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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

01st December 2017

1. World AIDS Day: 1 December i. World AIDS day is celebrated every year all over the world on December 1st to raise the public awareness about Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome, AIDS. The theme for World AIDS day 2017 is 'Right to health'. ii. It is a pandemic disease caused due to the infection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

News in-a-line: World AIDS day- 1st December- theme for 2017- 'Right to health'

Static/Current Takeaway Points Important for IBPS PO Mains 2017 Exam-  The day is marked by the World Health Organisation as a global public health campaign.

2. BSF Raising Day: 1 December i. Border Security Force (BSF), the sentinels of Indian borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh, celebrated its 52nd Anniversary of Raising Day on 1st December. ii. BSF is the biggest border guarding force in the world. It came into existence on the eventful day of 1st December, 1965. BSF is deployed on Indo-Pakistan International Border, Indo-Bangladesh International Border, Line of Control along with Indian Army and in Anti-Naxal Operations.

Static/Current Takeaway Points Important for IBPS PO Mains 2017 Exam-  K K Sharma is the Director Genereal of BSF.  Headquarters- New Delhi.

3. , Sign Agreement on Enhancing Naval Cooperation i. India and Singapore sign agreement on enhancing naval cooperation. The agreement will enhance security of sea lanes between the two countries. The Singapore Defence minister Ng Eng Hen was in India and signed the agreement with Defence Minister Nirmala Seetharaman. ii. A Navy to Navy agreement was also signed between the two nations that will allow temporary deployments and logistic support in each other's bases.

News in-a-line: India and Singapore- signed agreement- for enhancing naval cooperation. Static/Current Takeaway Points Important for IBPS PO Mains 2017 Exam-  SIMBEX is the Joint Military Exercise between India and Singapore.  Halimah Yacob was recently (September 2017) named Singapore's first female president.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

4. IMF Approves New USD 88 billion Credit Line For i. The International Monetary Fund has approved a new USD 88 billion credit line for Mexico, replacing the existing line. ii. The two-year flexible credit line boosts Mexico’s ability to immediately deal with a potential need for liquidity, without having to request an IMF loan.

Static/Current Takeaway Points Important for IBPS PO Mains 2017 Exam-

 Mexico- a Country in North America, Capital- Mexico City.

5. Nagaland Celebrates 54th Statehood Day i. Nagaland is all set to celebrate the 54th Statehood Day and the 18th Hornbill festival 2017 at Naga Heritage Village, Kisama. ii. President Ram Nath Kovind who is on a maiden visit to the state will grace the occasion and inaugurate the 10 day State Hornbill festival 2017. He was accorded the Guard of Honour by the Assam Rifles.

News in-a-line: Nagaland- celebrate 54th Statehood Day and the 18th Hornbill festival 2017- inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind.

Static/Current Takeaway Points Important for IBPS PO Mains 2017 Exam-  Nagaland CM- T R Zeliang, Governor- Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya.

6. Govt Fixes Sovereign Gold Bonds Rate at Rs 2,952/gram i. The government has fixed 2,952 rupees per gram as price of new series of sovereign gold bonds (SGBs). The government, in consultation with the Reserve Bank, has decided to offer a discount of Rs 50 per gram to investors applying online and making payments digitally. ii. The issue price will be Rs 2,902 a gram for investors applying online and the payment through digital mode. iii. About Sovereign Gold Bond-

Sovereign Gold Bonds are Government securities denominated in multiples of gram(s) of gold. They are substitute for investment in physical gold. To buy the bond, investor has to pay the issue price in cash to an authorised SEBI Broker. These Bonds are issued by the Reserve Bank of India on behalf of the Government of India and are traded on stock exchange.

7. CBDT Signs two Indian Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) i. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has entered into 2 Bilateral Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs). These Agreements are the first ever Bilateral APAs with The . ii. With the signing of these Agreements, the total number of APAs entered into by the CBDT has gone up to 186. This includes 171 Unilateral APAs and 15 Bilateral APAs. These two APAs pertain to the Electronics and Technology sectors of the economy.

Static/Current Takeaway Points Important for IBPS PO Mains 2017 Exam-

 CBDT Chairperson- Sushil Chandra, Headquarters- New Delhi

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

8. Pakistan's Law Minister Zahid Hamid Resigns i. Pakistan's law minister Zahid Hamid has quit as the Civilian government surrendered to the wishes of hardline religious groups. ii. The groups on their part, who had held Islamabad under a protest siege for nearly a month, called off their violent protests.

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

Pakistan PM- Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Capital- Islamabad.

9. S K Chourasia Appointed as DGOF and Chairman of Ordnance Factory Board i. Shri Sunil Kumar Chourasia, Indian Ordnance Factories Service Officer (IOFS), has been appointed as the new Director General of Ordnance Factories (DGOF) and Chairman of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) w.e.f. 1st December, 2017. ii. Previously, he was Member, OFB and was in charge of Material & Components division.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Mains 2017 Exam-  Indian Ordnance Factories is the oldest and largest industrial setup which functions under the Department of Defence Production of the Ministry of Defence.  The Indian Ordnance Factories organisation - a family of 41 Ordnance Factories under the aegis of its corporate headquarters Ordnance Factory Board, Kolkata.

10. Cabinet Approves Setting up of National Nutrition Mission i. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved setting up of National Nutrition Mission (NNM) with a three year budget of Rs.9046.17 crore commencing from 2017-18. ii. The program through the targets will strive to reduce the level of stunting, under-nutrition, anemia and low birth weight babies. More than 10 crore people will be benefited by this program. This will be funded by Government Budgetary Support (50%) and 50% by IBRD or other MDB.

News in-a-line:

National Nutrition Mission (NNM)- approved by cabinet- for 3 years- with budget of Rs9046.17.

11. Dia Mirza Appointed as UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador for India i. Former Miss Asia Pacific Dia Mirza was appointed as UN Environment‟s Goodwill Ambassador for India. A long-standing supporter of environmental conservation, Dia will take up the role to add more weight to her work on raising awareness of and seeking solutions to environmental issues. ii. As a Goodwill Ambassador, Dia will work with the United Nations to further spread the message on priority areas including clean air, clean seas, wildlife protection and climate change.

12. Shared Value Summit Held in New Delhi i. The Minister of Industry and Commerce, Suresh Prabhu was the chief guest for the Shared Value Summit 2017. The summit was held in New Delhi. The theme for this summit was “Equity and Empowerment”. ii. Mr Prabhu will unveil the Inclusive Business List and Emerging Social Enterprise List for the year 2017.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

02nd December 2017

1. Infosys Appoints Salil S Parekh as MD & CEO

i. Infosys annouced the appointment of Salil S. Parekh as its new CEO and Managing Director. Salil was in Capegemini earlier. ii. The Bengaluru-headquartered company was searching for a new CEO after former CEO Vishal Sikka resigned in August 2017. Cofounder Nandan Nilekani returned to the company as non-executive chairman to steady operations.

News in-a-line: Salil S. Parekh- new CEO and Managing Director of Bengaluru-headquartered Infosys, Nandan Nilekani returned as non-executive chairman.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Mains 2017 Exam-  Infosys is country's no. 2 software services exporter.

2. Miss Korea Jenny Kim Crowned i. The 24-year-old model and Miss Korea Jenny Kim has bagged the title of Miss Supranational 2017 at the gala event, which was held in 's Spa Resort of Krynica- Zdroj. ii Miss Columbia Tica Martinez and 's Bianca Tirsin were adjudged First Runner's Up and the second runner-up in the event, respectively. iii. India's official entry to the competition, Peden Ongmu Namgyal, reached top 25.

News in-a-line: Jenny Kim (Miss Korea)- crowned Miss Supranational 2017- in Poland, Miss Columbia Tica Martinez- 1st Runner Up.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Mains 2017 Exam-  was India's .  Poland Capital- , Currency- Polish złoty.

3. India Re-Elected to International Maritime Organisation Council i. India has been re-elected to the Council of the International Maritime Organisation under a category that represents nations with the largest interests in international sea borne trade. ii. India was re-elected to the body under Category B at an assembly of the organization at its headquarters. Indian High Commissioner to the UK Y K Sinha represented Indiaat the assembly where India secured the second-highest number of votes (144) from member-countries, just after Germany's 146 and ahead of 's 143.

News in-a-line: India- re-elected to the Council of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)- under Category B- Y K Sinha (Indian High Commissioner to the UK) represented India.

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

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

 The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for measures to improve the safety and security of international shipping and to prevent pollution from ships.  Secretary-General of IMO- Kitack Lim, Headquarters- , UK.

4. 'Populism' Named Cambridge Dictionary's Word of the Year i. The word 'populism' has been announced as Cambridge Dictionary's Word of the Year 2017. The dictionary defined populism as "political ideas and activities that are intended to get the support of ordinary people by giving them what they want". ii. It said searches for 'populism' rose when Pope Francis made statements warning against its rising tide.

5. Sushma Swaraj Attends Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit i. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit at Sochi in . In June 2017, India and Pakistan had become full-fledged members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. ii. The meeting is the first major gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit since the bloc was expanded for the first time to add India and Pakistan as full members in June's Astana summit in .

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Mains 2017 Exam-  Russia Capital- , President- Vladimir Putin.

6. Raj Shah Becomes First Indian-American to Hold Press Gaggle i. Raj Shah who holds a key position in the White House, gaggled with reporters on board US Presidential chopper Air Force One, becoming the first Indian-American to enjoy the privilege. ii. Thirty-three old, Mr Shah did so in the capacity of the Principal Deputy Press Secretary.

7. A Surya Prakash Re-Appointed Prasar Bharati Chief i. Veteran journalist A Surya Prakash has been appointed the chairman of the Prasar Bharati board for a second consecutive term till February 8, 2020. ii. Information and broadcasting ministry issued an order after a panel headed by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu recommended Prakash’s name for the post.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Mains 2017 Exam-  Prasar Bharati oversees the functioning of Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR).

