SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING

(IBPS Clerk 2018-19 / NIACL / LVB - Mains General Awareness ) | JULY-DECEMBER 2018

NATIONAL Odisha CM inaugurates 26th National Children’s Science Congress :

 Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the 26th National Children’s Science Congress (NCSC) at the SOA University in Bhubaneswar.It will conclude on December 31.  This year’s theme is ‘Science, Technology and Innovations: For clean, green and healthy nation’.  About 800 delegates from 15 countries are participating in the the 26th National Children’s Science Congress.  The annual event, which provides a platform to children to showcase their creativity and ability to innovate, will showcase technical sessions, exhibitions and discussions.

Tourism Ministry signed MoU to develop a mobile Audio Guide App for five iconic sites :

 The Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism, Shri. K J Alphonshanded over a Memorandum of Understanding under the ‘Adopt a Heritage’ project to M/s Resbird Technologies for development of a mobile Audio Guide App for five iconic sites.  The five iconic sites for which the mobile Audio Guide App is to be developed are Amer Fort (Rajasthan), Kaziranga (Assam), Colva Beach (Goa), Kumarakom (Kerala) and Mahabodhi Temple (Bihar).

India Announces INR 4,500 Crore Assistance To Bhutan :

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Rs. 4,500 crore financial assistance to Bhutan for its 12th five-year plan after holding wide-ranging talks with his Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering.  The new five-year plan of Bhutan began in 2018 and will continue till 2022.  Modi stated that the hydro power cooperation with Bhutan is a key aspect of bilateral ties and that work on the Mangdechhu project will soon be completed.

Second Delta Ranking under Aspirational District Programme released by NITI:

 Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant released the Second Delta Ranking of the Aspirational Districts Programme.  The ranking shows the incremental progress achieved by 111 aspirational districts (out of 115) during June 1, 2018 to October 31, 2018, across six key development sectors.  The 6 developmental sectors are: Health and Nutrition, Education, Agriculture and Water Resources, Financial Inclusion, Skill Development, and Basic Infrastructure.  The data has been received from household surveys conducted by NITI Aayog’s knowledge partners, namely, TATA Trusts and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (IDInsight).

Central Railways introduces technology to eliminate manual examination of trains :

 The mechanical branch of Central Railways’ Nagpur division has introduced a new state-of-the-art technology called Automated Train Examination System (ATES) for the enhancement of train safety.  ATES also checks every train passing through the track on which it is installed and immediately warns about hot axle and brake binding cases.

VP Naidu confers ‘Champions of Change’ award to Manipur CM : BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbaning.in Page 1

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 Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh conferred the‘Champions of Change’ award by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu in Delhi. He was recognized for his leadership role in transforming the governance in the north-eastern state.  At a programme to identify the progress made in 115 ‘aspirational’ districts, Manipur was chosen for its all-round development on various parameters in all its ‘aspirational’ districts.  The award selection jury was led by former Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishna and former Supreme Court judge Sudha Mishra.

Railways Develops Robot USTAAD, To Check For Faults In Trains :

 To make trains more safe by eliminating human errors, Central Railway has developed an AI- powered robot which would clickpictures and record videos of the under-gears of trains and send them to engineers for repairs and maintenance.  It is named as USTAAD (Undergear Surveillance through Artificial Intelligence Assisted Droid).

Government Extends CLSS for MIG scheme till 31st march,2020 :

 The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs headed by Minister of State Hardeep S. Puri, extended the Credit-Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) for Middle Income Group (MIG) Scheme by another 12 months till March 31, 2020.  Around 93, 007 beneficiaries have been covered till date and have already received Rs 1,960.45 crore of subsidy in the scheme under which the government provides a subsidy of up to Rs 2.67 lakh on home loans.  The scheme covers two income segments in the MIG viz. Rs 6,00,001 to Rs 12,00,000 per annum for MIG-I and Rs 12,00,001 to Rs 18,00,000 per annum for MIG-II.

Dharmendra Pradhan launched Ujjwala sanitary napkin initiative in Odisha :

 Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhanlaunched the Ujjwala Sanitary Napkin initiative in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.  To provide access to hygiene products and employment to opportunities in every district of the state.  Around 100 local manufacturing units will be set up by oil marketing companies at Common Service Centres (CSCs) across 93 blocks in all 30 districts of Odisha in the first phase.

Deen Dayal Veterinary University, to set up first goat fertility lab in the state of Uttar Pradesh:

 The Deen Dayal Veterinary University in Uttar Pradesh proposed to set up the first goat fertility lab in the state under Rastriya Krashi Vikas Yojna at the cost of Rs 22 crore.  The University has entered into a contract with Pradeshik cooperative Dairy Federation for marketing.  It aims to achieve 4% annual growth in agriculture through development of Agriculture and its allied sectors.

PM Modi inaugurated 6th International Rice Research Institute in Varanasi:

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Varanasi and Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh. He dedicated the 6th International Rice Research Institute (IRRI),South Asia Regional Center (ISARC) to the nation in Varanasi.  He also released a commemorative postal stamp on Maharaja Suheldev.  The Institute is built at the campus of Na]tional Seed Research and Training Center (NSRTC) in Varanasi. During the visit, he laid the foundation stone of medical College in Ghazipur.

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MNJ Institute becomes the first State-run hospital in Telangana to enter into Guinness Book of World Records:

 MNJ Institute of Oncology and Regional Cancer Centre has become the first State-run hospital in Telangana to enter into Guinness Book of World Records.  The Guinness recognition to the hospital has come for conducting the largest men’s health awareness programme on prostate cancer, which was attended by 487 men in a single day.

Government sets up export promotion cell for MSMEs:

 Giriraj Singh, Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) informed the parliament that the MSME ministry has established an Export Promotion Cell with an aim to create a sustainable ecosystem for entire MSME development.  Evaluation of readiness of MSMEs to export their products and services.  Recognition of areas where improvements are required in order to be able to export effectively and efficiently.

Panel suggests not to allow new Engineering colleges from 2020:

 A government appointed panel headed by IIT- Hyderabad chairman B V R Mohan Reddy has suggested to the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to stop setting up new engineering colleges from 2020 and review the creation of new capacity every two years after that.  In a 41-page report, the panel has also suggested that no additional seats should be approved in traditional engineering areas such as mechanical, electrical, civil and electronics.

Centre approves renaming of Allahabad as Prayagraj:

 The Union Home Ministry (MHA) approved the Uttar Pradesh government’s proposal to rename Allahabad as Prayagraj.  MHA had earlier approved the renaming of the British-era railway station Robertsgang as Sonbhadra, Farah Townrailway station near Mathura and iconic Mughalsarai junction after Deen Dayal Upadhyay — both in Uttar Pradesh.  The Centre had also approved the renaming of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airportin Mumbai as Chhatrapati Shivaji ‘Maharaj’ International Airport, earlier.

MP Govt bans purchase of new vehicles, ACs:

 Government of Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath, banned the purchase of new vehicles and air conditioners (ACs) by the government departments due to huge debt of the state.  Also, the expenditure incurred on office items has been limited on the basis of the difference between the allocated budget for these expenses in the financial year 2018-19 and the expenditure incurred in the financial year 2017-18.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launches Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA):

 Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik launches Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) Naveen Patnaik launched Rs 10,000 croreKrushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme.  This scheme consists of a life insurance of Rs.2 lakh for 57lakh farmers and would grant them crop loans at zero percent interest. BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbaning.in Page 3

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Govt Releases 6-Crore LPG Connections under PMUY:

 The government gave out the 6-crore free cooking gas (LPG) connection as the scheme to make available cleaner fuel in every household kitchens under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY).  Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu handed over papers for an LPG connection to Jasmina Khatoon from Shivpark, Khanpur in New Delhi to mark the 6 crore LPG connections under PMUY.  Beneficiaries will receive direct LPG subsidy through PAHAL (Pratyaksha Hastaantarit Laabh) digital payment scheme.

WB govt announces two initiatives for farmers:

 The West Bengal government announced two welfare initiatives for farmers.Both initiatives, which are part of the ‘Krishi Krishak Bondhu’ scheme came into effect fromJanuary 1,2019.  The first of the two initiatives will provide Rs 2 lakh to the family of a deceased farmer(farmers aged between 18 to 60 years dies a natural or unnatural death, the state government will pay his family Rs 2 lakh).Under the second initiative, farmers would get Rs 2,500 twice a year for growing a single crop on one acre of land.

Modi to open 106th Indian Science Congress in Jalandhar:

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 106th Indian Science Congress at Lovely Professional University in Phagwara near Jalandha,an annual congregation that witnesses deliberations by top scientific minds of the country.  The theme of this five-day mega event is ‘Future India: Science and Technology’.

Sangai Festival 2018 begins in Manipur

The 10-day Manipur Sangai Festival was formally started in Imphal. It aims to promote Manipur as a world class tourism destination.

The formal inaugural function was held at well-decorated Hafta Kangjeibung ground in Imphal as the main venue. The festival will conclude on November 30, 2018.

The ‘Festival‘ is named after the State animal, Sangai, the brow-antlered deer found only in Manipur.Every edition of the festival showcases the tourism potential of the state in the field of Arts & Culture, Handloom, Handicrafts, Indigenous Sports, Cuisine, Music and Adventure sports of the state etc.

Manipur

Capital: Imphal Chief minister: N. Biren Singh Governor: Najma Heptulla

Andhra Pradesh Launches ‘Bhudaar’ Portal

Andhra Pradesh has launched a web portal which makes land records available to people with unique identification numbers just like Aadhar number.

The “Bhudaar’’ is an 11-digit unique identification code assigned to each agriculture land holding and rural and urban properties in the state.

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The integration of verified and updated land records will end litigation and corruption in land records and prevent tampering.

With this, the land records will be available to people on the lines of Aadhar card enabling the people to carry their land records in their pocket.

The Chief Minister also launched Bhudaar security policy to provide security to the land records of farmers.

President Kovind signed 4 MoUs With Vietnam

India and Vietnam agreed to further strengthen bilateral strategic cooperation in defence and oil and gas sectors as President Ram Nath Kovind held productive and extensive talks with his counterpart Nguyen Phu Trong.

This is Kovind’s first visit to South-East Asia and to the ASEAN region as the president.

The two nations also signed three MoUs in the fields of communications, education and trade and investment to take the bilateral agenda forward.

Vietnam Capital: Hanoi Currency: Vietnamese dong

27th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change Held in New Delhi

The 27th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change was held in New Delhi, India. The meeting was chaired by H.E. Dr Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India.

The meeting has urged the advanced countries to enhance their support to the developing nations in effectively implementing the Paris Agreement to combat climate change. The BASIC countries asserted that the Global Stocktake (GST) should be conducted in the light of equity and the best available science.

Brazil to host the 28th BASIC Ministerial Meeting in the first half of 2019.The BASIC countries (also Basic countries or BASIC) are a bloc of four large newly industrialized countries – Brazil, South Africa, India and China – formed by an agreement on 28 November 2009.

India’s First Justice City To Set Up In Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh is building a world-class and India’s first ‘Justice City’ within its new capital Amaravati.

The vision is to provide a state-of-the-art ecosystem built on latest technology for supporting the judicial system in the state. will comprise integrated judicial hub spread across 3,309 acres with an estimated population of 2.5 lacs. The Justice City is expected to generate employment for more than 1.3 lac people.

India and Australia ink five pacts

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India and Australia signed five agreements to boost investments and enhance cooperation in key sectors like disability, agricultural research and education as President Ram Nath Kovind met Australian Prime minister Scott Morrison in Sydney.

The first agreement was for cooperation in the area of disability and to deliver services to the differently-abled. The second one was between Invest India and Austrade to facilitate bilateral investment.

The third agreement was signed between the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute, Ranchi, and the Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organisation, Canberra, to foster scientific collaboration and innovation.

The fourth one between the Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University, Guntur, and the University of Western Australia, Perth, for cooperation in agricultural research and education while the last one was between the Indraprashta Institute of Information Technology, New Delhi, and the Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane for a joint Ph.D agreement.

European Investment Bank and SBI to step up financing of wind energy projects across India

The European Investment Bank (EIB) will increase its support for India’s wind energy projects by expanding the existing lending programmes with SBI.

EIB and SBI have agreed to cooperate on financing renewable energy and providing new support for wind energy projects across India by expanding the ongoing financing initiative in the field of onshore wind projects.

EIB has also approved a new line of credit to Yes Bank to boost private investment in clean energy projects.

EIB will provide USD 100 million line of credit to the private sector lender in the coming months.

Government hikes FAME-I outlay to Rs 895 crore:

 The Ministry of Finance has increased the outlay by Rs 100 crore to Rs 895 crore for the first phase of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid) and Electric Vehicles (FAME) India scheme to promote mass adoption of electric vehicles, having extended the scheme four times.  This is followed recommendation from the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) for an additional outlay of Rs 100 crore, over and above the existing approved outlay.  The first phase was extended four times for six months each. The latest extension is in effect till March 2019 or till a notification for the second phase.

Maharashtra government passed bill to amend the anti-adulteration law:

 Maharashtra governmenthas passed the bill to amend the anti-adulteration law to make it more stringent, prescribing life imprisonment and heavy penalty to curb food and milk adulteration. Due to the amendment, the adulteration offence will be cognizable and non-bailable.

MAHARASHTRA

 Capital: Mumbai Chief minister: Devendra Fadnavis  Governor: C. Vidyasagar Rao

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MoRTH issued notification for inclusion of Quadricycles as Non -Transport Vehicles:

 Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has notified the insertion of the item ‘Quadricycle’ as a ‘non-transport’ vehicle under the Motor Vehicles Act 1988.  A Quadricycle is a vehicle of the size of a 3-wheeler but with 4 tyres and fully covered like a car. It has an engine like that of a 3-wheeler. This makes it a cheap and safe mode of transport for last mile connectivity.  Quadricycles were only allowed for transport usage under the Act, but now has been made usable for non-transport also.

Delhi government launches portal for spotting location of cluster buses:

 Delhi bus commuters will now be able to spot locations of cluster buses at intervals of 10 seconds with the help of Open Transit Data (OTD) which will be shared on a dedicated portal launched by the Delhi government.  The OTD portal will incorporate multi-modal transport data feed in future, including those of Metro trains and last mile connectivity vehicles.  Delhi becomes the first city in the country to open up transit data of city buses, that will provide static and real time data through the website – www.otd.delhi.gov.in.

J-K Governor inaugurated ‘Jhiri Mela’ festival in Jammu:

 Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik has inaugurated a week long ‘Jhiri Mela’ at village Jhiri in Jammu district.  The annual fair is commemorated in the memory of the martyrdom of ‘Baba Jittoo’, a farmer who gave up his life about 500 years ago in protest against the oppressive demands of a land lord.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

 Capitals: Jammu (Winter), Srinagar (Summer)  Governor: Satya Pal Malik

Air Odisha’s UDAN license cancelled for poor performance:

 The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has cancelled the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) licence of low-cost carrier Air Odisha for seven airports for its irregular flight services.  The AAI has cancelled the agreement with the air carrier for operating flights from and to seven airports –Jharsuguda, Raipur, Raigarh, Bilaspur, Ambikapur, Jagdalpur and Visakhapatnam.  From November 20, they will not be permitted to operate from these seven airports. They have failed to operate the minimum 70 per cent of the scheduled flights from these airports within a period of three months.

ODISHA

 Capital: Bhubaneswar Chief minister: Naveen Patnaik  Governor: Ganeshi Lal

Jangalmahal festival to promote tribal art and culture:

 In an effort to promote tribal art and culture, a three-day-long Jangalmahal festival will be organised in the Kolkata city of West Bengal.

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 According to officials of Jangal Udyog, the NGO that has been organising the festival for the last three years, different folk songs and dances such as Tusu, Bhadu, Ahira and Jhumur will be performed by the locals of the Jangalmahal area.

WEST BENGAL

 Capital: Kolkata Chief minister: Mamata Banerjee  Governor: Keshari Nath Tripathi

Odisha’s Baliyatra festival inaugurated:

 Odisha Finance and Excise minister Sashi Bhusan Behera, in the presence of three of his cabinet colleagues, inaugurated the Baliyatra festival in Odisha.  The festival, associated with the maritime glory of ancient Kalinga, is basically a trade and cultural fare that attracts revellers not only from state but from outside also. Uttarakhand cabinet ratifies renaming Jolly Grant airport after Vajpayee:

 The Uttarakhand cabinet has ratified a proposal to rename the Jolly Grant airport in the state capital after late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.  The Jolly Grant Airport, which is named after the area where it is situated, belongs to the Airport Authority of India(AAI). It was built in the year 1974.

UTTARAKHAND

 Capital: Dehradun Chief Minister: Trivendra Singh Rawat  Governor: Baby Rani Maurya

Carpet city Bhadohi gets ‘export excellence’ tag; to benefit artisans, boost shipments:

 Known for its hand-woven carpets around the world, Bhadohi received a major boost as the government has extended the ‘export excellence’ tag to it.  The status was granted by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under the commerce ministry.  Bhadohi, small township situated on the banks the river Ganges, will be the 37th town to get this status.

India, ADB ink $200 mn loan pact to improve Bihar’s state highways:

 The Indian government and the Asian Development Bank(ADB) signed a $200-million loan agreement for improving Bihar’s state highways.  Under the agreement , ADB would provide the loan to finance the widening and upgrading of about 230 km of state highways in Bihar to all-weather standards with road safety features.  The agreement was signed by Additional Secretary in the Finance Ministry Sameer Kumar Khare and Officer-in-Charge of ADB’s India Resident Mission, Rajeev P. Singh in New Delhi.

STATIC :

ADB

Head-Quarters : Mandaluyong, Philippines President : Takehiko Nakao

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BIHAR

Capital : Patna Chief Minister : Nitish Kumar Governor : Lalji Tandon

CHILD FESTIVAL ‘HAUSLA-2018’ inaugurated in New Delhi:

 The National Festival for Children of Child Care Institutions (CCIs)- “Hausla 2018” of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) was inaugurated by the Secretary, Shri Rakesh Srivastava in New Delhi.The theme for the event is “Child Safety”.  In this festival Children will be participating in various events like Debate, painting competition, athletics meet, football, chess competition and Safe Neighborhood Day.

STATIC :

Women and Child Development Minister: Smt. Maneka Gandhi.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar unveils 70 ft tall Lord Buddha’s statue in Rajgir

 Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar unveiled a 70-feet tall statue of Lord Buddha at Rajgir in Nalanda district .  Mr Kumar unveiled the statue of Lord Buddha, the second tallest statue of Buddha in the country, in the presence of Mahabodhi temple’s chief monk Bhante Chalinda amid the chanting of hymns.  The statue has been installed above a 16-metre radius pedestal in the middle of Lake Ghora Katora. It is made ofpink sandstone.

Uttarakhand cabinet approves proposal to rename Dehradun airport after Vajpayee:

 The Uttarakhand government decided to rename the Dehradun airport after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.  The proposal to rename the Jolly Grant airport after Atal Bihari Vajpayee was approved by the state cabinet at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat.  The cabinet also gave its nod to the setting up of the Uttarakhand State Agency For Public Services to ensure time-bound delivery of services and redressal of complaints and also cleared a total of 27 proposals, including convening a three-day Winter Session of the Assembly.

Nirmala Sitharaman has formally launched ‘Mission Raksha Gyan Shakti’:

 ‘Mission Raksha Gyan Shakti’, has been formally launched Raksha Mantri Smt Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi.  The event showcased salient inventions and innovations achieved by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) and Ordnance Factories (OFs) which have resulted in successful filing of Intellectual Property Right (IPR) applications.  She also felicitated some of the scientists, who invented and innovated useful products for the nation.As part of the ongoing initiatives to enhance self-reliance in defence, the Department of Defence Production has instituted a new framework titled ‘Mission Raksha GyanShakti’ which aims to provide a boost to the IPR culture in indigenous defence industry.

“Making of New India” : The book Released by Finance minister Arun Jaitley

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 Shri Jaitley formally released The book, ‘Making of New India at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New delhi.  The book, ‘Making of New India: Transformation under Modi Government’, contains 51 essays on themes ranging from economy to diplomacy, education to public health.  President Ram Nath Kovind received the first copy of the book from Jaitley at a function in Rashtrapati Bhawan.According to the introduction to the book, it is an attempt to “present a perspective of the way the government, more importantly, the Prime Minister himself, functions”.

High-End Skill Development Centre established in Chandigarh:

 India’s premier National Research Laboratory CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (CSIR- IMTECH) announced a new partnership with Merck, a leading German science and technology company, to establish a ‘High End Skill Development Centre’ in CSIR-IMTECH, Chandigarh.  Equipped with the next generation technologies, like gene editing & single-molecule biomarker detection, the centre will help accelerate healthcare research and train Indian students and researchers in latest life science technologies and make them industry ready.  This ‘High End Skill Development Centre’ will enrich skills by conducting workshops, trainings and seminar series on cutting edges life science processes, tools and techniques. The centre will facilitate hands-on experience to learning and real time sample analysis.

Govt launches `Paisa’ portal : For Affordable Credit & Interest Subvention Access

 The government launched a centralised electronic platform for processing interest subvention on bank loans to beneficiaries under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana– National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), called `Paisa’.  PAiSA, or `Portal for Affordable Credit and Interest Subvention Access’, is a web platform designed and developed by Allahabad Bank, which is the nodal bank.  All 35 states/union territories and all scheduled commercial banks, RRBs and cooperative banks are expected to be on board the `Paisa’ portal the year-end.

Himachal Pradesh Becomes First State To Launch Single Emergency Number:

 Himachal Pradesh became the first Indian state to launch a single emergency number “112” which will connect to police, fire, health and other helplines through an Emergency Response Centre (ERC) in the state.  Under the project, one ERC has been established in Shimla along with 12 District Command Centres covering the entire state.  The ERC has been integrated with police (100), fire (101), health (108) and women helpline (1090) services to provide emergency services via single emergency number 112.  In order to ensure safety of women, a ‘SHOUT’ feature has been introduced in ‘112 India’ mobile app to seek immediate assistance from registered volunteers in the vicinity apart from the immediate assistance from ERC. The SHOUT feature is exclusively available to women

STATIC : HIMACHAL PRADESH

Capital : Shimla Chief Minister : Jai Ram Thakur

CM Naveen launches public bicycle sharing project & ‘Mo Cycle’ app:

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 Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched a public bicycle sharing project and a mobile app ‘Mo Cycle’ to reduce traffic congestion, enhance space efficiency, and improve air quality in the city.  About 2000 MO CYCLES will be operated by three leading vendors, Hero-Hexi, Yaana, and Yulu, at about 400 plus Mo Cycle stations around the city.  Riders can take the Mo Cycle from any location, and drop off at any destination of their choice. The operators will coordinate to ensure the redistribution, and availability of Mo Cycle, at locations with high demand, at any given time

Joint Maritime exercise Konkan 18 held in goa:

 India and United Kingdom Exercise KONKAN-18 held at Goa,which is scheduled till december 2,2018.  Naval cooperation between India and the United Kingdom is based on the long term strategic relationship between both countries. Both Navies have, over the years, undertaken bilateral activities such as training exchanges and technical cooperation.  The Bilateral KONKAN exercise provides a platform for the two Navies to periodically exercise at sea and in harbour, so as to build interoperability and share best practices.  The Royal Navy will be represented by HMS Dragon, a Type 45 Class Destroyer equipped with an integral Wildcat helicopter. The Indian Navy will field INS Kolkata, the first ship of latest Kolkata class destroyers, equipped with integral Seaking and an IN submarine.  The exercise is aimed at deriving mutual benefit from each others’ experiences and is indicative of the continuing cooperation between the two countries.

STATIC:UNITED KINGDOM

Capital : London Currency : Pound sterling Prime Minister : Theresa May

Govt approves construction of over 2 lakh affordable houses for poor:

 Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has approved the construction of over two lakh more affordable houses for the benefit of urban poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).  Now the cumulative number of houses sanctioned under the scheme has gone to over 65 lakh.  The approval was given in the 40th meeting of the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee held in New Delhi

Government launches Bhasha Sangam

 A unique initiative called Bhasha Sangam launched by government to introduce school students to 22 Indian languages.  The initiative, under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, was launched on 22nd of this month and will continue till the 21st of December.  Bhasha Sangam is a programme for schools and educational institutions to provide multilingual exposure to students in Indian languages.  Another objective of Bhasha Sangam is to enhance linguistic tolerance and respect and promote national integration.

National Projects Construction Corporation Limited (NPCC) has been conferred with the status of Miniratna:

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 National Projects Construction Corporation Limited (NPCC) has been conferred with the status of Miniratna : Category –I by the Government of India.  The empowerment of Miniratna Status to NPCC will help the company in taking speedy decisions by enhancing the delegation of powers to the Board.  NPCC, a schedule ‘B’ CPSE under the administrative control of Ministry of Water Resources RD & GR, has also been awarded ISO 9001:2015 Certification.

JK becomes first state to have law banning sexual exploitation of women:

 Jammu and Kashmir became the first state to have a law explicitly banning sexual exploitation of woman by those in positions of authority, having a fiduciary relationship or by a public servant.  The State Administrative Council headed by Governor Satya Pal Malik has given approval for Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2018 and Jammu and Kashmir Criminal Laws (Amendment) .  The new law amended section 154, 161 and schedule of Criminal Procedure Code and Section 53 of Evidence Act to bring the Sextortion as a similar offence prescribed under RPC.

Jharkhand to get Krishi Karman award in rice production category:

 Jharkhand has been selected for “Krishi Karman” award in the rice category from the Union Ministry of Agriculture.  The award to be given away in February next year carries a cash prize of Rs 2 crore.Each farmer would be given a cash award of Rs 2 lakh along with citation.

STATIC : Jharkhand CM: Raghubar Das Governor: Draupadi Murmu.

‘National Medical Devices Promotion Council’ under DIPP:

 Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu announced to set up a National Medical Devices Promotion Council under the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.  The announcement was made on the occasion of 4th WHO Global Forum on Medical Devices at Andhra Pradesh Medtech Zone in Vishakhapatnam.  The Medical Devices Industry (MDI) plays a critical role in the healthcare ecosystem and is indispensable to achieve the goal of health for all citizens of the country.

India’s first Private UAV Factory Comes Up in Hyderabad:

 India’ first private sector unit for manufacturing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) opened in Hyderabad.  The plant has been built at Adani Aerospace Park, the first defence and aerospace complex of Adani Group, at Hardware Park on the outskirts of Hyderabad.  Built by the Adani Group and Israel-based Elbit Systems, the 50,000 square feet facility will develop Hermes 900 medium altitude long-endurance UAVs for the Indian and global markets.

Ashok Kumar Singh assumes charge of secretary, NCST :

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 Ashok Kumar Singh, Lok Sabha Secretariat Service, Additional Secretary, Lok Sabha Secretariat has assumed charge as Secretary of National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) on 14th December.

Note:

The first National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) was constituted in March, 2004.

Coast Guard launches operation to safeguard turtles:

 The Coast Guard has launched an exercise along the serene sea waters of Gahirmatha marine sanctuary in Odisha to protect the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles during their mating season.  The Coast Guard ‘Operation Oliva’ exercise as part of its annual mission to ensure the safe mid-sea sojourn of breeding Olive Ridley sea turtles.  The Coast Guard has chalked out a pro-active plan for these marine animals conservation. With round-the-clock vigil, the Coast Guard has been able to provide adequate protection to the endangered species.

India’s Kaiga nuclear plant sets world record in operation :

 The Kaiga Atomic Power Station in Karnataka, developed using Indian technology, has set the world record for the longest uninterrupted operation.  The 220 megawatt unit, operated by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd, has produced power continuously for 941 days, breaking the world record of 940 days held by Heysham- Unit 2 of the United Kingdom.  The record is valid across all types of nuclear power plants across the world.The record was earlier held by Unit 2 of Heysham of the United Kingdom, which operated non-stop for 940 days.  The same unit had set a world record in October this year, by operating uninterrupted for 894 days among Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors.

First ever Agriculture Export Policy 2018 launched by Commerce Ministry:

 The Commerce Ministry has formulated India’s first ever Agricultural Export Policywith a focused plan to boost India’s agricultural exports to USD 60 billion by 2022thereby assisting the Agriculture Ministry in achieving its target of USD 100 billion and to integrate Indian farmers and the high-quality agricultural products with global value chains and to double India’s share in world agriculture.  The Ministry of Commerce & Industry is also creating an action-oriented plan “Vision of a New India” which will highlight specific sector level interventions to bolster India’s march towards becoming a USD 5 trillion economy before 2025. The focused plans will be on boosting services sector contribution to USD 3 trillion, manufacturing to USD 1 trillion and Agriculture to USD 1 trillion.

“Uncrowned Glory – An exhibition of Ethnic Ornaments of Himachal Pradesh” inaugurated in New Delhi:

 The third exhibition in the 2nd series from reserve collection titled “Uncrowned Glory – An exhibition of Ethnic Ornaments of Himachal Pradesh” was inaugurated by Dr Dharmendra

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Singh Gangwar, Additional Secretary & Financial Advisor, Ministry of Culture, Government of India at National Museum, New Delhi.  The exhibition aims to showcase an exquisite collection of silver and gold ornaments from different communities and regions of Himachal Pradesh.

1st Adventure Next India 2018 in Madhya Pradesh:

 The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) will hold its first Adventure NEXT event in Asia in Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh, India.  It focused on adventure tourism by combining marketplace (chowk Bazar), meetings, networking opportunities, inspirational speakers and educational sessions together for national attendees as well as delegations from aboard.

Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(I/C), Giriraj Singh inaugurated a Multi-Disciplinary Training Centre (MDTC) in New Delhi:

 Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (I/C), Giriraj Singhinaugurated a Multi-Disciplinary Training Centre(MDTC) of Khadi and Village Industries Commission(KVIC) at Gandhi Darshan, Rajghat in New Delhi.  Samadhan is an industrial training institute set up on PPP mode with the MSME Ministry, to provide comprehensive industry and business-related guidance and quality knowledge to entrepreneurs, industries, corporate and institutions.

Govt sets up GoM headed by Arun Jaitley on stressed power assets:

 The government has constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitleyto vet the recommendations of a high-level panel on stressed power projects. The panel, headed by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha, had submitted its report last month.  The high-level committee had suggested setting up a mechanism to allow public financial institutions (PFIs) like REC and PFC to discount receivables from distribution companies (discoms) and make upfront payments to generating companies.

9 states achieved 100% household electrification under SAUBHAGYA: Power Ministry

 Nine States have achieved complete household electrification under the Saubhagya scheme, according to the Ministry of Power. They are Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Mizoram, Sikkim, Telangana and West Bengal.  The Ministry had recently lowered the household electrification target by around 10 million homes, or about one-fourth of the earlier goal. The country is expected to achieve 100 per cent household electrification by December 31, 2018. The Power Ministry also aims to replace 1.34 crore conventional streetlights with smart and energy efficient LED lights by March, 2019.

The Dam Safety Bill, 2018 introduced in Lok Sabha:

 The Dam Safety Bill, 2018 was introduced in Lok Sabha by the Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Mr. Nitin Jairam Gadkari.  The Bill provides for the surveillance, inspection, operation, and maintenance of specified dams across the country. The Bill also provides for the institutional mechanism to ensure the safety of such dams.

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 The government has constituted a seven-member panel to select managing directors of public sector insurance companies. According to sources, the panel would be headed by Banks Board Bureau (BBB) chairmanB P Sharma.  Besides, three insurance sector experts — G N Bajpai, Mathew Varghese and T Bhargava — have been appointed on the selection panel.

Ayushman Bharat: Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh top beneficiaries

 West Bengal, Bihar and Chhattisgarh emerged the largest beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat, Narendra Modi government’s flagship healthcare insurance scheme. The government has spent Rs 798.34 crore on the scheme till November end, minister of state for health and family welfare Anupriya Patelinformed the Rajya Sabha.  Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) under Ayushman Bharat offers up to Rs 5 lakh annual hospitalisation coverage for poor families. The scheme is funded by the central and state governments in the ratio of 60:40.

ICAR approved registration of record 15 new breeds of livestock and poultry in 2018:

 Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has approved registration of record 15 new breeds of livestock and poultry this year.

 15 newly registered breeds include two cattle breeds – Ladakhi (J&K) and Konkan Kapila (Maharashtra & Goa); three buffalo breeds – Luit (Assam & Manipur), Bargur(Tamil Nadu), Chhattisgarhi (Chhattisgarh); one sheep breed – Panchali (Gujarat); six goat breeds – Kahmi (Gujarat), Rohilkhandi (UP), Assam Hill(Assam & Meghalaya), Bidri (Karnataka), Nandidurga(Karnataka), Bhakarwali(J&K); one pig breed – Ghurrah (UP); one donkey breed – Halari (Gujarat) and one chicken breed – Uttara(Uttarakhand).

To discourage misuse, government to levy fee on ground water extraction from June 2019:

 Revised guidelines for extraction of ground water were notified by the Central Ground Water Authority, which will be effective fromJune 1, 2019.  The high rates of WCF are expected to discourage setting up of new industries in over- exploited and critical areas as well as act as a deterrent to large-scale ground water extraction by industries, especially in over-exploited and critical areas.

4th WHO Global Forum held on Medical Devices in AMTZ-Kalam Convention Centre, Visakhapatnam, India:

 The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, along with the World Health Organizationorganized the “4th WHO Global Forum on Medical Devices “Increasing access to medical devices” to be held in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India.  The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India has been a strong proponent of World Health Organization’s initiative to convene the Global Forum on medical devices to improve access to safe, effective, innovative, accessible, affordable and appropriate medical devices.

Assam govt announces 3 schemes for farmer’s welfare:

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 Assam government has announced three schemes for the welfare of farmers. The schemes are the Assam Farmers’ Credit Subsidy Scheme (AFCSS), Assam Farmers’ Interest Relief Scheme (AFIRS) and Assam Farmers’ Incentive Scheme (AFIS).  Under AFCSS, whatever amount of loan the farmers took from banks and whatever amount they repaid, 25 per cent of the money will be reimbursed by the state government.  On AFIRS, the Minister said currently three per cent of the seven per cent interest against farm loan is paid by the Central government and the remaining four per cent is required to be paid by farmers.  Giving relief to the farmers, the state government has decided to pay the remaining four per cent loan.

Assam

 Capital: Dispur  Chief minister: Sarbananda Sonowal  Governor: Jagdish Mukhi

Assam govt announces 3 schemes for farmer’s welfare:

 In Rajasthan, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has announced that short term crop loans from cooperative banks and loans of up to two lakh rupees from nationalised and other banks will be waived. As per Gehlot, the scheme will apply to farmers in debt till November 30.

Rajasthan

 Capitals: Jaipur, Jodhpur (Judiciary)  Chief minister: Ashok Gehlot  Governor: Kalyan Singh

High Level Meeting Between Indian and Indonesia Coast Guard:

 Director General Indian Coast Guard (DG ICG) Shri G Rajendra Singh is hosting a seven-member delegation of the Indonesia Coast Guard (BAKAMLA) led by Chief of BAKAMLA Vice Admiral A.Taufiqoerrochman in India. High Level Meeting between Indian and Indonesia Coast Guard was held in New Delhi.  India and Indonesia have established a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and there is considerable emphasis from both sides to enhance bilateral defence cooperation including maritime security cooperation. During the 6thIndia-Indonesia Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) meeting, held in New Delhi, both sides had agreed that Chief of BAKAMLA will visit India for a High-Level Meeting (HLM).

Three-day Conference on Soft Power in New Delhi inaugurated by Vice President:

 Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has inaugurated a three-day conference on Soft Power in New Delhi. The Center for Soft Power is the first center in India that is dedicated to the study of Indian soft power. It was established in collaboration with India Foundation.  Soft power has been defined as the ability of nations to shape the preferences and influence the behaviour of other nations through appeal and attraction as opposed to coercion. It consists of three major categories – a nation’s culture, its political values and its foreign policy.

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 Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Communications and Minister of State for Railways Shri Manoj Sinha released a Commemorative Postage Stamp on Rajkumar Shukla at New Delhi in the presence of Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal, MP (West Champaran) and Sh. Satish Chandra Dubey, MP (Valmikinagar).

India’s largest cancel Institute launched in Jhajjar, Haryana:

 India’s largest cancer institute, the “National Cancer Institute (NCI)” was launched at Jhajjar in Haryana. The 710-bed hospital opened its OPD services around five years after its foundation stone was laid by the then prime minister Manmohan Singh in 2014.  The hospital is expected to be fully operational by December 2020. The aim was to strengthen research and also bring down the patient load at All India Institute of Medical Sciences’ (AIIMS) cancer centre.

Haryana

 Capital: Chandigarh  Chief minister: Manohar Lal Khattar  Governor: Satyadev Narayan Arya

Odisha CM announces Rs 10 crore for building Odiya Cultural Centre in Surat:

 Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced financial aid of Rs 10 crore for establishment of Odiya Cultural Centre in Gujarat’s Surat for their social celebrations.

Odisha

 Capital: Bhubaneswar  Chief minister: Naveen Patnaik  Governor: Ganeshi Lal

NIPUN: Delhi Police launches e-learning portal for training its personnel

Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik launched the force’s e-learning portal NIPUN and training division website on November 14.

Through the website, Delhi Police will be using advanced technology in imparting in-service training to its personnel.

The e-learning portal aims to give online training and information through specialised courses designed by experts in the field.

The Delhi Legal Service Authority has also consented to be partner in developing specific courses for Delhi Police.

Cyclone Gaja crosses Tamil Nadu towards Arabian Sea

Cyclonic storm Gaja crossed the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast between Nagapattinam and nearby Vedaranniyam with wind speeding up to 120 kmph.

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Tamil Nadu government has announced helpline numbers 1070 (state-level) and 1077 (districts) for those who may need assistance.

During the cyclone’s landfall, rains struck Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, and Thanjavur, uprooting trees in several regions.

India, Bahrain will ink pact for cooperation in space tech

 The Bahrain government will sign an agreement with India early next year for cooperation in space technology.  In February next year, the Gulf nation, will sign a pact with Indian space agency ISRO for training and research purposes. It was announced by Kamal Bin Ahmed Mohammed, Minister for Transportation and Telecommunications, Bahrain.  The agreement will be mainly for training purposes and both countries will cooperate

Bahrain Capital: Manama Currency: Bahraini dinar

Government approves 3 new proposals under Nirbhaya Fund

 The government has approved three new proposals – fast-track special courts, procurement of forensic kits in sexual assault cases and setting up video surveillance system at 50 railway stations under the Nirbhaya Fund.  The decision was taken by the Empowered Committee of Officers headed by Women and Child Development Ministry (WCD) Secretary Rakesh Srivastava.  Under the fund, the Ministry of Law and Justice has proposed to set up 1,023 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) to dispose of pending cases of rape and those under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act across the country.  With a total financial implication of Rs 767.25 crore, the project in the first phase may be set up in nine states with 777 FTSCs while in second phase 246 FTSCs will come up.  Nirbhaya Fund is an Indian rupee 10 billion corpus announced by Government of India in its 2013 Union Budget.

Kerala launched new open online learning programme – ‘KOOL’

 The Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) has rolled out– KOOL, its Online Open Learning training platform.  The platform can be used to train teachers, students and the general public. KOOL is a major step by the State of Kerala to become India’s first complete digital state in Education.  KOOL has been designed in a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) model, which is becoming popular worldwide.

Government inks pact with ADB for 3 important projects

 The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Centre have signed a $300-million loan agreement to support lending by India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL).  The move is expected to enhance the availability of long-term finance for public-private partnership projects, improve operational capacity of IIFCL, and expand the portfolio of infrastructure financing instruments available to the company.  The Centre and ADB also signed a $105-million loan to support upgrading infrastructure for hydro-power transmission projects in Himachal Pradesh.

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 The Tranche-3 loan is part of the $350 million multi-tranche financing facility for Himachal Pradesh Clean Energy Transmission Investment Programme approved by the ADB Board in September 2011.  India and ADB sign $169 Million Loan to Provide Water and Sanitation Services in Tamil Nadu.

AYUSH Ministry celebrating first Naturopathy Day

 The AYUSH Ministry is celebrating its first Naturopathy Day across the country on November 18, 2018.  The Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy is organising health camps, workshops and exhibitions in association with local naturopathy centres and hospitals.  More than 1,000 Naturopathy specialist doctors from all over the country participated in the event, which was organised by International Naturopathy Organisation in association with Ministry of Ayush.

14th edition of international children’s theatre festival held in New Delhi

 The 14th edition of international children’s theatre festival, ‘Jashne Bachpan’, was inaugurated in New Delhi.  The plays will be performed in vernacular languages like Bengali, Marathi, Assamese, and Malayalam besides non-verbal, English, Hindi and other foreign languages.  Organised by the National School of Drama (NSD), the opening ceremony of the theatre festival saw “Udaan”, an act comprising of four presentations by groups — Thangata Pung Cholam (Manipur), Kalboliya (Rajasthan), Gotipua (Odisha) and Bhangra/folksong (Punjab).

Government launches upgraded version of AirSewa digital platform

The government has launched an upgraded version of AirSewa digital platform. Chatbots will now help air travellers in addressing their grievances.

Besides, passengers can have access to real-time flight status and schedule for both domestic and international flights, according to the Civil Aviation Ministry.

AirSewa 2.0, the upgraded version of the web portal and mobile app, provides chatbot support for faster resolution and personalised traveller experience.

49th International Film Festival of India begins in Goa

The 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will begin at Panaji in Goa. The opening ceremony will be held at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium in Bambolim.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore and film star Akshay Kumar will be among host of celebrities present on the occasion.

The 9-day event will showcase 212 films from 68 countries. While The Aspern Papers is the opening film, Sealed Lips will be the closing movie.

Veteran Israeli filmmaker Dan Wolman will be given the Lifetime Achievement Award.

India’s First Elephant Hospital Opens in Mathura

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India’s first specialized hospital for elephants was opened by Agra Divisional Commissioner Anil Kumar at Farah block’s Churmura village, Mathura.

The facility, armed with facilities such as wireless digital X-Ray, thermal imaging, ultrasonography, tranquilization devices and quarantine facilities.

The hospital, on the banks of the Yamuna River, is close to an elephant conservation and care centre run by Wildlife SOS that is home to 22 elephants.

The Wildlife SOS established the first elephant conservation and care centre in 2010 and is currently looking after 20 elephants requiring specialised treatment.

Indo-US joint military exercise ‘Vajra Prahar’ commences in Jaipur

The 12-day long joint military exercise between India and the United States known as ‘Vajra Prahar’ commenced in Jaipur.

A contingent of the United States Pacific Commander arrived at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges on November 18 for undertaking Joint training with the Indian Special Forces.

The United States Special Forces will carry out rigorous joint training in semi-desert and rural terrain to enhance the interoperability of the two armed forces and further the military to military cooperation.

India, Vietnam to step up defence cooperation, oil exploration

India and Vietnam have decided to step up defence cooperation and oil exploration with India.

It aims to boost their bilateral ties as they reaffirmed the importance of freedom of navigation, over- flight and unimpeded economic activities in the South China Sea.

Kovind and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Phu Trong agreed to effectively implement the Joint Vision Statement on Vietnam–India Defence Cooperation for the period of 2018-2020.

Vietnam appreciated India’s offer of the USD 500 million line of credit to defence industry.

Vietnam Capital: Hanoi Currency: Vietnamese dong

Kerala government signs MoU with Airbus BizLab

The Kerala state government is all set to ink a MoU with Airbus BizLab India, a global aerospace accelerator which is part of Airbus, for establishing the Aerospace Innovation Centre in Thiruvananthapuram.

The Innovation Centre will be the nodal body for planning and executing all the activities to help the startups focused on the aerospace and defence sectors.

Airbus BizLab will also provide support and mentoring for startups in Kerala and conduct regular workshops and discussions with experts from aerospace and defence sectors.

Google launches new app Neighbourly for Indian Markets

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The app Neighbourly is a specifically designed for the Indian market and it will give hyperlocal information on neighbourhoods. This will be user generated content, similar to Quora.

The app will enable a user to comment about three neighbourhoods and as it is GPS tracked, will not allow a user to comment about a place where a person is not physically located.

7th International Tourism Mart organized in Agartala

Tripura hosted three-day 7th International Tourism Mart at Agartala with tour operator delegates from 18 countries participating in an effort to popularise tourist destinations in the northeastern states.

The event would be organised with an estimated budget of Rs 2.60 crores, which would be provided by the Ministry of Tourism.

Union Minister of State for Tourism K J Alphons inaugurated the International Tourism Mart.

Oscar-winning screenwriter and best-selling author William Goldman passed away

Two-time Oscar winning screenwriter William Goldman has passed away.

Goldman wrote such classic movies as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President’s Men and The Princess Bride.

‘Mo Bus’ services launched by Odisha government:

 Odisha government is all set to roll out new its – ‘Mo Bus’ services in the capital city from tomorrow ahead of the Men’s Hockey World Cup.  Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner, Krishan Kumar informed that ‘Mo Bus’ services will be launched from Biju Patnaik International Airport.  The new buses are reportedly very modern and hi-tech with advanced and better facilities for commuters.

“Delhi’s Pride” Signature Bridge Inaugurated in Delhi:

 Delhi’s shiny new Signature Bridge was inaugurated after several missed deadlines. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal unveiled the bridge and it will be open to public.  The 575-metre Signature Bridge in Delhi, built over Yamuna river, will reduce the travel time between north and northeast Delhi and share the burden of the Wazirabad bridge  The Signature Bridge, which has a 675-metre-long cable-stayed section, is built over Yamuna river and will reduce the travel time between north and northeast Delhi.

PM Modi to innaugurate several projects in Varanasi:

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate several projects in Varanasi and also on the same day, Prime Minister will also inaugurate two National Highways projects and three sewage infrastructure projects.  Mr Modi will dedicate the newly constructed Multi-Modal Terminal on River Ganga to the nation.  This is built as part of the Government’s Jal Marg Vikas project that aims at developing the stretch of River Ganga between Varanasi to Haldia for navigation of large vessels.  The Prime Minister will also receive India’s first container vessel that sailed from Kolkata on 30th of last month.

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Bihar government has approved Every graduate girl in Bihar With Rs 25,000:

 Bihar government has approved a proposal to pay Rs 25,000 to every girl graduating in 2018 and onwards.  This decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting yesterday which was chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.  As per decision, the one-time payment will be made to every girl who graduated from the college’s of the state on or after April 25 this year, irrespective of pass division, community or region.

Cabinet approves setting up of Central Tribal University in Andhra Pradesh

The Union cabinet has approved setting up of ‘Central Tribal University of Andhra Pradesh’.

The proposed university will come up after necessary amendment in the Central Universities Act.

The ‘Central Tribal University of Andhra Pradesh’ will be set up in Relli village of Vizianagaram District as provided under the Thirteenth Schedule to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

Cabinet has also approved the provision of funds of Rs 4.2 billion for the first phase expenditure.

25th SIMBEX commences in Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal

The 25th edition of SIMBEX starts from Nov 10-21 off Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal.

SIMBEX 2018 will be the largest edition since 1994 in terms of scale and complexity. To mark the historical occasion, both navies are undertaking exercises over an extended geography.

The initial harbour phase will be held at Port Blair, the capital of Andaman and Nicobar Islands from 10 to 12 November followed by Sea Phase from Nov 12-16 in the Andaman Sea. The second harbour phase from Nov 16-19 will be held at Visakhapatnam – ‘the City of Destiny’.

K9 Vajra and M777 Howitzer Guns Inducted into Indian Army

Three new artillery guns and equipment, including the powerful K9 Vajra and M777 howitzers, were inducted into the Indian Army at the Deolali artillery centre in Nashik.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman formally inducted the weapons in Nashik.

This is the first major induction since the Bofors were inducted in the 1980s. While M777 howitzers are US-made light weight guns, the K9 Vajras are South Korea-made self-propelled artillery guns.

The entire process of inducting 100 K9 Vajra at a cost of Rs 4,366 crore will be completed by November 2020.

Vice President inaugurates Indian War Memorial in France

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu embarked on a three-day visit to France.

He will be representing India at the Paris Peace Forum being held to commemorate the centenary of the end to the First World War.

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The main ceremony at Arc de Triomphe monument in Paris will be presided over by the French President Emmanuel Macron.

The aim of Paris Peace Forum is to establish a global platform to reaffirm the importance of multilateralism, international cooperation and reform of global governance institutions.

Besides, the Vice President will inaugurate Indian War Memorial at Villers Guislain, constructed by India. The memorial highlights the contribution of Indian soldiers. India was one of the largest contributors of soldiers during World War 1.

CCEA approves Strategic Sale of Government Equity in Dredging Corporation Of India

The Union Cabinet has approved strategic sale of government stake in Dredging Corporation of India to consortium of four ports.

The government currently holds 73.44 per cent in Dredging Corporation of India Ltd(DCIL). Dredging Corporation of India Limited, or DCI, is a Miniratna Indian public sector unit engaged in the business of dredging. DCI does dredging for Indian seaports exclusively.

The ports are Visakhapatnam Port Trust, Paradip Port Trust, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and Kandla Port Trust.

The government has budgeted to raise Rs 80,000 crore from PSU disinvestment. So far this fiscal, the government has mopped up over Rs 15,000 crore from PSU stake sale.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan meets UAE Human Resource Minister in Dubai

The Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan met UAE Minister for Human Resource Nasser Bin Thani Juma Al Hamli in Dubai.

He has discussed in areas of cooperation with UAE in areas of Skill development of Indian people working in UAE. He also discussed the need of synchronization of certification and standards of the two countries so that people skilled in India get easy employment in UAE.

Mr Pradhan will inaugurate the Indian Pavilion at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) in Abu Dhabi.

Indian Navy – Indonesian Navy bilateral exercise ‘Samudra Shakti’ begins

INS Rana of the Eastern Fleet based at Visakhapatnam under the Eastern Naval Command is on deployment to the South East Asia and arrived at the port of Surabaya to participate in the inaugural edition of Indian Navy – Indonesian Navy Bilateral Exercise ‘Samudra Shakti’ scheduled from 12 to 18 Nov 18.

The aim of the exercise is to strengthen bilateral relations, expand maritime co-operation, enhance interoperability and exchange best practices.

Indonesia

Capital: Jakarta

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Currency: Indonesian rupiah

PM Narendra Modi inaugurates Inland Multi-Modal Terminal Port in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated an inland port in Varanasi on the Ganga River.

The multi-modal waterways terminal will allow the navigation of large vessels starting on the river between the holy city Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and and Haldia in West Bengal.

The Varanasi port will connect with the National Waterway-1 (Haldia-Varanasi stretch) is being developed by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI). It will enable commercial navigation of vessels with capacity of 1500-2,000 tonnes.

The total estimated cost of the project is Rs. 5,369.18 crore, which will be shared between the Centre and the World Bank on a 50:50 ratio.

It entails construction of three multi-modal terminals (Varanasi, Sahibganj and Haldia), two inter-modal terminals and five roll-on-roll-off (Ro-Ro) terminal pairs.

Power Minister inaugurates INSPIRE 2018 In New Delhi

Power Minister Shri R K Singh inaugurates INSPIRE 2018 and gives away awards to the winners of the #InnovateToINSPIRE challenge.

This is the second edition of INSPIRE and is being organised by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) and World Bank.

The three-day symposium will focus on enhancing grid management, e-Mobility, financial instruments and technologies for energy efficiency in India.

During INSPIRE 2018, EESL and GAIL, a wholly owned subsidiary of GAIL (India) Limited signed a MoU to develop natural gas based cogeneration and trigeneration projects in Commercial & Industrial Sectors in India.

Union Environment Minister launches Global Cooling Prize The Ministry of science and technology has instituted a new prize for innovative cooling technologies that could reduce the climate impact of Residential Air Conditioning (RAC) at least by five times.

Called Global Cooling Prize, the award carries a total prize money of $3 million and this would be given away over two years.

The winning technology is expected to prevent up to 100 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions by 2050 and put the world on a pathway to mitigate up to 0.5 degree Celsius warming by the turn of the next century.

India and Morocco signed Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters

India and Morocco have signed an agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.

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The agreement will strengthen bilateral cooperation and enhance effectiveness and provide a broad legal framework for prevention, investigation and prosecution of crimes as well as in tracing, restraint and confiscation of funds meant to finance terrorist acts.

It was signed by Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju and Morocco Minister of Justice, Mohamed Aujjar in New Delhi.

Morocco Capital: Rabat Currency: Moroccan dirham

38th India International Trade Fair Begins in New Delhi

The Culture Minister Dr Mahesh Sharma has inaugurated the 38th India International Trade Fair (IITF) at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.

India International Trade Fair will provide a platform for all kind of businesses to showcase their excellence & wide spectrum of services to trade, industry & common men.

This year the theme of the fair is Rural Enterprises in India. In this year’s fair Afghanistan is the Partner Country, while Nepal is the Focus Country. Jharkhand is participating as a Partner State in the event.

Note: India has jumped to 77th place in ease of doing business ranking of the world bank.

Kochi signs MoU with Vilnius

As part of the European Union (EU) project ‘International Urban Cooperation’, Kochi Corporation and Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania, have signed a memorandum of understanding.

The primary focus of the cooperation would be urban planning, corporate planning, transport, solid water management and water management.

The delegation held discussions on urban development policies, cultural heritage, democratic administrative system and modern technologies of both cities with Remigijus Šimašius Mbn, the Mayor of Vilnius.

The Vilnius team will visit Kochi in January next year to identify more areas of cooperation between the two cities.

Government to release Rs 75 commemorative coin to mark anniversary of Tricolour hoisting by Bose

The government will release a Rs 75 coin to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose hoisting the Tricolour for the first time at Port Blair.

The Ministry of Finance has issued a notification regarding the release of the Rs 75 coin along with its specifications.

On December 30, 1943, Bose, who raised the Indian National Army (INA) to fight against the British, had hoisted the Tricolour for the first time at Cellular Jail, Port Blair.

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The commemorative Rs 75 coin will weigh 35 grams.This coin will bear the portrait of ‘Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’ saluting the flag on the background of Cellular Jail in Port Blair.

The coin will carry an inscription saying ‘First Flag Hoisting Day’ in both Devanagari script and English.

Government Sets Up State Of-The-Art National Data Repository

The Government has set up a state of -the- art National Data Repository. It is a database of all the geo-scientific data of hydrocarbon resources in the country.

National Data Repository is equipped with cutting-edge technology and provides ready access to interested companies.

With the introduction of National Data Repository in Indian E&P regime, India has joined the league of countries like UK and Norway which have a National Data Repository for the upstream sector.

PM Modi Attends 13th East Asia Summit in Singapore

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has attended the 13th East Asia Summit in Singapore during which the leaders of the grouping discussed global and regional issues, including maritime cooperation.

It was Prime Minister Modi’s 5th East Asia Summit. India has been participating in the East Asia Summit since its very inception in 2005.

The EAS was formed to further the objectives of regional peace, security and prosperity.

Agriculture Ministry Launches NCDC’s ‘Yuva Sahakar Scheme’

The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has come up with a youth-friendly scheme “Yuva Sahakar-Cooperative Enterprise Support and Innovation Scheme” for attracting them to cooperative business ventures.

The Central Government has been encouraging ‘Start-Ups’ for ease of doing business, non- conventional opportunities are emerging and are being encouraged. The newly launched scheme would encourage cooperatives to venture into new and innovative areas.

MoU signed on India-UK Cancer Research Initiative

India and United Kingdom has launched a British Pounds 10 million (current value of ₹ 93 crore) collaborative research programme that will address issues of affordability, prevention and care of cancer by bringing together Indian and UK experts across clinical research.

The five year initiative will be funded by India’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and UK’s Cancer Research UK (CRUK) programme. DBT and CRUK will invest equally at UK Pounds 5 million each.

DBT Secretary, Renu Swarup and CRUK Chair, Prof Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the partnership.

Indra 2018: India, Russia joint military exercise held in Jhansi, UP

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India and Russia will hold joint military exercises in Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh from November 18. “Exercise Indra 2018” will begin at the Babina Field Firing Ranges.

The aim of the exercise is to practice joint planning and conduct enhance interoperability of the two Armies in peacekeeping and enforcement environment under UN aegis.

ISRO Launches GSAT-29 Communication Satellite From Andhra Pradesh

ISRO’s heavy-lift rocket GSLV-MkIII-D2 has successfully injected into orbit the country’s latest communication satellite GSAT-29.

It is intended to meet the communication needs of people in remote areas in the North East and Jammu and Kashmir.

UP cabinet approves renaming of Faizabad as Ayodhya, Allahabad as Prayagraj

The Uttar Pradesh government has approved renaming of Faizabad and Allahabad divisions as Ayodhya and Prayagraj respectively.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet presided over by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Earlier, the government renamed the Mughalsarai Railway station, another historic spot, as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya junction.

Allahabad’s ancient name was ‘Prayag’, but was changed after 16th-century Mughal emperor Akbar built a fort near ‘Sangam’, the holy confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati.

Union Cabinet Approves India-Morocco Agreement On Legal Assistance In Criminal Matters

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the Agreement between India and Morocco on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters.

The Agreement will provide a broad legal framework for bilateral cooperation between India and Morocco in investigation and prosecution of crime, tracing, restraint, forfeiture or confiscation or proceeds and instruments of crime.

It aims to increase effectiveness in investigation and prosecution of crime, and in providing the necessary peaceful ambience which is a pre-requisite for the development of society as a whole.

Morocco Capital: Rabat Currency: Moroccan dirham

Cabinet Approves Renaming Of Jharsuguda Airport, Odisha As “Veer Surendra Sai Airport, Jharsuguda”

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the renaming of Jharsuguda Airport, Odisha as “Veer Surendra Sai Airport, Jharsuguda”.

CM Naveen Patnaik had also requested restoration of UDAN services at the airport and exploring opportunities for flight operations from Jharsuguda to other states.

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Veer Surendra Sai is a well-known freedom fighter of Odisha. It will be a befitting tribute to the contribution of the revered personality associated with the State.

‘Soura Jalanidhi’ Scheme Launched In Odisha

Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik has launched ‘Soura Jalanidhi’ scheme which aims at increasing use of solar energy for helping farmers in irrigation.

‘Soura Jalanidhi’ is a dug well based solar pump irrigation system in convergence mode.

Under the scheme, 5,000 solar pumps will be provided to farmers at a subsidy of 90 percent to irrigate 2,500 acres of land. The Chief Minister also launched the web portal of this scheme on the occasion.

The State Government has allocated 27.18 crore for implementation of the scheme.

4th NITI Aayog- DRC Dialogue Held In Mumbai

The Fourth Dialogue of the NITI Aayog – Development Research Centre (DRC) of the State Council, People’s Republic of China was held in Mumbai.

The Chinese delegation was led by Mr. Li Wei, President of DRC and the Indian delegation was led by Dr Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog.

It is a strong platform for continuous intellectual engagement between the two countries, wherein inputs from sectoral experts help identify and collaborate on key areas of India-China economic cooperation.

Both sides also agreed to examine various trade sector related issues, and the need for enhanced policy coordination to facilitate investments.

India And Japan Signs Loan Agreement For Turga Hydel Project

India and Japan has signed a Rs 1,817 crore loan agreement for the construction of the Turga pumped storage hydel power project at Purulia in West Bengal.

The project will contribute to the industrial development and living standards in the state.

The objective of the project is to strengthen the capability to respond to fluctuation in supply and demand of power and to improve stability of the power supply by constructing the pumped storage facilities.

INS Viraat To Become A Floating Museum

The Maharashtra state cabinet has cleared the decks for the Navy’s longest-serving aircraft carrier, INS Viraat, now retired, to be converted into India’s first-ever moored maritime museum-cum-marine adventure centre.

As per the Maharashtra government’s Rs 852-crore plan for Viraat, the ship’s conversion will be on public private-partnership (PPP) basis.

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It will be grouted (grounded, sealed to the seabed with concrete and moored) seven nautical miles off the Malvan coast at Nivati rocks in Sindhudurg.

Viraat will host biodiversity centres and a marine adventure centre providing sailing and scuba-diving experiences. There will be virtual galleries, cafeterias and even a training centre for merchant navy crew.

India-Japan Military Exercise ‘Dharma Guardian’ Kick Starts In Mizoram

Armies of India and Japan began their first-ever joint military exercise at a jungle warfare school in Mizoram’s Vairengte with a focus on strengthening counter-terror cooperation.

The focus of the two-week-long exercise ‘Dharma Guardian-2018′ will be to enhance tactical skills against global terrorism and increase interoperability between the two forces.

Railways Ministry Launches ‘UTS On Mobile’ Facility To Enable Seamless Booking Of Unreserved Tickets

Ministry of Railways has introduced Unreserved Mobile Ticketing with a view to promote three C’s- Cashless transactions (Digital payment), Contact less ticketing (no need to physically visit the point of sale) and Customer convenience and experience.

The facility of booking unreserved tickets, including season tickets and also platform tickets is available through the ‘UTSONMOBILE’ app available for Android, IOS and Windows phones.

President Kovind Inaugurates Gyan Kumbh

President Ram Nath Kovind has inaugurated the first Gyan Kumbh in Uttarakhand, which is being jointly organised by the Higher Education Department of the Uttarakhand Government and the University of Patanjali in Haridwar.

The objective of the Gyan Kumbh is to enhance the quality of education in India.

President Kovind also addressed the first convocation ceremony at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh.

India, Zimbabwe Sign 6 Agreements In Various Fields

India will extend Line of credits of more than 350 million US Dollars to Zimbabwe for two power projects and a drinking water project.

India will give about 3 million US dollar grant for upgradation of Indo-Zim Technology centre. Assistance for construction of Mahatma Gandhi Convention Centre in Zimbabwe will also be granted by India.

India will also gift 10 Ambulances and life-saving drugs to Zimbabwe.

India has also agreed for the deputation of experts in five fields to assist Zimbabwe. Around 6 agreements in various fields were also signed in areas including Mining, Visa waiver, Broadcasting and Culture.

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SMiLE Virtual Tour Guide To Give Fillip To Malabar Tourism

The Kerala Tourism Department has brought out a high-tech digital facility that provides visitors all details about experiential and service packages offered in the region in north Kerala.

A ‘SMiLE Virtual Tour Guide’ links tourists with their places of attraction and providers of experiential services. The site has also helpline numbers for women and ambulance service.

The package has got its acronym SMiLE from Small and Medium Industries Leveraging Experiential Tourism. It was conceived and executed by Bekal Resorts Development Corporation (BRDC).

India’s First Indigenous Microprocessor Created By IIT-Madras

Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) have designed and booted up India’s first microprocessor, Shakti, which could be used in mobile computing and other devices. The project is funded byUnion Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

According to IIT-M, the Shakti microprocessor can be used in low-power wireless systems and networking systems besides reducing reliance on imported microprocessors in communication and defence sectors. The microprocessor can be used by others as it is on par with international standards.

The Shakti family of processors was fabricated at Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Chandigarh, making it the first ‘RISC V Microprocessor’ to be completely designed and made in India.

IAMAI Formed Committee To Promote Augmented And Virtual Reality (AR/VR)

The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has formed a new industry expert committee, under its Emerging Technology Council, focused on AR/VR.

It has been framed with an aim to promote Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) technology to drive economic growth, job creation, and skill development in the country,

The committee is chaired by Namrita Mahindro, Senior General Manager, – Digital Transformation, Mahindra Group and co-chaired by Satyajeet Singh, Head –Strategic Product Partnership, India & South Asia, Facebook.

Lucknow Stadium Renamed After Atal Bihari Vajpayee

 The newly-built Ekana International Stadium has been renamed after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.  The stadium will now be known as ‘Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee International Cricket Stadium‘. The city will host its first international match at the stadium when India play West Indies in the second T20 International match.

West Bengal To Observe ‘Rosogolla Day’ On Nov. 14

 The West Bengal government has decided to observe ‘Rosogolla Day’ on November 14.

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 It is to commemorate the first anniversary of the State’s famous sweet getting Geographical Indication (GI) tag as ‘Bengal’s Rosogolla’.  On November 14 last year, West Bengal had received the GI tag for ‘Bengal’s Rosogolla’. The GI tag is a sign that identifies a product as originating from a particular place.

