Unique IAS Academy – January 2017

1st January, 2017 PM announces number of measures for welfare of farmers, small traders, women & senior citizens Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced two housing schemes, tax incentives for small traders, interest rebate for farmers and monetary assistance for pregnant women. (1) Bonanza for Home Buyers In a big relief to home buyers, New Schemes under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana were announced. Now get 4 % interest relief on home loan upto 9 lakh rupees. And 3 % cut for home loan upto 12 lakh rupees. (2) Subvention on Home Improvements In rural areas, now you can get 3 % interest relief on loan of upto 2 lakh rupees for the construction, renovation and expansion of home. (3) Big relief to Farmers Govt to pay interest for 60 days on loans taken by farmers for rabi season from district cooperative banks and primary societies. (4) Fund to NABARD doubled Additional fund of 20,000 crore given to NABARD to give loans to farmers. (5) Kisan Credit Cards to become RUPAY 3 crore Kisan Credit Cards will be transformed to RuPay credit cards. Farmers had to go to banks to withdraw money. It will help farmers to sell and buy. (6) Big boost to MSME sector For small entrepreneurs, credit guarantee raised from Rs 1 crore to Rs 2 crore. Loans by non-banking financial companies will also be covered in this. Shopkeepers and small businessmen will get more loans because of this. (7) Relief to small traders For small businesses, cash credit limit raised to 25 per cent from 20 per cent. Working capital increased to 30 % from the current 20% if the transaction is done via digital mode. (8) Big push to less cash Economy In a bid to promote less cash economy, PM says small traders and businesses with a turnover of up to Rs 2 crore, 6% tax will be levied instead of 8% if they accept payments through banking and digital means. (9) Scheme for pregnant women For pregnant women, a national scheme launched. Would be Mothers will get Rs. 6,000 for their delivery, vaccination, and nutritious meals. This will be transferred straight to their account. This will help in saving lives of mothers and new born kids. (10) Relief to senior citizens Senior citizens will be assured 8 per cent interest on their deposits up to Rs 7.5 lakh. Now for the senior citizens the interest rate shall remain fixed at 8 percent for next 10 years. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has lauded Prime Minister Modi‘s announcements for enhancing economic activities and welfare measures. NRIs can exchange defunct notes up to June 30: RBI I. Reserve Bank last night came out with conditions for exchange of defunct notes for those, including non-resident Indians, who failed to do so till 30th December 2016, the last day for depositing the invalid currency notes in banks. Resident Indian citizens who were abroad from November 9th to December 30th can avail this facility up to March 0422 4204182,9884267599 1st Street Gandhipuram Coimbatore Page 1

Unique IAS Academy – January 2017

31st, 2017 and NRI citizens, who were abroad during this period, can exchange their defunct notes up to June 30th, 2017. II. While there is no monetary limit for exchange for the eligible resident Indians, the limit for NRIs will be as per the relevant FEMA Regulations 25,000 rupees per person. Justice Mian Saqib Nisar appointed as Chief Justice of Pak I. Justice Mian Saqib Nisar has taken oath as the 25th Chief Justice of . The oath was administered by the country's President Mamnoon Hussain at the President House. The event was attended by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and other dignitaries. Justice Nisar has replaced Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali who retired after serving as Chief Justice for 15 since his appointment in September 2015. Sikkim became ’s first fully organic state in 2016 I. Sikkim has emerged as the India‘s first fully organic state by converting around 75,000 hectares of agricultural land into sustainable cultivation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally certified Fully Organic State Status to Sikkim at a sustainable agriculture conference in Gangtok earlier in 2016. II. Around 75,000 hectares of agricultural land has been gradually converted to certified organic land by implementing organic practices and principles as per guidelines laid down in National Programme for Organic Production. Organic cultivation is free of chemical pesticides and chemical fertilisers to maintain a balance with ecosystems. Sustainable farming also helps in building the soil health resulting in sustainable increased crop production. Organic Farming will also boost the tourism industry in the tiny landlocked Himalayan state of Sikkim. British-Indian Professor Shankar Balasubramanian Receives Knighthood I. Shankar Balasubramanian, an Indian- origin British professor of chemistry and DNA expert at Cambridge University, has received a Knighthood along with Olympic stars Andy Murray and Mo Farah among others by Queen Elizabeth II for their contributions. II. Balasubramanian, 50, Herchel Smith Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at Cambridge University, has been recognised for his work as a co-inventor of Next Generation DNA sequencing, described as the most transformational advance in biology and medicine for decades.

2nd January, 2017 Govt permits 12 PSU banks to raise Rs 3,000 crore from market i.The Finance Ministry granted approval to 12 proposals of PSBs to raise a sum of Rs 2,914.038 crore through preferential allotment and permission given to raise Rs 200 crore by United Bank of India through QIP mode. ii.The government had already infused a sum of Rs 25,000 crore in 19 PSBs during FY 2015-16. NRIs can exchange defunct notes up to June 30: RBI i.Resident Indian citizens who were abroad from November 9 to December 30 during Demonetization can avail exchange facility up to March 31, 2017 ii.NRI citizens, who were abroad during this period, can exchange their defunct notes up to June 30, 2017 26 crore accounts open under Jan Dhan Yojana across country i.Over 26 crore accounts have been opened under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana across the country now. ii.The Scheme was launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August, 2014 with the objective of covering all households with at least one bank account. Mori in Andhra gets Smart Digital village tag

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 i.Mori, a tiny village under Sakhinetipalli mandal in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, sealed its place on India's digital map by transforming completely into a Smart Digital Village, in every sense of the term. ii.All the 1189 households in the village with a population of 4500 became fully digital as Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu finally launched the AP FiberNet project that will provide internet at a speed of 15 mbps, WiFi, a telephone connection and 250 cable television channels for a total price of Rs 149 per month. World famous 11-day gala festival Bargarh Dhanua Jatra begins i. Odisha's World famous 11-day gala festival Bargarh Dhanua Jatra is all set to begin on 2 January 2017.All rituals were performed before Goddess Samaleswari, the presiding deity of the event. ii.Dhanu Jatra is an annual drama-based open air theatrical performance celebrated in a 6 km radius in and around Bargarh municipality. It is considered to be the world‘s largest open air theatrical festival. Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani dedicated India’s first laser technology-based advanced AVMS RTO check-post at Shamlaji i.Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani dedicated India's first laser technology-based advanced AVMS RTO check-post at Shamlaji of Aravalli district . ii.The check-post is equipped with advanced ray technology with a cost of Rs 4.72 crore. Along with this programme, Rupani also laid foundation stones of various developmental works worth Rs 30 crore in tribal area of Aravalli district. India successfully test-fires intercontinental ballistic missile Agni-IV i.India has successfully test-fired its home-grown long range intercontinental surface-to-surface nuclear capable ballistic missile Agni-IV from the Abdul Kalam Wheeler Island off Odisha coast. ii. Agni-IV is a two-stage, surface-to-surface missile that is 20 metres long and weighs 17 tonnes. It can carry a one- tonne nuclear warhead over a distance of 4,000 kilometres. India’s Petronet Signs MoU to Set Up $950 Mn LNG Project in i.India's largest LNG importer Petronet has signed an agreement to set up a $950 million liquefied natural gas import project in Bangladesh. ii.Petronet signed a MoU with with Petrobangla to set up a 7.5 million tonnes a year project to receive and regasify LNG on Kutubdia Island in Cox's Bazar and lay a 26-km pipline to connect it to the consumption markets. SBI cuts lending rate by 0.9% across i.Country‘s largest lender SBI cut benchmark interest rate across various maturities by 0.9 per cent, effective from 1st January 2017, a move that is expected to be shortly followed by other banks also. ii.The bank has reduced marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR) by 0.9 per cent from 8.90 per cent to 8 per cent for 1-year tenure Bharatiya Jananpith announces Navlekhan award 2016 i.Two new Hindi writers Shraddha and Ghyansham Kumar Devansh have been chosen for Bharatiya Jnanpith Navlekhan Award for the year 2016, the literary organisation announced . ii.The decision to confer the award on Shraddha for her short story, 'Hawa Mein Phadphadati Chitthi' and on Devansh for his poem 'Akash Mein Deh' was taken unanimously by a selection panel chaired by eminent poet Vishnu Nagar. NHPC CMD honoured at 10th ENERTIA Awards 2016 i.State-run National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Chairman and Managing Director K M Singh has been conferred the 'Power & Energy Persona's Award for Individual Excellence' at the 10th ENERTIA Awards 2016. ii.India and South Asia's awards for excellence in sustainable energy and power.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 iii.Singh received the award from Former Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Upendra Tripathy. Indian Origin Appointed To Top Military Post In Kyrgyzstan i.An Indian-origin Saudi-based entrepreneur Shaikh Rafik Mohammed, who hails from Kerala has been appointed Major General of Kyrgyzstan, a rare military position occupied by an Indian in the Central Asian country. ii.He is appointed by Ali Mirza, Defence Minister of Kyrgyzstan at an official ceremony held in the country, Khaleej Times reported. British-Indian professor knighted in New Year's honours Shankar Balasubramanian, an Indian-origin British professor of chemistry and DNA expert at Cambridge University, has received a Knighthood for his contribution to the field of science and medicine along with Olympic stars Andy Murray and Mo Farah among others by Queen Elizabeth II for their contributions in respective field's. Mian Saqib Nisar appointed as Chief Justice of Pak i.Justice Mian Saqib Nisar has taken oath as the 25th Chief Justice of Pakistan. ii.The oath was administered by the country's President Mamnoon Hussain at the President House. Air Marshal Anil Khosla takes over as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Air Command i.Air Marshal Anil Khosla took over as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Air Command on 1 January 2017. ii.As an Air Marshal he has held appointment of Senior Air Staff Officer, Central Air Command and Director General Air (Operations) at Air HQ, Vayu Bhawan. Somdev Devvarman announces retirement from professional tennis i.India's star singles player Somdev Devvarman has announced his retirement from professional tennis.Somdev touched a career-high rank of number 62 in 2011. ii.He has two runners-up finishes on the ATP World Tour as his best performances on the Tour. He made the finals of Chennai and Johannesburg ATP events. iii. Somdev also won Singles and Doubles medals in Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. Sivalingam Sathish Kumar of Railways clinches gold for sixth time i.Rio Olympian Sathish Sivalingam from Railways won the gold, for the sixth consecutive year, in the men's 77 kg category in the 69th men's and 32nd women's Senior National Weightlifting Championship, at the Ponjesly College of Engineering. ii.Sivalingam Sathish 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. Rafael Nadal wins Mubadala Tennis Championships 2016 in Abu Dhabi i.Rafael Nadal defeated David Goffin to win in Abu Dhabi.Rafael Nadal defeated Belgian David Goffin 6-4, 7-6 to win the Mubadala World Tennis Championships. ii.Rafeal Nadal, 30, trailed at 1-3 in the first set but regained advantage over Goffin, who overcame world No.1 Andy Murray in the semi-finals.

3rd January, 2017 Birth Anniversary of Savitribai Phule: 3 January

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 i.Hailed as the country's first woman teacher, Savitribai Phule was also a social worker and a poet. Born on January 3, 1831, in 's Naigaon. ii.2017 marks her 186th birth year. Savitribai Phule is 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. iii.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. BHIM becomes most popular Android app in India i.Govt's online payments app, BHIM is now the number one free app on Play Store. The app was launched by PM Modi to simplify digital payments. ii.The app, with a rating of 4.2, has been downloaded more than 1 million times.Within 48 hours of being launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the app named BHIM was India‘s most-popular, registering the maximum downloads of any free Android app in India. iii.The app was launched on 30 December 2016, to simplify digital payments. The app has already been downloaded 3 million times. iv.BHIM - which stands for Bharat Interface for Money - is named after Dr BR Ambedkar. India 3rd among nations offering highest salaries to expats i.India has ranked third among the countries offering the highest average annual salary to expatriates, according to HSBC Holdings data. ii.Notably, Switzerland offers an average salary of $188,275 a year to expats, the highest in the world and almost twice the global average. iii.Further, the best employment packages, including health benefits, are found in Middle East countries like Bahrain. PM inaugurate Indian Science Congress at Tirupati i.Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurate the five-day annual Indian Science Congress at the Sri Venkateswara University. ii.‗Science and Technology for National Development‘ would be the focal theme of the Indian Science Congress, Prof D Narayana Rao, General President of Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA). Chandrababu Naidu Launches Arogya Raksha Scheme to cover APL Families Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh has launched a new health scheme, Arogya Raksha Scheme Tummalapalli Kalakshetram in Vijayawada to provide the medical treatment to the people of the Above Poverty Line at Rs. 1200 premium per annum Banks cut base rates: home, corporate loans to be cheaper i.Housing, auto and corporate loans are all set to become cheaper with half a dozen PSU and private banks steeply reducing benchmark lending rate by up to 1.48% after spurt in deposits following demonetisation. ii.Taking a cue from State Bank of India, other lenders including largest private sector lender ICICI Bank and state- owned Oriental Bank of Commerce and Andhra Bank announced a cut in the marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR). iii.SBI along with PNB and Union Bank of India, yesterday reduced the lending rate by a good 0.9% after Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his new year eve address urged the banks to focus on the needs of poor and lower middle class and middle class. Centre launches mobile app for Haj applications

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017

Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has launched mobile app 'Haj Committee of India', which will provide information and facilitate e-payments for Haj pilgrimage. Maharashtra government to organise Digi Dhan Mela in i.Maharashtra government will organise a Digi Dhan Mela in Mumbai under the aegis of central government‘s Lucky Grahak Yojana for Consumers and Digi-Dhan Vyapar Yojana for traders. ii.The day-long event, to be held at Mumbai University, aims to promote digital payment methods and inculcate a digital payment habit among all citizens. Maharashtra Government Bans use of Purse Seine Nets for Fishing i.Maharashtra Government has declared to ban the use of Purse Seine Nets for fishing across Maharashtra to safeguard the Fingerlings, a fish species. ii.The move is aimed at curbing the exploitation of fish by safeguarding the fingerlings and its eggs to increase their population. David R Syiemlieh appointed new UPSC chairman i.David R Syiemlieh has been appointed today as the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). ii. An official statement said President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed Prof David R Syiemlieh, Member, Union Public Service Commission, with effect from January 4, 2017 till furtherOrder. iii.He will take over from Alka Sirohi, a former IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre. Pakistan approves Hindu marriage bill i.The Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights unanimously approved the Hindu Marriages Bill on 2nd January 2017 ii.The much-awaited bill to regulate marriages of minority Hindus in Pakistan moved closer to reality after a Senate committee approved the landmark draft legislation, nearly four months after it was passed by the National Assembly. iii.The bill will enable the Hindu community members to get their marriages registered. It will become a law after it will be passed by the Senate, the upper house of the Parliament. Amazon Wins Patent for Flying Warehouse to Deliver Parcels via Drones i.The U.S. e-commerce giant, Amazon has been awarded a patent for launching a giant flying warehouse that would act as a launch pad for drones to deliver items within minutes. ii.The U.S. e-commerce giant described plans for an "airborne fulfilment centre" (AFC) such as an airship or blimp that would float at an altitude of around 45,000. iii.The airship will be stocked with lots of products delivers Sukhoi jets to China i.Russia has finally delivered four Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets to China after a delay of two years. ii. The Su-35 is an advanced version of the Su-30s operated by the Indian Air Force. Karnataka Minister H S Mahadeva Prasad dies at 58 i.Karnataka minister for co-operation and sugar H S Mahadeva Prasad passed away in Bangalore due to cardiac arrest. He was 58 years old. ii.Halahalli Shreekantha Shetti Mahadeva Prasad was the Minister for Co-operation and Sugar in Government of Karnataka. iii.An active Congressman and five term member of Karnataka Legislative Assembly representing Gundlupet assembly constituency, prasad was also the In Charge Minister of Chamarajanagar District.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017

Table tennis Olympic champion Li Xiaoxia announces retirement i.China's table tennis Olympic champion Li Xiaoxia has announced her retirement. ii.She is the eighth table tennis Grand Slam winner in history with singles crowns from the 2008 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur, 2012 Olympics in London and 2013 world championships in Paris. iii.She also has several doubles and teams world titles to her name.

4th January, 2017 Cabinet approves ratifying an agreement between India, Uruguay regarding cooperation in Customs Matters i.Cabinet has approved signing and ratifying an agreement between India and Uruguay regarding cooperation and mutual assistance in Customs Matters. ii.The Agreement will help in the availability of relevant information for the prevention and investigation of customs offences. Election commission announces poll dates for five state Assembly i.The Election Commission today announced the dates for the assembly elections in five states Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa.ii. Uttar Pradesh, the biggest state in the country, will go to polls in seven phases for 403 seats on 11th February, 15th February, 19th February, 23rd February, 27th February, 4th March and on 8th March.

EPFO launches a campaign to enrol more workers, sets Re 1 fine for late registration i.Encouraging firms to enrol their workers under schemes run by retirement fund body Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), a three-month campaign has been launched beginning 1 January 2017 where employers will get amnesty and pay just Re 1 as damages for not registering their employees earlier. ii.To be called 'Enrollment and Establishment coverage campaign 2017'.

Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar sworn-in as 44th Chief Justice of India i.Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar has been sworn-in as the 44th Chief Justice of India. President Pranab Mukherjee administered the oath of office and secrecy to Justice Khehar at a function in Rashtrapati Bhawan on 4 January 2017. ii.He replaced Justice TS Thakur whose tenure ended. iii.Justice Khehar's tenure will be till 27 August 2017.

Uttar Pradesh: Digi Dhan Mela being organised in Meerut i.In Uttar Pradesh, day-long Digi Dhan Mela is being organised by the central government and the financial institutions in Meerut on 4 January 2017. ii.Through such Melas, common people are motivated towards higher usage of digital transactions by offering incentives like Lucky Grahak Yojana for Consumers and Digi-Dhan Vyapar Yojana for Merchants.

Google introduces tools for small businesses in India i.Google India has created two tools My Business and Digital Unlocked for the small and medium businesses in India,that would help to create an online presence, besides a digital training programme. ii.It is an India first tool which introduced this year. Google My Business would help small businesses set up website 0422 4204182,9884267599 1st Street Gandhipuram Coimbatore Page 7

Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 from their mobile devices.

Nepal Hosts Elephant Festival in Chitwan to Boost Tourism i.The 13th edition of Nepal‘s five-day Chitwan Elephant Festival kicked off in Kathmandu with the participation of over 50 elephants. ii.The annual festival which brings fun, sports and adventure together was inaugurated on Monday in Sauraha, the gateway to Chitwan National Park

Finland First Country to introduces basic income for unemployed i.Finland has become the first country in the world to pay a basic income to randomly picked citizens on a national level in an aiming at dismissing poverty, motivate people to join work force and decrease unemployment. ii.It is conducted with 2,000 randomly picked unemployed participants between the ages of 25 and 58.

Britain Ambassador to the Europe Union Quits i.The U.K.‘s ambassador to the European Union Ivan Rogers resigned from his post. ii.Sir Mark Ivan Rogers KCMG (born 1960) is a senior British civil servant, who was the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the European Union from 4 November 2013 until his resignation on 3 January 2017

Brijesh Patel and other two KSCA office-bearers resign A day after the Supreme Court removed Anurag Thakur and Ajay Shirke as President and Secretary of the BCCI for obstructing Lodha Panel reforms, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) bearers Brijesh Patel, Ashok Anand and Dayanand Pai, have resigned from the posts of KSCA Secretary, President and Treasurer.

Mithali Raj to lead India in Women's World Cup Qualifier i.Seasoned player Mithali Raj will skipper the Indian women‘s cricket team for the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup qualifiers to be played from February 3 to 21 in Colombo. ii.The team comprises of most of the prominent names in the squad which guided India to clinch the women‘s T20 Asia Cup 2016 title in December last year by beating arch-rivals Pakistan. 5th January, 2017

RBI appoints Surekha Marandi as Executive Director i.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. ii.Marandi will look after Consumer Education and Protection Department, Financial Inclusion and Development Department, and Secretary's Department.

United Nation Recognises 2017 as Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development i.The United Nations 70th General Assembly has recognised the year 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 ii.This recognizes the importance of international tourism and particularly of the designation of an international year of sustainable tourism for development, in fostering 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.

EC limits cash expense per candidate at Rs 20-28 lakh for Assembly polls i.The Election Commission of India has issued a limitation for campaign expense per candidate. ii. In Goa and Manipur, the limit on election expenses per candidate is Rs 20 lakh. iii.In Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand the election expenses limit per candidate is Rs 28 lakh.

Rs. 5 discount for online payment of LPG cylinder i.State-owned fuel retailers, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) will offer an upfront discount of Rs 5 on every LPG refill to all LPG customers who will book and pay for it online. ii.To provide cashless transactions, the government had asked oil companies to pay consumers 0.75 per cent discount on cashless fuelling of petrol and diesel at petrol pumps. iii. This has now been extended to cooking gas (LPG).

PM Narendra Modi Releases special commemorative postage in 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh in Patna i.Prime Minister Modi released special commemorative stamps on Prakash Parv in 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh in Patna on 5 January 2017. ii. Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, Union Minsters Ravi Shankar Prasad Ram Vilas Paswan and Harsimrat Kaur were present on this occasion.

Telangana, Assam join Uday Discom debt scheme i.Telangana and Assam signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to join the Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojna (UDAY) taking the total number of states covered under the scheme to 20. ii.An overall net benefit of approximately ₹6,116 crore to Telangana and ₹1,663 crore to Assam will come from joining the scheme.

Supreme Court Removes Anurag Thakur as BCCI President i.The Supreme Court of India has stripped Anurag Thakur of his powers as BCCI President for not complying with the orders of the apex court with regard to implementation of the Lodha committee reforms. ii. He was elected as the BCCI president in May 2016 after Shashank Manohar was elevated to International Cricket Council's chairman post. iii.In 2011, he became BCCI joint secretary after spending little over a decade as president of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA).

Two-day Assam Biotech Conclave to begins in Guwahati

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 i.The two day Assam Biotech Conclave began today in Guwahati. ii.Chief Minister Sarbanand Sonowal inaugurated the conclave in presence of Science and Technology minister Keshab Mahanta. iii.Chief Minister hoped that this conclave would help Assam in biotechnology sector. iv.This is organized by Guwahati Biotech Park in association with industry body FINER. The conclave will create business and partnering opportunities for its stakeholders and to showcase the facilities and opportunities offered by Guwahati Biotech Park.

