kulkarni on 18 May 2017 won the Israel’s prestigious Dan David Prize 2017 for his contribution in the field of astronomy. He was awarded in the “Future’ Category which is dedicated to astronomy this year. He will share the award with Andrzej Udalski of the University of Warsaw and Neil Gehrels of NASA for their discoveries on time-domain astrophysics. Kulkarni is a professor of astrophysics and planetary science at california Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Sanjay Gubbi and Purnima Barman win Whitley Awards 2017
Two Indian Nature Activists Sanjay Gubbi and Purnima Barman on 18 May 2017 won the annual Whitley Awards, popularly known as “Green Oscars”, for their Works in the field of animal and bird conservation in India. These two Indians are among six global winners of the award shortlisted from 166 entries. Each winner will receive 35000 pounds prize money in project funding over the year.
David Letterman wins Mark Twain Prize – 2017 for American humour
David Letterman, who was the longest running host of late night TV shows in the United States, was on 17 May 2017 awarded with the Mark Twain Prize 2017 for American humour. With this, Letterman became the 20th humorist to receive the Prize. Letterman hosted over 6000 late night shows in 33 years on the air. He won 10 Emmy awards. His final show in May 2015 drew an audience of 13.8 million people.
Aravind Kumar Rengan bags INSA Young Scientist Award
Aravind Kumar Rengan, Assistant Professor in Department of Biomedical Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT – H) Hyderabad has been awarded the prestigious Indian National Science Academy (INSA) medal in the Young Scientist Category for 2017. Prof Aravind has been awarded the medal for devising. A novel way of nano delivery using liposomes and gold nanoparticles which is useful for both imaging and therapeutics.
ISKCON’s Govardhan Eco Village wins Smart Village Award
Maharashtra’s Govardhan Eco Village has won the “Smart Village” Award for being a sustainable project in rural Maharashtra. The “India Trade Promotion Organisation” (ITPO)’s award was received by Nimai Lila Das to Chief Sustainability Officer of Govardhan Eco Village, in New Delhi on May 13, 2017. Eco Village was set up by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in adjoining Thane district.
Konkona bags Best Director and Best Actress Awards at NYIFF
Konkona Sensharma has bagged the best director for her debut film “A Death in the Gunj”. Konkona had also bagged the best actress for “Lipstick Under My Burka” at 2017’s New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF). The film festival took place from April 30 to May 7. She received the top honour for the performance in Alankrita Shrivastava Lipstick Under My Burka. She won the award for directing the drama thriller.
Presidential awards for classical Tamil Presented
On May 9, 2017 the President of India. Mr Pranab Mukherjee Presented the “Presidential Awards for classical Tamil” for the year 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 at Rashtrapati Bhavan New Delhi. The Presidential Awards for Classical Tamil were instituted by central Institute of classical Tamil functioning under the aegis of Ministry of Human Resource Development. These awards are presented to distinguished scholars who have made outstanding contribution to classical Tamil language and literature.
Emma Watson bags first ever ‘genderless’ award
Hollywood Star Emma Watson picked up the first ever genderless Acting Award for the Best Actor category at the MTV Movie and TV Awards. The 27 years old actress made history at the annual event held at the Shrine Auditorium in Madrid, Spain on 7 may, 2017. The star, who first became known for her role as Hermione in the Harry Potter films, is a feminist campaigner and UN Women Global Goodwill Ambassador. Her ‘Beauty and the Beast’ also won movie of the year.
Sachin Tendulkar Conferred with Fellowship Award in UK
Indian Former Cricket Player Sachin Tendulkar received the Fellowship Award at the 7th annual Asian Awards in the United Kingdom. India’s playback singer Adnan Sami won the award for outstanding achievement in Music. The award for outstanding achievement in cinema conferred on Om Puri who died earlier this year at age of 66. He was receiving the Award at the 7th annual Asian Awards Held in London.
Saqib Majeed wins 2016 Wisden – MCC Cricket “Photograph of the year” award
A Srinagar based freelance photographer has done Kashmir Proud, Pocketing the prestigious 2016 Wisden – MCC (Melbourne Cricket Council) Cricket photograph of the year for a stunning image, which captured boys playing cricket in the outskirts of the city. Saqib Majeed, an engineer by profession clicked the award winning picture at eh Nishat Garden in Srinagar. Majeed is the first Kashmiri and second Asian after Atul Kamble to receive the award.
Sunny Pawar chosen for Rising Star Award in the UK
Child actor Sunny Pawar, best known for his Performance in the Oscar nominated film Lion, has been chosen for the Rising Star Award in UK. The award will be presented to Sunny at the 7th Annual Asian Awards. Sunny, grew up in the Mumbai Slums, shot to global fame with his role in Australian drama where he worked alongside award winning actors Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman.
Movie The Black Prince Awarded at International film fest in Houston
The Hollywood film The Black Prince starring Indian Actress Shabana Azmi and singer poet Satinder Sartaaj awarded special Jury Remi Award at 50th Annual Worldfest Houston International Film Festival. The Black Prince is a historic film of the last king of Punjab. Maharajah Duleep Singh and his relationship with Queen Victoria. The Worldfest Houston International Film Festival is the World’s largest independent film festival.
Padma Venkataraman bestowed with Avvaiyar Award
The Tamil Nadu Government on 2 May 2017 conferred the 2017 Avvaiyar Award to Padma Venkataraman, a social worker and daughter of former Indian President, the late R.Venkataraman. Padma was honoured with the award for her efforts in the field of women’s welfare and rehabilitation of leprosy – affected people since the past 30 years by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami.
SPORTS & GAMES
Kohli only Indian in top 10 of ICC ODI rankings
India captain Virat Kohli is the lone cricketer from the country to feature in the top 10 of the ICC players Rankings for ODIs as he managed to hold on to his third sport in the batsman’s chart. The top three batsmen South Africa’s AB de villiers (874 points), Australian David Warner (871 points) and Kohli (852) Points are separated by just 22 points. Among other Indians to feature in the top of 20 of the ICC players Rankings for ODI batsman Rohit Sharma (12th) M.S. Dhoni (13th) and Shikhar Dhawan, who draped a place to (15th)
Lionel Messi wins Fourth Golden Shoe
Professional football player Lionel Messi has won the European Golden Shoe for a fourth time. Playing for Football Club Barcelona, Lionel Messi scored 37 goals in this season. With the fourth golden shoe to his name, Messi has equalled Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo’s Record,Lionel Messi topped the Golden Shoe table by scoring 37 goals and securing 74 points, and was ahead of Bas Dost of Sporting Lisbon by Six Points.
Sebastian Vettel wins Monaco Grand Prix
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel has won Monaco Grand Prix, was held on 28 May, 2017. The race was held at Circuit de Monaco, La Condamine and Monte Carlo, Monaco. The second place in the race was secured by Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen. The third place was secured by Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo. The gap in the drivers Championship between Vettel and Lewis Hamilton has been extended by 25 points as Hamilton settled for a seventh place. Vettel Completed this race in 1 hour 44 minutes and 44.340 seconds only.
South Korea defeat China to win 2017 Sudirman Cup
South Korea defeated China won badminton Sudirman Cup for the first time in 28 years on 29 May, 2017. South Korea has won by 3-2 points over 10-time Champions China. It was held in Gold Coast Australia. South Korea also claimed their fourth cup in the World mixed teams competition with a Charged 21-17, 21-13 win by Choi Sol gyu and Chae Yoo-Jung in the mixed doubles match. South Korea won in mixed doubles in 1991, 1993 and 2003 respective years.
Ananya Kamboj selects for the FIFA Programme in Russia
Ananya Kamboj, 8th Standard student from Chandigarh has been selected as young journalist at the global Football for Friendship (F4F) Social programme in Russia. India joins the programme for the first time and 60 other countries will participate. Mission XI Million is a programme of the FIFA U – 17 World Cup India 2017. It will focus on the development of children’s football, fostering tolerance and respect for different cultures and nationalities among Children from different countries.
Bhavani Devi win Gold in International Fencing Tournament
India’s Fencing Player Chadalavada Bhavani Devi has become first Indian to win a Gold Medal in an International fencing tournament. She has won the gold medal sabre event of the Tournoi Satellite Fencing Championship held at Reykjavik in Iceland. In the final, she beat Sarah Jane Hampson of Great Britain with 15-13 points. Chadalavada Bhavani Devi is a sabre fencer from Chennai. She had Previously won silver medal in another event.
Manchester United won 2016-17 UEFA Europe League Title
Manchester United won the 2016-17 The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Europa League Title. They defeated Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax (AFC) team. Manchester United Football Club is a Professional Football Club based on Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. Jose Mourinho, that serial trophy hunter, won his 12th final out of 14 finalist games.
HCL to host Asian Junior Tennis Championship 2017
Hindustan Computers Limited (HCL) to host the Asian Junior Tennis Championship 2017, the most reputed tennis championship in the Asia. The Championship is being held in association with the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association and under the support of International Tennis Federation (ITF), Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) and All India Tennis Association (AITA). Different players from 11 countries Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Philippines, Hong-Kong, Malaysia, China, Sri Lanka, Iran and India are participating in the Championshi.
PV Sindhu elected to BWF Athletes Commission
Olympics silver medalist PV Sindhu on 24 May, 2017 elected as members to Badminton World Federation (BWF) Athletes’ Commission. Sindhu emerged the highest voted (129) Player in the BWF Athletes Commission election that took place on the sidelines of the Sudirman cup in Gold Coast, Australia. Along with Sindhu, Marc Zwiebler of Germany voted (108) and Kristry Gilmour of Scotland voted (103) were also elected as members to BWF Athletes Commission. The three were served a four year term.
R. Aswin wins International Cricketer of the year Award
India off Spinner Ravichandran Aswin, on Wednesday (24 May, 2017) received the Prestigious International Cricketer of the year Award at the CEAT Cricket Rating (CCR) International awards 2017. Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar and Harsh Goenka, Chairman of RPG Enterprises Presented the award to the spin searched at a function held at the Cricket Club of India. Aswin was the wrecker in chief during the home season, where India won 10 of their 13 matches.
Sweden beat Canada to win ICE Hockey World Title
Sweden won Ice Hockey World Championship Title for the 10th time. Sweden won the Championship with a 2-1 goal. This win is Sweden’s first in four tries against Canada. The teams were tied at 1-1 after three periods in Cologne, Germany, with Victor Hedman scoring for the Swedes and Canada’s Ryan O'Reilly equalising. Finally Sweden have won the ICE Hockey World Championship, beating favourites Canada in a dramatic penalty shootout.
Bengaluru FC wins 38th Federation Cup Football Tournament
Bengaluru Football Club has won the 28th Federation cup Football tournament. In the final match they defeated depending Champions and 14 time winners Mohun Bagan with 2-0. The match went into extra time after neither of the teams could break the deadlock in 90 minutes. India international CK Vineeth, then, scored twice for Bengaluru in extra time helping them to win the tournament for just second time.
Mumbai Indians beat Rising Pune Supergiants to win 2017 IPL
Mumbai Indians on 21 May 2017 defeated Rising Pune Supergiant by 1 run to clinch the tenth edition of the Indian Premier League. It is the third time that the Mumbai Indians clinched the IPL winner title. With the win, Mumbai Indians became the first team to win three IPL titles. Krunal Pandya of Mumbai Indians was declared the Man of the Match. Mumbai Indians won the first title in 2013 and second title in 2015 by defeating Chennai Super Kings.
Alexander Zverev clinches Italian Open Single Title
Alexander Zverev on 21 May 2017 defeated World No.2 Novak Djokovic 6-4,6- 3 to win the Italian Open. The Final was held in Rome, Italy. With the win, Zverev became the youngest Master 1000 titlist. Now, he entered the ATP top 10 for the first time after defeating Novak Djokovic in the final of the Italian Open. Between October 2013 and June 2014, he was the No.1 Ranked boys junior player.
India win all 10 gold medals in South Asian
In the South Asian Junior Table Tennis Championship India has won 10 gold medals. It was a proud moment for India. The tournament was held in Mount lavinia, near Colombia in Sri Lanka. Apart from 10 gold medals, the Indian participants have also won 14 medals that total makes to 24. In this Championship Manav Thakkar won Junior boys final Archana Girish Kamath won Junior Girls final.
Vaishnavi Shone won 2 gold medals in the first Asia level Yoga Competition
Vaishnavi Shone a Coimbatore girl won 2 gold medals in the first Asia level Yoga Competition in Thailand. She was won the Junior Category (13 to 15 years). Overall 150 participants from singapore and Thailand took part in the meet which was held in Bangkok. Vaishnavi has achieved Various awards and titles including”Yoga Rami” and “Yoga Natchathra” from India Yoga Association and Government of Tamilnadu.
Indian Men’s Team wins Compound Gold in World Cup Archery
The Indian Men’s Compound archery team Abhishek Verma, Chinna Raju Sridhar and Amanjeet Singh won compound gold at World Cup Stage -1 championships held in Shanghai, China. They defeated Colombian team comprised Camilo Andres Cardona, Jose Carlos ospina and Daniel Munoz to achieve gold. India defeat USA in the semifinal and Iran in the quarterfinal.
Mohammad Anas breaks 400m National Record
Mohammad Anas from Kerala has breaked the national record in men’s 400 m race and won a gold medal at the third leg of the Indian Grand Prix Athletics Meet in New Delhi. He finished the race in 45.32 seconds at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. He also qualified for the World Championships to be held in London in August. Rajiv Arokia and Sachin Baby were second and third in 46.32 seconds and 47.18 seconds respectively.
ICC hikes Prize Money for Champions Trophy
The International Cricket Council (ICC) in the second week of May 2017 announced that the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy Carries a total prize money of USD 4.5 million. The winner of the eight team tournament will take home a Cheque of $ 2.2 million. The runner up of the tournament will get a Cheque of $ 1.1 million, while the other two semifinalists will get $ 450000 each. Teams finishing third in each group will take home $ 90,000 each.
Indian Women Cricketers sets New World Record in One-Day Internationals
The partnership of Deepti Sharma and Poonam Raut scored 320 in 45.3 overs to become the World’s first ever first Wicket Partnership , to achieve a 300 – run opening wicket Partnership in One-Day Internationals (ODI’s). The earlier best Partnership for the first wicket in Men’s Cricket was 286 scored by Sri Lanka’s Upul Tharanga and Sanath jayasuriya against England in 2006. Deepti Sharma did 188 runs and Poonam Raut did 109
runs in the Match against Ireland Women’s Team.
Arjun Maini becomes the first Indian to win GP3 Race
Arjun Maini became the first Indian driver to win a GP3 Race when he won the sprint race at the circuit de catalunya, Barcelona. The 19 years old scored his first win in two years while finishing six seconds ahead of Frenchman Dorian Boccolacci and teammate Alessio Lorandi of Italy. Arjun Maini, driving for Jenzer Motorsport’s and creating history.
Lewis Hamilton Wins Spanish Grand prix
Lewis Hamilton cut Sebastian Vettel’s lead at the top of the Formula one drivers standings to six points as he won the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton will start at pole position after edging out Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel by just. 0.051 seconds Spanish Grand Prix is a Formula one motor race which is one of the oldest of its kind in the world. He is a three time Formula one World Champion.
India Claim 2 Medals At World Para Athletics Grand Prix
India Claimed a gold medal and a bronze medal and a bronze medal at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix held in Beijing, China, Ramudu Someshwara Rao, who became the fastest Indian blade runner in the recently conducted 17th National Para Athletics Championships at Jaipur, won a gold medal in the 200 m race at World Para Athletics Grand Prix, Beijing. Shot Putter Hokato Sema who also won gold at 17th National Para Athletics Championships at Jaipur, won bronze at World Para Athletics Grand Prix Beijing.
VVS Laxman awarded honorary life membership of Marylebone Cricket Club
Former Indian cricket player VVS Laxman on 11 May, 2017 was awarded an honorary life membership to the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). Laxman is the fifth Indian to receive the honour, after Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Zaheer Khan. He was a right handed aggressive bats man, who played mostly in the middle order. In 2011 he was awarded the padma shri Award.
Harpreet Singh wins bronze in Asian Wrestling Championship
Harpreet Singh won a bronze medal Greco-Roman Weight divisions in the Asian Wrestling Championship held at the K.D. Jadhav arena in the Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex in New Delhi. Harpreet won the bronze medal after beating his rival Jun JiNa of China in 80 kg category. Asian Wrestling Championships are Organized every year by the Asian Associated Wrestling Committee (AAWC)
Vikram Malhotra Wins 5th PSA Title
India’s Vikram Malhotra won his fifth PSA title after beating Egypt’s Youssef Ibrahim in the final of the Abu Dhabi Open. The US based Indian won 6-11, 11-4, 11-3, 9-11, 13-11 against his opponent. The top seeded Indian, fresh frona Asian Championship held in Chennai, beat Hesham Mohamed Aly of Egypt in the first round thereafter seventh seed Ahmad Ali Siraj of Jordan in the quarters, both in fluent style. In the semi final he took out Pakistan’s Khawaja Adil Maqbool who retired in the third game after trailing by two games.
Odisha CM Unveils Logo and Mascot of Asian Athletics Championships
Naveen Patnaik Unveils Logo and mascot of Asian Athletics Championships. The 22nd Asian Athletics Championship is scheduled to be held at kalinga stadium from July 6 to 9. While the logo depicts an athlete crossing the finishing line with historical tourist attractions of Odisha in the back drop, the mascot is named OLLY that represents the famous Olive Ridley Sea turtle. The State Governments would spend Rs. 43 crore for preparation of the grand event.
Jhulan Goswami as highest wicket taker in Women’s ODIS
Fast bowler Jhulan Goswami is now the highest wicket taker in one day internationals in the women’s game. Goswami, who now has 181 wickets in 153 matches, Surpassed the world record held by Australia bowled Cathryn Fitzpatrick (180). She achieved this feat with the wicket of No.11 batsman Raisibe Ntozakhe of South Africa. She broke the record in the ongoing match against hosts South Africa in the women’s Quadrangular series in potchefstroom.
Devender Singh, javelin thrower to qualify for London Words
Indian Javelin Thrower Devender Singh qualified for the World Championships in London. Devender Singh with a stunning throw of 84.57 mt won the gold medal at the Indian Grand Prix Athletics meet in Patiala. He is the second Javelin thrower from the country Qualify of the London Championships. Neeraj Chopra, the World Junior Champion and record holder. He was the first Indian Javelin thrower to qualify for the London Worlds when he threw 83.32 mt at the Asian Grand Prix in Jiaxing.
Asian Boxing Shiva, sumit settle for Silver
Shiva Thapa (60kg) settled for a silver medal at the Asian Boxing Championships after an injury forced loss in the final in Tashkent. He was becoming first Indian to claim three back to back medals at the tournament. Sumit Sangwan also won silver after losing to Kazakhstan’s top seeded Vassiliy Levit in a unanimous verdict. Levit was the silver medalist at last year’s Rio Olympic Games. Shiva had previously won a gold in 2013 and won a bronze in the 2015 edition.
Britain down Australia to win sultan Azlan Hockey Cup
Great Britain won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup for the first time ever on 6 May, 2017. It was defeating defending champions Australia 4-3 in Malaysia. With the victory, Britain became the first European team to win the cup since the Netherlands in 2006. This Victory came to Great Britain in the Azlanshah Cup after 23 years. It becomes the first team from the British Isles to win the Azlan Shah title since 1994.
ICC raises Women’s World Cup Prize Money
International Cricket Council (ICC) tries to popularise women’s Cricket and also the upcoming 2017 World Cup in england by increasing the Prize money to $ 2 million. This is the ten times to the amount that was awarded in the late edition in 2003. The ICC announced that Decision Review System (DRS) will be put in place for the first time in Women’s Cricket during the eight team tournament in June.
India slips to 4th Position in ICC T-20 Rankings
India Slipped to the fourth position in the ICC Twenty – 20 International team rankings in the annual update of the rankings. India dropped two places by having lost six points, giving Pakistan and England an edge to slide higher in the rankings list. In the updated list New Zealand retained its top position with 125 points, England in 2nd position with 121 points. Pakistan too joined England on 121 points after gaining five points but was placed third for being behind England by a fraction of point.
Indian Football Team Reached in Top 100 FIFA Ratings
Indian Football team first time reached it into the top 100 at the FIFA World Cup Ratings. And it if for the first time ever in entire 21 years Indian team reached the Final of FIFA World Cup. As per the updated rankings, the Stephen Constantine Coached side is now placed at the 100th spot along with Nicaragua, Lithuania and Estonia. India is the 11th highest placed team in entire Asia on its rankings.
Soumyajit Ghosh wins Singles and Doubles gold at Chile Open
Indian Table Tennis Player Soumyajit Ghosh has bagged both the singles and doubles gold at the Seamaster 2017 ITTF Challenge Chile Open in Santiago, Chile. Men’s single final was contested between two Indian Players Soumyajit Ghosh and Anthony Amalraj, in which Soumyajit Clinched the title. In Men’s doubles final the Indian Pair of soumyajit & Anthony Amalraj defeated Philipp Floritz and Hunor Szocs. This is the first time India has won a men’s doubles title on either the ITTF World Tour or ITTF Challenge Series.
ECONOMY
India announces $ 500 mn assistance to Mauritius
India on 27 May, 2017 announced a $ 500 million line of credit to Mauritius as the two countries decided to firm up cooperation in the field of maritime security in the Indian Ocean region. The two sides signed a maritime security agreement after bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth. They also done a deal, effective management of conventional and non-conventional threats in the Indian Ocean is essential to purpose economic opportunities and provide security to the people of both the countries.
Pondy CM Presents Tax – Free Budget For 2017-18
Chief Minister of Puducherry, V. Narayanaswamy Presented Rs. 6945 crore Tax-Free budget for the fiscal 2017-18 on May 25, 2017. Total Budget outlay of Rs. 6948 crore comprises Rs. 4445 crore for non-plan head and Rs. 2500 crore under plan. Puducherry government will contribute Rs. 4022 crore from its own resources, while central assistance will be of Rs. 1411 crore. Grants under the centrally sponsored schemes (CSS) including the Central Road Fund (CRF) has been estimated at Rs. 361 crore.
Entertainment, Cable TV, DTH to attract lower Taxes Under GST
The Union Finance Ministry on 23 May 2017 announced that the taxation on entertainment, Cable TV, and DTH services will come down under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime. Cable TV and Direct -To- Home (DTH) services will attract 18 percent GST. With regard to circus theatre, Indian classical dance including folk dance and drama, the GST rate is 18 percent. The Entertainment Services like events or cinematography films in Cinema theatres will attract 28 percent GST with effect from 1 July 2017.
Three Indian Brands among the World’s top 50 Luxury goods companies
The three Indian companies Gitanjali Gems, Titan and PC Jeweller have been named in the list of top 50 luxury companies. In the list it was topped by Louis Vuitton. Gitanjali Gems Ltd was placed in the 30th rank, followed by Titan Company (31st) and PC Jeweller (44th) in the fourth annual Global Powers of Luxury Goods report. The average luxury goods annual sales for a top 100 company stood at USD 2.1 billion.
Japan’s Softbank Invests Rs. 9,000 crore in Paytm
Japan’s Softbank invested 1.4 billion (over Rs.9,079 crore) in digital payments platform paytm. This is the largest fund investment by a single investor in an Indian start-up and also Softbank’s largest investment in a single company in India. The company plans to invest Rs. 10,000 over the next three to five years. Paytm, which runs India’s biggest digital payments system with more than 220 million users.
India Ranks 26 in World Bank Power List
India to be ranked 26th in World Bank’s electricity accessibility list in the current year from 99th spot in 2017. Out of the 15,452 villages which lacked electricity, over 13,000 villages has been provided access to electricity. The flagship scheme Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with as aim to provide 24×7 uninterrupted electricity supply to each rural household across the country by 2022.
Adani signs steel supply deal with Australian Steel group Arrium
Gautam Shantilal Adani signed a 74 million dollar landmark deal with Australian steel group Arrium to buy steel for a 400 km rail line for its Carmichael coal mine project. Arrium’s division One steel Manufacturing Proprietary limited will supply 54,000 tonnes of steel to build the rail line Adani’s 16 billion dollar Carmichael mine project has been resolved recently.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
US Successfully tests intercontinental ballistic missile defence system
The United States of America on 30 May, 2017 successfully conducted the first ever test of its defence system against an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The test was long planned. US Missile Defence Agency (MDA) stated that a ground based interceptor was launched at a california airbase and it successfully shot down a mock ballistic missile. Experts compare the exercise to hitting a bullet with another bullet. The enormous distance involved further added to the complexity of the test.
India reports its first 3 cases of the Zika Virus
India has reported its first three cases of the Zika Virus, including two pregnant women who delivered healthy babies. Health Ministry Officials said that the three patients in Western Gujarat. Zika is transmitted by the day time active Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. The medical journal Lancet has said 2.6 billion people living in parts of Africa and Asia could be at risk of Zika infection, based on analysis of travel, climate and mosquito patterns in those regions. People infected by Zika Virus never get sick and symptoms are mild for those who do, so surveillance systems may have missed cases.
Researchers discover glass frog in Ecuador
The newly discovered glass frog was found in the Amazonian lowlands of Ecuador. It was so translucent you can see its heart. The remarkable frog, whose beating heart can be seen right through its chest. It has dark green spots on its back, and red heart that can be seen through chest. Scientists have placed the newly discovered frog in the genus Hyalinobatrachium, which are known to share some of its extraordinary traits.
IIT Delhi Scientists develop Cheapest respiratory Filter
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi developed cheapest respiratory filter, named “Naso filters”. The filter, which is ready for commercialisation, restricts entry of Up to 95% dust and air pollutants. It is the cheapest naso filter available in comparison to the face masks and other alternatives available in the market to fight critical levels of air pollution. The product will soon be available in Indian and Global markets under the brand name Naso filters by Nano Clean Global Pvt Ltd.
Scientists discover First Natural Human Antibodies against Ebola Virus
A team of scientists from United States of America discovered a possible cure of Ebola Viruses. They have discovered the first natural human antibodies that are capable of neutralising and protecting animals against all three major disease causing Ebola Viruses. Ebola Virus disease is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. It was first identified in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of Congo in a Village near the Ebola.
North Korea missile test way “new type of ballistic rocket”
North Korea has claimed that the missile Hwasong – 12 it tested on 15 May, 20107 was a new type of rocket capable of carrying a large nuclear warhead. The missile, launched at a steep angle, reached an altitude of 2111.5 km (1312 miles) and travelled about 787 km (490 miles), landing in the sea west of Japan. North Korea is believed to be developing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and reaching the main lands in USA.
India test fires surface to air missile “Spyder”
India on 11 May 2017 test fired a surface to air missile ‘Spyder’ from test range in Odisha as part of missile launch Practice of a series of tests of the short range quick reaction, Spyder was test fired from a mobile launcher at launch complex 3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur and targeted a pilot less target aircraft.
Atmosphere Discovered Around “Worm Neptune”
Astronomers have discovered ‘the primitive atmosphere’ surrounding a planet “Warm Neptune” with the help of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Space Telescope. The study revealed that the exoplanet found around 430 light years from Earth has an atmosphere that composed almost entirely of hydrogen and helium, with a relatively cloudless sky.
Brazil declares end to Zika emergency
Brazil on 11 May, 2017 declared an end to public health emergency for the Zika Virus after about 18 months of fight against this mosquito borne virus. The Zika Virus emergency fell up on Brazil when the country was preparing to host the 2016 Olympics, fueling the concerns that Rio Olympics could spread the Virus. In November 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) lifted its own international health emergency status for Zika.
Last dinosaur species to survive on Earth discovered
The fossil of one of the last living African dinosaurs was discovered in a phosphate mine in northern Morocco. The species, Chenani Saurus barbaricus, is reportedly one of the last ones to have survived on earth before an asteroid strike wiped them out 66 million years ago. Its analysis suggests that a distinct dinosaur fauna evolved in Africa following the breakup of the Gondwana supercontinent in the middle of the cretaceous period. Dinosaurs are known to have lived between 230 and 65 million years ago, a period that is known as the Mesozoic Era.
India launches first South Asia satellite GSAT – 9
India launched the first South Asia Satellite built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and funded entirely by India on 5th May 2017. South Asia Satellite include mapping natural resources, telemedicine, IT – Connectivity and people to people links. It is also expected to cement bonds between Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka and overcome the negative vibes from Pakistan, which is the only South Asian Country to opt out of the project.
China and Europe to build Moon Village
The space agencies of Europe and China discussing about collaborative projects on the moon base. Moon Village will be used as as International launching pad for future missions to mars and also for the development of space tourism. The moon village proposal is along the live of NASA’s aim of getting astronauts to the vicinity of Mars by the end of the 2030.
SpaceX Launches Intelligence Mission on Falcon 9
United States America based manufacturing company Spacex successfully launched and landed a rocket carrying NROL – 76 for US intelligence from the Kennedy Space centre in Florida on 1st May, 2017. This was the fourth Space X booster landing at cape Canaveral and fifth successful mission in 2017. It is the US Space X’s first intelligence mission.
PERSONS IN NEWS
A). APPOINTMENTS
George Kurian appointed as vice Chairperson of National Commission for Minorities
George Kurian has been appointed as Vice Chairperson of National Commission for Minorities on 30th May, 2017. He is a renowned social and educational activist from kerala. Other members of the commission are Sulekha Kumbhare Sunil Singhi and Vada Dasturji Khurshed Kaikobad Dastoor. The government had appointed noted social activist and former national general secretary of the BJP Minority Morcha, Syed Ghayoor Hasan Rizvi as commission’s Chairman.
Syed Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi as Chairman of National Commission for Minorities
Syed Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi has assumed a charge of the Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities in New Delhi. He served as Chairman U.P. Minority Finance Development Corporation Limited. Syed Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi is a Graduate in Arts and also holds Diploma in Mechanics. He has been actively participating in social service. He Worked for the improvement of the basic facilities and working conditions of Beedi Workers and Weaver Community in Uttar Pradesh.
US Senate Confirms Amul Thapar to Key Judicial Post
The United States Senate has confirmed Indian American Judge Amul Thapar to a key judicial position on the powerful US Court of Appeals. The first Indian American to be nominated by President Donald Trump for 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr Thapar was confirmed by the senate 52-44, a vote which took place on party lines. With this Mr. Thapar will become the second South Asian Judge to be on a US circuit court of Appeals.
Google India head Rajan Anandan appointed IAMAI Chairman
Google’s Vice-President for South East Asia and India, Rajan Anandan appointed as new Chairman of Internet and Mobile Association of India co-founder and Chief executive officer. Make My Trip Chairman and Group CEO Deep Kalra will be the Vice Chairman. Facebook’s managing director for India and South Asia. Umang Bedi will be the new treasurer. Subho Ray will continue to be the President of IAMAI.
Anurag Tripathy Appointed as Secretary of CBSE
Senior bureaucrat Anurag Tripathy was on 25 May, 2017 appointed as the secretary of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Tripathy, a 1998 batch officer of Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS), has been appointed to the post for a period of five years, an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training. The CBSE is a notional school education board. It also conducts IIT JEE and NEET exams for engineering and medicine admission.
Sanjay Mitra took charge as Defence Secretary
Sanjay Mitra took charge as the Defence Secretary on 25 May, 2017. Mitra succeeds G. Mohan Kumar. Mitra, a 1982 batch IAS officer of West Bengal Cadre, will have a fixed two year tenure. His appointment as the new Defence Secretary was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on 10 May 2017. He also served as Joint Secretary in PM’s office Manmohan Singh from November 2004 to July 2011.
Socialist Lenin Moreno sworn in as President of Ecuador
Lenin Moreno was sworn in as President of Ecuador on 24th of May 2017. The Lenin Moreno is a socialist leader and he is 64years old. Moreno is one of the world’s few paraplegic heads of state and he said in his speech that he will continue anti poverty programmes. Guillermo Lasso, a farmer banker, called for a recount after losing the run off election. The electoral council upheld Moreno’s 2.3 percent margin of victory.
1st Indian Woman elected to city of London Corporation
Rehana Ameer, a 43 year old UK entrepreneurs, has become the first Indian born woman to be elected as a councillor to the city of London Corporation. Ameer, who was born and raised in Chennai, aims to promote city’s businesses in International Markets and focuses on road safety, improved air quality and developing the city’s presence overseas.
Hassan Rouhani As President of Iran
Hassan Rouhani re-elected as the President of Iran. He was elected as President for his first term in 2013. His resounding Victory came after a hard fought election campaign in which he promised to increase Iran’s engagement with the World and improve civil rights domestically. Before winning the 2013 presidential elections, he was a members of the Supreme National Security Council.
Air Marshal PN Pradhan appointed as Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff
Air Marshal PN Pradhan appointed as the Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Operations). He was closely associated with the induction and operationalisation of Embraer – 135 and C-130 fleets in the Indian Air Force (IAF). He was awarded ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2014. Pradhan hold various positions like Assistant Chief of Air staff (Transport and Helicopters) and Assistant Chief of Air Staff (personnel Airmen and Civilians) at Air Headquarters.
Ovais Sarmad appointed as the deputy executive secretary of UNFCCC
Ovais Sarmad is an Indian national appointed by the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to the post of DeputyExecutive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). He is currently the Chief of Staff to the Director General of the International Organization for Migration. His appointment is mainly aimed to stabilize greenhouse emission and slow down climate change.
Edouard Philippe named as Prime Minister of France
French President Emmanuel Macron on 15 May, 2017 named Edouard Philippe as Prime Minister of France. Philippe comes from the ranks of a center right party outside Macron’s own movement. Philippe is a member of the Les Republican’s party and is close to Alain Juppe, the former Prime Minister who endorsed Macron after he won the first round of the Presidential election. He has also served as mayor of Le Havre in France.
VK Saraswat named as New JNU Chancellor
The HRD Ministry has named scientist and former DRDO chief Vijay Kumar Saraswat as the next chancellor of JNU. A full time member of NITI Ayog, Saraswat will be replacing ISRO Chief K. Kasturirangan, who completed his term on 30 March, 2017. Saraswat was conferred Padma Shri in 1998, Padma Bhushan in 2013 and had served as a chief scientific advisor to the Minister of Defence.
Amitabh Bachchan Appointed WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Hepatitis
Veteran Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan, a Hepatitis B conqueror, was on 12 May, 2017 appointed the Who Goodwill Ambassador for the Hepatitis awareness programme in Southeast Asia Region. He says nobody should suffer from the disease. The famous actor has been brought on board to boost awareness and intensity action to arrest the Hepatitis epidemic. Announcing his association with WHO, Poonam Khetrapal Singh Regional Director for WHO Southeast Asia.
Vinay Mohan Kwatra named new ambassador to France
Vinay Mohan Kwatra named as new ambassador to France. Currently he is a joint secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office. Vinay is a 1988 batch Foreign Service Officer. He will succeed Mohan Kumar. He is an experience of dealing with the UN Organisations such as International Labour Organisation (ILO) and World Health Organisation (WHO). He has also served in Indian diplomatic missions in China and the U.S.
Aruna Sundararajan appointed as secretary of Department of Telecommunications
Aruna Sundararajan was on 10 May, 2017 appointed as secretary of Department of Telecommunications. However, she will continue to serve as the secretary for Union Ministry of Electronics and IT. Aruna succeeds PK Pujari, who was appointed to the post temporarily in March 2017. Sundararajan secretary position will also be temporary. The post of full time secretary JS Deepak was removal from the post in March 2017.
Mark Lowcock to be named as UN Humanitarian Chief
Mark Lowcock, the head of Britain’s International Development Department, has been appointed has United Nation’s new Humanitarian aid Chief by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Mr. Low Cock will replace Stephen ‘O’ Brien. Low Cock will be the 4th British National to held post of UN Humanitarian Chief since 2007. His candidature for this post was strongly. Backed by British PM Theresa May.
Sanjay Mitra appointed as defence Secretary
Road Transport & Highways secretary Sanjay Mitra was on 10 May 2017 appointed as Defence Secretary in a top level bureaucratic reshuffle. His appointment was approved by Appointments Committee of Cabinet . Mitra will succeed G. Mohan Kumar, who will completes his tenure on 24 May 2017. Till then, Mitra will function as an Officer on Special Duty in the Defence Ministry. This will be his first posting in the Defence Ministry.
Mukul Mudgal elected head of FIFA Governance Committee
Justice Mukul Mudgal was on 11 May, 2017 elected as head of FIFA’s governance committee at the world football governing body’s 67th Congress in Bahrain’s capital city of Manama. Justice Mudgal was appointed deputy chairman of the governance committee in May last year during the FIFA congress in Mexico. Mudgal has been, involved in overseeing the conduct of International cricket Matches and the IPL games at the Ferozshah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi.
Twitter India appoints Taranjeet Singh as Country Director
Twitter India has appointed Taranjeet Singh as country Director. In this new role, Singh will lead the twitter India team by driving an integrated business strategy and spearheading cross functional collaboration to accelerate. Twitter’s audience and revenue growth in this key growth market. Before joining twitter, Taranjeet Singh held various positions at BBC Advertising and outlook publishing etc.
Venu Rajamony appointed India’s Ambassador to Netherlands
Venu Rajamony appointed as India’s Ambassador to the Netherlands. Rajamony will also be India’s permanent Representative to the Organisation for Prevention of Chemical Weapons based in the Hague and cover the International Court of Justice. Rajamony last position abroad was as Consul General of India in Dubai from 2007 to 2010. He is expected to take up the new assignment in next month.
Moon Jae is as President of South Korea
South Korea liberal leader Moon Jae in took the Oath as President of South Korea. He is expected to strengthen the alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea and to deepen the enduring friendship and partnership between our two countries. Moon, of the Democratic party, took 41.1 percent of votes, far ahead of conservative Hong Joon Pyo, his closest rival on 24.03 percent of votes.
Sohail Mahmood to be Pakistan’s new High Commissioner to India
Sohail Mahmood, one of Pakistan’s senior most diplomat, will be country’s new High Commissioner to India. Mahmood 55, currently Pakistan’s ambassador in Turkey. He had applied for the visa from Turkey after being nominated for the key job in India. Mahmood may take up his new assignment at the end of this month or early next months. He will succeeded Abdul Basit who has already completed his three year tenure in New Delhi.
Venkaiah Naidu elected as President of UN-Habitat
India has been unanimously elected as the president of the UN-Habitat, an organ of the United Nations Promoting sustainable human settlements across the globe. M.Venkaiah Naidu Chaired the Organ. Since the UN-Habitat came into being in 1978, it is only the third time that india has been elected to lead this important organization after 2007 and 1988. The 26th meeting of the 58 member Governing Council of UN-Habitat, chaired by Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu began on 8 May, 2017 at Nairobi in Kenya.
3 Indian Origin scientists elected fellows of UK Royal Society
Three Indian Origin scientists have been elected fellows of the Royal Society, Britain’s independent fellowship of many of the World’s most eminent scientists, for their outstanding contributions to science. Krishna Chatterjee from Cambridge University, Subhash Khot from New York University, and Yadvinder Malhi from Oxford University are among 50 distinguished people from across the World elected as the 2017 cohort of fellows of academy.
Emmanuel Macron elected as President of France
Emmanuel Macron was elected French president on 7th May, 2017. He was defeating Marine Le Pen, a far right nationalist who threatened to take France out of the European Union. Mr Macron will also become the first president from outside the two traditional main parties since the modern republics foundation in 1958. Mr Marcon had about 19.3 million votes, while Marine Le Pen scored about 10.4 million was the close rival in elections.
Prabhat Kamal Bezboruah appointed as Chairman of Tea Board of India
Renowned tea planter from Assam, Prabhat Kamal Bezboruah was on 4 May, 2017 appointed as the Chairman of the Tea Board of India. Bezboruah will have tenure till November 2018. With this, Bezboruah became the first non IAS Officer who has became to head the Kolkata headquartered Tea Board, the governing body of the industry. On the other had renowned coffee grower MS Boje Gowda was appointed as chairman of Coffee Board of India.
Braj Bihari Kumar to Succeed SK Thorat As ICSSR Chief
Braj Bihari Kumar will succeed economist prof SK Thorat as the Chairman of the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). Mr Kumar editor of Quarterly Journals Dialogue and Chintan Srijan, has been appointed for the top of the social science organisation. Kumar has been appointed for a term of three years. SK Thorat was heading the council since April 2011.
Anil Kumar Singhal appointed as EO for TTD
The Northern IAS officer Anil Kumar Singhal has been appointed to the post of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Executive Officer (EO) Presently he was the resident commissioner of Ap Bhavan, at New Delhi. He was 1993 batch IAS Officer. The Govt has issued the orders to Singhal. In 2002 he was worked as Chittoor District Joint collector and then he also worked in 2004 as Medak District Collector.
Anthony Lianzuala takes over as new controller General of Accounts
Anthony Lianzuala took over as the New Controller General of Accounts (CGA) in New Delhi, on 1st May 2017. Earlier the Government of India had appointed Mr. Lianzuala, 1982 batch Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAs) officer, as the new controller General of Accounts (CGA), Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance with effect from May 1, 2017. He will be the first person from the North-Eastern Region to hold this position.
Shobana Kamineni appointed as new CII President
Shobana Kamineni has been appointed as first woman president of confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on 1 May 2017. Shobana is presently an executive vice chairperson of the Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited. She is an Independent Director on the Boards of Blue star Limited and Hero Motocorp. She will take over the top position from the current president Naushad Forbes.
B). RESIGNS
Shaktikanta Das retires as Economic Affairs Secretary
Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das on 31 May, 2017 announced his retirement as the Corporate Affairs Secretary, after being associated with the Government of India for almost 37 years. He will be succeeded by Tapan Ray, who will take the additional charges as the new Economic Affairs Secretary Das served as the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure, Govt of India. He also served as secretary of the Industries Department of Government of Tamil Nadu.
Prachanda resigns as Nepal PM
Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachand has resigned paving way for Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba to become the next Prime Minister. The resignation is to honor an accord signed in August 2016 when prachanda was elected the Prime Minister with Deuba’s support. According to agreement, Prachanda was to remain in office until the local elections were held while polls at the provincial and central levels were to be conducted under Deuba as the Prime Minister.
Donald Trump step downed FBI Director James Comey
Donald Trump has fired James Comey, the FBI director, over his handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails, a dramatic dismissal of the man in charge of investigating the Trump campaign’s connections with Russia. Trump said in a letter to Mr Comey that he was “not able to effectively lead the bureau’. Meanwhile, Trump’s own tweets and media reports indicate he remains furious over the FBI’s investigation of his Campains link to Russia.
C). DEATHS
Veteran Telugu Filmmaker Dasari Narayana Rao Pases Away
Veteran Telugu Filmmaker and former Union Minister Dasari Narayana Rao passed away on 30 May 2017 following heart failure. He was 75, Narayana Rao known for directing movies with legendary actors like NT Rama Rao and Akkineni Nageswara Rao. He was also an active politician in the congress party and served as a Union Minister during the UPA regime. Rao began his career as a theatre artiste and went on to work in films. Rao directed his first film in the early 1970s. He launched the popular Telugu Daily Udayam in 1984.
Former Greek Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis dies at 98
Former Greek Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis, one of the Greece’s most prominent veteran politicians died on 29 May 2017. Mitsotakis, whose political career spanned more than half a century, was Prime Minister of Greece from 1990 to 1993. Mitsotakis was first elected to parliament at the age of 28 as a member of a liberal party. His son, Kyriakos, in the incumbent President of New Democracy, now the chief Opposition party in the country.
Punjab “Supercop” KPS Gill dies at 82
Punjab Supercop KPS Gill, often credited with rooting out militancy in Punjab Died in the hospital Sir Ganga Ram in Delhi. He was 82. The former Director General of Police (DGD) of Punjab was admitted to the hospital. He was suffering from and stage kidney failure and significant ischemic heart disease. Gill served twice as the DGP of Punjab, is credited with having brought the Punjab insurgency under control. He was retired in 1995.
James Bond Star Roger Moore Dies at 89
Roger Moore, the longest serving movie star to play iconic British spy James Bond in the famed film series, has died on 23 May in switzerland after a brief bout with cancer. He was 89. He was worked as a British soldier after the World War – II. Later Moore was trained in Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and then he was entered into the pictures. Live and let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, Moon Maker, For your Icd only, Octopussy, A view To kill were his best pictures on the James Bond brand.
Veteran actress Reema Lagoo passes Away
Veteran Bollywood actress Reema Lagoo died on 18 May 2017 at Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai. She reportedly suffered a massive cardiac arrest. She was 59. Lagoo who appeared in several hindi and Marathi Films also acted in numerous television shows like Tu Tu Main Main and Shrimaan Shrimati. She played a role of a mother in several Bollywood films like Maine Pyar Kiya, Aashiqui, saajan, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and so on. She had a presence on Marathi stage for nearly four decades.
Former puducherry CM S. Ramaswamy passes Away
Former Puducherry Chief Minister S. Ramaswamy passed away in Puducherry after a brief illness. He was 80. He was Home Minister in the DMK-CPT Coalition Ministry for a brief period. He was also the Chief Minister in the AIADMK Government in 1977, which lasted in office for a little over one year. He successfully contested as Independent from Karaikal in 1985 and 1990. Ramaswamy joined in Congress Party in 1992.
NCP leaden Arjun Tulshiram passes Away
Senior NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Arjun Tulshiram Pawar passed away after prolonged illness. He was so, He was the minister of state for tribal welfare in the Congress. NCP Government led by Vilasrao Deshmukh in 1999. The leader, who had for many years represented Kalwan, a constituency reserved for Scheduled Tribes in Nasik District, lost the 2014 state Assembly election.
Legendary Sitarist Ustad Rais Khan passes Away
Renowned sitar maestro Ustad Rais Khan passed away in Karachi, Pakistan. He was 77. Ustad Rais Khan was born in Indian city of Indoe, Madhya Pradesh, on 25 November 1939. The Sitarist’s maternal grandfather Inayat Alikhan was also considered one of the finest Sitar players in the sub continent, Ustad Rais Khan was regarded as one of the greatest sitar players of all times. He was belonged to Mewati gharana, which is connected to Indore gharana.
First Woman Chief Judge of State High Court, Leila Seth Passes Away
Justice Leila Seth, the first woman Judge of Delhi High Court, passed away on 6 May, 2017 after a brief illness in Uttar Pradesh. She was 86. Seth was the first woman to have topped the London Bar Exam, first woman judge of Delhi High Court and also the first woman Chief Justice of a State High Court of Himachal Pradesh. She was one of Three members of Justice verma Committee which was constituted in 2012 to recommend amendments to criminal law.
Dronacharya Awardee Wrestler Capt Chandroop Passes Away
Dronacharya Awarded and Wrestler Captain Chand Roop has passed away. He was 88, Captain Chand Roop was received Dronacharya Award in 2010. He received the award for his Contribution to Wrestling. Roop who was born in 1930 jointed the Indian Army in 1948 in Grenadiers regiment. After retirement from Army in 1979 from the post of captain, he opened an akhara at Azadpur Mandi of New Delhi in 1980.
Sufi legend Begum Yaman passes Away at 52
Famous Sufi singer and daughter of legendary Sitar Maestro (late) Ustad Vilayat Alikhan, Begum Yaman K. Khan has passed away after multiple organ failure. Khan was admitted to the Christian Medical college and Hospital, Ludhiana for the treatment of liver failure and breathed her last at 3. A.m. She was the recipient of “Hazrat Amir Khusro Award”by Urdu Press Club International and an award for her excellence and contribution to semiclassical and sufiana Kalam by Balkan-ji-Bari International.
D). VISITORS
Palestine President arrives on 4-day visit to India
President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas arrived in India on a four-day State visit. During his stay in New Delhi, President Abbas will visit C-DAC in Noida to forge cooperation between Palestine – India Techno Park being built by India in Palestine and Indian IT industry. The visit of President Mahmoud Abbas will provide an opportunity for reviewing the entire gamut of bilateral relations, regional and international issues. MoUs on cooperation in various sectors are also expected to be signed during the visit. This is his third State visit to India.
PM Modi to visit Sri Lanka today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on the two-day visit to Sri Lanka which is a sign of “strong relationship” between the two countries and brings to the fore the shared heritage of Buddhism. During his two-day visit, he will participate in the International Vesak Day celebrations, the biggest festival of Buddhists, inaugurate a hospital built with Indian assistance and address the Indian-origin Tamil community, besides attending some other programs.
E). MISCELLANEOUS
India’s First Electric Cab Fleet to be launched in Nagpur
India’s first electric cab fleet is going to be launched in Nagpur from the 26th of May 2017. With India’s pledge to go all electric by 2030, this is a good way to get things rolling. Union Transport Minister, Nitin Gadkari, had earlier said that the trial of the electric radio cabs will begin from 24th of May 2017 but now that has been postponed by two days to coincide with the three year completion of the Narendra Modi Government. With this Nagpur will be the first city in the country to adopt electric cabs.
Indian – Origin girl Raj Gauri Pawar scores 162 in Mensa IQ Test
At 12, Raj Gauri Pawar has scored in incredible 162 in the British Mensa IQ test. The figure beats Albert Einstein’s estimated score and that of professor stephen Hawking, who scored 160. Raj Gauri is a top 1 percent score, landing her the elite British Mensa membership for high IQ talents across the globe. According to Mensa, the largest and oldest high IQ society in the World. She is one of only 20.000 people to achieve the score world wide.
‘Bahubali 2’ becomes first Indian movie to cross Rs.1000 cr at Box Office
Indian director SS Rajamouli’s Bahubali 2. The conclusion has reportedly created history by crossing 100 crore on the very first day of its release. According to the Box Office India Report, Bahubali 2 crossed the 800 crore mark on 6th day. It earned 800 + crore in India and 200 + crore in overseas. With this ‘Bahubali 2’ becomes first Indian Movie to cross Rs.1000 crore at box office. The main lead of the film, Prabhas’s wan statue as Bahubali will be placed at Madame Tussauds museum. He is only the South Actor, to receive such as honour.
Prince Philip to step down from Royal Engagements
Prince Philip is to permanently retire from royal duties. The 95 year old will no longer carry out public engagements from the Autumn. It was the Duke’s decision taken with the support of the Queen. Prince Philip will attend Previously scheduled engagements between now and August both individually and accompanying the Queen. On 3rd May, 2017 he was opened a new stand at Lord’s Cricket Ground in Central London.
PLACES IN NEWS
Country’s first Ornamental fish Park to Come Up at Chennai
India’s first Aquatic Rainbow Technology Park (ARTP) will be set up in Chennai. The Park will include an ultra modern facility for Ornamental fish Equipped with multi species hatchery and live feed culture units. Tamil Nadu is the second largest exporter of Ornamental fish after West Bengal. The facility is being developed by Fisheries College and Research Institute, Ponneri in Tamil Nadu.
Railway Bridge taller than Eiffel Tower to be built over Chenab River
Railways Ministry on 3 May 2017 announced to build the world’s highest railway bridge over the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir in around two years from now. This railway bridge is expected to be 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower of Paris. The massive arch-shaped structure of bridge is already under constructed at a cost of around Rs.1100 crore in hostile terrain. It was designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 260 km per hour, the bridge will connect Bakkal (Katra) and Kauri (Srinagar)
Second – tallest flag post comes up in Kolhapur Maharashtra
India’s second tallest flagpole has been inaugurated in Kolhapur at Western Maharashtra. The pole is 300 feet high 90 feet long and 60 feet wide, Weighs 24 tonne, and it cost around 1.1 crore for the installation. Kolhapur Street Beautification project (KSBP), a registered trust, has installed the flag post. CM Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the pole by unfurl a national flag of 5400 sq ft as a part of the “Maharashtra Din” celebrations in the state.
BOOKS IN NEWS
New Book on Virat Kohli’s Winning Formula Revealed by Abhirup Bhattacharya
A new book “Winning Like Virat Think and Succeed Like Kohli” by Abhirup Bhattacharya, unravels the secrets of the cricketer’s consistent form, while attempting decode his philosophy towards life. In this book, the writer etches Virat’s success curve by using statistics that chart his performances and anecdotes from his predecessors and contemporaries in the game. According to Bhattacharya, it is only Virat Kohli who has managed to enjoy fandom that comes ever close to the popularity of Sachin Tendulkar.
Kiren Rijiju unveils World’s first Philosophical book on God
The World’s first Philosophical novel on God was presented by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju. In a rare feat, a young Indian IAS Officer, Haulianlal Guite, who hails from country’s most remote are as of Manipur state has recently published a book titled “Confessions of a dying Mind, the blind faith of atheism” in New Delhi. The book billed as “the world’s first Philosophical novel for god” whose author is arguably the first Indian civil servant to write on Philosophy since John Stuart Mill Published on Liberty way back in 1858.
Union Home Minister releases the book “India 2017 year book”
The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has released the book ‘India 2017 year book’ authored by the Union Secretary, Shri Rajiv Mehrishi on 23 May, 2017. The CEO, NITI Aayog, Shri Amitabh Kant was also present on the occasion. Mr. Singh said that the Book Would be extremely useful for all competitive exams besides being a storehouse of knowledge stretching overs history of 300 years. He also said that every household should provide this book to children of 8th standard on wards so that they gain comprehensive knowledge of India’s history, economy, social fabric and current affairs.
PM Modi Releases Book Series Written by M.S Swaminathan
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released a two part book series Written by eminent agricultural scientist Dr. M.S. Swaminathan. The series titled M.S. Swaminathan. The Quest for a World without hunger. The Indian Government has honored him with its prestigious national decorations like Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan. He is the Chairman and founder of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, chennai.
COMMITTEES
Madhav Chitale Committee Recommends Measures for De-Silting Ganga
The Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation had constituted a committee to prepare guidelines for desiltation of Ganga River last year. The four member committee is headed by Madhav Chitale (Expert Member of National Ganga River Basin Authority). The other members of the committee include Secretary, Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Secretary, Union Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change and Dr. Mukesh Sinha, Director, Central Water and Power Research Station, Pune. The committee was constituted as per the commitment made by Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti while chairing the 6th meeting of the National Ganga River Basin Authority in New Delhi in July, 2016.
IMPORTANT DAYS & DATES
World No Tobacco Day 31 May 2017
World No Tobacco Day was first introduced by the World Health Organization to be celebrated as a most recognized event all over the world in order to make people easily get aware of all the problems and health Complications occurred by the tobacco chewing or smoking to prevent all the health hazards to make the whole world free to tobacco and healthy world of people. It was first celebrated on 7th of April in the year 1988 and later it was declared to be celebrated as No Tobacco day on 31st of May every year.
May 29-International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers
The International Day of United National Peace Keepers observed on 29 May globally every year. The theme for the 2017 International Day of Un Peacekeepers is “Investing in peace Around the World”. The Aim of the day is to pay tribute to the uniformed and civilian personnel’s invaluable contribution to the work of the organization and to honour more than 3,500 peacekeepers who have lost their lives serving under the UN flag since 1948.
World Turtle Day May 23, 2017
Every year, World Turtle Day is celebrated across the World on May 23. This day is sponsored since 2000 by American Tortoise Rescue. Celebrating this day is to bring attention to, and increase knowledge of and respect for, turtles and tortoises and encourage human action to help them survive and thrive. According to American Tortoise Rescue, turtles and tortoises are threatened by the exotic food trade, habitat destruction, global warming and pet trade.
International Day of Biological Diversity 22 May
The International Day of Biological Diversity (IDB) is celebrated annually on May 22 around the globe by United Nations. The theme for IDB 2017 is “Biodiversity and sustainable Tourism”. It aims on the opportunity to raise awareness of the important contribution of sustainable tourism both to economic growth and to the conservation of biodiversity. The United Nations in the year 2000 adopted a proposal to proclaim May 22 the International Day for Biological Diversity.
National Anti Terrorism Day observed on 21st May
National Anti Terrorism Day was observed on May 21 across the country to raise the awareness of the danger of terrorism and violence. The day is celebrated to commemorate the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Chamba Deputy Commissioner Sudesh Mokhada administered the anti-terrorism pledges to the officers and employees of various departments.
World Metrology Day – 20 May
World Metrology Day is observed every year on 20 May. Metrology Plays a Central role in Scientific discovery and innovation, industrial manufacturing and international Trade, in improving the quality of life and in Protecting the global environment. The 2017 theme is Measurements for Transporte. World Metrology Day is an international annual event that marks the signing of the Metre Convention on 20 May 1875 by representatives of seventeen nations.
World AIDS Vaccine Awareness Day May 18
World AIDS Vaccine Day takes place on May 18, 2017. The day, also known as HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, is observed annually. HIV Vaccine advocates mark the day by promoting the continued urgent need for a vaccine to prevent HIV infection and AIDS. The first World AIDS Vaccine Day was observed on May 18, 1998, to commemorate the anniversary of clinton’s speech, and the tradition continues today. Each year communities around the globe hold a variety of activities on World AIDS Vaccine Day.
World Telecommunication and Information Society Day – 17 May
The World Telecommunication and Information Society Day was observed on 17 May 2017. The 2017 theme of this day is “Big Data for Big Impact”. The theme focuses on the power of Big data for Big Impact”. The theme focuses on the power of Big Data for development and aims to explore how to turn imperfect, complex, often unstructured data into actionable information is a development context. In November 2005, the World Summit on the Information Society called upon the UN General Assembly to declare 17 May as World Information and Society Day.
National Dengue Day May 16, 2017
The Government of India has declared 16th May as National Dengue Day by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of India. Dengue is a viral Disease that is transmitted by the bite of Aedes Mosquito. Dengue has symptoms such as high grade fever 2 to 7 days and headache, Vomiting, muscle and joint pains and Characteristic Skin rash. The disease is endemic in More than 100 countries in the WHO regions of Africa, the America, the Eastern Mediterranean, South East Asia and the Western Pacific.
International Day of Families 15 May
The International Day of Families is Observed on the 15th May every year. This year’s Observance on the focuses role of families and family oriented policies in promoting education and overall well-being of their members. In Particular, the day is to raise awareness of the role of families in promoting early childhood education and lifelong learning opportunities for children and youth. This holiday was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993. The first observation took place on May 15, 2017.
International Mother’s Day May 14, 2017
International Mother’s Day is a ceremony honoring the mother of the family, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the importance of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the World most commonly in the months of March or May. It supplements similar celebrations honouring families members, such as Father’s Day. Siblings Day, and Grand Parents Day. International Mother’s Day Celebrates the moms in your life at one of these events happening around Metro Vancouver.
International Nurses Day 12 May 2017
International Nurses Day (IND) is celebrated every year all around the world on 12th May. It was to commemorate the birth anniversary of the florence Nightingale and to mark the nurses contributions towards people’s health. Nurses Day was first proposed by the Dorothy Sutherland Can officer from the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare in the year 1953 and first proclaimed by the president Dwight D. Eisenhower.
National Technology Day 2017 May 11
Every year “National Technology Day” is celebrated across India on May 11, being commemorated to memorize the anniversary of Shakti, the Pokhran nuclear test held on 11 May 1998. The day glorifies the importance of science in day to day life and motivates students to adopt science as the career option. Several events are organized in various engineering colleges and technical institutes to mark the occasion. The companies and individual are awarded with National Technology Awards for adopting new technologies by the president of India.
World Migratory Bird Day 10 May
The World Migratory Bird Day (WWBD) is observed across the world on 10th May. the theme of WMBD 2017 is “Their Future is our Future A Healthy Planet for Migratory Birds and People”. This day aims to highlight the independence of people and nature, and more specifically people and migratory birds, as they share the same planet and the same limited resources.
World Red Cross Day May 8, 2017
The World Red Cross Day is celebrated every year on 8th May. This date is anniversary of the birth of Henry Dunant born on 8 May 1828, the founder of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize. The Committee exists to provide compassionate care to those in any kind of need. The theme of this year 2017 is “Less Knowned Cross Stories”.
May 4 : International Firefighters Day
International Firefighters Day (IFFD) is observed on May 4 every year. It was instituted after proposal emailed out across the World on January 4, 1999 due to deaths of five firefighters in tragic circumstances in a bushfire in Australia From then May 4 used to be a traditional Firefighters’ Day in Many European Countries, because it is the day of Saint Florian, patron saint of firefighters.
International Labour Day 1 May 2017
International Workers Day, also known as International Labour Day. In some countries, is a celebration of labourers and the working classes that is promoted by the international labour movement, socialists, communists or anarchists. It occurs every year on May Day which is 1st May. It is the day to pay tribute to the labourers. Without them nothing will complete. In India, the first labour day or May Day was celebrated in 1923 in Chennai.
10:13 PM, 26-Oct-2017
INTERNATIONAL
Former Iranian President disqualified from President Elections
Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been disqualified from running in next month’s Presidential elections. His name was left out of the final list of approved candidates, that was announced on 20 April, 2017. The decision was taken by the Guardian Council, a group of influential jurists and clerics that was charged with the responsibility of screening the candidates for the upcoming elections, which were scheduled to be held on 19 May, 2017.
China to host BRICS Film Festival in June
The 2017 BRICS Film Festival will be held in Chengdu, South West China’s Sichuan Province from June 23 to 27. There will be 30 films from BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Screened during the festival, including an anthology by five directors from the aforementioned countries. The feature film consisting of five 18 minute shorts on the same theme is a joint work by walter Salles from Brazil, Aleksey Fedorchenko from Russia, Madhur Bhandarkar from India, Jahmil X.T. Qubeka from South Africa and Jia Zhangke from China.
Philippine President Duterte wins Time 100 Reader Poll
Rodrigo Duterte, the President of Philippines has won this year’s Time Magazine’s Readers Readers Poll of the 100 most influential people in the world. Duterte received 5% to total, Yes Votes. He maintained the lead, right from the beginning of the poll. Time 100 Readers Poll closed on April 16, 2017. Time 100 Readers Poll is an online server conducted by Time Magazine, under which the readers are asked to vote for probable contenders of the list.
North Korea starts celebrating birthday of countries Founder
North Korean leader Kim Jong un started a massive parade in the capital city on 15 April 2017. The country celebrating the birthday of Jong’s late grandfather North Korea Founder Kim II Sung. North Korea put on a huge military spectacle on the founder’s birthday, parading its series of new and technologically advanced missiles in front of Kim Jong Un and in a defiant show of force in front of the world.
Two billion people drinking contaminated water WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently published a report, Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking Water (GLASS) 2017, that states that nearly two billion people currently use contaminated water. This contaminated water is also a major factor in several neglected tropical diseases, including intestinal worms, schistosomiasis and trachoma. As per the report, countries have increased their budgets for water, sanitation and hygiene.
US drops ‘MOAB’ on ISIS caves in Afghanistan
The United States on 13 April 2017 dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb ever deployed in combat on an Islamic state tunnel complex in eastern Afghanistan. The bomb was dropped by an MC-130 air craft, operated by the Air Force special operations command. A GBU 43/B Massive ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB), nick named Mother of all Bombs was dropped on a tunnel complex of ISIS – Khorasan, a regional affiliate of the terror group in Achin district of Afghanistan’s Nanagarh province.
Achim Steiner as New Administrator of
United Nations Chief Antonio Guterres appointed Achim Steiner as new administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on 12 April, 2017. Steiner, A German with extensive experience at world organization. He will succeeded Helen clark, a former New Zealand Prime Minister. Clark has steered the United Nations Development programme (UNDP) since 2009 Steiner has served at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
First rail freight service to China departs UK
The Government of China recently launched a rail freight service between China and London. The train is loaded with whisky soft drinks, vitamins and baby products. The train with 30 containers filled with UK produced goods, set off on the 7500 – mile journey from Stanford –le-Hope in Essex. The train will reach its destination in 18 days. It is the first direct rail link between China and Great Britain.
Lenin Moreno elected President of Ecuador
Ecuador elected Lenin Moreno as the country’s new President, according to the CNE (National Electoral Council) electoral agency. Renowned Moreno and his Vice President Jorge Glas won with 5,057,149 votes or 51.16 percent over former banker Guillermo Lasso and his Vice President Andres Paez, of the right wing CREO – SUMA alliance, who secured 4,827,753 votes and 48.84 percent.
Japan officially recognises Bitcoin as Currency
Japan officially recognized bitcoin and digital currencies as legal money with effect from 1 April 2017. The recognition comes after implementation of a new law amending Banking act in Japan for legalizing these currencies. The step will facilitate integration of digital currency into legal banking system through regulatory scrutiny. Bitcoin is a crypto currency and an electronic payment system.
Myanmar becomes SASEC’s 7th Member
Myanmar become the seventh member of the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) partnership, opening up new markets and supply chain links for trade and business between South Asia and Southeast Asia. SASEC countries Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka coordinate the planning of projects and activities to increase economic growth by building transport connectivity, facilitating faster and more efficient trade and promoting cross border power trade.
INDIA & WORLD
India ranks 136 in World Press Freedom Index 2017
In the list of 180 counties mapped, India stands at 136, down from last year’s 133, colour coded again in red to show the situation as difficult. India has slipped three notches in the World Press Freedom Index 2017, a report released by global media watchdog Reporters without Borders. In this index including 72 countries Russia, India, China are in the situation as difficult. Norway ranked 1st in the Index, Sweden 2nd, Finland 3rd position in the list. While North Korea ranked 180, at the bottom of the Index.
Bill Gates praises PM Modi for Swachh Bharat Mission
Microsoft Co-founder and the World’s richest person, Bill Gates has Praised PM Narendra Modi for the Swachh Bharat Mission. Bill Gated specially mentioned the mission’s aim of building 75 million toilets across India, and at present 30% of India’s villages are now open defecation free. Clean India started with 42% of Indians but today it achieved more than 60% successfully.
Indo-French Naval Exercise “Varuna” Commences
The Indian Navy has began a joint maritime exercise with the French Navy at the Mediterranean Sea to further deepen combat coordination between the two Navies. Guided missile destroyer INS Mumbai, stealth frigate INS Trishul and fleet tanker INS Aditya are taking part in the ‘Varuna’ exercise which will continue till April 30. The ‘Varuna’ series of exercises began in 2000 and have grown into an institutionalized form of interaction between the two navies.
India becomes World’s fifth largest military spender
As per figures revealed by Stockholm International peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India has become World’s fifth largest military spender in the year 2016. India’s military expenditure for 2016 was $ 55.9 billion, which marks 8.5% growth over 2015 figure. United States of America with $ 611 billion. China with $ 215 billion, and Russia with $ 69.2 billion.
India replaces Japan as No. ‘2’ LPG Importer
Import of LPG, which is mostly used as cooking fuel in India, during 2016-17 was 11 million tonnes. This marks a growth of 23% as compared to previous year. During the same period. Japan imported 10.6 million tonnes LPG, marking a 3.2% reduction as compared to previous year. In context of this news, it is to be noted that Japan is deliberately cutting back on usage of LPG as cooking fuel and is moving to cheaper alternatives such as Natural Gas. China has retained its position as world’s top LPG importer.
Time releases list of 100 Most Influential People of 2017
Time Magazine on 20 April 2017 released the annual list of 100 most influential people of 2017. This years list included the names of Presidents, Prime Ministers, CEOs and celebrities for the power of their inventions, the scale of their ambitions, the genius of their solutions to problems that could not be solved before. This year only two Indians to feature on the list Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Paytm founder vijay Shekhar Sharma.
Gandhi Stamps sold at 500,0000 pounds at an auction in UK
A set of four rare stamps, featuring the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi has fetched 5 lakh pounds at an auction which is so far, the highest price ever paid for Indian Stamps. The auction was held in United Kingdom, the purchaser is a private australian stamp collector. As per authoritative issue records, only 13 of these 1948 Gandhi 10 – rupee purple Brown and Lake ‘Service’ stamps are in circulation.
China renames six places in Arunachal Pradesh on its official map
China has announced its official names for six places in Arunachal Pradesh and has strong protests with India over the Dalai Lama’s visit to the frontier state. It was aimed at declare China’s claim over Arunachal Pradesh. The official names of six place using at the Roman alphabet one Wo Gyainling, Mila Ri, Qoidengarbo Ri, Mainquka, Bumo La, and Namka Pub Ri.
Australia Abolishes Work Visa Policy 457 Used Largely By Indian
Australian Govt will replace its popular 457 Visa that brings temporary foreign workers to the country with a new version that will recruit only the “best and the brightest in the nation interest” The move to abolish the Visa, used by over 95,000 temporary workers, a majority of them Indians, aims at tackling the growing unemployment in the country.
Alia Bhatt features on Forbes 30 under 30 Asia list
Actress Alia Bhatt has featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list. She is the only Bollywood Actress who has made it to this year. The actress has got a place in Forbes Under 30 Asia list. Alia got her name in the elite list after doing some of the highest earning films and gave best performances in recent times. Alia Bhatt has been acted in over 20 high earning Bollywood movies.
CISCO launches 5th Global Cyber Range lab in Gurugram
US-based tech giant CISCO has launched its fifth global range lab in Gurugram, Haryana with an aim to train Indian firms and govt. agencies on real-world cyber attacks., The facility was inaugurated by National Cyber Security Coordinator Gulshan Rai. CISCO has four other such labs in Australia. CISCO will also launch a security operations centre (SOC) in Pune, its fourth after the US, Poland and Japan in the next few months. It would be linked to other CISCO SOC’s across the world.
“Colours of Northern & Southern States of India”
Indian Ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri inaugurated cultural programme “Colours of the Northern Southern States of India” at Kathmandu. The two day event is organised by Indian Cultural Centre (ICC), Embassy of India on the occasion of Baisakhi and Nepali New year 2017. A troupe from India performs Bhangra and Giddha and students of ICC present Bharatnatyam and Hindustani music during the programme.
India, Australia signs on Sports Partnership
India and Australia on 12 April, 2017 started a partnership aimed at increasing cooperation in sports, in the presence of visiting Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and batting great Sachin Tendulkar. Also involved in the launch was Sports Minister Vijay Goel. It will advance India – Australia Cooperation in four areas – athlete and coach training and development, sport science, sport governance and integrity and grassroots participation.
Narendra Modi Becomes Most followed World Leader – Instagram
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has just topped the list, beating US President Donald Trump to bag the first spot. PM Modi has 101 posts and 6.9 million followers currently. He is also the most “Effective World leader”, an assessment made on the number of likes and comments he receives on his posts. US president Donald Trump came in second with 6.4 million followers and pope Francis came third with 3.7 million followers. There are 325 Instagram accounts of heads of state, Government and foreign ministers and whose activity was monitored over the past year.
Pak Military court awarded death sentence to Kulbhushan Jadhav
Over a year after Indian Navy Officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, was arrested, a military court in Pakistan has sentenced him to death for “espionage and subversive activities, triggering sharp reaction from India which called it “premeditated Murder”. The Pakistan Army announced that its Chief, General Qamar Ahmed Bajwa, on 10th April 2017 approved Jadhav’s execution after a Field General Court Martial found him guilty of all charges.
India Ranks 9th among 41 countries in corruption in Business
India has ranked 9th out of 41 countries in bribery and corrupt practices in business as per the EY (Ernst & Young) Europe, Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA) Fraud Survey 2017. The ranking has improved marginally since 2015 in which India ranked 6th. Improvement in India’s rank has been attributed to emphasis on transparency in governance and better regulatory scrutiny. Countries which rank higher than Indian are : Ukraine, Cyprus, Greece, Slovenia, Croatia, Kenya, South Africa and Hungary.
India’s travel and tourism sector ranks 7th in the world
India’s travel and tourism sector ranks 7th in the terms of its total contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic product (GDP), according to a new report of the World Travel and Tourism council (WTTC), 2016. India’s travel and tourism sector generated Rs. 14.1 trillion (USD 208.9 billion) in 2016. Which is the World’s 7th largest in terms of absolute size the sum is equivalent to 9.6% of India’s GDP. The USA, China and Germany at the first, second and third positions respectively.
IISC ranked best educational institution by HRD Ministry
The Indian Institute of Science (IISC), Bangalore, the first Indian institution to make it to the top 10 in a global ranking, has been ranked at the top in the annual national rankings released by the HRD Ministry. Seven Indian Institutes of Technology (IITS) have also made it to the list of top 10 educational institutions released under the national Institutional RAnking Frame Work (NIRF), the other two being Banaras Hindu University and Jawaharlal Nehru University. IISc figured at the top in Overall and Universities, the domestic rankings were announced by HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar.
NATIONAL
Reliance Industries Ltd. become most valued Indian Company
The Mukesh Ambani-Led Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) Regained it status as India’s most valued firm by market capitalisation. RIL overtook Tata Group’s crown Jewel TCS. TCS had replaced RIL as the most valued firm more than four years ago but a sharp rally in the shares of the Mukesh Ambani led firm in the recent past has helped the company close the gap.
Rajnath Singh inaugurates Civil Services Day function
The Department of Administrative Reforms and public Grievances (DARDG) along with the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and pensions is Organising a two day Civil Services Day Programme from 20 April to 21 April 2017. The function was inaugurated by Rajnath Singh, the Union Home Minister and will be president over by Jitendra Singh, who holds the port folio of the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) among many others.
First Made in India industrial robot Brabo
TAL Manufacturing Solutions in April 2017 unveiled India’s first conceptualized, designed and manufactured articulated industrial robot called BRABO. BRABO stands for “Bravo Robot”. It has been developed indigenously for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in India. TAL Manufacturing Solutions is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Motors.
Union Govt puts an end to lal batti on VIP Vehicles
Union Cabinet on 19 April 2017 decided prohibiting the use of red beacons (lal batti) on all vehicles except for certain exempted categories. The only five categories would be allowed to use it are President, Vice – President, Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India, and the Speaker of Lok Sabha. The decision comes into effect from May 1, 2017. If directed the states to amend the Motor Vehicle Rules to restrict the use of the red beacon and impose an exemplary fine on those who misused it.
Centre launches training programme for Women Panchayat Leaders
The Centre launched a training programme for Women Panchayat leaders to skill and administers them so that they can give special emphasis on efficient usage of funds for achieving their overall development. The National Commission for Women (NCW) with help of Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai has developed training modules for empowering these elected women. They will get training under experts from the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD and PR) in Hyderabad.
Prakash Javadekar launches Portal and Mobile App of RUSA
The Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) under the aegis of the Ministry of Human Resources Development, on 17 April 2017 launched its own portal and mobile app. The portal and app were officially launched by Union Minister of Human Resources Development Prakash Javadekar in New Delhi. The portal is a one-stop location for states. Higher Education Plans, the decision of the State’s Higher Education Councils and details of the resources.
Suresh Prabhu launches new rail coach with glass roof, GPS
Suresh Prabhu inaugurated the new Vista Dome Coach which has glass roof, LED lights, GPS based infosystem and rotating seats among other features. While flagging of the train with Vistadome Coaches between Visakhapatnam and Araku through video conferencing from Rail Sadan in Bhubaneswar. The video coaches features will enable tourists to enjoy scenic beauty along the Journey. The coach also has a glass domed ceiling, automatic sliding doors and a multi tier luggage rack.
“Gramin Krishi Mausam Seva” launched in India
India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ministry of Earth Sciences in implementing Agrometeorological Advisory Services (AAS) under the scheme Gramin Krishi Mausam Seva (GKMS) in the country. GKMS of IMD is rendered twice a week to farmers in collaboration with State Agricultural Universities (SAUS) Institutions of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), IITs etc. District level weather forecast for next 5 days in respect of Rainfall, maximum temperature, minimum temperature, wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity and clouds, crop specific advisories are provided to farmers.
Ganga patrol team planned to check pollution
The government is planning to recruit IPS officers, personnel of the Army, paramilitary forces and state police who have retired from service for raising an exclusive Ganga Voluntary Force. It is expected to prevent water pollution and desecration of the holy river. The proposed central force will police the entire stretch of the Ganga (2,525 km) in 5 states Uttarakhand, Uttarpradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal. Which are on the mainstem of the river.
Union Govt launches Aadhaar Seeding Application
The Union Ministry of Labour & Employment has launched Aadhaar Seeding Application for efficient service delivery and widening the reach of Employees Provident Fund (EPF) benefits. It was launched at the 2017th special meeting of the central Board of Employees provident Fund (CBEPF/EPFO) in New Delhi under the Chairmanship of Minister of state for Labour of Employment Bandaru Dattatreya.
Government launches operation clean money 20
The Income Tax Department has launched another drive to catch tax evaders who had deposited large sums during the demonetisation drive. The first phase of operation had scrutinized deposits worth with Rs. 10 lakhs. The second phase will examine deposits between Rs.5-10 lakhs. This new operation is named as operation clean money 20.
Union Govt. launches URJA MITRA app
The Union Ministry of power has launched Urja Mitra app for empowering citizens by real time information sharing on power supply. The app is a first of its kind, which provides a central platform, web portal (www.Urjamitra.com) as well as mobile app for state power distribution utilities to disseminate power outage information to rural/urban power consumers through SMS/ Push/email notifications across the country.
India’s first ever micro-drama festival held in Delhi
India’s first ever Micro-drama festival was held in New Delhi. With respect to it, the festival is named ‘Thespis’ after Thespis of Icaria the fir4st actor in Greek drama. The longest film of the festival was not more than 10 minutes and shortest film not less than 42 seconds. The day – long event saw screening of 28 independent plays at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Art in New Delhi.
Venkaiah Naidu launches 352 housing projects in 53 cities.
The Minister of Housing & Urban poverty Alleviation M. Venkaiah Naidu lanched 352 projects in 53 cities i 7 states across the country. The project was started with an investment of over Rs.38,000 cr to build over two lakh houses. These housing projects to be taken up by the members of consideration of Real Estate Developers Associations of India (CREDAI) Across the country is the first major private investments initiative into affordable housing.
Harsha Vardhan launches ‘nakshe’ portal to Celebrate Survey of India’s 250 Anniversary
The Union Minister for Science of Technology and Earth Sciences, Harshvardhan launched a new web portal called ‘nakshe’ in New Delhi on 10 April 2017. The launch commemorates the 250th anniversary of survey of India. The event saw in attendance Y.S.Chowdary, the Minister of State for science & Technology and Earth sciences. Swarna Subbarao, the surveyor General of India and other top scientists and professional from the Geospatial Industry.
Rajnath Singh launches Web Portal “Bharat Ka Veer” in New Delhi
Home Minister Rajnath Singh along with Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar launched the website Bharat Ke Veer” during an event held at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on 9 April 2017. The Web portal will enable the donors to contribute for the welfare of the kin of fallen soldiers. Rajnath Singh also presented bravery awards and medals to some of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
PM to launch Digital Exhibition on Champaran Satyagraha
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch a digital exhibition in the national capital on 10 April 2017, to mark the 100th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s Champaran Satyagraha. The PM will also address the gathering after the launch at the National Archives. The exhibition titled “Bapu Ka Kavyanjali” will not only focus on the champaran movement, but with this event the govt is planning to re-emphasise the importance of cleanliness, which was close Mahatma Gandhi’s heart and was also a key element of the movement.
Govt Officially Launches BS-IV Grade Fuel Across India
Following Supreme Court’s ruling to ban the sale of BD-III compliant vehicles in the country, the Government of India has now launched Bharat Stage (BS) -IV grade fuel across the nation. Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of state for petroleum and Natural Gas, formally launched BS-IV grade transportation fuels from Bhubaneswar, odisha recently. The BS – IV Complaint Vehicles release less pollutants Carbon Mono-oxide (Co), Hydrocarbons (HC), Oxides of Nitrogen (NOX), Sulphur (SOX) and particulate matter (PM) compared to BS III Complaint Vehicles.
Union Textile Minister launches Power Tex India Scheme
The Govt has launched Power Tax India, a comprehensive scheme for powerloom sector development, simul taneously at over 45 locations in the country. Launching the scheme in Bhiwandi, Thane district, Maharashtra. The Union Textile Minister Smt smriti Zubin Irani launched Power Tex India Scheme. Recalling that the Powerloom sector alone employs over 44 lakh people and especially benefit for small power loom weavers.
STATES
Bhubaneswar becomes 1st Indian city to win Pierre L’Enfant Awards – 2017
Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha, on 27 April 2017 was selected for the Pierre L’Enfant Planning Excellence and Achievement awards 2017. The city was selected for the award for good and advanced town planning and engaging its residents in the planning process. With this, Bhubaneswar became India’s first city to be awarded the prestigious award instituted by the American Planning Association (APA)
UP Govt to set up anti land mafia task force
The Yogi Adityanath government has set up an anti – land mafia task force in Uttar Pradesh. UP government ensure that the land mafia and the encroachers will not be spread and land or property grabbing can be stopped. The 4 tier task force would be headed by a principal secretary followed by Commissioner, DM and SDM in their respective areas. The UP govt has mentioned that the task force would soon submit a report from tehsil to the district and state level about such encroachments.
Northeast India’s Largest IT Hub Opens in Tripura
North east’s Sixth and largest hub for information technology has been inaugurated in Agartala, Tripura. The hub has been set up at a cost of Rs. 50 crore to boost employment and e-governance besides export of software technology. The hub is expected to create more employment opportunities for the youths and extend the e governance to cover all the people of the region.
Central University for Divyangs to be setup in Uttar Pradesh
Union Government will set up a Central University for Divyangs in Uttar Pradesh. It was stated by HRD Minister prakash Javadekar while addressing the convocation function of Shakuntala Mishra national rehabilitation University, Lucknow. The Minister mentioned the University Grants Commission has been instructed to make arrangement for special training of instructors providing education to divyangs.
“Kilkari” Mobile app Launched Haryana Government
Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar launched a mobile app as named “Kilkari” to awareness pregnant women & New born baby. Under this scheme Haryana Govt, Provide important information to maternity. Milkari app will mainly awareness women & Newborn baby health. Time Appropriate Audio messages will be sent via the app in the crucial stages of pregnancy, Childbirth and Child Care.
Hyderabad Police gets Golden Peacock Award
Hyderabad Police’s HYD COP’ app has been awarded the Golden Peacock Innovative Product Service Award for 2017. The award was Presented at the Golden Peacock awards ceremony held in Dubai on 19 April 2017 in the Presence of business leaders during IOD India’s “27th World Congress on Business excellence and innovation United Arab Emirates”. Culture and Knowledge Development Minister Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan Presented the awards at the ceremony.
UP Government renames Gorakhpur and Agra Airports
The Yogi Adityanath Government has renamed the Gorakhpur and Agra Airports. The Gorakhpur Air Force Station has been renamed as Mahayogi Gorakhnath Airport. It was named after the founder of the Nath Monastic movement. The Agra Airport will be renamed after RSS ideologue Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Airport. The Department of Disabled Welfare will not be known as Divyang Jan Vikas Empowerment.
Tamil Nadu Tops in Rural Job Guarantee Scheme
Tamil Nadu has made use of the current spell of drought to create on all – India record in the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) During the financial year of 2016-17, Tamil Nadu emerged as the top state in generation of person days under the scheme. Against the revised target of 35 crore person days the state had recorded about 39.59 person days. The Original target was 31.5 crore person days.
Kerala Govt to give Pension to Circus Artistes
The CPT (M) led LDF government in Kerala has decided to provide pension to former circus artistes in the state and allocated Rs. 1.13 crore for the scheme. Kerala was giving a nominal pension of Rs. 1200 to all circus artists who had a ration card and had been working in the state for at least 30 years. Hundreds of artistes from the State Working in different Parts of the country do not come under this scheme.
Madhya Pradesh to ban polythene Carry Bags From May 1
Madhya Pradesh government decided to ban plastic polythene bags across the state from May 1. The consumption of polythene bags results in a large number of cow deaths. The state cabinet, chaired by the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has accorded nod to the proposal of imposing the ban on plastic/polythene bags across the state from 1st May. Besides, the plastic polythene bags are also harmful for the environment.
Telangana passes bill to hike reservations for Muslim and STs
The Telangana passes bill to hike reservation for Muslims and STs. Under this bill the reservation for socially backward people and Muslim people has been increased. For Muslim 4% to 12% increased and for Scheduled Tribes 6% to 10%. In includes total Quotas in government jobs and educational institutions, The total Quota in the state now increase to 62%. The bill will be included in the 9th Schedule of the constitution.
Dr. Hanchinal receives M.S. Swaminathan
The 6th addition of M.S. Swaminathan Award for agriculture has been given to Rayappa Ramappa Hanchinal Chairperson of protection of plant varieties and Farmers Rights Authority. This award has been given to Dr. Hanchinal for his contributions and continuous efforts in areas of seed production technology, crop improvement for hot and very hot dry environments and intellectual protection rights in plant varieties. This Award was presented by C.Parthasarathy Secretary, Agriculture and cooperation Govt of Telangana.
Punjab CM bans names of Ministers, MLA’s on inaugural stones
Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh prohibited the inclusion of names of any government functionaries, including ministers and MLA’s on foundation stones and inaugural plaques. It aimed at building a stronger connect between the government and the people by removing the VIP culture barriers. The Chief Minister’s order comes after state cabinet minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot allegedly threatened to suspend a school principal on finding his name was third on the inaugural stone.
Andhra Pradesh to introduce “Ammaku Vandanam” in Schools
A Unique Programme to pay tribute to mothers will be introduced in the government – run schools in Andhra Pradesh from this year. Under this programme Mother Worship the school Children will take the blessings of their mothers and may also do Paada Pooja. The government also decided to implement the programme in 5,000 high Schools across the state from the academic year 2017-18. The mothers would be invited to the schools on a specific day every year for the special function.
UP Govt, centre sign MoU for “Power for All” Scheme
Uttar Pradesh Government and the centre have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the ‘Power for All’ Scheme in the state. The aim of this scheme is to ensure 24 hour quality power supply in the state by October 2018 and electric connection to every house and agricultural field by 2019. The agreement was inked in presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister of state for Power Piyush Goyal and UP Power Minister Shrikant Sharma.
Haryana Govt launched “Operation Durga” to ensure women safety
Haryana Govt has been launched “Operation Durga” to ensure women safety in the state. Under this operation, teams formed by the Chief Minister’s Flying Squad visited public places such as schools, colleges, bus stands and railway stations and caught persons including in crime activities against women like eve-teasing, stalking, harassment and other such activities.
Himachal Pradesh bags Krishi Karman Award 2015-2016
Himachal Pradesh Government has bagged National Award in Agriculture Sector for 2015-16. Hamirpur District of Himachal Pradesh has been selected for the Prime Minister’s Award for excellence in public Administration for the excellence in implementing Soil Health Card Scheme. Hamirpur bagged first prize in implementation of Soil Health Card Scheme and the Hill and North Eastern States. This award was presented by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Jharkhand police initiates Taare Zameen par programme
Jharkhand police has initiated Tare Zameen par programme to enlighten children in Naxal-affected areas in the Palaman district of Jharkhand. This programme is aimed to restore confidence in the State police force and to encourage children to lead happy lives. As a part of the programme, the state lives. As a part of the programme the state police appealed the locals to donate bags, shoes, books clothes improve the basic amenities of the children in the Nanal – affected areas.
Telangana Minister to address meet on water resources in US
Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao has been invited to address a conference on water resources and environment in the US next month. The Minister will deliver the inaugural address explaining the state Government Schemes such as mission Bhagiratha (to provide safe drinking water), according to an official release. He has been also invited by the Stanford University to speak in its annual meeting on May 18 and 19.
Indian Institute of petroleum and Energy (IIPE) at Visakhapatnam
The Union Cabinet has given its approval for setting up of Indian Institute of petroleum of Energy (IIPE) at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh as an institute of National importance: through an act of parliament. The institute will have the governance structure as well as legal mandate o grant degrees in a manner similar to the enjoyed by IITS. A separate Act will also impart the required status to the Institute to become a “Centre of Excellence” in petroleum and energy studies.
Pink Patrol vehicles to secure women in Bengaluru
The Bengaluru police have taken an initiative to increase the safety of children and women by introducing 51 pinck patrol vehicles. In addition to this, security app called ‘Suraksha’ is also launched by the Karnataka government through which women and children can send complaints to these vehicles and get quick assistance. At present the app is available on ios as well as Android Smartphones.
Unemployment rate in Uttarpradesh higher than National average
The unemployment rate in Uttarpradesh is higher than the National Average. The centre will soon join hands with the new state government to deal with the problem, according to the Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya. The National average of unemployment stood at 5.8%. While the unemployment rate in rural areas it was 4.4%. In Uttar Pradesh, the rate, of unemployment in rural areas was 5.8% and in Urban areas 6.5% which is quite high.
UP Govt to build music village in Bismillah Khan’s honour
The Uttar Pradesh Govt. led by Yogi Adityanath has given its approval to building a music village named “Bismillah Khan Sangeet Gram” to honour of legendary Shehnai player Bismillah Khan. This project is planned to develop at Varanasi, it will be evolved by Padma Shri Soma Ghosh, the adopted daughter of the legendary shehnai player. It will have a museum centre, a training cum research centre and many other varieties associated with musical “gharanas”.
North India to get DNA bank for wildlife
The Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh is going to set up a DNA bank for wildlife, first of its kind in North India. Researchers at the institute are in the process of collecting the DNA of all wild animals. They have up until now collected samples of around 140 species. The bank would be only next to Hyderabad’s Laboratory for the conservation of Endangered species (LACONES), which is currently the only such facility in India.
MP CM launched Deendayal Rasoi Yojana
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has launched subsidized meal scheme at Rs. 5 in Gwalior. This scheme helps people to get economical nutritious and good quality food under the Deendayal Rasoi Yojana at cheaper rates. It is launched in 49 districts across the state. Under the scheme the poor people will get four chapatis, one vegetable curry and dal verty day between 11 am to 3 pm. Breakfast will be served at Rs. 5 and lunch will be served at Rs. 8.
Haryana govt to provide Rs.21,000 to families for third girl Child
Haryana government would provide one time grant of Rs.21,000 to all those families whose third girl child was born after August 24, 2015. Under the “Aapki Beti, Hamari Beti” scheme. Under the scheme, the eligible families would receive the amount irrespective of their caste, creed, religion, income and number of sons. The scheme is aimed to combat the problem of declining child sex ratio and promote girls education in the state.
Venkaiah Naidu to Inaugurate National Children’s Film Festival
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Venkaiah Naidu will host a three-day National Children’s Film Festival (NCFF) in Visakhapatnam on 7 April, 2017. It is the largest film festival for children in the country giving the audience quality and wholesome entertainment. The aim of the film festival is to expose children to quality cinema and to introduce novel elements beyond films.
Jhargram as now district no 22 in West Bengal
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on March 4, 2017 declared Jhargram as the 22nd district of Bengal. A long-standing demand of the people has been fulfilled. The days of violence and blood shed are gone. Peace reigns in Jhargram now. April 4 will be celebrated as Jhargram Divas from now on. Jhargram has been formed by bifurcating Wist Midnapore, which has a population of more than 11.37 lakh. The district has one mahakuma, eight blocks, one municipality and nine police stations.
First biogas Bus in Kolkata with Flat Rs1 fare
A city based company has claimed to have launched the first biogas fuelled bus in Kolkata keeping a flat fare of just Rs-1. All buses will have a flat fare of Rs.1 irrespective of the distance, even in excess of 40 km. Presently the lowest fare in Kolkata hus is Rs.6. The first bus will run a distance of 17 km Ultadanga and Garia in the southern fringes of the city phoenix india will run the biogas service from its Corporate Social Responsibility fund.
Madhya Pradesh Govt launches ‘MP e-nagarpalika’ app
Madhya Pradesh Government has launched an app named ‘MP e-nagarpalika’ to provide various municipal services on live. The mobile app was launched by state Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.The app would offer 378 services like online payment of property tax, seeking building permission, birth,marriage,death, certificates etc. It will also register complaints related to garbage, water, street lights etc. Online payment gateway would be available on this app. This mobile app would encourage the cashless transaction.
Kanha Tiger Reserve becomes first in India get official mascot
Kanha Tiger Reserve in the Madhya Pradesh, March 2017 became the first tiger reserve in India to officially introduce a mascot, named Bhoorasingh the Barasingha. Barasingha (Swamp deer) is the state animal of Madhya Pradesh. The Kanha tiger reserve is the only place in the world where the species exists. The mascot will also species from possible extinction.
Bihar to pais power bill subsidy to Consumers
The Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar announced on 31 March 2017 that the state government would be providing a subsidy on power bill to the consumers instead of power companies from the 2017-18 fiscal year. The announcement was made in the state assembly in the Presence of Energy Minister Prasad Yadav. The move comes six days after Bihar Electricity Regulatory Commission (BERC) introduced an unprecedented hike of 55 percent in power tariff that sparked protests all across the state.
Chandrababu Naidu got another International Award
A.P. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was honoured with many awards and he earned good for developing the A.P. State, now he got another International Award. US – India Business Council (USIBC) has honored Chandra babu Naidu with the “USIBC Transformative Chief Minister” award to recognize his efforts to transform A.P. He has been requested ta attend the felicitation Ceremony to be held on 8th May in California.
CONFERENCES
India, Sri Lanka Sign MoU on Economic Cooperation
India and Sri Lanka Countries on 26 April, 2017 signed an MoU on economic cooperation. In the presence of PM Modi and his Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe. Modi earlier had comprehensive talks with the Lankan PM on ways to strengthen bilateral relations. The MoU proposes Indian investment in a port, oil tank farm, highways and railway projects in Sri Lanka.
India to host 18th World Road Meeting
The international Road Federation (IRF) on 26 April 2017 announced that India will host the 18th World Road Meeting (WRM 2017) which will be held on 13 November 2017. The theme of the World Road Meeting 2017 is “Safe Roads and Smart Mobility “ The Engines of Economic Growth”. The conference is expected to attend by the 4000 delegates across the World and will include plenary sessions with eminent and well-known speakers discussing important issues facing mobility sector.
India, Armenia sign 3 agreements
India and Armenia on 25 April, 2017 signed three agreements after vice president Hamid Ansari held a bilateral meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan in Armenia. The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on peaceful uses of outer space, another MoU cooperation in youth matters and a programme of cultural cooperation for the years 2017-2020.
1st India, Indonesia Energy Forum held in Jakarta
1st India Indonesia Energy Forum was held in Jakarta Indonesia on April 20, 2017 Mr. Piyush Goyal Union Minister of State (IC) for power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mr. Ignasius Jonan, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia took part in this forum. The report of 2nd joint working Group on Oil and Gas, 4th Joint Working Group on coal and 1st Joint Working Group on New and Renewable Energy, which preceded the Energy forum, were Presented to two ministers during the Energy Forum.
Steel Minister inaugurates “India Steel 2017” in Mumbai
Union Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh was Inaugurated “India Steel 2017” in Mumbai from 19th to 21st April, 2017. It was the third edition of International Conference and Exhibition Center. This exhibition cum conference has been Organised by Federation of Indian chambers of commerce and Industry (FICCI) along with Union Ministry of Steel. More than 200 exhibitors from the steel sector participated in this event.
President of India inaugurates first NIM CARE World Health Day Summit 2017
The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the first NIM CARE World Health Day Summit 2017. The slogan of the first NIM CARE World health day summit is, “Unite for a Healthy Mind”. Depression affects people of all ages from all walks of life and in all countries. As per the National Mental Health Survey 2015-2016 conducted by NIMHANS, 5.2% of the Indian adult population suffers from depression in some from or the other.
CFC 2017 Begin in Uttarakhand
19th Commonwealth Forestry conference (CFC) 2017 began on 3rd April 2017 at Forest Research Institute (FRI) in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand Governor Dr. K.K. Paul was inaugurated the 19th Commonwealth Forestry Conference at the FRI in Dehradun. The 5-day conference is being organized on the theme “Forests for prosperity and Posterity” provide a platform to encourage and strengthen forestry research and development for the benefit of people and Industry that depend on forests and related materials.
AWARDS & HONOURS
Dileep K. Nair receives Dr. B R Ambedkar International Foundation Kerala State Award
India’s youngest ever chancellor Dileep K. Nair, has received Dr. B.R. Ambedkar International Foundation Kerala State Award for the year 2016-17 for his excellent performance in the field of education. The 358 year old academician, who is currently the chancellor of the NEFTU in Arunachal Pradesh, was conferred with the award by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien.
Vani Jayaram gets Ghantasala National Award
The Versatile playback singer in South Indian Film Industry, Vani Jayaram was presented with the Ghantasala National Award. The award is instituted by the Ghantasala National Art Academy in Andhra Pradesh. The 71-year-old singer received the award from A. Ramalingeswara Rao. A high court Judge in Andhra Pradesh and R. Ananda Bhaskar, Rajya sabha Member from the congress party.
Prafulla Samantra selected for Goldman Environmental Prize 2017
Top environmental activist Prafulla Samantra of Odisha has been selected for Goldman Environmental Prize or Green Nobel from Asia region for Championing the cause of State’s Dongria Kondh tribals and safeguarding their land and culture, Samantra, the sixth Indian to win the prize, had led a historic legal battle that protected the Niyamgiri Hills in Odisha. And safeguard the living area of Dongria kondh from massive destruction due to mining.
K. Viswanath wins Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2016
Veteran filmmaker and actor Kasinadhuni Viswanath has been conferred Dadasaheb Phalke award for 2016 by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The award consists of Swarn Kamal (Golden Lotus). A cash prize of Rs.10 lakhs and a shawl. He has also won 5 National Awards, 20 Nandi Awards, 10 Filmfare Awards including Lifetime Achievement Award. Dadasaheb Phalke Award is conferred by the Union Govt for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema.
Kailash Satyarthi honoured with PC Chandra Puraskar 2017
Nobel Laureate and social activist Kailash Satyarthi was given on 23 April, 2017 PC Chandra Puraskar (Award) for his global crusade against child slavery and exploitative child labour. The 63- year – old Satyarthi was handed over a citation, a trophy and a cash cheque 10 lakh rupees. Satyarthi, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 with Malala yousafzai of Pakistan.
Dr. Bhakti Yadav from Indore Presented with Padma Shri
The 91 year old gynaecologist, Dr. Bhati Yadav was Presented with the Padma Shri award at her residence on 20 April 2017. The award was presented to her by district collector P. Narahari in the presence of the state’s Finance Minister Jayant Malaiya and Mayor Malini Gaud, as she was unable to attend the function organised in in New Delhi on 13 April where the president of India Pranab Mukherjee had given away the prestigious civilian Award to the recipients. Dr. Yadav has been offering free treatment for the last 68 years.
Saiyami Kher receives Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Award
Actress Saiyami Kher, who made her Bollywood debut in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s film Mirzya, received the best debut award at the Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence. Awards 2017. Saiyami Kher is the granddaughter of Actress Usha Kiran, and niece of Tanvi and Shabana Azmi, despite hailing from one of the privileged families of the Bollywood. The actress starred in Mirzya opposite veteran actor Anil Kapoor’s on Harshvardhan kapoor.
Kapil Dev, Aamir Khan to get Dinanath Mangeshkar Award
Indian Cricket icon Kapil Dev and Bollywood Actor Aamirkhan will receive the 75th Master Dinanath Mangeshkar Awards. Kapil Dev will be honoured with the Vishesh Puraskar for his outstanding contribution to Indian Cricket, while Aamirkhan for his Best Film Dangal. The event will be organised by Master Dinanath Smruti Pratishthan and Hridayesh Arts. The Awards is given to those personalities who have given extraordinary contribution in the field of social service, literature, Drama and Music etc.
Italian Mayor Giusi Nicolini wins UNESCO Peace Prize
The UNESCO has awarded its Peace Prize to Giusi Nicolini, the Mayor of the Italian island of Lampedusa, for her commitment to saving the lives of Migrants and refugees. Nicolini was bestowed with the honour on 19 April 2017 for her effort that saved thousands who fled across the Mediterranean often on unseaworthy boats to find a better and peaceful life. Lampedusa is the first European landfall for people fleeing war and economic hardship in Africa and the Middle East.
Saira Banu, Jackie Shroff gets Rajkapoor Awards
Veteran actress Saira Banu and actor Jackie Shroff were named for the Prestigious Rajkapoor Awards of the Maharashtra Government. The names of duo were announced on 19 April 2017 by the State Cultural Affairs Minister Vinod Tawde in Mumbai. Saira Banu (72) will be awarded with the prestigious Raj Kapoor Lifetime achievement award, while Jackie Shroff (60) was selected for the Rajkapoor Special contribution award. They will be awarded for their cinematic journey and contributions to the Indian cinema respectively.
Aniruddhan Vasudevan Conferred with Sahitya Academy Award 2016
Anirudhan Vasudevan has been chosen for Sahitya Academy Award. He is chosen for his novel “One Part Woman”, a translation of perumal Murugan’s controversial Tamil Novel “Maadhorubaagan” Kerala Sahitya Academy Award is given each year by Kerala Sahitya Academy. It was given to Malayalam writers for their outstanding books of literary merit. The award was handover Anirudhan on 23rd June in a special occasion.
Trupti Jain wins Cartier Women’s Initiative Award
An Indian environmental engineer Trupti Jain won this year’s prestigious “Cartier Women’s Initiative Award” in Singapore for providing women working on farms with water management solutions and protecting small farmers against droughts and flash floods. Trupti Jain, 45 was one among six winners chosen from over 120 countries and were selected by an independent international jury.
Dipa Karmakar, Sakshi Malik, Sanjeev Kapoor honoured with Padmashri
President Pranab Mukherjee recently presented the Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and Padmashri awards at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also present for the occasion. In this occasion president conferred Dipa Karmakar, Sakshi Malik and Sanjeev Kapoor with Padmashri Awards. Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli was among the sports persons who were picked up the prestigious Padma Shri.
President of India presents National Geo Science Awards 2016
On April 12, 2017, President of India Pranab Mukherjee conferred National Geoscience Awards 2016 on 27 bright Geo-Scientists of India. The awards were conferred at a ceremony held in Rashtrapati Bhavan. The National Geoscience Awards 2016 Comprises one young scientist award and 16 individual /teams awards in 11 fields of geosciences. Dr. Abhishek Saha, NIO, Goa got young scientist award – 2016.
National Hindi Sevi Samman Awards announced
Professors from Japan, USA to be honoured for promoting Hindi. 26 writers including two Japanese and American professors Hindi Sevi Samman by President Pranab Mukherjee for their efforts to promote the language. Fujii Takeshi (Japan) and Gabriela Nik ILieva (USA) will be presented George Grierson award in the foreign Hindi writers category.
Tim Berners – Lee Wins 2016 ACM AM Turing Award
Sir Tim Berners Lee in the first week of in April 2017 was honoured with the 2016 ACM AM Turing Award. Berners – Lee received the 2016 Turing Award for inventing the “World Wide Web”, the first web browser and the fundamental protocols and algorithms allowing the Web to scale. The computer scientist is one of the world’s most influential voices for online privacy and government transparency.
Two Nagaland officials get Shaurya Chakra
Two Nagaland police officers – Sub Divisional Police officers – Sub Divisional Police Officer of Kohima, At Zumvu, and captain Elisen AJami, were decorated with Shaurya Chakra (third – highest peacetime gallantry award) at a grand function held at Rashtrapati. Bhavan in New Delhi. The awards were conferred by President Pranab Mukherjee in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Zumvu is posted as Sub – Divisional Police officer (SDPO), Kohima while army officer captain Jami is from 12th Battalion of the parachute Regiment.
Indian – origin educationist Asha Khemka named “Asian Businesswoman of the Year”
Asha Khemka, an Indian – origin educationist in the United Kingdom (UK) has been named the “Asian Business woman of the year” at the 5th annual Asian Business Awards Midlands, which honours the outstanding achievements of local Asian business. The award ceremony has held at Edgbaston Cricket ground in Birmingham, UK. Asha Khemka is the current principal and CEO of West Nottinghamshire College.
Tim Berners – Lee wins Computing Nobel Prize
Most People who search on Google, Share on Facebook and shop on Amazon have never heard of Sir Tim Berners – Lee. But they might not be doing any of those things had he not invented the World Wide Web. Berners-Lee, 61 is this year’s recipient of the A.M. Turing Award, computing version of the Nobel Prize. The award announced 4th April 2017 the Association for Computing Machinery. It is named in honour of British Mathematician and scientist Alan Turing.
Kohli Named Wisden’s leading cricketer in the world for 2016
Indian cricket Captain Virat Kohli was named Wisden’s Leading Cricketer in the World for 2016. Kohli amassed 1215 Test runs at a stupendous average of 75.93 last year. Ten ODI appearances fetched him 739 runs at 92.37. And also he scored 641 runs in T-20 Internationals runs at 106.83, only six batsman have ever scored more international runs in a calendar year than Kohli but none of them have come close to the Indian captains average.
Harmanpreet Kaur adjudged the Women’s Player of the year
Indian Women’s T-20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur has been given Sydney Thunder’s Women’s player of the year award. She won the award for the second season of the Women’s Big Bash League. Harmanpreet earlier has become the first Indian cricketer to play in Australia’s Big Bash League, when she was picked by the teams last year. During her time with the Thunder, Kawr played in 13 matches and scored 296 runs at a very, very impressive average of 59 and strike rate 116.
8 Sportspersons including Kohli receive Padma Shri Award
Virat Kohli, Sakshi Malik, Dipa Karmakar, Mariyappan thangavelu, Deepa Malik, PR Sreejesh, Vikas Gowd, Shekhar Naik were received padma Shri Awards, Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India, bestowed the award upon them at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in India. The above all were done exceptional achievements in their sports.
SPORTS & GAMES
India wins 16 medals at US Open Karate Championship
India finished with three gold, two silver and 11 bronze medals at the US Open Karate Championship held in Las Vegas. Shaifali Agarwal, Abhishek, Sengupta won a gold medal, a silver in two different individual events. India also won a gold medal in the team event. The Indian team was led by Sensei Yashpal Singh Kalsi. The other members of the Indian contingent were Abhishek Sengupta, Rantej Singh, Harcharan Singh chowhan and Shaifali Agarwal.
MCC offers honorary life membership to “Sandhya Agarwal”
Sandhya Agarwal, former captain of the Indian women’s Test cricket Team has been offered honorary life membership of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in recognition of her distinguished service to the game. Sandhya Agarwal is from Indore, Madhya Pradesh. She has played 13 Tests and 21 ODIs from 1984 to 1995. After her retirement, she has been associated with cricket as a selector and coach, besides being a member of the BCCI’s women’s Committee.
Manpreet Kaur bags Gold at Asian Grand Prix Meet in China
Indian shot putter Manpreet Kaur has clinched a gold in the first leg of Asian Grand Prix Athletics Meet in Jinhua, China, Manpreet came up with the best throw of 18.86 meter, which has nearly one meter more than her earlier national record of 17.96 meters that she had set in 2015. With this performance, Manpreet also qualified for the IAAF World Championships to be held in August 2017 in London.
Nadal wins Monte Carlo Masters Singles Title
Rafael Nadal has won the Men’s singles title of Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Tournament. He was defeated Ramos vinolas on 23 April, 2017. With this Nadal claimed a record 10th Monte Carlo Masters Title. Earlier Bopanna and his partner Pablo Cuevas lifted the Monte Carlo Masters Doubles Title after defeating a hard fought three set win over Spain’s Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez in Monaco.
Cricket, Sambo were removed from 2018 Asian Games
One of the sports to miss out from the programme list of the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Palembang is Cricket. Apart from the cricket, skateboarding, sambo and surfing are among the other sports which have been removed from the programme in order to reduce the burden on Indonesian Organisers. This measure was taken as a part of the series of changes aimed at reducing the total number of events from 493 to 431. Also omitted from the list are kurash and belt wrestling events.
Asian Games will feature video games in 2022
Video Gaming will be featured at the 2022 Asian Games, with competitors in electronic sports set to receive medals for the digital powers. The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) says it will introduce esports to the official programs of the Asian Games of Hangzhou, China, Main aim of launching this video gaming is to bring the rapid development and popularity of this new form of sports participation among the youth.
India’s first Visually impaired athlete to complete Boston Marathon
Sagar Baheti has become the first Visually impaired Indian runner to complete the historic Boston Marathon. Bengaluru based 31 years old Baheti Completed a distance of 42.16 km distance in just over four hours. Supported by the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Baheti finished the 121st Boston Marathon as one 30,000 runners. The 2017 Boston Marathon has been recorded as the second hottest Marathon in a decade.
Muttiah Muralitharan to be inducted into ICC Hall of Fame
Sri Lanka’s Legendary off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, the first cricketer from his country to be voted into the ICC Hall of Fame, will be formally inducted during the ICC Champions Trophy in England later this year. One of the most iconic cricketers of the game, Muralitharan has been synonymous with the rise of Sri Lankan cricket since the early nineties. He was key role of their World Cup Winning squad in 1996. He has the art of mastering the ‘Doosra’ Murali will also be joined by former Australia captain Karen Rolton, Arthur Morris and George Lohmann.
Pankaj Advani wins Asian Billiards Championship
Indian Pankaj Advani won his seventh Asian title by defeating Sourav Kothari 6 – 3 in final of the Asian Billiards Championship – 2017. In recognition of his achievements, the government of India has bestowed several awards upon Advani – Arjuna Award in 2004. Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2006, and Padma Shri in 2009. Advani won the 2014 IBSF World 6 – Red Snooker Championship, on his debut in that discipline.
Gayle becomes first cricketer to score 10,000 runs in T 20
Chris Gayle became the first cricketer to score 10,000 runs in T 20 cricket. He accomplished this feat while playing Royal Challengers Bangalore against Gujarat Lions in an Indian Premier League (IPL), 2017 match. Before the start of 2017 IPL, Gayle needed 63 runs to reach the 10,000 mile store. As of new, Gayle is the only cricketer in the 10,000 runs club in T 20s. No other batsman has crossed even 8,000 runs mark in T 20 s. Highest run scorer after Gayle is Brendon McCullum with 7596 runs in T 20 s.
Pullela Gayatri Wins twin crown is Jakarta
Pullela Gopichand a National Badminton Coach daughter has won both single and double crown at the Pembangunan Jaya Raya Junior Grand Prix in Jakarta on 16th April 2017. Gayathri teamed up with Samiya in doubles title and win over Indonesian Players of Kelly Larissa and Shelandry Vyola. Gayatri and Samiya both trained at Pullela Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad. She has won under – 15 doubles title.
