UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY SEP 17 CURRENT AFFAIRS

01st September 2017 1. Swiss President on 3-Day Visit to India i. President of Swiss Confederation Doris Leuthard is on the three-day visit to India. A number of agreements are expected to be signed in several areas after the talks. ii. India and Switzerland enjoy robust economic ties, with Switzerland being seventh largest trading partner and eleventh largest foreign investor for India.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Bern is the Capital of Switzerland.  Swiss franc is the currency of Switzerland.

2. Arunachal Pradesh and J&K are Fastest Growing Economies i. Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh were the fastest expanding State economies in 2015-16, according to a new series of gross State domestic product data with 2011-12 as the base year published by the Central Statistics Office. ii. The two States also reported the fastest rise in per capita income in the same year. Arunachal Pradesh‟s gross State domestic product (GSDP) expanded 16.5 per cent and that of Jammu and Kashmir 14.7 per cent at constant 2011-12 prices. iii. Top 5 Largest state Economies are

1. Maharashtra 2. Tamil Nadu 3. Gujarat 4. Uttar Pradesh 5. Karnataka

3. CSIR Ranked 9th Public Research Institution of the World i. India's largest autonomous public organization Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has been ranked ninth in the world. The institute has been ranked ninth amongst a total of 1,207 government institutions, according to the Scimago Institutions ranking World Report 2017. ii. It is the only Indian organization which has found place amongst the Top 100 Global Institutions. The ranking (Government Institutions) was topped by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Important Takeaways from Above News

 CSIR was established by the Government of India in 1942.  Girish Sahni was appointed as Director General of CSIR.

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4. Ministry of Railways Signs two MoUs with Switzerland i. India and Switzerland signed two MoUs in the field of Railways. The two MoUs were signed between Ministry of Railways and Swiss Confederation after high-level talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Doris Leuthard, President of Swiss Confederation during her visit to New Delhi. ii. First MoU

The MoU was signed between Ministry of Railways and Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, and Communications of the Swiss Confederation for technical cooperation in Rail Sector. The MoU aims at cooperation in the following areas:

1. Traction Rolling stock 2. EMU and Train sets 3. Traction Propulsion Equipment 4. Tilting Trains iii. Second MoU The second MoU was signed between Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich. The MoU aims to help the Konkan Railway in establishing the George Fernandes Institute of Tunnel Technology (GFITT) at Goa, especially for assimilation and dissemination of knowledge in the field of tunneling.

5. SEBI bans Orion Capital, Orion Broking from Markets for 10 years i. Markets regulator SEBI barred Orion Capital as well as Orion Broking and their partners from the securities markets for 10 years for failing to redress several investor grievances pertaining to non- settlement of funds due to the clients. ii. The nature of investor complaints received against both the firms are predominantly on non-settlement of the funds and securities and balances due to their clients. The claim amount is more than Rs 6 crore against Orion Capital and over Rs 4 crore against Orion Broking.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Chairman of SEBI is Ajay Tyagi.  SEBI was set up on 12th April 1988.

6. Konkani Writer Mahabaleshwar Sail Receives 2016 Saraswati Samman i. Prominent Konkani writer Mahabaleshwar Sail was presented with the Saraswati Samman 2016 for his novel 'Hawthan'. The novel 'Hawthan', published in 2009, captures cultural lives of traditional potter community in Goa. ii. He was awarded the Sahitya Akadami Award in Konkani language for his short story collection „Taranga‟ in 1993. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh, a citation and a plaque of goddess Saraswati.

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Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Mahabaleshwar Sail is a bilingual writer based in Goa.  Harivansh Rai Bachchan was the first recipient of this award.

7. Reliance Foundation Awarded Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar i. The Reliance Foundation was rewarded with the prestigious Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Award at Rashtrapati Bhawan. Chairperson of the foundation, Nita Ambani collected the award from President Ram Nath Kovind. ii. For its contribution to the promotion of sports, the award went to Reliance Foundation. Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) also received the Rashtriya Khel Protsahana Purushkar for its „Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young Talent‟ (IDCO) program.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Nita Ambani is the chairperson and founder of Reliance Foundation and a non-executive director of Reliance Industries.  Sri Ram Nath Kovind is the 14th President of India.

8. Rajiv Mehrishi is New CAG of India i. The outgoing Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi was appointed Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG). ii. Mr. Mehrishi completed his two-year stint as Home Secretary and handed over the charge to Rajiv Gauba.

9. Sunil Arora Appointed Election Commissioner i. Former bureaucrat Sunil Arora was appointed Election Commissioner by the law Ministry. Mr. Arora‟s appointment will be with effect from the day he assumes charge. ii. After Nasim Zaidi retired as Chief Election Commissioner in July, there was a vacancy in the poll panel. While Achal Kumar Joti is the Chief Election Commissioner of India, Om Prakash Rawat is the other Election Commissioner.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 The Election Commission of India (ECI) was established under India's Constitution in 1950.

10. Rajiv Kumar Takes Charge as Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman i. Economist Rajiv Kumar took over as the vice-chairman of government think tank NITI Aayog. Mr. Kumar replaced Arvind Panagariya, an Indian-American economist who left the think tank to return to academia.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY SEP 17 CURRENT AFFAIRS ii. Mr. Kumar was a senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR). He was a member of the National Security Advisory Board between 2006 and 2008.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Amitabh Kant is the CEO of NITI Aayog.  NITI stands for National Institution for Transforming India.

02nd September 2017 1. PM Modi Leaves For Two Nation Visit i. PM Narendra Modi will leave for a two nation tour to China and Myanmar. In the first leg of his three- day tour to China, Mr Modi will reach Xiamen to attend the 9th BRICS Summit there. ii. Then, the Prime Minister will leave for Myanmar. This will be Prime Minister Modi‟s first bilateral State visit to that country. Mr. Modi will hold discussions with State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on matters of mutual interest and also call on President U Htin Kyaw.

Important Takeaways from above News-

 Naypyidaw is the Capital of Myanmar.  The 8th BRICS Summit held on 16th October 2016 at Goa, India.

2. Ahmedabad Formally Accorded Status of India‟s First World Heritage City by UNESCO i. Gujarat‟s commercial capital Ahmedabad was formally accorded the status of India‟s first World Heritage City by UNESCO. UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova handed over the certificate declaring Ahmedabad as a „World Heritage City‟ to Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in Gandhinagar. ii. In July, the UN agency had inscribed Ahmedabad as India‟s first World Heritage City at a meeting held in Poland.

Important Takeaways From Above News-

 UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization.  Irina Bokova is the Present Director-General of UNESCO.

3. Annual Conference „Rajaswa Gyan Sangam‟ in New Delhi i. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the two-day annual conference, Rajaswa Gyan Sangam, 2017 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The conference, jointly organized by the Central Board of Direct Taxes and the Central Board of Excise and Customs. ii. The main objective of the conference is to enable a two-way communication between the policy-makers and senior officers in the field offices with a view to increase revenue collection and facilitate effective implementation of law and policies in key result areas.

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Important Takeaways from Above News-

 In 2016, the first time joint Conference of the two Boards was held under the umbrella of „Rajaswa Gyan Sangam‟.

4. Anita Karwal Replaces RK Chaturvedi as CBSE Chairperson i. IAS officer Anita Karwal was appointed as the new Chairperson of Central Board of Secondary Education, CBSE. The 1988-batch officer from Gujarat cadre is currently serving as additional secretary in HRD Ministry. ii. She would be replacing Rajesh Kumar Chaturvedi, who has been appointed as Director General of the National Skill Development Agency.

5. SAAB Ties up With Adani Group to Build Gripen E fighter jets in India i. Swedish defence major SAAB announced its tie-up with Adani Group to manufacture the Gripen E fighter jets in India under the Defence Ministry‟s $10 billion single-engine fighter jet procurement programme. ii. The announcement comes within months of US‟ Lockheed Martin announcing its joint venture with Tata Advanced Systems for producing the latest version of F-16 in India.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Mr Gautam Adani is the Chairman and Founder of the Adani Group.  Gripen is now being used by the air forces of Hungary, Thailand, South Africa, Brazil and the Czech Republic.