Indian Coast Guard Launches New Offshore Patrol Vessel ICGS Varaha

 The Indian Coast Guard has launched a new offshore patrol vessel called ICGS Varaha from a corporate shipyard near Chennai.  This is the third in a series of seven similar ships to be handed over to the Coast Guard. The timeline for the delivery of all the vessels is March 2021.  ICGS Varaha will soon be fitted with advanced navigation and communication equipment, sensors and machineries. The weapons will include a 30 mm guns with Fire Control Systems.  It will also be capable of carrying a twin-engine helicopter and four high-speed boats for Search and Rescue and Maritime Patrol. It also carries pollution response equipment to contain the oil spill at sea.

India elected to UN Human Rights Council for three years

India was elected to the United Nations’ top human rights body for a period of three years beginning January 1, 2019.

The elections for selecting new members to UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) were held at the United Nations in which the 193-members of the UN General Assembly took part.

In the Asia Pacific category, India got 188 votes followed by Fiji with 187 votes, Bangladesh 178, Bahrain and Philippines 165 each.

UN Human Rights Council Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland

India and Sri Lanka Signed Two MoU

India and Sri Lanka has signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) for construction of 1200 houses through 50 model villages, using Indian grant assistance of 60 crore Srilankan rupees.

The MoUs were signed by Mr. Taranjit Singh Sandhu, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, and Mr. Bernard Vasantha, Secretary to the Ministry of Housing and Construction.

With this, India’s collaboration with Srilankan government under Model Villages Housing Program stands at 2400 houses in 100 model villages.

A cash grant of 5 lakh Sri Lankan rupees will be provided to each beneficiary in installments, linked to the stages of construction of the house. Indian financial commitment, under grant, for housing in Sri Lanka currently stands at around 350 million US dollars.

Government lays foundation stone for Prime Ministers’ Museum at Teen Murti Estate

The Minister of state for culture, Mahesh Sharma and Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri jointly laid the foundation stone for proposed Museum on Prime Ministers of

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India at Teen Murti Estate, New Delhi. The proposed Museum will be constructed at a cost of Rs. 271 crore.

The new museum will have the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) at the Teen Murti Estate. The Teen Murti Estate is the official residence of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

The proposed Museum is dedicated to all the Prime Ministers of India and is envisaged to give visitors a holistic understanding of the continued thread of leadership.

India International Silk Fair began in New Delhi

The Union Minister of Textiles, Smriti Zubin Irani inaugurated the 6th edition of India International Silk Fair (IISF) in New Delhi.

India is the 2nd largest producer of silk in the world. The silk industry is agriculture based and labour intensive and provides gainful employment to around 8 million artisans and weavers in rural areas.

It is organised by the Indian Silk Export Promotion Council (ISEPC) at Pragati Maidan. Over 108 exhibitors of silk and blended silk products manufactured in different parts of the country will display their produce during the three-day event.

India becomes second largest solar market; installs 4.9 GW in H1

India installed 4.9 GW of solar power, consolidating its position as the second largest solar market in the world, during the first half of calendar year 2018. The country was ranked second, following China during the January-June period, according to a report by Mercom Communications India.

Adani remained the largest project developer in terms of total cumulative installations and top installer in terms of capacity installed through the end of the first half.

There are around 70 large-scale project developers with a pipeline of 5 MW or more in India. ReNew Power had the largest project pipeline.

First India-US tri-services exercise to be held in 2019

The first Indo-US tri-services exercise would take place next year and talks are on to include the Special Forces of two countries in the drill

The three forces of India and the US already take part in bilateral exercises separately — their armies participate in an annual drill called Yudh Abyaas, the air forces take part in a bilateral drill called Cope India and the navies participate in an exercise in Malabar, involving Japan.

But this will be the first time the three services of the India and the US will participate in a drill together. The first one will be in India, and it will take place in 2019.

Food Security Scheme – Khadya Sathi by West Bengal

The West Bengal government has ensured food security to more than 85 million people of the state under the ‘Khadya Sathi’ scheme.

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Special assistance is also being given to the people of Jangalmahal and Hill areas besides Aila-affected areas and farmers of Singur, tea garden workers as well as the Toto tribe.

It has implemented on behalf of World Food Day.

DRDO dedicates a website to APJ Abdul Kalam

The Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has dedicated a DRDO website -‘The Kalam Vision – Dare to Dream’ – to former president and ‘Missile Man’ Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

The website was launched on the 87th birth anniversary of the former president and it focuses on subjects such as artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous systems and cyber security. Kalam’s birthday is on 15 October.

2 MoUs signed between India And Tanzania Sign

India and Tanzania has signed two Memoranda of Understandings (MoUs) in presence of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Tanzanian Foreign Minister Dr. Augustine Mahiga in New Delhi.

The MoUs are between Foreign Service Institute of India and Centre for Foreign Relation, Tanzania and National Research Development Corporation and Tanzania Industrial Research and Development Corporation.

The agreements were signed following India-Tanzania 9th Session of Joint Commission on Economic, Technical and Scientific Cooperation in New Delhi.

Tanzania Capital: Dodoma Currency: Tanzanian shilling

Government Announces Rs 100 Crore Award For States Completing Household Electrification Early

Government has announced 100 crore rupee award for states that would complete the household electrification early under the Saubhagaya scheme.

Apart from discoms, employees would also collectively get 50 lakh rupees award for completing the task of electrifying households under the scheme which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September last year.

Uttar Pradesh renamed Allahabad To Prayagraj

The Uttar Pradesh cabinet has approved a proposal to rename Allahabad as ‘Prayagraj’ amid protests by the opposition parties.The city of Allahabad was originally known as Prayag in ancient times.

The city’s original name Prayag, which means a “place of offerings”, comes from its position at the Sangam of the rivers Ganga and Yamuna and the mythical river, Saraswati.

Muzaffarpur’s Shahi Litchi Gets GI Tag

Bihar’s Shahi Litchi — mostly grown in Muzaffarpur and adjoining areas of East Champaran, Vaishali, Samastipur and Begusarai districts — now enjoys the geographical indication (GI) tag.

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The GI registration was done in the name of Litchi Growers Association of Bihar, which had applied for the tag.

Geographical indication is used on a product of specific geographical origin that attains its uniqueness or reputation because of its place of origin.

Litchi happens to be the fourth agricultural product for which Bihar has got GI tag. In December last year, three agricultural products — Bhagalpuri Zardalu, Katarni rice and Magahi Paan — had been given GI tags.

India’s 1st Cryptocurrency ATM installed In Bengaluru

The virtual currency exchange Unocoin has installed a currency deposit and dispensing ATM at Kemp Fort Mall in Bengaluru.

The kiosk, installed by Unocoin, allows its customers to deposit and withdraw minimum amount of Rs 1000 from the platform.

First of its kind in India, this ATM circumvents the RBI regulation against bitcoins transaction. RBI has ruled earlier this year that financial institutions associated with RBI are not permitted to deal with cryptocurrencies.

Indo-Japan Joint Exercise ‘Dharma Guardian’ To Be Held In Mizoram a The Armies of India and Japan will hold their first ever joint exercise from November 1 at a jungle warfare school in Mizoram’s Vairengte with a focus on strengthening counter-terror cooperation.

The focus of the two-week-long exercise ‘Dharma Guardian” will be to increase interoperability between the two forces and enhance coordination in dealing with various security challenges.

The Indian contingent will be represented by 6/1 Gorkha Rifles while the Japanese contingent will be represented by 32 Infantry Regiment of the Japanese Ground Self Defence Force.

Kati Bihu festival celebrated across Assam

Assam’s third Bihu festival, known as Kati Bihu or Kongali Bihu, was being celebrated across the state.

The festival derives its name from the Assamese month of Kati. On the occasion of Kati Bihu, women, both in urban and rural areas, try to ward off evil and pray for a rich harvest by lighting earthen lamps.

As a part of the festival, farmers also tie a special kind of lamp, known as Akash Bati, to poles and the poles are placed in the paddy fields.

Govt launches ‘Swastha Bharat Yatra’ campaign to create awareness about safe food

The government has launched a national campaign ‘Swasth Bharat Yatra’ on the World Food Day in New Delhi.

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It aims to sensitise people about eating safe food and be healthy. A pan-India cycle rally is also being organised. It propagate a powerful message ‘Eat Right India’.

The FSSAI is leading this campaign to create consumer awareness about eating safe and nutritious food for becoming healthy.

The government is also making available foods at a cheaper rates to people through a public distribution system and other welfare schemes with an annual subsidy of about Rs 2 lakh crore.

FSSAI chief executive: Pawan Kumar Agarwal

North Central Railways launches two mobile app

The North Central Railways (NCR) launched two mobile apps, ‘NCR RASTA’ and ‘Yatri RASTA’, for its employees and passengers, respectively, for locating assets and stations.

“NCR RASTA (Railway assets Summarized Tracking Application) and Yatri RASTA (Railway Approach to Station Tracking Application) were launched by NCR General Manager Rajiv Chaudhry.

The ‘NCR RASTA’ app is for the use of railway officers and staff and has exact mapping of all railway assets.

The ‘Yatri RASTA’ app will allow general public to locate the railway stations easily.

Prime Minister announces an Award in Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s name for police personnel:

 The Prime Minister announced an annual award in the name of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose for police and paramilitary forces for commendable contributions in disaster relief operations.  Prime Minister Mr. Modi announced this while dedicating the National Police Memorial to the nation in New Delhi on the occasion of Police Commemoration Day.

India 9th most valuable nation brand in the world:

 Even though India slipped by one spot, it was still ranked one of the 10 most valuable nation brands in the world, according to a report titled ‘Nation Brands 2018’ released by Brand Finance, a leading brand valuation and strategy consultancy.  India’s brand value was $2,046 billion in 2017 and has increased to $2,159 billion in 2018.Topping the list and maintaining its lead is US with a brand value of $25,899 billion which rose by 23% from last year.  The US economy has grown at a rapid pace and is expected to continue it in the coming months.

India’s first domestic cruise ‘Angriya’ flagged off from Mumbai:

 Angriya, India’s first luxury cruise ship, is all set for its inauguration on October 20 at Mumbai.  Union minister for shipping Nitin Gadkari and Mahrashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will flag-off the cruise which will operate between Mumbai and Goa. The commercial operations will, however, begin from October 24.

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 Named after the first Maratha Navy Admiral Kanhoji Angre and the Angria bank coral reef near Vijaydurg, the luxury ship has 104 rooms, divided into eight different categories.  The cruise has six decks and 104 cabins. It can ferry 399 passengers at a time. The price range of the cruise will be from Rs 7,000 to Rs 12,000 for one-way.

4 Himalayan Peaks Named after Late PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Four Himalayan peaks near Gangotri glacier have been named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The peaks are located at6,557m, 6,566m, 6,160m and 6,100m on the right flank of Gangotri glacier.

Located near Sudarshan and Saifi peaks in Raktvan valley, the peaks have been named Atal-1, 2, 3 and 4. The expedition was jointly conducted by NIM and the tourism department.

President inaugurates Vishwa Shanti Ahimsa Sammelan

President Ram Nath Kovind arriveo inaugurated the three-day ‘Vishwa Shanti Ahimsa Sammelan’ at Mangi Tungi in Satana taluka. It was organised by the Bhagwan Rishabhdev Murti Nirmaan Samiti.

The president will present the first international ‘Bhagwan Rishabhdev Award’ to Teerthanker Mahaveer University, based in Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh.

India, Myanmar sign MoU on operationalisation of Sittwe Port

India and Myanmar signed an important MoU for the appointment of a private Port Operator for the Operation and Maintenance of Sittwe Port, Paletwa Inland Water Terminal and associated facilities included in the Kaladan Multi Model Transit Transport Project in implementation of India’s Act East Policy.

The MoU was signed on behalf of the Government of India by Vijay Gokhale, Foreign Secretary and by U Win Khant, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport and Communications on behalf of the Government of Myanmar.

The Sittwe port in Myanmar will connect India’s landlocked north-east region to the Bay of Bengal through Mizoram. It will also provide an alternate route to Kolkata.

India has an overall commitment of $ 1.75 billion for developmental programmes in Myanmar.

NABARD and Ayurvet Research Foundation ink MoU

The Haryana regional office of Nabard has signed an MoU with Delhi-based Ayurvet Research Foundation (ARF) for facilitating various collaborative initiatives, especially in the resource-poor districts of Haryana, for the integrated agricultural and rural development of the state.

The MoU will facilitate in finding practical solutions to the problems and challenges coming in the way of integrated development of some districts.

The MoU will prove to be a facilitator for planning and implementation of programmes like natural resource management, village development, exploring and creating alternative employment generation

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SBI launches its first “Wealth Hub” in Mangaluru

The nation’s largest bank, State Bank of India has launched its wealth business services by opening “SBI Wealth Hub” at the Lalbagh branch. The wealth hub was inaugurated by SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar.

SBI is the first PSU bank in the country tointroduce comprehensive wealth business services for itsclients. The bank has re-branded its wealth business as “SBI Wealth” offering best-in-class personalised banking and investment services to its elite High Net worth Individual (HNI) clients.

SBI Wealth has presence in 20 major centres with a network of 90 Wealth Hubs in the country.

27th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference Starts In Gujarat

The 27th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference is being organized by the IAEA in cooperation with the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India and the Institute for Plasma Research, at the Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar (Ahmedabad) Gujarat, India.

The 27th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference (FEC 2018) aims to provide a forum for the discussion of key physics and technology issues as well as innovative concepts of direct relevance to the use of nuclear fusion as a source of energy.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) fosters the exchange of scientific and technical results in nuclear fusion research and development through its series of Fusion Energy Conferences.

Oct 24

TCS Only Indian Firm Among Top 10 To Get Foreign Labour Certification

The Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is the only Indian company among the top 10 firms to get foreign labour certification for the H-1B visas for the fiscal year 2018 by receiving over 20,000 such certifications.

According to the report, the London-headquartered Ernst and Young, a multinational professional services firm, has emerged as the top employer to have received the certification. Ernst and Young is followed by Deloitte Consulting which received 69,869 H-1B specialty occupations labour conditions programme. Indian-American owned Cognizant Technology Corp comes at number three.

The visa programme allows employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in the US on a non- immigrant basis in specialty occupations or as fashion models of distinguished merit and ability.

Ministry of Environment launches Harit Diwali-Swasth Diwali campaign

The Environment Ministry has launched Harit Diwali, Swasth Diwali campaign. This campaign was initiated in 2017-18 wherein large number of school children participated and took pledge to minimize bursting of crackers.

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The Harit Diwali-Swasth Diwali campaign is now merged with “Green Good Deed” movement that has been initiated as a social mobilization for conservation and protection of environment. The Ministry is encouraging all schools and colleges to be part of this campaign.

Oct 25

Global Agriculture Leadership Summit 2018 held in New Delhi

The Global Agriculture Leadership Summit 2018 was opened in New Delhi.

The theme of the 2-day summit is, ‘Connecting Farmers to Market’. The summit was inaugurated by the Secretary Agriculture and Co-operation, Sanjay Agrawal.

The annual summit is providing policymakers, managers, scientists, experts and leading Indian firms with a chance to share experience and seek business opportunities.

PM Modi Launches ‘Main Nahi Hum’ Portal In New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the ‘Main Nahin Hum’ portal and mobile application.

He will also interact with IT and electronic manufacturing professionals across India via video- conference.

The portal, which works on the theme ‘Self4Society’, will enable IT professionals and organisations to bring together their efforts towards social causes on one platform.

The portal is expected to help catalyse greater collaboration towards the service of the weaker sections of society, especially by leveraging the benefits of technology.

Centre constitutes GoM to look into sexual harassment of women at workplace

The Centre has constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) to examine the existing legal and institutional frameworks for dealing with matters of sexual harassment of women at the workplace.

The GoM will be headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi will be the members of the group.

Within three months of its constitution, the GoM will examine the existing provisions for the safety of women and recommend further measures.

The Women and Child Development Ministry has launched an Electronic Complaints Box “She Box” that enables women, irrespective of their work status, to raise their voice against sexual harassment at workplace.

World Bank Approves Country Partnership Framework for India

The World Bank Board has endorsed an ambitious five-year Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for India, which aligns with New Delhi’s objectives of high, sustainable and inclusive growth.

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The framework is expected to bring between 25 and 30 billion US Dollars in financial support from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).

The framework sets the strategic focus for the World Bank’s engagement with India for the period FY18-22. It supports the transition to a high-middle income economy.

PM laid the foundation stone of world class convention centre

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC).

The facilities provided at the centre will be equal to the best in the world in size and quality, offering setting for international and national events, meetings, conferences, exhibitions and trade shows. It will rank among the top 10 in the world and the biggest indoor exhibition space in India.

The project is planned over an area of 221.37 acre in Sector 25, Dwarka at an estimated cost of Rs 25,703 crore. The construction will be in line with green building principles and Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) Platinum rating standards.

Union Home Ministry launches two portals to strengthen Women Safety

The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh has launched two separate portals to strengthen Women Safety.

The portal “cybercrime.gov.in” will receive complaints from citizens on objectionable online content related to child pornography, child sexual abuse material, sexually explicit material such as rape and gang rape.

The second portal unveiled by the Union Home Minister today relates to the National Database on Sexual Offenders (NDSO). It is a central database of “sexual offenders” in the country which will be maintained by the NCRB for regular monitoring and tracking by the State Police.

BSE, NSE get SEBI approval to launch commodity derivatives segment

India’s leading stock exchanges Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange of India have received approval from capital market regulator SEBI to launch commodity derivatives segment.

BSE will enter the segment with non-agriculture commodities like metals initially, followed by agri commodities subsequently.

India now would have a unified exchange regime wherein stock exchanges would be allowed to offer trading in commodities derivatives.

Vodafone Idea Board Approves Merger With Aditya Birla Telecom

The Board of Directors of Vodafone Idea Limited, India’s largest telecom operator approved merger of the Vodafone Idea Limited with the Aditya Birla Telecom Limited (ABTL), the parent company of Idea Cellular.

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The merger was approved under the relevant provisions of the Companies Act, 2013. The merger is now subjected to approval of the National Company Law Tribunal.

The Aditya Birla Telecom Ltd holds 11.15 percent stake in telecom infrastructure firm Indus Towers Ltd.

This amalgamation will help Vodafone Idea to have direct Share Holding in Indus Towers.

Biplab Kumar Deb inaugurates ISRO’s Technology Incubation Centre in Agartala

The Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has inaugurated ISRO’s first Space Technology Incubation Centre at the National Institute of Technology Agartala via remote from Bengaluru.

The Centre was launched at the first edition of ‘Spacetronics’ organised by the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA).

Through such incubation centres, ISRO is looking to incubate start-ups that would build applications; offer services and products that it can use internally and help them scale up so that these firms can exploit opportunities globally.

DRDO Successfully Flight Tested Tactical Missile ‘Prahar’

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully flight tested the indigenously developed surface-to-surface tactical missile ‘Prahar’, from Launch Complex-III, ITR, Balasore in Odisha.

‘Prahar’ is a contemporary weapon system capable of carrying multiple types of warheads and neutralizing a wide variety of targets. The missile was launched from a mobile launcher.

Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr G. Satheesh Reddy witnessed the launch.

Health Ministry Partners With Dell And Tata Trusts

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare exchanged the MoUs with the Tata Trusts and Dell to provide a technological platform for nationwide prevention, control, screening and management program of Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

Smt Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare presided over the ceremony and also released the user manual for NCD application under Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC) IT Solutions.

Under Ayushman Bharat, it is decided to transform 1.5 Lakh Sub Centre and Public Health Centres into Health and Wellness Centres to provide a bouquet of 12 different kinds of services of which Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) form an important part.

Niger and India Signed for Establishing Mahatma Gandhi Convention Centre

India and Niger has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi International Convention Centre (MGICC) in Niamey, Niger with the Indian government’s grant assistance.

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The agreement was signed by Secretary (Economic Relations), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) TS Tirumurti and Ambassador of Republic of Niger in India Ali Illiassou.

The centre honours the memory of Mahatma Gandhi, whose 150th birth anniversary is also being observed in 2019. The establishment of the centre is a landmark for Niger-India friendship and also a symbol of India’s firm commitment towards Africa.

Niger Capital: Niamey Currency: West African CFA franc

PM Modi to inaugurate first airport of western Odisha in Jharsuguda

Odisha is all set to get its second operational airport. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in the state to launch some other projects and inaugurate the airport.

The government had said in August 2014 that it planned to develop Jharsuguda Airport for operations of A320 type of aircraft.

Till now, Bhubaneswar was the only operational AAI airport in Odisha. The Jharsuguda airport will be second operational AAI airport in the state. Jharsuguda airport will bring western Odisha on the aviation map of India.

The airport will facilitate regional air connectivity through the UDAN scheme.The airport has been developed at an estimated project cost of Rs 210 crore.

Jharkhand govt inks MoU with NICL for Ayushman Bharat Scheme

The Jharkhand government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Insurance Company Ltd to provide medical facilities to the people of the state under the Centre’s flagship health scheme – Ayushman Bharat Yojana.

The scheme will be launched nationally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Ranchi. The MoU has been signed for quality and timely medical treatment to the citizens.

Mousumi Khatua – First Bengali woman to summit Mt. Damavand

Mousumi Khatua became the first woman from Kalyani City, West Bengal to climb Asia’s highest volcanic peak Mount Damavand.

Mousumi along with ace mountaineer, Satyarup Siddhanta, and Bhaswati Chatterjee began the expedition to Mt. Damavand, the highest peak in Iran and a potentially active volcano.

At an elevation of 5,610 meters, Mt. Damavand is known for its Sulphur discharge near its peak which can cause irreparable damage if exposed for a longer duration.

PM Modi to inaugurate Sikkim’s first airport at Pakyong

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first airport in Sikkim at Pakyong. It will improve connectivity in the area and massively benefit the people of the state.

The airport is spread over 201 acres and is located on top of a hill about 2 km above Pakyong village at 4,500 feet above sea level.

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The airport was constructed by the Airports Authority of India and at present, the nearest airport from Sikkim is located 124 km away in Bagdogra in West Bengal.

India Successfully Test Fires Prithvi Defence Vehicle

India conducted a successful test of its indigenously designed ballistic missile defense system off the coast of Odisha.

The mission, named Prithvi Defence Vehicle (PDV) mission, aimed to engage targets in the exo- atmosphere region at an altitude above 50km of the earth’s atmosphere.

The test was conducted from Abdul Kalam Island, earlier known as Wheeler Island of the Integrated Test Range (ITR).

With the test, India achieved a major milestone in developing a two-layer Ballistic Missile Defence system.

According to DRDO sources, both the PDV interceptor and the targetmissile were successfully engaged. In an automated operation, radar-baseddetection and tracking system detected and tracked the enemy’s ballisticmissile.

BSNL Signs Deal With SoftBank, NTT To Roll Out 5G In India

The State-run telecom firm BSNL has inked a pact with Japan’s Softbank and NTT Communications to roll out 5G and internet of things (IoT) technology in India.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has recommended the auction of about 8,644 MHz of telecom frequencies at an estimated base price of ₹ 4.9 lakh crore. The government is yet to finalise details of allocation of spectrum for 5G services.

Under the agreement with Softbank, BSNL will collaborate with the Japanese firm for its satellite constellation which will have around 900 satellites to provide high speed internet services across the globe.

BSNL has signed an agreement with Nokia and Cisco as well for developing 5G ecosystem.

BSNL chairman and managing director Anupam Shrivastava.

PM Modi Launches World’s Largest Healthcare Scheme

Indian government has launched one of the world’s largest publicly funded health insurance scheme, set to cover some 500 million poor people.

The programme, which was first announced as part of the yearly budget in February, is expected to cost the central and 29 state governments $1.6bn a year in total.

Expenditures will be shared by the central and state governments at a 60 to 40 ratio in most states and funding will be increased gradually according to the demand.

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Under the flagship programme, nearly 10 crore economically backward families will be entitles to Rs. 5 lakh each. The government is aiming is set up 50,000 wellness centres across the country over the next four years.

India spends just 1.5 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on healthcare compared to a global average of six percent.

RBI shortlists 5 IT firms for implementation of Centralised information and Management System

The Reserve Bank has shortlisted five IT firms including Infosys and TCS for implementation of a centralised information and management system (CIMS) for seamless data collection and validations.

The central bank had invited expression of interest (EOI) for identification of solution provider for implementation of CIMS by overhauling the Data Warehouse (DW) of the apex bank. The CIMS would also include centralised analytics platform to facilitate creation of RBI Data Sciences Lab.

The vendors are: Capgemini Technology Services India, IBM India, Infosys, Larsen & Toubro Infotech and Tata Consultancy Services. The five vendors are selected for issuance of ‘Request for Proposal’ (RFP) for selection of vendor for CIMS development and implementation.

India to organise ‘Gandhi March’ in Netherlands

India will organise ‘Gandhi March’ from the iconic Peace Palace at the Hague to Grote Kerk to launch the two-year long celebrations of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

The ‘Gandhi March’ will see participation of people of all nationalities and around 20 ambassadors of different countries.

Special commemorative stamps issued by the Indian postal department will also be released. A ‘Gandhi Walk’ will also be held in Amsterdam.

Netherlands

Capital: Amsterdam Currencies: Euro

Village Rockstars: Assamese movie is India’s official entry for Oscars 2019

The Assamese movie ‘Village Rockstars’ has been selected as India’s official entry to the 91st Oscars 2019. The film is directed by Rima Das.

An all-India jury constituted by Film Federation of India (FFI) under the chairmanship of Kannada producer Rajendra Singh Babu made the announcement.

‘Village Rockstars’ is the story of ‘poor but amazing children’ who live a fun-filled life.

The film which had its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and India premiere at the Mumbai Film Festival 2018, also won the Best Feature film Award at the 65th National Film Awards.

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Hyderabad Metro to start services on Ameerpet-L BNagar route

L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad Limited has commissioned a 16 km stretch of elevated metro, thereby completing one full stretch of the three corridor metro network.

ESL Narasimhan, Governor of Telangana Flagged off the metro train.

With the commissioning of the stretch between Ameerpet and LB Nagar, the Hyderabad metro now has operational network of 45 km, making it the second longest metro line after New Delhi.

This is a 16 km stretch with 16 stations. With this, the entire 29 km of Corridor-I from Miyapur to LB Nagar will be operational.

Nepal to become world’s first country to double its tiger population

A recent survey led by the Government of Nepal has shown that the population of tigers has almost doubled in under a decade in the country.

According to World Wildlife Fund (WWF), an organisation dealing with wildlife conservation and endangered species, this survey can help Nepal become the first country to double its national tiger population since the ambitious TX2, a goal to double tiger numbers in the wild by 2022, was set in 2010.

There are now an estimated 235 wild tigers in the nation, nearly double the number (235) from around 121 in 2009.

Supreme Court Constitutes Committee To Look Into Jail Reforms

The Supreme Court has constituted a three-member committee headed by its former judge Justice Amitava Roy to look into the aspect of jail reforms across the country and suggest measures to deal with them.

The committee will also look into the various issues concerning women prisoners.

A bench headed by Justice M B Lokur said the panel will look into the issues including over- crowding in prisons.

India, China to sign internal security cooperation agreement

For the first time, India and China will sign an internal security cooperation agreement during the forthcoming visit of China’s Minister of Public Security, marking a new beginning in bilateral relations.

Zhao Kezhi, China’s Minister of Public Security, is expected to visit India next month and hold meetings with Home Minister Rajnath Singh during which they will discuss various aspects of security cooperation between the two countries.

The proposed pact is expected to cover areas of intelligence sharing, exchange programme, sharing of best practices, cooperation in disaster mitigation besides others.

China

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Capital: Beijing Currency: Renminbi

Dr. Harsh Vardhan Inaugurated Air Pollution Control Device ”WAYU” in Delhi

The Environment Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has inaugurated air pollution control device Wind Augmentation Purifying Unit, WAYU, at ITO in New Delhi.

The device WAYU is developed by Council of Science and Industrial Research to mitigate air pollution at traffic junctions.

Along with particulate matter, the device will remove poisonous gases such as volatile organic compounds and carbon monoxide. This device works on two principles mainly wind generation for dilution of air pollutants and active pollutants removal.

21st Central Zonal Council meeting held in Lucknow

The Home Minister Rajnath Singh has chaired the meeting of 21st Central Zonal Council in Lucknow.

Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand while representative ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh participated in the meeting.

The Council discussed various issues including road transport, Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana, measures to tackle Naxal violence, modernization of Police, infrastructure development of airports, minimum support price, National health mission and issues related to primary schools.

It is the objective of the Zonal Councils to boost coordination between different states. It helps in resolving numerous problems which at times is impossible for one single state to resolve.

India 4th in Asia and the only SAARC country to have a quitline number for Tobacco

India has become the first and only SAARC country to have a quitline number on tobacco products.

The words ‘Quit today call — 1800-11-2356’ shall appear in white font on a black background.

The Union Health Ministry has already made 85% pictorial health warning mandatory on both sides of packets containing cigarettes, bidis, and chewing tobacco. The quitline number will be printed on all tobacco products manufactured after September 1, 2018.

India is the fourth country in Asia after Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore to have this government helpline for those looking at quitting tobacco.

At least 46 countries have quit-line numbers as part of health warning labels on tobacco product packaging.

Antyodaya Divas organized across the country

The 25th September is observed as Antyodaya Diwas every year to mark the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya.

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Antyodaya Divas will be organised across the country as part of fortnight Swachhata Hi Sewa movement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the Swachhata Hin Sewa Movement on 15th of this month (September). Around 22 States and Union Territories have been declared Open Defecation Free so far.

Indian Culinary institute inaugurated by Vice President in Andhra Pradesh

Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu has dedicated the India’s first Indian Culinary Institute (ICI) in Tirupati and two coastal tourism projects taken up under Swadesh Darshan, to the nation.

The ICI was designed by National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC).

The first circuit includes beautification of Nellore tank and Pulicat Lake, facelift to Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary, construction of a restaurant and development of Ubbala Madugu, Kotha Koduru, Mypadu, Rama Theertham, and Isukapalli project.

The second coastal tourism circuit is aimed at developing Kakinada port, Hope Island, Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, construction of cottages and wooden huts at Passarlapudi, Aduru and S Yanam and development of Kotipalli project.

UP Scored First Place in Implementation of PMAY: Yogi Adityanath

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has scored the first position in implementation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

The target of 11 million homes by 2022 under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) will be completed by the third quarter of 2019.

It was announced by Minister of State, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri.

Finance Ministry Launched Mobile App “Jan Dhan Darshak”

The Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance and National Informatics Centre (NIC) has jointly developed a mobile app called Jan Dhan Darshak as a part of financial inclusion (FI) initiative.

The app will act as a guide for the common people in locating a financial service touch point at a given location in the country.

Jan Dhan Darshak app will be in a unique position to provide a citizen centric platform for locating financial service touch points across all providers such as banks, post office, CSC, etc. Over 5 lakh FI touch points (Bank branches, ATMs, Post Offices) have been mapped on this App.

IAF successfully test fires air-to-air Astra missile

The Indian Air Force has successfully test fired the indigenously developed beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) ‘Astra’ from a Su-30 aircraft.

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Astra has undergone more than 20 developmental trials. The missile was tested at the Kalaikunda Air Force Station.

The missile successfully engaged a maneuvering target with high precision. It targeted an unmanned aerial vehicle ‘Banshi’ which it successfully engaged.

Defence Minister: Nirmala Sitharaman

Cabinet approves National Digital Communication Policy

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the National Digital Communications Policy-2018 (NDCP-2018) and re-designation of the Telecom Commission as the “Digital Communications Commission”.

The new National Digital Communications Policy – 2018 has been formulated, in place of the existing National Telecom Policy-2012, to cater to the modern needs of the digital communications sector of India.

NDCP-2018 shall lead to new ideas and innovations, after the launch of advanced technology such as 5G, IOT, M2M, etc. which shall govern the telecom sector of India.

India, Morocco sign MoU to enhance cooperation in MSME Sector

India and Morocco has signed an MoU for deepening cooperation between MSME sectors of the two countries in Rabat, Morocco.

The MoU was signed by CMD, National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC), Ravindra Nath and Director General, Maroc PME, Mr. Rabri Barrazouka.

Through this MOU, the NSIC and Maroc PME will work together to enhance cooperation opportunities for MSMEs of both countries. It will facilitate transfer of Indian technologies and products to Morocco.

Morocco

Capital: Rabat

Currency: Moroccan dirham

Vice president M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated Smart City Expo India-2018

Vice president M. Venkaiah Naidu has inaugurated Smart City Expo India-2018 in Jaipur.

The objective of this three days long expo is to have discussions among different experts and groups to utilize benefits of new technology, town planning, capacity management, challenges before socio- economic development and development of networking in the Smart City sector.

Government launches Financial Inclusion Index

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The Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley launched the Financial Inclusion Index after his Annual Performance Review Meeting with CEOs of the Public Sector Banks in New Delhi.

The single composite index gives a snap shot of level of financial inclusion that would guide Macro Policy perspective. The various components of the index will also help to measure financial services for use of internal policy making.

Financial Inclusion Index can be used directly as a composite measure in development indicators.

Parakram Parv begins to showcase the courage, valour and sacrifice of Indian Armed Forces

The Parakram Parv will be celebrated from september 28-30 to showcase the courage, valour and sacrifice of Indian Armed Forces.

This event is to mark the second anniversary of the surgical strikes against terror camps across the Line of Control (LoC). The Indian Armed forces conducted surgical strikes in 2016 (on the intervening night of September 28-29, 2016) which had strategic ramifications and were aimed at dissuading the inimical adversary from adopting the path of violence and to ensure an environment of peace for the nation.

The term Line of Control refers to the military control line between the Indian and Pakistan.

The main event is planned at India Gate Lawns, Rajpath in New Delhi. Similarly, 53 locations in 51 cities across the country will be showcasing the events highlighting valour of Indian Armed Forces in general and Special Forces in particular.

Amit Shah to inaugurate Deendayal Upadhyaya National monument

BJP president Amit Shah will inaugurate the Deendayal Upadhyaya National monument at Dhankya, Rajasthan to mark the 102nd birth anniversary of BJP ideologue.

The monument was built at a cost of Rs 12 crore, is spread across 4,400 sq metre area and was acquired from the North Western Railways. Shah will also unveil the 15 feet statue of Upadhyaya.

Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay was an RSS thinker and co-founder of the political party Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the forerunner of Bharatiya Janata Party.

India International Science Festival 2018

The President Ram Nath Kovind will inaugurate the fourth “India International Science Festival (IISF)” on October 6.

IISF 2018 is being organized by Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Earth Sciences in association with Vijnana Bharati or VIBHA, an RSS-linked science organisation at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, Lucknow.

The fourth edition of the festival is also a tribute to former prime minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee who brought Science to the national stage.

The IISF-2018 with its focal theme of ‘Science for Transformation’ will have 23 special events.

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PM Modi Announces Launch Of ‘Swachhata Hi Seva Movement’

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the launch of ‘Swachhata Hi Seva Movement’ from 15 September.

The movement will be launched to mark the commencement of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary on 2 October.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central Government launched the Swachh Bharat Mission in 2014 that aims at making a clean and Open Defecation Free (ODF) India by 2 October, 2019.

Andhra Launches e-Rythu To Boost Cashless Farm Ecosystem

The Andhra Pradesh government has launched a mobile platform, e-Rythu (e-farmer in Telugu) which will enable small-scale farmers to market their produce at reasonable prices.

Its main aim is to digitize agriculture marketplaces, payments, workflows, and provide farmers an easy and secure way to buy, sell and receive payments for agricultural products via their feature phones.

The platform has been developed by MasterCard Labs for Financial Inclusion in Nairobi, Kenya, and has been customized for India used by the Labs team based at Pune.

Sushma Swaraj embarks on a two-day visit to Moscow

The External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj left for a two-day visit to Moscow, Russia.

During her visit, she will attend the 23rd India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Technical and Economic Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC).

It will be co-chaired by Swaraj and Yuri Borisov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation.

IRIGC-TEC is a standing body which annually meets and reviews ongoing activities of bilateral cooperation in the fields of bilateral trade and investment, science and technology, culture and other issues of mutual interest.

Russia

Capital: Moscow Currency: Russian ruble

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu to embark on 3-nation visit to Serbia, Malta, Romania

The Vice President Venkaiah Naidu will embark on a three-nation visit to Serbia, Malta and Romania.

Several MoU’s including in the field of Agriculture and Tourism are expected to be signed during Vice President’s visit to these countries.

India has historical linkages with these European countries and the visit of Mr Naidu will strengthen the relationship and will boost bilateral ties.

Joint Secretary (Central Europe) in External Affairs Ministry: Dr Anju Kumar

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Serbia

Capital: Belgrade

Currency: Serbian dinar

Malta

Capital: Valletta

Currency: Euro

Romania

Capital: Bucharest

Currency: Romanian leu

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The Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has launched the country’s first National Scholarship Portal mobile app that would make the government welfare schemes more accessible to needy students.

The students will get all the information regarding various scholarships on this mobile app. They will be able to apply for scholarships through the app.

The students can also upload necessary documents on this app, can check the status of their application and scholarship disbursement status etc.

Tamil Nadu Govt. slaps ban on sale of e-cigarettes

The State government has prohibited the manufacture, sale (including online sale), distribution, trade, display, marketing, import and possession of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems, popularly known as e-cigarettes, in Tamil Nadu.

The prohibition of e-cigarettes follows the Health and Family Welfare Minister announcing on the floor of the Assembly on June 14 the banning of e-cigarettes.

The ban advisory states that the use of e-cigarettes causes adverse health effects due to second-hand exposure to metals like nickel and chromium.

India’s 1st Tribal Tourism Circuit Launched in Chhattisgarh

India’s first tribal tourism circuit was inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Tourism K J Alphons in Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh.

The tourism circuit is being developed under the Swadesh Darshan scheme. It covers 13 sites. The project is being developed by Chhattisgarh Tourism Board.

The central government had allocated about 100 crore rupees to develop this project to highlight tribal culture to the domestic and foreign tourists.

The objective of the Tribal Tourism Circuit is to showcase the state’s rich and diverse tribal culture and traditions to the tourists.

Chhattisgarh

Chief minister: Raman Singh Governor: Anandiben Patel

CCEA approves 100% Electrification of Railways by 2021-22

The PM-led Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved 100 percent electrification of the Indian Railways, tentatively by 2021-22.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 51 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING This will make Indian Railways one of the largest electrified railway networks in the world — after China, which has 87,000 km (around 68 percent of its network) electrified — and the only large railway with 100 percent electrification.

Currently, around 48 per cent of the India’s 61,680 km broad gauge railway network is electrified.

Nuakhai : Festival of harvest was celebrated in western Odisha

The Nuakhai or Nuankhai is one of the most important festivals in Western Odisha, where it is celebrated with great dedication and joy. Nuakhai one of the most pious festivals celebrated with cheer and zeal in odisha.

Also referred to as Nuakhai Parab or Nuakahi Bhetghat the festival’s literal translation sums up to new food where nua means new and khai means food.

Odisha Capital: Bhubaneswar Chief minister: Naveen Patnaik

Siddhi app unveiled hits: Developed by DestaGlobal

The app Siddhi, was unveiled by a Mumbai-based start-up earlier this year is bringing farmers and dealers of agricultural equipment under one roof.

It was launched on July 1 by DestaGlobal. It is an agritech e-commerce company, which has been working with farmers in the State since 2011.

The offers and services provided by the app are selling and buying of raw materials like seed, machinery, interconnected farming community that shares progressive farming techniques etc.,

Union Minister of Textiles gives ‘Shilp Guru’ & National Award to Master Craft Persons

The Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Zubin Irani has presented ‘Shilp Guru’ and National Award to Master craft persons at a function held at Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh.

Eight ‘Shilp guru’ and 25 National awards were presented for the year 2016. Shilp Guru’ is the highest award in the Handicraft sector in India.

The handicraft export has witnessed a year-on-year growth and in the last four years, handicraft items worth Rs. 1 lakh 26 thousand crores had been exported from India.

Index Of Industrial Production Grows At 6.6% In July

The Index industrial production (IIP) of India grew at 6.6 percent in July on the back of good performance by the manufacturing sector and higher offtake of capital goods and consumer durables.

Factory output measured in terms of the Index of Industrial Production had expanded by just 1 per cent in July last year, ac

cording to the data released by Central Statistics Office (CSO).

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 52 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The IIP growth for June was also revised downwards to 6.8 percent from the provisional estimate of 7 percent released last month.

The IIP growth in April-July period was 5.4 per cent compared to 1.7 per cent year ago.

Cisco signs agreements with NITI, BSNL

Cisco, a U.S.-based firm, that makes networking telecommunications equipment, has signed two agreements with the NITI Aayog and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to speed up its Country Digital Acceleration programme in India.

Cisco has made over 25 strategic investments in growth stage companies in India.The agreement with NITI Aayog is to boost connectivity and collaboration across all 100 Atal Incubation Centers in the country.

Cisco signed an agreement with BSNL to set up a dedicated location to demonstrate use cases using 5G to solve citizen problems in areas such as education, healthcare and agriculture using technologies such as IoT, surveillance, and Artificial Intelligence.

CISCO

CEO: Chuck Robbins Headquarters: California, United States

ISRO’s PSLV-C42 lifts off with two foreign earth observation satellite

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C42 (PSLV) has beeen successfully injected two foreign satellites – NovaSAR and S1-4- into the orbit.

The ISRO workhorse blasted-off from the first launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The two satellites are from the United Kingdom.

The mission is a commercial arrangement between the company and Antrix Corporation Limited, which is the commercial wing of ISRO. This was the 12th launch of a core-alone version of the PSLV.

NovaSAR will be used for ship detection and maritime monitoring and also flood monitoring, besides agricultural and forestry applications and S1-4 will be used for environment monitoring, urban management, and tackling disasters.

HDI report: India moves one spot higher to 130

India climbed one spot to 130 among 189 countries in the latest human development index released by the United Nations Development Programme.

Within South Asia, India’s human development index (HDI) value is above the average of 0.638 for the region, with Bangladesh and Pakistan, countries with similar population size, being ranked 136 and 150 respectively.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 53 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The HDI is a summary measure for assessing long-term progress in three basic dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge and a decent standard of living.

Norway, Switzerland, Australia, Ireland and Germany led the ranking, while Niger, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Chad and Burundi have the lowest scores in the HDI’s measurement of national achievements in health, education and income.

India ranks 3rd in family-owned businesses

India ranks third globally in terms of number of family owned businesses with 111 companies of USD 839 billion total market capitalisation, followed closely after China with 159 firms and the United States with 121 firms.

According to the ‘Credit Suisse Family 1000 in 2018’ report, published by the Credit Suisse Research Institute (CSRI), in terms of number of family owned businesses, within the non-Japan Asian region, China, India and Hong Kong dominate the list.

Moreover, in Non-Japan Asia, more than 50 per cent of the top 30 best performing companies are from India, followed by one-third from China. Malaysia occupies third place with three companies, while Korea and Indonesia each have one.

Swayangsiddha Bengal Scheme To Combat Human Trafficking

In an attempt to combat human trafficking, the West Bengal government has rolled out a scheme, Swayangsiddha, in different districts of the State. Swayangsiddha, which means self-reliance, will be executed by the West Bengal Police.

The scheme aims to empower young boys and girls to make informed choices so that they are less vulnerable to trafficking and child marriage.

As the per the NCRB data West Bengal has highest recorded case of trafficking among the States.

NABARD Approves Rs 65,635 Crore Loan For 93 Irrigation Projects

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has approved Rs 65,634.93 crore loan projects under the government’s flagship scheme Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY).

The Nabard is funding the central and state share of 99 prioritised irrigation projects under the PMKSY through long term irrigation fund (LTIF). It is mandated to provide Rs 70,000 crore loan to these projects to be completed by 2019.

The Nabard has so far sanctioned Rs 65,634.93 crore funds for 93 prioritised irrigation projects out of 99.

Piyush Goyal Inaugurates 1st Ever India Tourism Mart 2018

The Union Minister for Railways and Coal, Shri Piyush Goyal inaugurated the ‘first ever’ India Tourism Mart (ITM 2018) in the presence of Union Tourism Minister, Shri K J Alphons and the Tourism

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 54 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Minister of Morocco, Mr. Mohamed Sajid, in New Delhi. India Tourism Mart (ITM) is being held for the first time and the Tourism industry stakeholders are coming together for such a largescale event with Ministry’s support.

The India Tourism Mart is being organized by the Ministry of Tourism from 16th to 18th September 2018, in partnership with the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) and with support of State /UT Governments.

Goyal wished the best to the Tourism Ministry to reach the ambitious goal of US$100 billion FTA receipts/year within 5 years.

India Gets Its 1st Ever Dedicated Dog Park In Hyderabad

India gets the first ever dedicated dog park in Hyderabad, Telangana. The park has been developed by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) at a cost of Rs 1.1 crore.

The park, certified by the Kennel Club of India (registry of purebred dogs in India), has been spread over an area of 1.3 acres.

The park houses dog training equipment, play equipment, splash pool, fountain, areas for exercise, amphitheater etc.,

Delhi, Seoul Sign MoU To Tackle Air Pollution

The Delhi government on September 14, 2018 signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to work closely in the fields of environment, tourism, waste water and solid waste management, infrastructure and public health.

The Mou on the ‘Friendship and Cooperation Agreement’ was signed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Seoul mayor Park Won-Soon in Seoul.The agreement has listed 11 areas for exchange of expertise and cooperation.

MPATGM: man-portable anti-tank guided missile successfully tested by DRDO

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Sunday successfully tested a low- weight indigenously developed man-portable anti-tank guided missile (MPATGM) at its Ahmednagar range.

It was the second MPATGM test. The two flight-tests were for different ranges, including maximum range capability.

Union Home Secretary launches ‘e-Sahaj’ portal for grant of Security Clearance

The online ‘e-Sahaj’ portal was launched to facilitate individuals and private companies in seeking security clearance for setting up businesses in certain sensitive sectors.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 55 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The portal was launched by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and it will strike a healthy balance between meeting the imperatives of national security and facilitating ease of doing business and promoting investment in the country.

The Home Ministry is the nodal authority for granting security clearances in certain sensitive sectors before licence, permit, permission, contract etc is issued to companies, bidders, individuals by the administrative ministry.

The objective of national security clearance is to evaluate potential security threats, including economic threats, and provide risk assessment before clearing investment and project proposals in key sectors.

India-Bangladesh pipeline project Flagged off

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart, Sheikh Hasina, unveiled e-plaques for the ceremony of the two projects, oil pipeline and a key railway project.

The 130-kilometre pipeline will connect Siliguri in West Bengal in India and Parbatipur in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh. The 346 crore rupees project will be completed in 30 months time.

The capacity of the pipeline will be one million metric tons per annum. The project will replace the existing practice of sending diesel by rail covering a distance of 510 kilometres.

Bangladesh

Capital: Dhaka Currency: Bangladeshi taka

India, Malta signed three MoUs in Maritime Cooperation, Tourism and Training

India and Malta has signed three Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) relating to tourism, maritime cooperation and exchanges between the Foreign Service Institute of India and the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies, University of Malta.

It was signed after the talks between Vice President, Venkaiah Naidu and President of Malta, Ms. Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca.

In addition, India has offered Malta to take advantage of its highly skilled professionals in the field of Information and Technology (IT), financial services, health, pharmaceutical, transport, freight and tourism.

Malta

Capital: Valletta Currency: Euro

DAC Approves Procurement of Equipment Worth Rs 9,100 Crores

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, has accorded approval for the procurement of equipment for the Defence Forces valued at over Rs 9,100 crore.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 56 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Sitharaman approved the procurement of two regiments of Akash missile systems under ‘Buy (Indian)’ category from Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).

The missile to be procured is an upgraded version of the previously inducted Akash missiles and will include seeker technology, possess 360 degree coverage and will be of compact configuration with reduced signature.

The DAC has also accorded approval for progressing design and development of Individual Under Water Breathing Apparatus (IUWBA) for T-90 tanks.

India’s first ‘smart fence’ pilot project inaugurated along Indo-Pak border

The Union home minister Rajnath Singh has launched two smart fencing pilot projects along the 198- km-long India-Pakistan international border in Jammu and Kashmir.

The project would be implemented along the vulnerable 2,026-km stretch of the border based upon feedback of the smart fences at two — 5.3 km and 5.5 km – stretches in the state’s Samba sector.

The Israeli technology has inspired the project, which involves integration of surveillance equipments and day and night vision cameras.

PM launches development projects worth over Rs 550 cr in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched various development projects worth over Rs 500 crore in his Lok Sabha constituency, Varanasi.

The projects inaugurated include Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) for Puraani Kashi and Atal Incubation Centre at Banaras Hindu University (BHU).

Ministry of Culture releases National Museum Research Bulletin

The Culture Ministry has revived the National Museum Research Bulletin, a comprehensive anthology of the museum’s contents after a gap of 16 years.

The Minister of State for Culture Mahesh Sharma released two important publications of the National Museum Sindhu Ghati Sabhyata: Ek Parichay (Hindi) and the National Museum Research Bulletin Number 10: Special issue.

Sindhu Ghati Sabhyata : Ek Parichay is a Hindi version of ‘An Introduction To Indus Valley Civilization’ which among the bestsellers at the National Museum.

Delhi airport gets top honour at ASQ Awards 2017

The national capital’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has bagged the title of Best Airport to handle over 40 million passengers per annum (MPPA) by the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards 2017.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 57 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), a GMR-led consortium which operates and manages the IGIA made the announcement.

According to the statement, the Delhi airport is now the seventh busiest airport in Asia and among the top 20 busiest airports across the world.

ASQ is a worldwide programme to survey passengers at the airport on their day of travel.

India and Morocco signed revised Air Services Agreement enabling greater connectivity

India and Morocco signed the revised Air Services Agreement between the two countries enabling greater connectivity through a modernized agreement.

The two sides cleared the legal and technical difficulties and agreed to a modern new text for the Air Services Agreement.

Shri Mohammed Sajid, Minister of Tourism, Air Transport, Handicraft and Social Economy signed for the Moroccan side and the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation, Shri Suresh Prabhu signed for the Indian side.

This milestone is enabler for greater air connectivity between India and Morocco and will enable the airlines of each side to enter into code share with airlines of other party, as well as provide greater freedom in mounting direct flights.

Morocco Capital: Rabat Currency: Moroccan dirham

India, Romania Agree To Intensify Cooperation At UN

India and Romania have agreed to intensify cooperation at the United Nations and other multilateral fora in order to address global challenges. Romania will open a consulate in Chennai.

The one to one talks was held between Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and President of Romania, Mr. Klaus Werner Lohannis in Bucharest. Romania was appreciated for its support to India’s bid for permanent membership of United Nations Security Council.

Romania Capital: Bucharest Currency: Romanian leu

President Ram Nath Kovind signs Ordinance banning Instant Triple Talaq practice

President Ram Nath Kovind has signed the ordinance banning the practice of instant triple talaq. The ordinance was cleared by the Union Cabinet.

Under the ordinance, giving instant triple talaq is illegal and void, and will attract a jail term of three years for the husband.

These amendments were cleared by the Cabinet on 29 August.

Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojna launched for unemployed insured persons

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 58 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has approved a new scheme which would pay cash relief to insured persons during the period of unemployment.

The scheme, Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojna, is a relief payable in cash directly to Bank Account of insured person in case of unemployment and while they search for new engagement.

The scheme would benefit insured persons covered under the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948. The proposal scheme was approved in the ESIC board meeting chaired by the labour minister Santosh Gangwar.

The ESIC has also approved the proposal for reimbursement of Rs 10 per person to the employers to encourage the seeding of Aadhaar (UID) in ESIC database of their workers and their family members.

The ESIC has approved the proposal for increasing the funeral expenses from existing Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 being paid on the death of Insured Person.

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani Visits India

The Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani is due in India for a day-long visit that comes ahead of next month’s parliamentary polls in Afghanistan.

Ghani met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed bilateral ties as well as regional security, including the possibility of peace talks with Taliban.

He also addressed a “civic reception” organised by the India Foundation.

Indian Foreign secretary: Vijay Gokhal

PM Modi Announces Launch Of ‘Swachhata Hi Seva Movement’

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the launch of ‘Swachhata Hi Seva Movement’ from 15 September.

The movement will be launched to mark the commencement of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary on 2 October.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central Government launched the Swachh Bharat Mission in 2014 that aims at making a clean and Open Defecation Free (ODF) India by 2 October, 2019.

Andhra Launches e-Rythu To Boost Cashless Farm Ecosystem

The Andhra Pradesh government has launched a mobile platform, e-Rythu (e-farmer in Telugu) which will enable small-scale farmers to market their produce at reasonable prices.

Its main aim is to digitize agriculture marketplaces, payments, workflows, and provide farmers an easy and secure way to buy, sell and receive payments for agricultural products via their feature phones.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 59 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The platform has been developed by MasterCard Labs for Financial Inclusion in Nairobi, Kenya, and has been customized for India used by the Labs team based at Pune.

Sushma Swaraj embarks on a two-day visit to Moscow

The External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj left for a two-day visit to Moscow, Russia.

During her visit, she will attend the 23rd India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Technical and Economic Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC).

It will be co-chaired by Swaraj and Yuri Borisov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation.

IRIGC-TEC is a standing body which annually meets and reviews ongoing activities of bilateral cooperation in the fields of bilateral trade and investment, science and technology, culture and other issues of mutual interest.

Russia Capital: Moscow Currency: Russian ruble

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu to embark on 3-nation visit to Serbia, Malta, Romania

The Vice President Venkaiah Naidu will embark on a three-nation visit to Serbia, Malta and Romania.

Several MoU’s including in the field of Agriculture and Tourism are expected to be signed during Vice President’s visit to these countries.

India has historical linkages with these European countries and the visit of Mr Naidu will strengthen the relationship and will boost bilateral ties.

National Scholarship Portal Mobile App launched

The Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has launched the country’s first National Scholarship Portal mobile app that would make the government welfare schemes more accessible to needy students.

The students will get all the information regarding various scholarships on this mobile app. They will be able to apply for scholarships through the app.

The students can also upload necessary documents on this app, can check the status of their application and scholarship disbursement status etc.

Tamil Nadu Govt. slaps ban on sale of e-cigarettes

The State government has prohibited the manufacture, sale (including online sale), distribution, trade, display, marketing, import and possession of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems, popularly known as e-cigarettes, in Tamil Nadu.

The prohibition of e-cigarettes follows the Health and Family Welfare Minister announcing on the floor of the Assembly on June 14 the banning of e-cigarettes.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 60 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The ban advisory states that the use of e-cigarettes causes adverse health effects due to second-hand exposure to metals like nickel and chromium.

India’s 1st Tribal Tourism Circuit Launched in Chhattisgarh

India’s first tribal tourism circuit was inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Tourism K J Alphons in Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh.

The tourism circuit is being developed under the Swadesh Darshan scheme. It covers 13 sites. The project is being developed by Chhattisgarh Tourism Board.

The central government had allocated about 100 crore rupees to develop this project to highlight tribal culture to the domestic and foreign tourists.

The objective of the Tribal Tourism Circuit is to showcase the state’s rich and diverse tribal culture and traditions to the tourists.

Chhattisgarh

Chief minister: Raman Singh Governor: Anandiben Patel

CCEA approves 100% Electrification of Railways by 2021-22

The PM-led Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved 100 percent electrification of the Indian Railways, tentatively by 2021-22.

This will make Indian Railways one of the largest electrified railway networks in the world — after China, which has 87,000 km (around 68 percent of its network) electrified — and the only large railway with 100 percent electrification.

Currently, around 48 per cent of the India’s 61,680 km broad gauge railway network is electrified.

Nuakhai : Festival of harvest was celebrated in western Odisha

The Nuakhai or Nuankhai is one of the most important festivals in Western Odisha, where it is celebrated with great dedication and joy. Nuakhai one of the most pious festivals celebrated with cheer and zeal in odisha.

Also referred to as Nuakhai Parab or Nuakahi Bhetghat the festival’s literal translation sums up to new food where nua means new and khai means food.

Odisha Capital: Bhubaneswar Chief minister: Naveen Patnaik

Siddhi app unveiled hits: Developed by DestaGlobal

The app Siddhi, was unveiled by a Mumbai-based start-up earlier this year is bringing farmers and dealers of agricultural equipment under one roof.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 61 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING It was launched on July 1 by DestaGlobal. It is an agritech e-commerce company, which has been working with farmers in the State since 2011.

The offers and services provided by the app are selling and buying of raw materials like seed, machinery, interconnected farming community that shares progressive farming techniques etc.,

Union Minister of Textiles gives ‘Shilp Guru’ & National Award to Master Craft Persons

The Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Zubin Irani has presented ‘Shilp Guru’ and National Award to Master craft persons at a function held at Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh.

Eight ‘Shilp guru’ and 25 National awards were presented for the year 2016. Shilp Guru’ is the highest award in the Handicraft sector in India.

The handicraft export has witnessed a year-on-year growth and in the last four years, handicraft items worth Rs. 1 lakh 26 thousand crores had been exported from India.

Index Of Industrial Production Grows At 6.6% In July

The Index industrial production (IIP) of India grew at 6.6 percent in July on the back of good performance by the manufacturing sector and higher offtake of capital goods and consumer durables.

Factory output measured in terms of the Index of Industrial Production had expanded by just 1 per cent in July last year, ac cording to the data released by Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The IIP growth for June was also revised downwards to 6.8 percent from the provisional estimate of 7 percent released last month.

The IIP growth in April-July period was 5.4 per cent compared to 1.7 per cent year ago.

Cisco signs agreements with NITI, BSNL

Cisco, a U.S.-based firm, that makes networking telecommunications equipment, has signed two agreements with the NITI Aayog and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to speed up its Country Digital Acceleration programme in India.

Cisco has made over 25 strategic investments in growth stage companies in India.The agreement with NITI Aayog is to boost connectivity and collaboration across all 100 Atal Incubation Centers in the country.

Cisco signed an agreement with BSNL to set up a dedicated location to demonstrate use cases using 5G to solve citizen problems in areas such as education, healthcare and agriculture using technologies such as IoT, surveillance, and Artificial Intelligence.

CISCO CEO: Chuck Robbins Headquarters: California, United States

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 62 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING ISRO’s PSLV-C42 lifts off with two foreign earth observation satellite

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C42 (PSLV) has beeen successfully injected two foreign satellites – NovaSAR and S1-4- into the orbit.

The ISRO workhorse blasted-off from the first launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The two satellites are from the United Kingdom.

The mission is a commercial arrangement between the company and Antrix Corporation Limited, which is the commercial wing of ISRO. This was the 12th launch of a core-alone version of the PSLV.

NovaSAR will be used for ship detection and maritime monitoring and also flood monitoring, besides agricultural and forestry applications and S1-4 will be used for environment monitoring, urban management, and tackling disasters.

HDI report: India moves one spot higher to 130

India climbed one spot to 130 among 189 countries in the latest human development index released by the United Nations Development Programme.

Within South Asia, India’s human development index (HDI) value is above the average of 0.638 for the region, with Bangladesh and Pakistan, countries with similar population size, being ranked 136 and 150 respectively.

The HDI is a summary measure for assessing long-term progress in three basic dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge and a decent standard of living.

Norway, Switzerland, Australia, Ireland and Germany led the ranking, while Niger, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Chad and Burundi have the lowest scores in the HDI’s measurement of national achievements in health, education and income.

India ranks 3rd in family-owned businesses

India ranks third globally in terms of number of family owned businesses with 111 companies of USD 839 billion total market capitalisation, followed closely after China with 159 firms and the United States with 121 firms.

According to the ‘Credit Suisse Family 1000 in 2018’ report, published by the Credit Suisse Research Institute (CSRI), in terms of number of family owned businesses, within the non-Japan Asian region, China, India and Hong Kong dominate the list.

Moreover, in Non-Japan Asia, more than 50 per cent of the top 30 best performing companies are from India, followed by one-third from China. Malaysia occupies third place with three companies, while Korea and Indonesia each have one.

Swayangsiddha Bengal Scheme To Combat Human Trafficking

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 63 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING In an attempt to combat human trafficking, the West Bengal government has rolled out a scheme, Swayangsiddha, in different districts of the State. Swayangsiddha, which means self-reliance, will be executed by the West Bengal Police.

The scheme aims to empower young boys and girls to make informed choices so that they are less vulnerable to trafficking and child marriage.

As the per the NCRB data West Bengal has highest recorded case of trafficking among the States.

NABARD Approves Rs 65,635 Crore Loan For 93 Irrigation Projects

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has approved Rs 65,634.93 crore loan projects under the government’s flagship scheme Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY).

The Nabard is funding the central and state share of 99 prioritised irrigation projects under the PMKSY through long term irrigation fund (LTIF). It is mandated to provide Rs 70,000 crore loan to these projects to be completed by 2019.

The Nabard has so far sanctioned Rs 65,634.93 crore funds for 93 prioritised irrigation projects out of 99.

Piyush Goyal Inaugurates 1st Ever India Tourism Mart 2018

The Union Minister for Railways and Coal, Shri Piyush Goyal inaugurated the ‘first ever’ India Tourism Mart (ITM 2018) in the presence of Union Tourism Minister, Shri K J Alphons and the Tourism Minister of Morocco, Mr. Mohamed Sajid, in New Delhi. India Tourism Mart (ITM) is being held for the first time and the Tourism industry stakeholders are coming together for such a largescale event with Ministry’s support.

The India Tourism Mart is being organized by the Ministry of Tourism from 16th to 18th September 2018, in partnership with the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) and with support of State /UT Governments.

Goyal wished the best to the Tourism Ministry to reach the ambitious goal of US$100 billion FTA receipts/year within 5 years.

India Gets Its 1st Ever Dedicated Dog Park In Hyderabad

India gets the first ever dedicated dog park in Hyderabad, Telangana. The park has been developed by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) at a cost of Rs 1.1 crore.

The park, certified by the Kennel Club of India (registry of purebred dogs in India), has been spread over an area of 1.3 acres.

The park houses dog training equipment, play equipment, splash pool, fountain, areas for exercise, amphitheater etc.,

Delhi, Seoul Sign MoU To Tackle Air Pollution

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 64 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The Delhi government on September 14, 2018 signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to work closely in the fields of environment, tourism, waste water and solid waste management, infrastructure and public health.

The Mou on the ‘Friendship and Cooperation Agreement’ was signed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Seoul mayor Park Won-Soon in Seoul.The agreement has listed 11 areas for exchange of expertise and cooperation.

MPATGM: man-portable anti-tank guided missile successfully tested by DRDO

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Sunday successfully tested a low- weight indigenously developed man-portable anti-tank guided missile (MPATGM) at its Ahmednagar range.

It was the second MPATGM test. The two flight-tests were for different ranges, including maximum range capability.

Union Home Secretary launches ‘e-Sahaj’ portal for grant of Security Clearance

The online ‘e-Sahaj’ portal was launched to facilitate individuals and private companies in seeking security clearance for setting up businesses in certain sensitive sectors.

The portal was launched by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and it will strike a healthy balance between meeting the imperatives of national security and facilitating ease of doing business and promoting investment in the country.

The Home Ministry is the nodal authority for granting security clearances in certain sensitive sectors before licence, permit, permission, contract etc is issued to companies, bidders, individuals by the administrative ministry.

The objective of national security clearance is to evaluate potential security threats, including economic threats, and provide risk assessment before clearing investment and project proposals in key sectors.

India-Bangladesh pipeline project Flagged off

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart, Sheikh Hasina, unveiled e-plaques for the ceremony of the two projects, oil pipeline and a key railway project.

The 130-kilometre pipeline will connect Siliguri in West Bengal in India and Parbatipur in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh. The 346 crore rupees project will be completed in 30 months time.

The capacity of the pipeline will be one million metric tons per annum. The project will replace the existing practice of sending diesel by rail covering a distance of 510 kilometres.

