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Home , Chanda Kochhar, Jaggi Vasudev, Sukhadeo Thorat

UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

16th December 2017

1. PM Dedicates Tuirial Hydropower Project to the Nation i. Prime Minister inaugurated the 60-megawatt Tuirial hydroelectric power project from Aizawl, Mizoram. Mizoram had become the third power- surplus state in the north-east after Sikkim and Tripura. ii. The Tuirial project was announced and cleared in 1998 by the then government. It was the first major central project to be successfully commissioned in Mizoram. Prime Minister also inaugurated the Shillong - Nongstoin Rongjeng Tura road.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam- Mizoram CM- Lal Thanhawla, Governor- Lt. General (Retd.) Nirbhay Sharma

2. President of Lays Foundation Stone of „NYAYA GRAM‟ Project i. The President of India, Shri Ram Kovind, laid the foundation stone of the 'Nyaya Gram project' of the High Court of Allahabad in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. ii. As per the President, the Nyaya Gram project would prove to be a milestone in fulfilling the requirements of the Allahabad High Court.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam- In the year 1866, the High Court for the North-Western Provinces came into existence at Agra.

 The first Chief Justice of High Court of North-Western Provinces- Sir Walter Morgan.

 The seat of the High Court for the North-Western Provinces was shifted from Agra to Allahabad in 1869 and its designation was altered to „the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad‟.

3. Important Cabinet Approvals- 15th December 2017 i. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given the following set of approvals. The full list of Cabinet Approvals is given as follows. ii. The Cabinet has approved-

1. The Continuation of two Schemes-

 Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR) scheme for North East till March 2020.

 Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National Ayush Mission (NAM) from 01.04.2017 to 31.03.2020.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

2. Special package for employment generation in leather and footwear sector- The package involves the implementation of Central Sector Scheme "Indian Footwear, Leather & Accessories Development Programme" with an approved expenditure of Rs. 2600 Crore over the three financial years from 2017-18 to 2019-20. 3. Agreement with UNESCO on the establishment of International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography in . 4. Signing of MoU between India and Colombia in the field of agriculture and fisheries. 5. Subsidizing MDR charges on debit card/BHIM UPI/AePS transactions of value less than Rs.2000

4. Third World Telugu Conference Begins in Hyderabad i. The third World Telugu Conference has begun in Hyderabad amidst much fanfare. The aim of the Conference is to promote Telugu and its literature besides helping the present generation learn more about and its rich culture and heritage. ii. Telangana Government has put in place elaborate arrangements for the 5-day event for which about eight thousand Telugu speaking delegates from 40 countries all over the globe will be taking part. Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu had formally inaugurated the Conference.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Telangana CM- K Chandrasekhar Rao, Governor- E.S Lakshmi Narasimhan (Add. Charge).

5. Income Inequality Highest in India Since 1980s i. Since 1980 India has led to substantial increase in inequality so much that top 0.1% of earners has continued to capture more growth than all those in the bottom 50% combined, according to the World Inequality Lab in its World Inequality Report 2018. ii. In 2014, the share of national income captured by India's top 1% of earners was 22%, while the share of top 10% of earners was around 56%.

6. Nation Celebrates Vijay Diwas- 16 December i. Vijay Diwas is celebrated across the Nation on 16th December. The day marks the glorious victory over Pakistan in 1971 during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, in alliance with Bangladesh Mukti Bahini. ii. The anniversary of Vijay Divas is observed across India by paying tributes to the martyrs who laid down their lives for the nation.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Chief of Army Staff- General Bipin Rawat.

7. J&K Bank Launches „Sahafat Finance Scheme‟ i. Jammu and Kashmir Bank launched a special financial scheme for journalists of the state. The scheme "J&K Bank Sahafat Finance Scheme" was launched by the bank's chairman and CEO Parvez Ahmad.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 ii. The scheme will enable journalists to buy cameras, laptops, tablets, and books. The minimum loan amount for the purpose has been fixed at Rs 50,000 while as the maximum cap is Rs 3 lakh.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Headquarters- Srinagar, Incorporated in- 1938.

8. 'Youthquake' Named Word of the Year by Oxford Dictionaries i. Oxford Dictionaries has crowned "youthquake" as its word of 2017 in a nod to the unexpected level of youth engagement in this summer's election in the United Kingdom. ii. An amalgamation of "youth" and "earthquake", the noun is defined as "a significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people."

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 2016's word of the year was reflecting the crisis of facts and trust in the wake of the US presidential election.

9. R Hemalatha Takes Charge as Director, National Institute of Nutrition i. R Hemalatha has been appointed as the new Director of the country‟s premier National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad. Hemalatha is a medical graduate of Gandhi Medical College, Hyderabad. ii. She assumes office at a historic moment as the institute enters its centenary year.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) was founded by Sir Robert McCarrison in the year 1918 as „Beri- Beri‟ Enquiry Unit in .

 It was shifted to Hyderabad in 1958.

10. Official Emblems for Beijing 2022 Winter Games Unveiled i. The emblems of the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games have been named “Winter Dream” and “Flight,” respectively. ii. The emblem launching ceremony was held at the National Aquatic Center, which staged the swimming events during the Beijing 2008 Games. In 2022, this venue will be transformed into an ice rink for curling games.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 The XXIII Olympic Winter Games will be held in February 2018 in PyeongChang, the Republic of Korea

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

17th and 18th December 2017

1. Sushil Kumar Clinches Gold at Commonwealth Wrestling Championships i. Double Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar clinched a gold medal at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in South Africa. Sushil defeated New Zealand's Akash Khullar via a pinfall in the final of the 74kg freestyle category to clinch the medal.

ii. Parveen Rana also won a bronze medal in the same category. Another Olympic medalist, Malik also clinched a gold medal in the championships. Sakshi defeated New Zealand‟s Tayla Tuahine Ford in the final of the 62kg women‟s freestyle category.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Sakshi Malik won a bronze in the 2016 Rio Games.

 Sushil Kumar won the 2010 world title, a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

2. PV Sindhu Wins Silver at Dubai World Badminton Superseries Finals i. Top Indian shuttler P V Sindhu won the Silver medal in women‟s singles summit clash of the Dubai World Super Series Final in Dubai. She went down fighting against World No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan. ii. In the prestigious season-ending tournament finale, Sindhu lost in three games, to Yamaguchi in the final.

3. 2002 World Cup Winner Kaka Retires from Football i. Former AC Milan and Real Madrid midfielder Kaka, who lifted the 2002 World Cup with Brazil, announced his retirement from football. ii. Kaka, who won the Champions League and the Ballon d'Or award in 2007 while playing for AC Milan, had become the most expensive footballer in history after his then-world record £56 million transfer from Milan to Madrid. He was the last Brazilian to be voted world player of the year in 2007.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Ballon d'Or award winner for 2017 is Cristiano Ronaldo.

4. Mo Farah Wins BBC's Sports Personality of the Year Award i. World 10,000m champion Sir Mo Farah has been voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2017. The 34-year-old, a four-time Olympic champion, won his third successive world 10,000m gold medal in London in August.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 ii. He becomes the first long-distance runner to win the Sports Personality award since Paula Radcliffe in 2002.

5. Real Madrid Presented with the FIFA World Champions Badge i. Real Madrid has earned the honor of being able to wear the official FIFA World Champions Badge on their competition jerseys for the duration of 2018 by defeating Gremio in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2017. ii. Real Madrid will be able to display the emblem all the way up to the next FIFA Club World Cup, which will take place in the United Arab Emirates in December 2018.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Madrid had won FIFA World Champions Badges in 2014, 2016, 2017.

 The first team to ever receive the FIFA World Champions Badge was the Italy men‟s national team for their victory at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

6. Andhra Pradesh Cabinet Approves Pension for State's Transgenders i. The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet approved a scheme to provide a pension of Rs 1500 to transgenders above 18 years of age in the state. ii. Under this scheme, the transgenders will be provided ration cards, plots, andscholarships, also skill development for financial stability. After Kerala and Odisha, Andhra Pradesh becomes the next state to sanction pension scheme for the transgender community.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister- N Chandrababu Naidu, Governor- E.S Lakshmi Narasimhan.

7. Pradhan Inaugurates Eastern India‟s First CNG Stations i. Oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated eastern India‟s first compressed natural gas (CNG) stations for scooters in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. ii. Pradhan inaugurated two CNG stations for scooters and three-wheelers at Chandrasekharpur and Patia area in Bhubaneswar. The CNG stations were part of GAIL‟s Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga and City Gas Distribution (CGD) projects in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Odisha CM- Naveen Patnaik, Governor- S. C. Jamir.

8. WHO Certifies Gabon as Polio Free i. The World Health Organisation has declared Gabon a "polio-free country", given the lack of new reported or suspected cases in the central African country. According to WHO, the UN health agency nonetheless recommended taking the necessary steps to continue monitoring for possible signs of the disease.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 ii. Cases of polio have decreased by 99 percent since 1988 when polio was endemic in 125 countries and 350,000 cases were recorded worldwide.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS SO Prelims 2017 Exam-

 Libreville is the capital city of Gabon, a country on the coast of Central Africa.

 Ali Bongo Ondimba is a President of Gabon.

9. UIDAI Temporarily Bars Airtel from Conducting Aadhaar Linked e-KYC Certification i. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has temporarily barred Bharti Airtel and Airtel Payments Bank from conducting Aadhaar-based SIM verification of mobile customers using eKYC process. ii. The action follows allegations of Bharti Airtel using the Aadhaar-eKYC based SIM verification process to open payments bank accounts of its subscribers without their informed consent.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Airtel Payments Bank is the first entity to get the final license from Reserve Bank of India for launching a Payments Bank.

 Shashi Arora is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Payments Bank.

 Paytm recently launched their payments bank and currently, there are four payments bank in India.