8. Kenyatta Sworn in as President of i. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has been sworn in for a second and final five-year term, a month after winning a bitterly disputed election rerun marked by delays and boycott. ii. Kenyatta, 55, won 98 percent of the votes cast in October’s poll, which was boycotted by the main opposition leader, Raila Odinga.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Mains 2017 Exam-  Kenya Capital- , Currency- Kenyan shilling.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

9. India Wins 9 Medals in Asian Archery Championships i. Indian archers produced an impressive performance, grabbed three gold, four silver and two bronze medals at the Asian Championships in Dhaka, Bangladesh. ii. Two Indian boys and girls also booked quota places for the 2018 Youth Olympics.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Mains 2017 Exam-  2018 Youth Olympics will be held in , .

10. Shiva Keshavan Wins Gold in Asian Luge Championships i. The sole Indian participant and defending Asian champion Shiva Keshavan retained his title with a time of 55.60 seconds. ii. India's veteran Winter Olympian Shiva Keshavan won a gold medal at the Asian Luge Championships at Altenberg, Germany.

03rd December 2017

1. Nation Remembers India's First President on his Birthday i. Nation on 03rd December 2017 remembered India's first President Rajendra Prasad on his 133rd birthday. Born on December 3, 1884, in Siwan, Bihar, Prasad was a Gandhian and participated in India's freedom movement. ii. Dr Prasad was one of the prominent leaders of the Indian Nationalist Movement alongside Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel and Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Dr Prasad was awarded the "Bharat Ratna", the nation's highest civilian award, in 1962.  He passed away on February 28, 1963.

2. International Day of Disabled Persons: 03rd December i. The annual observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons (3 December) was proclaimed in 1992, by the United Nations General Assembly. It aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life. ii. 2017 Theme: “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient society for all”.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Headquarters of UN: New York, USA  Secretary General: Antonio Guterres

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

3. Corporation Bank launches RuPay Credit Cards i. Corporation Bank has launched its RuPay Select and RuPay Platinum credit cards. Corporation Bank’s RuPay credit cards are accepted at all RuPay-enabled 1.5 million plus PoS terminals and 80,000 plus e-commerce merchants in India and all ICS Partner acceptance points (POS, e-commerce merchants) globally. ii. Jai Kumar Garg, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Corporation Bank, unveiled the cards in Mangaluru.

4. Iranian President Inaugurates First Phase of Chabahar Port i. The first phase of Chabahar port was inaugurated by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. The port, located in Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan Province, was inaugurated in the presence of representatives from India, Afghanistan and several other countries of the region. The port will open up a new strategic transit route between Iran, India and Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan. ii. The port is likely to ramp up trade between India, Afghanistan and Iran in the wake of Pakistan denying transit access to New Delhi for trade with the two countries.

5. Virat Kohli surpasses Brian Lara for Most Double Centuries as Captain i. There is no stopping Virat Kohli. Just a day after becoming the first captain to register a hat-trick of centuries in a three-match series, the Indian skipper scaled yet another milestone when he scored his sixth double century, the highest as a captain. He overtook West Indies great Brian Lara, who held the record previously with five double tons in Tests. ii. With a sixth double hundred, Kohli has also tied Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag for the most 200- plus scores for India in Tests. While Tendulkar had six double centuries, Sehwag had recorded four double and two triple hundreds.

04th December 2017

12. 1st International exhibition & Conference on AYUSH & Wellness Sector Begun in New Delhi i. The first International exhibition and Conference on AYUSH and Wellness sector- AROGYA 2017 has begun in New Delhi. The four day event was inaugurated by Ayush Minister Shripad Yesso Naik. ii. The theme of the conference is 'Enhancing the global potential of Ayush'. The objective of the event is to showcase the strength and scientific validation of Indian System of Medicine in the global context. The fair will give a boost to AYUSH Products in International Market.

News in-a-line: The first International exhibition and Conference on AYUSH and Wellness sector- AROGYA 2017- held in New Delhi- under the theme 'Enhancing the global potential of Ayush'.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Mains 2017 Exam-  AYUSH- Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy.  AYUSH Minister- Shripad Yesso Naik.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

13. Paytm Payments Bank Unveils Paytm FASTag Across India i. Paytm Payments Bank rolled out Paytm FASTag to enable electronic toll fee collection on highways across the country, in line with the government's move to make FASTag mandatory on every new vehicle sold from December 1. ii. The Paytm FASTag - which is a simple and reusable tag based on radio-frequency identification technology (RFID) that can be placed on a vehicle's windscreen.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Mains 2017 Exam-  This project is run in partnership with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and NPCI.  'Paytm Payments Bank' was formally launched at the hands of the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.  Currently, India has four Payments Bank including Paytm Payments Bank.  The other three operational ones are Airtel Payments Bank, India Post Payments Bank and Fino Payments Bank.

14. Rahul Singh, New President of the National Restaurant Association of India i. Rahul Singh, founder and CEO of The Beer Café, has taken over as the new President of the National Restaurant Association of India. ii. The appointment was made unanimously after Riyaaz Amlani, CEO & MD, Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality resigned from his duties due to health reasons.

15. Prithvi Shaw Named India's Captain for 2018 U-19 World Cup i. 's 18-year-old batsman Prithvi Shaw has been named the captain of the Indian Under-19 team for the 2018 U-19 World Cup ii. The tournament is scheduled to be held in starting January 13, 2018. This comes after Shaw slammed three tons and two fifties in five Ranji Trophy matches this season. Punjab's Shubman Gill has been named as Shaw's deputy.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Mains 2017 Exam-  New Zealand Capital- Wellington, Currency- New Zealand Dollar.

16. Deepika Kumari Wins Bronze at Indoor Archery World Cup i. India‟s Deepika Kumari has won bronze medal at the Indoor Archery World Cup Stage 2 that concluded in , . ii. Deepika, seeded third, defeated 13th seeded Sayana Tsyrempilova of Russia 7-3 in the women’s recurve bronze play-off.

News in-a-line: Deepika Kumari- won bronze medal at the Indoor Archery World Cup Stage 2- in Bangkok, Thailand, Defeated- Sayana Tsyrempilova of Russia.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Mains 2017 Exam-  Thailand Capital- Bangkok, Currency- Thai baht.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

17. Final Draw for 2018 World Cup Held in Moscow i. The national football teams from 32 countries found out their fates as the final draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup was held in the Russian capital of Moscow. ii. The ceremony was held at the State Kremlin Palace, in Moscow, Russia. Russia, the host country for the World Cup, was placed in Group A with Saudi Arabia, , and Uruguay.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Mains 2017 Exam-  - the smallest nation to ever play at the World Cup.  The 21st FIFA World Cup will be held from June 14 to July 15, 2018, at 12 stadiums in 11 Russian cities. 18. Veteran Actor Shashi Kapoor Passes Away i. Veteran actor Shashi Kapoor died at the age of 79. Kapoor was unwell for quite some time. The actor was admitted to the Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai. ii. Shashi Kapoor made his Bollywood debut in 1961, as the lead actor, in the film Dharmputra. Kapoor acted in more than a hundred films, of which he played the solo lead in 61.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS PO Mains 2017 Exam-  Shashi Kapoor was awarded Padma Bhushan in 2011.  He was also awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2015.

05th December 2017

1. World Soil Day: 05 December

i. The World Soil Day is celebrated on 5 December globally. It aims to communicate messages on the importance of soil quality for food security, healthy ecosystems and human well-being. ii. The Theme for Soil Day 2017 is „Caring for the Planet starts from the Ground‟. WSD is celebrated at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-  Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations headquarters in Rome, .  Rome is the Capital city of Italy.

2. First Meeting of the Fifteenth Finance Commission Held i. The Fifteenth Finance Commission held its first meeting at North Block in New Delhi under the Chairmanship of Shri N.K. Singh and was attended by all the other Members of the Commission. ii. The objective was to hold wide-ranging consultations with all stakeholders including various Ministries of the Union Government, all State Governments, Local Bodies, Panchayats and Political parties of each State Government needed to be expeditiously initiated. The Commission approved the setting-up of its office at Jawahar Vyapar Bhawan on Janpath in New Delhi.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-  Arun Jaitley is the present Finance Minister of India

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

3. 3rd DRC-NITI Aayog Dialogue Held in China i. The 3rd edition of the Dialogue between the NITI Aayog and the Development Research Council of China, the DRC- NITI Aayog Dialogue was held in . The meeting was co-chaired by Vice Chairman NITI Aayog, Dr. Rajiv Kumar, and Mr Li Wei, President (Minister), DRC. ii. The two sides agreed that the 4th NITI Aayog - DRC Dialogue will be convened in India in 2018. The dialogue took place under the MOU between NITI Aayog and the Development Research Centre (DRC), State Council of the China.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-  The 2nd Dialogue was held in New Delhi in November 2016.

4. India and Germany Sign Govt- to-Govt Umbrella Agreement i. The Government to Government Umbrella Agreement between India and Germany concerning Financial Cooperation in 2016 (II) under the Indo-German Development Cooperation was signed to formalize an amount up to Euro 200 million for the Financial Cooperation in form of loan for the project „Climate Friendly Urban Mobility III‟ and Euro 11 million Accompanying measures in form of grant for four projects. ii. The 4 projects under the Agreements signed are as follows- a. Loan Agreement for the project “Community based sustainable Forest Management – Component I Manipur” was signed for a loan of Euro 15 million. Objectives- Restoration of degraded forests, reclamation of abandoned shifting cultivation areas, biodiversity & water resources conservation. b. Loan Agreement for the project “Madhya Pradesh Urban Sanitation and Environment Programme” for Euro 50 million Reduced Interest Loan and Euro 2.5 million grant. Objective - To improve facilities for water supply, sanitation and sewerage treatment plan. c. Loan Agreement for the project “Sustainable Urban Infrastructure Development Odisha – Phase II" for EUR 55 Million Reduced Interest Loan with EUR 2 Million as Grant. Objective - To improve Urban Infrastructure by linking them with Government priority. d. Loan Agreement for the project “Green Energy Corridor – Intra-State Transmission System in Maharashtra” for EUR 12 million Reduced Interest loan. Objective - To project is to put in place a transmission system for evacuating renewable energy.

Static/Current Takeaway Points Important for IBPS PO Mains 2017 Exam-  Germany capital- . Chancellor of Germany- Angela Merkel.