Sebastian Vettel wins Bahrain F1 Grand Prix
Sebastian Vettel has taken out the Bahrain Grand Prix from Lewis Hamilton. The victory was Vettel’s second of the season after the four time world champion won the opener in Australia. Hamilton who won in China last weekend, crossed the finish line 6.6 seconds behind. Vettel’s win lifted him to 68 points, with Hamilton second on 61 points. Thus Ferrari’s sebastian Vettel wins Bahrain Formula one Grand Prix.
Sai Praneeth won maiden Super Series title in singapore
Sai Praneeth has won the title match of Men’s singles at Singapore Open Badminton beating his compatriot Kidambi Srikanth. In the Singapore Open Badminton tournament Sai praneeth won his maiden Super Series Title. Praneeth prevailed 17-21, 21-17, 21-12 in a 54 minute contest, which was the first all- Indian Super Series final in the history of the game.
Harbhajan Singh as Ambassador for ICC Champions Trophy
Eight cricketers including Harbhajan Singh and Former Pakistan Captain Shahid Afridi have been appointed an ambassadors for the ICC Champions Trophy – 2017, which scheduled be held from June 1, 2017 in UK. The ambassadors will be involved in the ICC champions Trophy Tour and will participate in the cricket for good coaching clinics, a programme aimed at providing school children with an opportunity to meet and play with legends.
NBA Launches International Basketball Schools Network in Mumbai
NBA Basketball schools open to young male and female players; Top players at each basketball school will have opportunity to attend NBA Academics. National Basketball Association (NBA) opened a network of tuition based basketball development programmes around the world open to International male and female players ages 6-18. The first NBA Basket ball school launched in Mumbai 9 April 2017.
Hamilton beats Vettel to win his fifth Chinese Grand Prix
Mercedes’ British Formula one racer Lewis Hamilton defeated Ferraris four – time formula one World Champion Sebastian Vettel to lift his fifth little at the Chinese Grand Prix on 9 April 2017. Red Bull team males Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo finished third and fourth respectively in Shanghai. Sahara Force India’s Sergio perez finished the race in the ninth place.
Shyam Kuma Claims Gold in Thailand International Boxing
Indian Boxer K. shyam Kumar (49 kg) Clinched a gold medal at the Thailand International Tournament in Bangkok without even stepping inside the ring for his summit clash on 8th April. How ever Olympic Champion Hasan Boy Dolmatov of Uzbekistan was unable to play the match due to his injury. It was the second gold prize to Shyam. Shyam, who won a gold Prize at the 2015 edition of the event.
India ranked 3rd in WADA doping charts
India had been ranked 3rd for the third year in a row in a doping violation report published by world 117 athletes from the country being punished after testing positive for banned substances. India followed Russian Federation (176) and Italy (129), at third sport in the doping violation chart released by the WADA, the same position as in the reports of 2013 and 2014. All the dope violations by the Indians came from urine samples.
FIFA Bans Former Guatemalan FA President Brayan Jimenez
FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) Banned Guatemala’s former football Chief Brayan Jimenez for life time over corruption, bribery and other offences. Jimenez was banned for life from all football related activities at national and international level. He was banned for life time for accepting bribes worth several hundred thousand dollars in exchange for media and marketing rights for key matches. Guatemala is a country in central America and its capital is Guatemala city.
Roger Federer beats Rafael Nadal to win Miami Open
Roger Federer picked up his third title of 2017 on 2nd April 2017. He was beating Rafael Nadal in straight sets to claim the Miami open and continue his sensational resurgence. The Swiss great beat his Spanish rival for a third time this season and fourth in succession. He had take 94 minutes to claim his 91st career title and with it. Federer defeated Nadl with straight sets 6-3, 6-4 victory in Florida.
Sindhu lifts India Open Badminton title
Olympic Silver medalist P.V. Sindhu defeated Carolina Marin in straight sets 21-19, 21-16 in 47 minutes at the India open Badminton Championship in New Delhi. Sindhu had lost to Caroline Marin in the Rio Olympics final and had to be content with silver medal. However the victory will be a huge booster for the Indian and soothe the pain of her Olympic defeat. Sindhu had also beaten Carolina in the Dubai World superseries Finals in December 2016.
Joyciline smashes three world records at Prague Half Marathon
Joyciline Jepkosgei smashed the world half marathon record at the sportisimo Prague Half Marathon. She also breaking three other world records on her way her time of 64:52. The Kenyan clocked splits of 30.05, 45:37 and 61:25 to improve the 10km, 15 km and 20 km world records respectively. Defending champion Violah Jepchumba finished second while Fancy chemtai wor third.
ECONOMY
IMF retains India’s growth forecast at 7.2% for FY 18
India is pegged to be the fastest growing economy in the World in 2017-18 and will be a key driver for Global growth, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retaining its growth forecast of 7.2 percent for India for the fiscal year, the IMF, in its World Economic outlook, also estimated that India would grow at 7.7 percent in 2018-19. It has pegged world output at 3.5 percent in 2017, rising marginally to 3.6 percent in 2018. By 2022 it estimates global growth to rise to 3.8 percent.
President Pranab Mukherjee approves GST
President Pranab Mukherjee gave his assent to the landmark Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill, a major step towards rolling out the new indirect tax effect from April 1 Next Year. This bill was passed Unanimously by the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha in August. After the president assents, the government will notify the GST Council, Union Finance Minister will head the council, which will comprise state Finance Ministers.
Petrol, Diesel prices to change every day From May 1
State run fuel retailers, Indian oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan petroleum, have reportedly decided to revise the prices of petrol and diesel every day from May 1. The daily revision will initially be implemented in Puducherry, Visakhapatnam, Udaipur, Jamshedpur and Chandigarh. Currently the prices are revised on 1st and 16th of every month. And next this will be implemented throughout the country.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
India Successfully test fires Agni – III ballistic missile
India on 27 April 2017, successfully test fired Agni-III ballistic missile from Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha Coast. The surface to surface nuclear capable intermediate range ballistic missile can hit targets in the range of around 3000 km. The two stage solid propelled missile has length of 17 metres, 2 metres diameter and its launch weight is around 50 tonnes. The missile was inducted into the armed forces in June 2011.
NASA discovered Ice ball Planet though Microlensing
NASA scientists have discovered a new planet OGLE – 2016 – BLG- 1195 lb that has the same mass as Earth and Orbits its star from the same distance as Earth Orbit the Sun. The newly discovered planet is nearly 13,000 light years and orbits a small star. Ice ball planet is the lowest mass planet ever found though microlensing. Microlensing is a technique that facilitates the discovery of distant objects by using background stars as flash lights.
NASA launches super pressure Balloon from New Zealand
The National Aeronautics and Space administration (NASA) on 25 April 2017 successfully launched its football stadium sized and heavy lift Super Pressure Balloon (SPB) from Wanaka, New Zealand. The Balloon will float for 100 or more days at 1,10,000 feet (33.5 km) across the globe in the Southern Hemisphere’s mid-latitude band. It will observe a broad swath of the Earth’s atmosphere to detect the UV fluorescence from the deep space cosmic rays coming in the above.
NASA Astronaut Peggy Whitson sets a new space walk record
NASA Astronaut Peggy whitson on 24 April 2017 set a new US Record for most cumulative 650 days spent in space. With this Whitson surpassed Cosmonaut Jeff Williams record of 534 days, 4 hours and 48 minutes aboard the International space Station (ISS). With the recent extension of her stay at the ISS, the Expedition 51 Commander has five months to rack up another record.
Indian Navy successfully tests land attack Brahmos Supersonic Missile
Indian Navy successfully tested a Brahmos land attack supersonic cruise missile from a naval ship on 21st April 2017. The variant of the long range Brahmos was fired in Bay of Bengal, off the eastern coast. Previously the antiship variant has already inducted into the indian Navy. The present land attack variant provides Indian warship the capability to attack the selected in deep inland far from the coast.
Space X Launch the First Recycled Rocket
Space X made history by successfully launching the first re-used rocket. The launch is scheduled to take place from the Kennedy Space Center, at pad 39 A, in cape canaveral, Florida. The Falcon 9 completed an unmanned resupply mission to the ISS this time last year, before returning to Earth and landing on a platform at sea. It was first time Space X founder Elon Musk tried to fly booster that soared before on an orbital mission.
PERSONS IN NEWS
A). APPOINTMENTS
Syrian Lady Made UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador
The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) appointed Yusra Mardini a Syrian refugee who together with her sister Swam for three hours in the Mediterranean Sea off Turkey’s coast, pulling a capsizing boat of refugees to safety as its new Goodwill Ambassador. Her actions saved the lives of 20 refugees who were fleeing the Syrian capital, Damascus.
Justice Gita Mittal appointed as Acting Chief Justice of Delhi High Court
Justice Gita Mittal, the senior – most judge of Delhi High Court, has been appointed as the acting Chief Justice of Delhi High court with effect from April 14. Her appointment comes at the backdrop of the retirement of current Chief Justice Gorla Rohini. President of India has appointed justice Mittal as the Chief Justice by exercising his powers conferred by article 223 of the constitution of India.
Anuja Ravindra Dhir becomes first non-white judge at London Court
Indian – origin Anuja Ravindra Dhir became the first non – white judge of the old Bailey Court of London. She is also the youngest circuit judge currently to sit at the court. The old Bailey court of London is the Central Criminal court of London. It houses 15 judges including 10 men and five women.
Former SC Judge Shiva Kirti Singh to Head TDSAT
The Union government has cleared retired Supreme Court Judge Shiva Kirti Singh as the next Chairman of The Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT). The appointment is for a period of three Years from the date of assumption of office or until further orders, whichever is earlier. As per rules, the head of the dispute resolution agency for the telecom industry must be a person, who has been a SC Judge, or the Chief Justice of a High Court.
MD Tomar appointed India’s Ambassador to Germany
Mukta Dutta Tomar was appointed as new India’s Ambassador to Germany. Tomar, a 1984 batch IFS officer. She is presently working as the Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). She is expected to take up the assignment shortly. Earlier, Gurjit Singh was holding this post till in March 2017. Tomar succeeded Gurjit Singh.
Malala named Messenger of peace to
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on 7 April 2017 named nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai the messenger of peace for the international body. She became the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate in Dec, 2014. She was sharing the honour with Indian Children’s rights and education advocate Kailash Satyarthi. Yousafzai is the first Messenger of peace designated by Guterres and will help to promote girls education around the world.
Aleksandar Vucic as New President of Serbia
Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has won a Clear Victory in the country’s Presidential election. He Won about 55% well above the threshold to avoid a runoff, with most results counted. His closest challenger, Sasa Jankovic, Polled 16% while satirical candidate Ljubisa Preletacevic came third with 9% of the votes. He became Prime Minister after landslide Victory in early parliamentary elections held in 2014.
RBI Appoints Malvika Sinha as Executive Director
The Reserve Bank of India has appointed Malvika Sinha as Executive Director )ED) who took charge on April 3, 2017. As Executive Director, Sinha will look after Foreign Exchange Department, Department of Government and Bank accounts and internal dept, Management Department, Notably, Sinha holds a Masters Degree from University of Bombay and has done her master’s public Administration.
First Transgender Police Officer Appointed in Tamil Nadu
Prithika Yashini won her first fight against the society when she decided to undergo a sex change operation to become who she believed she was from within. Born pradeep Kumar, Yashini left her parents house before completing a computer studies course and under going surgery. After struggling with the social dogma and gender bias, she recently applied to become a police sub-Inspector in Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu. A court in Chennai, Madras has now ruled in her favour.
Rajiv Kumar Chander as India’s permanent representative to UNO
Rajiv Kumar Chander was appointed India’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations Offices in Geneva. Chander belongs to the Indian Foreign Services (IFS) batch of 1983. He is the Consul General of India in Vancouver at present, a post he held since August 2015. He has degrees in History and law. He will succeed Ajit Kumar at the Geneva Office.
Raman Roy as new Chairman of
It Industry body Nasscom on wednesday appointed Quattro CMD Raman Roy its Chairman for fiscal year 2017-18. It has also named Rishad premji, Wipro Chief strategy officer and son of technology czar Azim Premji, as the Vice Chairman. Roy who served as the Vice Chairman in the previous fiscal year. He was take on the newrole from 6 April. National Association of Software and services Companies (Nasscom) is the full form.
Geeta johri as Gujarat’s First Female DGP
Geetha Johri, Gujarat’s newly appointed Deputy General of Police has scored many firsts to her credit. Gujarat’s first female IPS officer, also became the first female DGP after the outgoing DGP – in – charge PP Pandey decided to step down due to litigations against him. Panday, a 1980 batch Gujarat cadre IPS officer, had made headlines after he was accused in alleged fake encounter case of Ishrat Jahan.
M.S. Dhoni as one day CEO to Gulf Oil India
Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has worn many hats over the years, worn another feather in his cap on 3 April 2017. The “Captain Cool” has been appointed as the CEO of Gulf Oil India for a day. Dhoni was named as the brand ambassador of Gulf Oil back in 2011 and since then has shared a good bond with it. To taken this relationship a step forward, the company decided to appoint him as CEO for a day.
Indira Banerjee appointed as CJ of Madras High court
Justice Indira Banerjee was appointed as the Chief Justice of Madras High Court recently. Now, she is serving as the judge of Delhi High Court. She succeeds Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, who was transferred to the Supreme Court in February 2017. With this Banerjee became the second woman to head the Madras High Court. Justice Kanta Kumari Bhatnagar was the first lady to head the charted court in 1992.
Vipul takes charge as New Consul General of Dubai
Diplomat Vipul a 1998 batch Indian Foreign Service Officer took up the charge as the new consul General of Dubai. Mr. Vipul has succeeded Anurag Bhushan. Before joining the consulate at Dubai, he was working in the office of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. He had earlier served at India’s diplomatic missions in Sri Lanka and Egypt. Dubai is recognised as the commercial capital and tourism centre of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Vanaja Sarna appointed as Chairperson of CBEC
Senior bureaucrat Vanaja Sarna was appointed as Chairperson of Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC). Sarna, a 1980 batch officer of Indian Revenue Service, is at present member in the CBEC. She will take over charge from incumbent Najib Shah who completes his term this month end. The appointments committee of cabinet has approved Sarna’s appointment an order issued by personnel ministry. The CBEC which works under finance ministry comprises of a chairperson and a maximum of 6 members.
B). RESIGNS
Farooq Abdullah wins Srinagar Lok Sabha by poll
National Conference President Farooq Abdullah on 15 April 2017 won the Srinagar Lok Sabha by poll after defeating PDP Candidate Nazir Ahmad Khan by around 10,000 votes. Abdullah had faced his first electoral defeat in his over 35-year long political career when he had lost to PDP’s Tariq Hameed Karra in 2014 General elections. Karra had later resigned from Lok Sabha.
C). DEATHS
Bollywood actor Vinod Khanna dies of Cancer
One of India’s most well-known Bollywood actors Vinod Khanna has died with suffering from Cancer. He was 70 years old. He is best remembered for his performance in films like Mere Apne, Mera Gaon Mera Desh,Gaddaar, Jail Yatra, Kuchhe Dhaage, Amar Akbar Anthony, Rajput, Qurbani, Dayavan and others. He was popularly hailed as one of the most handsome lead actors ever in Bollywood, along with Dharmendra, Rajesh Khanna and Shammi Kapoor.
Veteran Journalist Nora Chopra no more
Due to multi-organ failure, veteran journalist Nora Chopra passed away on 20 April 2017. She was 64. Chopra was widely admired and respected for her journalistic skills. She had a long and distinguished career, especially with the Sunday Guardian and Asian Age. In her death the nation has lost one of senior most journalist.
Top Maoist Comrade Narayan Sanyal Passes Away
A top maoist leader Narayan Sanyal has passed away on 18 April 2017 in Kolkata. He played a key role in mergers of Naxalite factions. Sanyal was known for his keen interest in football. He was born in an affluent family in undivided Bengal Bogra district. He was the polit Bureau member of CPI (Maoist). He left his job in a bank in Kolkata to join the Charu Majumdar – Kanu Sanyal led movement.
Former AP Minister Devineni Rajashekhar Passes Away
TDP leader and former Andhra Pradesh Minister Devineni Rajashekhar (Nehru), died of cardiac arrest. He was 63. A powerful youth leader, Devineni Nehru has been part of the TDP since its formation in 1982 by the supreme and leading str NT Rama Rao. He was elected MLA from Kankipadu in 1985, 1989 and 1994 and served as a minister in the NTR Cabinet. After switching over to the N. Chandrababu Naidu camp in 1996, when the TDP split, he later joined the congress. He was lost the elections in 1999 but was later elected in 2004 and defeated in 2009 and 2014.
Former Bihar Minister Narsingh Baitha Passes Away
Former Bihar Minister Narsingh Baitha Passed away at patna after prolonged illness, He was 100. Baitha was elected MLA for three times from Bagha reserved seat since 1962. Later, he represented Shikarpur reserved seat in West champaran in the State Legislative Assembly in 1985. He was minister in Congress government two times headed by Daroga Prasad Rai and Jagannath Mishra.
Girish Chandra SAXENA, Former J & K Governor Dies
Former Jammu & Kashmir governor Girish Chandra Saxena, lovingly called Gary died on 14 April 2017 after a brief illness. He was 90. Saxena’s brother Naresh Chandra, former Cabinet Secretary and ambassador to the US. He was born in Agra in 1928 and is survived by his wife and two daughters.
Former Union Minister Akhilesh Das Gupta passes Away
Congress leader and former Union Minister Akhilesh Das Gupta passes away after suffering with heart attack. He is the son of Freedom Fighter Late Shri Babu Banargidas, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Akhilesh Das Gupta has been a National level badminton player and had represented the State of Uttar Pradesh 1977 to 1983.
Kishori Amonkar, Hindustani Classical Vocalist passes Away
Renowned Hindustani classical vocalist Kishori Amonkar Passed Away in Mumbai on Monday, 3 April 2017,after a brief illness. She was 84. Born on 10 April 1932, Amonkar was recognised as the of the foremost singers in the Hindustani tradition and as an innovative exponent of the jaipur gharana. Amonkar was awarded the Padma Bhushan (1987) and Padma Vibhushan (2002). In 2010, she became a fellow of the Sangeet Natak Akademi.
D). VISITORS
President of Nepal, Bidhya Devi Bhandari Visit to India
Bidhya Devi Bhandari, the first female President of Nepal, was on an official visit to India from 17th to 21st April, 2017. During Ms Bhandari’s Visit, both sides assessed the implementation of ongoing cross border connectivity projects including development of Terai roads, cross border railway lines, integrated border check posts, and cross – border pipeline for carrying petroleum products which is the first of its kind in South Asia.
Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina’s four day visit to India
PM of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina was on an official visit to India from 7th to 10th April 2017. In a bid to strengthen bilateral ties, India and Bangladesh signed 22 agreements for cooperation in various area viz. civil nuclear cooperation, cyber security, media, judicial sector, peaceful uses of outer space, defence, information technology, electronics and transport connectivity. After comprehensive talks between Prime Ministers of India and Bangladesh, India announced $ 4.5 billion line of credit for development projects in Bangladesh.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak Visits India
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was given the ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi. This year marks the 60th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations. Malaysia’s father of Independence, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Visited India in 1962. India and Malaysia signed their strategic partnership in 2010. Now, PM Modi and PM Najib will hold substantive talks, particularly focusing on enhancing business ties.
E). MISCELLANEOUS
India’s Srishti Kaur wins Miss Teen Universe 2017
On 25 April, 2017 Srishti Kaur from India was crowned Miss Teen Universe 2017. The beauty Pageant event took place in Managua. The capital city of nicaragua. Kur beat out 25 contestants from other parts of the world. Kaur also won the prize for the best national costume at the prestigious pageant. The costume featured a peacock, India’s national bird. The other two finalists were Ary Trava from Mexico and Samantha Pierre from Canada.
‘Newton’ wins best film honour at Hong Kong International Film Festival
Bollywood film Newton has won the best film honour at the Hong Kong International Film Festival. The lead actor of the film is Raj Kumar Rao. Amit Masurkar directed “Newton” is a political satire. It had its world premiere at the 67th Berlin Film Festival where it won the International Federation of Art Cinemas Award in its Forum Segment.
Canadian Defence Minister Pays Obeisance at Golden Temple
Canada’s Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan on 20 April 2017 paid Obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, where he was honoured by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). Mr Sajjan who had arrived in the city on 19 April night, reached Harmandir Sahib early the next day and went to the sanctum to offer prayers. The visiting dignitary spent close to an hour at the premises and then left for his native village, Bambili in Hoshiarpur.
Violet Brown as World’s oldest Human Being
Violet Brown, a Jamaican Woman who spent much of her life cutting sugar cane in fields around her home. Now, she has become the oldest person in the world. Born on 10th March, 1900, Brown is 117 years and 38 days. Previous oldest person Emma Morano, Born on 29th November, 1899, was died at 117 years and 137 days old. However, Brown has not yet been declared the world’s oldest person by Guinness Book of World Records.
World’s First Museum of Polar Lands
A new museum built by the son of renowned French explorer aims to show “the beauty of Polar Landscapes” and illustrate the consequences of climate change. The museum, Espace des Mondes Polaires Paul Emile Victor, provides a visually compelling tutorial on these changes. The centre in the eastern France is the only permanent museum devoted Arctic and Antarctic in the World. Built in the shape of a jutting iceberg and with 60% of its volume buried under ground. Museum was conceived by anthropologist Jean christophe Victor son of Paul – Emile Victor.
PLACES IN NEWS
World’s 5th tallest building “Lotte World Tower” Opens in Seoul
South Korea celebrates the opening of Lotte World Tower the world’s fifth highest skyscraper a, 1819 feet seven star hotel in Seoul. Lotte World Tower is a 123 floors building built on the banks of River Han in Seoul. The landmark building boasts some record setting amenities such as the World’s highest swimming pool, world’s highest glass bottomed observation deck, the world’s fastest elevator taking visitors to the top just one minute.
BOOKS IN NEWS
PM releases book “Matoshree” authored by Sumitra Mahajan
Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a book authored by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan in New Delhi. On 11 April 2017. The book “Matoshree” covers the life and time of legendary Devi Ahilyabai Holkar who ruled the Holkar Empire spread over the Malwa region from 1767 to 1795. The region of Ahilya Bai of Indore in Central India has became almost legendary as a period during which perfect order and good government prevailed and the people prospered. She has participated in several plays on the life of Ahilyabai.
COMMITTEES
Nita Ambani made member of IOC’s Olympic Channel Commission
Nita Ambani has been made amers of International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Channel Commission, which handles IOC’s digital platform. Besides the Olympic channel, she has also been made a member of IOC’s Olympic Education Commission. In August last year, Nita became IOC’s first Indian woman member after being elected at the 129th IOC session in Rio de Janeiro.
India, Malaysia sign 7 agreements
India and Malaysia recently signed seven agreements including in the are as of civil aviation and human resources development, following delegation level bilateral talks headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Najib Razak in New Delhi. An agreement was signed by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Malaysian Minister of Transport Sri Liow Tiong Lai to boost air services between the two countries.
IMPORTANT DAYS & DATES
World Intellectual Property Day April 26
World Intellectual Property Day is observed on April 26 each year with a variety of events and activities worldwide. It aims to increase people’s awareness and understanding of intellectual property (IP). the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIFO) world together with various government agencies, non govt organizations, community groups and individuals to hold different events and activities to promote World Intellectual Property Day each year.
25 April World Malaria Day 2017
World Malaria Day is all about celebrating the successes there have been in the drive to eradicate malaria from the world as well as raising awareness of the disease and its prevention. This year the World Health Organisation (WHO) has made “ending malaria for good” its theme for World Malaria Day 2017. A Tropical disease which is spread by infected female anopheles mosquitoes.
National Panchayati Raj Divas – April 24
Every year April 24 is being observed as National Panchayati Raj (PR) Diwas Across the India. Amendment Act 1992 that came into force with effect from 24 April, 1993. Every year on this day Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj Organises, National Conference to commemorate the National panchayati Raj Divas. Best performing Gram Panchayats are conferred with Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar by the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
World Book and Copyright Day 2017, 23rd April
The World Book and Copyright Day was celebrated on 23 April 2017 across the globe. To mark the occasion, special events were organised to promote reading, publishing and copy right across the world including India. The World Book and copyright Day is an opportunity to highlight the power of books to promote UNESCO’s vision of knowledge societies that are inclusive, pluralistic, equitable, open and participatory for all citizens.
English Language Day Observed on 23rd April
UN English Language Day is Observed annually on 23rd April. The event was established by the UNESCO in 2010 to seeking to celebrate multilingualism and Cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six of official working languages throughout the Organisation. April 23 was chosen as the date of English Language, because it is the anniversary of both birth and death of William Shakespeare.
International Earth Day April 22
The World Earth Day is being observed on 22 April, 2017. The day is celebrated every year on 22 April and encourage people to look after the planet by being environmentally friendly, The theme of 2017 is ‘Environmental and climate Literacy’ The day is celebrated worldwide to demonstrate support for environmental protection. The most significant dangers to earth are the rising global temperature which contributes to rising sea-levels and the melting of glaciers.
International Day For Monuments and Sites April 18
International Day for Monuments and Sites is observed on April 18, 2017. The International Day for Monuments and Sites is held each year around the world with different types of activities, including visits to monuments and heritage sites, conferences, round tables and newspaper articles. The aim is to promote awareness about the diversity of cultural heritage of humanity and efforts required their protection and conservation.
126th Birth Anniversary of BR Ambedkar : 14 April
Ambedkar Jayanti is celebrated every year by the people with great enthusiasm more than like a festival on 14th of April. Nation remembers Dr. Bhim Rao Ramji Ambedkar on his 126th birth anniversary on 14 April, 2017. President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid floral tributes at Babasaheb statue in the parliament house complex. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Chief Architect of the constitution of India, was born on 14th April 1891 at Mhow in Madhya Pradesh.
International Day of Human Space Flight – April 12, 2017
Every year 12th April is celebrated as International day of Human Space Flight to mark the day when the First Human Space Flight, carried out by Yuri Gagarin on 12 April, 1961. On April 7, 2011, the day was proclaimed by the UN at the 65th session of the United Nations General. To promote aspirants to explore and maintain outer space for peaceful purposes.
World Homeopathy Day : 10 April 2017
Minister of State Independent Charge) for Ayush, Shripad Yesso Naik inaugurated the National Convention on World Homeopathy Day on 10 April 2017 at New Delhi. The event was organized to commemorate the 262 nd birth anniversary of the founder of Homeopathy Dr. Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician, who was a great scholar, linguist and acclaimed scientist. A special session is also being organized to pay tribute to him.
World Health Day-April 7
World Health Day is on the 7th of April each year. This day marks the anniversary of the World Health Organization which was founded in 1948. The world Health Organization (WHO) is the leading global health authority within the United Nations System. The theme of 2017 World Health Day is “Depression Let’s talk”. More than 30 million people are now living with depression, an increase of more than 18% between 2005 and 2015.
6 April – International Day of Sport for Develop ment and Peace
The International Day of Sport for Development and peace (IDSDP) is an annual celebration of the power of sport to drive social change, community development and to foster peace and understanding. Creating a historical link to the first modern Olympic Games in 1986, 6 April was declared as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace by the United Nations General Assembly in 2013, and has been celebrated each year ever since 2014.
April 4 International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance
International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action was observed on 4 April 2017 across the world. The theme of the year 2017 is Needs Driven. People centred. Mine Action ensures that landmines and explosive hazards in war torn are as are found and destroyed, making possible the delivery of humanitarian assistance so that people and supplies reach those most in need. Driven the people to safer places.
World Autism Awareness Day – 2nd April
2nd April 2017 is the tenth annual World Autism Awareness Day. Since 2008 Organizations around the world celebrate and promote this day every year with awareness raising events. The 2017 the theme of the day is “Toward Autonomy and Self-Determination”. This day is an internationally recognized day, encouraging the member raise awareness about children with autism throughout the world.
81st Foundation Day of Odisha – Utkal Divas
On April 1, 1936, Odisha was formed and since then the day is celebrated to mark the contributions and sacrifices made by people of the state in the formation days. The day is also called as “Utkal Divas”. Besides people from different walks of life paid tributes to the legends and renowned personalities like Utkala Gaurav Madhusudan Das, Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das, Maharaja Rama chandra Bhanjadeo, Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati, Raja Baikuntha Nath Dey and so on helped Odisha to get status of separate linguistic state, which carved out Bengal-Bihar-Orissa province.
10:15 PM, 26-Oct-2017
INTERNATIONAL
EI Salvador becomes first country to ban metals mining
EI Salvador, Central America’s smallest nation, has become the first country in the world to ban metals mining nation wide. The new law, supported by 70 lawmakers, bans all exploration, extraction and processing of metals both in open pits and mines. The level of environmental pollution in EI Salvador is one of the highest in the region and the availability of drinking water is the lowest.
Peggy Whitson breaks Sunita Williams Spacewalk Record
Peggy Whitson made a history when she floated outside the International Space Station. She broke the record for the most spacewalks Sumita Williams, Whitson at the age of 57, is making her eighth career spacewalk, surpassing the record of seven times held by Indian American Sumita Williams. Ms Whitson earned a doctorate in biochemistry and served as the first female space station commander in 2008.
Jeff Bezos – Now the World’s Second Richest Person
Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos has become the World’s second richest person adding $1.5 billion to his net worth at $ 75.6 billion, according to Bloomberg’s billionaire Index. According to Bloomberg, his net worth increased by $10.2 billion this year. Microsoft Co- founder Bill Gates remained the World’s richest person and topped Forbes annual list with an estimated net worth of $ 86 billion, up from $ 75 billion in 2016.
Taliban Captures Southern Afghan city of Sangin
The Taliban has captured the crucial city of Sangin in southern Afghanistan after a year-long battle. Afghan forces have made a tactical retreat from the center of Sangin. The fall of sangin came amid the insurgents year-long push to expand their foot print in the Taliban heartland of Helmand Province. It signals growing strength of Taliban in Afghanistan.
Norway is the happiest place in the world
Norway is the happiest place on the earth. It has over taking nearby Denmark from the No.1 position according to the World Happiness Report. Norway moved up from fourth place in the United Nations report with Iceland in third, Switzerland in fourth, and Finland in fifth. The United states is No.14 and United Kingdom is No.19 positions.
Italy Ranked World’s Healthiest Country
Italy has been ranked as the healthiest country on Earth with a health score of 97.44 out of 100. According to the 2017 Bloomberg Global Health Index of 163 countries released on 20 March, 2017. The reason behind the healthy citizens of Italy is cited to lot of dependence on leafy diets drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Iceland placed second with a score of 96.20 and Switzerland placed third with a score of 94.96.
Japan launches satellite to Monitor North Korea
Japan on 17 March 2017 launched a new satellite to track land and maritime movements in North Korea. The satellite will also be able to conduct surveys on the war weapons programme of the secretive nuclear armed state. The launch project was conducted jointly by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The move comes shortly after North Korea launched four banned ballistic missiles into the sea of Japan;s north west coast, alarming both Japan and US.
Saudi Arabia Inaugurates Girls Council
In a bid to encourage women participation in Work Force, Saudi Arabia has for the first time decided to launch a Girl’s Council. The meeting in the al-Qassim Province was attended by 13 male numbers while the women were present too but they were in another room linked via video due to strict Saudi laws on gender segregation between unrelated men and women. The council was about women participation in the work force from 22% to 30% as part of its vision 2030 program.
US Senate confirms Seema Verma for Health care post
Indian -American Seema Verma is appointed for a top health care position in the Trump administration. Her appointment was confirmed by the US senate after 43 votes out of 55 has secured by Verma. Verma is expected to play a key role in the government’s bid to “repeal and replace”,She is known as the architect of health care reforms in several states in America.
First Fluorescent Frog Found in Argentina
A group of scientists discovered the world’s first fluorescent frog near Santa Fe in Argentina. The frog sports a muted palette of greens, yellows, and reds under normal light, but emits a bright blue and green glow in the dark. The molecules contain a ring structure and a chain of hydrocarbons. The closest similar molecules are found in plants.
Japan to send its largest warship to South China Sea
In its biggest show of naval force since World War II, Japan is planning to send its largest warship. “JS Izumo” on a 3 months tour through the South China Sea, starting from May 2017. The main aim is to test capability of the Warship by sending it out on an extended mission. The 249 m long carrier is as large as Japan’s World War -II-era carriers and can operate up to 9 helicopters.
Pakistan set to conduct its first Census in 19 years
Pakistan is set to conduct its first national census in 19 years which will begin on 15 March with the assistance of over 2,00,000 troops. Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor and Minister of state for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb addressed a joint conference about preparation for the census, which will be conducted in phases and will be completed conducted in two phases and will be completed on May 25.
Syrian troops with Russian support recaptured historic city of Palmyra
Syrian troops backed by Russian jets recently recaptured the historic city of Palmyra from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Palmyra was first seized by the militant group in May 2015. After capturing the city. UNESCO world heritage site was destroyed systematically. The city was listed in UNESCO’s world heritage site for hosting numerous ancient monuments and temples.
South Korea and America Begin Annual Military Drill Foat Eagle
The United States and South Korea troops started their large scale military drill named Foal Eagle. The aim of the military exercise is to test their defence readiness against the threat from North Korea. North Korea Conducted its first ballistic missile test of 2017 in February and views the Foal Eagle Exercise 2017 as Preparation for war against it.
Malaysia to cancel visa-free entry for North Koreans
Malaysia has decided to cancel the Visa-free travel permit to the North Koreans, following the murder of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half brother of the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Kuala Lumpur Airport. The announcement was made by deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid. The Visa-free entry for North Koreans will be cancelled from 6 March 2017.
WHO Releases 12 Priority Pathogenic Super Bugs list
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released its first ever list of antibiotic-resistant priority pathogens-a catalogue of 12 families of bacteria. The list was given to development of new antibiotics, as part of WHO efforts to address growing global resistance to antimicrobial medicines. The list highlights in Particular the threat of gram-negative bacteria that are resistant to multiple antibiotics. These bacteria have built-in abilities to find new ways to resist treatment and that can allow other bacteria to become drug-resistant as well.
INDIA & WORLD
India Be comes Third largest in Domestic Air Traffic
India which is rising high in the field of aviation now attained a still higher position by pushing Japan back, achieving a 3rd spot in domestic air traffic behind USA and China. USA topped with 719 million passengers and followed by China 436 million passengers. India attained 3rd spot with 100 million passengers in 2016. India pushed back Japan which had only 97 million passengers last year.
Five Indian Cities included in World Heritage List
The Union Govt recently informed that five Indian Cities were included in the Tentative List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Information was given by the Union Minister of state for Cultural and Tourism (Independent Charge) Dr. Mahesh Sharmain. The list of five Indian cities are Ahmedabad, Delhi, Jaipur, Bhubaneswar and Mumbai.
Indian cities among cheapest globally Economist Intelligence Unit
Four Indian cities among the cheapest to live in globally, while Singapore has been ranked as the most expensive for the fourth consecutive year, as per a report by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). Bangalore (3rd) place, Chennai (6th), Mumbai (7th) and New Delhi (10th) have been ranked by EIU among the 10 cheapest cities in the world. Almaty has been ranked as the cheapest city in the World followed by Lagos.
India Ranked 131 on Human Development Index
According to the UN Development Programme’s Human Development Report 2016, released on March 21, 2017. India ranked 131 of 188 when it comes to the Human Development Index (HDI). This put it in the medium category. The Index is based on three dimensions, life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling and expected years of schooling and gross national income per capita. India’s HDI at 0.624, was behind Sri Lanka and the Maldives in South Asia. Norway, Australia and Switzerland are placed in top three positions.
First Airbus Training Center in Asia to be set up in New Delhi
France based Aircraft maker Airbus will set up Asia’s first training facility for pilots and maintenance engineers in New Delhi. Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the training center on March 17, 2017. The center will formed by the European Aviation major Airbus. It is to b e expected to be operational by the end of 2018.
World’s Oldest Red Algae Fossils Found in India
A group of scientists in India unearthed a pair of 1.6 billion years – old fossils that appear to contain red algae. It is estimated that it may be the oldest plant like life discovered on Earth. As per the records until now, the oldest red algae were 1.2 billion years old. But present found algae were more old that these algae. The preserved fossils came from phosphorite deposits at Jankikund, Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh.
India Joins WHO To End TB By 2030
India with World Health Organization (WHO) signed a ‘call for action’ and pledged to scale up measures to end the Tuberculosis (TB) by 2030. India among other countries in the South East Asian REgion, which bear half of the global tuberculosis burden. India reports 2.8 million new TB cases annually and nearly half a million deaths due to this disease.
Tata Steel, Wipro in World’s most ethical companies list
Two Indian Companies, Tata Steel and Wipro have been named in the list of world’s most ethical companies by American think tank Ethisphere Institute. In 2017, there were 124 honorees spanning five continents, 19 countries and 52 industry sectors. Ethisphere honours those companies who recognize their role in society to influence and drive positive change in the societies around the world.
India is largest Cotton Producing Country in the World
India is the largest cotton Producing and second largest exporting country in the world. As per the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) report for the month of March, 2017 India is the largest cotton Producing Country in the World. Pakistan is the second largest cotton producing country in the World. China is largest Cotton export country in the World.
India Bangladesh border guards celebrate Holi together
India’s Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) played Holi At Akhaura integrated check post and other bordering areas of Tripura and also exchanged sweets. Holi, the popular “Festival of Colours”, will be celebrated in some some parts of the country on Sunday and the other parts on Monday. Celebration of each other’s festivals together would bring both the Organisations closer.
Cultural Festival “India by the Nile” to begin in Egypt
The meg cultural festival “India by the Nile” got off to a colourful start at the foot of the Pyramids in Cairo with a Crafts Mela. Show casing joint handicraft exhibition of India and Egypt. India’s Ambassador to Egypt, Sanjay Bhattacharya said the event is a special moment as this year India celebrate 70 years of Independence and also 70 years of its diplomatic relation with Egypt.
Hyderabad GMR Airport Declared Best in World For Service
GMR’s Hyderabad International Airport has secured first position in the world in the prestigious Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Service Quality (ASQ) survey in the 5-15 million passengers per annum (MPPA) category of the year 2016. Besides, the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi has been ranked world’s second best airport, its score increased from 4.96 in 2015 to 4.99 in 2016.
India – Israel celebrates Silver Jubilee for their diplomatic relations
India and Israel celebrated 25 years of establishment of their diplomatic relations on February 28,2017 in New Delhi. Making the occasion a logo was unveiled by Amarsinha and Daniel Carmon, Israeli Ambassador to India, at the Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts in New Delhi. These include exchange of high-level political visits and visits by business delegations.
NATIONAL
Union Govt releases Postage Stamp on Cub Scouts
Union Minister of Communications Manoj Sinha on 30 March 2017 released a Postage Stamp on cub scouts to commemorate Centenary year of Cub Scouts in India and abroad, Scouting aims to support young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development. Bharat Scouts Guide not only play an important role in the overall development of the country but also work for road and rail safety, Swachh Bharat Mission apart from many development activities.
President inaugurates Namini Brahmaputra Festival
President Pranab Mukherjee on 31st March Inaugurated the River festival Namimi Brahmaputra in Guwahati today (31st March). The festival tagged as “India’s largest river festival” is being organised across 21 districts of the state and will show case trade, tourism and cultural possibilities of along Brahmaputra river. Nobel Laureate and Tibetan Spiritual leader Dalai. Lama, Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev, Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Mahesh Sharma along with tourists from across the globe are expected to attend the meeting.
Union Government to launch Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana
Union Govt, is going to launch Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY) scheme for providing physical aids and assisted living devices for senior citizens belonging to BPL category. It will be launched in Nellore District, Andhra Pradesh on 1st April, 2017. The physical aids and assisted living devices for senior citizens will be distributed in camp mode and the scheme will be implemented through the sole implementing agency, Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation (ALIMCO)
India’s Longest Road Tunnel in J&K National Highways
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will Inaugurate India’s longest road tunnel, built on the Jammu – Srinagar National Highway, on April 2. This Chenani – Nashri tunnel on JK highway will cut short the distance between Jammu and Srinagar by nearly 30 km. The work on the 9.2 km long twin – tube tunnel, which is a part of a 286 km long four lane project on highway, started on May 23, 2011 in lower Himalayan Mountain Ran
86th Martyrdom of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev
On 86th martyrdom day of India’s freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev the whole nation remembering the legends on March 23 PM. Narendra Modi also paid tributes to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev on the day of their death anniversary. It could be mentioned here that Bhagat Singh along with Sukhdev and Rajguru played a major part in the freedom struggle of India against the British empire. The trio were hanged to death in Lahore Jail on March 23. 1931.
Rajya Sabha passes HIV, AIDS Bill, 2017 by Voice Vote
The Upper House of Indian Parliament, Rajya Sabha passed the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and AIDS prevention and control Bill, 2014 by voice vote on 21 March 2017. The bill, which includes provisions that ensure equal rights to people affiliated by HIV and AIDS in getting treatment and admission in educational institutions and jobs, was introduced in the house on the same day.
First Fully India made train Medha flagged off at Mumbai
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, via videoconferencing, flagged off the maiden run of the train Medha from Dadar to Borivali, at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus. The 12 coach train on the fast track halted at Bandra and Andheri stations in Mumbai. Medha has been manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, which has installed LED lighting to reduce energy consumption.
Punjab Govt gives 33% reservation for Women in State Jobs
In a major decision, the Punjab Cabinet has decided to provide 33% reservation for women in all govt jobs. Women will be given the reservation also in the contractual appointments of the state government. The decision was taken in the first cabinet meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh in Chandigarh.
Union Government approves National Health Policy
The Union Government has approved the National Health policy, which proposes to provide assured health services to all in the country. The policy was approved on 16 March 2017 at the meeting of Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The policy increases to gambit of sectors covered in the Primary Health Center (PHC) level and envisages a comprehensive approach.
Commerce Minister launched Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme
Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES) on 15 March 2017. Sitharaman said that the scheme aims to address the needs of the exporters and added that the focus in not just on creating infrastructure but to make sure it is professionally run and sustained.
Amitabh Bachchan as New Ambassador to Oneplus India
Chinese smartphone company Oneplus has roped in Bollywood Star Amitabh Bachchan as its new brand ambassador recently. Mr. Bachchan is the first major face that Oneplus India is associating with for its latest flagship smartphone, one plus 3 T. Bachchan has been considered since he better represents “One Plus” motto Never Settle Oneplus 3 T is rated as the best smartphone as compared to other brands based on consumer ratings on Amazon India. With this Amitabh has now joined the first ever “One Plus Star” which is a select group of distinguished One Plus Users.
Arun Jaitley Assumes Additional Charge of Defence
The Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was given the additional charge of the Defence Ministry on March 13, 2017 after Manohar Parrikar resigned to take on the new role of Goa Chief Minister. Upon the advice of PM Modi, the President Mukherjee directed that Arun Jaitley shall be assigned the charge of Defence Ministry. This is the second time that Jaitley is holding the additional portfolio of Defence Ministry during the present NDA’s government.
BJP Victory in UP, UK and Hung in Goa, Manipur
In the five state assembly elections in 2017, BJP has got absolute Majority in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, while Congress won in Punjab, No party has emerged with clear majority in Goa and Manipur, however congress emerged as single largest party in the these states.
India’s 1st AC rail ambulance launched at Mumbai
The Four coach air conditioned (AC) ambulance has been unveiled by the central Railway. This is India’s first air conditioned rail ambulance. CR is the lifeline of Mumbai and other nearby areas as a large number of patents travel in local train. But due to lack of emergency medical care, the critically injured patients succumb to death. That why this rail ambulance would provide timely treatment and save lives.
Parliament passes Maternity Benefit Bill, 2016
Parliament on 9 March 2017 passed the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The Bill seeks to amends the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961. The Bill was passed by Lok Sabha during the Parliament Session. The Bill had already been passed by the Rajya Sabha in August 2016 during the winter session. With this the Bill stands passed in the Parliament. The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016 will come into the force only after the President’s assent to the bill.
PM Modi to Release Special Commemorative Postage Stamp
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release Commemorative Postage Stamp on 100th Anniversary of the Yogoda Satsanga Society of India at a function in New Delhi. Yogoda Satsanga Society in a non-profit religious organization founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1917. Yogoda Satsanga Society (YSS) celebrated its 100 years journey on 10th March 2017.
World’s oldest serving aircraft carrier INS Viraat retires today
The World’s oldest aircraft carrier in active service, INS Viraat will be decommissioned on 6 March 2017. The iconic carrier will receive a ceremonial send off in Mumbai. Similar to the decommissioning of INS Vikrant, India’s first aircraft carrier in January 1997, INS Viraat send off would be an emotional moment for the novel officers and other personnel who were deployed on the ship.
Narendra Singh Tomar launches Swachh Shakti Saptah at Gurugram
Drinking water and Sanitation Minister Narendra Singh Tomar recently launched Swachh Shakti Saptah at Gurugram in Haryana. The week long programme across the country will highlight the role of women in Swachh Bharat Mission and recognize their leadership. In these seven days honouring women Champions, women sarpanches, ASHA Workers, school teachers, senior women citizens.
STATES
World’s Largest Capstone Discovered in Telangana
A capstone in the shape of a human body was excavated at Narmeta Village, Siddipet District by Telangana State Department of Archaeology and Museums. This is the largest capstone ever discovered by the department in its 100-year history. It was excavated near an ancient human burial site and is said to be at least 2,750 years old. DNA testing will also be done by the archaeologists to trace the prehistoric date of the humans buried in the ground.
Bengaluru gets India’s first vertical garden
Emulating China and Italy vertical forests, Bengaluru get its first vertical garden, which it hopes will help in curbing pollution and in beautifying the city. An NGO, installed the first vertical garden in the city on one of the pillars of the Hosur Road flyover. The garden boasts of around 3500 saplings of more than 10 species. An automated drip irrigation system has been installed that will water these saplings every day.
Yogi Adityanath sworn in CM of Uttar Pradesh
Gorakhpur Member of Parliament (MP) Yogi Adityanath was elected on 18 March 2017 as the leader of UP BJP state Legislature Party. With this election, Yogi Adityanath was set to become the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. He was Sworn in CM of Uttar Pradesh on 19 March 2017 at a ceremony in Lucknow. He was took Oath as CM of UP in the presence of PM Modi, Amit Shah, L.K. Advani etc.
Krishi Unnati Mela 2017 inaugurated in New Delhi
The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare Radha Mohan Singh on 15 March 2017 inaugurated the Krishi Unnati Mela 2017 in New Delhi. The mela is jointly Organised by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s welfare. During the mela, technical sessions on various themes are planned to educate farmers on various Agricultural technologies and govt schemes for agricultural development.
Amaravati a futuristic World-Class City in Making
Amaravati, the capital of the truncated Andhra Pradesh, is planned to be developed as a futuristic World-Class City with the expertise from Japan and Singapore, and the cost of building it could be in excess of $ 2 billion says AP finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu.
KCR Kit Scheme in Telangana for Pregnant Women & Newborn
The state government of Telangana has proposed a new scheme named as “KCR Kit” focusing on women welfare and newborn. The Chief Minister has come out with Rs.605 crore innovative scheme “KCR Kit” for the pregnant women and newborn. The scheme will help to manage the complications during the time of pregnancy and help to reduce the infant mortality rate in the state.
Arunachal Pradesh launches Adarsh Gram Yojana
The Arunachal Pradesh government launched a new scheme “Adarsh Gram Yojana” that is in accordance with the basic philosophy of the Prime Minister “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikaas”. The scheme aims to reach the poor people in rural areas of the state to serve then better. Under the scheme, 123 villages developed as ‘Model Villages’ during the fiscal year 2017-18.
Deputy CM Francis D’souza wins from Mapusa
Senior BJP leader and Goa deputy chief minister Francis D’souza has won by 6,828 votes from Mapusa constituency. D’souza, who has expressed desire to made the chief minister in November 2014 when PM Narendra Modi moved then Goa CM Manohar Parrikar to the center, may again make that claim in the event of BJP going close to the majority mark of 21.
CBSE introduces Exam Locator app to help students
The central Board of secondary Education has come up with a new mobile app named Exam Locator. It will help students locate their examination center on the basis of their roll number. Using this app students can easily find the address, images and geolocation of the designated exam center on the map and get to know how to reach there. This development comes amid exams are round the corner for class X or XII examinees who can access information by selecting the option class and entering their roll number.
Virbhadra Singh launches mobile app ‘Mera Hunar HP’ for Job-Seekers
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh launched a mobile app and website “Mera Hunar HP” recently. Mera Hunar is a web based platform where the skilled, semi-skilled persons can apply for various jobs. And also plumber, Carpenter, Mechanic, Security Guards, Drivers, Tourist Guides can apply on online. This platform will directly connect with the prospective employers with job seekers.
Odisha government launches helpline for distressed women
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik recently inaugurated a 24×7 toll free helpline number 181 for distressed women in Bhubaneswar. The helpline will facilitate quick response of various services including lodging police complaint to provide medical, legal and counselling to women victims. Naveen also said our govt has instituted 50% reservation for women in Panchayat Raj Institutions and Govt jobs.
Viswanath Mahadeshwar as Mumbai’s new Mayor
Viswanath Mahadeshwar was elected Mumbai’s new mayor on 8th March by show of hands in which the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) supported the Shiv Sena Corporator. He was Handing over control of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is Asia’s richest civic body to its ally again.
First smart tribal village inaugurated in Jammu & Kashmir
Jammu & Kashmir Minister for food, Civil supplies and Consumer Affairs Ch Zulfikar Ali inaugurated the first tribal model village in “Kotranka” in Jammu & Kashmir’s Rajouri district. Developed under the rural development department, it is the first smart tribal village in Jammu & Kashmir. The village has been introduced with smart classes in the schools, better roads, electricity and water facility.
Tribal Festival “Bhagoria” begins in Madhya Pradesh
Bhagoria Festival, also known as Bhagoria Haat festival, celebrated by the tribal people of the Indian State Madhya Pradesh began on March 6, 2017 in Jhabua district. The Festival which has been organised at 34 places in the state is celebrated in the month of March before the Holi Festival by the local tribes called Bhils and Bhilalas. The week long festival is organised to select their life partners by Swayamvara.
West Bengal Govt grants Official language status to Kurukh
The West Bengal Government granted Official language status to endangered tribal language Kurukh. The official language status was given to the endangered language by the state government in February 2017. However, the announcement was recently made by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Delhi Govt Extends Midday Meal Scheme for Girls Up to Class 12th
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led Delhi Govt has come up with an initiative to extend the mid-day meal facility for the girl students up to class 12 in all Delhi Govt Schools. Currently Delhi provides the facility to all the students of government schools including boys up to class 8 only, However, from April 1, 2017, the mid day meal service for girl students up to class 12th.
AP cabinet accepts naming of Tirupati Airport as Sri Venkateswara Airport
Andhra Pradesh on 2 March 2017 decided to rename Tirupati Airport as Sri Venkateswara Airport and Gannavaram Airport as NTR Amaravati Airport. The decision was taken by the state cabinet, which met under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister N.Chandrababu Naidu, in Amaravathi. A proposal of renaming the airports would now be sent to Union Government for approval.
Chandrababu Naidu inaugurates AP Assembly Building
Andhra Pradesh CM N.Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated the new Assembly building at Velagapudi in the capital Amaravati region in Guntur District on 2nd March The Budget session which is scheduled to begin on 6th March. It will be the first Assembly session on the Andhra Pradesh’s soil in New Capital Amaravathi after the bifurcation of the state.
Himachal Pradesh Makes Dharamshala its Second Capital
The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet on 2nd March approved a proposal to make Dharamshala as the second capital of the state. The decision was taken in cabinet meeting on 2nd March Chaired by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. Following cabinet’s approval, amini secretariat would come up in Dharamshala to house the offices of ministers and Senior Officers.
International Yoga Festival Uttarakhand
International Yoga Festival celebrations started this year in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand on 1st March 2017. In this event Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that world is threatened by the twin challenges of terrorism and climate change. He also stated that there should be peace among the nations and Yoga helps to create harmony and peace across the world.
Assam to host river festival “Namami Brahmaputra”
Assam will host river festival ‘Namami Brahmaputra’ at the riverfront of Brahmaputra in Guwahati from 31 March to 4 April 2017. The decision was announced by Assam’s Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. The state govt has invited India’s President Pranab Mukherjee, PM Narendra Modi, Ambassador of all countries and all Chief Ministers and Chief Secretaries to Participate in the Mega Festival.
Panneerselvam Inaugurates “Amma Kalviyagam”
Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O.Panneerselvam launched a portal which will be a “hub of learning, interaction, opportunity and connection”, The “Ammakalviyagam in” named after late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. The portal was launched by Panneerselvam as part of her 69 birth anniversary celebrations. Jayalalithaa is fondly addressed as “Amma” by her supporters. The initiative was based on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) model.
Chennai HC Pass law to remove Seemai Karuvelam Trees
The Madurai bench of the Chennai High Court directed the state Government on 27 February 2017 to pass a special law to uproot the harmful Seemai Karuvelam trees. The directive was given by a bench consisting of Justices. A Selvam and P.Kalaiarasan, who observed that only 15% of the trees had been removed up until now. The Judgement followed a PIL filed by MDMK leader Vaiko.
CONFERENCES
9th World Environmental Education Congress
World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC) is an international congress addressing education for environment and sustainable development. WEEC 2017 is the 9th congress and will take place September 9-15, – 2017 in Vancouver, BC, Canada. WEEC is an opportunity to learn more about the latest in environmental and sustainability education, to discuss with people from all over the world.
Hyderabad to host 105th Indian Science Congress
Osmania University in Hyderabad will host the 105th Edition of “Indian Science Congress” during January 3-7, 2018. According to Achyuta Samanta, General President of Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) and founder of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Bhubaneswar. The conference will be on the theme “Science and Technology Reaching the Unreached”. This will be the sixth time the University will be hosting the conference.
Conference on “Make in India” held in houston
First ever conference was held here bringing together various constituencies that have an interest in India and discussing the latest developments and the best practices of doing business in India. The two day Houston India Conference was hosted by Asia Society Texas Center. The Theme of the conference is “Make in India – The Inside Story”. Texas has Vibrant Indian has American population that has contributed immensely to the understanding between our two countries across business, academia, the sciences.
Dalai Lama inaugurated 3-day Buddhist Conference in Bihar
The 3-day International Buddhist Conference began at Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, Rajgir in Nalanda district in Bihar, recently. The event was jointly inaugurated the much respected religious leader Dalai Lama and the Union Minister of Tourism and Culture, Mahesh Sharma. Over 1000 delegates from 35 countries including Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Singapore were participating in this event.
G 20 meet of Finance Minister and Central Bank Governors begin in Germany
The Finance ministers and central bank governors from the group of G 20 economies are due to meet in Baden-baden in Germany from 17-18 March 2017. The meeting is expected to focus on strengthening economic resilience in finance and digitization and to promote investment in Africa. This meet will be the first such gathering of G 20 leaders to discuss global economic challenges.
Hamid Ansari attends IORA Summit in Jakarta
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. The theme of summit is “Strengthening Maritime cooperation for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indian Ocean. India is one of the country in IORA’s 21 membering countries.
AWARDS & HONOURS
Indian Army Chief receive the honorary General title of Nepal Army
Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat was conferred the title of honorary General of the Nepal Army by Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari. General Rawat was honoured at a special ceremony at the president’s official residence ‘Sheetal Nivas’ in Kathmandu. She handed over a sword, an insignia and a certificate with regard to the honorary title to General Rawat.
Anupam Kher receives Kata Ratan Award
Veteran Bollywood actor Anupam Kher was honoured with the Kala Ratan Award by vice president Hamid Ansari at Punjab University, Chandigarh. He was received this award for his contribution to Indian Cinema. Anupam Kher has completed almost four decades in Bollywood and worked in more than 400 films including several Hindi Block busters, superhits and International films. Kher honoured by Padma Shri in 2004, then received Padma Bhushan in 2016 by Govt of India.
Major Rohit Suri awarded Kirti Chakra
Major Rohit Suri, who led the army team that carried out the daring cross-border surgical strike last year. He was on 20 March 2017 decorated with second highest peacetime gallantry award Kirti Chakra by President Pranab Mukherjee. Corporal Gursevak Singh of Indian Air force was posthumously conferred the Shaurya Chakra for putting up a valiant fight against terrorists who had attacked the front line Pathankot air base in January last year.
Justice Nava Nidhi Prasad Singh sworn in as Kerala HC Chief Justice
Justice Nava Nidhi Prasad Singh was on 20 March 2017 sworn in as the new Chief Justice of Kerala High Court. Article 2016, every high court shall consist of a Chief Justice and such other Judges as the president may from time to time deem it necessary to appoint. He practiced in commercial, taxation and constitutional matters in Patna and Jharkhand High Courts.
Mahabaleshwar Sail gets Saraswati Samman – 2016
Eminent Konkani Writer Mahabaleshwar Sail has been honoured with the Saraswati Samman 2016, for his novel “Hawthan”. The award comprises a cash prize of Rs.15 lakh and a citation. The 74-year-old writer’s novel was shortlisted from 22 regional language books. He has four Marathi and seven Konkani novels to his credit.
Aishwarya Rai Wins Best Actress for Sarbjit at IFFA Australia
Bollywood Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has won the best actress award at the International Film Festival and Awards of Australia (IFFAA) fo her movie Sarbjit. Directed by Omung Kumar, Sarbjit was the biopic on Sarbjit Singh was was an Indian Farmer was convicted of terrorism and spying in Pakistan. The film starring Aishwarya and Randeep Hooda showcased his journey inside the jail and his sister’s unending fight to free him.
MP Veerendra Kumar presented Moortidevi Award
Eminent Malayalam Author and Journalist, M.P. Veerendra Kumar was presented the 30th Moortidevi Award by Bharatiya Jnanpith organisation. Kumar was chosen for the prestigious award for his Malayalam Travelogue “Hymavatha Bhoovi” It dwells upon ancient trails of Indian culture, myth, literature, and people strewn in the plains, valleys, and mountains of India.
SERB Fellowship Award to Lalji Singh
Lalji Singh, former Director,the center for cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) has been selected for the award of SERB Fellowship. It is given by the science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) which is a statutory body of the Government of India. The Award supports research of scientists who are active and performing even after superannuation.
Rihanna Named Humanitarian of the Year Award
The popular singer Rihanna has been named the 2017 Harvard University “Humanitarian of the year Award”. Best known for her chart topping albums, Barbadian singer was awarded the famous Peter J.Gomes Humanitarian Award. She got the award for her work supporting education and health care in Caribbean and developing countries.
Kohli Nominated for Polly Umrigar Award, Aswin for Dilip Sardesai Award
Indian Captain Virat Kohli was nominated for the Prestigious Polly Umrigar Award while all rounder Ravichandran Aswin named for the Dilip Sardesai Award. The awards will be presented at the BCCI Annual Awards to be held in Bangalore on 8th March, 2017. Kohli becomes the first Indian cricketer to get Polly Umrigar Award on the third occasion after 2011-12 and 2014-15 season.
Rangaswamy Becomes First Woman to be Honored BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award
As a part of delivering recognition to Women in India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has for the first time introduced a separate category of Lifetime Achievement Awards for Women in the up coming BCCI Awards 2016-17. For the award, BCCI has chosen former Indian skipper Shata Rangaswamy on February 28,2017 who was become the first receiver of the award under the category.
SPORTS & GAMES
SV Sunil named player of the year for 2016 Asian Hockey Awards
India’s SV Sunil has been named as the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) player of the year 2016. Sunil has been honoured in the senior men’s section. While Harmanpreet was named the promising player of the year 2016. He has been honoured in the Junior men’s section. Sunil has been a key number of the Indian side over the fast few years and played a vital role in India’s successful outing at last year’s Champions Trophy where then won a historic silver medal.
Srinath Narayan becomes India’s 46th Grandmaster
Chennai’s Srinath Narayan is set to become India’s 46th Grandmaster after he defeated Spanish GM David Anton Guijarro at the on going Sharjah Master’s 2017 Chess Tournament. The 23 year old, who had become India’s youngest FIDE rated player in 2002 when he was just eight, also finished as joint winner in the Under-12 World Championship in 2005 in France. Srinath became an International Master at the age of 14 and crossed the 2500 Elo rating a few months back.
Siddhartha Upadhyay appointed on governing body of Sports Authority of India
Society for Transformation, Inclusion and Recognition through Sports (STAIRS) founder and secretary general Siddhartha Upadhyay has been appointed to the governing body of Sports Authority of India. Sports entrepreneur and Philanthropist Siddhartha Upadhyay is leading the change in sports at grassroots levels through STAIRS, a not for profit organization working towards sports, education, health and skill development of Children across India.
West Bengal win Santosh Trophy for 32nd time
West Bengal listed the Santosh Trophy for the 32nd time after Manvir Singh struck in the 119 minute for a 1-0 win over Goa, extending their domination in the premier domestic football tournament. Aster playing out a goalless 90 minutes, Manvir finally came good in the dying moments of extra time to leave the home crowd shocked at the GMS stadium.
Sebastian Vettel beats Lewis Hamilton in Australian Grand Prix
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel beat mercedes driven Lewis Hamilton to win the 2017 F1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix. It was held on 26 March 2017, at Albert Park in Melbourne. Besides, Mercedes’s Valtteri Bottas completed the podium at third position, This is the vettel’s 43rd race victory of his career and first victory since the 2015 singapore Grand Prix with a gap of Just 9.9 to runner-up Hamilton.
Pujara becomes first Indian to face 500 balls in a Test Innings
India’s most consistent middle order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara Stormed his Way into record books, after playing a marathon innings against Australia on fourth day of the Third Test Match. Pujara becomes the first Indian batsman to face 500 balls in a Test Innings by surpassing Rahul Dravid’s previous best of 495 balls. Dravid did it on Pakistan in Rawalpindi in 2004.
Tamil Nadu lifts Vijay Hazare Trophy
Tamil Nadu on 20 March 2017 won the Vijay Hazare Trophy in Cricket, for the fifth time. In the final played at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in New Delhi, they defeated Bengal by 37 runs. It was Tamil Nadu’s third victory over Bengal in the final of this competitions. Ofting to bat first, Tamilnadu posted 217 runs on a century by Dinesh karthik. He made 112. In reply they bundled out Bengal for 180 in 45.5 overs.
Roger Federer claimed Fifth Indian wells Masters Title
Roger Federer has claimed his fifth ATP Indian wells Masters title on 19 March, 2017. He was continuing his career resurgence with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over compatriot stan Wawrinka. Federer sidelined for around six months after knee surgery last year and returned to win his 18th Grand Slam Title at the Australian Open which was held in January 2017. With this title federer has joined Novak Djokovic as the only men to win five Indian wells Masters Titles.
Mumbai lose its permanent status in BCCI
Mumbai on 19 March 2017 lost its permanent status in the Board of control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Mumbai lost the voting rights in accordance with the new constitution of the Indian cricket Board. The board was finalized by the committee of Administrators (COA) appointed by the Supreme Court of India. The new rules of Memorandum of Associations (MOA) and Rules & Regulations of BCCI clearly state, there could be only one full member from a state
Shahid Afridi appointed ambassador of Blind Cricket World Cup
Former Pakistan allrounder Shahid Afridi has been appointed as the ambassador or Blind Cricket World Cup’s fifth edition. The tournament will be hosted by the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council in the UAE and Pakistan in January 2018. Afridi is not only an icon in the arena of cricket, but also a philanthropist and a role model in social work.
CAS upholds lifetime ban on Sergei Portugalov
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld a lifetime ban levied against sergei Portugalov, former Chief of the Russian Athletics Federation’s Medical Commission for his role in providing illicit substances to Russian athletes. The Lausanne based court stated in a statement that it has slapped Portugalov with a lifetime period of ineligibility beginning March 10, 2017, for having supplied athletes with banned substances.
Punjab wins 2017 Santosh Trophy of Football
Punjab has won the 71st Santosh Trophy football tournament by defeating Railways by 2-1 goals. It was Punjab’s overall ninth Santosh Trophy. For Punjab, both goals were scored by Rajbir Singh (16th and 61st minutes). For Railways, single goal was scored by Rajesh Soosanayakam (59th minute) Santosh Trophy is an annual Indian Football tournament played in India.
Chawrasia Clinches second successive Indian Open title
SSP Chawrasia has become only the second Indian Golfer to successively defend the Hero Indian Open Title. He clinched a seven stroke win at the redesigned DLF Golf and country club in gurgaon on 13th March. This was his sixth win on the Asian Tour and overall his sixth international victory. Chawrasia is the third player to win back-to-back Indian Open.
Lee Chong Wei Wins fourth All England Title
Lee Chong Wei, Malaysia’s Veteran world number one, captured the All-England open on 12 March with a trampling 21-12, 21-10 win over China’s first time finalist Shi Yugi. It was Lee’s fourth All-England title, which equals the achievement of Morten Frost, the Dane who is his coaching director in Kuala Lumpur. From 21 August 2008 to 14 June 2012, he was ranked first worldwide for 199 consecutive weeks as a singles player.
BCCI to award WC – Winning blind Indian team Rs.1 crore
“Acche din” seems to have begun for blind cricket in India. It’s learnt that in a first of its kind gesture on its part, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will awards Rs.1 crore to the Indian Cricket Team which won the T 20 blind cricket World Cup (WC) last month by beating arch-rivals pakistan by nine wickets in the final in Bangalore.
Sachin Tendulkar as official ambassador of Women’s World Cup-2017
Veteran Indian Cricketer and former captain Sachin Tendulkar has appointed as an official ambassador of Women’s World Cup – 2017. It will begin from 24th June, 2017 in England and Wales. 8 Women Cricket teams from different countries will play 21-day tournament. It having 28 matches including final match. In the final match in winner will be decided.
Aswin and Jadeja jointly rank Number one in ICC Test Rankings
India’s Ravichandran Aswin and Ravindra Jadeja on 8 March 2017 became the first pair of spinners to be jointly top ranked in the MRF Tyres ICC player rankings for the Test Bowlers. The rankings released a day after the second test against (Australia in Bengaluru. Jadeja’s seven wickets in the match helped him move up one rank to reach the top position for the first time in his career. Before Aswin and Jadeja. Dale steyn Muttiah Muralidaran shared the top spot in April 2008.
Sam Querrey beats Rafael Nadal in Mexico Open Final
Sam Querrey beat a 14-time Grand Slam Champion Rafael Nadal in straight sets to claim the ATP Mexico Open hold on 4th March. The American Clinched the final 6-3, 7-6 to secure the title despite being unseeded and ranked No 40 in the World Querrey 29, beat Nadal for the first time in five meetings between the pair.
Andy Murray won first Dubia Championship title
Andy Murray beats Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-2 to win Dubai Tennis Championship. With this he became the first British Man to win the Dubai Championships in 25 years of history. It is Murray’s first tournament win of 2017 and 45th of his care
De Matos appointed as U – 17 Football Team Coach
All India Football Federation (AIFF) appointed Portugal’s Luis Norton De Matos as the Head Coach of the India U-17 World Cup Team for the forth coming FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017. The tournament is scheduled to be held in October 2017 in India. De Matos replaces Nicolai Adam, who was forced to resign under controversial circumstances after a revolt from the players.
Jitu Rai wins gold in 50 m Air pistol at ISSF World Cup
Pistol shooter Jitu Rai on 1 March 2017 clinched the top position in the men’s 50 mt air pistol event with this, India won their first gold medal at the ISSF World Cup in New Delhi. It was Rai’s second medal in two days after he won the bronze medal in the 10 m air pistol event on 28 February 2017. The silver medal in the 50 m men’s air pistol event to India as Amanpreet Singh took the second position.
Kohli Named Captain of the year at ESPN Cricinfo Awards
Indian international cricketer Virat Kohli has named as the “Captain of the year” at the 10th Annual ESPN Cricinfo Awards, Kohli led India to nine wins out of 12 tests in the year 2016. The ESPN Cricinfo awards honour the best batting and bowling performances across the international formats of the game in the preceding calendar year.
ECONOMY
World Bank Sings US $ 100 million credit agreement with centre, Uttarakhand
The World Bank has signed a 100 million US dollar credit agreement with the Center and Uttarakhand in New Delhi on 23 March 2017. To improve Quality of health care services in all 13 districts of the Uttarakhand. The most public health facilities in the middle and upper mountainous areas of Uttarakhand are Unable to function optimally.
SBBJ, SBH, SBP, SBM and SBT to Operate as SBI from April 1st
Reserve Bank of India has made an announcement that all the branches of its five associate banks will operate as branches of State Bank of India, effective from April 1, 2017. The associate banks are State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (SBBJ), State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH), State Bank of Patiala (SBP) State Bank of Mysore (SBM), State Bank of Travancore (SBI) Customers, including depositors of all the above five treated as customers of State Bank of India (SBI) from April 1st.
India’s contribution to UN increases to Rs.244 crore
India’s Contribution to the United Nations has increased to Rs.244 core from Rs.157 crore during the fiscal year 2016-17 said by Union external Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Indian Government has also made voluntary contributions to the tune of 22 crore to international Organisations.
IDFC Bank launches Aadhar Pay system
IDFC Bank on 8th March launched the Biometric based Aadhaar Pay Payment system. Aaadhaar pay service is for merchants which will enable them to receive Aaadhaar-enable payments by passing credit and debit cards, Pin and Password. The Biometric reader is currently available for Rs.2,000. With the introduction of first of its kind, the bank targets to bring around 50,000, 75,000 merchants on board by 2019 and total touching 1 lakh merchants in three years.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
NASA, ISRO jointly working on the project NISAR
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are jointly working on the development of Dual Frequency (L and S band) Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging Satellite named as NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR). The L-band SAR is being developed by JPL/NASA, While ISRo is developing S-band SAR.
Berlin Scientists Created the World’s Largest Artificial Sun
Scientists of Berlin in Germany are flipping the switch on what’s being described as the world’s largest artificial sun. The giant honeycomb like structure, known as the “Sunlight” experiment uses 149 large spot light found in cinema projectors to simulate sunlight. They will focus the huge array of xenon short arc lamps on a single 20-by-20 centimeter spot. It will be able to produce the equivalent of 10,000 times the amount of solar radiation that would normally shine on the same sized surface.
Navy Successfully test fired Barak missile from INS Vikramaditya
The Indian Navy successfully test fired the short-range Barak surface-to-air missile from the Air Craft carrier INS Vikramaditya. During the firing carried out in the Arabian Sea, the missile was fired against a live low flying high speed target. The Indian Navy officials confirmed that Barak engaged and destroyed the target successfully.
ISRO sends four teams to 36th Expedition to Antarctica
The Indian space Research Organisation (ISRO) in March 2017 has sent four teams to 36th Expedition to Antarctica. The teams were installs takes on ice for Differential Global Positioning system (DGPS) to validate the glacier surface velocity. One team is from space applications center and the second team is from National remote Sensing Center. The third and fourth teams belongs to IRS Dehradun and space physics Laboratory.
Scientists Developed Blood Test to Detect Autism
Scientists in the US have developed a blood test that has the potential to accurately detect autism in babies. Researchers at New York’s Rensselaer polytechnic Institute claim 96% of Children on the autism spectrum would picked up through the test. The test measures the level of 24 proteins that have been linked to autism.
India Successfully Test-Fires Brahmos Supersonic Cruise Missile
India on 11th March, 2017 successfully test fired the Brahmos Supersonic Cruise Missile which is capable of carrying a warhead of 300 kg, from a test range along the Odisha Coast. The cruise missile was test fired from a mobile launcher from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur near to the Odisha Coast. Defence research and Development Organization was test fired it.
Scientists Creates Artificial Mouse “Embryo”
Scientists from University of Cambridge have successfully created a structure resembling a mouse embryo in culture, using two types of stem cells the body’s master cells’-and a 3D scaffold on which then can grow. Understanding the very early stages of embryo development is of interest because this knowledge may help explain why more than two out of three human pregnancies fail at this time.
Scientists Develops Solar – Powered Water Purifier
Scientists of University at Buffalo in the USA have developed a small-scale solar-powered purifier, which could provide a highly efficient and inexpensive way to turn contaminated water into potable water for personal use. The device, called a “Solar Vapour Generator” cleans or desalinates water by using the heat converted from sunlight.
India successfully test fired Prithvi Supersonic Interceptor Missile
India on 1st March 2017 successfully test fired the Prithvi supersonic interceptor missile. The missile was test fired by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) from the Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha Coast. The enemy missile was fired from the Interim Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha. With Prithvi India has become the fourth country in the world to has a ballistic missile defence program.
PERSONS IN NEWS
BSF gets first Woman Field Officer in Tanushree Pareek
The Border Security Force (BSF) on 25 March 2017 received its first woman field officer after a convocation Ceremony conducted in the BSF academy at Tekanpur in Madhya Pradesh Gwalior Tanushree Pareek, a resident of Rajasthan, She led the passing out parade at the BSF Academy as the first woman field officer. Pareek started training last year in a 52 – week Assistant Commandant training programme with the 40th batch of the BSF academy.
A). APPOINTMENTS
UN appoints David Beasley to head World Food Programme
United Nations Chief Antonio Guterres has appointed former South Carolina Governor David Beasley to head the Rome based World Food Programme (WFP). Beasley will run the affairs of the World’s largest humanitarian organization, serving more than 90 million beneficiaries in 80 countries. He will replace another American, Ertharin Cousin, who has been the WFP executive director since 2012.
Chandrakala as Swachh Bharat Mission Director
District Magistrate and collector of Meerut, B. Chandrakala had served as district magistrate in various Uttarpradesh cities prior to her current posting. She was highly praised for her work in the state. She has now become the Director of “Swachh Bharat Mission” and deputy secretary, Ministry of Drinking water and sanitation She is well-known for taking tough stand against corrupt practices.
Randeep Guleria appointed as Director of AIIMS, New Delhi
The Renowned Pulmonologist Randeep Guleria recently appointed as the Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The appointment was made by the Appointment Committee of Cabinet (ACC), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Dr. Guleria has been appointed as Director, AIIMS for five years. Dr. Guleria was succeeded Dr. MC Mishra.
Ankur Khanna appointed as Chief Financial Officer of ICC
Ankur Khanna was appointed as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of International Cricket Council (ICC). Khanna will join the ICC by the end of March 2017. He will relocate to the ICC headquarters in Dubai. Presently he is serving Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Airasia India, the post he had held for the last 12 months.
Snapdeal Names Jason Kothari as new Free Charge CEO
Jason Kothari was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Free charge by Indian e-commerce company Snapdeal CEO, Kunal Bahl on March 20, 2017. Kothari is succeder of Govind Rajan who resign his job last month. He is currently working as the Chief Strategy Officer of Snapdeal since January 2017. Prior to this he has worked in Housing. Com.
Trivendra Singh Rawat to be Next CM of Uttarakhand
BJP National secretary and in charge of Jharkhand. Trivendra Singh Rawat will be next CM of Uttarakhand. He name was announced by the party following a meeting of the legislative group in Uttarakhand, which took place in the presence of central party observers Narendra Tomar and Saroj Pandey. The BJP Parliamentary board had earlier authorised party national president Amit Shah to take a final decision on the next Chief Minister.
Jwala Gutta appointed as a member of SAI Governing Body
India’s most successful doubles specialist Jwala Gutta has been appointed a member of governing body of Sports Authority of India (SAI) The 14-time national champion said she is looking forward to play her role in the development of sports in the country. The two-time Olympian Jwala, who has won the bronze medal at the 2011 World Championship said, the first meeting will be held on March 28 in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.
Manhar Valji as Chairperson of Safai Karamcharis
Manhar Valji as Chairperson of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis. Along with two members-Manju Dealer and Dalip Kallu assumed office on 16 March 2017. The Commission consists of a Chairperson, a vice-Chairperson and five members. Among them at least one of the members shall be a Women.
Justice Sharma sworn in as Upa Lokayukta of Assam
Former Judge of the Guwahati High Court Chittaranjan Sharma appointed as Assam’s Upalokayukta by Governor Banwarilal Purohit recently. Lokayukta is an anti corruption Ombudsman appointed in states. For the very first time the Maharashtra state has been initiated Lokayukta in the year 1971. At Present the Lokayukta system is functioning in 17 states.
Amarinder Singh takes Oath as Punjab CM
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) Chief Capt Amarinder Singh took Oath as New CM on 16 March, 2017. This occasion was held at the Raj was held at the Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh. The Oath of office was administered by Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore. This was the captain Amarinder second stint as Punjab CM. Navjot Singh Sidhu & Manpreet Singh Badal were also take Oath as cabinet ministers along with Amarinder Singh.
President appoints Chief Justices in four High Courts
President Pranab Mukherjee recently appointed Chief Justices for High Courts in Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand. Hemant Gupta was appointed as the CJ of Madhya Pradesh High Court. Before this appointment, he was serving as the Acting CJ of Patna High Court. Acting CJ of Jharkhand High Court Pk Mohanty was appointed as the CJ of Jharkhand it self. Justice, Navniti Prasad, a judge of Patna High Court was appointed as the CJ of Kerala High Court. Acting CJ of Chhattisgarh High Court.
Narendra Kumar as CWC’s New Head
Shri Narendra Kumar, an officer of Central Water Engineering Service (1979 batch) has assumed the charge of Chairman, Central Water Commission (CWC). He has served in various positions in CWC as Asst Director in Design Organisation, Deputy Director in Project Appraisal Directorate and Director in Dam Safety Organisation and Project Monitoring Directorate. From 2009 to 2011, he served as Chief Engineer, Brahmaputra and Barak Basin, Shillong.
Manohar Parrikar appointed as Goa new Chief Minister
BJP leader Manohar Parrikar resigned as the Defence Minister of India and will be taking oath as the Goa new Chief Minister at 5 PM on 14 March. Goa governor Mridula Sinha on 12 March appointed Parrikar as the new Chief Minister of Goa. It is still not clear who will be replacing him as the Defence Minister of India. Parrikar is not yet a member of legislative assembly, and hence, has to contest a poll in the next six months.
B.P. Kanungo appointed as RBI Deputy Governor
The Union Govt appointed B.P. Kanungo as a deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He will took the charge on 3 April, after present deputy governor R.Gandhi retirement. Kanungo is a career central banker and was appointed as an RBI executive director on 1st March 2016. Earlier, he has also held the positions of regional director at the Jaipur and Kolkata offices of the Reserve Bank.
KMPG appoints William Bill Thomas as Global Chairman
William Bill Thomas has been elected as the Global Chairman of Netherlands based KMPG International for a four-year term. Thomas will take charge from John B. Veihmeyer on October 1, 2017. Presently he is working as Chairman of KMPG’s American Region since 2014 and has been a member of the Global Board since 2009.
Pradeep Nair as Regional Director for India, Nepal and Sri Lanka to Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation appointed Pradeep Nair as regional director for India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. As regional director, Nair will guide the foundation’s operations out of New Delhi. He will assume his new position at the end of March, Succeeding David Hulse. Nair holds an MBA in Finance from Karnataka University, an engineering degree in electronics form Bharathiar University.
Harn Ohlmeyer appointed as CFO of Adidas
Harn Ohlmeyer was recently appointed as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Adidas with effect from May 2017. He will succeed Robin Stalker, who served the post for 16 years. Presently Ohlmeyer is serving as the Head of the global e Commerce business of Adidas. From 2014 to 2016, he held additional responsibility as SVP sales strategy and Excellence. He took over as the Head of eCommerce business of Adidas in 2011.
Donald Tusk re-elected as President of European Council
Donald Tusk on 9 March 2017 was appointed to a second term as president of the European Council, one of the European Union’s governing bodies. He has been serving as the president of the European Council since 1 December 2014. Before that, he served as the Prime Minister of Poland from 2007 to 2014. He was the first Prime Minister to be re-elected since the fall of communism in Poland.
Amjad Hussain B.Sial assumes charge of new Secretary-General of SAARC
Pakistan’s seasoned diplomat Amjad Hussain B sial as assumed office as the new secretary General of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Sail has assumed charge of the Office of Secretary General of SAARC from March 1, 2017. He has succeeded Nepal’s Arjun Bahadur Thapa, who was appointed the Secretary-General in 2014.
Kripa Bishnoi Appointed as International Match Referee
Kripa Shankar Bishnoi, a former Indian Wrestler has been appointed as an International Match Referee by United World Wrestling (UWW), the sport’s global governing body. Bishnoi Joined the long list of Indian referees at the international panel after clearing the examination for the Referees Courses, which was held in 2016 by UWW at Dortmund, Germany, Bishnoi was selected by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for the annual training course for match referees conducted by the UWW.
J.S. Deepak India’s Ambassador to World Trade Organisation
Telecom secretary J.S. Deepak on 1 March 2017 was named India’s next Ambassador to the World Trade organization (WTO). The appointment will be effective from 1 June 2017. The World Trade Organisation is a global international Organisation dealing with the rules of trade between nations. Deepak Served for the Organisation from 1 June 2017 till the date of his superannuation, which is 31 July 2018.
Amina J Mohammed Sworn in as UN Deputy Secretary General
Amina J Mohammed on 28 February 2017 was appointed as the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations (UN). Mohammed, a former Environment Minister of Nigeria, was appointed by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to the second highest position at the UN. She resigned from Nigerian Federal Executive council on the 24 February 2017.
Sunit Mullick appointed as Chief Secretary of Maharashtra
Sumit Mullick, a 1982 batch IAS Officer, was appointed as the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra on 28 February 2017. He succeeds Swadheen Kshatriya. Kshatriya, the incumbent chief secretary of the state, was due for retirement on 31 January 2017, but was given a month’s extension. At, present, Mullick is the senior most bureaucrat of the state and will retire in April 2018.
Kabir Bedi appointed as honorary Ambassador of Sight Savers
Noted film actor Kabir Bedi was appointed as the honorary brand ambassador of Sight savers on 1st March 2017. It was a global Organisation working to prevent avoidable blindness. Six blind girls from Madhya Pradesh, who had participated and won medals in the 5th National Blind and Deaf Judo Competition held in Gurgaon in January were felicitated by Kabir Bedi and SY Quraishi, honorary chairman of the India unit of the Organisation.
Barman appointed as Director of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy
D.R. Doley Barman on 28 February 2017 was appointed as the Director of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, Hyderabad. At present, Barman is working as the Director of the North East Police Academy, Shillong in Meghalaya. Barman is a senior Indian Police Service Officer. A 1986 batch Jammu & Kashmir cadre, she replaces Aruna M.Bahuguna who is an Andhra Pradesh Cadre of 1979 batch.
B). RESIGNS
Rowsell shand Announces Retirement for International cycling
Two times Olympic Gold medalist Joanna Rowsell Shand announced her retirement from International cycling. The 28-year old track cyclist won gold in the Women’s team pursuit at London Olympics 2012 and Rio Olympics 2016. Rowsell Shand was a five times World Champion and four-time European Champion.
Shashank Manohar resigns from ICC Chairman
Former BCCI boss Shashank Manohar resigned from the post of ICC Chairman on 15 March, 2017 after holding the position for just eight months. Manohar said his decision was based on personal reasons. The 59-year-old Manohar mailed his resignation letter to ICC’s CEO Dave Richards on without clarifying the exact reason for his sudden move to end what was to be a two year tenure.
Manipur CM Ibobi Singh resigns, Biren Singh as Next CM
The incumbent Chief Minister of Manipur Ibobi Singh resigned from the post on March 13, 2017 giving way for formation of a new ministry under the BJP. The congress leader Ibobi announced to resign after BJP named Biren Singh as the party’s leader to form the government with majority win. The BJP’s legislative leader Biren Singh will take oath as Manipur’s new CM on 15 March 2017 along with his council ministers.
South Korean President removed from Office
South Korea’s Constitutional court on 10 March, 2017 voted Unanimously to remove the country’s President Park-Geun-hye, from office. With the impeachment, park becomes the first South Korean President to be removed from office. Park’s successor must be elected with in 60 days. At present, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ann is serving as the acting president of the country.
C). DEATHS
South African Anti-Apartheid Activist, Ahmed Kathrada Dies at 87
Veteran Indian -Origin South African anti apartheid activist Ahmed Kathrada, who was one of Nelson Mandela’s closest aides. Ahmed was died on 29, March at a hospital in Johannesburg, at the age of 87. Ahmed was among those tried and jailed alongside Mandela in the Rivonia trial in 1964. Ahmad spent 26 years and three months in prison, 18 of which were on Robben Island.
Former Punjab Minister & SAD Leader Gurdev Singh Badal Dies
Former Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurdev Singh Badal Passed away on March 28,2017 at Dayanand Medical college and Hospital, Ludhiana, He was 85. Gurdev was a senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and a member of Punjab Legislative Assembly from the Panjgrain Constituency in Jalandhar district. He had been 5 times MLA from this constituency, winning others only in 1997 and 2002.
Eminent Jurist T.R. andhyarujina Passes away
T.R. Andhyarujina was an Indian lawyer and Jurist. He was a designated senior advocate and Practiced at the Supreme Court of India. He was the Solicitor General of India from 1996 to 1998. Prior to that he was the Advocate General of Maharashtra from 1993 to 1995. He specialized in the field of constitutional law, human rights, public law and commercial law. He was the chairman of the committee on Banking Laws appointed by Govt of India in 1998.
Noted Tamil Writer Ashokamitran passes away
Noted Tamil writer Thiagarajan, passed away on 23 March 2017 following a brief illness in Chennai. He was 85. He was popularly known as Ashokamitran. A well known novelist and essayist, Ashokamitran was noted for his subtlety and refreshing creativity in expression. Many of his works have been translated into a number of languages such as English, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu and some European languages.
Pioneer of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Chuck Berry Dies at 90
American guitarist, singer and song writer, Chuck Berry who is recognized as one of the pioneers of rock ‘n’ roll music died at the age of 90. He received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 1984 and was among the first inductees to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. Berry was one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most influential guitarists.
Renowned Meteorologist Dev Raj Sikka Passes Away
Renowned Meteorologist and former director of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (Pune) Dev Raj Sikka passed away. He was 85. He is famously known as Monsoon Man and the Father of Indian Meteorology. He was first proposed a link between the EL Nino Phenomenon and the Indian Monsoon in 1982, but that time less importance was given to it.
Former racing champion Ashwin Sundar dies
Former National racing champion Ashwin Sundar and his wife Niveditha died in a car accident at MRC Nagar in Chennai. The car in which the two were travelling caught fire after it hit a roadside tree. Sundar and his wife charred to death inside the vehicle. Sundar had won the national title in car racing and two wheeler events on several occasions.
Noted Malayalam Film Director Diphan Dies at 45
Well known Malayalam film director Diphan passed away on 13 March, 2017 in Kochi. He was died after suffering from liver ailment. He was 45. Diphan has directed seven films including puthiya mukham, D Company, Hero and Leader, Dolphins and SIM, His latest film, Sathya, featuring Jayaram and Roma in the lead role, is yet to be released.
Nandyal MLA Bhuma dies of heart attack
Three-time Member of Parliament and sitting MLA of Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh, Bhuma Nagireddy 53, died of massive cardiac arrest on 12th March. As the MLA’s condition was serious first he was sent to local private hospital, later the condition was critical, he was given compulsory Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and Ventilator support before being rushed to a hospital at Nandyal. He did not respond to medication and was declared dead.
British F1 legend, John surtees Dies at 83
John Surtees, the only racer to win both Formula One and Motorbikes 500 CC category World Championship died on March 10, 2017 in London. He was 83. The former world champion won four 500 CC world titles 1956, 1958, 1959, and 1960. As well as three consecutive 350 CC Championships 1958, 1959 and 1960. He was signed by Ferrari in 1963 and won the World Championship with Italian team in 1964 at the Nurburgring and one at Monza.
Veteran Journalist Arvind Padmanabhan Passes Away
The Veteran Journalist Arvind Padmanabhan, who was associated with the news agency IANS as an Executive Editor has died of cardiac arrest in New Delhi on 8th March. Arvind has taken his last breath at the Holy Family Hospital in New Delhi. He was associated with IANS for a long time, he had jointed IANS in 1999. Although, he has also worked with The Times of India. TV 18 and PTI.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Rabi Ray Passes Away
Rabi Ray, former Speaker of Lok Sabha, passed away on 6 March 2017 after a prolonged illness in Cuttack. He was 91. Ray was also an eminent socialist Politician, a Gandhian, and also served as a former Union Minister. Under the leadership of Ram Manohar Lohia, Ray founded the Socialist Party in Orissa in 1956.
Thomas E Starzl, Pioneering liver surgeon passes away
Dr. Thomas E Starzl, a surgeon who performed the first successful liver transplant in 1967 on a human patient, passed away on 4th March 2017 in Pittsburgh. He was 90. Dr. Starzl death was announced by the University of Pittsburgh. He had been affiliated with the University since 1980. He was an expert on organ transplants. He is often referred to as “the father of modern transplantation’.
Former IFS, MP Syed Shahabuddin dies at 82
Former IFS, MP Syed Shahabuddin dies at the age of 82n on 4th March. Shahabuddin breathed his last at a hospital in Noida. He died following a prolonged illness. Shahabuddin had strongly stood against the destruction of the Babri Masjid during his time. He was also the leader of the Babri Action Committee. Shahabuddin Served three terms from 1979-1996 as an M.P.
French Football legend Raymond Kopa passes Away
French Football legend Raymond Kopa who won the European cup three times with Real Madrid in the 1950’s. He was died in pairs on 3rd March after a prolonged illness. The French Football League announced that a minute’s silence would be observed before all weekend games in honour of the man who rose from a poor mining family in Northern France to become one of Europe’s greatest players.
Popular Gujarati Writer Tarak Mehta Passes Away
Noted Gujarati play writer and humorist Tarak Mehta, who was inspired the immensely popular Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, passed away on March 1, 2017 at the age of 87. He was reportedly suffering from prolonged illness. Mehta was best known for his popular Gujarati Column “Duniya Ne Undha Chasma”, which is said to be the inspiration behind SAB TV’s show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. In 2015, he was awarded the “Padma Shri”.
D). VISITORS
Dalai Lama inaugurated 3-day Buddhist Conference in Bihar
The 3-day International Buddhist Conference began at Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, Rajgir in Nalanda district in Bihar, recently. The event was jointly inaugurated the much respected religious leader Dalai Lama and the Union Minister of Tourism and Culture, Mahesh Sharma. Over 1000 delegates from 35 countries including Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Singapore were participating in this event.
E). MISCELLANEOUS
Amitabh launches World’s First Mobile APP on Breast Health
The Superstar of Bollywood Amitabh Bachchan launched the World’s First Mobile App on Breast Health. He was launched the mobile app at an event organised by Mumbai based Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation. Both IOs & Android versions of the app which were available in Apple and Google Play store for free download. It aims to empower the nation about every aspect of Breast cancer and Benign non cancer Breast Health issues in 12 languages.
Guinness Record to “Largest Tree Hug” Programme
Tata -DAV School at Mithapur in Gujarat has achieved the Guinness World Record for the “Largest Tree Hug” programme. The initiative saw the active participation of 1316 school students and staff to make it a success. The objective of this initiative was to spread the message of conservation of natural resources and the need to nurture the environment. The world title of the “Largest Tree Hug” was earlier with Korea but, it is now in India’s account.
Thai Model crowned Transgender beauty Queen Title
Thailand’s Model, Jiratchaya Sirimongkol Nawin was crowned Miss International Queen 2016. The 12th edition of the beauty pageant hold in pattayacity. Thailand, Miss International Queen began in the year 2004 and has been held annually in pattaya city since then and is considered the largest and the most popular transgender pageant of the world. The beauty pageant brings together transgender people from around the world and is held to help transgender women feel more accepted by society.
Vijayalakshmi sets new music world record
Playback singer Vaikom Vijayalakshmi recently set a new world record by playing the maximum number of songs in the shortest time on a single string musical instrument. She played various classical and film songs on the Gayatri Veena Continuously for over five hours and in the process became the first person to achieve the feat.
Delhi Metro Enters in Limca World Records
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has entered the LImca Book of World Records for erecting 200 U-shaped girders. DMRC successfully executed the task of erecting 200 U-shaped girders on the Noida Greater Noida Corridor in May 2016. This is the maximum number of U-Shaped girders ever launched on any metro corridor in India with in a month. Thu Delhi Metro Enters in Limca Book of World Records.
PLACES IN NEWS
Sri Lanka wins Most “Popular Tourism Destination Award”
Sri Lanka has bagged the Most “Popular Tourism Destination Award. The island nation won the prestigious award for the second consecutive year, which is testament to its growing popularity among Chinese travel enthusiasts. China has been Sri Lanka’s second largest source market for tourism since 2014.
India’s tallest Tricolor Flag hoisted at Attari in Punjab
The tallest National Flag in the country measuring 360 feet was hoisted on 5th March, 2017 at the Attari-Wagah joint check post in Punjab, Earlier. The record was held by the one in Ranchi which is 293 feet high. Noe, it is creased
Thiruvananthapuram Ranks Best city in Urban Governance Survey
According to the fourth edition of the Annual Survey of India’s city systems 2016 Thiruvananthapuram ranks best city. The survey by Bengaluru based advocacy group Janaagraha centre for Citizenship and Democracy. Thiruvananthapuram Capital of Kerala has been ranked as the top Indian city to manage urban governance. It was also ranked No.1 in 2015 was evaluated against 21 major cities across 18 states of India.
JNU wins Visitor’s Award for Best University 2017
Jawaharlal Nehru University has won the annual Visitor’s Award for the Best University of 2017. Further, the award for ‘Research’ went jointly to Dr Shyam Sunder from Banaras Hindu University and professor Niranjan Karak from Tezpur University. Notably, the awards were instituted in 2014 to encourage healthy competition among central Universities and to motivate them to adopt best global practices.
BOOKS IN NEWS
Michael clarke’s launches his autobiography “My Story”
Former Australia Cricket captain Michael Clarke has launched his autobiography named ‘My Story” in Kolkata in the presence of former India Cricket captain Saurav Ganguly. This book was triggered by how he was affected by “Phil Hughes” death when India were touring Australia in 2014-15. He was retired from all forms of cricket after the final test of the Ashes Series from August 2015.
COMMITTEES
Soumya Swaminathan appointed in UN Experts Committee
UN secretary General Antonio Guterres has included Director of Indian Council of Medical Research Soumya Swaminathan in the high level group set up by him to provide expertise on and coordinate the global fight against antimicrobial resistance. MS Swaminathan is also secretary in the Department of Health Research in Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
INS Tillanchang Commissioned by Indian Navy
Indian Navy has commissioned INS Tillanchang at Karwar, Karnataka. It is a Water Jet Fast Attack Craft (WJFAC). It is the third ship of four follow-on WJFAC built by the Kolkata based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE). The first two ships INS Tarmugli, INS Tihayu which were commissioned in 2016. These ships will play a vital role in light of India’s security environment. They are designed to take on both conventional and asymmetric threats.
RBI Establishes Committee to Review Cyber Threats
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set up an 11 member Inter-disciplinary standing Committee on Cyber Security on February 28, 2017. The Committee will be chaired by RBI Executive Director Meena Hemachandra. The Panel has the freedom to co-opt more experts in future and also operate through a frame work of subcommittees to examine specific issues.
IMPORTANT DAYS & DATES
World Theatre Day – March 27
World Theatre Day was initiated 1961 by the International Theatre Institute. It is celebrated annually on the 27th March by ITI centers and international theatre community. Various national and international theatre events are organized to mark this occasion. In honour of World Theatre Day 55th Celebration, the annual International Message will be given by French Theatre and movie actress Isabelle Huppert.
World Tuberculosis Day – 24 March
Every year, on 24 March, TB Alert Joins hundreds of other Organisations around the World in raising awareness of TB. World TB Day Marks the day in 1882, when Robert Koch (Scientist) identified the bacteria that cause tuberculosis. World wide, nine million people get sick with TB annually. The theme of World Tuberculosis Day 2017 is “Unite to end TB leave no one behind”.
World Meteorological Day 2017 Observed Globally
The World Meteorological Day 2017 was observed globally on 23 March 2017 with the theme “Understanding Clouds”. The Day is organised every year by World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and is celebrated globally. The theme highlights the enormous importance of clouds for weather climate and water. It showcases the essential contribution of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services to the safety and well being of society.
March 22 World Water Day
The World Water Day (WWD) was observed globally on 22 March 2017 with the theme why waste water? The year’s theme for the World Water day focuses on wastewater and ways to reduce and reuse as over so percent of all the wastewater. The theme highlights that wastewater flows from homes, cities, industries, and agriculture to nature. The theme seeks to improve the collection and treatment of wastewater and safe usability of the same.
21 March – International Day of Forests
The United National General Assembly proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests (IDF) in 2012. The Day Celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of all types of forests, on each International Day of Forests, countries are encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organize activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns. The Theme of 2017 is Forests and Energy.
March 20 – World Sparrow Day 2017
The World Sparrow Day was observed across the World on 20 March 2017. The day was created with an aim to raise awareness about the house sparrow and then other common birds to urban environments. The first World Sparrow Day was celebrated in 2010 across the World. World Sparrow Day is an international initiative of the Nature Forever Society of India in Collaboration with several national international Organisations including the ECO-Sys Action Foundation (France).
World Consumer Rights Day-March 15
World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) is observed every year on March 15. The WCRD was first celebrated in 1983 and became an important annual occasion for mobilizing the citizen action. It solidarity within the international consumer movement. The day is an opportunity for promoting the basic rights of all consumers. The day is organised by Consumers International (CI), which is the World Federation of consumer groups.
International Women’s Day March 8
On March 8, People around the world observed International Women’s Day (IWD). It is a global day celebrating the political, social Economical, cultural and Educational achievements of women. The theme of International Women’s Day (IWD) 2017 campaign is “Be Bold For Change”. IWD was only adopted by the United Nations in 1975, it was marked for the first time in New York in the early 1900’s.
3 March – World Wildlife Day
The World Wildlife Day (WWD) was observed across the world on 3 March 2017 with the theme “Listen to the Young Voices”. The day is seen as an opportunity to celebrate the many beautiful and varied forms of wild fauna and flora. WWD 2017 gives us a new opportunity to provide incentives to the youth to tackle conservation issues. It is also an opportunity for them to engage with one another and together forge and inspired path to a better world.
10:18 PM, 26-Oct-2017
INTERNATIONAL
UNICEF launches 3.3 bln USD to aid millions of Children
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on 31 January launched an appeal of 3.3 billion US dollars to provide emergency assistance in 48 countries around the globe, against the backdrop of ever increasing number of children driven from their homes due to conflicts, disasters and climate changes. The United States is by far the top donor to UNICEF, followed by Germany, Britain and the European Commission.
Ireland became the world’s first country to stop investing in fossil fuels
Ireland has voted to be the world’s first country to fully divest public money from fossil fuels. The Irish Parliament passed the historic legislation in a 90 to 53 vote in favour of dropping coal, oil and gas investments. Independent MP Thomas Pringle, who introduced the bill, said the bill would send a message to climate change deniers and lobbyists.
Alibaba made app helps find 611 missing Children in China
In today’s world where Child trafficking is rampant, a mobile app in China helped recover hundreds of missing Children last year. The ministry of public security has said that the app helped to find 611 missing Children in China. The mobile app named “Tuan Yuan”, or “Reunion” in Chinese was developed by Alibaba group holding Ltd was launched in 2016. This has allowed the police officers to share information work together.
Federal Judge temporarily blocks Trumph’s travel ban
A federal Judge in Washington state on 3rd February temporarily blocked enforcement of president Trump’s controversial ban on entry to the U.S, and airlines planned to begin allowing passengers from banned countries to board, according to a person familiar with the matter. The president’s order is intended to protect the homeland and he has the constitutional authority and responsibility to protect the American People.
World’s smallest Pacemaker unveiled in U.S.
The World’s smallest pacemaker, which is about as big as a large vitamin capsule and provides the most advanced pacing technology, has been successfully implanted for the first time in a patient in the U.S. The pacemaker is for patients with bradycardia, a condition characterized by a slow heartrate, usually fewer than 60 beats per minute. The device is the size of a large vitamin and unlike traditional pacemakers, it does not require cardiac wires or a surgical pocket under the skin to deliver a pacing therapies.
Queen Elizabeth – II marks Sapphire Jubilee
Queen Elizabeth II, the world’s longest reigning sovereign, on 6th February set a new record as the first British Monarch to reach her Sapphire Jubilee, with 65 years on the throne. The Queen, now 90, rose to the throne in 1952 at the age of 25 upon the premature death of her father, King George VI. Despite her reluctance to celebrate publicly, the occasion will be marked in Britain.
Qatar Airways launches world’s longest commercial flight
The world’s longest commercial flight launched Qatar Airways. It was travelled from the United Arab Emirates Doha to Auckland in New Zealand in 16 hours, 5 minutes and in 17 hours, 20 minutes on her return Journey. This has made Qatar Airways the new title holder for the world’s longest commercial flight.
China Becomes the World’s Largest Solar Power Producer
Besides being the World’s most populous country, China is now also the World’s largest producer of solar energy. The National Energy Administration (NEA) noted that the nation officially claimed the lobel after doubling up its installed photo voltaic (PV) capacity last year. With the increased capacity China has surpassed Germany to become the World’s largest producer of solar energy.
UK’s House of Commons Pases Brexit Bill
House of Commons, the lower house of British parliament passed legislation on 8 February 2017. Authorising Prime Minister Theresa May’s govt to initiate Brexit talks with the European Union. The historic legislation witnessed 494 Members of the Parliament Voting in favour of Brexit and just 122 against. Among the MPs who voted against the bill, 52 were labour MPs, the leading opposition party, who went against their party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s orders of backing the bill.
Sudarsan Pattnaik Creates World Record with Tallest Sand Sculpture
Sand artist Sudarsan Patnaik on 10 February created a Guinness World Record by sculpting a more than 48 feet tall sand castle at Puri beach. Sudarsan along with 45 students of his sand Art Institute created this 48 feet 7 inch tall sculpture which beat the previous record which was in the name of a sand artist from USA. The record-breaking sculpture was built with a message of world peace and featured sculptures of Mahatma Gandhi, Gautama Buddha, and Nelson Mandela.
Neelu Rohmetra becomes first Woman Director of am IIM
The Govt has appointed heads of 10 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) including the first woman to head one of the 20 premier B-School in the Country. Professor Neelu Rohmetra of Jammu University is the first woman to be appointed Director of an IIM at Sirmaur. She specializes in HRD and cross-culture management professor.
Diego Maradona Gets Ambassador Role at FIFA 2017
The FIFA governing body has named Argentina’s former soccer player Diego Maradona as the new Ambassador of the FIFA. The 55 year old will have major role in FIFAs activities to promote the game across the globe and will also be involved in relevant development projects. The FIFA is the international governing body of association football, futsal and beach.
Yo-Yo Ma and His ensemble win Best world Music Grammy
Cello Virtuoso Yo-Yo Ma on 12 February Won a Grammy with his Silk Road Ensemble for “Sing Me Home”, an exploration of the musical connections across Eurasia. The French -born Chinese American cellist had previously won an impressive 17 Grammys but his latest is his first for Best World Music Album.
The International Aero India 2017 begins at
Air Force Station, Yelahanka in Bengaluru on 14 February 2017. The 5-day show will conclude on 18 February 2017. It is the 11th edition of the biennial International Aero India Show. It is Considered as Asia’s premier air show. Aero India 2017 will act as a significant platform to bolster business opportunities in International aviation sector.
India’s first dedicated heliport in New Delhi
The National Capital will soon get India’s first dedicated “Heliport” for flying in and out of Delhi to nearby areas in choppers. The heliport, built by state-owned Pawan Hans India, consists of a terminal building, nine parking bays and four hangers with a parking capacity of 16 helicopters and having capacity of 150 passengers. It will inaugurate the new facility on February 28 at Rohini in New Delhi.
Dustin Johnson dominates Genesis Open to overtake World No.1
American professional golfer Dustin Johnson has claimed No-1 Position in Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career in the world. This feat comes after he ended up with a world-class performance by winning Genesis Open 2017 at Riviera Earlier the Golfer bagged the 2016 U.S. open at oakmont country club.
Mumbai Named Richest Indian city with Total Wealth $ 820bn
According to the New World Wealth report released on February 21, 2017, Mumbai. The financial capital of India has been named as the Richest Indian City with a total wealth of $820 billion. The South African based market research group, New World Wealth has reported that Mumbai is home to 46,000 millionaires and 28 billionaires. Mumbai is followed by Delhi at second place with total wealth of $ 450 billion and having 23,000 millionaires and 18 billionaires.
INDIA & WORLD
H1B and L1 reform Bill introduced in US House of Representatives
A legislation was introduced in the US House of Representatives on 03-01- 2017 which mandates the minimum salary of H-1B visa holders to be doubled to $130,000. This is more than double of the current salary of $60,000 which was established in 1989.The Lofgren bill, titled “High-Skilled Integrity and Fairness Act of 2017,” has been introduced at a time when there are reports that President Donald Trump might come up with an executive order to clamp down H-1B and L1 Visas.
India ranks 43rd in USCC’s IP Index
India ranked at 43rd position out of 45 countries in the 5th Annual International Intellectual property (IP) Index of the US Chamber of Commerce (USCC). The 2017 International IP Index, named as “The Roots of Innovation”, was released on 8 February. India was ranked just above Pakistan and Venezuela. The top four positions of the Index were fetched by US, UK, Japan and European Union.
Shawna Pandya Third Indian origin woman to go to space
A general physician, 32-year- old Shawna Pandya is one of two candidates shortlisted from 3,200 people enrolled in the Citizen Science Astronaut (CSA)program. She will fly with eight other astronauts in space missions slated to take off by 2018. After Kalpana Chawla and Sunitha Williams. Here is the 3rd Indian Origin Woman will go to space.
Indian cycle tourist establishes a Guinness World Record
Prasad Erande from Pune travelled 14,576 Kilometers on a bicycle India, establishing a Guinness World Record for the longest journey by bicycle in a single country. He covered the distance between June 22-November 9 in 2014. It increased by inner strength and taught me how to survive when conditions are not in my favour.
India to host maiden ITTF World Tour event in February
India is set to host ever International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) world Tour Event in New Delhi from February 16 to 19. India has previously hosted on ITTF event in 2010. The 2017 world Tour will be played in 12 countries excluding the Grand Finals, points earned from the World Tour Finals will see the top 16 players qualify for the Grand Finals to be held from December 2017.
India, UK signed bilateral MoU to allow more flights to boost tourism and trade
India and United Kingdom in February 2017 signed a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to allow more flights to boost tourism and trade in both the countries. The agreement was signed by Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Lord Ahmad in New Delhi, while Raju is the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Lord Ahmed is representative of UK Government.
Union Govt signs agreement with Croatia on economic Cooperation
The Union Government on 14 February 2017, signed agreement with the Republic of Croatia on economic Cooperation in Zagreb, Croatia. The agreement was signed by Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce and Industry Minister and Martina Dalic, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy of the Republic of Croatia.
Norman Isaac became first Indian to be FIBA’s Technical Delegate
Norman Isaac in February 2017 became the first Indian to be promoted by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) as the Technical Delegate. He is appointment/ Promotion was confirmed by the sport’s worldwide governing body. Prior to this appointment he was worked as FIBA Commissioner.
Govt appoints 5 new Judges to Supreme Court
Five new judges are appointed to the Supreme Court by the President Pranab Mukherjee. Now the total number of judges in the Supreme Court raised to 28 from 23. New judged are Madras HCCJ Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Rajasthan HCCJ Naveen Sinha, Kerala HCCJ Mohan M.Shantanagouder, Chhattisgarh HCCJ Dipak Gupta, Karnataka HCJ S. Abdul Nazeer. Supreme Court consisting of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and other 30 Judged.
IMF opens technical centre in New Delhi
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has opened a first of its kind South Asia Training and Technical Assistance centre (SARTTAC) in New Delhi for economic capacity building in South Asia. It will work to support local member countries of South Asia via India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka to build human and institutional capacity and implement policies for growth and poverty reduction.
India as the World’s Largest Arms Importer
India was the world’s largest importer of major arms between 2012-16, according to a new data released by Stockholm International peace Research Institute (SIPRI) According to the data in Asia, India increased its arms imports by 2007-11 and 2012-16 which is far greater than the imports by its rivals China and Pakistan. Major arm suppliers to India include Russia, USA, European Union, Israel and South Korea.
India, Japan ink pact on Rail Safety
India Signed an agreement with Japan for enhancing railway safety in the Indian Railways with focus on railway track and rolling stock safety. The Memorandum of Corporations was signed between Railway Board Chairman A.K. Mittal and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan Vice-Minister Hiroshi Tarata. Under this agreement, the areas of cooperation include rail inspection, rail wielding automatic railway track safety inspection.
India clears a mega missile deal with Israel
A Rs.17,000 crore deal has been cleared by the government for jointly developing with Israel a Medium Range Surface-to- Air Missile (MR-SAM) for the army, reflecting India’s fast growing defence ties with the Jewish country. The project will be implemented by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aircraft Industry.
World’s First Robot Table Tennis Tutor sets new Guinness World Record
FORPHEUS, the world’s first robot table tennis tutor has created a new Guinness World Record with its extraordinary technological intelligence and educational capabilities. The Japanese technology has been given the Guinness title for being able to play table tennis way better than most humans. FORPHEUS is short for “Future Omron Robotics Technology for Exploring possibility of Harmonised automation with Sinic Theoretics”
NATIONAL
E-paathsala launches technology-backed services for higher education institutions in India
E-paathsala, a Bangalore based start-up, launched its first-of- its-kind, end to end integrated accreditation and ERP technology solution for managing colleges and universities with multiple accreditation s for standards such as NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) and NBA (National Board of Accreditation) etc.
Jaitley unveils education reforms, to set up National Testing Agency
The government unleashed measures to revamp the country’s education system, including setting up of a National Testing Agency to conduct all entrance examinations for higher education institutions.
Rail Museum celebrates 40th anniversary
The National Rail Museum in New Delhi celebrated its 40th anniversary on 01st February 2017. The museum, which houses a large collection of life-size rail exhibits, allows visitors to take a tour on a toy train. Its attractions include the saloons of the Maharajas of Indore and Mysore and Fairy Queen, the oldest working steam locomotive still in operation.