10. ED Freezes Assets worth Rs 245 crore in STC Fraud Case i. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has frozen assets worth Rs 245 crore in connection with its money laundering probe in the alleged fraud of Rs 2,200 crore with the State Trading Corporation (STC). ii. The agency had early this year registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Ms Global Steel Holding Limited, its chairman Pramod Kumar Mittal and others based on an FIR by the CBI.

11. Man Sails Around the World in 42 Days, Breaks World Record i. Frenchman Francois Gabart smashed the world record for the fastest non-stop solo navigation of the globe, completing the mammoth feat in 42 days, 16 hours, 40 minutes and 35 seconds. ii. The 34-year-old sailor crossed a virtual finish line drawn between the island of Ushant off France's northwest tip and Lizard Point in southwest England at 0145 GMT, comfortably beating the previous record set by compatriot Thomas Coville last year by six days and 10 hours.

12. GST Council Clears e-way Bill Mechanism i. The GST Council has decided to implement the e-way bill mechanism throughout the country by June 1st after reviewing the readiness of the IT network. Under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, the waybill is replaced by an e-way bill.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 ii. It aims at mitigating the problems caused by waybill compliance. E-way bill is an electronic way bill for movement of goods which can be generated on the GSTN portal. The decision was taken in the 24th meeting of the GST Council via Video-Conferencing.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Present Finance Minister of India- .

 First Finance Minister of Independent India- R K Shanmukhan Chetty.

13. Government Approves Dish TV Merger with Videocond2h i. Dish TV India Limited (Dishtv), Asia Pacific‟s largest direct-to-home (DTH) company and part of the Essel Group has received the final approval for closing of the merger of Videocon d2h with DishTV. ii. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) had approved the requests made by the company for completion of the transaction for the creation of the largest listed media company in India. Following the amalgamation, the combined entity will be renamed as DishTV Videocon Limited.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 CMD DishTV India Limited- Mr. Jawahar Goel.

14. Samsung, UNESCO Partner for Videos on Indian Heritage Sites i. Samsung India has entered into a partnership with UNESCO to launch virtual reality content and 360-degree videos on Indian heritage sites. ii. Indian heritage sites include the Sun Temple in Konark, Odisha and Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. The project will provide experiential educational content to students across the country. There are 36 UNESCO heritage sites in India at present.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 UNESCO- Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

 Director-General (Present)- France's Audrey Azoulay, Headquarters- Paris, France.

15. Satheesh Reddy Conferred with National Design Award i. G. Satheesh Reddy, Scientific Adviser to Raksha Mantri and Director General, Missiles and Strategic Systems, has been conferred with the prestigious National Design Award. ii. He has bagged this award for his significant national contribution towards indigenous design and development of diversified missile systems, guided weapons, avionics technologies.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

 National Design Research Forum (NDRF) established by the Institution of Engineers (India), promotes research, design, development, productization, and innovation through collaborative effort since 1969.

16. Sebastian Pinera Wins Chile‟s Presidential Election i. A conservative billionaire and former president, Sebastian Pinera, has won Chile's presidential election run-off. ii. With nearly all votes counted, Mr Pinera has polled more than 54%. Left-winger Alejandro Guillier was his closest opponent. Sebastian Pinera has replaced Michelle Bachelet.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Chile Capital- Santiago, Currency- Chilean peso.

17. RBI Imposes Rs 5 crore Penalty on Syndicate Bank i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 5 crore on Syndicate Bank for non- compliance with its directions on "Cheque Purchase or Discounting, Bill Discounting, and Know Your Customer (KYC)" norms. ii. According to the RBI, the penalty was imposed after "considering the bank's reply and oral submissions made in the personal hearing".

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Syndicate Bank MD & CEO- Melwyn Rego, Headquarters- Manipal, .

18. Government to Bear MDR Charges on Digital Transactions up to Rs 2,000 i. As per the IT Ministry, the government will bear the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) charges on transactions up to Rs 2,000 made through debit cards, BHIM UPI or Aadhaar-enabled payment systems to promote digital transactions. ii. MDR is charged on payments made to merchants through BHIM UPI platform and AePS (Aadhaar enabled Payment System). The merchant discount rate (MDR) will be borne by the government for two years with effect from January 1, 2018 by reimbursing the same to the banks.

What is Merchant Discount Rate?

It is a charge to a merchant by a bank for accepting payment from their customers in credit and debit cards every time a card is used for payments (like swiping) in their stores. The MDR is expressed in percentage of the transaction amount.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Present Information & Technology Minister of India- Prasad.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

19. Government Ropes in ICICI Bank to Enable Cashless Payments on e-NAM i. The government has engaged private lender ICICI Bank to enable online payments at 470 mandis integrated with the national portal of electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM). ii. At present, e-NAM participants are doing payments through traditional ways via bank branches, debit cards, and net banking. ICICI Bank will enable BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) on the e-NAM portal for making cashless payments.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 The e-NAM platform was launched in April 2016.

 ICICI CEO- Chanda Kochhar, Headquarter- .

19th December 2017

1. Bengali Poet Joy Goswami to Get 31st Moortidevi Award i. Eminent Bengali poet Joy Goswami will be given the 31st Moortidevi Award for the year 2017. The committee, headed by poet and scholar Vrat Shastri, unanimously decided to confer the award upon Goswami for his poetry collection titled Du Dondo Phowara Matro. ii. It is the first time the award will be given to a Bengali poet. The award consists of a Statue, a Citation Plaque and cash award of Rupees 4 lakh.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 The First Moortidevi Award winner was C. K. Nagaraja Rao.

2. India to Host Meeting of WTO Member Countries on Food Security i. India will host a meeting of WTO member countries in February 2018 to muster support for food security and other issues. The announcement was made by Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu in New Delhi. ii. The proposed meeting would be in the backdrop of developed nations forming groupings to prepare ground for pushing investment facilitation, preparing rules for e-commerce, promoting gender equality and reducing subsidy on fisheries.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 11th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference (MC11) took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

3. Goa Celebrates 56th Liberation Day i. Goa has celebrated its 56th Liberation Day. The state was liberated on 19th December in 1961 from Portuguese control after almost 450 years of colonial rule.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 ii. The main program was organized at the Sports Authority of Goa Ground, Campal in state capital Panaji. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar unfurled the national flag at the Goa Liberation Day celebrations in Panaji.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Goa CM- Manohar Parrikar, Governor- .

4. Global Innovation Index- India Ranked 60th Most Innovative Country, Tops i. India currently ranks 60th out of 127 countries on the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2017 as compared to 66th rank on GII 2016. The list was topped by Switzerland. NITI Aayog, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) together launched a mega initiative “India Innovation Index”. ii. This Index will rank states on Innovations through country‟s first online innovation index portal that will capture data on innovation from all Indian states on innovation and regularly update it in real time.

The Top 3 Countries on Global Innovation Index 2017 are- Switzerland,

1. Sweden,

2. Netherlands.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 The Global Innovation Index provides detailed metrics about the innovation performance of 127 countries and economies around the world.

5. International Migrants Day- 18 December i. The International Migrants Day is organized across the world on 18th December. The theme for IMD 2017 is 'Safe Migration in a World on the Move.' On 4 December 2000, the General Assembly proclaimed 18 December as International Migrants Day. ii. On that day, in 1990, the Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.

6. ICRA Launches Fixed Income Indices for Debt Markets i. ICRA Management Consulting Services (IMaCS), an arm of ICRA, launched a set of four fixed income indices including one on corporate bonds. It aims to create more depth in the Indian debt market. ii. ICRA Gilt Indices, ICRA Liquid Indices, ICRA Corporate Bond Indices and ICRA Composite Debt Indices, the four indices launched, would help asset managers and financial services companies make the objective analysis and provide comprehensive benchmarking of debt portfolios.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

 Non-Executive Chairman & an Independent Director of ICRA- Arun Duggal,

 ICRA Limited (formerly Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency of India Limited) was set up in 1991.

7. Bharti Airtel to buy Millicom‟s Operations in Rwanda i. Bharti Airtel Ltd has entered into a definitive agreement with Millicom International Cellular S.A., under which Airtel Rwanda Ltd will acquire 100% equity in Tigo Rwanda Ltd. ii. This comes after Airtel‟s announcement to merge with Millicom, which operates the brand Tigo, in another African nation Ghana.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Rwanda Capital- Kigali, Currency- Rwandan franc.

8. Ola Acquires FoodPanda India Business, to Further Invest $200 million i. Ola, operated by ANI Technologies Pvt. Ltd has acquired food delivery start-up Foodpanda India Pvt. Ltd from its German parent Delivery Hero AG in an all-stock deal that will see the ride-hailing major infuse $200 million in Foodpanda‟s India operations. ii. Under the deal, Foodpanda‟s India business will be transferred to Ola in exchange for the latter‟s stock. The share-swap arrangement and details of the transaction are still not disclosed.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 CEO of Ola- Bhavish Aggarwal, Headquarters- Bengaluru.

9. NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar Retires i. National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar retired from the post after completing his five-year tenure. ii. His successor is yet to be appointed. Justice Kumar resigned as Supreme Court judge after he was appointed NGT chairperson on December 20, 2012.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 The first chairperson of the tribunal was Justice Lokeshwar Singh Panta, who was appointed on October 18, 2010.

 The tribunal‟s principal bench is located in New Delhi.

 The NGT was established on October 18, 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010.

10. BJP wins absolute Majority in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 i. The BJP has retained power in Gujarat for the 6th time in a row and swept the polls in Himachal Pradesh finishing just short of the two-third majority. The party romped home again in Gujarat by winning 99 seats, seven seats more than the mark of absolute majority in the 182-member House. Congress won 77 seats and others 6. ii. In Himachal Pradesh, BJP wrested power from Congress by winning 44 seats, two seats short of two-third majority, in the 68 member House. The Congress won 21 and others three. In Himachal Pradesh, Congress Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has won, while former BJP Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has lost.