5. ADB Funds $580 Million for Reliance‟s Bangladesh Power Plant Project i. The Asian Development Bank‟s (ADB) Board of Directors has approved debt financing and partial risk guarantees totaling $583 million to develop the Reliance Bangladesh Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Power Project. ii. The financing package of ADB includes loans and partial risk guarantees for the power generation facility, as well as for the LNG terminal and the power project, being set up for $1 billion.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-  Founded on 19 December 1966 ADB has its Headquarter in Manila, .  President of ADB is Takehiko Nakao.

6. UPs Shamli District Included in NCR i. Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district was included in the National Capital Region (NCR), taking the total number of districts in the NCR to 23. ii. Cities in the NCR get funds at "attractive" interest rates from the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) for infrastructure development. The decision to include Shamli in the NCR was taken at the 37th meeting of the NCRPB.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-  Besides Delhi, there are at present 22 districts 13 of Haryana, seven of Uttar Pradesh and two of Rajasthan in the NCR.

7. Ellie Goulding Honored as UN Environment Global Goodwill Ambassador i. British singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding signed as a Global Goodwill Ambassador for UN Environment, joining the fight to save the lives and habitats of people and animals by cleaning up our air and seas, fighting climate change and protecting species. ii. Ellie is also backing UN Environment’s #CleanSeas campaign.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-  UN Headquarters- New York, United States, UN Secretary-General- Antonio Guterres.

8. India‟s Largest Floating Solar Power Plant Opens in Kerala i. The largest-ever floating solar power plant in India inaugurated by state power minister MM Man at the Banasura Sagar dam in Wayanad. The solar power plant that floats on the surface of the water has a capacity of 500 kilowatts. ii. The solar plant consists of 1,938 solar panels with a capacity of 260 watts, a 500 kilovolt-ampere (KVA) transformer, and 17 inverters. iii. Constructed by the Thiruvananthapuram-based Ad tech Systems, the plant will generate seven lakh units of power in a year. The total cost of the project is Rs. 9.25 crore.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-  Chief Minister of Kerala is Pinarayi Vijayan.  Capital of Kerala Thiruvananthapuram.

9. Indian-American Senator Harris Tops Global Thinkers List i. Indian-American California senator Kamala Harris has topped the prestigious Foreign Policy magazine's 2017 list of '50 Leading Global Thinkers' which also features US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley. ii. Besides Harris and Haley, Indian-origin stand-up comedian Hasan Minhaj has also made it to the list. South Korean President Moon Jae-in is ranked second in the list for trying to rebuild decent democratic leadership in . iii. Popular comedian Minhaj is placed third in the ranking for defining the narrative of a "New Brown America".

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

10. Amitabh Bachchan Launches Book on Indian Cinema i. Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan launched a book based on Indian cinema in showbiz capital Mumbai. The book, titled 'Bollywood: The Films! The Songs! The Stars!', is a coffee table book, which provides historical insights, lesser-known facts and behind-the-scenes exclusives of the most iconic movies made in the history of the Indian film industry. ii. The book is co-authored by S.M.M. Ausaja, Karan Bali, Rajesh Devraj and Tanul Thakur, the book on India's tinsel town is published by British multinational publishing company Dorling Kindersley (DK).

11. Launches New Virtual Currency Named Petro i. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has announced the creation of a new virtual currency named 'Petro' in a bid to ease the country's economic crisis. ii. The Petro would be backed by Venezuela's oil, gas, gold and diamond wealth.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-  Venezuela Capital- Caracas, Currency- Venezuelan bolivar.

12. UAE, UK, US and French Armies Hold Joint Exercises in Abu Dhabi i. UAE Armed Forces along with the UK, US and French armies are participating in joint exercises in Abu Dhabi. The drill code is named as “Flag4”. ii. The two-week long joint exercise aims to increase combat efficiency, gain more field expertise, and work to unify military concepts among participating parties.

News in-a-line: UAE Armed Forces- with the UK, US and French armies- participating in joint exercises- named as 'Flag4'- in Abu Dhabi.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam-  UAE Capital- Abu Dhabi, Currency- UAE dirham.

06th December 2017

1. Fifth Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement Released by RBI i. On the basis of an assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation at its meeting, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to keep the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) unchanged at 6.0 percent.

ii. Consequently, the Reverse Repo Rate (RRR) under the LAF remains at 5.75 percent, and the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate at 6.25 percent. iii. The projection of real GVA growth for 2017-18 of the October resolution at 6.7per cent has been retained, with risks evenly balanced. Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Dr. Urjit Patel is the 24th Governor of RBI.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

 RBI Headquarters in Mumbai.

 The next meeting of the MPC is scheduled on February 6 and 7, 2018.

2. Vice President Inaugurated 12th Annual Convention i. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the 12th Annual convention of central information commission at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. ii. The Vice President stressed on maintaining transparency and accountability in public life. As per the Minister of State in PMO Dr. Jitender Singh, the government has filled all vacant posts in the commission.

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

 M Venkaiah Naidu is the 13th VP if India.

 Dr. Jitender Singh: Minister of State for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.

3. 6th International Tourism Mart to Begin in Guwahati i. The 6th International Tourism Mart-2017 begins in Guwahati, Assam. The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, in association with the North Eastern States is organizing this Mart from 5-7 December 2017. ii. Shri Jagdish Mukhi, Governor of Assam inaugurated the 6th International Tourism Mart (ITM) -2017". It will put the spotlight on India’s “Act East Policy”, blossoming ties with ASEAN and the larger East Asia region, home to the world’s rapidly growing economies and India’s emerging tourism markets.

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

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

 Assam Capital - Dispur.

4. 10th Jaipur International Film Festival i. The 10th Jaipur International Film Festival (JIFF) is all set to present International Cinema to film buffs. The second and the last list of films selected for the Festival was released that includes a total of 48 films from 13 countries. ii. List of Feature films-

1. Angrezi Mein Kehte Hein directed by Harish Vyas from India/Hindi

2. Half Widow directed by Danish Renzu from India/ Kashmiri and Urdu

3. Andarkahini (Self-Exile) directed by Arnab Middya from India/Bengali

4. Inkblot directed by Vedanti Dani from India/English

5. POV-Point of view directed by Prabhakar Jha from India/Hindi

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

6. Donaire Y Esplendor (Grace & Splendor) directed by Arturo Montenegro from / Spanish iii. The films for screening were selected by a 51 member-international committee of selectors from India, United States, Canada, , Germany and Bangladesh.

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

 JIFF is the first film festival in the country that selects documentary films too.

 Jaipur- Pink City of India.

5. International Solar Alliance is Now a Legal Entity i. In terms of its Framework Agreement, with ratification by as the 15th country in November 2017, the International Solar Alliance (ISA) has now become a treaty-based international intergovernmental organization. The International Solar Alliance is India's global initiative. ii. The ISA was jointly launched by the PM Narendra Modi and the president of France in November 2015 in , on the sidelines of COP-21, the UN climate conference. Till date, 46 countries have signed and 19 countries have ratified the framework agreement of the ISA.

News in-a-line:

International Solar Alliance (ISA)- now become a treaty-based international intergovernmental organization- aims at increasing solar energy deployment in member countries- signed by 46 Countries & ratified by 19 countries.

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

 The ISA, headquartered in India, has its secretariat located in the campus of National Institute of Solar Energy, Gurgaon, Haryana.

6. MP Assembly Passes Bill Awarding Death for Rape of Girls Aged 12 or less i. The Madhya Pradesh Assembly unanimously passed a Bill awarding death to those found guilty of raping girls aged 12 and below. With this, Madhya Pradesh becomes the first State where those convicted of such rapes will face the gallows. ii. Introduced in the House by Law and Legislative Affairs Minister Rampal Singh, the Bill was discussed in detail and then passed by all parties.

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

 Madhya Pradesh CM- Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Governor- Om Prakash Kohli.

 The capital of Madhya Pradesh is Bhopal.

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7. Supreme Court Allows Trump's Travel Ban to go into Full Effect i. In a major victory for President Donald Trump, the US Supreme Court has allowed his travel ban to take full effect pending appeal, for people coming from six Muslim-majority countries. ii. As a result of the Supreme Court's ruling, Trump's travel ban, which restricts travel to the US by people from Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia and Chad without bona fide connections to the US, can take full effect while legal challenges proceed.

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

 USA President- Donald Trump (45th), Capital- Washington D.C.

8. Government Unveils Mid-Term Review of Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20 i. Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu let out more incentives while unveiling the mid-term review of the Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20 with a view to boosting exports. ii. The minister stated that the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) incentive rate will be raised by 2 percent across the board for labor-intensive/MSME sectors.

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

 Finance Minister of India- Arun Jaitley.

9. Time Readers Vote Saudi Crown Prince Person of the Year i. Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been voted the Time magazine readers‟ Person of the Year, despite spearheading the continued bombardment of Yemen, leading to the starvation of its citizens. ii. The award goes to those who “for better or worse” influenced the year. The 32-year-old scored 24 percent of the vote, with the #MeToo movement against sexual assault and harassment. Bin Salman overtook Hillary Clinton, Vladimir Putin and even the Pope to be crowned the people’s choice, winning far more votes than the three combined.

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

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

10. Akash Missile Successfully Launched i. The Surface to Air Missile AKASH with indigenous radio frequency seeker against target Banshee has been successfully launched from the Launch Complex-III at ITR Chandipur, Odisha. ii. The Radars, telemetry and electro-optical systems along the coast have tracked and monitored all the health parameters of the missile. This missile is being inducted into Army as Short Range Surface to Air Missile (SRSAM).

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News in-a-line: AKASH (Short Range Surface to Air Missile)- successfully launched from the Launch Complex-III at ITR Chandipur, Odisha- Range 25 km (Approx).

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

 AKASH is the first Surface to Air Missile with indigenous seeker that has been test fired.

 It can fly at supersonic speeds ranging from Mach 2.8 to 3.5, and engage aerial targets up to a range of approximately 25km.

11. Syrian Boy Wins Children's Peace Prize i. Sixteen-year-old Mohamad Al Jounde from Syria was awarded the International Children's Peace Prize for his efforts to ensure the rights of Syrian refugee children. ii. Al Jounde, a refugee of the Syrian civil war, set up a school together with his family in a Lebanese refugee camp that currently provides 200 children with education. Al Jounde received the prize from Malala Yousafzai, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for her work for children's rights.