6. World's Highest Sandcastle Built in German City i. The world's highest sandcastle is now standing 16.68 meters tall in the German city of Duisburg. A German travel operator organized the construction of the mammoth sandcastle, bringing in 3,500 tons of sand over the past three and a half weeks to the site at a former steelworks in the inland city. ii. It takes the title from a 14.84-metre sandcastle built early this year in India by sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Berlin is the Capital of Germany.  Angela Merkel is the Chancellor of Germany.

7. Indian-origin Joseph Yuvaraj Pillay Appointed Interim President of Singapore i. Indian-origin veteran civil servant JY Pillay took over as Singapore's acting President until a new head of the state is elected later September.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY SEP 17 CURRENT AFFAIRS ii. The temporary appointment of Pillay, Chairman of the Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA), follows the completion of President Tony Tan Keng Yam's six-year term.

8. Kenneth I. Juster Named U.S Ambassador to India i. Kenneth I. Juster, deputy director of the National Economic Council at the White House, has been nominated as the next U.S ambassador to India. ii. The appointment will take effect once the U.S Senate confirms him. The post has been vacant since January 20, 2017.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Donald Trump is the Present and 45th President of India.

03rd September 2017 1. Piyush Goyal new Rail Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman gets Defence

Piyush Goyal has been appointed as the Union Railway Minister after being inducted into the Union Cabinet. He replaced former Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, who had earlier offered to resign following multiple train derailments. Further, Nirmala Sitharaman was given the Defence Ministry, becoming only the second woman to hold the post after Indira Gandhi.

Nirmala Sitharaman emerged as the biggest gainer of the cabinet reshuffle as Prime Minister Modi gave her the heavyweight Defence portfolio.

You Must Read Takeaways from Above News-

 Piyush Goyal was elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra.  Nirmala Sitharaman was elected from Karnataka as Rajyasabha member.

2. Narendra Modi Cabinet reshuffled- 9 New Faces as Ministers

Nine new Ministers of state were inducted into the Union Council of Ministers. Four Ministers of state were elevated to the cabinet rank. They are Minister of State for Commerce and Industries Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State For Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines, Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office and secrecy to them at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The portfolios of the Ministers will be announced later.

Here is the 9 New Ministers, who take oath-

1. Former IFS officer Hardeep Puri

2. Former Mumbai Police chief Satyapal Singh

3. Former IAS officer Alphons Kannanthanam

4. Lok Sabha MP's from Madhya Pradesh Virendra Kumar

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5. From Karnataka Anant Kumar Hegde

6. From Rajasthan Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

7. From Bihar Ashwini Kumar Choubey

8. From Bihar Raj Kumar Singh and

9. Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh Shiv Pratap Shukla

3. Government issues alert on spread of 'Locky Ransomware'

The government has issued an alert on the spread of new malware 'Locky Ransomware' that can lock computers and demand ransom for unlocking them. Electronics and IT Additional Secretary Ajay Kumar tweeted that an alert regarding spam spreading Locky Ransomware was issued by Indian Computer Emergency Response Team.

Ransomware is a malicious software and the Locky Ransomware is learnt to be demanding the ransom of half Bitcoin, which at present rate is equivalent to over Rs 1.5 lakh.

4. Five banks of BRICS nations sign pact for credit lines: Report

Five banks of the BRICS Bank Cooperation Mechanism have agreed to establish credit lines in the national currencies and cooperate on credit ratings. The agreement to this effect was signed ahead of the BRICS Summit in China‟s Xiamen city.

Brazilian Development Bank, Vnesheconombank, Export-Import Bank of India, China Development Bank and Development Bank of South Africa signed the agreement in Beijing. Ahead of the BRICS summit, the New Development Bank (NDB) of the BRICS countries has approved 1.4 billion US dollar loans for sustainable development projects in India, Russia and China.

You Must Read Takeaways from Above News-

 China is hosting the 9th BRICS Summit.  The theme of the 9th BRICS Summit is "Stronger Partnership for a better future".  The BRIC, comprising, Brazil, Russia, India and China formally came into existence in 2006 and its first Summit was held in 2009.  South Africa was admitted in 2011 and it became BRICS.

5. Hockey India sacks chief coach Oltmans

Hockey India has sacked national coach Roelant Oltmans after a string of unimpressive outings at the international level. High-Performance Director David John will be in charge till a suitable replacement is found for a smooth transition of the men‟s team.

The decision was taken during the three-day meeting of the Hockey India High Performance and Development Committee, which concluded.

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You Must Read Takeaways from Above News-

 South Korea is hosting the Winter Olympics at Pyeongchang in 2018, while Tokyo, Japan hosts the 2020 Summer Olympics before the winter games go to Beijing, China in 2022.  Harbinder Singh is chairman of the Hockey India Selection Committee.  Hockey India is recognised as National Sports Federation by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India. It was formed on 20th May 2009.

04th September 2017 1. Portfolios of the Council of Ministers| Narendra Modi Cabinet reshuffled- 9 New Faces as Ministers i. As a fresh set of ministers have been inducted into the Narendra Modi-led NDA government, the third reshuffle since 2014. Nine new ministers were into the council of ministers and four have been promoted to the Union Cabinet. ii. Piyush Goyal has been appointed as the Union Railway Minister after being inducted into the Union Cabinet. He replaced former Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, who had earlier offered to resign following multiple train derailments. Further, Nirmala Sitharaman was given the Defence Ministry, becoming only the second woman to hold the post after Indira Gandhi. 2. 9th BRICS Summit Kicks off in Xiamen, China i. The 9th BRICS Summit has started in Xiamen, China with a group photograph of leaders of the five countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) and was preceded by a warm handshake between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. ii. Modi was the third leader to reach the convention center, venue of the 9th BRICS Summit in this port city of China and was followed by Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 The theme of the 9th BRICS Summit is "Stronger Partnership for a better future".  The 8th BRICS Summit held on 16th October 2016 at Goa, India.

3. China Announced $80 Million Funding Plan for BRICS i. China will give 500 million yuan ($76.4 million) for a BRICS economic and technology cooperation plan, and another $4 million for projects at the BRICS countries' New Development Bank stated Chinese President Xi Jinping. ii. The announcement came amid questions over the relevance of BRICS and China's commitment to its New Development Bank (NDB) in light of the Belt and Road initiative and the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 The 9th BRICS Summit was held in China.  Xi Jinping is the President of China.

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4. Nepal Signs UN Development Assistance Plan i. Nepal has signed a USD 635 million UN assistance package for 2018-2022 to lay out the country‟s development strategy for the next five years. The package involves 26 individual UN agencies. ii. The National Planning Commission, apex advisory body of the Government of Nepal, and the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Nepal signed the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF).

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 The Chairman of the National Planning Commission is Swarnim Wagle.  Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

5. National Nutrition Week: 1st-7th September i. The National Nutrition Week is observed throughout the country from 1st to 7th September. The theme of the National Nutrition Week for 2017 is "Optimal Infant & Young Child Feeding Practices: Better Child Health". ii. The basic objective of this annual event is to intensify awareness generation on the importance of nutrition for health which has an impact on development, productivity, economic growth and ultimately National development.

6. Kenneth I. Juster Named U.S Ambassador to India i. Kenneth I. Juster, deputy director of the National Economic Council at the White House, has been nominated as the next U.S ambassador to India. ii. The appointment will take effect once the U.S Senate confirms him. The post has been vacant since January 20, 2017.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Donald Trump is the Present and 45th President of America.

7. Fincare Small Finance Bank Starts Banking Operations i. Fincare Small Finance Bank (previously known as Disha Microfin Limited) kick-started its banking operations with about 25 operational branches across Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. ii. The bank was given final small finance bank (SFB) license from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in May 2017.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Rajeev Yadav is the CEO of Fincare Small Finance Bank.  It is headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

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8. Karnataka Gvmt Launches Unified Health Scheme „Arogya Bhagya‟ i. Karnataka government will merge the existing seven health schemes to launch a unified health scheme- „Arogya Bhagya‟. It will cover all 1.4 crore households of the state. ii. The main theme of the „Arogya Bhagya‟ scheme is ”Treatment First and Payment Next”. According to the Law Ministry, the State Cabinet had given administrative sanction for the unified schemes and it will come to effect from 1st November.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Siddaramaiah is the Present CM of Karnataka.  Vajubhai Vala is the Governor of Karnataka.