11. Iraq Overtakes Saudi Arabia as Top Oil Supplier to India i. Iraq has overtaken Saudi Arabia for the first time to become India's top crude oil supplier in the current fiscal, according to the Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. ii. Saudi Arabia traditionally has been India's top oil source but in the April-October period of 2017-18, Iraq dethroned it, supplying 25.8 million tonnes (MT) of oil.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Iraq Capital- Baghdad, Currency- Iraqi dinar, President- Fuad Masum.

12. Tata Steel Joda Mine Gets Golden Peacock Innovation Award i. Joda East Iron Mine (JEIM) of Tata Steel has been honored with the prestigious Golden Peacock Innovation Management Award for the year 2017 for driving innovation in mines. ii. The award was given at Institute of Directors India‟s 2nd Global Convention held at Singapore. Golden Peacock Awards Secretariat receives over 1,000 entries per year for various awards, from over 25 countries worldwide.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 The Golden Peacock Award is instituted by the Institute Of Directors (IOD) of India in 1991.

13. India Finishes 1st at Junior Boxing Championship in Germany i. Indian junior boxers had clinched total 11 Medals (six gold, four silver and a bronze medal) at the fifth International Sven Lange Memorial Tournament, to finish as overall champions in the German city of Schwerin. ii. Bhavesh Kattamani (52kg) picked up the best boxer trophy along with his gold medal. In the three-day tournament, the other gold-medallists for India were Vijeydeep (63kg), Akshay (60kg), Ish Pannu (70kg), Lakshay Chahar (80kg) and Vinit (75kg). India was named the tournament's best team.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Germany Capital- Berlin, Currency- Euro, Chancellor- Angela Merkel.

14. Badminton Jr. Nationals: Aakarshi Kashyap Wins U-17 & U-19 Singles Titles

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 i. India‟s top-ranked junior shuttler Aakarshi Kashyap won U-17 and U-19 singles titles at Badminton junior Nationals in Guwahati, Assam. ii. In Under-17 category, 16-year-old from Bhilai defeated Malvika Bansod in the final. In under 19 categories final, Kashyap has beaten Vaidehi Choudhari.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Assam CM- Sarbananda Sonowal, Governor- Jagdish Mukhi.

20th December 2017

1. All About Zee Cine Awards 2018 i. Zee Cine Awards 2018 took place recently, marking the presence of almost all the big stars from Bollywood. The complete winner's list is out that includes Varun Dhawan, Sridevi, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, and Golmaal Again team grabbing the highest recognition.

ii. Below is the complete list of winners of Zee Cine Awards 2018:

1. Best actor male- Varun Dhawan for Badrinath Ki Dulhania.

2. Best actor female- Sridevi for Mom.

3. Best director- Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari for Bareilly Ki Barfi.

4. Best film- Golmaal Again.

5. Extraordinary franchisee award- Baahubali.

6. Global icon award- .

7. Best script award- Nitesh Tiwari for Bareilly Ki Barfi.

8. Best music director- Amit Trivedi for Secret Superstar.

9. Best male playback Singer- Akhil Sachdeva for Humsafar.

10. Best action director- Sham Kaushal for Kaabil.

2. PM Announces Relief Package for Cyclone Ockhi Affected States

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ockhi affected Lakshwadeep, Tamil Nadu and Kerala to take stock of the situation, meets affected people. He announced the relief package of Rs 325 crore for all 3 states and ex-gratia assistance of Rs. 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased. ii. PM had also visited Lakshadweep. He is the first Prime Minister to visit the Union Territory in 25 years.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Lakshwadeep Administrator- Farooq Khan.

 Tamil Nadu CM- Edappadi K Palaniswami, Governor- Banwarilal Purohit.

 Kerala CM- Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor- Justice (Retd.) Palaniswamy Sathasivam.

3. Assam Signs MoU with to Save Rivers i. The Assam government has signed an MoU with Isha Foundation to conserve and rejuvenate the rivers of Assam. ii. Assam became the sixth state in the country to sign MoU with non-profit making and spiritual organization, the Isha foundation. The agreement was signed by Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 The two main rivers of Assam are Brahmaputra and Barak.

 Assam Governor- Jagdish Mukhi.

 Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev is the leader of Isha Foundation.

4. Kiren Rijiju Inaugurates Training of Trainers Program for Sendai Framework i. The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju, inaugurated the first national-level training of trainers program to sensitize various Central Ministries and Departments on the utilization of Sendai Monitor for developing action plans for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in New Delhi. ii. The three-day programme was organized by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction-Global Education and Training Institute (UNISDR-GETI).

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 National Disaster Management Authority is Headed by the PM of India, Narendra Modi.

5. Centre Gives „Green‟ Nod for Kaleshwaram Project in Telangana i. The Telangana state government‟s prestigious Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) has finally got the Green Nod from central government. ii. The expert appraisal committee (EAC) of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest recommended the “proposal for grant of environmental clearance” in its meeting held in Delhi.

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Salient features of the Project-

1. Total catchment area of the project: 36,35,437 hectares,

2. Project likely to generate 1,480 lakh cubic metres muck,

3. Compensatory afforestation will be taken up in 5,333.817 hectares.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Telangana CM- K Chandrasekhar Rao, Governor- E.S.L. Narasimhan (Add. Charge.)

6. Andhra Pradesh Government Signs Agreements With Alphabet X i. The government of Andhra Pradesh has entered into an agreement with the moonshot factory of Alphabet (earlier Google) X to bring the breakthrough Free Space Optical Communication (FSOC) technology in order to provide internet through the government Fibergrid project. ii. This association with X labs to implement FSOC in AP is first of its kind in the world to provide wireless internet connection at a higher speed of up to 20Gbps and to a distance of up to 20kms.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Andhra Pradesh CM- Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Governor- E.S. L. Narasimhan.

7. Skill Development Ministry and Maruti Suzuki Sign MoU to Impart Skill Training' i. The Skill Development Ministry and Maruti Suzuki have signed an agreement to impart training to youth and enhance their employment potential. ii. As part of the agreement with the Directorate General of Training, DGT, Maruti Suzuki will ensure that not less than 80 percent of trainees are placed with Maruti Suzuki or its business partners.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship- Anantkumar Hegde.

8. India, Myanmar Ink MoU for Development of Rakhine State i. India and Myanmar signed MoU on Rakhine State Development Programme and on Government to Government agreement on long-term socio-economic development of the state. ii. This MoU is the first G to G agreement signed by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement of Myanmar. Under this MoU, proposes to take up, among others, a project to build prefabricated housing in Rakhine State so as to meet the immediate needs of returning people.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Myanmar PM- Aung San Suu Kyi, Capital- Naypyidaw.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

9. Delhi Ranks 7th in Most Expensive Office Locations List: Report i. Delhi has emerged as one of the most expensive premium office locations in the world. Ranked 7th in the list, rent of Delhi‟s premium office location is higher than San Francisco and Dubai, according to the latest report by JLL India, a real estate services firm. ii. Mumbai is at 16th position in the list. The top spot is again taken by Hong Kong and there is the huge margin between the rent rates between Hong Kong and London (West), which is second in the list. New York was at the third position. 10. World Bank Provides Loans of $125 Million for STRIVE Project

i. The World Bank has committed $125 million (around Rs800 crore) loan to India for the STRIVE project for skill development. ii. The objective of the operation (Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement) is to improve access to quality and market-driven vocational training as well as apprenticeships. The financing agreement was signed between the World Bank and the Finance Ministry.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

1. IBRD- International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

2. World Bank President- Jim Yong Kim (12th), Headquarters- Washington DC, USA.

11. In a First, France Passes Law to Ban all Oil and Gas Production by 2040 i. France's parliament has approved a law banning all exploration and production of oil and natural gas by 2040 within the country and its overseas territories. ii. Under that law that passed a final vote, existing drilling permits will not be renewed and no new exploration licenses will be granted. The French government claims the ban is a world first.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Capital of France- Paris, Currency- Euro

 President- Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister- Edouard Philippe.

12. Shree Saini from Washington Crowned Miss India USA 2017 i. Washington resident Shree Saini has been crowned Miss India USA 2017. While Prachi Singh from Connecticut was declared the first runner-up at the pageant, which was held at the Royal Alberts Palace in Edison, New Jersey. ii. Shree Saini is an anti-bullying activist. At the beauty pageant, cancer surgeon Kavita Malhotra Pattani from Florida was declared Mrs India USA 2017. Swapna Mannam, 17, from New Jersey was crowned with Miss Teen India USA 2017.

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13. Messi Beats Ronaldo To La Liga Best Player Award i. Lionel Messi, the star forward of Barcelona, has received La Liga‟s top scorer and best player awards for the 2016-2017 football season. ii. The Argentine beat rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who guided Real Madrid to their first title since 2012 in the recent campaign. Messi scored 37 goals in league action last season to earn his fourth Pichichi award for most goals in La Liga.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Ballon d'Or award winner for 2017 is Cristiano Ronaldo.

14. RBI Places Bank of India Under PCA i. The Reserve Bank of India has placed Bank of India under the Prompt Corrective Action Framework, consequent to the onsite inspection under the Risk-Based Supervision Model carried out for the year ended March 2017. ii. This is the first time that the central bank has invoked PCA for a large bank of the size of BoI.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Bank of India was founded on 7th September, 1906.

 Managing Director & CEO- Dinabandhu Mohapatra.

 The Bank was under private ownership and control till July 1969.

15. CCI Clears IndusInd Bank-Bharat Financial Merger i. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the scheme of amalgamation between IndusInd Bank and Bharat Financial Inclusion. ii. According to a filing with the stock exchanges, CCI had considered the proposed combination and approved the same. The scheme remains subject to the receipt of approval from the RBI and regulatory approval, including approval of the stock exchanges, SEBI, and the National Company Law Tribunal.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Competition Commission of India (CCI) Chairperson- Ashok Chawla.

 IndusInd Bank Chairman- R. Seshasayee, Headquarter- Mumbai, Owner- Hinduja Group.