Govt, forms panel to improve Haj Policy
The Centre has formed a six-member committee to give a report on ways to improve India’s Haj Policy and also look into issue of subsidy to the pilgrimage in light of 2012 Supreme Court order on gradually reducing abolishing it by 2022. Former Consulate General of India (CGI) Jeddah, Afzal Amanullah has been appointed as high-level panel, Union Minister of state for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that.
Health Ministry launches Measles-Rubella Vaccine (MR) Campaign
With an aim to eradicate Measles and Rubella from India. The Union Health Ministry on 5th February launched Measles- Rubella (MR) vaccination campaign in Bengaluru, targeting 41 crore children in India. After the campaign the MR vaccine will be introduced in routine immunisation, replacing the two doses of measles vaccine given to children at 9`12 months and 16-24 months of age.
Chief Minister Samagra Gramya Unnayan Yojana (CMSGUY) launched in Assam
In a move to bring about paradigm shift towards holistic development of villages, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched the Chief Minister Samagra Gramya Unnayan Yojana (CMSGUY) in Guwahati. This Scheme is a mega mission with a financial outlay of Rs.30,000 crore and it will be implemented in all the village the state.
Muslim Organisations to oppose triple Talaq as is practiced now low panel
Law Commission Chairperson Justice B.S. Chauhan said that, a majority of those who had responded to its questionnaire on a uniform civil code, including many Muslim Organisms have opposed spontaneous triple talaq. Justice Chauhan said the larger consensus was that spontaneous triple talaq, as is currently practiced, was not keeping with what was stated in the Shariat, which mandates a three-month iddah period meant for reconciliation and arbitration.
Indian Railways Approves Rail Project in Andaman and Nicobar
The Narendra Modi Govt has given a green signal for the laying of a 240 KM broad-gauge railway line connecting port Blair, the capital of the union territory located in the southern part, with the northern population centres in Andaman’s. Connectivity is an issue because the only reliable ways to travel from north to south is a 350 km bus and ferry service that takes more than 14 hours. The railway link, among the other things, will boost tourism, defence and business in the region.
Indian Navy launches Underwater Harbour Defence and Surveillance system
Indian Navy has launched and Integrated Under water Harbour Defence and Surveillance System (IUHDSS) in Mumbai, Maharashtra to enhance the security of valuable naval assets against asymmetric threats. It was inaugurated be vice Admiral Girish Luthra, Flag officer Commanding in Chief, Western Naval Command.
SC Clears plan to Verify mobile phone users through Aadhar
The Supreme court approved the government’s plan to record the identification details of mobile users through an e-KYC (Know Your Customer) mechanism linked to Aadhaar in a bid to enhance national security and prevent fake users. The mechanism could cover at least 100 crore mobile phone subscribers, 90% of whom use prepaid cards.
Cabinet approves Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan
The Union Cabinet Chaired by the Prime Minister has approved “Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan” (PMGDISHA) to make 6 crore rural households digitally literate. This is in line with the announcement made by Finance Minister in the Union Budget 2017-17 PMGDISHA is expected to be one of the largest digital literacy programmes in the world,. Under the scheme 25 lakh candidates will be trained in the FY 2016-17, 275 lakh in the FY 2017-18, and 300 lakh in the Fy 2018-19. The Digitally literate persons would be able to operate computers/ digital access devices send and receive emails.
RBI setup panel on strengthening cyber security
The Central Bank (RBI) said it will form an inter-disciplinary standing committee on cyber security. It will review threats inherent in existing and emerging technology, study adoption of various security standards and protocols, interface with stakeholders and suggest appropriate policy interventions to cyber security and resilience.
Govt appoints 3 directory to RBI Central Board
Govt on 9th February appointed three part time non-official directory on the all powerful Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed Ashok Gulati, Manish Sabharwal and Rajiv Kumar as part time non-official directory on the Central Board. Stating this, the Department of personnel and Training said the appointments are for a period of four years. The RBI’s affairs are governed by the Central Board of Directors.
Govt to make “Aadhar” compulsory to ration from PDS shops
The Govt of India on 9 February announced that people who have ration cards under the National Food Security Act need to undergo Andhar Authentication Process to receive their further subsidies. This notification comes into effect from today. This condition will also be applicable for all the new beneficiaries and in all States and Union Territories except the States Assam, Meghalaya, and Jammu & Kashmir.
Govt to open 56 Post Office passport Seva Kendra facilities
Head Post Offices as Passport Seva Kendras, the government has now decided to scale up this programme by opening 56 such facilities across the country. The Ministry of External Affairs and the Department of Posts had earlier decided to join hands to deliver passport – related services to the citizens. The pilot project of the post office passport Seva Kendras have been running successfully to Mysore and Dahod.
Kerala’s Nilambur teak to get GI tag
Kerala’s Nilambur teak known internationally for its superior timber quality and elegant appearance will be added to the list of Kerala Produces with the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. Due to its superior mechanical and physical properties as well as aesthetic appearance, the teak was exported to England and other parts of the world.
GMR Hyderabad Airport bags CAPA award
GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), which operates Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, has own the centre of 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. GHIAL received the award during the CAPA 12th Annual India Aviation Summit in Mumbai earlier this week.
China releases theme, priorities of BRICS
China has released the theme and the cooperation priorities of the 2017 BRICS Summit, which is scheduled to begin in September. The Summit will be held under the theme BRICS “Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future”. It will also feature five key priorities such as depending cooperation, strengthening global governance, carrying out people- to- people exchanges, making institutional improvements and building broader partnerships.
INS sarvekshak installs solar Power System
Indian Navy’s survey vessel INS Sarvekshak has gone green by installing a solar power system on board. Which equipped on the ship works on sunlight and hence is 100 percent reliable for power source that can be used for communication equipment, battery charging and general lighting on board round the clock with battery outputs.
Sachin Tendulkar adopted Donja Village for Development
Being the Rajya Sabha MP Sachin Tendulkar continued his service for the nation. Previously he adopting a village in Andhra Pradesh Sachin changed the village totally. Now, it may be the turn of Donja Village of Maharashtra. The 2016 in November sachin adopted Puttamraju Kandrika Village of A.P under sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana. Now the village dazzles with concrete roads and continuous supply of electricity.
Food grain Production to reach record 272 million tonnes in 2016-17
It is higher by 6.94 million tonnes than the previous record production of 265 million tonnes in 2013-14. Agriculture Ministry in its 2nd advance estimates of production of major crops for 2016-17. The record is going to be made due to good rainfall and various policy initiatives taken the Government.
‘Science Express’ Train Flagged off from New Delhi
A “Science Express Train” named “Science Express Climate Action Special” was flagged of Safdarjung Railway Station in New Delhi on February 17, 2017 on a seven-month journey to spread awareness about climate change. The train was flagged off jointly by two Union Ministers Suresh Prabhu, Dr. Harsh Vardhan and a Delhi Minister Anil Madhav Dave flagged of event through video conferencing.
UAE Unveils Plan to Build First City on Mars by 2117
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has unveiled plans to build the first city on Mars by 2117. The announcement was made by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. This is the 100-year National Project for the UEA Govt, The team would to develop action plan to facilitate the transport of people to and from the planet.
Delhi AIIMS wins first prize for sanitation
Premier health institute AIIMS New Delhi, has won the first prize, and a cash award of Rs.5 crore for maintaining high standards of sanitation and hygiene under the Govt Kayakalp awards. AIIMS was followed by North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences. Shillong which got a cash prize Rs. 3 core. Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh received the third Prize of Rs. 1 crore.
INSV Tarini inducted into Indian Navy
Indian Navy’s second ocean going sail boat Tarini was inducted on 18 February 20147 at a ceremony held at the INS Mandovi Boat Pool. INSV Tarini is a sloop built by M/S Aquarius Shipyard PVT Ltd at Divar Goa. The boat draws her origin from the famous Tara Tarini Temple of Orissa’s Ganjam District. The Word Tarini means a Boat and is also a sanskrit word for savior.
Virat Kohli first Indian sports person to ink Rs.110-crore deal with Puma
Virat Kohli became the first Indian sports personality to strike a Rs.110-crore endorsement deal with a single brand. Kohli signed an eight-year deal with sports apparel brand puma worth Rs.110 crore. The Indian cricket captain is now set to join the likes of Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell and Thierry Henry among others, as global ambassador for the brand.
Ravi Shanka Prasad launches Cyber Swachhta kendra in New Delhi
Union Minister of Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad launched Cyber Swachhta Kendra in New Delhi on February 21,2017. It was launched for Botnet cleaning and Malware analysis as a part of Digital India Initiative. He also launched two mobile apps “M-kavach” to protect smartphones and tablets from hackers and “Samvid” to protect desktops from suspicious applications.
SC Judge appointed as Chairman of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal
Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre has been appointed as the Chairman of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) He was nominated for the post by Chief Justice J.S. Kehar. The post full vacant following the resignation of Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan. The Govt also proposed to introduce some benches to look into disputes as and when required. Unlike the tribunal, the Benches will cease to exist once the disputes are resolved.
Union Government launches Bharat QR code
The Union Govt has launched “Bharat QR Code” a quick response (QR) code to enable digital payments without card swiping machines. It is world’s first interoperable payment acceptance solution launched by Indian Government to move towards less-cash economy. Bharat QR code has been developed by jointly National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), Visa, MasterCard and American Express under instructions from Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
Govt doubles maternity leave for women workers in Industries
The Government doubled the maternity leave for women Working in industries from the existing three months to six months. However, the benefit will be restricted to women who make a monthly contribution to the employees state insurance corpus from their salaries. About 29 lakh Women Working across various industries will be benefitted by the move.
Suresh Prabhu Unveils Antyodaya Rail Coaches
Equipped with cushioned seats, aluminium composite panels, LED lights of the Antyodaya Express, a newly unreserved train for the common man with specially designed colour full coaches unveiled by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, ready to be pressed “into service on busy routes, the first Antyodaya Express will be launched between Mumbai and Tatanagar, and the second will be between Ernakulam and Howrah shortly.
STATES
Telangana, Rajasthan bag eGov awards
2017 under the State category, Rajasthan and Telangana emerged Winners of Excellence while the Award of Recognition went to Odisha and Nagaland. The Center’s intense focus on Digital India seems to have drawn greater response this year to the CSI -Nihilent e Governance Awards. Instituted by the Computer Society of India’s (CSI) Special Interest Group with sponsorship from Nihilent Technologies, these awards help recognize the efforts of e Governance practitioners from across central and state departments, projects and in district administrative units as well.
2% reservation to sports persons in Govt Jobs CM. Raghubar Das
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on 6th February said the state will give two percent reservation to sports persons in government jobs and nutritious food to them. Mr.Das said to promote football, Kamal Clubs are being set up and for this the government would give kits to players and competitors would be held at mandal black, district and state.Previously 2% reservation was given in police department. The CM said that the state Govt is committed to promote sports persons on national and international level.
Telangana launches India’s first social innovations hub
The Telangana government has launched India’s first Social innovation center. The Kakatiya Hab for Social Innovation in Nizamabad. This hub was funded by the Telangana Govt and implemented through Kakatiya Sandbox will function like a rural incubator to encourage entrepreneurship at the grassroots level. The rural incubator in Telangana will be run exactly in the same as any other high-end incubator like the T-Hub, the country’s biggest, located in Hyderabad.
First smart Police Station inaugurated in Andhra Pradesh
First smart police station of the country inaugurated by CM of Andhra Pradesh N. Chandrababu Naidu in the state. The Model Police Station in Andhra Pradesh in build like a corporate office building with plush interiors and green environment. The First Smart Police Station opened at Nagarampalem in the capital region Amaravathi. The Model Police Station will work on smart policing system that will make the police process much transparent.
Gujarat becomes first cashless state for PDS
Cashless system was introduced in the Gujarat. There by Gujarat becomes first in India for introduce cashless system in PDS. From now onwards the beneficiaries of National Food Security Act carry only Aadhar Cards to get their food grains in Gujarat.
National Women’s Parliament begins in Andhra Pradesh
India’s First National Women’s Parliament (NWP) began on 10 February 2017 in Amaravathi, the new capital of Andhra Pradesh. The three day conference, which is the first of its kind, is being organised by the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. The theme of the conference is “Empowering Women-Strengthening Democracy”. This inaugural session was attended by spiritual Buddhist leader Dalai Lama and Andhra Pradesh CM. N. Chandrababu Naidu.
NCS and Jeevan Pramaan Facility for EPFO Pensioners Launched in Hyderabad
The Union Minister of state for labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya launched the National Career Service (NCS) for youths and Jeevan Pramaan Facility to EPFO pensioners through post offices at Dak sadan in Hyderabad. The post offices will serve as an Employment Registration Centers for Unemployed rural youth on behalf of the NCS.
Supreme Court convicted Sasikala in disproportionate assets case
The Supreme Court of India (SC) on 14 February 2017 convicted Sasikala disproportionate assets case. It over ruled a Karnataka High Court’s Judgement in a disproportionate assets case related to Sasikala. The ruling of the SC renders Sasikala ineligible to contest Assembly elections. The Judgement was delivered by a bench of the apex court comprising Justices PC Ghose and Amitava Roy.
Kerala Govt gave approval for Airport in Sabarimala
The Kerala Cabinet gave its approval for construction of an airport in Hindu Pilgrimage Centre Sabarimala. The approval was given by the cabinet at a meeting Chaired by the State Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on 15 February 2017 in Thiruvananthapuram. The airport is expected to reduce the heavy traffic on the roads leading to Sabarimala during the Pilgrim season.
Palaniswami takes oath as TM CM along with 30 ministers
K. Palaniswami was sworn in as the 13th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu by Governor Vidyasagar Rao. Palaniswami took oath first, followed by 30 ministers in four batches. The swearing in ceremony was held at Raj Bhavan. This is the third ministry in the last 10 months since AIADMK won the assembly elections in May 2016.
Maharashtra Approves Rs. 250 crore Cloud Seeding Programme
The State Govt of Maharashtra has approved a Rs.250 crore Cloud Seeding Programme to experiment whether cloud seeding produces sufficient rain. Seeding is a technique which involves spraying chemicals into clouds. Under this programme the weather scientists will fly Aeroplanes loaded with Silver Iodide and Dry ICE over clouds. The programme is coordinated by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.
31st State Hood Day of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram 20 February
On 20 February 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has greeted people of two states Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram on their 31st state hood day. Conveying his best wishes and prayed for the two states progress immensely in the years to come. Union Minister Rajnath Singh greeted the states. Rajnath is expected to attend the ‘Arunachal Pradesh statehood day’ function in Itanagar.
Germany Opens Consulate Office in Hyderabad
Federal Republic of Germany on 21 February opened an Honorary Consulate Office at Madhapur in Hyderabad. Achim Fabig German Consul General for Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry and BVR Mohan Reddy Honorary Consul of Germany for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh opened Honorary Consulate Office in Hyderabad. The office of the Honorary Consul will also provide limited consular assistance in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
National Biodiversity Congress 2017 in Kerala
The Third National Biodiversity Congress (NBC) 2017 held at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on February 22,2017. The NBC is hosted by the Kerala State Biodiversity Board. This year event is comprises programmes including conference, Exhibition, capacity building workshops and Children Biodiversity Congress. National Biodiversity Conference, governed by a national advisory committee comprising biodiversity experts on 23rd and 24th February as a part of NBC.
Rajasthan becomes 2nd Largest Crude Oil Producer in India
Rajasthan Governor Announced that Rajasthan has become the second largest crude oil producer in India. The oil fields in the state were producing nearly 90 lakh tonnes oil annually which accounted for 24% of the total domestic crude oil production. On the other hand, The Bombay High, an offshore oil field of Mumbai is the largest producer of crude oil in India which accounts for 50% of the total domestic crude oil production.
Vasundhara Raje inaugurates Medical project RAHAT
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje recently inaugurated a medical project Rajasthan Heart Attack Treatment Programme (RAHAT). The programme is a ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI), a very serious type of heart attack, management Tele medicines platform that captures and transmits patient’s EKG along with clinical history from remote geographical locations to heart command center hub.
CONFERENCES
A 3-day global nuclear security meet in New Delhi
India is host a key meet on nuclear security in New Delhi on 8th February from February 8-10 which us attended by delegates from over 100 countries, including Pakistan. Foreign Secretary S.Jaishankar inaugurated the meet organised by Ministry of External Affairs and the Department of Atomic Energy. India’s commitment to global nuclear nonproliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
Indian seed congress-2017 in Kolkata
The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Shri Radha Mohan Singh inaugurated the Indian Seed Congress 2017 in Kolkata. The theme of Seed Congress is “Seed of Joy” 2017 Indian seed congress in Kolkata iii. The theme is in line with vision of PM Modi Govt to bring happiness and prosperity in the lives of farmers by doubling their farm income by 2000.
2017 Mobile World Congress (MWC) Begins in Barcelona
The 2017 Mobile World Congress (MWC) began in Mobile World Capital Barcelona on February 27, 2017 and will conclude March 2, 2017. Some of the leading industry participating in the event includes Blackberry, Motorola, Google, Nokia, Sony, Samsung, Huawei, LG, ZTE and HTC among others. And also participate prominent executives representing mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology providers, vendors and content owners across the world.
AWARDS & HONOURS
Alastair Cook awarded Order of the British Empire
England Test Captain Alastair Cook has been honoured with Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE). The 30-year old is the only England Player to have scored over 10,000 runs in Tests and has also led England in the most number tests. It is very proud moment to be awarded for him in his cricket career.
Indian – Origin British Sculptor Anish Kapoor wins $ 1 Million Israeli Prize
Renowned Indian – Origin British Sculptor Anish Kapoor was honoured with the prestigious $1 million 2017 Genesis Prize on 6th February 2017 by Israel for his utmost contribution for Jewish Community. The 62 year old Anish was chosen by the prize committee headed by Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky.
Hyderabad Surgeon Raghu Ram Honoured with BC Roy Award
Hyderabad based Surgeon Dr.P. Raghu Ram, President of Association of Breast Surgeons of India (ABSI) has been honoured with the prestigious “Dr. BC Roy National Award” for outstanding service in the field of socio medical relief for the year 2016. The award will be conferred upon Ram by President Pranab Mukherjee on July 1,2017 which is also observed as National Doctors Day. He is the youngest Surgeon ever from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to have been selected for the award.
Indian Tabla player Sandeep Das wins 2017 Grammy Award
Indian Tabla player Sandeep Das on 13 February 2017 won the 59th Annual Grammy Award for the Best Global Music Category. He won the award for Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble “Sing Me Home” Yo-Yo Ma’s ‘Sing Me Home’ features tunes composed by different artists at global level. Apart from Sandeep Das and Yo-Yo Ma, there were other musicians as well as who contributed in the album.
Adele sweeps top prizes at 2017 Grammy Awards
The queen of pop, Adele dominated the 59th annual Grammy Awards by picking up all the top awards including Album of the year, Record of the year, Song of the year, Best pop solo performance and Best pop vocal album. The legendary singer took away the album, record and song of the year categories in 2012. Adele is the first singer to take all the top three awards from Grammy twice.
Usain Bolt wins Laureus “Sportsman of the year” award
Usain Bolt and simone biles, the 2016 Rio Olympic Champions won world Top Awards of ‘Sportsman of the year’ and ‘Sportswoman of the year’ at Laureus World Sports Awards 2017, held in Monaco. Bolt was conferred with the top honour for the fourth time equalling the record set by Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Kelly Slater, who are all four-time Laureus winners, with this Bolt created a new record.
Jawaharlal Nehru University Won Visitor’s Award
Jawaharlal Nehru University has won the Visitor’s Award 2017 for the best Central University in India. President Pranab Mukherjee Presented the award to Vice-Chancellor M.Jagadesh Kumar. This is the third edition of the awards which were instituted in 2015 to prime healthy competition among the Universities.
Hindi Scholar and Writer Surendra Verma selected for Vyas Samman 2016 Award
Surendra Verma, a well known Hindi scholar and writer, was selected for Vyas Samman 2016 Award. He was chosen for the prestigious award for his novel “Katna Shamika Vriksha”. Verma will be the 26th recipient of this prestigious award. Vyas Samman was instituted in 1991 by the KK Birla Foundation and carries a cash award of Rs.3.50 lakh, a citation and a logo.
Corporation Bank Bags 2017 National MSME Excellence Award
Mangalore based public sector lender Corporation Bank was awarded the 2017 National MSME Excellence Award at a function in New Delhi. DV Subramanya Varma, General Manager of Corporation Bank received the award from Union Minister of state for MSME, Haribhai P. Chouday. The award is instituted by the Federation of Industry, Trade and services (FITS).
Lata Mangeshkar honoured with Legendary Award
Indian melody queen Lata Mangeshkar has been honoured with the Legendary Award, 2017 by Brand Laureate. The Brandlaureate Awards recognize world-class achievement in branding amongst individuals and companies. The legendary singer has already been bagged almost all of the music awards in home and abroad. Now this award will add an extra feather in her crown of success.
‘Newton’ wins top honour at Berlin Awards
Rajkumar Rao and Anjali patel Starrer Political Comedy “Newton”. It had its world premiere at 67th Berlin International Film Festival, won the “Art Cinema Award” in the Forum segment. Directed by Amit Masurkar, “Newton” revolver around a clerk placed on election duty in a conflict ridden area of Chhattisgarh.
Katamati Iron Mine Wins Best Green Award
Katamati Iron Mine, owned by Tata Steel was conferred with the “Best Green organization of the year Award. It was given at the Global Green Future Leadership Awards held in Mumbai. The Global Green Future Leadership Awards, Organized by World Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Day, was honoured to Katamati Iron Mine in recognition of its environmental protection measures.
Milind Soman gets the title Ultraman
Milind Soman an Indian Supermodel and the national level swimmer successfully completed a 517.5 km race, an extremely high endurance event called “Ultraman” recently held in Florida. The race that was divided into three days included swimming, cycling and running. The 51-year- old man completed the whole event barefoot and gaining the title Ultraman.
Oscar Awards 2017 Lala Land won maximum awards
The 89th Academy Awards, popularly called Oscar Awards, were conferred on 27 February 2017 as per the Indian Time. The Award ceremony was held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Los Angel Comedian Jimmy Kimmel hosted the awards ceremony. The nominees for the 89th Oscar Awards were announced on 24 January 2017, Via global live stream from the Academy. Movie LaLa Land received the most nominations with a record tying fourteen.
Shooting World Cup India bag 1Gold, 1 Silver Medals
India on 27th February bagged two medals, a gold and silver, at the Shooting World Cup in New Delhi. In the 10m mixed team air pistol event, duo of Jitu Rai and Heena Sidhu clinched the Gold for India, making it the first Gold in this event for the country. Jity teamed up with Heena to finish ahead of Japan’s Yukari Konishi and Tomoyuki Matsuda 5-3. Slovenia’s Naphaswan Yangpaiboon and Kevin Venta were placed third.
SPORTS & GAMES
Pankaj Advani wins National Snooker Championship title
Sixteen-time world champion Pankaj Advani ended the year on a high by bagging the National title in 6-red Snooker, the shorter format of the game in Mumbai on Friday. With only a few days to switch to snooker after winning the IBSF World Billiards Championship (point format) in Bangalore last week, Advani proved once again why he is the absolute authority in cue sports.
Lakshya Sen becomes World No.1 Junior Badminton player
India’s Lakshya Sen has become the World No 1 Junior Badminton player. He achieved the distinction in the latest rankings of the Badminton World Federation (BWF). Fifteen-year- old is the first shuttler from Uttarakhand to attain the numero uno spot at the international level.
Virat Kohli features on Wisden 2017 cover
Indian Skipper Virat Kohli, who led his side to victory against England in all three formats of the game recently, has featured in the latest cover star of the bible of cricket – Wisden Cricketer’s Almanack. Kohli becomes only the third Asian Origin Player after Tendulkar and England all rounder Moeen Ali to be featured on the cover of the magazine. The cover image shows Kohli playing a reverse sweep, a shot which he rarely plays in Tests or ODIs Cricket. Wisden editor Lawrence Booth said it under lines the fact that he is a very modern Cricketer.
Iran Lifts ban on American Wrestling team
Iran has lifted a ban on U.S. wrestlers, allowing them to take part in the Freestyle World Cup later this month in the Iranian city of Kermanshah. The wrestlers were originally banned on 4th February from the February 16-17 competition after America President Donald Trump temporarily suspended travel from seven Muslim majority countries, including Iran.
Sourabh Varma Clinches Men’s Single title in NBC
There was huge buzz ahead of the men’s final of the 81st National Badminton Championship (NBC) at the Patliputra sports complex in Patna. On 7th February the competition was between Lakshya Sen, the 15-year old and an experienced Sourabh Varma, the third seed. Finally Sourabh Clinched the title with 21-13, 21-12. Earlier. Rituparna Das of Telangana, the second seed bagged the women’s single title by beating Reshma Karthik.
India to host FIBA Women’s Asic Cup
India will host two international events in 2017, the FIBA Women’s Asia cup and FIBA under – 16 Women’s Asian Championship, the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) said that. The FIBA Women’s Asia Cup will be held from July 23 to 29 in Bengaluru and FIBA U-16 Women’s Asian Championship will be held from October 23 to 28 in Hyderabad.
India’s first centre for disabled sportsmen in Gandhinagar
India’s first ever centre of Excellence for differently abled sportsmen will be established in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The centre will be built on 7.5 acres of land belonging to the Sports Authority of India (SAI). It will train the Para athletes for various international sporting competitions including Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. Which will be the first-ever training facility in the country dedicated to Para athletes.
Delhi Mohit Ahlawat becomes first batsman to score 300 in T-20 Cricket
Delhi cricketer, 21-years Mohit Ahlawat smashed an incredible unbeaten 300 off just 72 balls hitting an unbelievable 39 sines, 14 fours in a Twenty-20 match. He was playing for Maavi XI against Friends XI in the Friends Premier League. A wicketkeeper-batsman, Ahlawat has played three first class games for Delhi, making his debut in 2015. He got only 5 runs in three games. Now, he got the World Record 300 runs in a T-20 match.
Kohli get a new record for most Test 150 s by an Indian Captain
Virat Kohli recorded his sixth test 150, against Bangladesh at Hyderabad on 10 February 2017, to set the record for most 150 plus scores by an Indian captain in Tests. Kohli went past Sunil Gavaskar and Mohammad Azharuddin, who both have five 150 plus Test scorers each as captain. Notably, all of Kohli’s last five Centuries have been of 150 + runs.
Mission XI Million launched to promote football among school Children
The Union Government on 10 February 2017 launched Mission XI Million initiative to promote football awareness among school children. The Programme was launched by the Union Minister of State for youth Affairs and Sports Vijay Goel in the presence of the President of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) Praful Patel in New Delhi.
Official mascot of FIFA U-17 World Cup Kheleao
The Official mascot of the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017, “Kheleao” was on 10 February unveiled at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, It was unveiled, with just 238 days remaining for the start of the tournament. In a glittering ceremony attended by Sports Minister Vijay Goel, the Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee and AIFF president Praful Patel.
India win T-20 Blind World Cup – 2017
Defending Champion India thrashed arch rivals Pakistan by 9 wickets in the final to be crowned champions of T-20 Blind Cricket World Cup 2017 in Bengaluru. Chasing a target of 198 runs, India (200/1) achieved it in 17.2 overs comfortably at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The two teams had already clashed in the 2012 edition final as well with India emerging triumphant.
R. Ashwin becomes Fastest Bowler to claim 250 wickets
Indian -off spin specialist Ravichandran Ashwin became the world’s fastest cricketer to take 250 wickets in Test Matches. 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.
Joe Root Becomes New Test Captain of England
The England and Wales cricket Board named Joe Root as England’s Test Captain on 13 February 2017 who will take over Alastair Cook. Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes has been named as the Vice-Captain. Root will become England’s 80th Test Skipper with his first game to be held against South Africa at Lord’s on July 6.
De Randamie Crowned First Women’s Featherweight Champion
Germaine De Randamie was Crowned the UFC’s first female featherweight Champion after defeating Holly Holm via Unanimous decision. All three judges scored the fight 48-47 in De Randamie favour against her American opponent, who is a former bantamweight Champion.
Jehan Daruvala wins New Zealand Grand Prix
Young Indian racer Jehan Daruvala created history by winning the New Zealand Grand Prix, 2017 at Chris Amon Circuit. With the win, Jehan became the first and only Indian to win a Grand Prix in Motorsport and has joined the elite list of Grand Prix Winners including KeKe Rosberg, Bruce Mclaren, John Surtees and si Jackie Stewart.
Indian Hockey player To Get Honorary Doctorate
Indian Professional Hockey Player Sandeep Singh has been honoured with an Honorary Doctorate Degree by Desh Bhagat University, a private educational institution in Amloh, Fatehgarh Sahib District of Punjab. He is the second Indian hockey player to receive this award after Dileep Tirkey, former hockey captain and present Member of Parliament.
PV Sindhu Attains Career-Best Rank at No.5
Indian ace shuttler PV. Sindhu achieved her career best Badminton World Federation (BWF) Women’s single ranking by being placed at 5th spot. Previously the top seeded player was placed at sixth position. She was moved a place ahead of Akane Yamaguchi of Japan to attain her career best ranking. Saina Nehwal who has been placed at No.9
22 Football Players & Officials Gets life Ban
Twenty-two players and Officials from Laos and Cambodia gets life ban punishments for match-fixing. The action followed an investigation that started in 2014, and that it will seek to have the bans extended world wide. Fifteen of those banned are current or former players of the Laos national side or Vientiane based Lao Toyota FC.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga wins 2017 Rotterdam Open
France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on 19 February defeated David Goffin 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 to win the 43rd ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament final held in Rotterdam, Netherlands. with the title came an end to Tsonga’s two-year title drought. He had last won a title in the year 2015. As of 13 February 2017, he is ranked world No.13 position.
India win Silver at Asian Women’s Rugby Sevens Trophy
The Indian Women’s team won a silver at the Asian Women’s Rugby Sevens Trophy tournament at Vientiane, Laos, A total of seven countries from across. Asia including South Korea, Philippines, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, India and hosts Laos vied for to honours in the tournament. In the last match, India was beaten by South Korea by 29-0.
Ben Stokes gets highest bidding at IPL auction
Ben stokes becomes the most expensive overseas acquisition in the history of the Indian Premier league. The Rising Pune Supergiant prised him away for a massive Rs.14.5 crore. Tymal Mills is the second most expensive overseas player. He is sold to Royal challengers Bangalore for a whopping Rs.12 crore in the IPL auction.
India to host 2019 combined World Cup for Shooting
The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) announced that India will be hosting the Combined World Cup for Shooting in 2019 during the meeting held in New Delhi. The Combined World Cup will a qualifying event for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It will comprises all the three categories shotgun, rifle and pistol
Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet kaur in top -10 ICC rankings
India’s one day captain Mithali Raj and top order bats woman Harmanpreet Kaur were placed 2nd and 10th in the bats women’s rankings released after World Cup qualifier that ended on 21st February. Meg Lanning of Australia leads the chart with 804 points, while Mithali Raj with 733 points is second in the list. Harmanpreet Kaur, known for her towering sines has 574 points is last of the list.
Dohmen, Navomi named best hockey players of 2016
Belgium’s John-John Dohmen and Netherlands Naomi van as male and female Hockey Federation’s player of the year award. In an event hosted in Chandigarh on 23rd February, the Olympic silver medalists Dohmen and Naomi were handed these awards. Great Britain’s Olympic gold medalist Maddie Hinch won the Hockey star 2016 female Goalkeeper of the year award. While, Ireland’s David Harte was crowned the best in the world for the second year in a row as he received the male Goalkeeper of the year awards.
ISSF World Cup Pooja Ghatkar gets Bronze
Indian Shooter Pooja Ghatkar made the country proud on 24 February as she clinched the bronze medal in the women’s 10 mt Air Rifle event in New Delhi at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup. The 28-year- old woman shot a score of 228.8 to finish third in the finals and clinch her first medal at a Shooting World Cup. China’s Meng Yang Shi bagged gold medal and set a new world record with score of 252.1. While Dong Lijie settled for silver score of 248.9 in the finals.
R Aswin Breaks Kapil Dev’s Record to become Highest Test Wicket Taker
Indian off spinner R.Aswin surpassed India’s former legendary all rounder Kapil Dev to become the highest wicket-taker in Test Matches. Aswin has scored 67 wickets from 10 tests in 2016-17 season played in India. Former Indian Captain Kapil Dev took 63 wickets from 13 matches in the 1979-80 season. Aswin achieved the feat when he dismissed Mitchell Starc of Australia in their first innings on the second day in Pune.
Saina Nehwal to represent Olympic Committee in BWF
Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal, who was appointed a member of the International Olympic committee’s Athletes. Commission in 2016. Now she would to representing Olympic Committee’s panel in the Badminton World Federation (BWF). Currently, ranked world number 10 in BWF rankings, Saina is aiming to won in the All England Championship in next Month.
Kalinga Lancers crowned Hockey India League
Kalinga Lancers beat Dabang Mumbai 4-1 in a thrilling final to lift their first Hockey India League title in Chandigarh on 26 February 2017, Skipper Moritz Frusta 30th, 58th converted two penalty corners and Glenn Turner 18th minute scored a field goal, as last year’s runners-up won the fifth edition of the tournament.
ECONOMY
Arun Jaitley introduced Economic Survey 2016-17 in Parliament
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on 31 January tabled the Economic Survey 2016-17 in Parliament budget session. The survey projects the economy to grow in the range of 6.75% to 7.50 in the next fiscal year 2017-18 in the post-demonetization year. The survey was prepared by chief economic adviser in the finance ministry Arvind Subramanian said the adverse impact of demonetization on GDP growth will be transitional.
Highlights of Union Budget 2017-18
1. For quick refund of tax returns time-frame reduced to 12 months
2. Of 76 lakh individuals who reported income of over Rs 5 lakh, 56 lakh are salaried
3. No transaction over Rs 3 lakh will be permitted in cash
4. To cut presumptive turnover threshold for companies w/turnover up to Rs 2 cr to 6%
5. Basic customs duty on LNG cut to 2.5% from 5%
6. Propose to reduce tax for small companies with turnover of < Rs 50 cr to 25%
7. Govt proposes carry-forward of MAT to 15 years from 10 years
8. Post demonetisation deposits between Rs 2.80 lakh made in 1.09 crore accounts
9. FY18 revenue deficit pegged at 1.9% of GDP
10. Fiscal deficit for 2017-18 pegged at 3.2%, in-line with market expectations
11. Defence capital expenditure: Rs 86,000 core
12. New FDI policy under consideration
13. Aadhaar Pay will be launched shortly
14. Propose revised mechanism for time-bound listing of PSUs
15. Govt doubles lending target of banks to Rs 2.44 lakh cr
16. Amend Negotiable Instruments Act to protect payees of dishonoured cheques
17. Govt to take steps to promote digital payments at petrol pumps, hospitals
18. Propose to create a payment regulatory board at RBI
19. Propose to create an integrated oil major
20. Budget 2017: Focus on welfare, infra with fiscal prudence
21. Service charges on e-tickets booked via IRCTC to be withdrawn
22. New Metro Rail policy to be announced; will open up new job possibilities.
23. New rules for pricing medical devices should benefit common man.
24. Railways to implement end-to- end solutions for some commodities.
25. Propose to feed 7000 solar railway station in medium term
26. 2000 km of coastal roads have been identified for development.
27. AAI Act to be amended to enable monetisation of land.
28. Cash less reservation have improved to 68% from 58%.
29. National highway allocation at Rs 64,000 crore
30. Affordable housing to be given infra status
31. Have hiked allocation for women skill development to Rs 1.84 lakh crore in FY18.
32. Mahila Shakti Kendras will aim for Woman Empowerment
33. Govt to set up 100 India-International skill centres
34. Mahila Shakti Kendra will be set up at village level; allocation Rs 500 crore
35. 5 special tourism zones to be set up in partnership with states
36. Unmanned Rail level crossing will be eliminated by 2020
37. At least 25 stations re-development contracts will be awarded in 2017-18.
38. Propose to invest Rs 1.31 lakh crore in Railways in 2017-18.
39. Total capital development outlay for Railway at Rs 1.3 lakh cr.
40. Railways to implement end-to- end solutions for some commodities
41. Propose to feed 7000 solar railway station in medium term
42. Railway throughput to be enhanced by 10%.
43. Pilot project for Aadhar cards containing health details for senior citizens.
44. Govt to undertake reforms in UGC to improve higher education.
45. New rules regarding medical devices will be formulated; will attract investment in sector, will reduce cost of the devices
46. Outcome-based monetary measures to SC, ST by NITI Aayog
47. Allocation to scheduled castes upped to Rs 52,393 crore
48. Govt to set up 100 India-International skill centres
49. Outcome-based monetary measures to SC, ST by NITI Aayog
50. Govt committed to ensuring conducive labour environment
51. Will take legislative reforms to simplify labour laws in India
52. Govt committed to take structural reform in medical education & practice
53. Propose to amend drug rules to ensure drugs available at reasonable prices
54. 1.5 lakh health sub-centres to be transformed to health wellness centres
55. Will encourage reputed hospitals to start courses
56. Affordable housing to be given infra status
57. Bank lending rates for housing loans coming down in wake of demonetisation, says FM
58.Innovation fund for secondary education to be created
59. Sanitation coverage in rural areas risen to 60% vs 42% earlier
60. On our way to achieve 100% village electrification by 1st May 2018
61. Govt to achieve 100% rural electrification by May 1, 2018
62. Rs 4,800 crore allocated under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana
63. Propose to finish 1 crore houses by 2019 for those living in kachcha houses
64. To up crop insurance coverage to 50% in FY19
65. Pace of construction of roads has increased to Rs 133 km/day in 2017
66. Long-term irrigation fund set up in NABARD, additional corpus Rs 20,000 cr
67. MNREGA target at 48000 cr in FY18
68. Participation of women in NREGA has increased to 55% from 48% in the past.
69. Govt to set up dairy processing fund
70. Pace Of Construction Of Roads Has Increased To Rs 133 Km/Day In 2017
71. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana construction at 133 km per day now against 73 km per day earlier
72. Increased allocation to Rs 23,000 crore for PM Awas Yojana,
73. 19000 cr allotted for PM Rural road plan in FY18
74. Will undertake reforms in UGC to improve higher education
75. Total allocation for rural sector up by 24% at Rs 1,83000 cr.
76. Allocation for rural, agri & allied industry at Rs 1.87 lakh crore, up 24% YoY
77. Coverage of national agriculture market will be expanded.
78. Dairy processing infra fund will be created with corpus of Rs 8,000 crore in 3 yrs
79. Long term irrigation fund set up in NABARD, additional corpus Rs 20,000 cr
80. Will support NABARD to digitise 63,000 primary agri co-operatives
81. 5000 cr worth dedicated micro irrigation fund to be set up by NABARD
82. Will take steps to make sure farmers get better prices for harvest
83. Sowing farmers should feel secure against natural calamities
84. To up crop insurance coverage to 50% in FY19
85. Will ensure flow of adequate credit to under privileged areas
86. Committed to double farmer income in five years
87. Propose to present Budget under 10 district themes
88. Agriculture expected to grow at 4.1% in the current year
89. Target for agri credit fixed at Rs 10 lakh crore this year
90. Overall approach has been to spend more with fiscal prudence
91. Looking to spend more on rural infrastructure and social spending
92. Overall approach in Budget has been to spend more in rural areas
93. Have done away with planned & unplanned allocation
94. Merger of Rail & General Budget is a historic step
95. IMF estimates world GDP will grow by 3.4% in 2017
96. Govt reduces existing tax rate for personal income of Rs 2.5-5 lakh to 5% from 10%
Govt proposes Payments Regulatory Board in RBI
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today proposed creation of a six-member Payments Regulatory Boardin the RBI, headed by its Governor, as part of bringing about structural reforms in the payment Eco-system. For the purpose, necessary amendments are proposed in the Finance Bill 2017 to create a Payments Regulatory Board in the Reserve Bank of India by replacing the existing Board for Regulation and Supervision of Payment and Settlement Systems.
Rs.10,000 penalty for late filing of IT returns
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley made it easier for the small tax-payers, the budget has however proposed a fee for delayed filing of income tax return. If the income tax return is furnished after the due date but on or before the December 31 of the assessment year, there will be a fine of Rs 5,000 imposed. In other cases, there will be an imposition of a fine of Rs 10,000.However, in a case where the total income does not exceed Rs 5 lakh, the Budget proposed that the fee amount shall not exceed Rs 1,000.
Sunil Mehta has been appointed as the Non Executive Chairman in Punjab National Bank
According to order issued by Personnel Ministry, the Appointments Committee of Cabinet has cleared his appointment as Non-Executive Chairman for a period of three years. His appointment is subject to a condition that he needs to resign from the board of state Bank of India before joining the new post.
RBI increases with drawal amount Rs.50,000 per week
The Reserve Bank of India issued on January 30, 2017 and announced the weekly limit on withdrawal of cash from savings bank accounts will be increased to Rs.50,000 from the current Rs.24,000 from February 20, 2017. The limit will be removed from March 13, till there is no limit on current account and there is a cap of 50,000 for farmers a week and 2.5 lack for marriage.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
SAARC programming committee meeting Held in Kathmandu
The 53rd meeting of SAARC Programming Committee meeting held on 01-02- 2017 and could mark revival of the regional bloc following the postponement of the 19th Summit that was scheduled in Pakistan in November last year after India and some others members expressed their inability to participate. During the two day meeting they will discussions about the budget allocation of five SAARC regional centres, some specialized bodies and their annual programme. It will definitely set appositive tone to reduce tensions between India and Pakistan and for resumption of the SAARC process.
Scientists confirm multiple therapeutic properties of Neuro Calyx Calycinus
Neurocalyx Calycinus is a shrub endemic to South West India, found in evergreen forests. Recent researches suggests this plant has wound healing, burn-healing, analgesic, anti-cancer, anti inflammatory, platelet-augmentation and antioxidant effects. The Southern parts of Western Ghats and Sri Lanka could offer scientists the key to new herbal formulations and modern drugs for the treatment of cancers, wounds and burns.
Horse Antibodies may effectively treat Ebola
In a first, scientists have developed an effective rapid and economical treatment for the deadly Ebola Virus using antibodies from horses. This is a cost effective treatment that can be used in low-income countries like Africa where equine production facilities are already in operation for producing snake-bite antivenom. The largest recorded outbreak of Ebola Virus occurred primarily in West Africa from 2014 to 2016.
Earth like planet “Proxima b” Unlikely to host life
As the search for life beyond Earth, Continues the just discovered Earth-sized planet Proxima b Unlikely to hold like despite it being in the habitable zone or the Goldilocks region of its host star. The reason for the planet not holding any possibility of life is due to the effects of frequent stellar eruptions. This informations was given by NASA scientists who have been investigating the possibility of life on the planet.
ISRO creates a World record With 104 Satellites in One go
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 15 February crate a World record in the space arena by sending 104 satellites in a single rocket. In these satellites 96 belongs to Israel, Kajakistan, Netherlands, Switzerland and United Arab Emirates respectively. Three satellites belongs to India, in these CaboSat-2 Weighs 714 kgs, INS-1A and INS – 1B each one weighs with 15kgs.
Scientists Are Getting Really Close to a Malaria Vaccine
A new malaria vaccine candidate has proven up to 100 percent effective in clinical trials. The Potential vaccine introduces live malaria parasites into patients paired with medication needed to combat them. The highest dose were 100% protected against the disease for at least after Vaccination.
Scientists Create Graphene from Soybeans
A group of Scientists from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) created a strongest material graphene. Graphene is a carbon material that is the atom thick. It is made by soybean. Its this composition and high conductivity, it is used applications ranging from miniaturized electronics to biomedical devices. It was used in computers, solar panels, batteries, sensors, and soon.
Scientists discover a Continent Zealandia
A group of scientists have claimed to discover a continent two-thirds the size of Australia beneath the south west Pacific Ocean. The newly proposed continent is about 1.74 million square miles in size and 94 percent submerged. However, the continent protrudes above the ocean surface in the form of New Zealand and New Caledonia.
7 New Earth – Like Exoplanets Discovered
Nasa Astronomers have discovered not one, not two, but seven earth sized planets orbiting a star called TRAPPIST-1 and announced the discovery of 60 other potentially habitable planets. Three of them have habitable zone where liquid water can exist on the surface of the rocky planets like Earth. “The discovery gives us a hint that finding a second Earth is not just a matter”, said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate of NASA.
7 Tiny New Frogs are Discovered in India
After 5 years of extensive explorations in the Western Ghats in India, researchers have discovered seven tiny new frog species, known as Night Frogs. The Adorable creatures are among the smallest in the World, and four of the new species are tiny enough to fit on a fingernail. Despite only just being discovered, the researchers warn that five of the new species are under direct threat of extinction, and urge environmentalists to set up conservation programmes immediately.
NASA may send robotic spacecraft to sun in 2018
The America’s National Aeronautics and space Administration (NASA) plans to send its first robotic spacecraft to the Sun in 2018. The “Solar Probe Plus Mission”, which is going to be NASA’s first spacecraft to the sun, is expected to get within 6 million kilometers of the sun to probe its atmosphere. The Sun is about 149 million kilometers from the Earth.
PERSONS IN NEWS
A). APPOINTMENTS
Ashok Amritraj Appointed as UN in India Goodwill ambassador
Award winning Hollywood film producer and Wimbledon tennis player, Ashok Amritraj has been appointed United Nations in India Goodwill Ambassador for sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Mr. Amritraj is first ambassador for UN in India. He was also the former CEO of National Geographic Films. He is responsible to generate momentum and commitment to achieve the SDGs by 2030.
Alok Verma joined as the new CBI Director
Alok Verma joined as the new CBI Director. As a director he will hold in this post for a period of two years. A three member committee comprising Prime Minister, Chief Justice and opposition leader in the Lok Sabha selected Mr. Alok Verma for this post.
Arun Kumar elected as Chairman and CEO of KPMG in India
KPMG India board has elected Arun M Kumar as Chairman and CEO to lead the India operations of the consulting and accounting major. He succeeds Richard Rekhy, who stepped down in November last year following a large scale exodus of Key people from the advisory team. Kumar, who spent the majority of his career with KPMG in the US, will take charge from February 5 for a five-year term.
Jovenel Moise Sworn in as Haiti’s new President
Jovenel Moise has been sworn in as Haiti’s new President, opening a new chapter in the country’s history after a long-running political crisis. The 48 year old entrepreneur took the oath of office in a Parliament Chamber packed with Haitian lawmakers and foreign dignitaries from countries including the U.S, Venezuela and France. A business man from northern Haiti, Moise had never run for office until he was hand picked in 2015 to be the Tel Kale Party candidate by Martelly.
Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo elected as Somalia’s New President
Somalia’s Ex-Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi “Farmajo” Mohamed beat President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in a surprise result. The vote was held at the heavily guarded airport complex in the capital Mogadishu, as the rest of the country is too dangerous. Traffic was banned and no-fly zone imposed over the city to prevent attacks by militant Islamists.
Hemant Bhargava appointed LIC’s MD
Hemant Bhargava was appointed as LIC’s Managing Director on 10 February, 2017. He is at present worked as LIC’s Zonal Manager, Delhi. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has approved Bhargava’s appointment to the post till his superannuation i.e., July 31, 2019. The top LIC management consists of the Chairman and three Managing Director.
Govt Appoints Ajay Tyagi As New SEBI Chief
The Govt on 10 February appointed Ajay Tyagi, an additional secretary in the finance ministry, as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Tyagi, who will be the ninth sebi Chairman, will take over U.K.Sinha the second longest serving chief of the capital markets regulator after D.R. Mehta.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier elected President of Germany
Frank Walter Steinmeier was elected as the new President of Germany on 12 February 2017 by a Special Parliamentary Assembly. He became the 12th person to hold the post in the post-war era. The special assembly comprised 630 Federal Members of Parliament and unequal number of representatives from Germany’s 16 Federal States.
Sandeep Jajodia takes over as ASSOCHAM President
Sandeep Jajodia, CMD of Monnet Ispat Energy Ltd, has taken over as President of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM). Similarly Bala Krishan Goenka, Chairman of Welspun Group, and Kiran Kumar Grandhi, Vice-Chairman of GMR Infrastructure Ltd have taken over as senior Vice-President and Vice President of the ASSOCHAM respectively. It play a leading transformational role both Nationally and Internationally.
Narinder Chauhan appointed as Ambassador of India to the Republic of Philippines
Former IAS officer Narinder Chauhan has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of the Philippines on 11 February 2017. Currently Narinder is working as the Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix appointed as new UN Peacekeeping Chief
France’s Jean-Pierre Lacroix has been appointed as the Under-Secretary- General for the United Nation’s Peacekeeping Operations. He has been appointed for the period of one year beginning 1 April 2017. In his new position, Jean-Pierre Lacroix will be replacing Herve Ladsous, who will step down in March 2017 after six years of service. The announcement was made by the United Nations New secretary General Antonio Guterres, who took over from Ban Ki-moon on 1 January 2017.
Nilesh Shivji Vikamsey as new ICAI President
Nilesh Shivji Vikamsey was appointed as new President of “Institute of Chartered Accountant of India.” (ICAI) for the year 2017-18. Prior to this appointment, he was the Vice President of the CA institute in 2016-17 since 1985.
Justice Vikramjit Sen takes charge of DDCA
Justice Vikramjit Sen, former Supreme Court Judge, on 15 February 2017 took charge of the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA). He officially took the charge from justice Mukul Mudgal. The association is affiliated to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)
K. Palaniswami to Be Sworn in as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister
V.K. Sasikala loyalist Edappadi K.Palaniswami is all set to be the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Governor Vidyasagar Rao invited him today (16 February) to form a government at the earliest. He is expected to take an oath of office at 4.30 pm today and prove his majority with in 15 days.
Vikas Swarup as High Commissioner of India to Canada
Vikas Swarup was appointed as the High Commissioner of India to Canada. A decision in this regard was taken by the Union Ministry External Affairs (MEA) on 16 February 2017. At the time of elevation Swarup was working as the spokesperson of the MEA. In his nearly over three-decades long career, he represented India in Various positions.
Neelam Damodaran is Bank of India new ED
The Govt has appointed Neelam Damodaran as Executive Director of Bank of India. His tenor is up to November 30, 2019. Prior to his elevation as ED, Damodaran was General Manager with Bank of Baroda. With this appointment Bank of India now has two E.Ds. R.A Sankara Narayanan has been ED of the bank since May 15, 2015.
Nanda Kumar Sai Appointed as Chairman of NCST
BJP veteran and tribal leader from Chhattisgarh, Nanda Kumar Sai, has been appointed as Chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST). Sai will take oath on February 28 at New Delhi. A veteran tribal leader, who was state BJP president during undivided Madhya Pradesh, was the first leader of the opposition in the Chhattisgarh assembly after the state was carved out in the year 2000.
Trump Appoints HR McMaster as National Security Adviser
The White House announced on 20th February that Lieutenant General H.R. Mcmaster will become new National Security Adviser, replacing Michael Flynn, who was resigned last week. President Trump Announced the Pick at his Palm Beach Club, Mar-a- Lago, saying Mcmaster is a man of tremendous talent and tremendous experience.
Turbohelize Liezietsu as Nagaland New CM
Nagaland People’s Front (NPF) leader Shurhozelie Liezietsu was on 20 February 20 elected the new legislature party leader of the ruling Democratic Alliance to be the new Nagaland Chief Minister. Shurhozelie was elected after Chief Minister TR Zeliang resigned on 19 February. Shurhozelie has been unanimously elected the legislature party leader of the NPF and as CM.
Chandrasekaran takes the Chairmanship of TATA Sons Ltd
Natarajan Chandrasekaran has become the Chairman of TATA Sons Ltd, the holding company of Tata Sons Ltd announced in January, 2017 the appointment of Chandra, who joined the tata Group in 1987 after obtaining a Masters Degree in Computer Applications from the Regional Engineering College Trichy in Tamil Nadu.
Abhijit Sarkar appointed Vice President of AHF
Malaysia headquartered Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) has appointed Abhijit Sarkars as Vice President and also the Chief of AHF commercial and TV Committee> He led the group in promoting various sports in India by sponsoring both the Indian National Cricket Teams as well as Indian Hockey Team. Sarkar has served as the Head of Corporate Communications, Corporate Affairs and Relations and the Sports Division at Sahara India Pariwar since 2004.
Shilpa Shetty as Swachh Bharat Brand Ambassador
Indian Film actress, producer, former model Shilpa Shetty appointed as the Brand Ambassador for cleanliness initiative Swachh Bharat Mission by the Central Govt, It was announced by Director of Swachh Bharat Mission and Urban Development Ministry Joint Secretary Praveen Prakash. Swachh Bharat Mission’s aim is to make India open defecation free by 2019.
Former CM TR Zeliang Appointed Finance Advisor To Nagaland Govt
Nagaland State Governor, PB Acharya on 26 February appointed former Chief Minister, TR Zeliang as Finance Advisor to Government of Nagaland in the rank and status of Cabinet Minister with immediate effect. He will be entitled to pay and allowances and all other facilities admissible to a Cabinet Minister. This was stated by Cabinet Secretary Pankaj Kumar.
Khursheed A Ganai appointed as CIC of Jammu & Kashmir
Retired IAS Officer Khursheed A Ganai was appointed as the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of Jammu & Kashmir on 27 February 2017. Ganai’s appointment to the post was approved by the state Governor NN Vohra in the exercise of the powers vested under section 12 (3) of Jammu & Kashmir Right to Information Act, 2009. His name was recommended to the Governor on 21 February 2017 by a selection panel headed by the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
Gopal Baglay Appointed External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson
India’s Senior Diplomat Gopal Baglay was appointed as External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson on 27th February, 2017. He was succeeding Vikas Swarup, who was made India’s new High Commissioner to Canada. A 1992-batch officer of Indian Foreign Service, Baglay was handling the sensitive PAI (Pakistan – Afghanistan – Iran) division in the ministry till now.
B). RESIGNS
Alastair Cook steps down as England Test Captain
Alastair Cook has resigned as England Test Captain after a record 59 matches in the role. He was resigned for his captaincy on 5 February. Cook, England’s leading scorer in Tests with 11,057 runs, became the captain in August 2012 and led his country to Ashes glory on home soil in 2013 and 2015 as well as series wins in India and South Africa. He has been the country’s most capped Test Skipper and has scored more test centuries than any previous English captain.
US National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigns
Michael Flynn has resigned as national security adviser over his contact with Russian Officials before US President Donald Trump took office. His resignation on 14 February followed reports a day earlier that the Department of Justice warned the Trump Administration weeks ago that such communications could leave him in a compromised position.
Nagaland CM TR Zeliang resigned
Nagaland CM TR Zeliang resigned as Chief Minister of State on 17 February 2017. He resigned against the backdrop of widespread protests in the state, which was triggered due to Govt’s decision to reserve 33 percent seats for women in urban local bodies. Zeliang resignation was accepted by the Governor PB. Acharya. Asper reports, the governor has asked zeliang to continue till further arrangements were made.
BCCI General Manager RP. Shah resigned his post
RP Shah one of the three General Managers of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has resigned from his post citing his age reason. Shah was serving as the General Manager (Commercial). The reason is that I am 61-years old. I had taken the decision back in October. There was no pressure or query from the COA.
C). DEATHS
Veteran Journalist Dileep padgaonkar died at 72
Senior journalist Dileep Padgaonkar died in a Pune hospital on 27 January. A former editor with the Times of India. Padgaonkar had diabetes and Kidney-related problems. He had began his career in journalism at the age of 24 as the Paris correspondent of The Times of India. He was also the part of a three-member interlocutor’s team selected by the Centre in 2010 to hold talks with people in Jammu & Kashmir.
Former Minister E Ahamed Dies After Suffering Cardiac Arrest
Former Union minister and Indian Union Muslim League leader E Ahamed has passed away after he suffered a cardiac arrest. Ahamed was put on life support at the hospital and died at 2.15 am on 01-02-2017.Mr Ahamed, who has served as Minister of State for External Affairs in Dr Manmohan Singh’s government, represented Kerala in the Lok Sabha.
Ex-CBI Director Joginder Singh passes away
Former CBI chief Joginder Singh, who oversaw investigation of several high-profile cases including Bofors scam and Bihar’s fodder scam, died on Friday(03-02-2017) aged 77 years. The cremation would be held on 4th Feb at electrical Crematorium, Lodhi Road,New Delhi at 1 pm.
Renowned Urdu Author Bano Qudsia Passes away
Renowned Urdu novelist and short story writer Bano Qudsia has died after a protracted illness. Bano Qudsia, 88 was under treatment over the past 10 days at a Lahore hospital. Bano was a writer, playwright and spiritualist. She is best known for her novel Raja Gidh. she was also wrote for television and stage in both Urdu and Punjabi languages.
Veteran freedom fighter Racharla Samrajyam passes away
Racharla Samrajyam, a veteran freedom fighter, passed away on 6 February 2017 following age-related illness at Visakhapatnam. She was 98, She is survived by her only son Saranga Rao. She was inspired by the Quit India Movement at the time when she was undergoing hindi pracharak training at Anantapur in 1942. It was at this point of time, she had quit the training programme and joined the Quit India Movement. At that time she was arrested in Bezawada and was sent to Raya Vellore Jail for six months.
Netaji’s driver Colonel Nizamuddin passes away
Colonel Nizamuddin, former driver and bodyguard of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, passed away on 6th February morning aged 116. Nizamuddin was a member of the Bose’s Azad Hind Fauj during the freedom struggle. Bose Changed his name to Nizamuddin from his original Saifuddin as he was working as secret service agent.
Japanese manga legend Jiro Taniguchi dies at 69
Jiro Taniguchi, a legend in Japan’s comic art of manga, died in Tokyo on Saturday (11th February) at the age of 69, leaving behind an international following for his exquisite line drawing of scenes from everyday life. Just over a decade later after starting this art, he hit the International Magna Scene with “A Distant Neighbourhood,” about a Japanese salary man who travels back to his Childhood.
Eminent Journalist and Laughter Persona Pandit Dharmsheel Chaturvedi Dies
The Eminent thinker, writer, Journalist Pandit Dharmsheel Chaturvedi passed away on February 11, 2017 in Sir Sundarlal Hospital, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. The Hindi Kavi Pt. Dharmsheel Chaturvedi was considered as “Swayan Mein Banaras” means ‘Banaras in Himself’ in elite circle. Pt Dharmasheel Chaturvedi was nicknamed as AKKhad Banarasi’ all over India for being the star at the Hasya Kavita Enthusiasts.
Nobel Laureate Sir Peter Mansfield Passes away
Sir Peter Mansfield received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 2003 for advances in using MRI for medical science. The high-tech scan (MRI) allow doctors to see detailed images of the internal organs without the use of X-rays. Sir Peter was shared with Paul Lauterbur, for discoveries concerning Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). He was a Professor at the University of Nottingham. He was passed away on 8 February in London, at 83.
Veteran Indian Journalist T.V. Parasuram passes Away
Veteran Journalist T.V. Parasuram, who served for long as the Washington Correspondent to the Indian Express, died on 13 February 2017. Parasuram passed away in his sleep in Bethesda, the family said. He is survived by his wife Anantha Lakshmi, son Ashok Parasuram, and daughter Anitha. Parasuram who won a Harvard Nieman Fellowship in journalism.
Former CJI Altamas Kabir passes away
Former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Altamas Kabir passes away on 19 February at the Kolkata Hospital. In March 2005, Justice Altamas Kabir was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court. After that he was being elevated as a judge in the supreme court in September the same year. Justice Kabir appointed as the CJI on September 29 in 2012. He held the office till July 18, 2013.
Celebrated Hindi Novelist Ved Prakash Sharma Passes away
Celebrated Hindi Novelist Ved Prakash Sharma, who was 176 Novels to his credit. The 62-year old was not keeping well for the last few months and had developed some infection and complications which led to his demise. His famous novels which broke many records and added to his popularity included “Qaidi No-100” and “Vardi Wala Gunda” Sharma had also written scripts for about half-a-dozen Hindi Movies.
Former Union Minister P.Shiv Shankar passes away
Former Union Minister P.Shiv Shankar Passed away in Hyderabad on February 27, 2017. He was 89. He represented the congress as Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat from 1985 to 1993. He has served as External Affairs and Human Resource Development Minister. He has also served as Law Minister in the Indira Gandhi cabinet in 1980. After some allegations with congress party, in 2008 he was joined in the Praja Rajyam Party floated by actor Chiranjeevi.
Nobel Winning Economist Kenneth J.Arrow dies at 95
Nobel winning economist and mathematician Kenneth J. Arrow passed away at his home in Palo Alto, in the San Francisco in USA. He was 95. He was the joint winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics with John Hicks in 1972. To date he is the youngest person ever to have received this award, at the age of 51. He spent most of his career at Stanford University. Five of his former students went on to become Nobel Winners.
D). VISITORS
Shahabuddin Ahmed invited as in Residence guest
Well Known Painter and Freedom fighter Shahabuddin Ahmed of Bangladesh will be the first foreign artist to live in Rashtrapati Bhavan as a guest of Pranab Mukherjee. The renowned painter will stay as an Artist in- Residence from February 18 to 22. He was a platoon commander who fought in the Liberation War of Bangladesh when he was 21 years old.
E). MISCELLANEOUS
India’s first floating elementary school inaugurated on Manipur’s Loktak Lake
India’s first floating elementary school named “Loktak Elementary Floating School” was on 13 February 2017 inaugurated at Langoslabi Leikai of Champu Khangpok floating village on Loktak Lake in Manipur. It will provide educations around 40 children from class 1-111 by engaging two local teachers.
Indian Panorama Film Festival Organised in Port Blair
The Five-day, Indian Panorama Film Festival got underway on 15 February, with its inauguration by the Chief Secretary, A & N Administration, Mr. Anindo Majumdar at DBRAIT Auditorium in Port Blair. Smt. Rupa Ray Padmashree Awardee, Mr. Naresh Chander Lal, secretary IP, Dr. A.K. Singla IP & T, Mr. Amit Anand were Present on the occasion.
PLACES IN NEWS
Khajuraho Dance Festival to be begin in Madhya Pradesh
One of the famous cultural events of India, Khajuraho Festival grabs attention of every traveller in the month of February. Khajuraho Festival is Organized by the”Kala Parishad” under the Madhya Pradesh Government, where by many popular classical dancers from all over India perform. The aim to hold this festival is to promote the cultural, heritage of India.
BOOKS IN NEWS
Salman Rushdie’s novel “The Golden House” announced
The renowned Author Salman Rushdie’s new novel titled “The Golden House” is slated to release in September 2017. The announcement was made by Penguin Random House. The book will be published in India by Penguin Random House, which acquired the subcontinent rights from the Wylie Agency. Salman Rushdie is a British Indian novelist and essayist.
COMMITTEES
Norway Nobel Committee Chairwoman Kullmann Dies At 65
Norwegian Nobel Committee Chairwoman, Kaci Kullmann Five, died on February 19, 2017. She was 65, Norwegian Nobel Committee is responsible to select the peace Prize Laureates. Former businesswoman of Norway, Kullmann served as trade and shipping minister from 1989-1990. In 2003, Kullmann became a member of the Norwegian Novel Committee while was elected Chairwoman in 2015.
IMPORTANT DAYS & DATES
World Cancer Day 2017: 04 Feb 2017
World Cancer Day (WCD) 2017 was observed across the world on 4 February 2017. The theme for the World Cancer Day 2016-2018 is ‘We can. I can.’ It also aims at saving millions of preventable deaths each year. Currently, 8.2 million people die from cancer worldwide every year, out of which, 4 million people die prematurely (aged 30 to 69 years).
International Day of Women and Girls in Science
The International Day of Women and Girls in science was observed across the globe on 11 February 2017. The day comes as an opportunity for all to take a stand for girls and women in science. Science and gender equality are vital for the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the 2030 Agenda For Sustainable Development. In 2016, the UNESCO launched a Manifesto “For Women in Science”, with the L’oreal Foundation.
13th February-World Radio Day
World Radio Day was Celebrated across the world on 13 February 2017. The day is observed every year to celebrate radio as the medium of entertainment, the mode of communication and information. Themed “Radio is You”, this year the calls for a greater participation of the both the audiences and communities in the policy and planning of radio broadcasting.
International Mother language Day-February 21
The United Nations (UN), International Mother Language Day annually celebrated on February 21 to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism, International Mother Language Day is announced by UNESCO on 17 November 1999. It was formally recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution Establishing 2008 as the International year of Languages.
74th Central Excise Day Celebrated on 24 February
The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) on 24 February 2017 celebrated the the central Excise Day across the country. To mark occasion, the Central Excise Officers all over the country Organized seminars, workshops, trade interactions and cultural events. The central Excise and salt Act, which was enacted on 24 February 1944.
Chandra Shekhar Azad’s martyrdom day observed on 27 February
Chandra Shekhar Azad, the Indian revolutionary freedom fighter was in news on 27 February 2017. He came in news on his 86th martyrdom day. On this day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to Chandra Shekhar Azad. Modi said, we can never forget his valour and ultimate sacrifice for our nation.
National Science Day 28th February
The Science day is celebrated to honour the Nobel laureate- Sir C.V. Raman for his invention of the Raman Effect on 28th February 1928. For this he got Nobel Prize in Physics in the year 1930. Various activities are organized on the day, like debates, quiz competitions, exhibitions and so on. Whole Nation takes honour of thanking all the scientists for their remarkable contributions and dedication on this occasion. The theme of the year 2017 is “Science and Technology for specially abled persons”.
10:20 PM, 26-Oct-2017
INTERNATIONAL
Trump bans 7 nations from entering US
American President Donald Trump has signed an executive order on January 27,2017 to temporarily ban visas for refugees for refugees belonging to seven Muslim majority countries namely Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The decision aims at protecting United States from the entry of foreign terrorists to keep the Nation safe. The ban is not aimed at restricting Muslim countries from entering US.
Dragon Ball Z Goku to be 2020 Olympics ambassador
Dragon Ball Z Son Goku has selected as the ambassador of the 2020 Olympics to be held in Tokyo, according to reports in Konbini. It has been in the knowing that the next Olympic Games will be held in Japan and the host country has found a good opportunity to show off its culture. Goku is a world renowned character a the Olympic Committee has decided that he is well worth investing in at the biggest sporting event in the world.
India ranks sixth on eight great power sin 2017
India is ranked at the sixth sport, behind China and Japan, in a list of eight great powers for the year 2017 by a leading American foreign policy magazine which is topped by the U.S. Where as China and Japan are at tie for being on the second spot. Russia (fourth) and Germany (fifth) are the other two countries ahead on the India. Iran is ranked seventh and Israel is on the eighth spot.
Apple named most innovative company 2016
Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has named technology giant Apple as the most innovative Company in 2016 in its annual list of the world’s 50 “Most Innovative Companies”. Inter-net search giant Google ranked second, Amazon ranked fifth, Facebook ranked ninth and IBM are BCG’s tenth most innovative company
2016 was the hottest year ever recorded – UN
The UN weather agency has said that world witnessed the hottest year on record in 2016, surpassing the exceptionally high temperatures of 2015. The globally average temperature in 2016 was about 1.1 degree celsius higher than the pre-industrial period, according to a consolidated analysis by the World Meteorological Organisation
Norway to become first country to switch off FM radio
Norway will shut down FM radio in the country beginning in 2017, Radio-no-reports. The Norwegian Ministry of Culture finalized a shift date this week, making it the first country to do away with FM radio entirely. The country plans to transition to Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) as a national standard.
Donald Trump names Dan Coats as US intelligence Chief
Donald Trump is expected to name retired Indiana Senator Dan Coats to replace James Clapper as Director of National Intelligence. Mr. Coats is a long – time Republican member of congress, having served in the House through the 1980s, the Senate the 1990s, and as US ambassador to Germany during from 2001 to 2005. He returned to the Senate to serve from 2011 to through 2017.
2017 International Year of sustainable Tourism for Development – UN
The United Nations (UN) declared 2017 as the International year of sustainable Tourism for Development as the resolution recognizes the importance of International Tourism. This in order to foster better understanding among peoples everywhere, in leading to a greater awareness of the rich heritage of various civilizations and in bringing about a better appreciation of the inherent values of different cultures, thereby contributing to the strengthening of peace in the world.
Antonio Guterres takes Charge as UN Secretary- General
Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres has been sworn in as Secretary – General of the United Nations, as the ninth UN Chief. Antonio Guterres was formally appointed to the post by the UN General Assembly on October 14, 2016. Guterres took over for a five-year term that can be renewed by member states for an additional five years. He succeeded Banki-moon.
China announces ban on ivory trade by end of 2017
China says it will ban all domestic ivory trade ivory market in a move wildlife conservationists believe will help curb elephant poaching in Africa. China is one of the biggest global markets for ivory, where it is used a precious material in Jewelry, furniture, sometimes even in Chinese medicine.
INDIA AND WORLD
Bengaluru is Most Dynamic City in the World
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has endorsed a ranking of Bengaluru City as the most dynamic city in the World, beating United States Silicon Valley. Hyderabad secured the fifth place in the list, a place above London, Pune (13) rose above New York and Paris, Chennai (18) beat San Francisco, Delhi (23) and Mumbai (25) secured a position much above Los Angeles and Stockholm.
India Ranked 78th in Global Passport Index
India Ranked low at 78th position on the recently released Global Passport Index 2017 with a visa-free score of 46. Ranking is based on the number of nations their citizens can visit without a visa or an arrival. Germany ranked No.1 in 2017 Passport Index with a visa-free score of 157 followed by Singapore with visa-free score of 156.
India slips to 92nd rank on global talent competitiveness Index
Last year, India came in at the 89th position on the index. India has slipped 3 places to 92nd rank on the Global index of talent competitiveness that measures how countries grow, attract and retain talent, a list topped Switzerland. India’s ranking is worst among the five BRICS countries. While Brazil 81st, Russia Federation was 56th, China was 54th, South Africa at 67th position
India, Pak exchange lists of nuclear sites
The agreement on the prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations between India and Pakistan was signed on December 31. Both countries also exchanged lists of nationals (including civilian prisoners and fishermen) of each country lodged in Jails of the other one. This is the 26th consecutive exchange of such lists between the two countries, the first one having taken place on January 1, 1992.
NATIONAL
India post releases stamp cover on Sindhu, sakshi and Dipa
The Indian Postal Department released a special stamp cover featuring Olympic Medalists PV. Sindhu, Sakshi Malik and gymnast Dipa Karmakar in Agartala on 21st January 2017. The special cover is titled “Golden girls of India- pride of Nation” one of the images on the cover also features Dipa’s coach Bishweshwar Nandi, who was awarded the Dronacharya Award.
Nation Pays Homage to Netaji on his 120th Birth Anniversary
Today is the 120th Birth Anniversary of an eminent Indian freedom fighter Subhash Chandra Bose who sacrificed his life for India’s independence. This legendary leader is familiar to Indians and the world as well for his radical actions against the colonial rule. So, the nation is paying tributes to Netaji on his birth anniversary by remembering his accomplishments.
India’s First Madame Tussauds Museum in Delhi
London’s Madame Tussauds Museum branch in Delhi unveiled its first wax statue Amitabh Bachchan that stole the hearts of millions. Guests present at the screening put their selfie sticks to good use by clicking pictures with wax models of Big B and Lady Gaga. PM Narendra Modi and “Master Blaster” Sachin Tendulkar, who have already received a great response at the Madame Tussauds in London, will be featured at the Delhi Museum as well.
PM Narendra Modi announces Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PKVY), as skill development program targeted at Indian youth seeking overseas employment. PKVY will provide training and certify Indians who are seeking overseas employment in selected sectors in line with International Standards.
Google introduces tools for small business in India
In an effort to tap into the 51 million strong and small, medium businesses in India, online search major Google today launched a brand new tool My Business. Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google who is in the capital for a day made the announcement. He said that the brand new tool has been introduced in India and it would be taken to other countries from here.
NPL syncs a Leap Second with Indian Time
An atomic clock at National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in New Delhi added a “leap second” (extra one second) to the Indian Standard Time (IST) at 5:29:59 hours on 1st January 2017 to synchronize with the Earth’s rotational clock. The clock was programmed to add an extra second to the year 2017 in order to compensate for a slow down in the Earth’s rotation.
First Laser Technology-Based Check-Post In India
Gujarat CM. Vijay Rupani inaugurating India’s very first laser technology- based advanced Automatic Vehicle Monitoring System (AVMS) equipped inter state RTO check post at Shamlaji of Aravalli District near Gujarat-Rajasthan border. Carrying a heavy cost of Rs.4.72 crore, the check post comes equipped with advanced ray technology. It’s state-of-the-art automatic system is capable of checking overload vehicles and fining them.
Pointers on PM’s Speech
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced two housing schemes, tax incentives for small traders, interest rebate for farmers and monetary assistance for pregnant women. In a big relief to house buyers, New schemes under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana were announced. Now get 4% interest relief on home loan up to 9 lakh rupees. And 3% cut for home loan up to 12 lakh rupees.
STATES
Goa to be first state to offer online postal ballots
The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Syed Nasim Zaidi on 24 January said that the Goa will become the first state that will opt for the electronic transmission of postal ballot in the Assembly elections. The returning officers will transfer the postal ballots to service voters by electronic means. So, the voters can download it, fill it and sent it via-e-mail to returning officer. This would be the first in the region and around the globe
TN assembly Unanimously passes Jallikattu Bill
The Tamil Nadu assembly on 23 January, 2017 passed a bill that replaces an Ordinance and realizes Jallikattu, the bull taming sport, in the state. The Bill was earlies was tabled in the assembly for approval. Tamil Nadu Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao on Saturday (23, Jan) approved the Ordinance issued by the State Government revoking ban on Jallikattu. So, the Bill passed Unanimously in TN Assembly.
National Anthem in Gujarat set New World Record
More than 3.5 lakh people in Gujarat’s Rajkot district set a new world record by singing the national anthem at the event. The occasion was installation of idol of goddess Khodiyar at a newly built Khodal Dham Temple in the town, Over 3.5 lakh people sang the anthem together at the idol installation ritual in the presence of observers from Guinness World Records.
Dharamshala declared as second capital of Himachal Pradesh
The Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Virbhadra Singh has declared Dharamshala the second capital of the state. Situated in the snow-capped Dhauladhar range. Dharamshala will serve as the state’s winter capital, Singh said that the city fully deserved the status because of its history and significance.
Bengal’s Sitalpati gets UNESCO recognition
“Sitalpati” Cooch Behar district West Bengal has been recognized as an ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’ by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Weaving sitalpati mats is an age-old cultural tradition of cooch Behar region. It consists of weaving together the green cane slips of the Murat plants, indigenous to the region. Through this the State Govt is acting as a facilitator between the artistes and their crafts.
Kozhikode becomes 1st Elderly-Friendly Corporation in Kerala
Kozhikode Corporation was declared as the first Elderly-Friendly corporation in Kerala. The Kozhikode corporation, state Govt has planned to set up senior citizen’s club, Day care centers as a part of Vayomithram project for the elderly friendly status, the corporation has begun to collect basic details of all the senior citizens in the city through its 543 Anganwadi centers.
TN Govt launched mobile app “Pinakini” for Tourism
For the benefit of both domestic and international tourists, Tamil Nadu Tourism Department has launched a mobile app “Pinakini” with information on tourism in Tamil Nadu with audio facilities. The app in two languages Tamil and English which covers world heritage tourist sites like Mamallapuram,Thanjavur Big Temple, Gangaikondacholapuram and Darasuram.
Kerala launched its First Solar Powered Boat Aditya
The country’s first solar ferry boat “Aditya” was launched in the 2.5 km Vaikom-Tavanakkadava sector on 12th January 2017 to replace the existing fleet of diesel boats with solar- powered ones. The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan has inaugurated the first “Solar-Powered Boat” of the state water transport department, Aditya on January 12, 2017 at a function held in Vaikom Boat Jetty in Kerala. Piyush Goyal, Minister of state with independent charge for New & Renewable Energy, Solar Powered boat was the Chief Guest.
Telangana state celebrated 6 days International Kites Festival from 12th of January
Hyderabad and two other Telangana districts participated in this second International Kite Festival. Telangana Tourism conducted this festival to create awareness on education and empowerment of girl children. From 17 countries with 70 international and 40 national kite flyers participated and a special night-flying event is also planned at People’s Plaza as a per-festival event.
PM Modi inaugurates Nobel Prize exhibition in Gujarat
‘The Nobel Prize: Ideas Changing the World’ a free exhibition was inaugurated by prime minister Narendra Modi at Gandhinagar, Gujarat. It exhibited the artifacts of Alfred Nobel and several Nobel Laureates. This exhibition is open till 13th February of 2017.
Haryana to set up “Prarambh School for Teachers Education”
Haryana has started state level “Prarambh School For Teachers Education. It would be set up at village Silani in district Jhajjar over an area of 10 acres. Mr. Manohar Lal Haryana Chief Minister presided over the first meeting of the Governing Body of Prarambh School For Teachers Education.
Ninth edition of Jaipur International Film Festival
The ninth edition of Jaipur International Film Festival (JIFF) began in Jaipur in the presence of renowned filmmakers. This edition of the festival will witness participation by 250 filmmakers and artists. Jaipur International Film Festival (JIFF) became expanding establishing in organizing world film festival every year in Rajasthan.
Island Tourism Festival 2017 begins in Andaman and Nicobar
The Island Tourism Festival was begun on 6 January at port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Lieutenant Governor Jagdish Mukhi was inaugurated the Mega Event at ITF Ground. During the 10-day event, performances by the cultural troupes from main land will help the Islands renew their cultural ties with mainland India.
Govt launches Swachh Bharat Survekshan 2017 in 500 cities
Union Ministry of Urban Development, headed by M. Venkaiah Naidu, launched Swachh Survekshan 2017 to evaluate and rank 500 cities across the country on cleanliness. The cities surveyed under this will have a population of 1 lakh and above. It will be conducted by Quality Council of India (QCI) under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in order to encourage competition to improve sanitation.
Delhi registers India’s highest per capita income
National capital Delhi has registered the highest per capita income among all states and union territories of the country, during 2015-16 at about Rs.2,80,000. Delhi’s per capita income is over three times the national average (Rs.93,293). It is followed by Chandigarh and Sikkim with per capita incomes of Rs.2,42,386 and Rs. 2,27,465 respectively.
A.P Govt launches NTR Arogya Raksha Scheme
Andhra Pradesh Government has launched NTR Arogya Raksha Scheme. It is intended to provide health insurance cover to every individual in a family on payment of a monthly premium of Rs.100 per head of a year. It was launched by AP’s CM N. Chandrababu Naidu in Vijayawada. The new health scheme offering medical insurance to those who were not covered under any of the existing health schemes of the state government.
PM Modi inaugurate Indian Science Congress at Tirupati
Tomorrow’s experts will come from investments we make today in our people and infrastructure. Science must meet the rising aspirations of our people. The Nation will always be grateful to the scientists who have worked tirelessly to empower our society. By 2030 India will be among the top three countries in Science & Technology. The brightest and best in every corner of India should have the opportunity to excel in Science.
Mori in Andhra Pradesh gets Smart Digital Village tag
Mori, a tiny village under the Sakhinetipalli mandal in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh now sealed its place on India’s digital map by transforming completely into a Smart Digital Village, in every sense of the term. All the 1189 households in the village with a population of 4500 became fully digital as CM.N. Chandrababu Naidu finally launched the AP Fibre Net Project that will provide internet at a speed of 150 mbps, WiFi, a telephone connection and 250 cable television channels for a total of price of Rs. Rs.149 per month.
Sikkim became India’s First Fully Organic State in 2016
Sikkim has become India’s first fully organic state by converting around 75,000 hectares of agricultural land in sustainable cultivation. We have achieved fully-organic status in the end of December. PM Narendra Modi will formally announce that at a sustainable agricultural conference in Gangtok on 18 January, Sikkim Organic Mission’s executive director Dr. Anbalagan told it.
CONFERENCES
PM Modi Inaugurated Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit 2017
8th Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit 2017 inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi at Gandhinagar Various Countries Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ministers deputy Prime Ministers and CEOs of Fortune 500 Companies Participated in this Summit.
The 20th National Conference on e-Governance began in Visakhapatnam
The 20th National Conference on e-Governance began in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The theme of this years conference is “Internet of Things and e-Governance” and newly evolving areas of e-Governance would be discussed ever five plenary sessions.
International Conference on Yoga for Diabetes
On 4 January 2017, International Conference on “Yoga for Diabetes” was Organised at New Delhi. The three day conference was inaugurated by Minister of State for Ayush, Shripad Yesso Naik. The Conference aims to generate discussions on the role of Yoga in the prevention and management of Diabetes and to draw up a road map to be adopted for the control of Diabetes through Yoga.
14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention begins in Bengaluru
The 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) convention began in Bengaluru on 7th January. The three-day event kick started with youth PBD, the theme of which is “Role of Diaspora Youth” in the Transformation of India. The PBD convention is a very important platform for engagement of the central and state governments with the Overseas Indian Community. PM. Modi inaugurated PBD with the Chief guest of the event, PM of Portugal Dr. Antonio Costa.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
Donald Trump Sworn in as 45th us President
Donald Trump has taken over as the 45th President of the United States, putting Republicans in control of the White House for the first time in eight years. Mr. Trump was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts, reciting the 35-word oath with his hand placed upon two Bibles, one used by his family and the an other in former President Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration. He reigns the power from Barack Obama.
Filmfare Awards 2017: Dangal, Aamir Khan, Alia Bhatt bag top honours
Aamir Khan and Alia Bhatt bagged the Best Actor and Best Actress in a leading Role respectively and ‘Dangal’ swept away three of the top four awards at the 62nd Jio-Filmfare Awards 2017. The ceremony was held on saturday (14-1-2017) night in Worli Mumbai and was hosted by Karan Johar, Shah Rukh Khan and Kapil Sharma. After a long span of 19 years, all three Khans competed for the Best Actor category this time and Aamir, with his “Dangal” gained the upper hand.
Amitabh Bachchan get US Embassy award for fighting TB
India’s most lovable and legendary actor of Bollywood was honored by US Embassy award. US Ambassador to India Richard R. Verma awarded megastar of India, Amitabh Bachchan for his invaluable contributions to US-India partnership on tuberculosis.
Shradha, Ghyan Sham Kumar Devansh Chosen for 2016 Jnanpith Awards
Two new Hindi writers Shradha, Ghyansham Kumar Devansh have been Chosen for Bharatiya Jnanpith Navlekhan Award for the year -2016. Shradha was chosen for her story “Hawa Mein Phad Phadati Chitti” and Devansh for his poem “Akash Mein Deh”. They were unanimously chosen by a selection panel chaired by eminent poet Vishnu Nagar.
British – Indian Professor receives “Knighthood” from Queen
Shankar Balasubramanian, an Indian – Origin British Professor of Chemistry, has received a Knighthood from Queen Elizabeth-II for his contribution to the field of science and medicine. Herchel Smith Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at Cambridge University, has been recognized for his work as a co-inventor of “Next Generation DNA” sequencing, described as the most transformational advance in biology and medicine for decades. His work has spawned an entirely new, discipline of “Bioinformatics”.
SPORTS AND GAMES
Former CAG Chief Vinod Rai appointed as BCCI Chief
The Supreme Court on 30 January appointed a committee of four administrators headed by former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai to manage the affairs of World’s richest cricket body BCCI after its president and other top office bearers were barred from cricket administration. Rai as BCCI Chief, along with noted historian Ramachandra Guha and IDFC MD & CEO Vikram Limaye as administrator of the sport body.
Serena Williams wins Australian Open for 23rd Grand Slam
Serena Williams rewrote history on 28 January to surpass Steffi Graf and capture a record 23rd grand slam title as well as the World No-1 rankings by beating her sister Venus Williams in the Australian Open final. Serena, 35, who equalled Graf’s mark of 22 at Wimbledon last year, now stands just one behind the all time 24 won by Margaret, who was in the president’s box to witness her feat.
Roger Federer Wins Australian Open
Remarkable Roger Federer own his 18th Grand Slam title by beating Rafael Nadal in a battle royal at the Australian Open. In front of an adoring crowd Down Under, the 35- year old Swiss superstar become the second oldest man to win a major title by beating his old foe 6-4,, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 in three hours and 38 minutes.
Usain Bolt loses an Olympic Gold Medal
Usain Bolt has been stripped of one of his nine Olympic gold medals because of a doping offence committed by his teammate Nesta Carter. The Jamaican no longer owns the hallowed “Tripple Tripple” of Olympic sprint titles after being told to hand back the 100 m relay gold medal won at Beijing 2008 alongside Carter. Bolt has realized this was a possibility after if emerged last June that carter had retrospectively failed a drugs test from the Beijing Games nine years ago.
Gujarat Beat Mumbai by 5 Wickets To Win Ranji Trophy
Gujarat lifted the Ranji Trophy title for the first time by beating 41-time champions Mumbai by 5 Wickets in Indore on Saturday (14-1-2017). Chasing a daunting 312 run target, Gujarat Skipper Parthiv Patel (143) led from the front with a fluent century. He was supported by Manpreet Juneja, who scored 54 runs. Gujarat recorded the highest-ever run chase in Ranji Trophy history with the win, and became the 17th team in the country to get their hands on the trophy.
Ranieri named as FIFA coach of the year 2016
Leicester city boss Claudio Ranieri has been named as the Coach of the year at the FiFA Foot ball awards in Zurich. The Italian was up against Fernando Santos, who led Portugal to Euro 2016 glory in the summer, and Zinedine Zidane, who guided Real Madrid to the Champions League title last season. Ranieri was presented with the award by Diego Maradona.
Virat Kohli Named ODI, T-20 captain
Virat Kohli has been appointed the captain for team India’s T-20 internationals and ODIS. The announcement was made after the selection committee meeting in Mumbai. Chief selector MSK. Prasad added that even though MS Dhoni has stepped down as the captain of these formats. He will still be a part of the limited overs team.
Satish Kumar Clinches Sixth consecutive gold
Rio Olympian Sivalingam Sathish Kumar from Railways won the Gold, for the sixth consecutive year, in the mens 69th men’s and 32nd women’s senior National Weightlifting Championship, at the Ponjesly College of Engineering. Sathish Kumar lifted a total of 317 kg (141-snatch and 176 – clean & Jerk) while Ajay Singh from services won the gold in the clean & Jerk category by lifting 177 kg and 137 kg in the snatch category and finished second with a total of 314 kg.
Nadal wins Mubadala Tennis Championships
Spanish tennis veteran Rafael Nadal defeated Belgian David Goffin 6-4, 7-6 to win the Mubadala World Tennis Champion Ships- 2016 in Abu Dhabi. Nadal received his trophy from Sheikh Nahyan bin zayed al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi sports council.
ECONOMY
India GDP growth to slow to 7.1% in FY 17
India’s economic growth is likely to decelerate to 7.1% from 7.6 the previous year, chiefly due to an industrial slowdown, the government said on January 6th sidestepping the possible impact of demonetization. Per capita net national income during 2016-17 estimated to be Rs.1,03,077, rise of 10.4% as compared to Rs. 93,293 during 2015-16 with the growth rate of 7.6%.
NRIs can exchange defunct notes up to June 30: RBI
The Reserve Bank of India has allowed non-resident Indians (NRIs) to exchange defunctioned Rs.500 and Rs.1000 notes till June 30, 2017. This facility will be available through RBI offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Nagpur. Resident Indian citizens who failed to deposit old notes and were abroad between November 9 and December 30, 2016 can avail themselves of this facility up to March 31st, 2017.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Two NASA missions to study early Solar system
NASA has announced two ambitious missions that will look towards asteroids to unlock some of the secrets of the formation of the solar system. The new Discovery missions Lucy and Psyche are expected to launch early next decade. These missions will study such objects which are relics left over from the early beginnings of the solar system, providing new clues as to how planets and other bodies formed.
Astronomers discover powerful cosmic double Whammy
Astronomers have discovered a cosmic one-two- punch unlike any ever seen before. Two of the most powerful phenomena in the Universe, A supermassive black hole, and the collision of giant galaxy clusters, have combined to create a stupendous cosmic particle accelerator. This double Whammy is found in a pair of colliding galaxy clusters called Abell 3411 and Abell 3412 located about two billion light years from earth.
Agni-IV Missile Successfully test fired
The flight- trial of India’s long range, strategic ballistic missile, Agni-IV, on Monday from a road – mobile launcher on Abdul Kalam Island, off odisha coast, was a grand success. Agni-IV is a two stage, surface to surface missile that can travel 4,000 km and can carry a nuclear warhead weighing one tonne. Agni-V has a range more than 5000 km. The Strategic Forces Command of the Army fired the Agni – IV.
PERSONS IN NEWS
A. APPOINTMENTS
President appoints Banwarilal as Governor of Meghalaya
President Pranab Mukherjee has given Governor of Assam Banwarilal purohit additional charge of Meghalaya. There appointments come after President accepted the resignation of V. Shanmuganathan, as Governor of Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. President also gave Governor of Nagaland PB Acharya additional charge of Arunachal Pradesh. Banwarilal purohit was appointed as the Governor of Assam by President in August 2016.
A.K. Verma Appointed as New CBI Chief
Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma was appointed as director of CBI on 19January 2017. Verma’s name was cleared by a three-member selection panel headed by PM Narendra Modi and Comprising Chief Justice of India J.S. Kehar and Congress leader in Lok Sabha, Mallikharjuna Kharge as members. At present Gujarat-Cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana is the acting director of CBI
RBI Appoints Surekha Marandi as executive director
The Reserve bank of India has appointed Surekha Marandi as its Executive Director (ED) in place of U.S Paliwal, who retired on December 31, 2016. She has also served as on the Boards of United Bank and Bank of Baroda. Prior to being promoted as ED, Marandi was Principal Chief General Manager and Chief Vigilance Officer in the Reserve Bank of India.
Justice Jagadish Singh Kehar sworn is an CJI
Justice Jagadish Singh Kehar was sworn in as the Chief Justice of India on 4th January 2017 by President Pranab Mukherjee. He took his oath at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi. Kehar succeeded T.S. Thakur as the 44th Chief Justice of India (CJI). Justice Thakur as the 44th Chief Justice of India (CJI). Justice Thakur had formally recommended Justice Khehar;s name for the post on December 6. He will serve as the 44th CJI for eight months till he retires on August 27.
David R Syiemlieh appointed as new UPSC Chairman
President Pranab Mukherjee on 2 January 2017 appointed professor David R Syiemlieh as the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Syiemlieh will take over the position with effect from 4 January 2017 till completion of his term as member on January 21, 2018. Syiemlieh, who is serving as the Member of UPSC, was succeeded Alka Sirohi, a former IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh Cadre.
Sunil Lanba appointed as Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee
Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lamba took over the boton of the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC) from outgoing IAF Chief Marshal Arup Raha at a ceremony on thursday. 58 year-old Lanba, a specialist in Navigation and direction, will have the full three – year tenure as the Navy Chief. He was succeeded Admiral R.K.Dhowan who retired.
Birender Singh Dhanoa takes charge as new Air Force Chief
Air marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa took charge as the next Air Force Chief.Arup Raha retired from Indian Air Force Chief Position on saturday. AIR Force Chief Arup Raha inspected guard of honour on his last day in office. Prior to this appointment Birender was Vice-Chief of IAF.
Bipin Rawat takes over as Army Chief
General Bipin Rawat has taken charge as the new “Chief of Army Staff”. General Rawat has tremendous hands on experience of serving in combat areas, and various functional levels in the Indian Army over the last three decades. He has handled various operational responsibilities in many areas, including along the LOC with Pakistan, the LAC with China and in the North-East.
Justice Saqib Nisar appointed as Chief Justice of Pak
Justice Mian Saqib Nisar was appointed as the 25th Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) on 31st December, 2016. Nisar has replaced Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, who retired on December 30. After serving as the Chief Justice for 15 months since his appointment in September 2015. President Mamnoon Hussain administered the oath to Justice Nisar during a ceremony held at President’s House in Islamabad.
B. RESIGNS
19 year old Yana Kudryavtseva, 13 times world champion in gymnastics retired
Yana Kudryavtseva won 13 world championships from 2013 to 2015 and won silver in 2016 Rio – Olympics. Due to severe damage to her feet retired at an early age of 19.
Britain Ambassador to Europe Union Quits
Britain’s Ambassador to the European Union Sir Ivan Rogers dealt a blow to the UK’s Brexit negotiations by quitting and urging his fellow British Civil Servants in Brussels to assert their independence by challenging ill founded arguments and mudded thinking. The U.K’s ambassador to the European Union Ivan Rogers has resigned from his post.
C. DEATHS
Holly Wood legend actor John Hurt dies at 77
Holly Wood Iconic actor John Hurt died on 27 January at the age of 77 after battling pancreatic cancer. He was renown for his performances in The Elephant Man, Alien and Midnight Express but is best known to this generation as Mr. Ollivander, the beloved wandmaker from the Harry Potter film franchise His character first appeared in 2001’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and he reprised the role again in 2010 for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part one, and the movies second part in 2011.
National award – winning filmmaker Deepak Roy dead at 67
The National Award Winning filmmaker Deepak Roy died at the age of 67. The acclaimed film maker made a movie named “Limit to Freedom”, which got him national award in 1996. Roy began his career as a Film Critics in 1974 and moved on to direction in 1982. He has a production house named “Angik Films”. He has been known for making more than 90 short films all produced his own banner. He was died by suffering cardiac arrest.
Padmashree awardee K. M. Philip passes away
A whole time director of MRF Ltd K. M. Phillip passed away. He was an active member of the YMCA and brought prestige to the organization as the first Asian to be elected as the president of the world alliance of YMCAs with its head quarters in Geneva. He was honored with the award Padmashree.
Iran Former President Rafsanjani died
Iran Former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani died due to heart attack at the age of 82. From 1989 to 1997 he served two terms as Iran’s President.
Former West Bengal Minister Saral Deb Passes away
Veteran All India Forward Bloc leader and former West Bengal Minister Saral Deb passed away following a prolonged illness. He was 82. He was a six-time state legislator, winning from Barasat constituency of North 24 parganas district. Deb was the state Library Minister from 1977 to 1982 and held Cooperative portfolio from 1982 to 1987.
Veteran Actor Om Puri Passes away
Veteran Actor Om Puri, who gave countless memorable performances in movies of diverse genres, died at his residence on January 6th morning after a massive heart attack. He was 66. From Bollywood to Hollywood, from independent to art films, the noted actor known for his versatility, gave several acclaimed performances. He was awarded the Padma Shri, the country’s highest civilian award, in 1990.
Former Union Minister Balasaheb Vikhe Patil passes away
Former Union Minister and congress leader EKnath Rao alias ‘Balasaheb’ Vikhe Patil passed away at his residence in Loni village Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra on Friday evening. Following prolonged illness, his family said. He was 84. Leaving the congress to join Shiv Sena briefly, he served as Minister of State for Finance and later as Minister for Heavy Industries in then Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee’s government.
D. MISCELLANEOUS
Union Govt launches mobile app for Haj Piligrimage
Kerala opened first transgender school in India. “Sahaj International” in Kochi will serve as a skill development centre to transgender school dropouts. They were trained under the National Open School System. The country’s first transgender school will also guide students with examinations equivalent to class X and XII. The school will have boarding facility. It will provide opportunities for soft skill training and organic farming.
BHIM becomes the most popular Android app in India
Just days after launch, government’s on line Payments app BHIM (Bharat Interface for Mobile) has become the most popular Android app in India. The app is topping the charts on Google’s play store in India with a rating of 4.1. PM Modi launched the BHIM app last week at an event in New Delhi. The app is based on the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) and common across all banks and financial institutions.
Amazon wins patent to launch Drone Deliveries
E-Commerce leader Amazon. Com (AMZN) has been awarded a US-patent for a flying warehouse that would act as a launch pad for its drones that the company plans to use to deliver certain products to customers doorsteps. It says it will use UAV or “Unmanned aerial Vehicles” (drones) to deliver items from airborne fulfillment centers, or AFCs to customers. When an order is placed, a drone or UAV will fly down and deliver the parcels
PLACES IN NEWS
DU becomes first public Versity with ‘monumental’ flag
Delhi University is set to host its first monumental flag. Even months after all Central University Vice Chancellor resolved to install the National Flag “Prominently and Proudly” on their campuses. According to Flag Foundation of India, DU is the First Public University in the country to get a monumental flagpole.
China to build world’s highest altitude Telescopes in Tibet
China is setting up the World’s highest altitude gravitational wave telescopes in a Tibet Prefecture close to Line of Actual Control with India with a budget of $ 18.8 million to detect faintest echoes resonating from the universe which may reveal more about the Big Bang Theory.
PERSONS IN NEWS
Miss France Iris Mittenaere Crowned Miss Universe 2016
Miss Universe 2016 Iris Myttenaere is the second crowned queen from France after 64 years. Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach the French beauty at the Mall of Asia Arena in pasay city before 20,000 people all over the world. The 23 year old model Iris turned beauty queen is pursuing her Dental Surgery degree in the last five years. She had always been fond of extreme sports, travelling the world and cooking new French dishes.
BOOKS IN NEWS
Former wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat’s biography released
Former wrestler and coach Mahavir Singh Phogat made his way to the launch of his authorized biography ‘Akhada’ in Chandigarh . Sports journalist Saurabh Duggal released the biography.
Book titled “The people’s president : Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam released
Vice President Hamid Ansari on 4th January 2017 released a book titled. The People’s President: Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. The book was released at a function in New Delhi which has attended Union Minister for Finance and Corporate, Arun Jaitley National and International tours by the great president Kalams.
DAYS AND DATES
National Immunization Day-29 January
The National Immunization Day was observed on January 29, 2017 to spread awareness about eradicating polio. As a part of the President Pranab Mukherjee launched the pulse polio programme on January 28, 2017 by administering polio drops to children aged below five years at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Around 17 crore Children of less than five years across the country will be given polio drops on this day.
India Celebrates its 68 Republic Day
India is Celebrating its 68th Republic Day on 26 January 2017. The Celebrations were began with president hoisting the Indian Flag. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan the Chief Guest at the annual parade in New Delhi. The theme of 2017 Republic Day is “Skill India and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao”. Every year this day is celebrated on January 26, as it was on this day that the Constitution of India came into force in the year 1950.
National Girl Child Day Observed on 24 January
National on 24 January 2016 observed the 9th National Girl Child Day. It is celebrated to spread awareness about the inequalities faced by the girl child in the country. It is observed on 24 January every year. It was initiated by the Govt in 2008. Union Ministry of Women and Child Development has been taking different initiatives to address and reverse the trend of declining sex ratio in the country.
69th Army Day – 15th January 2017
69th Army Day is being observed today (15-01-2017) The day marks the taking over of the Indian Army by the First Indian Commander-in-Chief, Field Marshal KM Cariappa, on January 15, 1948. He took over the reigns of the Army from Lieutenant General sir Francis Butcher, the last British Commander-in- Chief and became the first Commander-in-chief of the independent India.
January 12: National Youth Day
The Birth anniversary of social reformer, philosopher and thinker Swami Vivekananda celebrated as National Youth Day. Every year on January 12 to mark as the National Youth Day. Observance of the day seeks to Vivekananda for which he lived and worked. It will also help and act as a great source of inspiration for the Indian Youth.
January 10th celebrated as 11th World Hindi Day
Hindi, the Indo-Aryan language is growing in a rapid pace and World Hindi Day is not only celebrated in India, across the world it is celebrating. 11th world Hindi Day is observed on 10th January 2017.
Birth Anniversary of Savitribai Phule- 3 January
Hailed as the country’s first woman teacher, Savitribai Phule was a social worker and a poet. Born on January 3, 1831 in Maharashtra’s Naigaon. 2017 marks her 186th birth year. Savitribai Phule was credited with laying the foundation of education opportunities for women in India and played a major role in improving women’s rights in the country during the British Raj. Many of her poems were against discrimination and spoke about the need to get educated. She campaigned against untouchability, sati tradition, child marriage and other social evils most of her life.
04:54 AM, 03-Nov-2017
INTERNATIONAL
World’s first Hydrogen Tram begins operation in China
The world’s first hybrid electric tram powered by hydrogen fuel cells has started running in China, marking a big step in the application of green energy in public transport. The tram was put into commercial operation for the first time in Tangshan, north China’s Hebei Province. With water being its only emission, the tram emits no pollutants. No nitrogen oxides will be produced as the temperature of the reaction inside hydrogen fuel cells is controlled under 100 degrees Celsius. The tram, having three carriages with 66 seats, can run for 40 kilometers at a maximum speed of 70 kilometers per hour after being refilled with 12 kilograms of hydrogen.
Burundi becomes first country to leave International Criminal Court
African country Burundi has withdrawn from International Criminal Court (ICC) with effect has thus become the first nation. International Criminal Court is an international tribunal (located in Hague, Netherlands) having authority to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. In recent years, governments of three African countries, South Africa, Gambia and Burundi expressed their intent to leave ICC citing the reason that it focuses too much on African nations.
Chile named best country to visit in 2018
Lonely Planet, the travel guide company, ranked Chile as the number one country to visit in 2018, in its Best in Travel 2018 list. In the top 10 countries category, Chile was ranked the number one country. It was followed by South Korea and Portugal in the 2nd and 3rd positions. In the top 10 cities category, Seville of Spain was ranked as number one. In the top 10 regions category, Belfast & the Causeway Coast of Northern Ireland was ranked number one. In the top 10 best value, Tallinn of Estonia was given the number one rank.
Saudi Arabia, first country to grant Citizenship to a Robot
Saudi Arabia has become the first country to give a robot citizenship. The move is an attempt to promote Saudi Arabia as a place to develop artificial intelligence and, presumably, allow it to become a full citizen. The Robot is named as ‘Sophia’. Sophia was confirmed as a Saudi citizen during a business event named Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh. It is historic to be the first robot in the world to be recognized with citizenship.
Kilogram will get new measure set by value of Planck constant from 2019
The International Conference of heads of Metrology Institutes held in Sevres, France has decided that the measure of kilogram will no longer be pegged to cylinder. From 2019 onwards, it will be set by value of Planck constant in combination with definitions of meter and second. Till now, the kilogram is the only one among units of measures pegged to real object. It was pegged to a cylinder (shown in fig) made up of 90% platinum and 10% iridium (In India, salt-shaker-sized cylinder weighing exactly a kilogram in National Physical Laboratory was used as ideal measure of kilogram since 1957). It was serving as reference for variety of industries to keep their weights accurate. But this cylinder’s weight in kilogram is known to fluctuate due to surface contamination with time, making it tricky to define its exact mass.
World’s first track-less train
China began test runs of its world’s first track-less train in Zhuzhou city, China. The train runs on virtual track and is being considered as the ‘World’s First smart train’. This train could travel at the speed of 70 kmph and is called Autonomous Rail Transit (ART). This train was created to reduce urban traffic problems. This train is a hybrid between a bus and tram.
Singapore Passport named ‘Most Powerful’, India ranks 75
Singapore’s passport has become the most powerful in the world with a Visa-Free Score of 159, according to the Passport Index developed by advisory firm Arton Capital. This is the first time an Asian country has been announced as having the most powerful passport. India secured the 75th rank in the index with a Visa-Free Score of 51. Historically, the top 10 most powerful passports in the world were mostly European, with Germany having the lead for the past two years. Afghanistan was on bottom most position (94th) with the score of 22. Pakistan was on 93rd Position with Iraq with the score of 26.
Russia vetoes UN resolution to extend inspection of chemical attacks in Syria
Russia used its veto power on the United Nations Security Council to block a UN resolution that would extend the work of International inspectors to determine who was behind the chemical weapons attacks in Syria. The chemical attack, which took place on 4 April 2017 on a town in violence-hit Syria- Khan Sheikhoun, has lead to the killing of many civilians. The attack was an instance of the deadliest use of chemical weapons in the Syrian civil war since the Ghouta chemical attack in 2013. Russia vetoed the US-backed resolution accusing the United States of calling the vote to dishonour Russia.
Nepal tops Asia Pacific list of nations elected to UNHRC
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) elected 15 States to serve on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) of which Nepal topped the countries representing the Asian Group in the 47-member council. UNHRC, Geneva-based highest intergovernmental body looking into matters relating to protection and promotion of human rights globally, elects its members through a secret ballot. Nepal topped the Asia-Pacific group with 165 votes followed by Qatar with 155, Pakistan with 151, and Afghanistan by 130. All got elected. Malaysia lost with 129. The newly elected countries are Afghanistan, Angola, Australia, Chile, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Qatar, Senegal, Slovakia, Spain and Ukraine.
WHO removes Robert Mugabe as Goodwill Ambassador
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced that Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe’s appointment as its Goodwill Ambassador has been cancelled. He was just recently appointed as the WHO’s Goodwill Ambassador. After days of scathing criticism from around the globe for naming Robert Mugabe a Goodwill Ambassador for health, WHO decided to cancel the opportunity given to him.
Suu Kyi’s name removed from Oxford
Students at the St Hugh’s College voted to remove Aung San Suu Kyi’s name from the title of their Junior Common Room, in North Oxford, England. Her name was dropped owing to her inability to stop severe human rights abuses against Rohingyas in Myanmar. She had graduated from St. Hugh’s College in 1967 and was granted an honorary doctorate from the university in 2012.
Lebanon’s parliament approves country’s first budget since 2005
Lebanon’s parliament approved country’s first budget in 12 years. It is aimed towards reforming the fragile economy and preventing rising debt from becoming a crisis-like situation.Political crisis gripped Lebanon since the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in 2005, thereby preventing the successive government from passing the budget. This year’s budget was considered a necessity to bring the Lebanese economy on track which has been negatively affected by the inaction of previous Governments and also by six years of war in neighboring Syria.
State of World Population 2017: report
According to ‘State of World Population 2017′ released by United Nations Fund for Population Activities 27% of India’s children get married by age 18 as compared to 28% the world over. Among its neighbours, Bangladesh is worst off, with 59% of the married couples being under-age, followed by Nepal (37%). The report, notes India’s total fertility rate lower than the world average of 2.5.
Robert Mugabe named goodwill ambassador by WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) has appointed Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe as a goodwill ambassador to help tackle non-communicable diseases.
Peru approves medicinal use of marijuana
The Peruvian Congress has approved a bill to authorises the medicinal and therapeutic use of cannabis (marijuana) in the country. It makes production, import and commercial sale of marijuana and its derivatives legal. With this Peru became sixth country in Latin America to legalise cannabis. Uruguay was first in 2013, allowing sales of cannabis any purpose. It was followed by Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and Chile.
World’s deepest lake under threat: Scientists
Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake is undergoing its gravest crisis in recent history, according to experts. Holding one-fifth of the world’s unfrozen fresh water, the lake situated in Russia’s Siberia region is a natural wonder of exceptional value to evolutionary science. It is even listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The lake’s rich biodiversity includes over 3,600 plant and animal species, most of which are endemic to the lake. Since the past few years, the lake, which is a major international tourist attraction, has been crippled by a series of damaging phenomena such as disappearance of the omul fish, rapid growth of putrid algae and the death of endemic species of sponges across its vast 3.2 million-hectare area.
Jacinda Ardern to be next New Zealand PM
New Zealand will get its youngest Prime Minister in more than 150 years after the small, nationalist New Zealand First Party agreed to form a new government with Labour Party leader Jacinda Ardern, ending the National Party’s decade in power. The 37-year-old will be the youngest Prime Minister of the country which had been ruled by the National Party for a decade.
Pakistan, 14 other nations elected to UN rights body
Fifteen countries, including Pakistan, have been elected to the UN Human Rights Council by the UN General Assembly. In a vote, Afghanistan, Angola, Australia, Chile, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Qatar, Senegal, Slovakia, Spain and Ukraine were elected. They will serve a three-year term from January 1, 2018.
Fairy Queen, “World’s Oldest Functional Steam Engine” commences journey
Indian railways will be running of steam hauled tourist train “Fairy Queen” between Delhi Cantonment and Rewari on second and fourth Saturday of month beginning from 14 October 2017. The operation will continue till April, 2018. The train has a capacity of 60 passengers and the tickets can be booked at IRCTC website as well as at various tourist facilitation centres of IRCTC, National Rail Museum (NRM) and through travel operators. The Fairy Queen also known as the East Indian Railway 22 class, was built in the year 1855 and is the World’s oldest steam locomotive as certified by Guinness Book of Records in 1998.
US and Israel withdraw from UNESCO
The US withdrew from the UNESCO, accusing UNESCO of “anti-Israel bias”. Following US, Israel has also quit from UNESCO. The withdrawal of the US, which is supposed to provide one fifth of UNESCO’s funding, is a great blow for UNESCO. UNESCO which stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization is headquartered in Paris, France.
Mongolian Parliament confirms new Prime Minister
The Mongolian Parliament has confirmed Ukhnaa Khurelsukh as the country’s new Prime Minister. His confirmation comes after Jargaltulga Erdenebat was voted out of office last month over allegations of corruption and incompetence.
Suu Kyi stripped of Oxford honour over Rohingya criticism
An honour bestowed on Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi by the city of Oxford has been withdrawn as a reaction to her perceived inadequate response to the plight of Rohingya muslims in the country. The “Freedom of Oxford” has been granted to the de facto leader of Myanmar in 1997 for her “long struggle for democracy” by the Oxford City Council. While the exact reasons for the portraits removal were attributed to a new replacement, there is a wider view that the allegations of ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya Muslims fleeing their homes to Bangladesh is likely to be behind the move.