Ludhiana district administration develops mobile app for Election Commission of India i.For the benefit of voters, candidates, election staff as well as the Election Commission of India (ECI), the district administration of Ludhiana has developed a mobile application named ECI360. ii. Developed by Harpreet Singh Chandoke from a company named 01 Synergy on behalf of the district administration and a brainchild of deputy commissioner Ravi Bhagat, this mobile app would prove beneficial for all the stakeholders of upcoming assembly elections.

Yes Bank ties-up with Bajaj Electricals for vendor financing using blockchain i.Private lender Yes Bank has entered into a tie-up with Bajaj Electricals for vendor financing using blockchain solution, and announced to use the technology more aggressively as it saves over 70 per cent in cost. ii. As part of the tie-up, the bank has completely digitalised its processes and blockchain solutions can be implemented.

Paytm gets final approval for payments bank i.Mobile commerce and payments company Paytm has got the final permission to open a payments bank by RBI. ii.Reserve Bank of India gave permission to formally launch Paytm Payments Bank. iii. Paytm and 11 other players, including Vodafone, Airtel and Fino PayTech, had applied for a payments bank licence in 2015.

Munich Re to open reinsurance branch office in Mumbai i. Re is opening a composite branch office in Mumbai to service the property-casualty, life, health reinsurance markets across the country. ii. Munich Re Group or Munich Reinsurance Company is a reinsurance company based in Munich, . iii.It is one of the world‘s leading reinsurers.

Azure Power Commissions Largest Solar Power Project (150MW) i.Solar power producer Azure Power commissioned 150 MW solar power project in Punjab, which is its largest in North India. ii.For this project, Azure Power had signed a solar power implementation agreement with Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) under its Solar Policy Phase III. iii. The 150MW solar power plant represents a portfolio of three projects of 50MW each.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017

5 Indian Americans Takes Oath as Members of US Congress i.Five Indian Americans Takes Oath as Members of US Congress. i.They are Kamala Harris, Ami Bera, Ro Khanna, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Pramila Jayapal. ii.The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States consisting of two chambers the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Jovenel Moise elected as the President of i.Jovenel Moise has been elected as the President of Haiti. ii. The electoral tribunal officially declared the winner on 3 January 2017. iii.Jovenel Moise has been declared the winner of Haiti's November 20 presidential election, ending a protracted electoral process that has paralysed the Caribbean country's politics for more than a year.

Mahindra Singh steps down as captain of T-20 & ODI format of cricket i.MS Dhoni has stepped down as the captain of India's limited-overs sides. ii.He will, however, be available for the selection for the upcoming England ODI and T20I series starting 15 January 2017. iii. Dhoni had given up the Test captaincy in December 2014.

India win record 4th straight SAFF Women's Championship title i.India's women's football team defeated Bangladesh 3-1 in Siliguri to win the 2016 South Asian Football Federation Women's Championship for the fourth consecutive time. ii.Dangmei Grace opened the scoring for India, with Sasmita Malik and Indumathi Kathiresan scoring second-half goals for the hosts. iii.India have won all editions of the eight-nation tournament, which started in 2010.

Arthur Morris inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame i.Arthur Morris, who became the 82nd player to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, was given the honour posthumously. ii.Arthur Robert Morris was an Australian cricketer who played 46 Test matches between 1946 and 1955. An opener, Morris is regarded as one of Australia's greatest left-handed batsmen.

Ashirbad Behera, Ranjib Biswal quit posts from Odisha Cricket Association On the direction of the Apex court, Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) secretary Ashirbad Behera, president Ranjib Biswal and all OCA office-bearers quit from their posts.

6th January, 2017

Om Puri passes away after a massive heart attack i.Veteran actor Om Puri has passed away after a massive heart attack.The actor was 66.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 ii.Om Puri was an Indian actor who has appeared in mainstream commercial Pakistani, Indian, British, and Hollywood, Independent films and art films. ii.His credits also include appearances in American films. iii.He has been awarded Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India.

India & sign 5 protocol to amend Double Taxation Avoidance Convention i.India and Kazakhstan have signed the five national capital a Protocol to amend the existing Double Taxation Avoidance Convention (DTAC) between the two countries which was earlier signed on 9th December, 1996 for the avoidance of double taxation and for the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.

4th Assam International Agri-Horti show to begin in Guwahati i.Fourth Assam International Agri-Horti show will begin in Guwahati, Assam. State Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will inaugurate the show. ii.Assam Agriculture Minister Atul Bora informed that 10 foreign countries are also taking part in the show. iii.Nearly 600 farmers from Assam will be trained on doubling farmers' income, more crop per drop and agri- preneurship development. iv.More than 200 organisations from across the country will take part in the show.

Three Days International Conference on Yoga for Diabetes Organised in New Delhi i.The Minister of State for AYUSH Shri Shripad Yesso Naik inaugurated the International Conference on ―Yoga for Diabetes‖ which began in New Delhi on January 4, 2017. ii.The three days conference aims to generate discussions on the role of Yoga in the prevention and management of Diabetes and draw up a roadmap to be adopted for the control of Diabetes through Yoga.

Centre approves assistance of Rs 1782 crore for Karnataka i.The Centre has approved an assistance of over 1782.44 crore rupees for Karnataka. The state will get this sum from the National Disaster Relief Fund as drought relief. ii.The financial assistance was approved by Home Minister Rajnath Singh at a meeting of the High Level Committee in New Delhi.

Island Tourism Festival 2017 to begins in Andaman & Nicobar i.The Island Tourism Festival 2017 will begin today at Port Blair in Andaman & Nicobar islands. Lt. Governor Jagdish Mukhi will inaugurate the mega event at ITF Ground this evening. ii. During the 10-day event, performances by the cultural troupes from mainland will help the Islanders renew their cultural ties with mainland India.

Govt imposes anti-dumping duty on Bangladesh, Nepal jute products i.The Government has imposed an anti-dumping duty ranging from 6.30 US dollars to 351.72 US dollars per tonne on imports of jute and its products from Bangladesh and Nepal.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 ii.This anti-dumping duty has been imposed in order to protect the domestic industry. The duty has been imposed for five years. iii.It further added the import restrictive levy has been imposed on jute yarn, twine, Hessian fabric and jute sacking bags in all forms and specifications.

Launch of IPR Enforcement Toolkit for Police and IPR Awareness Campaign for Children i.The Commerce & Industry Ministery launched an IPR Enforcement Toolkit for Police. ii.The toolkit has been jointly prepared by Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). iii.This toolkit will be a ready reckoner for police officials across the country in dealing with IP crimes, specifically Trade Marks counterfeiting and Copyrights piracy.

SIDBI ties up with LIC for capital support to enterprises i.Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) on Thursday said it has tied up with Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) for augmenting capital support to enterprises in the country. ii.The idea behind tying up with the state-run insurance behemoth is to give a boost to the venture capital ecosystem for MSMEs.

Karnataka Bank launches group Personal Accident Insurance Scheme named KBL Suraksha i.Karnataka Bank has launched a month-long campaign to promote a group personal accident insurance scheme for savings bank account-holders. ‗KBL Suraksha‘, which was launched on January 2, will be in force till January 31. ii.Launched in association with Universal Sompo General Insurance, KBL Suraksha provides coverage against all types of accidental deaths. iii.All savings bank account-holders of the bank in the age group of 18-70 years can subscribe to this scheme by paying an annual premium of ₹100 for ₹10 lakh and ₹50 for ₹5 lakh coverage. S Padmanabhan Appointed as Chairman of Tata Power i.Tata Sons has nominated S Padmanabhan as the Chairman of Tata Power Co Ltd with immediate effect, in place of Cyrus Mistry.He is also the executive chairman of Tata Business Excellence Group. Recently he was appointed as the head of group for human resources for Tata Sons. ii.He is associated Tata group for 34 years, of which 26 were with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

Sir Tim Barrow has been appointed as the Britain’s ambassador to the EU i.UK Senior diplomat Sir Tim Barrow was appointed the new ambassador to the European Union (EU). ii.He replaced Sir Ivan Rogers.He previously served in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as a representative to various bodies of the European Union, and as British Ambassador to 2006–2008.

Capgemini Appoints Anil Jalali of IBM as HR head for India Operation i.French Consulting Corporation, Capgemini has appointed Anil Jalali as Chief Human Resources Officer for its India operation .

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 ii.Jalali takes over from BL Narayan who is joining Capgemini‘s Business Services Strategic Business unit as head of solutions and sales support.

IBM India Appoints Karan Bajwa as Managing Director i.IBM has appointed Karan Bajwa as Managing Director of IBM India Pvt Ltd, succeeding Vanitha Narayanan who has been appointed as chairman of the Indian subsidiary. ii.Bajwa joined IBM in 2016 as Executive for Strategy and Transformation in the Asia Pacific region. He was earlier Managing Director, Microsoft India where, besides leading the India business for the company, he also the led the cloud transition and the ecosystem engagement.

Book on Dr. Kalam titled 'The People’s President: Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam' released i.Vice President Hamid Ansari on 4 January 2017 released a book titled The People's President: Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. ii.The book was released at a function in New Delhi which was attended by Union Finance.

Dilip Vengsarkar steps down from MCA vice-president post i.Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar has submitted his resignation as vice-president of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA). ii.The move comes on the line of the Supreme Court order. On December 17, Sharad Pawar resigned as president of the MCA.

Sitar Player Abdul Halim Jaffer dies at 88 Renowned Sitar maestro Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan died due to cardiac arrest. He was 88.Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan was an Indian sitar player and received the national awards Padma Shri (1970) and Padma Bhushan (2006) and was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 1987

07th January, 2017

14th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas convention begins in Bengaluru i. The 14th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) convention has begins in Bengaluru. The three-day event will kick start with the Youth PBD, the theme of which is 'Role of Diaspora Youth in the Transformation of India'. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas has been held traditionally on 9th January every year to commemorate the return of Mahatma Gandhi as a Pravasi from South Africa to India.Three plenary sessions are scheduled to be held in Youth PBD. First will be on reaching out to Indian Students abroad, NRIs and overseas Indian Community Students in India. Second will be on Start-ups and Innovations and 3rd on Start-up ecosystem in Karnataka.

Tata Motors, Castrol announce global strategic partnership

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 i. Tata Motors and Castrol have signed a 3-year strategic partnership agreement. As part of the agreement, Castrol will supply Commercial Vehicle Oils to Tata Motors globally. The agreement will cover over 50 markets including SAARC and ASEAN region, Middle East, Africa, Russia and .

China launches longest high-speed train service i. China has launched its longest high-speed train service from Kunming capital of south-west China's Yunnan Province to Beijing. The train named 'Shangri-la of the World' left Kunming at 11:05 am on a 2,760-km trip to Beijing. The mileage will increase to 45,000 km by 2030.

Foreign exchange reserves rose by $625.5 million to $360.296 billion:RBI i. The RBI stated that foreign exchange reserves rose by $625.5 million to $360.296 billion in the week to December 30, 2016. In the previous week, the reserves had declined by $935.2 million to $359.671 billion. The reserves had touched $371.99 billion in the week to September 30, 2016.

All India Conference of Waqf Boards begins i. The All India Conference of Chairpersons and Chief Executive Officers of States and Union Territories' Waqf Boards begins in New Delhi.The conference will be inaugurated by Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.Various issues, including review of progress under the schemes relating to grant of financial assistance for computerization of waqf properties, strengthening of waqf boards and development of waqf properties by National Waqf Development Corporation Ltd. will be discussed during the conference.

Droom, Axis bank tie-up to provide quick loans on new and used cars i. India‘s pioneering online automobile transactional marketplace Droom has firmly entrenched its foothold as a complete eco-system for buyers to have an impeccable automobile owning experience. In its latest effort to sustain such a status, Droom has tied up with Axis Bank, India‘s third largest private sector bank, to provide quick sanction of loans on both new as well as used cars. ii. Loans are an integral element in almost all new and used car purchases and Droom‘s recent collaboration with Axis bank is evidence of its continued efforts to cover the 360 degree eco-system of online automobile transactions. Loans will be provided for up to 85 percent of the value of the car with tenure of one to five years. Furthermore, loans on Used Cars can be availed on vehicles up to the age of 10 years at the end of the loan tenure.

Japan to Help in Developing Chennai, Ahmedabad and Varanasi Smart Cities

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 i. Japan has decided to be associated with the development of Chennai, Ahmedabad and Varanasi as smart cities. This was conveyed by Japan‘s Ambassador to India Mr.Kenji Hiramatsu during his meeting with Minister of Urban Development Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu.

Per capita income of Indians to cross Rs 1 lakh in FY17 i. India‘s per capita income, a gauge for measuring living standard, is estimated to cross Rs 1 lakh in 2016-17, up from Rs 93,293 in the previous fiscal. As per the ‗First Advance Estimates of National Income, 2016-17‘ released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the per capita net national income during 2016-17 is ―estimated to be Rs 103,007‖ at current prices. This is higher by 10.4 per cent compared to Rs 93,293 during 2015-16. ii. The Central Statistics Office said India‘s GDP is expected to slowdown to 7.1 per cent during 2016-17 from 7.6 per cent in the previous fiscal mainly due to slump in manufacturing, mining and construction activities.

30 Indian-Origin Men & Women Inducted into 2017 Forbes’ Super Achievers List i. Over 30 Indian-origin innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders have been featured in the 2017 edition of Forbes' list of super achievers under the age of 30 who seek to break the status quo and transform the world.The Forbes list has 30 game changers in 20 industries including healthcare, manufacturing, sports and finance.

08th January, 2017

Budget session of Parliament to begin from January 31st, 2017 i. The Budget session of Parliament convened to start from January 31, a day before the Union Budget is likely to be presented. President Pranab Mukherjee has summoned the Rajya Sabha to meet on January 31, 2017. A similar notification is also expected from the Lok Sabha secretariat. ii. The practice of separate railway Budget presentation is being scrapped from this year. The railway estimates will be part of the Union Budget.

China to build world's highest altitude telescopes in Tibet i. 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. Construction has started for the first telescope, code-named Ngari No 1, 30 km south of Shiquanhe Town in Ngari Prefecture, said Yao Yongqiang chief researcher with the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 ii. Parts of Ngari is last Tibetan prefecture at China's border with India. The telescope, located 5,250 meters above sea level, will detect and gather precise data on primordial gravitational waves in the Northern Hemisphere. It is expected to be operational by 2021, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

China forex reserves fall by USD 320 billion in 2016 i.China's Central Bank says, the country's foreign currency reserves shrank last year, marking large annual losses for the 2nd year in a row. Officials at the People's Bank of China said that foreign reserves stood at over three trillion dollars as of the end of December, 2016. For the year as a whole, China's foreign exchange reserve fell nearly 320 billion dollars from a year earlier, following a drop of more than 512 billion dollars in 2015. ii.Chinese firms and individuals concerned about the country's economic outlook have positive expectations for US President-elect Donald Trump's economic policies. They have been selling the yuan against the dollar to purchase businesses and properties overseas.The Chinese currency fell about 7 percent against the dollar in 2016.

Donald Trump names Dan Coats as new national intelligence director i.US President-elect Donald Trump has named Dan Coats as his National Intelligence Director. The Indiana ex-senator formerly served on the Senate Intelligence Committee. Mr Coats would provide unwavering leadership and spearhead his administration's ceaseless vigilance against those who seek to do them harm. ii.The appointment comes a day after an intelligence report accused Russia's President of ordering a campaign aimed at helping Mr Trump to victory. Mr Coats will need the Senate to confirm his appointment, replacing James Clapper.

PM Modi & Portuguese PM Antonio Costa inaugurate PBD Convention at Bengaluru i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Portuguese counterpart Dr Antonio Costa has inaugurated the main convention of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas this morning (08th January 2017) in Bengaluru. ii. In his key note address at the 14th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas celebrations, Mr Modi said, the Indian diaspora represents the best of Indian culture, ethos and values. Indians abroad are valued not just for their strength in numbers.

Sania wins Brisbane women's doubles title but loses No.1 rank i. Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza picked up her first title of the season, combining with American Bethanie Mattek- Sands to lift the Brisbane International women's doubles title. The top-seeded Indo-American duo triumphed 6-2 6-3 against the second-seeded Russian team of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina in the final. ii. The trophy, however, ended Sania's 91-week reign as the world No.1 doubles player in the WTA rankings. That position was taken over by her partner Bethanie.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017

Djokovic wins Qatar Open tennis title i. Novak Djokovic has won the Qatar Open tennis title. In an epic final in Doha, the Serbian defeated Andy Murray of UK by 6-3 5-7 6-4. ii. Djokovic missed out on three match points and had to repel a roaring Murray comeback before ending the Briton's 28-match, five-tournament winning streak.

09th January, 2017

Petrol pump owners defer their decision to not accept credit, debit card payments for fuel sales till 13 january 2017 i.Petrol pump owners deferred till January 13 their decision to not accept credit and debit card payments for fuel sales after banks put off the move to levy the transaction charge. ii.To promote cash-less transactions, the government had waived the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on fuel purchase post demonetisation for consumers. iii. But after the expiry of the 50-day window, the banks have decided to levy MDR on petrol pump owners.This meant petrol pumps having to bear 1 per cent on all credit card transactions and between 0.25 per cent and 1 per cent on all debit card transactions from January 9.

EPFO makes Aadhar mandatory for its pensioners & members i.Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has made Aadhaar mandatory for its about 50 lakh pensioners and around four crore subscribers. ii.Central Provident Fund Commissioner VP Joy stated that the pensioners as well as members would have to provide Aadhaar or a proof that they have applied for it by 31 January 2017 to remain the beneficiary of social security schemes of EPFO. iii.The central government contributes 1.16 per cent of the basic wages as subsidy to every members Employees Pension Scheme Account in addition to 8.33% deposited by their employers every month

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurate Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show i.Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to Gujarat from 9 january 2017, he will inaugurate the 8th edition of 'Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit 2017' along with series of other programs. ii.The four-day 'Vibrant Summit Summit will be inaugurated at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. iii.Ahead of this Summit, the Prime Minister will inaugurate four different projects after his arrival.

Piyush Goyal unveiled world's largest street light replacement programme in SDMC i.Power Minister Piyush Goyal unveiled world's largest street light replacement programme in South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) area .

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 ii. Mr Goyal will also launch a mobile app called Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) Complaint App for SDMC, wherein users can now lodge complaints about faulty street lights. iii. AIR Correspondent reports that street Lighting National Programme (SLNP), currently running in the SDMC area is the World‘s Largest Street Light Replacement Programme where two lakh LED lights will replace inefficient lamps.

Vijayawada to host 1st Digi Dhan Mela in Andhra Pradesh i.In Andhra Pradesh Vijayawada will be host to the first Digi Dhan Mela in the State this afternoon. ii.Digi Dhan Melas are being organised across the country to promote cashless transactions. iii.Union Minister for Urban Development and Information Broadcasting M. Venkaiah Naidu along with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will launch the Mela at Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium, Vijayawada.

Blind Challenge Car Rally held in Bhopal i.The 11th annual Blind Challenge Car Rally was organised in Bhopal,to raise awareness about the issues concerning the visually-impaired. ii.As part of the rally, drivers are navigated by blind persons tasked with reading the route given to them in Braille. iii. The organisers awarded cash prizes to the first three winners and certificates to all the participants.Blind Challenge Car Rally held in Bhopal

SBI Pension Funds appoints Kumar Sharadindu as MD & CEO i.SBI Pension Funds Pvt Ltd (SBIPFPL), a subsidiary of SBI, has recently appointed Kumar Sharadindu as the MD & CEO of the company. ii.Prior to this assignment,Kumar was General Manager at SBI Corporate Centre, Mumbai, heading the private equity business of the bank. iii.He has held several crucial assignments in his banking career spanning more than 30 years in the areas of credit, treasury, risk and large corporate lending. iv.SBI Pension Funds had assets under management (AUM) of Rs. 46,019 crore

Bank of India to reduce its interest rates i.The Bank of India has reduce its interest rates on retail loans, including home and vehicle loan.The bank earlier reduced its minimum lending rates or marginal cost of funds based lending rates (MCLR) by up to 90 basis points. ii.The rate on home loans has been lowered to 8.65 per cent for women borrowers, while for others the rate has been set at 8.70%. iii. The bank has reduced the interest rates for vehicle loans to 9.35 per cent. iv.For loan against property, the new rates are set in the range of 10.50-11 per cent. v.The rates for women borrowers will be 0.5% lower than the others.

First student startup fund has Rs 200 crore i.Gujarat government has come up with India's first student startup and innovation policy, which aims to provide Rs 200 crore in the form of grants to ideas developed by them.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 ii.The policy aims to support over 1,000 innovation per year and create pre-incubation support in all universities of the state.

Former Iranian President Rafsanjani dies i.Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani died Sunday after suffering a heart attack. ii. He was 82. Rafsanjani, who served two terms as Iran's president from 1989 to 1997, continued to be an influential figure in Iranian politics.

Roberto Bautista Agut beats Daniil Medvedev, wins Chennai Open 2017 i.Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut won the men‘s singles title of the Chennai Open 2017. ii.Agut beat Russian 20-year-old Daniil Medvedev 6-3 and 6-4 to claim the first ATP tournament of the season. iii.It was a competition between the next-gen player in Daniil Medvedev taking on the veteran Roberto Bautista Agut.

Olympic champion David Rudisha to be Mumbai Marathon event ambassador Reigning Olympic and world 800m champion and world record holder, David Rudisha is the International Event Ambassador for the 14th Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon to be held on January 15, 2017.

10th January, 2017

11th World Hindi Day:10 January i.The Hindi language is not only spoken by Indians across the globe but it celebrated by people internationally. And, today (10th January 2017), we are observing World Hindi Day honor this Indo-Aryan language. ii. The number of Hindi literates across the globe is reportedly rising at a high pace. Keeping in mind this rapid growth it is likely to showcase its strongest ever global presence soon.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 8th Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit 2017 at Gandhinagar i.Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 8th Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit 2017 at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. ii.This year's biennial flagship event of the state is hosting Prime Ministers, Presidents, Deputy Prime Ministers and ministers of several countries apart from CEOs of Fortune 500 companies

Digi Dhan Mela organizes in Chandigarh begins i.A Digi Dhan Mela has been organized in Chandigarh to promote digital transactions. ii.AIR correspondent reports that in this unique meal, many visitors including housewives, students and shopkeepers are getting training in the Digital Pathshala where experts of financial institutions are explaining everything through demonstrations.

Amitabh Bachchan presented with US embassy award for fight against Tuberculosis

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 i.Megastar Amitabh Bachchan was given an award by the US Embassy in appreciation for his invaluable contributions to the US-India partnership on tuberculosis. ii.The award was presented by US Ambassador to India Richard R. Verma to the legendary actor who is also a tuberculosis survivor and brand ambassador for the initiative.