16. AU Small Finance Bank Joins Hands with Sahaj e-Village

i. AU Small Finance Bank has announced signing an MoU with Sahaj e-Village for extending its banking service in remote areas through Business Correspondent Agent (BC) model.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 ii. With this MoU, AU Bank will be able to further foster its mission of financial inclusion and greater customer outreach. As per the agreement, the BCs will act as an intermediary between the Bank and the customers in the interior locations where the Bank does not have a presence.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 AU Small Finance Bank headquarters- Jaipur, Rajasthan, Started in- 1996, Chairman- Mannil Venugopalan.

17. YES Bank, EIB to Co-finance $400 mn for Clean Power Projects i. YES Bank and the European Investment Bank will co-finance $400-million funding for renewable power generation in the country. ii. Of the $400-million, the EIB will fund $200 million, while the rest will be supported by YES Bank, the project promoters, and other financial institutions. The EIB loan of $200 million has a tenor of 15 years.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 YES Bank MD and Chief Executive- Rana Kapoor, Headquarters- Mumbai.

 Werner Hoyer is the President of European Investment Bank.

 It headquarters in Luxembourg.

21st December 2017

1. Cabinet Approves Establishing India's 1st National Rail and Transportation University i. The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi has approved the Ministry of Railways' transformative initiative to set up India's first ever National Rail and Transport University (NRTU) in Vadodara, Gujarat to skill its human resources and build capability.

ii. Government is planning to launch the first academic program in July 2018. The funding of the new University/Institute is to entirely come from Ministry of Railways.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Present Railway Minister of India- Piyush Goyal.

 1st Railway Minister of Independent India- John Mathai.

2. Cabinet Approves "Scheme for Capacity Building in Textiles Sector"

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 i. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for a new skill development scheme covering the entire value chain of the textile sector excluding Spinning & Weaving in organized Sector, titled "Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector (SCBTS)" from 2017-18 to 2019-20 with an outlay of Rs. 1300 crore. ii. The scheme will have National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) compliant training courses. The objectives of the scheme are to provide demand-driven, placement oriented skilling program to incentivize the efforts of the industry in creating jobs in the organized textile and related sectors.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Present Textile Minister of India- Smriti Zubin Irani.

3. UK Tops Forbes' List of Best Countries for Business in 2018 i. The United Kingdom has topped Forbes' rankings of best countries in the world for business in 2018 for the first time, up from fifth last year. The list ranks 153 countries on 15 factors including property rights, innovation, taxes and red tape. ii. The UK is followed by New Zealand and the Netherlands, while India was ranked 62nd on the list. The UK's $2.6 trillion economy is the fifth largest in the world. The world‟s second (China) and third (Japan) biggest economies rank 66th and 21st, respectively. Chad ranks last for the third straight year.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Forbes- American Business Magazine, Founded in- 1917.

 Headquarters- New York City, USA.

4. DARPAN Project Launched For Financial Inclusion of Rural Population i. The Minister of Communications Manoj Sinha launched DARPAN- “Digital Advancement of Rural Post Office for A New India” Project to improve the quality of service, add value to services and achieve 'financial inclusion' of the unbanked rural population. ii. The goal of the IT modernization project with an outlay of Rs. 1400 Crore is to provide a low power technology solution to each Branch Postmaster (BPM) which will enable each of approximately 1.29 Lakhs Branch Post Offices (BOs) to improve the level of services being offered to rural customers across all the states.

5. 'Hamesha Vijayee' Exercise Held in Rajasthan i. The Indian Army's Southern Command had conducted exercise 'Hamesha Vijayee' in the deserts of Rajasthan to evaluate the capability of the armed forces to strike deep into the enemy territory in an integrated air-land battle. ii. The military exercise is aimed at fine-tuning surveillance and destruction mechanisms to support precision strikes and maneuvers by network-enabled forces.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

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 27th Chief of Army Staff of Indian Army- Bipin Rawat.

6. India, Sri Lanka Completes 2nd phase of Joint Oceanographic Survey i. Indian Navy in collaboration with its Sri Lankan counterpart has successfully completed the second phase of the joint oceanographic survey conducted off the South Western Coast of Sri Lanka. The survey commenced with the arrival of Indian Naval Ship Sutlej in Sri Lanka. ii. The aim of the joint survey was to update all the navigational charts covering the southern Sri Lankan waters with the latest hydrographic data.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Present Chief of Naval Staff- Admiral Sunil Lanba.

7. RBI Puts United Bank of India Under PCA i. The Reserve Bank of India has put Kolkata-based United Bank of India under the prompt corrective action (PCA) framework. The additional action points were in the view of high net non-performing assets, low leverage ratio and need to raise capital. ii. UBI was among the first state-owned lenders against which RBI implemented prompt corrective action, back in February 2014. The restrictions were lifted in 2015. iii. Since the framework was revised in April, nine banks have seen PCA initiated against them. These include Bank of India, Central Bank of India, IDBI Bank, UCO Bank, Dena Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Indian Overseas Bank, Bank of and Corporation Bank.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 MD and CEO of United Bank of India- Pawan Kumar Bajaj, Headquarters- Kolkata, West Bengal.

 Including UBI, Total 10 Banks have now come under PCA.

8. SEBI Hikes FPI Investment Limit i. The Capital market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has raised the investment limit for foreign portfolio investors (FPI) in central government securities to over 1.91 lakh crore from January 2018. ii. Currently, investment limit for foreign portfolio investors is 1.89 lakh crore rupees. The move is part of an effort by SEBI to push inflow from overseas investors in the country‟s capital markets.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 SEBI Chairman- Ajay Tyagi, Headquarters- Mumbai.

9. Justice UD Salvi Appointed Officiating Chief of National Green Tribunal

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 i. The government has appointed Justice U D Salvi as officiating chairperson of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) following the superannuation of Justice Swatanter Kumar. ii. Mr. Salvi will remain in the saddle until his retirement on February 13, 2018.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 The first chairperson of the tribunal was Justice Lokeshwar Singh Panta, who was appointed on October 18, 2010.

 The tribunal‟s principal bench is located in New Delhi.

 The NGT was established on October 18, 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010.

10. Birmingham to Host Commonwealth Games in 2022 i. The central English city of Birmingham will host the Commonwealth Games in 2022. The 2022 Commonwealth Games were originally given to Durban in 2015, but the South African city was stripped of the event this year because of financial difficulties. ii. The multisports event was last in Britain in 2014 when it was held in Glasgow. Before that, Manchester hosted in 2002.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Gold Coast, Australia, will host the next Commonwealth Games in 2018.

22nd December 2017

1. Vijay Rupani Remains Gujarat Chief Minister, Nitin Patel His Deputy i. Vijay Rupani will continue as chief minister of Gujarat and Nitin Patel as his deputy chief minister, the Bhartiya Janata Party has made the announcement after a meeting of the party's newly-elected legislators in the state's capital Gandhinagar. ii. The BJP had won 99 seats, only seven more than it needed for a majority to form government and 16 less than it had won last time.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Gujarat Governor- Prakash Kohli.

2. India-Switzerland Deal Inked for Information Exchange i. In a move aimed at combating black money stashed abroad, India signed an agreement with Switzerland that would allow automatic sharing of tax-related information from January 1, 2018. ii. The agreement was signed by CBDT chairman Sushil Chandra and Swiss Ambassador to India Andreas Baum at the North Block.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Switzerland Capital- Bern, President- Doris Leuthard.

3. India's First design University Opens in Haryana i. India's first and only design university, 'World University of Design' opened its campus at Sonipat, Haryana. The University is promoted by Om Parkash Bansal Educational and Social Welfare Trust of Mandi Gobindgarh, Punjab. ii. The university is currently located in a sprawling lush green picturesque campus with the state-of-the-art infrastructure and world-class facilities. WUD is India's first university dedicated to education in the creative domain.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Haryana CM- Manohar Lal Khattar, Governor- Kaptan Singh Solanki.

4. National Mathematics Day- 22nd December i. The famed Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan‟s birth anniversary on December 22 is celebrated as National Mathematics Day. It was in 2012 that then Prime Minister declared December 22 as National Mathematics Day. ii. In 1917, Ramanujan was elected to be a member of the London Mathematical Society. In 1918 he also became a Fellow of the Royal Society, becoming the youngest person to achieve the feat. He passed away on April 6, 1920.

5. and Ramesh Kuntal Megh Win Sahitya Akademi Award 2017 i. Authors Mamang Dai and Ramesh Kuntal Megh have won this year's Sahitya Akademi award for their work The Black Hill, a novel, and Vishw Mithak Sarit Sagar, a literary criticism, in English and Hindi respectively. ii. The Sahitya Akademi announced its annual Sahitya Akademi Awards 2017 in 24 languages. Seven novels, five collections each of poetry and short stories, five works of literary criticism, a play and a book of essays have won the awards. iii. The award in the form of a casket containing an engraved copper-plaque, a shawl and a cheque of Rs 1 lakh will be presented to the authors at a special function to be held on February 12, 2018.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 K. Sreenivasarao- Secretary of Sahitya Akademi.

 Sahitya Akademi is India's National Academy of Letters, it was established in 1954.

6. Loan Agreement Signed Between India & Germany for Pare Hydroelectric Plant Project

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 i. A loan agreement has been signed between India and Germany for providing additional funding of EUR 20 million for the Pare Hydroelectric Plant project under Indo-German Bilateral Development Cooperation. ii. The objective of the project is the generation of hydroelectric power for the socio-economic development of the North Eastern region. The government of Germany signed a loan agreement with North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) for providing EUR 80 million with the government of India‟s guarantee for the Pare Hydroelectric Plant project.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Germany Capital- Berlin, Currency- Euro, Chancellor- Angela Merkel.