9. Karnataka Bank Bags IDRBT Award i. Karnataka Bank has bagged the „best bank‟ award among small banks for the use of technology for financial inclusion at the 13th IDRBT Banking Technology Excellence Awards 2016-17. ii. Mahabaleshwara MS, MD & CEO of the bank, received the award from Sudarshan Sen, Executive Director of RBI, in Hyderabad.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Karnataka Bank Headquarters in Mangaluru.  Mr.Mahabaleshwara M.S is the MD & CEO of Karnataka Bank.

10. Hyderabad Airport Bags Energy Efficiency Award i. Hyderabad International Airport Ltd has bagged the National Award for „Excellence‟ in Energy Management at a conference hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). ii. The event held here focused on recognizing companies that are engaged in energy efficiency initiatives and displaying commitment towards energy conservation.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL) is a company promoted as a joint venture comprising the GMR Group (63%) in partnership with Government of India (13%), Government of Telangana (13%) and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (11%).

11. Star India Bags IPL Media Rights i. Star India edged out Sony Pictures to secure the Indian Premier League's media rights with a bid of Rs 16,347.50 crore. The bidding for various media rights of the cash-rich league was held in Mumbai for a five- year period from 2018-2022.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY SEP 17 CURRENT AFFAIRS ii. The winning bid will allow Star India to air content on their properties for a period of five years (2018- 2022). The second highest bid was made by Sony, who bid Rs. 11,050 crores, for the rights. However, Sony‟s bid was for the Indian region only as compared to Star‟s bid which is global.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 In 2008, Sony Pictures Network won the IPL media rights for a period of 10 years with a bid of Rs 8200 crore.

12. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, 1st Wicketkeeper to Effect 100 Stumpings i. Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni became the first wicketkeeper in world cricket to effect 100 stumpings in One Day Internationals (ODIs). Dhoni achieved the feat in his 301st ODI in Colombo, Sri Lanka. ii. 36-year-old Dhoni has also taken 281 catches apart from scoring 9,657 runs so far. In 90 Tests, Dhoni has taken 256 catches and effected 38 stumpings. In T20 Internationals, Dhoni has taken 43 catches and affected 23 stumpings.

Important Takeaways From Above News-

 Former Sri Lankan Skipper Kumar Sangakkara is on the second position with 99 Stumpings on his name.

13. India, 1st Visiting Country to Inflict 5-0 Whitewash on Sri Lanka i. India has whitewashed host Sri Lanka 5-nil in One Day International cricket series. By winning all the 5 games, India became the first visiting country to inflict a 5-0 defeat on Sri Lanka. ii. India had, earlier, also whitewashed the 3-match Test series. Indian Captain Virat Kohli made 30th ODI hundred in his only 194th game and is now jointly second highest in list of century makers alongside Ricky Ponting with only Sachin Tendulkar (49 hundreds) ahead of him.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Jasprit Bumrah was named as the Player of ODI Series.

14. Pulitzer-Prize Winning Poet John Ashbery Passes Away i. Pulitzer-prize winning poet John Ashbery, a post-modern American trailblazer, has passed away at age of 90 in Hudson, New York. ii. His 1975 collection "Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror" made history when he became the lone writer to earn three major accolades the same year for the same work: the Pulitzer in addition to a National Book Award and a National Book Critics Circle Award.

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Important Takeaways From Above News-

 In 2012, Ashbery received the National Humanities Medal from then-president Barack Obama.

05th September 2017 1. National Teachers' Day: 5th September i. Teacher's Day is celebrated in India on 5th September in honor of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who was born on September 5, 1888. Dr. Radhakrishnan was India's second president and a great scholar, philosopher and Bharat Ratna recipient. ii. Since 1962, India has commemorated his birth anniversary. Teachers Day is an occasion to pay reverence to the teachers and convey them that they hold special respect in our hearts. Celebrating Teachers Day is acknowledged by UNESCO and fairly popular in several countries across the globe.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Dr. S. Radhakrishnan was the first Vice-President of India.

2. „Prakriti Khoj‟- An Environment Quiz on Teachers‟ Day i. The Union Environment Ministry launched an environmental awareness initiative on the occasion of Teachers‟ Day. Under the initiative, an online environmental quiz competition named Prakriti Khoj will be conducted at the national level. ii. The objective of the quiz is to generate interest among school children about the science related to the environment. The initiative is to motivate children towards environment conservation-oriented lifestyles.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Dr. Harsh Vardhan is the present Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.

3. Peggy Whitson Returns to Earth i. Astronaut Peggy Whitson returned to Earth. Finishing a 288-day mission that put her over the top as the American who has spent the most cumulative amount of time in space. ii. Peggy Whitson, 57, is also the oldest female astronaut in the history of space exploration, was the first female International Space Station commander, and holds the record for number of spacewalks by a woman.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Robert M. Lightfoot Jr. is an engineer and the Acting Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

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4. President Laid Foundation Stone of SAUNI Yojana i. President Ram Nath Kovind laid the foundation stone of the second phase of link IV pipeline canal of Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation (SAUNI) Yojana in Rajkot, Gujarat. ii. The first phases of link I, II, and III of the SAUNI Project have been inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The project is aimed at bringing the waters of Narmada River to the reservoirs of parched Saurashtra region. President Kovind was on a two- day visit to Gujarat.

Important Takeaways From Above News-

 O. P. Kohli is the Governor of Gujarat.

5. Union Health Ministry Launched Two New Contraceptives Antara and Chhaya i. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched two new contraceptives- an injectable contraceptive MPA under the „Antara‟ program and a contraceptive pill „Chhaya‟ in the public health system to expand the basket of contraceptive choices for couples. ii. These contraceptives have been launched in 10 states including Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Haryana, West Bengal, Odisha, and Goa. The „Antara‟ injectable is effective for three months and the „Chayya‟ pill is effective for one week.

Important Takeaways From Above News-

 Jagat Prakash Nadda is the Present Cabinet Minister of Health and Family Welfare.

6. RBI Includes HDFC Bank in 'too big to fail' List i. RBI included HDFC Bank in the list of 'too big to fail' lenders, referred to as D-SIB or domestic systemically important bank. India's largest lender SBI and private sector major ICICI Bank were classified as D-SIBs in 2015. ii. With the inclusion of HDFC Bank in the list, there will now be three 'too big to fail' financial entities in the country.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Aditya Puri is the CEO of HDFC Bank.  It headquarters in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

7. UNESCO Announced Winners of Literacy Prizes i. UNESCO has announced the winners of the 2017 International Literacy Prizes, which honors excellence and innovation in the field of global literacy. The awards will be handed out to five laureates from Canada, Colombia, Jordan, Pakistan and South Africa on the occasion of International Literacy Day, which falls on September 8. ii. The prizes are divided into two categories-

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1. The UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy sponsored by China, and

2. The King Sejong Literacy Prize sponsored by South Korea. iii. This year‟s Confucius Prize is given to the AdulTICoProgram from Columbia, The Citizens Foundation from Pakistan, and the FunDza project from South Africa. The King Sejong prize is shared by the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance from Canada and the We Love Reading program from Jordan.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization.  Irina Bokova is the Present Director-General of UNESCO.

8. Sankara Narayanan Takes Charge as MD & CEO of Vijaya Bank i. R A Sankara Narayanan has taken charge as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Vijaya Bank. He has taken over the reigns of the bank from Kishore Sansi, who reached superannuation on August 31. ii. He joined Bank of India as a direct recruit officer in 1983 and has headed various branches.

Important Takeaways From Above News-

 Vijaya bank headquarter is in Bengaluru.  Vijaya bank was founded in 1931 by A.B. Shetty.

9. TMB Gets New MD & CEO i. KV Rama Moorthy has assumed charge as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Tamilnad Mercantile Bank. ii. Prior to joining TMB, he was Executive Director of United Bank of India. He succeeds HS Upendra Kamath. Rama Moorthy‟s appointment is for a period of three years.

Important Takeaways From Above News-

 Tamilnad Mercantile Bank is Headquartered in Tuticorin, Tamilnadu.

10. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore Appointed as New Sports Minister i. Olympic silver-medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore being appointed as the new Youth Affairs and Sports Minister. The 47-year-old Rathore was up until now serving as the Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting. ii. Rathore also won multiple medals at the Commonwealth and Asian Games. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2005.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore won a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games.