Maharashtra govt launches India's largest WiFi service i.Maharashtra government has launched India‘s largest public WiFi service called 'MumbaiWifi'. ii. The facility, inaugurated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai and initially provide 500 Wifi hotspots across various locations like Vidhan Bhawan, Kalanagar in Bandra, Bombay High Court, and Mumbai Police Commissioner‘s office.

Haryana to set up 'Prarambh School for Teachers Education' in Jhajjar i.In Haryana, the State level Prarambh School for Teachers Education would be set up at village Silani in district Jhajjar over an area of 10 acres. ii. Haryana Chief Minister, Mr. Manohar Lal who presided over the first meeting of the Governing Body of Prarambh School for Teachers Education, at Chandigarh stated that it would have all basic facilities. iii.At present, it is being run in a school building and providing education to students of 15 states.

Flipkart replaces Binny Bansal with Kalyan Krishnamurthy as CEO Flipkart has elevated former Tiger Global Management executive Kalyan Krishnamurthy as its new chief executive, replacing co-founder Binny Bansal, who has been named as the group chief executive of India‘s largest online marketplace.Co-founder Sachin Bansal continues to be executive chairman.

Pakistan fires 'first submarine-launched nuclear-capable missile' i.Pakistan has fired its first submarine-launched cruise missile, a show of force for a country that sees its missile development as a deterrent against arch-foe India. ii.The launch of the nuclear-capable Babur-3 missile has a range of 450 km (280 miles) and was fired from an undisclosed location in the Indian Ocean, is likely to heighten long-running tension between India and Pakistan.

2017 Golden Globe Awards i.The 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony was organized at Beverly Hills, California, United States (US). The Golden Globe Awards are the annual awards that honor the best in Motion Pictures and American Television for the previous year. ii.This year, La La Land, a romantic musical comedy-drama film won in all the seven categories including the top award of best musical or comedy. Veteran actress Meryl Streep was bestowed with the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award.

McDonald's sell China Operation for $2.08 Billion

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 i.US fast-food giant McDonald‘ announced to sell its businesses in mainland China and for $2.08 billion to Citic, a state-owned conglomerate, and the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm. ii.Citic Limited, Citic Capital Holdings, Carlyle Group and McDonald's will form a company that will act as the franchisee responsible for the chain's business in mainland China and Hong Kong for 20 years.Citic and Citic Capital will have a stake of 52%, Carlyle will take 28%, and McDonald's will hold 20% of the new company.

Gionee signs Virat Kohli as brand ambassador i.Mobile handset brand Gionee has roped in Indian test captain Virat Kohli as the brand ambassador. ii.The poster boy for Indian cricket will be joining actor Alia Bhatt . The announcement of Kohli's appointment was made alongside the announcement of Gionee clocking 1.2 crore customers in India.

Eight-year old Kashmiri boy Abbu Ammaz becomes national boxing champion An eight-year old boy from Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri Abbu Ammaz has won gold medal in Thai Boxing Championship at the national level.

Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri named as FIFA Coach of the Year 2016 i.Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri has been named as the Coach of the Year at the FIFA Football Awards in Zurich. ii.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. iii.However, the FIFA men's coach of the year award went to Ranieri after he led Leicester to the Premier League title last year.

11th January, 2017

Post demonetisation, World Bank drops India's growth rate to 7 % i.The World Bank has decelerated India's growth for 2016-17 fiscal to 7% from its previous estimate of 7.6%.The World Bank stated that immediate withdrawal of a large volume of currency in circulation and subsequent replacement with new notes in India contributed to slowing growth. ii.Also, the country would regain momentum in the following years with 7.6 and 7.8% growth. According to the report, India maintains the distinction of being the fastest growing emerging market economies of the world, bypassing China.

India, Kenya sign agreements in the area of agriculture i.India and Kenya have signed agreements in the area of agriculture which was inked after delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta in New Delhi. ii.India is collaborating with Kenya to raise agricultural productivity and the Loan of Credit Agreement of 100 million dollars signed for farm mechanization will open a new dimension of engagement between the two countries. iii.Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that expansion of bilateral trade, greater flow of capital between two economies and stronger developmental partnership is a priority.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017

India, France strengthen 50 years space bond, ink pact for satellite launch i.Indian Space Research Organisation and French Space agency (CNES) has signed a partnership agreement in satellite launch technology. ii.The agreement was signed between ISRO Chairman Kiran Kumar and CNES President Jean-Yves Le Gall in the presence of visiting French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Marc Ayrault. iii.Space cooperation between France and India spans over 50 years and is of the cornerstones of the Indo-French strategic partnership.

Modi inaugurates Nobel Prize exhibition in Gujarat i.Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the 'The Nobel Prize' exhibition at Science City in Gandhinagar. ii.'The Nobel Prize: Ideas Changing the World' contains several original artifacts, both from Alfred Nobel himself and from a number of Nobel Laureates. iii.The exhibition is open to public until February 13, 2017, that too free of charge. It is a part of Nobel Prize Series India 2017, an extensive program of events taking place with the participation of nine Nobel Laureates

Railway minister launches new IRCTC app to promote digital ticketing i.To promote ease of ticketing through digital transactions, railway minister Suresh Prabhu released the new passenger mobile the application named ‘IRCTC Rail Connect app’. ii.Currently, e-ticketing system caters to over 10 lakh passengers daily (comprising 58% of total reserved passengers) and to increase the ease to users, a new Android-based mobile application for reserved booking IRCTC Rail Connect has been developed

BIS revises Indian Standard on gold hallmarking i.Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has revised Indian Standard on gold hallmarking, which is effective from January 1, 2017. ii.The hallmarked gold jewelry will now be available in three grades of 14 karat, 18 karats, and 22 karats. iii.The cartage will also be marked on jewelry in addition to fineness for a convenience of consumers.

The USA calls for India, Pakistan & Afghanistan partnership on counter-terrorism i.The United States has called for a partnership between India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan on counter-terrorism operations. ii.State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner told reporters in Washington that the security of the three countries is linked with one another.

Health Ministry to launch Measles-rubella vaccine to roll out in February 2017 Health Minister J P Nadda to launch Measles-rubella vaccine to roll out in Goa, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu between February 3 and 4, 2017 and the pneumonia vaccine will be introduced in Himachal Pradesh and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar from March 17.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017

China launches 1st commercial space mission with new rocket i.China has successfully sent three satellites into space in its first commercial mission using an updated version of the low-cost Kuaizhou-1A rocket, amidst the Communist giant's determined bid to expand its ambitious space program. ii.The rocket, carrying the satellite JL-1 and two CubeSats XY-S1 and Caton-1, blasted off from northwestern China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu

Former wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat’s biography released i. Former wrestler and coach Mahavir Singh Phogat made his way to the launch of his authorized biography 'Akhada' in Chandigarh. ii.Sports journalist Saurabh Duggal released the biography.

World Cup: FIFA to expand the competition to 48 teams i.The Federation Internationale de Football Association FIFA has decided that the World Cup will be expanded to host 48 teams, up from 32. ii. An initial stage of 16 groups of three teams will precede a knockout stage for the remaining 32 when the change is made for the 2026 tournament. iii.The sport's world governing body voted unanimously in favor of the change at a meeting in Zurich.

Jimmy Adams appointed new Cricket director i.West Indies turned to former batsman Jimmy Adams into their new director of cricket Association. ii.Adams played 54 Test matches for the Caribbean side and will be able to draw upon from his vast experience as he turns his attention to overseeing the development of West Indies cricket at all levels. iii.The 49-year-old returned to after ending a five-year spell as head coach of English county side Kent last October.He replaces Englishman Richard Pybus who had been in the position since November 2013.

Yana Kudryavtseva, 13-time world champion, retires aged 19 Russian rhythmic gymnast Yana Kudryavtseva has retired from competition aged just 19, Kudryavtseva won 13 world championships from 2013 to 2015, making her the early favorite for the all-around gold medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, but a foot fracture disrupted her preparations

12th January, 2017

Youth Day, the birthday of Swami Vivekananda being observed:12 January i.12 January of every year is observed as National Youth Day, the birthday of Swami Vivekananda a grateful nation is celebrating Swamiji's hundred fifty-fourth birth anniversary with much fanfare. ii.Several functions are being organized across the country to mark the occasion.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 iii. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing National Youth Day function at Rohtak, Haryana through video conferencing. To honor Swami Vivekananda, National Youth Day is celebrated every year on January 12 since 1985. It was in 1984 that the Government of India declared it. iv.The government felt that the philosophy of Vivekananda and his ideals are a great source of inspiration for the Indian youth. So, it was declared that his birthday will be observed as National Youth Day.

World Bank projects global growth at 2.7% in 2017 1.World Bank projected a global growth of 2.7% in 2017, even as it observed that stagnant global trade, subdued investment and heightened policy uncertainty marked another difficult year for the world economy. ii.World Bank President Jim Yong Kim stated that global economic growth is forecast to accelerate moderately to 2.7% in 2017 after a post-crisis low of 2.3% in 2016.

Government to add 40 more towns to Smart Cities list i.The government will add by next month 40 more cities to the list of towns it wants to develop as Smart Cities by providing funds for initiating urban reforms, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said today. The addition of 40 new cities will take the total Smart Cities to 100. ii.Since January last year, the government has announced three lists of smart cities which will get Rs 200 crore for improving their infrastructure.

Telangana to Host International Kite Festival from January 12, 2017 i.The second international kite festival coinciding with the 'Makar Sankranti' fest would be held for six days from January 12, 2017 in Hyderabad and two other districts in Telangana. ii.Telangana Tourism, which is organizing the International Kite Festival-2017, committed to a social cause of raising awareness about the importance of education and empowerment of girl children and expects a footfall of around 50,000 visitors. iii.The festival will have participation from 17 countries with 70 international and 40 national kite flyers, and a special night-flying event is scheduled on January 12 as a pre-festival event at People's Plaza.

Arunachal signs MoU with NDDB to promote dairy development 1.With a view to promoting the dairy sector and rural livelihoods in Arunachal Pradesh, the border state has signed a MoU with National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2017. ii. A State Government delegation led by Shakuntala Gamlin participated in the Summit.

India's annual Haj quota increased by 34,500, biggest hike in three decades i.In the biggest hike in nearly three decades, Saudi Arabia has increased India's annual Haj quota by 34,500. ii.Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Saudi Arabia's Haj and Umrah Minister Dr Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten inked an agreement in this regard in Jeddah, increasing the size of India's Haj quota from 1,36,020 to 1,70,520.

Allahabad: Magh Mela begins

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 i.The month-long Magh Mela festival began on 12 January 2017 at Sangam in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. ii.Thousands of Pilgrims, saint and seers are taking holy dip at Sangam on the occasion of Paush Purnima. iii.The month-long kalpwas also began with the holy bathing. iv. During the entire month of Magh, kalpwasis or pilgrims stay on the bank Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati in tents and take early morning bath and take part in other religious duties.

Khanderi, the second Scorpene class submarine launched i.Khanderi, the second Scorpene class submarine that has superior stealth and the ability to launch a crippling attack with torpedoes as well as tube-launched anti- missiles whilst underwater or on the surface, launched at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai. ii.Khanderi is named after the Island fort of Maratha forces, which played a vital role in ensuring their supremacy at sea in the late 17th century. iii.Khanderi is also the name for Tiger Shark.

Vedanta launches smart class project in Chitradurga i.Vedanta Foundation and Vedanta Sesa Goa Iron Ore, in collaboration with the Karnataka Directorate of Education, have launched a pilot project to promote digital education in schools across the State. ii.The Deputy Director of Public Instruction, Chitradurga district, Revana Siddappa, has launched ‗The Smart Class‘ project.

Helped by HDFC Bank, TN temples to go digital i.Helped by HDFC Bank, five temples in Kanyakumari district in southern Tamil Nadu have introduced digital wallets and PoS to enable their devotees to pay donations. ii.The temples that have introduced digital mode include Arulmighu Thanumalaya Swamy Temple: Suchindrum, Arulmighu Bhagavathi Amman Temple: Kanyakumari, Arulmighu Nagaraja Temple: Nagercoil, Arulmighu Bhagavathi Amman Temple: Mondaikadu and Arulmighu Kumaraswamy Temple: Velimalai. iii.These temples come under Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department

Anjani Portland Cement commissions new plant Anjani Portland Cement has commissioned a 16-mega watt (MW) coal-based captive power plant at its cement unit in Telangana. Anjani Cement is a high-quality cement prepared from the finest raw material Owing to optimum water demand.

Tisca Chopra wins Best Actress Award for Chutney i.Actress Tisca Chopra named as Best Actress for Chutney at the Jio Filmfare Short Film Awards. ii.Popular actress Tisca Chopra stated that winning her first Filmfare Award for short film Chutney is extra special as it‘s a project she not just acted in, but also produced and co-wrote.

Vikram Pawah new President for BMW Group India i.Vikram Pawah has been appointed as the president of BMW Group India, effective from March 1, 2017.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 ii. He will take over from Frank Schloeder, who will assume new position at BMW Group headquarters in Germany.

Norway becomes first country to cease FM radio broadcasting i. has become the first country to cease FM radio broadcasting. ii.The northern county of has stopped broadcasting using analogue frequencies as the Government plans to roll out digital-only radio over the course of the year. iii. According to the national broadcaster, NRK, nationwide radio channels began switching to digital audio broadcasting that offers a wider range of broadcasting options and greater sound quality.

PR Sreejesh becomes member of FIH Athletes' Committee i.The Indian hockey team captain PR Sreejesh has became a member of International Hockey Federation Athletes' Committee. ii.The Committee comprises a total of eight current and former hockey players who have the responsibility to act as a liaison between the FIH and the athletes to make sure the players have voice in the FIH decision-making process.

13th January, 2017

Minimum monthly pension increased by 9,000 for central govt employees i.The Government of India has increased the minimum monthly pension to 9,000 per person, besides a two-fold hike in exgratia amount for central government employees. ii.Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office, Dr. Jitendra Singh stated that the exgratia amount for the employees has been increased from 10 -15 lakh to 25-35 lakh rupees. iii.There are about 50-55 lakh pensioners in the country and almost 88% of their accounts have been seeded to Aadhaar.

NITI Aayog Estimates the GDP Growth of 8 Percent for 2016-17 i.NITI Aayog has projected the India GDP growth rate of 8 Percent for 2016-17 based on the appraisal document for the Twelfth Five-Year Plan. ii.The estimate does not take into account the impact of demonetization.

Retail inflation fell 3-year low of 3.41% in Dec from 3.63% in Nov 2016 i.Retail inflation fell to a nearly 3-year low of 3.41 % in December 2016, from 3.63 % in November 2016. ii.Inflation eased mainly on account of falling prices of vegetables and pulses. iii.According to official data, overall food inflation fell to 1.37% in December last year, from 2.11 % in November 2016.

Global unemployment to rise by 3.4 million in 2017: ILO

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017

Global unemployment is expected to rise by 3.4 million in 2017 despite a likely modest pick-up in economic growth at 3.4% this year and 3.6% in 2018, against a six-year low of 3.1% in 2016, a new report by the International Labour Organisation.

Industrial production grows 5.7% in November 2016 i.Allaying fears of a slowdown following demonetisation, the country's industrial production grew 5.7% in November 2016, compared to a contraction of 3.4% in November 2015. ii.Factory output measured in terms of the Index of Industrial Production, IIP, enhanced in November due to better performance of the manufacturing, electricity, and capital goods sectors.

World’s first gender literature fest to be held in Patna i.The world‘s first ‗Gender Literature Festival‘ is scheduled to be held in Patna, Bihar in the second week of April 2017 The main aim of the fest to create a platform, to exchange ideas, and to share and learn experiences of renowned people in the field of gender literature. ii.This festival will be organized by Gender Resource Centre of Bihar‘s Women Development Corporation. The festival will also act as a platform to increase visibility for gender equity and advocacy in the State of Bihar.

TCS elevates Rajesh Gopinathan as new chief executive i.Tata Consultancy Services has appointed Rajesh Gopinathan, the current chief financial officer, as CEO of the company. He replaces N Chandrasekaran, who has been named the chairperson of Tata Sons. ii. TCS has also named N Ganapathy Subramaniam, currently President of TCS Financial Solutions, as chief operating officer.

NTPC inks pact to take over Chhabra thermal power plant i.State-run NTPC has signed a non-binding agreement with Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd and Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd to take over Chhabra Thermal Power Plant. ii.NTPC Ltd has signed a non-binding MoU with Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd and Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd for takeover of Chhabra Thermal Power Plant Stage-I (4x 250 MW) and Stage-II (2x660 MW) of Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam by NTPC Ltd

Mahindra Asset Management launches Mahindra Mutual Fund Dhan Sanchay Yojna scheme i.Mahindra Asset Management Company Pvt. Ltd (MAMCPL) launched an open-ended scheme Mahindra Mutual Fund Dhan Sanchay Yojna scheme to generate long-term returns through investment in equity and debt. ii. The scheme will close on January 24, 2017 and will open again for continuous sale and repurchase from February 8, 2017. iii.The scheme is for investors who seek to take a calculated exposure in both equity and debt wit a long-term investment outlook

Government to sell 51% stake in Pawan Hans

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 i.Moving ahead with the strategic sale of Pawan Hans, the government sell its entire 51% stake and transfer the management control of the helicopter service operator. ii.Pawan Hans is a joint venture where state-owned ONGC holds 49%. iii.The government has sought applications from entities to act as transaction advisor for the proposed disinvestment of its stake in the company

XCMG China to invest $150 m in manufacturing unit in India i.XCMG, a China-headquartered global construction machinery company, will invest ₹150 million in a new manufacturing unit in India for construction and material-handling machines. ii.For the proposed venture, the company will partner with Schwing Stetter India, a ready-mix concrete equipment company, to use the latter‘s facilities and resources to build its business in India.

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe signs 1 trillion yen aid package to the Philippines i.Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has signed a 1-trillion yen, about 8.7 billion dollars, aid package over the next five years to the Philippines, meant to improve economic and political relations between the two island nations. ii.The package is focused on infrastructure and energy. iii.Abe's two-day visit to the archipelago makes him the first foreign leader to visit since the election of the Philippines' President Rodrigo Duterte in May 2016.

Manish Tewari appointed senior fellow of US think tank i.Congress leader and former Union Minister Manish Tewari was appointed as the senior fellow of US-based think tank Atlantic Council . ii.Tewari will focus on programming aimed at strengthening US-India relations.

Ashish Shelar appointed as MCA president i.BJP Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar has been appointed as Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) president. Sylar takes over from the former ICC president Sharad Pawar. ii. He was elected as Vice President of MCA on 17 June 2015.

Consulate General of India in Dubai announces launch of 'Diplomats Cricket Championship Cup' Consulate General of India in Dubai has announced launch of the 'Diplomats Cricket Championship Cup' in association with the Skyline University College, Sharjah, to promote sportsmanship, camaraderie, and harmonious relationship among the diplomatic missions of UAE

14th January, 2017

Pongal being celebrated with traditional gaiety in Tamil Nadu Today (14 January 2017) i.In Tamil Nadu, Pongal the harvest festival is being celebrated with traditional gaiety and grandeur on 14 or 15 January of each year.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 ii.The whole State especially the rural areas is having a festive look to celebrate Pongal. Pongal is a four-days-long harvest festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu, a southern state of India. iii.For as long as people have been planting and gathering food, there has been some form of harvest festival. iv.This four-day festival of thanksgiving to nature takes its name from the Tamil word meaning "to boil" and is held in the month of Thai (January-February) during the season when rice and other cereals, sugar-cane, and turmeric (an essential ingredient in Tamil cooking) are harvested.

India's First Madame Tussauds Museum In Delhi Unveils Wax Figures Of Big B, Lady Gaga i.India is all set to get its first wax museum in June 2017 unveils Wax Figures Of Amitabh Bachchan, Lady Gaga. ii.Madame Tussauds, the legendary wax attraction entertainment hotspot is all set to open its doors in capital New Delhi. iii.Located in the heart of the Delhi - Connaught Place at Regal Cinema, the dazzling entertainment zone will represent the fascinating world of politics, glamour, sports and music, through planned themes and interactive platforms.

Kerala Launched its First Solar Powered Boat Aditya i.The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan 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. ii.Piyush Goyal, Minister of State with independent charge for New & Renewable Energy, Solar Powered boatwas the chief guest. Ecuador takes chair of UN group of 134 developing countries i.Ecuador has taken over from Thailand as chair of the Group of 77 which promotes the interests of the 134 developing countries it represents at the United Nations, including China. ii.Ecuador‘s President Rafael Correa Stated the handover ceremony that the group will continue promoting ―social and economic equality.‖

Airtel’s Payments Bank Starts Operation with Initial Investment of Rs. 3000 Crore i.Airtel Payments Bank the first payments bank started its nationwide operations on January 12, 2017 with an initial investment of Rs 3,000 crore and offering an interest rate of 7.25 per cent for savings accounts. ii.The bank was launched by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. iii.This is the first payments bank which will be opened across 29 states in India to provide financial services to the millions who are outside the banking system.

CISF announces Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia for bereaved families in Bihar i.The Central Industrial Security Force has announced Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia payment to the family of each of the four personnel gunned down by its jawan Balbir Singh in Aurangabad district of Bihar after a tiff. ii.The CISF came into existence in 1969 with a modest beginning, having three battalions, to provide integrated security cover to the Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) which, in those years, occupied the commanding heights of the economy.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017

Car carrier service starts between Gujarat and Mangaluru i.In line with Government of India's policy of implementing the vision for coastal shipping, tourism and regional development, New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) has introduced Car carrier service between Gujarat and Mangaluru. ii.The pure car and truck carrier MV Dresden sailed out to Cochin after discharging Tata Cars and loaded trucks at the port

4th International Kite Festival begins in New Delhi i.Fourth International Kite Festival begins in New Delhi . ii.Professional kite flying experts from across India and the globe are taking part in the three-day festival, which will have an exhibition on the history of kites as well. iii.A special kite making demonstration will also be organised where professional kite flyers will showcase their expertise and demonstrate the art of kite making.