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

 Syria Capital- Damascus, Currency- Syrian pound.

12. Russia Banned from 2018 Winter Olympics i. Russia was banned from the 2018 Winter Games by the International Olympic Committee over its state- orchestrated doping programme, but clean Russian athletes will be allowed to compete under an Olympic flag. ii. The sanction was the toughest ever leveled by the IOC for drug cheating and came just 65 days ahead of the Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

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

 South Korea Capital-

 International Olympic Committee headquarter-Lausanne, Switzerland.

13. Yuvraj Singh Launches UNICEF-ICC's Adolescent Campaign i. Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh will be promoting a UNICEF sports initiative for youngsters in South Asia, which will also have the ICC's backing. Yuvraj launched the "Power of Sports to Shape the Future of Adolescents" campaign in South Asia. ii. Yuvraj was joined by under-19 players from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan and who will compete in the ICC under-19 World Cup in New Zealand in January 2018.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

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

 ICC CEO- David Richardson, ICC headquarters - Dubai, .

 UNICEF Headquarter - New York, United States.

14. Mujeeb Zadran From Afghanistan Becomes First Cricketer Born in 21st Century i. Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Zadran, the 16-year-old off-spinner, became the youngest ever from Afghanistan to play International cricket and overall he is the 9th youngest to make debut in ODI cricket. ii. He was born in Khost on March 28 in 2001. Zadran has been making the headlines over the last couple of months for his outstanding performances for their Under-19 team.

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

 Afghanistan Capital- Kabul, President- Ashraf Ghani.

15. UP, First State to Endorse Centre's Triple Talaq Draft Bill i. Uttar Pradesh becomes the first state to endorse the Centre's draft bill that makes instant triple talaq a cognizable and non-bailable offense. ii. As per the draft law, its three years' imprisonment and a fine to a Muslim man trying to divorce his wife by uttering "talaq" three times. The bill is all set to be introduced in the coming winter session of parliament.

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

 UP CM- Yogi Adityanath, Governor- Ram Naik.

07th December 2017

1. Armed Forces Flag Day- 07 December i. Armed Forces Flag Day is being observed throughout the country on 7 December to honor the martyrs and the men in uniform who valiantly fought on our borders to safeguard the country's honor. ii. The day marks the annual Armed Forces Flag day in India since 1949.

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

 Defence Minister of India- Nirmala Sitharaman.

2. PM Modi Inaugurated B R Ambedkar International Centre i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the BR Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi. The prime minister also unveiled two statues of the Dalit icon at the center in Janpath. ii. Union Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Vijay Goel was also present at the event. The center was a fusion of Buddhist and modern architecture. He had laid the foundation stone of the center in 2015.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

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

 BR Ambedkar- Independent India's first law minister.

 Passed Away: 6 December 1956.

 Place of Birth: Mhow in Central Provinces (currently Madhya Pradesh).

3. Govt Sets Up Panel to Address NPAs in Power Sector

i. The government has set up a high-level committee headed by NITI Aayog chief executive Amitabh Kant to address the problem of stressed assets in India's power sector. ii. Non-performing assets (NPAs) in power generation accounted for around 5.9% of the banking sector’s total outstanding advances of Rs4.73 trillion, according to the second volume of the Economic Survey 2016-17.

News in-a-line:

Government- sets up a high-level committee- headed by NITI Aayog chief executive Amitabh Kant- to address NPAs in India's power sector.

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

 NITI- National Institution for Transforming India.

 Chairperson- Narendra Modi, Vice Chairperson- Dr. Rajiv Kumar.

4. India and Cuba Sign MoU for Enhanced Cooperation in Health Sector i. India and Cuba signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for enhanced cooperation in the health sector. ii. The objective of this MoU is to establish comprehensive inter-ministerial and inter-institutional cooperation between the two countries in the field of health by pooling technical, scientific, financial and human resources in both countries.

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

 J. P. Nadda- Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare.

 Cuba Capital- Havana, Currency- Cuban peso.

5. Indian and Italy Sign MoU for Cooperation in Agriculture and Phytosanitary Issues i. Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh with H.E Maurizio Martina, Italian Minister for Agriculture Food and Forestry Policies have signed a new MoU for cooperation in Agriculture and Phytosanitary issues that will replace the one signed in 2008.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 ii. The MOU provides a good framework for cooperation in this field. India has contributed 37 million USD in the 10th replenishment of IFAD for the period 2016-2018. Mr. Singh with the Italian Minister participated in the AGRIMACH India, 2017.

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

 Italy Capital- Rome, Currency- Euro.

6. Paytm Unveils 'Paytm Ka ATM' Partner Outlet for Banking Operations i. India's largest digital bank Paytm Payments Bank is the only bank providing zero balance accounts and zero charges on digital transactions. The bank has unveiled 'Paytm Ka ATM' outlets that allows customers to open Saving Accounts and deposit/withdraw money from their bank accounts. ii. In the first phase, Paytm has started with 3,000 'Paytm Ka ATM' points in select cities including Delhi NCR, Lucknow, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, and Aligarh. iii. These outlets feature local banking correspondents who help customers in depositing and withdrawing money from their Paytm Payments Bank account, making banking simpler and more accessible for one and all.

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

 Currently, India has four Payments Bank including Paytm Payments Bank.

 The other three operational ones are Airtel Payments Bank, India Post Payments Bank, and Fino Payments Bank.

 Vijay Shekhar Sharma is the Chairman of the Paytm Payments Bank.

7. UNESCO Inscribes 'Kumbh Mela' on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity i. UNESCO has inscribed 'Kumbh Mela' on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The decision was taken during the 12th session of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage at Jeju in South Korea. ii. This inscription is the third in two years following the inscriptions of 'Yoga' and 'Nouroz' on 1st December 2016. The 'Kumbh Mela' is the largest peaceful congregation of pilgrims on the earth.

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

 UNESCO- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

 France's Audrey Azoulay- 11th DG of UNESCO, Headquarters- Paris, France.

8. Australian Government Passes Marriage Equality Law i. Australia‟s parliament has legislated for marriage equality, passing a bill almost unanimously to allow two people, regardless of sex, to marry.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 ii. The House of Representatives passed a cross-party bill after an unprecedented national postal survey gave unstoppable momentum to legislate the historic social reform. Australia, which changed the law in 2004 to say that marriage is only between a man and a woman, now becomes the 25th country to recognize same-sex marriage.

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

 Australia Capital- Canberra, Australian Prime Minister- Malcolm Turnbull.

 The Netherlands (April 2001)- was the First Nation to grant the same-sex couples.

9. Center Enhances Monetary Allowances for Gallantry Award Winners i. The Government has enhanced the monetary allowances for the Gallantry Award winners. ii. The enhancement is for the recipients of post-independence Gallantry Award, pre-independence Gallantry Award and the monetary allowance attached to 'Jangi Inam', a pre-independence Gallantry Award. The allowances have been doubled in most of the cases and in a few cases have been increased by more than 100%.

Find Complete List Here

10. Swiggy Appoints Vishal Bhatia as CEO of New Supply Business i. Online food delivery start-up Swiggy (Bundl Technologies Pvt. Ltd) has appointed Vishal Bhatia as the chief executive officer for its new supply business. ii. Bhatia comes with 19 years of experience in consumer goods firms like Reckitt Benckiser Group, PepsiCo and Britannia.

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

 Sriharsha Majety- CEO & Co-founder of Swiggy.

11. India Wins First-Ever South Asian Regional Badminton Team Championship i. India has won the first-ever South Asian Regional Badminton Team Championship. In the title clash played in Guwahati, India defeated , 3-0. ii. In the boys’ singles competition Aryaman Tandon defeated Dipesh Dhami while Ashmita Chaliha defeated Rashila Maharjan in the Girls’ singles event. iii. In Boys’ Doubles, the pair of Arintap Dasgupta and Krishna Prasad came back from a game behind to beat the duo of Dipesh Dhami and Nabin Shrestha.

12. Johnny Hallyday, France's 'Elvis Presley' Passes Away' i. France's biggest rock star Johnny Hallyday has died after a battle with lung cancer. He was 74. The singer sold about 100 million records and starred in a number of films in a career that began in 1960. ii. He was made a Chevalier of the Legion D'Honneur by President Jacques Chirac in 1997.

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08th December 2017

1. Time Magazine Names #MeToo 'Silence Breakers' As Person Of The Year i. “The Silence Breakers”, the vanguard of a global movement by millions of women to share their stories of sexual harassment and abuse, was revealed to be Time magazine‟s Person of the Year.

ii. Time Magazine has recognized the women who came forward with sexual assault allegations as its 2017 Person of the Year, calling individuals such as Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan, “the voices that launched a movement.”

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

 TIME magazine founded in- 1923.

2. 1st Intl. Conference on Sports Medicine & Sports Sciences SAICON 2017 Inaugurated in Delhi i. The First International Conference on Sports Medicine and Sports Sciences SAICON 2017 was inaugurated in New Delhi by the Minister of State (I/C) Youth Affairs and Sports Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore. ii. SAICON 2017 will promote scientific temperament in the country and inspire students, researchers and educationists alike to take up sports science and research to the next level.

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

 Delhi CM- Arvind Kejriwal, Lt. Governor- Anil Baijal.

3. International Conference on Groundwater Organized i. An International conference is being organized on the Groundwater issues in the country with a theme of “Groundwater Vision 2030- Water Security, Challenges, and Climate Change Adaptation”. ii. The conference has been organized by the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Roorkee and Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) under the aegis of Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

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

 Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation- Nitin J Gadkari.

4. Kacheguda Becomes India‟s First Energy-Efficient Railway Station i. Kacheguda Railway Station in Hyderabad under the South Central Railway (SCR) has earned the unique distinction of being the first Energy Efficient „A1 Category‟ Railway Station on Indian Railways. ii. The station has achieved 100% energy efficiency by replacing 1,312 conventional lights with light-emitting diode (LED) lighting, among other steps.

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

 Kacheguda Railway Station- Situated in Hyderabad.