UAE begins collecting ‘sin’ taxes on tobacco, energy drinks
The United Arab Emirates has begun collecting new “sin” taxes on tobacco products, energy drinks and soft drinks. Beginning October 1, tobacco and energy drinks will be taxed at 100 per cent and soft drinks at 50 per cent. All six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council have agreed to begin collecting so-called VAT taxes, though others may begin later than January. The GCC includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Iran slaps fuel embargo on Iraqi Kurdistan
Iran has embargoed exports and imports of fuel products to Iraqi Kurdistan in response to its controversial independence referendum. Iran strongly opposes independence for the Iraqi Kurds, fearing it will provoke separatists among its own Kurdish population. Gas oil is one of Iran’s main exports to the autonomous Kurdistan region, which imported 110 million litres of it from Iran last year. Iran is one of the main exporters of fuel products to Kurdistan.
Burqa Ban comes into effect in Austria
Austria’s law banning face veils such as burqas or niqabs has come into effect from now. According to the government, acceptance and respect of Austrian values are basic conditions for successful cohabitation between the majority Austrian population and people from third countries living in Austria. Exemptions under certain conditions include items like clown disguises at cultural events, work wear such as medical masks, and scarves in cold weather. There are around 7 lakh Muslims in Austria.
INDIA & WORLD
India sends 1st Wheat Shipment to Afghanistan via Chabahar port
Iran’s key strategic port of Chabahar became operational with the maiden shipment of wheat from India to Afghanistan. It was flagged off from Kandla port in Gujarat. This is a major push for India’s Afghan outreach bypassing Pakistan for the first time under the 2016 Indo-Afghan-Iran trilateral pact. Chabahar port is strategically located in Sistan-Balochistan province on energy-rich Iran’s southern coast in Gulf of Oman near its border with Pakistan and can be easily accessed from India’s western coast.
Indian Air force contingent leaves for Israel to Participate in ‘Ex Blue Flag-17’
A 45 member contingent of the Indian Air Force left for Israel to participate in exercise ‘Blue Flag-17’. Blue Flag is a bi-annual multilateral exercise which aims to strengthen military cooperation amongst participating nations. Indian Air Force is participating with the C-130J special operations aircraft along with Garud commandos.
India jumps 30 ranks to 100th in World Bank’s ease of doing business list
In accordance with the World Bank’s ‘Ease of Doing Business index’, India has risen as much as 30 positions to rank 100th amongst 190 countries. The World Bank Group’s latest report ‘Doing Business 2018: Reforming to Create Jobs’ recognises India as one of the top 10 improvers in this year’s assessment, though the report does not take into account the big bang reform of Goods and Services Tax (GST) which rolled out on July 1. The index is topped by New Zealand followed by Singapore and Denmark.
India tops list of new TB cases in 2016: Global TB Report
India tops the list of seven nations, accounting for 64 per cent of the 10.4 million new tuberculosis (TB) cases worldwide in 2016, said a Global TB Report 2017, released by the World Health Organisation (WHO). It is followed by Indonesia, China, Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria and South Africa. The report states that an estimated 1.7 million people died from TB in 2016, including nearly 400,000 people who were co-infected with HIV, recording a drop of 4 per cent in comparison to 2015.
India, Japan begin anti-submarine warfare exercise
The naval forces of India and Japan initiated an intensive air anti-submarine warfare exercise in the Indian Ocean. The exercise will conclude on 31 October 2017. The exercise would witness participation from a P-8 I Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Anti Submarine Warfare of Indian Navy and two P-3 Orion Anti Submarine Warfare aircraft of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMDSF).
India and US to implement HOSTAC to strengthen maritime security
India and the United States have agreed to implement the programme for Helicopter Operations from Ships other Than Aircraft Carriers (HOSTAC). This decision was taken during a meeting between Indian Defense Minister, Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman and US Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis. The meeting between Ms. Sitharaman and Mr. Mattis was held on October 25, 2017, in the Philippines on sidelines of ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting – Plus.
India overtakes US to become Second Largest Smartphone Market: Report
India overtake the US to become the world’s second-largest smartphone market, trailing only China, according to a new report by analyst firm Canalys. In the second quarter of 2017, India’s smartphone market recovered quickly with shipments growing 23% year-on-year in the third quarter to reach just over 40 million units. Low smartphone penetration and the explosion of LTE (long term evolution, or 4G) are the main drivers behind this.
SAP launches Asia Pacific Japan Region’s first Leonardo Centre in Bengaluru
Tech major SAP announced the launch of Asia Pacific Japan (APJ) region’s first SAP Leonardo Center in Bengaluru. The fourth SAP Leonardo Center globally, the facility is a go-to place for SAP’s ecosystem for digital inspiration and co-innovation. Other SAP Leonardo Centers locations include New York-US, Paris-France, and Sao Leopoldo-Brazil. It combines a high concentration of customers and partners with one of SAP’s largest market units.
US Senate confirms Ken Juster’s nomination as US envoy to India
A crucial Senate Committee, confirmed the nomination of Kenneth Juster as the next American envoy to India, paving the way for a full Senate confirmation of the old India hand, who played a key role in the landmark India-US civil nuclear deal. The nomination of Juster, 62, now moves to the full Senate before he can be sworn in as America’s new Ambassador to India. Most recently, Juster had served as the Deputy Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs and Deputy Director of the National Economic Council. He would replace Richard Verma as the top American diplomat to India if confirmed, The position has been lying vacant since January 20 after Verma resigned from the post with the swearing in of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States.
70 Indian words added to Oxford English Dictionary
Indian words like ‘Dadagiri’, ‘Jugaad’, Surya Namaskar’, ‘Anna’, ‘Achcha’, ‘Bapu’ and few others were added to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) in the month of September 2017. These words are among 70 Indian words from various regional languages like Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Bengali and Gujarati that were added to the dictionary. The dictionary added over 1000 new words in its September edition.
India imposes anti-dumping duty on stainless steel from US, ES and China
India has imposed anti-dumping duty on certain stainless steel products from the European Union and other nations including China and Korea, in order to protect the domestic industry from cheap imports. The duty was imposed by the Revenue department following the recommendation by the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD).
World’s oldest maritime astrolabe that guided ships to India found
Britain-based shipwreck hunter has found maritime astrolabe, a navigation tool that guided Portuguese explorers on perilous voyage to India in 16th century. It dates between 1495 and 1500 and has been confirmed as world’s oldest astrolabe. The maritime astrolabe was discovered during from a shipwreck off coast of Oman in 2014 and recently was confirmed world’s maritime oldest by Warwick University based on laser scans.
30th Edition of CORPAT begins between Indian-Indonesian Navy
Indian Navy Ship Sukanya under the command of Commander SA Deodhar has arrived at Belawan Indonesia to participate in the 30th edition of CORPAT (Coordinated Patrol) and 3rd Bilateral exercise between the Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy. The exercise is aimed to foster closer maritime ties with countries located on the rim of the Indian Ocean. The two navies have been carrying out CORPAT on respective sides of the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) twice a year since 2002.
Bangladesh signs Gas Oil deal with India
Bangladesh has signed a long-term sales and purchase agreement with an Indian refiner to import gas oil to meet the country’s energy demand. The deal between Bangladesh Petroleum Corp. (BPC) and Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) was signed in presence of India’s external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who arrived in Dhaka recently on a two-day visit to discuss bilateral issues. Under the deal, BPC will take up to 250,000 tonnes of gas oil each year from NRL for the first three years of the deal to the BPC’s northern fuel depot via a 131-km (79 mile) pipeline, which will be built by India.
Sri Lankan Coast Guard commissions OPV SURAKSHA gifted by India
Sri Lankan Coast Guard has commissioned Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) SURAKSHA gifted by India at Colombo port. It is first OPV of Sri Lankan Coast Guard. Sri Lankan Coast Guard Ship (SLCGS) Suraksha earlier belonged to Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and was known as Varuna. It was officially handed over to Sri Lanka Navy at ceremony held at Kochi Port in India in September 2017.
North Korea, Pakistan not invited for consumer protection conference in India
India has not invited Pakistan and North Korea to attend the first global conference on consumer protection to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The two-day Regional Conference on Consumer Protection will be held on October 26-27 and will see the participation of 23 countries, besides India, which is organising the event at the request of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Indo-Russia joint exercise INDRA 2017 begins
Exercise INDRA 2017, the first ever tri services joint military joint exercise between India and Russian Armed Forces, began in the Eastern Military District of Russia. The exercise will be held till 29 October 2017. Previously, Exercise INDRA has been conducted as a single service exercise alternately between the two countries. This year, the exercise has been upgraded to involve all the three services of the Armed Forces-Army, Navy & Air Force.
India among five countries responsible for 50% newborn deaths
India is among the five countries – Pakistan, Nigeria, Congo and Ethiopia being the others – responsible for half of all new-born deaths in the world, according to a UN report. The report, “Levels and Trends in Child Mortality 2017″, revealed that 5.6 million children died before reaching the age of five in 2016. However, this is a marked decrease compared to 2000 when nearly 9.9 million children had died before turning five. While India was accountable for 24 per cent of these new-born deaths, Pakistan accounted for 10 per cent, Nigeria 9 per cent, the Democratic Republic of Congo 4 per cent and 3 per cent of the deaths occurred in Ethiopia. Also, according to report, India has witnessed 66 per cent decline in the under-five mortality rate from 1990 to 2015 but most of the new-born deaths – 24 per cent of all – still occur in the country.
USA to provide EMALS technology to India for aircraft carriers
Donald Trump Government has promised to provide the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System(EMALS) technology to India for aircraft carriers. S Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will be visiting India soon and before his visit, Trump administration has informed of its decision to give EMALS to India. EMALS also weighs less, is expected to cost less and require less maintenance, and can launch aircraft that are heavier or lighter. This EMAL will help to launch heavy combat planes from the short runway of an aircraft carrier using electromagnetic force, instead of the old steam-powered catapults.
India signs pact to send Interns to Japan for Training
India signed a Memorandum of Co-operation (MoC) with Japan to send youngsters there as technical interns for on-the-job training for a period of three to five years. The MoC on Technical Intern Training Programme was signed by Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Japanese Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare with Katsunobu Kato in Tokyo. India is the third country with which Japan has signed the MoC.
HPCL, First Indian OMC to launch Lubricants in Myanmar
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) has become the first Oil Marketing Company (OMC) from India to mark its presence in the lubricant market in Myanmar and to lend more visibility and awareness to the brand. Having achieved the number one position in the domestic market, HP Lubricants sought to prove itself in foreign shore by venturing into Myanmar.
INS Satpura, Kadmatt participates in Passage Exercise in Japan
Indian Naval Ships Satpura and Kadmatt participated in Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with Japanese Marine Self Defence Force (JMSDF) held at Sasebo, Japan. These ships are participating in the exercise in pursuance of India’s Act East Policy and demonstration of India’s commitment to peace and stability in formal calls and also professional, social and sporting interactions.
Safe Cities Index 2017 denotes Tokyo Safest and Delhi ranked 43rd Position
Japanese capital city Tokyo has topped The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Safe Cities Index 2017 which ranked 60 cities on parameters including personal and health security. Singapore and Japanese city Osaka have ranked second and third, while Indian cities Delhi and Mumbai have ranked 43rd and 45th respectively.
India-Sri Lanka training exercise on counter-terrorism begins
The fifth India-Sri Lanka joint training exercise “Mitra Shakti 2017” focusing on counter-terrorism operations kicked off at Aundh Military Station in Pune, Maharashtra. The exercise will be conducted for next 14 days till October 26 and will involve sharing and learning from each others’ experiences.
Make in India: Sweden 2017
Make in India: Sweden 2017, organized by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion in Stockholm, from October 12-13 aims to enhance Indo-Swedish cooperation. Delegation is led by the Minister of Commerce & Industry, Shri Suresh Prabhu. The meeting was held to further strengthen Indo-Swedish economic relationship and explore new avenues of collaboration.
Global Hunger Index 2017: India ranks 100th among 119 nations
India ranked 100th position among 119 countries on Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2017 report released by Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). This year slipped by three positions as compared to 97th rank in 2016 GHI. In 2017 GHI, India scored 31.4 and was placed in high end of “serious” category. India’s low ranking also influences South Asia’s regional score as three quarters of South Asia’s population reside in India. India’s neighbours ranking are Nepal (72), Myanmar (77), Bangladesh (88), Sri Lanka (84) and China (29) – except Pakistan (106) and Afghanistan (107). Even North Korea (93) and Iraq (78) fared better in hunger parameters and GHI rankings.
India is second largest market for pharma: LinkedIn Report
The 13.7 percent contribution to the global pharmaceuticals and biotechnology workforce India has emerged as the second largest market for the industry, a report by professional networking giant LinkedIn has revealed. The report, detailed in the newly released e-book “The Indian Pharma and Biotech Industry”, showed that while New Delhi, Kolkata, and Chandigarh are thriving grounds for talent in this sector in India, talent migration is highest to the US. Talent migrating to other countries mainly comprises of researchers, scientists, quality assurance professionals, statistics programmers and data analysts.
Germany to help Indian Railways to increase speed of trains on existing corridors
German Railways will assist Indian Railways to make country’s existing rail corridors semi high speed. The semi high speed trains will run at 200 km per hour. A joint declaration of Intent was signed between Ministry of Railways and Germany regarding carrying out of feasibility study on existing 643 km Chennai-Kazipet corridor of Indian Railways by German Railways for increasing the speed of passenger trains to 200 kmph on 50.50 percent cost sharing basis.
India and South Africa Celebrating 20 years of Cooperation
The “Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM) – 2017″ was started in India’s 1st World Heritage City i.e Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It is a 3 day long diversified cultural carnival. Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav was conceived by the Ministry of Culture in the year 2015. Its intent is to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Country in all its rich and varied dimensions, all in one place.
BRICS-themed subway train debuts in China
A BRICS-themed subway train with carriages representing the five member nations including India has started test operations in China’s southeastern Xiamen city. The subway train, which started its test run, has six carriages, five of which represents different cultures of the BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The Indian carriage depicts elephants and yoga.
The Chinese carriage is red and displays icons such as the Great Wall and Tian’anmen Square.
The Brazilian carriage is green and decorated with images of footballs and football stars.
The Russian carriage shows off the country’s ballet and matryoshka dolls.
The South African carriage displays pictures of diamonds.
The sixth carriage combines cultural elements from all the five BRICS countries.
India to help Myanmar in police training
The Cabinet gave ex-post facto approval to a MoU between India and Myanmar on upgradation of the Women’s Police Training Centre at Yamethin, Myanmar. It covers upgradation of the Police Centre to further augment the capabilities of the Myanmar government to build capacities of its police force with technical and financial assistance from the Indian government.
First US Crude Oil shipment arrives in Paradip
The first United States crude oil cargo of 1.6 million barrels bought by Indian Oil Corporation from the US reached Paradip Port, Odisha. Indian Oil became the first Indian public sector refiner to source US crude has placed a cumulative order 3.9 million barrel from the US. They will process the crude at its East-Coast base refineries, located at Paradip, Haldia, Barauni and Bongaigaon.
India to be guest country at World Government Summit
India will be the guest of honour during the sixth edition of the World Government Summit scheduled from February 11th – 13th, 2018 in Dubai. The summit is the largest movement to review and share the best experiences, and the first global forum for governments, countries, organizations and private sector leaders interested in the industry of the future.
Nepal, India to conduct joint tiger census in November
Nepal and India will be conducting in November a joint head count of tigers in the national parks, forests and sanctuaries along the international border between the two neighbours using a similar camera tapping method. The tiger is regarded as an endangered animal and is listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
India opens two border crossing points
India has opened 2 immigration check posts along the borders with Myanmar & Bangladesh. Zorinpui check post of Mizoram has been authorised as immigration check post for entry into or exit from India for all passengers to or from Myanmar. Kawrpuichhuah post of Mizoram has been authorised as immigration check post for entry into or exit from India for all passengers to or from Bangladesh.
NATIONAL
Union Minister launches Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana in Mumbai
Union Minister for state for social justice and empowerment, Ramdas Athawale has launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana during the fourth workshop of “Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana” in Mumbai. The workshop was organised by Pratishtha and Sanjivani trust.
Indian Army finalises mega procurement plan to replace ageing weapons
Indian Army finalized one of its biggest procurement plans for infantry modernization at a cost of nearly Rs 40,000 crore to replace its aging and obsolete weapons. Under this plan, around 7 lakh rifles, 44,000 light machine guns (LMGs) and nearly 44,600 carbines will be procured. Indian Army has been insisting to fast-track the procurement in backdrop of evolving security threats along India’s borders with Pakistan and China. Besides, Union Government has directed Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to expedite its work on various small arms, particularly on Light Machine Guns.
India to host UN wildlife summit CMS COP13 in 2020
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has announced that India will host the next CMS Conference of the Parties 13 (CMS COP13) in the year 2020. CMS COP is a global wildlife conference. The announcement was made during the 12th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties 12 (COP) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) in Manila, the Philippines. CMS COP12 was held from 23-28 October 2017 and was attended by over 500 delegates from more than 120 countries. The theme of the Conference was ‘Their Future is Our Future – Sustainable Development for Wildlife and People’.
External Affairs Ministry launches AsktheSpokesperson on Twitter
The Ministry of External Affairs launched the “#AsktheSpokesperson” initiative on Twitter, to create better awareness and understanding of foreign policy issues to general public. #AsktheSpokesperson initiative will be a regular feature to engage and educate the public about foreign policy matters in simplified terms. It will be held every 2 months. The Ministry invites questions from the public on India’s foreign policy and selected questions would be responded by the Official Spokesperson. It also launched its LinkedIn profile.
L&T handovers first defence vessel built in private shipyard to Coast Guard
Larsen and Toubro (L&T) handed over offshore patrol vessel (OPV) named “Vikram” to the Indian Coast Guard. It is country’s first-ever such defence vessel to be built in a private shipyard The vessel was indigenously developed in-house at L&T’s Kattupalli shipyard. Its entire design and construction processes have undergone dual certification from American Bureau of Shipping and Indian Registrar of Shipping.
Indian Railway’s first set of solar plant of 5 MW capacity launched
Indian Railway’s first set of solar plants with total capacity of 5 megawatt peak (MWp) was launched on roof tops of Hazrat Nizamuddin, New Delhi, Anand Vihar and Delhi railway stations by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal. This project was launched as part of Union Government’s ambitious National Solar Mission in which Indian Railways plans to commission 1000 MWp solar plants across its network.
SC asks UP, Haryana, Rajasthan to ban use of Pet coke to curb air pollution
The Supreme Court (SC) directed the governments of Uttar Pradesh (UP), Haryana and Rajasthan to ban the use of petroleum (pet) coke and furnace oil in the industries with an aim to fight air pollution. The ruling was made by a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta. The bench also clarified that it will ban the use of pet coke and furnace oil in these three states from 1 November 2017, if the respective governments did not prohibit their use in the industries by then.
Paika rebellion to be named as 1st War of Independence: Government
The Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar has announced that Paika rebellion (Paika Bidroha) of 1817 will be named as First War of Independence against British Rule in history books from next academic session. Earlier, 1857 Sepoy Mutiny was regarded as the First War of Indian Independence, but Paika Bidroha predates it.
No need to stand up in movie halls to prove patriotism: SC
People not required to stand up in the movie halls to prove their patriotism, the Supreme Court of India ruled and asked the Central Government to consider amending the decree for regulating playing of the national anthem in the cinema halls. The Apex court also noted that “We don’t have to wear patriotism on our sleeves”, and that it cannot be believed that if a person does not stand up for the national anthem, then he is “less patriotic”. While observing the decree, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra said that the society doesn’t require “moral policing” and this can’t be done on the whims and fancies of government.
Ministries of power and textiles jointly announce new scheme ‘SAATHI’
Ministries of power and textiles have jointly announced a new scheme SAATHI under which Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) will provide energy efficient power loom equipment to small and medium units at no upfront cost. The use of the efficient equipment would result in energy and cost savings to the unit owner and he will repay in installments to EESL over a 4 to 5 year period. The SAATHI initiative of the government will be jointly implemented by EESL and the office of the Textile Commissioner on a pan-India basis. Sustainable And Accelerated Adoption Of Efficient Textile Technologies To Help Small Industries.
India’s first Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra launched
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh along with Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated India’s first Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) for skilling in Smart Cities on 23 October 2017 at New Delhi. The inauguration was done in collaboration with New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). The main aim behind the development is to bring momentum in skilling through collaborative efforts.
Govt de-affiliates 400 Industrial Training Institutes for failing quality norms
The Union Government has de-affiliated around 400 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) following quality inspections that revealed that the institutes lacked requisite infrastructure and trainers for imparting vocational training to students. If an institute has to be an ITI at the National Council for Vocational Training level, there are certain minimum conditions that need to be followed.
Maruti becomes top exporter of passenger cars from India
According to latest data by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) has become largest passenger cars exporter from India in first half (April-September) of ongoing fiscal. It exported 57,300 units of passenger cars and dethroned Hyundai Motor India Ltd (exported 44,585 units) which has now been pushed to fourth spot behind Volkswagen (50,410 units) and General Motors (45,222 units).
PM Modi inaugurates first phase of Ghogha-Dahej RORO ferry service
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the first phase of ambitious Ghogha-Dahej Roll-on Roll-off ferry service at Ghogha in Bhavnagar district in Gujarat. With the opening of this 615-crores rupees ferry service, the distance between Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions could be covered in less than an hour via-sea route. This passenger movement service reduced the distance between the Ghogha and Dahej from 310 kilometres by road to just 30 kilometres, which can be covered in one hour.
GSTN Launches excel-based offline tool to file initial GSTR-3B Returns
Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) has launched an excel-based offline tool for businesses to file initial GSTR- 3B returns. GSTN, in a statement in New Delhi, stated that taxpayers can download the offline utility from the GSTN portal and after fill in the data the file can be uploaded on GST portal. After uploading of the return to the GST Portal, the taxpayer has to preview the form, complete formalities like submit, offset the liability and file their GSTR-3B Return using digital signature or electronic verification code.
Most pollution-linked deaths occur in India
With 2.51 million deaths in 2015, India has been ranked No. 1 in pollution related deaths, according to a report by The Lancet Commission on pollution and health. China recorded the second highest number of such deaths (1.8 million). India accounted for about 28 per cent of an estimated nine million pollution linked deaths worldwide in 2015. This figure is three times more than the deaths from AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined and 15 times more than from all wars and other forms of violence.
Income Tax dept launches ‘Online Chat’ to answer taxpayers queries
The Income Tax Department has launched an ‘online chat’ service for taxpayers so that they can seek answers to their basic queries and doubts relating to direct tax issues. A window has been hosted on the main page of the department’s website www.incometaxindia.gov.in/ – with a prominent icon stating ‘Live Chat Online – ask your query’. A team of experts from the department and independent tax practitioners has been deputed to answer the general queries of a taxpayer. The first-time initiative is aimed to enhance taxpayer services in the country.
Ministry of WCD launches campaign on ‘women for women’
The Ministry of Women and Child Development is undertaking an online campaign #IamThatWoman. The main aim seeks to highlight the various aspects of women standing ‘by’ and ‘for’ women. Ministry of WCD has urged people to shun stereotypes associated with women harming other women. Twitter and Facebook users have been encouraged to tag and share stories of women helping women with a photograph and post online with the hashtag #IamThatWoman. A woman manager can easily empathize with her female juniors and help her climb the ladder of success.
Google viewed as Most Authentic Brand in India: Survey
Indian consumers regard Google as the most authentic brand, even though Amazon.com tops the list globally, reveal results of the 2017 “Authentic Brands Study” by the new survey of global communications agency Cohn & Wolfe. In India, Google is followed by Microsoft, Amazon.com, Maruti Suzuki and Apple. Globally, Apple takes the second spot after Amazon in the authenticity race.
Mahindra launches ‘Prerna’ project for women farmers
Auto manufacturer Mahindra and Mahindra celebrated ‘Mahila Kisan Diwas’ and launched a programme, ‘Prerna’ to empower women working in the agriculture sector. Prerna’ project is aimed at promoting the use of efficient and ergonomic farm tools and equipment by women who work long hours in the fields. It is first launched in Odisha, with an aim to positively impact the lives of over 1,500 families across 30-plus villages.
Defence Minister to commission INS Kiltan into Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has commissioned an indigenously-built anti-submarine warfare stealth corvette INS Kiltan into the Indian Navy at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam. According to Defence Minister, INS Kiltan strengthens India’s defence system and will be a shining armour in ‘Make in India’ programme as it is totally built indigenously.
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Radha Mohan Singh said the government started PMKSY to provide a permanent solution from drought. Three ministries are implementing this scheme in mission mode. PMKSY aims not only to create irrigation sources but also to create protected irrigation by harnessing rainwater through ‘Jal Sanchay’ and ‘Jal Sinchan’.
Mastercard Launched its First Innovation Centre in India
US-based fintech company Mastercard has announced the launch of its global research and development arm Mastercard Labs in Pune, India. After Singapore, this will be the second Mastercard Labs in Asia-Pacific, and ninth in the world. The initiative aims to bring and harness new commerce, payment and technology ideas at a fast pace in the country.
IAF launches Mobile Health app “MedWatch”
On the occasion of its 85th anniversary, the Indian Air Force (IAF) launched an innovative mobile health app named ‘MedWatch’. The concept and content of the app is by the Directorate General of Medical Services (Air) and its has been developed in house with zero financial outlay by the Directorate of information Technology (DIT). ‘MedWatch, available on the IAF’s AFCEL network, comprises a host of features that will provide authentic health information to all IAF personnel. ‘MedWatch’, the first mobile health app in the three armed services was launched by Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa.
Union Govt launches Sampoorna Bima Gram Yojana
Union Government launched Sampoorna Bima Gram Yojana and expansion of Postal Life Insurance, in New Delhi. Under the Sampoorna Bima Gram Yojana, at least one village having a minimum of 100 households will be identified in each of the revenue districts of the country. The base of Postal Life Insurance been decided that its benefits will no longer be confined to government and semi-government employees. It will be available to the professionals such as doctors, engineers, management consultants, chartered accountants, lawyers, and bankers.
44th Indian Handicrafts and Gifts-Delhi Fair inaugurated in New Delhi
The 44th edition of Indian Handicrafts and Gifts (IHGF)-Delhi Fair was held at India Expo Centre and Mart on outskirts of Delhi in Greater Noida. It was organised by Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) and was inaugurated by Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani. The five-day B2B IHGF Fair was biggest platform in National Capital Region (NCR) for promotion of handicrafts business. It will showcase nearly three thousand exhibitors under 14 product categories. More than 100 countries including US, UK, Russia, France, Germany, Italy, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan and Korea are participating in the fair.
Govt to commemorate 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
Government of India will commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi during the period from 2nd October, 2019 to 2nd October, 2020. The event will be celebrated at both national and international levels to propagate the message of the Mahatma. A National Committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been constituted for the purpose. This Committee includes the Chief Ministers of all the states of the country, representatives from across the political spectrum, Gandhians, thinkers and eminent persons from all walks of life. The Committee will guide and approve policies, programmes, activities for the commemoration and will also supervise implementation of the decisions taken from time to time.
Govt imposes anti-dumping duty on certain Chinese steel products
The Union Finance Ministry has imposed anti-dumping duty on imports of certain steel wire rods from China for five years to guard interest of domestic players from cheap in-bound shipments. The duty will be difference between landed value of steel products and US $535 per tonne while for others, it should be gap between landed value and US $546 per tonne. Steel wire rod products are used in many sectors such as automotive components, railway, engineering and construction.
Rajnath Singh inaugurated First BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise
The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated the four-day First ‘BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise- 2017′ (BIMSTEC DMEx-2017) in New Delhi. The Exercise will be conducted by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) as the lead agency in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). The BIMSTEC DMEx-2017 is being conducted in two phases in Delhi and NCR. The main exercise will comprise of Table Top Exercise (TTX), Field Training Exercise (FTX) and After Action Review (AAR). The main focus of the BIMSTEC DMEx-2017 will be on testing the region’s preparedness and resilience towards effective activation of inter-Governmental interaction for immediate deployment of regional resources for disaster response.
India slips to 8th among most valuable brands
India is ranked the eighth most valuable nation brand while the United States retained its top position and China took the second spot in the league of nations according to Brand Finance’s Nation Brands 2017. India went down one spot over the previous year, the report said, because the economy grew at its slowest pace.
India’s Coffee Output Pegged at Record 3.5 lakh Tons in 2017-18
Coffee output in India is pegged to be a record 3.50 lakh tonnes in the 2017-18 marketing year started this month on higher acreage. According to the Coffee Board, the final output stood lower by 10.34 percent at 3.12 lakh tonnes in 2016-17 marketing year from 3.48 lakh tonnes in the previous year. Coffee Board stated that the crop’s forecast for 2017-18 is placed at 3.50 lakh tonnes, comprising 1.03 lakh tonnes of Arabica and 2.47 lakh tonnes of Robusta varieties. Higher output is mainly attributed to the additional bearing area of about 13,500 hectares in traditional growing areas of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
President launches Mata Amritanandamayi Math Project Jeevamritham
President Ram Nath Kovind has launched 100 crore rupees Mata Amritanandamayi Math Project “Jeevamritham” to provide filtration system for cleaning drinking water to 5000 villages across India, in kollam district in kerala. The President also distributed the certificates to three village out of 12 villages in the States of Bihar, UP, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Chatisgarh, Uttarakand, Maharashtra and kerala, which were adopted by the Math, verified as Open Defecation Free by Swatch Bharat Abhiyan.
India’s first Marine Police Training Institute to be set up at Dev Bhoomi Dwarka
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the setting up of India’s first marine police training institute at Gujarat’s Devbhumi Dwarka district. This announcement was given at the foundation stone-laying ceremony of a bridge between Okha and Beyt Dwarka, during PM Narendra Modi’s two day visit to Gujarat.
Prasar Bharati launches Online Application System for AIR Auditions
Prasar Bharati Chairman A Surya Prakash has launched an online application system for music auditions across all genres for the All India Radio. The initiative was launched on the occasion of 64th Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan in New Delhi. It is believed that with the introduction of this facility, the aspirants who want to apply and get themselves graded will have a better experience in terms of accessibility and availability.
Prime Minister launches Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI). At the launch he said, “Let no child suffer from any vaccine-preventable disease”. Through this programme, Government of India aims to reach each and every child under two years of age and all those pregnant women who have been left uncovered under the routine immunisation programme. The special drive will focus on improving immunization coverage in select districts and cities to ensure full immunization to more than 90% by December 2018. The achievement of full immunisation under Mission Indradhanush to at least 90% coverage was to be achieved by 2020 earlier. With the launch of IMI, achievement of the target has now been advanced.
Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav-2017 started in Ahmedabad
The “Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM) – 2017″ was started in India’s 1st World Heritage City i.e Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It is a 3 day long diversified cultural carnival. Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav was conceived by the Ministry of Culture in the year 2015. Its intent is to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Country in all its rich and varied dimensions, all in one place.
First ASEAN India Music Festival to be held at Purana Qila, New Delhi
The first-ever The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) India Music Festival will be held at Purana Quila in New Delhi. The 3 day festival is being organized by External Affairs Ministry in collaboration with Culture Ministry to celebrate the 25th year anniversary of ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations. The main aim is to boost cultural influences among the peoples of the ASEAN member states and India. Famous Indian bands like the Raghu Dixit Project, Avial, Papon LIVE, Bipul Chettri and the Travelling Band, and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy will also participate in the festival.
India ranks highest in online harassment in APAC region: Norton
India reported the highest levels of online harassment through cyberstalking and threats of physical violence in the Asia Pacific region, higher than countries like Australia and Japan, a report by Norton by Symantec. The report, which surveyed 1,035 adults in India, found 8 among 10 surveyed saying they had encountered some form of online harassment. The most common forms of online harassment were abuse and insults (63 percent) and malicious gossip and rumours (59 percent).
Modi temple with 100-foot tall statue of PM to be built in Meerut
A grand temple worth Rs. 30 crore is going to be built in honour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh. The temple would be built in the Sardhana area of Meerut where a 100-foot statue of Prime Minister Modi would be installed. Follower and supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a retired engineer from the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department, J. P. Singh, announced the decision to erect Prime Minister Modi’s statue. Singh said he was inspired by the PM’s love for the country.
Centre organising Paryatan Parv across the country to promote tourism
The Union Ministry of tourism is organising Paryatan Parv, a festival of tourism, from 5 October 2017 in collaboration with other central ministries, state governments and stakeholders. The main objective behind organising the festival is to draw focus on the benefits of tourism and showcase the cultural diversity of the country and to reinforce the principle of ‘Toursim for All’. The 20-day festival begins at Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi. It will end on 25 October 2017.
Indian Railways announced No service charge on train e-tickets till March 2018
The Union Government waived service charges in November last year after demonetization to encourage digital modes of booking. The facility had been extended from June 30 and then to September 30. The Railway Board directed Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) that the benefits be extended till March next year. The Service charges on booking train tickets online through IRCTC ranges from Rs 20 to 40 per ticket.
Union Government launches SECURE Himalaya Project
The Union Government launched SECURE Himalaya, a six-year project to ensure conservation of locally and globally significant biodiversity and land. The Himalayan ecosystem spread over four states namely Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Sikkim. The system was launched by Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in association with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
NHAI launches new website and PMIS Mobile App
The Chairman of National Highways Authority of India Shri Deepak Kumar launched a world-class, new multilingual website of the organization. He also launched a Project Monitoring Information System (PMIS) Mobile App that will facilitate close, in-house monitoring of NHAI projects on a mobile phone. The system is now digitally monitoring them through a state-of-the-art Project Monitoring Information System (PMIS) which has been developed in-house along with The Boston Consulting Group.
Govt unveils third National Wildlife Action Plan for 2017-2031
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has unveiled third National Wildlife Action Plan for 2017-2031 to chalk out future road map for wildlife conservation. The plan was unveiled by Environment Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on inaugural day of Global Wildlife Programme (GWP) conference. It is third action plan after first released in 1983 to 2001 and second from 2002 to 2016, that had protected area-centric approach to wildlife conservation.
NHAI launches countrywide Free Eye Check-up Campaign
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has launched countrywide Free Eye Check-up Campaign and distribution of spectacles for truck drivers, cleaners and helpers. It was launched by Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari at Panjari Toll Plaza, Nagpur Bypass, Nagpur in Maharashtra. Eyesight is basic requirement for safe driving. Poor vision increases risk of collisions due to the driver’s inability to recognise and react in time to hazard or behaviour of other road users.
Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurates Pratham-Shyok bridge in Leh
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated ‘Pratham-Shyok’ bridge in Leh that will connect Leh to Karakoram in north eastern Ladakh. The Defence Minister on her two-day-visit to Jammu and Kashmir, also visited forward locations of Leh, Ladakh and Siachen, reviewed the security situation in the regions, and interacted with the soldiers.
WCD Minister inaugurates the 3rd edition of ‘Women of India Organic Festival’
The Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi inaugurated the 3rd annual ‘Women of India Organic Festival’ at Dilli Haat (INA). For most women, this is the first time that they are travelling to Delhi from remotest parts of the country to showcase their unique merchandise to the people of Delhi and surrounding areas. With the theme ‘Good for Women; Good for India; Good for you’, the Ministry intends to highlight the health and environmental advantages of organic goods, provide a platform for women engaged in it and boost the development of sustainable and easily accessible sales outlets for women producers from the remotest corners of India.
STATES
Karnataka cabinet approves transgender policy
Karnataka state cabinet approved a policy which seeks to provide legal protection to the transgender community and thereby safeguard them from social and sexual exploitation. The objective of this policy is to remove the stigma attached to the transgender community and integrate them into the mainstream of the society. Under the policy, an awareness drive will be conducted to sensitize general public about the rights of transgenders.
Vrindavan, Barsana declared as Sacred Sites, no meat and liquor shops allowed
The Uttar Pradesh government has issued an order notifying Vrindavan and Barsana towns in Mathura district as ‘Sacred pilgrimage sites’ (‘pavitra teerth sthals’). With this, Vrindavan and Barsana became the first two places to be notified as teerth sthal in government records. No meat and liquor shops will be allowed in these towns anymore. As per the state government, the main objective behind declaring Vrindavan and Barsana as pilgrimage sites is to honour the sentiments of devotees, who are hurt by the operations of liquor and meat shops. The move will help in restoring the age-old traditions of these people.
Rajasthan Assembly passes bill increasing OBC quota to 26 per cent
The state government of Rajasthan has passed a bill that increased reservation quota for Other Backward Classes (OBC) from 21 per cent to 26 per cent. The Backward Classes (reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions in the State and of Appointments and Posts in Services under the State) Bill will provide reservation to the five most backward OBC communities:
- Gujjars
- Banjara Baldiya, Labana
- Gadiya Lohar, Gadoliya
- Raika, Rebari, Debasi
- Gadariya, Gadri, Gayari.
Chhattisgarh: 51 Hindu families migrated from Pak get Indian citizenship
As many as 51 Hindu families who had migrated from Pakistan several years ago and have been living on the outskirts of Raipur were granted Indian citizenship. With this, Chhattisgarh has become the first state in the country to award citizenship after Prime Minister Narendra Modi granted the power to states to do so.
MP govt shelves plan to shift to Jan-Dec fiscal format
Madhya Pradesh, which was the first state to announce that it would switch to January-December financial year from the existing April-March cycle starting 2018, has put the plan on the back burner. The state government will follow suit once the Centre shifts to the January-December fiscal cycle.
Punjab decides to close 800 govt schools which have fewer than 20 students
The Punjab government will shut down 800 primary schools with less than 20 students, and merge them with schools nearby. The students and staff will be accommodated in adjoining schools situated within a one kilometre-radius. The decision is aimed at improving the utilisation of the teaching staff in the state.
Karnataka to ban Pillion Riding on Two-Wheelers With Engine Capacity up to 100 cc
Karnataka government has decided to ban pillion riding on two-wheelers with less than 100 cc engine. It will not affect the existing two-wheelers but will be applicable for new vehicles. The ban comes in the backdrop of safety of the pillion riders, who are often victims of the road accidents.
Assam Govt launches new Tourism policy
The state government of Assam has launched a new Tourism policy- ‘Tourism Policy of Assam 2017′ with the aim of increasing tourist inflow in the state two to three folds within the next five years. The Tourism shall be accorded industry status in the state and all facilities and incentives applicable to industries shall be made available to Tourism industry also. The new policy will be effective starting January 2018 till December 2022.
Punjab govt approves hike in income limit of OBCs
Punjab Chief Minister has approved an increase in the gross annual income limit for the creamy layer of the Other Backward Classes and Backward Classes from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh. This was the fourth revision of the creamy layer, which was fixed at Rs 1 lakh in 1993 and subsequently hiked to Rs 2.5 lakh in 2004, Rs 4.5 lakh in 2008 and Rs 6 lakh in 2013.
Chhattisgarh govt reduces interest on loan under Saksham Yojna
Chhattisgarh State Government has reduced the rate of interest on loan given to women and their self-help groups (SHGs) under ‘Saksham Yojna’ from 6.5 percent to 5 percent. Saksham Yojana too is operated by Chhattisgarh Mahila Kosh, under which loans to the tune of Rs 72 lakh had been distributed to about 111 SHGs during the current fiscal year 2017-18.
Assam to host Global Investors Summit in February 2018
Assam would be hosting its first Global Investors Summit in Guwahati from 3-4 February 2018. It would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The state government plans to utilise the event to showcase Assam’s business potential with attractive policies in order to attract more investments. The decision was taken during the state’s cabinet meeting, which was held recently.
Arunachal Assembly approves Kamle as 23rd district
The Arunachal Assembly has passed a bill paving way for creation of a new district to be named Kamle. With the official creation of the new district, the total number of districts in the state shot up to 23.
Madhya Pradesh CM launches ‘Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana’
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the ambitious ‘Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojna’ for the farmers of the state. Madhya Pradesh is the first state to lend money to farmers at zero percent interest. The government has approved a web of irrigation projects across the Sagar District which will cover 96-hectare fields.
Kerala HC restores life ban imposed on Sreesanth by BCCI
A division bench of the Kerala High Court has restored the life ban imposed on cricketer S Sreesanth by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in the wake of the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal. The bench gave the verdict on a petition filed by the BCCI against the ruling by a single judge bench that lifted the life ban imposed on the 34-year-old pacer in August 2017.
Punjab police launches foot patrolling in all districts
Punjab police has launched a foot patrolling an initiative whereby police personnel will patrol designated areas on foot to keep a watch on anti-social elements. The main Objective of foot patrolling is to reduce incidence of crime by increasing the presence of police in vulnerable locations. All foot patrol officers will be wearing jungle boots, specially designed arm-band and will carry weapons, baton, handcuffs, and wireless sets.
Telangana’s “tGST” app to detect fake GST
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-Hyderabad) has come out with a technology solution to the problem of GST calculation. The institute has developed an app, tGST, for the Commercial Taxes Department of Telangana. Take a photo of the bill and uploaded it to the app. It will let you know whether the GST paid by you is going to the government or not.
Rajasthan assembly first in India to call motions online
Going digital, the Rajasthan assembly has become the first in India to call attention and adjournment motions and proposals online from legislators to send them to the state government. The system is expected to save time, labour and use of paper in the functioning of the assembly, and also help legislators in bringing attention to urgent public issues.
West Bengal to set up Scheduled Caste advisory council
The West Bengal cabinet has decided to set up a Scheduled Caste advisory council to look into the development of the Scheduled Caste population in the state. The scheduled caste advisory council, according to the state government, will be the first in an Indian state.
Gujarat Govt announces Garments & Apparel Policy 2017
Gujarat Government has announced the Garments and Apparel Policy-2017, with the aim of creating more opportunities in the garment sector of Gujarat and to create huge employment opportunities for women through the apparel industry. This Policy is prepared with an aim to make Gujarat number 1 in textile which produces more of cotton. The State government will also provide incentives for garment unit owners for generating employment by providing subsidy in wages. The women workers will get Rs 4,000 subsidy, while their male counterparts will get Rs 3,500.
Gujarat govt to set up 16 new GIDC townships to encourage SMEs
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced the setting up of 16 new Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) townships, in Gujarat. The 16 new GIDC townships would be set up in 2400 hectare area to encourage the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).This township would attract 15,000 industrial units. They will create job opportunities for 1 lakh people.
MP CM announced Rs. 2 lakh aid for widow remarriage
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced a slew of measures for women in the State, including a financial assistance of Rs. 2 lakh for remarriage of widows. Speaking at his monthly radio broadcast ‘Dil Se’ Mr. Chouhan appealed to people to come forward to encourage remarriage of widows. It will help in eradicating social evils like dowry and child marriages.
Bihar Cabinet approves reservation for ‘Divyangs’ in Govt Jobs
The Bihar Cabinet approved reservations for persons with disabilities in government jobs and educational institutions. The cabinet gave its approval during a meeting presided by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The provision has been brought in accordance with the Persons With Disabilities Act, 2016. The cabinet also approved the establishment of a state advisory board for the empowerment of ‘Divyangjan’ as envisaged in the Act.
Himachal Pradesh implements Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme
Himachal Pradesh government implemented the Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme (SCHIS) to provide easy access to curative geriatric health care services by way of additional cover. The scheme would provide top-up coverage of Rs 30,000 per senior citizen to all existing Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY) smart card holders. This would be in addition to the basic coverage of Rs 30,000 in Trust and Society mode.
UP govt launches Sankalp Seva bus service
Uttar Pradesh government launched Sankalp Seva bus service of 50 buses to connect as many as 6,000 villages. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath flagged off the buses in function at Lucknow. On this occasion he announced to construct ‘Gaurav Marg Path’ to honour the sacrifices of the martyrs.
Maharashtra launched Web Portal with Information on New Govt Schemes
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis launched ‘MahaLabharthi‘ web portal that will help people get information about all the government schemes that they are eligible for. The web portal, https://www.mahalabharthi.in, works on the basis of personal, educational and professional information provided by a person while registering on it.
U’khand Govt launched ‘Solar Briefcase’ to provide Electricity in Remote Areas
Uttarakhand State Government and a charitable funding agency named Swan Cultural Center and Foundation launched ‘Solar Briefcase’ in Kedarnath Dham. The initiative was taken to provide electricity to far-flung areas in the hill state.
Manipur celebrates ‘Mera Houchongba’ festival
Manipur’s traditional Mera Houchongba festival which endeavors to promote brotherhood and unity among indigenous communities, was celebrated at the Manipur Royal palace (Sana Konung) in Imphal in the presence of titular monarch Leishemba Sanajaoba recently. The royal palace, which usually is deserted, was filled with a riot of colours as hundreds of people, both from the hills and the valley, took part in the festivities attired in their traditional colourful dresses.
Chhattisgarh bans use of chlorinated plastic and Polyvinyl Chloride
In Chhattisgarh, the state government has banned the use of chlorinated plastic and Polyvinyl Chloride -PVC. The advertising and promotion materials like PVC banners, flex, and hoardings have also been banned with immediate effect. Chhattisgarh government decision is with an objective to conserve and improve the environment.
Mizoram has highest number of clouded leopards in Southeast Asia
Mizoram’s Dampa Tiger Reserve now holds the distinction of housing the highest number of clouded leopards in Southeast Asia, the state government has claimed. The density of population of clouded leopards, locally known as ‘Kelral’, is 5.14 per 100 sq km in the reserve, situated along the Mizoram-Bangladesh-Tripura.
PM Modi lays Foundation Stone for Bridge in Dwarka, Gujarat
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of a four-lane cable-stayed bridge between Okha and Beyt Dwarka. The bridge is a link between old and new Dwarka. The 2.32 km bridge, including 900 metres of central double span cable-stayed portion, will be constructed at a cost of Rs. 962.43 crore. The four-lane 27.20-metre wide bridge will have 2.50 metre wide footpaths on each side. Solar panels installed on the roof of footpath will produce 1 MW power for street lights on the bridge.
UP govt launches ‘Mukhyamantri Samoohik Vivaah Yojana’
Uttar Pradesh State Government launched a mass marriage scheme called ‘Mukhyamantri Samoohik Vivaah Yojana’. Under the scheme, Uttar Pradesh social welfare department will conduct mass marriages. The District magistrates of respective districts will authorize Urban local bodies like Nagar panchayat, Nagar Palika and Nagar Nigam, kshetra panchayats, Zila panchayats, government/ semi-government organizations and NGOs to organize programmes in this regard.
Chhattisgarh CM flags-off Cancer detection ambulance to cure patients free-of-cost
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr. Raman Singh has flagged-off ‘Cancer diagnosis Ambulance’ at his official residence. The vehicle is fitted with ultra-advanced equipment to detect cancer. The patients will be treated free-of-cost. The Akhil Bharatiya Marwari Yuva Manch is organizing the cancer detection camps. About Rs Two crore had been invested in the ambulance. The patients who are suffering from oral, throat, breast, prostate, intestinal, liver and other forms of cancer will be medically examined.
Turtle Sanctuary to be set up in Allahabad
The Union Ministry of Water Resources has approved project to set up Turtle sanctuary in Allahabad along with River Biodiversity Park at Sangam in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh under Namami Gange programme. The purpose of the Turtle sanctuary is to protect the rich aquatic biodiversity of river Ganga from escalating anthropogenic pressures.
Foundation stone for National waterway on Krishna River laid
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu laid foundation stone to develop Muktyal to Vijayawada waterway stretch on River Krishna as part of National Waterway 4 at Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh. The 82-km inland waterway stretch is Phase-1 of National Waterway-4 developed under Sagar Mala project. It will be used mainly for transportation of cement and construction material for new capital city Amaravati.
Country’s First ITI for Divyangans in Assam
Foundation stone for the first ever Industrial Training Institute for the Divyangans exclusively was laid at Dibrugarh ITI Complex at Borboruah, Dibrugarh by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. As per the guidelines of National Council for Vocational Training, the ITI will have sixty seats for three different trades with 20 seats per trade. The three different trades included in the curriculum are Computer Operator and Programming Assistant, Cutting and Sewing Technology and Hair & Skin Care.
Meenakshi Temple named Best ‘Swachh Iconic Place’ in India
The Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple has been adjudged best ‘Swachh Iconic Place’ in India. Madurai District Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao and Corporation Commissioner S. Aneesh Sekhar will receive the award from Uma Bharati, the Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation. A total of 63 compact bins have been placed and four compactor trucks do the rounds around the temple premises. There are 25 e-toilets and 15 water ATMs for tourists to use. There are two road sweepers and battery operated vehicles specifically purchased to clean this stretch.
GIFT City’s IFSC bags 10th place in Global Financial Centres Index
Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City)’s International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) has bagged the 10th spot in the latest edition of Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI), London. GIFT IFSC is ranked tenth, ahead of Luxembourg, Seoul, Abu Dhabi, Toronto and Beijing in the list of the GFCI report, which has 15 centres that are likely to become more significant in the next few years. Including GIFT City’s IFSC, six of the top ten emerging centres are in Asia.
Chandrababu Naidu launches ‘Swachh Andhra Mission’
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu launched Swachh Andhra Mission on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. Shuttle Player PV Sindhu chosen as the brand ambassador of Swachh Andhra. The government is working hard to achieve the seven-star scheme that includes current, gas, drinking water toilet, CC roads, schools, playground, Anganwadi center and internet facility, pond, and planting, at least Rs. 10,000 income for every family in the village.
UP Govt removes Taj Mahal from Tourism list
Taj Mahal has been dropped from the list of tourist destinations published by the government of Uttar Pradesh. The new booklet issued by UP government has removed Taj Mahal and instead carries the name of temples from Mathura, Ayodhya and Gorakhpur in the list. UP Govt also neglected the World Heritage site by not including it in the special section ‘Hamari Sanskritik Virasat’ (Our Cultural Heritage) of the annual budget for 2017-2018. The exclusion faced criticism from all sectors of the nation, especially from academicians and historians who slammed the government for not promoting the multi-cultural faith of the country.
Odisha Government creating land bank for industrial allocation
The Odisha Government is creating 1.2 lakh acre land bank across state for allocation to industrial sector in order to avoid repeat of Posco fiasco. The purpose of the land bank is to cut red tape and avoid local issues in the land acquisition process. Under it, state government is acquiring government land for industrial use. The land bank is based on plug-and-play kind of model wherein facilities related to water, power, roads and all clearances are in place. The companies need to only make payment of base premium upfront for land and annual rent for rest of the 90 years lease period.
‘No helmet, no petrol’ rule comes into force in Andhra Pradesh
No helmet, no petrol’ rule for two-wheeler riders to reduce road accident deaths has come into force in Andhra Pradesh, with chief minister Chandrababu Naidu urging all the petrol bunk dealers to cooperate. Chandrababu has sanctioned Rs 10 crore for equipment to implement this rule.
Karnataka unveils scheme to feed 12 lakh pregnant women
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah launched the “Mathru Purna” scheme, which aims to provide nutritious meals to about 12 lakh pregnant women and lactating mothers in the state. Besides nutritional supplements, counselling and other maternity benefits will also be provided at the Anganwadi centres under the scheme.
MP CM launches ‘Single Click Pension Delivery’ scheme
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched ‘Single Click Pension Delivery’ scheme, wherein the money will go directly into the account of the beneficiaries. More than 35 lakh people of the state will be benefited from this move. Chauhan also honoured the elderly who completed the age of 100 years with the “Shataayu” award.
CONFERENCES
UN conference on nuclear energy begins in UAE
The United Nations conference on nuclear energy started at Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The objective of the conference is to engage in dialogue on the role of nuclear power in meeting future energy demand, contributing to sustainable development and mitigating climate change. The meeting is also discussing key issues related to the development and deployment of nuclear power. Also, Iran has boycotted the conference, as Yukiya Amano, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, avoided speaking about the nuclear deal at all in his address at the venue.
14th SAARCLAW Conference held in Colombo, Sri Lanka
The 14th South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation in Law (SAARCLAW) Conference was held in Colombo, capital city of Sri Lanka along with 11th SAARC Chief Justices Conference. The three-day conference was inaugurated by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and saw participation from South Asia’s top Judges, legal practitioners and academics.
PM Modi inaugurates Global Conference on Consumer Protection
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a global conference on consumer protection in New Delhi. This is the first time that an international conference on consumer protection is being organized by India for countries of the region. The conference is deliberated upon steps taken by Asian countries to implement the UN guidelines on consumer protection as well as challenges faced by consumers of financial services and e-commerce. Twenty-two countries from East, South and South-East Asia are participating in the international conference. These include China, South Korea, Singapore, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Arun Jaitley Attends G-20 Finance Ministers Meeting
The Union Minister for Finance Arun Jaitley participated in the G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) Meeting in Washington D.C. The discussion focused on the agenda items pertaining to Global Economy and Framework for Growth, Compact with Africa and International Financial Architecture. As co-chairs of G20 Framework Working Group (FWG), India made the lead intervention during the Second Round of the Session on ‘Global Economy and Framework for Growth’, which discussed the IMF’s G-20 Report on ‘Strong, Sustainable, and Balanced Growth(SSBG)’.
PM Modi’s Economic Advisory Council holds its first meeting
The recently constituted Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) held its first meeting in New Delhi to deliberate upon and lay out a roadmap to give a leg up to the Indian economy in the short term after GDP growth for the first quarter fell to a three-year low of 5.7%. The EAC-PM is chaired by Dr. Bibey Debroy. Key issues for the discussion include ways to boost consumer demand, attract private investments and measures to incentivize job creation in the country, people familiar with the agenda said.
Vice President inaugurated 3rd International Conference on Yoga
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the third International Conference on Yoga in New Delhi. The theme of this year’s conference will be ‘Yoga for Wellness’. The two-day conference has six technical sessions and experts will deliberate on the scope of yoga in integrated medicine, and control of cancer, depression and gynaecological disorders and pain management. Around 500 delegates, including those from 44 countries, will attend the conference.
Andhra CM Naidu inaugurates Blockchain Business Conference
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated a two-day International Blockchain Business Conference, which will also have sessions on Blockchain in banking, insurance and capital markets. Blockchain is the latest technology in the field of cyber space that is generating huge interest globally.
First meeting of India-Australia joint steering committee held
The First Meeting of India-Australia Joint Steering Committee was held in New Delhi. Shri TVSN Prasad, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs and Mr. Stephen Bouwhuis, First Assistant Secretary, International and Auscheck Division, Criminal Justice Group, Attorney-General’s Department led the respective delegations. This meeting was a follow-up to the MoU on Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism and Transnational Organized Crime exchanged between the two sides during the visit of Australian Prime Minister Mr. Malcolm Turnbull to New Delhi in April 2016.
Global Wildlife Programme Conference held in New Delhi
The Global Wildlife Programme (GWP) Conference was recently held in New Delhi. It was jointly hosted by Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), World Bank and United Nations Development Programme. The Theme of the conference was – “People participation in wildlife conservation”.
LS Speaker to lead Indian delegation at 8th Conference in Sri Lanka
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will attend a special parliamentary session in Sri Lanka that is being convened to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Parliament. The association of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Speakers and Parliamentarians is a platform for the parliamentarians of South Asia to work together to reach the 2030 agenda for “Sustainable Development”. It promotes parliamentary diplomacy and open Parliament in the digital age, encourage parliamentarians’ role in preserving cultural and archaeological heritage in South Asia, support women to uplift themselves from poverty and build a better future for their communities, and attempts to counter violent extremism among the youth to prevent terrorism among other things.
AWARDS & HONOURS
Girish Karnad to be honoured with Tata Literature Lifetime Achievement Award 2017
Versatile actor and playwright Girish Karnad will be honoured with Tata Literature Live Lifetime Achievement Award 2017 on 19 November 2017. The award will be presented to the veteran actor at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Nariman Point in Mumbai. The actor will receive the award as a playwright.
Cleartrip named ‘Best Mobile App for Travel’ at Mobexx Awards
Online travel solutions provider Cleartrip was named the ‘Best Mobile App for Travel and Leisure’ at the Mobexx Awards 2017. The award was conferred for the success that it has had on the mobile platform, seen by many as the future of advertising and brand marketing. IIT-Roorkee won Schneider’s ‘Go Green in the City’ contest held in Paris.
Anupam Kher receives Parmod Mahajan Smriti Award
Anupam Kher has received Parmod Mahajan Smriti Award in Pune. He is the current Chairman of Film and Television Institute of India. Saira Banu, who moved Supreme Court seeking a ban on instantaneous ‘Triple Talaq’ among Muslims is the second recipient of Pramod Mahjan Smriti Award. The awards were presented by Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar. The award was instituted by Pune-based organization ‘Muktachhand’ in memory of Late Pramod Mahajan who was the leader from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a former Union Cabinet Minister.
Sharmila Tagore honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award
Veteran actor Sharmila Tagore has received the Lifetime Achievement Award. The 72-year-old actor was bestowed with the recognition by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in New Delhi for her contribution in the field of cinema. Minister of State for Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh and Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari presented the award to Tagore. The celebrated actor debuted in movies with legendary director Satyajit Ray’s Bengali film Apur Sansar in 1959. Her breakout role in Hindi cinema was Shakti Samanta’s 1964 film Kashmir Ki Kali.
L&T Technology Services Conferred with CII Industrial Innovation Award
L&T Technology Services Ltd (LTTS), a leading global pure-play Engineering Services Company was conferred with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Industrial Innovation Award, 2017. This award recognized it as one of the most innovative Indian companies in the services category at the CII Industrial Innovation Awards ceremony in New Delhi.
Choti Kumari Singh won ‘Women’s Creativity in Rural Life Award’
A 20-year-old girl Choti Kumari from Bihar won International acclaim for her efforts to uplift the Musahar community, considered one of the lowest and most downtrodden in the state’s caste-ridden society. Choti Kumari Singh, hailing from an impoverished upper caste Rajput family, has won ‘Women’s Creativity in Rural Life’ Award’ from the Switzerland-based Women’s World Summit Foundation. Choti started helping with social and educational work among Musahars in her own village of Ratanpur in 2014, after joining a programme run by the Mata Amritanandamayi Math of the spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Amma). Choti initiated self-help groups wherein every woman saves Rs 20 a month, which is deposited in a common bank account for starting home-based activities.
Andhra CM Naidu receives Golden Peacock Award
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has been honoured with the prestigious Golden Peacock Award in the 17th London Global Convention held in London. The Chief Minister was awarded in the category of “Global Leadership in Public Service and Economic Transformation”.
South African Indian-origin couple wins top US award for AIDS research
A globally-acclaimed South African Indian-origin researcher couple was honoured with a prestigious US award for their exceptional contributions in the field of HIV/AIDS. Professors Salim Abdool Karim and Quarraisha Abdool Karim received the award from the Institute for Human Virology (IHV) in Baltimore in the US.
Alka Yagnik and Udit Narayan to get Lata Mangeshkar Award
Noted music composers Usha Khanna, Bappi Lahiri, Anu Malik and playback singers Alka Yagnik and Udit Narayan have been selected for the Madhya Pradesh government’s prestigious National Lata Mangeshkar Award. The artistes will be honoured for their contribution in the field of music composition and singing. The award is given every year alternatively to music directors and playback singers.
Javed Akhtar to be honoured with Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award
Veteran writer and lyricist Javed Akhtar is to be honored with the Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award will receive Rs.1,00,000 along with a memento. The programme is being presented to celebrate the 75-year-old music career of singer Lata Mangeshkar.
Environmental scientist Schellnhuber receives Blue Planet Prize
The world’s most prestigious award for pioneers in environmental science was given to Hans Joachim Schellnhuber in Tokyo. The Blue Planet Prize, coming along with 50 million yen, honors outstanding thinkers who help to meet challenges of planetary dimensions.
US author George Saunders wins 2017 Man Booker Prize
American author George Saunders won the 2017 Man Booker Prize, a high-profile literary award for his first full-length novel “Lincoln in the Bardo”. With this, he became second consecutive American writer to win prize after Paul Beatty (for his novel The Sellout), after rules were changed in 2014 to allow authors of any book written in English and published in UK to compete.
Indian peacekeepers in Sudan awarded with UN medal
Fifty Indian peacekeepers stationed in South Sudan were awarded with the UN Medal for their professionalism and service in protecting civilians and building durable peace in the conflict-ridden country. The peacekeepers were presented with the award by UNMISS Force Commander General Frank Mushyo Kamanzi. These Indian peacekeepers are part of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Indian peacekeepers were deployed with the Indian battalion stationed at Bor in the Jonglei region of South Sudan.
Indian-American Attorney awarded 3rd American Bazaar Philanthropy award
Noted Indian-American attorney Ajay Raju has been honoured with the third American Bazaar Philanthropy award in recognition of his philanthropic activities in the United States. Raju was honoured for his commitment to revive Philadelphia through the Germination Project. The Germination project is a signature initiative of the Pamela and Ajay Raju Foundation that recruits talented teenagers and prepares them to be tomorrow’s leaders.
Eminent Poet Prabha Varma chosen for Padma Prabha Puraskaram
Eminent poet, lyricist and journalist Prabha Varma has been selected for the Padma Prabha Puraskaram for 2017. The announcement was made by the chairman-cum-managing director of ‘Mathrubhumi’ daily, M P Veerendra Kumar. A jury headed by ace novelist M Mukundan chose Varma for the prestigious award, considering his contribution to Malayalam literature. The award, carrying a cash prize of Rs 75,000, a plaque and a citation, was instituted by the Padma Prabha Memorial Trust.
Poorvi bags ‘best performer’ award at ‘Little Miss World’
12-year old Indian girl Poorvi G B has been awarded the ‘best performer’ subtitle at the ‘Little Miss World 2017’ pageant held in Greece. Poorvi G B has become the first Indian kid to win the title in the international beauty pageant and talent competition. At the event, Poorvi G B gave a Kathak dance performance and also showcased the rich culture of Karnataka.
Singer T M Krishna wins Indira Gandhi National Integration
The 30th Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for the year 2015 and 2016 has been awarded to Carnatic vocalist T M Krishna, for his services in promoting and preserving National Integration in the country. Krishna is not only one of the pre-eminent vocalists in the rigorous Carnatic tradition of Indian classical music, but also an activist who has worked on creating egalitarian spaces for music and breaking down caste-barriers in the form. Others winners include the Kasthurba Gandhi National Memorial trust (Indore, Madhya Pradesh), musician A R Rehman and Ramakrishan Mission Ashram, Narainpur, Chattisgarh (jointly), poet Gulzar, scientist Dr M S Swaminathan and activist P V Rajagopal.
Namita bags Centenary National Award
Eminent writer Namita Gokhale has been nominated for the first Centenary National Award for Literature, for her outstanding literary contributions. The award has been conferred by the Asam Sahitya Sabha, which is regarded as one of the most prestigious literary bodies in India. This award has been instituted as part Asam Sahitya Sabha’s centenary celebrations.
M K Sanu chosen for Mathrubhumi Literary award
Eminent critic, biographer and orator M K Sanu has been chosen for the Mathrubhumi Literary Award for 2016 in recognition of his rich contribution to the Malayalam literature.
Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak gets Lal Bahadur Shastri award
President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, presented the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for Excellence in Public Administration, Academics and Management for the year 2017 to Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak. Dr. Bindeshwar also received the Padma Bhushan in 1991. The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award is an annual prestigious award instituted from Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management, Delhi.
GCMMF Awarded Best FMCG in Food Sector by IAA
The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which manages brand AMUL, has been awarded as the best FMCG in the food sector at the 5th International Advertising Associations (IAA) Leadership Awards in Mumbai. Amul is India’s largest food brand with the annual brand turnover of Rs 38,000 crore. It is a cooperative milk federation of 3.6 million milk producers of Gujarat.
Radhakrishnan selected for Vayalar award
Noted Novelist T D Radhakrishnan’s has been selected for this year’s prestigious Vayalar award. The award will be presented to him on October 27, 2017, the death anniversary of poet and lyricist Vayalar Ramavarma. Vayalar Award was instituted in 1977 by the Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial Trust in memory of Malayalam poet and lyricist Vayalar.
Rajesh Nath gets Germany’s Highest Civilian Honour
Rajesh Nath, Managing Director of VDMA India, has been conferred the ‘Cross of the Order of Merit’, the highest civilian honour awarded to individuals for their services to Germany. The award, also known as Bundesverdienstkreuz or Federal Cross of Merit was instituted in 1951 and is Germany’s only honour that is awarded to both Germans and foreigners for achievements in the economic, social, political or intellectual realms.
Nobel Prize 2017 in Economic Sciences announced
The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2017 was awarded to Richard H. Thaler for his contributions to behavioral economics. In 1968, Sveriges Riksbank (Sweden’s central bank) established the Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, founder of the Nobel Prize.
ICAN awarded Nobel Peace Prize 2017
The Norwegian Nobel Committee decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2017 to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) for its work to draw attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons and for its ground-breaking efforts to achieve a treaty-based prohibition of such weapons”. The Prize calls upon nuclear-armed states to initiate negotiations to the gradual elimination of the world’s 15,000 nuclear weapons adding that ICAN has in the past year given the efforts to achieve a world without nuclear weapons a new direction and new vigor.
Gauri Lankesh, First Indian Journalist to win Anna Politkovskaya Award
Journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead by unknown assailants recently, has been posthumously accorded with the prestigious Anna Politkovskaya Award, instituted by Reach All Women (RAW) in War. It was honoured to award the annual Anna Politkovskaya Award for women human rights defenders from war and conflict zones jointly to Gauri Lankesh posthumously and to a brave Pakistani activist Gulalai Ismail, who similarly is fighting against Islamic extremism.
Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded for method to visualise biomolecules
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to confer the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2017 to three scientists for developing a technique to produce detailed images of life’s complex molecular machinery. Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank and Richard Henderson have thereby received a £825,000 prize for developing an effective method for generating 3D images of life-building structures. The technique they developed, called cryo-electron microscopy, has allowed the structure of biomolecules to be studied in high-resolution for the first time, an advance that revolutionised the field of biochemistry.
2017 Nobel Physics Prize awarded to Gravitational Wave Detectors
The 2017 Nobel Physics Prize has been awarded “for decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves” to Rainer Weiss, Barry C. Barish and Kip S. Thorne of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory. The Prize announced by Sweden’s Royal Academy of Sciences comes with 9 million kronor ($1.1 million). For the past 25 years, the prize has been shared among multiple winners.
Jeffrey, Michael Rosbash & Michael win 2017 Nobel prize in physiology or medicine
The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet has decided to award the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly to the American trio of Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W. Young for their discoveries of molecular mechanisms controlling the circadian rhythm. All three winners are from the US. It is the 108th time the prize has been awarded and was announced at the Nobel Forum at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. The winners will share a prize of 9m Swedish kronor (£825,000), and each receives a medal engraved with their name.
Indian entrepreneur wins UK business award for innovative IT solutions
A Ghana-based Indian entrepreneur has won a prestigious business award in the UK for his efforts to bring innovative IT solutions to Africa. Birendra Sasmal, CEO of Subah, bagged the International Business Person of the Year at the Asian Achievers Awards in London for turning the company into a thriving IT, telecoms and manufacturing success story with operations across West Africa.
SPORTS & GAMES
Jasprit Bumrah secures top spot in ICC T20 Rankings
Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah climbed to the number one spot in the latest ICC T20 rankings while his fifth-ranked team could go as high as second if it beats New Zealand in the three-match series beginning. Bumrah, who attained a career-best third position in the ODI rankings, has regained the T20 top spot after Pakistan spinner Imad Wasim slipped one place.
Heena Sidhu wins Air Pistol Gold at Commonwealth Shooting Championships
Ace Indian shooter Heena Sindhu has bagged gold in women’s 10m Air Pistol event at Commonwealth Shooting Championships in Brisbane, Australia. Heena shot a score of 240.8 in the finals to beat Australia’s Elena Galiabovitch, who has to settle for silver after posting 238.2. Kristy Gillman of Australia picked up the bronze medal with a score of 213.7. India also picked up their second medal through Deepak Kumar as he won bronze in men’s 10m Air Rifle event.
Indian Junior team win Bronze Medal in Johor Cup Hockey
Indian Junior Men’s Hockey team beat hosts Malaysia 4-0 in the Bronze medal match of the 7th Sultan of Johor Cup 2017 at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium, in Malaysia. Goals from Vishal Antil (15’, 25’), Vivek Prasad (11’) and Shilanand Lakra (21’) were enough for India to finish their tournament with the Bronze medal.
Mithali Raj and Virat Kohli tops ICC ranking
India captain Mithali Raj moved up one place to occupy the number one spot in the latest ICC ODI rankings for batswomen. Ellyse Perry of Australia and Amy Satterthwaite of New Zealand also jumped one place each to be at second and third spots. Mithali has 753 points. Also, Indian captain, Virat Kohli returned to the top of the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen after logging career-high rating points, going past the iconic Sachin Tendulkar in the process. The 28-year-old Delhi batsman has reached 889 points, which is the best ever by an India batsman.
Federer wins 8th Basel Title, 95th Overall
The Swiss superstar won his eighth Basel title, after defeating Juan Martin del Potro, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3 to clinch his ATP World Tour-leading seventh title of the year. It was Federer’s first success against the Argentine in a Basel final, after the South American beat him in both 2012 and 2013. Federer moved ahead of Ivan Lendl into standalone second place on the Open Era titles list, only trailing Jimmy Connors, who owns 109 trophies. He now owns eight or more trophies at three different events: Halle (9), Wimbledon (8) and Basel (8).
Lewis Hamilton secures 2017 F1 title, Max Verstappen wins Mexico Grand Prix
Britain’s Lewis Hamilton has been crowned Formula One world champion after he finished ninth in a dramatic Mexican Grand Prix. The race was won by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen but Mercedes’ Hamilton clinched his fourth drivers’ championship after Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was unable to win the race following collisions between the trio on the first lap.
Virat Kohli becomes fastest to reach 9000 ODI runs, a century
India skipper Virat Kohli became the fastest to reach 9000 ODI runs, taking just 194 innings to achieve the feat. He achieved the feat even as he scored his 32nd century in the third and final One-Day International (ODI) against New Zealand in Kanpur at the Green Park stadium. Kohli also became the first batsman to amass 2000 runs in international cricket in 2017.
Shuttler Srikanth wins French Open title
Star Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth has defeated Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto in straight games to win the men’s singles title at the French Open Superseries, becoming the first-ever Indian shuttler to win 4 Superseries in a year. With this he also became the first Indian to win the Indonesia Super Series. He has also won Indonesia Open, Australian Open and Denmark Open this year.
Sangram wins Silver in Double Trap in ISSF World Cup final
Sangram Dahiya won a silver in the ISSF World Cup Final, in New Delhi. Double trap exponent Sangram clinched his first-ever senior medal in International Shooting Sports Federation tournament. He was taking part in the prestigious event for the first time.
Amanpreet wins Bronze at ISSF World Cup final
India’s Amanpreet Singh clinched a bronze medal in his maiden appearance in an ISSF World Cup Final, in New Delhi. Jitu Rai fizzled out to finish seventh on the fourth day of competition. World Cup silver medallist Amanpreet shot 202.2 to win the bronze in the final of men’s 50m pistol. Rai could manage only 123.2 to finish last in the seven- man final. This was India’s first individual medal in the ongoing edition of the prestigious tournament.
Patna Pirates clinched Third Pro Kabaddi successive title
Pardeep Narwal scored incredible 24 points to steer Patna Pirates to third consecutive Pro Kabaddi title. Pardeep, who had scored 76 points in three playoffs, helped Patna come from behind and thump Gujarat Fortunegiants 55-38 in the summit clash of Pro Kabaddi season 5. Gujarat’s Sachin Tawar was the only player who had managed to break through Patna defence and scored 11 points. The 20-year old raider finishes the 2017 edition as the highest raider with 369 raid points and 19 Super 10s.
England beat Spain 5-2 to Win First-ever U-17 Title
England scripted a dramatic turnaround in Kolkata to win the 2017 FIFA U17 World Cup for the very first time after a 5-2 win over European U17 champions Spain. Spain appeared to throw in the towel after letting slip a commanding lead, and their woe was compounded by further strikes from Marc Guehi and Foden to round off a comprehensive 5-2 victory.
Jitu Rai and Heena Sindhu win gold in air pistol mixed team event
Jitu Rai and Heena Sindhu won gold medal at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Final in New Delhi. The duo struck gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team event on the opening day of ISSF World Cup in the capital. They will make their Olympic debut in the Tokyo 2020 Games. Both Rai and Sindhu picked their gold together in the mixed team event.
Scott Fleming joins NBA India as Head of Basketball Operations
The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced that former India men’s national team head coach Scott Fleming has joined NBA India as Head of Basketball Operations. Scott Fleming will oversee the league’s youth and elite basketball development in India, including the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA program, NBA Academy India, and NBA Basketball School.
Thakkar first Indian to top ITTF
Manav Thakkar has become the first Indian to occupy the top spot (3,455 points) on the ITTF World Junior Circuit standings. Manav Thakkar hails from Surat. He was previously placed at No. 5 position. He has reached the top position of top ITTF Junior Circuit standings after finishing runner-up at the 2017 Serbian Junior and Cadet Open, Belgrade.
Divij & Scott crowned EO champions
India’s Divij Sharan and America’s Scott Lipsky won the European Open trophy in Antwerp, Belgium. Divij Sharan and Scott Lipsky defeated Santiago Gonzalez and Julio Peralta by 6-4, 2-6, 10-5 in the finals. They won the 2017 European Open title. Divij Sharan has won his first title of the 2017 season on the ATP World Tour, and third overall, by winning the European Open trophy.
Cristiano Ronaldo Named Best FIFA Men’s Player
Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has beaten Lionel Messi and Neymar to win the Best FIFA Men’s Player award for the second year running. Ronaldo was presented the award at The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony in London, UK. The award, which covers the period of November 2016 to July 2017, is voted by national team coaches, captains, selected media and fans.
Kidambi Srikanth lifts Denmark Open Superseries Trophy 2017
Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth lifted the Denmark Open Superseries trophy at Odense, Denmark. He defeated South Korea’s Lee Hyun-il in straight games, 21-10, 21-5 to bag his third Super Series title of the year and fifth overall. He recently (June 2017) won Australia Open Super Series title.
Indian Women’s compound team bags silver at World Archery Championships
The Indian women’s compound team has bagged a silver medal after losing to Colombian rivals in the World Archery Championships. This was India’s fifth medal at the World Championships and all of them have been silver. It was also the first time India won any medal in the compound team archery section at the World Championships.
Lewis Hamilton wins USA Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton won the U.S. Grand Prix. The victory was the 62nd of Hamilton’s career and his ninth of the season. Lewis Hamilton needs to finish in top five in Mexico to become Britain’s first four times world champion.
India defeats Malaysia to win their 3rd Hockey Asia Cup title
India defeated Malaysia 2-1 in final of the Hockey Asia Cup in Dhaka, to win the tournament for the third time. India, who have finished as the tournament’s runners-up five times previously, have now won the joint second-most number of Asia Cup titles, alongside Pakistan. India had last won the Asia Cup back in 2007.
Kohli becomes top run scorer at 200 ODIs and 14th Indian player to play 200 ODIs
Indian skipper Virat Kohli has become the top run-scorer at the 200 ODI-mark, after taking the field against New Zealand in the first ODI at Mumbai. In his 200th ODI, Virat has 8,767 runs, 146 more than second-placed AB de Villiers. Virat is the 14th Indian cricketer to play 200 ODIs.
Cristiano Ronaldo retains top spot in Forbes’ wealthiest athletes list
Forbes released the top 20 richest sportsmen in the world for 2017 with Real Madrid superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo leading the chart. Ronaldo earned £70m in the last year, making him the highest paid European sports personality. Meanwhile, Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli is the only cricketer to feature in the Top 100 list.
South Africa clinches top spot in ODI, India slips to second
India lost its number one spot in International Cricket Council (ICC) One Day International (ODI) rankings to South Africa. South Africa’s 104-run win over Bangladesh in the second ODI in Paarl pushed it to the top spot. India had claimed the top rank in the ICC rankings as a result of its 4-1 win over Australia. While India and South Africa have equal 120 points against their name, India is placed second on the basis of decimal points. However, India has a chance to regain its top spot as it plays against New Zealand in a three-match ODI series scheduled to begin from 22 October 2017 in Mumbai.
Kavita Devi, India’s first woman wrestler to sign for WWE
Kavita Devi, a former competitive powerlifter, has become the first ever Indian woman to be signed by the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Jinder Mahal, the current WWE champion, confirmed the news in a special visit to New Delhi. Hailing from Haryana, Kavita underwent training to be a professional wrestler under the guidance of The Great Khali (Dalip Singh Rana) at his Punjab based wrestling promotion and training academy. She also won a gold medal at the 2016 South Asian Games.
Mohun Bagan lifts Governor’s Gold Cup
Football club Mohun Bagan has won the 37th All India Governor’s Gold Cup football tournament. Mohun Bagan defeated Partha Chakra by a narrow 1-0 margin to win the 37th All India Governor’s Gold Cup. With this victory, Mohun Bagan won the Governor’s Golden Cup for the 10th time. The final match was played at Paljor Stadium in Gangtok, Sikkim.
Shakib first from Bangladesh in MCC World Cricket Committee
Premier all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan became the first cricketer from Bangladesh to be inducted in the MCC World Cricket Committee under the chairmanship of Mike Gatting. Also added to the committee are Suzie Bates, Ian Bishop and Kumar Dharmasena. Shakib Al Hasan is regarded as one of Bangladesh’s finest players since they were awarded the Test status in 2000, with the all-rounder having played 51 Test matches and 177 one-day internationals.
Maria Sharapova wins Tianjin Open, her first title since doping ban
Former world number one tennis player Maria Sharapova won her first title since returning from a 15-month doping ban, clinching the Tianjin Open. Sharapova defeated Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 7-5, 7-6(8) to win her career’s 36th title and her first since Italian Open in 2015.
Roger Federer Cruises to Shanghai Masters Title
Roger Federer has brushed aside world number one Rafael Nadal 6-4 6-3 to win the Shanghai Masters and register his fourth victory of the year over his Spanish rival. The Swiss world number two beat Nadal in the finals of the Australian Open and Miami Masters and in the last 16 at Indian Wells earlier this year, and never looked like losing to his long-time rival in Shanghai, firing 10 aces as he cruised to victory. Federer, the only man who can still stop Nadal ending the year as number one, took an hour and 12 minutes to claim his sixth title of the year and his second Shanghai crown with a clinical performance.
India bows out from FIFA U-17 World Cup after 0-4 defeat against Ghana
India’s run at the FIFA under-17 World cup came to an end s they went down 0-4 against two time champions Ghana in their final group A match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. In the earlier matches India lost to US and Colombia. However, looking back at young team India’s performance in the tournament, they did show much resilience and tact in their second group match against Colombia, giving the team a tough competition.
Gurusaidutt wins Bulgarian International Tournament
Commonwealth Games bronze medallist RMV Gurusaidutt clinched the men’s singles title at the Bulgarian International Future Series tournament. Gurusaidutt has defeated Muhammed Ali Kurt (Turkey) in a 35- minute match. Gurusaidutt will also participate in Senior Nationals Championship in November 2017.
Staubli first female referee to officiate in U-17 World Cup
Switzerland’s Esther Staubli will become the first female referee to officiate a match at the FIFA U-17 World Cup when Japan clash with New Caledonia in the final round group E match in Kolkata on 14th October 2017. This is in line with FIFA’s objective to further develop women’s football. Staubli is one of seven women referees invited to the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017.
Compulsory Yo-Yo test for cricketers
According to BCCI, every cricketer will now need to have a yo-yo test, prescribed by the Indian team management. In a yo-yo test, players have to pace themselves to and fro between two rows of cones kept 20 metres apart. For every round the player has to sync his sprint with the beeps that are played. This test is widely used by selection bodies in various sports including hockey, football.
Indian Pair Win Gold at World Archery Youth Championship 2017
Mixed pair of Jemson Ningthoujam and Ankita Bhakat clinched the gold medal as India returned with three medals from the World Archery Youth Championship in Rosario, Argentina. This is India’s first world title at the youth championships since Deepika Kumari’s victories in 2009 and 2011. India also bagged one silver and one bronze in a promising show by the youngsters.
FIFA suspends Pakistan Football Federation
FIFA has decided to suspend the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) with immediate effect in accordance with the decision of the Bureau of the FIFA Council on account of undue third-party interference. The national and club teams will not be allowed to take part in international competitions till the suspension is lifted. FIFA suspended PFF since its accounts were in control of a court-appointed administrator, which is against FIFA rules. The suspension will be lifted when the body becomes independent.
Iceland becomes smallest nation ever to enter FIFA World Cup
Iceland becomes the smallest country ever to qualify for the final stage of the FIFA World Cup, after topping its qualifying group. The island nation has a population of over 3,34,000 with over 20,000 registered football players. Last year, Iceland played its first major tournament, the UEFA European Championship, where the team defeated England and reached the quarter-final stage.
Dhayal Sisters win bronze in Youth World Championship
Pune girls Divya Dhayal and Khushbu Dhayal won bronze medal in the Youth World Championship in Rosario, Argentina. The three-member Indian team of Khushbu Dhayal, Divya Dhayal and Delhi’s Sanchita Tiwari defeated Russia in the quarterfinals but lost the semifinals to US. The Youth World Archery Championship, held from October 2 to 8, in Rosario, Argentina, is held after two years.
Tyrrell Hatton retains Dunhill Links Championship title
Tyrrell Hatton became the first man to retain the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship title. He won by three shots after a six-under-par final round. It is the second year in a row that Fisher had finished second at the Dunhill Links.
Rafael Nadal wins China Open title
World number one Rafael Nadal (Spain) won his China Open Title that is sixth title of this year. He defeated Nick Kyrgios (Australia) at the China Open 2017. He won a 16-time Grand Slam winner and came to the Chinese capital Beijing on the back of winning his third US Open.
Anupama clinches World Open Under-16 Snooker Championship title
India’s Anupama Ramachandran has clinched the World Open Under-16 Snooker Championship title at St. Petersburg in Russia. In the girls category, second seed Anupama Ramachandran of India knocked out her compatriot and top seed Keerthana Pandian 3-1 to become World Open Under-16 champion.
FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 started in India
The much-awaited FIFA U-17 World Cup started with four opening day matches to be played in Delhi and Mumbai. The opening matches would be played by teams in Group A and B. In Delhi, the inaugural match would be played between Group A teams Colombia and Ghana at Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium, followed by hosts India who would take on Team USA in the second match. In Mumbai, Group B team New Zealand would be taking on Turkey in the first game at DY Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai.
India’s first portal dedicated to para-sports launched
In a bid to create awareness about para-sports and provide a platform to para sportspersons to narrate their stories of triumph and adversity,thenationspride.com, the country’s first portal dedicated to para-sports has been launched in Mumbai, Maharashtra. thenationspride.com is a non-profit initiative, helmed by 17-year-old Mumbai student and sports enthusiast, Saachi Munot. The portal brings readers inspiring stories of Indian para-sportspersons, who have consistently delivered stellar performances on domestic and global arenas alike, but whose stories have largely gone untold or unheard.
Rangana Herath, 1st left-arm spinner to pick 400 wickets
Rangana Herath has became the 14th bowler overall to take 400 wickets in Test cricket. Herath also became the first left-arm spinner to bag 400 wickets in Tests. Daniel Vettori of New Zealand, with 362 wickets, is second in the list of left-arm spinners with most wickets. He also became the second Sri Lankan after the great Muttiah Muralitharan to pick 400 wickets.
2018 Commonwealth Games Baton arrives in New Delhi
The Queen’s Baton for the 2018 Commonwealth Games arrived in New Delhi, India. The 2018 Commonwealth Games will be held in Australia. The Baton was received by Indian Olympic Association (IOA) joint secretary Rakesh Gupta and it will travel to Agra. It will then be taken to Nainital in Uttarakhand on October 5. The main CWG Baton Relay event will be held on October 8 at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.
Pooja Kadian hands India its first gold in Wushu World C’ships
Pooja Kadian created history as she bagged India’s first ever gold medal at Wushu World Championships in Russia. Pooja, an ace Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF) Wushu champion, finished on top of the podium in the 75 kg women’s Sanda Category after defeating Evgeniya Stepanova of Russia in the final.
Jagan Wins sixth title in a row at National Motorcycle Racing
TVS Racing’s mascot Jagan Kumar notched his sixth straight title in the premier Super Sports Indian class on a rain-affected day to bring down the curtain on the MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The event was organized by Madras Motorsports Club. It was sponsored by MRF Tyres.
Viswanathan Anand finishes second at Isle of Man Championship
Five time World Champion Viswanathan Anand finished second at the Isle of Man Chess Championship at Douglas. He defeated the Chinese grandmaster Hou Yifan in the 9th and final round. Anand shares second position with America’s Nakamura Hikaru. World Champion Magnus Carlsen won the title with 7.5 points after a short draw against Nakamura.
Max Verstappen wins Malaysian Grand Prix
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen gave himself a perfect 20th birthday present by winning the last Malaysian Grand Prix. The victory was the second of Verstappen’s Grand Prix career, after a first in Spain last year. Verstappen’s Australian team mate Daniel Ricciardo, last year’s winner at Sepang, finished third.
Russia, China & other 9 Countries hit with doping ban
Russia & China were among 9 countries suspended from weightlifting for a year in an attempt to combat an epidemic of doping. The decision by International Weightlifting Federation followed re-testing of anti-doping samples from 2008 & 2012 Olympics. Countries with at least 3 doping offenses from those Olympics were suspended. Russia was also banned from weightlifting event at 2016 Olympics in Rio.
ECONOMY
RIL, first Indian company to cross Rs 6 Trillion Market Capital
Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) became the first Indian company to cross Rs 6 trillion market capitalization after its shares surged over 75% so far this year and hit a fresh lifetime high. Currently, its market cap is at Rs 6.02 trillion. The recent rally in the stock was due to tariff hike by its telecom arm Reliance Jio which, analysts expect, will improve the company’s profitability. Jio increased its tariff by 15% for its popular 84-day plan at Rs 459, under which subscribers get 1GB 4G data at high speed per day.
Zimbabwe bans Fruit, Vegetable imports as Forex Crunch Deepens
The east African landlocked country Zimbabwe, with immediate effect, banned the import of fruits and vegetables to preserve the scarce foreign currencies. Last year Zimbabwe spent more than $80 million on fruit and vegetables which included tomatoes, onions, carrots, grapes, apples and oranges. Many of the Zimbabweans are keeping U.S. dollars at home or they are spending in buying Hard Currency on the black market. This same situation was prevailing during the period of hyperinflation a decade ago.
SBI to set up country’s largest Innovation Centre at Mumbai
The nation’s largest lender State Bank of India is creating a 15,000-sqft innovation center in Navi Mumbai investing around Rs 100 crore. The center, to be built at its Global IT Centre in Belapur in Navi Mumbai, will be the largest innovation center by any financial services company in the country. The innovation center is part of a Rs 200-crore allocation that the bank has earmarked for innovation 2016.
IMF Trims India growth Forecast for Current Financial Year to 6.7 %
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has trimmed India’s growth forecast for Financial Year 2017-18. In its latest World Economic Outlook released, the IMF lowered India’s growth forecast for 2017 to 6.7% from its earlier estimate of 7.2 percent. As per IMF, India is expected to regain the fastest growing major economy tag next year when it is forecast to grow 7.4 per cent, slower than earlier estimate of 7.7 per cent but higher than China’s 6.5 per cent.
RBI to soon launch Financial Literacy Drive in 9 States
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is to launch a financial literacy drive in 80 blocks in nine states on the pilot basis to educate people on e-transactions, formal sector borrowings, and insurance purchases. According to RBI, it commissions 9 states of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Odisha, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh by the 6 NGOs in collaboration with the sponsor Banks. The main aim is to inculcate the habit of making a household budget and recording financial transactions, encourage transactions in savings accounts, and active saving by depositing in banks through fixed deposits and recurring deposits.
U.S. approves sale of Rs. 98,000 crore THAAD missiles to Saudi Arabia
U.S. State Department has approved the possible sale of a THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) anti-missile defence system to Saudi Arabia at an estimated cost of $15 billion (Rs. 98,000 crore). The deal includes 44 THAAD launchers and 360 missiles along with fire control stations and radars.
Fourth Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement released by RBI
On the basis of an assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation at its meeting, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to keep the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) unchanged at 6.0 per cent. Consequently, the Reverse Repo Rate (RRR) under the LAF remains at 5.75 per cent, and the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate at 6.25 per cent. The projection of real Gross Value Added (GVA) growth for 2017-18 has been revised down to 6.7 per cent from the August 2017 projection of 7.3 per cent, with risks evenly balanced.
India’s holdings of American securities
India has sharply increased its exposure to US government securities with holdings worth $135.7 billion at the end of July. Neighbouring China continued to top the charts withholding to the tune of $1.166 trillion, followed by Japan with exposure worth $1.113 trillion. India is the 12th largest holder of US government securities just behind Saudi Arabia.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
World’s fastest, shortest laser pulse created
Scientists from ETH Zurich in Switzerland have successfully created the world’s shortest X-ray laser pulse with duration of just 43 attoseconds (1×10−18 of a second). This laser pulse is the shortest controlled event that has ever been created by humans.
Scientists develop futuristic military watch that can survive nuclear blast
Scientists have developed a new military watch for the Russian army kit, which is capable of resisting high impact and can even survive a nuclear explosion. The watch has been developed by research experts of the Central Scientific – Research Institute for Precision Machine Engineering (TsNIITochMash) – a part of the Rostec State Corporation in Russia.
Japan launches fourth Michibiki satellite for hi-tech GPS
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully launched Michibiki-4 satellite (QZSS-4) onboard of H-IIA rocket from Tanegashima Space Centre. It was fourth satellite in Michibiki series i.e. Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), which is a satellite-based high-precision global positioning system similar to US operated GPS. Moreover, it was 36th H-IIA vehicle to be launched so far and fifth launch of an H-IIA rocket in 2017.
PERSONS IN NEWS
A). APPOINTMENTS
YC Modi took charge as Director General of National Investigation Agency
Senior IPS officer Yogesh Chander (YC) Modi took charge as the Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Modi succeeds Sharad Kumar, who retired on 30 October 2017. Modi is an IPS officer of the 1979 batch of the Haryana cadre.
Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar assumes charge as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff
Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar P, AVSM, VSM has assumed charge as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS) from Vice Admiral Karambir Singh AVSM at a formal ceremony held in New Delhi. Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar P, AVSM, VSM is an alumni of the National Defence Academy. The Flag Officer was commissioned in the Indian Navy on 01 Jul 81 and is a specialist in Missiles & Gunnery.
Gangte appointed as the next High Commissioner to the Republic of Zambia
N.J.Gangte has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Zambia. He is presently the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. He is expected to take up his assignment shortly.
Raina made ambassador of Ghaziabad
Cricketer Suresh Raina has been appointed as the brand ambassador of the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation (GMC) and also the brand ambassador of Swachh Bharat Mission.
Alok Kumar Pateria appointed as ADG, CISF
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Shri Alok Kumar Pateria, IPS as Additional Director General, CISF. He has been appointed on deputation basis for a period up to May 2020.
AMFI Appoints NS Venkatesh as New CEO
NS Venkatesh has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI). The post was lying vacant after CVR Rajendran stepped down from the position in December 2016. Prior to joining AMFI Mr. Venkatesh was executive director at Lakshmi Vilas Bank.
Shri Ngangom Sarat Singh appointed as member of the JERC for Manipur and Mizoram
Union Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Shri R.K. Singh administered the oath of office and secrecy to Shri Ngangom Sarat Singh, here today, on his appointment as a member of the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) for Manipur and Mizoram. It is a two-member Commission, each member representing the respective participating State.
HSBC appoints Jayant Rikhye as CEO India
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) announced the appointment of Jayant Rikhye as the Chief Executive Officer for India. He succeeds Stuart Milne. Mr. Rikhye is currently Head of International, Asia-Pacific, responsible for 11 markets in the region.
Rakesh Asthana appointed CBI Special Director
Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana was appointed the special director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Asthana, a 1984-batch IPS officer, had been serving in the Central Bureau of Investigation as additional director. He is among eight senior police officers promoted by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
Suresh Sethi is India Post Payments Bank’s MD and CEO
India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has appointed Suresh Sethi as its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. He was the former MD of Vodafone M-Pesa Ltd. Sethi had been selected by the Banks Board Bureau from amongst the top contenders for the post, from both public and private sector banking and fintech professionals. The IPPB has been incorporated as a Public Limited Company under the Department of Posts with 100 per cent Government of India equity.
Govt. appoints ex-IB director as interlocutor
The Centre has decided to start a sustained dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir and added that former Intelligence Bureau (IB) director Dineshwar Sharma will be the representative from the Government of India. Rank of Dineshwar Sharma will be equivalent to that of a Cabinet Secretary. Sharma will initiate the dialogue with the elected representatives of Jammu and Kashmir, political parties, different organisations and public.
Sibi George appointed as the Ambassador of India to Switzerland
Sibi George is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of 1993 batch. He has also served as deputy chief of mission of Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia. Sibi George will replace Smita Purushottam as the ambassador of India to Switzerland. He is presently serving as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. He would to take up this assignment shortly.
Sunny Verghese appointed as WBCSD from 2018
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) has appointed NRI businessman Sunny Verghese, co-founder, and CEO of Singapore-based Olam International, as its new chairman from 2018. He succeeds Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever as the Chairman. It is a global network of more than 200 CEOs who are responsible for a combined revenue of more than $ 8.5 trillion and 19 million employees.
Govt appoints MK Gupta, DK Gayen as New Railway Board Members
The government of India has appointed Mahesh Kumar Gupta and D K Gayen as the two new members in the Railway Board. D.K. Gayen, presently posted as General Manager East Central Railway, has been appointed as new Member (Staff) Railway Board and ex officio Secretary to the Government of India. Meanwhile, M K Gupta, presently General Manager, Modern Coach Factory Raibareli has been appointed as new Member(Engineering) Railway Board and ex officio Secretary to the Government of India.
1st Woman to head Saudi sport federation
For the first time, a princess has been named to head a Saudi multi-sports federation. Princess Rima Bandar bin Sultan has become “the first woman to lead a federation” covering sporting activities for men and women. In August 2016, the princess scored another first for women in Saudi Arabia, when she was named by the cabinet to a senior post in the kingdom’s equivalent of a Sports Ministry.
Audrey Azoulay elected as Director General of UNESCO
Former French Culture Minister Audrey Azoulay (45) was elected as new Director General of UNESCO – the UN’s education, science and culture agency. With this, she becomes first Jewish Director of UNESCO. Azoulay defeated Qatar’s Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari in the final 30-28 vote after she won a runoff with a third finalist from Egypt. She will succeed outgoing Director-General Irina Bokova of Bulgaria.
Mobikwik appoints Rukaiya Rangwala as the business head of its payments gateway
Digital wallet major MobiKwik has appointed former Jabong vice-president Rukaiya Rangwala as the business head of its payments gateway business. Recently, MobiKwik had re-launched Zaakpay as MobiKwik Payment Gateway. Rangwala, a technology and e-commerce industry veteran with over 15 years of experience, has worked across the US, Singapore, Japan and India.
Gautam Bambawale appointed as India’s Ambassador to China
Gautam Bambawale was appointed as India’s new Ambassador to China. Bambawale in an Indian Foreign Service Officer of the 1984 batch. He will succeed Vijay Gokhale. Bambawale is familiar with Mandarin Chinese and has earlier served in Hong Kong and Beijing.
Yuvraj Singh named Laureus’ first Indian ambassador
Flamboyant Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh has been appointed as Laureus’ first Indian ambassador, joining the host of cricket legends in the Laureus family, including Indian Academy members Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Kapil Dev. The Laureus World Sports Awards is an annual award ceremony honoring remarkable individuals from the world of sports along with the greatest sporting achievements throughout the year.
Anupam Kher appointed as Chairman of FTII
Veteran actor Anupam Kher (62) was appointed as new Chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune. He will succeed Gajendra Chauhan whose tenure ended in March 2017. Earlier he had held post of chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification and the National School of Drama in India. He is currently the chairman at Actor Prepares.
Nisha Desai Biswal appointed as President of US-India Business Council
Nisha Desai Biswal was appointed as the President of the US-India Business Council (USIBC). The US-India Business Council is the premier business advocacy organization that was formed in 1975 at the request of the US and Indian governments. It is the largest bilateral trade association in the United States and has presence in New york, Silicon Valley and New Delhi.
V M Kwatra appointed ambassador to Principality of Monaco
Shri Vinay Mohan Kwatra has been concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of India to the Principality of Monaco, with residence in Paris. Mr Kwatra is presently Ambassador of India to France.
PNB MetLife appoints Ashish Srivastava as MD & CEO
PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Ltd (PNB MetLife), a life insurer, has appointed Ashish Srivastava as a new Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of the company. Prior to this elevation, Srivastava was an interim CEO at PNB MetLife. Srivastava joined PNB MetLife in 2013 as the Head of HR for the India business.
Axis Bank acquires Freecharge, appoints Sangram Singh as CEO
The country’s third largest private sector lender Axis Bank has acquired payments wallet Freecharge for Rs. 373 crore in an all-cash deal and appointed Sangram Singh as its CEO. Sangram Singh has been appointed as the CEO of Freecharge Payment Technologies Private Ltd.
Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, Pakistan’s New Navy Chief
Pakistan appointed Vice-Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi as new Chief of Naval Staff. He will replace Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah who will retire on 6 October. President Mamnoon Hussain approved the appointment of Abbasi on the advice of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. In Pakistan, all services chiefs are appointed by the president at the recommendation of the prime minister who has final say in such appointments.
Soumya Swaminathan appointed as New Deputy Director General at WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) appointed Soumya Swaminathan one of two Deputy Directors General. This is the first time such a post has been ever created within the organization. The position is also the highest post held by an Indian in the WHO. She is currently the Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Government Names Rajnish Kumar as SBI’s Next Chairman
The Government named Rajnish Kumar as the new chairman of State Bank of India, for a three-year term. Kumar will succeed Arundhati Bhattacharya. At present, Rajnish Kumar is one of the managing directors of SBI. The Banks Board Bureau (BBB) had interviewed four managing directors for the post at the end of June and had recommended a name to the government. The government had extended Bhattacharya’s tenure for a year, with effect from October 7, 2016.
Param Shah appointed as FICCI UK Director
The apex industry body, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) announced the appointment of Param Shah as the new Director for the United Kingdom (UK) operations. Shah will succeed Pratik Dattani whose tenure with FICCI ended recently.
Baishya elected as Chairmen of two sub-committees of IWF
Indian Weightlifting Federation President, Birendra Prasad Baishya has been elected as the chairman of two sub-committees of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). Baishya was elected as the chairman of International Weightlifting Federation’s Ethics Commission as well as of Anti-Disciplinary Commission at the world body’s Executive Committee Meeting, which was held at Bucharest, Romania.
B). RESIGNS
Nepal’s ambassador to India resigns
Deep Kumar Upadhyay, Nepal’s ambassador to India has resigned from his position to contest the upcoming parliamentary elections. He handed over his resignation to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Krishna Bahadur Mahara on 6th October 2017. Upadhyay has filed his nomination for the upcoming parliamentary election from Kapilastu district in western Nepal.
Solicitor-General Ranjit Kumar resigns
Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, the country’s second-most senior legal officer, has resigned citing personal reasons. The senior advocate was appointed Solicitor General in 2014, soon after the Narendra Modi government came to power at the Centre.
Anup Vikal resigns as CFO of Snapdeal
Anup Vikal has resigned as Snapdeal’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and General Counsel. Vikas is likely to join Essar Oil as its Chief Financial Officer. His resignation came two months after e-commerce dealer Snapdeal cancelled its merger talks with online retailer Flipkart.
Arjen Robben announced his retirement from International Football
Netherland’s Football Player Arjen Robben has announced his retirement from international football following the Netherland’s failure to make the 2018 World Cup. Robben scored 37 times and provided 29 assists in 96 appearances, averaging a goal or assist every 112 minutes for his country.
Samsung Electronics CEO Kwon Oh-hyun Resigns
Samsung Electronics chief executive Kwon Oh-hyun has resigned citing an “unprecedented crisis” Mr Kwon is one of three co-chief executives of Samsung Electronics. His resignation comes on the same day the firm forecast record quarterly profits, citing higher memory chip prices.
Nehra confirms his retirement from all forms of cricket on Nov. 1
Veteran Indian pacer Ashish Nehra confirmed that he would be retiring from all forms of cricket after the opening Twenty20 International of the three-match series against New Zealand, which is to be held at the Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi on November 1.
Facebook India MD Umang Bedi Resigns
In just over a year of joining Facebook as India MD, Umang Bedi has resigned from his position at the social networking giant. Sandeep Bhushan has been appointed as the interim Managing Director. Facebook had roped in Umang Bedi as its Managing Director, India from Adobe. Prior to joining Facebook, Umang served as Managing Director of the South Asia region at Adobe.
PepsiCo India Chairman and CEO D Shivakumar resigns
PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt. Ltd’s Chairman and Chief Executive officer D. Shivakumar has resigned. He will be joining Aditya Birla Group as president (corporate strategy and business development). Ahmed El Sheikh, currently senior vice-president and general manager for PepsiCo Egypt and Jordan, will succeed Shivakumar as PepsiCo India CEO.
John Hastings retires from Test and ODI Cricket
Australian fast bowler John Hastings has called it quits from Test Match and ODIs, citing recurring injuries as the reason. The 31-year-old wants to solely focus on T20 cricket. He has represented Australia in one test, 29 ODIs and 9 T20Is. In 2016 Hastings was the world’s leading ODI fast bowler after picking up 29 wickets in 15 matches, the equal second-most dismissals alongside South Africa’s Imran Tahir and behind teammate Adam Zampa.
C). DEATHS
Malayalam writer Punathil Kunjabdulla passes away
Renowned Malayalam writer Punathil Kunjabdulla passed away in Kozhikode following a prolonged illness. He was 77. Kunjabdulla is regarded as one of the major figures of modernism in Malayalam literature. He won the Sahitya Akademi award for his novel Smarakasilakal in 1980 and the Kerala Sahithya Akademi award twice for the same novel in 1978 and for Malamukalile Abdulla in 1980.
Queen of Thumri’ Girija Devi passes away at 88
Indian Classical singer Girija Devi, who was the recipient of India’s second highest civilian honour Padma Vibhushan, passed away in Kolkata after suffering from a cardiac arrest. She was 88. She was from the “Benaras Gharana”. Popularly considered as the Queen of Thumri, Devi is survived by a daughter.
Legendary Filmmaker I V Sasi Passes Away
Veteran Malayalam director I V Sasi, best known for his films “Avalude Ravukal” and “Devasuram” died. He was 69. His debut directorial venture was “Ulsavam”, which released in 1975. I V Sasi won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration in the year 1982 for his movie “Aaroodam”.
Filmmaker and Rani Mukerji’s father Ram Mukherjee passes away
Indian film director and screenwriter in Hindi and Bengali cinema Ram Mukherjee, father of Bollywood star Rani Mukerji has passed away. He was 84. Ram, one of the founders of Filmalaya Studios, had directed films like Hum Hindustani and Leader.
Grandmaster William Lombardy passed away
William James Joseph Lombardy was an American chess grandmaster, writer, teacher, and Catholic priest who passed away at the age of 79. He gave up the game at the height of his career and become a priest. Lombardy led the U.S. Student Team to Gold in the 1960 in World Student Team Championship in Leningrad. He was the only World Junior Champion to win with a perfect score.
Veteran British actor Roy Dotrice passes away
Roy Dotrice, a veteran British actor, died in London. He was 94. Dotrice was known for his role as Leopold Mozart in the Oscar-winning film Amadeus and his many theater and TV roles. He won many accolades throughout his lengthy career including a Tony Award in 2000 for his role in the Broadway revival of A Moon for the Misbegotten.
Poet Punyaslok Dasgupta passes away
Poet Punyaslok Dasgupta, died of kidney ailment at a hospital in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. He was 66 years old. Dasgupta did not follow any particular poetry style. Some of his important works are ‘Kuashar Bagan’ and ‘Chander Sangeet’. He was widely known for his hospitality. Poets and eminent persons used to often visit his house at Dhupguri area, in West Bengal.
India’s first Olympic swimmer Shamsher Khan passes away
India’s first Olympic swimmer Shamsher Khan has passed away. A forgotten sports hero, he was the first swimmer to represent India in Olympics. He narrowly missed a medal, finishing fourth in 200 meter butterfly and breaststroke events in Melbourne Games.
Richard Wilbur dies at age 96
Richard Wilbur, the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and translator died. He was 96. He intrigued and delighted generations of readers and theatregoers through his rhyming editions of Moliere. He received numerous literary honors, including the National Book Award and two Pulitzer Prizes, for “Things of This World,” released in 1956, and for “New and Collected Poems,” which came out in 1989.
Historian Satish Chandra Passes Away
Veteran and one of India’s eminent historian Satish Chandra passed away the age of 95. Satish’s important works include Mughal Empire and its downfall. He was also the author of NCERT’s leading history book ‘History of Medieval India’. Chandra has founded JNU’s Centre for Historical Studies. He was also the chairman and vice chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) of India during the 1970s.
Noted Journalist Bismoy Kumar Mohanty dies
Noted journalist Bismoy Kumar Mohanty has died following a heart attack at Puri. he was 62. Owner and Editor of Odia daily “Ajikali” published from Balasore, Mohanty was the president of Odisha Small and Medium Newspaper Organisation. He was also associated with a number of social and cultural organisations. His wife Bijay Laxmi Mohanty is also publisher and editor of language daily “Sambad Bahika”.
Purushottam Lal Kaushik passes away
Former Union minister and socialist leader Purushottam Lal Kaushik died due to age-related ailments. He was 87. He had served as tourism and civil aviation minister in the then Prime Minister Morarji Desai’s cabinet during 1977- 1979. He headed the Information and Broadcasting Ministry in the then Prime Minister Charan Singh’s cabinet during July 1979-January 1980.
Filmmaker Kundan Shah passes away
Veteran director Kundan Shah, best known for the dark comedy Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, passed away at his home, family sources said. He was 69. Shah passed away after suffering a heart attack. He made his directorial debut on television in 1986 with the popular series Nukkad.
D). VISITORS
Bhutan King arrives in New Delhi for four-day visit
King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, arrived in New Delhi on a four-day visit to India. He is accompanied by his wife, Queen Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck.
Italy PM Paolo Gentiloni on two-day visit to India
Prime Minister of Italy Paolo Gentiloni arrived in New Delhi on a two day visit to India. The visit is aimed at strengthening the bilateral political and economic relations between the two countries. The last visit of the Italian Prime Minister to India was in February 2007.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani arrives in India
Afghanistan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani arrived in New Delhi this morning on one day visit to India. He will meet with President Ram Nath Kovind and have delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Both sides will review the entire gamut of multifaceted bilateral strategic partnership. The two countries will discuss the efforts to combat the menace of terrorism. They will also hold consultations and coordinate on furthering the shared objective of promoting peace, security, stability, and prosperity in Afghanistan.
Nirmala Sitharaman left for Philippines to attend ADMM
In her first foreign visit as Defence Minister, Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman left for the Philippines to attend the Southeast Asian Defence Ministers’ Meeting. The two-day ADMM (ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting)-Plus meeting will discuss ways to enhance defense and security cooperation among the member nations. During her three-day stay, Ms. Sitharaman is also likely to hold bilateral talks with her counterparts from a number of countries.
President of India reaches Djibouti
Indian President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind reached Djibouti in the first leg of his state visit to two African countries – Djibouti and Ethiopia. This is President Kovind’s first overseas visit after assuming office. The two leaders engaged in a short round of talks on bilateral relations and themes of common interest to both countries.
E). MISCELLANEOUS
Jeff Bezos replaces Gates as World’s Richest Person with $90.6-bn Fortune
According to Forbes magazine, Jeff Bezos surpassed Bill Gates as the richest person in the world. The fortune of Amazon’s founder reached some $90.6 billion, compared with the $90.1 billion that the online edition of the magazine attributes to Gates. This is not the first time that Bezos has outpaced Gates – it previously happened in July 2017 when Amazon shares hit a historic high, though Gates took back the lead hours later.
Indian origin activist named UK’s most influential black person of the year
Indian origin campaigner Gina Miller was named Uk’s most influential black person of the year. Gina won a legal challenge seeking Parliamentary approval for triggering Brexit. The Supreme Court ruling came in her favour in January 2017.
Virat Kohli overtakes Lionel Messi in Forbes list by $1 Million
According to the list released by Forbes, Virat Kohli ranks ahead of Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi when it comes to brand value. The captain of the Indian cricket has a brand value of $14.5 million which puts him ahead of Messi on the 7th spot in the top 10 list revealed by Forbes. The brand value is an athlete’s earnings (excluding salary and bonus from their sport and all investment income), minus the average income of the top 10 athletes in the same sport. Tennis legend Roger Federer leads the list with a brand value of $37.2m.
Meghalaya Election Department enters Limca Book of Records
The Meghalaya Election Department has entered Limca Book of Records for the formation of the biggest human logo comprising young voters in the state. The logo formation was part of Mission Unite (U and I towards Enrolment) as part of the Special drive to enroll young and left out voters in the age categories of 18 to 21 years held in July at the Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Complex.
Jaipur and Srinagar Airports rated Best Airports in the world
The Jaipur and Srinagar Airport bagged the first and second rank respectively in the category of 2-5 million passengers. 2017 in Airport Service Quality (ASQ)-Airport Council International (ACI) survey. Jaipur won the Best Airport in the World in the traffic volume of 2 to 5 million passengers for the second consecutive year. It had received the award in the same category in 2016 as well.
Gitanjali Rao wins 2017 Young Scientist Challenge for water contamination detection device
Indian-American Gitanjali Rao, 11, was announced the winner of Discovery Education’s 3M Young Scientist Challenge. The sensor-based device detects the quality of water and shares the results to a mobile application via Bluetooth. There are over 5,000 water systems in the US alone with lead contamination issues. Detection and preventive action can help mitigate the problem.
Shastri is World’s Highest Earning Cricket Coach
Ravi Shastri has emerged as the world’s highest earning cricket coach with salary close to 1.17 million dollars per year, according to ESPNCricinfo. Shastri’s remuneration is higher than Lehman ($0.55 million) and Bayliss ($0.52 million) by a huge margin. In fact, the current Indian coach earns less only than what the top players from Australia, England and India take home in a year.