Bangladesh Capital: Dhaka Currency: Bangladeshi taka

India, Malta signed three MoUs in Maritime Cooperation, Tourism and Training

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 65 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING India and Malta has signed three Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) relating to tourism, maritime cooperation and exchanges between the Foreign Service Institute of India and the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies, University of Malta.

It was signed after the talks between Vice President, Venkaiah Naidu and President of Malta, Ms. Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca.

In addition, India has offered Malta to take advantage of its highly skilled professionals in the field of Information and Technology (IT), financial services, health, pharmaceutical, transport, freight and tourism.

Malta Capital: Valletta Currency: Euro

DAC Approves Procurement of Equipment Worth Rs 9,100 Crores

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, has accorded approval for the procurement of equipment for the Defence Forces valued at over Rs 9,100 crore.

Sitharaman approved the procurement of two regiments of Akash missile systems under ‘Buy (Indian)’ category from Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).

The missile to be procured is an upgraded version of the previously inducted Akash missiles and will include seeker technology, possess 360 degree coverage and will be of compact configuration with reduced signature.

The DAC has also accorded approval for progressing design and development of Individual Under Water Breathing Apparatus (IUWBA) for T-90 tanks.

India’s first ‘smart fence’ pilot project inaugurated along Indo-Pak border

The Union home minister Rajnath Singh has launched two smart fencing pilot projects along the 198- km-long India-Pakistan international border in Jammu and Kashmir.

The project would be implemented along the vulnerable 2,026-km stretch of the border based upon feedback of the smart fences at two — 5.3 km and 5.5 km – stretches in the state’s Samba sector.

The Israeli technology has inspired the project, which involves integration of surveillance equipments and day and night vision cameras.

PM launches development projects worth over Rs 550 cr in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched various development projects worth over Rs 500 crore in his Lok Sabha constituency, Varanasi.

The projects inaugurated include Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) for Puraani Kashi and Atal Incubation Centre at Banaras Hindu University (BHU).

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 66 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Ministry of Culture releases National Museum Research Bulletin

The Culture Ministry has revived the National Museum Research Bulletin, a comprehensive anthology of the museum’s contents after a gap of 16 years.

The Minister of State for Culture Mahesh Sharma released two important publications of the National Museum Sindhu Ghati Sabhyata: Ek Parichay (Hindi) and the National Museum Research Bulletin Number 10: Special issue.

Sindhu Ghati Sabhyata : Ek Parichay is a Hindi version of ‘An Introduction To Indus Valley Civilization’ which among the bestsellers at the National Museum.

Delhi airport gets top honour at ASQ Awards 2017

The national capital’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has bagged the title of Best Airport to handle over 40 million passengers per annum (MPPA) by the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards 2017.

The Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), a GMR-led consortium which operates and manages the IGIA made the announcement.

According to the statement, the Delhi airport is now the seventh busiest airport in Asia and among the top 20 busiest airports across the world.

ASQ is a worldwide programme to survey passengers at the airport on their day of travel.

India and Morocco signed revised Air Services Agreement enabling greater connectivity

India and Morocco signed the revised Air Services Agreement between the two countries enabling greater connectivity through a modernized agreement.

The two sides cleared the legal and technical difficulties and agreed to a modern new text for the Air Services Agreement.

Shri Mohammed Sajid, Minister of Tourism, Air Transport, Handicraft and Social Economy signed for the Moroccan side and the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation, Shri Suresh Prabhu signed for the Indian side.

This milestone is enabler for greater air connectivity between India and Morocco and will enable the airlines of each side to enter into code share with airlines of other party, as well as provide greater freedom in mounting direct flights.

India, Romania Agree To Intensify Cooperation At UN

India and Romania have agreed to intensify cooperation at the United Nations and other multilateral fora in order to address global challenges. Romania will open a consulate in Chennai.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 67 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The one to one talks was held between Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and President of Romania, Mr. Klaus Werner Lohannis in Bucharest. Romania was appreciated for its support to India’s bid for permanent membership of United Nations Security Council.

President Ram Nath Kovind signs Ordinance banning Instant Triple Talaq practice

President Ram Nath Kovind has signed the ordinance banning the practice of instant triple talaq. The ordinance was cleared by the Union Cabinet.

Under the ordinance, giving instant triple talaq is illegal and void, and will attract a jail term of three years for the husband.

These amendments were cleared by the Cabinet on 29 August.

Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojna launched for unemployed insured persons

The Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has approved a new scheme which would pay cash relief to insured persons during the period of unemployment.

The scheme, Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojna, is a relief payable in cash directly to Bank Account of insured person in case of unemployment and while they search for new engagement.

The scheme would benefit insured persons covered under the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948. The proposal scheme was approved in the ESIC board meeting chaired by the labour minister Santosh Gangwar.

The ESIC has also approved the proposal for reimbursement of Rs 10 per person to the employers to encourage the seeding of Aadhaar (UID) in ESIC database of their workers and their family members.

The ESIC has approved the proposal for increasing the funeral expenses from existing Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 being paid on the death of Insured Person.

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani Visits India

The Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani is due in India for a day-long visit that comes ahead of next month’s parliamentary polls in Afghanistan.

Ghani met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed bilateral ties as well as regional security, including the possibility of peace talks with Taliban.

He also addressed a “civic reception” organised by the India Foundation.

Indian Foreign secretary: Vijay Gokhal

India Banking Conclave (IBC) 2018 held in New Delhi

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 68 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) along with its knowledge partner and the government Think Tank, NITI Aayog are organizing two-day India Banking Conclave 2018 (IBC) in New Delhi.

The conclave is planned with the objective of making the banking sector more adaptable to face multiple future challenges in the coming years.

It will be addressed by Union Ministers such as Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal and Civil Aviation Minister, Suresh Prabhu, apart from other important dignitaries such as BJP President, Amit Shah and Vice Chairman NITI Aayog, Rajiv Kumar.

Rajasthan opens country’s biggest techno-hub in Jaipur

The Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has inaugurated the Bhamashah Techno Hub in Jhalana Industrial Area of Jaipur.

The biggest centre is equipped with the ultra-modern technology and it will help around 700 entrepreneurs to work under one roof and realise their dreams.

Digitisation in Rajasthan has been promoted aggressively to motivate entrepreneurs. Raje also inaugurated an online payment app, Bhamashah Wallet.

Panel for rollout of 5G services by 2020

A panel has been set up by the Department of Telecom to prepare a roadmap for rollout of 5G telephony in India expects the service to be operational by 2020.

The nine-member Steering Committee, headed by AJ Paulraj, recommended releasing additional spectrum for 5G services. It submitted its report to Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan.

The report said 5G services would have a cumulative economic impact of over $1 trillion by 2035. While the US plans to deploy 5G services later this year, the India rollout may begin by 2020.

ICOMOS launches Kerala Heritage Rescue Initiative

The ICOMOS, a global monument conservation body, has launched an initiative to assess the damage to the rich cultural and built heritage in flood-devastated Kerala and set up an emergency response platform.

The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) is a prestigious non-government organisation dedicated to promoting the application of theory, methodology and scientific techniques for conservation of architectural and archaeological heritage across the world.

ICOMOS is also an advisory body to the UNESCO for cultural heritage, in particular for implementation of the World Heritage Convention.

The ICOMOS-India chief has also approached the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) to partner in the post-disaster work.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 69 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The Rome-based ICCROM is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to the preservation of cultural heritage worldwide.

India’s first biofuel flight to fly from Dehradun to Delhi

SpiceJet is planning to operate a flight from Dehradun to Delhi using biofuel, which would be first such experiment in India.

While developed countries like Canada, Australia and US have already conducted these test flights, India would be the first developing nation to experiment that.

After that India would join the elite club of nations who have operated a flight on alternative energy source like biofuel.

The objective is to make air travel economical and to tackle high fuel price. Biofuel, produced from vegetable oils, recycled grease, algae, and animal fat, is an alternative fuel that can be used as an alternative in place of fossil fuels.

PM Modi to launch FAME India II on Sept 7

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the second phase of the FAME India scheme offering incentives for mass adoption of electric vehicles with an outlay of Rs 5,500 crore on September 7.

Under the scheme, depending on technology, battery-operated scooters and motorcycles are eligible for incentives ranging between Rs 1,800 to Rs 29,000, while in three-wheelers it is between Rs 3,300 and Rs 61,000.

The prime minister would unveil the scheme at the inaugural session of the ‘MOVE’ — a global mobility summit.

With an aim to promote eco friendly vehicles, the government had launched the FAME India scheme in 2015.

Sushma Swaraj embarks on five day visit to Vietnam, Cambodia

The External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived at Hanoi, Vietnam as part of her four-day visit to Vietnam and Cambodia, which aims at deepening India’s strategic cooperation with the two key nations in the ASEAN region.

India has been scaling up its cooperation with Vietnam in areas of maritime security and energy.

In Vietnam, Swaraj will co-chair the 16th meeting of the Joint Commission, along with the country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.

In Cambodia, Swaraj will hold extensive talks with her counterpart Prak Sokhonn, covering the entire expanse of bilateral and regional issues of mutual interests.

Vietnam Capital: Hanoi

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 70 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Currency: Vietnamese dong Capital: Phnom Penh

Cambodia Currency: Cambodian riel

DAC approves procurement of 111 utility helicopters for Indian Navy

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, cleared the acquisition of military hardware for the Indian Army and Navy worth around Rs 46,000 crore.

Among its key decisions, the council approved the procurement of 111 utility helicopters for the Indian Navy at a cost of over Rs 21,000 crore.

The DAC also cleared some other proposals worth around Rs 24,879.16 crore, including approval for the procurement of 150 indigenously designed and developed 155 mm Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems for the Indian Army at an approximate cost of Rs 3,364.78 crore.The DAC also granted approval for the procurement of 24 anti-submarine capable Multi Role Helicopters (MRH).

The council also cleared the procurement of 14 vertically launched Short Range Missile Systems to enhance the self-defence capability of ships against Anti-Ship Missiles.

Tamil Nadu CM Lays Foundation Stone For Special Investment Region

The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K. Palaniswami laid the foundation stone for the GMR Krishnagiri Special Investment Region.

The ₹2,420 crore project, spread across 2,100 acres, is a joint venture between the Tamil Nadu Industrial Corporation Ltd. (TIDCO) and GMR Group.

The project is expected to attract investments to the tune of ₹5,000 crore and create about 60,000 job.

A world-class infrastructure and utilities such as road connectivity, water supply system, water treatment plant, storm/rain water drains, water and power sub-station and internet connectivity would be developed in the Special Investment Region.

Bombay Natural History Society opens its first regional centre near Chilika Lake

The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), one of India’s premier avian research institutes, will start operating its regional centre on the campus of Wetland Research and Training Centre near Chilika Lake, Odisha.

The BNHS hosts nearly one million birds with 97 species being intercontinental migratory in nature during the winter season. The avifauna observatory will be inaugurated by BNHS director Deepak Apte.

The centre will carry out research on avian disease by collecting samples and monitor the Nalabana Bird Sanctuary, Odisha.

Dharmendra Pradhan launches online portal for Common Carrier Capacity booking on GAIL’s pipelines

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 71 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas & Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan has launched an online portal for enabling easy, efficient and transparent booking of common carrier capacity for natural gas transmission services under GAIL’s pipelines.

The portal operates within the regulatory framework and is the first of its kind in the natural gas sector of India, to provide gas consumers the facility to register pipeline capacity bookings online.

GAIL is India’s largest integrated natural gas company with more than 11,400 kms of natural gas pipelines operating across various parts of the country.

GAIL

Headquarters: New Delhi CEO: Sh B. C. Tripathi

Madhya Pradesh Government seeks revival of Cheetah Reintroduction Project

The Madhya Pradesh forest department has written to the National Tiger Conservation Authority to revive the plan to reintroduce cheetahs in the State’s Nauradehi sanctuary.

It was estimated that an amount of Rs 25 crore to Rs 30 crore would be needed to build an enclosure in an area of 150 sq km for the cheetahs in Nauradehi.

NTCA, a statutory body under the Union environment ministry, had committed Rs 50 crore to the state for it in 2011.

MP houses six major reserves for the tiger and is often called as the ‘tiger state’. Prominent among them are Bandhavgarh, Pench and Kanha tiger reserves.

JP Nadda launches logo of Ayushman Bharat Scheme

The Union health minister JP Nadda launched logo of Ayushman Bharat Scheme and also uneviled unique quick response (QR) code that will be sent on September 5 to each identified family to avail of an annual cashless health insurance cover under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).

The pilots for Ayushman Bharat – National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyan (AB-PMJAY) – have started in 16 states and union territories, and others will also start pilots before fully launching the scheme on 25h September.

Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, known as Modicare, provides cashless health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for hospitalisation to 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable families who have been identified using the socio-economic caste census 2011.

ISRO unveils Gaganyaan Mission to put Indians in space before 2022

The Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO has unveiled India’s Gaganyaan programme for manned space flight before 2022 as announced by the Prime Minister on the Independence Day.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 72 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The manned mission to space will be having 3 crew members in space for 5-7 days. It will be launched with the help of GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle.

The spacecraft will be placed in a low earth orbit of 300-400 km and the total programme cost is expected to be less than Rs 10,000 crores.

India will be the fourth country after the USA, Russia and China to send humans to space.

Government signs MoU with 6 states for construction of Lakhwar Multi-Purpose Project in Uttarakhand

The Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with six states for the construction of the Lakhwar multi-purpose project in the upper Yamuna basin to deal with water crisis.

Under the agreement, the 204-metres high project will be constructed near Uttarakhand’s Lohari village with live storage capacity of 330.66 million cubic metres (MCM).

The total project is worth Rs 3,966.51 crore. About 90 per cent of the project will be funded by the Centre while the remaining amount will be paid by the six states.

The project will also generate 300 mw of power and will be executed by Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVL).

An MoU signed for skill development of Arogyamitras under the PMJAY

A Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) was signed between the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and National Health Agency (NHA), to provide capacity building for Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana(PMJAY).

It aims to ensure effective rollout and continued quality implementation.

As per the MoU, NSDC will ensure quality training of Arogyamitra through its network of Skill Development Centres functioning under PMKVY and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras(PMKK).

PMJAY programme will provide financial protection to 10.74 crore poor, deprived families who will get a benefit cover of Rs 5 lakh per family. Arogyamitras will be important link in providing quality care.

New committee formed to advise PM on science, tech-related policy issues

The Narendra Modi Government has constituted a high power committee to advise it on policy matters related to science, technology and innovation.

It is named as PM-STIAC (Science, Technology, Innovation Advisory Committee). The 21-member committee will be chaired by K Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 73 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING It will facilitate the formulation and implementation of policies and decisions, provide action-oriented and future preparedness advise and assist in directing S&T to solve the socio economic problems in the country.

PM Modi arrives in Nepal to attend BIMSTEC Summit

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kathmandu to attend the 4th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit.

He will hold bilateral meetings with regional leaders, including Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The theme of the meet is ‘Towards a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable Bay of Bengal region’.

BIMSTEC is a regional grouping comprising Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. The grouping accounts for 22 per cent of the global population.

3rd Edition Of World’s Biggest Open Innovation Model ‘Smart India Hackathon- 2019’ Launched

The MHRD has launched the third edition of Smart India Hackathon. The Smart India Hackathon 2019 was launched by the Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Prakash Javadekar, in New Delhi.

SIH-2019 is a nationwide initiative to provide students a platform to solve some of pressing problems we face in our daily lives, and thus inculcate a culture of product innovation and a mindset of problem solving.

Smart India Hackathon- 2019 would also have 2 sub-editions – Software edition (a 36-hour software product development competition) and Hardware edition (a 5 days long hardware product development competition).

Union Cabinet approves Earth Sciences Ministry’s umbrella scheme ‘O-SMART’

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its approval for implementation of an umbrella scheme ‘Ocean Services, Technology, Observations, Resources Modelling and Science (O- SMART)’.

The CCEA approved the scheme for implementation during the period from 2017-18 to 2019-20 at an overall cost of Rs 1623 crore.

The scheme address ocean development activities such as services, technology, resources, observations and science that covers a total of 16 sub-projects.

Ministry of Agriculture proposes to UNFAO to declare 2019 as ‘International Year of Millets’

The Agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh has proposed to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to declare the year 2019 as international year of millets.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 74 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING This will promote cultivation by amending cropping patterns of areas which are especially susceptible to climate change.

India is celebrating 2018 as the national year of millets.

Millet is a common term to categorize small-seeded grasses that are often termed nutri-cereals or dryland- cereals, and includes sorghum, pearl millet, ragi etc.,

PFRDA sets up panel on cyber safety

The Pension Fund and Regulatory Development Authority (PFRDA) has set up a standing committee to suggest steps to deal with cybersecurity challenges to protect the interest of subscribers.

The committee on ‘Information Systems and Technology and Cyber Security’ will suggest steps to align PFRDA’s technology with best industry practices.

PFRDA is a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament to promote old age income security.

It develops, promotes and regulates the pension industry under National Pension System and also administers the Atal Pension Yojna.

India successfully tests indigenously Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’ in Pokhran

India has successfully flight tested the indigenously developed helicopter launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’ from Pokhran in Rajasthan.

The indigenously designed and developed guided bombs Smart Anti Airfield Weapon (SAAW) was also successfully flight tested from IAF aircraft at Chandan range in Jaisalmer.

The missile is guided by an Infrared Imaging Seeker (IIR) operating in the Lock on Before Launch mode. It is one of the most advanced Anti-Tank Weapons in the world.

All India Financial Inclusion Survey (NAFIS) released by NABARD

NABARD has released the results of its All India Rural Financial Inclusion Survey (NAFIS).

Among other things, the survey estimates 2015-16 farmers’ income levels.

Based on household-level data, NAFIS estimates that an average Indian farming household earned Rs 8,931/month (Rs 1,07,172/year) in agriculture year 2015-16.

About 26 per cent of agricultural households and 25 percent of non-agricultural households were found to have been covered under insurance.

Similarly, 20.1 percent agricultural households as against 18.9 percent non-agricultural households have subscribed to pension schemes.

Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog released the NAFIS report.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 75 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Northern states to set up joint secretariat to deal with drugs menace

The Northern states have decided to set up a joint secretariat at Panchkula, Haryana for data and information sharing to effectively fight the drug menace.

The decision was taken at a meeting of Chief Ministers of Northern States in Chandigarh, convened to evolve and formulate a joint strategy to fight the malady.

It was also decided that the states would launch a major awareness campaign in their respective schools, while engaging youth in sports and other activities at village levels.

Skill development of youth would also be undertaken on a major scale to prevent the spread of drugs.

FSSAI Constitutes B Sesikeran Committee To Review Food Labelling Standards

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has decided to form a three-member committee to look into the draft food labelling and display regulations.

The expert panel will be headed by B Sesikeran, former director of National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) and comprises Hemalatha and Dr Nikhil Tandon. The panel will study in detail the concerns of the industry and make recommendations.

The regulations have proposed making red colour-coded labels mandatory on packaged food products which are high in fat, sugar and salt contents.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is an autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.

FSSAI

Headquarters: New Delhi Chairman: Ashish Bahuguna

NOTA Option Not Applicable For Rajya Sabha Elections: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court ruled that the None of The Above (NOTA) option cannot be made available in Rajya Sabha elections.

A three-judge bench of CJI Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud observed that the NOTA option is applicable only for direct elections and not indirect elections such as the Rajya Sabha polls.

The poll panel had said NOTA was first introduced in 2014 following an apex court verdict a year earlier.

Chhattisgarh govt decides to rename Naya Raipur as Atal Nagar

In the memory of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Chhattisgarh Government has decided to rename Naya Raipur as Atal Nagar.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 76 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Bilaspur University will also replaced as Atal Bihari Vajpayee University and Narrow Gauge Line as Atal Path.

Atal ji played a crucial role in the formation of Chhattisgarh. For Atal ji’s contribution to Pokhran Nuclear Test, a police battalion will be named as Pokhran Battalion.

September 2018 to be observed as the National Nutrition Month

Every year September would be celebrated as the National Nutrition Month to mark the country’s fight against malnutrition.

The decision to celebrate September as the National Nutrition Month was taken during the second meeting of National Council on India’s Nutrition Challenges under the Poshan Abhiyaan.

The meeting was chaired by Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan and NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar.

Ministry of Agriculture proposes to UNFAO to declare 2019 as ‘International Year of Millets’

The Agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh has proposed to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to declare the year 2019 as international year of millets.

This will promote cultivation by amending cropping patterns of areas which are especially susceptible to climate change.

India is celebrating 2018 as the national year of millets.

Millet is a common term to categorize small-seeded grasses that are often termed nutri-cereals or dryland- cereals, and includes sorghum, pearl millet, ragi etc.,

PFRDA sets up panel on cyber safety

The Pension Fund and Regulatory Development Authority (PFRDA) has set up a standing committee to suggest steps to deal with cybersecurity challenges to protect the interest of subscribers.

The committee on ‘Information Systems and Technology and Cyber Security’ will suggest steps to align PFRDA’s technology with best industry practices.

PFRDA is a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament to promote old age income security.

It develops, promotes and regulates the pension industry under National Pension System and also administers the Atal Pension Yojna.

India successfully tests indigenously Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’ in Pokhran

India has successfully flight tested the indigenously developed helicopter launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’ from Pokhran in Rajasthan.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 77 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The indigenously designed and developed guided bombs Smart Anti Airfield Weapon (SAAW) was also successfully flight tested from IAF aircraft at Chandan range in Jaisalmer.

The missile is guided by an Infrared Imaging Seeker (IIR) operating in the Lock on Before Launch mode. It is one of the most advanced Anti-Tank Weapons in the world.

All India Financial Inclusion Survey (NAFIS) released by NABARD

NABARD has released the results of its All India Rural Financial Inclusion Survey (NAFIS).

Among other things, the survey estimates 2015-16 farmers’ income levels.

Based on household-level data, NAFIS estimates that an average Indian farming household earned Rs 8,931/month (Rs 1,07,172/year) in agriculture year 2015-16.

About 26 per cent of agricultural households and 25 percent of non-agricultural households were found to have been covered under insurance.

Similarly, 20.1 percent agricultural households as against 18.9 percent non-agricultural households have subscribed to pension schemes.

Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog released the NAFIS report.

Northern states to set up joint secretariat to deal with drugs menace

The Northern states have decided to set up a joint secretariat at Panchkula, Haryana for data and information sharing to effectively fight the drug menace.

The decision was taken at a meeting of Chief Ministers of Northern States in Chandigarh, convened to evolve and formulate a joint strategy to fight the malady.

It was also decided that the states would launch a major awareness campaign in their respective schools, while engaging youth in sports and other activities at village levels.

Skill development of youth would also be undertaken on a major scale to prevent the spread of drugs.

NOTA Option Not Applicable For Rajya Sabha Elections: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court ruled that the None of The Above (NOTA) option cannot be made available in Rajya Sabha elections.

A three-judge bench of CJI Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud observed that the NOTA option is applicable only for direct elections and not indirect elections such as the Rajya Sabha polls.

The poll panel had said NOTA was first introduced in 2014 following an apex court verdict a year earlier.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 78 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Chhattisgarh govt decides to rename Naya Raipur as Atal Nagar

In the memory of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Chhattisgarh Government has decided to rename Naya Raipur as Atal Nagar.

Bilaspur University will also replaced as Atal Bihari Vajpayee University and Narrow Gauge Line as Atal Path.

Atal ji played a crucial role in the formation of Chhattisgarh. For Atal ji’s contribution to Pokhran Nuclear Test, a police battalion will be named as Pokhran Battalion.

September 2018 to be observed as the National Nutrition Month

Every year September would be celebrated as the National Nutrition Month to mark the country’s fight against malnutrition.

The decision to celebrate September as the National Nutrition Month was taken during the second meeting of National Council on India’s Nutrition Challenges under the Poshan Abhiyaan.

The meeting was chaired by Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan and NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar.

Eleventh World Hindi Conference begins in Mauritius

The 11th World Hindi Conference begins in Mauritius. Prime Minister of Mauritius Praveen Kumar Jagannath will inaugurate the conference in Port Louis.

“Hindi World and Indian Culture” is the theme of conference.

World Hindi Conference was started in 1975 to make Hindi language a medium of service and knowledge and enable it to move forward with the time.

Mauritius

Capital: Port Louis Currency: Mauritian rupee

Panini language laboratory inaugurated in Mauritius to promote Hindi

The External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj has inaugurated ‘Panini Language Laboratory’ at Mahatma Gandhi Institute (MGI) in Mauritius.

The lab is gifted by the Indian government and it will help MGI in teaching Indian languages in Mauritius.

The Education Minister of Mauritius Leela Devi Dookun and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion. Mauritius

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 79 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Capital: Port Louis Currency: Mauritian rupee

Pitch Black 2018 Exercise concludes in Australia

The Indian Air Force, IAF was invited for the first time to participate in Exercise Pitch Black – a biennial multi-national large force employment warfare exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). This exercise was conducted in Australia’s Darwin.

The participating Indian contingent in this three-week exercise consisted of 145 air-warriors, with 4x Su- 30 MKI, 1x C-130, 1x C-17, Garud Commandos and observers with diverse specialisations.

More than 4,000 Australian and international personnel along with 140 aircraft belonging to 16 countries took part in the exercise.

India, Japan agree to expand maritime co-operation to ensure peace & stability in Indo-Pacific region

India and Japan has resolved to expand their maritime cooperation and work together to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, which is witnessing growing Chinese assertiveness.

In their wide ranging talks, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her Japanese counterpart Itsunori Onodera also agreed to deepen the overall defence cooperation between the two countries including in areas of co-development of military platforms and weapons.

The two ministers also exchange views on India’s long-pending proposal to procure the US-2 ShinMaywa amphibious aircraft from Japan for its Navy. The two sides also firmed up a project in the area of Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) and robotics, marking the start of first such bilateral initiative.

Japan Capital: Tokyo Currency: Japanese yen

Sri Lanka: Ten-day festival of historic Esala Maha Perahera begins

In Sri Lanka, the ten-day festival of the historic Esala Maha Perahera began in Kandy.

The procession set off from the biggest Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka, Sri Dalada Maligawa.

The Esala Perahera is one of the oldest and grandest of all Buddhist festivals in Sri Lanka, featuring dancers, jugglers, musicians, fire-breathers and lavishly decorated elephants.

It is to commemorate the first teaching given by the Buddha after he attained enlightenment.

Sri Lanka Capital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Currency: Sri Lankan rupee

India-Thailand Conclude ‘Maitree’ Military Exercise

The Indian Army and the Royal Thai Army has completed a two-week-long platoon level annual joint military exercise “Maitree”.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 80 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING It is aimed at strengthening partnership and cooperation between the two countries.

The ‘Exercise Maitree’ commenced on August 6 in Thailand. The exercise last year was conducted in Himachal Pradesh.

Thailand Capital: Bangkok Currency: Thai baht

First-ever IAF-RMAF joint air exercise begins in Malaysia

The first-ever joint air exercise involving the Indian Air Force and the Royal Malaysian Air Force commenced at Subang Air Base in Malaysia.

The exercise was inaugurated by Gp Capt CUV Rao, team leader IAF & Col Mahadzer, Ex director of RMAF.

The exercise seeks to deepen defence and military ties between the two countries.

Malaysia Capital: Kuala Lumpur Currency: Malaysian ringgit

India Banking Conclave (IBC) 2018 held in New Delhi

The Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) along with its knowledge partner and the government Think Tank, NITI Aayog are organizing two-day India Banking Conclave 2018 (IBC) in New Delhi.

The conclave is planned with the objective of making the banking sector more adaptable to face multiple future challenges in the coming years.

It will be addressed by Union Ministers such as Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal and Civil Aviation Minister, Suresh Prabhu, apart from other important dignitaries such as BJP President, Amit Shah and Vice Chairman NITI Aayog, Rajiv Kumar.

Rajasthan opens country’s biggest techno-hub in Jaipur

The Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has inaugurated the Bhamashah Techno Hub in Jhalana Industrial Area of Jaipur.

The biggest centre is equipped with the ultra-modern technology and it will help around 700 entrepreneurs to work under one roof and realise their dreams.

Digitisation in Rajasthan has been promoted aggressively to motivate entrepreneurs. Raje also inaugurated an online payment app, Bhamashah Wallet.

Panel for rollout of 5G services by 2020

A panel has been set up by the Department of Telecom to prepare a roadmap for rollout of 5G telephony in India expects the service to be operational by 2020.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 81 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The nine-member Steering Committee, headed by AJ Paulraj, recommended releasing additional spectrum for 5G services. It submitted its report to Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan.

The report said 5G services would have a cumulative economic impact of over $1 trillion by 2035. While the US plans to deploy 5G services later this year, the India rollout may begin by 2020.

ICOMOS launches Kerala Heritage Rescue Initiative

The ICOMOS, a global monument conservation body, has launched an initiative to assess the damage to the rich cultural and built heritage in flood-devastated Kerala and set up an emergency response platform.

The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) is a prestigious non-government organisation dedicated to promoting the application of theory, methodology and scientific techniques for conservation of architectural and archaeological heritage across the world.

ICOMOS is also an advisory body to the UNESCO for cultural heritage, in particular for implementation of the World Heritage Convention.

The ICOMOS-India chief has also approached the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) to partner in the post-disaster work.

The Rome-based ICCROM is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to the preservation of cultural heritage worldwide.

India’s first biofuel flight to fly from Dehradun to Delhi

SpiceJet is planning to operate a flight from Dehradun to Delhi using biofuel, which would be first such experiment in India.

While developed countries like Canada, Australia and US have already conducted these test flights, India would be the first developing nation to experiment that.

After that India would join the elite club of nations who have operated a flight on alternative energy source like biofuel.

The objective is to make air travel economical and to tackle high fuel price. Biofuel, produced from vegetable oils, recycled grease, algae, and animal fat, is an alternative fuel that can be used as an alternative in place of fossil fuels.

PM Modi to launch FAME India II on Sept 7

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the second phase of the FAME India scheme offering incentives for mass adoption of electric vehicles with an outlay of Rs 5,500 crore on September 7.

Under the scheme, depending on technology, battery-operated scooters and motorcycles are eligible for incentives ranging between Rs 1,800 to Rs 29,000, while in three-wheelers it is between Rs 3,300 and Rs 61,000.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 82 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The prime minister would unveil the scheme at the inaugural session of the ‘MOVE’ — a global mobility summit.

With an aim to promote eco friendly vehicles, the government had launched the FAME India scheme in 2015.

Sushma Swaraj embarks on five day visit to Vietnam, Cambodia

The External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived at Hanoi, Vietnam as part of her four-day visit to Vietnam and Cambodia, which aims at deepening India’s strategic cooperation with the two key nations in the ASEAN region.

India has been scaling up its cooperation with Vietnam in areas of maritime security and energy.

In Vietnam, Swaraj will co-chair the 16th meeting of the Joint Commission, along with the country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.

In Cambodia, Swaraj will hold extensive talks with her counterpart Prak Sokhonn, covering the entire expanse of bilateral and regional issues of mutual interests.

Vietnam Cambodia

Capital: Hanoi Capital: Phnom Penh

Currency: Vietnamese dong Currency: Cambodian riel

DAC approves procurement of 111 utility helicopters for Indian Navy

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, cleared the acquisition of military hardware for the Indian Army and Navy worth around Rs 46,000 crore.

Among its key decisions, the council approved the procurement of 111 utility helicopters for the Indian Navy at a cost of over Rs 21,000 crore.

The DAC also cleared some other proposals worth around Rs 24,879.16 crore, including approval for the procurement of 150 indigenously designed and developed 155 mm Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems for the Indian Army at an approximate cost of Rs 3,364.78 crore.The DAC also granted approval for the procurement of 24 anti-submarine capable Multi Role Helicopters (MRH).

The council also cleared the procurement of 14 vertically launched Short Range Missile Systems to enhance the self-defence capability of ships against Anti-Ship Missiles.

Tamil Nadu CM Lays Foundation Stone For Special Investment Region

The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K. Palaniswami laid the foundation stone for the GMR Krishnagiri Special Investment Region.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 83 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The ₹2,420 crore project, spread across 2,100 acres, is a joint venture between the Tamil Nadu Industrial Corporation Ltd. (TIDCO) and GMR Group.

The project is expected to attract investments to the tune of ₹5,000 crore and create about 60,000 job.

A world-class infrastructure and utilities such as road connectivity, water supply system, water treatment plant, storm/rain water drains, water and power sub-station and internet connectivity would be developed in the Special Investment Region.

Bombay Natural History Society opens its first regional centre near Chilika Lake

The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), one of India’s premier avian research institutes, will start operating its regional centre on the campus of Wetland Research and Training Centre near Chilika Lake, Odisha.

The BNHS hosts nearly one million birds with 97 species being intercontinental migratory in nature during the winter season. The avifauna observatory will be inaugurated by BNHS director Deepak Apte.

The centre will carry out research on avian disease by collecting samples and monitor the Nalabana Bird Sanctuary, Odisha.

Dharmendra Pradhan launches online portal for Common Carrier Capacity booking on GAIL’s pipelines

The Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas & Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan has launched an online portal for enabling easy, efficient and transparent booking of common carrier capacity for natural gas transmission services under GAIL’s pipelines.

The portal operates within the regulatory framework and is the first of its kind in the natural gas sector of India, to provide gas consumers the facility to register pipeline capacity bookings online.

GAIL is India’s largest integrated natural gas company with more than 11,400 kms of natural gas pipelines operating across various parts of the country.

GAIL

Headquarters: New Delhi CEO: Sh B. C. Tripathi

Madhya Pradesh Government seeks revival of Cheetah Reintroduction Project

The Madhya Pradesh forest department has written to the National Tiger Conservation Authority to revive the plan to reintroduce cheetahs in the State’s Nauradehi sanctuary.

It was estimated that an amount of Rs 25 crore to Rs 30 crore would be needed to build an enclosure in an area of 150 sq km for the cheetahs in Nauradehi.

NTCA, a statutory body under the Union environment ministry, had committed Rs 50 crore to the state for it in 2011.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 84 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING MP houses six major reserves for the tiger and is often called as the ‘tiger state’. Prominent among them are Bandhavgarh, Pench and Kanha tiger reserves.

JP Nadda launches logo of Ayushman Bharat Scheme

The Union health minister JP Nadda launched logo of Ayushman Bharat Scheme and also uneviled unique quick response (QR) code that will be sent on September 5 to each identified family to avail of an annual cashless health insurance cover under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).

The pilots for Ayushman Bharat – National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyan (AB-PMJAY) – have started in 16 states and union territories, and others will also start pilots before fully launching the scheme on 25h September.

Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, known as Modicare, provides cashless health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for hospitalisation to 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable families who have been identified using the socio-economic caste census 2011.

ISRO unveils Gaganyaan Mission to put Indians in space before 2022

The Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO has unveiled India’s Gaganyaan programme for manned space flight before 2022 as announced by the Prime Minister on the Independence Day.

The manned mission to space will be having 3 crew members in space for 5-7 days. It will be launched with the help of GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle.

The spacecraft will be placed in a low earth orbit of 300-400 km and the total programme cost is expected to be less than Rs 10,000 crores.

India will be the fourth country after the USA, Russia and China to send humans to space.

Government signs MoU with 6 states for construction of Lakhwar Multi-Purpose Project in Uttarakhand

The Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with six states for the construction of the Lakhwar multi-purpose project in the upper Yamuna basin to deal with water crisis.

Under the agreement, the 204-metres high project will be constructed near Uttarakhand’s Lohari village with live storage capacity of 330.66 million cubic metres (MCM).

The total project is worth Rs 3,966.51 crore. About 90 per cent of the project will be funded by the Centre while the remaining amount will be paid by the six states.

The project will also generate 300 mw of power and will be executed by Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVL).

An MoU signed for skill development of Arogyamitras under the PMJAY

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 85 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING A Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) was signed between the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and National Health Agency (NHA), to provide capacity building for Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana(PMJAY).

It aims to ensure effective rollout and continued quality implementation.

As per the MoU, NSDC will ensure quality training of Arogyamitra through its network of Skill Development Centres functioning under PMKVY and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras(PMKK).

PMJAY programme will provide financial protection to 10.74 crore poor, deprived families who will get a benefit cover of Rs 5 lakh per family. Arogyamitras will be important link in providing quality care.

New committee formed to advise PM on science, tech-related policy issues

The Narendra Modi Government has constituted a high power committee to advise it on policy matters related to science, technology and innovation.

It is named as PM-STIAC (Science, Technology, Innovation Advisory Committee). The 21-member committee will be chaired by K Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government.

It will facilitate the formulation and implementation of policies and decisions, provide action-oriented and future preparedness advise and assist in directing S&T to solve the socio economic problems in the country.

PM Modi arrives in Nepal to attend BIMSTEC Summit

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kathmandu to attend the 4th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit.

He will hold bilateral meetings with regional leaders, including Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The theme of the meet is ‘Towards a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable Bay of Bengal region’.

BIMSTEC is a regional grouping comprising Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. The grouping accounts for 22 per cent of the global population.

3rd Edition Of World’s Biggest Open Innovation Model ‘Smart India Hackathon- 2019’ Launched

The MHRD has launched the third edition of Smart India Hackathon. The Smart India Hackathon 2019 was launched by the Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Prakash Javadekar, in New Delhi.

SIH-2019 is a nationwide initiative to provide students a platform to solve some of pressing problems we face in our daily lives, and thus inculcate a culture of product innovation and a mindset of problem solving.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 86 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Smart India Hackathon- 2019 would also have 2 sub-editions – Software edition (a 36-hour software product development competition) and Hardware edition (a 5 days long hardware product development competition).

Union Cabinet approves Earth Sciences Ministry’s umbrella scheme ‘O-SMART’

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its approval for implementation of an umbrella scheme ‘Ocean Services, Technology, Observations, Resources Modelling and Science (O- SMART)’.

The CCEA approved the scheme for implementation during the period from 2017-18 to 2019-20 at an overall cost of Rs 1623 crore.

The scheme address ocean development activities such as services, technology, resources, observations and science that covers a total of 16 sub-projects.

Ministry of Agriculture proposes to UNFAO to declare 2019 as ‘International Year of Millets’

The Agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh has proposed to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to declare the year 2019 as international year of millets.

This will promote cultivation by amending cropping patterns of areas which are especially susceptible to climate change.

India is celebrating 2018 as the national year of millets.

Millet is a common term to categorize small-seeded grasses that are often termed nutri-cereals or dryland- cereals, and includes sorghum, pearl millet, ragi etc.,

PFRDA sets up panel on cyber safety

The Pension Fund and Regulatory Development Authority (PFRDA) has set up a standing committee to suggest steps to deal with cybersecurity challenges to protect the interest of subscribers.

The committee on ‘Information Systems and Technology and Cyber Security’ will suggest steps to align PFRDA’s technology with best industry practices.

PFRDA is a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament to promote old age income security.

It develops, promotes and regulates the pension industry under National Pension System and also administers the Atal Pension Yojna.

India successfully tests indigenously Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’ in Pokhran

India has successfully flight tested the indigenously developed helicopter launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’ from Pokhran in Rajasthan.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 87 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The indigenously designed and developed guided bombs Smart Anti Airfield Weapon (SAAW) was also successfully flight tested from IAF aircraft at Chandan range in Jaisalmer.

The missile is guided by an Infrared Imaging Seeker (IIR) operating in the Lock on Before Launch mode. It is one of the most advanced Anti-Tank Weapons in the world.

All India Financial Inclusion Survey (NAFIS) released by NABARD

NABARD has released the results of its All India Rural Financial Inclusion Survey (NAFIS).

Among other things, the survey estimates 2015-16 farmers’ income levels.

Based on household-level data, NAFIS estimates that an average Indian farming household earned Rs 8,931/month (Rs 1,07,172/year) in agriculture year 2015-16.

About 26 per cent of agricultural households and 25 percent of non-agricultural households were found to have been covered under insurance.

Similarly, 20.1 percent agricultural households as against 18.9 percent non-agricultural households have subscribed to pension schemes.

Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog released the NAFIS report.

Northern states to set up joint secretariat to deal with drugs menace

The Northern states have decided to set up a joint secretariat at Panchkula, Haryana for data and information sharing to effectively fight the drug menace.

The decision was taken at a meeting of Chief Ministers of Northern States in Chandigarh, convened to evolve and formulate a joint strategy to fight the malady.

It was also decided that the states would launch a major awareness campaign in their respective schools, while engaging youth in sports and other activities at village levels.

Skill development of youth would also be undertaken on a major scale to prevent the spread of drugs.

FSSAI Constitutes B Sesikeran Committee To Review Food Labelling Standards

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has decided to form a three-member committee to look into the draft food labelling and display regulations.

The expert panel will be headed by B Sesikeran, former director of National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) and comprises Hemalatha and Dr Nikhil Tandon. The panel will study in detail the concerns of the industry and make recommendations.

The regulations have proposed making red colour-coded labels mandatory on packaged food products which are high in fat, sugar and salt contents.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 88 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is an autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.

FSSAI

Headquarters: New Delhi Chairman: Ashish Bahuguna

NOTA Option Not Applicable For Rajya Sabha Elections: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court ruled that the None of The Above (NOTA) option cannot be made available in Rajya Sabha elections.

A three-judge bench of CJI Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud observed that the NOTA option is applicable only for direct elections and not indirect elections such as the Rajya Sabha polls.

The poll panel had said NOTA was first introduced in 2014 following an apex court verdict a year earlier.

Chhattisgarh govt decides to rename Naya Raipur as Atal Nagar

In the memory of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Chhattisgarh Government has decided to rename Naya Raipur as Atal Nagar.

Bilaspur University will also replaced as Atal Bihari Vajpayee University and Narrow Gauge Line as Atal Path.

Atal ji played a crucial role in the formation of Chhattisgarh. For Atal ji’s contribution to Pokhran Nuclear Test, a police battalion will be named as Pokhran Battalion.

September 2018 to be observed as the National Nutrition Month

Every year September would be celebrated as the National Nutrition Month to mark the country’s fight against malnutrition.

The decision to celebrate September as the National Nutrition Month was taken during the second meeting of National Council on India’s Nutrition Challenges under the Poshan Abhiyaan.

The meeting was chaired by Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan and NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar.

Ministry of Agriculture proposes to UNFAO to declare 2019 as ‘International Year of Millets’

The Agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh has proposed to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to declare the year 2019 as international year of millets.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 89 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING This will promote cultivation by amending cropping patterns of areas which are especially susceptible to climate change.

India is celebrating 2018 as the national year of millets.

Millet is a common term to categorize small-seeded grasses that are often termed nutri-cereals or dryland- cereals, and includes sorghum, pearl millet, ragi etc.,

PFRDA sets up panel on cyber safety

The Pension Fund and Regulatory Development Authority (PFRDA) has set up a standing committee to suggest steps to deal with cybersecurity challenges to protect the interest of subscribers.

The committee on ‘Information Systems and Technology and Cyber Security’ will suggest steps to align PFRDA’s technology with best industry practices.

PFRDA is a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament to promote old age income security.

It develops, promotes and regulates the pension industry under National Pension System and also administers the Atal Pension Yojna.

India successfully tests indigenously Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’ in Pokhran

India has successfully flight tested the indigenously developed helicopter launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’ from Pokhran in Rajasthan.

The indigenously designed and developed guided bombs Smart Anti Airfield Weapon (SAAW) was also successfully flight tested from IAF aircraft at Chandan range in Jaisalmer.

The missile is guided by an Infrared Imaging Seeker (IIR) operating in the Lock on Before Launch mode. It is one of the most advanced Anti-Tank Weapons in the world.

All India Financial Inclusion Survey (NAFIS) released by NABARD

NABARD has released the results of its All India Rural Financial Inclusion Survey (NAFIS).

Among other things, the survey estimates 2015-16 farmers’ income levels.

Based on household-level data, NAFIS estimates that an average Indian farming household earned Rs 8,931/month (Rs 1,07,172/year) in agriculture year 2015-16.

About 26 per cent of agricultural households and 25 percent of non-agricultural households were found to have been covered under insurance.

Similarly, 20.1 percent agricultural households as against 18.9 percent non-agricultural households have subscribed to pension schemes.

Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog released the NAFIS report.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 90 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Northern states to set up joint secretariat to deal with drugs menace

The Northern states have decided to set up a joint secretariat at Panchkula, Haryana for data and information sharing to effectively fight the drug menace.

The decision was taken at a meeting of Chief Ministers of Northern States in Chandigarh, convened to evolve and formulate a joint strategy to fight the malady.

It was also decided that the states would launch a major awareness campaign in their respective schools, while engaging youth in sports and other activities at village levels.

Skill development of youth would also be undertaken on a major scale to prevent the spread of drugs.

NOTA Option Not Applicable For Rajya Sabha Elections: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court ruled that the None of The Above (NOTA) option cannot be made available in Rajya Sabha elections.

A three-judge bench of CJI Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud observed that the NOTA option is applicable only for direct elections and not indirect elections such as the Rajya Sabha polls.

The poll panel had said NOTA was first introduced in 2014 following an apex court verdict a year earlier.

Chhattisgarh govt decides to rename Naya Raipur as Atal Nagar

In the memory of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Chhattisgarh Government has decided to rename Naya Raipur as Atal Nagar.

Bilaspur University will also replaced as Atal Bihari Vajpayee University and Narrow Gauge Line as Atal Path.

Atal ji played a crucial role in the formation of Chhattisgarh. For Atal ji’s contribution to Pokhran Nuclear Test, a police battalion will be named as Pokhran Battalion.

September 2018 to be observed as the National Nutrition Month

Every year September would be celebrated as the National Nutrition Month to mark the country’s fight against malnutrition.

The decision to celebrate September as the National Nutrition Month was taken during the second meeting of National Council on India’s Nutrition Challenges under the Poshan Abhiyaan.

The meeting was chaired by Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan and NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 91 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Eleventh World Hindi Conference begins in Mauritius

The 11th World Hindi Conference begins in Mauritius. Prime Minister of Mauritius Praveen Kumar Jagannath will inaugurate the conference in Port Louis.

“Hindi World and Indian Culture” is the theme of conference.

World Hindi Conference was started in 1975 to make Hindi language a medium of service and knowledge and enable it to move forward with the time.

Mauritius

Capital: Port Louis Currency: Mauritian rupee

Pitch Black 2018 Exercise concludes in Australia

The Indian Air Force, IAF was invited for the first time to participate in Exercise Pitch Black – a biennial multi-national large force employment warfare exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). This exercise was conducted in Australia’s Darwin.

The participating Indian contingent in this three-week exercise consisted of 145 air-warriors, with 4x Su- 30 MKI, 1x C-130, 1x C-17, Garud Commandos and observers with diverse specialisations.

More than 4,000 Australian and international personnel along with 140 aircraft belonging to 16 countries took part in the exercise.

India, Japan agree to expand maritime co-operation to ensure peace & stability in Indo-Pacific region

India and Japan has resolved to expand their maritime cooperation and work together to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, which is witnessing growing Chinese assertiveness.

In their wide ranging talks, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her Japanese counterpart Itsunori Onodera also agreed to deepen the overall defence cooperation between the two countries including in areas of co-development of military platforms and weapons.

The two ministers also exchange views on India’s long-pending proposal to procure the US-2 ShinMaywa amphibious aircraft from Japan for its Navy. The two sides also firmed up a project in the area of Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) and robotics, marking the start of first such bilateral initiative.

Japan Capital: Tokyo Currency: Japanese yen

Sri Lanka: Ten-day festival of historic Esala Maha Perahera begins

In Sri Lanka, the ten-day festival of the historic Esala Maha Perahera began in Kandy.

The procession set off from the biggest Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka, Sri Dalada Maligawa.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 92 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The Esala Perahera is one of the oldest and grandest of all Buddhist festivals in Sri Lanka, featuring dancers, jugglers, musicians, fire-breathers and lavishly decorated elephants.

It is to commemorate the first teaching given by the Buddha after he attained enlightenment.

Sri Lanka

Capital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

Currency: Sri Lankan rupee

India-Thailand Conclude ‘Maitree’ Military Exercise

The Indian Army and the Royal Thai Army has completed a two-week-long platoon level annual joint military exercise “Maitree”.

It is aimed at strengthening partnership and cooperation between the two countries.

The ‘Exercise Maitree’ commenced on August 6 in Thailand. The exercise last year was conducted in Himachal Pradesh.

Thailand

Capital: Bangkok

Currency: Thai baht

First-ever IAF-RMAF joint air exercise begins in Malaysia

The first-ever joint air exercise involving the Indian Air Force and the Royal Malaysian Air Force commenced at Subang Air Base in Malaysia.

The exercise was inaugurated by Gp Capt CUV Rao, team leader IAF & Col Mahadzer, Ex director of RMAF.

The exercise seeks to deepen defence and military ties between the two countries.

Malaysia

Capital: Kuala Lumpur

Currency: Malaysian ringgit

Uttar Pradesh orders ban on plastic from July 1

 Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced ban on plastic bags, cups and glasses across the state from July 15 onwards.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 93 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING

 Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that it would be a big movement for the protection of environment and also sought co-operation from the public.  After Maharashtra, the Uttar Pradesh government has banned the use of several plastic products.

Uttar Pradesh Capital: Lucknow Governor: Ram Naik

NSG: First central paramilitary force to opt for e-ticketing

 The National Security Guard will be the first central paramilitary force to opt for e-ticketing instead of the railway warrant under an agreement signed with the IRCTC.  A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation and the NSG.  This system will eliminate the need of carrying railway warrants by the NSG personnel.

Piyush Goyal launches ‘CMSMS’ and ‘Khan Prahari’ App

 Union Minister of Coal, Railways, Finance & Corporate Affairs, Piyush Goyal has launched the Coal Mine Surveillance & Management System (CMSMS) and Mobile Application ‘Khan Prahari’.  The ‘Khan Prahari’ app has been developed by CMPDI, Ranchi, a Subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL) and Bhaskarcharya Institute of Space Application and Geo-informatics (BISAG).  The CMSMS aims to report, monitor and take suitable action on unauthorised coal mining activities.  The Khan Prahari app can be used for reporting any activity taking place related to illegal coal mining like rat hole mining, pilferage etc.

UNESCO to set up Design University in AP

 The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) will be setting up a ‘Design University for Gaming’ in Visakhapatnam, andhra Pradesh.  The UNESCO delegation has entered into an agreement with Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB) for the establishment of ‘Gaming Digital Learning Hub’.  The Gaming Technology will be the best source of income in future and IT giants like UBSoft, Samsung, Microsoft etc are ready to establish their centres in Visakhapatnam.

UNESCO

Headquarters: Paris, France Head: Audrey Azoulay

The CBIC launches ‘GST Verify’ app

 The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has developed a mobile app ‘GST Verify’ to protect interest of consumers.  It is an android app to verify if the person collecting GST from the consumer is eligible to collect it or not. It also provides the details of the person/ company collecting GST.  This app is developed by B Raghu Kiran joint commissioner GST Hyderabad, can be used all across the country.

CBIC

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 94 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Chairperson: Vanaja N. Sarna

1st Meeting of e-Commerce Task Force Held in New Delhi

The Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia chaired the first meeting of the task force on e-commerce in New Delhi.

The task force has been set up to recommend a framework for comprehensive national policy on e- commerce.

The discussion was held on wide-ranging issues such as cross-border data flows, taxation, trade facilitation, logistics, FDI and competition issues.

In the first meeting of the Think Tank held in April 2018, it was decided to set up a Task Force, on the framework for national policy on e-commerce, under the chairmanship of Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation.

Sambalpur becomes first to eliminate all unmanned level Crossings

In an aim of eliminating all unmanned Level Crossing Gates over Sambalpur Division, East Coast Railway launches highest ever 6 (six) Limited Height Subways (LHS) in Sambalpur Division and completed it in a single block of four and half hours. Sambalpur is located in the western part of Odisha.

Launching of 6 Limited Height Subways in Sambalpur Division is a first of its kind not only in East Coast Railway, but also in the entire Indian Railways.

Indian Satyarup Siddhanta scales world’s highest volcano crossings

The Indian Satyarup Siddhanta has become the second Indian mountaineer after Malli Mastan Babu to climb Mt Ojos del Salado, the highest volcano in the world.

Ojos del Salado is a stratovolcano (a volcano built up of alternate layers of lava and ash)in the Andes Range on the Argentina-Chile border and the highest active volcano in the world at 6,893 metres (22,615 ft).

Satyarup is also set to be the first Indian to climb Mt Sidley, the highest volcano of Antarctica.

BSNL launches its first Internet telephony Service Wings

The BSNL announces to launch its first Internet telephony service Wings. It will be launched from August 2018.

Those subscribing to the new service, entailing one-time registration fee of Rs 1,099, will be able to make calls using any internet connection including broadband, WiFi, 3G or 4G data network of any operator, thus overcoming connectivity problems even in areas having patchy signals.

It only allows authorised licensed holders to provide full-fledged internet telephony and not over-the-top players like Google Duo, WhatsApp that allow only app-app calling.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 95 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING AAI To Set up Civil Aviation Research Organization In Hyderabad

The State-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) will set up a Civil Aviation Research Organisation (CARO) aimed at “finding indigenous solutions” to meet the challenges posed by the growing air traffic.

According to AAI, CARO will be set up at Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad. AAI has earmarked a whopping budget outlay of Rs 1,200 crore for a period of 12 years for R&D.

Indian warship INS Trikand reaches Sri Lanka in goodwill visit

India’s latest frontline warship INS Trikand has reached Sri Lanka in a goodwill visit.

The Sri Lanka Navy ceremonially welcomed the state-of-the-art warship in accordance with naval traditions.

INS Trikand is a state-of-the-art warship of the Indian Navy equipped with a versatile range of weapons and sensors capable of addressing threats in all three dimensions – air, surface and sub-surface.

Gujarat Government grants religious minority status to Jews:

 Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who is presently in Israel on a six-day visit, announced that the state government will issue a notification, according minority status to Jews in Gujarat.  The Gujarat government has granted religious minority status to the Jewish community in the state.  There are just 170 members of the Jewish community in Gujarat, of which 140 are settled in Ahmedabad, while the remaining 30 are in other parts of the state.

GUJARAT

 Capital: Gandhinagar  Chief Minister: Vijay Rupani  Governor: Om Prakash Kohli

ADB approves Lining Project of Son Canal in Bihar:

 The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved USD 503-million lining project of the Son canal in Shahabad-Bhojpur region of Bihar which would benefit the agriculture sector immensely in the region, the power ministry said today.  It was agreed during the meeting that the finance ministry will give permission to appoint consultants by July 17, 2018, and the ADB consultants will start their work by the end of July.  The estimated cost of this project is USD 503 million (Rs 3272.49 crore) out of which USD 352 million is being provided by ADB. This project will bring immense benefits to the agriculture sector of Shahabad – Bhojpur region of Bihar.

Bihar

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 Chief Minister: Nithish Kumar  Governor: Satya Pal Malik  Capital: Patna

51 lakh houses approved under PMAY in 3-yrs: Govt

 Government said over 51 lakh houses have been approved under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) in the three years of its implementation.  Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry in a statement said, out of 51 lakh sanctioned houses, over 28 lakhs houses are already in various stages of construction over 8 lakh houses have already been completed.  The Ministry said, this is a huge jump in comparison to the erstwhile housing scheme wherein only 12.4 lakh houses were approved in around 9 years of its implementation.

Government to Launch Global Housing Construction Technology Challenge Under PMAYU:

 As part of the technology sub-mission of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna- Urban (PMAY-U), the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) plans on launching the Global Housing Construction Technology Challenge that aims at accelerating PMAY-U target for providing housing for all.  With PMAY-U in place, almost 8 lakh houses have been constructed since 25 June 2015, which apparently doesn’t even count 10 percent of revised MoHUA target in which 1.2 crore houses are meant to be built by 2022.

MHA to upgrade National Information Security Policy and Guidelines to secure government data:

 In order to secure government data and control access to sensitive information on the internet, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will be upgrading the National Information Security Policy and Guidelines (NISPG). For the protection of the ‘information’ in Cyberspace, MHA will be designated as the lead agency.

 Till 2013, MHA was solely responsible for cybersecurity, which later was moved to National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) under Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).  Along with the shift, the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) got the critical infrastructure, whereas the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MITY) got the non- critical part.  The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh too emphasised on reviewing cyberthreat and told NISPG to update and upgrade the government sector.

67th plenary meeting of North Eastern Council held in Shillong:

 The two-day 65th Plenary meeting of North Eastern Council (NEC) will begin in Shillong, Meghalaya.  The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and Youth Affairs and Sports (IC), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space and Chairman, NEC, Dr Jitendra Singh will chair the first Plenary session. 

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 The first Plenary Session will include tabling of Action Taken Report on the 64th Plenary meeting and approval of Draft Annual Plan of NEC, 2016-17 by the Council.

NITI Aayog Released Paper On ‘National Health Stack’

The central government think tank NITI Aayog has unveiled the blueprint of National Health Stack (NHS), a shared digital healthcare infrastructure.

The blueprint is in line with the implementation of the Centre’s flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat and other public healthcare programmes in the country.

According to a consultation paper titled ‘National Health Stack Strategy an Approach’, the National Health Stack will facilitate collection of comprehensive healthcare data across the country.

The government’s flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat aims to provide a coverage of INR 5 Lakh per family annually and benefit more than 10 crore poor families.

NITI: National Institution for Transforming India

CEO- Amitabh Kant Vice-Chairman- Rajiv Kumar

Int. Round Table Conference on Data for New India Held in New Delhi

The Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has organised a International Round Table Conference on ‘Data for New India’ in New Delhi.

The objective of the 2-day Conference is to identify innovative ideas for improving the statistical system in India. ( discussing the best practices followed in advanced countries like Canada, UK and Australia). The Conference is organized in India for the first time.

The Conference is inaugurated by D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Union Minister of Statistics & Programme Implementation.

Indian Railways introduces first dwarf container service

The Indian Railways has introduced a commercial service to run double-stack dwarf containers on trains to capture the lost traffic through new delivery model for domestic cargo.

The Double Stacked Container, which is 6 ft 4 inches in height and can run on electrified tracks, can hold a capacity of 30,500 kgs. These containers in double stack formation can run under 25kV overhead lines.

Indian Railways has received increased revenue of Rs 18.50 lakhs due to this Double Stacked Dwarf Container service.

Venkaiah Naidu Becomes 1st Chairman of Rajya Sabha To Sign MOU

For the first time,Rajya Sabha has has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a foreign counterpart for promoting inter-parliamentary dialogue.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 98 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Venkaiah Naidu has become the first Chairman of Rajya Sabha to sign such an agreement when he inked an MOU with the visiting President of the Senate of the Republic of Rwanda, Bernard Makuza.

Shri Naidu and Mr. Makuza discussed issues of bilateral interest and the opportunities for cooperation for mutual benefit.

Microsoft and Rajasthan Sign MoU for Free Digital Training

Microsoft has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Rajasthan government to provide free digital training to 9,500 college students in one year.

As reported, the initiative was taken for the enhancement of digital learning and capacity building of college students in the state. It was announced by Higher Education Minister Kiran Maheshwari.

It will also train educators from government colleges through the Microsoft Innovative Educator Programme, building capacity for innovative use of information and communications technology (ICT) in the classroom.

Rajasthan Governor: Kalyan Singh

Capital: Jaipur Microsoft

Chief minister: Vasundhara Raje CEO: Satya Nadella

NITI Aayog Released Paper On ‘National Health Stack’

The central government think tank NITI Aayog has unveiled the blueprint of National Health Stack (NHS), a shared digital healthcare infrastructure.

The blueprint is in line with the implementation of the Centre’s flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat and other public healthcare programmes in the country.

According to a consultation paper titled ‘National Health Stack Strategy an Approach’, the National Health Stack will facilitate collection of comprehensive healthcare data across the country.

The government’s flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat aims to provide a coverage of INR 5 Lakh per family annually and benefit more than 10 crore poor families.

NITI: National Institution for Transforming India

CEO- Amitabh Kant Vice-Chairman- Rajiv Kumar

Int. Round Table Conference on Data for New India Held in New Delhi

The Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has organised a International Round Table Conference on ‘Data for New India’ in New Delhi.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 99 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The objective of the 2-day Conference is to identify innovative ideas for improving the statistical system in India. ( discussing the best practices followed in advanced countries like Canada, UK and Australia). The Conference is organized in India for the first time.

The Conference is inaugurated by D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Union Minister of Statistics & Programme Implementation.

Indian Railways introduces first dwarf container service

The Indian Railways has introduced a commercial service to run double-stack dwarf containers on trains to capture the lost traffic through new delivery model for domestic cargo.

The Double Stacked Container, which is 6 ft 4 inches in height and can run on electrified tracks, can hold a capacity of 30,500 kgs. These containers in double stack formation can run under 25kV overhead lines.

Indian Railways has received increased revenue of Rs 18.50 lakhs due to this Double Stacked Dwarf Container service.

Venkaiah Naidu Becomes 1st Chairman of Rajya Sabha To Sign MOU

For the first time,Rajya Sabha has has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a foreign counterpart for promoting inter-parliamentary dialogue.

Venkaiah Naidu has become the first Chairman of Rajya Sabha to sign such an agreement when he inked an MOU with the visiting President of the Senate of the Republic of Rwanda, Bernard Makuza.

Shri Naidu and Mr. Makuza discussed issues of bilateral interest and the opportunities for cooperation for mutual benefit.

Microsoft and Rajasthan Sign MoU for Free Digital Training

Microsoft has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Rajasthan government to provide free digital training to 9,500 college students in one year.

As reported, the initiative was taken for the enhancement of digital learning and capacity building of college students in the state. It was announced by Higher Education Minister Kiran Maheshwari.

It will also train educators from government colleges through the Microsoft Innovative Educator Programme, building capacity for innovative use of information and communications technology (ICT) in the classroom.

Rajasthan Governor: Kalyan Singh

Capital: Jaipur Microsoft

Chief minister: Vasundhara Raje CEO: Satya Nadella

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GHMC is awarded the Best Capital City in the Swachh Survekshan 2018 rankings:

 The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has been awarded Best Capital City in the Solid Waste Management in theSwachh Survekshan 2018 rankings.  Swachh Survekshan was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) under Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban).  The Swachh Survekashan survey ranks cities on various sanitation parameters. The GHMC was also at the 27th place among 4,041 cities.

Russia successfully tested hypersonic missile Avangard :

 Russia has conducted a final test of a nuclear-capable glider that flies at 20 times the speed of sound.  The missile was launched from the Dombarovskiy missile base in the southern Ural Mountains and hit its target on a test site in Kamchatka, about 6,000km away.  Avangard is designed using new composite materials to withstand temperatures of up to 2,000 degrees Celsiusthat come from a flight through the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds.

Divya Patidar Joshi Crowned Mrs. India 2018 Title :

 The Mrs. India My Identity Beauty Pageant 2018 finale was held in Delhi and Divya Patidar Joshi was crowned with the prestigious honour.  Hailing from Madhya Pardesh’s Ratlam, Divya won the crown of Mrs India this year from among 24 promising contestants.  She won all the rounds of Beauty with Brain contest along with Best Cat Walk title.

Isolated Turkmenistan launches first messaging app :

 The repressive central Asian nation of Turkmenistan, where the likes of Facebook and Whatsapp are banned, launched its first messaging app.  The privately developed BizBarde app will allow the exchange of messagers, files, photos and videos.

Israel’s parliament approved a law to permit exports of medical marijuana:

 Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, approved of a law to permit exports of medical marijuana which made Israel the 3rd country after the Netherlands and Canada, to take its medical cannabis global.

41st Meeting of Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee Held in New Delhi :

 The 41st meeting of the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee was held in New Delhi.  In the meeting, the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has approved the construction of another 3,10,597 more affordable houses for the benefit of urban poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).

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 A total of 864 projects with a project cost of Rs 14,662 crore with central assistance of Rs 4,658 crore has been approved in the meeting held under the Chairmanship of Shri Durga Shankar Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Four day 12th Annual ISDSI Conference commenced in SPJIMR, Mumbai :

 The four day long 12th Annual Indian Subcontinent Decision Sciences Institute (ISDSI) conference commenced in SPJIMR, Mumbai.  The theme of this international conference is “Data-Driven Decision Making in the Digital Age”.