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11. Amritpal Singh, First Indian to be Signed by Australian Basketball Team i. Captain of Indian basketball team Amritpal Singh created history by becoming the first Indian player to be signed by an Australian Basketball team. ii. He will be a part of the Sydney Kings during their pre-season tour where they will also take on the game against Utah Jazz side. Born in a village of Punjab, Singh initially played for the Pune Peshwas in the Indian Basketball League.

12. Konsam Ormila Devi Wins Gold at Commonwealth Youth Weightlifting Championship i. India‟s Konsam Ormila Devi bagged a gold medal in 44kg weight category on the opening day of the Commonwealth Youth (boys & girls) weightlifting championships, held at Gold Coast, Australia. ii. Ormila lifted 57kg in snatch and 76kg in clean and jerk for an overall effort of 133kg, to finish on the top of the podium. With this effort, Ormila has registered her best lift so far.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Malcolm Turnbull is the PM of Australia.

13. Arunachal Pradesh Health Minister Passes Away i. Arunachal Pradesh Health and Family Welfare Minister Jomde Kena died at a private hospital in Guwahati after a prolonged illness. ii. 52-year-old Kena, a resident of Gensi village in Lower Siang district was undergoing treatment at Guwahati for the past one month.

Important Takeaways From Above News-

 Pema Khandu is the Present CM of Arunachal Pradesh.  P.B. Acharya is the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh.  PM Modi has recently inaugurated India's Longest Bridge named after Assam Singer Bhupen Hazarika over River Lohit in Assam.

14. DBS Bank Gets RBI Nod for Subsidiary in India i. DBS Bank India, part of Singapore-based financial services group DBS Group Holdings, has received in- principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to convert its existing India franchise to a locally incorporated wholly-owned subsidiary (WOS) in India. ii. In its guidelines, the RBI had pointed out that the WOS model for foreign banks in India would involve local incorporation, a local board of directors, and a ring-fenced capital and assets profile that would not be affected by the impact of global events on its parent.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Piyush Gupta is the CEO of DBS Group.

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 Headquarter of DSB Bank is in Wognum, Netherlands.

06th September 2017 1. 9th BRICS Summit 2017 Highlights i. The 9th BRICS Summit was held from 3rd to 5th September in Xiamen, China. The Summit had five participating countries namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The summit was hosted by China for the second time after the 2011 Summit. ii. The theme of the 2017 BRICS Summit was “BRICS: Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future”.

2. List of MoUs Signed During Visit of PM Modi to Myanmar i. After attending the BRICS Summit in China, PM Modi left for his three-day visit to Myanmar. He was received by the Myanmar President Htin Kyaw. Following set of agreements were signed between the two nation.

1. MoU on Maritime Security Cooperation 2. Cultural Exchange Programme for the year 2017-2020. 3. MoU on Enhancing the Cooperation of the Upgradation of the Women's Police Training Centre at Yamethin, Myanmar. 4. MoU for Sharing White Shipping Information between the Indian Navy and Myanmar Navy 5. Technical Agreement for providing Coastal Surveillance System 6. MoU between the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), Ministry Of Health and Family Welfare of the Republic of India and Food and Drugs (FDA), Ministry of Health and Sports of Myanmar on Cooperation in Medical Products Regulation. 7. Exchange of Letter for Extension of MoU on the establishment of MIIT 8. Exchange of Letter for Extension of MoU on the establishment of India-Myanmar Center for Enhancement of IT-Skill 9. MoU in the field of elections between the Election Commission of India and The Union Election Commission of Myanmar. 10. MoU on Cooperation between Myanmar Press Council and the Press Council of India.

3. Yogi Adityanath and Rajnath Singh Flagged-off Lucknow Metro i. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and UP CM Yogi Adityanath jointly flagged off its commercial run. ii. The 8.5-km 'priority corridor' from Transport Nagar to Charbagh will be operational from 6 am to 10 pm daily. Rs. 6,00,080 crore has been spent in the Lucknow Metro Project.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Chennai, Delhi, Bangalore, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Kolkata, Kochi and Jaipur already had Metro Services in India.  With the inclusion of Lucknow Metro, now India has total 9 Cities that has Metro Service.  Kolkata was the first city to have Metro Rail Service in India.

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4. Sushma Swaraj to Attend 3rd Eastern Economic Forum in Russia i. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived in Russian port city of Vladivostok on a three-day visit to attend the third Eastern Economic Forum which will deliberate on pressing issues relating to global trade. Delegates from at least 24 countries are attending the gathering. ii. She will also hold bilateral talks with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. The Eastern Economic Forum is considered as the biggest international communication platform for cooperation between businesses leaders and senior government representatives from Russia, the Pacific Region and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Vladimir Putin is the Present President of Russia.  Moscow is the Capital of Russia.

5. NHAI Awards First International Project in Myanmar to Punj Lloyd-Varaha i. The National Highway Authority of India has awarded its first international project in Myanmar to a joint venture of Punj Lloyd-Varaha. This is for the upgradation of the Yagyi–Kalewa section in Myanmar to two lanes with earthern shoulder in the engineering, procurement, and construction mode. ii. The 120-km-long project was estimated to cost Rs. 1,177.02 crore and is to be completed within 36 months. Punj Lloyd-Varaha‟s bid was identified as the most competitive among four qualified bidders. It was at Rs. 1,177 crore.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Nitin Jairam Gadkari is the Cabinet Minister of Road Transport and Highways.

6. Narayana Murthy Receives PLuS Alliance Prize i. Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy and Mumbai-born scientist Veena Sahajwalla have been conferred the PLUS Alliance Prize. ii. The Prize of USD 50,000 was awarded in two categories; Education Innovation and Research Innovation. Murthy was presented the PLuS Alliance Prize for Global Leadership while Professor Sahajwalla was awarded the PLuS Alliance Prize for Research Innovation for her project 'The new science of green manufacturing,'

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 PLuS Alliance Prize is a prestigious honor that recognizes Research Innovation, Education Innovation, Global Leadership and Global Innovation.

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7. Surya Kiran: Indo-Nepal Joint Military Exercise i. The 12th edition of India-Nepal joint military exercise- Surya Kiran XII was held at Nepal Army Battle School (NABS) in Saljhandi, Nepal. The 14-day exercise focused on skills required counter-terrorism and counter-terror, forest fighting and natural disaster management operations. ii. The Surya Kiran series of bilateral military exercises are conducted bi-annually, alternatively in India and Nepal. It is the largest exercise in terms of troop‟s participation in series of military training exercises undertaken by India with various countries.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Bidhya Devi Bhandari is the present President of Nepal.  The Capital of Nepal is Kathmandu and its Currency is Nepalese Rupee.

8. Reliance General Insurance Gets IRDAI Nod for IPO i. Reliance General Insurance has received in-principle approval from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) for its initial public offering (IPO). ii. The insurance firm, which is a 100 per cent subsidiary of Reliance Capital, is expected to list during the ongoing fiscal. Reliance Capital plans to dilute about 25 per cent of its holding in the insurer. Currently, ICICI Prudential Life is listed on the stock exchange, while Max Life insurance is indirectly listed through holding company Max Financial Venture.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 T S Vijayan is the Present Chairman of IRDAI.

9. China Bans Raising Funds Through Cryptocurrencies i. China has banned individuals and organizations from raising funds through Initial Coin Offerings (ICO), or launches of digital currencies, saying the practice constituted illegal fund-raising. ii. ICOs have become a bonanza for digital currency entrepreneurs, globally and in China, allowing them to raise large sums quickly by creating and selling digital “tokens” with little or no regulatory oversight.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Xi Jinping is the Present President of China.  Renminbi is the Currency of China.

10. Indian Shooter Ankur Mittal Wins Double Trap Silver at ISSF World Cup i. India‟s Ankur Mittal won his maiden ISSF World Cup medal by clinching silver in the double trap event of the edition being held in Moscow.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY SEP 17 CURRENT AFFAIRS ii. Mittal scored 74 points in the final round and fell an agonizing one point short of tying with the eventual gold medallist from Australia, James Willett. His 75 points is also a new world record.