Indian-origin teenager Akshay Ruparelia is UK’s Youngest Millionaire
Indian-origin teenager Akshay Ruparelia has became one of UK’s youngest millionaires at the age of 19. Ruparelia made a fortune by selling houses through his online estate agency business during his school lunch breaks. Ruparelia’s school friends nicknamed him “Alan Sugar” after Baron Sugar, the business tycoon.
Varun Dhawan Youngest Indian Actor to get Statue at Tussauds
Actor Varun Dhawan will get a wax statue at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, making him the youngest Indian actor to have his statue at the museum. Varun Dhawan had made his acting debut with 2012 romantic comedy Student of the Year and since then, his success rate is 100 percent with all the movies like Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya, Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya and the recent Judwaa 2 entering Rs 100 crore or Rs 200 crore clubs.
New Guinness Record at IISF Chennai 2017
At the second day of the India International Science Festival in Chennai, a new Guinness World Record for the Largest Biology Lesson was created. One thousand forty-nine students participated in the record-breaking session. The World record had students from Class 9 and Class 10. The biology lesson was delivered by Ms Lakhsmi Prabhu from Shri Shankar senior Secondary School.
Donald Trump is Most Followed World Leader on Twitter, PM Modi Third
Donald Trump is the world’s most followed leader on Twitter, while Narendra Modi is the third, according to the latest report by Twiplomacy, a Burson Marsteller research project that tracks the use of Twitter by governments and international organizations. He overtook Pope Francis by a few thousand followers to occupy the first place in Diplomacy’s October report. India’s prime minister Narendra Modi has kept his third place consistently since 2016. Modi’s own account.
Forbes India Rich List 2017: Mukesh Ambani Richest With $38 Billion
Forbes Magazine has released its India Rich List for 2017, with Reliance Industries Limited chairman Mukesh Ambani topping the charts for the 10th consecutive year with a net worth of $38 billion. Mr Ambani is followed by tech czar Azim Premji who jumped two places with the net worth of $19 billion. Ranked third are the Hinduja brothers who added $3.2 billion to their net worth. According to Forbes, the combined net worth of the 100 richest Indians stood at $479 billion, a jump of 26% from $374 billion in 2016. Acharya Balkrishna, CEO of Patanjali Ayurved, figures at No. 19 with net worth of $6.55 billion.
The Top 10 Indian in the List are as follows-
1. Mukesh Ambani-38 ($ Billion) – Reliance Industries
2. Azim Premji-19 ($ Billion) – Wipro
3. Hinduja brothers-18.4 ($ Billion) – Ashok Leyland
4. Lakshmi Mittal-16.5 ($ Billion) – Arcelormittal
5. Pallonji Mistry-16 ($ Billion) – Shapoorji Pallonji Group
6. Godrej family-14.2 ($ Billion) – Godrej Group
7. Shiv Nadar-13.6 ($ Billion) – HCL Technologies
8. Kumar Birla-12.6 ($ Billion) – Aditya Birla Group
9. Dilip Shanghvi-12.1 ($ Billion) – Sun Pharmaceutical Industries
10. Gautam Adani-11 ($ Billion) – Adani Ports & SEZ
Sikh man becomes first minority politician to lead major party in Canada
A 38-year-old Sikh lawyer was elected the leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party, becoming the first non-white politician to head a major political party in the country. Jagmeet Singh, the Ontario provincial lawmaker, was elected on the first ballot to lead the party into the 2019 election against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals.
PLACES IN NEWS
World’s first 3D-printed bridge opens in Netherlands
A town called Gemert in the Netherlands has became home to the first 3D-printed cycling bridge ever. With this, Dutch cyclists can now pedal over the world’s first 3D-printed concrete bridge. 3D printing is a method of manufacturing an object using a computer by placing layers of material one over the other.
BOOKS IN NEWS
Rajasthan CM launches Rajiv Mehrishi’s ‘India 2017 Yearbook‘
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje launched an e-book titled ‘India 2017 Yearbook‘, compiled by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) and former Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi. Mehrishi said that the e-book includes a plethora of information on important dignitaries, state policy, public schemes and important data about demographics, trade, economy and many other topics.
Hema Malini’s Biography ‘Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl’ launched
Actress Deepika Padukone launched Hema Malini’s biography ‘Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl’ on the occasion of Hema’s 69th birthday. The biography has been penned by journalist turned writer Ram Kamal Mukherjee and also contains a short foreword written by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Coalition Years 1996-2012: Pranab Mukherjee’s Political Autobiography
Former President Pranab Mukherjee has released the third part of his memoir ‘The Coalition Years: 1996-2012’, speaking candidly about believing he could have been the Congress choice for the Prime Minister’s post. Mukherjee’s memoir is the third in the series. The other two are — The Dramatic Decade: The Indira Gandhi Years and The Turbulent Years: 1980-1996.
Book on Kalam’s inspirational words released
An illustrative book titled “Dreamnation: Uniting a Country with Handwritten Dreams” containing inspiring words of Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has been released. The book includes a collection of 200-plus handcrafted and handwritten postcards from across India and takes readers through the dreams, hopes, and aspirations of a nation as envisioned by Dr Kalam. The book is co-authored by Saji Mathew and Jubie John and published by Bloomsbury in collaboration with NGO LetterFarms.
Nepali version of Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography released
On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti the Nepali version of Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography ‘The Story of My Experiments’ with Truth was released at Kathmandu. Renowned Gandhian Pradeep Giri, Former Prime Minister of Nepal Lokendra Bahadur Chand and Indian Ambassador Manjeev Singh Puri jointly released the book. The autobiography of Gandhiji is translated by Shri Shekhar Giri. The event was organised by the Embassy of India and BP Koirala India-Nepal Foundation.
COMMITTEES
RBI Sets up Task Force on ‘Public Credit Registry’
The Reserve Bank of India has constituted a 10-member ‘High Level Task Force on Public Credit Registry (PCR) for India’, which will suggest a roadmap for developing a transparent, comprehensive and near-real-time PCR for India. The committee will be Headed by YM Deosthalee, ex-CMD, L&T Finance Holdings. The terms of reference of the task force include reviewing the current availability of information on credit in India and assessing the gaps in India.
5-member Committee to select Editor-in-Chief of RSTV
A five-member committee, headed by Prasar Bharati Chairman A Surya Prakash, has been formed to select the candidate for the post of editor-in-chief of Rajya Sabha TV (RSTV). Rajya Sabha Secretariat stated in an order that other members of the Search-cum-Selection Committee are Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta, Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati, Additional Secretary (Personnel) in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat PPK Ramacharyulu and journalist Rahul Srivastava.
Govt sets up expert group for suggestions on artificial intelligence policy
The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeITY) has set up an internal expert committee to advise the government on a policy on artificial intelligence (AI). The expert committee will advise the IT ministry on the most apt technologies for India as government’s main focus is to reduce cyber-attacks with AI. Its recommendations will be used to frame the policy.
Haj Committee recommends abolishing of subsidy
The government was appointed Committee on Haj Policy has recommended phasing out of subsidy for Haj pilgrims and allowing women devotees above 45 years of age to travel in a group of at least four without a male. In view of the Supreme Court direction, the Ministry had set up the Panel under the Chairmanship of former Secretary Afzal Amanullah to review the existing Haj Policy and to suggest a framework for new Haj policy 2018-22.
T K Viswanathan Committee report on Sec 66A of IT Act
An expert committee, headed by T K Viswanathan on Section 66A of the IT Act submitted its report. It was constituted by the Centre after the Supreme Court struck down the controversial Section 66A of the IT Act in 2015. According to its recommendations IPC, CrPC and the IT Act be amended to introduce stringent provisions, specifying punishment, to deal with cases of hate speech.
Govt constitutes high-level committee for water management in northeast
The Government has constituted a high-level committee for proper management of water resources in North Eastern Region (NER) under Chairmanship of Rajiv Kumar, Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog. The Committee is tasked to facilitate optimising benefits of appropriate water management in form of agriculture, bio-diversity conservation, hydro-electric power, reduced flood damage erosion, inland water transport, forestry, fishery and eco-tourism.
President appoints Commission to examine sub-categorisation of OBCs
President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed a Commission to examine the sub-categorization of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The sub-categorization of the OBCs will ensure that the more backward among the OBC communities can also access the benefits of reservation for educational institutions and government jobs. The Commission will examine the extent of inequitable distribution of benefits of reservation among the castes or communities included in the broad category of OBCs with reference to such classes included in the Central List.
IMPORTANT DAYS & DATES
World Cities Day 2017 observed globally
The World Cities Day was observed across the world on 31 October 2017 with the theme ‘Innovative Governance, Open Cities’. While the general theme of World Cities Day is ‘Better City, Better Life’. Every year, a different sub-theme is selected to celebrate the day to promote successes of urbanization and to address specific challenges resulting from urbanization. This year’s sub-theme Innovative Governance, Open Cities highlights the important role of urbanization as a source of global development and social inclusion.
31 October: Rashtriya Ekta Diwas
Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) is observed every year across India on 31 October to commemorate birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhai Patel who had played important role in unifying the country. Observance of day provides an opportunity to re-affirm inherent strength and resilience of our nation to withstand actual and potential threats to unity, integrity and security of our country. To mark this occasion various activities and events are being organised across ministries and departments all over the country. Besides, Run for Unity was organised in New Delhi from the National Stadium. The idea of Rashtriya Ekta Diwas was mooted by PM Narendra Modi in October 2014 to mark the birth anniversary of Independent India’s first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
27 October: World Day for Audiovisual Heritage
World Day for Audiovisual Heritage is observed globally on 27 October. “Discover, remember and share” is the theme of this year’s celebration of the WDAH. The General Conference of UNESCO approved the commemoration of a World Day for Audiovisual Heritage in 2005 as a mechanism to raise general awareness of the need to preserve and safeguard important audiovisual material for future generations.
Infantry Day observed on 27 October
Infantry Day was observed across India on 27 October 2017 to commemorate the sacrifices made by the infantry who fought against Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir in 1947. This was the first infantry action by the Indian Army after independence.
Disarmament Week 24-30 October
Disarmament Week is celebrated every year from October 24-30. It was founded by the United Nations in 1978 with the purpose to control, reduce, limit and abolish weapons of mass destruction. The purpose of celebrating this week is to create awareness about the dangers of arms race, need of reducing weapons and how it affects the environment.
24 October: United Nations Day
United Nations Day is observed globally on 24 October. It marks the 72nd anniversary of the UN Charter’s entry into force and celebrates everything that the UN represents and has achieved since its establishment in 1945. All the member states of the United Nations contribute finances to its operation to help further its goals.
October 24: World Development Information Day
The World Development Information Day (WDID) is observed every year on October 24 to draw attention of world to development problems and necessity of strengthening international cooperation to solve them. To celebrate this day, many events are organized to focus attention on work that UN does, particularly with regard to problems of trade and development. Many of these are aimed at journalists working for range of media, including radio, television, newspapers, magazines and internet sites.
56th Raising Day of ITBP observed
The 56th raising day of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) was celebrated 24 October. It was raised on 24th October in 1962. ITBP is deployed on guarding 3488 kilometer long India-China Border from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh. Its protects and manages outposts located on altitudes ranging from 9000 feet to 18700 feet in the Western, Middle and Eastern Sector of the India-China Border.
24 October: World Polio Day
Every year 24th October is observed as the World Polio day across the nations. World Polio Day was established by Rotary International over a decade ago to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk, who led the first team to develop a vaccine against poliomyelitis (polio virus). This development had led to widespread use of this inactivated poliovirus vaccine and subsequently use of the oral poliovirus, developed by Albert Sabin. It also had led to establishment of Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988 which has helped to reduce polio worldwide by 99%.
21st October 2017: The National Police Commemoration Day
The National Police Commemoration Day is observed every year on 21st October remembering the brave policemen who sacrificed their lives while discharging their duties. Rich tributes are paid to the martyrs on this day. On October 21st 1959, twenty Indian soldiers were attacked by the Chinese troops in Ladakh. This altercation between the troops led to the death of ten policemen. Seven of the others who were also imprisoned, managed to escape from the Chinese troops.
20th October: World Statistics Day
At its 41st Session in February 2010, the United Nations Statistical Commission proposed celebrating 20th October 2010 as World Statistics Day. The theme for the year 2017 is Better Data, Better Lives. It emphasizes the critical role of high-quality official statistical information in analysis and informed policy decision-making in support of sustainable development.
17 October: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP) is observed globally on 17 October. The theme of this year’s IDEP is ‘Answering the Call of October 17 to end poverty: A path toward peaceful and inclusive societies’. This year’s celebration also marks the 25th anniversary of the declaration of the day by the UN General Assembly, which had adopted the resolution on 22 December 1992.
Ayurveda 2nd Day is celebrated on 17 October
This year’s 2nd Ayurveda Day is celebrated on 17 October in New Delhi by the Ministry of AYUSH. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the Chief Guest and will also inaugurate the country’s first All India Institute of Ayurveda, Sarita Vihar, New Delhi. The All India Institute of Ayurveda, set up on a total area of 10.015 acres on a budget of Rs 157 crore, is the first medical institute under the AYUSH ministry to hold the coveted National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) accreditation.
16th October: World Food Day
FAO celebrates World Food Day each year on 16 October to commemorate the founding of the Organization in 1945. Events are organized in over 150 countries across the world, making it one of the most celebrated days of the UN calendar. These events promote worldwide awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger and for the need to ensure food security and nutritious diets for all. The Theme for World Food Day 2017 is “Change the future of migration. Invest in food security and rural development”. World Food Day is a chance to show our commitment to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 – to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030. It’s also a day for us to celebrate the progress we have already made towards reaching #ZeroHunger.
15th October: International Day of Rural Women
The first International Day of Rural Women was observed on 15th October 2008. This new international day, established by the UN General Assembly in its resolution 62/136 of 18th December 2007, recognizes “the critical role and contribution of rural women, including indigenous women, in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty”. In agriculture, climate change exacerbates the existing barriers to gender equality faced by women farmers. Globally, women comprise 43 percent of the agricultural workforce and play a critical role in supporting the household and community food security.
October 14: World Standards Day
The World Standards Day is observed every year on 14 October across the globe to mark the development of voluntary engineering and scientific standard. The theme for year 2017 is “Standards make cities smarter”.
International Day for Disaster Reduction observed globally
The International Day for Disaster Reduction was observed across the world on 13 October 2017 with the theme ‘Home Safe Home: Reducing Exposure, Reducing Displacement’. The 2017 campaign aims to raise global awareness about effective actions, policies and practices taken to reduce exposure to disaster risk at the community level, thereby contributing to saving homes and livelihoods. The same can be accomplished only through coordination, cooperation and collaboration among many stakeholders.
11 October: International Day of the Girl Child
Since 2012, 11 October has been marked as the International Day of the Girl Child. The day aims to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face while promoting girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights. This year’s theme is “The Power of the Adolescent Girl: Vision for 2030″.
10 October: World Mental Health Day
The World Mental Health Day was observed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 10 October 2017 with the theme ‘Mental health in the workplace’. the Day is observed with an aim of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health. The Day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work. Globally, more than 300 million people suffer from depression and more than 260 million are living with anxiety disorders. a recent WHO-led study estimates that depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy USD 1 trillion each year in lost productivity.
India Water Week inaugurated by President
President Shri Ram Nath Kovind has inaugurated India Water Week 2017 on October 10, 2017 in New Delhi in the presence of Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari and Union Ministers of State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal and Shri Dr. Satya Pal Singh. About 1500 delegates from India and 13 other countries will attend the five-day international event. The theme of India Water Week – 2017 is “Water and Energy for Inclusive Growth”.
Ministry of WCD is celebrating the BBBP Week
The Ministry of Women and Child Development will be celebrating the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Week from 09th to 14th October, 2017. The week is being celebrated in view of the International Girl Child Day on 11th October, 2017. The theme of the program will be “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Week- The Daughters of New India”. The BBBP districts have been requested to organize activities in a campaign mode to observe the Week starting from 9th October – 14th October 2017 to create awareness and sensitize community in their respective districts.
08 October: Indian Air Force Celebrates 85th Anniversary
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is celebrating its 85th anniversary on 08th October 2017. The celebrations would be marked by a stellar show in the skies by various aircraft at the Hindon Air Force Station in Ghaziabad. President Ram Nath Kovind has greeted the Indian Air Force on its 85th Anniversary. Defence Ministry stated that the air display has commenced with flag bearing skydivers of famous AKASH GANGA Team dropping out of AN-32 aircraft in their colourful canopies.
05 October: World Teachers’ Day
World Teachers’ Day is observed annually on 5 October since 1994 to commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the 1966 UNESCO/ILO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. The theme of 2017 World Teachers’ Day is “Teaching in Freedom, Empowering Teachers”. The 1966 Recommendation constitutes the main reference framework for addressing teachers’ rights and responsibilities on a global scale. The Day is organised by the United Nation’s body UNESCO.
World Space Week is observed from October 4th to October 10th
The World Space Week is observed from 4th to 10th October. The theme of 2017 is ‘Exploring New Worlds In Space’. On October 4th1957 Sputnik 1 was launched. It was the first human-made, Earth-orbiting satellite. Second, the signing of The Outer Space Treaty on October 10th 1967.
02 October: World Habitat Day
Every year 2nd October is observed as the World Habitat day. The United Nations designated the first Monday of October of every years as World Habitat Day to reflect on the state of our own towns and cities, and on the basic right of all to adequate shelter. It is also intended to remind the world that we all have the power and the responsibility to shape the future of our cities and towns.
02nd October: International Day of Non-Violence
The International Day of Non-Violence is marked on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence. According to General Assembly of United Nations resolution of 15 June 2007, which established the commemoration, the International Day is an occasion to “disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness”. The resolution reaffirms “the universal relevance of the principle of non-violence” and the desire “to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence”.
01 October: World Vegetarian Day
World Vegetarian Day is observed annually on the planet on October 1. The day brings global attention to the health and environmental benefits of vegetarianism and focuses on the ethics of following a vegetarian lifestyle. World Vegetarian Day initiates the month of October as Vegetarian Awareness Month, which ends with November 1, World Vegan Day, as the end of that month of celebration.
01 October: International Day of Older Persons
On 14th December 1990, the United Nations General Assembly (by resolution 45/106) designated 1 October the International Day of Older Persons. This was preceded by initiatives such as the Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing – which was adopted by the 1982 World Assembly on Ageing – and endorsed later that year by the UN General Assembly. In 1991, the General Assembly (by resolution 46/91) adopted the United Nations Principles for Older Persons. The theme of the International Day of Older Persons 2017 is “Stepping into the Future: Tapping the Talents, Contributions and Participation of Older Persons in Society”.
World’s first Hydrogen Tram begins operation in China
The world’s first hybrid electric tram powered by hydrogen fuel cells has started running in China, marking a big step in the application of green energy in public transport. The tram was put into commercial operation for the first time in Tangshan, north China’s Hebei Province. With water being its only emission, the tram emits no pollutants. No nitrogen oxides will be produced as the temperature of the reaction inside hydrogen fuel cells is controlled under 100 degrees Celsius. The tram, having three carriages with 66 seats, can run for 40 kilometers at a maximum speed of 70 kilometers per hour after being refilled with 12 kilograms of hydrogen.
Burundi becomes first country to leave International Criminal Court
African country Burundi has withdrawn from International Criminal Court (ICC) with effect has thus become the first nation. International Criminal Court is an international tribunal (located in Hague, Netherlands) having authority to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. In recent years, governments of three African countries, South Africa, Gambia and Burundi expressed their intent to leave ICC citing the reason that it focuses too much on African nations.
Chile named best country to visit in 2018
Lonely Planet, the travel guide company, ranked Chile as the number one country to visit in 2018, in its Best in Travel 2018 list. In the top 10 countries category, Chile was ranked the number one country. It was followed by South Korea and Portugal in the 2nd and 3rd positions. In the top 10 cities category, Seville of Spain was ranked as number one. In the top 10 regions category, Belfast & the Causeway Coast of Northern Ireland was ranked number one. In the top 10 best value, Tallinn of Estonia was given the number one rank.
Saudi Arabia, first country to grant Citizenship to a Robot
Saudi Arabia has become the first country to give a robot citizenship. The move is an attempt to promote Saudi Arabia as a place to develop artificial intelligence and, presumably, allow it to become a full citizen. The Robot is named as ‘Sophia’. Sophia was confirmed as a Saudi citizen during a business event named Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh. It is historic to be the first robot in the world to be recognized with citizenship.
Kilogram will get new measure set by value of Planck constant from 2019
The International Conference of heads of Metrology Institutes held in Sevres, France has decided that the measure of kilogram will no longer be pegged to cylinder. From 2019 onwards, it will be set by value of Planck constant in combination with definitions of meter and second. Till now, the kilogram is the only one among units of measures pegged to real object. It was pegged to a cylinder (shown in fig) made up of 90% platinum and 10% iridium (In India, salt-shaker-sized cylinder weighing exactly a kilogram in National Physical Laboratory was used as ideal measure of kilogram since 1957). It was serving as reference for variety of industries to keep their weights accurate. But this cylinder’s weight in kilogram is known to fluctuate due to surface contamination with time, making it tricky to define its exact mass.
World’s first track-less train
China began test runs of its world’s first track-less train in Zhuzhou city, China. The train runs on virtual track and is being considered as the ‘World’s First smart train’. This train could travel at the speed of 70 kmph and is called Autonomous Rail Transit (ART). This train was created to reduce urban traffic problems. This train is a hybrid between a bus and tram.
Singapore Passport named ‘Most Powerful’, India ranks 75
Singapore’s passport has become the most powerful in the world with a Visa-Free Score of 159, according to the Passport Index developed by advisory firm Arton Capital. This is the first time an Asian country has been announced as having the most powerful passport. India secured the 75th rank in the index with a Visa-Free Score of 51. Historically, the top 10 most powerful passports in the world were mostly European, with Germany having the lead for the past two years. Afghanistan was on bottom most position (94th) with the score of 22. Pakistan was on 93rd Position with Iraq with the score of 26.
Russia vetoes UN resolution to extend inspection of chemical attacks in Syria
Russia used its veto power on the United Nations Security Council to block a UN resolution that would extend the work of International inspectors to determine who was behind the chemical weapons attacks in Syria. The chemical attack, which took place on 4 April 2017 on a town in violence-hit Syria- Khan Sheikhoun, has lead to the killing of many civilians. The attack was an instance of the deadliest use of chemical weapons in the Syrian civil war since the Ghouta chemical attack in 2013. Russia vetoed the US-backed resolution accusing the United States of calling the vote to dishonour Russia.
Nepal tops Asia Pacific list of nations elected to UNHRC
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) elected 15 States to serve on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) of which Nepal topped the countries representing the Asian Group in the 47-member council. UNHRC, Geneva-based highest intergovernmental body looking into matters relating to protection and promotion of human rights globally, elects its members through a secret ballot. Nepal topped the Asia-Pacific group with 165 votes followed by Qatar with 155, Pakistan with 151, and Afghanistan by 130. All got elected. Malaysia lost with 129. The newly elected countries are Afghanistan, Angola, Australia, Chile, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Qatar, Senegal, Slovakia, Spain and Ukraine.
WHO removes Robert Mugabe as Goodwill Ambassador
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced that Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe’s appointment as its Goodwill Ambassador has been cancelled. He was just recently appointed as the WHO’s Goodwill Ambassador. After days of scathing criticism from around the globe for naming Robert Mugabe a Goodwill Ambassador for health, WHO decided to cancel the opportunity given to him.
Suu Kyi’s name removed from Oxford
Students at the St Hugh’s College voted to remove Aung San Suu Kyi’s name from the title of their Junior Common Room, in North Oxford, England. Her name was dropped owing to her inability to stop severe human rights abuses against Rohingyas in Myanmar. She had graduated from St. Hugh’s College in 1967 and was granted an honorary doctorate from the university in 2012.
Lebanon’s parliament approves country’s first budget since 2005
Lebanon’s parliament approved country’s first budget in 12 years. It is aimed towards reforming the fragile economy and preventing rising debt from becoming a crisis-like situation.Political crisis gripped Lebanon since the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in 2005, thereby preventing the successive government from passing the budget. This year’s budget was considered a necessity to bring the Lebanese economy on track which has been negatively affected by the inaction of previous Governments and also by six years of war in neighboring Syria.
State of World Population 2017: report
According to ‘State of World Population 2017′ released by United Nations Fund for Population Activities 27% of India’s children get married by age 18 as compared to 28% the world over. Among its neighbours, Bangladesh is worst off, with 59% of the married couples being under-age, followed by Nepal (37%). The report, notes India’s total fertility rate lower than the world average of 2.5.
Robert Mugabe named goodwill ambassador by WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) has appointed Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe as a goodwill ambassador to help tackle non-communicable diseases.
Peru approves medicinal use of marijuana
The Peruvian Congress has approved a bill to authorises the medicinal and therapeutic use of cannabis (marijuana) in the country. It makes production, import and commercial sale of marijuana and its derivatives legal. With this Peru became sixth country in Latin America to legalise cannabis. Uruguay was first in 2013, allowing sales of cannabis any purpose. It was followed by Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and Chile.
World’s deepest lake under threat: Scientists
Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake is undergoing its gravest crisis in recent history, according to experts. Holding one-fifth of the world’s unfrozen fresh water, the lake situated in Russia’s Siberia region is a natural wonder of exceptional value to evolutionary science. It is even listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The lake’s rich biodiversity includes over 3,600 plant and animal species, most of which are endemic to the lake. Since the past few years, the lake, which is a major international tourist attraction, has been crippled by a series of damaging phenomena such as disappearance of the omul fish, rapid growth of putrid algae and the death of endemic species of sponges across its vast 3.2 million-hectare area.
Jacinda Ardern to be next New Zealand PM
New Zealand will get its youngest Prime Minister in more than 150 years after the small, nationalist New Zealand First Party agreed to form a new government with Labour Party leader Jacinda Ardern, ending the National Party’s decade in power. The 37-year-old will be the youngest Prime Minister of the country which had been ruled by the National Party for a decade.
Pakistan, 14 other nations elected to UN rights body
Fifteen countries, including Pakistan, have been elected to the UN Human Rights Council by the UN General Assembly. In a vote, Afghanistan, Angola, Australia, Chile, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Qatar, Senegal, Slovakia, Spain and Ukraine were elected. They will serve a three-year term from January 1, 2018.
Fairy Queen, “World’s Oldest Functional Steam Engine” commences journey
Indian railways will be running of steam hauled tourist train “Fairy Queen” between Delhi Cantonment and Rewari on second and fourth Saturday of month beginning from 14 October 2017. The operation will continue till April, 2018. The train has a capacity of 60 passengers and the tickets can be booked at IRCTC website as well as at various tourist facilitation centres of IRCTC, National Rail Museum (NRM) and through travel operators. The Fairy Queen also known as the East Indian Railway 22 class, was built in the year 1855 and is the World’s oldest steam locomotive as certified by Guinness Book of Records in 1998.
US and Israel withdraw from UNESCO
The US withdrew from the UNESCO, accusing UNESCO of “anti-Israel bias”. Following US, Israel has also quit from UNESCO. The withdrawal of the US, which is supposed to provide one fifth of UNESCO’s funding, is a great blow for UNESCO. UNESCO which stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization is headquartered in Paris, France.
Mongolian Parliament confirms new Prime Minister
The Mongolian Parliament has confirmed Ukhnaa Khurelsukh as the country’s new Prime Minister. His confirmation comes after Jargaltulga Erdenebat was voted out of office last month over allegations of corruption and incompetence.
Suu Kyi stripped of Oxford honour over Rohingya criticism
An honour bestowed on Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi by the city of Oxford has been withdrawn as a reaction to her perceived inadequate response to the plight of Rohingya muslims in the country. The “Freedom of Oxford” has been granted to the de facto leader of Myanmar in 1997 for her “long struggle for democracy” by the Oxford City Council. While the exact reasons for the portraits removal were attributed to a new replacement, there is a wider view that the allegations of ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya Muslims fleeing their homes to Bangladesh is likely to be behind the move.
UAE begins collecting ‘sin’ taxes on tobacco, energy drinks
The United Arab Emirates has begun collecting new “sin” taxes on tobacco products, energy drinks and soft drinks. Beginning October 1, tobacco and energy drinks will be taxed at 100 per cent and soft drinks at 50 per cent. All six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council have agreed to begin collecting so-called VAT taxes, though others may begin later than January. The GCC includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Iran slaps fuel embargo on Iraqi Kurdistan
Iran has embargoed exports and imports of fuel products to Iraqi Kurdistan in response to its controversial independence referendum. Iran strongly opposes independence for the Iraqi Kurds, fearing it will provoke separatists among its own Kurdish population. Gas oil is one of Iran’s main exports to the autonomous Kurdistan region, which imported 110 million litres of it from Iran last year. Iran is one of the main exporters of fuel products to Kurdistan.
Burqa Ban comes into effect in Austria
Austria’s law banning face veils such as burqas or niqabs has come into effect from now. According to the government, acceptance and respect of Austrian values are basic conditions for successful cohabitation between the majority Austrian population and people from third countries living in Austria. Exemptions under certain conditions include items like clown disguises at cultural events, work wear such as medical masks, and scarves in cold weather. There are around 7 lakh Muslims in Austria.
INDIA & WORLD
India sends 1st Wheat Shipment to Afghanistan via Chabahar port
Iran’s key strategic port of Chabahar became operational with the maiden shipment of wheat from India to Afghanistan. It was flagged off from Kandla port in Gujarat. This is a major push for India’s Afghan outreach bypassing Pakistan for the first time under the 2016 Indo-Afghan-Iran trilateral pact. Chabahar port is strategically located in Sistan-Balochistan province on energy-rich Iran’s southern coast in Gulf of Oman near its border with Pakistan and can be easily accessed from India’s western coast.
Indian Air force contingent leaves for Israel to Participate in ‘Ex Blue Flag-17’
A 45 member contingent of the Indian Air Force left for Israel to participate in exercise ‘Blue Flag-17’. Blue Flag is a bi-annual multilateral exercise which aims to strengthen military cooperation amongst participating nations. Indian Air Force is participating with the C-130J special operations aircraft along with Garud commandos.
India jumps 30 ranks to 100th in World Bank’s ease of doing business list
In accordance with the World Bank’s ‘Ease of Doing Business index’, India has risen as much as 30 positions to rank 100th amongst 190 countries. The World Bank Group’s latest report ‘Doing Business 2018: Reforming to Create Jobs’ recognises India as one of the top 10 improvers in this year’s assessment, though the report does not take into account the big bang reform of Goods and Services Tax (GST) which rolled out on July 1. The index is topped by New Zealand followed by Singapore and Denmark.
India tops list of new TB cases in 2016: Global TB Report
India tops the list of seven nations, accounting for 64 per cent of the 10.4 million new tuberculosis (TB) cases worldwide in 2016, said a Global TB Report 2017, released by the World Health Organisation (WHO). It is followed by Indonesia, China, Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria and South Africa. The report states that an estimated 1.7 million people died from TB in 2016, including nearly 400,000 people who were co-infected with HIV, recording a drop of 4 per cent in comparison to 2015.
India, Japan begin anti-submarine warfare exercise
The naval forces of India and Japan initiated an intensive air anti-submarine warfare exercise in the Indian Ocean. The exercise will conclude on 31 October 2017. The exercise would witness participation from a P-8 I Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Anti Submarine Warfare of Indian Navy and two P-3 Orion Anti Submarine Warfare aircraft of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMDSF).
India and US to implement HOSTAC to strengthen maritime security
India and the United States have agreed to implement the programme for Helicopter Operations from Ships other Than Aircraft Carriers (HOSTAC). This decision was taken during a meeting between Indian Defense Minister, Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman and US Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis. The meeting between Ms. Sitharaman and Mr. Mattis was held on October 25, 2017, in the Philippines on sidelines of ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting – Plus.
India overtakes US to become Second Largest Smartphone Market: Report
India overtake the US to become the world’s second-largest smartphone market, trailing only China, according to a new report by analyst firm Canalys. In the second quarter of 2017, India’s smartphone market recovered quickly with shipments growing 23% year-on-year in the third quarter to reach just over 40 million units. Low smartphone penetration and the explosion of LTE (long term evolution, or 4G) are the main drivers behind this.
SAP launches Asia Pacific Japan Region’s first Leonardo Centre in Bengaluru
Tech major SAP announced the launch of Asia Pacific Japan (APJ) region’s first SAP Leonardo Center in Bengaluru. The fourth SAP Leonardo Center globally, the facility is a go-to place for SAP’s ecosystem for digital inspiration and co-innovation. Other SAP Leonardo Centers locations include New York-US, Paris-France, and Sao Leopoldo-Brazil. It combines a high concentration of customers and partners with one of SAP’s largest market units.
US Senate confirms Ken Juster’s nomination as US envoy to India
A crucial Senate Committee, confirmed the nomination of Kenneth Juster as the next American envoy to India, paving the way for a full Senate confirmation of the old India hand, who played a key role in the landmark India-US civil nuclear deal. The nomination of Juster, 62, now moves to the full Senate before he can be sworn in as America’s new Ambassador to India. Most recently, Juster had served as the Deputy Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs and Deputy Director of the National Economic Council. He would replace Richard Verma as the top American diplomat to India if confirmed, The position has been lying vacant since January 20 after Verma resigned from the post with the swearing in of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States.
70 Indian words added to Oxford English Dictionary
Indian words like ‘Dadagiri’, ‘Jugaad’, Surya Namaskar’, ‘Anna’, ‘Achcha’, ‘Bapu’ and few others were added to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) in the month of September 2017. These words are among 70 Indian words from various regional languages like Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Bengali and Gujarati that were added to the dictionary. The dictionary added over 1000 new words in its September edition.
India imposes anti-dumping duty on stainless steel from US, ES and China
India has imposed anti-dumping duty on certain stainless steel products from the European Union and other nations including China and Korea, in order to protect the domestic industry from cheap imports. The duty was imposed by the Revenue department following the recommendation by the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD).
World’s oldest maritime astrolabe that guided ships to India found
Britain-based shipwreck hunter has found maritime astrolabe, a navigation tool that guided Portuguese explorers on perilous voyage to India in 16th century. It dates between 1495 and 1500 and has been confirmed as world’s oldest astrolabe. The maritime astrolabe was discovered during from a shipwreck off coast of Oman in 2014 and recently was confirmed world’s maritime oldest by Warwick University based on laser scans.
30th Edition of CORPAT begins between Indian-Indonesian Navy
Indian Navy Ship Sukanya under the command of Commander SA Deodhar has arrived at Belawan Indonesia to participate in the 30th edition of CORPAT (Coordinated Patrol) and 3rd Bilateral exercise between the Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy. The exercise is aimed to foster closer maritime ties with countries located on the rim of the Indian Ocean. The two navies have been carrying out CORPAT on respective sides of the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) twice a year since 2002.
Bangladesh signs Gas Oil deal with India
Bangladesh has signed a long-term sales and purchase agreement with an Indian refiner to import gas oil to meet the country’s energy demand. The deal between Bangladesh Petroleum Corp. (BPC) and Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) was signed in presence of India’s external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who arrived in Dhaka recently on a two-day visit to discuss bilateral issues. Under the deal, BPC will take up to 250,000 tonnes of gas oil each year from NRL for the first three years of the deal to the BPC’s northern fuel depot via a 131-km (79 mile) pipeline, which will be built by India.
Sri Lankan Coast Guard commissions OPV SURAKSHA gifted by India
Sri Lankan Coast Guard has commissioned Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) SURAKSHA gifted by India at Colombo port. It is first OPV of Sri Lankan Coast Guard. Sri Lankan Coast Guard Ship (SLCGS) Suraksha earlier belonged to Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and was known as Varuna. It was officially handed over to Sri Lanka Navy at ceremony held at Kochi Port in India in September 2017.
North Korea, Pakistan not invited for consumer protection conference in India
India has not invited Pakistan and North Korea to attend the first global conference on consumer protection to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The two-day Regional Conference on Consumer Protection will be held on October 26-27 and will see the participation of 23 countries, besides India, which is organising the event at the request of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Indo-Russia joint exercise INDRA 2017 begins
Exercise INDRA 2017, the first ever tri services joint military joint exercise between India and Russian Armed Forces, began in the Eastern Military District of Russia. The exercise will be held till 29 October 2017. Previously, Exercise INDRA has been conducted as a single service exercise alternately between the two countries. This year, the exercise has been upgraded to involve all the three services of the Armed Forces-Army, Navy & Air Force.
India among five countries responsible for 50% newborn deaths
India is among the five countries – Pakistan, Nigeria, Congo and Ethiopia being the others – responsible for half of all new-born deaths in the world, according to a UN report. The report, “Levels and Trends in Child Mortality 2017″, revealed that 5.6 million children died before reaching the age of five in 2016. However, this is a marked decrease compared to 2000 when nearly 9.9 million children had died before turning five. While India was accountable for 24 per cent of these new-born deaths, Pakistan accounted for 10 per cent, Nigeria 9 per cent, the Democratic Republic of Congo 4 per cent and 3 per cent of the deaths occurred in Ethiopia. Also, according to report, India has witnessed 66 per cent decline in the under-five mortality rate from 1990 to 2015 but most of the new-born deaths – 24 per cent of all – still occur in the country.
USA to provide EMALS technology to India for aircraft carriers
Donald Trump Government has promised to provide the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System(EMALS) technology to India for aircraft carriers. S Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will be visiting India soon and before his visit, Trump administration has informed of its decision to give EMALS to India. EMALS also weighs less, is expected to cost less and require less maintenance, and can launch aircraft that are heavier or lighter. This EMAL will help to launch heavy combat planes from the short runway of an aircraft carrier using electromagnetic force, instead of the old steam-powered catapults.
India signs pact to send Interns to Japan for Training
India signed a Memorandum of Co-operation (MoC) with Japan to send youngsters there as technical interns for on-the-job training for a period of three to five years. The MoC on Technical Intern Training Programme was signed by Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Japanese Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare with Katsunobu Kato in Tokyo. India is the third country with which Japan has signed the MoC.
HPCL, First Indian OMC to launch Lubricants in Myanmar
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) has become the first Oil Marketing Company (OMC) from India to mark its presence in the lubricant market in Myanmar and to lend more visibility and awareness to the brand. Having achieved the number one position in the domestic market, HP Lubricants sought to prove itself in foreign shore by venturing into Myanmar.
INS Satpura, Kadmatt participates in Passage Exercise in Japan
Indian Naval Ships Satpura and Kadmatt participated in Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with Japanese Marine Self Defence Force (JMSDF) held at Sasebo, Japan. These ships are participating in the exercise in pursuance of India’s Act East Policy and demonstration of India’s commitment to peace and stability in formal calls and also professional, social and sporting interactions.
Safe Cities Index 2017 denotes Tokyo Safest and Delhi ranked 43rd Position
Japanese capital city Tokyo has topped The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Safe Cities Index 2017 which ranked 60 cities on parameters including personal and health security. Singapore and Japanese city Osaka have ranked second and third, while Indian cities Delhi and Mumbai have ranked 43rd and 45th respectively.
India-Sri Lanka training exercise on counter-terrorism begins
The fifth India-Sri Lanka joint training exercise “Mitra Shakti 2017” focusing on counter-terrorism operations kicked off at Aundh Military Station in Pune, Maharashtra. The exercise will be conducted for next 14 days till October 26 and will involve sharing and learning from each others’ experiences.
Make in India: Sweden 2017
Make in India: Sweden 2017, organized by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion in Stockholm, from October 12-13 aims to enhance Indo-Swedish cooperation. Delegation is led by the Minister of Commerce & Industry, Shri Suresh Prabhu. The meeting was held to further strengthen Indo-Swedish economic relationship and explore new avenues of collaboration.
Global Hunger Index 2017: India ranks 100th among 119 nations
India ranked 100th position among 119 countries on Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2017 report released by Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). This year slipped by three positions as compared to 97th rank in 2016 GHI. In 2017 GHI, India scored 31.4 and was placed in high end of “serious” category. India’s low ranking also influences South Asia’s regional score as three quarters of South Asia’s population reside in India. India’s neighbours ranking are Nepal (72), Myanmar (77), Bangladesh (88), Sri Lanka (84) and China (29) – except Pakistan (106) and Afghanistan (107). Even North Korea (93) and Iraq (78) fared better in hunger parameters and GHI rankings.
India is second largest market for pharma: LinkedIn Report
The 13.7 percent contribution to the global pharmaceuticals and biotechnology workforce India has emerged as the second largest market for the industry, a report by professional networking giant LinkedIn has revealed. The report, detailed in the newly released e-book “The Indian Pharma and Biotech Industry”, showed that while New Delhi, Kolkata, and Chandigarh are thriving grounds for talent in this sector in India, talent migration is highest to the US. Talent migrating to other countries mainly comprises of researchers, scientists, quality assurance professionals, statistics programmers and data analysts.
Germany to help Indian Railways to increase speed of trains on existing corridors
German Railways will assist Indian Railways to make country’s existing rail corridors semi high speed. The semi high speed trains will run at 200 km per hour. A joint declaration of Intent was signed between Ministry of Railways and Germany regarding carrying out of feasibility study on existing 643 km Chennai-Kazipet corridor of Indian Railways by German Railways for increasing the speed of passenger trains to 200 kmph on 50.50 percent cost sharing basis.
India and South Africa Celebrating 20 years of Cooperation
The “Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM) – 2017″ was started in India’s 1st World Heritage City i.e Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It is a 3 day long diversified cultural carnival. Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav was conceived by the Ministry of Culture in the year 2015. Its intent is to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Country in all its rich and varied dimensions, all in one place.
BRICS-themed subway train debuts in China
A BRICS-themed subway train with carriages representing the five member nations including India has started test operations in China’s southeastern Xiamen city. The subway train, which started its test run, has six carriages, five of which represents different cultures of the BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The Indian carriage depicts elephants and yoga.
The Chinese carriage is red and displays icons such as the Great Wall and Tian’anmen Square.
The Brazilian carriage is green and decorated with images of footballs and football stars.
The Russian carriage shows off the country’s ballet and matryoshka dolls.
The South African carriage displays pictures of diamonds.
The sixth carriage combines cultural elements from all the five BRICS countries.
India to help Myanmar in police training
The Cabinet gave ex-post facto approval to a MoU between India and Myanmar on upgradation of the Women’s Police Training Centre at Yamethin, Myanmar. It covers upgradation of the Police Centre to further augment the capabilities of the Myanmar government to build capacities of its police force with technical and financial assistance from the Indian government.
First US Crude Oil shipment arrives in Paradip
The first United States crude oil cargo of 1.6 million barrels bought by Indian Oil Corporation from the US reached Paradip Port, Odisha. Indian Oil became the first Indian public sector refiner to source US crude has placed a cumulative order 3.9 million barrel from the US. They will process the crude at its East-Coast base refineries, located at Paradip, Haldia, Barauni and Bongaigaon.
India to be guest country at World Government Summit
India will be the guest of honour during the sixth edition of the World Government Summit scheduled from February 11th – 13th, 2018 in Dubai. The summit is the largest movement to review and share the best experiences, and the first global forum for governments, countries, organizations and private sector leaders interested in the industry of the future.
Nepal, India to conduct joint tiger census in November
Nepal and India will be conducting in November a joint head count of tigers in the national parks, forests and sanctuaries along the international border between the two neighbours using a similar camera tapping method. The tiger is regarded as an endangered animal and is listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
India opens two border crossing points
India has opened 2 immigration check posts along the borders with Myanmar & Bangladesh. Zorinpui check post of Mizoram has been authorised as immigration check post for entry into or exit from India for all passengers to or from Myanmar. Kawrpuichhuah post of Mizoram has been authorised as immigration check post for entry into or exit from India for all passengers to or from Bangladesh.
NATIONAL
Union Minister launches Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana in Mumbai
Union Minister for state for social justice and empowerment, Ramdas Athawale has launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana during the fourth workshop of “Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana” in Mumbai. The workshop was organised by Pratishtha and Sanjivani trust.
Indian Army finalises mega procurement plan to replace ageing weapons
Indian Army finalized one of its biggest procurement plans for infantry modernization at a cost of nearly Rs 40,000 crore to replace its aging and obsolete weapons. Under this plan, around 7 lakh rifles, 44,000 light machine guns (LMGs) and nearly 44,600 carbines will be procured. Indian Army has been insisting to fast-track the procurement in backdrop of evolving security threats along India’s borders with Pakistan and China. Besides, Union Government has directed Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to expedite its work on various small arms, particularly on Light Machine Guns.
India to host UN wildlife summit CMS COP13 in 2020
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has announced that India will host the next CMS Conference of the Parties 13 (CMS COP13) in the year 2020. CMS COP is a global wildlife conference. The announcement was made during the 12th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties 12 (COP) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) in Manila, the Philippines. CMS COP12 was held from 23-28 October 2017 and was attended by over 500 delegates from more than 120 countries. The theme of the Conference was ‘Their Future is Our Future – Sustainable Development for Wildlife and People’.
External Affairs Ministry launches AsktheSpokesperson on Twitter
The Ministry of External Affairs launched the “#AsktheSpokesperson” initiative on Twitter, to create better awareness and understanding of foreign policy issues to general public. #AsktheSpokesperson initiative will be a regular feature to engage and educate the public about foreign policy matters in simplified terms. It will be held every 2 months. The Ministry invites questions from the public on India’s foreign policy and selected questions would be responded by the Official Spokesperson. It also launched its LinkedIn profile.
L&T handovers first defence vessel built in private shipyard to Coast Guard
Larsen and Toubro (L&T) handed over offshore patrol vessel (OPV) named “Vikram” to the Indian Coast Guard. It is country’s first-ever such defence vessel to be built in a private shipyard The vessel was indigenously developed in-house at L&T’s Kattupalli shipyard. Its entire design and construction processes have undergone dual certification from American Bureau of Shipping and Indian Registrar of Shipping.
Indian Railway’s first set of solar plant of 5 MW capacity launched
Indian Railway’s first set of solar plants with total capacity of 5 megawatt peak (MWp) was launched on roof tops of Hazrat Nizamuddin, New Delhi, Anand Vihar and Delhi railway stations by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal. This project was launched as part of Union Government’s ambitious National Solar Mission in which Indian Railways plans to commission 1000 MWp solar plants across its network.
SC asks UP, Haryana, Rajasthan to ban use of Pet coke to curb air pollution
The Supreme Court (SC) directed the governments of Uttar Pradesh (UP), Haryana and Rajasthan to ban the use of petroleum (pet) coke and furnace oil in the industries with an aim to fight air pollution. The ruling was made by a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta. The bench also clarified that it will ban the use of pet coke and furnace oil in these three states from 1 November 2017, if the respective governments did not prohibit their use in the industries by then.
Paika rebellion to be named as 1st War of Independence: Government
The Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar has announced that Paika rebellion (Paika Bidroha) of 1817 will be named as First War of Independence against British Rule in history books from next academic session. Earlier, 1857 Sepoy Mutiny was regarded as the First War of Indian Independence, but Paika Bidroha predates it.
No need to stand up in movie halls to prove patriotism: SC
People not required to stand up in the movie halls to prove their patriotism, the Supreme Court of India ruled and asked the Central Government to consider amending the decree for regulating playing of the national anthem in the cinema halls. The Apex court also noted that “We don’t have to wear patriotism on our sleeves”, and that it cannot be believed that if a person does not stand up for the national anthem, then he is “less patriotic”. While observing the decree, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra said that the society doesn’t require “moral policing” and this can’t be done on the whims and fancies of government.
Ministries of power and textiles jointly announce new scheme ‘SAATHI’
Ministries of power and textiles have jointly announced a new scheme SAATHI under which Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) will provide energy efficient power loom equipment to small and medium units at no upfront cost. The use of the efficient equipment would result in energy and cost savings to the unit owner and he will repay in installments to EESL over a 4 to 5 year period. The SAATHI initiative of the government will be jointly implemented by EESL and the office of the Textile Commissioner on a pan-India basis. Sustainable And Accelerated Adoption Of Efficient Textile Technologies To Help Small Industries.
India’s first Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra launched
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh along with Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated India’s first Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) for skilling in Smart Cities on 23 October 2017 at New Delhi. The inauguration was done in collaboration with New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). The main aim behind the development is to bring momentum in skilling through collaborative efforts.
Govt de-affiliates 400 Industrial Training Institutes for failing quality norms
The Union Government has de-affiliated around 400 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) following quality inspections that revealed that the institutes lacked requisite infrastructure and trainers for imparting vocational training to students. If an institute has to be an ITI at the National Council for Vocational Training level, there are certain minimum conditions that need to be followed.
Maruti becomes top exporter of passenger cars from India
According to latest data by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) has become largest passenger cars exporter from India in first half (April-September) of ongoing fiscal. It exported 57,300 units of passenger cars and dethroned Hyundai Motor India Ltd (exported 44,585 units) which has now been pushed to fourth spot behind Volkswagen (50,410 units) and General Motors (45,222 units).
PM Modi inaugurates first phase of Ghogha-Dahej RORO ferry service
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the first phase of ambitious Ghogha-Dahej Roll-on Roll-off ferry service at Ghogha in Bhavnagar district in Gujarat. With the opening of this 615-crores rupees ferry service, the distance between Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions could be covered in less than an hour via-sea route. This passenger movement service reduced the distance between the Ghogha and Dahej from 310 kilometres by road to just 30 kilometres, which can be covered in one hour.
GSTN Launches excel-based offline tool to file initial GSTR-3B Returns
Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) has launched an excel-based offline tool for businesses to file initial GSTR- 3B returns. GSTN, in a statement in New Delhi, stated that taxpayers can download the offline utility from the GSTN portal and after fill in the data the file can be uploaded on GST portal. After uploading of the return to the GST Portal, the taxpayer has to preview the form, complete formalities like submit, offset the liability and file their GSTR-3B Return using digital signature or electronic verification code.
Most pollution-linked deaths occur in India
With 2.51 million deaths in 2015, India has been ranked No. 1 in pollution related deaths, according to a report by The Lancet Commission on pollution and health. China recorded the second highest number of such deaths (1.8 million). India accounted for about 28 per cent of an estimated nine million pollution linked deaths worldwide in 2015. This figure is three times more than the deaths from AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined and 15 times more than from all wars and other forms of violence.
Income Tax dept launches ‘Online Chat’ to answer taxpayers queries
The Income Tax Department has launched an ‘online chat’ service for taxpayers so that they can seek answers to their basic queries and doubts relating to direct tax issues. A window has been hosted on the main page of the department’s website www.incometaxindia.gov.in/ – with a prominent icon stating ‘Live Chat Online – ask your query’. A team of experts from the department and independent tax practitioners has been deputed to answer the general queries of a taxpayer. The first-time initiative is aimed to enhance taxpayer services in the country.
Ministry of WCD launches campaign on ‘women for women’
The Ministry of Women and Child Development is undertaking an online campaign #IamThatWoman. The main aim seeks to highlight the various aspects of women standing ‘by’ and ‘for’ women. Ministry of WCD has urged people to shun stereotypes associated with women harming other women. Twitter and Facebook users have been encouraged to tag and share stories of women helping women with a photograph and post online with the hashtag #IamThatWoman. A woman manager can easily empathize with her female juniors and help her climb the ladder of success.
Google viewed as Most Authentic Brand in India: Survey
Indian consumers regard Google as the most authentic brand, even though Amazon.com tops the list globally, reveal results of the 2017 “Authentic Brands Study” by the new survey of global communications agency Cohn & Wolfe. In India, Google is followed by Microsoft, Amazon.com, Maruti Suzuki and Apple. Globally, Apple takes the second spot after Amazon in the authenticity race.
Mahindra launches ‘Prerna’ project for women farmers
Auto manufacturer Mahindra and Mahindra celebrated ‘Mahila Kisan Diwas’ and launched a programme, ‘Prerna’ to empower women working in the agriculture sector. Prerna’ project is aimed at promoting the use of efficient and ergonomic farm tools and equipment by women who work long hours in the fields. It is first launched in Odisha, with an aim to positively impact the lives of over 1,500 families across 30-plus villages.
Defence Minister to commission INS Kiltan into Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has commissioned an indigenously-built anti-submarine warfare stealth corvette INS Kiltan into the Indian Navy at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam. According to Defence Minister, INS Kiltan strengthens India’s defence system and will be a shining armour in ‘Make in India’ programme as it is totally built indigenously.
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Radha Mohan Singh said the government started PMKSY to provide a permanent solution from drought. Three ministries are implementing this scheme in mission mode. PMKSY aims not only to create irrigation sources but also to create protected irrigation by harnessing rainwater through ‘Jal Sanchay’ and ‘Jal Sinchan’.
Mastercard Launched its First Innovation Centre in India
US-based fintech company Mastercard has announced the launch of its global research and development arm Mastercard Labs in Pune, India. After Singapore, this will be the second Mastercard Labs in Asia-Pacific, and ninth in the world. The initiative aims to bring and harness new commerce, payment and technology ideas at a fast pace in the country.
IAF launches Mobile Health app “MedWatch”
On the occasion of its 85th anniversary, the Indian Air Force (IAF) launched an innovative mobile health app named ‘MedWatch’. The concept and content of the app is by the Directorate General of Medical Services (Air) and its has been developed in house with zero financial outlay by the Directorate of information Technology (DIT). ‘MedWatch, available on the IAF’s AFCEL network, comprises a host of features that will provide authentic health information to all IAF personnel. ‘MedWatch’, the first mobile health app in the three armed services was launched by Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa.
Union Govt launches Sampoorna Bima Gram Yojana
Union Government launched Sampoorna Bima Gram Yojana and expansion of Postal Life Insurance, in New Delhi. Under the Sampoorna Bima Gram Yojana, at least one village having a minimum of 100 households will be identified in each of the revenue districts of the country. The base of Postal Life Insurance been decided that its benefits will no longer be confined to government and semi-government employees. It will be available to the professionals such as doctors, engineers, management consultants, chartered accountants, lawyers, and bankers.
44th Indian Handicrafts and Gifts-Delhi Fair inaugurated in New Delhi
The 44th edition of Indian Handicrafts and Gifts (IHGF)-Delhi Fair was held at India Expo Centre and Mart on outskirts of Delhi in Greater Noida. It was organised by Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) and was inaugurated by Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani. The five-day B2B IHGF Fair was biggest platform in National Capital Region (NCR) for promotion of handicrafts business. It will showcase nearly three thousand exhibitors under 14 product categories. More than 100 countries including US, UK, Russia, France, Germany, Italy, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan and Korea are participating in the fair.
Govt to commemorate 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
Government of India will commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi during the period from 2nd October, 2019 to 2nd October, 2020. The event will be celebrated at both national and international levels to propagate the message of the Mahatma. A National Committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been constituted for the purpose. This Committee includes the Chief Ministers of all the states of the country, representatives from across the political spectrum, Gandhians, thinkers and eminent persons from all walks of life. The Committee will guide and approve policies, programmes, activities for the commemoration and will also supervise implementation of the decisions taken from time to time.
Govt imposes anti-dumping duty on certain Chinese steel products
The Union Finance Ministry has imposed anti-dumping duty on imports of certain steel wire rods from China for five years to guard interest of domestic players from cheap in-bound shipments. The duty will be difference between landed value of steel products and US $535 per tonne while for others, it should be gap between landed value and US $546 per tonne. Steel wire rod products are used in many sectors such as automotive components, railway, engineering and construction.
Rajnath Singh inaugurated First BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise
The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated the four-day First ‘BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise- 2017′ (BIMSTEC DMEx-2017) in New Delhi. The Exercise will be conducted by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) as the lead agency in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). The BIMSTEC DMEx-2017 is being conducted in two phases in Delhi and NCR. The main exercise will comprise of Table Top Exercise (TTX), Field Training Exercise (FTX) and After Action Review (AAR). The main focus of the BIMSTEC DMEx-2017 will be on testing the region’s preparedness and resilience towards effective activation of inter-Governmental interaction for immediate deployment of regional resources for disaster response.
India slips to 8th among most valuable brands
India is ranked the eighth most valuable nation brand while the United States retained its top position and China took the second spot in the league of nations according to Brand Finance’s Nation Brands 2017. India went down one spot over the previous year, the report said, because the economy grew at its slowest pace.
India’s Coffee Output Pegged at Record 3.5 lakh Tons in 2017-18
Coffee output in India is pegged to be a record 3.50 lakh tonnes in the 2017-18 marketing year started this month on higher acreage. According to the Coffee Board, the final output stood lower by 10.34 percent at 3.12 lakh tonnes in 2016-17 marketing year from 3.48 lakh tonnes in the previous year. Coffee Board stated that the crop’s forecast for 2017-18 is placed at 3.50 lakh tonnes, comprising 1.03 lakh tonnes of Arabica and 2.47 lakh tonnes of Robusta varieties. Higher output is mainly attributed to the additional bearing area of about 13,500 hectares in traditional growing areas of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
President launches Mata Amritanandamayi Math Project Jeevamritham
President Ram Nath Kovind has launched 100 crore rupees Mata Amritanandamayi Math Project “Jeevamritham” to provide filtration system for cleaning drinking water to 5000 villages across India, in kollam district in kerala. The President also distributed the certificates to three village out of 12 villages in the States of Bihar, UP, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Chatisgarh, Uttarakand, Maharashtra and kerala, which were adopted by the Math, verified as Open Defecation Free by Swatch Bharat Abhiyan.
India’s first Marine Police Training Institute to be set up at Dev Bhoomi Dwarka
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the setting up of India’s first marine police training institute at Gujarat’s Devbhumi Dwarka district. This announcement was given at the foundation stone-laying ceremony of a bridge between Okha and Beyt Dwarka, during PM Narendra Modi’s two day visit to Gujarat.
Prasar Bharati launches Online Application System for AIR Auditions
Prasar Bharati Chairman A Surya Prakash has launched an online application system for music auditions across all genres for the All India Radio. The initiative was launched on the occasion of 64th Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan in New Delhi. It is believed that with the introduction of this facility, the aspirants who want to apply and get themselves graded will have a better experience in terms of accessibility and availability.
Prime Minister launches Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI). At the launch he said, “Let no child suffer from any vaccine-preventable disease”. Through this programme, Government of India aims to reach each and every child under two years of age and all those pregnant women who have been left uncovered under the routine immunisation programme. The special drive will focus on improving immunization coverage in select districts and cities to ensure full immunization to more than 90% by December 2018. The achievement of full immunisation under Mission Indradhanush to at least 90% coverage was to be achieved by 2020 earlier. With the launch of IMI, achievement of the target has now been advanced.
Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav-2017 started in Ahmedabad
The “Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM) – 2017″ was started in India’s 1st World Heritage City i.e Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It is a 3 day long diversified cultural carnival. Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav was conceived by the Ministry of Culture in the year 2015. Its intent is to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Country in all its rich and varied dimensions, all in one place.
First ASEAN India Music Festival to be held at Purana Qila, New Delhi
The first-ever The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) India Music Festival will be held at Purana Quila in New Delhi. The 3 day festival is being organized by External Affairs Ministry in collaboration with Culture Ministry to celebrate the 25th year anniversary of ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations. The main aim is to boost cultural influences among the peoples of the ASEAN member states and India. Famous Indian bands like the Raghu Dixit Project, Avial, Papon LIVE, Bipul Chettri and the Travelling Band, and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy will also participate in the festival.
India ranks highest in online harassment in APAC region: Norton
India reported the highest levels of online harassment through cyberstalking and threats of physical violence in the Asia Pacific region, higher than countries like Australia and Japan, a report by Norton by Symantec. The report, which surveyed 1,035 adults in India, found 8 among 10 surveyed saying they had encountered some form of online harassment. The most common forms of online harassment were abuse and insults (63 percent) and malicious gossip and rumours (59 percent).
Modi temple with 100-foot tall statue of PM to be built in Meerut
A grand temple worth Rs. 30 crore is going to be built in honour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh. The temple would be built in the Sardhana area of Meerut where a 100-foot statue of Prime Minister Modi would be installed. Follower and supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a retired engineer from the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department, J. P. Singh, announced the decision to erect Prime Minister Modi’s statue. Singh said he was inspired by the PM’s love for the country.
Centre organising Paryatan Parv across the country to promote tourism
The Union Ministry of tourism is organising Paryatan Parv, a festival of tourism, from 5 October 2017 in collaboration with other central ministries, state governments and stakeholders. The main objective behind organising the festival is to draw focus on the benefits of tourism and showcase the cultural diversity of the country and to reinforce the principle of ‘Toursim for All’. The 20-day festival begins at Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi. It will end on 25 October 2017.
Indian Railways announced No service charge on train e-tickets till March 2018
The Union Government waived service charges in November last year after demonetization to encourage digital modes of booking. The facility had been extended from June 30 and then to September 30. The Railway Board directed Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) that the benefits be extended till March next year. The Service charges on booking train tickets online through IRCTC ranges from Rs 20 to 40 per ticket.
Union Government launches SECURE Himalaya Project
The Union Government launched SECURE Himalaya, a six-year project to ensure conservation of locally and globally significant biodiversity and land. The Himalayan ecosystem spread over four states namely Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Sikkim. The system was launched by Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in association with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
NHAI launches new website and PMIS Mobile App
The Chairman of National Highways Authority of India Shri Deepak Kumar launched a world-class, new multilingual website of the organization. He also launched a Project Monitoring Information System (PMIS) Mobile App that will facilitate close, in-house monitoring of NHAI projects on a mobile phone. The system is now digitally monitoring them through a state-of-the-art Project Monitoring Information System (PMIS) which has been developed in-house along with The Boston Consulting Group.
Govt unveils third National Wildlife Action Plan for 2017-2031
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has unveiled third National Wildlife Action Plan for 2017-2031 to chalk out future road map for wildlife conservation. The plan was unveiled by Environment Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on inaugural day of Global Wildlife Programme (GWP) conference. It is third action plan after first released in 1983 to 2001 and second from 2002 to 2016, that had protected area-centric approach to wildlife conservation.
NHAI launches countrywide Free Eye Check-up Campaign
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has launched countrywide Free Eye Check-up Campaign and distribution of spectacles for truck drivers, cleaners and helpers. It was launched by Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari at Panjari Toll Plaza, Nagpur Bypass, Nagpur in Maharashtra. Eyesight is basic requirement for safe driving. Poor vision increases risk of collisions due to the driver’s inability to recognise and react in time to hazard or behaviour of other road users.
Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurates Pratham-Shyok bridge in Leh
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated ‘Pratham-Shyok’ bridge in Leh that will connect Leh to Karakoram in north eastern Ladakh. The Defence Minister on her two-day-visit to Jammu and Kashmir, also visited forward locations of Leh, Ladakh and Siachen, reviewed the security situation in the regions, and interacted with the soldiers.
WCD Minister inaugurates the 3rd edition of ‘Women of India Organic Festival’
The Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi inaugurated the 3rd annual ‘Women of India Organic Festival’ at Dilli Haat (INA). For most women, this is the first time that they are travelling to Delhi from remotest parts of the country to showcase their unique merchandise to the people of Delhi and surrounding areas. With the theme ‘Good for Women; Good for India; Good for you’, the Ministry intends to highlight the health and environmental advantages of organic goods, provide a platform for women engaged in it and boost the development of sustainable and easily accessible sales outlets for women producers from the remotest corners of India.
STATES
Karnataka cabinet approves transgender policy
Karnataka state cabinet approved a policy which seeks to provide legal protection to the transgender community and thereby safeguard them from social and sexual exploitation. The objective of this policy is to remove the stigma attached to the transgender community and integrate them into the mainstream of the society. Under the policy, an awareness drive will be conducted to sensitize general public about the rights of transgenders.
Vrindavan, Barsana declared as Sacred Sites, no meat and liquor shops allowed
The Uttar Pradesh government has issued an order notifying Vrindavan and Barsana towns in Mathura district as ‘Sacred pilgrimage sites’ (‘pavitra teerth sthals’). With this, Vrindavan and Barsana became the first two places to be notified as teerth sthal in government records. No meat and liquor shops will be allowed in these towns anymore. As per the state government, the main objective behind declaring Vrindavan and Barsana as pilgrimage sites is to honour the sentiments of devotees, who are hurt by the operations of liquor and meat shops. The move will help in restoring the age-old traditions of these people.
Rajasthan Assembly passes bill increasing OBC quota to 26 per cent
The state government of Rajasthan has passed a bill that increased reservation quota for Other Backward Classes (OBC) from 21 per cent to 26 per cent. The Backward Classes (reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions in the State and of Appointments and Posts in Services under the State) Bill will provide reservation to the five most backward OBC communities:
- Gujjars
- Banjara Baldiya, Labana
- Gadiya Lohar, Gadoliya
- Raika, Rebari, Debasi
- Gadariya, Gadri, Gayari.
Chhattisgarh: 51 Hindu families migrated from Pak get Indian citizenship
As many as 51 Hindu families who had migrated from Pakistan several years ago and have been living on the outskirts of Raipur were granted Indian citizenship. With this, Chhattisgarh has become the first state in the country to award citizenship after Prime Minister Narendra Modi granted the power to states to do so.
MP govt shelves plan to shift to Jan-Dec fiscal format
Madhya Pradesh, which was the first state to announce that it would switch to January-December financial year from the existing April-March cycle starting 2018, has put the plan on the back burner. The state government will follow suit once the Centre shifts to the January-December fiscal cycle.
Punjab decides to close 800 govt schools which have fewer than 20 students
The Punjab government will shut down 800 primary schools with less than 20 students, and merge them with schools nearby. The students and staff will be accommodated in adjoining schools situated within a one kilometre-radius. The decision is aimed at improving the utilisation of the teaching staff in the state.
Karnataka to ban Pillion Riding on Two-Wheelers With Engine Capacity up to 100 cc
Karnataka government has decided to ban pillion riding on two-wheelers with less than 100 cc engine. It will not affect the existing two-wheelers but will be applicable for new vehicles. The ban comes in the backdrop of safety of the pillion riders, who are often victims of the road accidents.
Assam Govt launches new Tourism policy
The state government of Assam has launched a new Tourism policy- ‘Tourism Policy of Assam 2017′ with the aim of increasing tourist inflow in the state two to three folds within the next five years. The Tourism shall be accorded industry status in the state and all facilities and incentives applicable to industries shall be made available to Tourism industry also. The new policy will be effective starting January 2018 till December 2022.
Punjab govt approves hike in income limit of OBCs
Punjab Chief Minister has approved an increase in the gross annual income limit for the creamy layer of the Other Backward Classes and Backward Classes from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh. This was the fourth revision of the creamy layer, which was fixed at Rs 1 lakh in 1993 and subsequently hiked to Rs 2.5 lakh in 2004, Rs 4.5 lakh in 2008 and Rs 6 lakh in 2013.
Chhattisgarh govt reduces interest on loan under Saksham Yojna
Chhattisgarh State Government has reduced the rate of interest on loan given to women and their self-help groups (SHGs) under ‘Saksham Yojna’ from 6.5 percent to 5 percent. Saksham Yojana too is operated by Chhattisgarh Mahila Kosh, under which loans to the tune of Rs 72 lakh had been distributed to about 111 SHGs during the current fiscal year 2017-18.
Assam to host Global Investors Summit in February 2018
Assam would be hosting its first Global Investors Summit in Guwahati from 3-4 February 2018. It would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The state government plans to utilise the event to showcase Assam’s business potential with attractive policies in order to attract more investments. The decision was taken during the state’s cabinet meeting, which was held recently.
Arunachal Assembly approves Kamle as 23rd district
The Arunachal Assembly has passed a bill paving way for creation of a new district to be named Kamle. With the official creation of the new district, the total number of districts in the state shot up to 23.
Madhya Pradesh CM launches ‘Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana’
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the ambitious ‘Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojna’ for the farmers of the state. Madhya Pradesh is the first state to lend money to farmers at zero percent interest. The government has approved a web of irrigation projects across the Sagar District which will cover 96-hectare fields.
Kerala HC restores life ban imposed on Sreesanth by BCCI
A division bench of the Kerala High Court has restored the life ban imposed on cricketer S Sreesanth by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in the wake of the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal. The bench gave the verdict on a petition filed by the BCCI against the ruling by a single judge bench that lifted the life ban imposed on the 34-year-old pacer in August 2017.
Punjab police launches foot patrolling in all districts
Punjab police has launched a foot patrolling an initiative whereby police personnel will patrol designated areas on foot to keep a watch on anti-social elements. The main Objective of foot patrolling is to reduce incidence of crime by increasing the presence of police in vulnerable locations. All foot patrol officers will be wearing jungle boots, specially designed arm-band and will carry weapons, baton, handcuffs, and wireless sets.
Telangana’s “tGST” app to detect fake GST
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-Hyderabad) has come out with a technology solution to the problem of GST calculation. The institute has developed an app, tGST, for the Commercial Taxes Department of Telangana. Take a photo of the bill and uploaded it to the app. It will let you know whether the GST paid by you is going to the government or not.
Rajasthan assembly first in India to call motions online
Going digital, the Rajasthan assembly has become the first in India to call attention and adjournment motions and proposals online from legislators to send them to the state government. The system is expected to save time, labour and use of paper in the functioning of the assembly, and also help legislators in bringing attention to urgent public issues.
West Bengal to set up Scheduled Caste advisory council
The West Bengal cabinet has decided to set up a Scheduled Caste advisory council to look into the development of the Scheduled Caste population in the state. The scheduled caste advisory council, according to the state government, will be the first in an Indian state.
Gujarat Govt announces Garments & Apparel Policy 2017
Gujarat Government has announced the Garments and Apparel Policy-2017, with the aim of creating more opportunities in the garment sector of Gujarat and to create huge employment opportunities for women through the apparel industry. This Policy is prepared with an aim to make Gujarat number 1 in textile which produces more of cotton. The State government will also provide incentives for garment unit owners for generating employment by providing subsidy in wages. The women workers will get Rs 4,000 subsidy, while their male counterparts will get Rs 3,500.
Gujarat govt to set up 16 new GIDC townships to encourage SMEs
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced the setting up of 16 new Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) townships, in Gujarat. The 16 new GIDC townships would be set up in 2400 hectare area to encourage the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).This township would attract 15,000 industrial units. They will create job opportunities for 1 lakh people.
MP CM announced Rs. 2 lakh aid for widow remarriage
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced a slew of measures for women in the State, including a financial assistance of Rs. 2 lakh for remarriage of widows. Speaking at his monthly radio broadcast ‘Dil Se’ Mr. Chouhan appealed to people to come forward to encourage remarriage of widows. It will help in eradicating social evils like dowry and child marriages.
Bihar Cabinet approves reservation for ‘Divyangs’ in Govt Jobs
The Bihar Cabinet approved reservations for persons with disabilities in government jobs and educational institutions. The cabinet gave its approval during a meeting presided by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The provision has been brought in accordance with the Persons With Disabilities Act, 2016. The cabinet also approved the establishment of a state advisory board for the empowerment of ‘Divyangjan’ as envisaged in the Act.
Himachal Pradesh implements Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme
Himachal Pradesh government implemented the Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme (SCHIS) to provide easy access to curative geriatric health care services by way of additional cover. The scheme would provide top-up coverage of Rs 30,000 per senior citizen to all existing Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY) smart card holders. This would be in addition to the basic coverage of Rs 30,000 in Trust and Society mode.
UP govt launches Sankalp Seva bus service
Uttar Pradesh government launched Sankalp Seva bus service of 50 buses to connect as many as 6,000 villages. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath flagged off the buses in function at Lucknow. On this occasion he announced to construct ‘Gaurav Marg Path’ to honour the sacrifices of the martyrs.
Maharashtra launched Web Portal with Information on New Govt Schemes
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis launched ‘MahaLabharthi‘ web portal that will help people get information about all the government schemes that they are eligible for. The web portal, https://www.mahalabharthi.in, works on the basis of personal, educational and professional information provided by a person while registering on it.
U’khand Govt launched ‘Solar Briefcase’ to provide Electricity in Remote Areas
Uttarakhand State Government and a charitable funding agency named Swan Cultural Center and Foundation launched ‘Solar Briefcase’ in Kedarnath Dham. The initiative was taken to provide electricity to far-flung areas in the hill state.
Manipur celebrates ‘Mera Houchongba’ festival
Manipur’s traditional Mera Houchongba festival which endeavors to promote brotherhood and unity among indigenous communities, was celebrated at the Manipur Royal palace (Sana Konung) in Imphal in the presence of titular monarch Leishemba Sanajaoba recently. The royal palace, which usually is deserted, was filled with a riot of colours as hundreds of people, both from the hills and the valley, took part in the festivities attired in their traditional colourful dresses.
Chhattisgarh bans use of chlorinated plastic and Polyvinyl Chloride
In Chhattisgarh, the state government has banned the use of chlorinated plastic and Polyvinyl Chloride -PVC. The advertising and promotion materials like PVC banners, flex, and hoardings have also been banned with immediate effect. Chhattisgarh government decision is with an objective to conserve and improve the environment.
Mizoram has highest number of clouded leopards in Southeast Asia
Mizoram’s Dampa Tiger Reserve now holds the distinction of housing the highest number of clouded leopards in Southeast Asia, the state government has claimed. The density of population of clouded leopards, locally known as ‘Kelral’, is 5.14 per 100 sq km in the reserve, situated along the Mizoram-Bangladesh-Tripura.
PM Modi lays Foundation Stone for Bridge in Dwarka, Gujarat
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of a four-lane cable-stayed bridge between Okha and Beyt Dwarka. The bridge is a link between old and new Dwarka. The 2.32 km bridge, including 900 metres of central double span cable-stayed portion, will be constructed at a cost of Rs. 962.43 crore. The four-lane 27.20-metre wide bridge will have 2.50 metre wide footpaths on each side. Solar panels installed on the roof of footpath will produce 1 MW power for street lights on the bridge.
UP govt launches ‘Mukhyamantri Samoohik Vivaah Yojana’
Uttar Pradesh State Government launched a mass marriage scheme called ‘Mukhyamantri Samoohik Vivaah Yojana’. Under the scheme, Uttar Pradesh social welfare department will conduct mass marriages. The District magistrates of respective districts will authorize Urban local bodies like Nagar panchayat, Nagar Palika and Nagar Nigam, kshetra panchayats, Zila panchayats, government/ semi-government organizations and NGOs to organize programmes in this regard.
Chhattisgarh CM flags-off Cancer detection ambulance to cure patients free-of-cost
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr. Raman Singh has flagged-off ‘Cancer diagnosis Ambulance’ at his official residence. The vehicle is fitted with ultra-advanced equipment to detect cancer. The patients will be treated free-of-cost. The Akhil Bharatiya Marwari Yuva Manch is organizing the cancer detection camps. About Rs Two crore had been invested in the ambulance. The patients who are suffering from oral, throat, breast, prostate, intestinal, liver and other forms of cancer will be medically examined.
Turtle Sanctuary to be set up in Allahabad
The Union Ministry of Water Resources has approved project to set up Turtle sanctuary in Allahabad along with River Biodiversity Park at Sangam in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh under Namami Gange programme. The purpose of the Turtle sanctuary is to protect the rich aquatic biodiversity of river Ganga from escalating anthropogenic pressures.
Foundation stone for National waterway on Krishna River laid
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu laid foundation stone to develop Muktyal to Vijayawada waterway stretch on River Krishna as part of National Waterway 4 at Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh. The 82-km inland waterway stretch is Phase-1 of National Waterway-4 developed under Sagar Mala project. It will be used mainly for transportation of cement and construction material for new capital city Amaravati.
Country’s First ITI for Divyangans in Assam
Foundation stone for the first ever Industrial Training Institute for the Divyangans exclusively was laid at Dibrugarh ITI Complex at Borboruah, Dibrugarh by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. As per the guidelines of National Council for Vocational Training, the ITI will have sixty seats for three different trades with 20 seats per trade. The three different trades included in the curriculum are Computer Operator and Programming Assistant, Cutting and Sewing Technology and Hair & Skin Care.
Meenakshi Temple named Best ‘Swachh Iconic Place’ in India
The Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple has been adjudged best ‘Swachh Iconic Place’ in India. Madurai District Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao and Corporation Commissioner S. Aneesh Sekhar will receive the award from Uma Bharati, the Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation. A total of 63 compact bins have been placed and four compactor trucks do the rounds around the temple premises. There are 25 e-toilets and 15 water ATMs for tourists to use. There are two road sweepers and battery operated vehicles specifically purchased to clean this stretch.
GIFT City’s IFSC bags 10th place in Global Financial Centres Index
Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City)’s International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) has bagged the 10th spot in the latest edition of Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI), London. GIFT IFSC is ranked tenth, ahead of Luxembourg, Seoul, Abu Dhabi, Toronto and Beijing in the list of the GFCI report, which has 15 centres that are likely to become more significant in the next few years. Including GIFT City’s IFSC, six of the top ten emerging centres are in Asia.
Chandrababu Naidu launches ‘Swachh Andhra Mission’
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu launched Swachh Andhra Mission on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. Shuttle Player PV Sindhu chosen as the brand ambassador of Swachh Andhra. The government is working hard to achieve the seven-star scheme that includes current, gas, drinking water toilet, CC roads, schools, playground, Anganwadi center and internet facility, pond, and planting, at least Rs. 10,000 income for every family in the village.
UP Govt removes Taj Mahal from Tourism list
Taj Mahal has been dropped from the list of tourist destinations published by the government of Uttar Pradesh. The new booklet issued by UP government has removed Taj Mahal and instead carries the name of temples from Mathura, Ayodhya and Gorakhpur in the list. UP Govt also neglected the World Heritage site by not including it in the special section ‘Hamari Sanskritik Virasat’ (Our Cultural Heritage) of the annual budget for 2017-2018. The exclusion faced criticism from all sectors of the nation, especially from academicians and historians who slammed the government for not promoting the multi-cultural faith of the country.
Odisha Government creating land bank for industrial allocation
The Odisha Government is creating 1.2 lakh acre land bank across state for allocation to industrial sector in order to avoid repeat of Posco fiasco. The purpose of the land bank is to cut red tape and avoid local issues in the land acquisition process. Under it, state government is acquiring government land for industrial use. The land bank is based on plug-and-play kind of model wherein facilities related to water, power, roads and all clearances are in place. The companies need to only make payment of base premium upfront for land and annual rent for rest of the 90 years lease period.
‘No helmet, no petrol’ rule comes into force in Andhra Pradesh
No helmet, no petrol’ rule for two-wheeler riders to reduce road accident deaths has come into force in Andhra Pradesh, with chief minister Chandrababu Naidu urging all the petrol bunk dealers to cooperate. Chandrababu has sanctioned Rs 10 crore for equipment to implement this rule.
Karnataka unveils scheme to feed 12 lakh pregnant women
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah launched the “Mathru Purna” scheme, which aims to provide nutritious meals to about 12 lakh pregnant women and lactating mothers in the state. Besides nutritional supplements, counselling and other maternity benefits will also be provided at the Anganwadi centres under the scheme.
MP CM launches ‘Single Click Pension Delivery’ scheme
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched ‘Single Click Pension Delivery’ scheme, wherein the money will go directly into the account of the beneficiaries. More than 35 lakh people of the state will be benefited from this move. Chauhan also honoured the elderly who completed the age of 100 years with the “Shataayu” award.
CONFERENCES
UN conference on nuclear energy begins in UAE
The United Nations conference on nuclear energy started at Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The objective of the conference is to engage in dialogue on the role of nuclear power in meeting future energy demand, contributing to sustainable development and mitigating climate change. The meeting is also discussing key issues related to the development and deployment of nuclear power. Also, Iran has boycotted the conference, as Yukiya Amano, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, avoided speaking about the nuclear deal at all in his address at the venue.
14th SAARCLAW Conference held in Colombo, Sri Lanka
The 14th South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation in Law (SAARCLAW) Conference was held in Colombo, capital city of Sri Lanka along with 11th SAARC Chief Justices Conference. The three-day conference was inaugurated by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and saw participation from South Asia’s top Judges, legal practitioners and academics.
PM Modi inaugurates Global Conference on Consumer Protection
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a global conference on consumer protection in New Delhi. This is the first time that an international conference on consumer protection is being organized by India for countries of the region. The conference is deliberated upon steps taken by Asian countries to implement the UN guidelines on consumer protection as well as challenges faced by consumers of financial services and e-commerce. Twenty-two countries from East, South and South-East Asia are participating in the international conference. These include China, South Korea, Singapore, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Arun Jaitley Attends G-20 Finance Ministers Meeting
The Union Minister for Finance Arun Jaitley participated in the G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) Meeting in Washington D.C. The discussion focused on the agenda items pertaining to Global Economy and Framework for Growth, Compact with Africa and International Financial Architecture. As co-chairs of G20 Framework Working Group (FWG), India made the lead intervention during the Second Round of the Session on ‘Global Economy and Framework for Growth’, which discussed the IMF’s G-20 Report on ‘Strong, Sustainable, and Balanced Growth(SSBG)’.
PM Modi’s Economic Advisory Council holds its first meeting
The recently constituted Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) held its first meeting in New Delhi to deliberate upon and lay out a roadmap to give a leg up to the Indian economy in the short term after GDP growth for the first quarter fell to a three-year low of 5.7%. The EAC-PM is chaired by Dr. Bibey Debroy. Key issues for the discussion include ways to boost consumer demand, attract private investments and measures to incentivize job creation in the country, people familiar with the agenda said.
Vice President inaugurated 3rd International Conference on Yoga
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the third International Conference on Yoga in New Delhi. The theme of this year’s conference will be ‘Yoga for Wellness’. The two-day conference has six technical sessions and experts will deliberate on the scope of yoga in integrated medicine, and control of cancer, depression and gynaecological disorders and pain management. Around 500 delegates, including those from 44 countries, will attend the conference.
Andhra CM Naidu inaugurates Blockchain Business Conference
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated a two-day International Blockchain Business Conference, which will also have sessions on Blockchain in banking, insurance and capital markets. Blockchain is the latest technology in the field of cyber space that is generating huge interest globally.
First meeting of India-Australia joint steering committee held
The First Meeting of India-Australia Joint Steering Committee was held in New Delhi. Shri TVSN Prasad, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs and Mr. Stephen Bouwhuis, First Assistant Secretary, International and Auscheck Division, Criminal Justice Group, Attorney-General’s Department led the respective delegations. This meeting was a follow-up to the MoU on Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism and Transnational Organized Crime exchanged between the two sides during the visit of Australian Prime Minister Mr. Malcolm Turnbull to New Delhi in April 2016.
Global Wildlife Programme Conference held in New Delhi
The Global Wildlife Programme (GWP) Conference was recently held in New Delhi. It was jointly hosted by Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), World Bank and United Nations Development Programme. The Theme of the conference was – “People participation in wildlife conservation”.
LS Speaker to lead Indian delegation at 8th Conference in Sri Lanka
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will attend a special parliamentary session in Sri Lanka that is being convened to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Parliament. The association of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Speakers and Parliamentarians is a platform for the parliamentarians of South Asia to work together to reach the 2030 agenda for “Sustainable Development”. It promotes parliamentary diplomacy and open Parliament in the digital age, encourage parliamentarians’ role in preserving cultural and archaeological heritage in South Asia, support women to uplift themselves from poverty and build a better future for their communities, and attempts to counter violent extremism among the youth to prevent terrorism among other things.
AWARDS & HONOURS
Girish Karnad to be honoured with Tata Literature Lifetime Achievement Award 2017
Versatile actor and playwright Girish Karnad will be honoured with Tata Literature Live Lifetime Achievement Award 2017 on 19 November 2017. The award will be presented to the veteran actor at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Nariman Point in Mumbai. The actor will receive the award as a playwright.
Cleartrip named ‘Best Mobile App for Travel’ at Mobexx Awards
Online travel solutions provider Cleartrip was named the ‘Best Mobile App for Travel and Leisure’ at the Mobexx Awards 2017. The award was conferred for the success that it has had on the mobile platform, seen by many as the future of advertising and brand marketing. IIT-Roorkee won Schneider’s ‘Go Green in the City’ contest held in Paris.
Anupam Kher receives Parmod Mahajan Smriti Award
Anupam Kher has received Parmod Mahajan Smriti Award in Pune. He is the current Chairman of Film and Television Institute of India. Saira Banu, who moved Supreme Court seeking a ban on instantaneous ‘Triple Talaq’ among Muslims is the second recipient of Pramod Mahjan Smriti Award. The awards were presented by Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar. The award was instituted by Pune-based organization ‘Muktachhand’ in memory of Late Pramod Mahajan who was the leader from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a former Union Cabinet Minister.
Sharmila Tagore honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award
Veteran actor Sharmila Tagore has received the Lifetime Achievement Award. The 72-year-old actor was bestowed with the recognition by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in New Delhi for her contribution in the field of cinema. Minister of State for Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh and Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari presented the award to Tagore. The celebrated actor debuted in movies with legendary director Satyajit Ray’s Bengali film Apur Sansar in 1959. Her breakout role in Hindi cinema was Shakti Samanta’s 1964 film Kashmir Ki Kali.
L&T Technology Services Conferred with CII Industrial Innovation Award
L&T Technology Services Ltd (LTTS), a leading global pure-play Engineering Services Company was conferred with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Industrial Innovation Award, 2017. This award recognized it as one of the most innovative Indian companies in the services category at the CII Industrial Innovation Awards ceremony in New Delhi.
Choti Kumari Singh won ‘Women’s Creativity in Rural Life Award’
A 20-year-old girl Choti Kumari from Bihar won International acclaim for her efforts to uplift the Musahar community, considered one of the lowest and most downtrodden in the state’s caste-ridden society. Choti Kumari Singh, hailing from an impoverished upper caste Rajput family, has won ‘Women’s Creativity in Rural Life’ Award’ from the Switzerland-based Women’s World Summit Foundation. Choti started helping with social and educational work among Musahars in her own village of Ratanpur in 2014, after joining a programme run by the Mata Amritanandamayi Math of the spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Amma). Choti initiated self-help groups wherein every woman saves Rs 20 a month, which is deposited in a common bank account for starting home-based activities.
Andhra CM Naidu receives Golden Peacock Award
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has been honoured with the prestigious Golden Peacock Award in the 17th London Global Convention held in London. The Chief Minister was awarded in the category of “Global Leadership in Public Service and Economic Transformation”.
South African Indian-origin couple wins top US award for AIDS research
A globally-acclaimed South African Indian-origin researcher couple was honoured with a prestigious US award for their exceptional contributions in the field of HIV/AIDS. Professors Salim Abdool Karim and Quarraisha Abdool Karim received the award from the Institute for Human Virology (IHV) in Baltimore in the US.
Alka Yagnik and Udit Narayan to get Lata Mangeshkar Award
Noted music composers Usha Khanna, Bappi Lahiri, Anu Malik and playback singers Alka Yagnik and Udit Narayan have been selected for the Madhya Pradesh government’s prestigious National Lata Mangeshkar Award. The artistes will be honoured for their contribution in the field of music composition and singing. The award is given every year alternatively to music directors and playback singers.
Javed Akhtar to be honoured with Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award
Veteran writer and lyricist Javed Akhtar is to be honored with the Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award will receive Rs.1,00,000 along with a memento. The programme is being presented to celebrate the 75-year-old music career of singer Lata Mangeshkar.
Environmental scientist Schellnhuber receives Blue Planet Prize
The world’s most prestigious award for pioneers in environmental science was given to Hans Joachim Schellnhuber in Tokyo. The Blue Planet Prize, coming along with 50 million yen, honors outstanding thinkers who help to meet challenges of planetary dimensions.
US author George Saunders wins 2017 Man Booker Prize
American author George Saunders won the 2017 Man Booker Prize, a high-profile literary award for his first full-length novel “Lincoln in the Bardo”. With this, he became second consecutive American writer to win prize after Paul Beatty (for his novel The Sellout), after rules were changed in 2014 to allow authors of any book written in English and published in UK to compete.
Indian peacekeepers in Sudan awarded with UN medal
Fifty Indian peacekeepers stationed in South Sudan were awarded with the UN Medal for their professionalism and service in protecting civilians and building durable peace in the conflict-ridden country. The peacekeepers were presented with the award by UNMISS Force Commander General Frank Mushyo Kamanzi. These Indian peacekeepers are part of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Indian peacekeepers were deployed with the Indian battalion stationed at Bor in the Jonglei region of South Sudan.
Indian-American Attorney awarded 3rd American Bazaar Philanthropy award
Noted Indian-American attorney Ajay Raju has been honoured with the third American Bazaar Philanthropy award in recognition of his philanthropic activities in the United States. Raju was honoured for his commitment to revive Philadelphia through the Germination Project. The Germination project is a signature initiative of the Pamela and Ajay Raju Foundation that recruits talented teenagers and prepares them to be tomorrow’s leaders.
Eminent Poet Prabha Varma chosen for Padma Prabha Puraskaram
Eminent poet, lyricist and journalist Prabha Varma has been selected for the Padma Prabha Puraskaram for 2017. The announcement was made by the chairman-cum-managing director of ‘Mathrubhumi’ daily, M P Veerendra Kumar. A jury headed by ace novelist M Mukundan chose Varma for the prestigious award, considering his contribution to Malayalam literature. The award, carrying a cash prize of Rs 75,000, a plaque and a citation, was instituted by the Padma Prabha Memorial Trust.
Poorvi bags ‘best performer’ award at ‘Little Miss World’
12-year old Indian girl Poorvi G B has been awarded the ‘best performer’ subtitle at the ‘Little Miss World 2017’ pageant held in Greece. Poorvi G B has become the first Indian kid to win the title in the international beauty pageant and talent competition. At the event, Poorvi G B gave a Kathak dance performance and also showcased the rich culture of Karnataka.
Singer T M Krishna wins Indira Gandhi National Integration
The 30th Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for the year 2015 and 2016 has been awarded to Carnatic vocalist T M Krishna, for his services in promoting and preserving National Integration in the country. Krishna is not only one of the pre-eminent vocalists in the rigorous Carnatic tradition of Indian classical music, but also an activist who has worked on creating egalitarian spaces for music and breaking down caste-barriers in the form. Others winners include the Kasthurba Gandhi National Memorial trust (Indore, Madhya Pradesh), musician A R Rehman and Ramakrishan Mission Ashram, Narainpur, Chattisgarh (jointly), poet Gulzar, scientist Dr M S Swaminathan and activist P V Rajagopal.
Namita bags Centenary National Award
Eminent writer Namita Gokhale has been nominated for the first Centenary National Award for Literature, for her outstanding literary contributions. The award has been conferred by the Asam Sahitya Sabha, which is regarded as one of the most prestigious literary bodies in India. This award has been instituted as part Asam Sahitya Sabha’s centenary celebrations.
M K Sanu chosen for Mathrubhumi Literary award
Eminent critic, biographer and orator M K Sanu has been chosen for the Mathrubhumi Literary Award for 2016 in recognition of his rich contribution to the Malayalam literature.
Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak gets Lal Bahadur Shastri award
President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, presented the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for Excellence in Public Administration, Academics and Management for the year 2017 to Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak. Dr. Bindeshwar also received the Padma Bhushan in 1991. The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award is an annual prestigious award instituted from Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management, Delhi.
GCMMF Awarded Best FMCG in Food Sector by IAA
The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which manages brand AMUL, has been awarded as the best FMCG in the food sector at the 5th International Advertising Associations (IAA) Leadership Awards in Mumbai. Amul is India’s largest food brand with the annual brand turnover of Rs 38,000 crore. It is a cooperative milk federation of 3.6 million milk producers of Gujarat.
Radhakrishnan selected for Vayalar award
Noted Novelist T D Radhakrishnan’s has been selected for this year’s prestigious Vayalar award. The award will be presented to him on October 27, 2017, the death anniversary of poet and lyricist Vayalar Ramavarma. Vayalar Award was instituted in 1977 by the Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial Trust in memory of Malayalam poet and lyricist Vayalar.
Rajesh Nath gets Germany’s Highest Civilian Honour
Rajesh Nath, Managing Director of VDMA India, has been conferred the ‘Cross of the Order of Merit’, the highest civilian honour awarded to individuals for their services to Germany. The award, also known as Bundesverdienstkreuz or Federal Cross of Merit was instituted in 1951 and is Germany’s only honour that is awarded to both Germans and foreigners for achievements in the economic, social, political or intellectual realms.
Nobel Prize 2017 in Economic Sciences announced
The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2017 was awarded to Richard H. Thaler for his contributions to behavioral economics. In 1968, Sveriges Riksbank (Sweden’s central bank) established the Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, founder of the Nobel Prize.
ICAN awarded Nobel Peace Prize 2017
The Norwegian Nobel Committee decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2017 to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) for its work to draw attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons and for its ground-breaking efforts to achieve a treaty-based prohibition of such weapons”. The Prize calls upon nuclear-armed states to initiate negotiations to the gradual elimination of the world’s 15,000 nuclear weapons adding that ICAN has in the past year given the efforts to achieve a world without nuclear weapons a new direction and new vigor.
Gauri Lankesh, First Indian Journalist to win Anna Politkovskaya Award
Journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead by unknown assailants recently, has been posthumously accorded with the prestigious Anna Politkovskaya Award, instituted by Reach All Women (RAW) in War. It was honoured to award the annual Anna Politkovskaya Award for women human rights defenders from war and conflict zones jointly to Gauri Lankesh posthumously and to a brave Pakistani activist Gulalai Ismail, who similarly is fighting against Islamic extremism.
Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded for method to visualise biomolecules
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to confer the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2017 to three scientists for developing a technique to produce detailed images of life’s complex molecular machinery. Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank and Richard Henderson have thereby received a £825,000 prize for developing an effective method for generating 3D images of life-building structures. The technique they developed, called cryo-electron microscopy, has allowed the structure of biomolecules to be studied in high-resolution for the first time, an advance that revolutionised the field of biochemistry.
2017 Nobel Physics Prize awarded to Gravitational Wave Detectors
The 2017 Nobel Physics Prize has been awarded “for decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves” to Rainer Weiss, Barry C. Barish and Kip S. Thorne of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory. The Prize announced by Sweden’s Royal Academy of Sciences comes with 9 million kronor ($1.1 million). For the past 25 years, the prize has been shared among multiple winners.
Jeffrey, Michael Rosbash & Michael win 2017 Nobel prize in physiology or medicine
The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet has decided to award the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly to the American trio of Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W. Young for their discoveries of molecular mechanisms controlling the circadian rhythm. All three winners are from the US. It is the 108th time the prize has been awarded and was announced at the Nobel Forum at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. The winners will share a prize of 9m Swedish kronor (£825,000), and each receives a medal engraved with their name.
Indian entrepreneur wins UK business award for innovative IT solutions
A Ghana-based Indian entrepreneur has won a prestigious business award in the UK for his efforts to bring innovative IT solutions to Africa. Birendra Sasmal, CEO of Subah, bagged the International Business Person of the Year at the Asian Achievers Awards in London for turning the company into a thriving IT, telecoms and manufacturing success story with operations across West Africa.
SPORTS & GAMES
Jasprit Bumrah secures top spot in ICC T20 Rankings
Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah climbed to the number one spot in the latest ICC T20 rankings while his fifth-ranked team could go as high as second if it beats New Zealand in the three-match series beginning. Bumrah, who attained a career-best third position in the ODI rankings, has regained the T20 top spot after Pakistan spinner Imad Wasim slipped one place.
Heena Sidhu wins Air Pistol Gold at Commonwealth Shooting Championships
Ace Indian shooter Heena Sindhu has bagged gold in women’s 10m Air Pistol event at Commonwealth Shooting Championships in Brisbane, Australia. Heena shot a score of 240.8 in the finals to beat Australia’s Elena Galiabovitch, who has to settle for silver after posting 238.2. Kristy Gillman of Australia picked up the bronze medal with a score of 213.7. India also picked up their second medal through Deepak Kumar as he won bronze in men’s 10m Air Rifle event.
Indian Junior team win Bronze Medal in Johor Cup Hockey
Indian Junior Men’s Hockey team beat hosts Malaysia 4-0 in the Bronze medal match of the 7th Sultan of Johor Cup 2017 at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium, in Malaysia. Goals from Vishal Antil (15’, 25’), Vivek Prasad (11’) and Shilanand Lakra (21’) were enough for India to finish their tournament with the Bronze medal.
Mithali Raj and Virat Kohli tops ICC ranking
India captain Mithali Raj moved up one place to occupy the number one spot in the latest ICC ODI rankings for batswomen. Ellyse Perry of Australia and Amy Satterthwaite of New Zealand also jumped one place each to be at second and third spots. Mithali has 753 points. Also, Indian captain, Virat Kohli returned to the top of the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen after logging career-high rating points, going past the iconic Sachin Tendulkar in the process. The 28-year-old Delhi batsman has reached 889 points, which is the best ever by an India batsman.
Federer wins 8th Basel Title, 95th Overall
The Swiss superstar won his eighth Basel title, after defeating Juan Martin del Potro, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3 to clinch his ATP World Tour-leading seventh title of the year. It was Federer’s first success against the Argentine in a Basel final, after the South American beat him in both 2012 and 2013. Federer moved ahead of Ivan Lendl into standalone second place on the Open Era titles list, only trailing Jimmy Connors, who owns 109 trophies. He now owns eight or more trophies at three different events: Halle (9), Wimbledon (8) and Basel (8).
Lewis Hamilton secures 2017 F1 title, Max Verstappen wins Mexico Grand Prix
Britain’s Lewis Hamilton has been crowned Formula One world champion after he finished ninth in a dramatic Mexican Grand Prix. The race was won by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen but Mercedes’ Hamilton clinched his fourth drivers’ championship after Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was unable to win the race following collisions between the trio on the first lap.
Virat Kohli becomes fastest to reach 9000 ODI runs, a century
India skipper Virat Kohli became the fastest to reach 9000 ODI runs, taking just 194 innings to achieve the feat. He achieved the feat even as he scored his 32nd century in the third and final One-Day International (ODI) against New Zealand in Kanpur at the Green Park stadium. Kohli also became the first batsman to amass 2000 runs in international cricket in 2017.
Shuttler Srikanth wins French Open title
Star Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth has defeated Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto in straight games to win the men’s singles title at the French Open Superseries, becoming the first-ever Indian shuttler to win 4 Superseries in a year. With this he also became the first Indian to win the Indonesia Super Series. He has also won Indonesia Open, Australian Open and Denmark Open this year.
Sangram wins Silver in Double Trap in ISSF World Cup final
Sangram Dahiya won a silver in the ISSF World Cup Final, in New Delhi. Double trap exponent Sangram clinched his first-ever senior medal in International Shooting Sports Federation tournament. He was taking part in the prestigious event for the first time.
Amanpreet wins Bronze at ISSF World Cup final
India’s Amanpreet Singh clinched a bronze medal in his maiden appearance in an ISSF World Cup Final, in New Delhi. Jitu Rai fizzled out to finish seventh on the fourth day of competition. World Cup silver medallist Amanpreet shot 202.2 to win the bronze in the final of men’s 50m pistol. Rai could manage only 123.2 to finish last in the seven- man final. This was India’s first individual medal in the ongoing edition of the prestigious tournament.
Patna Pirates clinched Third Pro Kabaddi successive title
Pardeep Narwal scored incredible 24 points to steer Patna Pirates to third consecutive Pro Kabaddi title. Pardeep, who had scored 76 points in three playoffs, helped Patna come from behind and thump Gujarat Fortunegiants 55-38 in the summit clash of Pro Kabaddi season 5. Gujarat’s Sachin Tawar was the only player who had managed to break through Patna defence and scored 11 points. The 20-year old raider finishes the 2017 edition as the highest raider with 369 raid points and 19 Super 10s.
England beat Spain 5-2 to Win First-ever U-17 Title
England scripted a dramatic turnaround in Kolkata to win the 2017 FIFA U17 World Cup for the very first time after a 5-2 win over European U17 champions Spain. Spain appeared to throw in the towel after letting slip a commanding lead, and their woe was compounded by further strikes from Marc Guehi and Foden to round off a comprehensive 5-2 victory.
Jitu Rai and Heena Sindhu win gold in air pistol mixed team event
Jitu Rai and Heena Sindhu won gold medal at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Final in New Delhi. The duo struck gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team event on the opening day of ISSF World Cup in the capital. They will make their Olympic debut in the Tokyo 2020 Games. Both Rai and Sindhu picked their gold together in the mixed team event.
Scott Fleming joins NBA India as Head of Basketball Operations
The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced that former India men’s national team head coach Scott Fleming has joined NBA India as Head of Basketball Operations. Scott Fleming will oversee the league’s youth and elite basketball development in India, including the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA program, NBA Academy India, and NBA Basketball School.
Thakkar first Indian to top ITTF
Manav Thakkar has become the first Indian to occupy the top spot (3,455 points) on the ITTF World Junior Circuit standings. Manav Thakkar hails from Surat. He was previously placed at No. 5 position. He has reached the top position of top ITTF Junior Circuit standings after finishing runner-up at the 2017 Serbian Junior and Cadet Open, Belgrade.
Divij & Scott crowned EO champions
India’s Divij Sharan and America’s Scott Lipsky won the European Open trophy in Antwerp, Belgium. Divij Sharan and Scott Lipsky defeated Santiago Gonzalez and Julio Peralta by 6-4, 2-6, 10-5 in the finals. They won the 2017 European Open title. Divij Sharan has won his first title of the 2017 season on the ATP World Tour, and third overall, by winning the European Open trophy.
Cristiano Ronaldo Named Best FIFA Men’s Player
Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has beaten Lionel Messi and Neymar to win the Best FIFA Men’s Player award for the second year running. Ronaldo was presented the award at The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony in London, UK. The award, which covers the period of November 2016 to July 2017, is voted by national team coaches, captains, selected media and fans.
Kidambi Srikanth lifts Denmark Open Superseries Trophy 2017
Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth lifted the Denmark Open Superseries trophy at Odense, Denmark. He defeated South Korea’s Lee Hyun-il in straight games, 21-10, 21-5 to bag his third Super Series title of the year and fifth overall. He recently (June 2017) won Australia Open Super Series title.
Indian Women’s compound team bags silver at World Archery Championships
The Indian women’s compound team has bagged a silver medal after losing to Colombian rivals in the World Archery Championships. This was India’s fifth medal at the World Championships and all of them have been silver. It was also the first time India won any medal in the compound team archery section at the World Championships.
Lewis Hamilton wins USA Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton won the U.S. Grand Prix. The victory was the 62nd of Hamilton’s career and his ninth of the season. Lewis Hamilton needs to finish in top five in Mexico to become Britain’s first four times world champion.
India defeats Malaysia to win their 3rd Hockey Asia Cup title
India defeated Malaysia 2-1 in final of the Hockey Asia Cup in Dhaka, to win the tournament for the third time. India, who have finished as the tournament’s runners-up five times previously, have now won the joint second-most number of Asia Cup titles, alongside Pakistan. India had last won the Asia Cup back in 2007.
Kohli becomes top run scorer at 200 ODIs and 14th Indian player to play 200 ODIs
Indian skipper Virat Kohli has become the top run-scorer at the 200 ODI-mark, after taking the field against New Zealand in the first ODI at Mumbai. In his 200th ODI, Virat has 8,767 runs, 146 more than second-placed AB de Villiers. Virat is the 14th Indian cricketer to play 200 ODIs.
Cristiano Ronaldo retains top spot in Forbes’ wealthiest athletes list
Forbes released the top 20 richest sportsmen in the world for 2017 with Real Madrid superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo leading the chart. Ronaldo earned £70m in the last year, making him the highest paid European sports personality. Meanwhile, Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli is the only cricketer to feature in the Top 100 list.
South Africa clinches top spot in ODI, India slips to second
India lost its number one spot in International Cricket Council (ICC) One Day International (ODI) rankings to South Africa. South Africa’s 104-run win over Bangladesh in the second ODI in Paarl pushed it to the top spot. India had claimed the top rank in the ICC rankings as a result of its 4-1 win over Australia. While India and South Africa have equal 120 points against their name, India is placed second on the basis of decimal points. However, India has a chance to regain its top spot as it plays against New Zealand in a three-match ODI series scheduled to begin from 22 October 2017 in Mumbai.
Kavita Devi, India’s first woman wrestler to sign for WWE
Kavita Devi, a former competitive powerlifter, has become the first ever Indian woman to be signed by the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Jinder Mahal, the current WWE champion, confirmed the news in a special visit to New Delhi. Hailing from Haryana, Kavita underwent training to be a professional wrestler under the guidance of The Great Khali (Dalip Singh Rana) at his Punjab based wrestling promotion and training academy. She also won a gold medal at the 2016 South Asian Games.
Mohun Bagan lifts Governor’s Gold Cup
Football club Mohun Bagan has won the 37th All India Governor’s Gold Cup football tournament. Mohun Bagan defeated Partha Chakra by a narrow 1-0 margin to win the 37th All India Governor’s Gold Cup. With this victory, Mohun Bagan won the Governor’s Golden Cup for the 10th time. The final match was played at Paljor Stadium in Gangtok, Sikkim.
Shakib first from Bangladesh in MCC World Cricket Committee
Premier all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan became the first cricketer from Bangladesh to be inducted in the MCC World Cricket Committee under the chairmanship of Mike Gatting. Also added to the committee are Suzie Bates, Ian Bishop and Kumar Dharmasena. Shakib Al Hasan is regarded as one of Bangladesh’s finest players since they were awarded the Test status in 2000, with the all-rounder having played 51 Test matches and 177 one-day internationals.
Maria Sharapova wins Tianjin Open, her first title since doping ban
Former world number one tennis player Maria Sharapova won her first title since returning from a 15-month doping ban, clinching the Tianjin Open. Sharapova defeated Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 7-5, 7-6(8) to win her career’s 36th title and her first since Italian Open in 2015.
Roger Federer Cruises to Shanghai Masters Title
Roger Federer has brushed aside world number one Rafael Nadal 6-4 6-3 to win the Shanghai Masters and register his fourth victory of the year over his Spanish rival. The Swiss world number two beat Nadal in the finals of the Australian Open and Miami Masters and in the last 16 at Indian Wells earlier this year, and never looked like losing to his long-time rival in Shanghai, firing 10 aces as he cruised to victory. Federer, the only man who can still stop Nadal ending the year as number one, took an hour and 12 minutes to claim his sixth title of the year and his second Shanghai crown with a clinical performance.
India bows out from FIFA U-17 World Cup after 0-4 defeat against Ghana
India’s run at the FIFA under-17 World cup came to an end s they went down 0-4 against two time champions Ghana in their final group A match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. In the earlier matches India lost to US and Colombia. However, looking back at young team India’s performance in the tournament, they did show much resilience and tact in their second group match against Colombia, giving the team a tough competition.
Gurusaidutt wins Bulgarian International Tournament
Commonwealth Games bronze medallist RMV Gurusaidutt clinched the men’s singles title at the Bulgarian International Future Series tournament. Gurusaidutt has defeated Muhammed Ali Kurt (Turkey) in a 35- minute match. Gurusaidutt will also participate in Senior Nationals Championship in November 2017.
Staubli first female referee to officiate in U-17 World Cup
Switzerland’s Esther Staubli will become the first female referee to officiate a match at the FIFA U-17 World Cup when Japan clash with New Caledonia in the final round group E match in Kolkata on 14th October 2017. This is in line with FIFA’s objective to further develop women’s football. Staubli is one of seven women referees invited to the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017.
Compulsory Yo-Yo test for cricketers
According to BCCI, every cricketer will now need to have a yo-yo test, prescribed by the Indian team management. In a yo-yo test, players have to pace themselves to and fro between two rows of cones kept 20 metres apart. For every round the player has to sync his sprint with the beeps that are played. This test is widely used by selection bodies in various sports including hockey, football.
Indian Pair Win Gold at World Archery Youth Championship 2017
Mixed pair of Jemson Ningthoujam and Ankita Bhakat clinched the gold medal as India returned with three medals from the World Archery Youth Championship in Rosario, Argentina. This is India’s first world title at the youth championships since Deepika Kumari’s victories in 2009 and 2011. India also bagged one silver and one bronze in a promising show by the youngsters.
FIFA suspends Pakistan Football Federation
FIFA has decided to suspend the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) with immediate effect in accordance with the decision of the Bureau of the FIFA Council on account of undue third-party interference. The national and club teams will not be allowed to take part in international competitions till the suspension is lifted. FIFA suspended PFF since its accounts were in control of a court-appointed administrator, which is against FIFA rules. The suspension will be lifted when the body becomes independent.
Iceland becomes smallest nation ever to enter FIFA World Cup
Iceland becomes the smallest country ever to qualify for the final stage of the FIFA World Cup, after topping its qualifying group. The island nation has a population of over 3,34,000 with over 20,000 registered football players. Last year, Iceland played its first major tournament, the UEFA European Championship, where the team defeated England and reached the quarter-final stage.
Dhayal Sisters win bronze in Youth World Championship
Pune girls Divya Dhayal and Khushbu Dhayal won bronze medal in the Youth World Championship in Rosario, Argentina. The three-member Indian team of Khushbu Dhayal, Divya Dhayal and Delhi’s Sanchita Tiwari defeated Russia in the quarterfinals but lost the semifinals to US. The Youth World Archery Championship, held from October 2 to 8, in Rosario, Argentina, is held after two years.
Tyrrell Hatton retains Dunhill Links Championship title
Tyrrell Hatton became the first man to retain the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship title. He won by three shots after a six-under-par final round. It is the second year in a row that Fisher had finished second at the Dunhill Links.
Rafael Nadal wins China Open title
World number one Rafael Nadal (Spain) won his China Open Title that is sixth title of this year. He defeated Nick Kyrgios (Australia) at the China Open 2017. He won a 16-time Grand Slam winner and came to the Chinese capital Beijing on the back of winning his third US Open.
Anupama clinches World Open Under-16 Snooker Championship title
India’s Anupama Ramachandran has clinched the World Open Under-16 Snooker Championship title at St. Petersburg in Russia. In the girls category, second seed Anupama Ramachandran of India knocked out her compatriot and top seed Keerthana Pandian 3-1 to become World Open Under-16 champion.
FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 started in India
The much-awaited FIFA U-17 World Cup started with four opening day matches to be played in Delhi and Mumbai. The opening matches would be played by teams in Group A and B. In Delhi, the inaugural match would be played between Group A teams Colombia and Ghana at Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium, followed by hosts India who would take on Team USA in the second match. In Mumbai, Group B team New Zealand would be taking on Turkey in the first game at DY Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai.
India’s first portal dedicated to para-sports launched
In a bid to create awareness about para-sports and provide a platform to para sportspersons to narrate their stories of triumph and adversity,thenationspride.com, the country’s first portal dedicated to para-sports has been launched in Mumbai, Maharashtra. thenationspride.com is a non-profit initiative, helmed by 17-year-old Mumbai student and sports enthusiast, Saachi Munot. The portal brings readers inspiring stories of Indian para-sportspersons, who have consistently delivered stellar performances on domestic and global arenas alike, but whose stories have largely gone untold or unheard.
Rangana Herath, 1st left-arm spinner to pick 400 wickets
Rangana Herath has became the 14th bowler overall to take 400 wickets in Test cricket. Herath also became the first left-arm spinner to bag 400 wickets in Tests. Daniel Vettori of New Zealand, with 362 wickets, is second in the list of left-arm spinners with most wickets. He also became the second Sri Lankan after the great Muttiah Muralitharan to pick 400 wickets.
2018 Commonwealth Games Baton arrives in New Delhi
The Queen’s Baton for the 2018 Commonwealth Games arrived in New Delhi, India. The 2018 Commonwealth Games will be held in Australia. The Baton was received by Indian Olympic Association (IOA) joint secretary Rakesh Gupta and it will travel to Agra. It will then be taken to Nainital in Uttarakhand on October 5. The main CWG Baton Relay event will be held on October 8 at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.
Pooja Kadian hands India its first gold in Wushu World C’ships
Pooja Kadian created history as she bagged India’s first ever gold medal at Wushu World Championships in Russia. Pooja, an ace Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF) Wushu champion, finished on top of the podium in the 75 kg women’s Sanda Category after defeating Evgeniya Stepanova of Russia in the final.
Jagan Wins sixth title in a row at National Motorcycle Racing
TVS Racing’s mascot Jagan Kumar notched his sixth straight title in the premier Super Sports Indian class on a rain-affected day to bring down the curtain on the MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The event was organized by Madras Motorsports Club. It was sponsored by MRF Tyres.
Viswanathan Anand finishes second at Isle of Man Championship
Five time World Champion Viswanathan Anand finished second at the Isle of Man Chess Championship at Douglas. He defeated the Chinese grandmaster Hou Yifan in the 9th and final round. Anand shares second position with America’s Nakamura Hikaru. World Champion Magnus Carlsen won the title with 7.5 points after a short draw against Nakamura.
Max Verstappen wins Malaysian Grand Prix
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen gave himself a perfect 20th birthday present by winning the last Malaysian Grand Prix. The victory was the second of Verstappen’s Grand Prix career, after a first in Spain last year. Verstappen’s Australian team mate Daniel Ricciardo, last year’s winner at Sepang, finished third.
Russia, China & other 9 Countries hit with doping ban
Russia & China were among 9 countries suspended from weightlifting for a year in an attempt to combat an epidemic of doping. The decision by International Weightlifting Federation followed re-testing of anti-doping samples from 2008 & 2012 Olympics. Countries with at least 3 doping offenses from those Olympics were suspended. Russia was also banned from weightlifting event at 2016 Olympics in Rio.
ECONOMY
RIL, first Indian company to cross Rs 6 Trillion Market Capital
Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) became the first Indian company to cross Rs 6 trillion market capitalization after its shares surged over 75% so far this year and hit a fresh lifetime high. Currently, its market cap is at Rs 6.02 trillion. The recent rally in the stock was due to tariff hike by its telecom arm Reliance Jio which, analysts expect, will improve the company’s profitability. Jio increased its tariff by 15% for its popular 84-day plan at Rs 459, under which subscribers get 1GB 4G data at high speed per day.
Zimbabwe bans Fruit, Vegetable imports as Forex Crunch Deepens
The east African landlocked country Zimbabwe, with immediate effect, banned the import of fruits and vegetables to preserve the scarce foreign currencies. Last year Zimbabwe spent more than $80 million on fruit and vegetables which included tomatoes, onions, carrots, grapes, apples and oranges. Many of the Zimbabweans are keeping U.S. dollars at home or they are spending in buying Hard Currency on the black market. This same situation was prevailing during the period of hyperinflation a decade ago.
SBI to set up country’s largest Innovation Centre at Mumbai
The nation’s largest lender State Bank of India is creating a 15,000-sqft innovation center in Navi Mumbai investing around Rs 100 crore. The center, to be built at its Global IT Centre in Belapur in Navi Mumbai, will be the largest innovation center by any financial services company in the country. The innovation center is part of a Rs 200-crore allocation that the bank has earmarked for innovation 2016.
IMF Trims India growth Forecast for Current Financial Year to 6.7 %
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has trimmed India’s growth forecast for Financial Year 2017-18. In its latest World Economic Outlook released, the IMF lowered India’s growth forecast for 2017 to 6.7% from its earlier estimate of 7.2 percent. As per IMF, India is expected to regain the fastest growing major economy tag next year when it is forecast to grow 7.4 per cent, slower than earlier estimate of 7.7 per cent but higher than China’s 6.5 per cent.
RBI to soon launch Financial Literacy Drive in 9 States
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is to launch a financial literacy drive in 80 blocks in nine states on the pilot basis to educate people on e-transactions, formal sector borrowings, and insurance purchases. According to RBI, it commissions 9 states of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Odisha, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh by the 6 NGOs in collaboration with the sponsor Banks. The main aim is to inculcate the habit of making a household budget and recording financial transactions, encourage transactions in savings accounts, and active saving by depositing in banks through fixed deposits and recurring deposits.
U.S. approves sale of Rs. 98,000 crore THAAD missiles to Saudi Arabia
U.S. State Department has approved the possible sale of a THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) anti-missile defence system to Saudi Arabia at an estimated cost of $15 billion (Rs. 98,000 crore). The deal includes 44 THAAD launchers and 360 missiles along with fire control stations and radars.
Fourth Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement released by RBI
On the basis of an assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation at its meeting, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to keep the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) unchanged at 6.0 per cent. Consequently, the Reverse Repo Rate (RRR) under the LAF remains at 5.75 per cent, and the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate at 6.25 per cent. The projection of real Gross Value Added (GVA) growth for 2017-18 has been revised down to 6.7 per cent from the August 2017 projection of 7.3 per cent, with risks evenly balanced.
India’s holdings of American securities
India has sharply increased its exposure to US government securities with holdings worth $135.7 billion at the end of July. Neighbouring China continued to top the charts withholding to the tune of $1.166 trillion, followed by Japan with exposure worth $1.113 trillion. India is the 12th largest holder of US government securities just behind Saudi Arabia.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
World’s fastest, shortest laser pulse created
Scientists from ETH Zurich in Switzerland have successfully created the world’s shortest X-ray laser pulse with duration of just 43 attoseconds (1×10−18 of a second). This laser pulse is the shortest controlled event that has ever been created by humans.
Scientists develop futuristic military watch that can survive nuclear blast
Scientists have developed a new military watch for the Russian army kit, which is capable of resisting high impact and can even survive a nuclear explosion. The watch has been developed by research experts of the Central Scientific – Research Institute for Precision Machine Engineering (TsNIITochMash) – a part of the Rostec State Corporation in Russia.
Japan launches fourth Michibiki satellite for hi-tech GPS
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully launched Michibiki-4 satellite (QZSS-4) onboard of H-IIA rocket from Tanegashima Space Centre. It was fourth satellite in Michibiki series i.e. Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), which is a satellite-based high-precision global positioning system similar to US operated GPS. Moreover, it was 36th H-IIA vehicle to be launched so far and fifth launch of an H-IIA rocket in 2017.
PERSONS IN NEWS
A). APPOINTMENTS
YC Modi took charge as Director General of National Investigation Agency
Senior IPS officer Yogesh Chander (YC) Modi took charge as the Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Modi succeeds Sharad Kumar, who retired on 30 October 2017. Modi is an IPS officer of the 1979 batch of the Haryana cadre.
Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar assumes charge as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff
Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar P, AVSM, VSM has assumed charge as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS) from Vice Admiral Karambir Singh AVSM at a formal ceremony held in New Delhi. Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar P, AVSM, VSM is an alumni of the National Defence Academy. The Flag Officer was commissioned in the Indian Navy on 01 Jul 81 and is a specialist in Missiles & Gunnery.
Gangte appointed as the next High Commissioner to the Republic of Zambia
N.J.Gangte has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Zambia. He is presently the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. He is expected to take up his assignment shortly.
Raina made ambassador of Ghaziabad
Cricketer Suresh Raina has been appointed as the brand ambassador of the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation (GMC) and also the brand ambassador of Swachh Bharat Mission.
Alok Kumar Pateria appointed as ADG, CISF
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Shri Alok Kumar Pateria, IPS as Additional Director General, CISF. He has been appointed on deputation basis for a period up to May 2020.
AMFI Appoints NS Venkatesh as New CEO
NS Venkatesh has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI). The post was lying vacant after CVR Rajendran stepped down from the position in December 2016. Prior to joining AMFI Mr. Venkatesh was executive director at Lakshmi Vilas Bank.
Shri Ngangom Sarat Singh appointed as member of the JERC for Manipur and Mizoram
Union Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Shri R.K. Singh administered the oath of office and secrecy to Shri Ngangom Sarat Singh, here today, on his appointment as a member of the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) for Manipur and Mizoram. It is a two-member Commission, each member representing the respective participating State.
HSBC appoints Jayant Rikhye as CEO India
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) announced the appointment of Jayant Rikhye as the Chief Executive Officer for India. He succeeds Stuart Milne. Mr. Rikhye is currently Head of International, Asia-Pacific, responsible for 11 markets in the region.
Rakesh Asthana appointed CBI Special Director
Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana was appointed the special director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Asthana, a 1984-batch IPS officer, had been serving in the Central Bureau of Investigation as additional director. He is among eight senior police officers promoted by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
Suresh Sethi is India Post Payments Bank’s MD and CEO
India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has appointed Suresh Sethi as its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. He was the former MD of Vodafone M-Pesa Ltd. Sethi had been selected by the Banks Board Bureau from amongst the top contenders for the post, from both public and private sector banking and fintech professionals. The IPPB has been incorporated as a Public Limited Company under the Department of Posts with 100 per cent Government of India equity.
Govt. appoints ex-IB director as interlocutor
The Centre has decided to start a sustained dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir and added that former Intelligence Bureau (IB) director Dineshwar Sharma will be the representative from the Government of India. Rank of Dineshwar Sharma will be equivalent to that of a Cabinet Secretary. Sharma will initiate the dialogue with the elected representatives of Jammu and Kashmir, political parties, different organisations and public.
Sibi George appointed as the Ambassador of India to Switzerland
Sibi George is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of 1993 batch. He has also served as deputy chief of mission of Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia. Sibi George will replace Smita Purushottam as the ambassador of India to Switzerland. He is presently serving as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. He would to take up this assignment shortly.
Sunny Verghese appointed as WBCSD from 2018
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) has appointed NRI businessman Sunny Verghese, co-founder, and CEO of Singapore-based Olam International, as its new chairman from 2018. He succeeds Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever as the Chairman. It is a global network of more than 200 CEOs who are responsible for a combined revenue of more than $ 8.5 trillion and 19 million employees.
Govt appoints MK Gupta, DK Gayen as New Railway Board Members
The government of India has appointed Mahesh Kumar Gupta and D K Gayen as the two new members in the Railway Board. D.K. Gayen, presently posted as General Manager East Central Railway, has been appointed as new Member (Staff) Railway Board and ex officio Secretary to the Government of India. Meanwhile, M K Gupta, presently General Manager, Modern Coach Factory Raibareli has been appointed as new Member(Engineering) Railway Board and ex officio Secretary to the Government of India.
1st Woman to head Saudi sport federation
For the first time, a princess has been named to head a Saudi multi-sports federation. Princess Rima Bandar bin Sultan has become “the first woman to lead a federation” covering sporting activities for men and women. In August 2016, the princess scored another first for women in Saudi Arabia, when she was named by the cabinet to a senior post in the kingdom’s equivalent of a Sports Ministry.
Audrey Azoulay elected as Director General of UNESCO
Former French Culture Minister Audrey Azoulay (45) was elected as new Director General of UNESCO – the UN’s education, science and culture agency. With this, she becomes first Jewish Director of UNESCO. Azoulay defeated Qatar’s Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari in the final 30-28 vote after she won a runoff with a third finalist from Egypt. She will succeed outgoing Director-General Irina Bokova of Bulgaria.
Mobikwik appoints Rukaiya Rangwala as the business head of its payments gateway
Digital wallet major MobiKwik has appointed former Jabong vice-president Rukaiya Rangwala as the business head of its payments gateway business. Recently, MobiKwik had re-launched Zaakpay as MobiKwik Payment Gateway. Rangwala, a technology and e-commerce industry veteran with over 15 years of experience, has worked across the US, Singapore, Japan and India.
Gautam Bambawale appointed as India’s Ambassador to China
Gautam Bambawale was appointed as India’s new Ambassador to China. Bambawale in an Indian Foreign Service Officer of the 1984 batch. He will succeed Vijay Gokhale. Bambawale is familiar with Mandarin Chinese and has earlier served in Hong Kong and Beijing.
Yuvraj Singh named Laureus’ first Indian ambassador
Flamboyant Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh has been appointed as Laureus’ first Indian ambassador, joining the host of cricket legends in the Laureus family, including Indian Academy members Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Kapil Dev. The Laureus World Sports Awards is an annual award ceremony honoring remarkable individuals from the world of sports along with the greatest sporting achievements throughout the year.
Anupam Kher appointed as Chairman of FTII
Veteran actor Anupam Kher (62) was appointed as new Chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune. He will succeed Gajendra Chauhan whose tenure ended in March 2017. Earlier he had held post of chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification and the National School of Drama in India. He is currently the chairman at Actor Prepares.
Nisha Desai Biswal appointed as President of US-India Business Council
Nisha Desai Biswal was appointed as the President of the US-India Business Council (USIBC). The US-India Business Council is the premier business advocacy organization that was formed in 1975 at the request of the US and Indian governments. It is the largest bilateral trade association in the United States and has presence in New york, Silicon Valley and New Delhi.
V M Kwatra appointed ambassador to Principality of Monaco
Shri Vinay Mohan Kwatra has been concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of India to the Principality of Monaco, with residence in Paris. Mr Kwatra is presently Ambassador of India to France.
PNB MetLife appoints Ashish Srivastava as MD & CEO
PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Ltd (PNB MetLife), a life insurer, has appointed Ashish Srivastava as a new Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of the company. Prior to this elevation, Srivastava was an interim CEO at PNB MetLife. Srivastava joined PNB MetLife in 2013 as the Head of HR for the India business.
Axis Bank acquires Freecharge, appoints Sangram Singh as CEO
The country’s third largest private sector lender Axis Bank has acquired payments wallet Freecharge for Rs. 373 crore in an all-cash deal and appointed Sangram Singh as its CEO. Sangram Singh has been appointed as the CEO of Freecharge Payment Technologies Private Ltd.
Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, Pakistan’s New Navy Chief
Pakistan appointed Vice-Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi as new Chief of Naval Staff. He will replace Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah who will retire on 6 October. President Mamnoon Hussain approved the appointment of Abbasi on the advice of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. In Pakistan, all services chiefs are appointed by the president at the recommendation of the prime minister who has final say in such appointments.
Soumya Swaminathan appointed as New Deputy Director General at WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) appointed Soumya Swaminathan one of two Deputy Directors General. This is the first time such a post has been ever created within the organization. The position is also the highest post held by an Indian in the WHO. She is currently the Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Government Names Rajnish Kumar as SBI’s Next Chairman
The Government named Rajnish Kumar as the new chairman of State Bank of India, for a three-year term. Kumar will succeed Arundhati Bhattacharya. At present, Rajnish Kumar is one of the managing directors of SBI. The Banks Board Bureau (BBB) had interviewed four managing directors for the post at the end of June and had recommended a name to the government. The government had extended Bhattacharya’s tenure for a year, with effect from October 7, 2016.
Param Shah appointed as FICCI UK Director
The apex industry body, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) announced the appointment of Param Shah as the new Director for the United Kingdom (UK) operations. Shah will succeed Pratik Dattani whose tenure with FICCI ended recently.
Baishya elected as Chairmen of two sub-committees of IWF
Indian Weightlifting Federation President, Birendra Prasad Baishya has been elected as the chairman of two sub-committees of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). Baishya was elected as the chairman of International Weightlifting Federation’s Ethics Commission as well as of Anti-Disciplinary Commission at the world body’s Executive Committee Meeting, which was held at Bucharest, Romania.
B). RESIGNS
Nepal’s ambassador to India resigns
Deep Kumar Upadhyay, Nepal’s ambassador to India has resigned from his position to contest the upcoming parliamentary elections. He handed over his resignation to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Krishna Bahadur Mahara on 6th October 2017. Upadhyay has filed his nomination for the upcoming parliamentary election from Kapilastu district in western Nepal.
Solicitor-General Ranjit Kumar resigns
Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, the country’s second-most senior legal officer, has resigned citing personal reasons. The senior advocate was appointed Solicitor General in 2014, soon after the Narendra Modi government came to power at the Centre.
Anup Vikal resigns as CFO of Snapdeal
Anup Vikal has resigned as Snapdeal’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and General Counsel. Vikas is likely to join Essar Oil as its Chief Financial Officer. His resignation came two months after e-commerce dealer Snapdeal cancelled its merger talks with online retailer Flipkart.
Arjen Robben announced his retirement from International Football
Netherland’s Football Player Arjen Robben has announced his retirement from international football following the Netherland’s failure to make the 2018 World Cup. Robben scored 37 times and provided 29 assists in 96 appearances, averaging a goal or assist every 112 minutes for his country.
Samsung Electronics CEO Kwon Oh-hyun Resigns
Samsung Electronics chief executive Kwon Oh-hyun has resigned citing an “unprecedented crisis” Mr Kwon is one of three co-chief executives of Samsung Electronics. His resignation comes on the same day the firm forecast record quarterly profits, citing higher memory chip prices.
Nehra confirms his retirement from all forms of cricket on Nov. 1
Veteran Indian pacer Ashish Nehra confirmed that he would be retiring from all forms of cricket after the opening Twenty20 International of the three-match series against New Zealand, which is to be held at the Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi on November 1.
Facebook India MD Umang Bedi Resigns
In just over a year of joining Facebook as India MD, Umang Bedi has resigned from his position at the social networking giant. Sandeep Bhushan has been appointed as the interim Managing Director. Facebook had roped in Umang Bedi as its Managing Director, India from Adobe. Prior to joining Facebook, Umang served as Managing Director of the South Asia region at Adobe.
PepsiCo India Chairman and CEO D Shivakumar resigns
PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt. Ltd’s Chairman and Chief Executive officer D. Shivakumar has resigned. He will be joining Aditya Birla Group as president (corporate strategy and business development). Ahmed El Sheikh, currently senior vice-president and general manager for PepsiCo Egypt and Jordan, will succeed Shivakumar as PepsiCo India CEO.
John Hastings retires from Test and ODI Cricket
Australian fast bowler John Hastings has called it quits from Test Match and ODIs, citing recurring injuries as the reason. The 31-year-old wants to solely focus on T20 cricket. He has represented Australia in one test, 29 ODIs and 9 T20Is. In 2016 Hastings was the world’s leading ODI fast bowler after picking up 29 wickets in 15 matches, the equal second-most dismissals alongside South Africa’s Imran Tahir and behind teammate Adam Zampa.
C). DEATHS
Malayalam writer Punathil Kunjabdulla passes away
Renowned Malayalam writer Punathil Kunjabdulla passed away in Kozhikode following a prolonged illness. He was 77. Kunjabdulla is regarded as one of the major figures of modernism in Malayalam literature. He won the Sahitya Akademi award for his novel Smarakasilakal in 1980 and the Kerala Sahithya Akademi award twice for the same novel in 1978 and for Malamukalile Abdulla in 1980.
Queen of Thumri’ Girija Devi passes away at 88
Indian Classical singer Girija Devi, who was the recipient of India’s second highest civilian honour Padma Vibhushan, passed away in Kolkata after suffering from a cardiac arrest. She was 88. She was from the “Benaras Gharana”. Popularly considered as the Queen of Thumri, Devi is survived by a daughter.
Legendary Filmmaker I V Sasi Passes Away
Veteran Malayalam director I V Sasi, best known for his films “Avalude Ravukal” and “Devasuram” died. He was 69. His debut directorial venture was “Ulsavam”, which released in 1975. I V Sasi won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration in the year 1982 for his movie “Aaroodam”.
Filmmaker and Rani Mukerji’s father Ram Mukherjee passes away
Indian film director and screenwriter in Hindi and Bengali cinema Ram Mukherjee, father of Bollywood star Rani Mukerji has passed away. He was 84. Ram, one of the founders of Filmalaya Studios, had directed films like Hum Hindustani and Leader.
Grandmaster William Lombardy passed away
William James Joseph Lombardy was an American chess grandmaster, writer, teacher, and Catholic priest who passed away at the age of 79. He gave up the game at the height of his career and become a priest. Lombardy led the U.S. Student Team to Gold in the 1960 in World Student Team Championship in Leningrad. He was the only World Junior Champion to win with a perfect score.
Veteran British actor Roy Dotrice passes away
Roy Dotrice, a veteran British actor, died in London. He was 94. Dotrice was known for his role as Leopold Mozart in the Oscar-winning film Amadeus and his many theater and TV roles. He won many accolades throughout his lengthy career including a Tony Award in 2000 for his role in the Broadway revival of A Moon for the Misbegotten.
Poet Punyaslok Dasgupta passes away
Poet Punyaslok Dasgupta, died of kidney ailment at a hospital in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. He was 66 years old. Dasgupta did not follow any particular poetry style. Some of his important works are ‘Kuashar Bagan’ and ‘Chander Sangeet’. He was widely known for his hospitality. Poets and eminent persons used to often visit his house at Dhupguri area, in West Bengal.
India’s first Olympic swimmer Shamsher Khan passes away
India’s first Olympic swimmer Shamsher Khan has passed away. A forgotten sports hero, he was the first swimmer to represent India in Olympics. He narrowly missed a medal, finishing fourth in 200 meter butterfly and breaststroke events in Melbourne Games.
Richard Wilbur dies at age 96
Richard Wilbur, the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and translator died. He was 96. He intrigued and delighted generations of readers and theatregoers through his rhyming editions of Moliere. He received numerous literary honors, including the National Book Award and two Pulitzer Prizes, for “Things of This World,” released in 1956, and for “New and Collected Poems,” which came out in 1989.
Historian Satish Chandra Passes Away
Veteran and one of India’s eminent historian Satish Chandra passed away the age of 95. Satish’s important works include Mughal Empire and its downfall. He was also the author of NCERT’s leading history book ‘History of Medieval India’. Chandra has founded JNU’s Centre for Historical Studies. He was also the chairman and vice chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) of India during the 1970s.
Noted Journalist Bismoy Kumar Mohanty dies
Noted journalist Bismoy Kumar Mohanty has died following a heart attack at Puri. he was 62. Owner and Editor of Odia daily “Ajikali” published from Balasore, Mohanty was the president of Odisha Small and Medium Newspaper Organisation. He was also associated with a number of social and cultural organisations. His wife Bijay Laxmi Mohanty is also publisher and editor of language daily “Sambad Bahika”.
Purushottam Lal Kaushik passes away
Former Union minister and socialist leader Purushottam Lal Kaushik died due to age-related ailments. He was 87. He had served as tourism and civil aviation minister in the then Prime Minister Morarji Desai’s cabinet during 1977- 1979. He headed the Information and Broadcasting Ministry in the then Prime Minister Charan Singh’s cabinet during July 1979-January 1980.
Filmmaker Kundan Shah passes away
Veteran director Kundan Shah, best known for the dark comedy Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, passed away at his home, family sources said. He was 69. Shah passed away after suffering a heart attack. He made his directorial debut on television in 1986 with the popular series Nukkad.
D). VISITORS
Bhutan King arrives in New Delhi for four-day visit
King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, arrived in New Delhi on a four-day visit to India. He is accompanied by his wife, Queen Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck.
Italy PM Paolo Gentiloni on two-day visit to India
Prime Minister of Italy Paolo Gentiloni arrived in New Delhi on a two day visit to India. The visit is aimed at strengthening the bilateral political and economic relations between the two countries. The last visit of the Italian Prime Minister to India was in February 2007.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani arrives in India
Afghanistan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani arrived in New Delhi this morning on one day visit to India. He will meet with President Ram Nath Kovind and have delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Both sides will review the entire gamut of multifaceted bilateral strategic partnership. The two countries will discuss the efforts to combat the menace of terrorism. They will also hold consultations and coordinate on furthering the shared objective of promoting peace, security, stability, and prosperity in Afghanistan.
Nirmala Sitharaman left for Philippines to attend ADMM
In her first foreign visit as Defence Minister, Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman left for the Philippines to attend the Southeast Asian Defence Ministers’ Meeting. The two-day ADMM (ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting)-Plus meeting will discuss ways to enhance defense and security cooperation among the member nations. During her three-day stay, Ms. Sitharaman is also likely to hold bilateral talks with her counterparts from a number of countries.
President of India reaches Djibouti
Indian President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind reached Djibouti in the first leg of his state visit to two African countries – Djibouti and Ethiopia. This is President Kovind’s first overseas visit after assuming office. The two leaders engaged in a short round of talks on bilateral relations and themes of common interest to both countries.
E). MISCELLANEOUS
Jeff Bezos replaces Gates as World’s Richest Person with $90.6-bn Fortune
According to Forbes magazine, Jeff Bezos surpassed Bill Gates as the richest person in the world. The fortune of Amazon’s founder reached some $90.6 billion, compared with the $90.1 billion that the online edition of the magazine attributes to Gates. This is not the first time that Bezos has outpaced Gates – it previously happened in July 2017 when Amazon shares hit a historic high, though Gates took back the lead hours later.
Indian origin activist named UK’s most influential black person of the year
Indian origin campaigner Gina Miller was named Uk’s most influential black person of the year. Gina won a legal challenge seeking Parliamentary approval for triggering Brexit. The Supreme Court ruling came in her favour in January 2017.
Virat Kohli overtakes Lionel Messi in Forbes list by $1 Million
According to the list released by Forbes, Virat Kohli ranks ahead of Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi when it comes to brand value. The captain of the Indian cricket has a brand value of $14.5 million which puts him ahead of Messi on the 7th spot in the top 10 list revealed by Forbes. The brand value is an athlete’s earnings (excluding salary and bonus from their sport and all investment income), minus the average income of the top 10 athletes in the same sport. Tennis legend Roger Federer leads the list with a brand value of $37.2m.
Meghalaya Election Department enters Limca Book of Records
The Meghalaya Election Department has entered Limca Book of Records for the formation of the biggest human logo comprising young voters in the state. The logo formation was part of Mission Unite (U and I towards Enrolment) as part of the Special drive to enroll young and left out voters in the age categories of 18 to 21 years held in July at the Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Complex.
Jaipur and Srinagar Airports rated Best Airports in the world
The Jaipur and Srinagar Airport bagged the first and second rank respectively in the category of 2-5 million passengers. 2017 in Airport Service Quality (ASQ)-Airport Council International (ACI) survey. Jaipur won the Best Airport in the World in the traffic volume of 2 to 5 million passengers for the second consecutive year. It had received the award in the same category in 2016 as well.
Gitanjali Rao wins 2017 Young Scientist Challenge for water contamination detection device
Indian-American Gitanjali Rao, 11, was announced the winner of Discovery Education’s 3M Young Scientist Challenge. The sensor-based device detects the quality of water and shares the results to a mobile application via Bluetooth. There are over 5,000 water systems in the US alone with lead contamination issues. Detection and preventive action can help mitigate the problem.
Shastri is World’s Highest Earning Cricket Coach
Ravi Shastri has emerged as the world’s highest earning cricket coach with salary close to 1.17 million dollars per year, according to ESPNCricinfo. Shastri’s remuneration is higher than Lehman ($0.55 million) and Bayliss ($0.52 million) by a huge margin. In fact, the current Indian coach earns less only than what the top players from Australia, England and India take home in a year.
Indian-origin teenager Akshay Ruparelia is UK’s Youngest Millionaire
Indian-origin teenager Akshay Ruparelia has became one of UK’s youngest millionaires at the age of 19. Ruparelia made a fortune by selling houses through his online estate agency business during his school lunch breaks. Ruparelia’s school friends nicknamed him “Alan Sugar” after Baron Sugar, the business tycoon.
Varun Dhawan Youngest Indian Actor to get Statue at Tussauds
Actor Varun Dhawan will get a wax statue at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, making him the youngest Indian actor to have his statue at the museum. Varun Dhawan had made his acting debut with 2012 romantic comedy Student of the Year and since then, his success rate is 100 percent with all the movies like Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya, Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya and the recent Judwaa 2 entering Rs 100 crore or Rs 200 crore clubs.
New Guinness Record at IISF Chennai 2017
At the second day of the India International Science Festival in Chennai, a new Guinness World Record for the Largest Biology Lesson was created. One thousand forty-nine students participated in the record-breaking session. The World record had students from Class 9 and Class 10. The biology lesson was delivered by Ms Lakhsmi Prabhu from Shri Shankar senior Secondary School.
Donald Trump is Most Followed World Leader on Twitter, PM Modi Third
Donald Trump is the world’s most followed leader on Twitter, while Narendra Modi is the third, according to the latest report by Twiplomacy, a Burson Marsteller research project that tracks the use of Twitter by governments and international organizations. He overtook Pope Francis by a few thousand followers to occupy the first place in Diplomacy’s October report. India’s prime minister Narendra Modi has kept his third place consistently since 2016. Modi’s own account.
Forbes India Rich List 2017: Mukesh Ambani Richest With $38 Billion
Forbes Magazine has released its India Rich List for 2017, with Reliance Industries Limited chairman Mukesh Ambani topping the charts for the 10th consecutive year with a net worth of $38 billion. Mr Ambani is followed by tech czar Azim Premji who jumped two places with the net worth of $19 billion. Ranked third are the Hinduja brothers who added $3.2 billion to their net worth. According to Forbes, the combined net worth of the 100 richest Indians stood at $479 billion, a jump of 26% from $374 billion in 2016. Acharya Balkrishna, CEO of Patanjali Ayurved, figures at No. 19 with net worth of $6.55 billion.
The Top 10 Indian in the List are as follows-
1. Mukesh Ambani-38 ($ Billion) – Reliance Industries
2. Azim Premji-19 ($ Billion) – Wipro
3. Hinduja brothers-18.4 ($ Billion) – Ashok Leyland
4. Lakshmi Mittal-16.5 ($ Billion) – Arcelormittal
5. Pallonji Mistry-16 ($ Billion) – Shapoorji Pallonji Group
6. Godrej family-14.2 ($ Billion) – Godrej Group
7. Shiv Nadar-13.6 ($ Billion) – HCL Technologies
8. Kumar Birla-12.6 ($ Billion) – Aditya Birla Group
9. Dilip Shanghvi-12.1 ($ Billion) – Sun Pharmaceutical Industries
10. Gautam Adani-11 ($ Billion) – Adani Ports & SEZ
Sikh man becomes first minority politician to lead major party in Canada
A 38-year-old Sikh lawyer was elected the leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party, becoming the first non-white politician to head a major political party in the country. Jagmeet Singh, the Ontario provincial lawmaker, was elected on the first ballot to lead the party into the 2019 election against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals.
PLACES IN NEWS
World’s first 3D-printed bridge opens in Netherlands
A town called Gemert in the Netherlands has became home to the first 3D-printed cycling bridge ever. With this, Dutch cyclists can now pedal over the world’s first 3D-printed concrete bridge. 3D printing is a method of manufacturing an object using a computer by placing layers of material one over the other.
BOOKS IN NEWS
Rajasthan CM launches Rajiv Mehrishi’s ‘India 2017 Yearbook‘
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje launched an e-book titled ‘India 2017 Yearbook‘, compiled by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) and former Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi. Mehrishi said that the e-book includes a plethora of information on important dignitaries, state policy, public schemes and important data about demographics, trade, economy and many other topics.
Hema Malini’s Biography ‘Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl’ launched
Actress Deepika Padukone launched Hema Malini’s biography ‘Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl’ on the occasion of Hema’s 69th birthday. The biography has been penned by journalist turned writer Ram Kamal Mukherjee and also contains a short foreword written by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Coalition Years 1996-2012: Pranab Mukherjee’s Political Autobiography
Former President Pranab Mukherjee has released the third part of his memoir ‘The Coalition Years: 1996-2012’, speaking candidly about believing he could have been the Congress choice for the Prime Minister’s post. Mukherjee’s memoir is the third in the series. The other two are — The Dramatic Decade: The Indira Gandhi Years and The Turbulent Years: 1980-1996.
Book on Kalam’s inspirational words released
An illustrative book titled “Dreamnation: Uniting a Country with Handwritten Dreams” containing inspiring words of Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has been released. The book includes a collection of 200-plus handcrafted and handwritten postcards from across India and takes readers through the dreams, hopes, and aspirations of a nation as envisioned by Dr Kalam. The book is co-authored by Saji Mathew and Jubie John and published by Bloomsbury in collaboration with NGO LetterFarms.
Nepali version of Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography released
On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti the Nepali version of Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography ‘The Story of My Experiments’ with Truth was released at Kathmandu. Renowned Gandhian Pradeep Giri, Former Prime Minister of Nepal Lokendra Bahadur Chand and Indian Ambassador Manjeev Singh Puri jointly released the book. The autobiography of Gandhiji is translated by Shri Shekhar Giri. The event was organised by the Embassy of India and BP Koirala India-Nepal Foundation.
COMMITTEES
RBI Sets up Task Force on ‘Public Credit Registry’
The Reserve Bank of India has constituted a 10-member ‘High Level Task Force on Public Credit Registry (PCR) for India’, which will suggest a roadmap for developing a transparent, comprehensive and near-real-time PCR for India. The committee will be Headed by YM Deosthalee, ex-CMD, L&T Finance Holdings. The terms of reference of the task force include reviewing the current availability of information on credit in India and assessing the gaps in India.
5-member Committee to select Editor-in-Chief of RSTV
A five-member committee, headed by Prasar Bharati Chairman A Surya Prakash, has been formed to select the candidate for the post of editor-in-chief of Rajya Sabha TV (RSTV). Rajya Sabha Secretariat stated in an order that other members of the Search-cum-Selection Committee are Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta, Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati, Additional Secretary (Personnel) in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat PPK Ramacharyulu and journalist Rahul Srivastava.
Govt sets up expert group for suggestions on artificial intelligence policy
The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeITY) has set up an internal expert committee to advise the government on a policy on artificial intelligence (AI). The expert committee will advise the IT ministry on the most apt technologies for India as government’s main focus is to reduce cyber-attacks with AI. Its recommendations will be used to frame the policy.
Haj Committee recommends abolishing of subsidy
The government was appointed Committee on Haj Policy has recommended phasing out of subsidy for Haj pilgrims and allowing women devotees above 45 years of age to travel in a group of at least four without a male. In view of the Supreme Court direction, the Ministry had set up the Panel under the Chairmanship of former Secretary Afzal Amanullah to review the existing Haj Policy and to suggest a framework for new Haj policy 2018-22.
T K Viswanathan Committee report on Sec 66A of IT Act
An expert committee, headed by T K Viswanathan on Section 66A of the IT Act submitted its report. It was constituted by the Centre after the Supreme Court struck down the controversial Section 66A of the IT Act in 2015. According to its recommendations IPC, CrPC and the IT Act be amended to introduce stringent provisions, specifying punishment, to deal with cases of hate speech.
Govt constitutes high-level committee for water management in northeast
The Government has constituted a high-level committee for proper management of water resources in North Eastern Region (NER) under Chairmanship of Rajiv Kumar, Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog. The Committee is tasked to facilitate optimising benefits of appropriate water management in form of agriculture, bio-diversity conservation, hydro-electric power, reduced flood damage erosion, inland water transport, forestry, fishery and eco-tourism.
President appoints Commission to examine sub-categorisation of OBCs
President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed a Commission to examine the sub-categorization of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The sub-categorization of the OBCs will ensure that the more backward among the OBC communities can also access the benefits of reservation for educational institutions and government jobs. The Commission will examine the extent of inequitable distribution of benefits of reservation among the castes or communities included in the broad category of OBCs with reference to such classes included in the Central List.
IMPORTANT DAYS & DATES
World Cities Day 2017 observed globally
The World Cities Day was observed across the world on 31 October 2017 with the theme ‘Innovative Governance, Open Cities’. While the general theme of World Cities Day is ‘Better City, Better Life’. Every year, a different sub-theme is selected to celebrate the day to promote successes of urbanization and to address specific challenges resulting from urbanization. This year’s sub-theme Innovative Governance, Open Cities highlights the important role of urbanization as a source of global development and social inclusion.
31 October: Rashtriya Ekta Diwas
Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) is observed every year across India on 31 October to commemorate birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhai Patel who had played important role in unifying the country. Observance of day provides an opportunity to re-affirm inherent strength and resilience of our nation to withstand actual and potential threats to unity, integrity and security of our country. To mark this occasion various activities and events are being organised across ministries and departments all over the country. Besides, Run for Unity was organised in New Delhi from the National Stadium. The idea of Rashtriya Ekta Diwas was mooted by PM Narendra Modi in October 2014 to mark the birth anniversary of Independent India’s first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
27 October: World Day for Audiovisual Heritage
World Day for Audiovisual Heritage is observed globally on 27 October. “Discover, remember and share” is the theme of this year’s celebration of the WDAH. The General Conference of UNESCO approved the commemoration of a World Day for Audiovisual Heritage in 2005 as a mechanism to raise general awareness of the need to preserve and safeguard important audiovisual material for future generations.
Infantry Day observed on 27 October
Infantry Day was observed across India on 27 October 2017 to commemorate the sacrifices made by the infantry who fought against Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir in 1947. This was the first infantry action by the Indian Army after independence.
Disarmament Week 24-30 October
Disarmament Week is celebrated every year from October 24-30. It was founded by the United Nations in 1978 with the purpose to control, reduce, limit and abolish weapons of mass destruction. The purpose of celebrating this week is to create awareness about the dangers of arms race, need of reducing weapons and how it affects the environment.
24 October: United Nations Day
United Nations Day is observed globally on 24 October. It marks the 72nd anniversary of the UN Charter’s entry into force and celebrates everything that the UN represents and has achieved since its establishment in 1945. All the member states of the United Nations contribute finances to its operation to help further its goals.
October 24: World Development Information Day
The World Development Information Day (WDID) is observed every year on October 24 to draw attention of world to development problems and necessity of strengthening international cooperation to solve them. To celebrate this day, many events are organized to focus attention on work that UN does, particularly with regard to problems of trade and development. Many of these are aimed at journalists working for range of media, including radio, television, newspapers, magazines and internet sites.
56th Raising Day of ITBP observed
The 56th raising day of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) was celebrated 24 October. It was raised on 24th October in 1962. ITBP is deployed on guarding 3488 kilometer long India-China Border from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh. Its protects and manages outposts located on altitudes ranging from 9000 feet to 18700 feet in the Western, Middle and Eastern Sector of the India-China Border.
24 October: World Polio Day
Every year 24th October is observed as the World Polio day across the nations. World Polio Day was established by Rotary International over a decade ago to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk, who led the first team to develop a vaccine against poliomyelitis (polio virus). This development had led to widespread use of this inactivated poliovirus vaccine and subsequently use of the oral poliovirus, developed by Albert Sabin. It also had led to establishment of Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988 which has helped to reduce polio worldwide by 99%.
21st October 2017: The National Police Commemoration Day
The National Police Commemoration Day is observed every year on 21st October remembering the brave policemen who sacrificed their lives while discharging their duties. Rich tributes are paid to the martyrs on this day. On October 21st 1959, twenty Indian soldiers were attacked by the Chinese troops in Ladakh. This altercation between the troops led to the death of ten policemen. Seven of the others who were also imprisoned, managed to escape from the Chinese troops.
20th October: World Statistics Day
At its 41st Session in February 2010, the United Nations Statistical Commission proposed celebrating 20th October 2010 as World Statistics Day. The theme for the year 2017 is Better Data, Better Lives. It emphasizes the critical role of high-quality official statistical information in analysis and informed policy decision-making in support of sustainable development.
17 October: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP) is observed globally on 17 October. The theme of this year’s IDEP is ‘Answering the Call of October 17 to end poverty: A path toward peaceful and inclusive societies’. This year’s celebration also marks the 25th anniversary of the declaration of the day by the UN General Assembly, which had adopted the resolution on 22 December 1992.
Ayurveda 2nd Day is celebrated on 17 October
This year’s 2nd Ayurveda Day is celebrated on 17 October in New Delhi by the Ministry of AYUSH. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the Chief Guest and will also inaugurate the country’s first All India Institute of Ayurveda, Sarita Vihar, New Delhi. The All India Institute of Ayurveda, set up on a total area of 10.015 acres on a budget of Rs 157 crore, is the first medical institute under the AYUSH ministry to hold the coveted National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) accreditation.
16th October: World Food Day
FAO celebrates World Food Day each year on 16 October to commemorate the founding of the Organization in 1945. Events are organized in over 150 countries across the world, making it one of the most celebrated days of the UN calendar. These events promote worldwide awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger and for the need to ensure food security and nutritious diets for all. The Theme for World Food Day 2017 is “Change the future of migration. Invest in food security and rural development”. World Food Day is a chance to show our commitment to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 – to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030. It’s also a day for us to celebrate the progress we have already made towards reaching #ZeroHunger.
15th October: International Day of Rural Women
The first International Day of Rural Women was observed on 15th October 2008. This new international day, established by the UN General Assembly in its resolution 62/136 of 18th December 2007, recognizes “the critical role and contribution of rural women, including indigenous women, in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty”. In agriculture, climate change exacerbates the existing barriers to gender equality faced by women farmers. Globally, women comprise 43 percent of the agricultural workforce and play a critical role in supporting the household and community food security.
October 14: World Standards Day
The World Standards Day is observed every year on 14 October across the globe to mark the development of voluntary engineering and scientific standard. The theme for year 2017 is “Standards make cities smarter”.
International Day for Disaster Reduction observed globally
The International Day for Disaster Reduction was observed across the world on 13 October 2017 with the theme ‘Home Safe Home: Reducing Exposure, Reducing Displacement’. The 2017 campaign aims to raise global awareness about effective actions, policies and practices taken to reduce exposure to disaster risk at the community level, thereby contributing to saving homes and livelihoods. The same can be accomplished only through coordination, cooperation and collaboration among many stakeholders.
11 October: International Day of the Girl Child
Since 2012, 11 October has been marked as the International Day of the Girl Child. The day aims to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face while promoting girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights. This year’s theme is “The Power of the Adolescent Girl: Vision for 2030″.
10 October: World Mental Health Day
The World Mental Health Day was observed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 10 October 2017 with the theme ‘Mental health in the workplace’. the Day is observed with an aim of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health. The Day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work. Globally, more than 300 million people suffer from depression and more than 260 million are living with anxiety disorders. a recent WHO-led study estimates that depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy USD 1 trillion each year in lost productivity.
India Water Week inaugurated by President
President Shri Ram Nath Kovind has inaugurated India Water Week 2017 on October 10, 2017 in New Delhi in the presence of Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari and Union Ministers of State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal and Shri Dr. Satya Pal Singh. About 1500 delegates from India and 13 other countries will attend the five-day international event. The theme of India Water Week – 2017 is “Water and Energy for Inclusive Growth”.
Ministry of WCD is celebrating the BBBP Week
The Ministry of Women and Child Development will be celebrating the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Week from 09th to 14th October, 2017. The week is being celebrated in view of the International Girl Child Day on 11th October, 2017. The theme of the program will be “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Week- The Daughters of New India”. The BBBP districts have been requested to organize activities in a campaign mode to observe the Week starting from 9th October – 14th October 2017 to create awareness and sensitize community in their respective districts.
08 October: Indian Air Force Celebrates 85th Anniversary
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is celebrating its 85th anniversary on 08th October 2017. The celebrations would be marked by a stellar show in the skies by various aircraft at the Hindon Air Force Station in Ghaziabad. President Ram Nath Kovind has greeted the Indian Air Force on its 85th Anniversary. Defence Ministry stated that the air display has commenced with flag bearing skydivers of famous AKASH GANGA Team dropping out of AN-32 aircraft in their colourful canopies.
05 October: World Teachers’ Day
World Teachers’ Day is observed annually on 5 October since 1994 to commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the 1966 UNESCO/ILO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. The theme of 2017 World Teachers’ Day is “Teaching in Freedom, Empowering Teachers”. The 1966 Recommendation constitutes the main reference framework for addressing teachers’ rights and responsibilities on a global scale. The Day is organised by the United Nation’s body UNESCO.
World Space Week is observed from October 4th to October 10th
The World Space Week is observed from 4th to 10th October. The theme of 2017 is ‘Exploring New Worlds In Space’. On October 4th1957 Sputnik 1 was launched. It was the first human-made, Earth-orbiting satellite. Second, the signing of The Outer Space Treaty on October 10th 1967.
02 October: World Habitat Day
Every year 2nd October is observed as the World Habitat day. The United Nations designated the first Monday of October of every years as World Habitat Day to reflect on the state of our own towns and cities, and on the basic right of all to adequate shelter. It is also intended to remind the world that we all have the power and the responsibility to shape the future of our cities and towns.
02nd October: International Day of Non-Violence
The International Day of Non-Violence is marked on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence. According to General Assembly of United Nations resolution of 15 June 2007, which established the commemoration, the International Day is an occasion to “disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness”. The resolution reaffirms “the universal relevance of the principle of non-violence” and the desire “to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence”.
01 October: World Vegetarian Day
World Vegetarian Day is observed annually on the planet on October 1. The day brings global attention to the health and environmental benefits of vegetarianism and focuses on the ethics of following a vegetarian lifestyle. World Vegetarian Day initiates the month of October as Vegetarian Awareness Month, which ends with November 1, World Vegan Day, as the end of that month of celebration.
01 October: International Day of Older Persons
On 14th December 1990, the United Nations General Assembly (by resolution 45/106) designated 1 October the International Day of Older Persons. This was preceded by initiatives such as the Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing – which was adopted by the 1982 World Assembly on Ageing – and endorsed later that year by the UN General Assembly. In 1991, the General Assembly (by resolution 46/91) adopted the United Nations Principles for Older Persons. The theme of the International Day of Older Persons 2017 is “Stepping into the Future: Tapping the Talents, Contributions and Participation of Older Persons in Society”.
10:15 PM, 13-Dec-2017
INTERNATIONAL
WHO for first time releases guidelines on child sex abuse
The World Health Organisation (WHO) for first time has formulated clinical guidelines on responding to children and adolescents who have been sexually abused. The guidelines are grounded in human rights standards and ethical principles. They will assist frontline health care providers – general practitioners, gynaecologists, nurses and others – who may directly receive victim of sexual abuse or may identify sexual abuse during course of diagnosis and treatment.
Hwasong-15: North Korea tests most powerful ICBM
North Korea successfully launched Hwasong-15, a new type of nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). It is North Korea’s most powerful ICBM that can reach entire eastern US seaboard and Washington. The ICBM was launched from near Pyongyang and had reached height of 4,475 km and traveled 950 km before it accurately hitting a sea target. It landed inside of Japan’s economic exclusion zone (EEZ) in Sea of Japan, about 250 km west of Aomori, which is on northern part of Japan’s main island of Honshu.
IMMSAREX-2017 begins in Bangladesh
The International Multilateral Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise 2017 (IMMSAREX 2017) began on 27 November 2017 in Cox Bazar, Bangladesh. Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of the Naval Staff of Indian Navy, is attending the exercise, on an invitation from Bangladesh. The exercise will be held till 28 November 2017 under the aegis of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS). Indian Naval ships (INS) Ranvir, Sahyadri, Gharial and Sukanya along with one Maritime Patrol Aircraft P-81 will be participating in the exercise.
Aung San Suu Kyi stripped of Freedom of Oxford Award
Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been stripped of the Freedom of Oxford award over her “inaction” in handling the raging Rohingya refugee crisis and turning a “blind eye to violence” in the country that forced over 600,000 people to flee to Bangladesh. Oxford City Council in London voted unanimously to permanently remove the honour given to 72-year-old Suu Kyi in 1997.
Palestinian factions agree to hold election by 2018 end
Rival group Hamas and Fatah have agreed to hold a general election by the end of 2018. Hamas and Fatah signed a reconciliation deal min October in Cairo-backed talks after Hamas agreed to hand over administrative control of Gaza, including the key Rafah border crossing, a decade after seizing the enclave in a civil war. The Western-backed mainstream Fatah party lost control, of Gaza to Hamas, considered a terrorist group by many in the West and by Israel, in fighting in 2007.
Qatar, the Richest Country in the World Per Capita
Based on the per capita income of its people, Qatar has been named the world’s richest country as per the recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) report. The per capita GDP (gross domestic product) of Qatar is over Rs. 81 lakh. With per capita GDP of over Rs. 38 lakh, the United States is at No. 12. India, with a GDP of over Rs. 4 lakh per person, is not even in the top 100.
Iraqi forces successfully liberated town of Rawa from ISIS
The US-backed Iraqi forces has reclaimed the town of Rawa from the most dangerous terrorist organization Islamic State (ISIS). Notably, the town of Rawa is located in Anbar province in the Euphrates valley and was the last known Iraqi town still held by ISIS terrorists. The Iraq’s Joint Operation Command (IJOC) said in a statement read that the Iraqi national flag was hosted in the town of Rawa, which was reclaimed from ISIS terrorist organize easily.
Army takes over Mugabe government in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe’s military leaders have seized control of the impoverished southern African nation, placing longtime leader Robert Mugabe under house arrest and deploying armored vehicles to the streets of the capital, Harare. The military move follows a power struggle over who might replace Mr Mugabe. His vice-president, Emmerson Mnangagwa was fired last week, making Mr. Mugabe’s wife Grace the president’s likely successor which left top military officials feeling sidelined.
Founding ceremony of International Solar Alliance held in Germany
A Curtain Raiser Event for the Founding Ceremony of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) was held in Bonn, Germany. Shri Anand Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy was present at the event from the Indian side.
Saudi Arabia recognizes Yoga as Sport
The Saudi Arabian government approved the practice of yoga as a sports activity, claimed a social media post of Nouf Marwaai, founder of the Arab Yoga Foundation in the Saudi kingdom. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has recognized the practice of Yoga as an approved sport, which can be practiced freely there.
China launches world’s first fully electric cargo ship
China has launched world’s first fully electric cargo ship in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province. This 2000-metric-ton ship is the first in the world to use lithium battery. The ship was manufactured by the Guangzhou Shipyard International Company Ltd. The ship is presently running in the inland section of the Pearl River.
Slovenia’s President wins second term in runoff election
Slovenia’s President Borut Pahor wins Second Term in Runoff Election. He received nearly 53 percent of votes. His rival, Marjan Sarec, the former actor and mayor of a small town north received a little more than 47 percent of the vote.
United Nations hosts first talks on use of killer robots in Geneva
United Nations is set to open its first official talks on the use of autonomous weapons, including killer robots, at the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) for 5 days, in Geneva. The meeting is chaired by Indian ambassador on disarmament, Amandeep Gill. The discussion will also include civil society and technology companies. It will be partly focused on understanding the types of weapons in the pipeline.
China all set to make first contact with aliens
China, which on its way to emerge as a Space Superpower, has claimed be the first nation to make contact with alien life using the world’s largest radio dish. According to reports, china has spent billions of pounds into space exploration and the world’s largest dish to detect alien signals coming from other galaxies.
UNESCO confirms France’s Audrey Azoulay as New Head
UNESCO member states confirmed the nomination of France’s former culture minister Audrey Azoulay to head the cultural agency. 45-year-old Azoulay becomes UNESCO’s second woman director general. Azoulay succeeds Irina Bokova of Bulgaria, whose eight-year term. Ms Azoulay was France’s Minister of Culture and Communication from February 2016 to May 2017. Ms Azoulay is the 11th Director-General of UNESCO. She will take office on 15 November 2017.
EU launches election observation mission for Nepal Polls
The European Union Election Observation Mission was officially launched to monitor the general and provincial polls in Nepal which are scheduled for November 26 and December 7. Around 100 election observers from member countries of the European Union (EU) have been deployed to oversee the polls in the Himalayan nation. The EU has allocated 3.5 million euro for the entire election observation process.
NASA: Ozone hole over Antarctica smallest in 30 years
The ozone hole that forms over Antarctica every year in September was found to be the smallest this year since 1988. this was revealed by the NASA satellite measurements from 2017. According to NASA scientists, the hole in the ozone layer reached its peak extent on September 11, covering an area about two and a half times the size of the US – and then it declined through the remaining part of September. The ground- and balloon-based measurements from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) also showed the least amount of ozone depletion above the continent during the peak of the ozone depletion cycle since 1988.
Nepal opens bridge built by India’s help
Nepal inaugurated a bridge on the Kaligandaki River at Jomsom area in Mustang district near China border. This bridge has been built with the financial assistance of 44.5 million Nepali rupees provided by India as a part of India–Nepal Economic Cooperation programme. With the inauguration of this bridge, people of Mustang now have direct motorable connectivity.
ICIJ releases Paradise papers
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has released ‘The Paradise Papers’, a global investigation that reveals the offshore activities of some of the world’s most powerful people and companies. Among 180 countries represented in the data, India ranks 19th in terms of number of names. In all names of 714 Indians have figured in this largest ever black money data leak.
Guinea becomes new member of International Solar Alliance
Guinea handed over country’s instrument accession to the India-initiated International Solar Alliance (ISA). Founder of ISA is Narendra Modi with its headquarters at Gwal Pahari, Gurugram, Haryana.
Singapore Changi airport opens new terminal with cleaning robots
The world’s busiest airport, Singapore’s Changi airport’s newest terminal, its fourth, officially began operations recently, which features cleaning robots, mechanised systems transporting luggage, and a live theatre production. This Singapore airport unveiled a £544 million (?4,660 crore) five-storey terminal the size of 27 football fields. It has not completed construction yet, and will get a rainforest-inspired canopy garden housing the world’s biggest indoor waterfall by 2019.
China makes disrespecting national anthem punishable by jail
China’s rubber-stamp legislature has made disrespecting the national anthem a criminal offense punishable by up to three years in prison. The legislature also moved to apply a separate, recently passed law on the national anthem to Hong Kong and Macau, Chinese semi autonomous regions with separate legal systems.
China unveils Asia’s largest Island-Building Vessel
China unveiled Asia’s largest artificial island-building ship. The 140-metre-long vessel, which has been dubbed as “magic island maker”, is capable of digging 6,000 cubic metres an hour, which is equivalent to three standard swimming pools. The vessel is expected to be delivered in June 2018 after being tested completely. The boat named Tian Kun Hao is equivalent of three standard swimming pools.
Turkey President Erdogan signs contentious religious marriages law
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signed into law a controversial legislation to let state- approved clerics conduct marriage ceremonies. The law allows “muftis” as well as state-appointed civil servants to perform and register marriages. The new law will open the way for child marriages. The law has been a priority for the government and in October, Erdogan told the opposition that the law would pass “whether you like it or not”.
Trump will make his first official visit to Japan on November 5
U.S. leader Donald Trump will travel to Asia in November for the first time since becoming president, stopping in Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines on a trip expected to be dominated by the North Korea nuclear threat. His visit will include attending two major summits, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Vietnam and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations conclave in the Philippines.
World’s third largest Book Fair opens in Sharjah
With more than 1.5 million book titles and 1,650 publishing houses from 60 countries, Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) opened its doors to public and trade visitors. It is the third largest book fair in the world. The book fair was held under the theme ‘A World in My Book’. The event has been organised by Sharjah Book Authority (SBA). Sharjah also inaugurated Sharjah Publishing City (SPC) which is the world’s first specialised book publishing free zone.
Kazakhstan to change its name by 2025
Kazakhstan is changing its name to Qazaqstan as part of a transition from Cyrillic to a Latin-based script. A national commission will be set up to oversee the transition, which will be completed by 2025.
INDIA & WORLD
India and Italy sign MoU for enhanced cooperation in health sector
The agreement was signed by Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare JP Nadda and Health Minister of Italy Beatrice Lorenzin. The MoU is aimed at establisihing comprehensive inter-ministerial and inter-institutional cooperation between the two countries in the field of health.
Russia to Help India to Set up National Crisis Response Centre
Russia will assist India to set up a national crisis management centre in the country to handle disaster and other emergency situations. This was agreed during a meeting between Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Russian Minister for Emergency Situations Vladimir Puchkov in Moscow. Both sides agreed that EMERCOM of Russia would cooperate with India in the establishment of the National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC) in India.
India and UK to sign MoU in Urban Transport Sector
India and United Kingdom (UK) will soon sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the urban transport sector for cooperation in policy planning, technology. The draft of MoU was finalised by Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari and Chris Grayling, Secretary of State for Transport of UK. It will also help in promoting digital transactions and induction of high capacity diesel and electric vehicles (EVs) in India.
India and Finland join hands to boost mutual ties in IT renewable energy
India and Finland joined hands to boost mutual ties in the areas of trade and investment, renewable energy and science and technology. Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and Finnish counterpart held talks in New Delhi to discuss upon strengthening mutual relations. The two ministers reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and agreed to ramp up cooperation in trade.
India to help Mauritius on digital locker
The Government of India will assist Mauritius to develop and set up digital locker services. DigiLocker is a key initiative of the Indian government under its flagship Digital India program. The free service provides citizens a shareable private space on a public cloud wherein they can store their documents. The service is aimed at paperless governance.
India is one of top global cybercrime hotspots: study
According to the latest study, Asia-Pacific region accounts more than half of the world’s Internet users and is the biggest region globally in terms of e-commerce sales, has seen a massive rise in cybercrime. As per the APAC Cybercrime report 2017 by Threat Metrix, cybercrime in the Asia-Pacific region is growing with attacks becoming more organized and sophisticated. It is because of the rapid digital transformation spurred by massive economic growth.
Modi Govt. 3rd most trusted in the world
Indian government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ranked as the third most trusted government in the world as per Government at a Glance 2017. It was published by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. As per the report, nearly 74 percent of Indians have expressed confidence in their national government. This list is topped by Switzerland and followed by Indonesia.
India and Russia join hands to provide visa free entry for flight crew members
India and Russia have joined their hands and signed a pact for giving visa-free entry to the crew members of chartered and scheduled flights in both the nations. The agreement will facilitate visa-free entry, stay and exit of the crew of aircraft of the designated airlines as well as other aircraft companies operating chartered and scheduled flights in the respective territories on a reciprocal basis. This ease has made the relationship between the two nations more concrete. The Visa requirements for crew members are administrative entry restrictions imposed by the countries for the pilot or a member of the crew during a transit. The crew visas are associated with the request for permission to enter a country for a short duration and perform the predefined duties in the given areas, distinct from actual formal permission for an alien to enter and remain in the country.
1st Indo-Myanmar joint military exercise
A group of 15 officers from the Myanmarese army started a 6 day bilateral military exercise with their counterparts from the Indian Army in Meghalaya in the first ever joint training of the troops from the 2 neighboring countries. IMBAX-2017 will take place at the recently created Joint Training Node of the Indian Army at Umroi. The IMBAX-2017 would conclude on November 25.
India ranks 51 on IMD Talent Rankings
India ranked 51st among 63 countries on the IMD Talent Rankings in terms of ability to attract, develop and retain talent. In previous rankings, India was ranked 54th. The annual IMD World Talent Ranking covers 63 countries and assessed methods countries adopted to attract and retain talent. The rankings of countries are based on their performance in three main categories – investment and development, appeal, and readiness.
IFFI 2017 Indian Panorama inaugurated at Panaji by noted actress Sridevi
The Indian Panorama, the most sought-after section of the International Film Festival of India, IFFI, was inaugurated at Panaji in Goa by noted actress Sridevi. Around 6 feature films and 16 non-feature films selected from different languages and regions will be screened in the Indian Panorama section. Vinod Kapri-directed Hindi film ‘Pihu’ was the opening movie in the feature film category, while ‘Pushkar Puran’ by Kamal Swaroop opened the non-feature film category. They included Sudhir Mishra, Rahul Rawail, Ruchi Narain, Nishikant Kamat, Nikhil Advani and KG Suresh. Filmmakers whose movies are being screened in the prestigious Indian Panorama section were also felicitated.
India, France agree to deepen Security Co-operation
India and France have agreed to deepen security cooperation, bilaterally and in the multilateral fora, and strengthen strong commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. After holding delegation-level talks with Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France Jean Yves-Le Drain, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj stated both countries have vowed to get rid of the menace of terrorism.
INS Sarvekshak reaches Dar-Es-Salaam to conduct Joint Hydrographic Survey
INS Sarvekshak, a hydrographic survey ship of southern Naval Command, arrived Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania for conducting Joint Hydrographic Survey along with the Tanzanian Navy. The Joint Hydrographic Survey is being conducted with an aim to boost bilateral relations with friendly foreign countries and navies in the Indian ocean region.
India, US, Japan, Australia hold first quad talks on Indo-Pacific Cooperation
India, the United States, Japan and Australia held their first official-level talks in Manila, Philippines with a focus on keeping the India-Pacific region “free and open”. After the meeting, India, Australia and Japan issued separate statements listing the Indo-Pacific as the major area of the deliberations and resolved to expand cooperation to uphold a rules-based order and respect for international law in the strategically important region.
India to be third largest economy by 2028: Report
India is likely to achieve strong growth over the next decade and emerge as the world’s third-largest economy, overtaking Japan in nominal GDP by 2028, according to the report titled “India 2028″ by Bank of America Merrill Lynch. According to the report, India has already emerged as the second largest BRIC economy after China by overtaking Brazil and Russia. By 2019, India will also overtake France and Britain to emerge as the world’s fifth largest economy. This assumes that the Indian economy witnesses a 10 percent (in nominal US GDP) growth in the next decade which is well ahead of Japan’s 1.6 percent. The Bank of America Merrill Lynch has reported the country’s real GDP growth at the potential of 7 percent.
Rice Field laboratory in Manila named after PM Modi
While on his visit to Philippines, PM Narendra Modi visited the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Banos, Philippines and inaugurated ‘Shri Narendra Modi Resilient Rice Field Laboratory’. He also presented two Indian rice seed varieties to the IRRI gene bank.
India sixth most vulnerable country facing extreme weather events: Report
According to global climate risk index (CRI), a report by Germanwatch, an independent Berlin-based development and environmental organisation, India is the sixth most vulnerable country in the world in terms of facing extreme weather events with Haiti, Zimbabwe, Fiji, Sri Lanka and Vietnam taking top five positions in the fresh list of nations facing climate risk.
1.3 lakh Indians book ticket to Mars
More than 1.3 lakh Indians have booked a flight to Mars which is a part of National Aeronautics & Space Administration’s InSight mission. US had the most number of people sending their names followed by China & India. InSight, scheduled to land on Mars on 26 Nov, next year, will be the 1st mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface, studying planet’s interior by listening for marsquakes.
The 23rd edition of the Kolkata International Film Festival inaugurated
Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF), India’s second oldest film festival, will screen an assemblage of 143 films spanning 53 countries under 16 different categories till Nov 17. This festival is hosted by the West Bengal government and is presided over by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Britain will be the focus country this year in commemoration of the UK-India Year of Culture 2017.
India re-elected Member of UNESCO’s Executive Board
India has been re-elected as the member of the UNESCO’s executive board, its top decision-making body. The election was held at the 39th session of the General Conference of the UNESCO in Paris, France. The General Conference consists of the representatives of the States Members of the organisation. Each country has one vote, irrespective of its size or the extent of its contribution to the budget.
Dubai bank Emirates NBD begins operations in India
Emirates NBD, the UAE’s second-largest lender, has started operations in India with an aim to invest USD 100 million capital into its Indian operations. The Mumbai branch marks the bank’s fifth international branch outside of its UAE network.
India-Bangladesh inaugurated Train service between Kolkata and Khulna
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurated the long-awaited direct train-service between Kolkata and Khulna through video-conferencing. The new train service is called Bandhan Express. It is the second cross-border train between the two neighboring countries. The train will run in either direction twice a week and cover the 177 km distance between Kolkata and Khulna within 4 1/2 hours.
The 20th International Children’s Film Festival begins in India
International Children’s Film Festival (ICFFI), popularly known as the Golden Elephant began in Hyderabad, Telangana on 8 November 2017. The festival would conclude on the occasion of Children’s Day on 14 November. The global festival, which is held every two years, strives to bring the most imaginative cinema including both national and international to the young audiences in India.
India slips to 7th position in business optimism ranking
As per Grant Thornton’s International Business Report (IBR), India has slipped in ‘business optimism’ index to the 7th position in the September quarter, from the 2nd slot in the previous three months, showing clear signs of lag in the economy. Indonesia is at the top of the list, followed by Finland and the Netherlands.
India, Bangladesh begins joint military combat exercise
The Indian and the Bangladeshi army are all set to take part in an intensive combat exercise “Exercise Sampriti” at India’s Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School at Vairengte in Mizoram from November 6 to 18. This is the 7th edition of the joint training exercise. The military combat exercise is organised to conduct counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations in a semi-mountainous jungle terrain to bolster bilateral military ties.
Indo-Kazakhstan Joint Exercise “PRABAL DOSTYK 2017″ begins
A fourteen-day joint training exercise “PRABAL DOSTYK – 2017″ between the Indian Army and the Kazakhstan Army commenced with the Opening Ceremony at Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh. The joint exercise is aimed at enhancing the military ties between the two countries as also at achieving interoperability between the two armies. The training contingents comprise of platoon strength from the 11th Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army and a similar strength of the Kazakhstan Army.
India slips 21 slots on WEF Gender Gap Index
India slipped 21 places on the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap index to 108, behind neighbours China and Bangladesh, primarily due to less participation of women in the economy and low wages, according to the WEF Global Gender Gap Report 2017. India’s latest ranking is 10 notches lower than its reading in 2006 when the WEF started measuring the gender gap. According to the Report, India has closed 67 percent of its gender gap. Bangladesh ranked 47th while China was placed at 100th.
NATIONAL
Global University Employability Ranking 2017 – IISc Ranks 29th in the World
Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has ranked 29th among the top 150 universities on Global University Employability Ranking 2017 published by Times Higher Education. Other than IISc, only two institutes from India featured among the top 150. Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) ranked 145th and Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) ranked 148th.
Indian Railways installs Asia’s largest Solid State Interlocking in Kharagpur
Indian Railways has installed Asia’s largest Solid State Interlocking (SSI) system in Kharagpur, which will enable station masters to set 800 different routes for trains in a matter of minutes. Interlocking is a railway signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements of trains. Asia’s largest Solid State Interlocking (SSI) system has been installed in Kharagpur at a cost of Rs 39 crore. The cutting-edge technology replaces the pre-1989 route relay system that only allowed operators to set maximum 423 routes. The new system ensures that no cross-movement takes place.
Multi State Mega Mock Tsunami Exercise 2017 begins
The Ministry of Home affairs will conduct a multi-State mega mock exercise on tsunami preparedness on 24 November 2017. The Ministry with the help of the national Disaster Management Authority, NDMA and the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services will conduct the exercise simultaneously in 31 coastal districts across four States – West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu – and Union Territory Puducherry along with the entire East Coast. The exercise is one of the various activities planned on the occasion of the 2nd World Tsunami Awareness Day held on November 5 this year.
Bamboo not ‘Tree’ any more: President promulgates ordinance to amend Forest Act
President Ram Nath Kovind has promulgated an ordinance under Article 123 of Constitute to amend Indian Forest Act, 1927 to encourage bamboo plantation by farmers in private lands. The ordinance omits bamboo (taxonomically a grass) grown in non-forest areas from definition of trees. The omission, thereby exempts it from requiring permits for felling or transportation of bamboo grown in non-forest areas.
HRD ministry launches Digital Signature campaign on Constitution Day
Ministry of Human Resources Development has launched a Digital Signature campaign on Constitution Day affirming faith in Indian Constitution and to generate awareness on fundamental duties enshrined in the Constitution. Giving the link in a tweet, Mr Javadekar stated that people, can join the campaign by filling a form online. 26th November is celebrated as Constitution Day.
Union Cabinet introduces Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra
The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave approval for the expansion of schemes of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) under the umbrella scheme “Mission for Protection and Empowerment for Women”. The expansion has been approved for a period from 2017-18 to 2019-20 with financial outlay of 3636.85 crore. The Central Share will be approximately Rs.3084.96 crore. Besides, a new scheme called ‘Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra (PMSSK)’, which will empower rural women through community participation approved.
Government Sets up a Panel to Draft New Direct Tax Law
The government has constituted a task force for redrafting the 50-year old income tax law in sync with the economic needs of the country. The six-member task force will have Arbind Modi, CBDT Member (Legislation) as the Convener and other members, including Girish Ahuja (chartered accountant), Rajiv Memani (Chairman and Regional Managing Partner of EY) and Mansi Kedia (Consultant, ICRIER). Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the annual conference of tax officers in September, had observed that the Income-tax Act, 1961 was drafted more than 50 years ago and it needs to be redrafted.
Union Govt initiates ‘safe-city’ plan for women in 8 metropolitan cities
The union govt has initiated the process of formulating comprehensive ‘safe-city’ plans for women in eight metropolitan cities of the country. The process was kick-started during a Steering Committee meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary Rajiv gauba. During the meeting, a comprehensive review was undertaken to measure the progress and examine steps taken by the police and civil administration for women’s safety. The pan will be implemented in cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Lucknow and Hyderabad.
Prime Minister Modi launches Umang app
Prime minister Narendra Modi has launched Umang mobile application, an integrated platform for government to citizen services. Umang- an acronym for “unified mobile app for new age” e-governance – currently hosts around 162 services from 33 government departments of central and state governments. The app has been developed by the ministry of electronics and information technology (MEITY). Some of the services relate to Aadhaar, DigiLocker, Pay Gov, Bharat Bill Payments System (BBPS), and CBSE. The app provides easy facility for provisioning the services through mobile without long drawn detailed project report (DPR)/ bidding process.
India becomes Second Largest Fish Producing Country in the World
Combining the production of all types of fisheries (capture and culture), the total fish production has reached at about 11.41 million tonnes in 2016-17 and India has become the second largest fish producing country in the world. The scheme ‘Blue Revolution’ has been launched with the outlay of Rs. 300 crore for the integrated development of the Fisheries sector in the country. As a result, overall fish production has registered an increase of about 18.86% in comparison to the last three years, whereas inland fish production has registered a growth of more than 26%.
India’s first Mega Coastal Economic Zone to come up in Maharashtra
The government has given the go-ahead for setting up India’s first mega coastal economic zone (CEZ) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Maharashtra as part of a plan to develop 14 such industrial clusters to spur manufacturing and generate jobs. About 45 companies across telecom, auto and IT sectors will soon bid for 200 hectares of land to set up manufacturing units in the zone. The plan envisages a total investment of Rs 15,000 crore in the first phase and creation of more than 1.5 lakh jobs.
India Disease Burden Initiative Report
As per ‘India State-level Disease Burden Initiative Report’, child and maternal malnutrition were responsible for 15 % of the total disease burden in 2016 across India. Analysis of disease burden for each Indian state from 1990 to 2016 has been presented. It is jointly prepared by the ICMR, the Public Health Foundation of India and Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
Vice President inaugurates ‘Aadi Mahotsav’ Tribal Festival
The Vice President, M. Venkaiah Naidu will inaugurate ‘Aadi Mahotsav’ – fortnight long Tribal Festival with the theme of ‘A Celebration of the Spirit of Tribal Culture, Cuisine and Commerce’ on 16 November at Dilli Haat, INA, New Delhi. The festival will run for a fortnight through 30th November 2017. The festival will feature exhibition-cum-sale of tribal handicrafts, art, paintings, fabric, jewellery and much more through about 200 stalls. The Mahotsav is an effect to take tribal commerce to the next level of digital and electronic transactions. The Mahotsav apart from exotic handicrafts will also showcase the electronic and digital skills of the tribals as a special attraction.
India’s global rank up to 14th for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
India is ranked 14th in this year’s Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2018 out of 56 nations and the European Union by environmental organisation Germanwatch, an improvement from its 20th position last year, for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by opting to transform its electricity sector towards green technology. The top three rankings are unoccupied as the report says no country is on a Paris-compatible path yet that aims to keep the average global temperature rise well below two degrees Celsius and as close as possible to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Sweden ranks fourth in this year’s CCPI, following the empty top three.
Thirty seventh India International Trade Fair begins in New Delhi
The 37th India International Trade Fair (IITF) has begun at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. The 14-day annual event has been organized by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO). It was inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind. This year the theme of the fair is “Startup India Standup India”. Vietnam is the Partner Country, while Kyrgyzstan is the Focus Country. Jharkhand is participating as a Partner State in the event.
Power Minister launches National Portal for power sector
Power Ministry launched a National Power Portal (NPP), a centralised platform for collation and dissemination of Indian power sector information. The portal may be accessed at http://npp.gov.in. The NPP is a centralised system for the power sector which facilitates online data capture/input (daily, monthly, annually) from generation, transmission and distribution utilities.
Youth Affairs Minister releases India Youth Development Index and Report 2017
Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports (Independent Charge) Rajyavardhan Rathore released the Indian Youth Development Index (YDI) and Report 2017 in New Delhi. The index has been developed by the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD) in Tamil Nadu. The main aim behind constructing the index is to track the trends in Youth Development across the states.
Govt to give proxy voting rights to over 25 million Non Resident Indians
The government has decided to give proxy voting rights to over 25 million non-resident Indians (NRIs) spread across the world, Attorney general KK Venugopal told the Supreme Court. The Election Commission of India had already recommended that the government take necessary steps to amend the law for NRI voters. It had prepared a report titled ‘Exploring Feasibility of Alternative Options for Voting by Overseas Electors’ and presented it to the court in October 2014.
First ever Nordic-Baltic Youth film festival in India
The Nordic-Baltic embassies will host the first ever youth film festival of the European nations in Delhi showcasing movies from the region. The 6-Day long festival will run in collaboration with the India Habitat Centre. The Nordic-Baltic countries Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden or NB8 are tied together geographically and historically through trade, culture, and many common value systems.
Government doubles import duty on wheat to 20%
The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) under Union Finance Ministry has doubled import duty on wheat to 20% from 10% to curb cheap shipments and give positive price signal to farmers in ongoing Rabi season. It also imposed import duty of 50% on peas to check cheaper shipments from countries like Canada to boost domestic prices. The import duty on peas has been imposed to curb shipments and boost domestic prices.
Union Minister Smriti Irani flags off Digital Rath in New Delhi
Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani flagged off Digital Rath in New Delhi to create awareness among people for the cashless transaction. UPI transactions have increased from 3.8 million in April to 77 million in October this year, which is a huge growth. The travel is around 20 thousand kilometer and will reach 10 lakh people.
Main Arch of World’s Highest Bridge launched by Indian Railways
Indian Railways has launched the main arch of the world’s highest bridge on the River Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district which will provide direct connectivity to the Kashmir valley. The iconic bridge will soar 359 metres above the bed of the River Chenab and will be 30 metres higher than the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The bridge forms the crucial link in the 111-km stretch between Katra and Banihal which is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla section of the Kashmir Railway project. It entails carrying heavy segments from two ends of the bridge – Kauri end and Bakkal end – and involves the world’s longest cable crane arrangement.
Maneka Gandhi launches ‘first of its kind’ portal for sexual harassment complaints
Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi launched ‘SHe-box’ (sexual harassment electronic box), an online portal for registering complaint related to sexual harassment in non-government and government organisations. The SHe-Box was launched in New Delhi to ensure the effective implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act (the SH Act), 2013. The new portal offers the facility of making online complaints of sexual harassment at workplace to all women employees in the country including government and private employees.
Seven commodities granted Geographical Indication Tag
Seven commodities were granted Geographical Indication (GI) this year by the Indian patent office. It includes Banaganapalle mangoes (Andhra Pradesh), Tulaipanji rice (West Bengal), Pochampally Ikat (Telangana), Gobindobhog rice (West Bengal), Durgi stone carvings and Etikoppaka toys (Andhra Pradesh) and Chakshesang shawl (Nagaland). In 2016-17, as many as 33 items got GI registration.
India to be high-middle income country by 2047: World Bank CEO
Lauding India’s increasing per capita income, World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva said she has no doubt that India will be a high-middle income country by 2047 when it completes its centenary year of independence. Georgieva praised India for its sudden jump of 30 ranks in 2017, the biggest leap ever, in the history of the ease of doing business. She hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “high-level ownership” efforts and “championship of reforms” that led to achieve India such a ranking in ease of doing business.
ONGC to acquire HPCL
The Cabinet approved ONGC for acquiring majority 51.11 % stake in HPCL (Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited). ONGC’s acquisition of 51.11 % stake in HPCL is in line with the government’s plan to create an integrated energy major with businesses spread across the hydrocarbon value chain. The government’s stake in HPCL is sold to ONGC for an amount of Rs 26,000 crore to Rs 30,000 crore.
India successfully tests its first fully indigenous Glide Bomb
The Union Government announced that an indigenously developed lightweight ‘Glide’ bomb was successfully tested in Chandipur in Odisha. The development marks a major milestone in developing such weapons. The bomb – SAAW (Smart Anti Airfield Weapon) – was dropped from an Indian Air Force aircraft at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur.
Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana launched to promote philately
The Union Ministry of Communications has launched Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana, a pan India scholarship program for school children to increase the reach of Philately. The SPARSH stands for Scholarship for Promotion of Aptitude & Research in Stamps as a Hobby. Under the scheme, annual scholarships will be awarded to children of Standard VI to IX having good academic record and also pursuing Philately as hobby through competitive selection process in all postal circles. Government will award 920 scholarships to students pursuing Philately as hobby.
Technical Education can not be provided through correspondence courses- SC
The Supreme Court has ruled that technical education cannot be provided through correspondence courses. The Apex Court restrained educational institutions from providing courses in technical education like engineering through distance learning programme. Two years ago, the Punjab and Haryana high court had ruled that a degree in ‘computer science’ obtained through distance mode could not be considered at par with one attained by attending regular classes.
PM Modi inaugurates World Food India 2017
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the World Food India 2017 event, at Vigyan Bhavan, in New Delhi. The three day-long event, organised by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, is set to host a congregation of global investors and business leaders of major food companies from November 3 to 5 in New Delhi. This is the first time that India is hosting such an event for the food processing sector. PM Modi launched “Nivesh Bandhu”, an Investor Facilitation Portal. Karnataka will be the focus State in the ‘World Food India 2017′ trade fair. In September 2017, Chef Sanjeev Kapoor was named brand ambassador for World Food India’s Food Street. Germany, Japan and Denmark are partner countries to World Food India, while Italy and the Netherlands are the focus countries.
President inaugurates 21st World Congress of Mental Health
The 21st World Congress of Mental Health was inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind in New Delhi. The conference was organised by the World Federation for Mental Health in partnership with Caring Foundation and other institutions. The World Congress of Mental Health is taking place in India for the first time. India’s National Mental Health Programme is building 22 centres of excellence in the field of mental health. The District Mental health Programme has already covered 517 of the approximately 650 district in India. It is taking the conversation about mental health to the grassroots of our society.
Aadhaar-mobile number linking must by February 6: Govt
The Aadhaar-Mobile SIM linking should be completed by February 6, under e-KYC verification, the Centre told the Supreme Court. The Centre also mandated production of 12-digit unique Aadhaar number for opening new bank accounts. The government has introduced three new methods, including through one-time password (OTP), to ease the process of linking the Aadhaar identity number with individual mobile numbers.
9th ‘CMS Vatavaran’ begins in Delhi
The 9th edition of ‘CMS Vatavaran’, a global film festival on environment and wildlife begins in New Delhi. The Theme of CMS Vatavaran is “Conservation 4 Water”. The event is supported and partnered by Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change, National Geographic, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
Max age of joining NPS increased from 60 to 65 years: Finance Ministry
The Ministry of Finance increased the maximum age of joining the National Pension System (NPS) from the existing 60 years to 65 years under NPS – Private Sector (i.e. all citizen and corporate model). In accordance with several initiatives undertaken by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) during the last few years, now any Indian citizen, resident or non-resident, between the age of 60 – 65 years, can join NPS and continue up to the age of 70 years.
Goa tops Gender Vulnerability Index, Bihar at bottom
The Gender Vulnerability Index (GVI) prepared by Child development NGO Plan India has ranked the state of Goa at the top and Bihar at the bottom. The other two states to occupy the top positions include Kerala and Mizoram, which were ranked 2nd and 3rd respectively. Bihar was joined by Uttar Pradesh at the bottom, while Delhi was placed near bottom at the 24th place. The composite index has been developed after analysing the situation of girls and women in the country on the basis of four important dimensions – Health, Education, Protection and Poverty. It will be useful in understanding the situation in states, as it ranks each state in every dimension of gender vulnerability.
STATES
SAUBHAGYA Scheme Launched in Manipur
The Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA) was launched in Manipur, by Union Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, R.K. Singh and N. Biren Singh, Chief Minister of Manipur. A total of approximately 1.75 lakh households (1.62 lakh rural households and 0.13 lakh urban households) of Manipur are proposed to be included under the Scheme.
Punjab Govt notifies Ban on Truckers’ Cartelisation
Punjab State Government notified the ‘Punjab Goods Carriages (Regulation and Prevention of Cartelization Rules), 2017’, banning goods carriage operators from forming cartels in the state. This notification is aimed at creating a favorable environment for industries and business houses in the state which will encourage industrial and infrastructural investment.
DANX-17: Defence of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Exercise concludes
The Defence of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Exercise (DANX-2017) was conducted under the aegis of Andaman & Nicobar Command from 20 to 24 November 2017. The main objective of the five-day exercise was to practice and validate procedures and drills of all Command forces aimed at defending strategic Andaman and Nicobar Island. The purpose of the exercise was for adopting planning and precise execution of Command plans by forces in a synergistic manner.
First Indian casino game training course centre in Goa
The casino game training courses were set up in 2013 as a part of Delta Corp Limited’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Goa. Anil Malani, President Delta Corp Ltd said that they have a designated batch of 20 courses which is absolutely free. Also, after passing the course, most of the students get recruited in premier hotels like Hyatt or Taj. The state government-recognized courses are either in diploma – which runs through a year or certified – that ends in six months.
TN has highest number of women entrepreneurs: Report
According to the state-wise analysis of state of women entrepreneurship in the country by Sheatwork, a knowledge hub for women entrepreneurs, Tamil Nadu has the highest number of women entrepreneurs in India, followed by Kerala and West Bengal. It also said that nearly 80 per cent of women entrepreneurs in India are self-financing their businesses, with little utilisation of the various government schemes that provide financial aid to them.
Telangana makes Telugu compulsory till Inter from next academic year
Telugu would be implemented as a compulsory subject from first standard to Intermediate, including in the CBSE and ICSE schools, from the next academic year in Telangana. Deputy Chief Minister K. Srihari, who also holds Education portfolio, reviewed the steps to be taken before the commencement of the 2018-19 academic year in tune with the decision already taken by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
Feroz Shah Kotla gates to be renamed after Anjum Chopra
The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) has decided to name the Gate No. 3 and 4 of the Ferozshah Kotla stadium after Anjum Chopra. Chopra has represented India in six World Cups. In addition to that, the DDCA has planned to name two stands of the stadium after former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi and former India all-rounder Mohinder Amarnath.
Rajasthan launches ‘Dishari’ to provide free study material for competitive exams
Rajasthan government has launched ‘Dishari’ – an educational mobile application that provides free study materials for youths preparing for competitive examinations. The app features interactive quizzes with questions related to mathematics, general knowledge, current affairs, computers, reasoning and economics. The app will also provide latest updates and job alerts.
Nagaland, A&N Islands, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu ink MoU under UDAY Scheme
Government has signed four MoUs under Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) Scheme with Nagaland and UTs of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu for operational improvements. With this, 27 States and 4 UTs have joined UDAY till date. These State/UTs have joined only for operational improvement and shall not undergo financial restructuring and issue of bonds under the scheme. These MoUs will pave way for improving operational efficiency of Electricity Departments or DISCOM of these State/UTs.
President Ram Nath Kovind reaches Imphal to inaugurate Manipur Sangai Festival
President Ram Nath Kovind reached Imphal to inaugurate the Manipur Sangai Festival, 2017. He was accorded a warm welcome at the Imphal Airport by State Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh and his cabinet colleagues. The 10-day state festival will be opened today at the Bhagyachandra Open Air Theatre at Palace Compound in Imphal. He will open a two-day North-East Development Summit at the City Convention Centre in Imphal. Around 20 memorandums of understanding(MoU) will be signed with investor companies during the Summit to attract investment in the State to generate employment avenues for the unemployed educated youths of the State.
Gleadovia konyakianorum: Parasitic plant found in Nagaland
Scientists from Botanical Survey of India (BSI) have discovered a new species of parasitic flowering plant named Gleadovia konyakianorum. The species was named in honour of Konyak tribe of Nagas. The plant was discovered in the semi-evergreen forest at an altitude of 1,500-1,600 metres during an exploration near Tobu town of Mon district in eastern Nagaland. Parasitic plants are often referred to as curious plants, as they steal their nutritional needs from the host.
Punjab to compensate acid attack victims
Punjab State Cabinet approved ‘Punjab Victim or Their Dependents Compensation Scheme’. It will provide minimum compensation of Rs three lakh to an acid attack victim. Every year, Punjab State Government’s department of home affairs and justice, will allocate a separate budget to the department of legal and legislative affairs to provide compensation under this scheme.
Delhi to form ‘Mahila Suraksha Dals’
According to Deputy CM of Delhi Manish Sisodia, the Delhi would form “Mahila Suraksha Dals” to curb crimes against women in the national capital. The government would constitute these teams in coordination with the Delhi Commission for Women. These MSDs will comprise representatives of the local community, both men and women, besides civil defence volunteers & will work at the grassroot-level.
Assam launches its first air ambulance for the public
The government of Assam inaugurated its first air ambulance of the state. It will operate from Guwahati airport. The air ambulance is equipped with all emergency medical equipment and medical team to take care of patients onboard. Unveiling the service, Patowary hoped that the air ambulance service would usher in a new era of healthcare for the patients of Assam and Northeast. Delhi-based Flaps Aviation Private Limited will operate its air ambulance service from Guwahati with “Book Air Ambulance” as its brand. The aim is to expand this facility to the capitals of all states.
First Namami Barak festival held in Assam
The first ever Namami Barak festival was held at Silchar in Assam. It was inaugurated by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. The event was organised at 3 locations in Barak Valley also known as Southern Assam. Silchar is main event area while other two locations are Hailakandi and Karimganj district.
Maharashtra CM launches initiative to curb Childhood Obesity
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched a new initiative against childhood obesity, which will directly benefit over 6,000 children in Pune alone by making them aware of their Body Mass Index (BMI). As per the initiative, a BMI dialer will be given to the schools through which children will be able to know their BMI. India is the diabetes capital of the world and by 2025 is expected to be the second-largest country with childhood obesity, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The initiative was taken by Rotary Club of Koregaon Park with JT Foundation. The campaign will ensure that childhood obesity will not hamper the growth or development of our future generations. This is a positive movement and the government will ensure support to spread this across Maharashtra.
Maharashtra bans Plastic Bottles at Government Offices, Hotels
The Maharashtra government, in a bid to become plastic-free state from March 2018, has banned packaged water bottles in Mantralaya and other government offices. The regulation will soon be imposed on restaurants.
Bihar govt to set up “State Ayush Society”
The Bihar government gave its nod for setting up a “State Ayush Society” to give a boost to alternative medicine in the state. The Society will be set up as part of the Centre’s “National Ayush Mission” and registered under the Society Registration Act.
RBL Bank opens all women branch in Chennai
Private sector RBL Bank has set up an all women branch in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The branch at R A Puram, would be managed by eight women and offer all products and services across liability and assets. The women’s branch is a testament to the bank’s efforts in encouraging gender equality.
Nagaland becomes first North East state to launch PoS for electricity bill payments
Nagaland became the first among the North Eastern states to launch Point of Sale (PoS) for electricity bill payment. The PoS facility was formally launched by State Chief Secretary, Pankaj Kumar, at Kohima Electrical Subdivision-1 in Kohima on 16th November 2017. The Chief Engineer of Power Department, Khose Sale informed that PoS services will be extended to other major cities and districts of Nagaland.
Karnataka launches project to install WiFi facilities in gram panchayats
Karnataka State Government unveiled an ambitious project to install Wi-Fi facility in all gram panchayats across the state. During this year itself, Wi-Fi facility will be installed in 2500 gram panchayats. The main objective of this project is to bridge the digital divide. Through this project, each and every entrepreneur from the cities and towns across Karnataka, will be provides an opportunity to benefit from the enabling eco-system. This project is a part of Karnataka State Government’s efforts to strengthen the Information Technology sector in the state.
Andhra Pradesh hosting its first ever hot-air balloon festival
The Araku Valley of Andhra Pradesh is hosting the first edition of its Hot Air Balloon Festival. The Hot Air Balloon Festival is organized by SkyWaltz and supported by Andhra Pradesh tourism. The festival will feature unique balloons from 13 countries. The participating countries are India, Australia, USA, Brazil and South Korea. The Extraordinary shaped balloons like the Seahorse, the Kiwi, the Bee and much more are lined up in the festival. This festival is being organized to promote tourism. A large team of over 100 photographers, nature lovers and students from across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana arrived at Araku to capture the scenes of the festival. Araku is known for its coffee plantations, rich cultural heritage, and stunning waterfalls.
UP tops in mobilising Jan Dhan Accounts
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) which was launched to further the financial-inclusion process in the country have gathered momentum in some Northern States post demonetisation. With its area and size of population, Uttar Pradesh tops in opening new PMJDY accounts. In fact, one-fifth of the more than five crore new PMJDY accounts in the Indian banking system came from Uttar Pradesh alone. Bihar, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal cumulatively added another 2.2 crore new accounts in the last one year.
Varanasi tops list of India’s most polluted cities
With an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 491 on the 500-point scale, Varanasi has become the most polluted Indian city among 42 cities, according to data from Central Pollution Control Board. The concentration of PM2.5 was eight times the safe limit, indicating a public health emergency in the city. Gurugram was the 2nd most polluted with an AQI of 480.
Sainik Sankshema Sabha to be organised in all districts of AP and TS
The Sainik Sankshema Sabha will be organized in all districts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The Inauguration of Dakshin Bharat Area at a rally and grievance redressal programme held in Secunderabad. The Headquarters Telangana & Andhra Sub Area under the aegis of HQ Dakshin Bharat Area conducted. Thousands of former armed forces personnel from Ranga Reddy, Medchal, Malkajgiri, Vikarabad, and Hyderabad districts including those who had served in World War-II attended the rally.
Haryana, first state in India to treat Hepatitis-C patients with Oral Medicine
Haryana has emerged as the first state in the country to treat Hepatitis-C patients through oral medicine, according to the health minister Anil Vij of the state. This medicine would be provided free of cost to permanent residents of all categories at district level. The medicine and treatment costs about Rs 28,000 to Rs 30,000 in the market, but the state government would provide this facility free of cost.
Pune University to give gold medal to only vegetarians and non drinkers
Only vegetarian students and those who do not consume alcohol will be considered for the Maharishi Keertankar Shelar Mama Gold Medal at the Savitribai Phule Pune University. There is a list of 10 qualifications for a student to be eligible for the gold medal. Other criteria includes students following Indian culture, and participation in blood donation and environment protection.
Telangana State Assembly passes Police Protection Bill
Telangana State Assembly passed the Telangana Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Dacoits, Drug Offenders, Goondas, Immoral traffic offenders and Landgrabbers (Amendment) Bill, 2017. The Assembly also passed the Telangana Road Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2017 for development of roads and highways by securing funds from financial institutions and the Shops and Establishments (Amendment) Act, 2017 to give instant licenses to shops and commercial establishments as part of Ease of Doing Business.
Telangana govt declares Urdu as second official language
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao declared Urdu as the state’s second official language. Every office in the state will now have an Urdu speaking officer. According to the CM, the demand to make Urdu a second language had been there for a long time. First official language is Telugu.
In a first, Kerala launched ‘She Pad’ scheme for School Girls
Kerala government launched “She Pad”, a scheme to distribute free sanitary napkins to girl students from classes VI to XII in government and aided private schools affiliated to the state school board. This is the first time that a state government is distributing sanitary napkins to school students. In this academic year, the scheme will be implemented in 300 schools in 114 panchayats by the Kerala Women Development Corporation with the support of local self-governing bodies.
Chennai included in UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network for contribution in Music
64 cities from 44 countries have been designated as UNESCO Creative Cities by Director-General, Irina Bokova. Chennai is the third Indian city on the list of UNESCO Creative Cities list after Jaipur and Varanasi. After this, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network now counts a total of 180 cities in 72 countries. Few famous cities included in the list are- Auckland (New Zealand), Cairo (Egypt), Cape Town (South Africa), Istanbul (Turkey), Yamagata City (Japan).
Coal India launched ‘Grahak Sadak Koyla Vitaran App’
Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Railways & Coal has launched ‘Grahak Sadak Koyla Vitaran App’ benefitting customers of Coal India Limited (CIL) lifting coal through road mode. The customer friendly app, launched recently in Kolkata on CIL’s Foundation Day, helps achieve transparency in despatch operations, as a tool to monitor, whether the despatches are made on the fair principle of ‘First in First Out’.
Nagaland aims to promote ‘plastic free’ motive through ‘Hornbill Festival’
Nagaland is set to host ‘Hornbill Festival’ with the main motive to promote the ‘plastic-free’ mission all around. ‘Hornbill Festival’ will go on for 10 days from December 1 to 10 at the Naga Heritage village Kisama. He also urged the Hohos to give their best effort towards making the festival a grand success. Phom further informed that picturesque Kisama has been declared as a ‘Plastic Free Zone’ during the festival and asked the Hohos to propagate and ensure that no plastic is used throughout ten days festival.
Balijatra Festival begins in Cuttack
The annual ‘Balijatra’ festival was inaugurated by Health and Law Minister Pratap Jena at Gadagadia ghat in Odisha on the banks of river Mahanadi. The week-long famous fair on an area of 30 acres on the river bank will continue till November 10. It got the nod from east zone bench of National Green Tribunal for the second time this year.
Sonepur cattle fair begins in Bihar
Sonepur mela is one of the biggest cattle fair in Asia that takes place in Bihar. The month-long fair is organised annually in November. Also known as Kshetra Mela, its origins can be traced to the Mughal era. The Sonepur fair majorly attracts cattle traders from all over Asia. Many farm animals including some breeds of dogs, buffaloes, donkeys, ponies are displayed and sold at this fair.
Free treatment for road victims: Kerala
Kerala has decided to formulate a trauma-care scheme in the State wherein all emergency care and treatment will be provided to accident victims free-of-cost for the first 48 hours. The government will pay for the emergency care expenses incurred by a hospital. No money should be collected from the accident victim or his/her relatives for the emergency.
Signature Hyderabadi dishes get India Post stamps
Trademark Hyderabadi dishes biryani, baghare baingan, and seviyan have all made their way into India postage, with the Department of Post issuing stamps with photos of the same. The stamps come as a tribute to the rich, varied cuisine of Hyderabad, two months ahead of the 500th anniversary of the construction of the Golconda Fort.
Goa to hold Nobel Prize Series-India 2018
The Goa government executed a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Bio-Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India (GoI) and Nobel Media, Sweden to hold the ‘Nobel Prize Series – India 2018 (Science Impacts Life)’ to be held from February 1-28 next year along with a month-long exhibition brought from Nobel Museum, Sweden. The Nobel series has earlier been organised in Gujarat.
Sikkim to get its first airport this month
Sikkim is set to get its first airport by the end of November, over 30 kilometres from the state capital of Gangtok. The airport, built at an estimated cost of Rs. 300 crore, was supposed to be completed in 2012 but faced repeated delays. It is at an altitude of 4,700 feet, and will be among the five highest Indian airports. Up until now, people travelling to and from Sikkim had to trek to Bagdogra in West Bengal to access the nearest airport.
Etikoppaka toys from Andhra Pradesh get GI tag
The Geographical Indication Registry (GIR) has given Geographical Indication (GI) tag traditional Etikoppaka toys (Etikoppaka Bommalu) from Andhra Pradesh. These traditional toys are made by artisans in Etikoppaka village located on banks of river Varaha in Visakhapatnam district of the state. With this, Etikoppaka toys join elite products from Andhra Pradesh such as Kondapalli toys, Tirupati laddu, Bobbili Veena, Srikalahasthi Kalamkari, Uppada Jamdani sarees and Shadow puppets to have coveted GI tag.
Walmart’s first fulfillment centre in Mumbai
Walmart India launched its first fulfillment centre in Mumbai. The global chain recently signed a MoU with the Maharashtra government to build 15 Cash and Carry stores under the brand `Best Price’ in the state. This FC will bring in almost 1,500 direct and indirect jobs to the city and help develop SME suppliers in the state.
Mumbai received its first batch of four battery operated eco friendly BEST buses
The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) has procured six eco-friendly, battery-operated buses at a cost of Rs.10 crore. The step is aimed at reducing air and noise pollution in Mumbai. The buses take three hours to get fully charged and can cover about 300 kilometres on a full charge.
Maharashtra Govt adds 18m to Shivaji statue, to be World’s Tallest at 210m
The 210-metre-high statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj received environmental clearance, making it the world’s tallest statue, once built. the Maharashtra government plans to build it in the sea off the Mumbai coast. The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) approved the government’s application to increase the height from the earlier proposed 192 meters. Currently, the Spring Temple Buddha statue, which stands at 208 metres in China, is the world’s tallest statue.
Odisha imposes 7-month ban on fishing to protect endangered Sea turtles
The state government of Odisha has imposed a seven-month ban on sea fishing activity in order to protect the Olive Ridley sea turtles. The move han been brought on, as the breeding season of the endangered marine animals is approaching. The ban will hold until 31 May 2018.
Haryana announces lifetime pensions for ‘Hindi Satyagrahis’
The state government of Haryana has announced lifetime monthly pension of Rs 10,000 for ‘Hindi Satyagrahis’ and those from the state who were jailed during the Emergency. The state government also announced that it would be providing enhanced financial assistance to World War-II veterans and their widows. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu was the Chief Guest for the occasion.
ERO-Net launched in Rajasthan
Rajasthan’s Chief Electoral Officer Ashwini Bhagat launched the Election Commission’s web-based project, ERO-Net, using which voters can register their names on electoral rolls. The Electoral Roll Management System (ERMS) software was being used to make voter lists. It could not identify multiple entries of a voter. ERMS software has been replaced with ERO-Net, which is a transparent mechanism to identify whether the voter was listed anywhere in the country.
CONFERENCES
PM Narendra Modi, Ivanka Trump Inaugurate Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Hyderabad
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump’s advisor and daughter Ivanka Trump jointly inaugurated 8th annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES 2017) in Hyderabad, Telangana. The mega event was co-hosted by National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog and US Government.
12th meeting of Standing Committee of Inter-State Council held
The 12th meeting of Standing Committee of Inter-State Council was held in New Delhi. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the recommendations of the Punchhi Commission on Centre-state relations. The meeting was chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. The members of the 12th standing committee include Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari and Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot. The Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh, who are the members of the Standing Committee, also attend the meeting. The Standing Committee in 12th meeting discussed 118 recommendations contained in Volumes-III, IV and V and finalised its recommendations. This includes Subjects related to centre-state relations like GST, financial transfers from the centre to the states, Police reforms, migration etc.
Delhi to host International Geological Congress in 2020
Recently, a high level delegation of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) comprising its President Prof Qiuming Cheng, Secretary General Prof S C Finney, and Treasurer Prof H Kitazato visited India to discuss the preparatory aspects of the 36th International Geological Congress (IGC) to be held in Delhi, India in the year 2020. India won the bid in 2012 at Brisbane, Australia to host the Congress in 2020.
Northeast Development Summit held in Manipur
Manipur hosted the first- ever North East Development Summit (NEDS) 2017 in Imphal. NEDS 2017 was jointly organized by Manipur State Government in collaboration with Union Commerce Ministry and India Foundation. The main objective of this summit was to showcase the economic potential and to attract investments in food processing, bamboo industry, real estate and other businesses within the state. During the course of this Summit, around 20 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) were signed between various Departments of Manipur State Government and National and International Companies/ Investors.
PM Narendra Modi inaugurates 5th global conference on cyber space
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the fifth edition of Global Conference on Cyber Space (GCCS) in New Delhi. GCCS is one of world’s largest conferences on cyber space. It is for first time organized in India. The theme of the two-day conference is “Cyber4All: A Secure and Inclusive Cyberspace for Sustainable Development”.
Conference of Commanders of Eastern Air Command commence in Shillong
A two-day conference of all Commanders of Eastern Air Command commenced at Shillong in Meghalaya, where issues pertaining to security are being discussed. Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa interacted with the Commanders and exhorted them to put in efforts to upgrade the operational infrastructure and capability of eastern zone.
42nd International Congress of Military Medicine begins in New Delhi
The 42nd World Congress of the International Committee of Military Medicine (ICMM) organised by the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) under the aegis of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) began in New Delhi. The ICMM is an international inter-governmental organisation created in 1921 with its secretariat at Brussels in Belgium and currently has 112 nations as members. The theme of this 42nd World Congress is “Military Medicine in Transition: Looking Ahead.”
1st WHO Global Ministerial Conference on Ending TB
Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, reaffirmed India’s commitment to eliminating TB by 2025 at 1st WHO Global Ministerial Conference on Ending TB in Sustainable Development Era’ at Moscow, Russia. The National Strategic Plan for TB elimination in India has essentially four pillars to address the major challenges for TB control, namely- “Detect, Treat, Build and Prevent”. The top thematic priorities of this conference based on the SDGs and the UNGA high level health themes include Universal Health Coverage, Increased and Sustainable Financing and Scientific Research and Innovation.
4th Global Conference on Sustained Eradication of Child Labour held in Argentina
Since 1997, countries around the world have shared knowledge on policies and good practices, and have committed to eliminate child labour in a series of global conferences held in Oslo (1997), The Hague (2010) and Brasilia (2013). The IV Global Conference on the Sustained Eradication of Child Labour was organized by the Government of Argentina and was held in Buenos Aires.
UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial Conference 2017 held in Canada
Canada hosted the 2017 UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial Conference in Vancouver, Canada. This conference is the largest gathering of Defence ministers dedicated to UN Peacekeeping. The goals of this conference are to measure the progress made since the 2016 UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial. The main aim is to encourage new pledges from the Member States, particularly in areas where the UN faces gaps, such as rapid deployment, helicopters, and francophone units.
15th Asia Pacific Computer Emergency Response Team Conference held in India
The 15th Asia Pacific Computer Emergency Response Team (APCERT) Conference was held in New Delhi. It is first ever conference to be held in India and South Asia. It was organised by Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under the aegis of Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology.
10th South Asia Economic Summit begins in Nepal
The 10th South Asia Economic Summit (SAES) has begun in Kathmandu, Nepal. The theme of 3-day summit is “Deepening Economic Integration for Inclusive and Sustainable Development in South Asia”. The summit is being organised by National Planning Commission and Ministry of Commerce of Nepal and South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment, Nepal.
Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit held in Vietnam
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting was held in Da Nang, Vietnam. The theme of this meeting was ‘Creating New Dynamism, Fostering a Shared Future’. Leaders of 21 Pacific Rim countries attended this meeting. This was the first APEC meeting for several leaders including United States President Donald Trump, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. The APEC summit for 2018 will be held in Papua New Guinea.
4th India-Canada annual Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi
A high level delegation led by the Canadian International Trade Minister, Mr. Francois-Philippe Champagne is in India to attend the 4th Annual Ministerial Dialogue (AMD). The Indian delegation was led by the Commerce and Industry Minister, Shri Suresh Prabhu. In the current round of the Ministerial Dialogue, India and Canada focused on some of the key commercial drivers to enhance the India-Canada partnership.
Radha Mohan Singh inaugurates three-day Organic World Congress 2017
Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Radha Mohan Singh inaugurated the three-day Organic World Congress – 2017 at India Expo Centre in Greater Noida. The Organic World Congress (OWC) is organized once every three years in a different country. The International Federation of Organic Farming Movements (IFOAM) and Organic Farming Association of India (OFAI) are organizing the event. One of the highlights of the event is the exhibition of carefully preserved diverse indigenous seed varieties over generations. 55 seeds group from 15 Indian states showcase 4,000 varieties of seeds in the event.
India Pavilion launched at COP 23 in Germany
The India Pavilion at Conference of Parties (COP) 23 was inaugurated by Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan at Bonn in Germany. The Minister is leading the Indian delegation, which is participating in the 23rd to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) being held at the Bonn, Germany from November 6-17, 2017. India’s theme for COP 23 is “Conserving Now, Preserving Future”.
Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore in Egypt to attend World Youth Forum
The Minister of State (Independent Charge) Youth Affairs and Sports Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore is in Egypt to attend World Youth Forum at Sharam El Shiekh. The five-day forum was inaugurated by the President of Egypt Mr Abdelfateh El Sisi. The Forum aims to provide a platform to the youth from all over the globe to engage with the key global policy makers.
7th Asia Ministerial Energy roundtable held in Bangkok
The Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan was on an official visit to Bangkok, Thailand to participate in the IEF 7th Asian Ministerial Energy Roundtable (AMER7). India is the current chair of International Energy Forum (IEF) which is promoting the AMER – a biennial event bringing together Energy Ministers and experts from Asian countries.
India and US Ocean Dialogue held in Goa
The India-US Ocean Dialogue, hosted by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, began at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO) in Goa. It is aimed at promoting sustainable development of the Blue Economy. Blue Economy is the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health.
President inaugurates Global Clubfoot Conference
President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated Global Clubfoot Conference organised by CURE India in partnership with Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in New Delhi. 500 doctors from 20 countries and 29 Indian states are attending the conference. It is one of the most common orthopedic birth defects that affect the child’s mobility. It can cause permanent disability if not treated early.
AWARDS & HONOURS
French film on AIDS wins Best Film Award at IFFI 2017
Robin Campillo’s French film 120 Beats Per Minute, about a passionate fight against indifference towards AIDS, won the prestigious Golden Peacock award for best film at the controversy-ridden 48th International Film Festival of India. The film’s actor Nahuel Perez Biscayart won the Silver Peacock in the best actor male category. Malayalam film Take Off, which is loosely based on the evacuation of nurses from Kerala, who were stranded in Iraq’s Tikrit in 2014, won two awards at the festival’s Indian Panorama section, winning Silver Peacocks for best direction (Mahesh Narayanan) and best actor female (Parvathy). Actor Amitabh Bachchan was also presented the Indian film personality of the year award.
Japanese professor Horoshi Marui conferred with 3rd ICCR Distinguished Indologist Award
President Ram Nath Kovind on 27 November 2017 conferred the 3rd ICCR Distinguished Indologist Award to Professor Hiroshi Marui of Japan for his exemplary contribution to Indology. Indology is defined as the academic study of the history, cultures, languages and literature of India and is a subset of Asian studies.
Ruskin Bond conferred with Lifetime Achievement Award
Renowned Author and Padma Bhushan Awardee Ruskin Bond was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Chandigarh Literary Society during the 5th edition of Chandigarh Literature Festival. He was conferred with the award comprising a citation and Rs 2 lakh for his outstanding contribution in the field of literature.
Golden Temple awarded as the most visited place in the World
Shri Harmandir Sahib also known as Golden Temple and the Darbar Sahib has been awarded as the most visited place of the world. The holy Sikh Shrine is situated in Amritsar, Punjab. It is surrounded by a Sarovar which is fed by river Ravi. Book of World Records, London Awards Harmandir Sahib as the Most Visited Place of the World.
Rajkummar Rao, Newton win big at Asia Pacific Screen Awards
Bollywood movie ‘Newton’ secured two wins with Rajkummar Rao winning the best actor award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in Brisbane, Australia. For ‘Newton’, Rajkummar Rao won the best actor award and Mayank Tewari and Amit V. Masurkar secured the best screenplay honor. Newton was produced by Drishyam Films and directed by Amit V. Masurkar. The movie revolves around a young government clerk who is sent on election duty to a Maoist-controlled town and how the ideological struggle puts him in an awkward situation. India’s Lady of the Lake by director Haobam Paban Kumar won a special mention in the Cultural Diversity Award under the Patronage of UNESCO category.
Lionel Messi wins fourth European Golden Shoe Award
Lionel Messi drew level with Cristiano Ronaldo’s tally of four European Golden Shoes after receiving the award at a ceremony in Barcelona, Spain. The FC Barcelona superstar claimed the prize – handed to Europe’s top goalscorer – for his 37 LaLiga strikes in 2016-17. It is the fourth time Messi has taken the honours, after his successes in 2010, 2012 and 2013.
Nabaneeta Dev Sen Presented Big Little Book Award 2017
Sahitya Akademi awardee Bengali writer Nabaneeta Dev Sen has been declared winner of the Big Little Book Award for year 2017 in the “Author in Bengali Language” category for her contribution to the children’s literature. The award, given out by Parag initiative of Tata Trusts to recognise and honour authors and illustrators of children’s literature, focused on the writers in Bengali language in its second edition. Chennai-based illustrator Proiti Roy received the award in the illustrator category.
Veteran Journalist Manik Banerjee Gets IMF Award
Veteran journalist Manik Banerjee, who is also an acclaimed mountaineer was presented with the ‘Life Time Achievement Award’ by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF). Banerjee was presented the award in recognition of his achievements in mountaineering over a period of four decades.