 Built-in 1916 by the Nizam’s Guaranteed State Railway during the reign of Mir Osman Ali Khan, the seventh Nizam.

5. Kerala to Raise Minimum Liquor Drinking Age from 21 to 23 i. The Kerala government lead by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) has decided to raise the legal drinking age from 21 to 23 years. The State Cabinet in a meeting decided to introduce a new ordinance raising the minimum age for liquor consumption from 21 to 23. ii. The Ordinance will amend the Abkari Act. The previous UDF regime had adopted a policy in favour of prohibition by shutting down bars and closing doors on state-run liquor vending outlets.

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

 Kerala CM- Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor- P. Sathasivam.

6. Taj Mahal Named Second-Best UNESCO World Heritage Site i. The Taj Mahal, India's iconic ivory-white marble mausoleum in Agra, is the second best UNESCO world heritage site in the world, according to a new survey by online travel portal TripAdvisor. ii. The Taj Mahal is rated after Cambodia's Angkor Wat. Other popular heritage sites on the survey include the Great Wall of China (Third) built by Xu Da of Northern Qi Dynasty in 1368 AD. Machu Pichu in in South America has bagged the fourth spot.

News in-a-line:

Taj Mahal- second best UNESCO world heritage site in the world- acc. to a survey of TripAdvisor- Cambodia's Angkor Wat is best.

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

 Taj Mahal was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.

7. USA Now Recognizes Jerusalem as 's Capital i. President of USA Donald Trump has announced that the US now recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital, overturning decades of official US policy. ii. The fate of the ancient city is one of the thorniest issues between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel called Donald Trump's move "historic" but there has been sharp international criticism. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Donald Trump's announcement "deplorable".

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

 USA President- Donald Trump (45th), Capital- Washington D.C.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

 Israel President- Reuven Rivlin.

8. Wassenaar Arrangement Decides to Make India its Member i. In a significant development, elite export control regime Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) decided to admit India as its new member. This would raise New Delhi’s stature in the field of non-proliferation besides helping it acquire critical technologies. ii. The decision was taken at the two-day plenary meeting of the grouping in Vienna. India’s entry into the export control regime would enhance its credentials in the field of non-proliferation despite not being a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

About the Wassenaar Arrangement in Brief-

The Wassenaar Arrangement (WA), the first global multilateral arrangement on export controls for conventional weapons and sensitive dual-use goods and technologies, received final approval by 33 co-founding countries in July 1996 and began operations in September 1996.

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

 Wassenaar Arrangement Secretariat- Vienna, Austria.

 The current Head of Secretariat- Ambassador Philip Griffiths (New Zealand).

9. Kerala's Alappuzha in Top 5 UN Clean City List i. The waste management system being implemented in Kerala's coastal town of Alappuzha has been recognized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as one of the five models across the world for fighting the pollution menace. ii. Alappuzha has been listed in the UNEP environment report entitled, 'Solid approach to waste: how five cities are beating pollution' alongside cities like Osaka in , Ljubljana in Slovenia, Penang in and Cajica in .

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

 Kerala CM- Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor- P.Sathasivam.

10. Axis Securities Gets NCDEX Membership i. Axis Securities, a subsidiary of Axis Bank, has become the first-ever broking arm of a bank to take membership of a commodity exchange by registering itself with NCDEX. ii. In September, Reserve Bank of India allowed banks wishing to undertake commodities derivatives clearing to set up a separate subsidiary for the purpose and adhere to the membership norms laid by market regulator Securities Exchange Board of India.

News in-a-line:

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

Axis Securities- become the first-ever broking arm of a bank to take membership of a commodity exchange by registering itself with NCDEX.

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

 NCDEX- National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange,

 Samir Shah- Managing Director, NCDEX,

 Arun Thukral- Managing Director, Axis Securities.

11. All About the Star Screen Awards 2017 Held in Mumbai i. Star Screen Awards, the annual film awards recognises the best of talent in Hindi films. Vidya Balan bagged the award for Best Actress (Critics) for Tumhari Sulu, Irrfan won the Best Actor Award for his performance in Hindi Medium. ii. Rajkummar Rao won the Best Actor Award (Critics) for Newton & Best Actor in a Supporting Role Award for Bareilly Ki Barfi as well.

Find Complete List Here

12. Azar A.H.Khan Appointed Next Ambassador of India to Turkmenistan i. Shri Azar A.H.Khan, presently Consul General in the Consulate General of India, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Turkmenistan.

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

 Turkmenistan Capital- Ashgabat, Currency- Turkmenistan manat.

13. London Mayor Names Deepak Parekh as First International Ambassador i. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has named noted Indian businessman, Deepak Parekh, as 'International Ambassador' who will be tasked with championing the UK capital across the globe. ii. Parekh, is one of the first of a network of international ambassadors, that would include high-level business and cultural figures based in London or overseas. Parekh is the chairman of India's premier housing finance company HDFC Ltd.

News in-a-line:

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan- named Indian businessman, Deepak Parekh- as 'International Ambassador'.

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

 UK Capital- London, Prime Minister- Theresa May.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

14. Kanchanmala Pande Wins India‟s 1st World Para Swimming Championship Gold i. Nagpur‟s Kanchanmala Pande created history as she became the first Indian to secure pole position at the World Para-Swimming Championship in Mexico. ii. The 26-year-old Reserve Bank of India employee won gold in the 200 meter medley event in the S-11 category and was also the only Indian to qualify for the women’s category.

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

 Mexico Capital: Mexico City, Currency: Mexican peso

15. Cristiano Ronaldo Wins Ballon d'Or, Equals Lionel Messi's Record i. Cristiano Ronaldo (from ) has won the Ballon d'Or for a fifth time to move level with rival Lionel Messi. The Real Madrid forward was named the winner of France Football's prestigious award at a ceremony in Paris, France. ii. The award caps a year in which Ronaldo has won LaLiga, the Champions League and the Spanish Super Cup with Real Madrid, as well as helping Portugal qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Messi, the only other player to have won the award since 2008, finished second.

News in-a-line:

Cristiano Ronaldo (from Portugal)- won the Ballon d'Or for a fifth time- Equals Lionel Messi's Record, Messi was second- Nemar third.

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

 Ronaldo previously won the award in 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2016.

 Messi is from Barcelona.

09th December 2017

1. India Declared Free from Trachoma, an Infection of Eye i. India has been declared free from infectious Trachoma which is a contagious bacterial infection of the eye. It causes inflamed granulation on the inner surface of the lids. ii. Health Minister J P Nadda released the National Trachoma Survey Report (2014-17) in New Delhi. The Survey results indicate that active Trachoma is no longer a public health problem in the country.

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

 Amrit Kaur was the first health minister of independent India.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

2. Suresh Prabhu in Argentina to Attend 11th Ministerial Conference of WTO i. Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu is in Buenos Aires, Argentina to attend the 11th Ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO). ii. Trade in Services remains an area of key interest to India and other developing countries.

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

 WTO is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations.

 WTO Director-General- Roberto Azevêdo, Established- 1 January 1995, Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland.

3. India to Achieve „Electricity for all‟ by Early 2020s: IEA i. Half a billion people have gained access to electricity in India since 2000, almost doubling the country’s electrification rate, according to the World Energy Access report released by the International Energy Agency (IEA). ii. This “remarkable” growth puts India on course to achieving access to electricity for all in the early 2020s, the report added.

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

 IEA Executive Director- Fatih Birol, Established in- 1974, Secretariat- Paris, France.

4. Giriraj Singh Launches Public Procurement Portal for MSEs - MSME Sambandh i. A Public Procurement Portal „MSME Sambandh‟ was launched by Shri Giriraj Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for MSME in New Delhi. ii. The objective of the portal is to monitor the implementation of the Public Procurement from MSEs by Central Public Sector Enterprises.

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

 A.K. Panda- Secretary, MSME.

 MSME- Micro Small and Medium Enterprises.

5. India's GDP Growth to Rise to 7.5 pc in 2018: Morgan Stanley

The Indian economy is expected to witness cyclical growth recovery, with real GDP growth likely to accelerate from 6.4 percent this year to 7.5 percent in 2018 and further to 7.7 percent in 2019, says a report of Morgan Stanley.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

According to global financial services major Morgan Stanley, corporate return expectations and balance sheet fundamentals are improving, and a strengthening financial system should be able to meet investment credit demand.

6. Sarvesh Tiwari Appointed as President Para Sports Foundation i. On the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a renowned communication expert, Sarvesh Kumar Tiwari, was appointed as the President of Para-Sports Foundation (PSF), India. ii. The announcement was made at the National Award for Divyangjan 2017 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Para Sports Foundation is a non-profit organization working towards the social welfare of persons with disabilities.

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

 The PSF is founded by Pradeep Raj, an international athlete with a disability and a national youth awardee from the President of India.

7. Mahesh Sharma Inaugurates „Bodhi Parva: BIMSTEC Festival of Buddhist Heritage‟ i. Minister of State for Culture (Independent Charge) Dr. Mahesh Sharma has inaugurated the three days „Bodhi Parva: BIMSTEC Festival of Buddhist Heritage‟ in New Delhi. ii. India is hosting the the Parva from 8 to 10 December as part of celebrations of 20th anniversary of BIMSTEC.

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

 BIMSTEC- The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation.

 This sub-regional organization came into being on 6 June 1997.

 The BIMSTEC member states are India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, , Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

8. FIFA Lifts Kuwait Football Ban i. The international football federation, FIFA, has lifted a two-year suspension against Kuwait‟s football association that has prevented the country from participating in international tournaments. ii. FIFA president Gianna Infantino confirmed the move in a video posted on the Instagram account of Kuwait’s minister of trade and industry and acting minister of youth affairs Khaled Al-Roudhan.

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

 Kuwait Capital- Kuwait City, Currency- Kuwaiti dinar.

 FIFA President- Gianna Infantino.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

10th December 2017

1. Human Rights Day- 10 December i. Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December. The day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

ii. This year, Human Rights Day kicks off a year-long campaign to mark the upcoming 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a milestone document. The Campaign is named as #standup4humanrights.

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

 UN Secretary-General: Antonio Guterres, Headquarters- New York, USA.