Pepsico sells land parcel to Wadhwa Group for ₹ 190 cr i.American snack and beverage giant PepsiCo India has sold a 2.5 acre land parcel in the Central suburb Chembur to The Wadhwa Group for ₹ 190-200 crore. ii.Pepsi had bought the land parcel from Videocon in 1996 to set up a bottling plant for their beverage Duke‘s. iii. The factory has been defunct since 2014.Industry watchers stated that several key developers were eyeing the marquee land parcel for its strategic location. iv. Wadhwa Group had outbid players such as Godrej Properties, K Raheja Corp, Mahindra Lifespace among others.Wadhwa Group plans to develop the project into a residential segment.

US lifts 20-year economic embargo on Sudan i.The United States has announced the end of a 20-year economic embargo on Sudan, lifting trade and financial sanctions in an effort to foster ties with the Sudanese government. ii.The announcement made by outgoing President Barack Obama‘s administration on Friday comes after an executive order to permanently repeal a range of sanctions as a result of Sudan‘s efforts to improve security in the region.

Premier Badminton League 3: PV Sindhu finally prevails over Saina Nehwal Rio Olympics silver medallist P V Sindhu produced a disciplined performance to outwit Saina Nehwal in straight games in a much-anticipated encounter as Chennai Smashers entered the finals of the Premier Badminton League season 2 with a 4-1 win over Awadhe Warriors.

15th January, 2017

69th Army Day being observed on 15th January 2017 i. 69th Army Day is being observed today (15th January 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 reins of the

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017

Army from Lieutenant General Sir Francis Butcher, the last British Commander-in-Chief and became the first Commander-in-Chief of the independent India. ii. The day is celebrated to pay homage and salute to the courageous and brave Indian soldiers who have been sacrificing their lives for protecting the country. This day inspires the troops to continue to enrich the glorious traditions of the Indian Army with their dedication and sacrifice. To mark the day, Army Parade will be organised at the Delhi Cantt.

Gujarat wins First Ranji Trophy title beating Mumbai by five wickets i. Gujarat won their first ever Ranji Trophy title beating Mumbai by five wickets in the final at the Holkar stadium in Indore. Parthiv Patel‘s 143 and Munprit Juneja‘s 54 runs helped Gujrat to chase down the highest successful chase in the final at the historic Holkar stadium. ii. With this title, Gujarat have won the domestic titles in T20, one-day and Ranji. They are only the fourth team to achieve this feat.

SpaceX resumes flights; launches Falcon 9 vehicle on California coast i. The American SpaceX rocket company has resumed flights, launching a Falcon 9 vehicle from the Vandenberg Air Force Base on the California coast. It is the first mission by the company since one of its vehicles exploded on the launch pad in September 2016. The return to operations sees SpaceX start to renew what was the original global handheld satellite phone network, run by Iridium. Lift-off took place at 9:54 AM local time.

Digital Dakiya scheme inaugurated in MP to encourage cashless transactions i. In Madhya Pradesh Indore district witnessed inauguration of first of its kind scheme of the country. Digital Dakiya, which aims at encouraging cashless transactions. "Digital Dakiya or Digital Postman will visit different places to teach and encourage people about cashless transactions and its benefits. ii. State Finance Minister Jayant Malliya has inaugurated the scheme at Indore. State government will provide Identity cards to the volunteers deployed in this programme.

Two-day camel festival begins in Bikaner i. The two-day annual camel festival has began with much fanfare in the presence of foreigners and domestic tourists. District Collector Ved Prakash flagged off a procession from Junagarh which culminated at Karni Singh Stadium here in Bikaner, Rajasthan. It was followed by fun activities including camel safaris. ii. The festival, dedicated to the ship of the desert, will see camel dance, milking and fur cutting design competitions and camel races.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017

Rabi crops sowing crosses 616 lakh hactare i. Rabi crops have been sown in around six crore 16 lakh hectares till date which is about 35 lakh hectares more than last year. Data released by the Agriculture Ministry, wheat has been sown in around three crore nine lakh hectare which is about 20 lakh hectare more than last year. ii. Over one crore 55 lakh hectare area has been covered under the cultivation of pulses which is around 16 lakh hectare more under the crop last year. The coarse cereals have been sown in over 54 lakh hectare, Oilseeds in 81 lakh hectare.

SEBI cuts broker fees by 25 pc to Rs 15 per transaction i. Securities and Exchange Board of India, SEBI, has decided to lower broker fees by 25 per cent to 15 rupees per transaction of one crore rupees as part of calibration of various other fees collected by the regulator from different market intermediaries. The move is likely to reduce overall cost of transactions. ii. It also decided to give an option to all market intermediaries and companies to make their regulatory payments in digital mode. The move would help in reducing failures due to payment gateway issues.

Rajeev Singh to take charge as interim CEO of Prasar Bharti i. Rajeev Singh, Member (Finance) in Prasar Bharati Board, will take charge as interim CEO of the public broadcaster after S C Panda retires in February. ii. The previous CEO Jawhar Sircar had quit in October last year, a few months before his tenure was due to end, following which Panda, who is Member (Personnel), was made the acting CEO. However, Panda is also due to retire in February.

NPCI declares Rs. 54.90 cr prize money for NITI Aayog’s lucky draw schemes i. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the umbrella organisation for all retail payment systems in the country has declared Rs. 54.90 crore worth of prize money to over 3.42 lakh winners of NITI Aayog‘s Lucky Draw Schemes for consumers and merchants. ii. The two schemes are - Lucky Grahak Yojna (LGY) and Digi-Dhan Vyapar Yojna (DVY). They were launched on December 25, 2016 and will remain open till April 14, 2017. The schemes have total outlay of Rs. 340 crore of which - Rs. 300 crores would be spent on consumers and merchants while the remaining Rs. 40 crore on awareness and publicity. Total winners under the scheme are expected to be over 18.75 lakh.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017

62nd Filmfare Awards 2017: Shatrughan Sinha honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award i. Shatrughan Sinha, who completed close to five decades in the film industry, was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 62nd Jio Filmfare Awards 2017. Veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai, who has worked with Sinha in five films, was on stage to raise a toast to him, before the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented. ii. The award, which is his first Filmfare, was presented to him by daughter and actress Sonakshi Sinha.

Glam, glitter and glory mark 14th Mumbai Marathon i. Tanzanian athlete Alphonce Felix Simbu (24) and Kenyan runner Bornes Kitur Chepkirui (31), flew past all competition to bag the top spots in the men's and women's category respectively in the full marathon at the 14th Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon (SCMM) in Mumbai on 15th January 2017. ii. Indian athletes, army soldier Kheta Ram (31) and Jyoti Shanker Gawte topped the men and women's category in the full marathon which saw participation of over 6,000 runners. Former Punjab Chief Minister Surjit Singh Barnala passes away, aged 91 i. Former Punjab Chief Minister Surjit Singh Barnala, who took over reins of the state in the difficult period when militancy was at its peak in the mid-80s, died in Chandigarh on 14th January 2017 at the age of 91. ii. Mr. Barnala, who served as Chief Minister from 1985 to 1987, was admitted to the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh from 12th January 2017.

Filmfare Awards 2017: Dangal, Aamir Khan, Alia Bhatt Bag Top Honour This Year i. At the glittering Filmfare awards last night (14th January 2017 night), "Dangal" swept away three of four major awards -- Best Film, Aamir Khan won Best Actor and Nitesh Tiwari won Best Director award while Alia Bhatt won the Filmfare Best Actor Award (Female) for her performance in "Udta Punjab". ii. Attended by most actors of the Bollywood film fraternity, the iconic 62nd Jio Filmfare Awards was a star-studded event hosted by actor Shah Rukh Khan

16th January, 2017

RBI raises ATM withdrawal limit to Rs 10,000 per day from current Rs 4,500 i.The limit on withdrawals from ATMs has been enhanced from the current limit of Rs.4,500 to Rs.10,000 per day per card (It will be operative within the existing overall weekly limit). ii.In a major relief for ATM users, the limits placed on withdrawals and current accounts has been raised with immediate effect.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017

India slips to 92nd rank on global talent competitiveness Index i.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 by Switzerland. ii.India‘s ranking is worst among the five BRICS countries. iii. While China was ranked at the 54th place, Russian Federation was placed at 56th, followed by South Africa at 67th and Brazil 81st. iv.Switzerland topped the overall index, followed by Singapore and the United Kingdom in second and third places respectively, in the list released by INSEAD Produced in partnership with The Adecco Group and the Human Capital Leadership Institute of Singapore (HCLI).Last year, India came in at 89th on the index.

SC allows 24-week pregnant woman to have abortion i.The Supreme Court has given permission to a woman in her 24th week of pregnancy to undergo termination of pregnancy after medical report finds foetus is without skull. ii.The Court says, a woman can abort if foetus poses danger to mother's life. iii.The apex court also directed that the termination of pregnancy be performed by a team of doctors of the hospital which shall maintain a complete record of the procedure adopted in the matter.

New Adoption Regulations come into force from 16 January 2017 i.The new Adoption Regulations have come into force on 16 January 2017, which have replaced the Adoption Guidelines, 2015, will further strengthen the adoption program in the country by streamlining the process. ii.Transparency, early de-institutionalisation of children, informed choice for the parents, ethical practices and strictly defined timelines in the adoption process are the salient aspects of the Adoption Regulations 2017.

WPI inflation rises to 3.39% in December 2016 i.Breaking a 3-month declining trend, wholesale inflation rose to 3.39% in December 2016. ii.The increase was mainly due to a rise in prices of manufactured items, even as food articles turned cheaper. iii.Wholesale price index-based inflation had stood at 3.15% in November 2016, and minus 1.06% in December 2015. iv.According to Commerce Ministry data, overall wholesale food inflation fell to minus 0.7% in December 2016, from 1.54% in November. But inflation in manufactured articles rose to 3.67% in December, from 3.2% in November.

2016 recorded as country's warmest year i.2016 was India's warmest year ever since the documenting of meteorological records began in 1901. ii.The information was revealed by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in its release named ‗statement of a climate of India, 2016'. iii.2016 was warmer than last year by 0.24 degree Celsius.

BSF launches operation ‘Sard Hawa’ at Rajasthan border i.Border Security Force (BSF) launched operation ‗Sard Hawa‘ at the western international border of Rajasthan, under which vigil will be beefed-up to check the instances of infiltration due to the dense fog in the area.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 ii. The operation will continue till 28 January 2017. iii.The purpose of the operation is to keep a hawk‘s eye on the international border, where vigil has been beefed-up and officers have also been asked to be part of the operation to motivate jawans.

Prasar Bharti hosts International Television Dance Festival in Hyderabad i.The first edition of Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) International Television Dance Festival is scheduled to be held in Hyderabad the city with royal patronage for arts, literature, and architecture, on January 15, 2017. ii.Prasar Bharati is hosting the event. iii.The Dance Festival is conceptualized so as to bring the cultural diversities from across the world into the limelight, by breaking cultural barriers.

App named ‘SEZ India’ launched by Commerce Ministry i.The Commerce Ministry has launched a mobile app ‗SEZ India‘ which provides detailed information related to special economic zones. ii.The app was launched under the ministry‘s e-Governance initiatives. iii.The app and would help the SEZ units and developers to find information easily and track their transactions on SEZ Online System. iv.Developers and units can now file all their transactions digitally through this system and track the status.

Tamil Nadu Gov launched mobile app ‘pinakin’ for Tourism i.For the benefit of both domestic and international tourists, Tamil Nadu Tourism Department has launched a mobile app ‗pinakin‘ with information on tourism in Tamil Nadu with audio facilities. ii.The app, in two languages Tamil and English which covers world heritage tourist sites like Mamallapuram, Thanjavur Big Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Darasuram. iii.The app can be downloaded free of cost from iStore or Playstore.

Kohli research block inaugurated at Gachibowli i.N Chandrasekaran, Chairman designate of Tata Sons, has inaugurated the Kohli Research Block at the International Institute of Information Technology here at Gachibowli. ii.The block is part of the Kohli Center on Intelligent Systems (KCIS) set up in July 2015. iii.The 60,000 sq ft facility will focus on research in Artificial Intelligence.The center will coordinate research among relevant groups in the institute as well as industrial and research groups within the country and abroad.

Sony Pictures enters Hindi film music space with Sony ROX HD i.Sony Pictures Networks India has entered the Hindi film music space with the launch of Sony ROX HD. ii.The channel is geared to be a destination of choice for the contemporary music enthusiast. iii.Sony ROX HD showcases the latest Hindi film music in high definition visual format of 1080i resolution that is enhanced by Dolby Audio.

Pentavalent Bio Sciences bags Tata Social Enterprise Challenge

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 i.Pentavalent Bio Sciences Pvt Ltd from Bengaluru has emerged the winner at the Tata Social Enterprise Challenge 2016-17. ii.The challenge is a joint initiative of the Tata group and the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM-C). It recognizes promising early-stage social enterprises that bring about long-term solutions to India's social needs.

17th January, 2017

25 children including 13 girls selected for National Bravery Awards i.Twenty-five children have been selected for the national bravery awards 2016. These include 13 girls. Four of the awards have been given posthumously. ii.The coveted Bharat award has been conferred on 8-year-old Late Kumari Tarh Peju of Arunachal Pradesh, who sacrificed her life while saving two of her friends from drowning. iii.The prestigious Geeta Chopra award has been conferred on 18 year old Tejasweeta Pradhan and 17-year-old Shivani Gond of West Bengal who showed immense courage fearlessly helping police and NGO in uncovering an international sex racket leading to the arrest of the mastermind in Delhi. iv.The Sanjya Chopra award has been given to 15-year-old Sumit Mamgain of Uttarakhand who displayed outstanding bravery in fighting a leopard to save his cousin. v. The children will receive their awards from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 23rd of this month. They will participate in the parade. President Pranab Mukherjee will host reception in their honor.

India Signs Financing Agreement of $48 million with World Bank for Nagaland Health Project i.India has signed a financing agreement with World Bank for 48 million dollars for Nagaland Health Project. ii.About six lakh people will directly benefit from the Health Project with improvements in higher-level facilities as well as system-wide investments. iii.The objective of the project is to improve health services in Nagaland. Communities in targeted locations will benefit from project activities at the community and health facility levels.

Mysuru Printing Press Breaks Record by Printing Highest No. of Currency Notes in a December 2016 i.The Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran PvtLtd, a fully controlled subsidiary of RBI has set records in currency note printing.The RBI Note Mudran printing press in Mysuru printing highest number of currency notes in December 2016 breaking all its past record. ii.It printed 10.9 million currency note in a day that even broke the world record made an American currency printing press of printing 8.7 million notes in a day.As per the data, 1350 million currency notes were printed in December 2016 in Mysuru which employess 650 workers who work for 12 hours in two shifts.

Market Regulator SEBI Tightens Mergers & Acquisitions Norms Among Unlisted Firms i.The Capital market regulator of India, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on January 14 tightened the norms associated to Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) of Indian companies.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 ii.The public shareholding of the resultant entity created by the merger of an unlisted and a listed company has to be more than 25%. iii.The unlisted entity can only merge with those companies that are listed on exchanges such as the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and BSE.

IMF cuts India's growth rate to 6.6% due to Demonetization The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cut India's growth forecast for the current fiscal by one percentage point, citing demonetisation woes from 7.6% to 6.6%. It sees India ceding the tag of the world's fastest growing major economy to China in FY17.

Tamil Nadu: 170th Sadguru Sri Thyagaraja Aaradhana festival ends on 17 January 2017 i.In Tamil Nadu, the 170th Sadguru Sri Thyagaraja Aaradhana festival at Tiruvaiyaru ends today(17 January 2017). ii.The Aaradhana festival which was inaugurated on 13th of this month was a treat to carnatic music lovers. Sadguru Thyagaraja is one of the great musical trinity alongwith Muthusamy Dikshithar and Shyama Sastrigal. BHEL Commissions 500 MW Thermal Unit In West Bengal i.Government owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited(BHEL) has commissioned new 500 MW Thermal Unit in West Bengal. ii.This was the second 500 MW at Sagardighi Thermal Power Station (TPS) Phase II project in Murshidabad district of West Bengal.

IIMC to start post graduate course in Urdu journalism i.Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu launching a post graduate course in Urdu journalism at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication in New Delhi . ii.The Executive Council of the IIMC, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, has recently approved the course.

Kozhikode Corporation becomes 1st Elederly-friendly corporation in Kerala i.Kozhikode Corporation was declared as the first Elderly-Friendly Corporation in Kerala. ii.The Kozhikode Corporationstate government has planned to setup Senior citizen‘s club, Day care centres as a part of Vayomitram project for the welfare of the elder people in the state. iii.As part of the elderly friendly status, the Corporation has begun to collect basic details of all the senior citizens in the city through its 543 Anganwa

Pakistan Navy Receives Two From China to Ensure Security along Gwadar Port i.China has sold two naval ships to Pakistan to protect the strategic Gwadar port and trade routes under the USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. ii.The ships named Hingol and Basol gets its name from nearby rivers in Pakistan.China will provide two more ships to Pakistan Navy named Dasht and Zhob after two districts in Balochistan.

Future Group’s & SBI Card launch premium co-branded card

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 i.Future Group‘s fashion and lifestyle departmental store Central joined with SBI Card launched a second co-branded credit card to offer benefits to consumers in the premium lifestyle and fashion space. ii.The Central SBI SELECT and SELECT+ Cards will offer an accelerated reward points structure

Rajeev Singh to Take Charge as Interim CEO of Prasar Bharati after S C Panda i.Rajeev Singh, Member of Prasar Bharati Board will take charge as interim CEO of the public broadcaster Prasar Bharati in February, 2017. He will replace S C Panda. ii.Rajeev was elected as Interim CEO during the Prasar Bharati Board meeting held in Hyderabad on January 15, 2017.

Kiran Doshi won The Hindu Prize 2016 i.Kiran Doshi won The Hindu Prize 2016 at the 7th edition of The Hindu Lit for Life festival 2017 held in Chennai from January 14-16, 2017. ii.The festival was inaugurated by contemporary artist Gulamohammed Sheikh at Sir Mutha Kiran Doshi Conferred 'The Hindu Prize 2016' for Jinnah Often Came to Our HouseVenkatasubba Rao Concert Hall in Chennai.

National award-winning filmmaker Deepak Roy dead at 67 Deepak Roy, known for his movie "Limit to Freedom" which won him a National award in 1996 under the category of best investigative film, has passed away at the age of 67 after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Valtteri Bottas replaces Nico Rosberg at Mercedes and joins Lewis Hamilton i.Valtteri Bottas has been confirmed as Lewis Hamilton's new team-mate for the forthcoming Formula One season after he ws finally unveiled by Mercedes at their headquarters. ii.Bottas, who replaces world champion Nico Rosberg following his shock decision to retire from the sport, had long been favorite for the vacant seat.

Sports Minister Vijay Goel inaugurates Khelo India competitions i.The Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Vijay Goel inaugurated the Khelo India National level Competitions on various sports for Under-14 and Under-17 children in New Delhi. ii.The competition has been organized by Sports Authority of India under aegis of Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in , Cycling and Wrestling.

18th January, 2017

58th India International Garment Fair to begins in New Delhi i.The 58th edition of India International Garment Fair, IIGF begins in New Delhi. ii. Organized by Apparel Export Promotion Council India, the event is one of the largest and most popular platforms in Asia, from which overseas garment buyers can source products and forge business relationships with India‘s finest players in the apparel and fashion accessories domain. iii.Textiles Minister Smriti Zubin Irani will inaugurate the three-day long fair.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017

Timothy Gonsalves Committee Suggests 20 % Reservation for Girl Students in IITs i.A committee formed by the IIT Joint Admission Board (JAB) has recently given its suggestion to create 20 percent reservation seats for the girl students in IITs out of the total number of seats available. ii.The committee headed by professor Timothy Gonsalves recommended the supernumerary seats to address the issue falling number of female students entering the institute. iii.However, the recommendation of the committee will get the final approval after the decision of the Joint Admission Board (JAB) who will decide whether the reservation will come in effect from 2017 or 2018. iv. The decision will not affect the number of seats available for male candidates and only those candidates who have already qualified in JEE-Advanced will be considered. The decision will enable IITs to achieve the 1 lakh target by 2020.

India & Mauritius Sign MoU for Cooperation in the field of Cooperatives i.India and Mauritius signed a MoU for cooperation in the field of cooperatives and related areas ii.The MoU was signed between Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, and the Indian Ocean island country's Business, Enterprise and Cooperatives Minister Soomilduth Bholah. iii.The MoU will enable the two countries to collaborate in this vital sector and can significantly benefit thousands of Mauritians. India offered to exchange its expertise and technology with Mauritius in agro industry, fisheries and dairy sector.

India Ranks 60th in Inclusive Development Index 2017 i.India has been ranked at 60th position among 79 developing economies with a score of only 3.38 in the Inclusive Development Index (IDI) of the World Economic Forum (WEF). ii.WEF released its ‗Inclusive Growth and Development Report 2017‘ on January 16, 2017 in Davos, Switzerland. iii. The list has been topped by Lithuania among the 79 developing countries.

India ranked 78th in global ‘Passport Index’ i.Indian passport has been ranked a lowly 78 in a global ranking of the world‘s most powerful passports which was topped by Germany. ii.Germany stands at the top with a visa-free score of 157, while Singapore overtakes South Korea and becomes the highest ranked Asian passport with a visa-free score of 156.

Manipur’s Karang is India’s first cashless island i.Karang, a small lake island in Manipur, has become the country‘s first cashless island .ii.The Union ministry of electronics and information technology under its program announced Karang as the first cashless island in India. iii. Confirming it, deputy commissioner M Harekrishna of Bishnupur district stated that island fulfilled the Centre‘s necessary criteria. iv.The Karang island is located in the middle of Loktak, the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017

Petroleum Conservation Campaign ‘Saksham 2017’ Inaugurated in Nagaland i.The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MOP & NG) inaugurated one month long oil and gas conservation campaign Saksham-2017 at a function in College ,ii. Dimapur in Nagaland on January 16, 2017.The mass awareness campaign was inaugurated by chief guest Ramongo Lotha, secretary Food and Civil Supplies. iii. The campaign would be conducted from January 16 to February 15, 2017.The main aim of such campaign is to spread the awareness on fuel conservation so as to minimize the wastage of petroleum products as the demand for it remains high.

Kolkata’s Sitalpati Gets place in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has registered Sitalpati or cool mat from the Cooch Behar district, West Bengal as an Sitlapati intangible cultural heritage.

BSNL launches mobile TV service Ditto TV i.State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) announced mobile TV service ‗Ditto TV‘ and limited fixed mobile telephony, an app that virtually turns mobiles into cordless phone working in sync with landlines within home premises ii.BSNL also launched limited fixed mobile telephony, an app that virtually turns mobiles into cordless phone working in sync with landline phones.