Girish Karnad conferred with 2017 Tata Literature Live Lifetime Achievement Award
Actor-playwright Girish Karnad (79) was conferred with 2017 Tata Literature Live Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution in field of theatre at the eighth edition of the Tata Literature festival held in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Former PM Manmohan Singh to get Indira Gandhi Peace Prize
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will receive the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development this year for his leadership of the country between 2004 and 2014 and for enhancing India’s stature globally. The award, comprising a cash prize of Rs.25 lakh and a citation, was instituted by the Indira Gandhi Memorial trust in 1986 and previous recipients include the former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, former President of the Czech Republic Vaclav Havel, and organisations such as the United Nation’s Human High Commissioner for Refugees and ISRO.
Sri Lankan author bags 2017 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature
Sri Lankan author Anuk Arudpragasam’s “The Story of a Brief Marriage” – a touching tale of a young man trapped on the frontlines between the Sri Lankan Army and the Tamil Tigers – has bagged the $25,000 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2017.
Child Care activist Gopinath R. selected for Prof. Yashwantrao Kelkar Youth Award 2017
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) which is the largest student organization has selected Gopinath R. for Prof. Yashwantrao Kelkar Yuva Puraskar 2017. Gopinath R. is a known child care activist from Bengaluru and has been taking care of at least 400 deprived children. He is selected a known child care activist from Bengaluru Gopinath R. for Prof. Yashwantrao Kelkar Yuva Puraskar 2017 amongst the various nominations received this year from all over the country. The selection committee of Yuva Puraskar 2017 has selected nomination of Gopinath R. in appreciation of his work for “Childcare, protection, and development”.
Abu Dhabi award for APMDC
The Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC) has bagged an international award from Abu Dhabi. The ADI PEC (Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference) Excellence in Energy Awards 2017 had adjudged the APMDC as the winner for the second position in the category of “social contribution in country value”.
Anand Kumar of Super 30 is Awarded Rashtriya Bal Kalyan Award for 2017
Anand Kumar of Super 30 programme awarded to Rashtriya Bal Kalyan Award for this year. He was awarded this honor from our President Ram Nath Kovind felicitated the teacher who guided taught and mentored many underprivileged students from Bihar to crack the prestigious IIT JEE examination.
Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth and K. Raghavendra Rao win NTR Award
Veteran actors Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth and film director K. Raghavendra Rao have bagged the NTR National Film Awards for 2014, 2015 and 2016. The Andhra Pradesh government announced the Nandi state film award winners and also the winners of the NTR, B. N. Reddy, Nagi Reddy-Chakrapani (all national) and Raghupathi Venkaiah film awards. Directors S.S. Rajamouli, Trivikram Srinivas and Boyapati Srinivas won the BN Reddy Award.
Dantewada hosts India 1st Tribal Entrepreneurship Summit
To inspire, nurture and promote the spirit of entrepreneurship in tribal youth, the NITI Aayog in partnership with the US government organized India’s first Tribal Entrepreneurship Summit at Dantewada. The summit is inaugurated by MoS Science and Technology YS Chowdhary held at Dantewada in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh. This event is an 8th Global Entrepreneurship Summit, being held in India which ensures yet another step towards tribal-centric sustainable and inclusive development.
President gives away National Child Awards 2017
The President Shri Ram Nath Kovind gave away the National Child Awards 2017 on the occasion of Children’s Day (14 November) in New Delhi. This year, the President honoured 16 children, out of which one child was given a gold medal and 15 children were given silver medals. Master Akash Manoj from Tamil Nadu was the only child winning gold for Innovation. The child with the most outstanding achievement is honoured with a cash prize of Rs.20,000/-, a certificate/citation and a Gold Medal.
Transport for London gets 2017 Bad Grammar Award
Transport for London has been given the 2017 ‘Bad Grammar Award’ by The Idler Academy in Britain. The award was instituted by the academy to highlight “the incorrect use of English by people and institutions who should know better.”
UNHCR to receive Mother Teresa Award 2017 for social justice
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) was named as the recipient of Harmony Foundation’s Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice 2017 for its exceptional work worldwide. Harmony Foundation’s 2017 theme is ‘Compassion Beyond Borders’ and UNHCR efforts aptly fit into this theme.
ATP World Tour Awards 2017
The ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moet & Chandon honours the season’s best players and tournaments, as determined by the players and Emirates ATP Rankings. Roger Federer’s 2017 season has been recognized with three ATP World Tour Awards. The 36-year-old Swiss player takes his record tally to 36 awards since 2003. Federer has been selected by fans as ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favourite for a 15th straight year, and voted by fellow players as the winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award and Comeback Player of the Year. This is the first time that he has won the Comeback Award. Neville Godwin has been chosen as the winner of Coach of the Year in the 2017 ATP World Tour Awards. Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan have been voted by fans as the ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favourite.
National Entrepreneurship Awards 2017
To empower Indian youth with skill training an employability, the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) hosted the National Entrepreneurship Awards 2017. The National Entrepreneurship Awards (NEA) was instituted by MSDE in 2016 to encourage a culture of entrepreneurship across the country. This year the second edition of awards and finally 15 winners across defines categories, were announced and awarded. Winners were given a cash award of Rs 5 lakh (enterprises and individuals) and Rs. 10 lakhs (organizations/ institutes) along with a certificate and trophy recognizing their efforts of being the change agents in India’s development.
Award Track
| S.No | Award (Sub-Category) | Winner |
| 1 | Agri, food and forestry products | Rays Culinary Delights Pvt. Ltd. |
| 2 | Engineering systems | SenseGiz Technologies Pvt. Ltd. |
| 3 | Renewable energy and waste management | Atomberg Technologies Pvt. Ltd. |
| 4 | IT & ITES, Financial | Naffa Innovations Pvt. Ltd. |
| 5 | Education | Simulanis Solutions Pvt. Ltd. |
| 6 | Hospitality | Oravel Stays Pvt. Ltd. |
| 7 | E-Commerce, logistics, transport & other services | LogiNext Solutions Pvt Ltd. |
| 8 | Social Enterprises | Sampurn(e)arth Environment Solutions Pvt. Ltd. |
| 9 | Barefoot Enterprises | Thejaswini Coconut Farmers Producer Company Ltd. |
| 10 | Woman Enterprise | SP Robotic Works Pvt. Ltd. |
Recognition Track
| S.No | Award Category | Winner |
| 11 | Incubation, mentorship &handholding support (Government) | C-Camp |
| 12 | Incubation, mentorship & handholding support (Private) | IKP Knowledge Park, Hyderabad |
| 13 | Mentor (Government) | Dr. G. Subba Ramaiah |
| 14 | Mentor (Government)Jury Special Award | Dr. Renu Swaroop |
| 15 | Mentor (Private) | Vishwanathan |
Champions of Change: Long Term Skill Development
| Best State Engaging Apprentices | Haryana |
| Best Employer: CPSU | BHEL |
| Best Employer: SPSU | MSEDCL, Maharastra |
| Best Employer: PRIVATE | Aegis India, Gurgaon |
Champions of Change: Short Term Skill Development
| Champion Sector Skill Council | Textile Sector Skill Council |
| Champion Training Provider under fee-based program | LabourNet Services India Private Limited |
| Champion Training Provider under PMKVY (100+ centers) | IL&FS Skill Development Corporation |
| Champion Training Provider under PMKVY (50 – 100 centers) | Orion Edutech |
| Champion Training Provider under PMKVY (less than 50 centers) | Shri Technologies |
| Champion PIA under RPL (non-government) | EduJobs Academy |
| Champion PIA under RPL (government) | Rubber Board |
| Champion Employer (PMKVY) | ISON |
| Champion Corporate: Special Recognition | ICICI Bank |
Photo of baby elephant on fire wins Sanctuary Wildlife Photography Award
An image of a baby elephant fleeing a mob that has just set it on fire in Bankura district of West Bengal has won the Sanctuary Wildlife Photography Awards 2017. The photo is titled “Hell is here” and taken by Biplab Hazra, a wildlife Photographer from west Bengal. Hazra won the 2017 Sanctuary’s Wildlife Photographer of the year award. Sanctuary Wildlife Photography Awards 2017 given by Sanctuary Asia magazine is a pan-Asian wildlife photography competition.
Novel on Hitler’s rise wins Goncourt Prize 2017 award
Eric Vuillard’s novel L’ordre du jour (in English ‘Agenda’), story of how German industry and finance backed Adolf Hitler, won the top Goncourt Prize 2017 award. L’ordre du jour has been among the favourites for the Goncourt prize. The Goncourt Prize is the most prestigious award in the French-speaking world. L’ordre du jour is a 160-page book.
Surat bags best city bus services award
Gujarat state is considered as one of the best models that have provided employment, economy, infrastructure and law and order to the state. It has been chosen for the ‘Best City Bus Services Award’ by the Central government. Notably, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs gave the award to Surat Municipal Corporation for operating the ‘best city bus services’. The corporation bagged the award for attracting 87 percent of a private vehicle and auto-rickshaw users to its buses. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs announced these awards to promote the best practices in urban transport and these are presented at the annual conference.
Veteran Actor Mohan Joshi honoured with Vishnudas Bhave award
Renowned Indian film and television actor Mohan Joshi was honoured with the prestigious vishnudas Bhave award for his contribution to the theatre. The award was presented to Joshi by veteran actor Jayant Sawarkar. The award is conferred with memory of Vishnudas Bhave, the founder of Marathi theatre. it comprises a trophy, a citation and a cash prize worth Rs 25,000. Besides plays, Joshi has acted in a number of Marathi and Hindi films including Major Saab, Baghban, Gangaajal, Garv: Pride and Honour and more recently Yeh Hai India.
Indian short film wins award in Montreal
Indian short film “The School Bag”, which tells a story based in Pakistan, has won the Best Short Film Award at the South Asian Film Festival of Montreal (SAFFM). The film is directed by Dheeraj Jindal. The movie’s plot is based in Peshawar and tells a story about the relationship between a mother and her seven-year-old son who wants a new school bag on his birthday, but fate has something else in store for him.
Air New Zealand wins Airline Excellence Award for the 5th time
Air New Zealand has been crowned “2018 Airline of the Year” by leading international aviation. The award marks the 5th consecutive year Air New Zealand has received the top honour in its Airline Excellence Awards. It is followed by Qantas Airways, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Australia and Virgin Atlantic. Meanwhile, Etihad Airways, All Nippon Airways, Korean Air, Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines are also featured on the list.
Tamil Nadu’s Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple wins UNESCO award
The Sri Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam in Tamil Nadu has won UNESCO Asia-Pacific award for cultural heritage conservation programme in the Awards of Merit category. It is first temple from Tamil Nadu to grab the prestigious honour from the UN body. The temple won the award in recognition of its efforts for protecting and conserving cultural heritage. The traditional method of renovating temple premises as well as re-establishment of rainwater harvesting and historic drainage system in preventing flooding were two key parameters that earned temple the award.
Hindi Writer Krishna Sobti awarded Jnanpith award 2017
Eminent Hindi Litterateur Krishna Sobti (92) was awarded the 53rd Jnanpith Award for the year 2017 for her path-breaking contribution to Indian literature. She will be overall eight women to win this prestigious award. She is known for experimenting with new writing styles and creating bold and daring characters in her stories. Her language is highly influenced by the intermingling of Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi cultures.
K Satchidanandan selected for Ezhuthachan Puraskaram
Noted Malayalam Poet and literary critic, K Satchidanandan selected for 2017 Ezhuthachan Puraskaram award, Kerala government’s highest literary honor. This award is instituted in the name of Ezhuthachan, the father of Malayalam language. This award carries a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh and a citation. His important works are Kurukshetram and Anchusooryan. He has edited several magazines like ‘Jwala’, ‘Uttaram’ and ‘Pachakkutira’. He was a former editor of Indian Literary Journal and former secretary of Sahitya Akademi.
Mumbai’s Royal Opera House gets UNESCO heritage award
The restored Royal Opera House, located at Mumbai’s Charni Road, has received the Award of Merit from the 2017 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. The building, which was closed to the public in 1993 and reopened in 2016, was restored by architect Abha Narain Lambah.
SPORTS & GAMES
Assam girl wins Best Boxer title in World Youth Women’s Boxing Championship
Ankushita Boro, a young girl from Assam, has done India proud after winning ‘The Best Boxer’ title in World Youth Women’s boxing Championship held in Guwahati.
Pankaj Advani secures IBSF World Snooker Championship title
Pankaj Advani continued his strong show on global stage by winning the 15-frame IBSF World Snooker Championship at the Al Arabi Sports Club in Doha. It was the Indian star’s 18th world title. Advani defeated Amir Sarkhosh of Iran 8-2 in the final.
Mirabai Chanu wins gold medal at IWFWWC
Mirabai Chanu became the first Indian in over two decades to claim a gold medal at the World Weightlifting Championship in Anaheim, USA. Chanu lifted 85kg in snatch and 109kg in clean and jerk to total an impressive 194kg in the women’s 48kg, in the process setting a new national record.
Archers Abhishek Verma and Jyoti Surekha Vennam bags Gold and Bronze medal in Asia Archery Championship
Abhishek Verma won a gold medal and Jyothi Surekha Vennam a bronze medal at the Asian Archery Championship. The tournament began in 1980 and it was first hosted in India. Countries such as South Korea, China, Japan and India compete, with many of the world’s leading archers representing them.
7th World Military Games to be Held at Wuhan in China
The 7th international military games will be held in Wuhan city in the central China’s Hubei Province. The International Military Sports Council (CISM)’s Military World Games is a top sport event for military personnel. It comprises 329 competitions in 27 categories and is expected to attract around 8,000 participants from more than 100 countries and regions.
Serene Valtteri Bottas Wins Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Valtteri Bottas won the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from pole position, beating his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton as Formula One’s season finale petered out into a procession. The Finnish driver comfortably secured the third win of his F1 career, all this season since joining from Williams. It was his 22nd career podium and 13th with Mercedes. Third spot in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was occupied by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel. This race took place at Yas Marina Cicuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
India Win 10 Medals in Para Badminton World Championships
Indian contingent to BWF Para-Badminton World Championships in Ulsan, South Korea clinched 10 medals, including two golds. India’s Parul Parmar defeated Thailand’s Wannaphatdee Kamtam in the finals of the women’s singles Standing Lower (SL3). Other gold was also won by Parul Parmar, who paired with Japan’s Akiko Sugino in women’s doubles (SL 3-4) final.
India clinched 5 gold medals at World youth women boxing championship
India showing up a dominating performance at the World youth women boxing championship which is being held in N.C. Bordoloi Indoor Stadium and clinched five gold medals in their respected final matches. Haryana quartet of Nitu in the 48kg category, Jyoti Gulia in the 51kg category, Sakshi Chaudhary in the 54kg category and Shashi Chopra in the 57kg category and Assam girl Ankushita Boro in 64kg category won their respected final matches and clinched gold medals. Before India bagged two gold medals through Sarjubala Devi in the 48kg category and Minu Basumatary in the 64kg category at the inaugural edition in Antalya, Turkey, in 2011.
Gopi Wins Asian Marathon Championship Gold
Gopi Thonakal created history by becoming first Indian man to win Asian Marathon Championship. He achieved the feat in the 16th edition of the prestigious event held at Dongguan in China. He clocked 2 hours 15 minutes and 48 seconds to win gold medal. Uzbekistan’s Andrey Petrov and Byambalev Tseveenravdan of Mongolia won silver and bronze medal respectively.
PV Sindhu wins Silver at Hong Kong Badminton Open
She suffered a second successive loss to world no.1 Tai Tizu Ying of Chinese Taipei. The 400000 Hong Kong Super Series was held at Kowloon. Sindhu had won two titles at India and Korea in 2017. This is Sindhu’s second loss in the four finals that she reached this season.
Iran allows women weightlifters to compete Internationally
The President of the Iran Weightlifting Federation has said that the nation will allow women weightlifters to compete internationally, after establishing the Iran Weightlifting Federation Women’s Committee. The federation’s chief also said that the women weightlifters can compete wearing special clothes for Muslim athletes.
Gopi Thonakal becomes 1st Indian man to win Asian Marathon Championship
Gopi Thonakal created history by becoming first Indian man to win Asian Marathon Championship. He achieved the feat in the 16th edition of the prestigious event held at Dongguan in China. He clocked 2 hours 15 minutes and 48 seconds to clinch gold medal. Uzbekistan’s Andrey Petrov won silver mdeal while Byambalev Tseveenravdan of Mongolia won bronze medal.
Ritu Phogat wins silver in U-23 Senior World Wrestling Championship
Ritu Phogat has clinched the silver medal in Under-23 Senior World Wrestling Championship at Poland. The 23-year-old, lost against Turkish Wrestler Demirhan in the gold medal bout of women’s 48 kilogram category. In Semifinal, Ritu defeated Chinese Wrestler Jiang Zhu 4-3 points to reach the finals.
Basel first city to jointly host Badminton and Para Badminton World Ch’ships
Basel will become the first city to jointly host the Badminton and Para-Badminton World Championships in 2019. The Badminton World Federation (BWF)confirmed that the two tournaments: Badminton and Para-Badminton World Championships will be held simultaneously for the first time. Basel beat off competition from Tokyo to land the 2019 Para-Badminton World Championships in a vote which was delayed by the BWF Council to allow further discussions. The event will be the last held in the sport before Para-Badminton makes its Paralympic Games debut at Tokyo 2020.
Paes-Purav lift JSM Champaign trophy
Leander Paes and Purav Raja won the JSM Champaign Challenger trophy, their second title together, winning over Ruan Roelofse and Joe Salisbury. It was second title-clash for Paes and Raja pair. Raja before teaming up with Paes had won Bordeaux Challenger with Divij Sharan and also made the final of the ATP 250 Chennai Open with the Delhi left-hander.
Women’s Youth World Boxing Ch’ship begins in Guwahati
Women’s Youth World Boxing Championship begins in Guwahati, Assam. Three young boxers will lock horn in the preliminaries. In 54 kilogram category, Shashi Chopra will play in 60 kg category, Mizoram’s Vanlalhriapuii will bout against Korean player and Astha Pahwa will take on opponent from Bulgaria in 69 kg. Assam Chief Minister Sarbanand Sonowal has inaugurated the event.
Grigor Dimitrov beats David Goffin to lift ATP finals title
Grigor Dimitrov won the ATP Finals Title in London, UK. The sixth-seeded Bulgarian claimed the title at the season-ending ATP Finals to beat David Goffin 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 in the final. Dimitrov claimed his first Master’s title in Cincinnati in August and has risen to a career-high No. 3-ranking with victory in London.
Afghanistan wins Maiden Under-19 Asia Cup
Afghanistan stunned favourites Pakistan by a massive 185 runs to clinch their maiden Under-19 Asia Cup title, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Ikram Ali khil was the man of the match against Pakistan U19 in the ACC U19 Youth Asia Cup Final for his 107 not out and Mujeeb Zadran was the man of series for his 20 wickets in the tournament.
62nd National Wrestling championship
2-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar won a gold medal in men’s 74 kg freestyle competition in 62nd National Wrestling championship. Geeta Phogat won a gold medal in the 59 kg category of women’s wrestling & her husband Pawan Kumar also finished on top in 86 kg category. India’s only woman Olympic medal winner Sakshi Malik won gold medal in the 62 kg category. For the first time Indore has hosted National Wrestling Championship.
Wrestler Sandeep banned for failing dope test
Wrestler Sandeep Tulsi has been handed a four-year ban by the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel of the NADA. He is from Sonepat. He has tested positive for methandienone, an anabolic steroid. Sandeep Yadav’s sparring partner and roommate Narsingh Yadav was also ousted from the Olympics in 2016 and given a four-year ban for failing a dope test after Court of Arbitration for Sports.
Ethiopians Birhanu Legese, Almaz Ayana win Delhi Half Marathon
Ethiopians Birhanu Legese and Almaz Ayana won the Delhi Half Marathon, 2017. In the Men’s section, Legese clocked 59 minutes 46 seconds to claim the first spot, while his countryman Andahmlak Belihu finished second and Kenyan-American Leonard Korir came third. India’s Nitendra Rawat finished 10th. In the Women’s section, it was a clean sweep for Ethiopia, with world recorded holder Almaz Ayana finishing at the top of the podium. She clocked one hour, seven minutes and 11 seconds. Ababel Yeshaneh claimed the second spot, with Netsamet Gudeta coming third.
Shagun Chowdhary crowned National Women’s Trap Champion
Shagun Chowdhary bagged a National Champion Crown when she won the women’s trap event at the 61st National Shooting Championship. Representing ONGC, Chowdhary is the first Indian woman trap shooter to win an Olympic berth, overcame the challenge from Punjab’s Rajeshwari Kumari to prevail 41-38 in the final.
France named as host of 2023 Rugby World Cup
France will host the 2023 Rugby World Cup to stage one of the world’s best attended and lucrative sporting events. The country beat strong bids by South Africa and Ireland, but the award represents a repudiation of the sport’s leadership which have transformed the quadrennial tournament into a multi-million-pound enterprise.
Aditi, first Indian to qualify for LPGA Tour Championships
Aditi Ashok has qualified for the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship on the LPGA, becoming the first from the country to play in the prestigious meet. The 19-year-old prodigy from Bengaluru is one of the eight rookies to make it to the Tour Championships in what is one of the strongest fields in women’s golf.
Italy failed to qualify for FIFA World Cup 2018
In Football, Italy has failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1958. The four-time champions failed to make the cut after they lost the World Cup Qualifying European play-off against Sweden, 0-1. Italy has now joined the Netherlands, US, Chile, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Cameroon in the list of big nations that have failed to qualify to tournament which will be held in Russia in June 2018.
Mithali Raj named Sportswoman of the Year
Indian women’s cricket team captain Mithali Raj bagged the Indian Sportswoman of the Year (Team Sports) award at the Indian Sports Honours (ISH) event held in Mumbai. Further, Mithali-led Indian team, which ended as runners-up in the World Cup, won the Team of the Year award.
Sebastian Vettel wins Brazilian Grand Prix
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel won his fifth race of the Formula One season at the Brazilian Grand Prix to all but secure second place in the driver’s championship. Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas took second place while Kimi Raikkonen claimed third.
Nadal honoured with ATP World Tour No. 1 Trophy
Spain’s Rafael Nadal was presented with ATP World No. 1 award, as he became the oldest player to finish as year-end world number one in ATP rankings history. This is the 31-year-old’s fourth time finishing the year as world number one.
Dipa Karmakar honoured with D.Litt.
India’s star gymnast Dipa Karmakar has been conferred a D.Litt. degree from the National Institute of Technology Agartala. She is the first Indian woman gymnast to have qualified for the Olympics and finished 4th in the final round of vault event at the Rio Olympics. She is now preparing for the 18th Asian Games in Indonesia’s Jakarta and 21st Commonwealth Games to be held in Australia.
Teddy Riner remains undefeated and claims tenth World title
Teddy Riner won his tenth World title at the 2017 Judo World Championships Open in Marrakesh and remains undefeated emperor in judo. French heavyweight judo champion Teddy Riner won his 10th world title with victory at the open-weight world championships in Marrakech. He won his ninth gold medal at the world championships in Budapest two months ago. He had already become the most successful judoka of all-time with his eighth title in 2015. He has not faced defeat since losing in the final of the open-weight championships to Japanese fighter Daiki Kamikawa in September 2010.
Leander Paes and Purav Raja won Knoxville Challenger men’s doubles title
India’s tennis star Leander Paes and his Indian partner Purav Raja clinched the Knoxville Challenger men’s doubles title at Tennessee in the United States. The Indian duos defeated the pair of American-Australian James Cerretani and John Patrick Smith. This year in August, Paes, and Raja won their first ever title in partnership. Pairing with Canadian Adil Shamasdin and American Scott Lipsky, Leander Paes won three Challenger level titles this season. Purav Raja with Divij Sharan had won Bordeaux Challenger before joining Leander Paes he had also made the final of the Chennai Open.
Bharat Khandare, First Indian fighter to be signed for UFC
Bharat Khandare became the first India-born fighter to be signed by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as the Mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter. The UFC’s aim to take MMA to all parts of the world is well and truly underway and now India can to be added to the list. Khandare will make his debut at UFC Fight Night in Shanghai, China on November 25th. It will be the first UFC event held on mainland China and will air live on UFC Fight Pass in the United States. Khandare was born in Maharashtra.
Pankaj Advani clinches 17th world title
Ace Indian cueist Pankaj Advani clinched his 17th world title after thrashing his arch-rival Mike Russell of England in the IBSF World Billiards Championship at Doha, Qatar.
Dhoni inaugurates his first global cricket academy in UAE
Two-time World Cup winning captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni inaugurated his first global cricket academy in Dubai, UAE. The facility named the MS Dhoni Cricket Academy (MSDCA) will have coaches from India to train the wards.
Prannoy emerges as New National Champion
HS Prannoy defeated Kidambi Srikanth in the finale to claim the men’s singles title at the 82nd Senior National Championship. He achieved his career-best ranking of World No. 11 recently, saw off top seed Srikanth in a 49-minute clash to return the favour after his semi-final loss to his compatriot at the French Open Super Series last month. The tournament was held in Nagpur.
Virat Kohli consolidates top spot in ICC T-20 Rankings
Indian captain Virat Kohli has consolidated his position at the top of the latest ICC Twenty-20 Rankings for Batsmen. Kohli scored 104 runs in the recent T20 series against New Zealand to guide India to a 2-1 win and that has helped him strengthen his number one position.
MC Mary Kom wins Gold in 48 kg category in Asian Boxing Championship
Indian boxer MC Mary Kom on 8 November 2017 won the Gold Medal at the Asian Boxing Championship 2017 in 48 kg category. Mary Kom defeated North Korea’s Hyang Mi Kim by 5-0 in the 48 kg category of the Asian Women’s Boxing Championship. This was her fifth gold medal in the Asian Boxing Championship. In her entire boxing career, till now, Mary has won four gold and a silver in the Asian Boxing Championship.
Saina Nehwal, Shuttler Prannoy win Senior National title
Saina Nehwal defeated PV Sindhu in the Senior National Badminton Championships to clinch the women’s singles title. At the same time, Hyderabad’s H.S. Prannoy defeated Kidambi Srikanth in the championship to clinch the men’s singles title.
India ends Commonwealth Shooting Championship at Top with 20 Medals
The Indian shooting contingent finished the Commonwealth Shooting Championship 2017 with the best tally of 20 medals. Indian shooters won a total of six gold, seven silver and seven bronze medals in the competition. On the competition’s final day, Satyendra Singh and Sanjeev Rajput won a gold and a silver respectively in the men’s 50m rifle three positions.
Mascot of Youth Women’s World Boxing Championship unveiled
The official mascot of the 2017 AIBA Youth Women’s World Boxing Championship is Assams famed one-horned rhino. The official mascot, anointed Guppy, is a female version of Assam’s one-horned rhino. The opening ceremony is scheduled to take place on November 19 at the Maulana Mohd. Tayebulla Hockey Stadium. The championship’s official logo and anthem was also launched. The anthem “Make Some Noise” has been composed by Shaan and rendered by Sunidhi Chauhan.
Aditi Ashok wins in Abu Dhabi for her third LET Title
19 Year old Indian golfer Aditi Ashok made her return to the Ladies European Tour by clinching the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open in Abu Dhabi. It is Aditi’s third LET win in less than 12 months.
Satbir, Manorama win in Elite category at Cyclothon
Satbir Singh and T Manorama Devi emerged victorious in the Elite Men’s and Elite Women’s events at ‘Saksham Pedal Delhi’ Cyclothon. The event was organized by Petroleum Conservation & Research Association (PCRA) under technical guidance from Cycling Federation of India. The event was supported by many Oil companies including IOCL, BPCL, HPCL, and ONGC.
Indian women’s hockey team lifts hockey Asia Cup after 13 years
Indian women’s hockey team on 5 November 2017 beat China 5-4 to win the Asia Cup 2017 title. The crucial final was held in Kakamigahara city in southern Gifu Prefecture, Japan. With the victory, Team India has secured a berth for itself at the 2018 Hockey World Cup. this is the second time that India has claimed the top spot in the history of the tournament. The first time was 1 years ago in the year 2004. Indian women’s hockey team triumphs at Hockey Asia Cup 2017.
Indian golfer Shiv Kapur wins Panasonic Open India
Shiv Kapur has clinched his first Asian Tour title in India. At the Delhi Golf Club in New Delhi , he bagged the Panasonic Open. Kapur had won the Yeangder Heritage in April and finished second at the Thailand Open this season.
Ferrari may quit Formula 1 from 2020
Ferrari team would consider quitting Formula 1 from 2020 if changes proposed by new owners Liberty Media were implemented. Ferrari is the only team to have participated in all F1 world championships. Ferrari president – Sergio Marchionne.
Gagan Narang wins Silver in Commonwealth Shooting Championships
Olympic bronze-medallist Gagan Narang won a silver medal in the men’s 50m rifle prone event at the Commonwealth Shooting Championships in Gold Coast, Australia. Annu Raj Singh has also won the bronze medal in the women’s 50m pistol competition. London Olympics bronze medallist Narang, who is appearing in his first major tournament since the 2016 Rio Olympics, shot a total of 617.6 in the qualification to end fourth.
Nadal secures world No.1 until end of year
Spanish tennis ace Rafael Nadal secured a year-end top position in the ATP Rankings following his victory over South Korean talent Chung Hyeon in the second round of the Paris Masters. This is his fourth time to be crowned world No.1 at the end of the season, after 2008, 2010 and 2013.
Srikanth rises to career-best 2nd rank
Indian ace shuttler Srikanth Kidambi has risen to the zenith of his career as he established himself as world number 2 in the latest BWF men’s singles ratings. He has once again created history as he became only the first Indian male badminton player to achieve this rank. The top spot of the men’s singles ranking has been held by Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen.
Diya wins medals in ITTF WCC
Indian table tennis player Diya Chitale won a silver medal in the girls’ doubles category of the 2017 ITTF World Cadet Challenge, in Suva, Fiji. Diya hails from Mumbai. She was the only Indian player selected to represent Asia in this tournament. Diya also won a gold medal in the Team event, as part of Team Asia.
ECONOMY
Jet Airways and Air France-KLM tie up to Boost Traffic
Jet Airways and Air France-KLM announced a partnership to route more traffic through Europe and on to North America, in a potential challenge to Gulf carrier Etihad Airways that is a shareholder in Jet. The agreement also includes Delta Air Lines, with which Air France KLM has an existing partnership.
GDP growth recovers to 6.3 pct in second quarter of FY18
The data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation estimated GDP for the second quarter (July-September) Q2 of 2017-18. According to it, India’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP) surged by 6.3 percent in the September quarter, thus indicating healing in the Indian economy from the shake off of Demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax (GST) last year.
Bitcoin Crosses $10,000 for the First Time Ever
Bitcoin rose above the symbolic $10,000 threshold for the first time, bringing its rise for the year to date to more than 900 per cent. The price of the cryptocurrency edged above $10,000 on Coinbase, the largest dollar denominated bitcoin exchange, which gave the latest price as $10,052 in Asia. Bloomberg data gave the intraday high as $10,058 before easing to $9,999.Bitcoin was trading at around $1,000 dollars at the beginning of 2017.
Skill India partners with Airbnb to Upskill hospitality Entrepreneurs
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship’s implementation arm National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the Tourism and Hospitality Sector Skill Council (THSC) signed a tripartite a MoU with Airbnb to provide hospitality skills training to hospitality micro-entrepreneurs in India. Through the partnership, the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Airbnb, NSDC and THSC will work together to create an accredited skill development module for hospitality entrepreneurs offering homestay facilities, unique accommodations and local experiences.
Reserve Bank of India raises Shareholding Limit of ARCs
The Reserve bank of India (RBI) allowed Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) to hold more than 26% post-conversion of debt into equity in companies undergoing restructuring. In a notification, the central bank notified the extent of shareholding post-conversion will be in accordance with permissible foreign direct investment (FDI) limit for that specific sector.
Paytm Payments Bank raises to 122 crore
Paytm Payments Bank raised 122 crores from Paytm’s parent company One97 Communications and its Founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma. It is also the first bank to offer cash back on deposits, such as cash back of Rs 250 on depositing Rs 25,000 into the bank account. These are India Post Payments Bank, Airtel Payments Bank, Fino Payments Bank and Paytm Payments Bank. The surprising aspect related to the functioning of these payments bank as revealed through an RTI report from RBI is that none of these banks have really been able to attract deposits from the public in all these months.
SBI launches YONO, an Integrated app for Financial Services
State Bank of India, the country’s largest public sector bank, has launched a unified integrated app called YONO (You Need Only One) that would offer all kinds of financial and lifestyle products. YONO will also allow customers to meet their lifestyle needs across 14 categories including booking and renting cabs, entertainment, dining experience, travel and stay, medical needs and so on. To provide the customised offers and discounts, SBI has partnered with e-commerce players including Amazon, Uber, Ola, Myntra, Jabong, Shoppers Stop, Cox & Kings, Thomas Cook, Yatra, Airbnb, Swiggy and Byjus.
Hike partners with Airtel Payments Bank mobile wallet
Messaging app Hike announced that it has entered into a tie-up with Airtel Payments Bank for its mobile wallet product. Wing to this tie-up, users of Hike messenger will now have access to Airtel Payments Bank’s vast product line including merchant and utility payments. From Airtel Payments Bank’s perspective, this tie-up will be beneficial as it will get access to over 100 million users on Hike.
Toyota and Suzuki partners together to bring electric vehicles to India by 2020
India’s leading car companies Toyota and Suzuki have joined their hands to make an electric car for our country. Both the companies have signed a memorandum of understanding which will see both companies working together for introducing electric vehicles (EVs) in the Indian market by around 2020. Suzuki is to produce Electric Vehicle (EVs) for the Indian market and will supply some to Toyota, while Toyota is to provide technical support.
Yes Bank ties up with Centre Denmark India for fintech collaboration
Private sector lender Yes Bank has signed an MoU with Innovation Centre Denmark India (ICDK India), a partnership between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science to bring fintech innovations and startups from Denmark to India, and facilitate entry of Indian startups to the region. The partnership aims to build bridges to promote innovation and assist fintech companies in India and Denmark to expand into each other’s markets.
Moody’s upgrades India’s Sovereign rating for first time in 14 years
The International rating agency Moody’s Investors Service upgraded India’s local and foreign currency issuer ratings to Baa2 from Baa3 and changed the outlook on the rating to stable from positive. Moody’s has revised the sovereign rating of India a notch above investment grade after a long gap of 14 years. Moody’s has also upgraded India’s local currency senior unsecured rating to Baa2 from Baa3 and its short-term local currency rating to P-2 from P-3.
Not to pursue Islamic banking in India
RBI has decided not to pursue a proposal for introduction of Islamic banking in the country. Islamic or Sharia banking is a finance system based on the principles of not charging interest, which is prohibited under Islam. Taking into account, wider & equal opportunities available to all citizens to access banking & financial services, RBI has decided not to pursue the proposal further.
GST on AC, non AC restaurants reduced to 5 percent
The GST Council had previously pegged GST rates for air-conditioned eateries and those with liquor licences at 18%, and non-air-conditioned restaurants at 12%. During 23rd GST Council meeting held at Guwahati, Assam, the GST Council slashed rates for both air conditioned and non-air-conditioned restaurants to 5% without input tax credit (ITC). Background Fact:- Federation of Hotels & Restaurants Association of India (FHRAI) – President- Garish Oberoi requested the GST council members to either bring down the GST rate on restaurants to 12% with input credit or 5% without input credit.
India became the first country to partner with Facebook on disaster response
India is the first country to partner with social networking site Facebook on disaster response, Union minister Kiren Rijiju announced at the inaugural meeting of the ‘India Disaster Response Summit’, organised jointly by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Facebook. The programme will be piloted in two disaster-prone states – Assam and Uttarakhand.
Uber joins forces with NASA to develop flying taxis
Uber unveiled a partnership with NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) to develop flying taxis priced competitively with standard Uber journeys. The first demonstration flights are expected in 2020 and will move into commercial operations by 2023, with plenty of time for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. An Uber Air journey would take three times less time than the same journey by car.
IDFC Bank partners with MobiKwik
IDFC Bank has entered into a “strategic alliance” with mobile wallet major MobiKwik to launch a co-branded virtual Visa prepaid card for customers of MobiKwik. Important feature of this alliance is one need not be a customer of IDFC Bank to use the co-branded pre-paid card.
Bank of China begins operations in Pakistan
Bank of China formally launched its operations in Pakistan, with its first branch inaugurated in Karachi. The bank would strengthen the “brotherly relations” between the two countries in the financial sector.
HDFC Bank makes RTGS, NEFT online transactions free
HDFC Bank Limited made online transactions through RTGS and NEFT free of cost from with an aim to promote a digital economy. For a customer can avail one chequebook of 25 leaves free, only once in a year. If a cheque is returned due to insufficient funds, each such cheque will attract a penalty of Rs 500. In cases where cheques deposited are returned unpaid, the charge has been raised to Rs 200 per instance.
Ola inks partnership with Microsoft for enhanced passenger experience
The transportation network company Ola announced its strategic partnership with Microsoft company and thereby choosing the Microsoft as its preferred cloud provider. Ola Play customers will be able to use productivity tools such as Office 365 and Skype for Business, as well as voice-assisted controls built using Microsoft Cognitive Services and bot framework, in-car during their rides. It helps transform the car into a high-performing, intelligent vehicle, capable of assessing fuel efficiency, engine performance, and driver performance.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
SAM: World’s first AI politician developed
Scientists from New Zealand have developed world’s first artificial intelligence politician named SAM. It was created by Nick Gerritsen, entrepreneur in New Zealand. The virtual politician SAM can answer person’s queries regarding local issues such as policies around housing, education and immigration. It constantly learns to respond to people through Facebook Messenger as well as a survey on its homepage. It may help to bridge the growing political and cultural divide in many countries.
China launches remote sensing satellites
China has launched three remote sensing satellites Jilin-1 04, Jilin-1 05 and Jilin-1 06 from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in China’s northern Shanxi Province. The satellites have been designed to improve observation capability to promote commercial use for the remote sensing industry. The system will be used for wide imaging, video imaging, and multispectral imaging.
India’s first mission to the Sun to be launched in 2019
India’s mission to the Sun will be launched in 2019 from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The main aim of the solar mission is to improve our understanding of dynamical processes of the sun and help resolve some outstanding questions in solar physics. The satellite carrying six payloads will be launched from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on the PSLV- XL launch vehicle. It will be launched into the halo orbit around the Lagrangian point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system. The second edition of India’s moon mission, Chandrayaan II is scheduled for launch in March 2018. The space agency is aiming to double its satellite launches next year from the current eight to nine annually to 20 every year.
Brahmos Flight test from IAF’s Su-30MKI Fighter Aircraft
Brahmos, the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile created history after it was successfully flight-tested first time from the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) frontline fighter aircraft Sukhoi-30MKI against a sea-based target in the Bay of Bengal. The successful maiden test firing of Brahmos Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) from Su-30MKI will significantly bolster the IAF’s air combat operations capability from stand-off ranges.
NASA tests Supersonic Parachute for Mars 2020 mission
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) successfully tested supersonic landing parachute that will be deployed in its Mars rover mission set to launch in 2020. The mission will rely on a special parachute to slow spacecraft down as it enters Martian atmosphere at over 5.4 kilometers per second. It was first of several tests in support of NASA’s Mars 2020 Mission.
NASA launches Joint Polar Satellite System-1 into space
NASA launched a next-generation satellite into space designed to monitor weather around the world and help improve forecasts. The satellite, called the Joint Polar Satellite System-1, is a joint venture between the US space agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which provides weather reports and forecasts. The satellite will orbit the Earth 14 times each day from one pole to the other at 824 kms above the planet, providing scientists full global coverage twice a day.
US approves first Pill with Digital Tracking Device
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug in the United States with a digital ingestion tracking system, in an unprecedented move to ensure that patients with mental illness take the medicine prescribed for them. The drug Abilify MyCite, developed by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, was first approved by the FDA in 2002 to treat schizophrenia. The ingestible sensor, made by Proteus Digital health, was approved for marketing in 2012.
Virtual Nation Asgardia launched its first Satellite Asgardia-1 into Space
The Space Kingdom of Asgardia has launched its first satellite. This so-called ‘virtual nation’ is the pet project of Russian scientist and billionaire Igor Ashurbeyli. In 2016, he proposed a new nation which would be based in space in order to be outside of the control of nations on Earth. The Asgardia-1 satellite, which is about the size of a loaf of bread, and contains half a terabyte of data. It was launched from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia aboard a Cygnus spacecraft on an Orbital ATK Antares rocket.
Morocco launches earth observation satellite
Morocco has successfully launched an earth observation satellite called ‘Mohammed VI-A’. The satellite was launched by European consortium Arianespace’s Vega rocket from French Guyana Space Centre. The satellite will be used for mapping and land surveying activities along with regional development and agricultural monitoring.
Twitter officially expands its Character Count from 140 to 280
Twitter has officially increased the number of characters in tweets from 140 to 280 for the majority of users. The new limit will not apply to tweets written in Japanese, Chinese and Korean which can convey more information in a single character. It was called microblogging site because of its lesser character limit. The move follows a trial among a small group of users which started in September in response to criticism that it was not easy enough to tweet. The change is part of Twitter’s plan to attract new users and increase growth.
NIRBHAY Sub-Sonic Cruise Missile successfully flight tested
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted flight test of its indigenously designed and developed long range sub-sonic cruise missile ‘Nirbhay’ from test range at Chandipur, Odisha. It was the fifth experimental test of Nirbhay missile system. It achieved all mission objectives completely from lift-off till the final splash, boosting the confidence of all scientists associated with the trial.
China launches two BeiDou-3 navigation satellites
China successfully launched two BeiDou-3 satellites named BeiDou-3 M1 and BeiDou-3 M2 into space on board of single carrier rocket Long March-3B from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern province of Sichuan. These two satellites and carrier rocket were developed by China Academy of Space Technology and China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, respectively.
PERSONS IN NEWS
A). APPOINTMENTS
Pradeep appointed as Air India CMD
Senior IAS officer Pradeep Singh Kharola was appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Air India. Pradeep, a Karnataka cadre IAS officer, would replace Rajiv Bansal, who has been serving as the interim CMD for a little over three months. Currently, Pradeep Singh Kharola is the Managing Director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd.
Snehlata Shrivastava appointed first woman Secretary General of Lok Sabha
Snehlata Shrivastava has been appointed as the new Secretary General of the Lok Sabha. She will be the first woman Secretary General of the Lok Sabha and will assume charge on 1 December. Her tenure will end on 30 November, 2018. She will succeed Anup Mishra who resigned from his post.
IAS Officer B.N. Sharma appointed Chairman, National Anti-profiteering Authority
Following the Union Cabinet’s approval for the creation of the National Anti-profiteering Authority under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act, the Centre appointed senior IAS officer B.N. Sharma as the first chairman of the apex body.
Karen Pierce appointed as Britain’s Ambassador to UN
With this appointment, Pierce became the first woman to be appointed to this role. Previously she served as Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva and had served as Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN in New York as well & nbsp.
Shaktikanta Das appointed as India’s G 20 Sherpa
The Union Ministry of Finance has appointed Shaktikanta Das, Former Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) as India’s G 20 Sherpa till December 31, 2018 for Development Track of G20. Sherpa is personal representative of leaders participating at G-20 summit and are responsible for thrashing out details before meeting of the leaders.
NK Singh Appointed as 15th Finance Commission Chairman
The government announced that former revenue secretary NK Singh will be the chairman of the 15th Finance Commission (FC) that will recommend distribution of taxes between the Centre and the states. Other members of the commission are former department of economic affair secretary Shaktikanta Das, Anoop Singh, professor at Georgetown University, former chief economic advisor Ashok Lahiri, agricultural expert and NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand. Chand and Lahiri are part time members. The commission has to submit its report by October 30, 2019.
Aegon Life Insurance Appoints Vineet Arora as MD & CEO
Aegon Life Insurance today announced the appointment of Vineet Arora as the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer. Vineet Arora will replace K S Gopalakrishnan. Chief People Officer of Aegon Life Insurance, Saba Adil, will serve as the interim In-charge and Principal Officer.
Soumya Swaminathan to take charge as Dy Director-General of WHO
Soumya Swaminathan, Chief of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), will take charge as the Deputy Director-General for Programmes (DDP) of World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva in December 2017. Her appointment as the Deputy Director-General of WHO elevates India’s stature globally as it is the second-highest position in the WHO. Swaminathan, a pediatrician by training, is daughter of agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan, who is hailed as the father of the Green Revolution”.
Nirmala Sitharaman elected IDSA President
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has been elected President of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA). IDSA was set up in 1965 by the Ministry of Defence as an autonomous think tank, and it is customary to have the Defence Minister as its President.
N Sambasiva Rao appointed as DGP of Andhra Pradesh
N Sambasiva Rao was appointed as the Director-General of Police (DGP) of Andhra Pradesh, despite the fact that Union Home Ministry rejected his candidature on earlier occasions. Roa has been holding the DGPs post as “full additional charge” since 23 July 2016, while his actual position was DGP (Coordination). He is due to retire on 31 December 2017. However, with this appointment, he may serve the post for a full two-year term as per the state law. Sambasiva Rao is an Indian Police Service (IPS) Officer of 1984 batch.
India’s Nominee Dalveer Bhandari re-elected to International Court of Justice
India’s Nominee to the International Court of Justice (ICj), Dalveer Bhandari was re-elected to the International Court of Justice on 21 November 2017. Bhandari received 183 – 193 votes in the General Assembly and secured all the 15 votes in the Security Council after separate and simultaneous elections were held at the UN headquarters in New York. Bhandari and Britain’s Christopher Greenwood were locked in a neck fight for re election to the ICj. However, in a dramatic turn of events Britain withdrew its candidates from the election.
S African Indian-origin Appointed UNAIDS Special Ambassador
Acclaimed South African Indian-origin AIDS researcher Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim has been appointed as a UNAIDS Special Ambassador for Adolescents and HIV. Professor Abdool Karim is one of the world’s leading AIDS researchers and has made pioneering contributions to understanding the HIV epidemic among young people, especially among young women.
Trisha becomes UNICEF celebrity advocate
Actor Trisha Krishnan was conferred the UNICEF celebrity advocate status for child rights at an event held in Chennai. She is the first actor from the South Indian film industry to receive this honour. Previously this honour was bestowed upon Bollywood celebrities like Nandita Das, Madhuri Dixit, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Raveena Tandon.
Anand Rajeshwar Baiwar takes charge as SEBI Executive Director
According to the Markets regulator SEBI, Anand Rajeshwar Baiwar has taken charge as an executive director. An Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer of the 1990 batch, Baiwar assumed office on November 16. The Other executive directors are P K Nagpal, S Ravindran, S V Murali Dhar Rao, S K Mohanty and Ananta Barua.
Britain appoints the first female Black Rod in 650 years
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth has approved the appointment of Sarah Clarke as the country’s first female Black Rod, in over 650-year history of the office. She will formally take on the duties as Lady Usher of the Black Rod next year. The Black Rod is responsible for controlling access to and maintaining order within the UK’s House of Lords.
AVPS Chakravarthi appointed World Packaging Organisation Ambassador
Ecobliss India managing director AVPS Chakravarthi has been appointed as the ambassador of World Packaging Organisation at its 99th board meeting held in Rio de Geneiro, Brazil. He has served as chairman of Indian Institute of Packaging, Hyderabad and has been on the board of Indian Institute of Packaging for over a decade. He has won Worldstar award for packaging excellence for five years in a row.
BSE appoints S Ravi as its New Chairman
Eminent chartered accountant Sethurathnam Ravi has been appointed as the chairman of the leading Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). Ravi, who was a public interest director at the BSE, replaced Dhirendra Swarup. The appointment has been approved by Market regulator SEBI.
RBI Governor Urjit Patel appointed to advisory board of BIS
RBI Governor Urjit Patel was appointed to the Financial Stability Institute Advisory Board of the Bank of International Settlement (BIS). The Bank of International Settlement is a global financial organisation owned by major central banks from across the world. The Financial Stability Institute (FSI) of the BIS assists financial sector authorities worldwide in strengthening their financial systems.
Vijay Prasad Dimri appointed President of 36th Intl Geological Congress
Scientist Vijay Prasad Dimri has been appointed as the president of the 36th International Geological Congress (IGC), a global platform for the advancement of earth science, to be held in 2020. He has replaced Shailesh Nayak. India, along with its co-host neighboring countries Bangladesh, Nepal, Srilanka, and Pakistan won the bid to host the 36th IGC in the National Capital Region from March 2 -8, 2020.
Bhaskar Ganguly appointed AIFF Ombudsman by Supreme Court
The Supreme Court had appointed former football captain Bhaskar Ganguly as ombudsman, according to the All India Football Federation (AIFF). As per the AIFF, the apex court also appointed S Y Quraishi, former Chief Election Commissioner of India, who has also served as Secretary in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India as the ombudsmen to formulate the AIFF Constitution.
Debjani Ghosh to be first woman President of NASSCOM in 2018
The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) has named Debjani Ghosh its president-designate. She will succeed R Chandrashekhar after his tenure ends in March 2018. It will make her first female president global trade body representing software companies. She is former Managing Director of Intel South Asia. She is also member of NASSCOM’s Executive Council and a trustee of NASSCOM Foundation.
Qatar appoints four women to Shura Council for the first time
Qatar has appointed four women to one of its most important consultative bodies, the Shura Council, for the first time in the country’s history. The women appointed were named as Hessa al-Jaber, Aisha Yousef al-Mannai, Hind Abdul Rahman al-Muftah and Reem al-Mansoori. Important Person:- Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Gautam Gambhir named Govt Nominee in DDCA managing committee
Former Test opener Gautam Gambhir was named a government nominee in the Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) managing committee. The 36-year-old Gambhir has played 58 Tests, 147 ODIs and 37 T20 Internationals. He has been the top scorer in finals of two World Cups (2007 T20 and 2011 50-over) that India won.
Poonguzhali becomes First Woman Sr DDG appointed in TERM, DoT
N Poonguzhali has become the first woman to be appointed as senior Deputy Director General, Tamil Nadu, Telecom Enforcement Resource Monitoring (TERM), Department of Telecommunications (DoT). She is an Indian telecom service officer of the 1979 batch and an alumnus of IIT Madras.
Mary Kom named Women’s Youth World Championships Ambassador
Five-time world champion and Olympic bronze medalist MC Mary Kom has been named as the ambassador of the upcoming AIBA Women’s Youth World Championships. The event, which is being hosted in Guwahati, Assam is scheduled to be held from November 19 to 26. The 34-year-old is currently in Vietnam for the Asian Championships and has reached the semi-finals of the tournament.
Rajesh appointed High Commissioner to Malta
Shri Rajesh Vaishnaw has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Malta. He is a 1996 batch IFS Officer. Rajesh presently holds the office of Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. He is expected to take up his assignment shortly.
Ajay Bisaria named India’s next High Commissioner to Pakistan
India has appointed Ajay Bisaria as the next high commissioner to Pakistan. He is currently ambassador to Poland. Bisaria takes over from Gautam Bambawale, who was last month appointed India’s ambassador to China. Bisaria was in charge of the Eurasia desk that looks after India’s ties with Russia and the Central Asian republics, prior to his appointment as India’s ambassador to Poland.
Tata Steel elevates T V Narendran as global CEO, MD
Tata Steel Limited promoted T V Narendran as chief executive officer and managing director globally. He joined the Tata Steel in 1988. He was serving as Managing Director (India and South East Asia) for the past four years.
Suresh Chukkapalli appointed as Consul General of Korea
Suresh Chukkapalli, Chairman of Phoenix Group of Hyderabad appointed as Honorary Consul General in Hyderabad by the Republic of Korea, with consular jurisdiction over the state of Telangana. Suresh Chukkapalli was given charge/ invested formally at a ceremony in New Delhi.
Neelamani N Raju appointed as DG-IGP of Karnataka
Neelamani N Raju was appointed as the first woman Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG-IGP) of Karnataka. Neelamani is a 1983-batch Indian Police Service officer. She succeeds R K Dutta, who retired from the service following his superannuation. She will retire in January 2020 and will serve as the Karnataka’s Police Chief for over 2 years.
Bharti AXA Life appoints Vikas Seth as CEO
Bharti AXA Life Insurance, a joint venture between Bharti Enterprises and AXA, appointed Vikas Seth as Chief Executive Officer. The appointment is subject to requisite IRDAI approval. Prior to joining Bharti AXA Life, he was with the Aditya Birla Group, where he worked for nearly 10 years in different roles. He has also served as the Chief Distribution Officer for Birla Sun Life Insurance.
B). RESIGNS
UBS India chief Aashish Kamat quits
The head of India operations at UBS AG, Manisha Giotra, has resigned, the latest high-profile exit from the Swiss bank in the world’s second-fastest growing major country. Kamat will be replaced by UBS veteran Harald Egger who till recently was head of group corporate services and sourcing based at the investment bank’s Zurich headquarters. Giotra joined UBS India in 1998 and had led several cross-border deals and equity offerings including advising Unitech’s telecom unit on a Rs 6,024 crore ($1.2 billion) stake sale to Norway’s telenor and Rs 3,830.26 crore ($763 million) treasure share sale by energy major Reliance Industries last year.
Robert Mugabe resigns as Zimbabwe’s President, former VP to take oath as new President
Robert Mugabe, who ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980 and once proclaimed that “only God will remove me”, resigned as president shortly after lawmakers began impeachment proceedings against him. Zimbabwe’s former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa returned to the country and will be sworn in as President, succeeding friend-turned-foe Robert Mugabe.
Sujoy Ghosh resigns as Jury Head of 48th International Film Festival of India
Filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh on 14 November 2017 resigned as Head of the Jury of the Indian Panorama of the 48th International Film Festival of India (IIFI). His resignation came following the elimination of the two films “Sexy Durga” and “Nude” from the final list of films. Instead of Nude, the Hindi movie Pihu by Vinod Kapri was finalised as the opening film of the festival. The 13-member jury, led by Sujoy Ghosh, included both the movies in their recommended list, but these two movies did not find their way in the list passed by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Pakistan Cricketer Saeed Ajmal retires from International cricket
Pakistan Cricketer Saeed Ajmal retires from International cricket. Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. During a successful but controversial career, Ajmal was once celebrated as the world’s number one bowler in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 cricket, and was almost as successful in Tests. He finished with 184 wickets in 113 ODIs, and 85 in 64 Twenty20 Internationals. But in spite of his early successes, the last two years of his career had been frustrating.
Bangladesh Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha resigns
Bangladesh Chief Justice Surendra Sinha has resigned amid criticism over a Supreme Court verdict which scrapped Parliament’s power to remove judges on grounds of misconduct & incapacity. Sinha whose term was scheduled to expire in Jan next year is the 1st top judge of the country to step down. SC has issued a statement saying he is facing 11 charges including money laundering & corruption.
Indian origin Priti Patel resigns as British Minister
Britain’s first Indian-origin Cabinet Minister Priti Patel resigned as International Development Secretary due to controversies over her unauthorized secret meetings with Israeli politicians. Priti Patel’s resignation is followed by controversies around a dozen undisclosed meetings she had with other Israelis, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for which she had been forced to apologize. She was among the most active supporters of Brexit and had supported the ‘Vote Leave’ campaign in the lead in favor of Britain’s exit from the European Union (EU).
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigns
Lebanon’s prime minister Saad al-Hariri resigned, citing an assassination plot against him and accusing Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah of sowing strife in the Arab world. His father, former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, was assassinated in 2005.
Martina Hingis announces retirement from Pro Tennis
Martina Hingis, one of only six women’s players to hold the No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles at the same time, will retire after the WTA Finals. Hingis, 37, won Grand Slam titles Nos. 24 and 25 at the US Open in September, capturing the women’s doubles and mixed doubles titles. Overall, she won 13 major doubles titles, along with five in singles and seven in mixed doubles. She held the world No. 1 ranking for 209 weeks during her career, winning 43 WTA singles titles and 64 doubles titles.
C). DEATHS
Former India women’s cricketer, coach Sreerupa passes away
Former India women’s cricket team coach and batswoman Sreerupa Bose (Mukherjee) has passed away due to massive cardiac arrest. She was 66.
Malayalam actor and mimicry artist Abi passes away
Popular Malayalam actor and mimicry artist Abi has passed away. The actor, who is best known for films like Mazhavil Koodaram, Kireedamillatha Rajakkanmar, Mimics Action 500, Aniyathipraavu and Rasikan, etc.
E Chandrasekharan Nair passes away
Veteran Communist Party of India leader and former Minister E. Chandrasekharan Nair, died following a chest congestion in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. He was admitted to Sree Chitra Institute of Medical Sciences. He died on 29th November 2017. He was elected to Assembly six times in 1957, 1967, 1977, 1980, 1987 and 1996. He had served as Minister thrice under the Late E.K.Nayanar.
Malayalam stage, movie and television actor Thodupuzha Vasanthi passes away
Popular Malayalam stage, movie and television actor Thodupuzha Vasanthi passed away at a private hospital in Thodupuzha, Kerala. Thodupuzha Vasanthi was 65 years old. She was battling cancer for some time now. Her film career began in 1975. She had acted in over 450 films. She had won the state government award for theatre acting.
Hindustani classical music exponent Pandit Narayanrao Bodas passes away
Eminent exponent of Gwalior gharana of Hindustani classical music, Pandit Narayanrao Bodas, passed away in Pune, Maharashtra after a brief illness. He was 84. He was revered for his deep voice and expressive face among actor vocalists.
Rajasthani singer Mangi Arya passes away
Rajasthani Maand folk singer Mangi Bai Arya passed away following a heart attack in Udaipur. Mangi Bai Arya was 88 years old. She had learnt singing from her father Kamlaram Arya, an eminent classical singer of his times. She had contributed significantly in taking Maand to the national and international levels. She has won several awards, including the Kendriya Sangeet Natak Akademy Award.
Jazz Singer and Lyricist Jon Hendricks dies
Jon Hendricks, a jazz singer and songwriter died in Manhattan. he was 96. He was jazz singer and songwriter who became famous in the 1950s with the vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross by putting lyrics to well-known jazz instrumentals and turning them into vocal tours de force. He first teamed up with Lambert, bebop singer he admired, in the mid- 1950s; the duo had a hit with “Four Brothers” and “Cloudburst”.
Daniel dies after crashing in Macau GP
Daniel Hegarty, a British motorcycle racer, was killed after hitting the barriers on the outside of the circuit and losing his crash helmet, at the Macau Grand Prix, in Macau. The race was immediately stopped as Daniel Hegarty crashed on a part of the track known as Fishermen’s Bend. He is the first rider to die at Macau since Portugal’s Luis Carreira was killed in qualifying in 2012.
Former Wimbledon Champion Jana Novotna passes away
Czech tennis player Jana Novotna, a Wimbledon champion in 1998 and 16-time Grand Slam winner in doubles and mixed doubles, has died at the age of 49 after a long battle with cancer. Novotna entered the tennis Hall of Fame in 2005. Novotna was a three-time Olympic medalist and a member of Czechoslovakia’s 1988 Fed Cup championship team.
Ex-Union Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi passes away
Congress leader and former Union Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi passed away aged 72, after being in coma for 9 years. Dasmunsi served as the All India Football Federation President for almost 20 years and was the first Indian to serve as a match commissioner in a FIFA World Cup game. He was paralysed after suffering a stroke in 2008. In 2004, Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi went on to serve as India’s Chef-de-Mission to the Athens Olympics.
Former SC Judge V Khalid passes away
Retired Supreme Court judge V. Khalid died in Kannur. Justice Khalid was 95 years old. He had served as the judge in the Kerala High Court and as Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. He began his career as a lawyer at the Kannur munsiff court in 1948 and moved to the Thalassery bar in 1949.
Legendary Hindi Poet Kunwar Narayan passes away
Eminent Hindi poet and Jnanpith awardee Kunwar Narayan passed away in New Delhi. He was 90. Born on 9 September 1927 in Uttar Pradesh’s Faizabad, Kunwar Narayan was known for his poetry, stories, and critiques. His first poetry collection was “Chakravyuh”.
Former Nepal Prime Minister Kirti Nidhi Bista passes away
Nepal’s three-time Prime Minister Kirti Nidhi Bista passed away at the age of 90 at Gyaneswor in Kathmandu. Bista served as Prime Minister from 1969 to 1970, 1971 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979 during the party-less Panchayat system under two monarchs – King Mahendra and King Birendra. Later in 2005, he served as the Vice Chairman of the government under the direct regime led by King Gynendra.
Padma Shri awardee Author Manu Sharma passes away
Noted author and Padma Shri awardee Manu Sharma died in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh following a prolonged illness. He was 89. He was nominated as one of the navratna of the Swachha Bharat Abhiyan by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sharma had donated his lifetime savings of Rs 20 lakh for the renovation of a ghat in Varanasi to carry out a cleanliness campaign.
Veteran Malayalam actor Vettoor Purushan passed away
Veteran Malayalam actor Vettoor Purushan passed away following old age illness, in Kerala. He was 70 years old. He died as his condition deteriorated while being taken to the hospital. Vettoor Purushan started his career on silver screen with the movie ‘Nadee nadanmare avashyamund’ which was released in 1974. He had acted in ‘Athbhutha Dweep’, ‘Sooryavanam’, ‘Itha Innu Muthal’ films.
D). VISITORS
Sri Lankan PM arrives in Bengaluru on 4 day visit to India
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has arrived in Bengaluru on four-day visit to India. He will be taking part at the opening ceremony of the 5th Global Conference on Cyberspace which will take place on 23rd & 24th of November 2017 in New Delhi.
President’s visit to 3 NE States
The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, will visit three Northeastern States – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Manipur – from November 19 to 22, 2017. This is his first visit to these states as the President of India. On November 19, 2017, the President will grace the valedictory function of the completion of 40 years of the Vivekananda Kendra in Itanagar.
Modi leaves for Philippines to attend ASEAN Summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for the Philippines, where he will participate in various bilateral and multilateral programmes, including the India-ASEAN Summit.His visit to the Philippines to attend the India-ASEAN Summit symbolises the country’s commitment to deepening ties with the ASEAN member states and the Indo-Pacific region as part of the ‘Act East Policy’.
Prince of Wales Charles arrives India on 2-day visit
Prince of Wales, Charles Philip Arthur George arrived in New Delhi on a 2-day visit to India. This visit is a part of their 10 day tour to Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and India. This visit will be the 9th visit of the Prince of Wales to India. The visit is aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between the two nations.
President of Armenia on a three-day visit to India
President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan arrived in New Delhi on a three-day visit to India. He attended the World Food India Conference 2017. The visiting dignitary also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and called on President Ramnath Kovind. Bilateral dialogue between India and Armenia is conducted through the mechanisms of Foreign Office Consultations and Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological, Cultural and Educational Cooperation.
E). MISCELLANEOUS
Health Ministry Wins Bronze Medal at the India International Trade Fair 2017
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has been awarded the Bronze Medal for its creative and informative display at the 37th India International Trade Fair 2017 being held at Pragati Maidan. The award was presented by Shri C R Chaudhary, Minister of State (Commerce and Industry) at a function organized to award the winners.
South Africa Contestant wins Miss Universe crown
Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, who recently earned a business management degree crowned during the event at The AXIS theatre at Planet Hollywood casino-resort on the Las Vegas Strip. The runner-up was Miss Colombia Laura Gonzalez, while the second runner-up was Miss Jamaica, Davina Bennett. Ninety-two women from around the world participated in the decades-old competition. This year’s edition had the most contestants ever, including the first-ever representatives of Cambodia, Laos and Nepal.
Five Indian films nominated for ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Medal
The International Film festival of India (IFFI) has nominated nine movies for this year’s International council for Film, Television and Audio-visual Communication (ICFT) UNESCO Gandhi Medal. Among the total nine nominated films, five are from India. The Indian films competing for the prestigious ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Medal include Kshitij – A Horizon, Manusangada, Poorna, Railway Children and Take-Off. The competing foreign films include Amok from Poland, Khibula – a co-production of Germany, France and Georgia, The Last Painting from Taiwan and Women of the Weeping River – a joint production of the US and UK.
Shubhangi Swaroop becomes first female pilot in Indian Navy
Bareilly’s Shubhangi Swaroop became the first-ever female pilot to be inducted into the Indian Navy. Swaroop who has been appointed in the Naval Armament Inspection (NAI) branch will now undergo pilot training at Dundigal Air Force Academy near Hyderabad. She is among the 328 cadets who passed out from the Indian Naval Academy’s first batch of female officers.
Kendall Jenner becomes world’s highest paid model in 2017
American model Kendall Jenner beat Gisele Bündchen to become the world’s highest-earning model in 2017, as per Forbes Report. The 22-year-old model’s earnings have been estimated to be $22 million (142 crores). Gisele, who has been the highest-paid model since 2002, was ranked second in the list this year, with earnings of $17.5 million (113 crores).
Beyonce Named 2017′s Highest-Paid Woman in Music according to Forbes
American singer Beyonce has been named the highest-paid woman in music in 2017 by the Forbes. Her earnings, mainly from album ‘Lemonade’ and Formation World Tour, have been estimated to be $105 million (Rs 682 crore). Adele, with earnings of $69 million came second while Taylor Swift, with earnings of $44 million, was ranked third on the list. The Top 5 highest-paid woman in music in 2017 are Beyonce ($105 million) Adele ($69 million) Taylor Swift ($44 million) Celine Dion ($42 million) Jennifer Lopez ($38 million).
Sarajevo in UNESCO’s Memory of the World
Sarajevo Haggadah, the 14th- century richly illuminated Hebrew manuscript, has been included in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. Sarajevo Haggadah has been kept at the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1894. In Hebrew, Haggadah means a handwritten story (on parchment). It is read by family members on the occasion of the Jewish feast of Passover.
India’s Manushi Chillar crowned Miss World 2017
India’s Manushi Chillar won the coveted Miss World 2017 pageant, 17 years after Priyanka Chopra won the title in 2000. Chillar competed against 108 contestants from various countries at a glittering event held at Sanya City Arena in China. Apart from the title, Chillar also won the Beauty with Purpose award. In the final round, she was asked, “Which profession deserves the highest salary and why?” Manushi’s winning answer was, “A mother deserves the highest respect..when you talk about salary, I don’t think it’s just about cash but the love and respect you give to someone”. She added that mothers deserve the highest salary, respect and love.
Nicaraguas Sergio Ramírez wins Spain’s Cervantes Prize
Nicaraguan author and former politician Sergio Ramirez Mercado won the 2017 Cervantes Prize, the Spanish-speaking world’s highest literary honor. He has written more than 20 novels, including “Margarita, esta Linda la mar” (Margarita, How Beautiful the Sea), which won Spain’s prestigious Alfaguara award in 1998. The award consists of 125,000-euro ($148,000). The prizes are presented each April 23 on the anniversary of the death of Miguel de Cervantes, author of “Don Quixote”.
Leonardo Da Vinci’s Christ painting sold for record USD 450 Million
A painting of Christ by Italian Renaissance painter Leonardo da Vinci was sold for a record USD 450 million at an auction, breaking all the previous records of artworks sold or auctioned. It was sold be Christie’s auction house. The highest price ever paid for a work of art at auction was USD 179.4 million for Pablo Picasso’s painting ‘Women of Algiers (Version O)’ in May 2015. While, the highest known sale price for any artwork was USD 300 million for Willem de kooning’s painting ‘Interchange’.
Mukesh Ambani topped Forbes List of Asia’s Richest Families
India’s Ambani family topped the Forbes list of Asia’s Richest Families for the first time with a net worth of $44.8 billion, up $19 billion from the previous year. The collective wealth of Asia’s 50 richest families on the list is a record $699 billion, according to the Forbes.
Indonesian beauty queen crowned Miss International 2017
Indonesia’s Kevin Lilliana was crowned Miss International 2017 at an event held at the Tokyo Dome City Hall. Lilliana also won the award for being the best dressed contestant.
Rasgulla gets GI status and it goes to Bengal
The controversy over the past several years has now been resolved between the West Bengal and the Odisha government over its claim on Rasgulla. West Bengal on 14th November 2017 won the long bitter battle over Rasgulla as Geographical Indications (GI), a Chennai-based Registry announced that one of India’s signature sweets originated in the state and not Odisha. Bengal and Odisha have been locked in a bitter fight over the GI registration of rasgulla since 2015.
Dubai police officers set a Guinness World Record by pulling 3 lakh kg plane
Dubai police officers set a Guinness World Record by pulling the world’s largest passenger airliner Airbus A380 for a distance of 100 metres. The plane which weighs 3.02 lakh kg was dragged by 56 police officers to break the previous record set by 100 people who pulled a 2.18-lakh kg airplane at Hong Kong International Airport in 2011.
Baahubali The Conclusion film to be screened at International Film Festival Goa
Baahubali: The Conclusion, the magnum opus of director SS Rajamouli has been nominated in the Indian Panorama – Feature Films Category. The second part of the flick will be screened at International Film festival in Goa. The 48th edition of the mega film festival will begin from Goa from November 20 to 28.
India sets Guinness Record for cooking 918 kgs of Khichdi
A team of 50 chefs in a government-led initiative created a world record by cooking 918 kg “khichdi” live at the World Food India 2017 event. According to the organisers, their attempt to prepare Brand India khichdi using 800 kg of grains has entered the Guinness World Records. Famous chef Sanjeev Kapoor led the team for the preparation of khichdi. Multi-grains such as rice, bajra, and ragi, as well as pulses, vegetables and spices were used in the khichdi.
Mukesh Ambani becomes Asia’s Richest Person: Forbes
Chairman of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) Mukesh Ambani overtook China’s Hui Ka Yan to become Asia’s richest person with a total wealth of $42.1 billion, according to Forbes’ real time billionaire’s list. Ambani’s personal wealth rose by $466 million. On the other hand, wealth of China Evergrande Group’s Chairman Hui Ka Yan slumped by $1.28 billion to $40.6 billion. Globally, Ambani stood at the 14th spot on Forbes’ real time billionaire’s list, which is based on the value of person’s stock holding and assets on a real time basis.
Fake news’ named word of the year 2017
Fake news, a term heavily popularised by US President Donald Trump, has been named the word of the year by Collins dictionary due to its widespread use around the world. It was found that the use of this word registered a 365 per cent rise in the last 12 months. Defined as “false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting”, fake news takes over from Brexit – which was named the definitive word last year after the June 2016 referendum in favour of the UK’s exit from the European Union.
Chanda Kochhar named most powerful woman in India by Forbes
CEO of ICICI Bank Chanda Kochhar was named the most powerful woman in India as she ranked 32nd in World’s 100 Most Powerful Women list by Forbes. CEO of HCL Enterprise Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson of Biocon Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson of Hindustan Times Group Shobhana Bhartia and actress Priyanka Chopra are the other Indian women who featured on the list. This year’s list is topped by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who retains the number one position for the seventh consecutive year and 12 times in total. She is followed by UK Prime Minister Theresa May (rank 2), who is leading her country through Brexit-a historic and transforming time for the European Union.
Michael Jackson named top-earning dead celebrity
Michael Jackson, who died in the year 2009 i.e, Eight years ago, is still generating millions of dollars. Jackson named top-earning dead celebrity for the 5th time. He was an American singer, songwriter, and dancer. He was one of the most popular entertainers in the world and was the best-selling music artist at the time of his death. His earnings have been estimated to be $75 million.
PLACES IN NEWS
Indonesia raises Bali volcano alert to highest level
Indonesia raised its warning for Bali’s Mount Agung volcano to the top level four alert closed the holiday island’s airport and told residents near the summit to immediately evacuate, warning of the “imminent” risk of a larger eruption. Bali’s airport was closed for 24 hours, disrupting 445 flights and some 59,000 passengers, due to the eruption warning and the presence of volcanic ash from Agung.
Migratory birds start arriving in Chilika Lake
Lakhs of migratory birds have made their way to Chilika Lake (Odisha) after a long flight of thousands of miles. Major bird congregations were spotted in wetlands of Nalabana Bird Sanctuary inside Chilika and Mangalajodi, a major village on banks of lake. During winter season, migratory birds fly across continents from Caspian Sea, Baikal Lake and remote parts of Russia, Mongolia and Siberia and flock to the marshy lands of Nalabana Bird Sanctuary inside Chilika Lake, which is spread across over 1000 sq. km.
Mount Agung erupts after 54 years
Mount Agung, a volcano on the Indonesian island of Bali has erupted for the first time in more than 54 years. Mount Agung last erupted in 1963, claiming 1600 lives. Due to increased volcanic activity in the recent months, more than 1.4 lakh people have evacuated their homes.
China Opens World’s Coolest Library
China unveiled one of the world’s coolest library with more than one million books to readers. It took an innovative step and built the world’s most beautiful and modern library. It has a giant spherical auditorium in the middle that looks just like a giant eye. It has near about 1.2 Million Books. It is located in the Binhai Cultural District in Tianjin, China.
Hong Kong is World’s Top City for International Visits
Hong Kong remains the world’s most visited city by international travelers in spite of strained relations with neighboring China. In a report on the top 100 city destinations that highlights the growth in Asian tourism market research firm Euromonitor International approved 25.7 million arrivals are expected in Hong Kong in 2017.
World’s highest motorable road ready in Ladakh
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed the world’s highest motorable road in the cold desert of Ladakh, which has boosted the troop movement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the eastern sector. China had objected to the road construction up to Demchok, a village located at Zero Line, in 2016. This had led to a standoff between the Indian and Chinese armies in the sector. However, the motorable road has been constructed and its black-topping has already begun.
BOOKS IN NEWS
VP receives first copy of book on law and women
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu received the first copy of the book ‘Journey of Women Law Reforms and The Law Commission of India Some Insights’, from the Author former Joint Secretary, Dr. Pavan Sharma. The author has made an excellent analysis and more such studies can help focus nation’s attention to important areas like matrimonial laws, property laws, laws relating to inheritance, succession, guardianship as well as NRI marriages and issues of sexual violence.
COMMITTEES
WB govt forms Hill Area Development Committee under Mann Ghising
The West Bengal government set up a four-member Hill Area Development Committee that will oversee work in the Hills. The Hill Area Development Committee will be headed by Mann Ghising, president of Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF). The new committee will supervise all the development works in Darjeeling and Kalimpong and will come into effect immediately. This committee will start functioning from Pintail village on the outskirts of Siliguri.
IMPORTANT DAYS & DATES
26 November: Constitution Day
Constitution Day (National Law Day), also known as Samvidhan Divas, is celebrated in India on 26 November every year to commemorate the adoption of Constitution of India. In 2015, government decided to observe 26th November as ‘Constitution Day’. On the day in 1949, the constitution was adopted which came into force on January 26, 1950 marking the beginning of a new era in the history of India.
25 November: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (IDEVAW) is observed every year across the world on 25 November. Observance of this day seeks to raise awareness about violence against women and girls, end violence against women. It also seeks to show that prevention is possible against violence of women. The theme for the year 2017 is ‘Leave no one behind: end violence against women and girls’. It aims to reinforce UNiTE Campaign’s commitment to create world free from violence for all women and girls and reaching out to most marginalized people including refugees, migrants, indigenous peoples, minorities and populations affected by natural disasters and conflicts.
21 November: World Television Day
In December 1996 the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 November as World Television Day. It commemorates the date on which the first World Television Forum was held in 1996. The UN acknowledges that television can be used to educate many people about the world, its issues and real stories that happen on the planet.
21 November: World Fisheries Day
The World Fisheries day is celebrated every year on November 21 throughout world by fisherfolk communities to highlight critical importance to human lives, of water and lives it sustains, both in and out of water. Water forms a continuum, whether contained in rivers, lakes, and ocean. Fish forms an important part of diets of people around world, particularly those living near rivers, coasts and other water bodies. A number of traditional societies and communities are rallied around occupation of fishing.
20 November: Universal Children’s Day
The Universal Children’s Day was observed across the world on 20 November 2017 with the theme ’2017: It’s a #KidsTakeOver’. This year, UNICEF celebrated the day by inviting children from around the world to voice their support for millions of their friends and kin who are unschooled, unprotected and uprooted. The Universal Children’s Day aims to advocate, promote and celebrate children’s rights to build a better world for children.
Indira Gandhi’s 100th Birth Anniversary
19th November, 2017 is Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s 100th birth anniversary. A commemorative programme to mark the anniversary of Gandhi held at Shakti Sthal, New Delhi. Indira Gandhi was the only female Prime Minister of the country. She served as Prime Minister from 1966 to 1977 and from 1980 until her assassination in 1984.
Qaumi Ekta Week being observed across country
The Qaumi Ekta Week is being observed across the country from 19th to 25th November, 2017 to foster and reinforce the spirit of communal harmony and national Integration. The observation of the week will help to highlight the inherent strength and resilience of the nation to withstand actual and potential threats to the eclectic and secular fabric of the country. The occasion also provides an opportunity to reaffirm age old traditions and faith in the values of tolerance, co-existence and brotherhood in a multi-cultural and multi-religious society.
19th November: World Toilet Day
In a bid to help break taboos around toilets and make sanitation for all a global development priority, the United Nations General Assembly designated 19 November as World Toilet Day. World Toilet Day has previously been marked by international and civil society organizations all over the world. However, it was not formally recognized as an official UN day until 2013.
16 November: National Press Day
India celebrated the National Press Day on November 16 as the Press Council of India started functioning as a responsible body overlooking the works of the press as a whole body on this day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted media on National Press Day, which is commemorated every year on November 16, and appreciated their contribution to make India a democratic country.
16 November: International Day of Tolerance
The International Day of Tolerance was celebrated across the world on 16 November 2017. The observance aims to bolster United Nations commitment to strengthen tolerance in the world by fostering mutual understanding among cultures and people. Taking forward the same commitment, the UN has launched a new campaign called ‘Together’ to promote tolerance, respect and dignity across the world. The global campaign aims to reduce negative perceptions and attitudes towards refugees and migrants and to strengthen the social contract between host countries and communities and refugees and migrants.
14 November: World Diabetes Day
The World Diabetes Day was observed every year across the world on 14 November to raise awareness about diabetes. Observance of day aims to pursue multilateral efforts to promote and improve human health and provide access to health-care treatment and education. The theme for year 2017 is “Women and diabetes – Our right to a healthy future”. It aims to promote affordable access to essential diabetes medicines and technologies for all women with diabetes to achieve optimal diabetes outcomes and strengthen their capacity to prevent type 2 diabetes.
14 November: Children’s Day
Children’s Day is celebrated on the 14th of November in India as a tribute to Jawaharlal Nehru, who was born on November 14, 1889. Jawaharlal Nehru, who was fondly called Chacha Nehru or simply Chachaji, was known for his love for children. Prior to 1964, India celebrated Children’s Day on 20 November, which was observed as the Universal Children’s Day by the United Nations.
12 November: Public Service Broadcasting Day
Public Service Broadcasting Day is observed on 12 November. The day is observed every year to commemorate the first and last visit of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi to the studio of All India Radio, Delhi in 1947. The function is organized at the premises of All India Radio in New Delhi to mark the occasion.
11 November: National Education Day
National Education Day is an annual observance in India to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first education minister of independent India, who served from 15 August 1947 until 2 February 1958. National Education Day of India is celebrated on 11 November every year.
10 November: World Science Day for Peace and Development
The World Science Day for Peace and Development was observed across the world on 10 November 2017 with the theme ‘Science for Global Understanding’. The day highlights the significant role of science in society and the need to engage public in debates on emerging scientific issues. It also underlines the importance and relevance of science in our daily lives.
8 November: International Day of Radiology
The International Day of Radiology (IDoR) is an annual event promoting the role of medical imaging in modern healthcare. It is celebrated on November 8 each year, and coincides with the anniversary of the discovery of x-rays. Main theme of International Day of Radiology 2017 is: “Emergency Radiology”.
5 November: World Tsunami Awareness Day
The World Tsunami Awareness Day was observed across the world on 5 November. The theme for 2017 WTAD is ‘Reduce the Number of Affected People’. The day is celebrated to spread awareness among people across the world in matters related to the dangers of tsunami. The first WTAD was observed across the world in 2016 with the theme ‘Effective Education and Evacuation Drills’.
05:44 AM, 11-Jan-2018
INTERNATIONAL
NASA’s “Girl of the Year” doll
NASA, is collaborating with American Girl, a doll and book company, to inspire children to dream big and reach for the stars. The focus of the collaboration is the “Girl of the Year” doll for 2018, an 11-year-old aspiring astronaut named Luciana who wants to be the first person to put boots on Mars. NASA want to encourage girls and boys to pursue their dreams.
Nepal bans solo climbing on Mount Everest and other peaks
Nepal has banned solo climbers from scaling its mountains, including Mount Everest, in a bid to reduce accidents. The new safety regulations also prohibit double amputee and blind climbers from attempting to reach the summit of the world’s highest peak without a valid medical certificate. The law had been revised to make mountaineering safer and to decrease deaths. World-renowned Swiss climber Ueli Steck, who was known as the “Swiss Machine”, also died during a solo climb to a peak neighbouring Everest. Foreign climbers will have to be accompanied by a guide, according to the new regulations. The new rule also will help create more job opportunities for Nepali mountain guides.
Maiga appointed as the new PM of Mali
Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has appointed Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga, a former defence and foreign minister and intelligence chief as the new Prime Minister. Maiga will form a new government. This is done after his predecessor Abdoulaye Idrissa Maiga and his entire cabinet’s resignation. The new government will be the fifth to serve under President Keita since his election in 2013.
Israel withdraws from UNESCO
Israel has formally notified UNESCO of its withdrawal from the education and science organization. Israel, which has been a member since 1949, has nine sites on the list, including the ancient Masada fortress next to the Dead Sea. Tensions had been bubbling since UNESCO controversially admitted Palestine as a member state in 2011 – a move opposed by the US and Israel.
China cuts the ribbon of its first solar highway which will charge the running electric vehicles
China didn’t stop to make the first solar road of the world despite many-sided the concept as impractically. The project will serve as a clean energy testbed to evaluate new technologies, with an overarching goal to reduce the amount of land needed for solar farms and transmission wires. The panels, covering 5,875 square meters, can generate 1 million kWh of power in a year, enough to meet the everyday demand of around 800 households. Electricity produced by the test section will be used to power highway lights, signboards, surveillance cameras, tunnel and toll gate facilities. Surplus power will be supplied to the state grid. Future functions to be developed include mobile charging for electric vehicles and providing internet connection.
China launches World’s Largest Human Genome Research Project
The world’s largest human genome research project of 100,000 people was launched by China to document their genetic makeup for a study that aims to help generate the precision medicines of the future. It is the country’s first large project detecting the genetic links between health and sickness and will involve 100,000 people from different ethnic backgrounds and regions. The project includes four stages – collecting, sequencing gene samples, gathering the data and sharing the findings.
US and Turkey open gates for visa services
The US embassy in Turkey announced it is resuming normal visa services for Turkish citizens, saying Turkish authorities fulfilled assurances no local staff would be detained or arrested for performing their duties. But Turkey swiftly denied having granted such assurances in the affair that has tested relations since the two local employees of the U.S. consulate in Istanbul were held on suspicion of ties to last year’s failed coup against President Tayyip Erdogan. The United States suspended visa services at its missions in Turkey in October and Turkey reciprocated.
China successfully tested its first Photovoltaic road
China successfully tested its first photovoltaic (solar) highway based on home-grown technology in country’s eastern Shandong province. With this, China became the second country in the world to construct a photovoltaic highway. China’s photovoltaic highway is constructed using solar panels which have a thin sheet of transparent concrete on top of them, protecting the surface.
Ex-footballer George Weah to become Liberia’s president
The former football star George Weah has won Liberia’s presidential election, defeating the vice-president, Joseph Boakai, in a runoff with 61.5% of the vote.
Prince Harry named President of African Conservation Group
Prince Harry has been named the president of African Parks, a conservation group that manages a dozen wildlife areas across the continent. As per the environmentalist organisation, Prince Harry will contribute to its effort to protect Africa’s natural heritage and support both wildlife and communities, who live in and around conservation areas.
Israel to name a station after Trump
Israel’s transport minister wants to dig a railway tunnel under Jerusalem’s Old City and name a station next to the Western Wall after US President Donald Trump. Yisrael Katz said he wanted to honour the US president for his decision to recognise the city as Israel’s capital. The Western Wall is the holiest site where Jews are permitted to pray.
Former Zimbabwe army chief sworn in as vice president of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe’s former army commander, Constantino Chiwenga, who led a military takeover that helped end Robert Mugabe’s 37-year rule sworn in as one of the country’s two Vice Presidents. He is the most senior of a clutch of military figures to enter government. Chiwenga’s ascent to the country’s second most powerful job has further consolidated the military’s power in the political space of the southern African country.
Guatemala to move embassy to Jerusalem
Guatemala has decided to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, following US President Donald Trump’s decision in the holy city. It said that its decision to follow the US in shifting its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem was a “sovereign” matter that should not affect ties with other countries. Guatemala made this declaration after UNGA (United Nation General Assembly) rejected Trump’s decision to have the United States recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital with two-thirds of the majority.
WHO to add ‘gaming disorder’ as a mental condition in 2018
For the first time, WHO will add gaming disorder to its International Classification of Diseases (ICD). The ICD – a diagnostic manual that’s published by the WHO – was last updated 27 years ago, in 1990. The 11th edition of the manual is due in 2018, and will include gaming disorder as a serious health condition to be monitored.
UN Security Council imposes new sanctions on North Korea
The UN Security Council approved tough new sanctions against North Korea in response to its latest launch of a ballistic missile that Pyongyang says is capable of reaching anywhere on the US mainland. The resolution adopted by the council includes sharply lower limits on North Korea’s refined oil imports, the return home of all North Koreans working overseas within 24 months and a crackdown on ships smuggling banned items including coal and oil to and from the country. The resolution, adopted in response to North Korea’s sixth and strongest nuclear test explosion on 3 September 20717, banned North Korea from importing all natural gas liquids and condensates.
UN General Assembly rejects US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital
The United Nations General Assembly resolution declaring US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital as ‘null and void’, was passed with an overwhelming majority. The resolution moved by Turkey and Yemen was passed despite US President Donald Trump’s threats to cut funding to US and recipients who voted in favor. Overall, 128 nations including India voted in favour of the resolution, 9 voted against and 35 abstained from voting. The symbolic vote by the General Assembly is not, however, legally binding.
2017 may be among top 3 hottest years
The year 2017 will likely be among the three warmest years on global record, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The first 11 months of 2017 were the third warmest on record, behind 2016 and 2015. 2017 may also be the warmest year without an El Nino – a climate phenomenon that causes global temperatures to shoot up.
France passes law to ban all Oil and Gas Production by 2040
France’s parliament has approved a law banning all exploration and production of oil and natural gas by 2040 within the country and its overseas territories. Under that law that passed a final vote, existing drilling permits will not be renewed and no new exploration licenses will be granted. The French government claims the ban is a world first.
UK govt extends pilot student visa scheme to 23 more universities
The UK announced extending a pilot student visa scheme to 23 more universities under which Indian and other non-EU students will get six months time to find a job after finishing their course. The scheme was introduced last year on a pilot basis in four British varsities — Oxford, Bath, Cambridge and Imperial College London.
Sebastian Pinera wins Chile’s Presidential Election
A conservative billionaire and former president, Sebastian Pinera, has won Chile’s presidential election run-off. With nearly all votes counted, Mr Pinera has polled more than 54%. Left-winger Alejandro Guillier was his closest opponent. Sebastian Pinera has replaced Michelle Bachelet.
Women to drive trucks, bikes in Saudi
After allowing women to drive, Saudi Arabia has now permitted females to drive trucks and ride bikes. Women involved in road accidents or who commit traffic violations will be dealt with at special centres that will be established and run by women. Saudi Arabia was the only country in the world where women were barred from receiving a driver’s license.
WHO certifies Gabon as polio free
The World Health Organisation has declared Gabon a “polio-free country”, given the lack of new reported or suspected cases in the central African country. Now the disease is endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the WHO recorded four cases this year – two in each country.
Sri Lanka accede to landmine ban treaty
Sri Lanka has become the 163rd nation to accede to the anti-personnel mine ban convention. By joining the Convention each state undertakes to destroy all stockpiled anti-personnel mines it owns or or control, not later than 4 years after the acceding to this treaty. The treaty, which came into force on March 1, 1999, prohibits use, stockpiling, production & transfer of antipersonnel mines.
Norway becomes 1st Nation to Shut National Broadcasts on FM
Norway became the world’s first country to shut down national broadcasts of its FM network by completing its transition to digital radio. The transition will allow for better sound quality, a greater number of channels and more functions, at a cost eight times lower than FM radio. The transition concerns only national radio channels.
WTO talks collapse, no agreement on food security
The 11th ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization hung in the balance after the US refused to budge on relaxations demanded by developing countries to provide for their food security programmes. The matter went into deadlock after India and China stuck to their stance. An outcome on the permanent solution is key, as this is the only mandated issue for the Buenos Aires meeting.
Russia and Egypt signed for Egypt’s first nuclear power plant
Russia and Egypt have signed an agreement for state-owned Rosatom to construct Egypt’s first nuclear plant. The Dabaa nuclear plant, with 4 reactor units and capacity of 5 gigawatts, is planned to be completed by 2029 at a total financing cost of $21bn. Moscow and Cairo in 2015 agreed to the nuclear plant initiative, including a loan from Russia.
Google to open AI research lab in China, first in Asia
In an apparent move to rebuild its presence in China, Google will open a research lab focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Beijing – its first such centre in Asia. The “Google AI China Centre” will join the other AI research groups that the company has in other parts of the world, including in New York, Toronto, London and Zurich.
UN releases World Economic Situation and Prospects 2018 Report
The United Nations (UN) has released the World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2018 report in New York. As per the World Economic Situation and Prospects 2018, the current macroeconomic condition offer policy-makers greater scope to address some of the deep-rooted issues that hamper progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. In 2017, World Economic growth reached 3 per cent, the highest growth since 2011. The global growth is expected to remain steady at 3 per cent in 2018 and 2019.
Sri Lanka formally hands over Hambantota Port to China for 99-Year Lease
Sri Lanka formally handed over its southern strategic port of Hambantota to China on a 99-year lease. Two Chinese firms managed by China Merchants Port Holdings Company (CM Port) and Sri Lanka Ports Authority will own port and the investment zone around it. Hambantota port is strategically located right in the middle of vital energy supply lines in the Indian Ocean, connecting the Middle East and East Asia.
Saudi Arabia to allow movie theaters
Saudi Arabia will allow movie theaters to open in the conservative kingdom next year, for the first time in more than 35 years. Movie theaters were shut down in the 1980’s during a wave of ultraconservatism in the country. It’s the latest move as part of the young crown prince’s efforts to socially reform the country. The first cinemas are expected to open in March 2018.
World’s largest automated container terminal opens in Shanghai
China started trial operations of the world’s biggest automated container terminal – the Shanghai Yangshan Deep Water Port – in the country’s commercial hub. The port will help consolidate Shanghai port’s standing as the world’s busiest container port and further support Shanghai’s efforts to become a world shipping centre.
US, South Korea, Japan started missile-tracking drill
The US, South Korea and Japan started joint exercises on 11 December to track missiles from North Korea. The two-day exercise – the sixth since June 2016 – kicked off in waters near the Korean peninsula and Japan. The exercise is being held as North Korea fired a powerful missile in November which could target the entire US mainland. Since then, the US and North Korea had enough angry exchange of words.
China starts World’s Biggest Floating Solar Project
A unit of China Three Gorges Corp. is building a 1 billion yuan ($151 million) floating solar power plant, the world’s biggest, in the nation’s eastern province of Anhui. China Three Gorges New Energy Co. started building the 150-megawatt project in July and part of the plant was connected to the grid. The project features panels fixed to floats on the surface of a lake that formed after a coal mine collapsed, according to the unit. The entire facility is expected to come online by May 2018.
US to recognise Jerusalem as capital
President Donald Trump will recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition. In recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, US becomes the 1st country to do so since the foundation of the state in 1948. Israel has always regarded Jerusalem as its capital city, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
Australian Govt passes Marriage Equality Law
Australia’s parliament has legislated for marriage equality, passing a bill almost unanimously to allow two people, regardless of sex, to marry. The House of Representatives passed a cross-party bill after an unprecedented national postal survey gave unstoppable momentum to legislate the historic social reform. Australia, which changed the law in 2004 to say that marriage is only between a man and a woman, now becomes the 25th country to recognize same-sex marriage.
UAE and Saudi Arabia form new group, separate from GCC
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia have formed new economic and partnership group named Joint Cooperation Committee, separate from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). This move that could undermine six-member GCC amid Saudi led Arab countries diplomatic crisis with Qatar as half of countries members are boycotting Qatar, accusing it for supporting and funding terrorism. The new committee is assigned to cooperate and coordinate between UAE and Saudi Arabia in all military, political, economic, trade and cultural fields, as well as others in the interest of the two countries. It will be headed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE’s deputy prime minister and minister of presidential affairs, will serve as the Deputy Chairman of the committee.
ILO releases World Social Protection Report 2017-2019
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has released the World Social Protection Report 2017-2019. The World Social Protection Report depicts that only 45 per cent of the global population is effectively covered by at least one social benefit, while the remaining 55 per cent that is 4 billion people are left unprotected.
UAE, UK, US and French Armies hold Joint Exercises in Abu Dhabi
UAE Armed Forces along with the UK, US and French armies are participating in joint exercises in Abu Dhabi. The drill code is named as “Flag4″. The two-week long joint exercise aims to increase combat efficiency, gain more field expertise, and work to unify military concepts among participating parties.
US Supreme Court allows full enforcement of President Trump’s travel ban
The United States Supreme Court ruled that the travel ban imposed on six Muslim countries by President Donald Trump can now go fully into effect. Out of the bench of nine justices, seven justices lifted the ban imposed by lower courts on the policy. Only justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor asserted that the President’s order should remain blocked. However, the directive against travellers from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen still faces legal challenges. The new ban also bars travellers from North Korea and Venezuela, but they were not affected by the injunctions.
US pulls out of UN’s migrant and refugee pact
The United States has withdrawn itself from a United Nations pact to improve the handling of migrant and refugee situations deeming it ‘inconsistent’ with its policies. The announcement was made by the US Mission to the United Nations in a statement, in which it informed the UN Secretary-General about US’s intention of ending its participation in the Global Compact on Migration.
South Korea, US launches largest Air Exercise
South Korea and the United States launched their largest-ever joint aerial drills. The annual US-South Korean drill, called Vigilant Ace, will run for 5-days, with six F-22 Raptor stealth fighters to be deployed among the more than 230 aircraft taking part. Around 12,000 US service members, including from the Marines and Navy, have joined South Korean troops.
Iranian President inaugurates First Phase of Chabahar Port
The first phase of Chabahar port was inaugurated by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. The port, located in Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan Province, was inaugurated in the presence of representatives from India, Afghanistan and several other countries of the region. The port will open up a new strategic transit route between Iran, India and Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan. The port is likely to ramp up trade between India, Afghanistan and Iran in the wake of Pakistan denying transit access to New Delhi for trade with the two countries.
Kenyatta sworn in as President of Kenya
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has been sworn in for a second and final five-year term, a month after winning a bitterly disputed election rerun marked by delays and boycott. Kenyatta, 55, won 98 percent of the votes cast in October’s poll, which was boycotted by the main opposition leader, Raila Odinga, who alleged the poll wouldn’t be free and fair.
World’s largest propeller plane lands at UK airport
The world’s largest propeller plane, Antonov AN-22, landed at the Manchester Airport in England. The heavy military transport aircraft drew a large crowd of aviation enthusiasts to witness its landing. The aircraft has a 211-foot wingspan and is capable of carrying cargo weighing up to 80,000 kilograms.
Russia to create ‘Independent Internet’ for BRICS Countries
The Russian Security Council has asked the Russian government to develop a separate infrastructure for BRICS countries’ internet needs while still being linked to the World Wide Web, which they claim will continue services in the event of a global internet infrastructure collapse. The plan has a deadline set for August 1, 2018.
INDIA & WORLD
Bilateral Meeting held between External Affairs Minister of India and Jordan
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Jordanian counterpart Ayman Al Safadi held a bilateral meeting in New Delhi and discussed deepening bilateral ties across multiple sectors. Mr Safadi discussed steps to set up a robust agenda for deepening and diversifying areas of cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, defence and security and people-to-people contact.
India ranks 5th in list of countries with highest NPA levels
According to a report by CARE Ratings, India has the highest level of non-performing assets (NPA) among BRICS countries and is ranked 5th on a list of countries with the highest levels of NPAs. The only countries ranked higher than India on the list are Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Ireland in order.
India and Afghanistan launch 2nd air cargo route linking Kabul with Mumbai
The second India-Afghanistan air cargo route linking Kabul to Mumbai was officially inaugurated at Hamid Karzai international airport in Kabul. It is expected to boost export of fresh fruits and medicinal plants from Afghanistan. The launch of second route follows the success of the first air corridor between both countries linking Kabul-New Delhi that was inaugurated by President Ashraf Ghani in June 2017.
India provides medical assistance to Yemen
India has provided medical assistance worth about $1 million to Yemen in response to a request from the Yemeni government. As part of its commitment to provide humanitarian assistance to Yemen, India has been a member of the ‘Friends of Yemen’ Group.
India’s first pod taxi to follow US safety norms
The five-member committee set up for technical and safety standards of India’s first pod taxi project or Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) has invited fresh bids for strictest safety standards on lines of those prescribed in US. In this regard, the committee has recommended issuance of fresh EOI (expression of interest) incorporating automated people mover (APM) standards and specifications in US, along with other general safety parameters with recommendations of NITI Aayog.
Modi to be First PM to attend World Economic Forum in 20 years
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will become the first PM in 20 years to attend the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual jamboree of the global elite. The meeting will be held in Davos town of Switzerland. The five-day Davos Annual Meeting of Geneva-based WEF will began in January 2018. Top Indian CEOs will also be present at the meeting including Mukesh Ambani, Chanda Kochhar and Uday Kotak. Modi will be the first Indian Prime Minister at the Davos summit since 1997 when the then Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda had attended.
India is the 5th most vacation deprived country globally
According to a survey of Expedia Vacation Deprivation Report 2017, globally India has been ranked as the 5th most vacation deprived country due to heavy work schedule, with 60 percent respondents corroborating with the view. South Korea stood at number one position with 82 percent, followed by France (66 percent), Malaysia (65 percent) and Hong Kong (64 percent).
India and Switzerland ink deal for Information Exchange
In a move aimed at combating black money stashed abroad, India signed an agreement with Switzerland that would allow automatic sharing of tax-related information from January 1, 2018. The agreement was signed by CBDT chairman Sushil Chandra and Swiss Ambassador to India Andreas Baum at the North Block.
Naseem-Al-Bahr 2017: India, Oman conducts naval exercise
The 11th edition of Naseem-Al-Bahr (Sea Breeze) 2017 Naval exercise between India and Oman was held at Said Bin Sultan Naval Base, Wudam in Oman. The year marks 24 years of Indian Navy-Royal Navy of Oman bilateral exercises that has been a biennial feature since 1993.
India, Myanmar sign MoU for Rakhine State’s development
India and Myanmar signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at developing Myanmar’s Rakhine state. It was signed by Foreign secretary S Jaishankar and Myanmar’s deputy minister for social welfare, relief and resettlement U Soe Aung. Under this MoU, Government of India proposes to take up, among others, a project to build prefabricated housing in Rakhine State so as to meet the immediate needs of returning people.
India and Sri Lanka completes 2nd phase of joint oceanographic survey
Indian Navy in collaboration with its Sri Lankan counterpart has successfully completed the second phase of the joint oceanographic survey conducted off the South Western Coast of Sri Lanka. The survey commenced on 26 October with the arrival of Indian Naval Ship Sutlej in Sri Lanka. The Indian side handed over the survey charts to the Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy. The survey extended to a depth contour of 200 m from the coastline, ranging from Colombo to Galle. The move is expected to benefit the international shipping traffic passing the southern coast of Sri Lanka and will pave the way for the blue economy.
Iraq overtakes Saudi Arabia as top Oil supplier to India
Iraq overtook Saudi Arabia for the first time to become India’s top crude oil supplier in the current fiscal, according to the Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Saudi Arabia traditionally has been India’s top oil source but in the April-October period of 2017-18, Iraq dethroned it, supplying 25.8 million tonnes (MT) of oil. Iran was India’s second biggest supplier of crude oil after Saudi Arabia till 2010-11 but western sanctions over its suspected nuclear programme relegated it to the 7th spot in the subsequent years. Iran fell to third and Venezuela is in fourth followed by Nigeria.
India-Maldives bilateral military exercise ‘Ekuverin 2017′ held in Belagavi
The eight edition of India, Maldives bilateral military exercise EKUVERIN 2017 was held in India in Belagavi, Karnataka. The aim of the exercise was to conduct military training between armies of both countries with emphasis on counter insurgency, counter terrorism operations (CICT Ops).
India and Cuba Sign MoU for Enhanced Cooperation in Health Sector
India and Cuba signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for enhanced cooperation in the health sector. The objective of this MoU is to establish comprehensive inter-ministerial and inter-institutional cooperation between the two countries in the field of health by pooling technical, scientific, financial and human resources in both countries.
Wassenaar Arrangement decides to admit India as its new member
Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) decided to admit India as its new member. India’s entry into the export control regime would enhance its credentials in the field of non-proliferation despite not being a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The decision was taken at the two-day plenary meeting of the grouping in Vienna. The grouping statement that the Wassenaar Arrangement participating states reviewed the progress of a number of current membership applications and agreed at the plenary meeting to admit India. India will become the Arrangement’s 42nd participating state as soon as the necessary procedural arrangements for joining the WA are completed. The WA membership is also expected to build up a strong case for India’s entry into the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
Indian and Italy Sign MoU for Cooperation in Agriculture and Phytosanitary Issues
Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh with H.E Maurizio Martina, Italian Minister for Agriculture Food and Forestry Policies have signed a new MoU for cooperation in Agriculture and Phytosanitary issues that will replace the one signed in 2008. The MOU provides a good framework for cooperation in this field. India has contributed 37 million USD in the 10th replenishment of IFAD for the period 2016-2018. Mr. Singh with the Italian Minister participated in the AGRIMACH India, 2017 along with a large business delegation.
ISA becomes Treaty-based International Intergovernmental organization
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) became treaty-based international intergovernmental organization on 6th December 2017 one month after Guinea became 15th country to ratify it. ISA is first treaty-based international government organisation to be based in India. So far, 46 countries have signed and 19 ratified Framework Agreement of ISA.
India and Germany sign Govt to Govt Umbrella Agreement
India and Germany has signed the Government to Government Umbrella Agreement concerning the Financial Cooperation in 2016 (II) under the Indo-German Development Cooperation. the agreement was signed to formalize an amount upto 200 million Euros for the financial cooperation in form of loan for the project ‘Climate Friendly Urban Mobility III’ and 11 million Euros in form if grant for four projects. The Agreement was signed by Martin Ney, Ambassador on behalf of the Federal Republic of German and S. Selvakumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs of Union Ministry of Finance.
Madame Tussauds debuts in Delhi with Indian celebrities
Madame Tussauds has debuted in Delhi, with 50 wax models of Indian and international celebrities. Waxworks of Bollywood actors, sports stars, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and father of the Indian nation Mahatma Gandhi are on display at the museum. The museum is located in the historic Regal building in Connaught Place. The Delhi centre is the 23rd museum for Madame Tussauds which has centres in major cities across the globe, including London, Washington, New York, Amsterdam, Berlin, Bangkok, Tokyo and Beijing.
India re-elected to International Maritime Organisation Council
India has been re-elected to the Council of the International Maritime Organisation under a category that represents nations with the largest interests in international sea borne trade. India was re-elected to the body under Category B at an assembly of the organization at its headquarters. Indian High Commissioner to the UK Y K Sinha represented India at the assembly where India secured the second-highest number of votes (144) from member-countries, just after Germany’s 146 and ahead of Australia’s 143.
India and Singapore ink Bilateral Agreement for Navy Cooperation
India and Singapore have signed Bilateral Agreement for Navy Cooperation that will allow Indian Navy ships logistical support, including refuelling at Singapore’s Changi Naval Base located near disputed South China Sea (SCS). The agreement was announced during second Defence Ministers’ Dialogue between India and Singapore held in New Delhi. The Bilateral Agreement for Navy Cooperation will allow Indian Navy ships sailing through disputed SCS or in eastern waters of Andaman Sea to refuel.
India, UK combined military exercise ‘Ajeya Warrior-2017′ begins in Rajasthan
The 14-day long Combined Military exercise ‘Ajeya Warrior- 2017′ between Indian and the United Kingdom began at the Mahajan Field Firing Range near Bikaner, Rajasthan on 1 December 2017. The participants include 20 Rajputana Rifles unit of the Indian Army and the first battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment of the UK Army. In total, about 120 Army personnel from both the armies are participating in the exercise.
7th edition of Kathakar: International Storytellers Festival held in New Delhi
7th edition of Kathakar, International Storytellers Festival was held at Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi. It was inaugurated by Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju. The partners for this edition of three day festival are IGNCA of Union Ministry of Culture in Delhi, Heritage Transport Museum, Gurugram and National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai.
NATIONAL
India leads in global milk production
According to the Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh during the past 3 years, India has outpaced the global milk production with an annual growth rate of 5.53% compared with the 2.09% achieved globally. India has been the largest producer of milk in the world for the past 15 years. Milk production, which was around 17-22 million tonnes in the 1960s, has increased to 163.7 m tonnes in 2016-17.
Nirmala Sitharaman launches Start-up Incubation Centre in Mangalore
Nirmala Sitharaman launched a start-up incubation center called the Centre for Entrepreneurship Opportunities and Learning (CEOL) in Mangaluru, Karnataka. She has allocated Rs. 1.5 crore from her MPLAD (Member of Parliament’s Local Area Development) scheme for the development of CEOL. She represents Karnataka as an MP in the Rajya Sabha.
78th Session of Indian History Congress held in Kolkata
The three-day long 78th session of the Indian History Congress begun in Kolkata, West Bengal. The Indian History Congress had six sections this time – Ancient India, Medieval India, Modern India, Countries Other than India, Archaeology and Contemporary India. The aim of conducting Indian History Congress is for promotion and encouragement of the scientific study of Indian History.
Agriculture Minister launches LDF app
Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh has launched Livestock Disease Forewarning – Mobile Application (LDF-Mobile App). The app is developed by ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics, Bengaluru. Apart from early warning, the app will also provide information about clinical samples for the diagnosis in case of the epidemic.
Triple Talaq Bill passed in Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriages) Bill 2017 making instant triple talaq illegal with up to three years in jail for the husband. The proposed law would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or ‘talaq-e-biddat’. Ravi Shankar Prasad is Minister for Law and Justice. The bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha for approval.
Gujarat CM inaugurates 25th National Children’s Science Congress
The 25th edition of National Children Science Congress (NCSC-2017) was inaugurated in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. It was inaugurated by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in Ahmedabad. The theme of the five-day Congress this was ‘Science and Innovation for Sustainable Development’ with the special focus on persons with disabilities.
BND-4201: India’s first home-grown high purity gold reference standard launched
India’s first home-grown high purity gold reference standard – the Bharatiya Nirdeshak Dravya (BND-4201) – was launched at the India Government Mint, Mumbai. BND-4201, which is the reference material for gold of ‘9999’ fineness (gold that is 99.99 per cent pure), will be beneficial to the consumers and public at large to ensure purity of gold. Gold reference standard is indispensable in gold and jewellery hall marking. This will also be useful for Collection and Purity Testing Centres to certify the purity of gold deposits under the gold monetisation scheme.
Made-in-India Surface-to-Air Missile QRSAM successfully test fired
Made-In-India’ Surface-to-Air Missile QRSAM was successfully test fired by the Defence Research and Development Organisation from a defense base off Odisha coast. The homegrown canister-based high-speed weapon system can deceive enemy radars making it difficult to be detected, is capable of destroying aerial targets, tanks, bunkers and short-range missiles. It is a highly mobile air defence system which can destroy multiple targets at a distance of 25 km in less than one minute. Considered to be a unique system in its class, the missile is expected to supplement medium-range surface-to-air missile Akash.
National Family Health Survey shows decline in Child Marriages
As per National Family Health Survey, the percentage of women, who were married before legal age, has reduced from 47.4% in 2005-06 to 26.8% in 2014-15. Further, as per analysis of Census 2011 data by NCPCR, ‘nil’ marriages were reported in the age group of 0-9 years for both boys and girls. India has enacted the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 in order to prohibit child marriages.
ICGS Sujay commissioned into by Indian Coast Guard
An Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) named ICGS Sujay was recently commissioned into Indian Coast Guard (ICG). It is sixth and last in the series of six 105m OPV built indigenously by Goa Shipyard Limited for ICG. Presently, ICG has fleet of 134 ships and boats and 66 ships and boats are at various stages of construction at different shipyards in India.
India’s First National Rail and Transportation University to come at Vadodara
The Union Cabinet has approved proposal of Ministry of Railways to set up first ever National Rail and Transport University (NRTU) in Vadodara to skill its human resources and build capability. The University will be set up as Deemed to Be University under de novo category as per UGC (Institutions Deemed to be Universities) Regulations, 2016. The first academic program is expected to be launched in July 2018.
DARPAN Project launched for Financial Inclusion of Rural Population
The Minister of Communications Manoj Sinha launched DARPAN- “Digital Advancement of Rural Post Office for A New India” Project to improve the quality of service, add value to services and achieve ‘financial inclusion’ of the unbanked rural population. The goal of the IT modernization project with an outlay of Rs. 1400 Crore is to provide a low power technology solution to each Branch Postmaster (BPM) which will enable each of approximately 1.29 Lakhs Branch Post Offices (BOs) to improve the level of services being offered to rural customers across all the states.