The main objective of this conference is to provide a platform for academicians, researchers and practitioners to:

 Disseminate research, providing insights into the challenges, opportunities, emerging strategies and analytical tools in the domain of decision making;  Present case studies on the application of tools and techniques;  Explore cutting-edge ideas, results, and share experiences.

Nepal caps expenditure of its citizens in India :

 Nepal imposed a monthly limit on the amount of Indian currency its citizen can spend in India.  According to that Nepali citizen would be unable to spend more than ₹1 lakh per month while paying for goods and services in India and that the decision was taken to address the country’s current account deficit.  The policy applicable to prepaid, credit and debit cards of Nepali banks came into effect.

Germany gives nod to $8 billion tunnel link to Denmark :

 German authorities gave their approval to an US$8 billion (6.30 billion pounds) rail and road tunnel linking Denmark and Germany, despite environmental objections.  It is part-funded by the European Union. The 19 km (11.8 mile) Fehmarnbelt link, connecting the Danish island of Lolland to the island of Fehmarn on the German side, was due to be completed in 2024.  The project, priced at 52.6 billion Danish crowns ($8.1 billion), comprises a four-lane motorway and a two-track railway. It is part-funded by the European Union.

US Adventurer Completes 1st Unaided Solo Trek Across Antarctica :

 A 33-year-old man Colin O’Brady from the United States become the first person to complete a solo trek across Antarctica without any assistance.  He finished the 1,500km journey across the frozen continent in 54 days, lugging his supplies on a sled as he skied in bone-chilling temperatures from north to south.

Uzbekistan promotes 2019 as year of investment in backdrop of wider business with India :

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 President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyevannounced 2019 as the ‘Year of Active Investment and Social Development’ in the backdrop of proposed investments from India to boost the economy of the Central Asian country, in his annual address to the Parliament.  The President stated that concrete measures will be taken on creating an open economy, radically improving the business environment and investment climate and reducing the state presence in the economy.

Narendra Modi to inaugurate 106th Indian Science Congress (ISC)-2019 in Jalandhar, Punjab:

 World’s largest science meet ‘Indian Science Congress (ISC)-2019’ is going to be held from 3rd to 7th January 2019, in Jalandhar, Punjab.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 106th edition of ISC-2019, based on the theme ‘Future India: Science and Technology’  The event will play a pivotal role in stimulating scientific research effort and raising the scientific temperament in the country and the world.

U.S, Israel quit UNESCO citing bias:

 The United states of America (USA) and Israel officially quit the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) amid concerns that the organization fosters anti-Israel bias.  UNESCO was established in 1945 after the end of world war II to foster peace and it is best known for its World Heritage programs which designates cultural sites and aims to preserve traditions.  Both the countries filed the notice to withdraw from the organization in 2017.

Qatar to withdraw from OPEC in January 2019:

 Qatar has withdrawn its membership from Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).  Qatar, which joined Opec in 1961 and is the first Middle East country to withdraw from the organisation.  The decision came amid the ongoing diplomatic and economic blockade imposedon the country by its Persian Gulf neighbours and several Arab states.

France to introduce tax on global internet, technology firms:

 France will introduce its own tax on large internet and technology companies from January 1.  France has been pushing hard for a new so-called “GAFA tax” — named after Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon -to ensure the global giants pay a fair share of taxes on their massive business operations in Europe.  French finance minister Bruno Le Maire says the tax on large internet and technology companies will be introduced from January 1 and expects to collect $570 million.

Cabinet apprised of MoU between India and Morocco on Cooperation in the area of Cyber Security:

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 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been apprised of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Morocco on cooperation in the area ofCyber Security.  The MoU intends to promote closer cooperation for exchange of knowledge and experience in detection, resolution and prevention of security-related incidents between India and Morocco.  Implementation of the MoU will result in significant mutual benefits in the Cyber Security sector, through institutional and capacity building with Morocco in the field of Cyber Security.

President Trump signs ‘Asia Reassurance Initiative Act’ into law:

 US president has signed the‘Asia Reassurance Initiative Act’. The law aims at countering the encroaching influence and growing threat from China, and to reinvigorate U.S. leadership in Asia.  The act aims to establish a multifaceted U.S. strategy to increase U.S. security, economic interests, and values in the Indo-Pacific region.

Veer Savarkar International Airport Declared As Authorized Immigration Check Post:

 Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair has been declared as an authorized Immigration Check post for entry into/exit from India with valid travel documents for all classes of passengers.  Andaman and Nicobar Police has been appointed as the‘Civil Authority’ for the purpose of the immigration check post.The announcement was made by Information, Public Relations and Tourism Division of Andaman and Nicobar Administration.

World’s first floating nuclear plant operational in Russia:

 Russian state-run atomic energy corporation Rosatom announced that Akademik Lomonosov, the world’s first “floating” nuclear powerplant (FNPP) for installation in remote areas, has been started and brought to 10 percent of its capacity.  They are designed to maintain both uninterruptible power and plentiful desalinated water supply in remote areas.

39th Gulf Cooperation Council summit ends in Riyadh :

 The 39th Gulf Cooperation Council Summit was inaugurated by the King Salman of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh.The GCC comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.  It was announced at the conclusion of the summit that the 40th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit will be held in the United Arab Emirates.  Although the 39th summit was held in Riyadh upon a request from Oman, Oman will be the president for the next 12 months.

India, Russia mark 18th IRIGC-MTC meeting :

 India’s Minister of Defense Nirmala Sitharaman met with Russian Federation General Sergei Shoigumarking the 18th meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC).

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 In the framework of the bilateral Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership, the IRIGC-MTC meeting discussed a wide range of issues relating to defense equipment, industry and technological engagement between Indiaand Russia as well as after sales support/upgradation of military equipment of Russian origin.  India and Russia agreed to extend bilateral cooperation on defence joint-venture (JV) manufacturing projects

Nepal bans Indian currency notes above Rs 100:

 The Nepal government has decided to ban Indian currency above Rs 100,according to a report published in Kathmandu.  According to the report, the government has asked Nepal citizens to refrain from keeping new Indian note of Rs 2,000, Rs 500 and Rs 200 denominations.  The government has asked the people to refrain from keeping or carrying Indian bank notes higher than Rs 100 denomination as it has not legalised the higher denomination notes

Irish parliament passes bill to legalise abortion :

 Ireland’s parliament has passed a landmark legislation to make abortion legal for the first time in the Catholic-majority country with 66.4%voting in favour of new legislation to allow for the termination of pregnancies.  The new development has come following a rising number of distressing stories about women unable to get an abortion in Ireland.

India, Saudi Arabia Sign Bilateral Annual Haj Agreement For 2019 :

 India and Saudi Arabia signed the 2019 Bilateral Annual Haj Agreement.Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Saudi Arabia’s Haj and Umrah Minister Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten were present at the event.  The agreement is a part of strengthened bilateral relations of the two countries. Both India and Saudi Arabia share strong cultural, historical, economic and political relations.  The Saudi government has always played an active role in ensuring the safety and comfort of Indian Haj pilgrims and that has strengthened bilateral relations.

Static : Saudi Arabia Capital: Riyadh Currency: Saudi riyal.

Uttar Pradesh’s Startup HelpUsGreen honoured by UN:

 Uttar Pradesh based startup HelpUsGreen has been honored by UN for its works to clean River Ganga by recycling tonnes of floral waste.  UN presented the award to the 14 other countries along with India at the Nations Climate Action award ceremony during the UN Climate Change Conference in Katowic.

EU parliament approves ‘world’s largest’ free trade deal with Japan:

 The European Parliament approved an accord with Japan that has been dubbed the world’s biggest trade deal, covering economies that represent a third of global GDP.

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 The agreement has been celebrated as a victory for Europe as a free trade champion in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump’s protectionism and the U.K.’s decision to leave the EU.  EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement will remove duties on almost all agricultural and industrial products as well as open up the service sector and procurement.  It also moves to eliminate non-tariff barriers to trade. The deal will create an open trading zone covering 635 million people and almost one-third of the world’s total GDP.

Germany adds ′diverse′ as a gender to birth register :

 Germans will soon be able to choose a third gender on the register of births, with “diverse” set to become an option.  This comes after Chancellor Angela Merkel’s left-right coalition had passed legislation permitting children born intersex to be registered as “miscellaneous”.  The “third gender” option places Germany in line with other countries that have introduced measures to recognize intersex people or a third gender, such as Austria, Australia, New Zealand, India, Canada and Portugal.

Iran falls to sixth biggest oil supplier to India as sanctions bite :

 According to Reuters, Iran dropped two places to become the sixth biggest oil supplier to India in November, after New Delhi cut purchases due to the impact of U.S. sanctions.  India is restricted to buying 1.25 million tons per month, or about 300,000 barrels per day (bpd). Iraq and Saudi Arabia continued to be the top two oil sellers to India.  The UAE, which was the sixth biggest oil seller to India in October, became the third top seller to India in November, knocking down Venezuela by a notch to fourth position. Nigeria continued at No. 5 position, while Iran slipped to sixth place.

Australia Recognizes West Jerusalem as Capital of Israel :

 Australia announced that it now recognizes West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and will move its Tel Aviv embassy once a peace settlement is reached.USA under the leadership of Donald Trump already recognized the disputed city as the Capital of Israel.  The announcement makes Australia one of a handful of countries to recognize part of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and represents a change in the country’s long-held policy on the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

India and France agree to fight terrorism jointly :

 India and France have agreed on deepening their strategic partnership through cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, civil nuclear, defence and security, space, trade and economic sectors.  The agreement was reached during talks between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian in New Delhi.  Paris and New Delhi are also working together on multiple international forums including Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

India announces $1.4 billion package for Maldives :

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 India announced a $1.4 billionpackage for the Maldives to meet its immediate budgetary as well as some medium-term requirements.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the package that includes soft loans after talks with visiting Maldives President Ibrahim Solih in New Delhi.  Both sides signed four agreements that will ensure greater cooperation between India and the Maldives with India covered a wide swath of issues such as health, education, and defence.

STATIC : Maldives Capital: Male Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa.

Dutch build artificial islands to bring wildlife back :

 A new artificial archipelagoof five islets was created in Markermeer to bring wildlife back, one of Europe’s largest freshwater lakes under an ambitious project.  The five islets were built in two and a half years and have already served as a resting place for 30,000 swallows this year.  It has already attracted greylag goose, common tern, and several species of waders.The project was initiated by Natuurmonumenten, a Dutch non-governmental organization working for the preservation of nature. The project cost around 60 million euros (USD 68 million).

Indian Navy to inaugurate IFC for Indian Ocean Region :

 Indian Navy is all set to establish the information fusion centre (IFC) for theIndian Ocean Region at the Navy’s Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) in Gurugram.  The IFC-IOR is established with the vision of strengthening maritime security in the region and beyond, by building a common coherent maritime situation picture and acting as a maritime information hub for the region.  The centre is aimed at collecting the data oncommercial shipping or ‘white shipping’ in the Indian Ocean region. This will improve the Indian Navy’s ‘Maritime Domain Awareness’.

PM Modi to inaugurate new campus of IIT Bhubaneswar :

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Odisha on December 24 during which he will inaugurate a new campus of IIT-Bhubaneswar and launch a host of other projects.  Besides dedicating the new IIT Bhubaneswar campus, Modi will lay the foundation stone for IISER, Berhampur.The prime minister will also lay the foundation stone and inaugurate several other development projects in Odisha.  On the occasion of bicentenary celebration of the historicPaika Rebellion, PM Modi will also release commemorative coin, postage stamp and inaugurate the Chair at Utkal University in memory of country’s first independence movement.

Note :The Paika Rebellion is also called as Paika Bidroha

India signed the 30-member Trans Regional Maritime Network pact in Rome, Italy:

30-member Trans Regional Maritime Networkthat will give it an access to the information on ships passing through the Indian Ocean Region.

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India, S Korea to raise bilateral trade to 50 billion dollars by 2030:

 India and South Korea have agreed to raise the quantum of the bilateral trade to 50 billion dollars by the year 2030. And to upgrade the bilateral Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, CEPA, and implementation of trade facilitation measures already agreed upon will help us move towards this target.  India and South Korea also explored new avenues of Korean investment in India’s infrastructure modernization. This was done during the meeting between Foreign Affairs Minister of Korea Ms. Kang Kyung-wha and External Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Three-day 7th round of India – South Korea CEPA negotiations held in South Korea:

 The 7th round of India – South Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) negotiations were held in Seoul, South Korea.  South Korea imports around 15 lac tonnes of raw sugar annually and the Indian sugar industry is making efforts to export raw sugar from India during 2018-19 sugar season.

Monaco to host 2019 Laureus Awards on February 18, 2019:

 The 19th edition of the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards will be held in Monaco on February 18, 2019.  Considered as the ‘Oscars of sports’, the Laureus World Sports Awards celebrate global sporting achievements across the calendar year.  Former India cricket captains Kapil Dev, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar are members of the Laureus Academy.  Last year, tennis great Roger Federer won the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award for a record fifth time, while Serena Williams won the Sportswoman of the Year recognition for the fourth time.

MONACO Capital: Monaco Currency: Euro

Ohio becomes first U.S. state to accept Bitcoin for tax payments:

 Ohio is now the first U.S. state to accept tax payments in the form of cryptocurrency.The state will use BitPay, a cryptocurrency global payment system, to complete the process.  The launch of OhioCrypto.com, which will allow citizens to pay taxes with Bitcoin. Businesses in the US state ofOhio can now pay their taxes using Bitcoin (BTC), marking the first state within the nation to officially accept cryptocurrencies to pay for such transactions.

India, China amend Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement to prevent evasion:

 India and China amended their bilateral Double TaxationAvoidance Agreement (DTAA)to prevent tax evasion through exchange of information.The protocol updated the existing provisions for information exchange to the latest international standards.  It also incorporated changes required to implement treaty-related minimum standards under the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) action reports.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 108 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING STATIC: CHINA Currency: Renminbi Capital: Beijing.

Nepal govt launches Social Security Scheme:

 Nepal government has launched a Social Security Scheme in Kathmandu for formal sector workers of the country.  Unveiling the scheme Prime Minister K.P.Sharma Oli said a new era of social security has begun in Nepal.  The new social security scheme is contribution based and it will cover health and medical facilities, safe motherhood, accident and physical incapacity security, security to dependent family members and security at old age.  The scheme will be compulsorily applicable to formal sector workers. The scheme will soon be extended to informal sector workers as well.

STATIC : NEPAL

Capital : Kathmandu Currency : Nepalese Rupee

President of Nepal and commander in chief of Nepalese Army : Bidhya Devi Bhandari

PM Modi to leave for Buenos Aires to take part in 13th G-20 summit 2018:

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave for Argentinian capital Buenos Aires to take part in the 13th G-20 2018 summit. The theme of the summit is – Building Consensus for a Fair and Sustainable Development.  Prime Minister will also attend a trilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.  The Prime Minister will be speaking on several welfare schemes including Ayushman Bharat, soil health card, MUDRA Yojna among other issues in Putting People First session.  During the summit, Prime minister will make the pitch for other countries which are not between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn to join the International Solar Alliance. The G-20 is also expected to discuss reforms of multilateral trading institutions particularly the WTO.

Note:

 The 2019 G20 Osaka summitwill be the fourteenth meeting of Group of Twenty. It will be held on 28–29 June 2019 in Osaka. It will be thefirst-ever G20 summit to be hosted in Japan.

International Gita Festival to be held in Kurukshetra:

 The International Gita Festival, 2018, will be organised in Kurukshetra in Haryana from December 7-23, in which Mauritius will be the partner country and Gujarat the partner state.  The Gita festival will also be organised in Mauritius next February.About 200 famous painters from across the country would reach Kurukshetra to draw paintings on the walls of Kurukshetra on the theme of the Mahabharata under the ‘paint-the-wall’ competition.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 109 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING India, China ink protocol on hygiene inspection requirements for exports:

 India and China have signed a protocol on hygiene and inspection requirements for the exports.  A protocol on hygiene and inspection requirements for the exports was signed in New Delhi during the visit of Chinese Vice Minister, General Administration of Customs of China Hu Wei who is leading a six-member delegation to India.

The move would enable India to commence export of fish meal and fish oil to China.

India International Cherry Blossom Festival Held in Meghalaya

The third edition of the India International Cherry Blossom Festival 2018 got underway at Polo 5th Ground, Shillong.

It was inaugurated by the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma in the presence of Japanese Ambassador to India, Kenji Hiramatsu.

The four-day long festival is being organised by the Forest and Environment Department, Govt of Meghalaya, Institute of Bio-resources and Sustainable Development in collaboration with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

It celebrates the unique autumn flowering of the Himalayan Cherry Blossoms with several cultural events.

World Tolerance Summit inaugurated in Dubai

The two-day summit to mark the World Tolerance Day was inaugurated in Dubai.

It is being held for the first time in UAE.

The theme of the Summit was ‘Prospering from Pluralism: Embracing Diversity through Innovation and Collaboration’.

The summit discusses the importance of tolerance, peace and equality, and celebrate diversity.

2-Day APEC Summit 2018 held in Papua New Guinea

APEC Papua New Guinea 2018 is the year-long hosting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in Papua New Guinea. It will be held in Port Moresby.

It was the first time Papua New Guinea is hosting the APEC meetings. Australia provided a quarter to a third of the cost to host the meetings and also helped with logistics and security (G4S).

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation is an inter-governmental forum for 21 Pacific Rim member economies that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 110 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Papua New Guinea Capital: Port Moresby Currency: Papua New Guinean kina

WHO World Malaria Report 2018

The World malaria report, published annually, provides a comprehensive update on global and regional malaria data and trends.

Data from 2015–2017 highlight that no significant progress in reducing global malaria cases was made in this period. There were an estimated 219 million cases and 435 000 related deaths in 2017.

The World malaria report 2018 draws on data from 91 countries and areas with ongoing malaria transmission. The information is supplemented by data from national household surveys and databases held by other organizations.

Saudi, UAE Announced USD 500 million in Aid to Yemen

Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which lead a military coalition against the Huthi rebels in Yemen, has announced USD 500 million in aid to the country on the brink of famine.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will each give USD 250 million in response to the food crisis to support more than 10 million people.

The donations will go through the United Nations as well as other international and local aid groups.

Indo-Japan Business Council’s Business Festival Held In Pune

The Indo-Japan Business Council (IJBC), has hosted KONNICHIWA PUNE – a first of its kind business festival in Pune on 17th & 18th November, 2018.

The festival aims to boost investment, promote businesses and cultural exchange between India and Japan.

Maharashtra has emerged as one of the top destinations for the Japanese companies operating in the country. Of the total 1309 Japanese firms in the country, Maharashtra has more than 750 of them operating in various sectors.

With the state government’s Make in Maharashtra initiative, many Japanese companies have expressed interest in development of infrastructure and tourism.

Note: The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Train project is an iconic joint project between the two countries, which will introduce our Shinkansen technology. Japan has made a commitment for this project which will be funded by Japan.

India, Australia exchange five MoUs in Sydney:

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 India and Australia signed five agreements to boost investments and enhance cooperation during President Ram Nath Kovind’s visit to the country and he had also unveiled the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Parramatta in Sydney.  Kovind, the first Indian head of state to visit the country, held talks with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Sydney to step up bilateral strategic ties.  The agreements were signed in the field of disability sector, education, trade-investment, scientific cooperation, agriculture and on higher education focussing on PhD by both the nations.

XII-ISMM World Congress on Mountain Medicine Held in Kathmandu:

 The 12th world congress of the International Society for Mountain Medicine (ISMM) will be held in Kathmandu, Nepal. “Mountain Medicine in the Heart of the Himalayas” will be the theme of 4 day congress.  For the first time, the congress will be held in Kathmandu, hosted by an active group of young physicians gathered in the Mountain Medicine Society of Nepal. The program includes many aspects of mountain medicine, from science through to expedition medicine.  The biennial event mainly focuses on science and research aspects of high altitude medicine. It will also include practical workshops related to trekking, expedition medicine and clinical education.

UK India Business Council Releases Fourth Annual Ease of Doing Business:

 The UK India Business Council Ease of Doing Business Report highlighted that UK businesses’ perceptions of corruption as a barrier to operating in India has halved since 2015.  Based on an in-depth survey of businesses with a combined turnover of USD 122 billion, the report found only 25% of UK businesses saw corruption as a major barrier in 2018, as opposed to 51% in 2015.  UK has been the largest G20 investor in India since 2000, investing £17.5 billion and creating 371,000 new jobs, representing 10% of all FDI-related jobs in that period.  Another key finding was that a remarkable 46% of UK Businesses responding had plans to expand their investments in India in the next 12 months. Moreover 25% of those responding intend to direct this new investment eastwards – seeking new opportunities in states such as West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya and Manipur.

Indian embassy in Nepal and CII to organise exhibition ConMac 2018 in Nepal:

 An exhibition of construction equipment and technology-ConMac 2018 will be organised by The Embassy of India in Nepal and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Bhaktapur near Kathmandu.The exhibition aims to further enhance high level engagements between construction industry of the two countries.  With more than 200,000 sq ft of display area, the exhibition is poised to be Nepal’s largest exhibition of construction equipment.  Nepal’s Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Raghubir Mahaseth will inaugurate the event. Ambassador of India to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri will be the Guest of Honour.

India, Russia sign $500 mn deal for constructing 2 warships for Indian Navy:

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 India and Russia signed a USD 500 million deal for construction of two warships in Goa for the Indian Navy under the technology transfer model,sending a clear signal of continuing with high-level defence collaborations notwithstanding the US warnings of sanctions.  The agreement for the project was signed between defence PSU Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) and Russia’s state-run defence major Rosoboronexport under the government-to-government framework for defence cooperation.  Under the deal, Russia will provide design, technology and some materials to GSL for construction of the ships in India.

AAI inks pact with US agency to prepare modernisation roadmap:

 The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has signed an agreement with the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) for developing a roadmap of modernisation of its air traffic services.  The pact, which include air traffic management (ATM) and communication, navigation and surveillance (CNS).  The collaboration is aimed to improve airspace utilisation and to advance the safety and effectiveness of the National Airspace System (NAS).

Cabinet approves signing and ratifying the Extradition Agreement between India and Morocco:

 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved signing and ratifying the Extradition Agreement between India and Morocco. The Agreement will be signed during the proposed VIP visit from Morocco from 11-18 November 2018.  The Agreement will provide a strong legal base for the extradition of fugitive offenders who are accused of economic offences, terrorism and other serious offences in one Contracting State and found in another Contracting State.  This Treaty will also strengthen bilateral relations to deal with criminal elements acting against the national interest of both India and Morocco.

Cabinet approves MoU between India and Italy for continuing training and education in the fields of Labour and Employment:

 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Italy for training and education in the fields of Labour and Employment.  The major impact of the MoU would be up-gradation of technical capacities of both the institutions in responding to the challenges emanating from transformations in the world of work.  It will enhance the technical capabilities of developing and organising international training programmes and the evolution of V.V.Giri National Labour Institute (VVGNLI) as a leading training institution in the Asia-Pacific region.

The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) to commence in Goa :

 The 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2018 will be held in Goa from 20th to 28th November, 2018. 49th edition of the festival will showcase 212 films from over 68 countries which reflects diversity of taste.International Competition section has 15 films out of which 3 are Indian.

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 Information and Broadcasting Ministry stated that Festival will open with World Premiere of the Aspern Papers with international star cast. The Aspern Papers tells a story of obsession, grandeur lost and dreams of Byronic adventures.

India, South Korea sign MoU on cooperation in sports:

 India and South Korea signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in sports in New Delhi.  Sports Minister Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore and Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of South Korea Do Jong-hwan signed the MoU.  The objective of the MoU is to establish a framework to facilitate and promote cooperation between the two countries on the basis of reciprocity and mutual benefit.

Vice President embarks on three-day visit to France:

 Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has embarked on a three-day visit to France.The Vice President will attend the Paris Peace Forum being held to commemorate the centenary of the end to the First World War.  He will also hold a number of bilateral meetings on the side-lines of the Paris Peace Forum. He will also address the Indian community and will inaugurate the Indian War Memorial at Villers Guislain.  The aim of the Paris Peace Forum is to establish a global platform to reaffirm the importance of multilateralism, international cooperation and reform of global governance institutions.

DEPwD organises ‘Global IT Challenge for Youth with Disabilities:

 “Global IT Challenge for Youth with Disabilities, 2018” is being organised by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment here during 9-11 November, 2018.  This year, India is hosting the event in collaboration with Government of Korea and Rehabilitation International (RI).  The Global IT Challenge for disability is a capacity building project that helps youth with disabilities to overcome their limitations and challenges for a better future through access to ICT.

World’s first AI news anchor unveiled in China:

 The world’s first artificial intelligence (AI) news anchor made “his” debut at the ongoing fifth World Internet Conference in east China’s Zhejiang Province.  The AI news anchor was jointly developed by Xinhua News Agency, the official state-run media outlet of China, and Chinese search engine company Sogou.com.  The news anchor, based on the latest AI technology, has a male image with a voice, facial expressions and actions of a real person.

33rd ASEAN Summit Begins In Singapore

The 33rd edition of the ASEAN Summit began in Singapore.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 114 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong is the Chairman of the Summit, which will continue till 15th November along with other related summits like East Asia Summit (EAS), Regional Comprehensive Economic Summit, (RCEP) and ASEAN plus summits.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also scheduled to attend the East Asia Summit and Associated meetings of ASEAN on 14th and 15th November in Singapore.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising ten Southeast Asian countries.

ASEAN

Headquarters: Jakarta, Indonesia

FinTech festival kicks off in Singapore

The third edition of the FinTech Festival kicks off in Singapore alongside the ASEAN summit. It will begin with the three-day Fintech Conference.

Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, will address the audience on the third day of the FinTech Conference.

With over 250 speakers, 450 exhibitors, 16 international pavilions and close to 40,000 participants expected, this year’s event promises to be the biggest FinTech event in the world to date.

Singapore

Capital : Singapore city Currency: Singapore dollar

Amnesty International strips Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi of highest honour

Amnesty International has withdrawn a prestigious human rights award from Myanmar Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, accusing her of perpetuating human rights abuses by not speaking out about violence against the Rohingya Muslim minority.

The international human rights group named Suu Kyi as its 2009 Ambassador of Conscience Award recipient when she was still under house arrest for her opposition to Myanmar’s oppressive military junta.

More than 7,00,000 members of the mostly stateless group fled across Myanmar’s western border into Bangladesh after the Myanmar military launched a crackdown in response to Rohingya insurgent attacks on the security forces.

Amnesty International Headquarters: London, United Kingdom

Palau Becomes 1st Country In World To Ban Reef-Killing Sunscreen

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 115 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Palau bans reef toxic sunscreen by 2020 in an attempt to protect its coral reefs after the president of the country signed a bill into law. The president of Palau, Tommy Remengesau Jr. signed The Responsible Tourism Education Act of 2018.

It is the first country to ban reef toxic sunscreen by 2020 in an attempt to protect its coral reefs after the president of the country signed a bill into law.

The main reason sunscreen can be so dangerous to reefs is because some of the chemicals that wash off into the water have a negative impact on coral reproduction, which has consequences for the entire underwater ecosystem.

Palau

Capital: Ngerulmud Currency: United States Dollar

France unveils bronze statue commemorating role of Indian soldiers in World War I

A new statue commemorating the role of Indian soldiers in World War One was unveiled in France to mark Armistice Day when the war ended in 1918.

The seven-foot bronze statue in the town of Laventie commemorates over 4,700 soldiers and labourers from British India who lost their lives on the Western Front during World War I and have no known graves.

The site in Laventie was chosen after the remains of two soldiers were identified as belonging to the 39th Royal Garhwal Rifles and reburied with military honours last year.

SpiNNaker: World’s Largest Brain-Like Supercomputer Switched On For First Time

The world’s largest supercomputer designed to work in the same way as the human brain has been switched on for the first time.

The newly formed million-processor-core Spiking Neural Network Architecture (SpiNNaker) machine is capable of completing more than 200 million million actions per second, with each of its chips having 100 million transistors.

The SpiNNaker machine, designed and built in The University of Manchester in the UK, can model more biological neurons in real time than any other machine on the planet.

Biological neurons are basic brain cells present in the nervous system that communicate primarily by emitting ‘spikes’ of pure electro-chemical energy.

2-Day Annual Meeting of WEF Global Future Councils Held in Dubai

In the UAE, the two day annual meeting of World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Future Councils began in Dubai.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 116 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum attended the opening session.

The objective of the Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils is to convene the world’s best network of experts to identify new ideas and models that can be applied to critical global challenges.

UNSC lift sanctions against Eritrea after nine years

The UN Security Council has unanimously agreed to lift sanctions against Eritrea after nine years.

An arms embargo, asset freeze, and travel ban were imposed in 2009 amid claims Eritrea supported al- Shabab militants in Somalia. Eritrea always denied the accusations. The resolution, drafted by the UK, was backed by the US and its allies.

Eritrea agreed a peace deal with Ethiopia in June following two decades of animosity, while the leader of Eritrea and the UN-backed government in Somalia recently signed a joint cooperation agreement.

Qatar To Host World Corporate Games In 2019

Sports for Life, organisers of the World Corporate Games, announced that the 2019 edition will be held in Qatar under the slogan ‘Qatar, where the World comes to compete’. The 23rd edition is set to be held in November and will be the first ever to take place in the Middle East.

The announcement was made on the sidelines of the Qatar-Germany Investment and Business Forum held in Berlin.

The World Corporate Games take place every 1-2 years and the last edition was held in Houston, Texas in 2017. The Qatar edition of the World Corporate Games is expected to attract 5,000 participants.

Qatar Capital: Doha Currency: Qatari riyal

China Launches New High-Orbit Satellite To Boost Its Global Navigation System

China has successfully launched a high orbit satellite to boost its home-grown BeiDou global satellite navigation system being built to rival United States Global Position System (GPS).

The satellite was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in the southwestern Sichuan Province.

Launched on a Long March-3B carrier rocket, it is the 41st of the BeiDou navigation system, and will work with 16 other Beidou-3 satellites already in orbit. It is also the first BeiDou-3 satellite in high orbit, about 36,000 km above the Earth.

It will be the fourth global satellite navigation system after the US GPS system, Russia’s GLONASS and the European Union’s Galileo.

China Capital: Beijing Currency: Renminbi

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 117 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING 1st WHO Global Conference On Air Pollution And Health Held In Geneva

The first Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health will be held at WHO Headquarters in Geneva on 30 October – 1 November 2018.

The conference is being held in collaboration with UN Environment, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (CCAC) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

Air pollution in most cities exceeds recommended WHO Air Quality levels and household air pollution is a leading killer in poor rural and urban homes. Up to 1/3 of deaths from stroke, lung cancer and heart disease are due to air pollution.

India Re-Elected As Member Of ITU Council Till 2022

 India has been elected as a member of the International Telecommunications Union Council (ITU) for another 4-year term – from 2019 to 2022.  The elections to the council were held during the ongoing ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2018 at Dubai, UAE.  India secured 165 votes and ranked third among the 13 countries elected to the council from the Asia-Australasia region, and eighth among the 48 countries elected to the council globally.  The ITU has 193 member states who elect representatives to the council.

India, South Korea Ink MoU On Sports Cooperation

 The Government of India through Ministry of Youth and Sports, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in sports with the Republic of Korea.  Union Sports Minister Rajyawardhan Rathore and Korean Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Do Jong-hwan inked the pact on latter’s visit to India.  The objective of this MoU is to establish a framework to facilitate and promote cooperation in sports between the two countries.

South Korea

President: Moon Jae-in Capital: Seoul Currency: South Korean won

UN World Food Programme, Alibaba Group Form Strategic Partnership To Eliminate Hunger

 The UN World Food Programme and Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group have formed a strategic partnership to support efforts eliminate hunger globally by 2030.  WFP Executive Director David Beasley and Alibaba Partner and Chairman of the Alibaba Foundation Sun Lijunsigned an agreement at Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou, China.  The map will monitor global hunger and operations to end the scourge by 2030 – one of the UN’s key Sustainable Development goals – and aims to boost the efficiency of interventions and shorten emergency response times.

UNWFP Headquarters: Rome, Italy

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 118 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING India-Azerbaijan sign protocol on trade and economic, science and technology cooperation

India and Azerbaijan have agreed to take measures to enhance bilateral trade relations. The two countries signed protocol on trade and economic, science and technology cooperation at the 5th meeting of India-Azerbaijan Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade and Economic, Science and Technology Cooperation.

The two-day meeting was co-chaired by Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu and Azerbaijan’s Ecology and Natural Resources Minister Mukhtar Babayev.

The next meeting of the Commission will be held in Baku.

Azerbaijan

Capital: Baku Currency: Azerbaijani manat

World Bank offers disaster-hit Indonesia $1 billion in loans

The World Bank would provide a standby loan of up to $1 billion for the Indonesian government for relief and reconstruction efforts in the country’s two islands that were hit by earthquakes and a tsunami.

The fund will also give a $5 million grant for technical assistance to ensure reconstruction is robust and community-led.

The loan facility package could include cash transfers to the poorest 150,000 affected families for a period between 6 months to one year, which could help during the recovery phase.

The physical loss from damage on the infrastructure, residential and non-residential property in Sulawesi was around $531 million.

World Bank’s chief executive officer: Kristalina Georgieva

Indonesia

Capital: Jakarta Currency: Indonesian rupiah

6th RCEP Inter-Sessional Ministerial Meeting Held In Singapore

The Minister of State for Commerce & Industry and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution C. R. Chaudhary, attended the 6th RCEP Inter-sessional Ministerial Meeting (IMM) in Singapore.

The Ministers from 16 RCEP countries met in Singapore to discuss a modern, comprehensive and mutually beneficial economic partnership agreement among ASEAN and ASEAN’s FTA partners.

Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is a proposed free trade agreement between the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the six Asia-Pacific states with which ASEAN has existing free trade agreements.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 119 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING India,China launches First joint programme for Afghanistan to train its diplomats’

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the first India-China Joint Training Programme for Afghan Diplomats will be held in october. Such cooperation is the first by the two nations.

Note: India, on the other hand, has invested billions of dollars in economic projects and training of military officers to strengthen the Afghan government in its fight against the Taliban.

Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan: Vinay Kumar

6th Meeting Of UAE-India High-Level Joint Task Force Held In Mumbai

The sixth meeting of the UAE – India High Level Joint Task Force on Investments (‘the Joint Task Force’) was held in Mumbai to review the progress being made in addressing the agreed actions of the previous meeting held in Abu Dhabi in January 2018 and to elaborate a number of new key issues of mutual importance.

The meeting was co-chaired by H.H. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court, and H.E. Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation, Government of India.

To facilitate investments and resolve issues relating to UAE Investments in India, a special UAE desk ‘UAE PLUS’ shall be established in Invest India, the National Investment Promotion Agency of India.

12th Asia Europe Meeting Summit Begins In Brussels

The 12th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit begins in Brussels, Belgium.

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, will lead the Indian delegation at the two-day summit.

The theme this year is, ‘Global Partners for Global Challenges’.

The summit will prioritise issues related to connectivity, trade and investment, sustainable development, climate change, terrorism, migration, maritime security and cyberspace.

During his stay, the Vice President will also hold a meeting with prominent Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and CEOs of Belgium. He will address the Indian Diaspora at the Jain Culture Centre in Wilrijk, Antwerp.

Canada Becomes 2nd Country To Legalize Recreational Cannabis

Canada has become the second country after Uruguay to legalise possession and use of recreational cannabis. Medical marijuana has been legal in the country since 2001.

Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, will only begin opening retail stores next spring, though residents will be able to order cannabis online.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 120 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the Cannabis plant used for medical or recreational purposes.

Maeen Abdulmalik Sworn In As Yemen’s New PM

Yemen’s newly appointed Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik was sworn in to lead the internationally-backed government.

Maeen was appointed as Prime Minister by Yemen’s President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi replacing predecessor Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr.

Yemen

Capital: Sana’a Currency: Yemeni rial

Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa To Form New Government In Bhutan

The Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) will form new government in Bhutan.

This is the first time in Bhutan’s decade old parliamentary democracy that a new party has been chosen to form the government.

The party has won 30 seats in 47 member National Assembly, the lower house of the parliament.

The centre-left Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT), which was only formed in 2013, won 30 of the national assembly’s 47 seats.

Bhutan

Capital: Thimphu Currency: Bhutanese ngultrum

World’s longest sea bridge between China-Hong Kong to open

The world’s longest sea bridge Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has been opened.

The 55-kilometer-long bridge, situated in the Lingdingyang waters of the Pearl River Estuary, will be the world’s longest sea bridge.

It will slash the travel time between Hong Kong and Zhuhai from three hours to just 30 minutes, further integrating the cities in the Pearl River Delta.

Europe, Japan send spacecraft on 7-year journey to Mercury

The European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency as successfully lifted a spacecraft through Ariane 5 rocket carrying two probes into orbit for a joint mission to Mercury, the closest planet to the sun.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 121 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The unmanned BepiColombo spacecraft successfully separated and was sent into orbit from French Guiana as planned to begin a seven-year journey to Mercury.

The spacecraft was named after Italian scientist Giuseppe “Bepi” Colombo and it was in the right orbit and has sent the first signal after the liftoff.

When it arrives, BepiColombo will release two probes — Bepi and Mio — that will independently investigate the surface and magnetic field of Mercury.

Piyush Goyal to receive US university award for rural electrification effort

The Union Minister for Railways, Coal and Corporate Affairs Piyush Goyal has received the prestigious Carnot prize for his contribution towards sustainable energy solutions.

The former power minister will be awarded by the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design.

The Carnot Prize is the Kleinman Center’s annual recognition of distinguished contributions to energy policy through scholarship or practice. The award in the energy sector is named after French physicist Nicolas Sadi Carnot.

India, Japan, US planning to host joint trilateral air exercise:

 India, Japan and the U.S. are set to elevate the bilateral ‘Cope India’ air exercise to a trilateral format. The three countries already conduct naval war games under the expanded Malabar naval exercise.  The U.S. had proposed a trilateral air exercise between India, Japan and the U.S. For this, the Cope India exercise will be elevated to a trilateral level in phases, two official sources independently confirmed on condition of anonymity.  The next edition is scheduled to be held in December for which the Final Planning Conference to finalise the modalities of the exercise is scheduled next week in Kalaikunda [West Bengal].

Prime Minister chairs 6th meeting of NDMA:

 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi chaired the sixth meeting of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) at New Delhi.  Prime Minister reviewed the activities of NDMA to effectively manage and respond to disasters affecting the country. He also reviewed ongoing projects undertaken by NDMA.  Prime Minister emphasized on the need for better coordination between the various stakeholders and undertake more joint exercises to bring about effective response to save life and property.

12th ASEM Summit to be held in Belgium:

th  The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu left for Belgium to attend the two-day 12 Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Brussels.  The theme of the ASEM Summit is ‘Global Partners for Global Challenges’.  The bi-annual event is considered the highest platform for dialogue and cooperation between Asia and Europe in the areas of trade, investment, security and tourism.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 122 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Green climate fund approves $1 billion for projects in poor countries:

 A U.N.-backed fund has approved more than $1 billion for 19 new projects to help developing countries tackle climate change.  During a four-day meeting in Bahrain that ended, officials overseeing the Green Climate Fund also agreed to start seeking fresh money next year as its initial capital of about $6.6 billion will soon be used up.  Funding approved at the meeting in Manama includes projects linked to geothermal energy in Indonesia, greener cities in Europe and the Middle East, and protection for coastal communities in India.

Paytm Launches ‘PayPay’ Mobile Wallet In Japan

Paytm has launched a QR-based smartphone payment settlement service in Japan in collaboration with SoftBank and Yahoo Japan Corporation.

It allows users to store money from a bank account in their “PayPay” wallet and make payments with it.

Paytm is also offering a ‘cashback’ to users of PayPay in Japan, a concept which the SoftBank and Alibaba-backed company has been pushing aggressively in India to win new customers and see more transactions.

Joint Military Exercise ‘Druzhba-III’ Starts Between Pakistan And Russia

The Pakistan and Russia armies will be holding joint military drills ‘Druzhba-III’ in the mountains of northwestern Pakistan which will continue till November 4.

This will be the third joint military drill between Pakistan and Russia under the bilateral training cooperation agreement. Russia and Pakistan have been holding the ‘Friendship’ drills since 2016. Pakistan has shown eagerness to build defence level ties with Russia.

Russia has over the past three years provided four Mi-35M combat and cargo helicopters to Pakistan.

First Trilateral Meeting of India, Afghanistan And Iran held in Tehran

India, Afghanistan and Iran held their first trilateral meeting on Chabahar port project during which they reviewed its implementation.

The meeting assumes significance as the strategically-located port on the energy-rich Iran’s southern coast was coming under the ambit of US sanctions on Tehran.

In May 2016, India, Iran and Afghanistan had signed a pact which entailed establishment of a transit and transport corridor among the three countries using Chabahar Port as one of the regional hubs.

The Indian delegation at the trilateral meeting was led by TS Tirumurti, Secretary (Economic Relations).

The Chabahar port is being considered a gateway to golden opportunities for trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan with central Asian countries.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 123 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING India Signs $777 Million Deal For Israeli Missile Defence Systems

A leading state-run Israeli defence company has signed a USD 777 million contract with India for the supply of and missile defence systems for the Indian Navy.

India’s Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) will be the main manufacturer for the project.

The IAI will supply Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LR-SAM) Air and Missile Defense (AMD) systems, the marine version of the AMD system Barak 8, for seven ships of the Indian Navy.

The IAI is Israel’s largest aerospace and defence company. It develops, manufactures and supplies defence systems including anti-missile, aerial systems and intelligence and cybersecurity systems.

11th session of India and Czech Republic Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation held in Prague

The eleventh session of India – Czech Republic Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation (JCEC) was held at Prague.

The Indian delegation was led by Minister of State for Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs and Food & Public Distribution, C. R. Chaudhary. Miss Marta Nováková, Minister of Industry & Trade of Czech Republic led the Czech side.

Czechoslovakia is preparing a project called Czech Industrial Cluster (CIC) near Bengaluru. The CIC will comprise administrative and production units and will serve as a hub for Czech companies that intend to settle down in India.

Czech Republic Capital: Prague Currency: Czech koruna

China Successfully Tests ‘World’s Largest’ Cargo Drone

China has successfully tested the world’s largest unmanned transport drone which can carry a payload of 1.5 tonnes.

A large commercial drone Feihong-98 (FH-98) developed and modified by the China Academy of Aerospace Electronics Technology made a successful test flight at Baotou test site in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Feihong-98 (FH-98) is now the world’s largest unmanned transport aircraft, with a maximum payload of up to 1.5 tonnes. It was adapted from the prototype of the Shifei Y5B, a China-developed transport plane.

International Conference on Status and Protection of Coral Reefs held at Bangaram Island, Lakshadweep

The International Conference on Status and Protection of Coral Reefs (STAPCOR – 2018) was organized in Bangaram Island, Lakshadweep.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 124 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The theme of the conference was “Reef for Life.” Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the conference.

International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) has declared the year 2018 as International Year of the Reef (IYOR 2018), which aims to raise awareness about the threats to coral reefs and the associated ecosystem.

They are under threat from excess nutrients, rising temperatures, oceanic acidification, sunscreen use overuse, overfishing, and harmful land-use practices, including runoff and seeps.

Indo-Japan Joint Exercise ‘Dharma Guardian’ To Be Held In Mizoram a The Armies of India and Japan will hold their first ever joint exercise from November 1 at a jungle warfare school in Mizoram’s Vairengte with a focus on strengthening counter-terror cooperation.

The focus of the two-week-long exercise ‘Dharma Guardian” will be to increase interoperability between the two forces and enhance coordination in dealing with various security challenges.

The Indian contingent will be represented by 6/1 Gorkha Rifles while the Japanese contingent will be represented by 32 Infantry Regiment of the Japanese Ground Self Defence Force.

Kati Bihu festival celebrated across Assam

Assam’s third Bihu festival, known as Kati Bihu or Kongali Bihu, was being celebrated across the state.

The festival derives its name from the Assamese month of Kati. On the occasion of Kati Bihu, women, both in urban and rural areas, try to ward off evil and pray for a rich harvest by lighting earthen lamps.

As a part of the festival, farmers also tie a special kind of lamp, known as Akash Bati, to poles and the poles are placed in the paddy fields.

Govt launches ‘Swastha Bharat Yatra’ campaign to create awareness about safe food

The government has launched a national campaign ‘Swasth Bharat Yatra’ on the World Food Day in New Delhi.

It aims to sensitise people about eating safe food and be healthy. A pan-India cycle rally is also being organised. It propagate a powerful message ‘Eat Right India’.

The FSSAI is leading this campaign to create consumer awareness about eating safe and nutritious food for becoming healthy.

The government is also making available foods at a cheaper rates to people through a public distribution system and other welfare schemes with an annual subsidy of about Rs 2 lakh crore.

FSSAI chief executive: Pawan Kumar Agarwal

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 125 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING North Central Railways launches two mobile app

The North Central Railways (NCR) launched two mobile apps, ‘NCR RASTA’ and ‘Yatri RASTA’, for its employees and passengers, respectively, for locating assets and stations.

“NCR RASTA (Railway assets Summarized Tracking Application) and Yatri RASTA (Railway Approach to Station Tracking Application) were launched by NCR General Manager Rajiv Chaudhry.

The ‘NCR RASTA’ app is for the use of railway officers and staff and has exact mapping of all railway assets.

The ‘Yatri RASTA’ app will allow general public to locate the railway stations easily.

Prime Minister announces an Award in Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s name for police personnel:

 The Prime Minister announced an annual award in the name of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose for police and paramilitary forces for commendable contributions in disaster relief operations.  Prime Minister Mr. Modi announced this while dedicating the National Police Memorial to the nation in New Delhi on the occasion of Police Commemoration Day.

India 9th most valuable nation brand in the world:

 Even though India slipped by one spot, it was still ranked one of the 10 most valuable nation brands in the world, according to a report titled ‘Nation Brands 2018’ released by Brand Finance, a leading brand valuation and strategy consultancy.  India’s brand value was $2,046 billion in 2017 and has increased to $2,159 billion in 2018.Topping the list and maintaining its lead is US with a brand value of $25,899 billion which rose by 23% from last year.  The US economy has grown at a rapid pace and is expected to continue it in the coming months.

India’s first domestic cruise ‘Angriya’ flagged off from Mumbai:

 Angriya, India’s first luxury cruise ship, is all set for its inauguration on October 20 at Mumbai.  Union minister for shipping Nitin Gadkari and Mahrashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will flag-off the cruise which will operate between Mumbai and Goa. The commercial operations will, however, begin from October 24.  Named after the first Maratha Navy Admiral Kanhoji Angre and the Angria bank coral reef near Vijaydurg, the luxury ship has 104 rooms, divided into eight different categories.  The cruise has six decks and 104 cabins. It can ferry 399 passengers at a time. The price range of the cruise will be from Rs 7,000 to Rs 12,000 for one-way.

4 Himalayan Peaks Named after Late PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Four Himalayan peaks near Gangotri glacier have been named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The peaks are located at6,557m, 6,566m, 6,160m and 6,100m on the right flank of Gangotri glacier.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 126 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Located near Sudarshan and Saifi peaks in Raktvan valley, the peaks have been named Atal-1, 2, 3 and 4. The expedition was jointly conducted by NIM and the tourism department.

President inaugurates Vishwa Shanti Ahimsa Sammelan

President Ram Nath Kovind arriveo inaugurated the three-day ‘Vishwa Shanti Ahimsa Sammelan’ at Mangi Tungi in Satana taluka. It was organised by the Bhagwan Rishabhdev Murti Nirmaan Samiti.

The president will present the first international ‘Bhagwan Rishabhdev Award’ to Teerthanker Mahaveer University, based in Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh.

India, Myanmar sign MoU on operationalisation of Sittwe Port

India and Myanmar signed an important MoU for the appointment of a private Port Operator for the Operation and Maintenance of Sittwe Port, Paletwa Inland Water Terminal and associated facilities included in the Kaladan Multi Model Transit Transport Project in implementation of India’s Act East Policy.

The MoU was signed on behalf of the Government of India by Vijay Gokhale, Foreign Secretary and by U Win Khant, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport and Communications on behalf of the Government of Myanmar.

The Sittwe port in Myanmar will connect India’s landlocked north-east region to the Bay of Bengal through Mizoram. It will also provide an alternate route to Kolkata.

India has an overall commitment of $ 1.75 billion for developmental programmes in Myanmar.

NABARD and Ayurvet Research Foundation ink MoU

The Haryana regional office of Nabard has signed an MoU with Delhi-based Ayurvet Research Foundation (ARF) for facilitating various collaborative initiatives, especially in the resource-poor districts of Haryana, for the integrated agricultural and rural development of the state.

The MoU will facilitate in finding practical solutions to the problems and challenges coming in the way of integrated development of some districts.

The MoU will prove to be a facilitator for planning and implementation of programmes like natural resource management, village development, exploring and creating alternative employment generation opportunities, upscaling micro-finance activities and supporting farmer producer organisations by synergising the efforts of Nabard and ARF.

SBI launches its first “Wealth Hub” in Mangaluru

The nation’s largest bank, State Bank of India has launched its wealth business services by opening “SBI Wealth Hub” at the Lalbagh branch. The wealth hub was inaugurated by SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 127 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING SBI is the first PSU bank in the country tointroduce comprehensive wealth business services for itsclients. The bank has re-branded its wealth business as “SBI Wealth” offering best-in-class personalised banking and investment services to its elite High Net worth Individual (HNI) clients.

SBI Wealth has presence in 20 major centres with a network of 90 Wealth Hubs in the country.

27th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference Starts In Gujarat

The 27th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference is being organized by the IAEA in cooperation with the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India and the Institute for Plasma Research, at the Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar (Ahmedabad) Gujarat, India.

The 27th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference (FEC 2018) aims to provide a forum for the discussion of key physics and technology issues as well as innovative concepts of direct relevance to the use of nuclear fusion as a source of energy.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) fosters the exchange of scientific and technical results in nuclear fusion research and development through its series of Fusion Energy Conferences.

TCS Only Indian Firm Among Top 10 To Get Foreign Labour Certification

The Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is the only Indian company among the top 10 firms to get foreign labour certification for the H-1B visas for the fiscal year 2018 by receiving over 20,000 such certifications.

According to the report, the London-headquartered Ernst and Young, a multinational professional services firm, has emerged as the top employer to have received the certification. Ernst and Young is followed by Deloitte Consulting which received 69,869 H-1B specialty occupations labour conditions programme. Indian-American owned Cognizant Technology Corp comes at number three.

The visa programme allows employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in the US on a non- immigrant basis in specialty occupations or as fashion models of distinguished merit and ability.

Ministry of Environment launches Harit Diwali-Swasth Diwali campaign

The Environment Ministry has launched Harit Diwali, Swasth Diwali campaign. This campaign was initiated in 2017-18 wherein large number of school children participated and took pledge to minimize bursting of crackers.

The Harit Diwali-Swasth Diwali campaign is now merged with “Green Good Deed” movement that has been initiated as a social mobilization for conservation and protection of environment. The Ministry is encouraging all schools and colleges to be part of this campaign.

Global Agriculture Leadership Summit 2018 held in New Delhi

The Global Agriculture Leadership Summit 2018 was opened in New Delhi.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 128 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The theme of the 2-day summit is, ‘Connecting Farmers to Market’. The summit was inaugurated by the Secretary Agriculture and Co-operation, Sanjay Agrawal.

The annual summit is providing policymakers, managers, scientists, experts and leading Indian firms with a chance to share experience and seek business opportunities.

PM Modi Launches ‘Main Nahi Hum’ Portal In New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the ‘Main Nahin Hum’ portal and mobile application.

He will also interact with IT and electronic manufacturing professionals across India via video- conference.

The portal, which works on the theme ‘Self4Society’, will enable IT professionals and organisations to bring together their efforts towards social causes on one platform.

The portal is expected to help catalyse greater collaboration towards the service of the weaker sections of society, especially by leveraging the benefits of technology.

Centre constitutes GoM to look into sexual harassment of women at workplace

The Centre has constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) to examine the existing legal and institutional frameworks for dealing with matters of sexual harassment of women at the workplace.

The GoM will be headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi will be the members of the group.

Within three months of its constitution, the GoM will examine the existing provisions for the safety of women and recommend further measures.

The Women and Child Development Ministry has launched an Electronic Complaints Box “She Box” that enables women, irrespective of their work status, to raise their voice against sexual harassment at workplace.

Maeen Abdulmalik Sworn In As Yemen’s New PM

Yemen’s newly appointed Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik was sworn in to lead the internationally-backed government.

Maeen was appointed as Prime Minister by Yemen’s President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi replacing predecessor Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr.

Yemen Capital: Sana’a Currency: Yemeni rial

Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa To Form New Government In Bhutan

The Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) will form new government in Bhutan.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 129 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING This is the first time in Bhutan’s decade old parliamentary democracy that a new party has been chosen to form the government.

The party has won 30 seats in 47 member National Assembly, the lower house of the parliament.

The centre-left Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT), which was only formed in 2013, won 30 of the national assembly’s 47 seats.

Bhutan Capital: Thimphu Currency: Bhutanese ngultrum

World’s longest sea bridge between China-Hong Kong to open

The world’s longest sea bridge Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has been opened.

The 55-kilometer-long bridge, situated in the Lingdingyang waters of the Pearl River Estuary, will be the world’s longest sea bridge.

It will slash the travel time between Hong Kong and Zhuhai from three hours to just 30 minutes, further integrating the cities in the Pearl River Delta.

Europe, Japan send spacecraft on 7-year journey to Mercury

The European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency as successfully lifted a spacecraft through Ariane 5 rocket carrying two probes into orbit for a joint mission to Mercury, the closest planet to the sun.

The unmanned BepiColombo spacecraft successfully separated and was sent into orbit from French Guiana as planned to begin a seven-year journey to Mercury.

The spacecraft was named after Italian scientist Giuseppe “Bepi” Colombo and it was in the right orbit and has sent the first signal after the liftoff.

When it arrives, BepiColombo will release two probes — Bepi and Mio — that will independently investigate the surface and magnetic field of Mercury.

Piyush Goyal to receive US university award for rural electrification effort

The Union Minister for Railways, Coal and Corporate Affairs Piyush Goyal has received the prestigious Carnot prize for his contribution towards sustainable energy solutions.

The former power minister will be awarded by the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design.

The Carnot Prize is the Kleinman Center’s annual recognition of distinguished contributions to energy policy through scholarship or practice. The award in the energy sector is named after French physicist Nicolas Sadi Carnot.

India, Japan, US planning to host joint trilateral air exercise:

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 130 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING

 India, Japan and the U.S. are set to elevate the bilateral ‘Cope India’ air exercise to a trilateral format. The three countries already conduct naval war games under the expanded Malabar naval exercise.  The U.S. had proposed a trilateral air exercise between India, Japan and the U.S. For this, the Cope India exercise will be elevated to a trilateral level in phases, two official sources independently confirmed on condition of anonymity.  The next edition is scheduled to be held in December for which the Final Planning Conference to finalise the modalities of the exercise is scheduled next week in Kalaikunda [West Bengal].

Prime Minister chairs 6th meeting of NDMA:

 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi chaired the sixth meeting of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) at New Delhi.  Prime Minister reviewed the activities of NDMA to effectively manage and respond to disasters affecting the country. He also reviewed ongoing projects undertaken by NDMA.  Prime Minister emphasized on the need for better coordination between the various stakeholders and undertake more joint exercises to bring about effective response to save life and property.

12th ASEM Summit to be held in Belgium:

th  The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu left for Belgium to attend the two-day 12 Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Brussels.  The theme of the ASEM Summit is ‘Global Partners for Global Challenges’.  The bi-annual event is considered the highest platform for dialogue and cooperation between Asia and Europe in the areas of trade, investment, security and tourism.

Green climate fund approves $1 billion for projects in poor countries:

 A U.N.-backed fund has approved more than $1 billion for 19 new projects to help developing countries tackle climate change.  During a four-day meeting in Bahrain that ended, officials overseeing the Green Climate Fund also agreed to start seeking fresh money next year as its initial capital of about $6.6 billion will soon be used up.  Funding approved at the meeting in Manama includes projects linked to geothermal energy in Indonesia, greener cities in Europe and the Middle East, and protection for coastal communities in India.

Paytm Launches ‘PayPay’ Mobile Wallet In Japan

Paytm has launched a QR-based smartphone payment settlement service in Japan in collaboration with SoftBank and Yahoo Japan Corporation.

It allows users to store money from a bank account in their “PayPay” wallet and make payments with it.

Paytm is also offering a ‘cashback’ to users of PayPay in Japan, a concept which the SoftBank and Alibaba-backed company has been pushing aggressively in India to win new customers and see more transactions.

Joint Military Exercise ‘Druzhba-III’ Starts Between Pakistan And Russia

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 131 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The Pakistan and Russia armies will be holding joint military drills ‘Druzhba-III’ in the mountains of northwestern Pakistan which will continue till November 4.

This will be the third joint military drill between Pakistan and Russia under the bilateral training cooperation agreement. Russia and Pakistan have been holding the ‘Friendship’ drills since 2016. Pakistan has shown eagerness to build defence level ties with Russia.

Russia has over the past three years provided four Mi-35M combat and cargo helicopters to Pakistan.

First Trilateral Meeting of India, Afghanistan And Iran held in Tehran

India, Afghanistan and Iran held their first trilateral meeting on Chabahar port project during which they reviewed its implementation.

The meeting assumes significance as the strategically-located port on the energy-rich Iran’s southern coast was coming under the ambit of US sanctions on Tehran.

In May 2016, India, Iran and Afghanistan had signed a pact which entailed establishment of a transit and transport corridor among the three countries using Chabahar Port as one of the regional hubs.

The Indian delegation at the trilateral meeting was led by TS Tirumurti, Secretary (Economic Relations).

The Chabahar port is being considered a gateway to golden opportunities for trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan with central Asian countries.

India Signs $777 Million Deal For Israeli Missile Defence Systems

A leading state-run Israeli defence company has signed a USD 777 million contract with India for the supply of and missile defence systems for the Indian Navy.

India’s Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) will be the main manufacturer for the project.

The IAI will supply Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LR-SAM) Air and Missile Defense (AMD) systems, the marine version of the AMD system Barak 8, for seven ships of the Indian Navy.

The IAI is Israel’s largest aerospace and defence company. It develops, manufactures and supplies defence systems including anti-missile, aerial systems and intelligence and cybersecurity systems.

11th session of India and Czech Republic Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation held in Prague

The eleventh session of India – Czech Republic Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation (JCEC) was held at Prague.

The Indian delegation was led by Minister of State for Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs and Food & Public Distribution, C. R. Chaudhary. Miss Marta Nováková, Minister of Industry & Trade of Czech Republic led the Czech side.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 132 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Czechoslovakia is preparing a project called Czech Industrial Cluster (CIC) near Bengaluru. The CIC will comprise administrative and production units and will serve as a hub for Czech companies that intend to settle down in India.

Czech Republic Capital: Prague Currency: Czech koruna

China Successfully Tests ‘World’s Largest’ Cargo Drone

China has successfully tested the world’s largest unmanned transport drone which can carry a payload of 1.5 tonnes.

A large commercial drone Feihong-98 (FH-98) developed and modified by the China Academy of Aerospace Electronics Technology made a successful test flight at Baotou test site in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Feihong-98 (FH-98) is now the world’s largest unmanned transport aircraft, with a maximum payload of up to 1.5 tonnes. It was adapted from the prototype of the Shifei Y5B, a China-developed transport plane.

International Conference on Status and Protection of Coral Reefs held at Bangaram Island, Lakshadweep

The International Conference on Status and Protection of Coral Reefs (STAPCOR – 2018) was organized in Bangaram Island, Lakshadweep.

The theme of the conference was “Reef for Life.” Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the conference.

International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) has declared the year 2018 as International Year of the Reef (IYOR 2018), which aims to raise awareness about the threats to coral reefs and the associated ecosystem.

They are under threat from excess nutrients, rising temperatures, oceanic acidification, sunscreen use overuse, overfishing, and harmful land-use practices, including runoff and seeps.

India Contributes 1 Million to UN’s Ambitious Solar Project

India has contributed a whopping $1 million for the installation of solar panels on the roof of the imposing UN building at the world body’s headquarters.

The contribution will help reduce carbon footprint and promote sustainable energy. It was announced by India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin.

United Nations Headquarters: New York, United States

Secretary general: António Guterres

3rd edition of MahaBiz 2018 to be held in Dubai

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 133 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The 3rd edition of acclaimed International Business Conference ‘MahaBiz 2018’ will be held in Dubai on 12th and 13th October 2018. MahaBiz is considered a bridge for business opportunities between Maharashtra state and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.

GCC is a political and economic alliance of six middle eastern countries. It includes Saudi Arabia , UAE , Kuwait , Oman , Bahrain and Qatar.

India & Sri Lanka sign MoU for construction of Warehouse in Dambulla, Sri Lanka

India and Sri Lanka has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for construction of a 5000- metric ton temperature controlled warehouse in Dambulla of Central Province.

The warehouse will be constructed with an Indian grant assistance of 30 crore Sri Lankan rupees.

The MoU was signed by Mr. Taranjit Singh Sandhu, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka and Mr. K.D.S. Ruwanchandra, Secretary to Sri Lankan ministry of national policies and economic affairs.

The project envisages construction of a 5000-metric ton temperature controlled warehouse for fruits and vegetables to minimize its post-harvest losses.

Japanese businessman to become the first private moon tourist

A Japanese billionaire and online fashion tycoon, Yusaku Maezawa, will be the first man to fly on a monster SpaceX rocket around the Moon as early as 2023, and he plans to bring six to eight artists along.

Maezawa, 42, will be the first lunar traveler since the last US Apollo mission in 1972.

Maezawa is chief executive of Japan’s largest online fashion mall, and is the 18th richest person in Japan with a fortune of $3 billion, according to the business magazine Forbes.

The BFR, or the Big Falcon Rocket, is still in development. Under the current design, the BFR will be 118 meters long, with a payload capacity of 1,100 cubic meters and 100 metric tons.

Israel, India to commemorate Centenary of the Battle of Haifa

Th centenary celebrations are to commemorate hundred years of liberation of Haifa in Israel by the Indian troops in 1918 culminates with a grand function in New Delhi

The Indian Army commemorates September 23 every year as Haifa Day to pay its respects to the two brave Indian Cavalry Regiments, Mysore and Jodhpur Lancers, that helped liberate the city Haifa following a dashing cavalry action by the 15th Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade.

The Battle of Haifa is being commemorated in Israel, Delhi and Jaipur.

Ibrahim Mohamed Solih Won Presidential Election In Maldives

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 134 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won the Maldives’ presidential election. He defeated the current President Abdulla Yameen. Mohamed Solih blongs to Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

Solih had secured 58.3 percent of the popular vote.

Maldives Capital: Malé Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa

Japan successfully lands robot rovers on an asteroid’s surface

The Japanese space agency JAXA made history by successfully landing two unmanned rovers on an asteroid. The two rovers are in good condition and are transmitting images and data.

The rovers are collectively known as MINERVA-II1. The space agency reported that MINERVA-II1 is the world’s first mobile exploration robot to land on the surface of an asteroid.

The Hayabusa2(spacecraft) began its approach to Ryugu from an orbiting altitude of around 20 kilometers (12.4 miles).

A third rover called MASCOT will be launched from Hayabusa2 in early October.

Statue of Nelson Mandela unveiled at United Nations

A statue of Nelson Mandela has been unveiled at the United Nations to honour the late South African leader’s birth.

The country of South Africa donated the statue in commemoration of a 100-years since Mandela’s birth.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Mandela’s birth, and the U.N. is declaring 2019-2028 the “Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace”.

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader, and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.