Karnataka allows sale of white kerosene in open market i.The Karnataka government allowed to the sale of white kerosene in open market. ii.State Food and Civil Supplies Minister UT Khader stated that the government has issued an order this effect. iii.Those interested in selling white kerosene in open market can approach the office of the Food and Civil Supplies in their districts.

Yes Bank Launches Business Accelerator Program Yes Fintech Private sector lender YES BANK in collaboration with T-Hub, Anthill and Lets Talk Payments launched a unique business accelerator program YES FINTECH to provide start-ups a platform for creating sustainable and market ready products as well as provide innovative banking solutions to the customers.

Yes Bank Launches India’s First Customisable Savings Account i.YES Bank has launched a first of its kind unique Customizable Savings Account to enable the customers to design an account as per their convenience. ii.Mumbai-based bank has become the first bank in India to launch such type of account that enables the customer to choose various features of a savings accounts that suits one‘s own lifestyle.

World’s lightest watch unveiled in Geneva i.The world‘s ultralight high-performance mechanical watch RM 50-03 was inaugurated on January 16, 2017 at the 27th edition of the Salon International De La Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in Geneva.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 ii.The watch made up of graphene composite has been developed by the University ofLightest Watch of the World made Using Graphene Launched Manchester, UK in collaboration with the watchmaking brand Richard Mille and McLaren F1 iii.The overall weight of the ultralight watch is 40 grams only and is extremely durable.

Antonio Tajani elected president of European Parliament i.Antonio Tajani of the EPP Christian Democrat group has been elected president of the European Parliament. ii.The battle among the two Italians was won by Tajani on a vote of 351-282 in the decisive final round, which only the top two candidates could enter. N Chandrasekaran appointed as Tata Motors chairman Tata Motors which owns Jaguar LandRover Automotive Plc, Ltd has finally appointed Natarajan Chandrasekaran, the Tata Sons chairman-designate and outgoing chief executive of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), as additional director and chairman of the board with immediate effect.

Renowned Actress Gita Sen Passes Away i.Veteran actress Gita Sen who was the wife of renowned filmmaker Mrinal Sen passed away on January 16, 2017 in Kolkata of cerebral hemorrhage. ii. She was 86. He is known for her excellent work in films like Chorus, Calcutta 71, Kharij, Akaler Sandhane, Ekdin Pratidin and Khandahar.

Former Chhatisgarh minister Tarun Prasad Chatterjee no more i.Senior Congress leader and former state minister of Chhattisgarh, Tarun Prasad Chatterjee passed away in Raipur. ii.He was 68. Tarun was elected as member of Legislative Assembly for the first time from Raipur rural constituency in 1980, 1990, 1993 and 1998.

Eugene Cernan, the Last Human on the Moon Passed Away at 82 i.The commander of Apollo 17 and the last man who walk on the moon, Astronaut Eugene Cernan, the Last Human on the Moon Passed Away at 82Eugene Cernan has passed away in Washington D.C, USA. ii.He was 82.Cernan was flied to space three times and to moon twice.

Tajikistan’s Amonatov Wins Delhi International Chess Tournament i.Farrukh Amonatov of won the 15th edition of the Delhi International Chess tournament after settling for a draw with Grandmaster Diptayan Ghosh in the 10th and final round. ii.Amonatov was awarded by Rs. 4 lakh, Diptayan received Rs. 3 lakh and Dzhumaev got Rs. 2 lakh prize money.

19th January, 2017

Digi Dhan Melas: Consumers, merchants win prizes worth Rs 61 Cr i.Over three lakh 80 thousand consumers and twenty-one thousand merchants have won prize money worth around 61 crore rupees at 24 Digi-Dhan Melas across the country.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 ii. This was disclosed by the Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in New Delhi Government‘s efforts to give a boost to the digital payment systems and cashless economy have evoked good response from the people. iii.People from different age groups, occupations and walks of life have taken part in a big way in the Lucky Grahak Yojana and Digi-Dhan Vyapar Yojana giving a fillip to digital transactions.

Cabinet Approvals:18 January 2017 The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given some cabinet approval on 18 January 2017 are as follows: 1. Cabinet approves MoU between India and Serbia for cooperation in the field of Information Technology and Electronics 2. Cabinet approves India‘s Membership in the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), South Korea 3. Cabinet approves MoU on cooperation on Youth matters between India and Russia 4. Cabinet apprised of the MoU between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for cooperation in the field of outer space 5. Cabinet approves MoU between India and Vietnam In the field of cyber security 6. Cabinet approves Trade Agreement negotiations with Peru 7. Cabinet gives approval to the package for supporting Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) – Augmentation of Corpus of Credit Guarantee Trust Fund for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) 8. Cabinet approves the Establishment of Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Jharkhand 9. Cabinet approves MOU between India and the United Arab Emirates for cooperation in the field of Small and Medium Enterprises and Innovation 10. Cabinet approves MOU between India and the United Arab Emirates for cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sectors 11. Cabinet approves amendment in Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme 12. Cabinet approves MoU between India and the United Arab Emirates on Institutional Cooperation in Maritime Transport 13. Cabinet approves MoU between India and the United Arab Emirates on the Mutual Recognition of Certificates of Competency as per the provisions of the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW, 78) and amendments thereof 14. Cabinet approves the exclusion of States from the investments of National Small Savings Fund 15. Cabinet approves MoU between India and the United Arab Emirates on Bilateral Cooperation in the Road Transport and Highways sector 16. Cabinet approves the introduction of the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2017 to repeal 105 Acts.

Bengaluru Ranked Most Dynamic City in the World in WEF Report i.India‘s IT Hub, Bengaluru has been ranked at the top position in the 2017 City . ii.Momentum Index released the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting being held in Davos. The index identifies the most dynamic cities of the world. iii.From India six cities have find place in top 30 most dynamic cities.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 iv.Besides Bengaluru other Indian cities in the list includes Hyderabad (5), Pune (13), Chennai (17), Delhi (23) and Mumbai (25).The rankings are based on parameters such as population, technology and R&D, connectivity, output and corporate activity, education, and real estate investment.

Govt clears six FDI proposals worth Rs. 1186.5 crore The government has cleared six foreign direct investment (FDI) proposals totalling ₹1186.5 crore. These include four from pharmaceutical companies including Sanofi-Synthelabo and Boehringer Ingelheim.

Only cash, deposits can be declared under PMGKY i.Undisclosed income in assets such as jewellery, stock or immovable property or in foreign bank accounts will not be accepted under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY). ii.The Central Board of Direct Taxes on stated that only undisclosed income in domestic bank accounts, post offices or stashed elsewhere will be accepted under the scheme. iii.Only income represented in the form of cash or deposit in an account maintained with specified entity can be declared.

Cabinet clears proposals for listing 5 PSU general insurers i.The Cabinet has given its in-principle nod for listing of all the five general insurance companies. ii.The five general insurance companies are the New India Assurance Company Ltd, United India Insurance Company Ltd, Oriental Insurance Company Ltd, National Insurance Company Ltd and General Insurance Company Ltd. iii.The Centre's shareholding would be divested from 100% to 75% in one or more tranches over a period of time, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.

Prez Mukherjee inaugurate 28th Dantan Gramin Mela in West Bengal i.President Pranab Mukherjee is due to inaugurate the 28th Dantan Gramin Mela in West Midnapore district in West Bengal. ii.He is on a 4-day visit to West Bengal. The fair will display the rural handicraft skills of the people of the region. iii.The different goods ranging from textile to terracotta will be on display.

Anandam Scheme Launched in Madhya Pradesh to Help Poor i.Madhya Pradesh government lead by Shivraj Singh Chouhan has launched Aanandam programme of the newly- formed Aanand Department. ii.Aanandam scheme will help the poor people to get the daily needs like like jackets, sarees, blankets, utensils, school bags from the wealthy people. iii. For this particular place is alloacted in each district to collect these items.The people who wishes to help others can visit website www.anandsansthanmp.in to become Anandak under Anandam SchemNonGovernmentent organisations, Government employees, cultural and business organisations can participate in this programe.

Meghalaya’s Mawlynnong village becomes a role model for cleanliness

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 i.Mawlynnong village in Meghalaya has become a role model for other states in maintaining cleanliness known as Asia‘s cleanest village. ii.Mawlynnong has become tourists‘ hotspot.The Secretary of the village committee stated that, all 90 families of the village constructed toilets in 1989. iii.Under Swachh Bharat Mission, three public toilets have been constructed in the village. Over 500 tourists from across the country and abroad visit the village daily, which is located 80 kilometers away from capital Shillong.

West Bengal Set to Give Legal Protection to Hilsa Fish i.The West Bengal State Department of Fisheries has announced to protect the endangered Hisla Fish from getting extinct and thus has proposed to introduce law to arrest anyone found in illegal catching, buying or selling of Hilsa fish weighing less than 500 grams. ii.With the introduction of the proposed provision, Hilsa Fish would become the first fish to get legal protection.

PNB, India Post Bank team up Punjab National Bank and India Post Payments Bank have signed a memorandum of understanding, whereby PNB will provide technology platform for pilot launch of IPPB on receipt of regulatory nod from the Reserve Bank of India.IPPB has been incorporated under the Department of Posts with 100 per cent government equity.

Scientists names 3 diseases that could cause next global health emergency i.Scientists have named three relatively little-known diseases they think could cause the next global health emergency. ii.A coalition of governments and charities has committed 460 million dollars to speed up vaccine development for Mers, Lassa fever and Nipah virus. iii.They are asking funders at the World Economic Forum Davos for another 500 million dollars.

30 More Countries to Join Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank i.The Foreign Ministry spokesperson of China, Hua Chunying stated that thirty more countries have applied for joining the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) besides 57 founding members. ii.It was officially established with 57 founding members and authorized capital of USD 100 billion.China is the largest shareholder of the bank having 26.6% voting shares. India is the second largest shareholder with 7.5% followed by Russia 5.93% and Germany with 4.5%.

Bharti AXA General appoints Sanjeev Srinivasan as CEO, MD Bharti AXA General Insurance today said it has appointed Sanjeev Srinivasan as CEO and Managing Director.Srinivasan joined Bharti AXA General Insurance in August 2016 as Chief Commercial and Principal Officer and now takes over the role of CEO and MD.

ICICI Pru acquires 8.41% stake in Fino Paytech for Rs 100 crore i.ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has acquired 8.41 per cent stake in Fino Paytech Ltd (FPL) for a total consideration of Rs 100 crore.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 ii.FPL provides technology-based solutions and services related to financial inclusion. Earlier this month, FPL was granted payment bank licence by the RBI.

NASA Set to Explore Iron-Rich Asteroid 16 Psyche i.The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has given its approval to explore an iron-rich asteroid 16 Psyche as a part of its mission to learn more about the history and composition of the celestial body. ii.Scientists believe that 16 Psyche is one of the most mysterious objects in the solar system at a distance of about 230 million miles (370 million km) away from Earth and located in the large asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

World witnesses hottest year on record in 2016 i.The world witnessed the hottest year on record in 2016, surpassing the exceptionally high temperatures of 2015, the UN weather agency stated. ii.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 Organization.

C.V. Vishveshwara, Pioneer of Black Hole Discovery Dies at 78 i.Veteran Indian Scientist CV Vishveshwara and pioneer in the discovery of black hole in India died of prolonged illness.He was 78. ii.He worked extensively on the theory of black holes and made major contributions to this field of research since its very beginning.

Kapil Dev inducted into Legends Club Hall of Fame Cricket icon Kapil Dev was inducted into Legends Club ‗Hall of Fame‘ at the Cricket Club of India on January 17, 2017.Former India player and Legends Club president Madhav Apte presented Kapil with a citation.

Despite Difficulties, Indian Women Boxers Score 6 Medals In Serbia i.Stranded at the airport for nearly 24 hours and without their luggage for a good part of the competition, Indian women boxers had to deal with more than just opponents at the Nation‘s Cup in Serbia but showed tremendous fortitude to return with half a dozen medals. ii.The 10-member team returned to the country early this morning with 6 medals after finishing third in the competition behind powerhouses Kazakhstan and Russia. iii.Haryana-girl Neeraj (51kg), competing in his maiden international tournament, stood out with a gold medal, while Sarjubala Devi (48kg), Priyanka Chaudhary (60kg), Pooja (69kg) and Seema Punia settled for silver medals. Veteran Kavita Goyat (75kg) was the lone bronze-medallist.

20th January, 2017

CBDT Clarifies No TDS or Advance Tax Credit for Income under PMGKY

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 i.The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on cleared that income declared under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojna (PMGKY) would not be entitled to get any credit by way of advance tax paid or the tax deducted at source (TDS) or tax collected at source (TCS). ii.PMGKY was set up to give an opportunity to those who deposited tax-evaded money in bank-demonetised currencies. iii. It was opened on December 17, 2016 and will remain open till March 31.Under the scheme, a person declaring undisclosed income would need to pay a tax of 30%, in addition to a penalty of 10% and a Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan cess of 33% on the tax.Under the Income Declaration Scheme (‗IDS‘), the government has allowed TDS credit in those cases where such credit has not already been claimed in the income-tax return.

Government Launches Web-Portal ‘ShaGun’ for Monitoring Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan i.The Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar launched a dedicated web portal ‗ShaGun‘ on for continuous monitoring of the elementary education scheme Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and promote the development of education sector of India. ii.The portal has been developed by World Bank in collaboration with Ministry of Human Resource Development. ShaGun has been coined from the words ‗Shala‘ meaning schools and ‗Gunvatta‘ meaning quality.

PM to address 3 day National Conference in Kutch i.Prime Minister Narendra Modi has delivered inaugural address on a three-day National Conference of Central and State Ministers and Secretaries of Tourism, Culture and Sports in Kutch, Gujarat . ii.He addresses the program through video conferencing and also interact with the participants at the end of the conference iii. The Conference aims at achieving the necessary convergence among tourism, culture, youth affairs and sports areas and synergy between the Centre and state.

UDAN scheme set for take off i.The first flight is likely to take off next month under the government's ambitious regional connectivity scheme UDAN with the AAI receiving 43 initial proposals from 11 bidders for 190 routes under the regional air connectivity scheme UDAN.The scheme UDAN (Ude Desh Ke Aam Naagrik), seeks to boost regional air connectivity and provides various incentives to airlines. ii. The fare for a one hour journey of approximately 500 kilometre on a fixed wing aircraft or for a 30 minute journey on a helicopter will be capped at two thousand 500 rupees under the scheme.

India, UAE to hold 1st strategic dialogue in New Delhi i.Ahead of the visit of the UAE crown prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan , who will be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day function this year, India UAE is scheduled to hold their first strategic dialogue in New Delhi. ii.The two countries have been moving closer for security, counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing and trade and during this visit of the Crown Prince , India and UAE will also be looking to boost economic ties. Indians are the largest expatriate community in UAE comprising of nearly 20% of its migrant population.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017

PM Narendra Modi inaugurates second Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi i.Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the second edition of Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi . ii.The conference has been organized by the Ministry of External Affairs and Delhi based prestigious think tank Observer Research Foundation.The theme of the three day conference is ―The New Normal: Multilateralism in a multipolar world‖. iii.More than 250 participants from 65 countries attended the flagship geo-political conference.

Govt inks MoU with National Yuva Cooperative Society to set up 1,000 Janaushadhi Kendras i.The government has signed an agreement with the National Yuva Cooperative Society to set up 1,000 Janaushadhi Kendras across the country and targets to open such medical stores in every block and gram panchayat to provide quality medicines at an affordable price. ii.At present, 750 Janaushadhi Kendras, providing more than 600 medicines and 150 medical devices, are operational and the target is to open 3,000 by end of this fiscal for achieving health safety, Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Ananth Kumar stated.

Centre releases Rs 2,207cr to J&K as special assistance during current financial year i.Centre has sanctioned over 2,207 crore rupees to Jammu and Kashmir as special assistance during current financial year to expedite completion of area-specific schemes. ii.This includes over 1093 crore rupees for permanent restoration of damaged structure in the state.

10th Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) Begins in Jaipur i.The 10th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) was inaugurated Jaipur Literature Festival at the historic Diggi Palace, Jaipur, Rajasthan jointly by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, veteran lyricist , American poet Anne Waldman and spiritual writer Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. ii. The theme of the 10th edition of JLF is The Freedom to Dream India at 70. JLF is considered as the ‗Greatest Literary Show on Earth‘The five day event would see the participation by over 250 authors, thinkers, politicians, popular culture icons, speakers, connoisseurs, book lovers among others.

Entrepreneurship Development Scheme inaugurated in Mizoram i.Mizoram Chief Secretary Lalmalsawma inaugurated the Entrepreneurship Development Scheme (EDS) under the New Economic Development Policy (NEDP). ii. Lalmalsawma stated that state government gave high priority to entrepreneurship development and has allocated Rs two crore under the NEDP during the current fiscal.

Suresh Prabhu unveils Mission 41k energy plan for Railways i.Indian railways, minister Suresh Prabhu unveiled Mission 41k, a plan that would save Rs 41,000 crore over 10 years through an integrated energy management system, reported Livemint. ii.In this initiative, railways will electrify 24,000 km of rail tracks over the next five years by doubling the annual rate of electrification from 2,000 km to 4,000 km in the next two years.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017

9.2 lakh cr rupees remonetised till date:RBI i.RBI Governor Urjit Patel appeared before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance and briefed the panel about government's recent decision to demonetise high value currency. ii.Mr. Patel informed the committee, headed by Congress leader Veerappa Moily that 9.2 lakh crore rupees in new currency has been introduced in the system after the decision.

World Bank Sanctions Rs 1,376 Cr For Tripura Power Upgradation i.Washington based World Bank has sanctioned Rs 1,376 crore for upgradations and improvement of the Tripura power system network on This was announced by Tripura‘s power minister Manik Dey. ii.The Power Upgradation project is divided into 5 phases. SPML Infra Ltd has got the contract of the first phase with the budget of Rs 461 crore .A large number of 132 KV and 33 KV substations will be constructed and upgraded under the project across Tripura.

Lloyd’s Gets Final Approval from IRDAI to Open First Branch in India i.London‘s insurance giant Lloyd has received the final approval from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) on to set up its first branch in India. ii.The specialist insurance and reinsurance company would open its first branch office in India before April 2017 and will be located at Mumbai. Lloyd‘s will bring expertise and specialist capacity to India‘s insurance market and work in partnership with local insurance businesses to develop innovative solutions that meet the unique needs of the growing economy.

Delhi Police commissioner Alok Verma appointed next CBI chief A 3-member committee headed by PM Modi selected Alok Kumar Verma as next CBI chief for a period of 2 years. Verma, a 1979-batch IPS officer, has been Delhi Police chief for the last 11 months. Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana was acting as CBI's interim director

Alibaba Becomes Worldwide Sponsor of through 2028 i.The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Chinese e-commerce firm Alibaba Group entered into a long-term partnership through 2028 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. This makes Alibaba the worldwide sponsor of Olympic Games through 2028. ii. The partnership was agreed between IOC President Thomas Bach, Alibaba Group Founder and Executive Chairman Jack Ma and Alibaba Group Chief Executive Officer Daniel Zhang. iii.With this Alibaba has become the first company in the world to make a long-term commitment to the IOC through 2028 as well as first Chinese company to commit to the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

Punjab Royals bagged ProWrestling League Season 2 title i.Punjab Royals have bagged the Pro Wrestling League Season 2 title. ii.In the summit clash in New Delhi, the Punjab team beat Haryana Hammers 5-4.Punjab reigned supreme with their foreign imports Vladimir Khinchegashvili, Vasilisa Marzaliuk and Ilias Bekbukatov, besides India's Nirmla and Jitendra doing the damage in the crucial ties of the day.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 iii.Haryana, who had remained undefeated in the tournament, thus failed to cross the last hurdle.

21st January, 2017

India's biggest aircraft carrier ship INS Vikramaditya first to have ATM onboard i.The largest warship of the Indian Navy, INS Vikramditya, will be equipped with its own dedicated ATM. It will cater to over two thousand naval personnel deployed on the aircraft carrier.India's largest public sector bank State Bank of India is providing the Navy the services for the ATM which will be on the satellite link. A currency chest will also be provided to keep running the ATM.

Bihar: Govt to launch Nasha Mukt campaign to make state addiction-free i. Bihar government launched a Nasha Mukt campaign to make the state addidction-free. Over two crore people are likely to participate in human chains formed across the state on the occasion. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said ‗nasha mukti‘ in Bihar will herald a new era in the state as no one will be permitted to use intoxicating substance and tobacco products.

Donald Trump sworn in as 45th US President i. Mr Donald Trump has taken over as the 45th President of the United States, he took over the reins from Barack Obama 20 January 2017 Mr Trump, 70, took the oath of office in front of about 8 lakh people who braved chilly weather to gather on the National Mall in the center of the capital to celebrate the occasion.He was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice John Roberts. Donald John Trump is an American businessman, television personality, politician, and the 45th President of the United States. PM Modi addresses Combined Commanders Conference at Dehradun i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the Combined Commanders Conference (CCC) at Dehradun in Uttarakhand . The day-long conference, to be hosted at the Indian Military Academy, will be attended by all Army commanders and their equivalents from the Air Force and the Navy. This will be the first CCC for the three military chiefs since taking over as head of their services last year (2016).

Tamil Nadu: Govt to promulgate ordinance to conduct Jallikattu i. Tamil Nadu government will be promulgating an ordinance to conduct Jallikattu and Chief Minister O Paneerselvam has appealed to youngsters and all organizations to call off their protest as jallikattu.Prime Minister provide full support of central government in efforts made by Tamil Nadu to conduct jallikattu.

Cooperative banks can't accept deposits under PMGKY: Govt

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 i. Government has clarified that Co-operative Banks are not authorised to accept deposits under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Deposit Scheme (PMGKDS). The scheme allows assessees to disclose previously unaccounted and undeclared income under its ambit. The PMGKDS permits voluntary declarations of previously undisclosed income with an effective tax rate of 50% and requires assessees to deposit a further 25% of such wealth into a four-year interest-free deposit.The scheme was launched on 17th of last month and will remain open for declarations upto 31st March this year.

Kerala Gramin Bank to propagate financial literacy among school children i. Aimed at propagating financial literacy among school children, Kerala Gramin Bank has conceived a novel programme called FI@School. Under the project, every branch of the bank has to identify and enter into a virtual tie up with a school in its locality preferably an upper primary school to organise various programmes such as formation of financial literacy clubs, account opening camps at schools, junior debit card distribution, financial literacy related classes, distribution of financial literacy booklets, competition on financial literacy etc.