Golden Jubilee celebrations of Indian Women Pilots Association held
The golden jubilee celebrations of Indian Women Pilots Association (IWPA) were held recently. During the celebrations the Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha stated that India has the maximum number of women pilots in the world. The IWPA was founded in Mumbai in the year 1967 by five ladies, namely Chanda Sawant Budhabhatti (first woman to obtain an FAA Commercial Pilot certificate), Mohini Shroff, Rabia Fatehally, Dr. Sunila Bhajekar and Capt. Durba Banerjee (in 1956 was the second woman commercial pilot of India). The IWPA then was the 5th national organisation of its kind in the world, next to the British Women Pilots Association, Australian Women Pilots Association, German Women Pilots Association and Finnish Women Pilots Association.
India’s first design university ‘World University of Design’ opens campus
India’s first and only design university, World University of Design opened it campus at Sonipat, Haryana. The campus is situated on NH1 in Rajiv Gandhi Education City (NCR), Sonipat, the largest planned integrated city for education in India. WUD is India’s first university dedicated to education in the creative domain; WUD underlines the movement of design from being purely vocation-oriented to becoming academic-oriented; and from certificate & diploma stage to degree, postgraduate degrees, research and doctoral programmes.
Training of Trainers Program for Sendai Framework held in New Delhi
The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju, inaugurated the first national-level training of trainers program to sensitize various Central Ministries and Departments on utilization of Sendai Monitor for developing action plans for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in New Delhi. The three-day programme was organized by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction-Global Education and Training Institute (UNISDR-GETI).
HAMESHA VIJAYEE: Southern Command conducts major exercise in Rajasthan
The Southern Command of Indian Army conducted major army exercise called ‘Hamesha Vijayee’ in deserts of Rajasthan from December 16 to 22, 2017. The purpose of the exercise was to evaluate capability of armed forces to strike deep into enemy territory in an integrated air-land battle. The Southern Command (headquarters Pune) undertakes such exercises at regular intervals to ensure high degree of battle readiness as well as validation of operational plans using modern weapons and equipment.
BJP wins Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Elections
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is back in power for the sixth straight term in Gujarat and also it has won the Himachal Pradesh Elections. With this, the party now controls 19 of the 29 states. Never before has any political party controlled as many states in India. Congress, 24 years ago, was the last time a political party was in control of 18 states.
India ranked 60th most Innovative Country, Switzerland Tops
India currently ranks 60th out of 127 countries on the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2017 as compared to 66th rank on GII 2016. The list was topped by Switzerland. NITI Aayog, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) together launched a mega initiative “India Innovation Index”. This Index will rank states on Innovations through country’s first online innovation index portal that will capture data on innovation from all Indian states on innovation and regularly update it in real time.
Samsung, UNESCO partner for videos on Indian Heritage Sites
Samsung India has entered into a partnership with UNESCO to launch virtual reality content and 360-degree videos on Indian heritage sites. Indian heritage sites include the Sun Temple in Konark, Odisha and Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. The project will provide experiential educational content to students across the country. There are 36 UNESCO heritage sites in India at present.
India reaches 2nd position on horticultural crops, fruits production list
Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh research and development projects in horticulture crops have yielded encouraging results, as a result, the production of horticulture crops have been more than food grains irrespective of adverse climatic conditions. After China, India is the second largest producer of horticultural crops and fruits. In terms of area in India, the citrus fruits hold second position (10.37 lakh hectare) and third (12 million tonnes) in production.
PM Modi inaugurates 60-Megawatt Tuirial Hydro power Project in Aizawl
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 60-Megawatt Tuirial Hydropower Project in Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram. The completion of this project is a reflection of the Centre’s commitment to complete ongoing projects and usher in a new era of development in the North Eastern region. He will inaugurate the Shillong-Nongstoin-Rongjeng-Tura Road, which will improve connectivity and further economic growth.
National Workshop on Role of Sakhi One Stop Centres held in New Delhi
National Workshop on Role of Sakhi One Stop Centres (OSCs) in Strengthening Multi Sectoral Response to Violence was held in New Delhi. It was organized by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) and was inaugurated by WCD Minister Maneka Sanjay Gandhi.
Union Cabinet clears bill criminalising Instant Triple Talaq
The Union Cabinet cleared the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, or the Triple Talaq bill, which makes the practice a non-bailable offence. The bill proposes a three-year jail term for men who practise instant Triple Talaq. Under the draft law, triple talaq in any form – spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp – would be banned or illegal. The draft law also provides for three years in prison and a fine for a Muslim man trying to divorce his wife by uttering “talaq” three times.
Indian Diaspora is Largest in the World: World Migration Report 2018
The Indian diaspora is the largest in the world, with over 15 million migrants from India living abroad, according to the World Migration Report 2018 published by the International Organisation for Migration, the United Nations migration agency. Because the country has the largest number of migrants abroad, India also receives the highest amount in remittances ($68.91 billion). The largest migration corridor is from India to UAE, where 3.5 million Indians were residing in 2015. The United States remained the top destination for migrants in the world in 2015, with 46.6 million migrants moving to the US in that year.
PM Modi inducts scorpene-class Submarine Kalvari into Indian Navy
Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned India’s first modern conventional submarine, INS Kalvari, into Navy’s fleet in Mumbai, a first in almost two decades. Kalvari is the first of the six Scorpene-class submarines handed over by shipbuilder Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL). The Navy last inducted a conventional diesel-electric submarine, INS Sindhushastra, procured from Russia in July 2000.
10 ASEAN leaders to be chief guests for Republic Day
At least 10 leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will be taking part in the 2018 Republic Day celebrations as chief guests. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had invited the ASEAN leaders to be the chief guests earlier this year.
India ranks 100 in global prosperity index
After rising up in the Ease of Doing Business Index, India has upgraded its ranks in ‘The Legatum Prosperity Index 2017’ as well. The index, which offers an insight into how prosperity is forming and changing across the world, ranks India 100th on the list of prosperous countries among 149 countries. Norway heads the ranking, followed by New Zealand, Finland, Switzerland and Sweden.
India’s first Electronic Manufacturing Cluster to be set up in Andhra Pradesh
India’s first Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) will be coming to Andhra Pradesh. EMC has been designed and developed for providing facilities and amenities for manufacturing mobiles and allied products. The Union Government, through Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY) in 2012 had announced about setting up EMC in India, with grant-in-aid for establishing such clusters.
Govt launches mobile app to ease child deliveries in peripheral areas
With the motto to improve labour room quality, the government has launched LaQshya, a safe delivery mobile application for health workers who manage normal and complicated deliveries in peripheral areas. The initiative will be implemented in Government Medical Colleges besides district hospitals, and high delivery load sub-district hospitals and Community Health Centres.
Rahul Gandhi elected Indian National Congress President
The Indian National Congress announced that Rahul Gandhi has been elected as its new President, taking over from his mother Sonia Gandhi. Rahul was declared the party President after no other candidate filed a nomination to contest the presidential elections. The Congress had earlier announced that 89 nominations were filed proposing Rahul Gandhi’s candidacy for the presidential elections.
UN Women, Facebook inaugurates ‘We The Women’ event in Mumbai
UN Women in collaboration with Facebook inaugurated a two day event in Mumbai titled ‘We The Women’ to empower and recognise the magnificent contribution of women in our society. The event witnessed speakers from different walks of life including Textile and I&B Minister, Smriti Irani, Sakshi Malik, Mithali Raj, Ekta Kapoor, Karan Johar and others.
Maruti Suzuki replaces SBI as 6th most valuable Indian firm
India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki became India’s sixth most valued firm, crossing India’s largest lender SBI. Maruti Suzuki’s market capitalisation stood at Rs2.74 trillion, marginally ahead of SBI’s market value of Rs2.71 trillion. Reliance Industries is the country’s most valued company with a market value of Rs5.8 trillion, followed by TCS, HDFC Bank, ITC and Hindustan Unilever.
SBI changes name, IFSC codes of branches
Post merger of its 5 associates, SBI has changed names & IFSC codes of nearly 1,300 of its branches. The Bank has changed names & IFSC codes of branches located Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai & Kolkata and others. Indian Financial System Code (IFSC) is an 11-digit alpha-numeric code used to uniquely identify all bank branches participating in any RBI regulated funds transfer system.
India declared free from Trachoma, a bacterial infection of eye
India has been declared free from infective Trachoma which is a contagious bacterial infection of the eye. It causes inflamed granulation on the inner surface of the lids. Releasing the National Trachoma Survey Report (2014-17) in New Delhi, Health Minister J P Nadda made an announcement in this regard and termed it as a momentous achievement.
Prez inaugurates Naval Maritime Aircraft Museum in RK Beach
President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the Naval Maritime Aircraft Museum in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh featuring the maritime patrol aircraft Tupolev-142M, which served the Navy for almost three decades. The museum, at the famous RK Beach Road, will feature the reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, which was decommissioned in March this year.
Mahesh Sharma inaugurates ‘Bodhi Parva’
Minister of State for Culture (Independent Charge) Dr. Mahesh Sharma has inaugurated the three days ‘Bodhi Parva: BIMSTEC Festival of Buddhist Heritage’ in New Delhi. India is hosting the “Bodhi Parva: BIMSTEC Festival of Buddhist Heritage” from 8 to 10 December as part of celebrations of 20th anniversary of BIMSTEC.
Akshay Kumar to promote government’s flagship agri-schemes
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar will promote the government’s flagship agriculture schemes like soil health card and crop insurance. The Union Agriculture Ministry has roped in the actor for television advertisements to intensify the publicity of the agri-schemes. Besides soil health card scheme, the actor will promote Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bhima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana and others.
Vice President inaugurated 12th Annual Convention
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the 12th Annual convention of central information commission at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. The Vice President stressed on maintaining transparency and accountability in public life. As per the Minister of State in PMO Dr. Jitender Singh, the government has filled all vacant posts in the commission. He accused the earlier government of being negligent on the matter.
BSF launches test to check personnel’s Psychological health
The Border Security Force (BSF) engaged doctors to conduct a psychological analysis of its 2.5 lakh members amid concerns over rising cases of suicide by security personnel. The Wellness Quotient Assessment Test will question personnel to detect issues such as anxiety, depression, phobia, and insomnia among others. The Troubled personnel will be offered help under the buddy support system.
PM Modi inaugurated B R Ambedkar International Centre
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the BR Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi. The prime minister also unveiled two statues of the Dalit icon at the center in Janpath. Union Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Vijay Goel was also present at the event. The center was a fusion of Buddhist and modern architecture. He had laid the foundation stone of the center in 2015.
Center enhances Monetary Allowances for Gallantry Award Winners
The Government has enhanced the monetary allowances for the Gallantry Award winners. The enhancement is for the recipients of post-independence Gallantry Award, pre-independence Gallantry Award and the monetary allowance attached to ‘Jangi Inam’, a pre-independence Gallantry Award. The allowances have been doubled in most of the cases and in a few cases have been increased by more than 100%.
Nation remembers India’s First President on his Birthday
Nation on 03rd December 2017 remembered India’s first President Rajendra Prasad on his 133rd birthday. Born on December 3, 1884, in Siwan, Bihar, Prasad was a Gandhian and participated in India’s freedom movement. Dr Prasad was one of the prominent leaders of the Indian Nationalist Movement alongside Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel and Lal Bahadur Shastri.
STATES
MP CM flags off mobile museum Adi Shankara Sandesh Vahini in Kochi
As part of the Ekatm Yatra, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan flagged off a mobile museum, showcasing various aspects of the life of Adi Shankaracharya, from the home of the saints mother near Kochi, Kerala. The journey of the mobile museum Adi Shankara Sandesh Vahini, is being organised to propagate the philosophy and teachings of Adi Shankaracharya among the youth.
Delhi govt launches mobile app that would connect 1600 SMC members
The Delhi government has launched a mobile app that would connect around 16,000 members of School Management Committees (SMCs). It is aimed at helping the schools, parents and students in better coordination and result oriented performance. The launch was conducted by Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the capital itself.
International sweet festival going to held in Hyderabad
Featuring more than 1,000 sweets, an international sweet festival will be held in Hyderabad, Telangana for the first time ever. Telangana Tourism is planning to hold a mammoth inter-State sweet festival where the most popular delicacies from each State will be offered in various varieties.
India’s First Runway on ‘Sea Bridge’ in Lakshadweep
India is all set to get its first runway on a ‘sea bridge’, as the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been given a nod to extend Lakshadweep’s Agatti Airport. The task will be carried out by building an RCC platform on the beach and shallow area which will allow bigger ATRs to operate on the island. The Project is likely to cost about Rs 1,500 crore.
UP govt launches free household power connection scheme ‘Prakash hai to vikas hai’
Uttar Pradesh government has launched a free household power connection scheme ‘Prakash hai to vikas hai’ for the poor in the state to mark former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birthday on 25th December. Under the news scheme the government has a target of covering 16 million by the end of 2018.
Bengaluru becomes First Indian City to have its own Logo
Karnataka’s capital city Bengaluru has become the first Indian city to have its own logo after the state government launched it. The logo was designed by a design start-up and uses both English and Kannada alphabets. The red and black logo is part English and part Kannada. With this, Bengaluru joins a select group of global cities like New York City, Melbourne and Singapore to have a tourism logo of its own.
Mystic Kalinga poetry fest takes off
Mystic Kalinga, the international festival of poetry and performances, kicked off in Bhubaneswar. The central theme for this year’s festival is: “Aseema” – Transcending Boundaries. Mystic Kalinga is an extension of Kalinga Literary Festival. The Kalinga Literary Festival is organized every year in the month of June by Odisha Media info Service Private Ltd and Odisha Diary Foundation.
Jairam Thakur will be Himachal Pradesh’s new CM
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jairam Thakur has been announced as the next Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. He will succeed Virbhadra Singh, who is serving as the Chief Minister of Himachal since 2012. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Five-time legislator Jairam Thakur, who rose through the ranks and is known for his humble, clean and low-profile nature, will be the 14th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh.
Vijay Rupani remains Gujarat CM, Nitin Patel his Deputy
Vijay Rupani will continue as chief minister of Gujarat and Nitin Patel as his deputy chief minister, the Bharatiya Janata Party has made the announcement after a meeting of the party’s newly-elected legislators in the state’s capital Gandhinagar. The BJP had won 99 seats, only seven more than it needed for a majority to form government and 16 less than it had won last time.
OEC 2017 kicked off to foster Sustainable River Basin Management
Odisha Environment Congress 2017 kicked off with an aim to foster ‘Sustainable River Basin Management’. OEC-2017 kicked off at Regional Museum of Natural History in Odisha. The integrated approach to river basin management is needed with a focus on water-use-efficiency in both agricultural as well as industry. This may save adequate water for the river to serve itself. Conscious efforts by all to reduce pollution load on the river system would be beneficial to both human societies as well as to nature.
Haryana govt to provide free sanitary napkins to poor women
The Haryana government would distribute sanitary napkins free of cost to all women belonging to BPL (Below Poverty Line) category in the State. Earlier on 1st December, the Haryana government had announced that it would make plans for free supply of sanitary napkins to girls in the schools across the state. The government also stated that the State would become malnutrition- free in the coming 3-years.
Losar Festival celebrated in Ladakh
The traditional festival of Losar was celebrated in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir to mark the beginning of New Year in this Himalayan region. The 10 day long festival began with illumination of religious and residential places and by visiting monasteries for prayer. The Losar festival marks the beginning of New year in Ladakh and Tibet region and falls in December. Losar is Tibetan word for ‘new year’.
Odisha CM inaugurates Tribal Sports Meet 2017
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the Tribal Sports Meet 2017, a first-of-its kind event in the country to promote sports among tribals in Odisha. The meet was inaugurated in Bhubaneswar. Patnaik also unveiled the logo of the event and mascot of the meet ‘Olly’.
Goa celebrates 56th Liberation Day
Goa has celebrated its 56th Liberation Day. The state was liberated on 19th December in 1961 from Portuguese control after almost 450 years of colonial rule. The main program was organised at the Sports Authority of Goa Ground, Campal in state capital Panaji. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar unfurled the national flag at the Goa Liberation Day celebrations in Panaji.
Andhra Pradesh Cabinet approves Pension for State’s Transgenders
The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet approved a scheme to provide a pension of Rs 1500 to transgenders above 18 years of age in the state. Under this scheme the transgenders will be provided ration cards, plots and scholarships, also skill development for financial stability. After Kerala and Odisha, Andhra Pradesh becomes the next state to sanction pension scheme for the transgender community.
Meghalaya launches India’s first social audit law
Meghalaya became first state in country to operationalize The Meghalaya Community Participation and Public Services Social Audit Act, 2017, a law that makes social audit of government programmes and schemes a part of government practice. It was launched by Chief Minister Mukul Sangma at a national convention in Shillong.
Telangana develops app to connect citizens, technicians
The Telangana government has announced to launch a mobile application ‘Urban Genie’ which will enable citizens in urban areas across the state to find certified technicians and workers. The service will be available in over 70 municipal towns and cities. Job seeking technicians can also register themselves with the app, following which the government will provide training.
Mumbai Metro launches ‘SecuCare’ app for safer commuting
Mumbai Metro launched a new security app ‘Secucare’, which can be downloaded on Android and IOS platforms, for raising an alarm to ensure passengers’ safety. Through the app, commuters can raise an alarm in case of any problem. The control room will be alerted once the alarm is raised. The security personnel in the control room will be able to track the exact location of the passenger through the application.
Official Logo for Allahabad Kumbh Mela 2019 released in Lucknow
The official Logo and tagline for Allahabad Kumbh Mela 2019 were released in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The logo comprises of temples, seers, a kalash & a Swastika. The tagline for Kumbh Mela 2019 is Chalo Chalo Chalo, Kumbh Chalo”. It will be held in Allahabad. A website to facilitate tourists was also launched. The government had, earlier, announced to rename the Ardh Kumbh held every six years as Kumbh and Kumbh held every 12 years as Maha Kumbh. In the same ceremony, the tagline -”Agar UP Nahi Dekha Toh India Nahi Dekha” – for UP Tourism was also unveiled. Traditionally, the fairs at the following four sites are recognized as Kumbh Melas: Prayag (Allahabad), Haridwar, Trimbak-Nashik and Ujjain.
Rajasthan, first in India to offer e-mail IDs in Hindi
Rajasthan has become the first state in the country to launch free email addresses in Hindi (in Devanagari script) for its residents, as per the state IT department Principal Secretary Akhil Arora. The initiative aims to ensure maximum participation of people towards e-governance and that maximum facilities are available in the vernacular language. The first e-mail ID was created for CM Vasundhara Raje.
Bihar Govt launches Safe City Surveillance scheme for Women Safety
The Bihar government has launched Safe City Surveillance Scheme for checking crime against women. It aims to bring all major public places under watch of close-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and improve overall crime control in the state. The scheme has been launched in a phase-wise manner, will commence from capital city Patna. It has specially launched for checking crime against women.
UP and Maharashtra tops in highest number of cyber-crimes
Uttar Pradesh stands on top of recording highest number of cyber crimes in India followed by Maharashtra. While Assam stands on the fifth position, as per latest data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), a total of 696 cybercrime cases were reported during 2016 in Assam, which is an increase of over 44 percent compared to the previous year. In 2015, there were 483 such cases in the State. Nationally, a total of 12,317 cases of cybercrimes were reported in 2016 compared to 11,592 in 2015, which is an increase of over six per cent.
Punjab & Haryana HC bans bursting of crackers on New Year
Punjab & Haryana High Court has banned bursting of crackers on New Year’s Eve & on Jan 1, as well as during weddings or other celebratory functions in Punjab, Haryana & Chandigarh. However, the areas of Haryana falling in NCR have been kept out of purview of the order. Concerned over the pollution, high court had in its earlier order in Oct also issued a number of instructions to authorities.
U.P. becomes first State to endorse Centre’s triple talaq draft bill
Uttar Pradesh has become the first State to endorse the Central government’s draft bill that makes instant triple talaq a cognisable and non-bailable offence. The draft law, which provides for three-year imprisonment and a fine to a man trying to divorce his wife by uttering “talaq” three times, got the State government’s approval at a Cabinet meeting.
Kerala raises minimum liquor drinking age to 23
The Kerala government came out with a new Ordinance raising the minimum age for liquor consumption from 21 to 23. The Ordinance will make suitable amendments to the state Abkari laws and has been sent to Governor P. Sathasivam for his clearance.
Telangana announces WE-Hub for women
Telangana Minister for IT and Industries KT Rama Rao stated that 3 initiatives for women entrepreneurs including setting up ‘We-Hub’ on the lines of T-Hub and also to create Rs 15 crore fund. T-Hub is a partnership between the government of Telangana with three of India’s premier academic institutes and key private sector leaders. The WE-Hub will be funded under the Atal Innovation Mission.
Andhra Pradesh assembly unanimously passes Kapu Reservation Bill
The Andhra Pradesh assembly has unanimously passed the Kapu reservation bill which will provide the community with a 5 per cent quota in education and employment in the state. The Kapu community, with 27 per cent population in the state, has been demanding reservations for decades. It is being stated that as 5% of reservation of Kapus makes total reservation exceed 50%, central govt nod is compulsory. In Andhra Pradesh, 25 per cent reservation is provided to BCs (A, B, C, D categories), backward Muslim communities BC (E) have 4 per cent reservation, SCs- 15 per cent and STs- per cent totalling 50 per cent reservations.
The 6th International Tourism Mart 2017 inaugurated in Assam
The 6th ‘International Tourism Mart’ (ITM) was inaugurated by Assam’s governor Jagdish Mukhi in Guwahati, Assam on 5 December 2017. The mart has been organised by the Ministry of Tourism in association with the North Eastern States. It will be held from 5 to 7 December 2017. Assam’s Chief Minister Sarbanand Sonowal and Union Tourism Minister (I/C) K L Alphons also attend the inaugural programme along with other dignitaries from the Central Ministries and North Eastern States.
UPs Shamli District included in NCR
Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli district was included in the National Capital Region (NCR), taking the total number of districts in the NCR to 23. Cities in the NCR get funds at “attractive” interest rates from the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) for infrastructure development. The decision to include Shamli in the NCR was taken at the 37th meeting of the NCRPB.
India’s Largest Floating Solar Power Plant opens in Kerala
The largest-ever floating solar power plant in India inaugurated by state power minister MM Man at the Banasura Sagar dam in Wayanad. The solar power plant that floats on the surface of water has a capacity of 500 kilowatts (KW). The solar plant consists of 1,938 solar panels with a capacity of 260 watts, a 500 kilo volt ampere (KVA) transformer and 17 inverters. The unique feature of this plant is the anchoring mechanism used by the overwhelming technology to maintain the plant with the alteration of the water level. Constructed by the Thiruvananthapuram-based Ad tech Systems, the plant will generate seven lakh units of power in a year. The total cost of the project is Rs. 9.25 crore.
PM Modi inaugurated Unique World-Class Hospital in Ahmedabad
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a unique world-class hospital at the Swaminarayan Gurukul Vidyapeeth Pratisthanam in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The 200-bed hospital is an integration of Yoga, Ayurveda, and Allopathy. The hospital has world-class facilities in all the 3 streams offering the best possible care for any ailment. This world-class hospital aims at providing top of the line medical and health care on subsidized rates.
Nagaland celebrates 54th Statehood Day, 18th Hornbill festival
Nagaland is all set to celebrate the 54th Statehood Day and the 18th Hornbill festival 2017 today at Naga Heritage Village, Kisama. President Ram Nath Kovind who is on a maiden visit to the state will grace the occasion and inaugurated the 10 day State Hornbill festival 2017. The route leading to Kisama, which is 12Km away from the capital city has been all decked up with decoration to give a festive ride. Tight security arrangement has been made in view of the festival.
Chhattisgarh bans use of fire crackers in six cities
The Chhattisgarh government has ordered a ban on bursting fire crackers in six of its cities, including the state capital –Raipur, ahead of the wedding season from December 1 to January 31. The Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board said the ban will be implemented every year during the period to curb pollution in the state.
CONFERENCES
President inaugurates conference at ANU in Andhra Pradesh
President Ram Nath Kovind formally inaugurated the Annual Conference of Indian Economic Association at Acharya Nagarjuna University campus near Guntur in Andhra Pradesh. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu felicitated the President at the event. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Kovind said, India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The imaginative policy making is required to tackle the inequities in our society.
Singapore’s Dy PM to join Sushma Swaraj at ASEAN-India PBD in Singapore
Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean will join India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for a two-day ASEAN-India Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to be held in Singapore next month. Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Assam, N Chandrababu Naidu and Sarbananda Sonowal, will also attend the function on 6-7 January 2018. The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated every year to mark the contribution of overseas Indian community in the development of India.
World Telugu Conference begins
The third World Telugu Conference is all set to begin in Hyderabad. The aim of the Conference is to promote Telugu and its literature besides helping the present generation learn more about Telugu language & its rich culture and heritage. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will be formally inaugurating the Conference, 50 thousand participants are expected to witness the literary-cultural event.
India hosted 4th India-Australia-Japan trilateral meeting
Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar hosted the 4th India-Australia-Japan trilateral meeting with his Australian and Japanese counterparts in New Delhi. Issues of maritime security, counter terrorism and economic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region were discussed.
2nd UNWTO/ UNESCO World Conference on Tourism & Culture held in Oman
The Second UNWTO/UNESCO World Conference on Tourism and Culture: Fostering Sustainable Development, hosted by the government of the Sultanate of Oman, was held in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman on 11-12 December 2017 within the framework of International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.
14th Inclusive Finance India Summit begins in New Delhi
The 14th Inclusive Finance India Summit began in New Delhi to build consensus on strategies and a unified vision for achieving universal financial inclusion in India. The summit offers a platform for a plethora of information to all the thought leaders and industry veterans to debate and discuss the issues and challenges involving the Financial Inclusion in the country.
Finance Minister holds 5th Pre-Budget Consultation Meeting
The Finance Minister of India Arun Jaitley holds his 5th Pre-Budget Consultation Meeting with the leading Economists in New Delhi. According to the Finance Minister, India recorded an average growth of 7.5% from 2014-15 to 2016-17, significantly higher as compared to the growth in the previous two years. The fiscal deficit as a ratio of GDP stood at 3.9% in 2015-16 and 3.5% in 2016-17 and is budgeted to be 3.2% for the Current Financial Year 2017-18.
Russia-India-China Foreign Ministers meet begins in Delhi
Foreign Ministers of Russia, India, and China (RIC) are holding a trilateral meeting in New Delhi. The meeting is expected to review global and regional issues of mutual interest as well as discuss trilateral exchanges and activities. The External Affairs Minister will have separate bilateral meetings with her Russian and Chinese counterparts. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Wang Yi have arrived in New Delhi.
ASEAN India Connectivity Summit begins in Delhi
The ASEAN India Connectivity Summit (AICS) began in New Delhi on 11 December 2017. The theme of the two-day Summit is “Powering Digital and Physical Linkages for Asia in the 21st Century”. The summit would be attended by Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari along with ministers of state for External Affairs, Gen VK Singh and MJ Akbar and Minister of State for Communications (Independent Charge), Manoj Sinha.
International Conference on Groundwater Organized
An International conference is being organized on the Groundwater issues in the country with a theme of “Groundwater Vision 2030- Water Security, Challenges, and Climate Change Adaptation”. The conference has been organized by the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Roorkee and Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) under the aegis of Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
Suresh Prabhu in Argentina to attend 11th Ministerial Conference of WTO
Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu is in Buenos Aires, Argentina to attend the 11th Ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Trade in Services remains an area of key interest to India and other developing countries.
First International Conference on Sports Medicine & Sports Sciences SAICON 2017 Inaugurated in Delhi
The First International Conference on Sports Medicine and Sports Sciences SAICON 2017 was inaugurated in New Delhi by the Minister of State (I/C) Youth Affairs and Sports Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore. The SAICON 2017 will promote scientific temperament in the country and inspire students, researchers and educationists alike to take up sports science and research to the next level. Organized by Sports Authority of India, the 3-day conference is being attended by about 1000 national and international delegates.
First Meeting of the Fifteenth Finance Commission held
The Fifteenth Finance Commission held its first meeting at North Block in New Delhi under the Chairmanship of Shri N.K. Singh and was attended by all the other Members of the Commission. The main objective was to hold wide-ranging consultations with all stakeholders including various Ministries of the Union Government, all State Governments, Local Bodies, Panchayats and Political parties of each State Government needed to be expeditiously initiated. The Commission approved the setting-up of its office at Jawahar Vyapar Bhawan on Janpath in New Delhi.
1st International Exhibition and Conference AROGYA 2017 begun
The first International Exhibition and Conference on AYUSH and Wellness sector- AROGYA 2017 has begun in New Delhi. The four-day event was inaugurated by Ayush Minister Shripad Yesso Naik. The theme of the conference is ‘Enhancing the global potential of Ayush’. The main objective of the event is to showcase the strength and scientific validation of Indian System of Medicine in the global context. The fair will give a boost to AYUSH Products in International Market.
International Conference on Climate Change begins in Nepal
Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari inaugurated an international conference to draw attention towards the adverse effects of global warming in the Hindu Kush mountain range. The conference ‘Resilient Hindu Kush Himalaya: Developing Solutions towards a Sustainable Future for Asia’ is being organized by Nepal’s Ministry for Environment in collaboration with International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). The four-day conference is attended by more than 300 experts from different countries of Asia including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Myanmar. V K Saraswat, member of India’s Neeti foundation is leading the Indian delegation in the conference.
AWARDS & HONOURS
Chola MS honoured with Golden Peacock Award for risk management
Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company Limited has been awarded the prestigious “Golden Peacock Award for Risk Management” for the year 2017. The Golden Peacock Awards were instituted in 1991 by the Institute of Directors (IOD), now regarded as a benchmark of Corporate Excellence worldwide, are presented annually to recognise the best corporates through competition.
K S Chitra bags ‘Harivarasanam’ Award
Veteran singer K S Chitra has been selected for prestigious ‘Harivarasanam’ award 2017, instituted by the Kerala government. The award carrying a cash prize of Rs one lakh, citation and plaque would be presented to the veteran playback singer at a function on January 14, 2018.
12th edition of the Ramnath Goenka Excellence Awards
The 12th edition of the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards were presented. The awards, which come with a trophy and a reward of Rs 1 lakh to each of the winners, recognise courage and commitment and showcase the outstanding contributions of journalists from across the country. Total 25 persons were awarded in different fields.
Mamang Dai, Ramesh Kuntal win Sahitya Akademi Award 2017
Mamang Dai and Ramesh Kuntal Megh has won the Sahitya Akademi Award 2017. Mamang Dai was awarded in English language for his novel The Black Hill. While, Ramesh Kuntal Megh won the award in Hindi for his literary criticism work Vishw Mithak Sarit Sagar. They were among the 24 winners who were awarded for their work in 24 different Indian languages.
The Other Winners of Sahitya Akademi Award 2017:
1. Udaya Narayana Singh (Maithili)
2. Shrikant Deshmukh (Marathi)
3. Bhujanga Tudu (Santali)
4. Inquilab (Tamil)
5. Devipriya (Telugu)
6. Shiv Mehta (Dogri)
7. Autar Krishen Rahbar (Kashmir)
8. Gajanan Jog (Konkani)
9. Gayatri Saraf (Odia)
10. Baig Ehsas (Urdu)
Sonu Sood honoured with Punjab Ratan award
Actor Sonu Sood has received the Punjab Ratan award for his contribution to the welfare of people of Punjab. Governor of Punjab, V P Singh Badnore, honoured the actor at an event at Fazilka in Punjab. During the ceremony, the 44-year-old actor also paid homage to the soldiers who fought the 1971 Indo-Pak war.
Rekha receives first Smita Patil Memorial Award
The first ever Smita Patil memorial award was given to Rekha for her contribution in the film industry. National award-winning actor Smita Patil passed away in 1986.
Tata Steel Joda Mine gets Golden Peacock Innovation Award
Joda East Iron Mine (JEIM) of Tata Steel has been honored with the prestigious Golden Peacock Innovation Management Award for the year 2017 for driving innovation in mines. The award was given at Institute of Directors India’s 2nd Global Convention held at Singapore. Golden Peacock Awards Secretariat receives over 1,000 entries per year for various awards, from over 25 countries worldwide.
Satheesh Reddy conferred with National Design Award
G. Satheesh Reddy, Scientific Adviser to Raksha Mantri and Director General, Missiles and Strategic Systems, has been conferred with the prestigious National Design Award. He has bagged this award for his significant national contribution towards indigenous design and development of diversified missile systems, guided weapons, avionics technologies and for his sustained efforts leading to the advancement of aerospace technologies and industries in India.
Joy Goswami to get 31st Moortidevi Award
Eminent Bengali poet Joy Goswami will be given the 31st Moortidevi Award for the year 2017. Committee, headed by poet and scholar Satya Vrat Shastri, unanimously decided to confer the award upon Goswami for his poetry collection titled Du Dondo Phowara Matro. It is the first time the award will be given to a Bengali poet.
Piyush & Prasoon Pandey to honour with Cannes Lions’ Lifetime Achievement Award
Cannes International Festival of Creativity is set to honour Piyush & Prasoon Pandey with Cannes Lions’ Lifetime Achievement Award. The Lion of St. Mark is the highest honour that Cannes International Festival of Creativity bestows on creative geniuses within the communications inustry. Pandey brothers are not only the 1st Asians to win the award, but are also the 1st from WPP to be awarded.
Priyanka Chopra receives Mother Teresa Memorial award
Priyanka Chopra has been honoured with this year’s Mother Teresa Memorial award for social justice. She received the award for her contribution towards lending support to social causes, such as her recent visit to Syria, where she met and interacted with refugee children. She is also UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassador and is known for supporting various philanthropic activities.
Sumitra Bhave to get Kalamaharshi Baburao Award
Noted Marathi filmmaker Sumitra Bhave will be honoured with the Kalamaharshi Baburao Painter Sanman, instituted by the Kolhapur International Film Festival. Sumitra is a filmmaker working predominantly in Marathi cinema and Marathi theatre. Bhave along with Sukthankar have made 14 feature films, more than 50 short films, and 4 TV serials.
Vice President confers ‘Yerarignar’ Award to Prof. M.S. Swaminathan
Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu conferred the ‘Yerarignar’ Award to Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, in Chennai. The award is given by New Delhi-based Agricultural Scientific Tamil Society in collaboration with Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TNVASU) and Tamil Nadu Fisheries University (TNFU). The award was conferred on eminent agricultural scientists and father of green revolution in India MS Swaminathan for his lifetime contribution for the betterment of Indian farming community.
Hindi writer Mamta Kalia chosen for Vyas Samman 2017
Renowned Hindi scholar and writer Mamta Kalia (77) was chosen for Vyas Samman 2017 for her novel “Dukkham Sukkham”. She was selected by selection committee headed by author Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari. Dukkham Sukkham published in 2009 is saga of a lower middle-class family’s three generations. The literary work focuses on the transition in relations and situations of our society.
Ram Nath Kovind awards Presidents Colours to submarine arm of Navy
President Ram Nath Kovind awarded the President’s Colours to the submarine arm of the Indian Navy in recognition of its extraordinary service to the nation in the past 50 years. Till date, 17 submarines of the Navy have been awarded the Chief of Naval Staff’s Unit Citation for exceptional service. The first Indian naval submarine, on which the naval ensign and the national flag were hoisted on this day in 1967, was also named Kalvari.
Star Screen Awards 2017 held in Mumbai
Star Screen Awards, the annual film awards recognises the best of talent in Hindi films. Vidya Balan bagged the award for Best Actress (Critics) for Tumhari Sulu, Irrfan won the Best Actor Award for his performance in Hindi Medium. Rajkummar Rao won the Best Actor Award (Critics) for Newton & Best Actor in a Supporting Role Award for Bareilly Ki Barfi as well.
The complete list of winners are as follows:
Best Film (Critics): Newton
Best Director: Nitesh Tiwari (Dangal)
Best Actress (Critics): Vidya Balan (Tumhari Sulu)
Best Actress: Konkona Sen Sharma (Lipstick Under My Burkha)
Best Actor (Critics): Rajkummar Rao (Newton)
Best Actor: Irrfan Khan (Hindi Medium)
Best Supporting Actor: Rajkummar Rao (Bareilly Ki Barfi)
Best Supporting Actor (Female): Neha Dhupia (Tumhari Sulu)
Best Dialogues: Nitesh Tiwari and Shreyas Jain (Bareilly Ki Barfi)
Best Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya (Dangal)
Best Music Debut Director: Pritam (Dangal)
Best Debut Director: Suresh Triveni (Tumhari Sulu)
Best Playback Singer: Arijit Singh (Raees – Zaalima and Jagga Jasoos)
Best Playback Singer: Shashaa Tirupati (Kanha – Shubh Mangal Savdhaan).
National Awards for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities presented
The Award was presented by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind on the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The National Awards were presented in 14 main categories to 52 individuals and institutions. Some important awards are:
Award for Best State in Promoting Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities: Chhattisgarh
Award for the Best District in Providing Rehabilitation Service: Madurai
The Best Braille Press Award: Mumbai-based National Association for the Blind.
Lipstick Under My Burkha wins tves Global Sustainability Film award in London
In London “Lipstick Under My Burkha”, which explores women’s sexuality, has bagged a top prize at the time Global Sustainability Film Awards 2017.”Lipstick Under My Burkha” is produced by Prakash Jha and directed by Alankrita Shrivastava and stars Konkona SenSharma and Ratna Pathak Shah. The Founders Award for Sustainability on the Big Screen was introduced this year and sponsored by philanthropist Surina Narula. The time Global Sustainability Film Awards was launched in 2012. It is an annual film competition for companies and institutions, recognising those whose films most powerfully portray solutions for sustainability.
Manushi Chhillar awarded Indian of the year special achievement award
Miss World 2017, Manushi Chhillar was awarded the Indian of the year special achievement award by Minister of Finance and corporate affairs, Arun Jaitley at a recent event at New Delhi. The beauty queen was given the award for her historic win at the Miss World pageant. She was greeted by Star cricketer Virat Kohli who congratulated her on her success.
India awarded for its effort to combat illegal wildlife trade
India was awarded with the Certificate of Commendation for its exemplary enforcement action in its regional and global effort to combat illegal wildlife trade. The award was conferred to the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) by the Secretary General of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) at the 69th Standing Committee meeting of CITES at Geneva, Switzerland. India was the only recipient of the Certificate of Commendation at the esteemed meeting. The convention currently has 183 nations from across the world as its signatories.
SPORTS & GAMES
Jitu Rai bags men’s 50m pistol national title
Ace Indian marksman Jitu Rai won the men’s 50m pistol national title with a new national record score of 233 at the 61st National Shooting Championship in Thiruvananthapuram. Rai’s score of 233 was a new record in the finals of the event. Jitu Rai also won the team gold in the event combining with Jai and Omprakash Mitherwal for a total of 1,658.
Viswanathan Anand bags bronze
Grand Master Viswanathan Anand continued his excellent run by bagging a bronze in the World Blitz Chess Championship at Riyadh, Saudi. He defeated Maxim Vachier-Lagrave of France in the final round to take his tally to 14.5 points. World Champion Magnus Carlsen won the tournament scoring 16 points followed by Sergey Karjakin with 14.5 points out of the maximum possible 21 points.
Cristiano Ronaldo wins best player at Globe Soccer Award
Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid was awarded the Globe Soccer’s Best Player award, in Dubai. Cristiano Ronaldo has won the award for the second consecutive year and fourth time overall. Also, Real Madrid club was named the best club of the year. Also, Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane was given the best coach award.
Anisa wins Women’s 25m Pistol with New National Record
Haryana shooter Anisa Sayyed won the women’s 25m pistol gold with a new record at the ongoing 61st National Shooting Championship Competitions (61st NSCC), in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Anisa shot a new finals national record score of 33 to prevail over the Maharashtra duo of Shital Shivaji Thorat and Rahi Sarnobat, who won the silver and bronze medals respectively at the National Games Shooting Range.
In a first, Saudi Arabia hosts World Chess Games
Saudi Arabia is hosting a world chess tournament for the first time, nearly two years after the country’s top cleric issued a religious edict against playing the board game. The tournament has been named as the King Salman World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships. The world’s top three chess players from Norway, Armenia and Azerbaijan are participating in the tournament.
Indian Boxers won 5 Medals at Galym Boxing Tournament
Indian boxers have claimed three gold, a silver, and a bronze medal at the Galym Zharylgapov Boxing Tournament in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. In the event, the country’s Gold Medal winners were K Shyam Kumar in 49kg, Naman Tanwar in 91kg and Satish Kumar in the 91kg category claimed gold medals. The 19-year-old Naman Tanwar was also adjudged the best boxer of the tournament.
Vijender Singh retains WBO Oriental and Asia Pacific Super Middleweight titles
Indian star Vijender Singh defeated Zulpikar Maimaitiali of China, to retain his WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight title and take over his opponent’s WBO Oriental Super Middleweight crown. Both boxers were slightly tentative in an evenly matched opening round. Zulpikar tried to go on the offensive at the start of the second round but Vijender did well to negate his attacks. It was the 32-year-old Beijing Olympic bronze medallist’s ninth successive win in his professional career.
IOC bans 11 Russians for life over alleged Sochi Games doping violations
The Olympic governing body announced on Friday it had banned the athletes based on findings from the Oswald Commission, which is looking into alleged doping violations at the 2014 Winter Games held in Russia. The Internationa Olympic Committee has banned 11 Russian athletes for life over alleged doping viloations at the Sochi Games in 2014. The results of the athletes will be annulled, and those who won medals will have them stripped.
Sushil becomes PWL’s Most Expensive Wrestler at Rs.55 lakh
Sushil Kumar was wanted by all the teams ahead of the new season of Pro Wrestling League (PWL) and the bidding war created history in New Delhi. Sold to Delhi Sultans for a whopping amount of Rs 55 lakh, Sushil is now the most expensive player in the history of the tournament. PWL 3 is slated to begin from January 9, 2018 and the auction in underway as teams fight to pick the best players and set up a strong team. Sakshi Malik, India’s 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, was bought by the Mumbai Maharathi side for Rs.39 lakh. World Championship gold medalist Helen Maroulis was bought for Rs.44 lakh by Haryana Hammers.
Rohit Sharma hits fastest T20I century, equals world record
Indian batsman, Rohit Sharma equalled David Miller’s record for the fastest century in T20 format by hitting a 35-ball hundred in the second T20I against Sri Lanka in Indore. Sharma also became the first Indian to score two tons in T20Is. His knock of 118 (43 balls) was studded with 10 sixes and 12 boundaries. It was part of an incredible opening partnership with KL Rahul as the duo put up more than 150 runs in 12 overs. Sharma had recently also scored a record-setting 3rd ODI double century against Sri Lanka.
No shooting at 2022 Commonwealth Games
Shooting has been excluded from the Commonwealth Games 2022 edition. At the same time, the push to bring cricket back into the fold has gathered momentum, with Commonwealth Games Federation. The CGF declared Birmingham as the host city on Thursday after Durban, the original pick, had pulled out earlier this year due to financial constraints.
India’s Mithali Raj, Ekta Bisht selected in ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Year
Indian skipper Mithali Raj was named in the ICC Women’s ODI Cricket Team of the Year while left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht was the lone cricketer to find a place in the both the ODI and T20 Teams of the year announced by the world body. While England’s Heather Knight was named as the captain of the ICC ODI team of the year. Stafanie Taylor of the West Indies was appointed as the skipper of ICC T20I side. The teams were selected taking into consideration player performances from September 21, 2016 to date.
Indian Hockey Umpires named as umpires for 2018 Hockey Men’s World Cup
Indian Umpires, Raghu Prasad and Javed Shaikh, were named in the panel of umpires for next year’s Hockey World Cup to be held in Bhubaneswar. Besides Prasad and Shaikh, amongst those appointed are Golden Whistle umpires Spain’s Francisco Vazquez, Martin Madden of Scotland and Simon Taylor of New Zealand.
Bobsledder banned for life from Olympics
Russian bobsledder Alexey Voevoda has been given a life ban from the Olympics for anti-doping violations at the Sochi Games where he won two gold medals. The decision comes two weeks after the IOC banned Russia from next year’s Pyeongchang Winter Olympics for what it called “unprecedented systematic manipulation” of the anti-doping system. He won gold in the two-man and four-man bobsled.
Messi beats Ronaldo for La Liga Best Player Award
Lionel Messi, the star forward of Barcelona, has received La Liga’s top scorer and best player awards for the 2016-2017 football season. The Argentine beat rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who guided Real Madrid to their first title since 2012 in the recent campaign. Messi scored 37 goals in league action last season to earn his fourth Pichichi award for most goals in La Liga and his fifth Alfredo Di Stefano trophy for best player.
BBC Sports Personality 2017: England women cricketers win team award
England women’s cricketers won the Team of the Year award at the BBC Sports Personality show after their 2017 World Cup triumph. They beat India by nine runs after a stunning fightback in the final at Lord’s in July.
India won 10 medals in Wushu Sanda Asian Cup
India bagged as many as 10 medals in the first Wushu Sanda Asian Cup that concluded in Guangzhou, China. Rajvir Singh was the coach of the Indian contingent. Praveen (48kg), Mukesh Chaoudhary (70kg), Rajender Singh (90 kg), Arunpama Devi (60kg) and Visakhapatnam Malik (70kg) won silver medals for India. Besides this, India also bagged five bronze medals.
Aakarshi Kashyap wins U-17 & U-19 singles titles at Badminton Jr Nationals
India’s top-ranked junior shuttler Aakarshi Kashyap won U-17 and U-19 singles titles at Badminton junior Nationals in Guwahati, Assam. In Under-17 category, 16-year-old from Bhilai defeated Malvika Bansod in the final. In under 19 categories final, Kashyap has beaten Vaidehi Choudhari.
India finishes 1st at Junior Boxing Championship in Germany
Indian junior boxers clinched total 11 Medals (six gold, four silver and a bronze medal) at the fifth International Sven Lange Memorial Tournament to finish as overall champions in the German city of Schwerin. Bhavesh Kattamani (52kg) picked up the best boxer trophy along with his gold medal. In the three-day tournament, the other gold-medallists for India were Vijeydeep (63kg), Akshay (60kg), Ish Pannu (70kg), Lakshay Chahar (80kg) and Vinit (75kg). India was named the tournament’s best team.
Real Madrid presented with the FIFA World Champions Badge
Real Madrid has earned the honor of being able to wear the official FIFA World Champions Badge on their competition jerseys for the duration of 2018 by defeating Gremio in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2017. Real Madrid will be able to display the emblem all the way up to the next FIFA Club World Cup, which will take place in the United Arab Emirates in December 2018.
PV Sindhu wins Silver at Dubai World Badminton Superseries
Top Indian shuttler P V Sindhu won the Silver medal in women’s singles summit clash of the Dubai World Super Series Final in Dubai. She went down fighting against World No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan. In the prestigious season-ending tournament finale, Sindhu lost in three games, 21-15 12-21 19-21, to Yamaguchi in the final.
Sushil Kumar, Sakshi Malik clinches Gold at Commonwealth Wrestling C’ships
Double Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar clinched a gold medal at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in South Africa. In Johannesburg, Sushil defeated New Zealand’s Akash Khullar via a pinfall in the final of the 74kg freestyle category to clinch the medal. Parveen Rana also won a bronze medal in the same category. Another Olympic medalist, Sakshi Malik also clinched a gold medal in the championships. Sakshi defeated New Zealand’s Tayla Tuahine Ford in the final of the 62kg women’s freestyle category.
FIFA bans head of Brazilian football
FIFA has suspended the head of Brazilian football federation Marco Polo Nero for 90 days. Nero was accused of accepting 6.5mn euro commission. In the wake of these accusations, ethics committee opened an inquiry that led to his suspension. Nero is the latest prominent South American official to be banned by the sport’s governing body as part of its investigation into a vast corruption scandal.
Christian Pulisic becomes youngest to get US men’s footballer of the year
Christian Pulisic won US Soccer’s Male Player of the Year award for 2017 in a landslide. At the age of 19 only, he has earned the honor and has become the youngest footballer to win US Soccer’s. The previous youngest winner of the prize, first awarded in 1984, was Landon Donovan, who was 21 when he won in 2003.
Nepal hosts first International Wheelchair Cricket Tournament
The first ever International Wheelchair Cricket Tournament was organised in Nepal’s Kathmandu. The tournament has participation of teams from Nepal, India and Bangladesh.
Official emblems for Beijing 2022 Winter Games unveiled
The emblems of the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, respectively named “Winter Dream” and “Flight”, have been unveiled in Beijing, China.
Sachin Siwach named Asia’s youth boxer of the year
World youth champion Sachin Siwach was named the Asian Boxing Confederations best youth boxer of the year after winning an online poll conducted by the continental body. Siwach who won the world title in 2016, claimed the Asian youth championships silver in 2017 besides a gold at the Youth Commonwealth Games. India also fetched the Best Asian International technical Official (ITO) award with Lenny DGama winning the online poll.
Indian hockey teams end year on 6th and 10th spots
India’s men and women’s hockey teams remained in the 6th and 10th positions respectively in the rankings revealed by the International Hockey Federation (FIH). The men’s team were at the sixth spot at the beginning of the year and maintained it throughout the year. The women’s team started the year at the 12th spot but slowly they jumped two spots.
India becomes 1st ever team to register Hundred 300+ ODI totals
India has become the first-ever team to register 300+ totals 100 times in ODIs, after posting 392/4 against Sri Lanka in Mohali. This was also the 25th instance of India scoring 350+ in an ODI innings, second-most by a team after South Africa (26). India was driven by captain Rohit Sharma’s 208, his third ODI double hundred which is also a record in ODIs.
Shubhankar Sharma wins Joburg Open
21-year-old Indian Shubhankar Sharma claimed his maiden European Tour victory in the Joburg Open, in South Africa. He has defeated South Africa’s Erik Van Rooyen. This was a maiden European Tour win for Shubhankar Sharma. He has five victories on the professional tour of India and he now has a European Tour title to add to his list of achievements. England’s Marcus Armitage was the top British finisher in Joburg.
Rohit Sharma becomes 1st batsman to score 3 ODI double centuries
Indian batsman Rohit Sharma created history on 13 December 2017 by becoming the first batsman in the history of cricket to score three double centuries in one-day internationals (ODI). The ace batsman achieved the feat during India’s second ODI against Sri Lanka in Mohali, Punjab, in which India put up a mammoth score of 394/4 in 50 overs. Sharma’s individual score card read 208 runs in mere 153 balls, which was studded with 13 fours and 12 sixes.
Australia wins Gold of Hockey World League final
Australia beat Argentina 2-1 to win the second straight gold of Hockey World League Final (HWLF) final at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. For the bronze play-off India defeated Germany 2-1 to finish the HWLF tournament at third place.
Jitu Rai and Heena Sidhu wins 10-m air pistol Bronze at 10th Asian C’ship
Pistol ace Jitu Rai and Heena Sidhu bagged a bronze medal each to continue India’s medal charge at the 10th Asian Airgun Championship in Wako City, Japan. Jitu won an individual bronze in the men’s 10m Air Pistol, which also helped the Indian team comprising Shahzar Rizvi and Omkar Singh, besides Jitu, to bag the team gold in the event. Heena claimed an individual bronze in the women’s 10m Air Pistol. Her effort, along with teammates Shri Nivetha Paramantham and Harveen Srao, helped the team finish with Silver.
BCCI lifts ban on RCA
Board of Control for Cricket in India has decided to lift the ban on the Rajasthan Cricket Association provided former IPL chief Lalit Modi stays away from its functioning. RCA was suspended by the Indian cricket board in May 2014 when ex-Indian Premier League Commissioner Modi was re-elected its president. Since its suspension in 2014, RCA’s cricket affairs are being looked after by BCCI.
India to host 2021 Champions Trophy, 2023 World Cup
India is all set to host the 2023 World Cup, the global cricketing event’s 13th edition after the BCCI confirmed the host nation. India will also host the upcoming Champions Trophy in 2021. The ICC World Cup 2019 will be held in England and Wales. This will be the first time that the event will be held entirely in India: the nation on three occasions previously, hosted the World Cup partially (1987, 1996 and 2011).
Saurabh Chaudhary claims Youth Olympics Games spot with Gold
India’s Saurabh Chaudhary qualified for the Youth Olympics Games with a gold medal and a junior world record in 10m air pistol at the ongoing Asia Youth Olympics Games qualification tournament in Wako City, Japan. He became the third Indian to bag quota places for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games at the 10th Asian Airgun Championship. The 15-year-old shot a record score of 243.1 in the final to storm to the top of the podium, after finishing third in the qualification round with a score of 573.
India bags 21 medals including 6 gold at Asian Airgun Shooting C’ships
India bagged a rich haul of 21 medals including six gold, eight silver and seven bronze medals at the 10th Asian Airgun Shooting Championships which was concluded in Wako City, Japan. India added four medals to their kitty on the final day of the competition to finish with a total haul of 21 medals over four days, besides four Youth Olympic Games quotas.
India beat Germany, win Bronze at Hockey World League Final
India defeated Germany 2-1 in the Hockey World League Final to grab the bronze medal at the event, in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. SV Sunil and Harmanpreet Singh scored for the world number six Indian side. The world’s fifth-ranked side Germany was without any substitutes as seven of their players were unavailable for the match either due to injury or high fever. For India’s success, Odisha government presented each player a cheque of Rs 10 lakh.
Indonesia Open Aquatic: Indian Diving Team wins 6 Medals
Indian Diving Team won 1 Gold, 3 Silver and 2 Bronze Medals in Indonesia Open Aquatic Championship 2017. The five-day championship concluded recently in Indonesia’s Jakarta. More than 1,500 athletes from eight countries, participated in the 5 day event. At the championships, the diving category featured athletes from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
Shooters Ghosh, Mane bag Youth Olympic Games quota places
Mehuli Ghosh and Tushar Mane became the first Indian shooters to secure the women’s and men’s quota places for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) by winning a gold and bronze each at the 10th Asian Championship 10M Rifle/Pistol at Wako City, Japan.
Kanchanmala Pande wins Gold at World Para Swimming Championship
Visually impaired swimmer Kanchanmala Pande scripted history as she became the 1st Indian to win gold at World Para Swimming Championship, taking place in Mexico. Pande stood 1st in the in 200 meters medley event in the S-11 category. She was selected in the Indian squad on basis of her excellent performance at IDM Berlin Para-Swimming Championship at Berlin.
FIFA Lifts Kuwait Football Ban
The international football federation, FIFA, has lifted a two-year suspension against Kuwait’s football association that has prevented the country from participating in international tournaments. FIFA president Gianna Infantino confirmed the move in a video posted on the Instagram account of Kuwait’s minister of trade and industry and acting minister of youth affairs Khaled Al-Roudhan.
Lifter Gurdeep creates three national records in IWF C’ships
Gurdeep Singh created three new senior national records in +105 kg weight category in the just concluded IWF World Weightlifting Championships at Anaheim in USA. Singh finished 13th overall with a total lift of 388 kg (172 + 216) but created national records in snatch, clean and jerk, and the total lift. In the total lift, Gurdeep bettered the earlier national record of 384 kg which was in the name of Sarabjit.
Cristiano Ronaldo Wins Ballon d’Or, Equals Lionel Messi’s Record
Cristiano Ronaldo (from Portugal) has won the Ballon d’Or for a fifth time to move level with rival Lionel Messi. The Real Madrid forward was named the winner of France Football’s prestigious award at a ceremony in Paris, France. The award caps a year in which Ronaldo has won LaLiga, the Champions League and the Spanish Super Cup with Real Madrid, as well as helping Portugal qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Messi, the only other player to have won the award since 2008, finished second.
India win South Asian badminton title
India beat Nepal 3-0 to win the first ever South Asian Regional Badminton Tournament (team championship) held at Guwahati, Assam.
Mujeeb Zadran From Afghanistan Becomes First Cricketer Born in 21st Century
Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Zadran, the 16-year-old off-spinner, became the youngest ever from Afghanistan to play International cricket and overall he is the 9th youngest to make debut in ODI cricket. He was born in Khost on March 28 in 2001. Zadran has been making the headlines over the last couple of months for his outstanding performances for their Under-19 team. The bowler recorded the 2nd best bowling figures in Youth ODI cricket with 7/19 against Bangladesh and also became the first player with two 6-wicket hauls.
Russia Banned from 2018 Winter Olympics
Russia was banned from the 2018 Winter Games by the International Olympic Committee over its state-orchestrated doping programme, but clean Russian athletes will be allowed to compete under an Olympic flag. The sanction was the toughest ever levelled by the IOC for drug cheating and came just 65 days ahead of the Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Getachew Besha wins full Pune International Marathon
Despite being denied the permission by Athletics Federation of India, the Pune International Marathon was held on December 3, 2017. In men’s category, the first position was grabbed by Ethiopia’s Getachew Besha with a time of 2 hours 15.15 sec. The second and third position was grabbed by Zelalem Lema Dlema and Deveje Kasaw respectively. Among Indian runners, Karan Singh from Pune clocked 2:28.01s to win the category and was followed by another city runner Kishor Gavane, who finished the race in 2 hours 29.26s. GD Khilare finished third with a timing of 2:20.27s.
Prithvi Shaw named India’s captain for U-19 World Cup
Mumbai batsman Prithvi Shaw saw his performance in domestic season bear fruit as the 18-year was named as the captain of India’s squad for the upcoming ICC U-19 World Cup next year in New Zealand. Shubman Gill is named the vice-captain.
Virat Kohli surpasses Brian Lara for Most Double Centuries as Captain
Virat Kohli after becoming the first captain to register a hat-trick of centuries in a three-match series, the Indian skipper scaled yet another milestone when he scored his sixth double century, the highest as a captain. He overtook West Indies great Brian Lara, who held the record previously with five double tons in Tests.
Deepika Kumari wins bronze medal at Indoor Archery World Cup
Indian archer Deepika Kumari won the bronze medal at the Indoor Archery World Cup Stage 2, which conducted in Bangkok, Thailand. The third seeded Deepika defeated the 13th seeded Sayana Tsyrempilova of Russia 7-3 in the women’s recurve bronze play-off. Her medal is however, the only one India managed to grab at the tournament, as other Indian archers crashed out early from the tournament.
Kohli becomes 4th fastest Indian to 5,000 Test runs
Virat Kohli became the fourth fastest Indian batsman to reach the landmark of 5,000 runs in the five-day format on the opening day of the third and final cricket Test against Sri Lanka in New Delhi. Other three are legendary Sunil Gavaskar followed by former star opener Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar.
Shiva Keshavan wins Gold in Asian Luge Championships
The sole Indian participant and defending Asian champion Shiva Keshavan retained his title with a time of 55.60 seconds. India’s veteran Winter Olympian Shiva Keshavan won a gold medal at the Asian Luge Championships at Altenberg, Germany. Due to technical reasons, the Asian Luge Championships took place at Altenberg in Germany.
ECONOMY
India’s first bitcoin trading app
Cryptocurrency dealer Pluto Exchange announced the launch of India’s first mobile application for transacting in virtual currencies. The Pluto Exchange mobile app offers a solution to the coordination problem between payment processors, financial gateways, and banks. By using a four-digit personal identification number, users can now buy, sell, store and spend bitcoins via a mobile number.
United Nations cuts budget by $286 million
The UN has approved a $286 million cut in its annual budget for the next year, a 5% “historic reduction in spending”. The General Assembly approved the regular budget of $5.397 billion for 2018-2019. The amount sets the budget level around $286 million (or 5%) below the final approved level for 2016- 2017, and $193 million below the initially proposed budget level for 2018-2019, including all “add-ons”.
Only 1.7% Indians paid income tax
Just over 2 crore Indians, or 1.7 % of the total population, paid income tax in the assessment year (AY) 2015-16, according to data released by the I-T department. The number of income-tax return filers increased to 4.07 crore in assessment year 2015-16 (FY 2014-2015) from 3.65 crore in the previous year. Only 2.06 crore actually paid tax as the others claimed income below taxable limits.
India to become fifth largest economy in 2018: Report
According to recently released report titled 2018 World Economic League Table, India is set to overtake the United Kingdom and France to become the world’s fifth largest economy in 2018. The report was released by Centre for Economics and Business Research, an economics consultancy based in Britain.
Maharashtra tops in GST collection in first five months
Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh are top contributors among states and Union Territories in the first five months since the rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime in July 1, 2017. The data was revealed by Minister of State (MoS) for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla in reply to a question in Lok Sabha.
Indian Economy may reach 7% growth
According to the recently released ASSOCHAM Year-Ahead Outlook, Indian economy may reach a 7% growth in 2018. AYAO forecast pointed out that after disruptions like demonetisation & GST roll-out, the economic expansion may reach 7% mark by the end of September 2018 quarter. ASSOCHAM outlook said that the economy is also likely to tilt towards farm sector which has been witnessing some stress.
US President Signs $1.5 Trillion Tax Overhaul Law
US President Donald Trump has signed into law a sweeping overhaul of the US tax code, two days after the Republican plan was adopted by Congress in a major political victory. Trump this week celebrated his first major legislative victory since taking office a year ago as Congress passed the 1.5 trillion dollars overhaul, set to impact every corner of the economy through dramatic tax cuts for corporations and temporary reductions for individuals.
Income Inequality Highest in India since 1980s
Since 1980 India led to substantial increase in inequality so much that top 0.1% of earners has continued to capture more growth than all those in the bottom 50% combined, according to the World Inequality Lab in its World Inequality Report 2018. In 2014, the share of national income captured by India’s top 1% of earners was 22%, while the share of top 10% of earners was around 56%.
Disney to acquire 21st Century Fox assets for USD 52.4 Billion in stock
Disney has reached a deal to acquire certain assets of 21st Century Fox (FOXA), the parent company of FOX Business, for approximately USD 52.4 billion in stock. The total transaction is valued at USD 66.1 billion, including 21st Century Fox’s debt. The deal includes 21st Century Fox assets- Twentieth Century Fox Film and Television studios, along with cable and international TV businesses like Star India. Prior to this acquisition, Fox will separate the Fox Broadcasting network and stations, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, FS1, FS2 and Big Ten Network into a newly listed company. Disney’s Robert Iger will continue to serve as the Chairman and CEO of Disney through 2021.
South Korea bans its banks from dealing in Bitcoin
South Korea banned its financial institutions from dealing in virtual currencies such as Bitcoin, as the cryptocurrency soars in a bubble fuelled by retail speculators, many of them from the country. There are many of them small-time investors, are estimated to own Bitcoins and demand is so high that prices for the unit are around 20 percent higher than in the US, its biggest market.
Indian Economy likely to Grow by 7.2% in 2018, 7.4% in 2019: UN Report
Indian economy is likely to grow by 7.2 percent in 2018 and go up further to 7.4 percent in 2019 on the back of strong private consumption, public investment and the ongoing structural reforms, according to a UN report. The ‘World Economic Situation and Prospects 2018’ report unveiled by United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). In India, the report has projected a positive outlook despite the slowdown early this year and the lingering effects of demonetisation. The UN DESA report said the GDP growth is projected to be 6.7 percent in 2017.
Pakistan to depreciate currency
Pakistan has agreed to allow the depreciation of rupee post talks with International Monetary Fund on nation’s economy. Authorities believe the currency adjustment would help shift foreign currency holdings from commercial banks back to official reserves. State Bank of Pakistan would now let the currency exchange rate to adjust to market conditions after many years of resisting expectations.
India’s GDP growth to rise to 7.5%
Indian economy is expected to witness cyclical growth recovery, with real GDP growth likely to accelerate from 6.4% to 7.5% in 2018 & to 7.7% in 2019, says a Morgan Stanley report. Firm is confident about prospects for a recovery in private capital spending as demand conditions are improving post demonetisation & GST. Pickup in Consumption & Exports is expected to improve corporate revenues.
Venezuela to launch new virtual currency
The President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro has announced the creation of a new virtual currency in a bid to ease the country’s economic crisis. The economy of the country has been impacted heavily by the falling oil revenue and plummeting value of its existing currency, the bolivar. According to the President, the new crypto-currency-Petro – would allow the country to advance in issues of monetary sovereignty, to make financial transactions and overcome the financial blockade. Venezuela’s economic crisis is mainly triggered by a fall in crude oil prices and a drop in oil production, Petroleum is its main source of hard currency.
CCI imposes Rs. 52.24 crore penalty on BCCI
The Competition Commission (CCI) imposed a fine of Rs 52.24 crore on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for anti-competitive practices with respect to the Indian Premier League. CCI had penalized the BCCI for the same amount in February 2013 as well. CCI had said this penalty comes to nearly 4.48% of the average of the BCCI’s relevant turnover during the last 3 financial years.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Prithvi supersonic interceptor missile successfully test fired
Indigenously developed Prithvi Advanced Air Defence (AAD) supersonic interceptor missile was successfully test-fired from a test range in Odisha. It is capable of destroying any incoming ballistic missile in low altitude. The target missile Prithvi interceptor AAD missile was launched from launch complex 3 of Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha. After getting signals by tracking radars the missile directed its trajectory to destroy hostile target missile in mid-air in an endo-atmospheric altitude.
Russia launches satellite for Angola
Russia has launched a rocket carrying Angosat-1, the first national telecoms satellite for Angola. The Zenit-2SB rocket carrying Angosat to orbit was supplied by Ukrainian maker Yuzhmash, making the launch a rare joint project between the two countries since 2014. The Angosat project was agreed by Russia and Angola in 2009.
Dr. Reddy’s unveils cancer drug in U.S.
Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories has introduced Melphalan Hydrochloride for injection, a therapeutic equivalent generic version of Alkeran for injection, in the U.S. market. Melphalan hydrochloride for injection is indicated for the palliative treatment of patients with multiple myeloma for whom oral therapy is not appropriate. It has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
ISRO, NASA jointly working Dual Frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging Satellite
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of NASA are jointly working on the development of NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), a Dual Frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging Satellite. NISAR is a dual frequency (L & S Band) Radar Imaging Satellite. It will be the first radar imaging satellite to use dual frequency.
China launches land exploration satellite
China has launched a land exploration satellite into a preset orbit for remote sensing operations. The satellite launch was conducted from the Jiluquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert, northwest China’s Gansu Province during early morning hours. The satellite will be mainly used for remote sensing exploration of land resources. It was carried by a long march-2D rocket.
Samsung Unveils ‘World’s Smallest’ DRAM Chip
Samsung Electronics developed the world’s smallest DRAM chip. The “2nd-generation” 8-gigabit DRAM chips with improved energy efficiency and data processing performance will be used in mobile devices and high-speed graphics cards. The advantage of DRAM is the structural simplicity of its memory cells. Only 1 transistor and a capacitor are required per bit, compared to 4 to 6 in SRAM.
SpaceX for first time successfully launches recycled rocket and spaceship
US based private rocket launching company SpaceX for first time ever has successfully launched used Dragon spacecraft with a used Falcon 9 rocket. The 2 pre-flown rocket parts were launched together for the first time as part of resupply mission to International Space Station (ISS).
China unveils satellite network plan for South China Sea
China unveiled a satellite network plan for round-the-clock surveillance on the South China Sea. The East Asian country plans to launch 10 satellites into space over the next three years to maintain non-stop surveillance on the disputed waterway. The program would provide scientific support for its One Belt One Road initiative and emergency response efforts at sea.
Akash Missile Successfully Launched
The Surface to Air Missile AKASH with indigenous radio frequency seeker against target Banshee has been successfully launched from the Launch Complex-III at ITR Chandipur, Odisha. The Radars, telemetry and electro-optical systems along the coast have tracked and monitored all the health parameters of the missile. This missile is being inducted into Army as Short Range Surface to Air Missile (SRSAM). With this success, India has achieved the capability of making any type of Surface to Air Missile.
PERSONS IN NEWS
A). APPOINTMENTS
Vinay Sahasrabuddhe appointed as President of ICCR
President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe as President of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR). He will succeed scholar and thinker Lokesh Chandra, who was appointed by the NDA government in October 2014 and has completed his three-year-term.
Amardeep Singh Bhatia appointed as Director of SFIO
Senior IAS officer Amardeep Singh Bhatia was appointed as new director of Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO). He is a 1993 batch IAS officer of Nagaland cadre. At present, he is joint secretary in Ministry of Corporate Affairs. The SFIO is a fraud investigating agency in India, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. The SFIO is involved in major fraud probes and is the co-ordinating agency with the Income Tax Department and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
IPS officer Abhay appointed DG of Narcotics Control Bureau
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed senior IPS officer Abhay as new Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). He will have tenure till November 18, 2019. The post was lying vacant after R R Bhatnagar took over as DG of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in April this year. He is at present working in CRPF.
UN appoints Henrietta Fore as UNICEF head
United Nations (UN) has appointed former senior US government official Henrietta H Fore as the new executive director of UNICEF. She will succeed William Anthony Kirsopp Lake who assumed office in 2010.
Dhirendra Pal appointed as UGC chairman
Professor Dhirendra Pal Singh, director, National Assessment and Accreditation Council was appointed the chairperson of UGC. He has been serving as director of NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) since August 2015. He has 34 years of professional experience in various fields of education. He has served as vice-chancellor of Banaras Hindu University.
BCCI appoints Saba Karim as General Manager
Former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim has appointed as General Manager (Cricket Operations) of the BCCI. Karim will assume office from 01st January and he will report to CEO Rahul Johri. He will assist Johri in meeting the Board’s vision and strategy. The General Manager’s post has been lying vacant since the resignation of MV Sridhar in September over the issue of conflict of interest. Sridhar passed away on October 30th, 2017.
Lt Gen B S Sahrawat takes over as Director-General of NCC
Lieutenant General B S Sahrawat took over the reins of National Cadet Corps as its Director General. The General Officer is a third generation army officer. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He was commissioned in December 1980 in 13th Battalion (Rezang La), the Kumaon Regiment. He has been awarded the Sena Medal during the floods of Kosi River in Bihar in 2008.
M. Subbarayudu appointed as Next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Peru
Shri M. Subbarayudu, presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Peru. He is expected to take up his assignment shortly.
Justice U.D. Salvi appointed acting chairperson of NGT
Justice Umesh Dattatraya Salvi took charge as acting chairperson of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), a day after Justice Swatanter Kumar retired. Justice Salvi is set to retire on February 13, 2018.
Smita Nagaraj takes over as UPSC member
Senior IAS officer Smita Nagaraj took over as the member of Union Public Service Commission. Nagaraj was appointed to the post with effect from Dec 1 for a period of 6 years or until she attains the age of 65 years. With her appointment, strength of UPSC has gone up to 8. Nagaraj is a 1984 batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, her last posting was Director General in the Defence Ministry.
Vodafone India appoints Dawar as its CFO
Vodafone India has appointed Manish Dawar as its Chief Financial Officer with effect from January 1, 2018. Dawar will replace Thomas Reisten, who after completing a 4 year stint with Vodafone India, will be moving to a new senior role within the Vodafone Group. He will report to Sunil Sood, MD and CEO, Vodafone India. Dawar joins Vodafone from Den Networks Limited where he was Group CFO.
R Hemalatha takes charge as Director, NIN
R Hemalatha has been appointed as the new Director of the country’s premier National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad. Hemalatha is a medical graduate of Gandhi Medical College, Hyderabad. She assumes office at a historic moment as the institute enters its centenary year. Hemalatha has served as secretary of the Nutrition Society of India, is a fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences and a fellow of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences.
Narinder Batra New President of Indian Olympic Association
Narinder Batra formally took over as the new president of the Indian Olympic Association after winning elections at the Annual General Meeting. Batra received 143 of the 160 votes polled to elect the office-bearers for the next period of four years from 2018-22 while his rival Anil Khanna, honorary life president of the All India Tennis Federation, got 13. Handball Federation of India’s Anandeshwar Pandey was elected as the treasurer after Rakesh Gupta withdrew and Mukesh Kumar of Judo Federation of India was rendered ineligible. Rajeev Mehta was re-elected unopposed as the secretary-general while R. K. Anand won to the lone senior vice-president post defeating kabaddi federation’s Janardhan Gahlot.
Dhammapiya elected New Secretary General of Intl Buddhist
Buddhist monk Dhammapiya from Tripura has been elected as the new secretary general of the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC). He was elected to the post at the second general assembly of the IBC. The IBC is a global Buddhist forum for preservation and development of heritage sites of the religion in India and other parts of the world.
Ola appoints Viraj Chouhan as its CCO
Ola has announced appointment of Viraj Chouhan as its chief communications officer (CCO). As CCO, Chouhan would be reporting to co-founder and CEO, Bhavish Aggarwal. Chouhan brings over 20 years of experience across global brands like MTS, Coca-Cola and Bharti Airtel.
Nakul Chopra elected as BARC India Chairman
Nakul Chopra, President of AAAI and Senior Advisor, Publicis Communications, has been elected as the next Chairman of BARC India. Nakul succeeds Viacom18 Group CEO Sudhanshu Vats. Nakul will be the third Chairman of BARC India. He had joined the BARC India Board in September 2016.
Pradeep Singh Kharola takes over as Air India CMD
Senior IAS officer Pradeep Singh Kharola took charge as the Chairman and Managing Director of Air India. Kharola assumed charge from Rajiv Bansal. He was the managing director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited since February 2015.
Shankar appointed RBI Executive Director
Uma Shankar, chief general manager (CGM) in charge of RBI’s financial inclusion and development department has taken over as executive director. Shankar has been elevated after Meena Hemchandra the executive director in charge of the central bank’s supervision department retired at the end of November. Shankar is most likely to take charge of the supervision department of the central bank.
Sarvesh Tiwari appointed as President Para Sports Foundation
On the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a renowned communication expert, Sarvesh Kumar Tiwari, was appointed as the President of Para-Sports Foundation (PSF), India. The announcement was made at the National Award for Divyangjan 2017 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Para Sports Foundation is a non-profit organization working towards the social welfare of persons with disabilities.
London Mayor Names Deepak Parekh as First International Ambassador
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has named noted Indian businessman, Deepak Parekh, as ‘International Ambassador’ who will be tasked with championing the UK capital across the globe. Parekh, is one of the first of a network of international ambassadors, that would include high-level business and cultural figures based in London or overseas. Parekh is the chairman of India’s premier housing finance company HDFC Ltd.
Azar A.H.Khan Appointed Next Ambassador of India to Turkmenistan
Shri Azar A.H.Khan, presently Consul General in the Consulate General of India, Istanbul has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Turkmenistan. He is expected to take up his assignment shortly.
Swiggy appoints Vishal Bhatia as CEO of New Supply Business
Online food delivery start-up Swiggy (Bundl Technologies Pvt. Ltd) has appointed Vishal Bhatia as the chief executive officer for its new supply business. Bhatia comes with 19 years of experience in consumer goods firms like Reckitt Benckiser Group, PepsiCo and Britannia.
Rahul Singh New president of NRAI
Rahul Singh, the founder, and CEO of The Beer Café has been appointed as president of the National Restaurant Association of India. He will replace Riyaaz Amlani, CEO & MD of Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality who resigned from his duties due to health reasons. Rahul is the recipient of the TiECON 2014 Entrepreneurial award for excellence, Entrepreneur India 2015 award in F&B service.
British singer Ellie appointed as UN environment global goodwill ambassador
British singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding is appointed as Global Goodwill Ambassador for UN Environment, joining the fight to save the lives and habitats of people and animals by cleaning up the planet’s air and seas, fighting climate change and protecting species.
A Surya Prakash re-appointed Prasar Bharati Chief
Veteran journalist A Surya Prakash appointed the chairman of the Prasar Bharati board for a second consecutive term till February 8, 2020. Information and broadcasting ministry issued an order after a panel headed by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu recommended Prakash’s name for the post.
Infosys appoints Salil S Parekh as MD & CEO
Infosys announced the appointment of Salil S. Parekh as its new CEO and Managing Director. Salil was in Capgemini earlier. The Bengaluru-headquartered company was searching for a new CEO after former CEO Vishal Sikka resigned in August 2017. Cofounder Nandan Nilekani returned to the company as non-executive chairman to steady operations.
Sibi George appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Holy See
Sibi George was appointed the next Ambassador of India to the Holy See. He is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Officer of 1993 batch. He is presently Ambassador of India to Switzerland. He has been concurrently appointed the next Ambassador of India to the Holy See, with residence in Berne. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly.
Dia Mirza appointed as UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador for India
Actor-activist Dia Mirza appointed UN (United Nations) Environment’s Goodwill Ambassador for India. As a Goodwill Ambassador, she will work with the UN to further spread the message on priority areas including clean air, clean seas, wildlife protection and climate change. UN Environment head, Erik Solheim congratulated Dia Mirza to the programme. Dia Mirza joined the prestigious list of UN Environment Goodwill Ambassadors, which includes Hollywood stars such as Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Angelina Jolie, Katy Perry and Emma Watson.
B). RESIGNS
Airtel Payments Bank CEO Shashi Arora resigns
Airtel Payments Bank Chief Executive Shashi Arora has quit the company after a recent controversy surrounding India’s largest telecom operator and its payment bank’s alleged violation of rules on using Aadhaar for its electronic know-your-customer (e-KYC) verification process. He has been associated with Airtel in senior leadership roles since 2006. the suspension of the e-KYC licence of Airtel Payments Bank has not been revoked.
Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh resigns
Incumbent Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has resigned from his post, a day after the results of the assembly election were announced in the state. Governor Acharya Devvrat, asked him to continue in the office along with his council of Ministers to discharge the functions till an alternative arrangement is made or the new government is formed. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wrested power from the Congress, winning close to a two-thirds majority with 44 seats in its kitty in the 68-member assembly.
NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar retires
The Chairperson of National Green Tribunal (NGT), Justice Swatanter Kumar announced his retirement from the post of 19 December 207, after completing his five-year tenure. A full bench reference was organised at the NGT on the occasion. Justice Swatanter Kumar was appointed to the post of NGT Chairperson on 20 December 2012. Prior to it, he was serving as a judge in the Supreme Court of India.
2002 World Cup winner Kaka retires from Football
Former AC Milan and Real Madrid midfielder Kaka, who lifted the 2002 World Cup with Brazil, announced his retirement from football. Kaka, who won the Champions League and the Ballon d’Or award in 2007 while playing for AC Milan, had become the most expensive footballer in history after his then-world record £56 million transfer from Milan to Madrid. He was the last Brazilian to be voted world player of the year in 2007.
After Mary Kom, Sushil Kumar resigns as National Sports Observer
A week after five-time world champion Mary Kom resigned as the National Sports Observer, Indian star wrestler and two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar also stepped down from the position of wrestling.
Ola CEO Shalabh Seth resigns
Shalabh Seth, CEO of Ola Fleet Technologies has resigned from the firm. Seth is one of several high-profile executives hired by Ola over the past 3 years. Seth, a former CEO of brewer SabMiller India, had joined Ola in Jan. OLA has been struggling to retain senior-level employees for a while now & Seth’s resignation adds on to the long list of executives that have stepped down.
Mary Kom resigns as National observer for Indian Boxing
Five-time world champion M C Mary Kom has resigned as the national observer for Indian boxing. The information was shared by the Olympic bronze-medallist herself. She revealed that she had taken the decision after having a word with Sports minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who had recently stated that active sportsperson will not be considered for the position. Kom is one among the 12 national observers appointed in March 2017.
Pakistan’s Law Minister Zahid Hamid resigns
Pakistan’s law minister Zahid Hamid has quit as the Civilian government surrendered to the wishes of hardline religious groups. The groups on their part, who had held Islamabad under a protest siege for nearly a month, called off their violent protests.
C). DEATHS
Mystery Writer Sue Grafton passes away at 77
Sue Grafton, author and creator of the Alphabet Series of mystery novels, has passed away at age 77. She was dealing with cancer for the last two years.
The creator of Bugs Bunny, Bob Givens, passes away at 99
Bob Givens, one of the animators behind designing the iconic characters Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd, died at the age of 99. He was from the USA. He also brought his skills to TV advertising, animating cartoon insects for Raid bug-killer commercials. Givens served in the US army during the Second World War, before returning to the animation industry.
Music Legend Robbie Malinga passes away
Legendary South African musician Robbie Malinga passed away. The veteran musician suffered from anaemia. He announced his retirement as a solo artist in 2016, after more than 20 years in the industry. The musician is known for his hit songs such as, ‘Sobabili’, ‘Mthanda’ and ‘Baby Please’.
Bengali film actor Partha Mukhopadhyay passes away
Famed Bengali film actor Partha Mukhopadhyay had passed away. He was 70. Mukhopadhyay portrayed a number of memorable roles in the 1960s after getting a break as a child artiste in the film Maa directed by Chitto Basu in 1958. The state government had conferred Mukhopadhyay with a special award for his contribution to Bengali films. Balika Bodhu (1967), Dhonyi Meye (1971), Agnishwar (1975), Amar Prithivi (1985), Baag Bandi Khela (1975) are some of his popular movies.
Banwari Lal Joshi passes away
Former UP Governor Banwari Lal Joshi passed away at AIIMS due to septic shock after an infection on the valves. Joshi was 82 years old. He has served as governor of many states. He has served as lieutenant governor of Delhi, governor of Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Bengali Singer Jatileswar Mukhopadhyay passes away
Acclaimed Bengali singer Jatileswar Mukhopadhyay passed away in Kolkata following prolonged illness. He was 82. He passed away due to multi-organ failure. The West Bengal government had conferred him with the Sangeet Samman award in 2012. He had a great place in bengali music in the 70s-80s. Some of his popular works are E Kon sakal, Tomar Sange Dekha Na Hole, Aamar Swapan Kinte Paare and Bondhuya Amar Chokhe Jal Enechhe.
Pop singer Keely Smith dies at 89
Keely Smith, a pop & jazz singer known for her solo recordings of jazz standards as well as her musical partnership with Louis Prima, has died of apparent heart failure in Palm Springs. She was 89. Smith was a Grammy-winning talent who gained much attention when as a teenager she got the job as the “girl singer” in Prima’s band in 1948. She married Prima in 1953 and achieved success together.
Actor-Director Neeraj Vora passes away
Bollywood actor, writer, and filmmaker Neeraj Vora, in coma since a year, died at a Mumbai hospital. He was 54. His initial work as a writer includes superstar Shah Rukh Khan starrer TV show Circus. As an actor, his first work professional work came in the form of Ketan Mehta’s Holi (1984), which also starred Aamir Khan. His last film as an actor was Anil Kapoor starrer Welcome Back, which released in 2015.
Pioneer of DNA Fingerprinting Lalji Singh passes away
Lalji Singh, a pioneer of DNA fingerprinting technology in India and former Vice-Chancellor of Benares Hindu University, BHU (2011 to 2014), passed away at the age of 70. Lalji Singh and his team developed the indigenous probe that was first applied to settle paternity disputes in the late 1980s at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Hyderabad.
Veteran journalist Sukharanjan Sengupta passes away
Veteran journalist Sukharanjan Sengupta died in Kolkata due to old age-related health problems. Sengupta had worked for Bengali dailies Jugantar and Ananda Bazar Patrika in his long career spanning over six decades. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed grief at Sengupta’s death and remembered his reportage of the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war.
Tamil journalist & humourist Ja Ra Sundaresan dies aged 87
Senior Tamil journalist & humourist Ja Ra Sundaresan died at a private hospital. A prolific writer, Mr. Sundaresan had authored over 1,000 short stories and 2 dozen novels. His main fictional characters were “Appusami” & “Seetha patti”. He joined Tamil weekly, Kumudam, as a member of the editorial desk in 1953 & worked for the journal as assistant editor & deputy editor till 1990.
King of rock Johnny Hallyday dies
France’s best-known rock star Johnny Hallyday has died aged 74 after a battle with lung cancer. Known simply as Johnny at home & “the French Elvis” abroad, Hallyday was a singer, actor & consummate showman who sparked scenes of mass hysteria in his heyday. Hallyday broke from France’s classic chanson tradition in the late 1950s, selling more than 100 million albums & headlining 50 major tours.
Singer Purabi Mukhopadhyay passes away
Veteran Rabindrasangeet singer Purabi Mukhopadhyay has passed away at her city residence in Kolkata after suffering from age-related health problems. She was 83.
Veteran Actor Shashi Kapoor passes away
Veteran actor Shashi Kapoor died at the age of 79. Kapoor was unwell for quite some time. The actor was admitted to the Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai. The third and youngest son of Prithviraj Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor made his Bollywood debut in 1961, as the lead actor, in the film Dharmputra. Kapoor acted in more than a hundred films, of which he played the solo lead in 61.
D). VISITORS
Russia’s Dy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin visits India
Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin arrived in New Delhi. He will co-chair the meeting of India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC). The External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will host Mr. Rogozin and lead the Indian side. The meeting will enable the two sides to review the progress achieved by various working groups and sub-groups under the IRIGC-TEC.
Second vice president of Afghanistan arrives in India for 5 day visit
Afghanistan’s second vice president Mohammad Sarwar Danish will be on a five-day visit to India starting 09 December. During his visit, Danish will go to Mumbai to attend an international conference on ‘Harmony and Memorial of Mother Teresa’.
E). MISCELLANEOUS
Pratibha Gai honoured with Damehood by queen Elizabeth
Acclaimed York-based scientist Pratibha Laxman Gai has been named for damehood , the female equivalent of a knighthood, leading a number of people of Indian-origin from various walks of life in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List 2018. Gai, professor and acclaimed expert on electron microscopy based at the University of York, grew up in India and won the national science talent scholarship before winning another scholarship to study at the University of Cambridge. She is the fourth Indian-origin woman conferred with the honour since it was institute in 1917. She has been honoured for “services to chemical sciences and technology”.
Vin Diesel, Forbes 2017 top-Grossing Actor
Vin Diesel has been named the top-grossing actor of 2017 by Forbes, with $1.6 billion in global ticketing receipts from his film ‘The Fate of the Furious’. The second spot was occupied by Dwayne Johnson ‘The Rock’, with $1.5 billion receipts. ‘Wonder Woman’ actress Gal Gadot, whose films earned $1.4 billion worldwide, featured in the third spot on the list.
Anushka Sharma crowned PETA’s ‘Person of the Year’
Popular actor and vegetarian Anushka Sharma has been crowned the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ (PETA) 2017 Person of the Year Award. The actress has taken the title for her wide-reaching work for animals, from helping to protect dogs from fireworks to advocating for horses who are forced to pull carriages in Mumbai.
Paytm becomes India’s first payments app to cross 100 mn downloads on Play Store
India’s largest mobile-first financial services platform, Paytm announced that its app has crossed the 100 million milestone on Google Play Store in the second week of December 2017. This makes Paytm the country’s first payments app to cross the 100 million downloads mark. Paytm has become the most preferred payments app in the country today, allowing users to scan its QR and pay at large merchants, grocery and kirana stores, milk-booths, local taxi/autos fares, petrol pumps, multiplexes, restaurants and more.
PM Modis Mann Ki Baat among most trending Twitter hashtags in 2017
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s radio programme “Mann Ki Baat” was the most trending hashtag on Twitter in 2017, followed by #jallikattu and #GST. The micro-blogging platform said #Mannkibaat sparked a great deal of commentary all over the year, including a tweet from cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar that went viral. Mann Ki Baat is a radio programme hosted by the PM on the last Sunday of every month to address people of the nation on All India Radio, DD National, and DD News. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also emerged as the most mentioned personality on Twitter during the course of Gujarat elections, followed by Congress President Rahul Gandhi.
Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik creates world’s biggest sand Santa face at Puri beach
On the eve of Christmas celebrations, international sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik created the world’s biggest sand Santa-face with the message “world peace” on the Puri beach of Odisha. The Santa face is 25 feet high and 50 feet wide and will be placed in the Limca Book of World Records. He has also created a sand sculpture of Jesus Christ in front of the Santa face.
AG600: World’s largest amphibious aircraft takes off
China’s home-grown AG600, also known as ‘Kunlong’, the world’s largest amphibious aircraft took off took off from the southern city of Zhuhai and landed after roughly an hour-long flight. Its successful maiden flight makes China among the world’s few countries capable of developing a large amphibious aircraft. It also further strengthens China’s rapidly modernising military.
Mumbai, Gurugram girls win Mrs India contest
Mayanka Patel from Mumbai and Poonam Gaur from Gurugram were crowned Mrs India-Pride of Nation in two different categories at the grand finale. Mayanka was announced winner in Group A category that had participation of girls in the age bracket of 21 years to 34 years while Group B (34-45 years) saw Poonam taking the crown at the event.
Patanjali ranked India’s most trusted FMCG Brand
Brand Trust Report, India Study 2017 has ranked Patanjali as India’s most trusted Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) brand. Patanjali has also been named the most attractive brand. The study was conducted on 11,000 brands in 16 cities of India.
Kohli becomes India’s most valued celeb
For the first time, a cricketer, Virat Kohli has emerged as the top-ranked celeb with a brand value of $144 million. In 2016, SRK was on the top spot with $131.2m brand value. He has slipped to the second rank this year, with a brand value of $106m. Kohli endorses 20 brands as of October 2017, while Khan and Deepika Padukone – ranked on number 3 – endorse 21 and 23 brands, respectively.
Salman Khan tops Forbes India Celebrity List 2017
With earnings of Rs232.83 crore, actor Salman Khan has topped the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list 2017 for the second consecutive year. While Shah Rukh Khan featured in the second spot with earnings of Rs170.50 crore, Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli came third with Rs100.72 crore earnings. Akshay Kumar and Sachin Tendulkar featured in the fourth and fifth spots respectively.
UK tops Forbes’ List of Best Countries for Business in 2018
The United Kingdom has topped Forbes’ rankings of best countries in the world for business in 2018 for the first time, up from fifth last year. The list ranks 153 countries on 15 factors including property rights, innovation, taxes and red tape. The UK is followed by New Zealand and the Netherlands, while India was ranked 62nd on the list. The UK’s $2.6 trillion economy is the fifth largest in the world. The world’s second (China) and third (Japan) biggest economies rank 66th and 21st, respectively. Chad ranks last for the third straight year.
Delhi ranks 7th in Most Expensive Office Locations list
Delhi has emerged as one of the most expensive premium office locations in the world. Ranked 7th in the list, rent of Delhi’s premium office location is higher than San Francisco and Dubai, according to the latest report by JLL India, a real estate services firm. Mumbai is at 16th position in the list. The top spot is again taken by Hong Kong and there is huge margin between the rent rates between Hong Kong and London (West), which is second in the list. New York, Beijing, Tokyo are on the third, fourth and fifth position respectively.
Shree Saini from Washington crowned Miss India USA 2017
Washington resident Shree Saini has been crowned Miss India USA 2017. While Prachi Singh from Connecticut was declared the first runner-up at the pageant, which was held at the Royal Alberts Palace in Edison, New Jersey. Shree Saini is an anti-bullying activist. At the beauty pageant, cancer surgeon Kavita Malhotra Pattani from Florida was declared Mrs India USA 2017. Swapna Mannam, 17, from New Jersey was crowned with Miss Teen India USA 2017.
World’s longest wedding dress train sets Guinness record
A Guinness World Record has been set in France for the world’s longest wedding dress train, measuring over 8,095 metres long. Construction company Dynamic Projects, with the help of 15 volunteers, spent two months stitching individual pieces of the rain before sewing them all together to form a whole. The team also incorporated part of the previous record – breaking garment that measured 1,203.9 metres. The wedding dress was unveiled in Caudry, a French town famous for its production of lace, 11 years after the Guinness World Records title was first set there.
Mo Farah wins BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year Award
World 10,000m champion Sir Mo Farah has been voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2017. The 34-year-old, a four-time Olympic champion, won his third successive world 10,000m gold medal in London in August. He becomes the first long-distance runner to win the Sports Personality award since Paula Radcliffe in 2002.
Man Sails around the World in 42 days, breaks World Record
Frenchman Francois Gabart smashed the world record for the fastest non-stop solo navigation of the globe, completing the mammoth feat in 42 days, 16 hours, 40 minutes and 35 seconds. The 34-year-old sailor crossed a virtual finish line drawn between the island of Ushant off France’s northwest tip and Lizard Point in southwest England at 0145 GMT, comfortably beating the previous record set by compatriot Thomas Coville last year by six days and 10 hours.
‘Youthquake’ named Word of the Year by Oxford Dictionaries
Oxford Dictionaries has crowned “youthquake” as its word of 2017 in a nod to the unexpected level of youth engagement in this summer’s election in the United Kingdom. An amalgamation of “youth” and “earthquake”, the noun is defined as “a significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people”. The word was coined in the 1960s by then-Vogue editor, Diana Vreeland, to describe upheavals in fashion and music caused by Britain’s youth culture.
Roger Federer named BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year
Roger Federer has been named BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year for a record fourth time. Federer overtook fellow three-time winners Muhammad Ali and Usain Bolt after rolling back the years to win the Australian Open before becoming the first man to win eight Wimbledon singles titles, at the age of 35. His dramatic five-set win over Rafael Nadal in Melbourne ended a near five-year drought of grand slam triumphs, with his victory at the All England Club increasing his haul of majors to a record 19.
Lucknow’s Jitesh Singh Deo named Mr India 2017
Jitesh Singh Deo from Lucknow was declared the winner of the 2017 Mr India pageant. Indian footballer Prathamesh Maulingkar won the title of Mr India Supranational and will compete at Mr Supranational 2018. Abhi Khajuria was declared the first-runner up while Pavan Rao was the second runner-up. Actress Kangana Ranaut felicitated the winners.
JK Rowling named a ‘Companion of Honor’
The royal family has presented J.K. Rowling with a Companion of Honor award at Buckingham Palace. The “Harry Potter” author received the prestigious award from Prince William, as recognition of her services to literature and philanthropy. The prestigious award is given to people who have made major contributions in their field.
Michael Jordan, World’s Highest-Paid Athlete of All Time
In the latest list released by Forbes, Michael Jordan has been named as the highest-paid athletes of all time. The 54-year-old has a whopping $1.7 billion in the bank. Former world number one golfer Tiger Woods is standing at the second spot. Late American golfer Arnold Palmer is at No.3 with incredible $1.4 billion to his name.
‘Feminism’: Merriam-Webster’s Word of the year 2017
Feminism’ was on 13 December 2017 named as the Merriam-Webster’s Word of the year for 2017. In the year 2017, searchers for ‘feminism’ increased by 70 per cent over 2016 on Merriam-Webster.com. ‘Feminism’ has also been in Merriam-Webster’s annual Top 10 list for the past few years. ‘Feminism’ has its roots in the Latin language, where it was used for “woman” and “female” in 14th century English.
ICAN receives 2017 Nobel Peace Prize
The Geneva-based International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) received the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize at ceremony held in Oslo, Norway. The award was received by Beatrice Fihn, leader of ICAN and Hiroshima nuclear bombing survivor Setsuko Thurlow. ICAN, a coalition of 468 grassroots non-governmental groups has been in forefront of pushing for end to use of nuclear weapons through United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons adopted by 122 nations in July 2017.
Lakshmi Puri among six diplomats felicitated with ‘Power of One’
Six top diplomats including one Indian were felicitated with the inaugural Diwali ‘Power of One’ award at the UN headquarters in New York for their contribution to help form a more perfect, peaceful and secure world. The awards were presented on the occasion of the first anniversary of the issuance of a ‘forever Diwali stamp’ by the US Postal Services.
List of Awardees:
Matthew Rycroft: The outgoing British Ambassador to the UN
Nawaf Salam: The Lebanese Ambassador to the UN. He was also elected to the International Court of Justice in November 2017.
Lakshmi Puri: She is the Indian head of the UN Women.
Maged Abdelaziz: The former Permanent Representative of Egypt to the UN.
Ion Botnaru: The former Permanent Representative of Moldova to the UN.
Yuriy Sergeyev: The former Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN.
Dangal named the Best Asian Film at Australian Gala
Aamir Khan-starrer Dangal has been named the Best Asian Film at 7th Australian Academy of Cinema & Television Arts Awards. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Dangal is a biographical sports drama film featuring Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra, Zaira Wasim. It is inspired by lives of Phogat family members, telling the story of Mahavir Phogat who trains his daughters to become world-class wrestlers.
Former supermarket worker Dan Middleton named World’s richest YouTuber
The Forbes Magazine has named former Tesco supermarket worker Dan Middleton as the world’s richest YouTuber after he made a fortune of $16.5 million this year. The 26-year-old shares videos of himself playing video games and describes gameplay and strategies on his YouTube channel, DanTDM. He has earned popularity around the world, with his live tour most recently including a stopover at the Sydney Opera House in Australia – with the show the second-fastest show in the venue’s history.
Diddy tops Forbes Highest Paid Musicians of 2017 List
Forbes has revealed its annual list of the highest-paid musicians. Diddy [Sean Combs] was named the highest earner ranked in $130 million.
The top 3 in the list are:
1) Diddy ($130m)
2) Beyonce ($105m)
3) Drake ($94m).
Facebook Co founder Saverin becomes richest man in Singapore
Facebook Co-founder Eduardo Saverin has become Singapore’s richest person with a net worth of $10.4 billion. Saverin became a Singapore resident after giving up his US citizenship in 2012.
Shah Rukh Khan named top Indian actor of 2017 by IMDb
Actor Shah Rukh Khan has been named the top Indian actor of 2017 by Internet Movie Data Base (IMDb). Aamir Khan and Salman Khan occupied the second and third spots respectively.
2nd best UNESCO world heritage site
The Taj Mahal in Agra, is the second best UNESCO world heritage site in the world, according to a new survey. With over 8 million visitors per year, the monument of love built by mughal emperor Shah Jahan is rated after Cambodia’s Angkor Wat. Conducted by online travel portal TripAdvisor, the survey lists the UNESCO Cultural & Natural heritage sites best rated by travellers around the globe.
Kerala’s Alappuzha in Top 5 UN Clean City List
The waste management system being implemented in Kerala’s coastal town of Alappuzha recognized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as one of the five models across the world for fighting the pollution menace. Alappuzha, often called “the Venice of East”, has been listed in the UNEP environment report entitled, ‘Solid approach to waste: how five cities are beating pollution’ alongside cities like Osaka in Japan, Ljubljana in Slovenia, Penang in Malaysia and Cajica in Colombia.
Time readers vote Saudi Crown Prince Person of the Year
Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been voted the Time magazine readers’ Person of the Year, despite spearheading the continued bombardment of Yemen, leading to the starvation of its citizens. The award goes to those who “for better or worse” influenced the year. The 32-year-old scored 24 percent of the vote, with the #MeToo movement against sexual assault and harassment. Bin Salman overtook Hillary Clinton, Vladimir Putin and even the Pope to be crowned the people’s choice, winning far more votes than the three combined.
PM Modi Most tweeted about world leader after Trump
PM Modi has emerged as the “most tweeted about world leader” after U.S. President Donald Trump in 2017. Mr. Modi with 37.5 million followers is the 2nd most tweeted about the world leader, after Mr. Trump with 44.1 million followers. Other world leaders to figure in the top-10 list include Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Turkish President Recep Erdogan and French President Emmanuel Macron.
World smallest Mona Lisa created using DNA origami
Caltech scientists have made the world’s smallest recreation of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the size of a bacterium, out of DNA. The technique, dubbed DNA origami, enabled scientists to fold DNA into desired self-assembling structures using 64 tiles, which were 100 nanometers wide. The team also created a life-sized portrait of a bacterium and a bacterium-sized portrait of a rooster.
Kumbh Mela on UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage
UNESCO has inscribed ‘Kumbh Mela’ on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The decision was taken during the 12th session of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage at Jeju in South Korea. This inscription is the third in two years following the inscriptions of ‘Yoga’ and ‘Nouroz’ on 1st December 2016. The ‘Kumbh Mela’ is the largest peaceful congregation of pilgrims on earth.
Syrian boy wins Children’s Peace Prize
Mohamad Al Jounde from Syria has been awarded the International Children’s Peace Prize for his efforts to ensure rights of Syrian refugee children Al Jounde set up a school together with his family in a Lebanese refugee camp that currently provides 200 children with education. He received the prize from Malala Yousafzai, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for her work for children’s rights.
Indian-American Senator Harris tops Global Thinkers List
Indian-American California senator Kamala Harris has topped the prestigious Foreign Policy magazine’s 2017 list of ’50 Leading Global Thinkers’ which also features US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley. Besides Harris and Haley, Indian-origin stand-up comedian Hasan Minhaj has also made it to the list. South Korean President Moon Jae-in is ranked second in the list for trying to rebuild decent democratic leadership in South Korea. Popular comedian Minhaj is placed third in the ranking for defining the narrative of a “New Brown America”.
First Sikh Woman elected as Mayor in the US
Preet Didbal has been elected as the mayor of Yuba city in California, becoming the first Sikh woman to hold the position in the United States. Ms. Didbal was appointed by the California city council and will be sworn in on December 5. However, Ms. Didbal is the first Sikh woman to be elected as mayor in the country.
Aditya Puri only Indian on Fortune’s Businessperson of the Year Top 20 List
Aditya Puri, the Managing Director of HDFC Bank, is the only Indian on Fortune’s ‘Businessperson of the Year’ list. The Businessperson of the Year list is an annual ranking of world’s top 20 heads of companies. At the 18th position, Aditya Puri is the only head of an Indian company on the list.
Raj Shah becomes First Indian-American to hold Press Gaggle
Raj Shah who holds a key position in the White House, gaggled with reporters on board US Presidential chopper Air Force One, becoming the first Indian-American to enjoy the privilege. Thirty-three old, He did so in the capacity of the Principal Deputy Press Secretary. He was accompanying Mr Trump as he flew to Missouri to deliver a major speech on middle-class tax relief and business tax relief.
‘Populism’ Named Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year
The word ‘populism’ has been announced as Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year 2017. The dictionary defined populism as “political ideas and activities that are intended to get the support of ordinary people by giving them what they want”. It said searches for ‘populism’ rose when Pope Francis made statements warning against its rising tide.
Miss Korea Jenny Kim Crowned Miss Supranational 2017
The 24-year-old model and Miss Korea Jenny Kim has bagged the title of Miss Supranational 2017 at the gala event, which was held in Poland’s Spa Resort of Krynica- Zdroj. Miss Columbia Tica Martinez and Romania’s Bianca Tirsin were adjudged First Runner’s Up and the second runner-up in the event, respectively. Kim left behind 64 contestants from different countries to bag the title. India’s official entry to the competition, Peden Ongmu Namgyal, reached top 25.
PLACES IN NEWS
World’s Longest Glass Bridge opens in China
The world’s longest glass bridge has been opened in China to the public. Though it has a capacity to hold 2000 people, only 500 would be allowed at a time. Located in Shijiazhuang, the magnificent bridge lies 218 meters above hanging between the two cliffs in Hongyagu Scenic Area in Pingshan county. The bridge is 488 meters long and two meters wide, with two dragon statues on top that could produce smoke. Another 430 meters long and 6 meters wide bridge was opened last year in the Grand Canyon Scenic Area in Zhangjiajie, China.
NGT declares Amarnath Cave shrine a ‘Silent Zone’
In order to protect the eco-sensitive Amarnath cave shrine, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) declared it a “silence zone” and prohibited religious offerings like chanting of hymns, and ringing bells beyond the entry point. The Amarnath cave temple is situated in the Himalayas in the state of Jammu & Kashmir.
Mount Hope named UK’s new highest peak
British authorities have named Mount Hope as the country’s new highest peak. Hope, which is sited in the part of the Antarctic claimed by the UK, was recently re-measured and found to tower above the previous title holder, Mount Jackson.
BOOKS IN NEWS
Book on Gauri Lankesh’s writings launched
A book containing selected writings by late journalist Gauri Lankesh was launched at the Mumbai Press Club, three months after she was gunned down. The book, The Way I See It – a Gauri Lankesh Reader, has been edited by writer and sociologist Chandan Gowda. The six sections of the book comprise Lankesh’s early reportage in various publications and selected articles she wrote for the Kannada language Gauri Lankesh Patrike, which she edited.
Uttarakhand CM launches his biography
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has launched a biography based on chronicles of his early struggle and lesser known aspects of his life. Titled ‘Trivendra Ek Zindaginama – Khairasain ka Sooraj’, the book is written by a doctor named Nandan Singh Bisht.
Amitabh Bachchan launches Book on Indian Cinema
Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan launched a book based on Indian cinema in showbiz capital Mumbai. The book, titled ‘Bollywood: The Films! The Songs! The Stars!’, is a coffee table book, which provides historical insights, lesser-known facts and behind-the-scene exclusives of the most iconic movies made in the history of the Indian film industry. The book is co-authored by S.M.M. Ausaja, Karan Bali, Rajesh Devraj and Tanul Thakur, the book on India’s tinsel town is published by British multinational publishing company Dorling Kindersley (DK).
IMPORTANT DAYS & DATES
25 December: Good Governance Day
The Good Governance Day (GGD) is celebrated every year in India on December 25 to mark the birthday anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The day was established by Central Government in 2014 to honor Vajpayee by fostering awareness among the people of accountability in government.
23 December: Kisan Diwas
Kisan Diwas (Farmer’s Day) is observed every year on 23 December to celebrate the birth anniversary of the fifth prime minister late Chaudhary Charan Singh. He was the PM of India for a very short tenure starting from 28th of July 1979 until 14th January 1980. When he became the Prime Minister of India in July 1979 he made many changes to improve the lives of the farmers. This is also an interesting fact that as the Prime Minister of India, Chaudhary Charan Singh never visited the Lok Sabha. He also served as the Deputy Prime Minister during the reign of Morarji Desai. He introduced Budget 1979 which was designed to accomplish the needs of the farmers in all respects. It had several policies in favour of Indian farmers.
22 December: National Mathematics Day
The famed Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan’s birth anniversary on December 22 is celebrated as National Mathematics Day. It was in 2012 that then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declared December 22 as National Mathematics Day. In 1917, Ramanujan was elected to be a member of the London Mathematical Society. In 1918 he also became a Fellow of the Royal Society, becoming the youngest person to achieve the feat. He passed away on April 6, 1920.
20 December: International Human Solidarity Day
The International Human Solidarity Day was observed across the world on 20 December 2017. In the Millennium Declaration, solidarity is identified as one of the fundamental values of internal relations in the 21st Century, wherein those who either suffer or benefit least deserve help from those who benefit most. The Day aims to raise public awareness of the importance of solidarity and encourages debate on the ways to promote solidarity for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals including poverty eradication.
18 December: International Migrants Day
The International Migrants Day was observed across the world on 18 December 2017 with the theme ‘Safe Migration in a World on the Move’. Migration has always been a way-out for individuals to overcome the hitches and snags and to live a better life. In this new era of crisis and complexity, challenges and difficulties, international migration requires enhanced cooperation and collective action among countries and regions. The total number of international migrants has increased from an estimated 175 million in 2000 to 244 million in 2015. Nearly two thirds of all international migrants, that is 76 million people, live in Europe or Asia. One in every ten migrants is below 15 years of age.
16 December: Vijay Diwas
Vijay Diwas was observed across the nation on 16 December 2017. The day is commemorated every year, as it marks India’s victory over Pakistan during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, which led to the creation of Bangladesh. The day’s celebrations would witness participation from many ex-servicemen who had fought in the war. This year marks the 46th anniversary of India’s victory over its neighbour. The day is celebrated as a Victory day by Bangladesh as well, as the surrender of Pakistan Armed Forces marked an end to its 9-month-long Liberation War.
14 December: National Energy Conservation Day
The National Energy Conservation Day is celebrated annually on 14th December. The 14th President of India Mr. Ram Nath Kovind was the Chief Guest on the occasion. The ECD is organized on 14th December each year by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), under Ministry of Power. The Day is celebrated with an aim to demonstrate India’s achievements in energy efficiency and conservation.
11 December: International Mountain Day
International Mountain Day was observed across the world on 11 December 2017 with the theme ‘Mountains under pressure: climate, hunger and migration’. The day provides an occasion to highlight how climate, hunger and migration are affecting highlands and to ensure that sustainable mountain development is integrated into the 2030 Agenda and in the implementation of the Paris Agreement. This year’s theme is also linked to the Mountain Partnership Global Meeting, which is scheduled to be held from 11 to 13 December 2017 at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Rome, Italy.
10 December: Human Rights Day
Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December. The day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This year, Human Rights Day kicks off a year-long campaign to mark the upcoming 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a milestone document. It is the most translated document in the world, available in more than 500 languages. The Campaign is named as #standup4humanrights.
07 December: Armed Forces Flag Day
Armed Forces Flag Day is being observed throughout the country on 7 December to honor the martyrs and the men in uniform who valiantly fought on our borders to safeguard the country’s honor. The day marks the annual Armed Forces Flag day in India since 1949. The day is also dedicated towards the collection of funds from people for welfare of Indian Armed forces personnel and to commemorate the soldiers, airmen, and sailors of the armed forces for their yeomen services.
5 December: World Soil Day
The World Soil Day was observed across the world on 5 December 2017 with the theme ‘Caring for the Planet starts from the Ground’. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the soil holds three times as much carbon as the atmosphere and can help us meet the challenges of a changing climate.
4 December: Indian Navy Day
The 46th Indian Navy Day was celebrated on 4 December 2017. The day is observed every year to celebrate the achievements and role of the naval force in the country. On this day in 1971, the Indian Navy carried out Operation Trident, which was a devastating attack on Pakistan’s Naval Headquarters of Karachi. The attack irreparably damaged destroyers and oil storage tanks at the Karachi port and sank Pakistan Naval Ships, PNS Ghazi.
3 December: International Day of Persons with Disabilities
International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3) is an international observance promoted by the United Nations since 1992. The observance of the Day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. The theme of International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2017: “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient society for all”.
1 December: BSF Raising Day
Border Security Force (BSF), the sentinels of Indian borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh, celebrated its 52nd Anniversary of Raising Day on 1st December. BSF is the biggest border guarding force in the world. It came into existence on the eventful day of 1st December, 1965. BSF is deployed on Indo-Pakistan International Border, Indo-Bangladesh International Border, Line of Control along with Indian Army and in Anti-Naxal Operations.
1 December: World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day, designated on 1 December every year since 1988, is a day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and mourning those who have died of the disease. The theme for World AIDS day 2017 is ‘Right to health’.
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