UAE to host Interfaith Alliance Forum in November

The UAE will host the Interfaith Alliance Forum in the nation’s capital, Abu Dhabi on 19th and 20th November, under the auspices of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

The forum aims to address and discuss social challenges and to strengthen efforts by religious leaders to formulate cohesive ideas that enhance the protection of the young individuals from extortion and crime via the internet.

UAE

Capital: Abu Dhabi Currency: United Arab Emirates dirham

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 135 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING UAE, Red Cross sign pact to support humanitarian efforts in Yemen, Myanmar & Congo

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have signed an agreement worth $11 million to support the humanitarian response plan in Yemen, Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The agreement was signed by Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy and Peter Maurer, President of the ICRC, on the sidelines of the 73rd Ordinary Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Under the agreement, the UAE will provide the ICRC with $6 million to support health centres, water and sanitation facilities in Yemen, $1 million for humanitarian efforts in Myanmar, $1 million for the DRC, in addition to $3 million to support general programmes.

First Assembly of International Solar Alliance (ISA)

The inauguration of the first General Assembly of the International Solar Alliance [ISA] will take place on 2 October 2018 in Delhi. The Ministerial level Assembly will be held in Greater Noida on October 3, 2018.

The ISA is a major initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in contributing to the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement through rapid and massive deployment of solar energy.

The ISA was launched at 21st Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC CoP21) on 30 November 2015 by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, HE Narendra Modi and then-French President, HE Francois Hollande.

First-ever women-only foreign minister conference held in Montreal

The Women foreign ministers from around the world have kicked off a two-day conference in Montreal, Canada, that is aimed at highlighting women’s key role in politics and decision-making processes.

The meeting is being co-chaired by Canada’s top diplomat, Chrystia Freeland, and the foreign affairs representative of the EU, Federica Mogherini.

It focused on topics such as conflict prevention, democratic growth and eliminating gender-based violence.

Eleventh World Hindi Conference begins in Mauritius

The 11th World Hindi Conference begins in Mauritius. Prime Minister of Mauritius Praveen Kumar Jagannath will inaugurate the conference in Port Louis.

“Hindi World and Indian Culture” is the theme of conference.

World Hindi Conference was started in 1975 to make Hindi language a medium of service and knowledge and enable it to move forward with the time.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 136 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Mauritius Capital: Port Louis Currency: Mauritian rupee

India, Japan agree to expand maritime co-operation to ensure peace & stability in Indo-Pacific region

India and Japan has resolved to expand their maritime cooperation and work together to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, which is witnessing growing Chinese assertiveness.

In their wide ranging talks, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her Japanese counterpart Itsunori Onodera also agreed to deepen the overall defence cooperation between the two countries including in areas of co-development of military platforms and weapons.

The two ministers also exchange views on India’s long-pending proposal to procure the US-2 ShinMaywa amphibious aircraft from Japan for its Navy. The two sides also firmed up a project in the area of Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) and robotics, marking the start of first such bilateral initiative.

Japan Capital: Tokyo Currency: Japanese yen

Sri Lanka: Ten-day festival of historic Esala Maha Perahera begins

In Sri Lanka, the ten-day festival of the historic Esala Maha Perahera began in Kandy.

The procession set off from the biggest Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka, Sri Dalada Maligawa.

The Esala Perahera is one of the oldest and grandest of all Buddhist festivals in Sri Lanka, featuring dancers, jugglers, musicians, fire-breathers and lavishly decorated elephants.

It is to commemorate the first teaching given by the Buddha after he attained enlightenment.

Sri Lanka

Capital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Currency: Sri Lankan rupee

India-Thailand Conclude ‘Maitree’ Military Exercise

The Indian Army and the Royal Thai Army has completed a two-week-long platoon level annual joint military exercise “Maitree”.

It is aimed at strengthening partnership and cooperation between the two countries.

The ‘Exercise Maitree’ commenced on August 6 in Thailand. The exercise last year was conducted in Himachal Pradesh.

Thailand

Capital: Bangkok Currency: Thai baht

First-ever IAF-RMAF joint air exercise begins in Malaysia

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 137 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The first-ever joint air exercise involving the Indian Air Force and the Royal Malaysian Air Force commenced at Subang Air Base in Malaysia.

The exercise was inaugurated by Gp Capt CUV Rao, team leader IAF & Col Mahadzer, Ex director of RMAF.

The exercise seeks to deepen defence and military ties between the two countries.

Malaysia

Capital: Kuala Lumpur Currency: Malaysian ringgit

Nepal, India To Jointly Promote Tourism

 Nepal and India has decided to jointly promote historically and culturally important tourism circuits like the Ramayana and Buddhist Circuit and adventure tourism.  India will also extend all possible cooperation in the domain of human resource development in tourism and hospitality sectors through the intake of Nepali professionals in professional courses in universities and regular exchange of experts and academia.  Both the sides also decided to establish an industry-led Indo-Nepal Tourism Forum with the support of the two governments.

Nepal

Capital: Kathmandu Prime minister: Khadga Prasad Oli Currency: Nepalese rupee

India To Operate ‘World’s Emptiest Airport’ In Sri Lanka

 India would operate Sri Lanka’s loss-making Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport in Hambantota.  India would operate the airport as a Sri Lanka-India joint venture. The joint venture would see India gain a major stake of the airport. It was announced by Minister of Civil Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva.  Mattala airport, named after former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, was a China-supported infrastructure project in his home district of Hambantota.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in 4-Day Visit To India

The South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in New Delhi on a four day visit to India. He is being accompanied by First Lady Kim Jung-sook on his maiden visit to the nation.

President Moon along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Gandhi Smriti. Both leaders will also visit a Samsung plant which is located in Noida. President Moon will also attend the India- Korea business forum.

A financing arrangement of 10 billion dollars has been set by the Korean side for infrastructure development in India. Major items of India’s exports to Korea are mineral fuels/oil distillates, cereals,

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 138 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING iron and steel. Korea’s main export items include automobile parts, telecommunication equipment, hot rolled iron products, petroleum refined products, and nuclear reactors.

South Korea Capital: Seoul Currency: Won

‘The English Patient’ Declared ‘Best Booker Prize Winner In 50 Years’

Michael Ondaatje’s ‘The English Patient’ was named the greatest-ever winner of the Man Booker Prize at an event celebrating five decades of the prestigious literary award.

Philip Michael Ondaatje is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian poet, fiction writer, essayist, novelist, editor and filmmaker.

‘The English Patient’ won the Booker in 1992 and was made into a 1996 movie starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche that won nine Academy Awards.

The Canadian writer’s tale of love and conflict during World War II was awarded the Golden Man Booker Prize for fiction after winning a public vote.

17th World Sanskrit Conference to begin in Canada

The Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar will inaugurate the 17th World Sanskrit Conference to be held at Vancouver, Canada.

The purpose of this conference is to promote, preserve and practice the Sanskrit language all over the world by the people.

The World Sanskrit Conference is being held in various countries across the globe once in every three years and so far it has been held thrice in India.

IFFCO to venture into farm credit sectors; ties up with two S Korean firms:

 Fertiliser cooperative major IFFCO said it has inked an agreement with two South Korean firms – LS Mtron and N H Captial to explore business opportunities in agri-machinery and farm credit sectors.  The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between IFFCO’s Marketing Director Yogendra Kumar and LS Mtron CEO Kim Yeon-soo as well as NH Capital CEO Go Tae-sun.

6th edition of biennial World Cities Summit held in Singapore:

 The 6th edition of the biennial World Cities Summit, the leading global platform to drive and connect innovators in sustainable integrated urban solutions, kicked off in Singapore.  The summit is being held together with the Singapore International Water Week and the Clean Enviro Summit Singapore at the same venue.  It will provide a unique integrated global platform to drive integrated urban solutions, connect global business experts, policy-makers, industry leaders and innovators through strategic collaborative efforts and cutting-edge technologies.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 139 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Singapore:

 Capital: Singapore

 Currency: Singapore dollar

 President: Halimah Yacob

China launches two remote sensing satellites for Pakistan:

 China successfully launched two remote sensing satellites for Pakistan, marking the first international commercial launch for the Long March-2C rocket in about 19 years.  The satellites – PRSS-1 and PakTES-1A were launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China.  A scientific experiment satellite, PakTES-1A, developed by Pakistan, was sent into orbit via the same rocket.  China pledges $20 billion in loans for economic development of Arab states  The Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged a package of US$20 billion in loans, and about $106 million in financial aid, to Middle East nations.  It is given as part of “oil and gas-plus” model to spur economic growth in the region.  China is also prepared to provide another one billion yuan to countries in the region to “build capacity for stability maintenance.  China  Capital: Beijing  Currency: Renminbi  President: Xi Jinping  India, South Korea sign 5 MoUs for cooperation in Science & Technology  India and South Korea have signed five MoUs in the field of Science and Technology in New Delhi.  The Science and Technology Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan and his South Korean counterpart You Young Min signed three MoUs which are Programme of Cooperation 2018-21, Establishment of Future Strategy Group and Cooperation in Bio-technology and Bio-economy.  Two other MoUs were signed between Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and South Korean National Research Council for Science and Technology and IIT Mumbai and Korea Institute of Science and Technology, to further accelerate future-oriented cooperation.  South Korea  Capital: Seoul  Currency: South Korean won  President: Moon Jae-in  Indian warship visits Indonesia’s Sabang port  The Indian Navy patrol vessel, INS Sumitra, became the first-ever warship to sail into the Indonesian port of Sabang, strategically poised at the mouth of the Malacca Strait.  During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jakarta this year, in a meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, it was decided that New Delhi will develop the strategically important Indonesian port Sabang in the Indian Ocean, close to the Andamans.  Capital: Jakarta  Currency: Indonesian rupiah

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 President: Joko Widodo  China pledges $20 billion in loans for economic development of Arab states  The Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged a package of US$20 billion in loans, and about $106 million in financial aid, to Middle East nations.  It is given as part of “oil and gas-plus” model to spur economic growth in the region.  China is also prepared to provide another one billion yuan to countries in the region to “build capacity for stability maintenance.  China  Capital: Beijing  Currency: Renminbi  President: Xi Jinping  India, South Korea sign 5 MoUs for cooperation in Science & Technology  India and South Korea have signed five MoUs in the field of Science and Technology in New Delhi.  The Science and Technology Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan and his South Korean counterpart You Young Min signed three MoUs which are Programme of Cooperation 2018-21, Establishment of Future Strategy Group and Cooperation in Bio-technology and Bio-economy.  Two other MoUs were signed between Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and South Korean National Research Council for Science and Technology and IIT Mumbai and Korea Institute of Science and Technology, to further accelerate future-oriented cooperation.  South Korea  Capital: Seoul  Currency: South Korean won  President: Moon Jae-in India Becomes World’s 6th Largest Economy: World Bank  India has surpassed France to become the sixth largest economy in the world.  According to World Bank figures for 2017, India’s gross domestic product (GDP) amounted to $2.597 trillion at the end of last year, against $2.582 trillion for France.  According to the report, manufacturing and consumer spending were the main drivers of the Indian economy.  India has doubled its GDP within a decade and is expected to power ahead as a key economic engine in Asia, even as China slows down.  According to the International Monetary Fund, India is projected to generate growth of 7.4 per cent this year and 7.8 per cent in 2019.  World Bank  Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States  President: Jim Yong Kim  CEO: Kristalina Georgieva

BANKING AND ECONOMY

RBI launches survey to capture retail payment habits in 6 cities :

 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will capture payment habits of individuals in six cities, including four metropolitan towns. For the purpose, the central bank has launched a ‘Survey on Retail Payment Habits of Individuals (SRPHi)’.

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 According to RBI release, the survey will cover a sample of 6,000 individuals from various socio- economic backgrounds across six cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Guwahati.  The survey seeks qualitative responses from individuals on their payment habits.

STATIC : RBI

Headquarters: New Delhi

Governor : shaktikanta das

Allahabad Bank, SBI Life join hand for bancassurance partnership :

 A ‘bancassurance’ pact was signed between State-owned Allahabad Bank and SBI Life Insurance to sell the policies of the insurer from over 3,200 branches of the Allahabad Bank.  The agreement was signed in the presence of Allahabad Bank Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mallikarjuna Rao and SBI Life MD & CEO Sanjeev Nautiyal.

STATIC: Allahabad Bank

Headquarters: Kolkata

MD & CEO: Mallikarjuna Rao

India to grow by 7.5% in 2019 :CII

 In its report titled ‘Growth Outlook for 2019’,Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) stated that India will remain the fastest growing major economy with GDP growth estimated to be 7.5% in FY19.  Better demand conditions, settled GST implementation, capacity expansion resulting from growing investments in infrastructure and better credit inflow especially in the service sector (that is of 24%) were the reasons cited for this growth.

RBI Lifts Six Month Ban From Paytm Payments Bank :

 After almost six months of the ban, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed Paytm Payments Bank to restart opening new accounts for its consumers.  Paytm Payments Bank stopped enrolling new customers in June 2018, following an audit by the RBI, which made certain observations about the process the company follows in acquiring new customers and its adherence to know-your-customer (KYC) norms.

STATIC:Paytm

Managing director and CEO : Satish Kumar Gupta

18th edition of India’s Fiscal Stability Report was released by RBI:

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 The central bank of India,Reserve Bank of India (RBI)released 18th Fiscal Stability Report of India.  This report has been prepared by the Sub-Committee of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) on the risks to financial stability, the strength of the financial system and the development and regulation of the financial sector.  This is the first such report that has been published after Mr. Shaktikanta Das became governor in December following Urjit Patel’s departure.

STATIC:RBI

Headquarters: Mumbai.

Governor: Mr. Shaktikanta Das.

Centre infuses Rs 3,076 crore capital into UCO Bank : A staff member works inside a commercial branch of the UCO Bank in Mumbai June 1, 2013. REUTERS/Vivek Prakash/Files

 State-run lender UCO bank, formerly United Commercial Bank, announced that Government of India has infused Rs 3076 crore of capital into it by the way of preferential allotment.  The UCO Bank has posted a net loss of Rs. 1136.44 Crore in the second quarter of FY19 against a net loss of Rs. 622.56 crore for the same period of previous fiscal.  Gross NPA (Non-performing assets) of UCO bank fell marginally from Rs. 29786.41 crore to Rs. 29581.49 crore during the September Quarter of FY19.

STATIC: UCO Bank

Headquarters: Kolkata, West Bengal

MD & CEO: Shri Atul Kumar Goel

Paytm partners with LIC for insurance premium payments

Paytm (One97 Communications Limited) and arch rival Mobikwik, have simultaneously announced entry into online insurance payments and purchase of digital insurance on their platforms, respectively.

Paytm has partnered with the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) to offer online insurance premium payments on its platform.

Softbank-backed Paytm will provide premium payment solutions from over 30 insurance companies including LIC, ICICI Prudential Life, Reliance Life and Max Life Insurance among others.

Mobikwik, which is targeting a 4X growth in the current financial year, will also be providing purchase of insurance policies on its mobile application and website.

SEBI simplifies regulations for reclassifying promoter as public investor

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 143 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has come out with new rules for re-classification of a promoter as a public investor, wherein an outgoing promoter will have to relinquish special rights as well as control over the affairs of the listed firm and not be allowed to hold over 10% stake.

The promoter would not be allowed to have any representation on the board of directors or act as a key managerial person in the listed entity.

Further, the promoter seeking re-classification must not be a wilful defaulter or a fugitive economic offender, the SEBI said in a notification dated November 16. These norms will prevent the outgoing promoters from continuing to exercise their control on the company directly or indirectly.

SEBI

Headquarters: Mumbai Agency executive: Ajay Tyagi

RBI eases hedging norms for external commercial borrowings by reducing provision to 70% from current 100%:

 The Reserve Bank relaxed norms for external commercial borrowings (ECBs) by reducing the mandatory hedging provision to 70% from the current 100%.  The relaxed norms will apply to the ECBs with a maturity period between 3 and 5 years.

The RBI also clarified that the ECBs raised prior to this circular will be required to mandatorily roll over their existing hedge only to the extent of 70% of outstanding ECB exposure

RBI launches survey on Indian startup sector:

 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has introduced a survey on India’s startup sector, in order to create a profile of the startups and provide dimensions pertaining to their profitability and workforce.  The survey would also aim at talking about the problems being faced by the sector in the country.In a recent NASSCOM-Zinnov report titled “Indian Start-up Ecosystem 2018: Approaching Escape Velocity,”, India has emerged as the third largest startup hub in the world.  According to the report, Bangalore, Delhi-NCR and Mumbai are the top cities which have seen a tremendous growth in startups, with Bangalore becoming one of the fastest growing technology startup hubs.

STATIC

Governor of RBI : Urjit Patel RBI headquarters : Mumbai

Government To Divest Stake In Air India Ground Handling Subsidiary:

 The Central government has decided to go in for a strategic disinvestment of Air India’s ground handling subsidiary to partially retire the national passenger carrier’s accumulated debt.  A ministerial panel led by Finance Minister Arun Jaitleydecided to sell 100% of Air India’s ground handling arm Air India Air Transport Services (AIATSL).

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 The proceeds will be used to retire a part of Air India’s debt. The government also plans to transfer a “significant part” of the airline’s debt to a special purpose vehicle (SPV).  The approval comes at a time when the government is working on ways to revive the fortunes of Air India – estimated to have the debt burden of more than Rs 500 billion, including the sale of non-core assets.

SBI hikes FD rates by 5-10 bps:

 State Bank of India (SBI), the largest lender of the country, revised its fixed deposit (FD) interest rates on select maturities.  FDs with a tenor of one year but less than two years will fetch 6.8 per cent up from 6.7 per cent – a hike of 10 bps.  Similarly, the interest rate on 2-3 year FDs has been increased by 5 bps to 6.80 per cent from 6.75 per cent. In all cases, senior citizens will earn 50 bps higher.The interest rate for senior citizens also goes up to 7.30% on SBI FDs with tenure between one year and two years, from 7.2% earlier.

India GDP to slow down marginally, but remain strong at 7.5% in 2019 & 2020: OECD

 India ’s economic growth will slow down somewhat but remain robust, at close to 7.50% in 2019 and 2020, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).  India’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 6.7% in 2017-18.  OECD projects GDP at market prices to grow 7.3% in 2019 and 7.4% in 2020 from 7.5% in 2018.

OECD

 Headquarters: Paris, France  Secretary-General: José Ángel Gurría

NBFC Mudra loans grew faster than banks in FY18: report by MUDRA

 According to the 2017-18 annual report of Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana(PMMY), though NBFCs sanctioned only over Rs.27,000 crore of Mudra loans in FY18 against Rs.92,492.68 crore by public sector banks, their year-on-year growth was faster.  In the financial year 2017-18, overall loans worth Rs 2.54 lakh crore were classified as Mudra loans.  PMMY is a scheme launched in April 2015 for providing loans up to Rs.10 lakh to non- corporate, non-farm small/micro enterprises.  AU Small Finance Bank was the top institution among SFBs with a sanction amount of Rs.4,614.4 crore to 117,000 borrowers.  Among state-run banks, State Bank of India (SBI) with Rs.28,791 crore sanctions to 1.41 million accounts came first. It was followed by Canara Bank and Punjab National Bank (PNB) with Rs.7,665 crore and Rs.6,838 crore, respectively.

RBI injected Rs 12,000 crore liquidity via OMO on November 15

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 145 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The Reserve Bank has announced that it will inject Rs 12,000 crore into the system through purchase of government securities on November 15.

Based on an assessment of prevailing liquidity conditions and also of the durable liquidity needs going forward, the RBI has decided to conduct purchase of the following government securities under Open Market Operations for an aggregate amount of Rs 120 billion.

The OMO operation will help ease tight liquidity situation triggered by series of default by group companies of IL&FS.The eligible participants should submit their offers in electronic format on the Reserve Bank of India Core Banking Solution (E-Kuber) system.

Myntra merges with Jabong

 Myntra and Jabong, the fashion retail portals of the country’s top ecommerce firm Flipkart, will soon integrate all their functions, and Myntra chief executive Ananth Narayanan will continue to lead the team.  Myntra and Jabong have laid off close to 150 employees as part of their integration in the first such consequence of the restructuring.  Myntra and Jabong have been integrating key business functions and streamlining processes since the former acquired Jabong in 2016, helping in revenue growth and improvement in the customer experience.  The development comes days after US retailer Walmart, which acquired 77% stake in Flipkart this year, put Myntra and Jabong under direct control of Flipkart CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy.

Karnataka bank launches new SB scheme “KBL SB – TASC”

 Karnataka Bank has launched CASA campaign of FY 2018-19 & introduced a new SB scheme “KBL SB – TASC” a specialized product for Trusts/Associates/Societies/Clubs.  Under this nationwide campaign starting from 15th Nov 2018 to 28th Feb 2019, Bank intends to open more than 4.18 lakhs Current & Savings accounts by active involvement of its 8000 + work force in all the 823 branches across India.  Bank offers host of Savings / Current Account Schemes loaded with multiple add-on facilities / services to suit the needs of varied segments.  Bank also provides Personal Accident Insurance cover of upto ₹ 10.00 lakh under “KBL Suraksha” to its Savings Bank customers with a nominal annual premium of ₹ 125.00 + GST only.

IndusInd Bank Launches India’s 1st Interactive Credit Card With Buttons

 IndusInd Bank has announced the launch of IndusInd Bank Nexxt Credit Card, which empowers customers with a choice of payment options such as EMI, Reward Points or Credit at the push of a button, on the card, at the point of sale (POS). The bank claims it to be the nation’s first interactive credit card with buttons.  The card has been created in partnership with Dynamics Inc, which is headquartered in Pittsburgh USA, and designs and manufactures intelligent, battery powered payment cards.

RBI to set up expert panel to look into issues on capital surplus

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 146 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The RBI board has decided to set up a high-powered committee to examine issues related to surplus capital of Rs 9.69 lakh crore with the central bank and advised it to consider a scheme for restructuring stressed assets in the MSME sector.

It was also decided that the Board for Financial Supervision (BFS) of the RBI would examine the issues concerning the banks that are under the Prompt Corrective Action framework.

Govt to infuse Rs 3,054 crore in Allahabad Bank:

 The Centre is infusing Rs 3,054 crore into Allahabad Bank as an investment during the current fiscal.  Allahabad Bank had posted a loss of ₹1,944 crore in the June quarter compared to a profit of ₹28.8 crore a year ago. The bank received ₹1,790 crore as capital from the government in July this year.  Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had imposed additional restrictions on the bank under the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework in May this year.

India’s economic growth to slow to 7.3% in 2019: Moody’s:

 The Indian economy will expand 7.4% in 2018, but the growth rate will slow down to 7.3% in the next year as domestic demand tapers on higher borrowing cost due to rising interest rates, according to Moody’s Investors Service .  In its report titled ‘Global Macro Outlook 2019-20’, Moody’s said the economy grew 7.9% in the first half (January-June) of 2018, reflecting the base effect post demonetisation.

Nokia inks pact with Infosys to drive enterprise digital transformation

Finnish mobile telecom network maker Nokia and Indian IT services firm Infosys have formed an alliance to develop solutions powered by new-age technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).

The partnership will help drive digital transformation in a wide array of enterprises and industries, addressing vertical markets, including transportation, energy and manufacturing, media and entertainment, and education.

This collaboration will couple technology, products and services from Nokia with platform solutions, engineering and operations management expertise from Infosys.

RBI Relaxes ECB Norms for Infrastructure Companies

The Reserve Bank has liberalised the norms governing foreign borrowings for infrastructure creation “in consultation with the Government”.

The minimum average maturity requirement for ECBs (external commercial borrowings) in the infrastructure space raised by eligible borrowers has been reduced to three years from earlier five years.

Additionally, the average maturity requirement for mandatory hedging has been reduced to five years from earlier ten years.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 147 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING NIIF Acquired IDFC Infrastructure Finance

The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) has acquired IDFC Infrastructure Finance (IDFC-IFL), an infrastructure debt fund.

This acquisition is the first investment from NIIF’s strategic fund. IDFs are investment vehicles for channeling investment into India’s infrastructure sector.

IDFC-IFL, with a loan book of Rs 4500 crore, lends to operating infrastructure projects, helping original project financiers to recycle their capital following the commencement of operations.

TCS Buys London-Based W12 Studios

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has acquired design company W12 Studios for an undisclosed sum.

W12 was started in 2012 and is one of the world’s iconic design companies. It has multi-disciplinary capabilities and has won a number of awards.

TCS has planned to expand its interactive business into a significant revenue stream in the next few years.

India Signs $950 Million With Russia For Two Stealth Frigates

India has signed a $950 million contract with Russia for two upgraded Krivak III-class stealth frigates. A government-to-government contract was signed between India and United Shipbuilding Corporation of Russia.

The frigates are built by Yantar Shipyard of Russia and will be powered by Ukrainian gas turbine engines. They will be equipped with Indian-built radar, sonar, communication suites and anti-ship BrahMos missile systems.

The 4,000-ton Krivak III vessels will also accommodate two multirole helicopters and will be used for anti-submarine and airborne early warning missions.

India has already built seven basic versions of Krivak-class stealth frigates under the Navy’s Project 17A schemeat state-owned shipyards Mazagon Dock Limited, and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers.

Kirloskar Group Gets RBI Nod For NBFC Biz

The Kirloskar group has received licence from the Reserve Bank to launch a non-banking finance company (NBFC), Kirloskar Capital, which will be headed by industry veteran Vimal Bhandari.

The company will invest Rs 1,000 crore in the proposed NBFC, which will be a fully-owned subsidiary of Kirloskar Oil Engines, and will focus on providing growth capital to industry with an initial focus on small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The NBFC will be led by Vimal Bhandari as the chief executive.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 148 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING HDFC ERGO Launched ‘Cyber Security Awareness Week’

HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company, India’s third largest non-life insurance provider in the private sector launched the ‘Cyber Security Awareness Week’ starting from October 21, 2018 to October 27, 2018.

During the week, HDFC ERGO aims to create awareness about the facets of cybercrime and promote the need of cyber security among individuals.

The theme is ‘#HackSeLado’.

RIL & HSBC Executes First Of Its Kind Blockchain Trade Finance Transaction

HSBC India and ING Bank Brussels have successfully executed a blockchain- enabled Letter of Credit (LC) transaction between Reliance Industries (RIL) and Tricon Energy.

This is an industry-first, as the blockchain platform integrates with Bolero’s electronic Bill of Lading (eBL) platform to issue and manage an eBL.

The Letter of Credit (LC) was issued by ING Bank for Tricon Energy USA (importer) with HSBC India as the advising and negotiating bank for RIL, India (exporter).

This allowed a digital transfer of the title of goods from the seller to the buyer in the underlying trade and enabled the underlying trade to be fully digitised.

RBI Allows Banks To Provide Partial Credit Enhancement To NBFCs

The Reserve Bank of India has permitted banks to grant partial credit enhancement (PCE) to bonds issued by non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and housing finance companies, listed with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the National Housing Bank respectively.

RBI has allowed this to enable NBFCs to obtain funds from the bond market on favourable terms and to improve the bonds’ credit rating.

PCE is expected to assist NBFCs, and housing finance companies raise money from provident or pension funds investing in highly-rated instruments and insurance.

The central bank also limited the exposure of a bank through PCEs to bonds assigned by each NBFC or housing finance company to one per cent of bank’s capital funds within the current borrower exposure limit.

RBI Initiates Process To Set Up Digital Public Credit Registry

 The Reserve Bank has initiated steps to set up a wide-based digital Public Credit Registry (PCR) to capture details of all borrowers, including wilful defaulters and also the pending legal suits in order to check financial delinquencies.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 149 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING

 The PCR will also include data from entities like market regulator Sebi, the corporate affairs ministry, Goods and Service Tax Network (GSTN) and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) to enable the banks and financial institutions to get 360 degree.  The Reserve Bank has invited expression of interest (EOI) for developing the registry from companies with a turnover of over Rs 100 crore in the last three years.

World Bank Inks $172 Million Project Agreement With Andhra Pradesh

 The Central and Andhra Pradesh governments and the World Bank have signed the loan agreement for a$172.20 million project to enhance agricultural productivity, profitability, and climate resilience of poor and marginalised farmers in Andhra Pradesh.  The projects seeks to ensure that farming continues to remain a financially viable activity.  The Andhra Pradesh Integrated Irrigation and Agriculture Transformation Project (APIIATP) will be implemented in rural areas largely dependent upon rain-fed agriculture.

India, Malawi Sign MoUs In Extradition Treaty, Atomic Energy And VISA Waiver

 India and Malawi has signed three MoUs on extradition, cooperation in atomic energy and visa waiver for diplomats and officials as Vice President Venkaiah Naidu met Malawian President Arthur Peter Mutharika.  During the meeting between the two leaders, India also offered specialised training programmes for Malawi defence forces.  An MoU on cooperation in the field of atomic energy for peaceful purposes was signed between the Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership and Malawi’s Ministry of Natural Resources.  The two sides also signed an MoU for an extradition treaty between the two countries and a visa waiver agreement for diplomatic and official passport holders.

Malawi Capital: Lilongwe Currency: Malawian kwacha

RBI announces steps to boost liquidity for NBFCs

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed banks to lend more to non-banking finance companies (NBFC), by increasing the single borrower exposure limit from 10 per cent to 15 per cent.

The increase has been limited up to December 31, 2018, and has excluded NBFCs that lend to the infrastructure sector.

Bank’s have also been allowed to use government securities equal to their incremental outstanding credit to NBFC lenders, over and above their outstanding credit to them as on October 19, to meet liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) requirements.

IFC Launches $1 Billion Masala Bond Programme

The World Bank’s lending arm, has launched its $1 billion masala bond programme in the US and Europe.

According to the IFC, the first tranche of $100 million under the programme opened on the London Stock Exchange.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 150 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING It was sold to a range of investors, including asset managers, banks and a pension fund, in the US and Europe.

Masala bonds are rupee-denominated borrowings issued overseas. IFC uses them to raise rupee funds overseas and brings the proceeds to India for investments.

India is world’s 2nd most underinsured country

India has the second largest insurance gap in the world of $27 billion (in absolute terms) after China, where the underinsurance or insurance gap is over $76 billion.

According to a Lloyd’s of London’s report, global underinsurance stands at $162.5 billion in 2018.

Underinsurance is the gap between the level of insurance in place to cover global risks and the actual cost to businesses and governments of rebuilding and recovering from major catastrophes.

The global underinsurance gap is now $162.5 billion, which is down only over 3 per cent since 2012 when it stood at $168 billion.

6 member panel set up to resolve Stressed Assets

An overseeing committee (OC) is set up under the inter-creditor agreement (ICA) for resolution of stressed assets and it will have six members.

The OC, which is being formed under the aegis of the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA), will approve resolution plans for stressed assets submitted by lead lenders.

An intercreditor agreement is an agreement among creditors that sets forth the various lien positions and the rights and liabilities of each creditor and its impact on the other creditors.

It includes Janki Ballabh (former Chairman, State Bank of India), MBN Rao (former Chairman & Managing Director, Canara Bank ), M Damodaran (former Chairman, SEBI) and HR Khan (former Deputy Governor, RBI).

PNB Metlife launches AI-powered customer service app ‘Khushi’

Life insurer PNB Metlife has unveiled an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered customer service app ‘Khushi’.

The app is designed to be a one-stop shop providing insurance-related information, anytime, anywhere, such as policy features, premium due details besides providing fund value and portfolio details.

It has the ability to understand customer intent and provide tailored responses.

In 2016, the company had launched ‘conVRse’, virtual reality (VR) service platform as well as ‘eBranch’, a paperless digital platform enabling real time transfer of information.

PNB Metlife

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 151 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Headquarters: Mumbai

Paul Biya wins 7th term as President of Cameroon

Cameroon’s President Paul Biya has won a seventh term in office in elections.

Biya, at 85 is currently sub-Saharan Africa’s oldest leader and he took 71.3% of the vote, according to official results.

Biya’s nearest challenger, Maurice Kamto of the MRC/CRM, gained just 14.2%.

Cameroon

Capital: Yaounde

Currency: CFA Franc

RBI Lifts The Ban On Fino Payments Bank To Open New Accounts

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) lifted its ban on adding new customers for Fino Payments Bank. The ban had been placed by the RBI in May because of non-compliance of operational guidelines, particularly certain accounts having deposits in excess of the allowed amount.

RBI’s operating guidelines for payments banks said the aggregate limit for customer in his/her bank account shall not exceed Rs 100,000.

Currently there are five payment banks operating in the country – Paytm, Airtel, Fino and Aditya Birla- Idea Payments Bank and India Post Payments Bank.

YES Bank selects Korn Ferry to find successor to Rana Kapoor

The Private sector lender YES Bank has selected global leadership advisory firm Korn Ferry to help find a successor to its Managing Director and CEO Rana Kapoor.

Reserve Bank of India last month cut short Kapoor’s term and asked him to step down after January 1.

YES Bank

Headquarters: Mumbai

Kreditech gets NBFC licence

Kreditech has been licensed by the RBI to operate as an NBFC with the first-of-its-kind licence in the Indian financial history for digital lending business and app-based financing.

Kreditech’s product suite for India will offer individualised direct-to-consumer loans as well as its Lending-as-a-Service Solution for vendors, which allows partners to offer customised credit products to their customers.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 152 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING They offers loans to individuals based on their creditworthiness which is analyzed using their online data instead of using traditional credit rating information.

Kreditech

Headquarters: Hamburg, Germany

RBI issues guidelines for facilitating money transfer among e-wallets

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released guidelines to facilitate payments among different mobile wallets, a move aimed at promoting digital transactions.

As per the road-map laid down in 2017, interoperability of all KYC-compliant Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs) was to be enabled in three phases – interoperability of PPIs issued in the form of wallets through Unified Payments Interface (UPI), interoperability between wallets and bank accounts through UPI, and interoperability for PPIs issued in the form of cards through card networks.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued consolidated guidelines for enabling all phases in order to prepare better for implementation of interoperability.

RBI announces steps to boost liquidity for NBFCs

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed banks to lend more to non-banking finance companies (NBFC), by increasing the single borrower exposure limit from 10 per cent to 15 per cent.

The increase has been limited up to December 31, 2018, and has excluded NBFCs that lend to the infrastructure sector.

Bank’s have also been allowed to use government securities equal to their incremental outstanding credit to NBFC lenders, over and above their outstanding credit to them as on October 19, to meet liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) requirements.

IFC Launches $1 Billion Masala Bond Programme

The World Bank’s lending arm, has launched its $1 billion masala bond programme in the US and Europe.

According to the IFC, the first tranche of $100 million under the programme opened on the London Stock Exchange.

It was sold to a range of investors, including asset managers, banks and a pension fund, in the US and Europe.

Masala bonds are rupee-denominated borrowings issued overseas. IFC uses them to raise rupee funds overseas and brings the proceeds to India for investments.

India is world’s 2nd most underinsured country

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 153 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING India has the second largest insurance gap in the world of $27 billion (in absolute terms) after China, where the underinsurance or insurance gap is over $76 billion.

According to a Lloyd’s of London’s report, global underinsurance stands at $162.5 billion in 2018.

Underinsurance is the gap between the level of insurance in place to cover global risks and the actual cost to businesses and governments of rebuilding and recovering from major catastrophes.

The global underinsurance gap is now $162.5 billion, which is down only over 3 per cent since 2012 when it stood at $168 billion.

6 member panel set up to resolve Stressed Assets

An overseeing committee (OC) is set up under the inter-creditor agreement (ICA) for resolution of stressed assets and it will have six members.

The OC, which is being formed under the aegis of the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA), will approve resolution plans for stressed assets submitted by lead lenders.

An intercreditor agreement is an agreement among creditors that sets forth the various lien positions and the rights and liabilities of each creditor and its impact on the other creditors.

It includes Janki Ballabh (former Chairman, State Bank of India), MBN Rao (former Chairman & Managing Director, Canara Bank ), M Damodaran (former Chairman, SEBI) and HR Khan (former Deputy Governor, RBI).

PNB Metlife launches AI-powered customer service app ‘Khushi’

Life insurer PNB Metlife has unveiled an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered customer service app ‘Khushi’.

The app is designed to be a one-stop shop providing insurance-related information, anytime, anywhere, such as policy features, premium due details besides providing fund value and portfolio details.

It has the ability to understand customer intent and provide tailored responses.

In 2016, the company had launched ‘conVRse’, virtual reality (VR) service platform as well as ‘eBranch’, a paperless digital platform enabling real time transfer of information.

PNB Metlife Headquarters: Mumbai

Paul Biya wins 7th term as President of Cameroon

Cameroon’s President Paul Biya has won a seventh term in office in elections.

Biya, at 85 is currently sub-Saharan Africa’s oldest leader and he took 71.3% of the vote, according to official results.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 154 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Biya’s nearest challenger, Maurice Kamto of the MRC/CRM, gained just 14.2%.

Cameroon Capital: Yaounde Currency: CFA Franc

RBI Lifts The Ban On Fino Payments Bank To Open New Accounts

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) lifted its ban on adding new customers for Fino Payments Bank. The ban had been placed by the RBI in May because of non-compliance of operational guidelines, particularly certain accounts having deposits in excess of the allowed amount.

RBI’s operating guidelines for payments banks said the aggregate limit for customer in his/her bank account shall not exceed Rs 100,000.

Currently there are five payment banks operating in the country – Paytm, Airtel, Fino and Aditya Birla- Idea Payments Bank and India Post Payments Bank

Corporation Bank inks pact with NeSL

The Corporation Bank has signed an information utility (IU) agreement with National e- Governance Services Ltd (NeSL), the first IU registered with the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI), to share financial and security information under IBBI (IU) Regulation 2017.

They serve the needs of the banking system by providing data to insolvency professionals, adjudicating authority and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India on the proof of borrowing, proof of default and security interest data in respect of NCLT cases while adhering to prescribed standards of information security.

The agreement was signed here in the presence of Jai Kumar Garg, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Corporation Bank, Gopal Murli Bhagat, Executive Director of the bank, and U Venkata Rao, Vice-President (IU Operations) of NeSL.

Corporation Bank

Headquarters: Mangalore CEO: Jai Kumar Garg

Fitch raises India’s FY19 GDP growth forecast to 7.8%

The US multinational Fitch Ratings raised India’s GDP growth forecast for the current fiscal to 7.8 percent, up from their earlier estimate of 7.4 percent.

Fitch estimated retail inflation to rise up to the higher end of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s target of 4 per cent with a band range of 2 per cent either way.

Fitch also lowered India’s GDP growth forecasts for the fiscals 2019-20 and 2020-21 by 0.2 percentage points to 7.3 percent.

HAL Becomes 1st PSU To Transact On TReDS: RXIL

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 155 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The Receivables Exchange of India (RXIL) has announced that Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) has become the first public sector enterprise to make a transaction on the “TReDS platform”.

According to the NSE-SIDBI joint venture, TReDS is an online electronic institutional mechanism for facilitating the financing of trade receivables of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) through multiple financiers.

RXIL is a TReDS platform operating since January 2017 and is promoted by the National Stock Exchange, Small Industries Development Bank of India, State Bank of India, ICICI Bank and Yes Bank.

NITI Aayog launches Thematic Reports on Sustainable Development in Indian Himalayan Region

NITI Aayog has released five thematic reports on Sustainable Development in Indian Himalayan Region.

It was released by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar, CEO Amitabh Kant and member Dr V K Saraswat in New Delhi.

Himalayan Tourism is growing annually at 6.8 percent has crated huge challenge related to solid waste, water, traffic, loss of bio-cultural diversity.

RIL becomes first Indian company to cross Rs 8 trillion in market cap

The Reliance Industries has became the first company to cross Rs 8 trillion in terms of market capitalisation (market-cap), becoming the country’s most valued firm.

The RIL’s market capitalisation (m-cap) stood at Rs 8.01 trillion. This record m-cap of RIL also bumped up Mukesh Ambani’s (India’s richest man) wealth to over $48 billion (according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index).

Market capitalization refers to when the total dollar market value of all of a company’s outstanding shares. Market capitalization is calculated by multiplying a company’s shares outstanding by the current market price of one share.

Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Launches Overdraft Facility For MSEs

Ujjivan Small Finance Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ujjivan Financial Services Ltd, has launched overdraft (OD) facility for micro and small enterprise (MSE) customers across its branches nationally. The facility is an add-on product to the existing MSE term loans offered by the bank.

The OD facility is offered to all MSEs with a turnover of Rs 50 lakh or more, at a competitive rate of interest.

This interest rate is for one year, with a credit limit between a minimum of Rs 11 lakh to a maximum of Rs 50 lakh, which can be renewed annually.

Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Ltd

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 156 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Managing Director & CEO: Samit Ghosh Headquarters: Bengaluru

World Bank Launches World’s 1st Blockchain Bond

The World Bank has raised $110 million (US$80.09 million) from the sale of the world’s first bonds created and managed using only blockchain technology.

It has launched the bond on a blockchain with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

The proceeds from the sale of “bond-i” will be used for sustainable development, part of the World Bank’s mandate to reduce poverty and promote lasting development. The two-year bonds pay a coupon of 2.2% per annum.

Myanmar media group inks MoU with Prasar Bharati

The Prasar Bharati and Mizzima Media of Myanmar signed a Memorandum of Understanding in broadcasting and content sharing.

This will boost centuries old ties between India and Myanmar. It will also strengthen India’s soft power in its neighbourhood. The Agreement will realize cooperation and collaboration in various fields of broadcasting.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Prasar Bharati CEO, Shashi Shekhar Vempati and Editor-in-chief and MD, Mizzima in New Delhi.

Axis Securities launches commodity trading

Axis Securities has become the first subsidiary of a bank to launch trading in commodity derivatives with the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX).

Within 48 hours of online request, customers will get rights to trade in commodity derivatives and use the same login credentials of Axis Direct to access the commodities platform with real-time market information.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had allowed banks to offer broking services to clients on Sebi registered commodity exchanges like MCX and NCDEX.

The commodity trading was introduced under its flagship brand, Axis Direct.

Axis Securities MD & CEO: Arun Thukral

Union Government, World Bank and Rajasthan sign agreement to improve power distribution in Rajasthan

The World Bank will provide a $250 million loan facility to Rajasthan for improving the performance of its electricity distribution sector.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 157 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The ‘Second Programmatic Electricity Distribution Reform Development Policy Loan’ for Rajasthan is the second in the series of two operations planned for a comprehensive turnaround of Rajasthan’s electricity distribution sector. The First Loan closed in March 2017.

The loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a 3-year grace period, and a maturity of 21 year.

Government inks $300 million agreement with World Bank to scale-up Energy Efficiency Program

The government, World Bank and state-owned EESL has inked a $220 million loan agreement and $80 million guarantee pact to push energy efficiency programme in India.

The $220 million loan, from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) to Energy Efficiency Services Ltd, has a 5-year grace period, and a maturity of 19 years.

The programme will help scale up the deployment of energy saving measures in residential and public sectors.

World Bank

Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States CEO: Kristalina Georgieva

Tez Rebranded As Google Pay To Offer Instant Bank Loans

The Google for India has rebranded its payments app for India Google Tez as Google Pay, and also launched its new features.

The company has announced that users will now be able to avail instant loans using Google Pay app. Google Pay will work with all banks that support BHIM UPI (Unified Payments Interface).

It has tied up with private lenders like HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Federal Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank to offer customised loans, which will involve minimum paperwork.

Navlekha: Google unveils new platform for Indian publishers

At the fourth ‘Google for India’ event, the internet search giant unveiled Project Navlekha — its new initiative to bring India’s 135,000 Indic language publications online in a hassle-free manner.

Navlekha, which means ‘a new way to write’ in Sanksrit, will allow local publishers who do not have websites to make their offline content fit for online publishing in less than a minute. They can simply scan documents or PDFs and create instant web pages on the platform.

Project Navlekha comprises a tool that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to render any PDF containing Indian language content into editable text, making it easy for print publishers to create mobile-friendly web content.

NMCG Approves Projects Worth Nearly 150 Crore Rupees for Cleaning the River and Its Banks

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 158 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) approved projects worth nearly Rs 150 crores in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal under the Namami Gange programme during its fifth Executive Committee meeting held in New Delhi.

In Uttarakhand, I&D projects were approved for Rispana and Bindal Rivers in Dehradun at an estimated cost of Rs 60 crores.

The development of Ghats in Uttar Pradesh‘s Mirzapur was approved at an estimated cost of Rs.27.41 crore under the Clean Ganga Fund. The committee also approved the riverfront development project in Sonepur at an estimated cost of Rs.22.92 Crore.

India And ADB Sign $375 Million Loan To Improve Irrigation Efficiency In Madhya Pradesh

The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $375 million loan agreement to contribute to double farming incomes in Madhya Pradesh by expanding irrigation networks and system efficiency.

The Madhya Pradesh Irrigation Efficiency Improvement Project will develop 125,000 hectares of new, highly efficient and climate resilient irrigation networks and improve water use efficiency in more than 400 villages, benefiting over 800,000 people in Madhya Pradesh.

Shri Sameer Kumar Khare, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Finance, signed the loan agreement for the Government of India, and Shri Sabyasachi Mitra, Deputy Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission, signed on behalf of ADB.

The project will focus on two large irrigation systems namely Kundalia irrigation project and Sanjay Sarovar Irrigation Project.

India’s Economic Growth Rate To Grow At 7.4% In 2018-19: RBI

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) expects the country’s economic growth rate to grow at 7.4 per cent in the current financial year.

RBI releasing its annual report in Mumbai announced that due to the evolving economic conditions, real GDP growth for 2018-19 is expected to increase to 7.4 per cent from 6.7 percent in the previous year.

The RBI also stated that its monetary policy will continue to be guided by the objective of achieving medium-term target for retail inflation of 4%.

Navlekha: Google unveils new platform for Indian publishers

At the fourth ‘Google for India’ event, the internet search giant unveiled Project Navlekha — its new initiative to bring India’s 135,000 Indic language publications online in a hassle-free manner.

Navlekha, which means ‘a new way to write’ in Sanksrit, will allow local publishers who do not have websites to make their offline content fit for online publishing in less than a minute. They can simply scan documents or PDFs and create instant web pages on the platform.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 159 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Project Navlekha comprises a tool that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to render any PDF containing Indian language content into editable text, making it easy for print publishers to create mobile-friendly web content.

NMCG Approves Projects Worth Nearly 150 Crore Rupees for Cleaning the River and Its Banks

The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) approved projects worth nearly Rs 150 crores in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal under the Namami Gange programme during its fifth Executive Committee meeting held in New Delhi.

In Uttarakhand, I&D projects were approved for Rispana and Bindal Rivers in Dehradun at an estimated cost of Rs 60 crores.

The development of Ghats in Uttar Pradesh‘s Mirzapur was approved at an estimated cost of Rs.27.41 crore under the Clean Ganga Fund. The committee also approved the riverfront development project in Sonepur at an estimated cost of Rs.22.92 Crore.

India And ADB Sign $375 Million Loan To Improve Irrigation Efficiency In Madhya Pradesh

The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $375 million loan agreement to contribute to double farming incomes in Madhya Pradesh by expanding irrigation networks and system efficiency.

The Madhya Pradesh Irrigation Efficiency Improvement Project will develop 125,000 hectares of new, highly efficient and climate resilient irrigation networks and improve water use efficiency in more than 400 villages, benefiting over 800,000 people in Madhya Pradesh.

Shri Sameer Kumar Khare, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Finance, signed the loan agreement for the Government of India, and Shri Sabyasachi Mitra, Deputy Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission, signed on behalf of ADB.

The project will focus on two large irrigation systems namely Kundalia irrigation project and Sanjay Sarovar Irrigation Project.

India’s Economic Growth Rate To Grow At 7.4% In 2018-19: RBI

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) expects the country’s economic growth rate to grow at 7.4 per cent in the current financial year.

RBI releasing its annual report in Mumbai announced that due to the evolving economic conditions, real GDP growth for 2018-19 is expected to increase to 7.4 per cent from 6.7 percent in the previous year.

The RBI also stated that its monetary policy will continue to be guided by the objective of achieving medium-term target for retail inflation of 4%.

IRDAI frames panel to examine fintech issues

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 160 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING IRDAI has constituted a committee, comprising its officials as well as senior executives of a few insurers, to study regulatory issues fin-tech poses for insurance.

With IRDAI Chief General Manager Randip Singh Jagpal as the chairperson, the committee would identify key regulatory issues and gaps pertaining to fin-tech in insurance.

It has been asked to prepare a consultation paper on sandbox approach and submit report within two months.

IRDAI Headquarters: Hyderabad Chairman: Subhash Chandra Khuntia

$525 Million Loan approved for Infra Projects in Madhya Pradesh by NDB

The New Development Bank (NDB) of the BRICS countries has approved a $525-million loan to Madhya Pradesh for infrastructure projects.

The Board of Directors of the NDB has approved a $350-million loan for the Major District Roads Project II of Madhya Pradesh and $175 million for building and upgrading 350 bridges.

The NDB was set up by the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) nations to promote green and infrastructure projects in the member countries.

NDB Headquarters: Shanghai, China President: K. V. Kamath

Netmeds acquires JustDoc for undisclosed amount

The Online pharmacy Netmeds.com has acquired telemedicine portal JustDoc.com in a cash and stock transaction. The company has not disclosed the deal size.

Founded in 2015, JustDoc.com is a robust online consulting portal, which connects patients with doctors through their platform. Following the acquisition, JustDoc’s entire team will be absorbed by Netmeds and its technology will be integrated with the latter.

Founder & CEO of Netmeds: Pradeep Dadha

SoftBank leads $1 billion fund infusion into OYO Hotels

The hotel chain OYO had raised a total of $800 million in the latest financing round led by SoftBank Investment Advisers (SBIA) through SoftBank Vision Fund, with participation from existing investors Lightspeed Venture Partners, Sequoia and Greenoaks Capital.

OYO Hotels also confirmed that it had received a commitment of an additional $200 million.

The company, which runs a network of hotel rooms, plans to invest $600 million in China, where it began operations less than a year ago and has since expanded into more than 170 cities with 87,000 rooms.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 161 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Founder and CEO, OYO: Ritesh Agarwal

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley launches web portal for MSME banking credit space

The Finance Minister Arun Jaitley launched a portal to enable micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to get in-principle approval of loans within an hour without the need for a branch visit.

The web portal, www.psbloansin59minutes.com, will enable in-principle nod for loans up to Rs 10 million within 59 minutes for MSMEs.

The portal is for securing loan approvals only from Small Industries Development Bank of India, and five public sector banks (PSB) — State Bank of India (SBI), Bank of Baroda, Punjab National Bank, Vijaya Bank, and Indian Bank.

ICICI Prudential Life & Saraswat Bank partnered up for bancassurance

ICICI Prudential Life, one of the largest private sector life insurance Company in India, and Saraswat Co-operative Bank (Saraswat Bank), a century old and India’s largest urban co-operative bank, have come together to offer life insurance products ranging from protection to wealth creation.

Through this partnership, over 280 Saraswat Bank branches will offer the entire range of Protection and Savings products of ICICI Prudential Life.

Flipkart acquires Israel-based Upstream Commerce

The homegrown player Flipkart has acquired an Israel-based analytics company Upstream Commerce in a bid to deliver real-time pricing and product analytics to their sellers.

Upstream Commerce also brings advanced, data science-based intelligent solutions to India to help local sellers boost sales and better serve Flipkart customers

In August, it had acquired Bengaluru-based artificial intelligence company Liv.ai, with the deal being reportedly pegged at $40 Mn.

Yes Bank partners with RupeeBoss.com

Yes Bank, India’s fourth largest private sector bank announced its partnership with RupeeBoss.com, an online financial services company for the integration of YES mPower BOT, the Bank’s chat bot based platform.

The integration will be across its multiple app and web based digital platforms to support instant loan eligibilities for several loan products of the bank to be offered to a wide range of customers.

By authorising RupeeBoss’s expansive agents network, Yes Bank will be able to provide its loan applicants with instant information without needing to know all the details about the customer, thereby speeding up the pace of sourcing customers.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 162 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING This cross platform integration will allow all the stakeholders to be able to use the mPOWER BOT according to their requirement and achieve the desired business outcomes.

RBI eases cash reserve rules to ease liquidity

The Reserve Bank of India has announced that banks can avail of higher liquidity with effect from October 1.

Banks could ‘carve out’ up to 15 percent of holdings under the statutory liquidity reserves to meet their liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) requirements as compared to 13 percent now.

RBI has enhanced the “Facility to Avail Liquidity for Liquidity Coverage Ratio (FALLCR)” from the existing 11 percent to 13 percent of their deposits.

Banks’ SLR, which is the percentage of deposits that they have to mandatorily invest in government and state government securities, is currently at 19.5 per cent.

Sawai Singh to be honoured with Meera Puraskar

The Jaipur-based poet and writer Sawai Singh Shekhawat will be honoured with Meera Puraskar by Rajasthan Sahitya Academy for his contribution to Hindi literature.

He also announced other awards to be given for the year 2018-19 at a function in October.

‘Green Book’ wins Toronto film festival audience prize

The Canada – Peter Farrelly’s dramatic comedy buddy movie “Green Book,” starring Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen, won the Toronto International Film Festival audience prize.

The first runner-up for the top audience prize was Barry Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk; the second runner-up was Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma.

The Toronto film festival is the biggest in North America and has traditionally been a key event for Oscar-conscious studios and distributors, as it is attended by a sizable contingent of media.

PNB wins Hindi implementation award

The state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) has bagged the “Rajbhasha Kirti” award for outstanding performance in implementing the Official Language Policy during 2017-18.

The award, under the category of ‘Nationalised Banks and Financial Institutions in Region A’, was presented by Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu to PNB Chief Executive and MD Sunil Mehta.

Kerala Tourism won two Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) gold awards

The Kerala Tourism won two Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) gold awardsThe awards were presented at a glittering function in Langkawi, Malaysia on Friday during PATA Travel Mart 2018.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 163 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Ms Sudeshna Ramkumar, Assistant Director, India Tourism, Singapore received the award on behalf of Kerala tourism.

Kerala Tourism got the first gold for its ‘Yalla Kerala’ travel advertisement print media campaign in the Gulf countries.The second gold award came for an innovative poster Kerala Tourism had developed for the third edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB), the biggest contemporary art show in South Asia.

The PATA Awards are presented to outstanding entries in four principal categories: Marketing; Education and Training; Environment, and Heritage and Culture.

Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan won top honours at the first international music festival

Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan won top honours at the first international music festival initiated by President Shavkat Mirizoyev.

Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan is an Indian classical vocalist from Delhi Gharana..Mr. Khan was awarded amongst 160 participants from more than 70 countries at the Maqom festival, including groups from Turkey and Israel, South Korea and Japan.

INSV Tarini Crew Bestowed With Tenzing Norgay Award

All-women crew of INSV Tarini has bagged the prestigious Tenzing Norgay National Adventure award for beating the odds in water with their enduring skills and sailing across the world for eight long months.

The award is the highest national recognition for outstanding achievements in the field of adventure on land, sea and air. The INSV Tarini team was led by Lt. Commander Vartika Joshi.

The women Navy officers had spent as many as 194 days at sea as part of a mission under the Navika Sagar Parikrama project. The crew was also bestowed with Nav Sena Medal on the occasion of 72nd Independence Day.

They also set a record by becoming the first-ever all-women crew to complete circumnavigation.

Dr. Raghupati Singhania conferred with civilian honour of Mexico

The Chairman and MD, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd., Dr. Raghupati Singhania has been conferred with ‘Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle’, the highest honour accorded to non-nationals by the Government of Mexico.

Melba Pría, Ambassador of Mexico to India presented the award to Dr. Singhania on behalf of the President of Mexico on the eve of 128th National Day of Mexico.

The top honor is in recognition of Dr. Singhania’s exemplary leadership, his noteworthy services towards humanity and his efforts to strengthen bilateral ties between India and Mexico.

Cabinet approved MoU between Exim Bank and BRICS Banks

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 164 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The Cabinet has approved an agreement on collaborative research on distributed ledger and blockchain in context of development of digital economy by Exim Bank with the participating member banks under BRICS Interbank Cooperation Mechanism.

The ex-post facto approval for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was given by the Cabinet chaired Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Xiamen Declaration signed in China on digital economy by the BRICS leaders had highlighted the importance of the digital economy.

EXIM Bank Headquarters: Mumbai CEO: Shri Yaduvendra Mathur

Centre Proposes To Merge Bank Of Baroda, Vijaya Bank And Dena Bank

The Centre on Monday proposed the amalgamation of state-owned Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank to create India’s third largest bank as parts of reforms in the public sector banking segment.

The decision was taken at the meeting of a ministerial panel headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley which oversees merger proposals of state-owned banks. The other members of the panel include Railways Minister Piyush Goyal and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

This follows the merger of the five associate banks of State Bank of India with itself. The government has also moved to offload its majority stake in IDBI Bank to Life Insurance Corporation of India.

Infosys Acquires Finnish Company ‘Fluido’ For Rs 545 Crore

Infosys, the country’s second largest IT services firm, acquired Finland-based Fluido in a deal worth up to 65 million euros (over Rs 545 crore).

Fluido is one of the largest consulting partners of cloud computing firm Salesforce. It is majority-owned by its management team and CapMan private equity, with Salesforce Ventures having a minority stake.

Fluido’s offerings include cloud consulting, implementation and training services.

UberEats ties up with Tata AIG to offer insurance to delivery fleet

Food-delivery firm UberEats has partnered with general insurance provider Tata AIG to offer comprehensive insurance covers for its delivery executives in India.

The programme insures the executives for up to Rs 5 lakh against accidental death and permanent disability, applicable when they are on the road delivering orders for UberEats.

The policy also provides a cover of Rs 2 lakh against hospitalisation expenses and an outpatient cover of Rs 50,000 per delivery agent.

PayU India Gets RBI Approval To Operate Its Own NBFC

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 165 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The leading online payment service provider PayU has received RBI’s approval (subject to certain pending RBI compliance) to operate as NBFC. This will help the Naspers-backed PayU promote inclusive growth in the country by catering to the diverse financial needs of various segments of the society.

PayU has been offering micro-credit through LazyPay Buy Now Pay Later to its consumers for more than a year now. PayU Credit allows users to access credit in a way that suits them.

The company has already crossed INR 100 Cr (USD 16 million) mark for credit issuance on the existing platforms and is targeting to clock next INR 100 crores volume in next 3 months itself.

Time Magazine Acquired By Salesforce Founders For $190 Million

Time magazine is being sold by Meredith Corp. to Marc Benioff, a co-founder of Salesforce.

Time magazine is sold for $190 million in cash to Mr. Benioff, one of four co-founders of Salesforce, a cloud computing pioneer.

Launched by Yale graduates Henry Luce and Briton Hadden, Time first went on sale in March 1923 with a cover price of 15 cents.

Federal Bank Inks MOU With Infopark Kakkanad

Federal Bank, which is in the process of formation of a wholly owned subsidiary company, has executed MOU with Infopark Kakkanad for leasing space in their campus.

The Bank has already obtained in principle approval of the Reserve Bank of India for the creation of a subsidiary company. The proposed company will integrate and handle all the back-end operations of the Bank.

Shalini Warrier, Chief Operating Officer, Federal Bank exchanged MOU with Hrishikesh Nair CEO, Infopark, for leasing over 12,000 sq ft space in Infopark to house the company.

IPPB ties up with Bajaj Allianz to offer life insurance products

The newly-launched India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has tied up with Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance to sell the insurance products through IPPB network. IPPB customers will get access to all the insurance products and services offered by Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance.

Under this arrangement, IPPB will be the corporate agent for the life insurance company. According to insurance regulations, banks can sell products of three life, non-life and standalone health insurers each.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) on September 1, in a bid to push India’s rural population into the formal financial system. IPPB will have 650 branches and 3,250 access points across the country.

IPPB MD & CEO: Suresh Sethi Headquarters: New Delhi, India

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 166 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Interest Rates On PPF, NSC, Other Small Savings Schemes Raised

The Small saving schemes such as Public Provident Fund (PPF), National Savings Certificates and Post Office Deposit Scheme will fetch more in the three months period starting October 1. The Government has raised interest rate on these schemes between 30 and 40 basis points (100 bps is 1 percent).

PPF and NSC will earn interest at 8 percent while Senior Citizens Savings Scheme, which has a tenure of five years, will fetch 8.7 per cent.

The country’s largest bank SBI offers 6.85 percent interest on deposit for five years and up to 10 years, while for senior citizens it is 7.35 per cent. On savings accounts, most banks offer 3.5 percent interest. Post office savings account earns 4 per cent.

India Signs Financing Loan Agreement With World Bank For UKWDP

A Loan Agreement for IBRD Credit of US$74 million equivalent for the Uttrakhand Workforce Development Project (UKWDP) was signed with the World Bank.

The Project objective is to improve the quality and relevance of training at priority Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and to increase the number of labor-market-relevant workers through short term training in Uttrakhand.

Twenty-five ITI’s have been selected – 13 located in District Centers and 12 ITI’s that are well-linked to industries. Two out of four women’s ITIs in the State will be included in the list.

The Project has a 5-year grace period, and a maturity of 17 years. The closing date for the Project is 30th June, 2023.

India Rating Lowers FY19 Growth Forecast to 7.2%

India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has revised down its FY19 economic growth forecast to 7.2% from 7.4% earlier.

The elevated global crude oil prices and the government’s decision to fix the minimum support prices of all kharif crops at 1.5x of the production cost as the reason for the downward revision.

India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) is India’s most respected credit rating agency committed to providing India’s credit markets accurate, timely and prospective credit opinions. Ind-Ra is a 100% owned subsidiary of the Fitch Group.

India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) Headquarters: Mumbai

Bharti Axa ties up with Airtel Payments Bank to offer Jeevan Jyoti Bima

The Private life insurer Bharti AXA Life Insurance and Airtel Payments Bank have entered a tie-up to offer Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) to the Payment bank’s customers.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 167 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING This government-sponsored term insurance scheme offers Rs 2 lakh insurance cover at an annual premium of Rs 330 and can be purchased by all existing or new Airtel Payments Bank savings bank account holders between the ages of 18-50.

With this, Airtel Payments Bank also becomes the first payments bank in India to offer the Government of India-backed life insurance scheme.

NPCI launches UPI 2.0 with overdraft facility

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched Unified Payments Interface (UPI) 2.0.

NPCI has upgraded unified payments interface (UPI) with enhanced security features and overdraft facilities.

UPI is a system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application (of any participating bank), merging several banking features, seamless fund routing & merchant payments into one hood.

NPCI is an umbrella organization for all retail payments in India. UPI version 1 was launched in April 2016.

Sarvatra technologies launches 450th cooperative bank – ‘Sevalia Urban Co-operative Bank’

Sarvatra Technologies, have announced that they have started ‘Sevalia Urban Co-operative Bank’ as their 450th cooperative bank on National Financial Switch (NFS).

The company has enabled many co-operative banks on digital payment platform by making them inter- operable with large banks.

Sevalia Urban Co-op bank is a nearly forty year old bank based out of Kheda in Gujarat.

Member banks on the NFS, can offer customer-centric services such as cash withdrawals, balance enquiries, PIN change, mini-statements from the over 2.5 lakh ATMs connected by NPCI.

National Payments Corporation of India

MD and CEO: Dilip Asbe

Paytm Partners With Alibaba

Paytm has partnered with Alibaba to start its cloud business.

The Indian digital payments firm, where Alibaba is a significant investor, has licensed the Chinese e- commerce giant’s technology for cloud infrastructure.

This will provide AI tools to developers, startups and enterprises with CRM, campaign management and payment solutions.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 168 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Paytm has announced that it is investing about Rs 250 crore in the business for the initial phase.

Alibaba Group Holding Limited is a Chinese multinational e-commerce, retail, Internet, AI and technology conglomerate founded in 1999.

4th Asian Electoral Stakeholders Forum Begins in Colombo

In Sri Lanka, the fourth Asian electoral stakeholders forum (AESF-IV) will begin in Colombo to discuss the state of elections and democracy in the region.

The two-day forum is being held for the first time in South Asia with support from the Election Commission of Sri Lanka and the Asian network for free elections (ANFREL).