Shri Kalraj Mishra Inaugurates Workshop on MSME Cooperation among IORA i. Union Minister of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Shri Kalraj Mishra inaugurated a Workshop on MSME Cooperation amongst Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Member countries in New Delhi.The Ministry of MSME finalised the MoU on MSME Cooperation with Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) member countries.This finalized MoU will be signed at an appropriate forum soon. The MoU will come into effect after 5 countries signs it.

Over 3.81 lakh Winners of Rs 61 cr in NITI Aayog’s Lucky Draw Scheme i. According to a statement by NITI Aayog, till date over 3.81 lakh consumers and 21,000 merchants have been declared as the winner of the NITI Aayog‘s lucky draw schemes namely Lucky Grahak Yojana (LGY) for consumers and Digi-Dhan Vyapar Yojana (DVY) for merchants. ii. It also stated that daily as well as weekly prize money worth Rs 60.90 crore has been declared at 24 Digi-Dhan Melas organized across the country. Besides, most of the winners were in the age group of 21-30 years.The top 5 states that had most of the winners are Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka.

Dharamsala declared the second capital of Himachal Pradesh i. Dharamsala town in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh has been declared as the second capital city of the state by the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.Dharamshala is located about 250 km from the state capital Shimla and has a unique significance and history of its own. It is of special value to the lower areas of the state comprising Kangra, Chamba, Hamirpur and Una districts.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017

WEF, UCSB partner to protect world's $2.5 trn ocean economy i. The World Economic Forum and the UCSB's Marine Science Institute have announced a partnership to improve health of world's oceans and maritime resources. The new partnership aims to protect world's USD 2.5 trillion ocean economy.This partnership will harness the potential of public-private cooperation and the fourth industrial revolution to help the international community meet the ocean sustainable development goal

RBI imposes Rs 75 lakh penalty on Bombay Mercantile Cooperative Bank i. India‘s central banking institution, Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 75lakhs on Bombay Mercantile Co-operative Bank for violations of norms related to KYC and anti-money laundering.RBI had issued a notice regarding this to the bank and the bank has submitted its written reply.The Mercantile Bank of Bombay was an Anglo-Indian bank with business focus in the Far East.The Mercantile Bank of Bombay was renamed to Mercantile Bank of India, London, and China in 1857.Founded in 1853 Headquarters in London

ISKCON’s Govardhan eco village bags UN award i. ISKCON‘s Govardhan eco village in Thane district has been conferred with the UNWTO Award for Innovation in the category of Non-Governmental Organisations(NGO) at he annual United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Awards for Excellence and Innovation in Tourism at Madrid in Spain. Govardhan eco village become the first village in India has recognized by UN in the NGO sector.ISKCON's Govardhan eco village bags UN award.The village received this honour for its initiative of eco tourism as a catalyst for rural development.

22nd January, 2017

Himachal Pradesh beats Kerala in learning outcomes: ASER i. The Annual Status Education Report (ASER) 2016 found that Himachal Pradesh is doing well in many regards, on the education front, as compared to the rest of the states. It has the country‘s highest reading and mathematics learning levels, shooting past even Kerala, which has an almost spotless track record of maintaining its position as the most literate state. ii. Himachal Pradesh has the highest rate of children who can read a standard II level of text in the country. This stands at 47 per cent for standard III level of learning, a 70.5 per cent for standard V and an 87.9 per cent for standard VIII.

Gujarat: Over 3.5 lakh people sing national anthem, set new world record i. More than 3.5 lakh people in Gujarat‘s Rajkot district set a new world record by singing the national anthem at an event. The feat took place at the installation of a Khodiyar goddess idol at the newly-built Khodal Dham temple in the town.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 ii. ―Over 3.5 lakh people sang the anthem together at the idol installation ritual in the presence of observers from Guinness World Records,‖ said Hansraj Gajera, a member of Khodal Dham temple trust. The previous record stood for 2,54,537 people singing the national anthem in Bangladesh in 2014.

Bihar forms world’s longest human chain of 11,000 kilometres i. Bihar on 21st January 2017 claimed to have formed the world's longest human chain, covering an estimated distance of 11,292 kilometres, involving over two crore citizens against alcoholism and liquor. ii. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar joined hands with Lalu Prasad and other political party leaders to start the 45-minute-long chain. The previous record was the 1,050-km human chain formed in Bangladesh.

PNB launches Contactless Credit Card i. In another digitalisation initiative, Punjab National Bank (PNB) has launched a Contactless Credit Card. This new credit card, which has been named PNB Wave N Pay --Contactless Card, was launched by Usha Ananthasubramanian, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, PNB in New Delhi on 21st January 2017. ii. This card could be used by just waving it across the terminal and the transaction will be through. There is no need to enter any PIN for transactions up to Rs. 2,000.

Special Task Force for women safety reconstituted i. A special task force (STF) for women safety has been reconstituted under the Chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor (L-G)?Anil Baijal with his approval, the Delhi government‘s Home Department said in a communication sent to the Delhi High Court . ii. The L-G will be chairperson of the special task force and including him there will be 17 members in it. The task force will conduct a meeting in every 15 days. The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal is also a member of the STF.

With Russia's help, India to increase train speed to 200 kmph i. Russian Railways is helping India's national transporter increase the speed of its passenger trains up to 200 km per hour. Russian Railways is at present collaborating with Indian Railways on a 575-km stretch between Nagpur and Secunderabad and submitted a preliminary report last week. ii. To reach the desired speed limit, Russian Railways has proposed several technical and technological solutions, including reconstruction of railway alignment as well as treating the earth bed where there are speed restrictions.

Apple named most innovative company of 2016

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 i.Technology giant Apple has emerged as the most innovative company for 2016, according to Boston Consulting Group‘s (BCG's) annual list which ranks world‘s 50 most innovative firms for the 11th straight year. ii. Google was ranked second, followed by electric carmaker Tesla on the list. Further, ride-hailing service Uber and home rental platform Airbnb were among the firms included in the list for the first time.

Saina Nehwal wins Malaysian Masters Grand Prix Gold tournament i. India's ace shuttler Saina Nehwal has won the Malaysia Masters Grand Prix Gold title at Sarawak in Malaysia. Saina, the top seed in the tournament, defeated Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand in straight games 22-20, 22-20

23th January, 2017

Nation pays homage to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on his 120th birth anniversary i.Nation pays homage to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on his 120th birth anniversary today (23 january 2017). ii.It was on this day in 1897, Netaji was born in Cuttack, Odisha. A number of functions have been organised in different parts of the country to mark the occasion. iii.In Delhi, floral Tributes will be paid to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in the Central Hall of Parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid rich tribute to Netaji. In a series of tweets, Mr Modi stated that Netaji's valour played a major role in freeing India from colonialism. iv.The Prime Minister said, Netaji was a great intellectual who always thought about the interests and well being of the marginalised sections of society.

Three-Day Arogya Mitra Conference Begins in Silchar, Assam i.Assam State Governor Banwarilal Purohit inaugurated the Arogya Mitra conference on 21 January 2017 till 23 January 2017 at Silchar. ii.The three day conference has been organised by the south Assam zone of the NGO, Keshab Smarak Sanskriti Surabhi at the campus of Veterinary College, Ghungoor.Aim of the Conferenc Make available minimum free medical services to the people of isolated and backward places iii.Make people conscious of their health.Provide special training to the workers, extend social services. iv.Arrange health check up camps.Aarogya Mitra Seva Kendra have been set up in 701 places to achieve the objective. The conference would see participation by over 1000 people from Barak Valley and adjoining areas.

No More Visa-Free Facility for Indians in Hong Kong i.Hong Kong has withdrawn the visa-on arrival facility for Indians travelling to Hong Kong effective from January 23, 2017. ii.From now, the Indian nationals must apply for and successfully complete pre-arrival registration online before they can visit or transit the HKSAR visa-free.

Kerala CM inaugurates ‘Jyothirmaya’

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 i.Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the 4 lakh square feet latest IT building, ii.‗Jyothirmaya‘ at the Infopark .Dedicating the 9-storeyed building, constructed over six acres of land 80,000 job opportunities will be created when the buildings constructed during second phase of development at Infopark become fully operational. iii.‗Jyothirmaya‘, constructed as part of the second phase of development at Infopark, will generate 4,000 job opportunities in the field of IT sector.

AP govt announces compensation of Rs 5 lakh for families of those who lost lives in Hirakhand Express accident i.Andhra Pradesh government have announced a compensation of 5 lakh rupees for the families of those who lost lives in the Hirakhand Express accident and belonging to the state. ii. Odisha government has also declared a compensation of similar amount for those belonging to Odisha. iii.State government has also announced free treatment for the injured, who are undergoing treatment at various hospital.Railways has already announced a compensation of 2 lakh rupees to each family of the deceased.

Kwality Ltd Signs MoU with Bank of Baroda for Rs 4000 Cr Loan to Farmers i.Mumbai based dairy firm Kwality Ltd has signed an MoU with Bank of Baroda on January 20, 2017 to provide Rs. 4000 crore loans to one lakh farmers out of the established networks from whom the company procures milk. ii.The MoU aims to provide financial assistance to improve socio-economic lives of farmers and encourage them towards digitisation.

100% FDI under consideration in food processing sector Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti stated 100% Foreign Direct Investment in food processing sector is being actively considered by the Union Government. Addressing a conclave organized by the ASSOCHAM in Chennai on the sunrise sector.

Ex-BCCI president Anurag Thakur to head Himachal Olympic Association Ex-BCCI president Anurag Thakur unanimously elected head of the Himachal Pradesh Olympic Association (HPOA) for a four-year term.Anurag Thakur, who had to step down as BCCI President owing to the Supreme Court ruling on Lodha Committee reforms.

CCI Approves Merging MakeMyTrip with ibibo Group i.The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the proposed merger of online travel firm MakeMyTrip‘s Indian travel business with rival Ibibo Group. ii.The closing of the transaction is expected to be around January 31, 2017.

TeamIndus proposes nameplate on the Moon for Rs.500 i.A Bengaluru start-up TeamIndus proposes nameplate on the Moon for Rs.500.Indians are being offered the opportunity to leave their name on the moon, for a price

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 ii.Space start-up TeamIndus will get the names of public ‗donors‘ micro-engraved on a small-sized aluminium object, which will be placed on the lunar surface when its lander descends on the moon.

China Commissions its 31st Stealth Warship i.In a move to rapidly expand its naval fleet, China‘s People‘s Liberation Army Navy commissioned its 31st stealth warship with the commissioning of the 31st Type—056 class warship, CNS Ezhou, China ii.China Commissions its 31st Stealth Warshiphas become the world‘s largest fleet of modern .

2017 World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting Held in Davos, Switzerland i.The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2017 was held in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland. ii.The theme of 47th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2017 is Responsive and Responsible Leadership.The inaugural had musical concert by violinist Anne- Sophie Mutter.

Ecotourism project set up at Purulia i.Priya Entertainments Pvt Ltd has set up an ecotourism project at Khairabera, foothills of Baghmundi, in Purulia district of West Bengal. ii.The adventure camp is located 300 km from the city.Bookings for luxury tents, individual cottages and camping tents can be made through the website, www.ecoadventureresorts.net.

Urdu poet, lyricist Naqsh Lyallpuri dies at 88 i.Renowned Urdu poet Naqsh Lyallpuri died at his residence on the morning according to his family. ii.He was aged 88.Born in Llallpur in the part of Punjab now in Pakistan, Lyallpuri came to Mumbai in the late 1940s to make a career in Hindi cinema.

Sunish wins ITF Juniors title i.Dhruv Sunish finally got the taste of ITF Juniors title when he won the boys singles crown downing Kazakhstan's Dostanbek Tashbulatov at the Dakshin Kalikata Sansad clay courts ii.The under-18 India number two, who had lost in the finals of the Chandigarh Grade 3 ITF Juniors in the first week of 2017 and 2 ITF Juniors in 2016, played flawless to drub the Kazakh 6-2 6-3

24th January, 2017

National Girl Child Day to be celebrated today (24 January 2017) i.National Girl Child Day will be celebrated at a special function in New Delhi in view of exemplary achievements by nation's daughters during last year. ii.They presented commendable performance at the Olympics and Paralympics besides historic induction of the first batch of female fighter pilots into the Indian Air Force (IAF). iii.Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi and Minister of State Krishna Raj will be addressing the audience. iv.The occasion shall be marked by release of National Plan of Action for Children 2016.Ten districts under the 'Beti

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017

Bachao Beti Padhao' scheme for their exemplary performance will also be felicitated.

Rescheduled Education Loan will not be Considered for Computing NPAs:RBI i.In a bid to encourage banks to provide loans for education, the Reserve Bank of India RBI has declared that rescheduling the period of payment of education loans due to the inability of the borrower because of unemployment will not be treated as restructured accounts for computing NPAs. ii.Banks can allow three rounds of extension periods, each not more than 6 months, during the entire lifecycle of the education loan, to be applicable only on unemployment/underemployment borrowers.

T-Hub launches ‘GIS Innovation Hub’ powered by Esri India i.T-Hub, the start-up engine catalysing innovation, today announced the launch of ‗GIS Innovation Hub‘ (GIH) for start-ups. ii.The GIH is powered by Esri India, the Geographic Information System (GIS) software and solutions provider.The facility was inaugurated by Jack Dangermond, Co-founder, President and CEO of Esri Inc.

Jharkhand Annual Budget 2017-18 i.The Chief Minister of Jharkhand Raghubar Das presented the state‘s annual budget for 2017-18 on January 23, 2017 under the theme of Garib Kalyan Varsh The main focus of the budget is on agriculture, education and skill development, rural development and eliminating poverty. ii.The Minister has presented a budget worth Rs 75,673.42 crore out of which Rs 57,861.32 crore would be revenue expenditure and Rs 18,812.10 crore would be capital expenditure. The total allocated state budget for 2017-18 is 19.7 percent more than the current year.

Stamp Cover on Sindhu, Sakshi and Dipa Released by Postal Department i.The Indian postal department released a special stamp cover titled Golden girls of India – Pride of Nation on January 21, 2017 during a district-level philatelic exhibition in Agartala to honor the sporting personalities in the country. ii.The special covers feature the 2016 Olympic medalist gymnast Dipa Karmakar, shuttler PV Sindu and wrestler Sakshi Malik. They were also awarded the nation‘s highest sports award Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2016. iii. Besides the three, the cover also depicted the image of Dipa‘s coach Bishweshwar Nandi who was awarded the 2016 Dronacharya award.

BCSBI to organise ‘know your rights’ programme i.To educate awareness on banking codes at grass root level, The Banking Codes and Standards Board of India (BCSBI) will organise know your rights programme in all the states.For this, the organisation will adopt a three-fold approach in the awareness programme focussing Tier II cities, metros and other backward areas, Anand Aras, CEO, BCSBI said. ii. With the opening up of innumerable Jan-Dhan accounts and increased usage of formal and transparent modes of financial transactions, it is now imperative for the lesser privileged section of the society to understand their rights.

Tamil Nadu Assembly Unanimously Passes Jallikattu Bill

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 i.Tamil Nadu assembly under the chairmanship of Chief Minister O Panneerselvam unanimously passed the Jallikattu Bill on January 23, 2017 to replace the ordinance issued on January 21, 2017 to allow the states traditional sport. ii.The bill amends the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, making Jallikattu a permanent sport in rural Tamil Nadu.

Uber To Bring Food Delivery App ‘UberEATS’ In India i.Transportation app Uber will soon launch its on-demand food delivery app ‗UberEATS‘ in the Indian market. ii.UberEATS is currently available in 58 cities globally, including Bangkok, Singapore, , Hong Kong and Taipei.The new app will give consumers, restaurant partners, and delivery partners more options across India.

Guided Pinaka rocket successfully test fired i.The guided Pinaka rocket was successfully test—fired for the second time from launch complex—III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) launch pad at Chandipur.Defence sources said the test was conducted at 12:45 pm and Pinaka rocket mark-II, equipped with navigation, guidance and control kit, was transformed into a ―guided Pinaka". ii.The conversion facilitated range enhancement and improvement in Pinaka‘s accuracy.

Kyoto Protocol: Govt gives nod to ratify second commitment period i.The Centre gave its nod to ratify the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol that commits countries to contain the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs). ii.The Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval to ratify the second commitment period of the international treaty, which was adopted by nations in 2012. So far, 65 countries have ratified the second commitment period.

Vodafone to invest Rs 3,000 cr in West Bengal in next 3 years i.Vodafone India signed an MoU with the West Bengal government to invest Rs 3,000 crore for capacity augmentation and new business initiatives over next three years. ii.The MoU signed on the sidelines of Bengal Global Business Summit 2017 .To improve Vodafone‘s leadership position in the state by offering customers a SuperNet experience through enhanced network.

New Universal Rail Mill Worth Rs. 1200 crore Inaugurated in Bhilai Steel Plant i.Moving towards the Make in India initiative, the Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh inaugurated the new Universal Rail Mill at Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) of Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) on January 23, 2017 and flagged off the mills first and world‘s longest single rail of 130 meters from the new Universal Rail Mill(URM). ii.URM established at a cost of about Rs 1200 crore. It will take BSP‘s total capacity to produce rails at 2.0 million tons per annum (MTPA). This will be the largest rail production capacity in any single location for a plant world over.

Delhi airport wins award for CSR

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 i.The Delhi International Airport (Private) Limited (DIAL) has won the ‗Golden Peacock Award for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the transportation sector under the Aviation category for the year 2016 .ii.Delhi Airport has also been adjudged the world‘s number one airport in ACI ASQ survey in 25- 40 Million Passengers Per Annum (MPPA) category for two consecutive years - 2014 and 2015.

Birender Singh Yadav and Ashok Warrier accredited as the Ambassador of India to the Republic of & Republic of Congo i.Shri Birender Singh Yadav, 1997 batch IFS officer, presently High Commissioner of lndia to Ghana, has been concurrently accredited as the Ambassador of lndia to the Republic of Burkina Faso, with residence in Accra. ii.Shri Ashok Warrier, presently Ambassador of lndia to the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been concurrently accredited as the Ambassador of lndia to the Republic of Congo.

IRDAI okays Swiss Re move to open Mumbai branch i.Wholesale reinsurance provider Swiss Re has received approval from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) to open a branch in the city. ii. With the composite branch license, Swiss Re will be able to operate in India and it can offer both non-life and life and health reinsurance solutions directly to clients and brokers in the country.Swiss Reinsurance Company, India Branch, will begin its operation from February 1, 2017.

Utkarsh Micro Finance Launches its Small Finance Bank i.Varanasi-based Utkarsh Micro Finance started operating its banking business as Utkarsh Small Finance Bank on January 23, 2017 to cater to the needs of the poor mainly in the northern belt. UK‘s Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC) has infused Rs. 150 crore in the tier II capital in the company. ii.This makes Utkarsh the third company to operate as small finance bank after Capital Small Finance Bank and Equitas Small Finance Bank all of which got final approval from RBI to operate banking business on November 28, 2016.

Nepal Launches 10-year-plan to Reduce Depending on India for Vegetable Imports i.In a move to decrease dependence on vegetable imports from India, the Nepal Government has launched a 10-year plan to boost domestic production. ii.The 10-year scheme aims to adopt modern farm techniques to boost vegetable productivity in the country and make the country self-reliant in food.

Turkish Parliament Approves Presidential Rule Paving Way for Referendum i.The parliament of Turkey approved a constitutional reform on January 21, 2017 to strengthen the powers of the presidency by introducing presidential rule in the country and has led the way for a referendum on the issue by the public. ii.If the bill will be passed then the President Tayyip Erdogan would serve the office until 2029

Goa First State to Send Postal Ballots Electronically to Service Voters

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 i.The Chief Election Commissioner(CEC) of India, Syed Nasim Zaidi informed that the state government of Goa has opted for an initiative involving electronic transmission of postal ballot to service voters in the upcoming assembly polls. ii.This initiative will make Goa the first state in the country to do so.

Ola appoints former PepsiCo executive Vishal Kaul as COO i.Transportation app Ola has appointed former PepsiCo executive Vishal Kaul as its Chief Operating Officer. ii.He succeeds Pranay Jivrajka, who has been appointed as Founding Partner. Kaul most recently served as the General Manager of PepsiCo Foods for Thailand, Myanmar and Laos.

Foreign Secretary Jaishankar gets one-year extension i.Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, whose tenure was to end on January 28, today got a one-year extension.The nod for the extension of his tenure till January 28, 2018 was given by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. ii.A 1977-IFS batch officer, Jaishankar was appointed Foreign Secretary on January 29, 2015 just few days before his retirement replacing Sujata Singh, whose term was abruptly curtailed by the government.

Siddhartha Murarka is now ICSI Chairman i.Siddhartha Murarka has been appointed as the Chairman of the Eastern India Regional Council of The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI). ii.His term began from January 19, 2017. Murarka, a fellow member of the ICSI, was the head of risk management and compliance at a member firm of the PwC before starting his own practice. iii.Murarka is also a ―regular faculty‖at ICAI and other professional bodies and chambers of commerce like the Merchant Chamber of Commerce and the BCCI

Virat Becomes Fastest Batsman to Score 1000 Runs as ODI Captain i.Virat Kohli became the fastest batsman in the world to score 1,000 runs as captain in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) on January 22, 2017 in the third ODI against England at the Eden Gardens. ii.The 28-year-old batsman took 17 innings to reach the landmark, breaking the earlier record set by South Africa‘s AB deVilliers which was achieved in 18 innings.

25th January, 2017

National Voters’ Day being observed Today (25 January 2017) i.The Election Commission of India will celebrate the 7th National Voters‘ Day across the country today (25 January 2017) for enhanced participation of citizens in the electoral process. ii.The National level function will be held in New Delhi. President Pranab Mukherjee will give away awards for best electoral practices to District Collectors, Superintendents of Police and other functionaries involved in election management.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 iii.25th January is also the foundation day of the Election Commission, which came into being on this day in 1950. The Commission's objective through National Voters‘ Day is to increase enrollment of voters, especially of the newly eligible ones. The Day is also utilized to spread awareness among voters regarding effective participation in the electoral process.