7. Indian Navy Conducts Exercise Naseem-Al-Bahr with Oman Navy i. Indian Naval Ships Trikand and Teg are deployed to Oman for bilateral exercise „Naseem Al Bahr‟ or „Sea Breeze‟. This exercise is the 11th edition. ii. The bilateral relation between Indian and Oman were formally established with the signing of a 1953 Indo- Oman Treaty of friendship, Navigation and Commerce, a first between India and an Arab country. The first exercise of Indian Navy with Royal Navy of Oman was conducted in 1993.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-

 Oman Capital- Muscat, Currency- Omani rial.

8. Salman Khan Tops Forbes India Celebrity List 2017 i. With earnings of Rs232.83 crore, actor Salman Khan has topped the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list 2017 for the second consecutive year. ii. While Shah Rukh Khan featured in the second spot with earnings of Rs170.50 crore, Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli came third with Rs100.72 crore earnings.

23rd December 2017

1. Nation Celebrates Kisan Diwas- 23rd December i. Kisan Diwas (Farmer's Day) is observed every year on 23 December to celebrate the birth anniversary of the fifth Chaudhary Charan Singh. ii. He was the PM of India for a very short tenure starting from 28th of July 1979 until 14th January 1980. A Kisan leader, Late Chaudhary Charan Singh belonged to a peasant family.

Read Complete Article Here

2. Russia‟s Deputy PM Dmitry Rogozin Visits India

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 i. Russia‟s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin arrived in New Delhi. He will co-chair the meeting of India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC). ii. The External Affairs Minister will host Mr. Rogozin and lead the Indian side. The meeting will enable the two sides to review the progress achieved by various working groups and sub-groups under the IRIGC-TEC.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Russia Capital- Moscow, President- Vladimir Putin.

3. Government Launched „Ganga Gram‟ project at Ganga Gram Swachata Sammelan i. The government had formally launched the „Ganga Gram‟ project at the Ganga Gram Swachata Sammelan in New Delhi. ii. As part of its clean Ganga mission – Namami Gange, the Ganga Gram project is an integrated approach for the holistic development of villages situated on the banks of the holy river with the active participation of villagers.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Water Resources and Ganga Rejuvenation Minister- Nitin Gadkari.

 Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister- Uma Bharti.

4. MEA Launched SAMEEP to Take Indian Foreign Policy to Students Across Country i. With an aim to bring the foreign policy to the masses the External Affairs Ministry has come up with an initiative called SAMEEP - 'Students and MEA Engagement Programme'. Under this MEA official will talk to students to help them better understand foreign policy. ii. The main objective of SAMEEP is to take Indian foreign policy and its global engagements to students across the country. Under this programme, all the ministry officers - under-secretary and above - will be asked to go to their hometowns, particularly their alma maters.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 External Affairs Minister of India- Sushma Swaraj.

5. Bengaluru to Host 7th International Coffee Festival

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 i. The seventh edition of the India International Coffee Festival (IICF) will be held in Bengaluru from January 16-19. The four-day IICF 2018, being organized by the India Coffee Trust and State-run Coffee Board to promote the Indian coffees globally. ii. As per the officials, IICF 2018 would be a precursor to the International Coffee Organization‟s World Coffee Conference being hosted by India in Bengaluru in 2020.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Srivatsa - Secretary, Coffee Board of Karnataka.

 Anil Bhandari- President, India Coffee Trust.

6. Airtel Payments Bank CEO Shashi Arora Resigns i. Airtel Payments Bank Chief Executive Shashi Arora has quit the company after a recent controversy surrounding India‟s largest telecom operator and its payment bank‟s alleged violation of rules on using Aadhaar for its electronic know-your-customer (e-KYC) verification process. ii. Recently, UIDAI has temporarily barred Airtel Payments Bank from conducting Aadhaar-based SIM verification of mobile customers using e-KYC process. The suspension of the e-KYC license of Airtel Payments Bank has not been revoked yet.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Airtel Payments Bank is the first Payments Bank in India.

7. Lt Gen B S Sahrawat takes over as Director-General of NCC i. Lieutenant General B S Sahrawat took over the reins of National Cadet Corps as its Director General. The General Officer is a third generation army officer. ii. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He has been awarded the Sena Medal during the floods of Kosi River in Bihar in 2008.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 The Cadet Corps Committee which was formed on 29 Sep 1946 with Pt HN Kunzru as chairman.

 National Cadet Corpscame into existence in 1948.

8. M. Subbarayudu appointed as Next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Peru

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 i. Shri M. Subbarayudu, presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Peru.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Peru Capital- Lima, Currency- Sol.

9. SBI Card and Bharat Petroleum Launch BPCL SBI Card i. SBI Card, the credit card issuer and Bharat Petroleum, the leading petroleum company in India announced the launch of the BPCL SBI Card – the most rewarding fuel co-branded credit card in the country. ii. The BPCL SBI Card will offer up to 70 liters of free fuel per year to cardholders. It has been launched on the Visa platform.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 D. Rajkumar- Chairman & Managing Director of BPCL.

 Rajnish Kumar- Chairman of SBI.

10. Quikr Acquires HDFC's Digital, Realty Units in all Stock Deal i. India's largest mortgage lender HDFC has sold its realty brokerage business HDFC Realty and its digital real estate business HDFC Developers which owns HDFC RED (Real Estate Destination) to online classifieds player Quikr. ii. The all-stock deal will see HDFC pick up around 3.5% stake in Quikr for the two businesses, which have collectively been valued at about Rs 357 crore.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Quikr CEO- Pranay Chulet.

 HDFC CEO- Aditya Puri.

11. Bengali Singer Jatileswar Mukhopadhyay Passes Away i. Acclaimed Bengali singer Jatileswar Mukhopadhyay passed away in Kolkata following a prolonged illness. He was 82. ii. He passed away due to multi-organ failure. The West Bengal government had conferred him with the Sangeet Samman award in 2012.

24th December 2017

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

1. Jairam Thakur will be Himachal Pradesh‟s new CM i. The has named Jairam Thakur as legislature party leader in Himachal Pradesh, effectively making him the state‟s next chief minister. ii. The BJP‟s central observer Narendra Singh Tomar announced Thakur‟s name after a meeting of BJP?MLAs was convened, with all unanimously deciding in his favour.

2. Vice President inaugurates Centenary Celebrations of Institute in Mumbai i. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has inaugurated the Centenary celebrations of the Yoga Institute in Mumbai. The institute was founded by Shree Yogendraji Mani Haribhai Desai, the disciple of Paramahans Madhavadasji in 1918. It helps spread yoga practices. ii. According to Naidu practice of Yoga as a holistic way of life leading to physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.

3. BCCI Appoints Saba Karim as General Manager i. Former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim has appointed as General Manager (Cricket Operations) of the BCCI. Karim will assume office from 01st January and he will report to CEO Rahul Johri. He will assist Johri in meeting the Board‟s vision and strategy. ii. The General Manager‟s post has been lying vacant since the resignation of MV Sridhar in September over the issue of conflict of interest. Sridhar passed away on October 30th, 2017.

4. Govt Mint Launches First Home-Grown High Purity Gold Reference Standard i. India‟s first home-grown high purity gold reference standard - the Bharatiya Nirdeshak Dravya (BND-4201) - was launched at the India Government Mint, Mumbai. BND-4201, which is the reference material for gold of „9999‟ fineness (gold that is 99.99 per cent pure), will be beneficial to the consumers and public at large to ensure purity of gold. ii. Gold reference standard is indispensable in gold and jewellery hall marking. This will also be useful for Collection and Purity Testing Centres to certify the purity of gold deposits under the gold monetisation scheme.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 The India Government Mint operates four mints in the country for the production of coins.

 The Mint are in Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Noida.

5. US President Signs $1.5 Trillion Tax Overhaul Law i. US President Donald Trump has signed into law a sweeping overhaul of the US tax code, two days after the Republican plan was adopted by Congress in a major political victory.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 ii. Trump this week celebrated his first major legislative victory since taking office a year ago as Congress passed the 1.5 trillion dollars overhaul, set to impact every corner of the economy through dramatic tax cuts for corporations and temporary reductions for individuals.

6. Boxer Vijender Singh retains WBO Oriental and Asia Pacific Super Middleweight titles i. Vijender Singh defended his WBO Oriental and Asia Pacific super middleweight titles against Ghana‟s Ernest Amuzu at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. The 32-year-old Haryana pugilist, who is currently sixth in WBO rankings, fought in the mega show called „Rajasthan Rumble‟. ii. It wasn‟t a technical knockout and Vijender Singh had to fight out all 10 rounds to earn the victory. This was his 10th straight win in his pro boxing career.

7. Sushil Becomes PWL's Most Expensive Wrestler at Rs.55 lakh i. Sushil Kumar was wanted by all the teams ahead of the new season of Pro Wrestling League (PWL) and the bidding war created history in New Delhi. Sold to Delhi Sultans for a whopping amount of Rs 55 lakh, Sushil is now the most expensive player in the history of the tournament. ii. PWL 3 is slated to begin from January 9, 2018 and the auction in underway as teams fight to pick the best players and set up a strong team. Sakshi Malik, India's 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, was bought by the Mumbai Maharathi side for Rs.39 lakh. World Championship gold medalist Helen Maroulis was bought for Rs.44 lakh by Haryana Hammers.

25th December 2017

1. Good Governance Day- 25th December i. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee‟s birthday is being celebrated as Good Governance Day across the country on 25th December.

ii. Good Governance Day was established in 2014 to honour Mr Vajpayee by fostering awareness among the people of accountability in government.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister of India from 1998 to 2004.

 His first entry into parliament was in 1962 through the Rajya Sabha.

 He was elected to the Lok Sabha seven times.

 In 2015, Mr Vajpayee was conferred the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award.

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2. Mumbai Gets India's First Ever AC Local Train i. Mumbai has got India's first ever AC suburban local train as Christmas gift. The first service of the 12- coach EMU will commence between Borivali and Churchgate. The first and 12th coaches from Churchgate end are earmarked as ladies coaches. ii. This will be the first train with automatic doors in the suburban system. Out of 12 services of AC Local train, 8 will run fast and will only halt at major stations. The services of AC local train will replace existing 12 Non AC services.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Present Railway Minister of India- Piyush Goyal.