The theme is, ‘Advancing Election Transparency and Integrity: Promoting and Defending Democracy Together’.

India is being represented by Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra Ashwini Kumar and an NGO.

EU Wind Survey Satellite ‘Aeolus’ Launched From French Guiana

A new satellite “Aeolus” that will use advanced laser technology to track global winds and improve weather forecasts has been successfully put into orbit.

The launch of the “Aeolus” satellite — named after the guardian of wind in Greek mythology. It is the world’s first space mission to gather information on Earth’s wind on a global scale. Aeolus is part of the Copernicus project, a joint initiative of the European Union and the European Space Agency (ESA) to track environmental damage and aid disaster relief operations. Aeolus is the fifth of the ESA’s planned Earth Explorer missions.

The satellite is equipped with a single instrument: a Doppler wind lidar — an advanced laser system designed to accurately measure global wind patterns from space.

European Space Agency

Headquarters: Paris, France

3rd Indian Ocean Conference to be held in Hanoi

The third edition of Indian Ocean Conference is set to begin on August 27 at Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.

The theme of the two- day conference will focus on ‘Building Regional Architectures’, particularly with regards to trade and commerce, security and governance.

Indian External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj along with other dignitaries will inaugurate the conference.

Earlier, the conference was held in Singapore and Sri Lanka in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 169 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Sweden launches ‘feminist foreign policy’ manual

Sweden has released a handbook of its “feminist foreign policy” for rights groups and foreign governments.

It showcases lessons from the Scandinavian nation’s flagship approach to promoting women’s rights globally. It has been led by Sweden’s Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom.

The manual was published on the Swedish government’s website. It is derived from four years of work to place gender equality at the heart of the country’s international agenda.

China successfully sends twin navigation satellites into space on single carrier rocket

China has successfully sent twin navigation satellites into the space on a single carrier rocket.

The Long March-3B carrier rocket lifted off from Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwest China’s Sichuan Province. It was the 283rd mission of the Long March rocket series.

The twin satellites were developed by the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Named after the Chinese term for the Big Dipper, the BeiDou system started serving China in 2000 and the Asia-Pacific region in 2012.

India-Kenya Joint Trade Committee Meeting Held in Kenya

The 8th meeting of India-Kenya Joint Trade Committee was held in Nairobi, Kenya.

The meeting was co-chaired by Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu and Mr. Peter Munya, Cabinet Secretary (Minister) for Industry, Trade and Cooperatives, Government of Kenya.

The discussions include – food security, affordable housing, universal healthcare and manufacturing, expansion and diversification of bilateral trade, Kenya’s readiness to join the International Solar Alliance, implementation of Lines of Credit, of over US$ 220 million, extended by Government of India in power transmission.

At present, India is one of Kenya’s largest trade partners and the second largest foreign investor in Kenya. Indians are the third-largest group of tourists to Kenya.

Kenya Capital: Nairobi Currency: Kenyan shilling

2 day G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting held in Salta, Argentina

The 2-day G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting was held in Salta, Argentina.

The Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad is represented India at the two-day meeting.

The meeting was attended by 33 heads of delegation- ministers, senior officials and representatives.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 170 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The theme of the meeting was ‘Building consensus for fair and sustainable development‘.

The Group of Twenty (G20) is a leading forum of the world’s major economies that seeks to develop global policies to address today’s most pressing challenges.

APPOINTMENTS

Air Marshal Rajeev Sachdeva takes over as Deputy Chief of Integrated Defense Staff (Operations):

 The Defense Ministry appointed Air Marshal Rajeev Sachdeva who had served in three out of four wings of Integrated Defense Staff (IDS) headquarters as the Deputy Chief of Integrated Defense Staff (Operations).  He take over the position fromRajeev Sachdeva.

Amitabh Chaudhry takes charge as MD & CEO of Axis Bank:

 Private sector lender Axis Bank Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shikha Sharma retired from the services of the bank and Amitabh Chaudhry will be the new MD and CEO of the Axis bank from 1st January 2019.

STATIC:AXIS BANK

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

MD & CEO: Amitabh Chaudhry

VK Yadav appointed new chairman of Railway Board :

 VK Yadav took charge of the chairmanship of Railway Board.He succeeded Ashwani Lohani.  He is an electrical engineer and belongs to the 1980 batch of the Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers.

STATIC:Ministry of Railways

Union Minister: Shri. Piyush Goyal.

Minister of State: Shri. Manoj Sinha, Shri. Rajen Gohain.

Justice T B N Radhakrishnan sworn in as Chief Justice of Telangana HC:

 Justice Thottathil Bhaskaran Nair Radhakrishnan was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court.  His oath was administered by Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan.  He had been serving as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad for both the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

STATIC:TELANGANA

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 171 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Capital: Hyderabad

Chief Minister: K.Chandrashekhar Rao.

Governor: E.S.L. Narasimhan.

Jair Bolsonaro sworn in As New President of Brazil :

 Jair Bolsonaro has been sworn in as the 42nd President of the Brazil.  During a ceremony, organised in the capital Brasilia, Bolsonaro took charge of the office in the presence of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.  Bolsonaro is a former Army captain and admirer of the country’s 1964-1985 military dictatorship.

STATIC:Brazil

Capital: Brasilia

Currency: Brazilian real.

RBL Bank appoints Pankaj Sharma as its chief operations officer:

 Private sector lender RBL Bank appointed Pankaj Sharma as its chief operations officer (COO).  Prior to this, Sharma was heading retail operations of Axis Bank.  He had previously worked with GE Countrywide, ICICI Bank and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance.

STATIC:RBL Bank:

Headquarters: Mumbai.

MD & CEO: Mr. Vishwavir Ahuja.

Justice AK Sikri nominated as Executive Chairman of NALSA :

 President Ram Nath Kovind nominated Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri as Executive Chairman of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).  His appointment is effective from December 31, 2018.

P K Singh Appointed as new Secretary of CCI :

 P K Singh was appointed secretary of the Competition Commission of India (CCI).  Prior to this, he was adviser (law) to the competition watchdog.  After completing 5 years of experience as the adviser to the CCI, according to the norms of the institution, he was chosen as the candidate.

STATIC:CCI

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 172 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Headquarters: New Delhi.

Chairperson: Shri. Ashok Kumar Gupta.

Hemant Bhargava appointed as LIC’s Acting Chairman:

 The Department of Financial Services announced appointment of Hemant Bhargava, Managing Director, Life Insurance Corporation of India, as the Acting Chairman.  This was done after VK Sharma retired from the position at LIC on December 31.

STATIC: LIC

Headquarters: Mumbai.

Saurabh Kumar takes over as chairman of Ordnance Factory Board:

 Saurabh Kumar took over as the Director General of Ordnance Factories (DGOF)and chairman of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) in Kolkata.  Kumar was on deputation to the Ministry of Defence as the director of planning and coordination from 2002 to 2009.  Kumar, a 1982-batch Indian Ordnance Factory Serviceofficer, is an M-Tech in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur.

STATIC:Ordnance Factory Board

Headquarters: Kolkata.

SBM Bank India appoints Sidharth Rath as managing director & CEO

Sidharth Rath has taken over as the Managing Director & CEO of State Bank of Mauritius. Before joining SBM Bank (India), Rath was with Axis Bank as Group Executive and Head of Corporate, Transaction Banking and International Banking.

SBM Bank (India) said it has been granted licence by the RBI to carry on business as a scheduled commercial bank under the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, with effect from December 1.

It will provide universal banking services, with focus on wholesale banking, trade finance, capital markets and retail banking.

SBM Bank CEO: Raj Dussoye Headquarters: Port Louis, Mauritius

WhatsApp appoints Abhijit Bose as Head of WhatsApp India

WhatsApp has appointed Abhijit Bose as head of WhatsApp India. Bose, who joins WhatsApp from Ezetap where he has served as co-founder and CEO will build WhatsApp’s first full country team outside of California and will be based in Gurgaon.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 173 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Bose and his team will focus on helping businesses, both large and small connect with their customers. Bose is a graduate of Harvard Business School and Cornell University.

Earlier this year, WhatsApp released the WhatsApp Business app for small business owners and the WhatsApp Business API to serve larger businesses that engage with customers at scale.

Tanzania’s Joyce Msuya Appointed Acting Executive Director of UNEP

Tanzania’s Joyce Msuya has been appointed to head the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), following the resignation of its executive director, Erik Solheim.

Msuya was appointed to the global organisation as the deputy executive director, at the level of assistant secretary-general of the United Nations, in August this year.

Note: Solheim resigned his position at UNEP, following an internal audit report that said he had had gobbled up $500,000 in unnecessary and budgeted travel expenses in just 22 months.

UberEats signs Alia Bhatt as brand ambassador in India

Uber Eats, the food delivery platform, has roped in actress Alia Bhatt as its brand ambassador in India.

For Uber Eats, India will be the first country to have a brand ambassador. Uber Eats is currently present across 37 cities in India.

In the past year and a half, Uber Eats has emerged as one of the fastest growing food delivery apps in the country.

UNICEF appoints Nahid Afrin as ‘Youth Advocate’ for NE

Popular singer Nahid Afrin of Assam has been appointed as the first ‘Youth Advocate’ of the northeastern region by the UNICEF to fight for child rights. The UNICEF engages ‘Youth Advocates’ to harness their voice as agents of change in society.

Nahid made her playback debut in the 2016 Bollywood film ‘Akira’ starring Sonakshi Sinha in the lead. She received the best female playback singer award at the Assam state Film Award 2018.

Shri Arvind Saxena appointed as Chairman of Union Public Service Commission:

 The President has appointed Shri Arvind Saxena as UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) Chairman .Prior to joining UPSC as Member, Shri Saxena was working as Director of the Aviation Research Centre (ARC).  Shri Arvind Saxena joined UPSC as a Member on May 8, 2015, and has been performing duties of the post of Chairman, UPSC since June 20, 2018.Saxena will be serving in the office till August 7, 2020, when he attains the age of 65 years.

A.M. Naik appointed as Chairman of National Skill Development Corporation:

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 174 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING

 Shri A.M. Naik has been appointed as Chairman of National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.  Currently Shri Naik is the Group Chairman of India’s biggest engineering and construction conglomerate – Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T).  Shri Naik was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s 3rd highest civilian award in 2009 for his outstanding contribution to the economic growth of the country.

Nageshwara Rao Guntur appointed as Atomic Energy Regulatory Board chief:

 Renowned scientist Nageshwara Rao Guntur has been appointed as chairperson of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) for three years.  Guntur is the chairman, Project Design Safety Committee, Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor and former distinguished scientist Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd.

Ibrahim Boubacar Keita Re-Elected Mali President

Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has been re-elected as president after beating opposition candidate, Soumaila Cisse.

Cisse, a former finance minister, who also ran against Keita in 2013, secured 32 percent of the votes. Keita will serve his second five-year term as Malian leader.

Mali

Capital: Bamako

Currency: West African CFA franc

Mario Abdo Benitez sworn in as new President of Paraguay

In Paraguay, Mario Abdo Benítez has been sworn in as the new President after defeating his liberal rival. He replaces Horacio Cartes.

Paraguay

Capital: Asunción

Currency: Paraguayan guaraní

K S Srinivas Appointed Chairman of Marine Products Export Development Authority

The IAS officer K S Srinivas has taken over as the Chairman of the city-based Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), an agency under the Union Commerce Ministry.

Prior to his new assignment, he had served as Joint Secretary in the Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare in the Ministry of Agriculture.

Infosys CFO MD Ranganath quits

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 175 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Infosys has announced that its chief financial officer M D Ranganath has resigned.

Ranganath, the key managerial personnel, will continue on his current role till November 16.

Indiabulls HF appoints Mundra as a director

Subhash Sheoratan Mundra has been appointed as Independent Director on the Board of Indiabulls Housing Finance for a period of three years.

Mundra, a Post-Graduate from the University of Poona, used to be the Chairman of Bank of Baroda and an Executive Director at Union Bank of India. He is also the former Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He left the RBI in July 2017.

He is presently on the Board of the Bombay Stock Exchange and DSP Blackrock Investment Managers.

Amir Yaron appointed as Bank of Israel Chief

 Amir Yaron, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, set to be the next governor of Israel’s central bank.  The economist is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s choice for the post and would succeed Karnit Flug, whose five-year term ended last week.  The Bank of Israel is the central bank of Israel. It is located in Kiryat HaMemshala in Jerusalem, with a branch office in Tel Aviv.

Oracle veteran Thomas Kurian to head Google Cloud

 Oracle’s ex-product chief Thomas Kurian will head Google’s cloud division, replacing Diane Greene.  Greene, who will remain a director on the Alphabet board, had joined Google in December 2015 to run its cloud business. Deputy governor Nadine Baudot-Trajtenberg is currently acting governor and will head the monetary policy committee meeting on interest rates on Nov. 26.

Jalaj Srivastava Appointed New IWAI Chairman

Jalaj Srivastava, a 1984 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, has been appointed the chairman of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI).

The IWAI comes under the Union Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, currently headed by Nitin Gadkari.

Srivastava, presently working as Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, is expected to take charge of his new responsibility.

Earlier he had also served as chairman of New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and Principal Secretary, Department of VAT, Delhi government. Srivastava is also the writer of a crime thriller novel titled ‘The Perfect Suicide.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 176 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING IWAI

Headquarters: Noida

UN Environment Chief Erik Solheim Resigns

The UN’s environment chief, Erik Solheim, has resigned following severe criticism of his global travels and internal rule-breaking which led some nations to withhold their funding.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had accepted Solheim’s resignation.

A draft internal UN audit leaked to the Guardian in September found Solheim had spent almost $500,000 (£390,000) on air travel and hotels in just 22 months, and was away 80% of the time.

UNEP

Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya

Australian bowler Mitchell Johnson announced retirement from all forms of cricket

The Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.

He had played a vital role in helping Perth Scorchers clinch the 2016-17 edition of the Big Bash League where he claimed 13 wickets at 15.46. He was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders setup in the Indian Premier League in 2018.

Imran Khan becomes the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan

The Cricketer-turned-politician and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan was sworn in as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan.

The oath-taking ceremony was administered by President Mamnoon Hussain at the President House in Islamabad.

Khan bagged 176 votes, while his opponent and Chief of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif managed to secure 96 votes.

Ram Nath Kovind Appoints 7 New Governors

The President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed governors for seven states — Bihar, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, Meghalaya, and Tripura. Governor Satya Pal Malik has been transferred from Bihar to Jammu and Kashmir to replace NN Vohra, while senior BJP leader Lalji Tandon has been appointed the Governor of Bihar, replacing Malik.

Kaptan Singh Solanki, the Governor of Haryana, has been transferred to Tripura, while Satyadev Narayan Arya will be the new Haryana governor.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 177 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Tripura governor Tathagata Roy has been transferred to Meghalaya, and Ganga Prasad, the Governor of Meghalaya, has been transferred to Sikkim. Baby Rani Maurya will be the new Governor of Uttarakhan

ICICI Bank mortgage portfolio crosses Rs 1.5 trillion

 ICICI Bank has announced that it has crossed the milestone of disbursing mortgage loans of over Rs 1.5 trillion.  It aims to grow its pan-India mortgage book to Rs 2 trillion by end of FY20.  The bank has also enabled online repository of 30,000 approved projects across 40 cities for its customers.

25 Countries In Global Banks’ ‘High Risk’ List

 China, UAE, Cyprus and significantly, Mauritius, along with 21 other countries have been tagged as “high-risk jurisdictions” by global banks acting as custodians for foreign funds which comprise the largest group of investors in the Indian stock market.  Large investors and beneficial owners of these funds entering India through these high-risk jurisdictions will face close scrutiny  HSBC, Deutsche Bank, Citi, Standard Chartered and JP Morgan are among the banks that compiled the list.  Sebi-registered foreign portfolio funds invest in India through 56 countries. Of these, 25 are now considered ‘high risk’.

NASSCOM Signed MoU with NITI Ayog

 The National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom), India’s premier software lobby has opened a Center of Excellence (CoE) for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.  Nasscom also signed a MoU with NITI Aayog to collaboratively foster applied research, accelerating adoption and ethics, privacy and security.  Nasscom has partnered with Intel and IBM as its founding members and technology advisors for augmenting and accelerating the data science and artificial Intelligence ecosystem in the country.

NASSCOM

Chairperson: Rishad Premji Headquarters: Noida, UP

UN Member States approve USD 6.69 billion for 13 Peacekeeping Operations

 The UN member states approved a USD 6.69 billion dollar budget for 13 peacekeeping operations for the year 2018-19.  The missions include MINUJUSTH (United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti), MINURSO (Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara), MINUSCA (Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic), MONUSCO (Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) and UNIFIL (Interim Force in Lebanon).  The United States is the biggest contributor to the United Nations, paying 22 per cent of the USD 5.4 billion core budget and 28.5 per cent of the USD 7.9 billion peacekeeping budget.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 178 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Mark Zuckerberg becomes third-richest in the world

 Facebook Inc. co-founder Mark Zuckerberg has overtaken Warren Buffett as the world’s third-richest person.  It’s first time the 3 richest people have made their fortunes from technology.  Buffet donated about 290 million Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares to charities, most of it to Gates’s foundation.  Those shares are now worth more than $50 billion (about Rs. 3.44 lakh crores), according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

RIL Becomes India’s Largest Tax Payer In Private Sector

Reliance is India’s largest payer of Goods and Services Tax (GST), Excise and Customs Duty, and Income Tax in the private sector. The private sector is paying Rs.9844 crore in FY18.

At the Reliance Industries’ 41st Annual General Meeting, Mukesh Ambani highlighted that Jio’s subscribers grew from 124 million at the end of last year to 210 million at the end of FY18.

Reliance has become the first Indian company to record PBDIT (Profit Before Depreciation Interest and Taxes) of over $10 billion.

ICICI Bank first bank in country to tie-up with Australian bank

The ICICI Bank, India’s largest private sector bank by consolidated assets has announced its partnership with ‘Westpac Banking Corporation’ (Westpac), one of the top banks in Australia.

It aims to offer Indian students a completely online payment solution through its ‘Money2World’ (M2W) platform for outward remittances. As a first, ICICI Bank and Westpac have partnered with La Trobe University, one of the well-known universities in Australia, for this initiative.

‘Money2World’, is a first-of-its-kind fully online outward remittance service for resident Indians by any bank in India. It is available to users 24×7 on all days.

Westpac

Headquarters: Sydney, Australia ICICI Bank Headquarters: Mumbai

India Becomes World’s 6th Largest Economy: World Bank

India has surpassed France to become the sixth largest economy in the world.

According to World Bank figures for 2017, India’s gross domestic product (GDP) amounted to $2.597 trillion at the end of last year, against $2.582 trillion for France.

According to the report, manufacturing and consumer spending were the main drivers of the Indian economy.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 179 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING India has doubled its GDP within a decade and is expected to power ahead as a key economic engine in Asia, even as China slows down.

According to the International Monetary Fund, India is projected to generate growth of 7.4 per cent this year and 7.8 per cent in 2019.

World Bank

Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States President: Jim Yong Kim CEO: Kristalina Georgieva

RBI Cancels Licence Of Alwar Urban Co-Operative Bank

The RBI has announced that the licence of Alwar Urban Co-operative Bank in Alwar, Rajasthan has been cancelled as it is not in a position to pay its depositors in full as and when their claims accrue, among other reasons.

The Registrar of Co-operative Societies, Rajasthan has also been requested to issue an order for winding up the bank and appoint a liquidator for the bank.

On liquidation, every depositor is entitled to repayment of his/her deposits up to a monetary ceiling of Rs 1,00,000 from the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) as per usual terms and conditions.

Shekhar Mande appointed as Director-General of CSIR

The Government has appointed Shekhar C Mande as the Director General of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Secretary of the Department of Scientific and Research (DSIR).

He is the director of the Pune-based National Centre for Cell Science and a top functionary of Vijnana Bharati, a swadeshi science movement affiliated with the RSS.

Mande is a recipient of the coveted SS Bhatnagar Prize, most prestigious science honour in the country, in 2005.

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research is South Africa’s central and premier scientific research and development organisation.

Suchitra Durai appointed: Next Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Thailand

Ms Suchitra Durai (IFS:1988) has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Thailand.

Earlier, she was serving as High Commissioner of India to Kenya.

Thailand Capital: Bangkok Currency: Thai baht

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 180 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Bank of Baroda’s MD and CEO P S Jayakumar gets one-year extension

The Bank of Baroda’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer P S Jayakumar was given one-year extension. It is an order issued by the Personnel Ministry.

P S Jayakumar, a chartered accountant by qualification, had joined Bank of Baroda in October, 2015.

Prior to his appointment as the MD and the CEO of the bank, he was the co-founder and CEO of VBHC Value Budget Housing (VBHC).

Headquarters: Alkapuri, Vadodara

BankBazaar appoints former RBI Deputy Governor Mundra as advisor

The Online financial services marketplace BankBazaar has appointed former RBI Deputy Governor S S Mundra as an advisor to the company.

Mundra’s expertise will help in driving 100 percent paperless and presence-less financing by the company in India.

Mundra was a deputy governor at the RBI for three years till July 2017.

BankBazaar is the chennai based world’s first neutral online marketplace for instant customised rate quotes on loans and credit cards.

Nimesh Shah appointed as AMFI Chairman

Nimesh Shah , MD & CEO of ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company, was elected the chairperson of the fund industry trade body AMFI. Kailash Kulkarni, CEO, L&T Mutual Fund continues to be the Vice Chairperson. As per AMFI data, the Indian mutual fund industry manages nearly 21 lakh crore of assets (Average AUM July-Sept 2018).

For his remarkable contribution, Shah was conferred with the India Asset Management CEO of the Year – 2014 by Asia Asset Management. Recently, Global Banking & Finance review honored him with the Best Asset Management CEO India – 2017.

China launches twin BeiDou-3 navigation satellites to speed up GPS-style system

China successfully launched twin BeiDou-3 navigation satellites into space to strengthen its satellite navigation network being built to rival the US’ Global Positioning System (GPS).

The satellites were launched from a Long March-3B carrier rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan province. It will work with the 14 BeiDou-3 satellites already in orbit.

The satellites and rocket were developed by the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, respectively. The launch was the 287th mission of the Long March rocket series.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 181 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Named after the Chinese term for the Big Dipper, the BeiDou system started serving China in 2000 and the Asia-Pacific region in 2012.

Nokia appoints Alia Bhatt as brand ambassador in India

The HMD Global, which designs and sells phones under the Nokia brand, has appointed Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt as the ‘face of Nokia phones’ in India.

As part of the partnership, a print campaign with Bhatt has been initiated already to mark the festive season.

Over the last 22 years, Nokia has been an integral part of India’s progress in technology and connectivity.

Union Minister MJ Akbar Resigns

MJ Akbar, Minister of State For External Affairs, has resigned from his post in the wake of allegations of sexual harassment made by several women against him.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ramnath Kovind has accepted resignation of Minister of State For External Affairs MJ Akbar.

Suheil F. Tandon wins International Olympic committee (IOC) award

Social Entrepreneur Suheil F. Tandon has won the International Olympic Committee’s Sport and Active Society Commission’s Grant Award for his contribution to sports for development.

Suheil is the Founder of Pro Sport Development (PSD) and Executive Director of Martha Farrell Foundation.

The award ceremony was held during the Olympism in Action forum at Buenos Aires.

BARC Director K N Vyas appointed Atomic Energy Commission chief

The Renowned scientist Kamlesh Nilkanth Vyas has been appointed the secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy and chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission.

Vyas, who is at present Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), has been appointed in place of Shekhar Basu.

He has been conferred several awards, which include Indian Nuclear Society Outstanding Service Award 2011, Homi Bhabha Science and Technology Award 2006, DAE Awards in the years 2007, 2008, 2012 and 2013.

BARC Headquarters: Mumbai

Indian actress Jaya Prada appointed goodwill ambassador for Nepal tourism

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 182 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Former Member of Parliament and Bollywood actress Jaya Prada has been appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the promotion of Nepal tourism.

The appointment of Jaya Prada is expected to further strengthen the age-old cultural ties between the two neighbours and help in promoting Nepal’s tourism in India. The appointment is for a period of four years.

The Nepal government has also decided to observe the year 2020 as the ‘Visit Nepal Year’ and has set a target of attracting two million international visitors.

Anil Kumar Chaudhary appointed as new SAIL chairman

Anil Kumar Chaudhary took charge as chairman of state-owned Steel Authority of IndiaLimited (SAIL)

Chaudhary’s tenure as CMD of SAIL is likely to be for a little over 2 years.

SAIL is the largest steel-making company in India and one of the seven Maharatnas of the country’s Central Public Sector Enterprises.

An associate member of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICAI) and the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), Chaudhary is an alumni of the Faculty of Law Studies (FLS), from where he completed his bachelor’s degree in law.

WhatsApp appoints grievance officer for India

WhatsApp has appointed Komal Lahiri as the Grievance Officer. She is the senior director of global customer operations and localization in Menlo Park, California.

WhatsApp has appointed a ‘grievance officer’ to address complaints concerning the spread of fake news and misinformation on its platform in India. India is WhatsApp’s biggest market with more than 200 million users.

Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom, CTO Mike Krieger quit

The Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger have resigned as chief executive officer and chief technical officer respectively of the photo-sharing app, Instagram owned by Facebook Inc.

Facebook bought Instagram in 2012 for $1 billion. The photo-sharing app has over 1 billion active monthly users and has grown by adding features such as messaging and short videos.

Hotstar CEO Ajit Mohan appointed Facebook India head

Ajit Mohan, the chief executive officer of Star India’s over-the-top video service Hotstar, has been named Facebook India’s vice-president and managing director.

The development was announced by Star India CEO Uday Shankar.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 183 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING He is currently serving as the chief executive of Star India-owned online video streaming platform Hotstar and will join Facebook early next year.

Mohan, however, will not be responsible for Facebook’s sister concerns—photo sharing app Instagram and messaging platform WhatsApp—which currently do not have India heads.

Mohan’s appointment comes a year after Umang Bedi resigned as the managing director of Facebook India.

Google appoints Keith Enright as its Chief Privacy Officer

The Technology giant Google has appointed its privacy lawyer, Keith Enright, as Chief Privacy Officer as the company proposed policies for potential federal regulation of data.

Enright will be in charge of crafting Google’s strategy on privacy issues. Before Google, Enright worked as the Chief Privacy Officer at Macy’s and was also a senior consultant at IBM.

Mubarak: Next Ambassador of India to Republic of Guatemala

S. Mubarak (IFS:2001). presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Guatemala. Guatemala

Capital: Guatemala City Currency: Guatemalan quetzal President: Jimmy Morales

Justice Ranjan Gogoi Appointed Next Chief Justice Of India

The President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed Justice Ranjan Gogoi as the next Chief Justice of India, the law ministry confirmed in a notification.

Justice Gogoi will assume office on October 3, 2018, as the 46th CJI. His tenure will end in November 2019.

CJI Misra on September 4 had recommended Justice Ranjan Gogoi, the senior most judge present in the Supreme Court, as his successor.

Moutaz Mousa Abdallah Becomes Sudan’s New PM

Moutaz Mousa Abdallah has become the Sudan’s new Prime Minister.

A 21-member cabinet was sworn in at the presidential palace in Khartoum. Mousa Abdallah is also holding the finance portfolio.

Sudan has been grappling with an acute foreign exchange shortage and inflation above 65 percent for several months.

Sudan

Capital: Khartoum Currency: Sudanese pound

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 184 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Former England keeper Foster retires from all forms of cricket

The Former England wicket-keeper James Foster has announced his decision to retire from all forms of cricket at the end of the ongoing season. Foster plans to pursue a career in coaching.

According to a statement by the International Cricket Council (ICC), Foster, 38, played seven Tests, 11 one-day internationals and five Twenty20 Internationals for England between 2001 and 2009, and last turned out in national colours during the ICC World Twenty20 2009.

SBI Appoints Prashant Kumar As CFO

Prashant Kumar has taken charge as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of State bank of India. Before Kumar, Anshula Kant, who has been promoted as Managing Director of SBI, was the CFO.

Prior to this appointment, Kumar was designated as Deputy Managing Director (HR) & Corporate Development Officer of India’s largest bank.

Kumar has earlier worked as DMD and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Bank.

Varun and Anushka signed as ambassadors of Skill India Campaign

The Bollywood stars Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharma have been signed on to promote and endorse the Skill India Mission, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The actors will next be seen in “Sui Dhaaga – Made in India”, a Yash Raj Films project, which salutes India’s entrepreneurs and skilled workforce, including homegrown artisans, craftspeople and weavers.

Skill India is a campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi on 15 July 2015 which aim to train over 40 crore people in India in different skills by 2022.

It includes various initiatives of the government like “National Skill Development Mission“, “National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, 2015“, “Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)” and the “Skill Loan scheme“.

Government Appoints New MD & CEOs At 10 PSBs

The government has cleared the appointment of chief executive officers and managing directors (CEOs and MDs) at 10 public sector banks. They are part of the 15 names recommended by the Bank Boards Bureau for elevation.

Of those named, five are currently the deputy managing directors of State Bank of India (SBI) while the other five are executive directors (EDs) at different government-owned banks.

Below is the list of people appointed as MD and CEO at various PSBs:

1. Padmaja Chunduru – Indian Bank – until August 31, 2021. 2. Mrutyunjay Mahapatra – Syndicate Bank – until May 31, 2020. 3. Pallav Mohapatra – Central Bank of India – until February 28, 2021.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 185 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING 4. Packirisamy – Andhra Bank – until February 28, 2021. 5. Karnam Sekar – Dena Bank – until June 30, 2020.

All of the above people are currently deputy MDs at SBI.

6. SS Mallikarajuna Rao – Allahabad Bank for an initial period of three years and could be extendable up to attaining his age of superannuation on January 31, 2022. At present, he is the ED of Syndicate Bank. 7. AS Rajeev – Bank of Maharashtra for an initial period of three years from or after December 1, 2018, extendable up to two years after “review of his performance” or further orders. He is currently the ED of Indian Bank. 8. Atul Kumar Goel – UCO Bank. He is currently the ED at Union Bank of India. 9. S Harisankar – Punjab & Sind Bank. He is the Executive Director of Allahabad Bank. 10. Ashok Kumar Pradhan – United Bank of India. Currently, he is the ED of the same bank.

Tajinder Mukherjee Takes Over As CMD of NICL

Tajinder Mukherjee has been appointed as the new Chairman and Managing Director of National Insurance Company Limited (NIC).

Prior to her joining the NIC, she was the General Manager and Chief Underwriting Officer of New India Assurance.

With over 33 years of experience, Mukherjee who joined the United India Insurance Company in 1983, has held several important portfolios

NICL CEO: K. Sanath Kumar Headquarters: Kolkata

Scott Morrison to become Australia’s next Prime Minister

Australia’s Malcolm Turnbull has been ousted as prime minister after confusions for one week.

He will be replaced by Scott Morrison, one of the architects of Australia’s tough immigration policy, who is now the country’s sixth prime minister in just over a decade. Mr Morrison won a leadership contest against Peter Dutton.

The Minister for the Environment and Energy, Josh Frydenberg, was elected deputy leader.

Australia Capital: Canberra Currency: Dollar

Raveena Tandon as the brand ambassador of Sanjay Gandhi National Park

The Maharashtra government has appointed Bollywood actor Raveena Tandon as the brand ambassador of the city-based Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP).

It was announced by Maharashtra Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 186 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING As the brand ambassador, Tandon will help the state forest department to create awareness about its various initiatives, like the 50 crore tree plantation drive, eco-tourism in SGNP, conservation of leopards in SGNP, among others.

NGT Appoints Justice S J Vazifdar As Chairman Of Panel To Decide Vedanta’s Plea

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has appointed former Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice S J Vazifdar as head of a three-member committee.

It has been framed to decide mining company Vedanta’s plea challenging closure of its Sterlite copper plant at Tuticorin.

It will also include representatives of the Central Pollution Control Board and the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

U K Varma Appointed Assocham Secretary General

The Industry chamber Assocham has appointed former bureaucrat Uday Kumar Varma as its new Secretary General. He succeeds DS Rawat who held the position for nearly 14 years.

Varma has retired from the position of Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.

Satheesh Reddy Appointed New DRDO Chairman

The Centre has appointed renowned scientist, Dr G Satheesh Reddy, as Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Secretary in Department of Defence Research & Development (DDR&D). He is the 13th and the youngest leader to lead DRDO.

He will replace Dr. S Christopher. Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra was then given additional charge of the organisation. He has been appointed for a period of two years.

DRDO Headquarters: New Delhi

Goldman Sachs appoints Prachi Mishra as MD and chief India economist

The Leading global investment bank Goldman Sachs has appointed Prachi Mishra as managing director and chief India economist with immediate effect.

Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Mishra was the deputy division chief of the Western Hemisphere Department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Earlier, she also headed the Strategic Research Unit at the Reserve Bank of India.

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered in New York City.

DHFL Pramerica Life appoints Kalpana Sampat as COO

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 187 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The DHFL Pramerica Life Insurance (DPLI) has appointed Kalpana Sampat as Senior Executive Vice-President & Chief Operating Officer.

She had most recently served as the Chief Executive Officer of Swiss Re India.

Kalpana will be responsible for further strengthening and transforming the operational delivery and process excellence capabilities of DHFL Pramerica Life.

DHFL Pramerica Life MD & CEO: Anoop Pabby

India’s Satya Tripathi appointed as UNEP Assistant Secretary-General

The UN Secretary General António Guterres has appointed veteran Indian development economist and UN official Satya S Tripathi as Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the New York Office of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Tripathi, who will succeed Elliott Harris of Trinidad and Tobago. He has since 2017 served as Senior Adviser on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at UNEP.

UNEP Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya Head: Erik Solheim

Manu Ginobili, four-time NBA champion with San Antonio Spurs, retires

Manu Ginobili retired aged 41 after a “fabulous journey” in which he helped the San Antonio Spurs win four NBA championships in 16 seasons with the club.

He is an Argentine retired professional basketball player. Over a 23-season career, he became one of only two players, along with Bill Bradley, to have won a EuroLeague title, an NBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal.

Ruchi Ghanashyam appointed India’s next High Commissioner to UK

The Senior diplomat Ruchi Ghanashyam has been appointed as India’s next High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

She succeeds YK Sinha who had assumed the charge as the Indian High Commissioner in the UK in December, 2016.

Ms Ghanashyam, a 1982-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is currently Secretary at the headquarters in Delhi.

Vijay Srinivas appointed Director & GM of United India Insurance

 The United India Insurance Company has appointed K B Vijay Srinivas as its Director and General Manager with effect from July 1.  Prior to taking up the new role, he was serving National Insurance Company Ltd as its Chief Marketing Officer and General Manager. He has also contributed articles in journals of insurance, tax and other subjects.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 188 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING United India Insurance

Headquarters: Chennai CEO: Shri A.V.Girija Kumar

Narasimha Reddy appointed as CAT Chairman

 Justice L Narasimha Reddy who retired as the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court in July 2015 has been appointed the Chairman of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT).  The terms of his service will be governed by the provisions of the Administrative Tribunals Act (1985).  Justice Reddy will take over from Justice Dinesh Gupta, who was appointed chairman in April this year.

Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel appointed as NGT Chairperson

 Supreme Court judge Adarsh Kumar Goel, who retired was appointed as the chairperson of National Green Tribunal.  He has been appointed to the position for a term of five years, as per an order issued by the personnel ministry.  The post of NGT chairperson had been lying vacant for more than 6 months after the retirement of Justice Swatanter Kumar.  The National Green Tribunal has been established in 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources.

Brexit Secretary David Davis resigns

The Brexit Secretary David Davis, who has been leading UK negotiations to leave the EU, has resigned from government.The resignation comes days after British Prime Minister Theresa May secured the Cabinet’s support for her Brexit plan at a meeting at Chequers outside London.

He told that he was no longer the best person to deliver the PM’s Brexit plan – agreed by the cabinet.

Shortly after Mr Davis’ resignation, his deputy Steve Baker, and another Brexit Minister Suella Braverman also resigned.

Prof. Sandeep Sancheti takes charge as President of AIU:

Dr. Sandeep Sancheti, Vice Chancellor of SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST) has assumed charge as the 97th President of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), New Delhi.

Jeremy Hunt becomes new Foreign Secretary:

British Prime Minister Theresa May has appointed Jeremy Hunt as the new Foreign Secretary, following Boris Johnson’s resignation from the job amid deep divisions over Britain’s departure from the European Union (EU) or Brexit.

Infosys CFO MD Ranganath quits

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 189 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Infosys has announced that its chief financial officer M D Ranganath has resigned.

Ranganath, the key managerial personnel, will continue on his current role till November 16.

Indiabulls HF appoints Mundra as a director

Subhash Sheoratan Mundra has been appointed as Independent Director on the Board of Indiabulls Housing Finance for a period of three years.

Mundra, a Post-Graduate from the University of Poona, used to be the Chairman of Bank of Baroda and an Executive Director at Union Bank of India. He is also the former Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He left the RBI in July 2017.

He is presently on the Board of the Bombay Stock Exchange and DSP Blackrock Investment Managers.

Australian bowler Mitchell Johnson announced retirement from all forms of cricket

The Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.

He had played a vital role in helping Perth Scorchers clinch the 2016-17 edition of the Big Bash League where he claimed 13 wickets at 15.46. He was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders setup in the Indian Premier League in 2018.

Imran Khan becomes the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan

The Cricketer-turned-politician and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan was sworn in as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan.

The oath-taking ceremony was administered by President Mamnoon Hussain at the President House in Islamabad.

Khan bagged 176 votes, while his opponent and Chief of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif managed to secure 96 votes.

Ram Nath Kovind Appoints 7 New Governors

The President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed governors for seven states — Bihar, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, Meghalaya, and Tripura. Governor Satya Pal Malik has been transferred from Bihar to Jammu and Kashmir to replace NN Vohra, while senior BJP leader Lalji Tandon has been appointed the Governor of Bihar, replacing Malik.

Kaptan Singh Solanki, the Governor of Haryana, has been transferred to Tripura, while Satyadev Narayan Arya will be the new Haryana governor.

Tripura governor Tathagata Roy has been transferred to Meghalaya, and Ganga Prasad, the Governor of Meghalaya, has been transferred to Sikkim. Baby Rani Maurya will be the new Governor of Uttarakhan

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 190 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING SPORTS

Jasprit Bumrah becomes top wicket-taker in international cricket in 2018 :

 25 years old Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrahbecame the highest international wicket-taker of 2018 with 78 wickets after taking 9 wickets in the 3rd Test Match against Australia held in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia. rd  Indian spin bowler Kuldeep Yadav along with Adeel Rashid and Rashid Khan ranked 3 with 76 wickets in 2018.

Ishant, Shami, Bumrah breaks 34 year old record with 131 wickets in 2018:

 Indian pace trio of Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah broke the34 year record of highest test wickets in a calendar year to become the most successful pace trio with 131 wickets in 2018.  The record was previously held by West Indies seamers Joel Garner, Michael Holding and Malcolm Marshall who had taken 130 wickets in 1984.

Dipa Karmakar wins gold at the Gymnastics World Cup

India’s premier gymnast Dipa Karmakar clinched the gold medal in the vault event of FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup at Mersin, Turkey.

She had topped the qualification also with a score of 13.400. This is Dipa’s first medal in a World Challenge Cup.

Sebastian Vettel wins British Grand Prix

The Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel has won the British Grand Prix 2018.

The Second place was got by Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and the third place is Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen.

It is currently held at the Silverstone Circuit near the village of Silverstone in Northamptonshire in England.

Anju Khosla, Oldest Indian Woman To Complete Ironman Triathlon

Anju Khosla became the oldest Indian woman to complete an Ironman Triathlon – one of the toughest one-day sporting events.

It comprises 3.86 km swimming leg, 180.25 km bike leg followed by a marathon (42.2 km), to be completed without a break.

The New Delhi resident completed her first full Ironman Triathlon, in Carinthia, Austria, in 15 hours, 54 minutes and 54 seconds.

Tbilisi Grand Prix, Georgia: Bajrang Punia Wins Gold, Deepak Bronze

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 191 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Bajrang Punia has emerged as the champion at the Tbilisi Grand Prix in the 65kg category after defeating Iranian wrestler Mehran Nasiri in the final in Georgia.

Meanwhile, in the 86kg category, Deepak Punia has got a bronze with a 5-3 win over Osman Gosen of Turkey.

Georgia

Capitals: Tbilisi, Kutaisi Currency: Georgian lari

The Women’s Boxing World Championships In India

The World Women’s Boxing Championships, to be hosted by India after more than a decade, will be held from November 15 in the national capital New Delhi.

The marquee tournament was last held in India in 2006 and remains the best for the country in terms of performance. India had topped the medal tally with four gold, three silver and one bronze medal.

The first edition of the women’s world championship was held in the United States in Scranton in 2001.

Belgium joins France in number 1 spot in FIFA rankings

Belgium have joined world champions France as the joint leaders in the FIFA rankings.

Roberto Martinez’s Belgium collected two wins, including their first in the UEFA Nations League over Iceland earlier this month, to bring them level with France on 1729 points.

The top five rankings are

Top 10 rankings: (previous positions in brackets)

1. France 2. Belgium (2) 3. Brazil 4. Croatia 5. Uruguay

Tiger Woods wins Tour Championship

Tiger Woods has capped one of the most remarkable individual comebacks in sporting history with a victory at the Tour Championship, his 80th PGA Tour title.

Tiger Woods took a three-shot lead over Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy into the last day at East Lake. It is the first victory worldwide for Woods since the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone.

The Englishman Billy Horschel takes home £7.6m ($10m) as the Fedex Cup winner while Woods, who finished third overall, claims an additional £2.29m ($3m) in prize money.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 192 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING India Won Silver In Asian Team Snooker Championship

India settled for the silver medal after losing to Pakistan 2-3 in the final of the Asian Team Snooker Championship.

India’s Pankaj Advani lost to Babar Masih but he beat Muhammad Asif in second singles. Totally Pakistan beat India by 3-2 in other categories.

Deepak Punia settles for silver medal at junior world wrestling championship

Deepak Punia settled for a silver after losing the 86kg free style final to Turkey’s Arif Ozen. Deepak, who won junior Asian gold in New Delhi, lost 1-2 to Ozen, scoring the only point with just three seconds to go.

India ended the championship with seven medals, including four silvers and three bronze medals. Greco Roman grapplers delivered three medals while the women won two bronze.

In Greco Roman, Vijay (60kg) and Sajan (77kg) won a silver each while Vijay (55kg) won a bronze. In the women’s events, Mansi (57kg) and Anshu Malik (59) won a bronze each.

Deepak Punia and Naveen Sihag won a silver each in free style.

China Open: Indonesia’s Sinisuka win Men’s singles title

In Badminton, Indonesia’s Anthony Sinisuka Ginting beat Japan’s Kento Momota to take the Men’s singles China Open title in Changzhou.

Spain’s Carolina Marin beat China’s Chen Yufei 21-18, 21-13 to take the women’s singles title.

The men’s doubles was won by the Danish duo of Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen. They beat Chinese duo Han Chengkai and Zhou Haodong 21-13, 17-21, 21-14.

An all-Japanese women’s doubles final saw Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi defeat newly- crowned world champions Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara.

Table Tennis: India sweep Serbia Junior and Cadet Open

India’s young paddlers concluded their successful run in the Serbian Junior and Cadet Open, adding three gold, four silver and six bronze medals. The event was held at Kovilovo, Serbia.

The Indian paddlers clinched gold in the Cadet Boys’ singles- Payas Jain, Cadet Boys’ Team and Junior Girls’ Team events while they took the silver in the Cadet Boys and Girls’ team, the Cadet Boys’ Doubles and Girls’ Doubles categories.

They won two bronze in the Cadet Boys’ Singles and one each in the Junior Boys’ Team, Junior Girls’ Team, Cadet Girls singles and the Cadet Boys’ Doubles division.

Serbia Capital: Belgrade Currency: Serbian dinar

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 193 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Manpreet Singh replaces PR Sreejesh as captain for Asian Champions Trophy

India midfielder Manpreet Singh will take over the captaincy from PR Sreejesh in the Asian Champions Trophy in Muscat.

India will go into the tournament as the defending champions after they won the 2016 edition when they beat Pakistan 3-2 in the final in Kauntan, Malaysia.

Chinglensana Singh has been named Manpreet’s deputy.

Skipper Manpreet, the recipient of this year’s Arjuna Award, will be responsible of commanding the midfield along with the experienced Chinglensana.

World Shooting: Udayveer Singh wins individual gold in jr. men’s 25m pistol event in S Korea

The Sixteen year old Udayveer Singh has won an individual Gold Medal in Junior Men’s 25 metre pistol event in the World Shooting Championships in South Korea.

Singh shot a score of 587 in the individual competition to grab the Gold ahead American Henry Leverett and Korean Lee Jae Kyoon.

Compatriot Vijayveer Sidhu finished fourth with a score of 581, while Rajkanwar Singh Sandhu took the 20th spot with a score of 568. The trio’s combined score of 1736 fetched them the team Gold for India.

Former Indian captain Sardar Singh announces retirement from international hockey

The Former India Hockey captain Sardar Singh has announced his retirement from international hockey after an illustrious career spanning 12 years.

The 32-year-old made over 350 international appearances for India and captained the national team for eight long years from 2008 to 2016 before handing the responsibility to PR Sreejesh.

He was also the youngest player to captain the Indian team when he led the side at the 2008 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. He received the Arjuna award in 2012 and Padma Shri in 2015. He has also represented India two times at the Olympics.

Maldives wins SAFF Cup 2018

Maldives have lifted the 2018 South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Cup. They defeated India with a goal 2-1.

The win for Maldives comes 10 years after their first SAFF Cup title in 2008. The event was held at Bangabandhu Stadium in Dhaka.

Maldives Capital: Malé Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 194 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Hamilton won Singapore Grand Prix

The Mercedes player Lewis Hamilton won the singapore Grand Prix 2018.

He was followed by Redbull player Max Verstappen to get second place and the third place was got by Ferrari player Sebastian Vettel.

Kento Momota wins Japan badminton title

The Reigning world champion Kento Momota won his first Japan Open title, beating Thailand’s Khosit Phetpradab in straight games.

Japanese duo Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota also won their maiden championship in the women’s doubles.

Nozomi Okuhara settled for silver after losing to 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic gold medalist Carolina Marin of Spain in the women’s singles

MC Mary Kom Wins Gold at Silesian Open Boxing In Poland

Indian five-time world boxing champion M C Mary Kom clinched her third gold medal of the year in 48 kg category, while Jyoti Gulia picked up the country’s lone gold in 51 kg of the youth category of the Silesian Open boxing Tournament for women in Gliwice, Poland.

Mary Kom was up against Kazakhstan’s Aigerim Kassanayeva and prevailed 5-0 with a fine tactical performance.

In the junior competition, the Indian team produced a terrific performance to sign off with 13 medals — six gold, six silver and a bronze.

World Champion Kevin Mayer sets new world record in Decathlon at Talence in France

The World champion Kevin Mayer set a new world record in the decathlon with 9,126 points at the Decastar meet. to eclipse Ashton’s Eaton previous mark of 9,045.

World champion and Olympic silver medallist Mayer surpassed American Ashton Eaton’s 9,045 total at the 2015 world championships in Beijing.

The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of ten track and field events.

Sakshi Malik settles for a Silver medal at Medved Intl Wrestling

Rio Olympics Bronze medalist Sakshi Malik settled for a Silver medal at the Medved International Wrestling tournament at Minsk, Belarus last night.

In the Final of the 62 kg category, Sakshi lost to Hungary’s Marianna Sastin, 2-6 to finish second best.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 195 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Other Indian grappler Pooja Dhanda bagged a Bronze medal in the 57 kg category after she produced a superb performance in the repechage round.

China’s Hangzhou to Host 2022 Asian Para Games

The Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) has confirmed that Hangzhou in China will host the fourth edition of Asian Para Games in 2022. The confirmation came following a visit to Hangzhou in July by APC President Majid Rashed and CEO Tarek Souei.

The third Asian Para Games will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2018.

Australia’s John Hastings retires from International Cricket

Australia all-rounder John Hastings has announced retirement from all forms of cricket.

Hastings had already retired from ODI and Test cricket last year but continued to play T20 cricket.

The right-arm medium-fast bowler has 50 wickets to his name from 39 international matches. Batting down the order, the bowling all-rounder has made 369 international runs in 29 ODIs, nine T20Is and one Test match combined.

Pankaj Advani wins third straight IBSF billiards crown

India’s ace cueist Pankaj Advani has won his third straight IBSF billiards crown in the 150-up format, taking his overall tally of world titles to 20. Advani overcame Nay Thway Oo of Myanmar in the final.

This win also marks a hat-trick of wins for Advani in the shorter format.

Alexander Zverev shocks Novak Djokovic to win ATP Finals

 Alexander Zverev claimed the biggest win of his career in London, beating Novak Djokovic in two sets to win the 2018 ATP World Tour Finals.  The set scores were 6-4, 6-3. Alexander Zverev is a German professional tennis player of Russian descent. He is currently the youngest player in the ATP top 10.

Manav Thakkar won bronze in Belarus open

 India’s Manav Thakkar settled for a bronze medal in the U-21 singles category in the ITTF Challenge Belgosstrakh Belarus Open.  Manav, who had an impressive run in the tournament, lost to Russia’s Denis Ivonin in the semifinals (2-3) to miss out on the gold.

Hong Kong Open men’s 2018 doubles title won by Marcus and Kevin

Indonesian men’s doubles players Marcus Fernaldi Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo won the final match of 2018 Hong Kong Open after trashed their Japanese rivals Takeshi Kamura/ Keigo Sonoda 21- 13, 21-12.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 196 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING It was the 8th international badminton titles for the Indonesian pair in the tournaments sanctioned by Badminton World Federation (BWF).

Before the Hong Kong event, Markus and Kevin won BWF international tournaments of Indonesian Masters, India Open, All England, Indonesia Open, Asian Games, Japan Open and China Open.

Bulgaria’s Petkov becomes oldest European international goalkeeper

Bulgarian Georgi Petkov became the oldest European international goalkeeper when he started against Cyprus.

Petkov, who is 42 years and eight months old, also became Bulgaria’s oldest player in their Nations League match in Nicosia.

He beat the record of former Liverpool goalkeeper Elisha Scott, who was aged 42 years and six months when he made his last appearance for Ireland in 1936.

Petkov, who was born in 1976, debuted for the Bulgarian national team in 1998 and last played for Bulgaria in a 2009 friendly against Switzerland. As goalkeeper of Slavia Sofia, he is also the oldest player in the Bulgarian League.

The First Player To Reach 11,000 Runs In Ranji Trophy:Wasim Jaffer

 Wasim Jaffer – Veteran batsman achieved a feat that no other player has done before. In a Round 3, Elite Group A Ranji Trophy match between Vidarbha and Baroda, Wasim Jaffer (11,056*) became the first player to reach the 11,000 run-mark in Ranji Trophy at Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium, Nagpur, Maharashtra.  The second best in the list is Amol Muzumdar with 9,202 runs under his belt.

ICC team up with Google:

 The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a partnership with Google .  It aims to offer fans a great viewing experience of the semi-finals and final of the ICC Women’s World T20 2018 in the West Indies.  This partnership includes enabling the casting of video content from the ICC mobile app on cast- enabled devices, like Chromecast and Google Home Hub.

China Open Masters Badminton tournament began in Fuzhou:

 The China Open Masters Badminton tournament began in Fuzhou. The tournament will continue upto 11th of this month. The star shuttlers, Kidambi Srikanth and P.V. Sindhu will lead the Indian contingent.  The Olympic and two-time World Championship silver medallist Sindhu will be looking for her first title of the year after a total of five final losses in 2018. She will be up against Evgeniya Kosetskaya of Russia.

Manu Bhaker, Saurabh Chaudhary set new world record to win mixed event gold at Asian Airgun Championships

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 197 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary set the junior world record by winning the 10m air pistol mixed team gold medal in the 11th Asian Airgun Championships.

India’s junior shooting squad thus ended the championship with a tally of 11 medals, including four gold.

Youth Olympic Games champions Manu and Saurabh finished with a score of 485.4 in the final, well ahead of the Chinese who managed 477.9.

A second Chinese team won bronze while India’s second pair in the finals, Abhidnya Patil and Anmol Jain, finished fourth.

Bajrang Punia Becomes Number 1 In World in 65kg

Star Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia has touched a new high in his career by achieving the number one rank in the world in the 65kg category.

The 24-year-old Bajrang, who has won five medals this season, including CWG and Asian Games gold and a silver at the World Championship, was placed atop the ranking table with 96 points in the UWW list.

Cuban Alejandro Enrique Vlades Tobier is at second place and Russia’s Akhmed Chakaev (62) is in thir

Lewis Hamilton Won Brazilian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) won the Brazilian Grand Prix after Red Bull’s Max Verstappen lost the lead in a collision with backmarker Esteban Ocon (Force India).

The Red Bull player Max Verstappen came second and Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari secured the third- place.

Lionel Messi wins 6th La Liga Player of the Year award

Barcelona star Lionel Messi was named FIFA World Player of the Year.

Messi lifted the prestigious award at FIFA’s gala ceremony in Zurich, outdistancing the last two winners, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka.

The late England player and manager Bobby Robson received FIFA’s fair play award,while the presidential award for contributions to football and society went to Jordan’s Queen Rania.

Pacer Munaf Patel announces retirement from all forms of competitive cricket

Former Indian pacer Munaf Patel announced his retirement from all forms of competitive cricket. Patel last played international match back in September 2011 against England in an ODI

The last competitive cricket Patel played was in 2017 when he was the part of the Gujarat Lions squad.

Hailing from Ikhar (a small village in Gujarat), Patel played 86 internationals from 2006 to 2011. He made his debut in the 2006 Mohali Test against England where he claimed match figures of 7 for 97.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 198 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Viswanathan Anand wins Chess India Blitz Tournament

Viswanathan Anand won the inaugural Chess India Blitz Tournament by beating overnight leader Hikaru Nakamura in the play-off in Kolkata.

Five-time world champion Anand was on a roll as he secured six wins and three draws in the nine rounds to draw level with Nakamura to force a play-off. Anand was placed fourth after the first leg.

Former England and Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole retires

Former England and Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole has announced his retirement from football, bringing the curtain down on a 20-year professional career.

Cole, made 716 appearances and scored 104 goals for seven clubs and completed his career with Tampa Bay Rowdies in the second-tier United Soccer League.

He was selected for the 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Cups, making his final England appearance at the latter tournament in South Africa.

Pankaj Advani Wins Asian Snooker Tour Title

Pankaj Advani has become the first Indian to win the Asian Snooker Tour title. Pankaj Advani achieved this feat by defeating Chinese player Joe Seati by 6-1 in the second leg of the Asian Snooker Tour held in China.

Pankaj Advani is a Padma Bhushan awardee and he has won the Asian Billiards Championship title in March 2018.

Azhar Ali Announces Retirement From ODIs

Pakistani batsman Azhar Ali has announced retirement from One Day International (ODI) cricket.

Azhar´s tally of runs in 53 one-day internationals stood at 1,845 runs at an average of 36.90 including three hundreds and 12 half centuries.

Rahul Dravid Inducted Into ICC Hall Of Fame

Rahul Dravid became the fifth Indian to be inducted in the ICC Hall of Fame on Thursday as Sunil Gavaskarpresented him with the momento prior to the start of the fifth One-Day International between India and West Indies.

Dravid was presented with the framed cap by Gavaskar as he was formally inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.

Dravid has scored 23, 208 international runs for India across formats, including 48 hundreds and 146 fifties. He has scored the runs at an average of 45.41.

The four Indians who were inducted in the ICC Hall of Fame prior to Dravid are:

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 199 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Sunil Gavaskar (1971-1987) – inducted in 2009

Bishan Singh Bedi (1966-1979) – inducted in 2009

Kapil Dev (1978-1994) – inducted in 2010

Anil Kumble (1990-2008) – inducted in 2015

Paris Masters Tennis: Khachanov Beats Djokovic To Lift Title

Karen Khachanov defeated Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-4 to win the Paris Masters title.

Djokovic will return to No. 1 in the rankings for the first time in two years but he will be disappointed at missing out on a 73rd career title.

Karen Abgarovich Khachanov is a Russian tennis player of Armenian background. He has won four ATP singles titles.

Mary Kom Wins Sixth World Championship Title, Creates History

MC Mary Kom has created history by becoming the first woman to win six boxing world titles after clinching the 48 kg gold at the 2018 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi.

The 35-year-old Indian legend defeated Ukrainian Hanna Okhota in the summit clash.

Now, Mary overtakes Ireland’s Katie Taylor as the first female boxer to win six gold medals, and becomes only the second pugilist ever (male or female) to achieve the feat after Felix Savon.

Former Chelsea Striker Didier Drogba Announces Retirement

Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba announced his retirement.

Drogba, 40, began his career at French side Le Mans in 1998, but did not play top-tier football until he was 23 when he was signed by Guingamp in 2002.

He went on to win three Premier League titles in his first eight years at Chelsea as well as four FA Cups and two League Cups.

Bangladesh captain fastest to 200 wickets, 3,000 runs Test double:

 Bangladesh captain Shakib al Hasan has become the quickest to achieve the double of 3000 runs and 200 wickets in Test cricket when he took the wicket of West Indies opener Kieran Powell on the first session of the third day in the first Test at Chittagong. He got there in his 54th Test.  He broke the record held by legendary England all-rounder Ian Botham, who achieved it in his 55th Test.

World T20 renamed as T20 World Cup:

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 The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that it has renamed the ICC World T20 as the ICC T20 World Cup. This means next editions of the events in 2020 in Australia will be known as the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020.  The renaming decision is aligned to the Global Cricket Strategy which will be launched in early 2019.

Indian Cricketer Pravin Tambe: First Player in the history of T10 league to pick up a hat-trick

 47-year-old Spinner Pravin Tambe has achieved the best figures in the T10 Leaguehistory as he bagged a hat-trick en route 5/15 for the Sindhis against Kerala Knights held in United Arab Emirates (UAE).

2018 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Highlights:

 The 2018 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 was hosted in the West Indies from 9 to 24 November 2018, during the 2018–19 international cricket season. It was the sixth edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, and the second hosted by the West Indies (after the 2010 edition).  Champions of the year 2018: Australia (4th title); Runner:England; Number of country participants in the event: 10  Player of the series: Australian Alyssa Healy  Most runs: Australian Alyssa Healy (225)  Most wickets: West Indies Cricket Board Deandra Dottin; Australian Ashleigh Gardner; Australian Megan Schutt (10)

India at the 2018 ICC Women’s World Twenty20

 Harmanpreet Kaur was the Captain of Indian team in ICC Women’s World T20.  India’s Men Cricket Team captain Virat Kohli launched “Jersey knows no gender”campaign to support women’s team in the event.  India’s quest for a maiden ICC Women’s World T20 title ended with an eight-wicket defeat against England in the Semi-Finals of the ICC Women’s World T20.

Women’s Boxing World Championship Highlights:

 International Boxing Association (AIBA) has organized Women’s World Boxing Championship 2018 at Indira Gandhi Sport Complex in New Delhi.  China topped the medal tally with 5 medals including 4 gold, 1 Silver and Chinese Taipei ranked at second position with 2 medals (2 Gold).  India ended the Championship at 3rd position with 4 medals including 1 gold, 1 silver and2 bronze.

Winners of Indian Team: Name Event Medal Mary Kom Women’s Light Fly (45-48 kg) Category Gold Sonia’s Chahal Women’s Feather (57kg) Category Silver Simranjit Kaur Women’s Light Welter (64kg) Category Bronze

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Lovlina Borgohain Women’s Welterweight (64-69kg) Bronze Category Saina Nehwal wins silver at Syed Modi International 2018:

 Olympic medallist Saina Nehwal settled for silver,while Sameer Verma beat China’s Guangzu Lu to retain the Syed Modi International World Tour Super 300 tournament in Lucknow.  This was Verma’s third title in the ongoing year following his victories at the Swiss and Hyderabad Open. It helped him surpass Kenta Nishimoto at World No.8 and seal his spot in the year- ending BWF World Tour Finals.

Hockey Men’s World Cup 2018 kicks off in Odisha :

 The Hockey World Cupopening ceremony will begin at the Kalinga stadium in Odisha.  The top 16 teams in the world will fight it out in the 14th edition of the tournament,which will run from November 28 to December 16.  India will be hosting the FIH Hockey World Cup for the third time in the history. Mumbai hosted the tournament in 1982 while New Delhi did the honours in 2010.  The Hockey World Cup 2018 opening ceremony conveyed a powerful message of “oneness of humanity”.

STATIC: ODISHA

Capital : Bhubaneswar Chief Minister : Naveen Patnaik Governor : Ganeshi Lal.

Croatia clinch victory over France to win Davis Cup:

 Croatia dethroned holders France to win the Davis Cup for the second time as Marin Cilic beat Lucas Pouille in straight sets to seal the victory.  Cilic won 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 6-3 to secure the title for Croatia for the first time since 2005.

Two-year ban for age frauds :BCCI Announcement

 The BCCI announced that From the 2018-19 season cricketer guilty of age fraud will be barred from all its recognised tournaments for two years.  Earlier In September , a Meghalya-bound Delhi player Jaskirat Singh Sachdeva faced a ban for one year for producing a fake birth certificate to play in an Under-19 tournament.

India’s Dalabehera bags bronze in Junior World Weightlifting

Indian lifter Jhilli Dalabehera bagged the bronze medal in the 2018 IWF Junior World Weightlifting Championships at Tashkent.

Jhilli Dalabehera lifted 167 kg (75 kg + 92 kg) in 48 kg to finish third on the podium.

She is the second woman lifter after Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (in 2013) to win a medal in the Junior World Championships.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 202 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Uzbekistan

Capital: Tashkent Currency: Uzbekistani som

India bag four medals at Asia Cup Archery

India have bagged four medals in the Asia Cup World Archery Ranking Tournament Stage 3 in Taipei.

The feat comprised 3 silver medals and a bronze. India also finished joint third with Iran in the championship. Korea topped the tally with 14 medals, 8 of them being gold.

Divya Dhayal became the only individual medal winner for the country when she clinched the silver medal in the womens compound category.

India beat Japan 9-0 to record their third consecutive win in Asian Champions Trophy:

 In Men’s Hockey, India thrashed Japan 9-0 in their third round-robin match of Asian Champions Trophy at Muscat, Oman.  It was India’s third straight win of the tournament, and they have strengthened their chances of making it to the semi-finals.

Praveen Kumar retires from all forms of cricket

Praveen Kumar has announced retirement from all forms of cricket. He thanked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) for helping him through his journey as an international cricketer.

Praveen last played for India in March 2012 in a T20I against South Africa.

Kimi Raikkonen wins US Grand Prix

Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen got his first victory of F1 race US Grand Prix in Texas.

It was the longest gap between wins in F1 history, beating the previous mark of Italian Riccardo Patrese. Lewis Hamilton came second and he was followed by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Virat Kohli becomes the fastest batsman to score 10,000 ODI runs

Virat Kohli became only the fourth batsman to score 10,000 ODI runs for India and in the process, he also broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record to become the fastest to reach the milestone.

Overall, Kohli became the fifth Indian batsman and 13th ever to reach 10000 ODI runs. While Tendulkar took 259 innings to get there, Kohli got to the landmark in a mere 205 innings.

Kohli is also second only to Tendulkar in the list of most century-scorers in one-day internationals.

Dwayne Bravo Retires From International Cricket

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 203 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING All-rounder Dwayne Bravo announced his retirement from international cricket.

The 35-year-old, who last represented the West Indies in September 2016, played a grand total of 270 internationals (40 Tests, 164 ODIs, 66 T20Is) between 2004 and 2016 and played a starring role in each of their two World T20 triumphs in 2012 and 2016.

In T20 cricket, which he is most known for, he cracked 1142 runs at a strike-rate of 116.41 and took 52 wickets at an economy of 8.46.