List of Padma awardees 2017

The list of the Padma awards is out,The Padma Vibhushan is the second-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, preceded by Bharat Ratna and followed by Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri (also Padmashree) is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Awarded by the Government of India, it is announced every year on India's Republic Day. This Year both Padma Vibhushan and Padma Shri awards given are as follows: i.Padma Vibhushan awardees: Sharad Pawar, Murli Manohar Joshi, K.J.Yesudas, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, P.A. Sangma, Sunder Lal Patwah, VishwaMohan Bhat. ii.Padma Shri awardees: Basanti Visht, Chemanchari K. Nair, Sadhu Meher, T. K. Murthy, Emrat Khan, L. Birender Kumar Singh, Baoa Devi, Tilak Gitai, Kailash Kher, Mukund Naik, Sukri Bommagowda, Anuradha Podwal, Wareppa Naba Nil, T. K. Vishwanathanan, Kanwal Sibal, G. Venkata Subbaiah, Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri, Birkha Bahadur Limboo Muringla, Eli Ahmed, Bhavna Somaya, Kashinath Pandit,Harkishan Singh, Dr Mukut Minz, Sanjeev Kapoor, Ashok Kumar Bhattacharya, H. R. Shah,Anuradha Koirala, Dr Mapuskar, Karimul Haque, Virat Kohli, Sakshi Malik, Dipa Karmakar, Vikas Gowda, Srijesh, M. Thanghavelu.

Cabinet Approvals- January 24, 2017 i. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the Indian Institute of Management(IIM) Bill, 2017 on January 24, 2017 that aims to declare IIMs as Institutions of National Importance. ii. Cabinet gave its ex-post facto approval on for interest waiver for the two months of November and December, 2016 for farmers accessing short term crop loans from Cooperative Banks. iii. As a part of government‘s commitment for financial inclusion and social security the Union Cabinet has given its post-facto approval to launch Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana 2017 (VPBY 2017) on January 24, 2017. iv. Union Cabinet on January 24, 2017 approved a new scheme for promotion of Rural Housing in the country. v. PM Modi gave approval for the ratification of the Second Commitment Period of the Kyoto Protocol on containing the emission of Green House Gases (GHGs) which was adopted in 2012. Till date, 65 countries have ratified the Second Commitment Period. vi. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the proposal of India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) on January 24, 2017 for redevelopment of Pragati Maidan by setting up of a world class Integrated Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre (IECC) at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

SC for daily drug dosage regimen for TB patients

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 i.The Supreme Court gave the government nine months to replace the thrice-a-week dosage norm of tuberculosis drugs with a daily dosage regimen recently approved by the World Health Organisation to curb relapse and deaths during treatment. ii.A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar directed the government to ensure that efforts are made so that the patients across the country are administered the new dosage regimen.

Assam launches ‘Chief Minister’s Award’ to reward districts adopting digital payments i.In a bid to promote digital transaction in Assam, the Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal on January 22, 2017 announced the launch of ‗Chief Minister‘s Award‘ while inaugurating the Digi Dhan Mela in the state. ii.The Chief Minister‘s Award would be given to the best performing district of the state that adopts digital payment methods and also educate larger section of the society about the cashless transaction.The winning district‘s Deputy Commissioner would be presented a prize of Rs 50,000 at the end of financial year 2016-2017 after March 31, 2017.

India and UAE sign 14 agreements after delegation level talks between PM Modi & visiting Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi i.India and the UAE inked 14 agreements in various areas including in defence, maritime transport, comprehensive strategic partnership, shipping, agriculture and allied sector, trade, oil storage and management, energy efficiency, road transport and highways and prevention and combating human trafficking. ii.The agreements were signed after delegation level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Hyderabad House in New Delhi.

UN appoints Director of UNIC in New Delhi i.Derk Segaar has been appointed Director of the New Delhi based United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) covering India and the Kingdom of Bhutan by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres. ii.Earlier he was the Head of Communications of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in New York.

Rubber Soil Information System (RubSIS) launched by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry for Rubber Growers i.The Minister of Commerce & Industry, Smt Nirmala Sitharaman launched Rubber Soil Information System (RubSIS) in New Delhi to provide the detail RubSISabout the soil quality to the rubber growers to enhance productivity besides reducing the cost of production. ii. RubSIS is an online platform developed to recommend application of appropriate mix of fertilizers to the specific plantations of rubber growers depending upon their soil nature.

PVR Launches Theater on Demand Service VKAAO

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017

i.The Multiplex chain operator PVR has launched a theatre on demand service ‗VKAAO‘ on January 20, 2017. ii.Vkaao is an online platform that will enable consumers to watch any movie of their PVRchoice at a theatre of their choice. It would empower the viewers to choose what they want to watch, when and where.

India UK Join Hands to Launch Project to Tackle Delhi Air Pollution Risks

India has partnered with the British experts over a project that aims to study the air pollution level in Delhi and health problems associated it.The project ‗ASAP-Delhi: An Integrated Study of Air Pollutant Sources in the Delhi National Capital Region‘ would be led by University of Birmingham and would also involve experts from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, the Indian National Physical Laboratory and the University of Surrey.

Nikki Haley confirmed as new US envoy to UN i.In United States, the Senate has confirmed Nikki Haley as the next Ambassador to the United Nations, making her the first Indian-American to serve on a Cabinet rank position in any presidential administration. ii.Forty-five-year old Haley was approved by the Senate on a 96-4 vote. Senate Foreign Relations Committee earlier overwhelmingly approved the nomination of the South Carolina Governor as the next US Ambassador to the United Nations.

Trump signs executive orders to advance Keystone XL, Dakota Access pipelines

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to advance controversial Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines. His latest actions to overturn the policies of former President Barack Obama, the nation's chief executive he replaced recently.

BookMyShow acquires MastiTickets i.BookMyShow has acquired MastiTickets, an online ticket booking firm, for an undisclosed amount.The two-year-old Hyderabad start-up has presence in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The Hyderabad firm has eight employees, while BookMyShow has over 1,000 employees. ii.The acquisition gives 120 cinemas in the two States. The acquisition of MastiTickets fit perfectly into its expansion strategy,‖ Ashish Hemrajani, Chief Executive Officer Officer and Co-Founder, BookMyShow, stated.

Venezuela awards peace prize to Russia Prez Vladimir Putin i.Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has awarded the first ever Hugo Chavez Prize for Peace and Sovereignty to Russian President Vladimir Putin. ii.The award, that honours Venezuela's former President Hugo Chavez, recognised "Putin as a great leader of peace". Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had earlier called Putin a fighter for peace.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017

Revv to launch services in Mumbai, Chennai, Jaipur i.Revv, the Delhi NCR-based shared mobility platform, is launching its car sharing services in three new cities Mumbai, Chennai and Jaipur taking its national footprint to seven cities. ii.Revv is already available in Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chandigarh. It now plans to expand its footprint to 20-25 cities by the end of 2017.

China Develops World’s Biggest Solar Park i. In an effort to become the super powerful occupier of green energy, China has built the world‘s biggest solar park, Longyangxia Dam Solar Park, in the western province of Qinghai. ii.The park spans over 27 square km of area and can produce 850 MW of power which is enough to supply up to 200,000 households. The construction of the solar park began in 2013 and total costs around $875 million (around Rs. 6,000 crore).

Matthew Hayden inducted into Australian Cricket Hall of Fame i.Former Australian cricketers Matthew Hayden and David Boon have been inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame. ii.Betty Wilson, an icon of women's cricket, who was known as the 'female Bradman' during her career in the 1940s and 1950s, was also added to the Hall of Fame. The will be formally inducted on the Allan Border Medal night.

Retired Watson bags Australia's T20I player of the Year award i.Retired all-rounder Shane Watson has been adjudged Cricket Australia's T20 International Player of the Year. ii.Watson was the 2nd highest run-getter during the voting period from January 8, 2016 to January 7, 2017. He had announced his retirement from international cricket in March last year.

Kremlin to host 2018 FIFA World Cup finals i.The draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals hosted by Russia will take place in the Kremlin the country‘s Football Union (RFU) chief Vitaly Mutko stated. ii.Mutko, Russia‘s deputy prime minister, stated FIFA had approved the plan, which world football‘s ruling body later confirmed.The World Cup finals draw ceremony will take place.

Virender Sehwag Named Kings XI Punjab Brand Ambassador i.Kings XI Punjab have appointed Virender Sehwag as their head of cricket operations and strategy, and brand ambassador too for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 ii.Virender Sehwag is a former Indian cricketer, and a former captain of India. Often considered as one of the most destructive batsman of the game.

26th January, 2017

Nation celebrates its 68th Republic Day i. India celebrates its 68th Republic Day today (26th January 2017). On January 26, 1950, the Constitution of India came into force, and Republic Day is celebrated to honour that day. On this day in 1950, the first President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad took the oath. President Pranab Mukherjee has started the ceremony by hoisting the Indian flag, following which the Republic Day Parade from Rajpath. The parade starts from Rajpath and ends at Red Fort in Delhi. Every year on Republic Day, India invites a visiting head of state, who is the state guest of honour (chief guest) for the ceremony. This year's guest of honour is the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. ii. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who personally received the Prince at the airport, stated that United Arab Emirates (UAE) is India's valued partner and close ties between the two countries are important for the entire region. Though Republic Day is celebrated on January 26 with the Parade on Rajpath, the celebrations are spread over three days and end with the Beating Retreat ceremony on January 29.

Madhya Pradesh CM announces total ban on polythene bags i. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced a total ban on polythene carry bags from May 1, 2017 across the state. "Use of polythene carry bags and their littering was affecting environment and cleanliness. ii. Besides, cows were dying eating such bags," he stated. "Three months are being given to polythene manufacturers before the ban," Chouhan added.

DU becomes first public varsity with 'monumental' flag i. Nearly one year after all Central University vice-chancellors decided to install the national flag on their campuses, Delhi University's Hansraj College on 25th January 2017 has hoisted its first monumental flag. ii. DU is the first public university in the country to get a monumental flagpole, according to the Flag Foundation of India. The 100-feet high flag was hoisted by former MP Naveen Jindal.

MakeMyTrip launches India's 1st social luxury travel magazine i. India's largest online travel portal MakeMyTrip has launched the first ever social luxury travel magazine called 'Luxury Travel Times'. The mobile-only magazine is targeted at luxury travellers and is released through innovative ad platforms like Facebook Canvas & Instagram-Stories.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017

ii. 'Spa-cation', 'Heaven on Earth' & 'Heritage' were first few themes of the magazine presenting exotic choices to explore fine living.

US President Trump orders 2,000-mile wall to be built on Mexico border i. President Donald Trump has signed directives to build a wall along the US border with Mexico and crack down on US cities that shield illegal immigrants, proceeding quickly on sweeping and divisive plans to kerb immigration and boost national security. The Republican President is also expected to take steps in the coming days to limit legal immigration, including executive orders restricting refugees and blocking the issuing of visas to people from several Muslim-majority Middle Eastern and North African countries including , Sudan, Somalia, Iraq, Iran, Libya and Yemen. ii. Trump signed two executive orders at the Department of Homeland Security, one ordering construction of a wall along the roughly 2,000-mile (3,200kilometre) US-Mexico border and the other moving to strip federal grant money from ―sanctuary‖ states and cities, often governed by Democrats, that harbour illegal immigrants.

Burj Khalifa lights up in 'Tricolour' to mark 68th Indian Republic Day i. Burj Khalifa tower, the world's tallest building located in Dubai, has lit up in the colours of the Indian National flag on 25th January 2017 and 26th January 2017 to celebrate India's 68th Republic Day. ii. The LED shows were to be held on both days along with complimenting Dubai Fountain shows. In addition to the shows, the Indian Consulate in Dubai has a flag-hoisting ceremony at the consulate premises by Consul General Anurag Bhushan, followed by flag-hoisting at the Indian High School grounds in Oud Metha, Dubai.

Gujarat government pardons 439 prisoners on Republic Day eve i. Gujarat government has ordered released of 439 prisoners on humanitarian grounds on the eve of 68th Republic Day. Over half of these prisoners were serving the life sentence in different jails in Gujarat. The decision to pardon the remaining sentences of these 439 prisoners was taken by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. ii. This is for the first time that such a large number of prisoners have been pardoned by the state. The prisoners convicted for rape, multiple murders, robbery and under tough laws like POTA, TADA or under National Security Act, were not given state pardon.

US Emmy award-winning actress Mary Tyler Moore has passed away i. Emmy award-winning US actress Mary Tyler Moore has passed away at the age of 80. She was best known for her television roles in the 1960s sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show and the eponymous The Mary Tyler Moore Show in the 1970s.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 ii. She was also nominated for the best actress Oscar in 1980 for the film Ordinary People. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Moore moved to Los Angeles when she was eight years old and started her career in show business as a dancer aged 17.

27th January, 2017

68th Republic Day: Ashok Chakra to Havildar Hangpan Dada for sacrificing his life for nation i.Havildar Hangpan Dada, who killed four terrorists before laying down his life in Kupwara on May 26 last year, has been awarded Ashok Chakra, the highest peace time gallantry award. ii. His wife Changsen received the award from the President Pranab Mukherjee during the 68th Republic Day Parade in New Delhi.Havildar Hangpan Dada of Assam Regiment killed four intruding terrorists at the height of 13,000 feet in the harsh and icy Himalayan range of North Kashmir.

India ranks sixth on eight great powers in 2017: American foreign policy magazine i.India is ranked at the sixth spot, 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 US. ii.The list is topped by the US, whereas China and Japan are at tie for being on the second spot. Russia (fourth) and Germany (fifth) are the other two countries ahead of India. Iran is ranked seventh and Israel is on the eighth spot.

Jeevan Raksha Padak Awards 2016 announced i.The President of India has approved the conferment of Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards 2016 on 36 persons which includes Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak to 05 persons, Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak to 08 persons and Jeevan Raksha Padk to 23 persons, 07 awards are posthumous.Jeevan Raksha Padak series of awards are given to a person for meritorious act of humane nature in saving the life of a person. ii.The award is given in three categories, namely, Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak and Jeevan Raksha Padak. Persons of either sex in all walks of life are eligible for these awards. The award can also be conferred posthumously.

Telangana ranks 2nd in Walnut’s cashless score card i.Telangana ranked second in the `Cashless India Scorecard‘ prepared by Walnut app to track the growth of digital payments in the country.The scorecard is meant for comparing how each state is moving towards a cashless economy post- demonetisation based on an aggregate and anonymised analysis of Walnut‘s over five million user data. ii.It ranked States based on percentage increase in overall cashless transactions, growth in shoppers using debit or credit card for the first time and growth in merchants accepting digital payments.Based on these parameters, Gujarat, Telangana and Haryana emerged as the top three states with the highest growth in going cashless.

Kerala CM Inaugurates e-Health Kerala scheme at Peroorkada Hospital i.The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan launched the IT Project, e-Health Kerala which is named Jeevan Rekha , at Peroorkada Model Government Hospital

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 ii.The project has been developed by the Health Department in association with the state IT Mission. It aims to create a centralized database that will have the complete healthcare records of all the citizens in the state through the digitization of government hospitals.

Mysuru gets India’s 1st post office passport kendra i.The Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Ananth Kumar inaugurated India‘s first Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSK) at Metagalli post office in Mysuru. ii.The second POPSK simultaneously opened in Gujarat. The POPSK has been launched to expand the passport services over a wide area and simplify the process to travel abroad.

Arunachal launches ‘Dulari Kanya’ scheme to check infant mortality i.Arunachal Pradesh launched ‗Dulari Kanya‘, a special scheme to check infant mortality in the state. ii.Governor V Shanmuganathan launched the scheme, under which the government will deposit Rs 20,000 in the bank account of a girl child, born in any government hospital.It would be paid along with the accrued interest after she attains 18 years of her age.

RBI Prohibits FDI in Non-Cooperative Countries i.The Reserve Bank of India has prohibited the Indian entities on January 25, 2017 from making direct overseas investments in any entity that is located in ‗non co-operative countries and territories‘, as identified by the inter- governmental body Financial Action Task Force (FATF). ii.The move aims to bring down the global terror financing and thus prevent, detect and prohibit money laundering

Karnataka Bank inks pact with Tirth Agro Technology .Karnataka Bank Ltd has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Rajkot-based Tirth Agro Technology Pvt Ltd (manufacturer of agricultural equipment and implements) for financing agricultural mechanisation. ii.Quoting P Jayarama Bhat, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the bank stated that the MoU aims to work together to promote agricultural mechanisation by utilising the experience the bank has in agricultural finance through its vast network of branches and the expertise of the company in the field of manufacturing of agricultural equipment and implements.

Meghalaya Governor resigns after allegations of sexual misconduct i.Meghalaya Governor V Shanmuganathan has resigned after a controversy was triggered by reports in local media, which accused him of sexual misconduct. 67-year-old Shanmuganathan tendered his resignation from the post. ii.V Shanmuganathan was the Governor of the Indian state of Meghalaya, in office from 2015 to 26 January 2017. He also held an additional charge as Governor of Arunachal Pradesh since September 2016 till his resignation on 26 January 2017.

Sena medal for 3 soldiers who gunned down Burhan Wani

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 i.3 personnel from the Rashtriya Rifles unit of the Indian Army have been awarded the Sena Medal for killing Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani ii. Major Sandeep Kumar, Captain Manik Sharma and Naik Arvind Singh Chauhan led the operation on July 8, 2016.

Delhi Dynamos appoint Ashish Shah as new CEO i.Indian Super League side Delhi Dynamos announced that they have appointed Ashish Shah as their new CEO. ii.His appointment effective as of January 23, 2017. Shah was the heading Chennaiyin FC when the team won the ISL title in 2015.

National Geoscience Award for Keshav Krishna i.A Keshav Krishna, a scientist at the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) has been selected for the National Geoscience Award for 2016.The award given by the Union Ministry of Mines is in recognition of his work in the field of geo-environmental studies. ii.Krishna is presently involved in studies on environmental risk assessment related heavy metal contamination in soil, sediments and water in industrial areas, abandoned mine sites and their interactions with the environmental pollutants.

IIM-A's annual cultural festival Chaos kicks off i.The annual cultural extravaganza of the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A), Chaos-2017, kicked off , with the theme of wanderlust. ii.The focus of the theme is to let the attendees unleash their wanderlust, explore the extravaganza and take back memories to last a lifetime. The event will continue till January 29, 2017.

Trump appoints Indian-American attorney to key White House post i.US President Donald Trump has appointed prominent Indian-American attorney Uttam Dhillon to a key White House position.Dhillon, who served as chief oversight counsel for the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee. ii.He has been appointed as special assistant to the President on ethics and compliance matters.

Pharmaceutical Firm Johnson & Johnson to Buy Actelion for $30 Billion i.The U.S. healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson buys Switzerland based bio-pharmaceutical firm, Actelion, for $30billion (27.9 billion euros). ii.Johnson & Johnson will acquire all the outstanding shares of Actelion for $280 per share with the tender offer to start by mid-February.

Russian envoy Alexander Kadakin passes away i.Russian Ambassador Alexander Kadakin, a fluent Hindi-speaking career diplomat considered a great friend of India, passed away at a hospital here after a brief illness. ii. He was 67.Kadakin, who was serving as the Ambassador here since 2009, was credited with playing a significant role in promotion of relations between India and Russia.

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Sumo wrestler becomes first Japanese athlete to receive highest honour in 19 years i.Japan based sumo wrestler Kisenosato was promoted to the highest rank of the wresting, Yokozuna on January 25, 2017 after winning his first title at the New Year Grand Sumo Japan WrestlerTournament with a 14-1 record. ii.The 30-year-old Kisenosato, whose real name is Yutaka Hagiwara is the first Japanese born and bred wrestler to earn the coveted rank of ―grand champion since 1998.

Usain Bolt Loses an Olympic Medal due to Positive Doping of Team-Mate Nesta Carter Jamaican sprinter, Usain Bolt will have to hand back one of his nine Olympic gold medals won in the 4x100m relay event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics due to his Jamaican team-mate Nesta Carter who was tested positive for a banned substance.

28th January, 2017

GAAR will be effective April 1, 2017, onwards: CBDT i.The Union Finance Ministry has announced that the General Anti Avoidance Rule (GAAR) will be effective from the 1 April, 2017. In this regard Income Tax (IT) department has issued a slew of clarifications on implementation of GAAR, seeking to address concerns of foreign investors over implementation of the anti-evasion measure. ii. GAAR seeks to prevent companies from routing transactions through other countries to avoid taxes. The rules are framed mainly to minimize and check avoidance of tax. India will be the 17th nation in the world to have laws that aim to close tax loopholes. At present, GAAR is in force in nations like Australia, Singapore, China and the UK.

India ranked 79th in the Corruption Perception Index 2016 i.India has been ranked at 79th spot out of 176 countries in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for the year 2016 released by the Berlin-based corruption watchdog Transparency International (TI). ii.New Zealand and Denmark jointly shared the first position as the least corrupt nations while Somalia was rated as the most corrupt country in the list.

PSU oil companies, Andhra Pradesh govt ink pacts i.The public sector oil companies such as the HPCL, ONGC and the GAIL have signed MoUs for investing ₹1.65 lakh crore in Andhra Pradesh on several projects, many of them in the Krishna-Godavari basin, according to Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan. ii.A partnership summit organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Andhra Pradesh government.

Telangana signs MoU for aero skill academy i.The Telangana government has signed a memorandum of agreement with French firm Aerocampus Aquitaine, known for aircraft maintenance skill training, to create a world-class aero skill academy. ii.The project deliverables include identifying skill gaps, designing courses and enabling European Aviation Safety Agency and Directorate General of Civil Aviation certifications for the academy and its courses.

Andhra Pradesh Launches Rs 100 cr fund of funds for Fintech Startups 0422 4204182,9884267599 1st Street Gandhipuram Coimbatore Page 70

Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 i.The Andhra Pradesh under Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has announced Rs 100-crore fund of funds on January 25, 2017 to invest in Fintech startups. ii.Fintech is being seen as a promising space to generate job, thus the state has initiated an industry-academia- government partnership to tap and refine skilled talent available at cheaper costs to develop Visakhapatnam into a global fintech hub.

119 banks connected with Aadhaar-enabled payment system: Minister i.The government stated that 119 banks are connected with the Aadhaar-enabled payment system and 33.87 crore transactions have taken place through Aadhaar-enabled payment systems.There are 111 crore Aadhaar enrolments done so far out of the total population of 125 crore in India. ii.Aadhaar is becoming a powerful instrument to bridge the digital divide,Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Information Technology stated.He said ₹36,000 crore has been saved in the last two years due to the linking of Aadhaar with the public distribution system including household LPG supply and MGNREGA.

SBI Launches Wealth Management Product SBI Exclusif in Kochi i.The State Bank of India has launched a new wealth management product named 'SBI Exclusif' in Kochi, Kerala. Later it will be rolled out in other cities of the state during the course of the year. ii.The product was launched by Chief General Manager, SBI, Kerala Circle, S Venkataraman.SBI Exclusif is targeted at fast growing affluent and high net worth customer segments of the bank.