3. World‟s Longest Glass Bridge Opens in China i. The world‟s longest glass bridge has been opened in China to the public. Though it has a capacity to hold 2000 people, only 500 would be allowed at a time. Located in Shijiazhuang, the magnificent bridge lies 218 meters above hanging between the two cliffs in Hongyagu Scenic Area in Pingshan county. ii. The bridge is 488 meters long and two meters wide, with two dragon statues on top that could produce smoke.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 China Capital- Beijing, Currency- Renminbi, President- Xi Jinping.

4. India's First Runway on 'Sea Bridge' in Lakshadweep i. India is all set to get its first runway on a „sea bridge‟, as the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been given a nod to extend Lakshadweep‟s Agatti Airport. ii. The task will be carried out by building an RCC platform on the beach and shallow area which will allow bigger ATRs to operate on the island. The Project is likely to cost about Rs 1,500 crore.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Administrator of the Indian Union Territory of Lakshadweep- Farook Khan.

5. UP Government Signs MoU with South Korea i. The Uttar Pradesh government signed an MoU with South Korea to enhance cooperation in the field of tourism, skill development, culture and farming. ii. An agreement was signed in 2000 to develop Ayodhya and Gimhae as sister cities, following which a memorial was constructed in Ayodhya which is visited by a large number of tourists from South Korea every year.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 UP CM- Adityanath, Governor- Ram Naik.

6. Bengaluru Becomes First Indian City to have its Own Logo i. Karnataka's capital city Bengaluru has become the first Indian city to have its own logo after the state government launched it. The logo was designed by a design start-up and uses both English and Kannada alphabets. ii. The red and black logo is part English and part Kannada. With this, Bengaluru joins a select group of global cities like New York City, Melbourne and Singapore to have a tourism logo of its own.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Karnataka CM- Siddaramaiah, Governor- Vajubhai Vala.

7. Environment Ministry Launches Pilot Project 'Blue Flag' for Beach Clean-up i. To enhance standards of cleanliness on beaches, the environment ministry has launched a pilot project 'Blue Flag' for its clean-up and development. ii. With the prime objective of enhancing standards of cleanliness, upkeep and basic amenities at beaches, the ministry has launched a pilot project, also striving for the 'Blue Flag' certification for such identified beaches. iii. The 'Blue Flag' is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that a beach, Marina or sustainable boating tourism operator, meets its stringent standards.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change- Dr Harsh Vardhan.

8. State-Run Banks' NPAs Touched Rs 7.34 Lakh Crore- RBI Data i. Bad loans of Public sector banks (PSBs) stood at Rs 7.34 lakh crore by the end of second quarter this fiscal, a bulk of which came from corporate defaulters, private sector banks' NPAs were considerably low. Moreover, for the recovery of the bad loans, the network of Debt Recovery Tribunals have been expanded to 39 at present, as compared to 33 in 2016-17, according to data furnished by the RBI and the government. ii. The gross non-performing assets of the public sector and private sector banks as on September 30, 2017, were Rs 7,33,974 crore and Rs 1,02,808 crore, respectively. Among the major government-owned banks, State Bank of India had the highest level of NPAs at over Rs 1.86 lakh crore, followed by Punjab National Bank (Rs 57,630 crore) and Bank of India (Rs 49,307 crore). iii. Up to end-September, among private banks, ICICI Bank had the most amount of NPAs at Rs 44,237 crore, followed by Axis Bank (Rs 22,136 crore) and HDFC Bank (Rs 7,644 crore).

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 NPA stands for Non Performing Assets.

 Dr Urjit Patel is the present Governor of RBI.

9. Book on Gauri Lankesh‟s Writings Launched i. A book containing selected writings by late journalist Gauri Lankesh was launched at the Mumbai Press Club, three months after she was gunned down. ii. The book, The Way I See It - a Gauri Lankesh Reader, has been edited by writer and sociologist Chandan Gowda.

26th December 2017

1. Dr Jitendra Singh Launched e-HRMS on Good Governance Day i. The Union Minister of State (I/C) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Dr Jitendra Singh launched the electronic-Human Resource Management System (e-HRMS) in New Delhi.

ii. The Minister launched the 25 applications of 5 modules of the system. The e-service book launched for DoPT during March 2017 will also be integrated into the e-HRMS.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Good Governance Day is observed nationally on 25th December.

 The Day marks the birth anniversary of former PM of India Mr Atal Bihari Bajpai.

2. Vijay Rupani Sworn in as Chief Minister of Gujarat i. Vijay Rupani was sworn in at a grand ceremony in the State capital of Gandhinagar as the Chief Minister of Gujarat state. Governor Om Prakash Kohli administered the Oath of Office and Secrecy to 21 ministers including Mr Rupani and his deputy Nitin Patel. ii. Along with Mr Rupani as Chief Minister and Nitin Patel as his Deputy, a total of 19 ministers nine of them in cabinet rank and 10 MoS were sworn in.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Vijay Rupani is the 14th CM of Gujarat.

 Om Prakash Kohli is the Present Governor of Gujarat.

 Nitin Patel is the Deputy CM of Gujarat.

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3. Modi to be First PM to Attend in 20 years i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will become the first PM in 20 years to attend the World Economic Forum‟s (WEF) annual jamboree of the global elite. The meeting will be held in Davos town of Switzerland. ii. The five-day Davos Annual Meeting of Geneva-based WEF will begin in January 2018. Modi will be the first Indian Prime Minister at the Davos summit since 1997 when the then Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda had attended.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Switzerland Capital- Bern, Currency- Swiss franc.

 Founder and Executive Chairman of WEF- Klaus Schwab, Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland.

 WEF was originally called the European Management Forum.

4. SLCM Ties up with HDFC, IndusInd bank for Post Harvest Credit i. Agri service solutions provider Sohan Lal Commodity Management (SLCM) having operations across India and Myanmar has tied up with HDFC Bank and IndusInd Bank to provide collateral management services. ii. This tie-up will not only help improve the farmers' access to post-harvest credits at affordable interest rates, it will also provide easy access to scientific storage facilities leading to a fair price discovery of their products in the market.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 SLCM Group CEO- Sandeep Sabharwal.

 HDFC Bank CEO- Aditya Puri, Headquarters- Mumbai.

 IndusInd Bank Chairman- R. Seshasayee, Headquarter- Mumbai, Owner- Hinduja Group.

5. Amazon Acquires Connected Security Camera Maker 'Blink' i. Amazon has bought an Andover, Massachusetts-based company 'Blink' that makes Internet-connected doorbells and security cameras. ii. The move could help Amazon compete in the fast-growing home security camera market and against similar devices made by Nest, a subsidiary of Google parent company Alphabet.

6. Samsung, Axis Bank Tie-up to Offer 'Bill Payments' on Samsung Pay i. Smartphone manufacturer Samsung launched its 'Bill Payments' on its flagship payments service, Samsung Pay in partnership with Axis Bank. ii. With the introduction of 'Bill Payments', consumers will be able to pay their utility bills seamlessly through Samsung Pay, set reminders and search favourite biller based on their current location.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Samsung is the Korean Based company.

 Dr. Oh-Hyun Kwon- Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Samsung.

 Axis Bank CEO- Shikha Sharma, Headquarters- Mumbai.

7. Indian Boxers Claim 5 Medals at Galym Boxing Tournament i. Indian boxers have claimed three gold, a silver, and a bronze medal at the Galym Zharylgapov Boxing Tournament in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. ii. In the event, the country‟s Gold Medal winners were K Shyam Kumar in 49kg, Naman Tanwar in 91kg and Satish Kumar in the 91kg category claimed gold medals. The19-year-old Naman Tanwar was also adjudged the best boxer of the tournament.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Kazakhstan Capital- Astana, Currency- Kazakhstani tenge.

8. Bengali Film Actor Partha Mukhopadhyay Passes Away i. Famed Bengali film actor Partha Mukhopadhyay had passed away. He was 70. Mukhopadhyay portrayed a number of memorable roles in the 1960s after getting a break as a child artiste in the film Maa directed by Chitto Basu in 1958. ii. The state government had conferred Mukhopadhyay with a special award for his contribution to Bengali films.

27th December 2017

1. Jai Ram Thakur Took Oath as 6th CM of Himachal Pradesh i. Senior BJP leader Jai Ram Thakur took oath as the 6th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. The swearing-in ceremony was held at the historic Ridge Ground of Shimla. He has replaced Virbhadra Singh.

ii. A five-time MLA, Mr Thakur won Siraj Assembly seat of Mandi district this time. Governor Aacharya Devvrat administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr Thakur.

2. Uttar Pradesh Introduces New Power Scheme i. Uttar Pradesh has launched a free household power connection scheme for the poor in the state to mark former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee‟s birth anniversary. The scheme is driven by government‟s motto „Prakash hai to Vikas hai‟ (the barometer of development is light). ii. The government has also introduced Kisan Uday Yojana, a novel scheme for farmers. The scheme would cover 10 lakh farmers by 2022, would lead to 35 percent saving on power consumption.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Srikant Sharma- Uttar Pradesh Power Minister.

 Raj Kumar Singh- Minister of State (I/C) of the Ministry of Power.

3. $318 Million Loan Agreement Signed with World Bank for Farmers in Tamil Nadu i. The Government of India, the Government of Tamil Nadu and the World Bank signed a $318 million loan agreement for the Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernization Project to promote climate resilient agriculture technologies, improve water management practices, and increase market opportunities for small and marginal farmers. ii. The $318 million loan from the IBRD has a 5-year grace period and a maturity of 19 years.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 IBRD- International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

 World Bank President- Jim Yong Kim (12th), Headquarters- Washington DC, USA.