2. New Delhi to Host Asean-India Connectivity Summit i. According to the External Affairs Ministry, New Delhi will host the two-day long Asean-India Connectivity Summit (AICS) on the theme "Powering Digital and Physical Linkages for Asia in the 21st Century". ii. The event comes ahead of the visit of the leaders of the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) for the commemorative summit of 25 years of the India-Asean dialogue partnership.

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

 The ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, , Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and .

3. Direct Tax Collections for Financial Year 2017-18 show Growth of 14.4% upto November, 2017 i. The provisional figures of Direct Tax collections up to November, 2017 show that net collections are at Rs. 4.8 lakh crore which is 14.4% higher than the net collections for the corresponding period of last year. ii. The Net Direct Tax collections represent 49% of the total Budget Estimates of Direct Taxes for the Financial Year. 2017-18 (Rs. 9.8 lakh crore). Gross collections (before adjusting for refunds) have increased by 10.7% to Rs.5.82 lakh crore during April-November, 2017.

4. UN Women, Facebook Inaugurates 'We The Women' Event in Mumbai i. UN Women in collaboration with Facebook inaugurated a two day event in Mumbai titled 'We The Women' to empower and recognise the magnificent contribution of women in our society. ii. The event witnessed speakers from different walks of life including Textile and I&B Minister, Smriti Irani, Sakshi Malik, Mithali Raj, Ekta Kapoor, Karan Johar andothers.

5. Indonesia Open Aquatic: Indian Diving Team wins 6 Medals i. Indian Diving Team won 1 Gold, 3 Silver and 2 Bronze Medals in Indonesia Open Aquatic Championship 2017. The five-day championship concluded recently in Indonesia's Jakarta.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 ii. More than 1,500 athletes from eight countries, participated in the 5 day event. At the championships, the diving category featured athletes from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

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

 Indonesia Capital- Jakarta, Currency- Indonesian Rupiah.

11th December 2017

1. Russia-India-China Foreign Ministers Meet Begins in Delhi i. Foreign Ministers of Russia, India, and China (RIC) are holding a trilateral meeting in New Delhi. The meeting is expected to review global and regional issues of mutual interest as well as discuss trilateral exchanges and activities.

ii. The External Affairs Minister will have separate bilateral meetings with her Russian and Chinese counterparts. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Wang Yi have arrived in New Delhi.

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

 Russia Capital- Moscow, Currency- Russian ruble.

 Japan Capital- Tokyo, Currency- Japanese yen.

2. Diddy Tops the List of 2017's Highest-Paid Musicians: Forbes i. Musician Diddy was on the top of Forbes’ annual world’s highest-paid musician list shows. He is on top despite not releasing any album in 2017. ii. The list is based on pretax income from June 1, 2016, through June 1, 2017. The Top 5 Musicians on the list are-

1. Diddy ($130 M),

2. Beyoncé ($105 M),

3. Drake ($94 M),

4. The Weeknd ($92 M),

5. Coldplay ($88 M).

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

1. Forbes- American business magazine, Founded in- 1917.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

2. Headquarters- New York City, USA.

3. China Starts World's Biggest Floating Solar Project i. A unit of China Three Gorges Corp. is building a 1 billion yuan ($151 million) floating solar power plant, the world‟s biggest, in the nation‟s eastern province of Anhui. China Three Gorges New Energy Co. started building the 150-megawatt project in July and part of the plant was connected to the grid. ii. The project features panels fixed to floats on the surface of a lake that formed after a coal mine collapsed, according to the unit. The entire facility is expected to come online by May 2018.

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

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

4. India INX Gets SEBI go-ahead for Listing of Debt Securities i. BSE's India International Exchange (India INX) has received approval from the capital market regulator SEBI on the framework for the listing of debt securities. ii. The move will enable Indian and foreign issuers to issue masala bonds, Eurobonds, and foreign currency bonds from India INX at International Financial Service Centre (IFSC) at Gujarat International Finance Tech (GIFT) for the first time.

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

 SEBI- Securities and Exchange Board of India.

 Chairman- Ajay Tyagi, Headquarters- Mumbai.

5. Uma Shankar Appointed RBI Executive Director i. Uma Shankar, chief general manager (CGM) in charge of the Reserve Bank of India's financial inclusion and development department has taken over as executive director (ED) in the central bank. ii. Shankar has been elevated after Meena Hemchandra the executive director in charge of the central bank's supervision department retired recently.

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

 RBI established in- 1935, Headquarters- Mumbai.

 24th and Current Governor of RBI- Dr. Urjit Patel.

6. Maruti Suzuki Replaces SBI as 6th Most Valuable Indian Firm i. India's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki became India's sixth most valued firm, crossing India's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI).

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 ii. Maruti Suzuki's market capitalization stood at Rs 2.73 trillion, marginally ahead of SBI's market value of Rs 2.70 trillion. Reliance Industries is the country's most valued company with a market value of Rs 5.83 trillion, followed by TCS, HDFC Bank, ITC and Hindustan Unilever.

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

 Maruti 800 was launched in 1983.

 Head office of Maruti Suzuki in India- New Delhi.

7. Pradeep Singh Kharola Takes Over as Air India CMD i. Senior IAS officer Pradeep Singh Kharola took charge as the Chairman and Managing Director of Air India. Kharola assumed charge from Rajiv Bansal. ii. He was the managing director of Metro Rail Corporation Ltd since February 2015.

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

 Air India Founded: 15 October 1932 (as Tata Airlines), Headquarters- Delhi

8. Rahul Gandhi Elected Indian National Congress President i. The Indian National Congress announced that Rahul Gandhi has been elected as its new President, taking over from his mother Sonia Gandhi. He is the 16th President of Congress since Independence. ii. Rahul was declared the party President after no other candidate filed a nomination to contest the presidential elections.

9. India Beat Germany, Win Bronze at Hockey World League Final i. India defeated Germany 2-1 in the Hockey World League Final to grab the bronze medal at the event, in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. SV Sunil and Harmanpreet Singh scored for the world number six Indian side. ii. The world's fifth-ranked side Germany was without any substitutes as seven of their players were unavailable for the match either due to injury or high fever. For India’s success, Odisha government presented each player a cheque of Rs 10 lakh.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam- Germany is four-time Olympic gold medallists.

 Germany Capital- Berlin, Currency- Euro.

10. Pioneer of DNA Fingerprinting Lalji Singh Passes Away i. Lalji Singh, a pioneer of DNA fingerprinting technology in India and former Vice-Chancellor of Benares Hindu University, BHU (2011 to 2014), passed away at the age of 70.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 ii. Lalji Singh and his team developed the indigenous probe that was first applied to settle paternity disputes in the late 1980s at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Hyderabad.

11. Veteran Journalist Sukharanjan Sengupta Passes Away i. Veteran journalist Sukharanjan Sengupta died due to old age-related health problems. He was 85. ii. Sengupta had worked for Bengali dailies Jugantar and Ananda Bazar Patrika in his long career spanning over six decades.

12th December 2017

1. Electronics and IT Ministry Launched First NIC-CERT i. Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has launched first NIC- CERT, a setup of National Informatics Centre to prevent and predict cyber attacks on government utilities. It was launched in New Delhi.

ii. NIC-CERT has been set up with the objective of creating a comprehensive framework that integrates world- class security components and inbuilt threat intelligence for detection, prevention and incident response.

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

 National Informatics Centre (NIC) was established in 1976.

 Smt. Neeta Verma- Director-General of NIC, Headoffice- New Delhi.

2. Finance Minister Holds 5th Pre-Budget Consultation Meeting i. The Finance Minister of India Arun Jaitley holds his 5th Pre-Budget Consultation Meeting with the leading Economists in New Delhi. According to the Finance Minister, India has recorded an average growth of 7.5% from 2014-15 to 2016-17. ii. The fiscal deficit as a ratio of GDP stood at 3.9% in 2015-16 and 3.5% in 2016-17 and is budgeted to be 3.2% for the Current Financial Year 2017-18.

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

 The first finance minister of independent India was R. K. Shanmukham Chetty, who also presented its first Budget.

3. Mount Hope Becomes UK's New Highest Mountain i. Britain has a new highest mountain after new satellite data revealed the peak was almost 400 metres taller than previously thought. Mount Hope, in the British Atlantic Territory, was recently re-measured and found to be 377 metres taller than previous calculations.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 ii. This takes it to 3,239 metres, meaning it knocks Mount Jackson, the current title holder at 3,184 metres, off the top spot.

News In-a-line-

Mount Hope- in the British Atlantic Territory- UK's new highest mountain (3,239 meters)- replaced Mount Jackson (3,184 meters).

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RBI Assistant Mains 2017 Exam- UK PM- Theresa May, Capital- London, Currency- Pound sterling.

4. Government Fixes Sovereign Gold Bond Rate at Rs 2890/gram i. The government has fixed Rs 2,890 per gram as the price of new series of sovereign gold bonds (SGBs). The government, in consultation with the Reserve Bank, has decided to offer a discount of Rs 50 per gram to investors applying online and making payments digitally. ii. Earlier, Government had floated Series III of Sovereign Gold Bonds 2017-18, for the period from October 09, 2017 to December 27, 2017. iii. Under the scheme, the bonds are denominated in units of one gram of gold and multiples thereof. Minimum investment in the bonds is one gram, with a maximum limit of 500 grams per person, per financial year.

5. Saudi Arabia Lifts Ban on Movie Theatres After 35 Years i. Saudi Arabia will have its first public cinemas in more than 35 years after the government announced the lifting of the ban on movie theatres. ii. Minister of Culture and Information Awwad bin Saleh Alawwad stated that opening cinemas will act as a catalyst for economic growth and diversification.

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

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

6. Indian Economy Likely to Grow by 7.2% in 2018, 7.4% in 2019: UN Report i. Indian economy is likely to grow by 7.2 percent in 2018 and go up further to 7.4 percent in 2019 on the back of strong private consumption, public investment and the ongoing structural reforms, according to a UN report. ii. The „World Economic Situation and Prospects 2018‟ report was unveiled by United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). The UN DESA report said the GDP growth is projected to be 6.7 percent in 2017.