Pakistan Left-Arm Spinner Abdur Rehman Retires From International Cricket

Former Pakistan left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman has announced his retirement from international cricket.

The spinner Rehman finished his 22-Test career just one short of a deserved hundred wicket mark, while he took 30 in 31 one-dayers and eight wickets in 11 Twenty20 Internationals.

After making his international debut in an ODI match against the West Indies at Rawalpindi in December 2006, the 38-year-old left-arm went on to play 22 Tests, 31 ODIs and eight T20Is, taking 99, 30 and 11 wickets respectively. He last played for Pakistan in a Test match against Sri Lanka at Colombo (SSC) in August 2014.

Asian Para Games: India’s medal tally mounts to 72 with 2 more golds

India recorded its best-ever showing in the Asian Para Games by bagging 72 medals, including 15 gold, with the shuttlers adding two gold and three bronze medals on the concluding day of the competitions in Indonesia, Jakarta.

With 15 gold, 24 silver and 33 bronze medals, India is placed ninth in the overall tally.

China finished on top with 172 gold, 88 silver and 59 bronze for a whopping total of 319 medals.

Great Britain Wins Sultan Johar Cup Junior Hockey

India lost to Great Britain to settle for the silver medal at the eighth Sultan of Johor Cup U-18 hockey tournament. The event was held at Malaysia.

The other teams in the tournament were Japan, Australia, Malaysia and New Zealand.

Great Britain, who finished runners-up last year, secured their second Sultan of Johor Cup title by virtue of this win.

Malaysia

Capital: Kuala Lumpur Currency: Malaysian ringgit

Leander Paes wins Santo Domingo Open Trophy

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 204 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Leander Paes has lifted Santo Domingo Open trophy with partner Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela.

The second seeded Indo-Mexican pair beat Ariel Behar and Roberto Quiroz to clinch the title.

Paes, who is ranked 69, added 110 ranking points to his kitty and shared a prize purse of USD 7750 with his partner.

Note: Paes also ended runner-up at Chicago, Dallas on the ATP Challenger circuit and won the Newport Beach event in January.

Japan all set to host 2019 World Relays

Japan is all set to host the 2019 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Relays, beginning May 11.

The first three editions of the IAAF World Relays, in 2014, 2015 and 2017, were held in the Bahamian capital.

The 2019 meet will take place May 11 and 12 at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, near Tokyo.

IAAF President: Sebastian Coe

Novak Djokovic wins Shanghai Masters 2018

Novak Djokovic beat Croatia’s Borna Coric in the final of the Shanghai Masters to clinch the title.

The Serbian Djokovic has won 18 consecutive matches since losing at the Rogers Cup on 10 August, and will replace Federer as world number two.

Djokovic won his 26th straight set to clinch his fourth title of 2018 and go just 35 points behind Rafael Nadal in the ATP Race for London.

Youth Olympic Games 2018: Suraj Panwar Wins India’s 1st Athletics Medal

Suraj Panwar won India’s first medal in athletics at the third Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Ecuador’s Oscar Patin clinched gold medal and Suraj Panwar got silver medal.Meanwhile, Puerto Rico’s Jan Moreu finished third to get the bronze medal.

This is India’s first athletics medal in this edition and third overall. Arjun (men’s discus throw) and Durgesh Kumar (men’s 400m hurdles) had won a silver each in the inaugural edition in 2010.

Pakistan Left-Arm Spinner Abdur Rehman Retires From International Cricket

Former Pakistan left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman has announced his retirement from international cricket.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 205 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The spinner Rehman finished his 22-Test career just one short of a deserved hundred wicket mark, while he took 30 in 31 one-dayers and eight wickets in 11 Twenty20 Internationals.

After making his international debut in an ODI match against the West Indies at Rawalpindi in December 2006, the 38-year-old left-arm went on to play 22 Tests, 31 ODIs and eight T20Is, taking 99, 30 and 11 wickets respectively. He last played for Pakistan in a Test match against Sri Lanka at Colombo (SSC) in August 2014.

Asian Para Games: India’s medal tally mounts to 72 with 2 more golds

India recorded its best-ever showing in the Asian Para Games by bagging 72 medals, including 15 gold, with the shuttlers adding two gold and three bronze medals on the concluding day of the competitions in Indonesia, Jakarta.

With 15 gold, 24 silver and 33 bronze medals, India is placed ninth in the overall tally.

China finished on top with 172 gold, 88 silver and 59 bronze for a whopping total of 319 medals.

Great Britain Wins Sultan Johar Cup Junior Hockey

India lost to Great Britain to settle for the silver medal at the eighth Sultan of Johor Cup U-18 hockey tournament. The event was held at Malaysia.

The other teams in the tournament were Japan, Australia, Malaysia and New Zealand.

Great Britain, who finished runners-up last year, secured their second Sultan of Johor Cup title by virtue of this win.

Malaysia

Capital: Kuala Lumpur Currency: Malaysian ringgit

Leander Paes wins Santo Domingo Open Trophy

Leander Paes has lifted Santo Domingo Open trophy with partner Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela.

The second seeded Indo-Mexican pair beat Ariel Behar and Roberto Quiroz to clinch the title.

Paes, who is ranked 69, added 110 ranking points to his kitty and shared a prize purse of USD 7750 with his partner.

Note: Paes also ended runner-up at Chicago, Dallas on the ATP Challenger circuit and won the Newport Beach event in January.

Japan all set to host 2019 World Relays

Japan is all set to host the 2019 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Relays, beginning May 11.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 206 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The first three editions of the IAAF World Relays, in 2014, 2015 and 2017, were held in the Bahamian capital.

The 2019 meet will take place May 11 and 12 at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, near Tokyo.

IAAF President: Sebastian Coe

Novak Djokovic wins Shanghai Masters 2018

Novak Djokovic beat Croatia’s Borna Coric in the final of the Shanghai Masters to clinch the title.

The Serbian Djokovic has won 18 consecutive matches since losing at the Rogers Cup on 10 August, and will replace Federer as world number two.

Djokovic won his 26th straight set to clinch his fourth title of 2018 and go just 35 points behind Rafael Nadal in the ATP Race for London.

Jhulan retires from T20Is

Jhulan Goswami retired from T20 International cricket.

Goswami played in 68 T20Is picking up 56 wickets which included a five-wicket haul against Australia in 2012.

Goswami is a veteran of 169 ODIs and 10 Tests and is the leading wicket-taker in 50-over cricket. she had won the Arjuna Award, becoming the second woman cricketer to have won the award after Diana Edulji. In 2012, she won the Padma Shri.

Asian Games:

Indian rowing team wins gold

Indian rowing team wins gold in men’s quadruple sculls at Asian Games. Sawarn Singh, Dattu Bhoknal, Om Prakash and Sukhmeet Singh finish top of podium in quadruple scull. They crossed the finish line in first place with a time of 6:17.13. This was India’s first gold in rowing.

Indonesia bagged the silver medal with a time of 6:20.58 while Thailand took the bronze with a time of 6:22.41.

Tennis: Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan win the gold medal

Indian men’s tennis doubles team comprising Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan win the gold medal at the 18th Asian Games.

They defeated Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik and Denis Yevseyev 6-3, 6-4.

Kabbadi: India women clinched silver

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 207 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The India women’s kabaddi team missed out on their third successive Asiad gold medal. They lost to Iran in the finals.

It was also the third consecutive time when the India women’s team entered the Asian Games final after clinching a gold medal at the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games each.

Shooting: Shardul Vihan clinched the silver medal

Shardul Vihan clinched a silver medal in men’s double trap shooting event.

The 15-year old boy from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh shot 73.

Korea’s Shin Hyunwoo clinched gold medal.

Dushyant won India its first medal in rowing

India’s Dushyant Chauhan bagged the bronze medal in the men’s Lightweight Single Sculls at the Jakabaring Rowing and Canoeing center in Jakarta.

Two medals from lightweight double sculls

India bagged two bronze medals in rowing through Rohit Kumar and Bhagwan Singh in lightweight double sculls. The event was at the JSC Lake.

Shooting: India’s Heena Sidhu wins bronze

India’s Heena Sidhu wins bronze in the 10m air pistol event at the 18th Asian Games.

She finished with a total of 219.2, earning herself a bronze medal in the tournament. Her win saw India getting their 9th medal in shooting, and 23rd overall in the Asian Games so far.

Indian kabaddi men’s team gets bronze

Indian kabaddi men’s team settled for bronze after losing to Iran. For the first time India failed to reach men’s kabaddi final.

All the four Indian wushu players settle for bronze medals

All the four Indian wushu players lost their semifinal bouts to settle for bronze medals.

Naorem Roshibini Devi, Santosh Kumar, Surya Bhanu Partap Singh and Narender Grewal gave the Indian team an unprecedented four medals.

Belgian Grand Prix 2018: Sebastian Vettel Won

The Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel won belgian grand prix 2018.

He was followed by Mercedes player Lewis Hamilton and then Red Bull player Max Verstappen.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 208 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Asian Games:

Shot put:

In men’s shot put, Tejinderpal Singh Toor wins gold.

The 23-year-old threw the iron ball to 20.75m to win the gold and set a national record as well. He bettered the six-year-old record of 20.69m in the name of Om Prakash Karhana.

Athletics:

In women’s 100m, Dutee clinches silver. Odiong Edidiong of Bahrain won the gold in 11.30 while Wei Yongli of China took the bronze in 11.33 in a close finish.

In women’s 400m, Hima Das wins silver. Naser Salwa, the Nigerian-born 2017 won gold for Bahrain.

In men’s 400m, Muhammed Anas wins silver. Anas clocked 45.69 seconds to finish second behind Qatar’s Hassan Abdalelah, who won the gold medal. Bahrain’s Khmais Ali took home the bronze medal while India’s Arokia Rajiv came fourth.

Note: Govindan Lakshmanan was stripped of his bronze medal in the 10,000 metres race after it was seen that he had stepped off-the-tracks. He had become the first ever Indian to win at the event, but his triumph was short-lived.

Equestrian:

Fouaad Mirza wins silver at the equestrian individual event. India also bag silver at the equestrian team event.

Badminton:

Top Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal won bronze medal after suffering her 10th straight defeat to world number one Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei in the women’s singles semifinals of the 18th Asian Games, in Jakarta.

Bridge:

In bridge, India bagged bronze medals in the Men’s Team and Mixed Team events.

Squash:

Saurav Ghosal settled for bronze after losing in the men’s singles semi-final squash to Chung Ming Au of Hong Kong China.

Dipika Pallikal Karthik and Joshna Chinappa settled for bronze each in squash women’s singles.

Asian Games:

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 209 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Javelin throw: India’s Neeraj Chopra wins gold in men’s javelin throw

Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian javelin-thrower to win an Asian Games gold medal as he shattered his own national record by clearing a distance of 88.06m in Jakarta.

Chopra’s gold is only the second medal India has won in javelin throw in Asian Games history after Gurtej Singh won bronze in 1982 in New Delhi.

Liu Qizhen of China was a distant second, with a best throw of 82.22m, while Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem won the bronze with a 80.75 effort.

Steeplechase: Sudha Singh wins silver in Women’s 3000m

The Veteran Indian long distance runner Sudha Singh has clinched the silver in women’s 3000m steeplechase event in the Asian Games in Jakarta.

Winfred Yavi of Bahrain took the gold in 9:36.52, while Thi Oanh Nguyen of Vietnam bagged the bronze in 9:43.83.

Dharun Ayyasamy wins silver in Men’s 400m hurdles

India’s Dharun Ayyasamy clinched a silver in men’s 400m hurdles in national record time.

It is India’s first medal in the event since Joseph Abraham won a gold in 2010. Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba won the gold with a Games record time of 47.66.

India’s Neena Varakil wins silver medal in Asian Games women’s long jump competition

Neena Varakil gave India another silver medal from the athletics arena after she came second in the women’s long jump event at the ongoing Asian Games in Jakarta.

Varakil’s best jump of 6.51m came in the fourth attempt, which was enough to fetch her the silver. Thi Thu Thao Bui of Vietnam won the gold with a season’s best jump of 6.55.

Japan Wins 1st Ever Title at FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup France 2018

Japan won their first Women’s World Under-20 title with a 3-1 victory over Spain in the final.

England defeated France 4-2 on a penalty shoot-out to finish third after their play-off had ended 1-1.

Takarada Saori was named as the Player of the match with her goal and an assist.Takarada was also awarded the Adidas Bronze Boot as well as the Adidas Silver Ball, while Minami was awarded the Bronze Ball.

North Korea To Host Asian Youth Weightlifting Championships

The 2019 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships will be held in the North Korean capital Pyongyang.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 210 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING North Korean sports administrators have been hoping the country would be able to host international events after combining with South Korea in several sports at this year’s Winter Olympics and Asian Games.

North Korea

Capital: Pyongyang Currency: North Korean won

Asian Games:

Athletics: In Men’s 800m, Manjit Singh clinches gold

Manjit Singh won the gold in the men’s 800 metres event while Jinson Johnson clinched the silver medal in men’s 800 metres.

With these two medals, India’s medal tally now stands at 49 with 9 gold, 18 silver and 22 bronze.

Manjit Singh finished the race in 1:46.15 minutes while second-placed Jinson Johnson clocked 1:46.35 minutes. Qatar’s Abdalla Abubaker came third with a time of 1:46.38 minutes.

Kurash: Pincky Balhara wins silver in Women’s 52 kg

The 19-year-old Pincky Balhara won the silver medal in women’s 52 kg Kurash at the Asian Games.

Balhara lost to Uzbekistan’s Gulnor Sulaymanova 0-10 in the finals. Earlier, Yallappa lost to Sulaymanova 0-10 in the semifinal to claim the bronze.

Badminton:P.V Sindhu wins silver in Women’s Singles

PV Sindhu ensured India’s best-ever finish in badminton at the Asian Games and history for India with two medals in badminton alongside Saina Nehwal who won the bronze medal.

By beating Sindhu, Tai Tzu Ying became first shuttler to win gold for Chinese Taipei.

Men’s Compound Archery team and the Women’s Compound Archery team win silver

Both the Indian men’s and women’s compound archery teams settled for silver medals at the 18th Asian Games. The two teams were defeated by Korean Teams.

Asian Games:

Gold Medal Winners

Swapna Barman wins gold in women’s Heptathlon event

Swapna Barman has created history by becoming the first Indian heptathlete to win an Asian Games gold. A heptathlon is a track and field combined events contest made up of seven events.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 211 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING she won the high jump (1003 points) and javelin throw (872 points) events and finished second-best in shot put (707 points) and long jump (865 points).

Before Barman, only Bengal’s Soma Biswas and Karnataka’s JJ Shobha and Pramila Aiyappa had returned with a medal from the Asian Games.

Arpinder Singh claims gold in Men’s Triple Jump

Arpinder Singh clinched India’s first men’s triple jump gold in 48 years, with a jump of 16.77m in the Asian Games.

Ruslan Kurbanov of Uzbekistan took the silver with a best jump of 16.62m, while Shuo Cao of China was third with an effort of 16.56m.

India’s last Asian Games gold medal in men’s triple jump had come in 1970 from Mohinder Singh Gill.

Silver Medal Winners

Athletics:

Indian Mixed 4x400m Relay team bag silver

India clinched a silver in the debut event of 400m mixed relay race, finishing behind Bahrain.

The Indian quartet of Mohd. Anas, M R Poovamma, Hima Das and Arokia Rajiv clocked 3 minute and 15.71 seconds, while Bahrain ran away with the gold in 3:11.89. Kazakhstan took the bronze in 3:19.52.

Women’s 200m, Dutee Chand wins silver

Dutee Chand wins silver in Women’s 200m in Asian Games at Jakarta.

She crossed the finishing line in 23.20 seconds, behind Bahrain’s Edidiong Odiong who clinched the gold in 22.96. The bronze went to China’s Wei Yongli (23.27).

Bronze Medal Winners:

 In table tennis, the Mixed Doubles team of Manika Batra and Sharath Kamal claim bronze.  The men’s table tennis team win bronze after losing the semifinal to South Korea.  In kurash, Malaprabha Jadhav wins bronze in Women’s 52 kg.

Youth Olympic Games 2018: Suraj Panwar Wins India’s 1st Athletics Medal

Suraj Panwar won India’s first medal in athletics at the third Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Ecuador’s Oscar Patin clinched gold medal and Suraj Panwar got silver medal.Meanwhile, Puerto Rico’s Jan Moreu finished third to get the bronze medal.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 212 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING This is India’s first athletics medal in this edition and third overall. Arjun (men’s discus throw) and Durgesh Kumar (men’s 400m hurdles) had won a silver each in the inaugural edition in 2010.

18th edition of Asian Games to begin in Jakarta, Indonesia

The 18th edition of the Asian Games officially kick off in Indonesian capital Jakarta. The opening ceremony will take place at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.

Around 11,000 athletes from 45 countries will be seen competing in 40 sports and 67 disciplines consisting of 28 Olympic sports, 4 new Olympic sports, and 8 non-Olympic sports.

Javelin Thrower Neeraj Chopra will be India’s flag-bearer at the expected-to-be-glittering opening ceremony.

India improve to world no 96 in FIFA rankings

Indian football team has improved a spot to be placed at the 96th position in the latest FIFA world rankings.

Defending champions India are currently preparing for the SAFF Cup to be held next month at Bangladesh.

At the top, world champions France have moved up six spots to be ranked first while Belgium are second. Brazil, Croatia and Uruguay complete the top five.

Kiki Bertens defeats World No 1 Simona Halep to win Cincinnati WTA title

The Dutch challenger Kiki Bertens defeated Simona Halep to score the biggest win of her career.

This is her first defeat since Wimbledon to lift the the WTA Cincinnati title.

The Cincinnati Masters is an annual outdoor hardcourt tennis event held in Mason near Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

Djokovic beats Federer at Cincinnati

Novak Djokovic finally clinched Cincinnati title after defeating Roger Federer .

The Wimbledon champion is the first to claim the Career Golden Masters, having won all nine titles in the elite series that began in 1990.

Djokovic has won his last three matches against Federer and now holds a 24-22 advantage in their long rivalry.

India Wins SAFF U-15 Championship Defeating Bangladesh

India defeated Bangladesh in the final of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Under-15 Women’s Championship in Thimpu, Bhutan.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 213 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING This is the second edition of the Championship. Bangladesh had won the inaugural edition last year, beating India, 1-0 in the final played at Dhaka.

The Finals was held at Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, Bhutan.

Asian Games 2018:

Shooting: India opens medal count with bronze in rifle mixed team

India opened its account in the 18th Asian Games with a bronze medal after Apurvi Chandela and Ravi Kumar cracked under pressure to finish third in the rifle mixed team shooting event.

Chinese Taipei’s Yingshin Lin and Shaochuan Lu claimed the gold, scoring 494.1.

Wrestling: Bajrang Punia opens India’s gold account

The Wrestler Bajrang Punia won India’s first gold medal on the opening day of the 18th Asian Games.

Punia clinched the gold medal in the men’s freestyle 65-kg category defeating Daichi Takatani of Japan 11-8 in the final.

It was Bajrang’s second successive gold medal at the Asian Games after his triumph in Incheon 2014 in the 61-kg category.

Sirojiddin Khasanov of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan’s Sayatbek Okassov took the bronze medals.

Shooting: Deepak Kumar bags Silver medal in 18th Asian Games

Deepak claimed the Silver in the Men’s 10-metre Air Rifle event with a score of 247.7 points. China took home the Gold, while Chinese Taipei won the Bronze.

The other Indian in the event, Ravi Kumar ended at the fourth spot.

Teen Cyclist Esow Alben Claimed India’s 1st Ever Medal

Esow Alban won India’s first ever junior cycling World Cup medal when he finished second in the keirin event in Aigle, Switzerland.

Earlier, he had got a silver in the under-14 500m time trial event in the 67th National Cycling Championships in Kerala in 2015.

ASIAN GAMES:

Wrestling: Vinesh Phogat for wins gold medal at Asian Games

Vinesh Phogat became the first Indian woman wrestler to win an Asian Games gold after she defeated Japan’s Yuki Irie in the 50 kilogram women’s Freestyle final.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 214 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Earlier, Vinesh had won the gold medal in women’s 50kg freestyle wrestling at 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia. She had defeated Jessica MacDonald of Canada in the final.

Shooting: Saurabh Chaudhary wins 10m air pistol gold

Saurabh Chaudhary became only the fifth Indian shooter to claim a gold in the Asian Games history in the 10m air pistol.

He defeated 2010 World Champion Tomoyuki Matsuda to clinch the gold.

In the same event Abhishek Verma won the bronze with a score of 219.3 (10m air pistol).

Shooting: Shooter Sanjeev Rajput clinched a silver medal

Sanjeev Rajput clinched a silver medal in men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions event.

He was dominated by China’s Hui Zicheng to clinch the medal. Japan’s Matsumoto Takayuki bagged the bronze with 441.4.

Kho-Kho gets recognition from Olympic Council of Asia

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has given recognition to India’s indigenous sport of Kho-Kho, a development that has been welcomed by Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

The decision to recognise Kho-Kho was taken at the General Assembly of the OCA held on August 19.

Kho-Kho will now be included as a demonstration sport in the Asian Indoor Games, with the possibility of being included as a discipline in the next Asian Games.

Asian Games:

Wrestling: Divya Kakran took bronze

Divya Kakran added the first bronze to India’s wrestling tally at the 18th Asian Games.

She beat Taipei’s Chen Wenling in the free style 68 kg category.

Divya was a gold-winner at the Commonwealth Championships in 2017.

Sepak takraw: India clinched bronze

India grabbed their first ever medal in Sepak takraw at the Asian Games 2018 as they were defeated by Thailand 2-0 in the semi-finals.

Sepak takraw, or kick volleyball, is a sport native to Southeast Asia. Sepak takraw differs from the similar sport of Footvolley in its use of a rattan ball and only allowing players to use their feet, knee, chest and head to touch the ball.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 215 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Shooting: Rahi Sarnobat wins gold in women’s 25m pistol

Indian shooter Rahi Jeevan Sarnobat won a Gold medal in Women’s 25m Pistol category in the ongoing Asian Games 2018 in Indonesia.

Sarnobat also set a new Games record after prevailing in a double shoot-off in the 25m pistol event.

She defeated Thailand’s Naphaswan Yangpaiboon in the shoot-off to clinch the top spot.

Sarnobat also became the first Indian woman shooter to win an Asian Games gold medal.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of Cooperatives 2018 – July 7

 The International Day of Cooperatives was observed across the world on July 7, 2018.  The 2018 Theme: Sustainable societies through cooperation.

World Population Day: 11 July  The World Population Day is celebrated worldwide to spread awareness and discuss issues related to population growth.  The United Nations recognises World Population day as an important event to spread information of population-related issues across the globe.  2018 theme: “Family Planning is a Human Right”.  NITI Aayog Released Paper On ‘National Health Stack’  The central government think tank NITI Aayog has unveiled the blueprint of National Health Stack (NHS), a shared digital healthcare infrastructure.  The blueprint is in line with the implementation of the Centre’s flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat and other public healthcare programmes in the country.  According to a consultation paper titled ‘National Health Stack Strategy an Approach’, the National Health Stack will facilitate collection of comprehensive healthcare data across the country.  The government’s flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat aims to provide a coverage of INR 5 Lakh per family annually and benefit more than 10 crore poor families.  NITI: National Institution for Transforming India  CEO- Amitabh Kant  Vice-Chairman- Rajiv Kumar  Int. Round Table Conference on Data for New India Held in New Delhi  The Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has organised a International Round Table Conference on ‘Data for New India’ in New Delhi.  The objective of the 2-day Conference is to identify innovative ideas for improving the statistical system in India. ( discussing the best practices followed in advanced countries like Canada, UK and Australia). The Conference is organized in India for the first time.  The Conference is inaugurated by D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Union Minister of Statistics & Programme Implementation.  Indian Railways introduces first dwarf container service  The Indian Railways has introduced a commercial service to run double-stack dwarf containers on trains to capture the lost traffic through new delivery model for domestic cargo.

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 The Double Stacked Container, which is 6 ft 4 inches in height and can run on electrified tracks, can hold a capacity of 30,500 kgs. These containers in double stack formation can run under 25kV overhead lines.  Indian Railways has received increased revenue of Rs 18.50 lakhs due to this Double Stacked Dwarf Container service.  Venkaiah Naidu Becomes 1st Chairman of Rajya Sabha To Sign MOU  For the first time,Rajya Sabha has has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a foreign counterpart for promoting inter-parliamentary dialogue.  Venkaiah Naidu has become the first Chairman of Rajya Sabha to sign such an agreement when he inked an MOU with the visiting President of the Senate of the Republic of Rwanda, Bernard Makuza.  Shri Naidu and Mr. Makuza discussed issues of bilateral interest and the opportunities for cooperation for mutual benefit.  Microsoft and Rajasthan Sign MoU for Free Digital Training  Microsoft has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Rajasthan government to provide free digital training to 9,500 college students in one year.  As reported, the initiative was taken for the enhancement of digital learning and capacity building of college students in the state. It was announced by Higher Education Minister Kiran Maheshwari.  It will also train educators from government colleges through the Microsoft Innovative Educator Programme, building capacity for innovative use of information and communications technology (ICT) in the classroom.  Rajasthan  Capital: Jaipur  Chief minister: Vasundhara Raje  Governor: Kalyan Singh  Microsoft  CEO: Satya Nadella  RBI Cancels Licence Of Alwar Urban Co-Operative Bank  The RBI has announced that the licence of Alwar Urban Co-operative Bank in Alwar, Rajasthan has been cancelled as it is not in a position to pay its depositors in full as and when their claims accrue, among other reasons.  The Registrar of Co-operative Societies, Rajasthan has also been requested to issue an order for winding up the bank and appoint a liquidator for the bank.  On liquidation, every depositor is entitled to repayment of his/her deposits up to a monetary ceiling of Rs 1,00,000 from the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) as per usual terms and conditions.  India bag four medals at Asia Cup Archery  India have bagged four medals in the Asia Cup World Archery Ranking Tournament Stage 3 in Taipei.  The feat comprised 3 silver medals and a bronze. India also finished joint third with Iran in the championship. Korea topped the tally with 14 medals, 8 of them being gold.  Divya Dhayal became the only individual medal winner for the country when she clinched the silver medal in the womens compound category.  World Population Day: 11 July  The World Population Day is celebrated worldwide to spread awareness and discuss issues related to population growth.

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 The United Nations recognises World Population day as an important event to spread information of population-related issues across the globe.  2018 theme: “Family Planning is a Human Right”.  India’s 1st Private UAV Factory To Come Up In Kota  India’s first private sector unit for manufacturing unmanned air vehicles (UAV) and light bullet proof vehicles (LBPV) will be set up by DCM Shriram Industries Group on the campus of Shriram Rayons in Kota.  It will be the country’s first private sector company to manufacture UAVs and LBPVs.  Total 3000 LBPVs and 500 UAVs will be manufactured annually once the plant is set up and starts its manufacturing. The UAVs will be able to fly to a height of 500 to 2000 km, while LBPVs can operate in difficult terrains and has off-road abilities.  The new defence unit of Shriram Rayons in Kota is being set up under ‘Make in India’ initiative of the union government.  Telecom Department Clears Vodafone-Idea Merger With Riders  The Department of Telecom (DoT) gave its nod to the Vodafone India-Idea Cellular deal to form the biggest telecom entity in India.  The department has asked Idea Cellular to pay Rs 3,926 crore in cash for Vodafone spectrum and furnish a bank guarantee of Rs 3,342 crore.  Vodafone will own 45.1% stake in the combined entity, while Kumar Mangalam Birla-led Aditya Birla Group and Idea shareholders would have 26% and 28.9%, respectively.  PM Modi: Third most followed world leader on Twitter  According to a study on ‘world leaders on social media’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the third most followed world leader on Twitter with 42 million followers on his personal account @NarendraModi.  The survey was conducted by communications firm Burson Cohn & Wolfe (BCW).  The first two spot was got by US President Donald Trump and Pope Francis.  Sushma Swaraj, India’s External Affairs Minister also made it to the top 10 list of the most followed world leaders, with more than 10 million followers on Twitter.  HRD granted Institution of Eminence status to six educational institution  The HRD ministry has awarded Institution of Eminence (IoE) status to six educational institutions. With IIT-Delhi, IIT-Bombay, BITS-Pilani, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Manipal Academy of Higher Education, there is the Reliance Foundation’s proposed Jio Institute.  While the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry will grant Rs 10 billion funds to the three public institutions in the next five years, the private institutes will not be eligible for government funding.  The move is part of a scheme of the HRD Ministry to select 20 IoEs — 10 public and 10 private — that will enjoy complete academic and administrative autonomy.  Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani gives approval for Rs 39-cr ‘Seema Darshan’ project  Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has given in-principle approval for the 39-crore rupees ‘Seema Darshan’ project.  The project aims for developing more infrastructure facilities from T-Junction to Zero Point at Nadabet near Suigam in Banaskantha district to instil patriotism through a unique Gujarat initiative for border tourism.  The project being developed on Wagah Border pattern, entails an exhibition hall, a parade ground with amphitheatre for 5,000 people. The meeting decided to send a proposal to the Union Home and Tourism Ministries for financial assistance.  India, UK Sign Agreement On Exchange Of Experience By Legal Professionals

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 India and the United Kingdom signed an agreement on exchange of experience by legal professionals and government functionaries for resolution of disputes before various courts and tribunals.  The agreement was signed by Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and UK’s Secretary of State for Justice David Gauke.  It aims to enhance bilateral cooperation in legal affairs which would provide a framework for promoting greater cooperation between the judicial and legal professionals in both countries through exchange of expertise and training.  The two countries would also exchange information regarding current issues of international significance.  Japanese MNC Toray to invest ₹1,000 crore in Sri City facility  Toray Industries (India), a subsidiary of Toray Industries, Inc, a Japanese major producing key materials for a range of industries, plans to invest ₹1,000 crore in setting up a manufacturing unit in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh.  Toray is the 20th Japanese company setting up facility in Sri City, and this is Toray’s second production unit in India. Its products will be used by diaper makers like Unicharm, Proctor & Gamble and Kimberley Clark and the automotive, electrical and fast moving consumer goods industries.  Scientist developed world’s oldest colour  Scientists have discovered the oldest colours in the geological record — 1.1 billion-year-old bright pink pigments extracted from rocks deep beneath the Sahara desert in Africa.  The pigments taken from marine black shales of the Taoudeni Basin in Mauritania, West Africa, were more than half a billion years older than previous pigment discoveries.  The fossils range from blood red to deep purple in their concentrated form, and bright pink when diluted.  The researchers crushed the billion-year-old rocks to powder, before extracting and analysing molecules of ancient organisms from them.  India Becomes 69th Shareholder of European Bank For Reconstruction & Development  India was formally announced as the 69th shareholder of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).  It paves the way for more joint investment with Indian companies across the bank’s regions of operation.  India takes a shareholding in the EBRD but it will not be a recipient of EBRD financing.  The EBRD is also working closely with leading Indian organisations, such as FICCI, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), and the International Solar Alliance (ISA).  The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is an international financial institution founded in 1991.  Headquarters: London, United Kingdom  BoB signs pact with KB Financial Group  The Bank of Baroda has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with KB Financial Group Inc. (KBFG), Korea, for a comprehensive business cooperation to establish In-Ko financing corridor and develop innovative digital payment ecosystem.  The MoU was signed during the India-Korea Business Forum by P S Jayakumar, MD & CEO, Bank of Baroda and Yoon Jong-kyu, Chairman, KB Financial Group.  Bank of Baroda and KB Financial Group will work together on creating a new digital payments ecosystem in India and creating In-Ko corridor for providing reciprocal financial services to corporate and retail clients of Bank of Baroda and KB Financial Group.

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 BOB  Headquarters: Alkapuri, Vadodara

AWARDS AND HONOURS

3 Indian-origin women scientists awarded by Australian government in science field for women and girls :

 Three Indian-origin womenscientists were among the 60 Superstars of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) list awarded by Australian government.  The 3 scientists are Onisha Patel, Devika Kamath and Asha Rao.  Under the initiative, due to gender gap in STEM courses, the government is planning to train these scientists for one year to become influencers for female students.

STATIC:Australia

Capital: Canberra.

Currency: Australian dollar.

National Nritya Shiromani Award 2019 for Anindita :

 US-based Kathak dancer Anindita Neogy Anaam will be honoured with the National Nritya Shiromani award for promoting the dance form across the world.  This award of national repute has been given in the past to the outstanding Indian classical dance performers and musicians of India and abroad.  The award would be conferred on her in Cuttack on the opening day of the 10th Cuttack Mahotsav: International Dance and Music festival in Cuttack on 2nd January, 2019.

STATIC:Odisha

Capital: Bhubaneshwar

Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik

Governor: Ganeshi Lal

India gets UN Environment award for combating trans-boundary environmental crime

The United Nations Environment has awarded India’s Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) with the Asia Environment Enforcement Award, 2018 for the excellent work done by the Bureau in combating transboundary environmental crime.

India’s Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has been conferred the award in the Innovation category.

The bureau has adopted innovative enforcement techniques that have dramatically increased enforcement of transboundary environmental crimes in India.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 220 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Nine institutions and individuals from across Asia have been recognized by the United Nations, USAID, Interpol, and the Freeland Foundation for outstanding work in preventing transboundary environmental crime in an annual award ceremony in Bangkok.

Amitabh Bachchan honoured with Sayaji Ratna Award for contribution to social causes

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan was awarded the third Sayaji Ratna Award, established in the memory of erstwhile Baroda ruler Sayajirao Gaekwad III.

The Baroda Management Association had, in 2013, instituted the award to mark the 150th birth anniversary of the ruler, known for undertaking major social reform measures during his rule in the early twentieth century.

Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy and noted industrialist Ratan Tata have been given the award earlier.

Prof SP Ganguly Awarded Mexican Order of Aztec Eagle

In a first for an Indian academic, Professor S.P. Ganguly, a well-known Hispanist who headed the Centre for Spanish and Latin American Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University here, has been awarded the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle, the highest civilian honour given to a foreigner by Mexico.

Ganguly was decorated with the striking gold-yellow insignia by Mexican Ambassador Melba Pria at a ceremony in the India International Centre (IIC).

He has authored, edited and translated over 25 books in an academic career spanning 40 years.

Azim Premji Conferred Forbes India Leadership Awards 2018

The Forbes India Leadership Awards, India’s most prestigious honour for the top executives, was held on November 22 in Mumbai. Entrepreneurs and company bosses were awarded across nine different categories.

Azim Premji, Chairman of Wipro, was awarded the Forbes India Leadership Awards 2018 Lifetime Achievement.

Other Important Awards:

1.Best CEO – Private Sector | Rajeev Jain, MD, Bajaj Finance

2.Best Company – Public Sector | Saurabh Kumar, MD, Energy Efficiency Services Limited

3.Outstanding Startup Award | R Narayan, Founder and CEO, Power2SME

Reliance Power Unit Wins $56-million International Arbitration Award

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 221 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The Reliance Power wholly-owned subsidiary Reliance Power Netherlands BV has won an international arbitration award of USD 56 million (Rs 390 crore) against Prestige Capital Holdings (a Seychelles-based company) and Kokos Jiang.

Kokos Jiang is the owner of Sugico Group in Indonesia, from whom Reliance Power had acquired the entire economic interest in three coal mining concessions in Indonesia in 2010.

The Arbitration Tribunal was constituted under Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) rules in Singapore.

Asia Society To Honour PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi As ‘Game Changer of The Year’

The PepsiCo’s India-born CEO Indra Nooyi will be honoured with the Game Changer of the Year award by a global cultural organisation Asia Society, in recognition of her business achievements, humanitarian record and advocacy for women and girls around the world.

Nooyi, this month announced that she would be stepping down as CEO of PepsiCo after 12 years of work.

Yes Bank set to name Brahm Dutt as chairman:

 Yes Bank Ltd is likely to name independent director Brahm Dutt as the bank’s non-executive interim chairmanafter former finance secretary Ashok Chawla resigned from the position last month.  Brahm Dutt is a former bureaucrat and is one of the oldest members of Yes Bank’s board.

‘CID’ maker Brijendra Pal Singh appointed as new FTII chairman:

 Producer-director Brijendra Pal Singh was appointed as the new president of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and chairman of the institute’s governing council by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.  He succeeds veteran actor Anupam Kher, who had stepped down stepped down as the chairman in October citing “internation commitments”.  Singh, best known as the producer-director of popular TV series CID, is currently vice-chairman of the FTII governing council.

Ashok Gehlot To Be Rajasthan Chief Minister:

 Two-time chief minister Ashok Gehlot will be chief minister of Rajasthan,the decision was taken after consultation with the various leaders and legislators.  Pilot will be the deputy CM of Rajasthan and will also continue as the state Congress chief.

Former spinner Ashley Giles appointed as new managing director of England men’s cricket team :

 Former international spinner Ashley Giles has been appointed as the new managing director of England men’s cricket.  Giles, currently sport director at Warwickshire County Cricket Club, replaces Andrew Strauss who stepped down in October.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 222 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Bhupesh Baghel to be sworn in as Chhattisgarh CM :

 Chhattisgarh Congress president Bhupesh Baghelwill be sworn-in as the chief minister of chhattisgarh to be held in the capital Raipur.  Baghel is an experienced administrator who was a minister during undivided Madhya Pradesh and later in Chhattisgarh in Congress government and is also known for his organisational skills.  Mr.Baghel will be the third Chief Minister Chhattisgarh since its inception in the year 2000.

Ramphal Pawar appointed as Director in NCRB :

 The government appointed Ramphal Pawar as the new director of National Crime Record Bureau.  An IPS officer from the West Bengal cadre, Mr Pawar was Joint Secretary in NATGRID.

Ranil Wickremesinghe sworn in as 23rd Prime Minister of Sri Lanka :

 Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the 23rd Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lankabefore President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat.  Mr. Wickremsinghe was removed as Prime minister in October and was replaced by Mahinda Rajapaksa who resigned after failing to garner a majority in Parliament.

Shri Bharat Bhushan Vyas takes Oath of Office and Secrecy as Member, UPSC:

 Shri Bharat Bhushan Vyas, IAS (J&K 1986) (Retd.) took the Oath of Office and Secrecy as Member, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The Oath was administered by Shri Arvind Saxena, Chairman, UPSC.

Justice Tarun Agarwala appointed Securities Appellate Tribunal presiding officer:

 Justice Tarun Agarwala, retired Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court, has been appointed as the presiding officer in the Securities Appellate Tribunal, Mumbai.  The Securities Appellate Tribunal is a statutory body established under the provisions of Section 15K of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992, to hear and dispose of appeals against orders passed by the SEBI or by an adjudicating officer under the Act.

T.C. Barupal appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Guinea:

 Shri T.C. Barupal, presently Consul General of India, Zanzibar has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Guinea.

A.N. Patil to be conferred with Kuncha Kala Tapasvi Award for his life time achievement

Senior artist A. N. Patil was announced to be the recipient of the Kuncha Kala Tapasvi Award, in the category of Lifetime Achievement, instituted by the Chitrakala Shilpi D.V. Halbhavi National Memorial Trust in Dharwad, Karnataka.

Azim Premji conferred highest French civilian award:

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 Azim Premji, philanthropist and Chairman of Wipro Limited received the highest French civilian distinction,Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) from Ambassador of France to India Alexandre Ziegler.  He received this award for his outstanding contribution to developing the information technology industry in India.  Indian recipients who have received this prestigious award include Shah Rukh Khan as well as Bengali actor Soumitra Charrerjee.

Donbass wins the Golden Peacock at IFFI 2018:

 Donbass’ directed by Sergei Loznitsa has won the coveted Golden Peacock Award at the 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), which concluded in Goa .  The Golden Peacock Award carries a cash prize of Rs 4 million (Rs 40 lakhs) to be shared equally between the Producer and the Director, Trophy and the citation.  Donbass tells the story of a hybrid war taking place in a region of Eastern Ukraine, involving an open armed conflict alongside killings and robberies perpetrated on a mass scale by separatist gangs. In Donbass, war is called peace and propaganda is uttered as truth.

Jamal Khashoggi along with four journalists recieved the Time’s ‘Person of the Year’ 2018:

 Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi was named Time magazine’s ‘Person of the Year’ along with several other journalists.  Apart from Khashoggi, the honour was also given to three other journalists – two Reuters reporters, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo.  The Capital Gazette newspaper of Annapolis, Maryland, where five staff members were gunned down in a newsroom shooting earlier this year was also honoured.

Author Amitav Ghosh honoured with 54th Jnanpith award:

 Eminent novelist Amitav Ghosh has been chosen for this year’s Jnanpith Award for outstanding contribution to literature.He has become the first English author to be honoured with the award.  Ghosh, one of the most prominent contemporary Indian writers, is known for a series of novels such as “Shadow Lines”, “The Glass Palace”, “The Hungry Tide”, and Ibis Trilogy — “Sea of Poppies”, and “River of Smoke”.

Shree Saini from USA crowned Miss India Worldwide 2018 :

 Indian-American Shree Saini has been crowned Miss India Worldwide 2018 at a pageant held in the Fords City of New Jersey.  Sakshi Sinha from Australia and Anusha Sareen from United Kingdom were respectively declared first and second runner ups in the27th annual global pageant for people of Indian origin.  Shree, 22, who was told by the doctors that she can never dance after being installed with a pacemaker at the age of 12.

NITI Aayog to Organise the Third Edition of the Women Transforming India Awards:

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 The NITI Aayog is organising the Third Edition of the Women Transforming India Awards 2018 and is launching the upgraded portal of the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP).  Event will also mark the launch of the upgraded Women Entrepreneurship Platform.The Vice President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu will be the Chief Guest and will give away the Women Transforming India Awards 2018 and launch the WEP upgraded portal.  The Women Transforming India Awards were instituted to recognise and celebrate stories of exemplary women from across India. This year’stheme is “Women and Entrepreneurship”and fifteen winners have been chosen through an extensive six-month-long process to identify fascinating and inspiring stories of women entrepreneurs.  The Women Entrepreneurship Platform seeks to transform the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country and shall be a one-stop resource centre for future and budding women entrepreneurs.

STATIC : NITI Aayog

Vice-Chairman- Rajiv Kumar, CEO- Amitabh Kant;

Ashok Amritraj honoured by the French Government :

 Producer Ashok Amritraj was honoured with the French Knight of the National Order of Merit for his contribution to the world of cinema and Indo-French film industry.  The award was presented to him at the Closing ceremony of 2-day Indo-French Professional Meeting for the Film and Television Industry held inMumbai, India.  Mr. Amritraj has been the producer of Hollywood films such as Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance with Nicholas Cage and 99 Homes starring Andrew Garfield.

Philippine’s Catriona Elisa Gray Crowned Miss Universe 2018 :

 Catriona Elisa Gray from Philippines was crowned Miss Universe 2018 at a gala ceremony, where representatives from South Africa(Tamaryn Green) and Venezuela (Sthefany Gutiérrez) secured the first runner-up and second runner-up spots at the pageant which was held in Bangkok, Thailand.  She was crowned by Miss Universe 2017 Demi Leigh Nel-Peters, who comes from South Africa.Born in Australia, Catriona Gray, 24, entered her first pageant at the age of 5 and moved to the United States to pursue music at the Berklee College of Music, Boston, Massachusetts.

Tata Steel bags Prime Minister’s Trophy for the ‘Best Performing Integrated Steel Plant’ for the year 2016-17:

 Tata Steel has been declared as the winner of the Prime Minister’s Trophy for the ‘best performing integrated steel plant’ in the country for the performance year 2016-17. This makes it the fourth consecutive year of Tata Steel being honoured with this coveted award.  Since the inception of this award in 1992-93, Tata Steel has been recognised as the best integrated steel plant 13 times, having won the PM’s Trophy (PMT) 11 times, and has received the certificate for excellence twice.

Delhi Police enters Limca Book of Records by training over 2 lakh women in self-defence:

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 Delhi Police has entered the Limca Book of Records by training over two lakh women and girls under their self-defence programme in 2017.  Started in 2002, the Delhi Police’s self-defence programme is carried out by the Special Police Unit For Women and Children (SPUWAC) and 9,80,456 women under 5,140 programmes have been trained till November this year.

15-year-old Odisha boy to receive Nat’l Bravery Award from PM:

 Fifteen-year-old Situ Malik from Kendrapara district will be awarded with the National Bravery Award 2018 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for exhibiting exemplary courage in saving his uncle from a crocodile attack in February this year.  He will receive the coveted award, instituted by Indian Council for Child Welfare, from the Prime Minister on January 23, 2019.

Pakistan activist Asma Jahangir honoured wins UN Human Rights Prize for 2018:

 Late Pakistan lawyer and human rights activist Asma Jahangir has been awarded the UN Human Rights Prize for 2018. Her daughter Munizae Jahangir received the prestigious award on behalf of her mother.  Other winners included women’s rights activist in Tanzania, Rebeca Gyumi; activist for the rights of indigenous Brazilian communities Joenia Wapichana and Ireland’s human rights organisation Front Line Defenders.

Veteran Journalist N Ram Received Raja Ram Mohan Roy Award

Eminent journalist and Chairman of the Hindu Publishing Group, N Ram has been selected under prestigious award category of Raja Ram Mohan Roy award.

It has been presented by the Press Council of India, for his outstanding contribution towards journalism.

The award will be presented on November 16 on the occasion of the National Press Day.

Ruby Sarkar, Chief Correspondent of Deshbandhu, Bhopal and Rajesh Joshte of Daily Pudhari in Ratnagiri will share the award in category of Rural Journalism.

V.S. Rajesh, Deputy Editor, Kerala Kaumudhi, has been selected under the award category of Developmental Reporting.

Other Awards:

Subhash Paul, Rashtriya Sahara, Delhi, was named as a winner of the award in the ‘Photo Journalism- Single News’ category, while Mihir Singh of the Punjab Kesari, Delhi has been selected in the category of ‘Photo Journalism-Photo Feature’.

Golfer Shubhankar becomes first Indian to win European Tour Rookie of the Year award

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 226 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Young golfer Shubhankar Sharma capped a dream season on the European Tour by becoming the first Indian to win the tour’s ‘Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year’ award Nov.19.

Sharma achieved the feat soon after finishing tied 41st at the season-ending World Tour Championship event in Dubai.

The Chandigarh-based golfer thus joined previous Rookies of the Year, Spaniard Jon Rahm and Korean Jeunghun Wang, as well as former World No.1 Luke Donald of England, as the only players in the last 20 years to win twice in their first 20 events.

CSE bags Indira Gandhi peace prize:

 The Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhi-based non-governmental organisation that works on environment and sustainable development related issues bagged the prestigious Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2018.  The award was announced by an international jury headed by former President of India, Pranab Mukherjee.Instituted by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust, the award carries a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh and a citation.

International Green Apple silver award for MAHE:

 The Manipal Academy of Higher Education won silver in the International Green Apple Award for evironmental best practice 2018.  The award was received by Derrick I Joshua, assistant direct director, environment sustainability, MAHE at a ceremony at at a ceremony at the Houses of Parliament, London

British Actress Millie Bobby Brown named UNICEF’s youngest ever Goodwill Ambassador:

 Emmy-Nominated British actress Millie Bobby Brown Tuesday named the newest United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Goodwill Ambassador to mark World’s Children Day.  The age of 14 years makes Ms. Brown the UNICEF’s youngest person ever to take on the role.  The British star of the Netflix series, ‘Stranger Things’ will use her global platform to help spotlight children’s rights and issues affecting youth, including lack of education, safe learning spaces, and the impacts of violence, bullying and poverty.

Arunima Sinha Gets Honorary Doctorate In The UK  Arunima Sinha, the Indian mountaineer who became the world’s first woman amputee to climb Mount Everest in 2013, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by a prestigious UK university for her inspirational achievements.  She was conferred with the honorary doctorate by the University of Strathclyde at a graduation ceremony in Glasgow.  In 2015, she was presented with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award.

Jawahar Lal Sarin presented with France’s highest civilian honour  Jawahar Lal Sarin, president of the Alliance franaise de Delhi’s governing body, was presented with the Chevalier de la Lgion d’Honneur, France’s highest civilian honour.

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 The award was presented to Sarin by Ambassador of France Alexandre Ziegler in recognition of his outstanding contribution to enhancing Indo-French cultural cooperation and promoting the French language.  The Legion d’Honneur(Legion of Honour), instituted in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, is the highest civilian award given by the French Republic for outstanding service to France, regardless of the nationality of the recipient. UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage announced for the year 2018  The UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation programme recognizes the efforts of private individuals and organizations that have successfully conserved structures and buildings of heritage value in the region.  The renewal of the early 20th-century Shijo-cho Ofune-hoko Float Machiya has received the Award of Excellence in this year’s UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.  Other Awardees include:  Award of Distinction  The LAMO Center, Ladakh, India  Award of Merit  5 Martin Place, Sydney, Australia  Aijing Zhuang, Fujian, China  Commercial Bank of Honjo Warehouse, Saitama, Japan  Honourable Mention  Hengdaohezi Town, Heilongjiang, China  Rajabai Clock Tower & University of Mumbai Library Building, Mumbai, India  Ruttonsee Muljee Jetha Fountain, Mumbai, India  New Design in Heritage Contexts  Kaomai Estate 1955, Chiang Mai, Thailand  The Harts Mill, Port Adelaide, Australia  Dr Debabhuson Borah Gets Munin Barkotoki Literary Award  The prestigious Munin Barkotoki Literary Award 2018 in Assam has been given to young writer-critic Dr Debabhuson Borah for his book on literary criticism titled ‘Nirbochon’.  The Munin Barkotoki Memorial Trust announced the annual Award instituted to encourage young and promising writers in Assamese.  The award carries a cash prize of Rs 50,000 along with a citation and a plaque.  The award was named after renowned writer, critic and journalist Munin Barkotoki.  Dr. Martha Farrell received lifetime achievement award for her contribution in social work  Late Dr. Martha Farrell has been honoured with the “Lifetime Achievement Award” at the 6th Indian Social Work Congress in New Delhi.  Dr. Farrell is being recognized for her lifelong work towards gender equality, women’s empowerment and prevention of sexual harassment at workplace.  She was among 14 people killed in a terrorist attack on a guest house in Kabul, Afghanistan on May 13, 2015.  Suheil Tandon, Martha’s son along with the team of Martha Farrell Foundation received the award.

Anupam Kher Gets ‘Distinguished Fellow’ Award

 Veteran actor Anupam Kher was honoured as a ‘Distinguished Fellow’ by IndiaGlobal – a leading think-tank that works on issues concerning non-resident Indians.

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 The actor was given a fellowship on November 3, 2018 at the 3rd IndiaGlobal Summit.  The actor recently resigned from the post of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), citing his international assignments as the reason.  Kher plays the role of a doctor in American TV show “New Amsterdam”.  Maryse Conde wins alternative Nobel Literature Prize  Maryse Conde from the French Caribbean territory of Guadeloupe was awarded the New Academy Prize in Literature. Conde will win about £87,000 raised from crowdfunding and donations.  The prestigious literature prize was suspended this year after a scandal at the Swedish Academy, which awards it.  She was nominated alongside Japan’s Haruki Murakami, the UK’s Neil Gaiman and Vietnamese- born Canadian Kim Thuy.  Conde has written more than 20 novels, including Desirada and Segu.  Sikkim Wins Future Policy Award 2018  Sikkim has been awarded the prestigious gold prize at global Future Policy Awards for promoting agro-ecology through policies and laws that have made it a “100 percent organic farming” state. The Sikkim’s tourism sector had benefited greatly from the state’s transition to 100 percent organic.  The award is co-organised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the World Future Council (WFC) and IFOAM Organics International. It was announced simultaneously at Hamburg and Rome.  Policies from Brazil, Denmark and Quito (Ecuador) were awarded silver.  Stanford University named World’s Most Innovative University: Reuters  Stanford University was named as World’s Most Progressive College by Reuters news company rankings.  The Reuters’ best 100 World’s Most Progressive University rating recognises universities from throughout the earth for their perform in inventing new systems, progress science and electricity new marketplaces and industries.  The top three universities are  1.Stanford University, US 2.Massachusetts Institute of Technologies (MIT), US 3.Harvard University, US  Khayyam named for Hridaynath Award for lifetime achievement  The National Award winning music director Mohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi, famous as ‘Khayyam’, has been named for this year’s Hridaynath Award for Lifetime Achievement  Instituted by the Hridayesh Arts, the award carries a cash prize of Rs 100,000 and a memento and shall be conferred by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.  He started his music career in Ludhiana in 1943 at the age of 17. Later, the Padma Bhushan awardee teamed up as Sharma of the music-director duo ‘Sharmaji-Varmaji’ to compose music for films like “Heer Ranjha” (1948) and others.  Prema Gopalan wins Social Entrepreneur of the Year award 2018  The India Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 is Prema Gopalan of Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP).  Prema Gopalan was honoured for her work in empowering women in rural areas to be entrepreneurs, participate in local governance and serve as resilient leaders, particularly on climate change  Rajiv Kumar, Vice-Chairman, National Institution for Transforming India, NITI Aayog, Government of India, announced the winner.  H M Pernal gets Vishwa Konkani book award

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 ‘Beeg Ani Beegath’, a collection of short stories in Konkani by well-known writer, journalist and critic H M Pernal has bagged the prestigious ‘Vimala V Pai Vishwa’ Konkani best book award for the year 2018.  Konkani poet Sharathchandra Shenoy from Kochi won the Vishwa Konkani best poetry award for his book ‘Idam Na Mama,’ while Vishwanath M Shet from Uttara Kannada bagged the Vishwa Konkani lifetime achievement award. Each award carries a purse of Rs one lakh each.  H M Pernal is the pen name of Henry M Mendonca, a native of Pernal in Udupi district, who currently lives in Mangaluru.  ‘Beeg Ani Beegath’ is his second short story collection after ‘Devak Sodullo Pado’ published in 2002.  Anna Burns wins Man Booker Prize for ‘Milkman’  Anna Burns has become the first Northern Irish author to win the Man Booker prize, taking the £50,000 award for Milkma.  The “Milkman” tells the coming-of-age story of a young girl’s affair with an older man. It is a story of brutality, sexual encroachment and resistance threaded with mordant humour.  Established in 1969, the annual literary prize recognises the judges choice of “the best original novel written in English and published in the UK”.  Wildlife Photographer Of The Year 2018 Bagged By Marsel Van Oosten  Marsel van Oosten from Netherlands has won the Wildlife Photographer Of The Year 2018 title. It is the portrait of two endangered golden snub-nosed monkeys in China’s Qinling mountains.  The Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition showcases the best nature photography from around the world. This year, the annual competition, developed by the Natural History Museum in London, England, attracted over 45,000 entries from across 95 countries.  Jalandhar boy Arshdeep Singh is only 10 years old, who has won the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award in the category, 10 years and under age. ‘Pipe owls’ is the winning photograph which was clicked outside Kapurthala, Punjab.  Minal Patel Davis honoured with Presidential Medal for Combating Human Trafficking  An Indian-American woman has been honoured with a Presidential award by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for her extraordinary contribution towards combating human trafficking in Houston.  Minal Patel Davis, Special Advisor on Human Trafficking to Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, received the ‘Presidential Medal for Combating Human Trafficking’ in the White House.  Oct 23  US-based Dalit Writer Sujatha Gidla Wins Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize  The US-based Dalit writer Sujatha Gidla’s debut book wins Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize.  The panel of judges, Sampurna Chattarji, Raghu Karnad and Githa Hariharan, chose “Ants Among Elephants: An Untouchable Family and the Making of Modern India”.  The Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize is funded by the Shakti Bhatt Foundation. It was set up in 2008 in memory of young writer Shakti. It carries a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh.  Last year, Sri Lankan author Anuk Arudpragasam won the prize for his debut novel “The Story of a Brief Marriage”, set in the backdrop of the civil war.  Athletics body wins Ficci award  The Athletics Federation of India has been chosen winner of the FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) India Sports Awards 2018 for the category of Best National Sports Federation (NSF). The eminent Jury was chaired by Justice (retd) Mukul Mudgal.  The India Sports Awards ceremony will take place at Federation House, New Delhi.  Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award Announced

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 The National Sports Awards 2018 were officially announced. The full list of National Sports Awards winners was released by Press Information Bureau (PIB).  Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli and weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu will receive the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award- India’s highest sports honour.  Kohli will become the third Indian cricketer after legendary Sachin Tendulkar (1997) and the talismanic former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (2007) once the sports ministry officially accepts the committee’s recommendation.  Chanu is the current Commonwealth Games gold-medallist and India’s biggest medal hope in weightlifting going into the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.  Anushka Sharma Receives Smita Patil Award  The 34th Priyadarshni Academy Anniversary Global Awards were held at Hotel Trident, Mumbai on Sept. 19.  The awards are committed to honoring real achievers who have left an indelible mark on society through their meritorious efforts and services.  Among the eminent personalities awarded this year included actress-producer Anushka Sharma, who was honored with the Smita Patil Memorial Award, while entrepreneur par excellence Ronnie Screwvala was awarded the Priyadarshni Academy Global Award for his outstanding contribution towards Innovative Entertainment as well as Community Development.  Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy awarded to Guru Nanak Dev University  Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar, has won the prestigious Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy for 2017-18. GNDU has reclaimed the trophy after a gap of six years.  The MAKA Trophy, first given in 1956-57, is awarded annually to the university with the best all- round performance. The winner gets a replica of the trophy, a certificate and a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh, which is to be utilised for sports activities.  Punjabi University, who had been winning the trophy since 2011-12, was second with a total of 88840 points. The Panjab University, Chandigarh, was third.  Best Fifa Football Awards 2018  The Croatian footballer Luka Modric was named Best Fifa Footballer of the Year in a London ceremony.  The Croatian beat Mohamed Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo to become the first player other than Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to win since Kaka in 2007.  The other important awards are  The Best FIFA Women’s Player Marta  The Best FIFA Men’s Coach Didier Deschamps  The Best FIFA Women’s Coach Reynald Pedros  The FIFA Puskás Award Mohamed Salah

Saudi human rights activists awarded ‘alternative Nobel prize’  The Right Livelihood Award — known as the “Alternative Nobel” — has been given to three jailed Saudi human rights defenders and two Latin American anti-corruption crusaders.  The 1 million kronor ($113,400) cash award for 2018 was to be shared by Abdullah al-Hamid, Mohammad Fahad al-Qahtani and Waleed Abu al-Khair.  It has been given for their visionary and courageous efforts, guided by universal human rights principles, to reform the totalitarian political system in Saudi Arabia.  The 2018 honorary award was given to Thelma Aldana of Guatemala and Colombia’s Ivan Velasquez.  PM Modi gets UN’s highest environmental honour

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 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been awarded with the UN’s highest environmental honour, also given to five other individuals and organisations.  It has been given for his leadership of the International Solar Alliance and pledge to eliminate single use plastic by 2022.  French President Emmanuel Macron and Mr. Modi have been jointly recognised in the Policy Leadership category for their pioneering work in championing the International Solar Alliance.  Cochin International Airport was honoured with the award for Entrepreneurial Vision, for its leadership in the use of sustainable energy. The airport at Cochin is world’s first fully solar powered airport.  The other winners of the 2018 Champions of the Earth Awards are Joan Carling, recognised with the lifetime achievement award for her work as one of the world’s most prominent defenders of environmental and indigenous rights.  China’s Zhejiang’s Green Rural Revival Programme is awarded for Inspiration and Action for the transformation of a once heavily polluted area of rivers and streams in East China’s Zhejiang province.  Evan Atar Adaha receives UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award  Evan Atar Adaha, surgeon and medical director at a hospital in north-eastern South Sudan, is the 2018 winner of the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award.  The award is in recognition of Dr. Atar’s outstanding commitment and self-sacrifice in providing medical services to more than 200,000 people, including approximately 144,000 refugees from Sudan’s Blue Nile state.  His team carries out an average of 58 operations per week in difficult conditions at the hospital in Bunj, Maban County, with limited supplies and equipment.  UNHCR: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees  Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland Head: Filippo Grandi

Ang Lee To Be Honoured By Directors Guild Of America

The Oscar-winning director Ang Lee will be one of the recipients of the annual Directors Guild of America (DGA) honours at its ceremony.

The event will be held at the DGA Theatre in New York City.

The Fox Searchlight chairman Nancy Utley, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, SAG-AFTRA senior adviser John McGuire and costume designer Ann Roth will also be honoured at the ceremony.

2018 Albany Medical Center Prize Awarded To 3 US Scientists

Three US scientists James Allison, Carl June and Steven Rosenberg were declared winners 2018 Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research.

They were awarded in recognition of their research in immunology and translation of their ideas into effective therapies that have led to innovative treatments for cancer, HIV and other diseases.

It is the second-highest value prize in medicine and biomedical research, awarded by the Albany Medical Center. They will share this $500,000 medical prize.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 232 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING General Dalbir Singh Suhag awarded US ‘Legion of Merit’ 2018

The former army chief gen Dalbir Singh has been awarded with United States (US) ‘Legion of Merit’.

The award was given to Singh for exceptionally meritorious service as Chief of Army Staff from August 2014 to December 2016.

The Legion of Merit is awarded in four degrees; Degree of Chief Commander, Degree of commander, Degree of the officer, Degree of Legionnarie.

Gopalkrishna Gandhi conferred with Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award

The Former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi was honoured with this year’s Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavna Award for promoting communal harmony and peace.

The award was presented on the birth anniversary of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

He led the foundations for India’s entry into the 21st century with his focus on Information Technology, Telecommunications, and computers.

S K Arora Awarded WHO World No Tobacco Day 2017 Award

The Delhi government’s additional director of health S.K. Arora has been awarded the prestigious WHO World No Tobacco Day 2018 Award for his extraordinary contribution towards tobacco control.

Tobacco prevalence in Delhi has come down by 6.5% in the past six years, which is more than the rest of India average figures. Delhi has already achieved these targets before 2017.

Wildlife Photographer Of The Year 2018 Bagged By Marsel Van Oosten

Marsel van Oosten from Netherlands has won the Wildlife Photographer Of The Year 2018 title. It is the portrait of two endangered golden snub-nosed monkeys in China’s Qinling mountains.

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition showcases the best nature photography from around the world. This year, the annual competition, developed by the Natural History Museum in London, England, attracted over 45,000 entries from across 95 countries.

Jalandhar boy Arshdeep Singh is only 10 years old, who has won the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award in the category, 10 years and under age. ‘Pipe owls’ is the winning photograph which was clicked outside Kapurthala, Punjab.

Minal Patel Davis honoured with Presidential Medal for Combating Human Trafficking

An Indian-American woman has been honoured with a Presidential award by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for her extraordinary contribution towards combating human trafficking in Houston.

Minal Patel Davis, Special Advisor on Human Trafficking to Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, received the ‘Presidential Medal for Combating Human Trafficking’ in the White House.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 233 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING US-based Dalit Writer Sujatha Gidla Wins Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize

The US-based Dalit writer Sujatha Gidla’s debut book wins Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize.

The panel of judges, Sampurna Chattarji, Raghu Karnad and Githa Hariharan, chose “Ants Among Elephants: An Untouchable Family and the Making of Modern India”.

The Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize is funded by the Shakti Bhatt Foundation. It was set up in 2008 in memory of young writer Shakti. It carries a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh.

Last year, Sri Lankan author Anuk Arudpragasam won the prize for his debut novel “The Story of a Brief Marriage”, set in the backdrop of the civil war.

Athletics body wins Ficci award

The Athletics Federation of India has been chosen winner of the FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) India Sports Awards 2018 for the category of Best National Sports Federation (NSF). The eminent Jury was chaired by Justice (retd) Mukul Mudgal.

The India Sports Awards ceremony will take place at Federation House, New Delhi.

Ang Lee To Be Honoured By Directors Guild Of America

The Oscar-winning director Ang Lee will be one of the recipients of the annual Directors Guild of America (DGA) honours at its ceremony.

The event will be held at the DGA Theatre in New York City.

The Fox Searchlight chairman Nancy Utley, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, SAG-AFTRA senior adviser John McGuire and costume designer Ann Roth will also be honoured at the ceremony.