4. IRDAI Norms Allow Insurers to Begin Offshore Business From GIFT IFSC i. Sectoral regulator IRDAI has issued regulations for insurance firms to carry out offshore business from Gujarat-based GIFT International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). ii. Under the regulations, for the first time in the country, foreign insurers are permitted to open IFSC Insurance Office (IIO) at GIFT IFSC. GIFT IFSC already hosts three major insurance players, GIC Re, New India and ECGC.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 IRDAI- Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India.

 T.S.Vijayan- Chairman of IRDAI.

 GIFT City- Gujarat International Finance-Tec City

 General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) was the first Re-insurance company to open its office in the GIFT City.

5. In a First, Commercial Flight Nod for Made-in-India Plane Dornier 228 i. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has allowed Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL)- manufactured Dornier 228 to be used for civilian flights. The 19-seater aircraft has, till now, been used by defence forces and is the first plane to be made in the country for commercial flights. ii. HAL can sell this plane to airlines in India and it can be used by them for regional flights under the Indian government's ambitious UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik) scheme.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 HAL Chairman and Managing Director (CMD)- T. Suvarna Raju.

 Dornier 228 aircraft is a highly 'versatile multi-purpose light transport aircraft'.

 The plane has a wingspan of 16.97 metres.

6. Anushka Sharma is PETA‟s „Person of the Year‟ i. Actress Anushka Sharma has been named PETA's Person of the Year by animal rights organisation People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). ii. Anushka is a vegetarian, has nabbed the title for helping to protect dogs from fireworks to advocating for horses who are forced to pull carriages in Mumbai. She was named PETA's Hottest Vegetarian Celebrity in 2015.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 PETA is the largest animal rights organization in the world.

 Ingrid Newkirk- President, PETA.

 PETA India, based in Mumbai, was launched in January 2000.

7. Vin Diesel, 2017's Top-Grossing Actor- Forbes i. Vin Diesel has been named the top-grossing actor of 2017 by Forbes, with $1.6 billion in global ticketing receipts from his film 'The Fate of the Furious'. ii. The second spot was occupied by Dwayne Johnson 'The Rock', with $1.5 billion receipts. 'Wonder Woman' actress Gal Gadot, whose films earned $1.4 billion worldwide, featured in the third spot on the list.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Forbes- American Business Magazine, Founded in- 1917.

 Headquarters- New York City, USA.

8. In a First, Saudi Arabia Hosts World Chess Games i. Saudi Arabia is hosting a world chess tournament for the first time, nearly two years after the country‟s top cleric issued a religious edict against playing the board game. ii. The tournament has been named as the King Salman World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships. The world‟s top three chess players from Norway, Armenia and Azerbaijan are participating in the tournament.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia- Mohammed bin Salman.

 Saudi Arabia Capital- Riyadh, Currency- Saudi riyal.

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9. Music Legend Robbie Malinga Passes Away i. Legendary South African musician Robbie Malinga passed away. The veteran musician suffered from anaemia. ii. He announced his retirement as a solo artist in 2016, after more than 20 years in the industry. The musician is known for his hit songs such as, „Sobabili‟, „Mthanda‟ and „Baby Please‟.

28th December 2017

1. India to Overtake UK, France to Become 5th-Largest Economy in 2018 i. India is set to leapfrog Britain and France in 2018 to become the world‟s fifth-largest economy in dollar terms.

ii. The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) consultancy‟s 2018 World Economic League Table painted an upbeat view of the global economy, boosted by cheap energy and technology prices. India is currently in seventh place in the top world economies with $2 trillion.

Top 3 Economies of the world according to the World Economic Forum are-

1. The USA ($18 trillion),

2. China ($11 trillion),

3. Japan ($4.4 trillion).

2. President Inaugurated 100th Indian Economic Association Conference i. President Ramnath Kovind inaugurated the 100th Annual Conference of the Indian Economic Association at Acharya Nagarjuna University in Guntur of Andhra Pradesh. The event will be held for four days. ii. Indian Economic Association is a registered body of Indian economic professionals with an objective of providing a forum for debate and discussion of policy-oriented issues.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Indian Economic Association (IEA) Established in- 1917.

 President of IEA (Conference)- Prof. C. Rangarajan.

 President of IEA (Association)- Prof. Sukhadeo Thorat.

3. President Dedicated 4 Projects to Andhra Pradesh i. The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, dedicated to the people of Andhra Pradesh four projects of the State Government at a function held at Velagapudi, Andhra Pradesh.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 ii. The Projects were Andhra Pradesh Fibregrid Project, Andhra Pradesh Surveillance Project, Drone Project; and Free Space Optical Communication (FSOC) system. The President focused on the 24/7 hyper- connected world and the online presence of the government.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Andhra Pradesh CM- N Chandrababu Naidu, Governor- ESL Narasimhan.

4. Agriculture Minister Launches Livestock Disease Forewarning (LDF) Mobile App i. Union Agriculture and Farmers‟ Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh has launched Livestock Disease Forewarning –Mobile Application (LDF-Mobile App). The app is developed by ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics (ICAR-NIVEDI), Bengaluru. ii. Apart from early warning, the app will also provide information about clinical samples for the diagnosis in case of the epidemic so that immediate action can be taken in case of the epidemic.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 ICAR- Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

 Formerly known as Imperial Council of Agricultural Research, it was established on 16 July 1929.

5. SBI Gets Board Approval to Raise Rs 8,000 crore to Comply Basel III i. According to the country's largest lender, SBI, its board has approved raising Rs 8,000 crore through various sources, including masala bonds, to meet Basel III capital norms. ii. Masala bonds are rupee denominated specialised debt instruments that can be floated in overseas markets only to raise capital. Banks in India have to comply with the global capital norms under Basel III by March 2019, three months later than the internationally agreed time frame by January 2019.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 SBI Chairman- Rajnish Kumar, Headquarters- Mumbai, Established on- 1st July 1955.

6. Paytm Becomes India's First Payments App to Cross 100 mn Downloads on Play Store i. India's largest mobile-first financial services platform, Paytm announced that its app has crossed the 100 million milestone on Google Play Store in the second week of December 2017. ii. This makes Paytm the country's first payments app to cross the 100 million downloads mark.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Vijay Shekhar Sharma is the CEO of Paytm.

 Paytm headquarters in Noida.

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7. India Successfully Test-Fires AAD Supersonic Interceptor Missile i. India successfully test-fired its indigenously developed Advanced Air Defence (AAD) supersonic interceptor missile, capable of destroying any incoming ballistic missile at low altitude, from a test range in Odisha. ii. This was the third supersonic interceptor test carried out this year in which an incoming ballistic missile target was successfully intercepted, within a 30km altitude of the earth‟s atmosphere by an interceptor. The interceptor is a 7.5-meter long single stage solid rocket propelled guided missile equipped with a navigation system.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha was previously known as Wheeler Island.

8. Abhay Appointed Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau i. Senior IPS officer Abhay was appointed Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). He is at present working in Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). ii. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment to the post till November 18, 2019. The post was lying vacant after R R Bhatnagar took over as DG of CRPF in April 2017.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 The Government of India constituted the Narcotics Control Bureau on the 17th of March, 1986.

9. K S Chitra bags 'Harivarasanam' Award i. Veteran singer K S Chitra has been selected for prestigious 'Harivarasanam' award 2017, instituted by the Kerala government. ii. The award carrying a cash prize of Rs one lakh, citation and plaque would be presented to the veteran playback singer at a function on January 14, 2018.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 'Harivarasanam' awards were instituted in 2012.

 Singers K J Yesudas, M Jayachandran, S P Balasubramanyam, Gangai Amaran and M G Sreekumar are among earlier winners.

10. Anisa Wins Women‟s 25m Pistol with New National Record i. Haryana shooter Anisa Sayyed won the women‟s 25m pistol gold with a new record at the ongoing 61st National Shooting Championship Competitions (61st NSCC), in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. ii. Anisa shot a new finals national record score of 33 to prevail over the Maharashtra duo of Shital Shivaji Thorat and Rahi Sarnobat, who won the silver and bronze medals respectively at the National Games Shooting Range.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 60th National Shooting Championship Competitions (Rifle/Pistol) was held in Pune, Maharashtra.

 National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) was founded in 1951.

 Raninder Singh- NRAI President.

11. The creator of Bugs Bunny, Bob Givens, Passes Away at 99 i. Bob Givens, one of the animators behind designing the iconic characters Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd, died at the age of 99. He was from the USA. ii. He also brought his skills to TV advertising, animating cartoon insects for Raid bug-killer commercials.

29th December 2017

1. Triple Talaq Bill Passed in Lok Sabha i. The Lok Sabha passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriages) Bill 2017 making instant triple talaq illegal with up to three years in jail for the husband. The bill was passed by the Minister for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad.

ii. The bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha for passage before it is forwarded to the President for signing it into law.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriages) Bill 2017 bill seeks to make instant triple talaq in any form spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp as bad or illegal and void.

2. India Signs Loan Agreement with World Bank for UP Tourism Project i. An agreement for IBRD Credit of USD 40 Million from World Bank for “U.P. Pro-Poor Tourism Development Project” was signed between India and the World Bank. ii. The programme duration is 5 years. The Project Objective is to increase tourism-related benefits for local communities in targeted destinations. The major districts under attractions in Uttar Pradesh are Agra, Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana and Govardhan in the Braj region.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 IBRD- International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

 World Bank President- Jim Yong Kim (12th), Headquarters- Washington DC, USA.