07th September 2017

1. India and Japan Agree to Collaborate in Defence Production i. India and Japan have agreed to collaborate closely in defense production, including on dual-use technologies. ii. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and his Japanese counterpart Itsunori Onodera signed the agreement during India-Japan annual defense ministerial dialogue in Tokyo. The two sides also agreed to ramp up counter-terror cooperation, besides deepening engagement among navies, air forces and ground forces of the two countries.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Shinzo Abe is the present Prime Minister of Japan.  The Capital city of Japan is Tokyo.

2. Ashok Leyland Inks Pact with Rosoboronexport, ELCOM i. The defense entity of Hinduja Group flagship company Ashok Leyland had signed an MoU with Rosoboronexport, Russia, to supply tracked vehicle solutions to the armed forces. ii. Rosoboronexport (ROE) is the only State organization in Russia for export of the entire range of military products and technologies. Ashok Leyland signed another MoU with ELCOM Group which is also emerging as a significant player in strategic electronics, avionics, and tactical communication globally.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Rosoboronexport represents Russian companies engaged in the manufacturing of main battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and is currently working with the Indian Army.

3. BSNL, Coriant Tie up to Chart 5G i. State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) entered into an agreement with US-based networking solutions provider Coriant to chart the path to 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) in India. ii. The MoU was signed between BSNL and Coriant for laying the foundation for innovation in network architectures and services leveraging 5G, IoT, Software Defined Networking/Network Functions Virtualization (SDN/NFV), and mobile edge computing technologies.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Chairman & Managing Director of BSNL is Shri Anupam Shrivastava.

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4. Exide Life, PMC Bank Tie up i. Exide Life Insurance has announced a partnership with Punjab & Maharashtra Co-operative Bank (PMC Bank) to offer its protection and savings products to the latter‟s customers. ii. PMC Bank is a multi-State scheduled urban cooperative bank with 127 branches spread across Maharashtra, Delhi, Karnataka, Goa, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Exide Life Insurance works with around 50 banks.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Exide Life Insurance Company Limited commenced its operations in 2001-02.  It is head quartered in Bengaluru.  Kshitij Jain is the MD and CO of Exide Life Insurance.

5. NITI Aayog Constitutes Expert Task Force on Employment & Exports i. NITI Aayog has constituted an Expert Task Force to provide a major thrust to job creation by enhancing India‟s exports. It will be headed by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Dr. Rajiv Kumar. ii. Members of the Task force include CEO, NITI Aayog, Secretaries of Departments of Commerce, Industrial Policy and Promotion, Economic Affairs and Textiles. Leading economists and industry experts are also members of the Task Force, which will submit its report by November 2017.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Narendra Modi is the Chairman of NITI Ayog.  On 1 January 2015, a Cabinet resolution was passed to replace the Planning Commission with the newly formed NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India).

6. UJALA Scheme Launched in Melaka, Malaysia i. Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), under Ministry of Power, Government of India has launched UJALA (Unnat Jyoti by Affordable Lighting for All) Scheme in the State of Melaka, Malaysia. ii. The Scheme was launched by Chief Minister of Melaka Datuk Seri Utama Ir. Hj. Idris Bin Hj. Haron. Under this scheme, each household in Melaka will get 10 high-quality 9-watt LED bulbs.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 PM Modi on January 5, 2015, had launched the world's largest, and most extensive LED distribution program, UJALA (Unnat Jyoti by Affordable Lighting for All).

7. Andhra Pradesh Signs MoU to Build India's First Hyperloop i. The Andhra Pradesh government has signed an MoU with the US-based Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT)to build India's first Hyperloop system. The planned project is aimed at connecting cities

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Amaravati and Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, supposedly covering the distance of over 35 km in just five minutes. ii. The AP Economic Development Board (AP-EDB) and HTT signed the MoU in Amaravati. Under the MoU, a six-month feasibility study would be conducted from October.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 N. Chandrababu Naidu is the CM of Andhra Pradesh.  E. S. L. Narasimhan is the Governor of Andhra Pradesh.

8. Indo-US Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2017 i. A joint military training, Exercise Yudh Abhyas-2017 will be conducted at Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington, USA from 14 to 27 September 2017 between India and the USA. ii. .Exercise Yudh Abhyas is one of the largest joint running military training and defense corporation endeavors between India and USA. This will be the 13th edition of the joint exercise hosted alternately between the two countries.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Donald Trump is the 45th President of USA.

9. SBI Life Insurance Gets SEBI approval for Rs 8,400 crore IPO i. SBI Life Insurance has received approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India for an IPO (Initial Public Offering) of up to Rs 8,400 crore ($1.3 billion). ii. The IPO will involve 120 million secondary shares or 12 per cent of the insurer's equity capital. State Bank of India which currently owns 70.1 per cent of the insurer, will sell 80 million shares and BNP Paribas Cardif, holder of a 26 per cent stake, will sell 40 million.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Mr. Arijit Basu is the MD & CEO of SBI Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

10. GIFT City Wins ASSOCHAM Services Excellence Awards i. India‟s first operational Smart City and IFSC, Gujarat International Finance-Tec City (GIFT City), has won the prestigious Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) Services Excellence Award. ii. At a summit held in New Delhi, GIFT SEZ was honored for its contribution to the growth of the International Financial Services and Technology Hub in India.

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Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Ajay Pandey is the Managing Director and Group CEO of GIFT City.  GIFT City, India‟s first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC)

11. Parineeti Chopra, First Indian Woman Ambassador For Tourism Australia i. Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra has been appointed as the first Indian woman ambassador in 'Friends of Australia' (FOA) advocacy panel by Tourism Australia. ii. The 'Friends of Australia' program has been devised as a way of fostering mutually beneficial, long-term friendship with those that Tourism Australia regards as unique storytellers. The panel also includes influential personalities like chef Sanjeev Kapoor and cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Malcolm Turnbull is the PM of Australia.  Canberra is the Capital of Australia.

12. Shyam Saran's Book 'How India Sees the World' Launched i. The book of Former Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran named “How India Sees the World: Kautilya to the 21st Century”- was launched by former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. ii. In the book, Mr. Saran records the crucial meeting of the CCS (Cabinet Committee on Security) on the eve of India-Pakistan Defence Secretary-level talks in May 2006.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is the present Foreign Secretary of India.

13. India to Host Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in 2019 i. India will host the 2019 edition of the Commonwealth (Youth, Junior and Senior) Weightlifting Championships. ii. The Executive Board of Commonwealth Weightlifting Federation met at Gold Coast, Australia and decided to allot the 2019 edition of the competitions to India. The current edition of the tournament is being held at the Gold Coast, Australia.

14. N. Baijendra Kumar Assumes Charge as NMDC Chief i. N Baijendra Kumar, an IAS officer of 1985 batch of Chhattisgarh cadre, has assumed charge as Chairman and Managing Director of NMDC Ltd. ii. Prior to joining NMDC, he was holding the post of Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister, Chhattisgarh.

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Important Takeaways from Above News-

 NMDC stands for National Mineral Development Corporation.

08th September 2017 1. International Literacy Day: 8th September i. The 51st International Literacy Day is being celebrated on 8th September at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The theme announced by UNESCO is `Literacy in a digital world. ii. On this day, in the year 1965, the World Congress of Ministers of Education met in Tehran for the first time to discuss the program of education at the international level. The UNESCO in its 14th Session in November 1966, declared 8th September as the International Literacy Day.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization.  Irina Bokova is the Present Director-General of UNESCO.

2. Airtel Arm Launches „GST Advantage‟ for SMEs i. Airtel Business, the B2B arm of telecom major Bharti Airtel, has launched Airtel GST Advantage - a solution designed to enable small businesses and start-ups to file their GST returns “accurately, securely and seamlessly.” ii. Launched in partnership with ClearTax, Airtel GST Advantage is being offered free to all existing Airtel Business customers. Airtel GST Advantage offers a three-pronged solution to customers, they can get free and secure access to the GST Network via Clear Tax

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Ashok Ganapathy is the Director & CEO of Airtel Business.

3. Amazon's Largest Fulfilment Center in Hyderabad i. Amazon opened its largest fulfillment center in India on the outskirts of Hyderabad, near the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad. ii. The 400,000 sq feet center with close of 2.1 million cubic feet of storage space is the 5th such centre in Telangana. With this, the US major has ramped up its storage capacity to 3.2 million cubic feet in the State alone.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Jeff Bezos was the Founder of Amazon.  Amazon is an e-commerce company based in the USA.