News in-a-line:

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

UN Report titled „World Economic Situation and Prospects 2018‟ says- GDP growth in India is projected to accelerate from 6.7 percent in 2017 to 7.2 percent in 2018 and 7.4 percent in 2019.

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

 UN Secretary-General: Antonio Guterres, Headquarters- New York, USA.

7. Vice President Confers 'Yeraringan' Award to M.S. Swaminathan i. The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has conferred 'Yeraringan' Award to Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, in Chennai. ii. Prof. M.S. Swaminathan was a transformative leader who has inspired many scientists to focus on the problem of Indian agriculture.

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

 CM of Tamil Nadu- Edappadi Palaniswami.

8. Nakul Chopra Elected as BARC India Chairman i. Nakul Chopra, President of AAAI and Senior Advisor, Publicis Communications, has been elected as the next Chairman of BARC India. Nakul succeeds Viacom18 Group CEO Sudhanshu Vats. ii. Nakul will be the third Chairman of BARC India. He had joined the BARC India Board in September 2016.

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

 BARC (Broadcast Audience Research Council) India is an industry body set up to design, commission, supervise and own an accurate, reliable and timely television audience measurement system for India.

 ZEEL's Punit Goenka was the first chairman for BARC India.

 BARC India CEO- Partho Dasgupta.

9. Australia Beat Argentina to Win Gold in Hockey World League Final i. Australia beat Argentina 2-1 in the final of the Hockey World League Final (HWLF) to win gold at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Argentina beat India (who won bronze earlier) in the semifinals. ii. Blake Govers scored the winner from a penalty corner with just three minutes left in the game. Earlier, Australia scored first through Jeremy Hayward in the 17th minute. iii. Australia thus became champions for the second time in a row and will go down in international hockey history as the last team ever to win Hockey World League Final.

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

 Australia Capital- Canberra, PM- Malcolm Turnbull.

 Argentina Capital- Buenos Aires, President- Mauricio Macri.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

10. India to Host 2021 Champions Trophy, 2023 World Cup i. India is all set to host the 2023 World Cup, the global cricketing event’s 13th edition after the BCCI confirmed the host nation. India will also host the upcoming Champions Trophy in 2021. ii. The ICC World Cup 2019 will be held in England and . This will be the first time that the event will be held entirely in India: the nation has, on three occasions previously, hosted the World Cup partially (1987, 1996 and 2011).

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

 India has won two ICC World Cups- one in 1983, second in 2011.

11. Saurabh Chaudhary Claims Youth Olympics Games Spot with Gold i. India's Saurabh Chaudhary qualified for the Youth Olympics Games with a gold medal and a junior world record in 10m air pistol at the ongoing Asia Youth Olympics Games qualification tournament in Wako City, Japan. ii. He became the third Indian to bag quota places for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games at the 10th Asian Airgun Championship.

12. Jitu Rai And Heena Sidhu Win Medals at Asian Championships i. Pistol aces Jitu Rai and Heena Sidhu bagged a bronze each to continue India's medal charge at the 10th Asian Championship 10m Rifle/Pistol in Wako City, Japan. ii. Jitu won an individual bronze in the men's 10m Air Pistol, which also helped the Indian team comprising Shahzar Rizvi and Omkar Singh besides Jitu, to bag the Team gold in the event. iii. Heena claimed an individual bronze in the women's 10m Air Pistol. Her effort, along with teammates Shri Nivetha Paramantham and Harveen Srao, helped the Team clinch a silver.

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

 Japan Capital- Tokyo, PM- Shinzo Abe, Currency- Japanese Yen.

13th December 2017

1. 2nd UNWTO/UNESCO World Conference on Tourism and Culture Held in Muscat i. The second UN World Tourism Organization/UNESCO World Conference on Tourism and Culture was held in Muscat, Capital city of Oman.

ii. The Minister of State for Culture (Independent Charge) and Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Dr. Mahesh Sharma led the Indian delegation. The conference was focused on sustainable development, culture and tourism as a factor of peace and prosperity; tourism development and protection of cultural heritage.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

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

 Minister of Tourism of Oman- Ahmed Bin Naseer Bin Hamad al-Mehrzi.

 Oman Capital- Muscat, Currency- Omani rial.

2. India to Host 3rd Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of AIIB i. India will host the 3rd Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) at Mumbai in June 2018. ii. The Theme of the Annual Meeting, 2018 will be “Mobilizing Finance for Infrastructure: Innovation and Collaboration”. iii. The Government of India and AIIB Secretariat signed the MoU to delineate the duties and responsibilities of major stakeholders who would be involved in organizing the aforesaid Annual Meeting.

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

 AIIB is a multilateral development bank with a mission to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia and beyond.

 AIIB Headquarter- Beijing, China, Commenced operations in- January 2016.

 AIIB President- Mr. Jin Liqun.

3. AIIB Grants 1st loan to China to Reduce Dependence on Coal i. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) approved its first loan to China, its largest shareholder, to reduce its dependence on coal by over 600,000 tonnes annually by building a natural gas distribution network for villages. ii. The USD 250-million-loan will fund a project to connect 216,750 households in approximately 510 villages to the natural gas distribution network. With an authorized capital of USD 100 billion, China is the largest shareholder with 26.06 percent voting shares. iii. India is the second largest shareholder with 7.5 percent.

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

 AIIB Headquarter- Beijing, China, Commenced operations in- January 2016.

 AIIB President- Mr. Jin Liqun.

4. RBI Raises FPI Limit in G-Secs, State Development Loans i. The Reserve Bank of India increased the limits for investment by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) for the January-March 2018 quarter by Rs 6,400 crore in Central Government Securities (G-Secs) and Rs 5,800 crore in State development loans (SDLs).

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 ii. With effect from January 1, 2018, the revised investment limit for FPIs in G-Secs will be Rs 2,56,400 crore against the existing limit of Rs 2,50,000 crore.

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

 RBI current & 24th Governor- Dr. Urjit Patel, Headquarter- Mumbai, Nationalized in - 1949.

5. ADB Lowers India‟s GDP forecast for FY18 to 6.7% i. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) lowered India‟s GDP forecast for the current fiscal by 0.3% to 6.7 %. ii. It has also revised downward the gross domestic product (GDP) outlook for next fiscal beginning from March 2018 to 7.3% from 7.4% mainly due to rising global crude oil prices and soft growth in private sector investment.

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

 Founded on 19 December 1966 ADB has its Headquarter in Manila, Philippines.

 President of ADB is Takehiko Nakao.

 India is the largest economy in South Asia.

6. Rajasthan, First in India to Offer e-mail IDs in Hindi i. Rajasthan has become the first state in the country to launch free email addresses in Hindi (in Devanagari script) for its residents, as per the state IT department Principal Secretary Akhil Arora. ii. The initiative aims to ensure maximum participation of people towards e-governance and that maximum facilities are available in the vernacular language. The first e-mail ID was created for CM Vasundhara Raje.

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

 Rajasthan Capital- Jaipur, CM- Vasundhara Raje, Governor- Kalyan Singh.

7. Dhammapiya Elected New Secretary General of IBC i. Buddhist monk Dhammapiya from Tripura has been elected as the new secretary general of the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC). ii. He was elected to the post at the second general assembly of the IBC. The IBC is a global Buddhist forum for preservation and development of heritage sites of the religion in India and other parts of the world.

8. India Becomes 1st Ever Team to Register Hundred 300+ ODI Totals i. India has become the first-ever team to register 300+ totals 100 times in ODIs, after posting 392/4 against Sri Lanka in Mohali.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017 ii. This was also the 25th instance of India scoring 350+ in an ODI innings, second-most by a team after (26). India was driven by captain Rohit Sharma's 208*, his third ODI double hundred which is also a record in ODIs.

9. Shubhankar Sharma Wins Joburg Open i. 21-year-old Indian Golfer Shubhankar Sharma claimed his maiden European Tour victory in the Joburg Open, in South Africa. He has defeated South Africa‟s Erik Van Rooyen. ii. This was a maiden European Tour win for Shubhankar Sharma. England’s Marcus Armitage was the top British finisher in Joburg.

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

 South Africa Capital- Cape Town (Legislative), Currency- South African rand.

14th December 2017

1. Narendra Modi Inducts Scorpene-Class Submarine Kalvari into Indian Navy i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned India's first modern conventional submarine, INS Kalvari, into Navy's fleet in Mumbai, a first in almost two decades. Kalvari is the first of the six Scorpene-class submarines handed over by shipbuilder Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL).

ii. The Navy last inducted a conventional diesel-electric submarine, INS Sindhushastra, procured from Russia in July 2000.

Key facts to know about Kalvari Submarine-

1. Dreaded Tiger shark-

Kalvari is named after the dreaded tiger shark, a deadly deep sea predator of the Indian Ocean.

2. French naval defense's design-

The submarines, designed by French naval defense and energy company DCNS, are being built by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in Mumbai as part of Project-75 of the Indian Navy.

3. Scorpene class submarine-

The Navy is inducting six Scorpene-class submarines on a 3 billion dollar contract. Construction for the first submarine, designated as MDL Yard 11875 commenced in December 2006.

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

 Indian Navy Chief of Naval Staff (CNS)- Admiral Sunil Lanba.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

 The first Kalvari, commissioned on December 8, 1967, was also the first submarine of the Indian Navy.

2. India Signs Loan Agreement with World Bank for US$ 250 Million for SANKALP Project i. A Financing Agreement for IBRD loan of USD 250 million (equivalent) for the “Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) Project” was signed with the World Bank. ii. The Objective of the project is to enhance institutional mechanisms for skills development and increase access to quality and market-relevant training for the workforce. The closing date for the project is 31st March 2023.

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.

3. India Ranks 100 in Global Prosperity Index i. India has upgraded its ranks in „The Legatum Prosperity Index 2017‟ and is now on 100th position. At present, the rising trend in India’s prosperity is significant in view of the fact that India registered lower economic growth following demonetization and implementation of the goods and services tax (GST) reform in 2017. ii. The index, which offers an insight into how prosperity is forming and changing across the world, ranks India 100th on the list of prosperous countries among 149 countries.