ISRO successfully ground-tests Cryogenic Upper Stage engine meant for rocket GSLV-Mark-III i.Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully ground tested the Cryogenic Upper Stage engine meant for the rocket GSLV-Mark-III. ii.In a release, the space agency stated the indegenously developed engine, designated as C25, tested for a duration of 50 seconds in its Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri in southern Tamil Nadu, demonstrating all the stage operations.

G.N. Rao to be inducted into Ophthalmology Hall of Fame i.Gullapalli N. Rao, a noted Indian eye doctor, has been selected to the 2017 Ophthalmology Hall of Fame instituted by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.The founder and chair of the LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Rao will be honoured at the induction ceremony in Los Angeles on May 6,2017 at the annual meeting of the ASCRS. ii.The Hall of Fame honours pioneers in ophthalmology for their distinguished careers and contributions, with the physicians selected by their peers – more than 30,000 ophthalmologists across the world.

Students’ start-up launches food pre-ordering app i.Fed up with waiting endlessly after ordering food in a canteen Some students of National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK) at Surathkal in Mangaluru taluk have found a solution for it with an app to pre-order food in canteens within their campus.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 ii.Their start-up, WayFoo.com, offers a mobile app that helps students to pre-order food in three of the canteens on the NITK campus, saving them time.Gautamdev Chowdary, CEO and co-founder of WayFoo.com stated that users can order food from classrooms or hostel rooms. By the time they reach the canteen, the food will be ready.

Indian Hotels appoints Chandrasekaran non-executive Additional Director i.Tata group hospitality firm Indian Hotels Co today announced the appointment of Tata Sons Chairman-designate N Chandrasekaran as non-executive Additional Director. ii.TCS chief Chandrasekaran was named the new Chairman of Tata Sons, capping two months of a most bitter boardroom battle that followed the unceremonious sacking of Cyrus Mistry and a lot of blood letting ever since.

Indian Navy’s Theatre Level Exercise, TROPEX 17 Begins i.The Theatre Readiness Operational Exercise (TROPEX), an annual Indian Navy exercise kicked started off the Western Seaboard. ii.The last edition of the exercise was conducted in January 2015.TROPEX 17 exercise is aimed at testing combat readiness of the combined fleets of the Indian Navy, and the assets of the Indian Air Force, Indian Army and the Indian Coast Guard.

Surya Namaskar Yajna Recognised in US Congress i.The annual ―Surya Namaskar Yajna‖ or ―Health for Humanity Yogathon‖ has been recognized in the US House of Representative on the occasion of its 10th anniversary. ii.Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh has organized the ―Yoga for Health, Health for Humanity Yogathon‖ from January 14 to January 29, 2017 to mark Makar Sankranti.The 16-day event will raise awareness about yoga and its advantages in achieving a healthy body, mind, and spirit.

Sri Venkateswara College wins Great Britain debate in Delhi i.The Delhi edition of the Great Britain Debate organised by the British High Commission and hosted by the Lady Sri Ram College was won by Anmol Sharma and Sidaq Batra of Sri Venkateswara College. ii.The runners up were Pratyaksha Jha and Aritro Bose of Ashoka University.

President appoints Banwarilal Purohit as Governor of Meghalaya i.President Pranab Mukherjee has given Governor of Assam Banwarilal Purohit additional charge of Meghalaya. Besides, President also gave Governor of Nagaland PB Acharya additional charge of Arunachal Pradesh. ii.These appointments come after President accepted the resignation of V. Shanmuganathan, as Governor of Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.

Dr Vijay Bhatkar appointed new vice-chancellor of Nalanda University i.President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed Dr Vijay Bhatkar, architect of India‘s first supercomputer the Param series, as the chancellor of Nalanda University.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 ii.He will have term of three years from the date of his appointment as provided under Section 11(3) of the Nalanda University Act. He shall succeed George Yeo, former Foreign Minister of Singapore, who resigned after the Board of the University was reconstituted.

Scientists creates world’s first stable semi-synthetic organism i.Researchers from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), US have created world‘s first stable semi-synthetic organism, a single-celled bacterium with an expanded genetic code ii.The semi-synthetic organism is the modified E.coli bacteria created by introducing DNA molecules that are not found in nature in a common bacterium.

DragonBall Z Fans Can Rejoice As Tokyo 2020 Unveils Son Goku As Olympics Ambassador i.In order to woo the young audiences at the 2020 Olympics, the organisers of the Tokyo Games have unveiled Japan's cult anime character Son Goku as its ambassador. ii.The Japanese character will feature on all the official Olympics 2020 merchandise. Apart from the Dragonball Z character, other cartoon stars that will be massively visible throughout the sporting extravaganza will be Mario, Naruto and Sailor Moon.

Sports Ministry reconstitutes committee to identify athletes under TOP Scheme i.The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has reconstituted TOP committee with objective of identifying and supporting potential medal prospects for 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games under Target Olympic Podium (TOP) scheme. ii.The committee will be headed by Abhinav Bindra, Olympic Gold Medalist.

29th January, 2017

IndiaPost becomes 3rd entity to receive licence to start payment bank operations i. IndiaPost has become the third entity to receive a final license last week from the Central Bank to start its payment bank operations. Country‘s largest telecom service provider Bharti Airtel and digital payments firm Paytm are the other two to have received the license while only Airtel has started operations so far. ii. The government has also appointed AP Singh has interim MD and CEO of the India Post Payment Bank. A 1986 Indian Postal Service Officer he was earlier Joint Secretary in the department of disinvestment, the ministry of Finance and Deputy Director General in charge of financial inclusion and payments systems at Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). Singh was one part of the founding team that launched Aadhaar and was stationed at the department of Post prior to UIDAI.

National Immunization Day: 29th January 2017 i. Today (29th January 2017) is National Immunization Day. President Pranab Mukherjee has launched the countrywide programme for 2017 by administering polio drops to children aged below five years at a function in

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Rashtrapati Bhavan. The programme will cover around 17 crore children aged under five years in an effort to maintain the country's polio-free status.

Denmark to appoint world’s first ‘digital ambassador’ i. Denmark has announced it will appoint a 'digital ambassador' to manage its relationship with technology giants like Google and Apple, becoming the first country to do so. "Such companies have become a type of new nations and we need to confront that," said Denmark's Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen. The companies' market values are large enough to enter G20, he added.

Alibaba’s financial arm acquires MoneyGram i. Ant Financial, e-commerce giant Alibaba‘s financial arm, has reached an agreement to acquire American money- transfer major MoneyGram for $880 million, in a deal that will expand the firm‘s business in the US after India and Thailand. ii. The transaction will connect MoneyGram‘s money transfer network of 2.4 billion bank and mobile accounts and 350,000 physical locations with Ant Financial‘s users.

2017 Australian Open: Roger Federer wins men's title i. For the first time since 2010, Roger Federer has won the Australian Open, beating long-time rival Rafael Nadal in the finals in Melbourne, Australia on 29th January 2017. Federer won a closely contested five-set showdown, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. ii. For Federer, it‘s his fifth Australian Open title and his 18th Grand Slam singles title in total. At 35 years old, it‘s the first Grand Slam title for him since he won Wimbledon in 2012, and getting the win over a rival like Nadal is huge.

Australian Open: Serena beats sister Venus for record 23rd slam title i. In Australian Open tennis, Serena Williams beat her sister Venus Williams in the final today to win her 23rd Grand Slam singles title. The dominant American swept past her rival 6-4, 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena to finally clinch the record for Open-era major titles, nearly 18 years after winning her first. ii. This is also her a seventh Australian Open win and her 23rd Grand Slam victory since the game turned professional in 1968.

30th January, 2017 Nation pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi on his 69th death anniversary i.The nation pays homage to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi on his 69th death anniversary today (30 January 2017). ii.He was assassinated on this day in 1948. Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 iii.President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice-President Hamid Anasri and other eminent leaders will pay tributes to Bapu at his Samadhi, Rajghat in New Delhi. An inter-religious prayer will be organised there on the occasion. India gets its own multi-sports museum in Kolkata i.In a first, India's Fanatic Sports Museum opened to the public in Kolkata . ii.The museum will display memorabilia from cricket, hockey, football and the Olympics and Paralympics. Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar were among others to inaugurate the museum.

India’s largest startup incubator to be built at Hubballi i.Indian-American entrepreneur, philanthropist and venture capitalist Gururaj Deshpande has decided to launch India‘s largest startup incubation centre at Hubballi (earlier Hubli) in Karnataka. ii.The decision is based on the idea of expansion of the Deshpande Foundation‘s initial incubation center, Sandbox, which was founded by Deshpande and his wife Jaishree in 2008 INSAT-3DR to map farm fires in Haryana, Punjab i.INSAT-3DR works in tandem with INSAT-3D, operational since 2014, in sending raw data and high-resolution images, zoomed up to 1 kilometre near the earth's surface, every 15 minutes. ii.Next generation satellite INSAT-3DR has opened new frontiers in India's weather forecasting and is set to equip the country with the ability to detect farm fires, which intensifies air pollution in the northern region seasonally, leaving Delhi gasping for breath. iii.A team of the Satellite Meteorology Division of India Meteorological Department (IMD), housed in New Delhi's Mausam Bhawan, has amassed a huge tranche of data relayed by it over the past few months, at an average rate of a whopping 142 GB per day. AP Singh is interim head of Postal Bank i.India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), floated by the postal department, has received Reserve Bank of India‘s final nod to commence commercial operations. ii.The Centre has appointed AP Singh, who was earlier Joint Secretary in the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management, as the interim Managing Director and CEO of IPPB. Ex-HC judge Vishwanath Shetty sworn in as Karnataka Lokayukta i.Former HC judge Justice P Vishwanath Shetty was administered the oath of Karnataka Lokayukta office by governor Vajubhai R Vala. ii.The post had remained vacant since Y Bhaskar Rao stepped down in December 2015 following bribery scandal. Shetty's appointment was cleared by governor. Gokaldas Exports to set up manufacturing units in Chittoor district i.Gokaldas Exports has entered in to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh Government for setting up four apparel manufacturing units in Chittoor district over next three years. ii.The company plans to invest up to Rs. 200 crore which is likely to generate approximately 5,000 new jobs. France's Iris Mittenaere wins 2016 i. Iris Mittenaere was crowned at the Mall of Asia Arena . Andrea Tovar won second runner-up. ii. Miss Haiti Raquel Pelissier won first runner-up. Flo Rida and Boyz II Men gave musical performances during the Miss Universe pageant.

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SC appoints former CAG chief Vinod Rai as BCCI chief The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday appointed former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) chief Vinod Rai as BCCI chief, along with noted historian Ramachandra Guha and IDFC MD & CEO Vikram Limaye as administrators of the sport body. IMD to Set up Weather Stations in 660 Districts by 2019 i.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has decided to set up weather stations in 660 districts of the country for better and prompt weather forecasting with major focus on rain-fed and non-rain-fed areas to give crop specific advisories. ii.The system would be launched in phased manner. Initially, IMD has planned to set up the system in 130 districts and gradually increase it to 660 by 2019. The plan will be taken at block level after successful functioning at district level. Nitin Gadkari Announces to Develop 1,253 km road in Assam as National Highways i.The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways and Shipping, Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Roadinaugurated a 3-lane Brahmaputra Bridge at Saraighat in Guwahati . ii.As a part of the event, the Minister announced that the government would spend Rs 15,000 crores to develop 1,253 kilometres of roads in Assam into National Highways over the next few years. Inheritance Court for Non-Muslims to be Set up in Abu Dhabi i.The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has issued a resolution to set up a Personal Status and Inheritance Court for non Muslims in Abu Dhabi. ii.The aim of setting up the Court is to ensure access to services for all segment of the society and promote the culture of tolerance and acceptance of other communities values at the judiciary level. India’s Foreign Exchange Reserves Rises by $ 932.4 million to $ 360.775 billion i.The Reserve Bank of India on January 29, 2017 informed that the Foreign Exchange Reserves of India rose by 932.4 million dollars to 360.775 billion dollars for the second consecutive week ended January 20. ii.In the previous week, India‘s forex reserve increased by 687.9 million dollars to 359.843 billion dollars.

Abul Hossain Wins 2017 Kolkata Marathon i.Siliguri lad Abul Hossain won the Kolkata Marathon as amateur runners from north Bengal and Northeast India dominated the first edition of the meet here.Hossain won the race with a timing of two hours 34 minutes and two seconds to leave Kolkata lad Biswanath Pal second, five minutes behind. ii. Paritosh Roy finished third with a timing of two hours, 52 minutes 48 seconds.Sikkim's Mangali Tamang won the women's half marathon with a timing of one hour 31 minutes and 13 seconds.

PV Sindhu wins Syed Modi International badminton tournament i.Indian shuttler PV Sindhu won the Syed Modi International Grand Prix Gold after beating Indonesia's Gregoria Mariska in the final. ii.The Rio Olympics silver medalist eased past her opponent in straight sets, 21-13, 21-14. India's Sameer Verma also won the tournament in men's singles category after defeating compatriot Sai Praneeth in straight sets, 21-19, 21-16.

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Federer has won over ₹680 crore in tournament prize money i.Switzerland's Roger Federer became the second player in tennis history after Novak Djokovic to crossing $100 million (over ₹680 crore) in tournament earnings after winning the Australian Open. ii.The eighteen-time Grand Slam champion Federer has amassed over $100 million, earning almost $2.8 million overcoming Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final.

Hollywood Legend & Harry Porter actor John Hurt dies at 77 Sir John Hurt, the British actor who starred in The Elephant Man and Harry Potter, John Hurt dies at 77died on January 25, 2017 at his residence in Norfolk, London due to Cancer. He was 77.

31st January, 2017

Budget session of Parliament begans today (31 January 2017) i.The Budget session of Parliament will begin today (31 January 2017) and President Pranab Mukherjee will address the joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.The Economic Survey will also be tabled on the first day of the session. There will be no separate Rail budget from this year and it has been merged with the general budget which will be presented on 1 february 2017. ii.The government had advanced the date of budget presentation so as to complete the entire process before the end of financial year.The first part has been kept brief in view of ongoing assembly polls in five states. It will have eight sittings from 31st January to 9th of February, 2017. iii.The two houses will have a month long recess from 10th February to 8th March to enable the Standing Committees to consider the Demands for Grants of Ministries and Departments and prepare their Reports. The second part of the budget session will commence from 9th of March and will continue till 12th of April, 2017. iv.Apart from presentation of the general budget, 34 bills will be taken up for passing and consideration during the entire session. These include three ordinances which will be replaced through bills. The ordinances relate to Enemy Property, Payment of Wages and Specified Bank Notes.The other important legislations to be taken up include Goods and Services Tax, Central Goods and Services Tax ( Compensation for loss of revenue) and Integrated GST. Economic Survey 2017 tabled in Parliament: Key highlights Union finance minister Arun Jaitley on 31 January 2017 tabled the Economic Survey 2016-17 in Parliament budget session. The survey projects the economy to grow in the range of 6.75% to 7.25% in the next fiscal year 2017-18 in the post-demonetisation year.The survey prepared by chief economic adviser in the finance ministry Arvind Subramanian stated the adverse impact of demonetisation on GDP growth will be transitional. The Economic Survey 2016-17 advocates the concept of Universal Basic Income (UBI) as an alternative to the various social welfare schemes in an effort to reduce poverty. Here are the major highlights from the Economic Survey 2016-17: i.Gross domestic product (GDP) growth in 2016-17 to dip to 6.5%, down from 7.6% in last fiscal. ii.Economic growth to rebound to 6.75 to 7.5% in 2017-18. iii.Economic Survey sees fiscal windfall from Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, low oil prices. iv.Farm sector to grow at 4.1% in the current fiscal, up from 1.2% in 2015-16. v.Fiscal gains from Goods and Services Tax (GST) will take time to realise.

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Unique IAS Academy – January 2017 vi.Growth rate of industrial sector estimated to moderate to 5.2% in 2016-17 from 7.4% last fiscal. vii.The survey prepared by Chief Economic Adviser in the finance ministry Arvind Subramanian said the adverse impact of demonetisation on GDP growth will be transitional. viii.The Economic Survey 2016-17 has advocated the concept of Universal Basic Income (UBI) as an alternative to the various social welfare schemes in an effort to reduce poverty. India Post Payments Bank starts pilot services i.India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) kicked off its operations by rolling out pilot services in Raipur and Ranchi.The bank will offer an interest rate of 4.5% on deposits up to Rs25,000; 5% on deposits of Rs25,000-50,000 and 5.5% on Rs50,000-1,00,000. ii.The paid up equity of the new bank is Rs800 crore, of which the government has already infused ?275 crore. iii.The idea is to have a branch in every district and make 3 lakh postmen come alive in payment bank function.Also 1,000 ATMs of India Post will be transferred to IPPB.Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha stated that IPPB plans to have 650 branches across the country by September 2017. RBI lifts ATM withdrawal limits from Feb 1, 2017 i.In a big relief to people, RBI has announced lifting of restrictions on daily withdrawal of money from ATMs with effect from 1 February 2017 and has also withdrawn all limits on Current Accounts and overdraft accounts with immediate effect ii.In a circular to the banks the RBI however stated the weekly limits of 24 thousand rupees on Savings Bank accounts will continue. FGII Enters Into Bancassurance Tie-Up With Bank Of Maharashtra i.Future Generali India Insurance Company (FGII) announced an agency tie-up with Pune based Bank of Maharashtra. ii.To immensely benefit our customers by providing them an ease of access while choosing from a diverse range of non-life insurance products, all under one roof Bank-of-Maharashtra. iii.It has tie-up with over 100 banks in India for bancassurance.Now it accounts for 5 per cent of Future Generali‘s total business First Edition of the North East Investors Summit Held in Shillong i.The first edition of the North East Investors Summit was inaugurated on January 29, 2017 by the Union Textiles Minister, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani in Shillong, Meghalaya. ii.The North East Investors Summit 2017 was jointly organized by the Union Ministry of Textiles and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) of the Government of India in collaboration with industry associations Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). iii.The two day Summit concluded on January 30, 2017.Theme: Exploring Opportunities in North East Region. UberMOTO launches service in Hyderabad i.Cab-hailing firm Uber has launched two-wheeler aggregation service UberMOTO in Hyderabad. The firm, which has signed an agreement with the Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd recently, formally launched the services. ii.Using the app, people can hire two-wheelers for short-distance commute at cheaper rates. The agreement was aimed at providing the last-mile connectivity from and to the upcoming Metro railway stations. Uber Founder and CEO Travis Kalanick came to Hyderabad last month to seal the deal

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Karnataka Govt Approves Amending Laws to Lift Ban on Kambala & Bullock Cart Race i.The Karnataka state cabinet approved amending Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Bill, 1960 Act to legalize the Kambala and Bullock Cart Race which is a traditional festival held annually in Karnataka. ii.The amendment Bill will be introduced by the state cabinet in the legislature session scheduled to be begin from February 6,2017. Bombay Natural History Society launches climate change programme in Central Himalayas i.The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has launched climate change programme to assess the status, distribution and conservation of pheasants and finches in the Central Himalayas. ii.To evaluate the socio-economic activities of local communities and involve them in conservation efforts and sensitize the local forest department staff.This programme is funded by Oracle and facilitated by CAF-India. Trump Bans 7 nations from Entering US on Security Issues 1.American President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to temporarily ban visas for refugees belonging to seven Muslim-majority countries namely Trump Bans 7 nations from Entering US on Security IssuesIraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. ii.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. Dushyant Chautala is new TTFI president Dushyant Chautala has been appointed as the president of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI). Chautala is the youngest president of the apex body. His term, which is for four years, extends until 2021. Defence Signs Contract with Ministry of Defence to Construct 14 Fast patrol Vessels for Indian Coast Guard i.Reliance Defence and Engineering Ltd (RDEL), a wholly owned arm of Reliance Infrastructure Ltd (RInfra), has signed a contract worth Rs. 916 crore with the Ministry of Defence to design and construct 14 Fast Patrol Vessels for the Indian Coast Guard. ii.The medium range, high speed vessels would be deployed for patrolling within the exclusive economic zone, costal surveillance, anti-smuggling, anti-piracy, search and rescue operations. It will also provide support as front-line warships during emergencies. KSEZ, Subsidiary of GMR group Signs MoUs With Firms to Set Up Manufacturing Units at Kakinada SEZ , Andhra Pradesh i.Kakinada SEZ Ltd (KSEZ), a subsidiary of GMR Infrastructure Limited (GIL), signed several MoUs with various companies during the CII Partnership Summit 2017 held on GMRJanuary 27-28, 2017 at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. ii.The MoU aimed at setting up World Class manufacturing units at the Kakinada SEZ in Andhra Pradesh spread over 8,500 acres at a cost of Rs. 47000 crore. Priyanka Chopra among 150 most fashionable women i.Indian actress Priyanka Chopra has made it to the list of Harper's Bazaar's 150 most fashionable women. ii.The 34-year-old "Quantico" star features on the list under the section of New Guard. Priyanka took to Twitter to share the news with her fans and followers.

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Ashok Amritraj Appointed UN in India Goodwill Ambassador for the Sustainable Development Goals i.Film producer and Wimbledon tennis player, Ashok Amritraj has been appointed the United Nations in India Goodwill Ambassador for the Sustainable Development Goals ii.Amritraj is the first Ambassador for the UN in India.He is responsible to generate momentum and commitment to achieve the SDGs by 2030 and to foster engagement of new stakeholders in the implementation of these Goals. Amulya Patnaik appointed as Delhi Police Chief IPS officer from Union Territories cadre, Amulya Patnaik is appointed as Chief of Delhi police on January 30, 2017. He is succeeded by Alok Verma, who has been moved as the director of CBI.Patnail is currently workig as Delhi police special commissioner (administration). Atomic clocks of Satellite IRNSS-1A Develops Technical Snag i.The atomic clocks on the first satellite IRNSS-1A of the NAVIC, an indigenously built satellite system has developed technical complications. ii.The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman, A.S. Kiran Kumar informed that one of the three crucial rubidium clock on IRNSS-1A spacecraft failed six months ago while the other two failed subsequently. Veteran journalist Devdutt passes away i.Veteran journalist Devdutt passed away. He was 88. He was Gandhian since his early days and was present at Birla House in the lawn when Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948. ii. He was seasoned political commentator, who had brought out a journal of political opinion called Point of View.

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