2018 Albany Medical Center Prize Awarded To 3 US Scientists

Three US scientists James Allison, Carl June and Steven Rosenberg were declared winners 2018 Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research.

They were awarded in recognition of their research in immunology and translation of their ideas into effective therapies that have led to innovative treatments for cancer, HIV and other diseases.

It is the second-highest value prize in medicine and biomedical research, awarded by the Albany Medical Center. They will share this $500,000 medical prize.

General Dalbir Singh Suhag awarded US ‘Legion of Merit’ 2018

The former army chief gen Dalbir Singh has been awarded with United States (US) ‘Legion of Merit’.

The award was given to Singh for exceptionally meritorious service as Chief of Army Staff from August 2014 to December 2016.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 234 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The Legion of Merit is awarded in four degrees; Degree of Chief Commander, Degree of commander, Degree of the officer, Degree of Legionnarie.

Gopalkrishna Gandhi conferred with Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award

The Former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi was honoured with this year’s Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavna Award for promoting communal harmony and peace.

The award was presented on the birth anniversary of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

He led the foundations for India’s entry into the 21st century with his focus on Information Technology, Telecommunications, and computers.

S K Arora Awarded WHO World No Tobacco Day 2017 Award

The Delhi government’s additional director of health S.K. Arora has been awarded the prestigious WHO World No Tobacco Day 2018 Award for his extraordinary contribution towards tobacco control.

Tobacco prevalence in Delhi has come down by 6.5% in the past six years, which is more than the rest of India average figures. Delhi has already achieved these targets before 2017.

OBITUARY

Veteran actor-writer Kader Khan passed away :

 Veteran actor-writer Kader Khan passed away at 81 in Canada.  Making his acting debut in 1973 with Rajesh Khanna’s “Daag”, he has featured in over 300 films. He wrote dialogues for over 250 movies and was also a screenwriter.

Veteran Kannada actor C H Loknath passes away:

 Veteran Kannada actor C H Loknath passed away at a private hospital in Bengaluru.He was 91.  Loknath ,popularly known as ‘Uncle’ in the industry has acted in about 650 movies and performed in over 1,000 plays in his career spanned almost six decades.

India-born Pakistani poet Fahmida Riaz passes away

Noted India-born Pakistani poet and human rights activist Fahmida Riaz has passed away.

She always raised her voice for women rights and democracy in Pakistan. Ms Riaz, a well-known progressive Urdu writer, poet, human rights activist and feminist, worked with Radio Pakistan and BBC Urdu service (Radio).

Noted classical musician Ustad Imrat Khan passes away in U.S.

Classical music stalwart Ustad Imrat Khan, who dedicated his life to promoting the sitar and the surbahar worldwide has passed away.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 235 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Ustad Imrat Khan toured the world with his music and performed at the Cannes Film Festival in 1970 for a Merchant-Ivory partnership. He was also a regular at various music festivals in India.

Former Indian Hockey Player Sandeep Michael Passes Away

Former Indian hockey player Sandeep Michael, who captained the Indian junior team to an Asia Cup gold in 2003 has passed away.

The high point of Michael’s India career was the 2003 junior Asia Cup in which he was adjudged the most promising player.

He was also part of the Indian development teams that won gold and bronze medals respectively in the Akbar-el-Yom Cup competition in 2002 and 2003.

Former Railway Minister and 7 times MP, CK Jaffer Sharief, passed away in Bengaluru at 85:

 Veteran Congress leader and former railway minister CK Jaffer Sharief passed away at the age of 85.  A seven-time Lok Sabha member, Sharief, started his career under late Karnataka CM S Nijalingappa and became the railway minister during 1991 to 1995 in PV Narasimha Rao’s cabinet.

Oscar-winning director Bernardo Bertolucci dies at 77:

 Italian film-maker Oscar-Winning director Bernardo Bertolucci of The Last Emperor, died in Rome . He was 77.Bertolucci’s epic drama The Last Emperor won nine Oscars.

Important Awards won by Bernardo Bertolucci

1. 2011: Honorary Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival

2. 1987: Academy Award for Best Director (The Last Emperor)

3. 1987: Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (The Last Emperor)

4. 1987: Golden Globe Award for Best Director (for The The Last Emperor)

5. 1987: Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay (for The Last Emperor)

Veteran singer Mohammed Aziz passes away:

 Playback singer Mohammed Aziz passed away following a cardiac arrest. He was 64.The singer breathed his last at Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai.  Aziz was part of the music industry for the past three decades. He did playback singing in Hindi, Bengali and Odia films, apart from several stage shows and concerts in India and abroad.

Stephen Hillenburg : SpongeBob SquarePants creator passed away

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 SpongeBob SquarePants creator Stephen Hillenburg passed away at the age of 57. Nickelodeon, which has broadcasted the hugely popular cartoon series since 1999.  For his contribution and impact made in the animation field and within the broadcast industry he has been honoured with a special Emmy in early 2018.  He not only created the character, Hillenburg also directed the 2004 The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.  Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister N.D. Tiwari Passes Away  Former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand , N D Tiwari, passed away .  Mr. Tiwari who began his career with the erstwhile Praja Socialist Party (PSP) to then serve his entire career in the Congress.  Mr. Tiwari was thrice elected Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and was for one term the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand.  Vietnam President Tran Dai Quang Passed away  Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, the country’s second in command after the Communist party’s leader has passed away.  Vietnam Capital: Hanoi Currency: Vietnamese dong  Former BCCI President Biswanath Dutt Passes Away  The former BCCI president Biswanath Dutt, best known in Indian cricket fraternity as Jagmohan Dalmiya’s mentor, passed away.  Dutt was the BCCI president in 1989 after a six-year stint as the vice-president of the parent body from 1982-88.  Having served IFA in different capacities in his tenure from 1963-1975, Dutt began his career in cricket administration as CAB secretary in 1977 and became president in 1982, a post he held till 1986.  Renowned Filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi Passed Away  The renowned filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi has passed away. Lajmi, a director, producer and screenwriter, was known for working on real subjects. She was known for her women-oriented films like “Rudaali”, “Daman”, “Darmiyaan”.  Lajmi’s last movie as a director was Chingaari in 2006, based on a novel The Prostitute and the Postman by Bhupen Hazarika. Renowned commentator Jasdev Singh passed away  The renowned hindi commentator Jasdev Singh has passed away.He was credited with popularising hockey through his voice on the radio.  Jasdev was conferred with the Padma Shri in 1985 and Padma Bhushan in 2008. Padma Bhushan economist VS Vyas passes away  The Padma Bhushan awardee and noted agricultural economist Vijay Shankar Vyas has passed away.  The economist was the director of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Jaipur. He was also a senior advisor in the World Bank’s agriculture and rural development department.  Freedom fighter Goura Chandra Mohapatra passes away  The Veteran freedom fighter Goura Chandra Mohapatra has passed away.  Mohapatra was the son of poet ‘Kantakabi’ Laxmikanta Mohapatra, who penned the famous song “Bande Utkal Janani.”  During the freedom struggle, he was the youngest prisoner lodged in Berhampur Circle Jail in 1942.

Wrestler Ganpatrao Andalkar passes away

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 A well-known wrestler Ganpatrao Andalkar has passed away.  Andalkar, a former Olympian who took part in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, had bagged the coveted “Hind Kesari” title in 1960.  He also went on to clinch Gold and Silver medals in two different weight categories in the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games.

Former Union Minister Satya Prakash Malviya Passes Away

 The former Union petroleum minister Satya Prakash Malaviya has passed away.  Mr. Malaviya had served as the petroleum minister in the cabinet headed by former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar.  He also served as environment minister in the Uttar Pradesh cabinet. He began his political career as a member of Praja Socialist Party.

Former Odisha Minister Dolagobinda Pradhan Passes Away  The veteran freedom fighter and former Odisha Minister Dolagobinda Pradhan has passed away.  Pradhan, who was elected to the state Assembly twice from Cuttack Sadar constituency in 1980 and 1990, was a minister from 1989 to 1990. Independent India’s first woman IAS officer Anna Malhotra passed away  India’s first woman IAS officer post-Independence, Anna Rajam Malhotra has passed away.  Malhotra joined the civil services in 1951 and opted for the Madras cadre. She then served in the Madras state under Chief Minister C Rajagopalachari.  In 1989, she was honoured with the Padma Bhushan award. In the post retirement, Malhotra was serving as a director of Hotel Leela Venture Ltd.

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee passes away

The Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has passed away.

Three-time Prime Minister, Vajpayee was the first and the only non-Congress Prime Minister to serve a full five-year term from 1999 to 2004.

He was awarded India’s highest civilian honor Bharat Ratna in 2015. His birthday, December 25, was also declared as the Good Governance Day by Narendra Modi government.

Former Indian cricket captain Ajit Wadekar passes away

Former India cricket captain Ajit Wadekar, who led the team to path-breaking Test wins in England and the West Indies, passed away.

He was bestowed the Arjuna Award in 1967 and India’s fourth highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri, in 1972.

Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan passed away

The Former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has passed away.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 238 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING He served as the UN Secretary General from 1997 to 2006.

He was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001, along with the United Nations. Annan was born in Kumasi, Ghana, on 8 April 1938.

Israeli Journalist And Peace Activist Uri Avnery Passes Away

Uri Avnery, a trailblazing Israeli journalist and peace activist and one of the first to openly advocate for a Palestinian state has passed away.

For decades, he was a symbol of the Israeli peace camp.

Avnery challenged successive Israeli governments in arguing that a Palestinian state was the only way to secure peace for a democratic Israel with a Jewish majority.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Defence Research and Development Organisation, DRDO day: January 1

 The Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO) celebrated its establishment day, the DRDO day,throughout its laboratories and facilities in the country.  The DRDO has made the country self-reliant in areas of missiles, radars, sonars and torpedoes and many other systems.

World Hello Day – Nov 22

World Hello Day is a secular holiday observed annually on November 21, to express that conflicts should be resolved through communication rather than the use of force.

World Hello Day was founded in 1973 by Brian McCormack and Michael McCormack in response to the Yom Kippur War.

World Fisheries Day – Nov 21

The World Fisheries day is celebrated every year on November 21 throughout world.

It is to highlight critical importance to human lives, of water and lives it sustains, both in and out of water.

This years theme is 2022 Ka Hai Sapna Kisan Ki Aay Ho Dugna – Sankalp Se Siddhi”.

National Cadets Corps (NCC) DAY : 4th Sunday of November

 Every year fourth sunday of november month will be celebrated as the NCC (National Cadets Corps) day, which was formed by the National Cadet Corps Act of 1948 on 15th July 1948.  The motto for the NCC is “Unity and Discipline”.

National Milk Day : November 26

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 To acknowledge the contribution of the ‘Father of White Revolution’, Dr Verghese Kurien towards Milk Revolution in the country, India celebrates National Milk Day every year on November 26.  National Milk Day is dedicated to Dr Verghese Kurien who was the architect of Operation Flood, the programme which led India from being 50th in the world in terms of milk production to become the largest producer in just a couple of decades.

National Constitution Day is being celebrated on November 26:

 November 26 is celebrated as the Constitution Day or the Samvidhan Day of India.  It is celebrated to markAmbedkar’s birth anniversary remembering his contribution in the formation of the Constitution of India.

Indian Organ Donation Day is being observed on November 27:

 Indian Organ Donation Day is being observed on November 27.‘8th Indian Organ Donation Day’ is organised by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) in Delhi.  The best performing State ofTamil Nadu was also felicitated. The State of Maharashtrareceived an award for being the best State for promoting awareness of organ donations.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women : 25 November

 International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is being observed on November 25.  The 2018 theme is Orange the World: #HearMeToo

World Hello Day – Nov 22

World Hello Day is a secular holiday observed annually on November 21, to express that conflicts should be resolved through communication rather than the use of force.

World Hello Day was founded in 1973 by Brian McCormack and Michael McCormack in response to the Yom Kippur War.

World Fisheries Day – Nov 21

The World Fisheries day is celebrated every year on November 21 throughout world.

It is to highlight critical importance to human lives, of water and lives it sustains, both in and out of water.

This years theme is 2022 Ka Hai Sapna Kisan Ki Aay Ho Dugna – Sankalp Se Siddhi”.

National Cadets Corps (NCC) DAY : 4th Sunday of November

 Every year fourth sunday of november month will be celebrated as the NCC (National Cadets Corps) day, which was formed by the National Cadet Corps Act of 1948 on 15th July 1948.  The motto for the NCC is “Unity and Discipline”.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 240 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING National Milk Day : November 26

 To acknowledge the contribution of the ‘Father of White Revolution’, Dr Verghese Kurien towards Milk Revolution in the country, India celebrates National Milk Day every year on November 26.  National Milk Day is dedicated to Dr Verghese Kurien who was the architect of Operation Flood, the programme which led India from being 50th in the world in terms of milk production to become the largest producer in just a couple of decades.

National Constitution Day is being celebrated on November 26:

 November 26 is celebrated as the Constitution Day or the Samvidhan Day of India.  It is celebrated to markAmbedkar’s birth anniversary remembering his contribution in the formation of the Constitution of India.

Indian Organ Donation Day is being observed on November 27:

 Indian Organ Donation Day is being observed on November 27.‘8th Indian Organ Donation Day’ is organised by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) in Delhi.  The best performing State ofTamil Nadu was also felicitated. The State of Maharashtrareceived an award for being the best State for promoting awareness of organ donations.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women : 25 November

 International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is being observed on November 25.  The 2018 theme is Orange the World: #HearMeToo

World Philosophy Day – November 15

World Philosophy Day is observed every year on 15 November.

Organized by UNESCO’s Management of Social Transformations (MOST) Programme, World Philosophy Day is a collaborative initiative towards building inclusive societies, tolerance and peace.

International Day for Tolerance – 16 November

International Day for Tolerance is observed every year on 15 November.

The United Nations has launched a new campaign to promote tolerance, respect and dignity across the world.

TOGETHER is a global campaign that aims to reduce negative perceptions and attitudes towards refugees and migrants, and to strengthen the social contract between host countries and communities, and refugees and migrants.

National Press Day – 16 November

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 241 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING National Press Day is celebrated on November 16 to commemorate the establishment of the Press Council of India.

Formed in 1966, the Press Council keeps a check on the quality of reportage provided by the Indian press.

National Press Day is symbolic of a free and responsible press in India.

World Toilet Day – November 19

 World Toilet Day (WTD) is an official United Nations international observance day on 19 November to inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis.  2018 Theme is Nature-based solutions and the Slogan is When Nature Calls.

Qaumi Ekta Week begins to promote communal harmony

Qaumi Ekta Week will be observed across the country from November 19-25 to foster and reinforce the spirit of communal harmony and national integration.

The observation of the week will help to highlight the inherent strength and resilience of the nation to withstand actual and potential threats to the eclectic and secular fabric of the country.

The occasion also provides an opportunity to reaffirm age-old traditions and faith in the values of tolerance, co-existence and brotherhood in a multi-cultural and multi-religious society.

As part of the week-long programmes, November 19 will be observed as National Integration Day. The last day of the Qaumi Ekta Week will be observed as Conservation Day.

World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (WDR) is commemorated on the third Sunday of November each year – to remember the many millions killed and injured on the world’s roads, together with their families, friends and many others who are also affected.

Slogan: “Roads have stories”

Universal Children’s Day – November 20

United Nations Universal Children’s Day was established in 1954 and is celebrated on November 20th each year to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children’s welfare.

Theme 2018: Children are taking over and turning the world blue

World Science Day for Peace and Development – November 10

The UNESCO World Science Day for Peace and Development, celebrated on 10 November each year.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 242 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The theme for 2018 is “Science, a Human Right”, in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (art. 27), and of the Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers.

World legal service day-Nov 9

Legal Services Day is used to celebrate to make all the people aware of the Functions and their activities are done by the Legal Services in the Country.

The 9th of November is selected as the Legal Services Day which was first started by the Supreme Court in the year 1995 all across the India to offer help and support to the weaker and poor group of sections of people.

Veterans Day – November 11

Veterans Day originally known as Armistice Day is observed annually on November 11, honoring military veterans. It is observed in U.S.

This is observed for the persons who served in the United States Armed Forces.

National education day – November 11

National Education Day is an annual observance in India to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first education minister of independent India.

The objective of celebrating National Education Day should be to strengthen our educational institutions and to raise the quality of education to greater heights.

National Public Service Broadcasting Day – November 12

The Public Service Broadcasting Day was observed across India on November 12, 2018.

The day is observed every year to commemorate the first and last visit of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi to the studio of All India Radio, Delhi in 1947.

World Kindness Day – November 13

World Kindness Day is an international observance on 13 November.

It was introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement, a coalition of nations’ kindness NGOs.

World Kindness Day is to highlight good deeds in the community focusing on the positive power and the common thread of kindness which binds us.

World Diabetes Day – November 14

World Diabetes Day was launched in 1991 by the IDF and the World Health Organization (WHO) in response to the rapid rise of diabetes around the world.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 243 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Theme: The Family and Diabetes – diabetes concerns every family.

World Pneumonia Day – November 12

World Pneumonia Day is annually held on November 12.

It aims to raise awareness of pneumonia, promote prevention and treatment, and generate action to fight the illness.

World Vegan Day – November 1

World Vegan Day is an annual event celebrated by vegans around the world every 1 November.

The commemoration of this event began in 1994 by a UK celebrity, Louise Wallis, who was at the time the chair of The Vegan Society.

3rd Ayurveda Day Observed Across India

The Ayurveda Day was observed across India on November 5, 2018 on the occasion of the Dhanawantari Jayanti or Dhanteras with an aim to further promote Ayurveda as the mainstream system of medicine.

Every year, the Ministry of AYUSH observes Ayurveda Day on the occasion of Dhanawantari Jayanti (Dhanteras).

The theme of the 3rd Ayurveda Day was “Ayurveda for Public health”.

World Tsunami Awareness Day – November 5

 In the year 2015, the General Assembly of the United Nations nominated 5th November as the World Tsunami Awareness Day.  The day has been started to spread general awareness on tsunami amongst the people worldwide.  The word “tsunami” gets its name from the Japanese “tsu” means harbor and “nami” means wave.

World Osteoporosis Day – October 20  World Osteoporosis Day is observed annually on October 20th, and launches a year-long campaign dedicated to raising global awareness of the prevention diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease.  It is Organized by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF).  International Osteoporosis Foundation  Headquarters: Nyon, Switzerland  President: Prof. Cyrus Cooper United Nations Day – October 24  The United Nations Day is devoted to making known to people of the world the aims and achievements of the United Nations Organization.  UN Day marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter.  World Development Information Day – 24 October

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 244 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING

 The UN’s World Development Information Day has been held on 24 October. In 1972, the United Nations General Assembly decided to institute a World Development Information Day coinciding with United Nations Day on October 24  This resolution called for introducing World Development Information Day to help draw the attention of people worldwide to development problems. World Polio Day – 24 October  World Polio Day was established by Rotary International over a decade ago to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk, who led the first team to develop a vaccine against poliomyelitis.  It is to generate awareness towards eradication of polio as well as to commemorate the efforts of thousands of employees of WHO and other volunteers committed to the eradication of Polio.  Theme 2018 – “End Polio Now”.

International Day for Disaster Reduction 2018 – October 13

The International Day for Disaster Reduction, held every 13 October. It celebrates how people and communities around the world are reducing their exposure to disasters.

It is to promote a global culture of disaster reduction, including disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness.

This year’s focus is Target B: Reducing the number of affected people by disasters by 2030. The overall theme of the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) in 2018 is reducing the economic loss of disasters which is Target (c) of the Sendai Framework.

World Arthritis Day 2018 – October 12

The World Arthritis Day 2018 is observed on October 12.

The theme of World Arthritis Day this year is “It’s in your hands, take action.”

This day was started by World Arthritis Foundation in order to spread awareness about arthritis and encourage policymakers to help reduce burden of arthritis.

World Sight Day 2018 – October 11

World Sight Day (WSD) is an annual day of awareness held on the second Thursday of October, to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment.

The day seeks to spread awareness and focus attention on the global issue of avoidable blindness and visual impairment.

Theme: Eye Care Everywhere

Presently, VISION 2020 the” right to sight” is a global non-profit corporation which aims at improving the lives of people suffering from blindness and vision impairment and other eye disorders.

World Standards Day – October 14

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 245 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING World Standards Day (or International Standards Day) is celebrated internationally each year on 14 October.

The day honours the efforts of the thousands of experts who develop voluntary standards within standards development organizations such as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Etc.,

International Day of Rural Women – October 15

The International Day of Rural Women is observed on October 15 every year.

This year’s theme, “Sustainable infrastructure, services and social protection for gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls”.

It places empowerment of rural women at the heart of fulfilling the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

World Food Day – October 16

World Food Day is celebrated every year around the world on 16 October in honor of the date of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1945.

Theme 2018: Our Actions are Our Future

Rashtriya Mahila Kisan Diwas – October 15

Mahila Kisan Diwas is being celebrated to increase the active participation of women in agriculture.

Women farmers, entrepreneurs, farming organizations, agricultural scientists and researchers from different states will participate in the event.

In 2016, the Ministry had decided to observe 15th of October as Rashtriya Mahila Kisan Diwas. Women are contributing in various aspects of agriculture including sowing, planting, fertilizing, plant protection, harvesting, weeding, and storage.

World Students’ Day – October 15

World Students’ Day is an marks the birthday of A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. It is observed on Kalam’s birthday, 15 October.

In 2015 the United Nations declared 15 October “World Students’ Day”.

In 1981, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan and in 1990, the Padma Vibhushan. He was later awarded the Bharat Ratna for his contributions to research, the field of science as well as his work with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Defence Research and development Organisation (DRDO).

International Day For The Eradication Of Poverty: 17 October

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 246 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The International Day For The Eradication Of Poverty is observed every year on October 17. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Theme 2018: Coming together with those furthest behind to build an inclusive world of universal respect for human rights and dignity.

International Day of Peace 2018 observed globally

Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September.

The General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.

2018 Theme: “The Right to Peace – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70”.

The theme celebrates the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

UGC directs universities to celebrate ‘Surgical Strike Day’

The University Grants Commission (UGC) observes September 29 as “Surgical Strike Day” and encouraged students to pledge their support for the armed forces.

It also directed NCC units of all varsities to hold a special parade to mark the day. This comes amid the Narendra Modi government’s plan to celebrate the second anniversary of the ‘surgical strikes’ on September 29.

International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL) – September 23

International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL) is celebrated annually on the 23rd September as part of the International Week of the Deaf (IWDeaf).

Theme: ‘With Sign Language, Everyone is Included!’

It promotes deaf people as unique in having both perspectives of disability and linguistic minority and that sign language and deaf culture strengthens multilingualism.

World Tourism Day – September 27

The World Tourism Day is observed on september 27 every year.

World Tourism Day 2018 is a unique opportunity to raise awareness on the potential contribution of digital technologies to sustainable tourism development

“Tourism and the Digital Transformation” is the theme of this year’s World Tourism Day (WTD).

Hindi Diwas – September 14

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 247 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Hindi Diwas is an annual day celebrated on September 14. On this day in 1949, Hindi written in Devanagari script became the official language of India under the Article 343.

Hindi is spoken by 250 million people as the original language and it is the fourth most spoken language of the world.

The word “Hindi” came from the Persian word “Hind” that means — The Land of the India River.

National Engineer’s Day – September 15

Every year, the country celebrates September 15 as National Engineer’s Day to appreciate the contributions of Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya.

The Bharat Ratna awardee, Visvesvaraya was born on September 15, 1861.

While serving as the Diwan of Mysore, he was awarded ‘Knight’ in 1915 as a commander of the British Indian empire by King George V.

International Day of Democracy 2018 observed globally

The International Day of Democracy is observed globally on September 15, 2018.

The International Day of Democracy provides an opportunity to review the state of democracy in the world.

2018 Theme: Democracy under Strain: Solutions for a Changing World

International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer – September 17

The United Nations General Assembly observes Sept 17 as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.

Theme: Keep Cool and Carry On: The Montreal Protocol

World Photography Day – 19 August

The World Photography Day 2018 is celebrated in order to inspire photographers to share their work.

The birth of this day dates back to 1839 when Joseph Nicéphore Niépce’s associate Louis Daguerre developed a daguerreotype process the details of which were introduced the same year.

World Mosquito Day – August 20

The World Mosquito day is observed on August 20.

The day marks the groundbreaking discovery of British doctor, Sir Ronald Ross. In 1897 he had identified the link between mosquitoes and malaria.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 248 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING National Sadbhavana Day – August 20

Sadbhavana Diwas 2018 (74th birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi) will be celebrated all over the India on 20th of August.

The Sadbhavana (means having good feelings for others) Diwas or Harmony Day is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of the earlier Prime Minister of India named Rajiv Gandhi.

World senior citizen day – August 21, 2018

The World Senior Citizen Day, 2018 has been observed worldwide on August 21 every year.

The day is marked to raise awareness about issues affecting older people, such as deterioration with age and the abuse of the elderly.

15th World Humanitarian Day 2018 observed globally

The World Humanitarian Day is a day dedicated to recognize humanitarian personnel and those who have lost their lives working for humanitarian causes.

World Photography Day – 19 August

The World Photography Day 2018 is celebrated in order to inspire photographers to share their work.

The birth of this day dates back to 1839 when Joseph Nicéphore Niépce’s associate Louis Daguerre developed a daguerreotype process the details of which were introduced the same year.

World Mosquito Day – August 20

The World Mosquito day is observed on August 20.

The day marks the groundbreaking discovery of British doctor, Sir Ronald Ross. In 1897 he had identified the link between mosquitoes and malaria.

National Sadbhavana Day – August 20

Sadbhavana Diwas 2018 (74th birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi) will be celebrated all over the India on 20th of August.

The Sadbhavana (means having good feelings for others) Diwas or Harmony Day is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of the earlier Prime Minister of India named Rajiv Gandhi.

World senior citizen day – August 21, 2018

The World Senior Citizen Day, 2018 has been observed worldwide on August 21 every year.

The day is marked to raise awareness about issues affecting older people, such as deterioration with age and the abuse of the elderly.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 249 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING National Sports Day

The National Sports Day is celebrated every year on August 29 on the birth anniversary of Indian hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.

The man known for his extraordinary goal-scoring skills, has won three Olympic gold medals during the time Indian hockey was the most dominant.

OBITUARY

Asia’s 1st Woman Neurosurgeon TS Kanaka Passed Away

 Asia’s first woman neurosurgeon, T.S. Kanaka has passed away.  Dr. Kanaka, who retired as professor of Neurosurgery, Institute of Neurology, Madras Medical College (MMC), in 1990, was known to have inspired many women to take to the field of neurosurgery in the country.  She was the third woman neurosurgeon in the whole world. She also served as an army medical officer for two years during the India-China war.

Padma Shri Awardee Saint Narayan Das Maharaj Passed Away

Padma Shri awardee and revered saint Narayan Das Maharaj of Triveni dham near Jaipur has passed away.

Oscar-winning screenwriter and best-selling author William Goldman passed away

Two-time Oscar winning screenwriter William Goldman has passed away.

Goldman wrote such classic movies as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President’s Men and The Princess Bride.

RANKINGS

India slips two places to 53rd Position on Global talent ranking

India has slipped two places to rank 53rd on a global annual talent ranking released by IMD Business School, Switzerland.

Within Asia, Singapore has topped the charts with a global 13th place on the list that ranks 63 countries in developing, attracting and retaining talent.

The rankings are based on three factors: Investment and Development, Appeal and Readiness.

While Switzerland has topped the global ranking for the fifth year in a row, it is followed by Denmark, Norway, Austria and the Netherlands in the top-five.

Fortune releases 2018 Business Person of the Year list

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 250 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Indian-American Shantanu Narayen, the CEO of Adobe, has been named by Fortune in its 2018 Business Person of the Year list, which ranks 20 business executives.

The list has been topped by CEO of insurance company “Progressive”, Tricia Griffith. Narayen, 56 has been ranked 12th on the list.

The list includes CEO of graphics chipmaker Nvidia, Jensen Huang, French conglomerate Kering CEO Francois-Henri Pinault, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and PayPal CEO Dan Schulman.

Bangalore Ranked India’s Most Congested City: NBER

According to the US-based organisation, National bureau of economic research (NBER), Bangalore tops the index for most congested city, and Mumbai in the second position, while Pune follows in the seventh place. The report was titled ‘Mobility and Congestion in Urban India’.

In another index of traffic speed, Kolkata has been found to be the slowest city, while Pune manages to hold down its position to the 20th place.

The researchers studied 154 Indian cities and measured trips based on the web-mapping service, Google Maps.

Iceland is the safest country to visit: World Risk Report

According to a new travel safety index, Iceland topped the charts with the lowest risk of a natural disaster as well as crime rates.

UAE which is home to one of the most popular holiday destinations, Dubai, was ranked second.

Singapore which stood in third place was also ranked highly across all categories. The risk of Zika virus was, however, marked moderate in the country. The fourth safest country was Spain, followed by Australia, Canada, Japan, Morocco, Jordan and Barbados.

On the other hand, South Africa came last owing to a high risk of crime, health and terrorism.

India To Top U.S. As 2nd-Largest Carbon Spewer From Power: IEA Report

India will overtake the U.S. to become the world’s second-biggest emitter of carbon dioxide from the power sector before 2030 as the nation’s electricity demand skyrockets.

Carbon dioxide emissions from India’s power sector are expected to rise nearly 80 percent by 2040 as power use almost triples, driven in part by air conditioning.

India and Southeast Asia combined are the growth centers for coal-fired power, with demand more than doubling over the period to 2040.

India Ranks 77 In World Bank’s Ease Of Doing Business 2019

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 251 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING India leapfrogged to the 77th rank in the World Bank’s latest Ease of Doing Business rankings, jumping 23 notches from last year.

The report also recognises India as one of the top 10 improvers in this year’s assessment, for the second successive time. India is the only large country this year to have achieved such a significant shift.

In the ‘Trading Among Borders’ indicator, India’s rank improved by 66 positions, moving from 146 in 2017 to 80 in 2018.

In the World Bank Group’s annual ease of doing business rankings, the top 10 economies are New Zealand, Singapore and Denmark, which retain their first, second and third spots, respectively, for a second consecutive year.

India Ranks 66 In Global Passport Index, Singapore Tops The Chart

The Indian passport was ranked 66th in the world in the latest ranking of the Global Passport Index. The ranking was based on the passports’ visa-free score.

The ranking of Indian passport, granting its holders visa-free access to 66 countries, improved nine notches since the previous year.

As per the annual passport index, Singapore and Germany have the world’s “most powerful” passport with access to 165 countries.

Falling in the last place of the list is Afghanistan, ranked 91 with a score of 22, followed by Pakistan and Iraq at 90 with a score of 26, Syria at 88.

India Ranked 12 Globally In Web-Borne Threats: Kaspersky Lab

Globally, India ranks 12th when it comes to the dangers associated with surfing the web, according to a new report from Russia-based global cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab. About a third of Internet users in the country were attacked by web-borne threats between the July- September period of this year.

Among other methods, the attackers exploited vulnerabilities in browsers and their plugins (drive-by download).And this is the number one method utilised by cybercriminals.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Dr Jitendra Singh releases book ‘Radio Kashmir – In Times of Peace & War’ written by Dr Rajesh Bhat

The Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C), Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh released a book titled ‘Radio Kashmir – In Times of Peace & War’ written by Dr Rajesh Bhat.

The author Dr Rajesh Bhat is currently posted in the Policy Division of Directorate General, All India Radio, New Delhi. Dr Bhat has penned more than 250 academic research papers and articles.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 252 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Book On Mouth Cancer ‘Arivu’ Released

November 7 is observed as National Cancer Awareness Day in India each year. The day is marked out to teach people to combat the disease.

Dr Murali Mohan Chuntharu, a Dental Surgeon and also DK Home Guard Commandant has written a book named “Arivu”, which explains about Mouth Cancer and prevention of the disease.

A book On AB Vajpayee Launched: ‘Atal Ji Ne Kaha’

“Atal Ji Ne Kaha” is the latest of the books on the BJP patriarch and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee launched by Prime Minister Modi.

It is Authored and compiled by Brijendra Rehi, noted Doordarshan producer, senior journalist. The 320- page book is a rich repository of the former Prime Minister’s selected speeches and photographs beside having three interviews by the author.

15th World Humanitarian Day 2018 observed globally

The World Humanitarian Day is a day dedicated to recognize humanitarian personnel and those who have lost their lives working for humanitarian causes.

Serena Williams tops Forbes list of highest paid female athletes

Serena Williams (Tennis) tops Forbes list of highest paid female athletes. Williams earned just $62,000 (£48,050) from prize money during the past year.

Caroline Wozniacki is second on the list having won her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open earlier this year. Completing the top five are Sloane Stephens, Garbine Muguruza and Maria Sharapova.

Badminton’s PV Sindhu (Only Indian in top 10) and race car driver Danica Patrick are the only non-tennis players in the top 10.

Reliance Jio tops Fortune list for widening internet access

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led telecom startup Reliance Jio has been ranked number one on Fortune’s global list.

The ‘Change the World’ list includes for-profit companies that help tackle social problems.

It ranked Jio ahead of pharma giant Merck and Bank of America and Chinese billionaire Jack Ma-led Alibaba.

Reliance Jio stormed the sector with free calls and data forcing rivals to merge or exit in September 2016 and has amassed 215 million subscribers.

VVS Laxman pens autobiography “281 and Beyond”

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 253 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The Westland Publications has announced the release of the former Indian cricketer’s autobiography titled, “281 and Beyond”.

The title has been got from the series-turning innings of 281 against Australia at the Eden Gardens in 2001. The book will be released this year in November.

Laxman, who announced his retirement from international cricket in 2012, played 134 Tests, amassing 8,781 runs at an average of 45.97. He scored 17 centuries and 56 half centuries.

Shane Warne to come out with autobiography ‘No Spin’

The Spin legend Shane Warne will talk about his extraordinary cricketing career and his life off the pitch besides unveiling several unknown facts in his autobiography which will be published this October.

The Ebury Press has announced that Warne’s book “No Spin” will have a global release on October 4.

He played his first Test match in 1992, and took over 1,000 international wickets (in Tests and One-Day Internationals).

“Notes Of A Dream: The Authorized Biography Of A.R. Rahman” By Krishna Trilok Launched

 The biography of AR Rahman, Notes of a Dream: The Authorized Biography of AR Rahman was launched.  Written by author Krishna Trilok, the biography in association with Landmark and Penguin Random House was launched.  He said the book has been a journey for him and took him to those corners of his life which have remained candid for a long time.

Shashi Tharoor introduces book and a 29-letter word

The Congress leader Shashi Tharoor introduced his new book ‘The Paradoxical Prime Minister’ and a 29-letter word ‘floccinaucinihilipilification’. Shashi Tharoor has described his new book on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as ‘more than just a 400-page exercise in floccinaucinihilipilification’.

The Oxford dictionary defines ‘floccinaucinihilipilification’ as a noun which means “the action or habit of estimating something as worthless”.

Vice President Releases Biography Of Anumolu Ramakrishna

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu released a biography of late Anumolu Ramakrishna, a pioneer in the application of innovative systems and construction techniques in the Indian construction sector.

The biography titled ‘Building a Legacy’ is authored by city-based Chartered Accountant V Pattabhi Ram.

Ramakrishna, the former President and Managing Director at Larsen and Toubro, was posthumously awarded Padma Bhushan in 2014.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 254 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Final Book of Stephen Hawking Released

The “Brief Answers to the Big Questions”, the final book by Stephen Hawking was launched at the Science Museum in London, Britain. The final writings of world-famous physicist Stephen Hawking have been compiled in a book.

The book was completed by his family after his death and presents answers to the questions that Hawking said he received most during his time on Earth.

In Brief Answers to the Big Questions, Hawking looks at the origins of our planet, the controversial role of genetics and the threat of artificial intelligence.

‘Maharana Pratap: The Invincible Warrior’: A Book Authored By Rima Hooja Released

A new book on Maharana Pratap named “Maharana Pratap: The Invincible Warrior” authored by historian Rima Hooja has been released.

In Maharana Pratap: The Invincible Warrior, noted historian Rima Hooja describes in detail how Maharana Pratap managed to elude capture by the mighty Mughal army for so long and never bowed down to Akbar.

Benyamin author of ‘Jasmine Days’ bags India’s richest book prize

Benyamin, the author of ‘Jasmine Days’, translated from Malayalam into English by Shahnaz Habib, is the winner of the first edition of the Rs 25 lakh JCB Prize for Literature, India’s richest literary prize. ‘Jasmine Days’ is published by Juggernaut Books.

The book was first published in Malayalam in 2014 as Mullappoo Niramulla Pakalukal and then translated into English by Shahnaz Habib.

Vice President releases coffee-table book on Devender Goud

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu unveiled the coffee table book, “My Journey”, penned by former Minister and MP T. Devender Goud

The book essays the political career of ex-parliamentarian and TDP politburo member T Devender Goud.

Sundeep Misra to write a book on sprinter Dutee Chand, Story So Far

The incredible story of Dutee Chand, who rose from abject poverty to become one of India’s biggest sprinting stars, will be brought alive in the form of a book titled as, “Story so far”.

The announcement was made by publisher Westland, which was acquired by Amazon in 2017. The book is written by journalist, author and filmmaker Sundeep Misra, who has previously authored a biography of hockey legend Dhanraj Pillay.

With two silver medals at the 2018 Asian Games, Dutee is one of the top sprinters of the sub-continent. The book, Story Do Far will be released in the year 2019.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 255 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Shashi Tharoor introduces book and a 29-letter word

The Congress leader Shashi Tharoor introduced his new book ‘The Paradoxical Prime Minister’ and a 29-letter word ‘floccinaucinihilipilification’. Shashi Tharoor has described his new book on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as ‘more than just a 400-page exercise in floccinaucinihilipilification’.

The Oxford dictionary defines ‘floccinaucinihilipilification’ as a noun which means “the action or habit of estimating something as worthless”.

Vice President Releases Biography Of Anumolu Ramakrishna

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu released a biography of late Anumolu Ramakrishna, a pioneer in the application of innovative systems and construction techniques in the Indian construction sector.

The biography titled ‘Building a Legacy’ is authored by city-based Chartered Accountant V Pattabhi Ram.

Ramakrishna, the former President and Managing Director at Larsen and Toubro, was posthumously awarded Padma Bhushan in 2014.

Final Book of Stephen Hawking Released

The “Brief Answers to the Big Questions”, the final book by Stephen Hawking was launched at the Science Museum in London, Britain. The final writings of world-famous physicist Stephen Hawking have been compiled in a book.

The book was completed by his family after his death and presents answers to the questions that Hawking said he received most during his time on Earth.

In Brief Answers to the Big Questions, Hawking looks at the origins of our planet, the controversial role of genetics and the threat of artificial intelligence.

‘Maharana Pratap: The Invincible Warrior’: A Book Authored By Rima Hooja Released

A new book on Maharana Pratap named “Maharana Pratap: The Invincible Warrior” authored by historian Rima Hooja has been released.

In Maharana Pratap: The Invincible Warrior, noted historian Rima Hooja describes in detail how Maharana Pratap managed to elude capture by the mighty Mughal army for so long and never bowed down to Akbar.

VVS Laxman pens autobiography “281 and Beyond”

The Westland Publications has announced the release of the former Indian cricketer’s autobiography titled, “281 and Beyond”.

The title has been got from the series-turning innings of 281 against Australia at the Eden Gardens in 2001. The book will be released this year in November.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 256 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Laxman, who announced his retirement from international cricket in 2012, played 134 Tests, amassing 8,781 runs at an average of 45.97. He scored 17 centuries and 56 half centuries.

Shane Warne to come out with autobiography ‘No Spin’

The Spin legend Shane Warne will talk about his extraordinary cricketing career and his life off the pitch besides unveiling several unknown facts in his autobiography which will be published this October.

The Ebury Press has announced that Warne’s book “No Spin” will have a global release on October 4.

He played his first Test match in 1992, and took over 1,000 international wickets (in Tests and One-Day Internationals).

RANKING

L&T ranks 22 in Forbes’ best global employer list :

 Engineering and construction major Larsen & Toubro, which is majority owned by its employees, is the only domestic firm to be featured among the top 25 companies in the Forbes’ global 2000 best employers list that is led by Google parent Alphabet.  While L&T is ranked 22, there are only four domestic firms in the top 100 list which include Mahindra & Mahindra at 55, Grasim Industries at 59 and HDFC at 91, and only 24 domestic companies in the overall list,as per the US magazine.

The Top 3 companies in the List are:

1. Alphabet

2. Microsoft

3. Apple.

Nobel chemistry laureate Shimomura passes away

 Japanese-born Marine biologist Osamu Shimomura, who won the Nobel Prize in chemistry, has died. He was 90.  Shimomura and two American scientists shared the 2008 Nobel prize for the discovery and development of a jellyfish protein that later contributed to cancer studies.

Fali S. Nariman conferred Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award

Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu has presented the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award to eminent jurist and senior advocate at Supreme Court Fali S Nariman.

He is one of India’s most distinguished constitutional lawyers and he has argued several leading cases. He was the senior advocate to Supreme Court of India since 1971 and has remained President of Bar Association of India since 1991.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 257 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The award was instituted in 1999 by Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management in memory of India’s second Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

The award consists of cash award of Rs. 5,00,000 plus citation and plaque.

ACC Appoints M Nageshwar Rao As Interim Director

The Union Government has sent CBI Director Alok Verma on leave. Verma was appointed as CBI Director in 2016 for two years and his tenure ends in December 2018. The decision was taken by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) issued an order appointing M Nageshwar Rao as Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Nageshwar Rao, a 1986 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Odisha cadre, was working as the Joint Director in the investigating agency.

Forbes’ List Of World’s Highest-Paid Actors 2018: George Clooney Tops

George Clooney has topped the annual list of the world’s highest-paid actors.

Clooney, 57, earned an estimated $239 million between June 2017-June 2018, marking the highest earnings of his 35-year career in film and television.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson came in at No.2 with an estimated $124 million.

Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr. was third on the list, with an estimated $81 million, followed by Avengers: Infinity War actor Chris Hemsworth with $64.5 million.

Akshay Kumar ranks at number seven with earnings of 40.5 million dollars, while Salman, by earning 38.5 million dollars, has scored the ninth position.

Aug 28

DBS named world’s best bank for its digital innovation: Global Finance magazine

The DBS Bank has been named the world’s best bank by Global Finance magazine.

It has been given in a reflection of its ability to invest in digital innovation while still maintaining stable operations for its customers.

DBS is the first Asian bank to receive the honour from the New York-based publication, which last year gave the title to ING Bank.

DBS bank

Headquarters: Singapore

CEO: Piyush Gupta

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 258 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Kolkata, Bhopal Top Among Indian Cities in Clean Transport

The analysis – titled The Urban Commute – was released in Kolkata.

The Indian cities are experiencing an explosive motorisation phase. It had taken 60 years – from 1952 to 2008 – for the number of registered vehicles in the country to reach 105 million. But thereafter, the same number was added in a mere six years – between 2009 and 2015.

Statistics like this from 14 cities across India have been analysed by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the New Delhi-based think tank.

THE RANKINGS

Overall emissions and energy consumption

Bhopal

Vijayawada

Chandigarh

Per-travel trip emissions and energy consumption

Kolkata

Mumbai

Bhopal

PNB tops in digital transaction: Department of Financial Services

According to Department of Financial Services report, Punjab National Bank (PNB) has been rated it as number one state-owned bank in terms of digital transactions.

It is also rated as the sixth overall amongst all banks in India for digital performance.

The bank is rated as ‘Good’ by the government with a score of 71 which is the highest category of performance.

PNB

Headquarters: New Delhi CEO: Sunil Mehta

Narendra Modi Conferred With Seoul Peace Prize

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been conferred with the Seoul Peace Prize for 2018 for his contribution to international cooperation and fostering global economic growth.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 259 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The Seoul Peace Prize was established in 1990 to commemorate the success of the 24th Olympic Games held in Seoul. The award was established to crystalise Korean people’s yearning for peace on the Korean peninsula and in the rest of the world.

He is the 14th recipient of the award and the past laureates included former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and renowned international relief organizations like Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam.

Invest India Wins UN Investment Promotion Award

Invest India, the country’s investment promotion body, has won the UN Award for excellence in promoting investments in sustainable development.

The award was presented by Armenian President Armen Sarkissian to Deepak Bagla, the CEO of Invest India, at the World Investment Forum, Geneva.

The awards, organised by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), honour investment promotion agencies (IPAs) and their governments for their achievements.

Invest India is set up as a non-profit venture under the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.

Benyamin author of ‘Jasmine Days’ bags India’s richest book prize

Benyamin, the author of ‘Jasmine Days’, translated from Malayalam into English by Shahnaz Habib, is the winner of the first edition of the Rs 25 lakh JCB Prize for Literature, India’s richest literary prize. ‘Jasmine Days’ is published by Juggernaut Books.

The book was first published in Malayalam in 2014 as Mullappoo Niramulla Pakalukal and then translated into English by Shahnaz Habib.

M.S. Swaminathan to be conferred World Agriculture Prize

The Agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan will receive the first World Agriculture Prize instituted by the Indian Council of Food and Agriculture (ICFA) in New Delhi. It will carry a cash component of $1,00,000.

The prize will be presented by Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu at Vigyan Bhawan at a special session, named Swaminathan Global Dialogue on Climate Change and Food Security organised by the Indian Council of Food and Agriculture.

He has been hailed by the United Nations Environment Programme as ‘The Father of Economic Ecology’ owing to his commitment towards the ever-green revol

India ranks 103rd in Global Hunger Index 2018

According to the Global Hunger Index 2018, India was ranked 103rd out of 119 qualifying countries.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 260 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING The Global Hunger Index 2018 report was prepared jointly by global NGOs namely, Concern Worldwide (Ireland) and Welthungerhilfe (Germany).

As per the 2018 Global Hunger Index (GHI), the level of hunger and undernutrition worldwide fell to 20.9, down from 29.2 in the year 2000.

The Top 3 Countries in the List are Belarus, Cuba and Estonia.

India is the world’s most depressed country

India is the world’s most depressed country, closely followed by China and the US

According to a World Health Organization report, India is the world’s most depressed country, closely followed by China and the US. According to the 2015-16 National Mental Health Survey (NMHS), every sixth person in India needs mental health help of some sort. Of all the age groups, it is the adolescents who need it the most.

At least 6.5 per cent of the Indian population suffer from some form of the serious mental disorder, with no discernible rural-urban differences.

India Ranks 58th in Global Competitiveness Report 2018

India has been ranked as the 58th most competitive economy on the World Economic Forum’s global competitiveness index for 2018, which was topped by the US.

India’s rank rose by five places from 2017, the largest gain among G20 economies, the WEF said.

On the list of 140 economies, the US is followed by Singapore and Germany at the second and the third positions respectively. India was ranked 58th with a score of 62.0 in the latest Global Competitiveness Report.

India second-fastest growing innovator among major Asian countries

According to India Innovation Report, India is now the second-fastest growing innovator after China among major Asian countries.

India is fourth among the major Asian countries in terms of overall patent publication volume, and second in terms of growth rate.

The analysis is based on patent data from Derwent Innovation, a patent research application that provides access to patent intelligence and scientific literature.

India ranks 103rd in Global Hunger Index 2018

According to the Global Hunger Index 2018, India was ranked 103rd out of 119 qualifying countries.

The Global Hunger Index 2018 report was prepared jointly by global NGOs namely, Concern Worldwide (Ireland) and Welthungerhilfe (Germany).

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 261 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING As per the 2018 Global Hunger Index (GHI), the level of hunger and undernutrition worldwide fell to 20.9, down from 29.2 in the year 2000.

The Top 3 Countries in the List are Belarus, Cuba and Estonia.

India is the world’s most depressed country

India is the world’s most depressed country, closely followed by China and the US

According to a World Health Organization report, India is the world’s most depressed country, closely followed by China and the US. According to the 2015-16 National Mental Health Survey (NMHS), every sixth person in India needs mental health help of some sort. Of all the age groups, it is the adolescents who need it the most.

At least 6.5 per cent of the Indian population suffer from some form of the serious mental disorder, with no discernible rural-urban differences.

India Ranks 58th in Global Competitiveness Report 2018

India has been ranked as the 58th most competitive economy on the World Economic Forum’s global competitiveness index for 2018, which was topped by the US.

India’s rank rose by five places from 2017, the largest gain among G20 economies, the WEF said.

On the list of 140 economies, the US is followed by Singapore and Germany at the second and the third positions respectively. India was ranked 58th with a score of 62.0 in the latest Global Competitiveness Report.

India second-fastest growing innovator among major Asian countries

According to India Innovation Report, India is now the second-fastest growing innovator after China among major Asian countries.

India is fourth among the major Asian countries in terms of overall patent publication volume, and second in terms of growth rate.

The analysis is based on patent data from Derwent Innovation, a patent research application that provides access to patent intelligence and scientific literature.

AP tops in ‘Ease of Living Index’

Andhra Pradesh topped the ‘Ease of Living Index’ ranking which was released by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Odisha and Madhya Pradesh were in the second and third position respectively.

The three were awarded the best performing States under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation at the national dissemination workshop on the Ease of living Index 2018.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 262 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Ease of Living Index is a transformative initiative of the Ministry to help the cities assess their liveability vis-à-vis national and global benchmarks.

Andhra Pradesh

Chief minister: N. Chandrababu Naidu Governor: E. S. L. Narasimhan

Mukesh Ambani tops Barclays Rich List

The Billionaire Mukesh Ambani, chairman of India’s second-most valued firm ‘Reliance Industries’, has topped the ‘Barclays Hurun India Rich List 2018’ for the seventh consecutive year, with total net worth of ₹371,000 crore.

Barclays Hurun India Rich List 2018 — a compilation of the individuals in India having a net worth of ₹1,000 crore or more, featured 831 Indians compared to 617 last year.

Mr. Ambani is followed by London-based S.P. Hinduja, with net worth of ₹1,59,000 crore; and L.N. Mittal, with net worth of ₹1,14,500 crore. Azim Premji, with wealth of ₹96,100 crore, is fourth in the list, followed by Dilip Shanghvi with wealth of ₹89,700 crore.

India ranks 158th in ‘human capital’ score, behind Sudan

India ranks 158th in the world for its investments in education and health care, according to the first- ever scientific study ranking countries for their levels of human capital. The study is published in journal The Lancet.

The nation is placed behind Sudan (ranked 157th) and ahead of Namibia (ranked 159th) in the list. The U.S. is ranked 27th, while China is at 44th and Pakistan at 164th.

Finland topped the study, while Turkey showed the most dramatic increase in human capital.

Hunger Reached ‘Alarming’ 10-year high in 2017: UN Report

According to the latest edition of the UN’s annual multi-agency flagship report on the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, the number of undernourished globally, increased to 821 million in 2017. This means that one in every nine people, does not have enough to eat.

The number of undernourished people has increased from 777 million to 821 million over the last two years.

The report emphasizes that climate variability and extremes are already undermining food production in some regions.

2018 UN E-Government Survey

In a 2018 ranking of countries on e-government development, Denmark, Australia, and Republic of Korea came out on top of a group of 40 countries, scoring very high on an index (the E-Government

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 263 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Development Index—EGDI), which measures countries’ use of information and communications technologies to deliver public services.

The Index captures the scope and quality of online services, status of telecommunication infrastructure and existing human capacity.

The ranking was launched by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

Serena Williams tops Forbes list of highest paid female athletes

Serena Williams (Tennis) tops Forbes list of highest paid female athletes. Williams earned just $62,000 (£48,050) from prize money during the past year.

Caroline Wozniacki is second on the list having won her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open earlier this year. Completing the top five are Sloane Stephens, Garbine Muguruza and Maria Sharapova.

Badminton’s PV Sindhu (Only Indian in top 10) and race car driver Danica Patrick are the only non-tennis players in the top 10.

Reliance Jio tops Fortune list for widening internet access

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led telecom startup Reliance Jio has been ranked number one on Fortune’s global list.

The ‘Change the World’ list includes for-profit companies that help tackle social problems.

It ranked Jio ahead of pharma giant Merck and Bank of America and Chinese billionaire Jack Ma-led Alibaba.

Reliance Jio stormed the sector with free calls and data forcing rivals to merge or exit in September 2016 and has amassed 215 million subscribers.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

AI tool found to hide data in image to ‘cheat’ on next task :

 As per the Research of Stanford and Google, A Machine learning Agent, CycleGAN which works on Artificial Intelligence tasked with transforming Aerial images into map was hiding information in order to cheat later.  CycleGAN, a neutral network that learns to transform images was working well till it was found that the agent didn’t really learn to make the map out of image but it learned to subtly encode the features from one into the noise patterns of the other.

NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft Historic Flyby of Ultima Thule:

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 264 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING

 The American space agency NASA‘s New Horizonsspacecraft performed the farthest flyby in history as it approached the Kuiper Belt object Ultima Thule.  Ultima is an object in the Kuiper belt which is a band of frozen material that orbits the Sun more than 2 billion km (1.25bn miles) further out than the Neptune; and 1.5 billion km beyond even the dwarf planet Pluto, which New Horizons visited in 2015.

STATIC:NASA

Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States

Administrator: Jim Bridenstine

ISRO launches ‘Samwad’ with students to engage them on space science:

 The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched a new platform named “Samwad with Students” (SwS) as part of the enhanced outreach programme and to engage youngsters across India to capture their scientific temperament in Bengaluru.  Under the SwS platform, ISRO will also be organising guided tours thrice in a year, for students of class 11 and class 12 in which they would be taken to ISRO facilities in Thiruvananthapuram and Bengaluru and the launch centre at Sriharikota.

STATIC:ISRO

Director: Kailasavadivoo Sivan Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka

NASA’s InSight lander has touched down on Mars

 After seven months of traveling through space, theNASA InSight mission has landed on Mars . The 360-kg lander also shared its first photo from Mars, showing an area called Elysium Planitia, where it will dig five meters below the surface.InSight will study the interior of Mars.

STATIC :

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine

Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport : InSight

Isro launches India’s first hyperspectral imaging satellite along with 30 foreign satellites:

 ISRO is all set to launch its workhorse rocket PSLV-C43 carrying India’s earth observation satellite HysIS and 30 co-passenger satellites, including 23 from the US, from Sriharikota.  The 45th flight of PSLV will be launched from the First Launch Pad (FLP) of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota.  HysIS is an earth observation satellite developed by ISRO. It is the primary satellite of the PSLV- C43 mission.  The satellite will be placed in 636 km polar sun synchronous orbit (SSO) with an inclination of 97.957 deg. The mission life of the satellite is 5 years.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 265 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING STATIC: ISRO

Head quarters : Bengaluru. Director : K. Sivan

UGC to Establish ‘Consortium’ to Weed Out Dubious Journals:

 The University Grants Commission (UGC) announced that it will set up a Consortium of Academic and Research Ethics (CARE) which will compile a list of “credible quality journals” and ultimately replace UGC’s own list of journals.  CARE will be headed by the UGC Vice Chairman Dr. Bhushan Patwardhan.  The commission admitted that the percentage of research articles published in poor quality journals is reported to be high in India which has adversely affected its image. The body will be tasked to prepare a “CARE Reference List of Quality Journals”.  Members of CARE will prepare lists of quality journals in their respective disciplines within a defined timeframe.

Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama sworn in for four more years:

 Fiji’s Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has been sworn in for his second term at a ceremony held in the capital city of Suva.  Bainimarama, 64, who is also the country’s foreign minister, led his FijiFirst party won the country’s last general elections in 2014.

Interpol names South Korean Kim Jong Yang as new president:

 Interpol elected a South Korea’s ’s Kim Jong-yang as the organisation’s president edging out a veteran of Russia’s security services Alexander Prokopchuk, who was strongly opposed by the US, Britain and other European nations.  Kim had already been serving as acting president and has now been officially elected to complete the term of Meng, which is due to end in 2020.

Matthew G. Whitaker will become new US Acting Attorney General:

 US Attorney General Jeff Sessions has resigned from the post at the request of President Donald Trump.  Donald Trump to announce that Matthew G. Whitaker, Chief of Staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the Department of Justice, will become new Acting Attorney General.

Binny Bansal Resigns As CEO of Flipkart Group

Flipkart Group Chief Executive Officer Binny Bansal quit following an investigation into alleged “serious personal misconduct”.

In 2016, Bansal became the CEO of Flipkart, where he worked on strategic development, direction and business management.

In 2017, he assumed the role of CEO of Flipkart Group and his previous position was handed to Kalyan Krishnamurthy.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 266 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Kalyan Krishnamurthy will continue as the CEO of Flipkart, which will now include Myntra and Jabon. Ananth Narayanan will continue as the CEO of Myntra and Jabong and will report to Krishnamurthy.

Ashok Kumar Gupta appointed as the chairman of Competition Commission of India

Former IAS officer Ashok Kumar Gupta has been appointed as the chairperson of the Competition Commission of India. It was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).

The appointment would be till October 25, 2022. Gupta would replace acting chairperson Sudhir Mital.

BIS Names Siddharth Tiwari as Chief Representative for Asia

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has announced that Siddharth Tiwari has joined the BIS as Chief Representative for Asia and the Pacific. He succeeds Eli Remolona.

Mr Tiwari will work to deepen cooperation between the BIS and central banks in Asia and the Pacific.

The Bank for International Settlements is an international financial institution owned by central banks which “fosters international monetary and financial cooperation and serves as a bank for central banks”.

BIS

Headquarters: Basel, Switzerland

Ministers Sadananda Gowda and Narendra Singh Tomar Gets Additional Charge

Union Ministers DV Sadananda Gowda and Narendra Singh Tomar were assigned additional portfolios of the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers and the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, respectively.

It is decided following the demise of Union Minister and Karnataka BJP leader Ananth Kumar.

While Gowda is in charge of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Tomar holds the portfolio of the Ministry of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Mines. The two ministers were assigned the additional portfolios which were earlier held by Ananth Kumar.

Abhay Thakur appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Shri Abhay Thakur (IFS:1992), presently High Commissioner of India to Mauritius has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Nigeria

Capital: Abuja Currency: Nigerian naira

Hima Das appointed as UNICEF India’s Youth Ambassador

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 267 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Asian Games gold-medallist sprinter Hima Das has been appointed as the first ever youth ambassador of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) India.

Das, a native of Assam’s Nagaon district, had clinched a gold medal in Women’s 4 x 400 m Relay event at the 2018 Asian Games.

She had also won a silver medal in Women’s 400m Race event with a clock timing of 50.59 seconds.

UNICEF India works with central government to ensure that each child born in this country gets the best start in life, thrives and develops to his or her full potential.

Yes Bank Chairman Ashok Chawla Resigns

Ashok Chawla has resigned as the Non-Executive (Independent) Chairman of Yes Bank on November 14 with immediate effect, the bank said in a filing with the exchanges.

His exit could be the outcome of the likely conflict of interest over his multiple roles as the National Stock Exchange (NSE) Chairman as well as a board member of various other companies such as Yes Bank and Jet Airways.

Chawla has been serving as the Chairman of NSE, a quasi-regulator under the SEBI Act, since 2016. He was also the Chairman of Yes Bank, overseeing the leadership transition in the bank.

Apple appoints Nokia veteran Ashish Chowdhary as its India operation head

Apple has appointed Ashish Chowdhary, Chief Customer Operations Officer at Nokia Networks, as its India operation head. Chowdhary will join as Apple India head from January next year.

Chowdhary will continue to lead Customer Operations and remain a member of the Nokia Group Leadership Team until the end of 2018.

Apple India is currently under Michel Coulomb who took over from Sanjay Kaul in December last year.

4 New Members Sworn-In As Supreme Court Judges Justices Hemant Gupta, R Subhash Reddy, M R Shah And Ajay Rastogi Were Sworn In As Judges Of The Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi administered oath of office to the four judges. The apex court has a sanctioned strength of 31. With the elevation of these four new judges, the strength has risen from 24 to 28.

Atul Goel Takes Over As MD, CEO Of UCO Bank

Atul Kumar Goel has assumed charge as Managing Director and CEO of UCO Bank. Prior to this assignment, he was executive director of Union Bank of India.

Goel takes over from R K Takkar who completed his three-year tenure on November 1, 2018.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 268 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING He started his career as Chartered Accountant in Allahabad Bank in 1992 and worked various segments including corporate credit, foreign exchange and treasury.

Atul Goel

Headquarters: Kolkata

RBI Clears Re-Appointment Of Aditya Puri As HDFC Bank CEO

RBI has approved re-appointment of Aditya Puri as managing director of Private sector HDFC Bank for another two years.

Puri has been with the bank since 1994, making him the longest-serving head of any private bank in the country. During his tenure, Puri has led the bank through two major mergers in the Indian banking industry — merger of Times Bank Limited and Centurion Bank of Punjab Limited with HDFC Bank.

HDFC Bank

Headquarters: Mumbai

Bajpai Quits IL&FS Board

Former Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) chairman GN Bajpai resigned as director of debt-laden IL&FS Group.

Kotak Mahindra Bank managing director Uday Kotak is the chairman of the government-appointed board seeking to find a solution to the cash-strapped company.

Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited is an Indian infrastructure development and finance company.

Mary Kom Named Brand Ambassador Of 2018 Women’s World Boxing Championships

Olympic bronze medalist MC Mary Kom was named as the brand ambassador of the 10th edition of the Women’s World Championship.

The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) also unveiled the logo and anthem for the World Boxing Championships.

The World Championships, to be held at the Indira Gandhi indoor stadium, would see participation from around 325 pugilists from 73 countries from November 15 to 24.

Gafur Rakhimov Elected President Of AIBA

 Uzbek businessman Gafur Rakhimov was elected president of the International Boxing Association (AIBA).  Rakhimov won 86 of the 134 second-round votes collected by AIBA officials in Moscow to beat his only opponent, former boxer Serik Konakbayev of Kazakhstan.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 269 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING AIBA

Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland

OBITUARY

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar passed away

The Union Fertilizer & Chemicals, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar has passed away.

In his second term itself, he became Union Minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cabinet.

He has earlier served as Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister.

Economist TN Srinivasan passed away

The distinguished economist Thirukodikaval Nilakanta Srinivasan, better known as Prof TN Srinivasan, passed away.

Srinivasan earned a doctorate in in Economics from Yale University, in 1962 and has since been teaching and working in the US. The Government of India conferred on him the Padma Bhushan in 2007.

His famous books include India’s Economic Reforms co-authored with renowned economist Jagdish Bhagwati, and Reintegrating India with World Economy, with economist Suresh Tendulkar.

Former Bengal captain Gopal Bose passes away

The former India batsman Gopal Bose has passed away.

An opening batsman, Bose had scored 3,757 runs in 78 first-class games with eight hundreds and 17 fifties. He also took 72 wickets, including one five-for, with his handy off-breaks.

US Senator John McCain Passes Away

The Senator John McCain, the Vietnam war hero turned senator and presidential candidate has passed away.

He is the six-term senator for Arizona and 2008 Republican presidential nominee.

Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee passed away

The Comics legend Stan Lee has passed away. Stan Lee was often cited as an inspiration by writers and artists alike.

He helped create some of the most popular comic book heroes such as Spider-Man, Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, Daredevil, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Ant-Man, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 270 SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING Veteran sports journalist Roshan Lal Sethi passes away

The Veteran sports journalist Roshan Lal Sethi has passed away.

Sethi started his sports journalism career in 1964 with ‘Motherland’ newspaper and remained associated with it till 1975 as sports editor.

1971 War Hero M.P. Awati Passes Away

 Vice-Admiral M.P. Awati (retd.), who commanded a naval unit of the Eastern Fleet in the 1971 India-Pakistan war and whose actions led to the destruction of an enemy submarine has passed away.  He was the commanding officer of a naval unit of the Eastern Fleet, Dec’71. Captured three enemy ships carrying contraband goods. His actions led to destruction of an enemy submarine.

BANKING / SSC / RRB / TNPSC /TET www.saleminstituteofbanking.in Page 271