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4. Nestle Sets up First Food Safety Institute in India i. The new FSSAI CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal inaugurated the Nestle Food Safety Institute in Manesar, Gurugram. It will provide guidance and training on food safety. ii. The FSSAI has been working with Nestle India for setting up the institute at Manesar. While this is the first such institute in India, Nestle already runs a similar Institute each in China and Lausanne, Switzerland.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 FSSAI banned Nestle India Ltd‟s Maggi instant noodles over health and safety worries.

5. India and Sri Lanka Begin Joint Naval Exercise SLINEX 2017 i. Indian Navy and Sri Lankan Navy has begun the 2017 Sri Lanka-India Exercise (SLINEX) at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The exercise will conclude on till 14 September 2017. SLINEX 17 aims at reinforcing strong neighborly ties between both countries underscored by extensive maritime interaction and improved understanding. ii. The exercise will commence with a Harbour Phase, during which, the participants will engage in professional, cultural and social interactions.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 SLINEX series of bilateral maritime exercises was initiated in 2005.

6. ICICI Lombard Gets SEBI Nod for IPO i. ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company has got capital markets regulator SEBI's go-ahead for its estimated Rs 6,000 crore initial public offer (IPO). ii. ICICI Lombard is a joint venture between ICICI Bank and Canada-based Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Ajay Tyagi is the Present Chairman of SEBI.  SEBI was set up on 12th April 1988.

7. Viveck Goenka Elected New PTI Chairman i. Viveck Goenka, Chairman and Managing Director of the Express Group was elected Chairman of Press Trust of India, the country‟s largest news agency. ii. Mr. Goenka succeeds Riyad Mathew, who is Senior Assistant Editor and a member of the Manorama management. N. Ravi, former Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu has been elected as the Vice Chairman of PTI. Mr. Ravi succeeds Mr. Goenka as Vice Chairman.

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8. Ashish Kashyap Resigns as President and Co-founder of MakeMyTrip i. Ashish Kashyap resigned as the President and Co-founder of MakeMyTrip with effect from 30 September 2017. As per the settlement agreement, Kashyap will be under non-solicitation and non-competition obligation for the next two years. ii. Kashyap had assumed the role of President and Co-founder after MakeMyTrip acquired Ibibo Group in October 2016. Kashyap was earlier designated as the Chief Executive Officer of the Ibibo Group.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Leading online travel company was founded in the year 2000 by Deep Kalra.

09th September 2017 1. Fiscal deficit touches 92.4% of budget estimates at July-end i. India‟s fiscal deficit at July -end touched 92.4 % of the budget mainly because of front loading of expenditure by various government departments. In absolute terms, the fiscal deficit- difference between expenditure and revenue - was Rs 5.04 lakh crore during April- July 2017-18, according to the data of Controller General of Accounts (CGA). ii. During the same period of last financial year, 2016-17, it was 73.7 % of the target. For 2017-18, the government aims to bring down the fiscal deficit to 3.2 % of the GDP. Last fiscal, it had met the deficit target of 3.5 % of the GDP.

You must Read Takeaways from the Above News:

 CGA, in the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, is the Principal Accounting Advisor to Government of India and is responsible for establishing and maintaining a technically sound Management Accounting System.  Anthony Lianzuala is the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) under the Finance Ministry.

2. First National Canine Seminar organized by NSG i. The Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri Kiren Rijiju attended the first National Canine Seminar organized by National Security Guard (NSG), in NSG Campus, Manesar (Gurugram), Haryana. ii. The theme of the two days National Canine Seminar is 'Canine as Tactical Weapon in Fight against Terrorism' with an objective to discuss and deliberate on the techniques of dog training and strategies of deploying the dogs in Counter Terrorism/Counter Insurgency scenario.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 The NSG is popularly known as "The Black Cats" of the country.  NSG was set up in 1984 as a Federal Contingency Deployment Force to tackle all facets of terrorism in the country.

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3. Assam Government Signs MoU with Google to Increase Digital Literacy i. In a bid to take Internet connectivity to the remotest part of the state, Assam government signed an MoU with Google India. ii. Through the MoU with Google, the state government would work to provide Internet connection to 26,000 villages and 1,500 tea garden areas to increase digital literacy.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Chief Minister of Assam is Sarbananda Sonowal.  Banwarilal Purohit is the Present Governor of Assam.

4. First water ATM in Hyderabad Inaugurated i. The First water ATM has been inaugurated by Telangana State Home Minister N Narasimha Reddy at Nalgonda X Roads. A total of 200 ATMs will be set up to reach a targeted 150,000 people. In the first phase, 50 water ATMs will be operationalized by 2018. ii. Safe Water Network, an international NGO has partnered with Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to launch water ATMs. It will provide affordable, 24×7 safe water access in Hyderabad.

5. UIDAI Chief A.B. Pandey Appointed Interim GSTN Chairman i. The Unique Identification Authority of India‟s (UIDAI) chief executive officer (CEO) A.B. Pandey was appointed the interim chairman of the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN). ii. This firm provides information technology (IT) backbone and portal for registration and tax returns under the GST regime. Pandey was given additional charge days after GSTN‟s first chairman Navin Kumar completed his term on 29 August.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Navin Kumar former IAS officer from Bihar cadre, was the first chairman of GSTN.  GSTN is a non-government, private limited company.  It was incorporated on 28 March 2013 with the Government of India holding 24.5% equity.

6. US Banking Regulators Shut Down Pakistan‟s Habib Bank i. US banking regulators ordered Pakistan‟s Habib Bank to shutter its New York office after nearly 40 years, for repeatedly failing to heed concerns over possible terrorist financing and money laundering. ii. The state‟s Department of Financial Services, which regulates foreign banks, also slapped a 225 million Dollars fine on the bank.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Habib Bank has operated in the United States since 1978.

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7. Female Wrestler Sonam wins Gold in Cadet World Wrestling Championship i. India Wrestler Sonam Malik won a gold medal by defeating Japanese Wrestler Sena Nagamoto by 3-1 points on the fourth-day of Cadet World Wrestling Championship in Athens. ii. The other female Wrestler Neelam also bagged Bronze Medal in 43-kilogram weight category. Wrestler Anshu will fight for Gold Medal with Japanese Wrestler Naomi Ruike in 60-kilogram weight category.

Important Takeaways From Above News-

 Athens is the capital of Greece.  Alexis Tsipras is the Prime Minister of Greece.

8. Sjoerd Marijne Named New Coach of Indian Men's Hockey Team i. Women's national hockey coach Sjoerd Marijne was named chief coach of the men's side. He has replaced Roelant Oltmans. ii. Besides, World Cup-winning junior team coach Harendra Singh was appointed High-Performance Specialist coach of the senior women's team. The decisions were announced by newly-appointed Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Both Marijne and Harendra have been given a tenure till the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

10th and 11th September 2017 1. Venkaiah Naidu Laid Foundation of Country‟s First „Green-Field‟ Smart City i. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu laid the foundation stone for Ranchi Smart City coming up on the Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC) land. According to the Urban Development Minister CP Singh, this would be the country‟s first „green-field‟ smart city. ii. The smart city is coming up on 656 acres of HEC land which would be fully wi-fi, carbon free, garbage free locality with modernized housing, traffic management system and education hub.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Shri Raghubar Das is the CM of Jharkhand.  Smt Droupadi Murmu is the Present Governor of Jharkhand.

2. Prince Charles Becomes Longest-Serving Prince of Wales i. Prince Charles, the heir to Britain‟s throne, became the longest-serving Prince of Wales in history. The 68-year-old broke the record of Queen Victoria‟s oldest son Albert, who went on to become King Edward VII after holding the title of Prince of Wales for more than 59 years before becoming monarch. ii. Prince Charles is the 21st Prince of Wales in the current line. Prince Charles was created Prince of Wales when he was nine years old on July 26, 1958. He has now held the title for more than 59 years.

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Important Takeaways from Above News-

 The Prince of Wales is historically the title bestowed.  In 1301 Edward of Caernarfon, the future Edward II was invested as Prince of Wales - this was the first time the eldest son of the King of England had been bestowed the title.