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3. Small Savings Schemes‟ Interest Rates Cut by 20 bps i. The government slashed interest rates on small savings schemes, including National Savings Certificate (NSC) and Public Provident Fund (PPF), by 0.2 percentage point for the January-March period from the rates applicable in the previous quarter. This will prompt banks to lower deposit rates. ii. As per the finance ministry notification, rates have been reduced across the board for schemes such as National Savings Certificate (NSC), Sukanya Samriddhi Account, Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) and Public Provident Fund (PPF). However, interest on savings deposits has been retained at 4 percent annually. Here is the complete list of schemes with Annual rate of interest-

Annual Rate of Interest S. No. Instrument (in %)

1. National Savings Certificate (NSC) 7.6

2. Sukanya Samriddhi Account 8.1

3. Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) 7.3

4. Public Provident Fund (PPF) 7.6

5. Senior Citizens Savings Scheme 8.3

6. Savings Deposit 4

7. 5 Years Recurring Deposit 6.9

4. Bank of Baroda Enters into MoU with POORTI Agri Services Pvt. Ltd i. Bank of Baroda has entered into MoU with POORTI Agri Services Pvt. Ltd to enable the farmers to purchase agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, seeds etc. provided by POORTI. ii. This is a Platform for Online Ordering & Rural Transformation of India known as “POORTI”.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Bank of Baroda Chairman- Ravi Venkatesan, Managing Director & CEO- P.S.Jayakumar.

5. India Ranks 5th in List of Countries with Highest NPA Levels i. India has the highest level of non-performing assets (NPA) among BRICS countries and is ranked fifth on a list of countries with the highest levels of NPAs, as per the report by CARE Ratings. ii. The only countries ranked higher than India on the list are Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Ireland. All these countries, along with Spain, are commonly referred to as PIIGS and have been victims of sovereign debt crises in recent years.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 iii. At 9.85 percent, India‟s NPA ratio is over 400 basis points higher. Spain is the only PIIGS country ranked lower than India on the list, with an NPA ratio of 5.28 percent.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 PIIGS includes Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, and Spain.

6. Indo-Maldives Joint Exercise „Ekuverin‟ Concludes i. The two-week long eighth edition of the Indo-Maldives joint military exercise, „Ekuverin‟, came to an end at Belagavi, Karnataka. „Ekuverin‟ means „friends‟ in the Maldivian language. ii. The bilateral annual exercise was joint military training between the Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF). The exercise has been held alternatively in India and Maldives since 2009.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Chief of Indian Army Staff- Bipin Rawat.

 Maldives Capital- Male, Currency- Maldivian rufiyaa.

7. Prince Harry Named President of African Conservation Group i. Prince Harry has been named the president of African Parks, a conservation group that manages a dozen wildlife areas across the continent. ii. As per the environmentalist organisation, Prince Harry will contribute to its effort to protect Africa's natural heritage and support both wildlife and communities.

8. SEBI Caps Cross-Shareholding in Rating Agencies at 10% i. Markets regulator SEBI stated that cross-holding in credit rating agencies (CRAs) will be capped at 10 percent and also decided to raise the minimum net worth requirement to Rs 25 crore from the current Rs 5 crore. ii. Also, the board of SEBI has approved a slew of measures for tightening the financial and operational eligibility of the promoters of CRAs, besides greater disclosure requirements for them.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 SEBI- Securities and Exchange Board of India.

 SEBI Chairman- Ajay Tyagi, Headquarters- Mumbai.

9. Pluto Exchange Launches India‟s First Bitcoin Trading App i. Cryptocurrency dealer 'Pluto Exchange' announced the launch of India‟s first mobile application for transacting in virtual currencies. ii. The Pluto Exchange mobile app offers a solution to the coordination problem between payment processors, financial gateways and banks.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Pluto Exchange founder and Chief Executive- Bharat Verma.

10. Wins World Rapid Chess Championship i. India‟s ace chess player Viswanathan Anand won the World Rapid Chess tournament title in Saudi Arabia by beating Russia‟s Vladimir Fedoseev 2-0 in a two-game tie-break. ii. Saudi Arabia hosted the world chess tournament for the first time. The women‟s title was won by China‟s Ju Wenjun. Dronavalli Harika was the best-placed Indian, finishing 19th.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia- Mohammed bin Salman.

 Saudi Arabia Capital- Riyadh, Currency- Saudi riyal.

30th December 2017

1. Bilateral Meeting Between External Affairs Minister of India and Jordan Held in New Delhi i. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Jordanian counterpart Ayman Al Safadi held a bilateral meeting in New Delhi and discussed deepening bilateral ties across multiple sectors. ii. Mr Safadi discussed steps to set up a robust agenda for deepening and diversifying areas of cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, defence and security and people-to-people contact.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 King of Jordan- Abdullah II.

 Jordan Capital- Amman, Currency- Jordanian dinar.

2. 78th Session of Indian History Congress Held in Kolkata i. The three-day long 78th session of the Indian History Congress begun in Kolkata, West Bengal. The Indian History Congress had six sections this time - Ancient India, Medieval India, Modern India, Countries Other than India, Archaeology and Contemporary India. ii. The aim of conducting Indian History Congress is for promotion and encouragement of the scientific study of Indian History.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 CM of West Bengal- Mamta Bannerjee, Governor- Keshari Nath Tripathi.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

3. Nirmala Sitharaman Launches Start-up Incubation Centre in Mangalore i. Nirmala Sitharaman has launched a start-up incubation centre called the Centre for Entrepreneurship Opportunities and Learning (CEOL) in Mangaluru, Karnataka. ii. She has allocated Rs. 1.5 crore from her MPLAD (Member of Parliament's Local Area Development) scheme for the development of CEOL. She represents Karnataka as an MP in the Rajya Sabha.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Nirmala Sitharaman is the present Defence Minister of India.

4. KKR Gets RBI Nod to Start India‟s 1st Foreign-Owned ARC i. US buyout giant KKR & Co has become the first foreign investor to fully own an asset reconstruction company (ARC) in India as it received approval from the Reserve Bank of India. ii. KKR, one of the most aggressive investors in financial services, plans to deploy a major chunk from its record Asia fund for buying troubled assets in the country, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the matter.

5. George Weah Elected Liberian President i. Former football star George Weah has been elected as Liberia's president. The closest rival of Mr Weah was his opponent Joseph Boakai. Mr Weah won the elections with more than 60% of the vote. ii. He succeeded Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first elected female president, in Liberia's first democratic handover in decades.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Liberia Capital- Monrovia, Currency- Liberian dollar.

6. IDBI Bank Gets Rs 2,729 crore from Government i. Public sector IDBI Bank has received the capital infusion of Rs 2,729 crore from the government of India. The help includes re-capitalisation bonds, budgetary support, and equity dilution. ii. The other banks that have received the capital infusion are Bank of India, UCO Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, Dena Bank and Central Bank of India. The total capital received by these stressed banks form the government is Rs 7,500 crore.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 IDBI MD and CEO- Mahesh Kumar Jain, Headquarter- Mumbai.

7. China Launches World's Largest Human Genome Research Project

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 i. The world's largest human genome research project of 100,000 people was launched by China to document their genetic makeup for a study that aims to help generate the precision medicines of the future. ii. It is the country's first large project detecting the genetic links between health and sickness and will involve people from different ethnic backgrounds and regions.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 China Capital- Beijing, Currency- Renminbi, President- Xi Jinping.

31st December 2017

1. India Hosting 10 Asean Leaders on Republic Day 2018

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that Republic Day celebration in 2018 would be "remembered through the ages" because the government for the first time in India's history would host leaders of 10 Asean countries as chief guests on 26th January 2018. ii. "The Republic Day will be celebrated with leaders of all 10 (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Asean countries coming to India as chief guests. This time, not one but 10 chief guests would grace the Republic Day.

2. Bank of India gets Rs. 2,257 cr From Govt i. State-run Bank of India has received capital infusion of Rs. 2,257 crore from the government. “The bank has received infusion of Rs. 2,257 crore from the Government of India, in the form of Common Equity Tier-1 Capital, which is being kept as Share Application money and would be alloted after due procedure/ conditions for allotment". ii. The government had unveiled a Rs. 2.11 lakh crore two-year roadmap for strengthening NPA-hit public sector banks, which includes re-capitalisation bonds, budgetary support and equity dilution.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Bank of India was founded on 7th September 1906.

 Dinabandhu Mohapatra is Managing Director & CEO of Bank of India.

 Headoffice of Bank of India- Mumbai.

3. GAIL Awards Major Contracts for Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga i. GAIL India has placed orders for another 400-km of pipeline of the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga natural gas pipeline project that will take the fuel to eastern India. ii. State-run gas utility company stated that the orders for pipeline from Dobhi, Bihar to Durgapur, West Bengal has been placed. With these awards, pipe supply orders for 2,100 km of the Jagdishpur-Haldia & Bokaro- Dhamra Natural Gas Pipeline (JHBDPL) project have been placed.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 GAIL (India) Ltd was incorporated in August, 1984.

 Corporate Office of GAIL is in New Delhi.

 BC Tripathi- Chairman & Managing Director of GAIL.

4. Vikas Samiksha : Nitish Kumar Lays Foundation for Rs 700 crore Projects i. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has laid foundation stones for more than 100 projects worth Rs 700 crore in Nalanda district as part of his state-wide "Vikas Samiksha Yatra". ii. At Chamera village in Ekangarsarai block, Mr. Kumar dedicated to the public 132 projects worth Rs 97.63 crore in addition to the 114, worth Rs 698.65 crore, for which foundation stones were laid.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Governor of Bihar- Satya Pal Malik

 Patna (Capital city of Bihar) is situated on the southern Bank of river the Ganges.

 Bihar is the least literate state.

5. Allahabad Bank Ties up With NeSL i. Allahabad Bank has entered into an agreement with state-run National e-Governance Services Limited (NeSL) for utilizing the latter‟s Information Utility Services envisaged under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. ii. NeSL, owned by the government, is the first Information Utility entity registered by Insolvency and bankruptcy Board of India under IBBI (IU) Regulations, 2017.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 The Oldest Joint Stock Bank of the Country, Allahabad Bank was founded on 24th April 1865.

 In April 2014, Allahabad Bank celebrates 150 years of foundation.

 Headoffice of Allahabad Bank- Kolkata.

 S Ramann, MD & CEO of NeSL.

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