4. 27th National Energy Conservation Day- 14 December i. The National Energy Conservation Day is celebrated annually on 14th December. The 14th President of India Mr. Ram Nath Kovind was the Chief Guest on the occasion. ii. The ECD is organized on 14th December each year by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), under Ministry of Power. The Day is celebrated with an aim to demonstrate India’s achievements in energy efficiency and conservation.

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

 Minister of State (IC) of Power and New & Renewable Energy- R.K. Singh.

5. India and Sign MoU for Enhanced Cooperation in Healthcare i. India and Morocco signed an MoU for enhanced cooperation in the health sector in New Delhi. Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare and Dr. Abdelkader Amara, Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Morocco signed the MoU. ii. The main areas of cooperation include the following:

 Non-communicable diseases, including child cardiovascular diseases and cancer;

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

 Drug Regulation and Pharmaceutical quality control;

 Maternal, child and neonatal health;

 Hospital twinning for the exchange of good practices.

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

 The capital of Morocco- Rabat, Currency- Moroccan dirham.

6. Becomes 1st Nation to Shut National Broadcasts on FM i. Norway became the world's first country to shut down national broadcasts of its FM network by completing its transition to digital radio. ii. The transition will allow for better sound quality, a greater number of channels and more functions, at a cost eight times lower than FM radio. The transition concerns only national radio channels.

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

 Norway Capital- , Currency- Norwegian krone.

7. OBOPAY Gets Pre-Paid Instrument Licence from RBI i. OBOPAY has announced that the company has secured a license for Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate a semi-closed loop wallet in the country. ii. The company would also be using the license to increase business in its B2B (business-to-business) operations by co-branding the prepaid instrument with a partner brand.

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

 OBOPAY- the global mobile payment solutions company.

 OBOPAY Established in- 2005, Chairman- D. Padmanabhan, Head Office- Bengaluru, .

8. BCCI Lifts Ban On Rajasthan Cricket Association i. The Board of Control for Cricket in India decided to lift the ban on the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) provided former IPL chief Lalit Modi stays away from its functioning, the Board decided in its Special General Meeting (SGM). ii. The RCA was suspended by the Indian cricket board in May 2014 when ex-Indian Premier League (IPL) Commissioner Modi was re-elected its president.

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

 BCCI President- Vinod Rai.

 ICC CEO- Dave Richardson.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

9. Actor-Director Neeraj Vora Passes Away i. Bollywood actor, writer, and filmmaker Neeraj Vora, in the coma since a year, died at a Mumbai hospital. He was 54. ii. As an actor, his first work professional work came in the form of Ketan Mehta’s Holi (1984), which also starred Aamir Khan. His last film as an actor was Anil Kapoor starrer Welcome Back, which released in 2015.

15th December 2017

1. Winter Session of Parliament Begins i. The winter session of Parliament begins with Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging all political parties to extend co-operation for smooth conduct and pressing for a "national consensus" on the issue of simultaneous elections in the country. ii. This year's Winter Session of the Parliament will end on 5th January 2018 has only 14 proposed sittings. As per government data available, 14 sittings is the lowest for any winter session since 1999.

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

 The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative authority in the country and it is bicameral.

 The Legislature or Parliament is headed by the President of India.

2. 14th Inclusive Finance India Summit Begins in New Delhi i. The 14th Inclusive Finance India Summit began in New Delhi to build consensus on strategies and a unified vision for achieving universal financial inclusion in India. ii. The summit offers a platform for a plethora of information to all the thought leaders and industry veterans to debate and discuss the issues and challenges involving the Financial Inclusion in the country.

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

 As per the World Bank, Financial inclusion means that individuals and businesses have access to useful and affordable financial products and services that meet their needs – transactions, payments, savings, credit and insurance – delivered in a responsible and sustainable way.

3. 4th India-Australia-Japan Trilateral Dialogue Held in New Delhi i. Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar hosted the 4th India-Australia-Japan Trilateral Dialogue with Secretary of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia Ms. Frances Adamson and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Mr. Shinsuke J. Sugiyama, in New Delhi. ii. The three sides highlighted the growing convergence of their respective countries’ interests in the Indo- Pacific region and underscored their shared commitment to peace, democracy, economic growth and a rules- based order in the region.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

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

 Australia Capital- Canberra, Currency- Australian dollar.

 Japan Capital- Tokyo, Currency- Japanese yen.

4. 11th WTO Ministerial Conference Held in Argentina i. The Eleventh World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference (MC11) took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Conference was chaired by Minister Susana Malcorra of Argentina. Indian Delegation was led by Minister of Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu. ii. Key Highlights of the conference-

1. Three proponent groups announced new initiatives to advance talks at the WTO on the issues of electronic commerce, investment facilitation, and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

2. The European Union contributed EUR 1 million (over CHF 1.2 million) to improve the trading capacity of developing countries and to help them play a more active role in trade negotiations.

3. The United Kingdom government announced at the WTO’s Ministerial Conference with a commitment of £16 million (around US$ 21.3 million) to 51 of the world’s poorest countries.

4. For the first time in the history of the WTO members and observers have endorsed a collective initiative to increase the participation of women in trade.

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

 The last Ministerial Conference took place in Nairobi, Kenya, in December 2015.

5. Union Cabinet Clears Bill Criminalising Instant Triple Talaq i. The Union Cabinet cleared the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, or the Triple Talaq bill, which makes the practice a non-bailable offense. The bill proposes a three-year jail term for men who practice instant Triple Talaq. ii. Under the draft law, triple talaq in any form - spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS, and WhatsApp - would be banned or illegal.

6. Indian Diaspora is Largest in the World: World Migration Report 2018 i. The Indian diaspora is the largest in the world, with over 15 million migrants from India living abroad, according to the World Migration Report 2018 published by the International Organisation for Migration, the United Nations migration agency. World's 3 largest diasporas- India Mexico and Russia. ii. India also receives the highest amount in remittances ($68.91 billion). The largest migration corridor is from India to UAE, where 3.5 million Indians were residing in 2015. iii. The United States remained the top destination for migrants in the world in 2015, with 46.6 million migrants moving to the US in that year.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

7. Michael Jordan, World's Highest-Paid Athlete of All Time i. In the latest list released by Forbes, Michael Jordan has been named as the highest-paid athletes of all time. The 54-year-old has a whopping $1.7 billion in the bank. ii. Former world number one golfer Tiger Woods is standing at the second spot. Late America golfer Arnold Palmer is at No.3 with incredible $1.4 billion to his name.

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

 Forbes- American business magazine, Founded in- 1917.

 Headquarters- New York City, USA.

8. WPI Inflation at 8-month High of 3.93% in November i. Inflation based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) accelerated to an eight-month high of 3.93% in November, from 3.59% in October. Data released showed that retail inflation unexpectedly jumped to a 15- month high of 4.88% in November, and industrial production slowed to 2.2% in October. ii. WPI-based inflation rose mainly on account of a sharp increase in fuel and food prices, according to data released by the commerce ministry.

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

 Finance Minister of India- Arun Jaitley.

9. Google Opens 1st Machine Learning Research Lab in Asia with „Google AI China Center‟ i. In an apparent move to rebuild its presence in China, Google announced that it will open a research lab focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Beijing, China. It will be its first such center in Asia. ii. The "Google AI China Centre" will join the other AI research groups that the company has in other parts of the world, including in New York, Toronto, London, and Zurich. Focused on basic AI research, the lab will consist of a team of AI researchers in Beijing, supported by the company's engineering teams.

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

 Google CEO- Sundar Pichai, Headquarters- California, USA.

10. SBI Starts State Bank Rewardz Scheme i. The State Bank of India has introduced a loyalty program for its valued customers. This program is called as State Bank Rewardz, the program gives the customers several opportunities to earn reward points and earn many times faster at Max Get More partner outlets. ii. State Bank Rewardz is the enterprise-wide loyalty program for State Bank customers that awards them with reward points for various transactions across many banking services.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

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

 SBI Present Chairman- Rajnish Kumar, Headquarter- Mumbai.

11. RBI Imposes Rs 3 crore Penalty on IndusInd Bank i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed Rs 3 crore penalty on IndusInd Bank for breaching rules on income classification norms. ii. As per the RBI Statement, the penalty was imposed after the regulator observed violation of various regulations issued by the RBI on non-performing loans and extension of non-fund based limits.

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

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

12. RBI Imposes Restrictions on Corporation Bank as its Bad Loans Crosses 10% i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed certain restrictions on Corporation Bank on carrying out banking activities as its share of bad loans rose sharply. The RBI has triggered prompt corrective action (PCA) against it in view of high non-performing loans and requirement to raise capital. ii. This makes Corporation Bank eighth bank to face restriction in a span of 10 months. Corporation Bank's net non-performing loans cross 10% and it reported losses of Rs 1035 crore in the second quarter ending 2017.

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

 PCA- Prompt Corrective Action.

 Once PCA is triggered the bank faces restrictions on expenses such as opening branches, recruiting staff and giving increments to employees.

 Corporation Bank Managing Director & CEO- Jai Kumar Garg, Headquarter- , Karnataka.

 Corporation Bank came into being as Canara Banking Corporation (Udipi) Limited, on 12th March 1906.

13. Lucknow's Jitesh Singh Deo Named Mr. India 2017 i. Jitesh Singh Deo from Lucknow was declared the winner of the 2017 Mr. India pageant which was held in Mumbai. Indian footballer Prathamesh Maulingkar won the title of Mr. India Supranational and will compete at Mr. Supranational 2018. ii. Abhi Khajuria was declared the first-runner. Actress Kangana Ranaut felicitated the winners. Jitesh competed with 15 other contestants to grab the coveted title.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- DECEMBER 2017

14. Sachin Siwach Named ABC‟s Best Youth Boxer i. World youth champion Sachin Siwach was named the Asian Boxing Confederation‟s best youth boxer of the year 2017 after winning an online poll conducted by the continental body. Siwach polled 36.2 % votes in this category. ii. Siwach claimed the Asian youth championships silver this year besides a gold at the Youth Commonwealth Games. India also fetched the Best Asian International Technical Official (ITO) award with Lenny D’Gama winning the online poll. D’Gama polled 45.5%.

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

 Executive Director of Asian Boxing Confederation- Bagdaulet Turekhanov

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