3. IndusInd Bank and Bharat Financial Inclusion Sign Exclusivity Agreement for Merger i. Private sector lender IndusInd Bank and India's second largest Microfinance company Bharat Financial Inclusion have signed a confidentiality agreement for the proposed merger between them. ii. The Hinduja Group controlled bank has informed the exchanges about an „exclusivity agreement‟ with the micro lender to explore merger or expansion plans. The deal between the two companies may formalise after due diligence, definitive documentation and their shareholders, regulatory, NCLT and other third-party approvals, as applicable.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 R. Seshasayee is the present Chairman of IndusInd Bank.  It Headquarters in Mumbai.

4. PNB, BSNL Join Hands for Mobile Wallet Speedpay Rollout i. Punjab National Bank and state-run firm BSNL teamed up to roll out open mobile wallet Speedpay across 10 states in the country. PNB Speedway wallet will operate like any other mobile wallet for paying bills, recharging phone besides its users will be able to deposit and withdraw money from authorized retail outlets. ii. Under the agreement, BSNL will expand Speedpay services in Punjab, Chandigarh(UT), Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Uttarakhand.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Sunil Mehta is the MD & CEO of Punjab National Bank.  PNB is headquartered in New Delhi.  Chairman & Managing Director of BSNL is Shri Anupam Shrivastava.

5. Second Indian Workers‟ Resource Centre Inaugurated in UAE i. Indian Ambassador in UAE Navdeep Singh Suri inaugurated the second Indian Workers‟ Resource Centre (IWRC) in UAE to provide support and counseling to Indians in distress. ii. IWRC provides counseling and support to the overseas Indian Community on legal, personal and financial matters, free of cost. IWRC will provide support and guidance to any member of the Indian community in any such distress situation.

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Important Takeaways from Above News-

 The first IWRC was opened in Dubai in 2010.  Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan is the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

6. Defence Minister Flags off Women‟s Circumnavigation Expedition i. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman flagged off the Navika Sagar Parikrama by an all-women crew of Indian Navy aboard Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Tarini from INS Mandovi jetty in Goa. ii. Navika Sagar Parikrama is the first attempt by an Indian all-women crew to circumnavigate the globe. The expedition will cover Australia, New Zealand, Falklands and South Africa. It is expected to be completed in around 160 days. INSV Tarini is skippered by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Admiral Sunil Lanba is the present CNS of Indian Navy.

7. DRDO Carries Out Successful Tests of Nag Missile i. India's indigenously developed third generation anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) Nag has been successfully flight tested by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in deserts of Rajasthan, marking the completion of development trials. ii. According to the defence ministry, Nag has been successfully flight tested twice by the DRDO against two different targets in Rajasthan. The missile can hit a target up to seven km.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 S Christopher is the chairman of DRDO.  DRDO Headquarters in New Delhi.

8. Shaheen VI: China-Pakistan Air Forces Joint Exercise i. The air forces of China and Pakistan began a joint training exercise named "Shaheen VI" and deployed their latest fighter jets and AWACS aircraft. China has dispatched J-11 fighters, JH-7 fighter-bombers, KJ-200 AWACS aircraft and ground forces including surface-to-air missile and radar troops. ii. The exercise will run in China. AWACS is Airborne Warning And Control System, a mobile, long-range radar surveillance and control centre for air defence.

Important Takeaways from above News-

 The "Shaheen" joint training between the two militaries which maintain close relations was launched in March 2011.

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9. SEBI Advisory Committee To Discuss Trading Hours Extension i. An advisory committee of the Securities and Exchange Board of India is likely to discuss a proposal for extending stock market trading hours. ii. The stock market in India currently opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 3.30 p.m., but there is a view, including among stock exchanges, that the trade hours could be extended till up to 7.30 p.m. to better align domestic trading with global markets. The 19-member committee is led by Jayanth R Varma, professor, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

Important Takeaways from Above News

 Ajay Tyagi is the Present Chairman of SEBI.

10. US Open Tennis Tournament 2017: Complete List of Winners i. The 2017 US Open was the fourth and final Grand Slam event of the year. It was held on outdoor hard courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, USA. The tournament is an event run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). ii. Rafael Nadal was the winner of Men's Singles. With this win, Nadal captured his third US Open title and his 16th Grand Slam title overall. Sloane Stephens was the winner of Women's Singles. The 83rd-ranked Stephens is only the second unseeded woman to win the tournament in the Open era.

11. India Finishes 5th at Moscow Shotgun World Championships i. India has finished fifth in the medals tally with one gold and two silver medals at the Moscow Shotgun World Championships. Only 16 of the 76 participating nations got amongst the medals and Italy topped the tally with nine gold medals for a total of 17 medals in all. ii. Both their Olympic skeet champions Gabrielle Rossetti and Diana Bacosi were also crowned world champions in the process. The USA stood second with five gold medals for a total of 12. Hosts Russia were third in the overall tally with two golds for a total of eight.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 The Capital of Russia is Moscow.

12. India Win 2nd SABA U-16 Championship i. India has won 2nd South Asian Basketball, SABA, Under - 16 Championship. India defeated Bhutan by 131-50 in its last league match at Kathmandu in Nepal. India remained unbeaten in its all four matches and accumulated 8 points. ii. Bangladesh finished second and host Nepal third. The championship was played in a round robin league format. India has now qualified for 2017 International Basketball Federation, FIBA.

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13. US Open: Sloane Stephens wins Women's Singles Title i. Unseeded American Sloane Stephens lifted the US Open women's singles title. Sloane ranked 83rd completed a spectacular return from injury to beat 15th seed Keys 6-3, 6-0 in the finals. ii. The 24-year-old was ranked as low as 957th six weeks ago went on to become only the fifth unseeded woman to win a major title in the Open era. Sloane stunned Venus Williams in the semifinal.

14. SIM Cards not Linked to Aadhaar to be Deactivated after February 2018 i. The government is moving ahead with linking Aadhaar with mobile SIM cards and all unlinked phones will be deactivated after February 2018. ii. Aadhaar mobile linkage is being done as per the orders of Supreme Court passed in February 2017 in Lokniti foundation case and all SIM cards have to be verified with Aadhaar within a year from the date of judgement, with all unlinked phones to be deactivated after February next year.

12th September 2017 1. Belarus President on Two-Day Visit in India i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Belarus President Aleksandr Grigoryevich Lukashenko in New Delhi to discuss various issues of mutual interest of both countries. A number of agreements are expected to be signed in several areas after the talks. ii. Mr. Lukashenko‟s visit is significant as it taking place in a year when Belarus and India are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Minsk is the Capital city of Belarus.  Its Currency is Belarusian ruble.

2. British Parliament Passed EU Withdrawal Bill i. The Government‟s bid to extract the UK from EU law in time for Brexit has passed its first Parliamentary test. The EU Withdrawal Bill was backed by MPs by 326 to 290. The bill, which will end the supremacy of EU law in the UK, now moves onto its next Parliamentary stage. ii. Previously referred to as the Great Repeal Bill, the EU Withdrawal Bill overturns the 1972 European Communities Act which took the UK into the then European Economic Community. It will also convert all existing EU laws into UK law, to ensure there are no gaps in legislation on Brexit day. Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Theresa May is the Present PM of the United Kingdom.

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3. India, Afghanistan Exchange Four Pacts i. India and Afghanistan exchanged four pacts in areas of health, transport, space and new development partnership. The agreements were exchanged after delegation level talks between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Salahuddin Rabbani in New Delhi. ii. Mr. Rabbani was on the three-day visit to India. India will supply wheat to Afghanistan in coming weeks through Chahbahar port.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Kabul is the Capital City of Afghanistan.  Ashraf Ghani is the President of Afghanistan.

4. National Pension Scheme Upper Age Limit Raised to 65 i. The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) announced that the upper age limit for joining the National Pension Scheme (NPS) had been raised to 65 years, from the current 60. ii. NPS is currently open for people between 18 and 60, and the Board has approved raising the age limit for joining to 65.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Hemant Contractor is the Chairman of PFRDA.

5. ADB to Provide $152 Million Fund to Nepal i. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide a USD 152 million to Nepal for the implementation and enhancement of its power transmission and distribution. ADB and Nepal‟s Ministry of Finance signed the loan agreement in Kathmandu. ii. The aid will be granted to the Power Transmission and Distribution Efficiency Enhancement Project (PTDEEP) which supports the expansion of the transmission lines in various areas of Nepal.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 ADB headquarters in Manila, Philippines.  Takehiko Nakao is the President of ADB.

6. First Lifetime Achievement Award to Prakash Padukone i. The renowned Indian Badminton legend Prakash Padukone has been selected for the first life time award by Badminton Association of India (BAI). He has been selected for the award for his contributions to Badminton. ii. The award carries a cash prize of 10 lakh rupees with a citation which will be presented to him in New Delhi.

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Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Mr. Himantha Biswa Sarma is the President of Badminton Association of India.  Mr. Padukon was bestowed with the Arjuna award in 1972 and the Padma Shri in 1982.  He also won a gold medal at the 1978 Commonwealth Games.

7. Tahir Mahmood Awarded N R Madhava Menon Best Law Teacher Award i. Eminent jurist Tahir Mahmood was awarded the prestigious N R Madhava Menon Best Law Teacher Award 2017 for his distinguished services to legal education and the legal profession on the occasion of Law Teachers' Day celebrations. ii. The function was organized by the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF) and Menon Institute of Legal Advocacy Training (MILAT).

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 SAARC stands for South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.  The awards are bestowed every year to honor the most deserved law teachers and institutions in India and across the SAARC region.

8. Mother Dairy, Maharashtra Government Tie up For Processing Plant i. The Maharashtra Government and Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetable Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) have signed a lease agreement to set up a state-of-the-art milk and milk products processing plant. ii. As per the MoU, a dairy development initiative will begin in Vidarbha and Marathwada regions to provide access to milk producers to markets in Nagpur and Mumbai.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Devendra Fadnavis is the Present CM of Maharashtra.  C V Rao is the Present Governor of Maharashtra.

9. Infosys Completes Brilliant Basics Acquisition i. India's second largest software services firm Infosys has completed the acquisition of London-based Brilliant Basics. Through this acquisition, Infosys further expands its worldwide connected network of Digital Studios that are focused on fulfilling the needs of global clients for end-to- end digital transformation solutions. ii. Infosys had acquired the company in a cash deal worth GBP 7.5 million, including earn-out and employee retention amounts.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Brilliant Basics was founded in 2012.  Infosys has digital studios across Bengaluru, Pune, New York, London and Melbourne.

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10. HDFC Bank Becomes 2nd Most Valuable Company on BSE i. HDFC Bank surpassed Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to become the country‟s second most valued firm in terms of market valuation. ii. Shares of HDFC Bank gained 0.93 per cent to Rs. 1,840 (its 52-week high) on the BSE. Reliance Industries Ltd is the country‟s most valued firm with a market cap of Rs. 5,33,818.72 crore followed by HDFC Bank and TCS in top three list.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Aditya Puri is the CEO of HDFC Bank.  It headquarters in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

11. Force Motors Chief Abhay Firodia Takes Over as SIAM President i. Force Motors Chairman Abhay Firodia has been elected as the new president of the automobile industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). ii. Firodia headed SIAM in 1990-91 and 1991-92 as well. Mahindra & Mahindra's President-Automotive Sector Rajan Wadhera has been elected as the new vice-president of the organization.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 SIAM is headquartered in New Delhi.

12. Sumit Nagal Wins ITF Futures Tournament i. Sumit Nagal of India blasted Colin van Beem of the Netherlands 6-3, 6-0 in the singles final to justify the top billing in the 8th MCC – S R Subramaniam Memorial ITF Futures Men‟s tennis championship in Chennai. ii. He conceded only nine points while winning the next nine games in a row to win the match. Nagal received USD 2,160 and 18 ITF points for the victory while van Beem received USD.1272 AND 12 ITF points.

13. BWF World Senior Badminton Championships- First Time in India i. The coastal city of Kochi is hosting the BWF World Senior Badminton Championships. The championship is been held in India for the first time. The week-long tournament will see a total of 665 players from 40 countries battle it out. ii. A total of 175 players will represent India including Olympians - Abhinn Shyam Gupta, Nikhil Kanetkar, and V Diju.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 The BWF World Senior Championships are held every two years.  BWF World Senior Badminton Championships 2015 was held in Helsingborg, Sweden.

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14. Airtel Launches 'Office-in-a-Box' Connectivity Solutions i. Airtel has launched 'Office-In-a-Box' for start-ups registered under the Karnataka government‟s Start-Up Cell initiative. ii. Airtel has been selected as the preferred partner for the state government‟s initiative. The Office-in-a-Box suite will be available to the over 100 start-ups registered with the Start-Up Cell and will add to their business efficiency.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Vajubhai Vala is the Present Governor of Karnataka.

15. J&K Bank cuts interest rate on savings account to 3.5% i. Public sector lender Jammu and Kashmir Bank (J&K Bank) has lowered the interest rate on its savings bank accounts by 0.50 per cent to 3.50 per cent with immediate effect. ii. The interest rate cut primarily began with industry leader SBI slashing it 0.50 per cent to 3.50 pr cent for deposits up to Rs. 1 crore.

16. Retail Inflation in August Shoots Up by 3.36% i. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) or retail inflation rose 3.36 per cent in August from a year earlier, government data showed. The current rate of inflation is the highest in five months. ii. The rate, however, is still below the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) medium-term target of 4 per cent. In another set of data, the IIP or Index of Industrial Production for the month of July went up by 1.2 per cent. iii. The cumulative growth in IIP for the period April-July 2017 over the corresponding period of the previous year stands at 1.7 per cent.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Arun Jaitley is the current Finance Minister of India.

13th September 2017

1. Japan PM Shinzo Abe in Ahmedabad for India-Japan Annual Summit i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi received his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe at Ahmedabad in Gujarat. Mr. Abe is in India on a two-day visit to attend the India-Japan annual summit meeting. ii. The 12th edition of the summit will be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. iii. They will also attend a function to mark the commencement of work of India‟s first high-speed rail project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Tokyo is the Capital of Japan.

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 The Japanese Yen is the third most traded currency in the world.

2. India, Belarus Sign Ten MoUs i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Belarus President Aleksandr Grigoryevich Lukashenko in New Delhi and discussed various issues of mutual interest of both countries. A number of agreements were signed in several areas after the talks. ii. Mr. Lukashenko‟s visit was significant as it took place in a year when Belarus and India are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. iii. Following Agreements/MoUs were signed:

1. MoU between the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus

2. MoU between the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship of the Government of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Education of the Government of the Republic of Belarus for Cooperation in the Field of Vocational Education and Training

3. Agreement on Scientific and Technical Cooperation between Indian National Science Academy (INSA) and the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus

4. MoU between Indian Council of Agricultural Research, India and Belarusian State Agricultural Academy, Gorki, Belarus for Cooperation in Agricultural Research and Education

5. Protocol amending the Agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmer‟s Welfare of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Belarus signed on April 16, 2007

6. Programme of cooperation between the Government of Republic of India and the Government of Republic of Belarus in the field of culture for 2018-2020

7. MoU between M/o Petroleum & Natural Gas of the Republic of India and Belarusian State Concern of Oil and Chemistry in the Oil and Gas Sector

8. MoU between JSV "Belzarubezhstroy” and National Buildings Construction Corporation Ltd.

9. MoU between JSC Belarusian Potash Company (BPC) and Indian Potash Ltd (IPL)

10. Agreement on the implementation of MoU signed between OJSC Minsk Tractor Works and Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd. India in Pune

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Minsk is the Capital city of Belarus.  Its Currency is Belarusian ruble.

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3. Sri Lankan President Sacks Deputy Tourism Minister i. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has sacked his deputy Tourism Minister Arundika Fernando for allegedly defying the party leadership. ii. He is the second top Minister removed from the government in less than a month. The President‟s Office stated Arundika Fernando has been dismissed from his portfolio with immediate effect.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 The capital of Sri Lanka is Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.  This is the administrative capital where most of the administrative institutions exist including Parliament of Sri Lanka.

4. Halimah Yacob- 1st Female President of Singapore i. Halimah Yacob was sworn-in as the 8th President of Singapore. She became the country‟s first female President and the first in five decades to come from the Malay ethnicity. ii. She was certified by the Presidential Elections Commission as the only eligible candidate, and since she has no opponent, there was no election held.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Halimah Yacob held the key government post of Speaker of Parliament since 2013.  Singapore dollar is the Currency of Singapore.

5. State Startup Conference in New Delhi i. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Government of India organized the second State Startup Conference in New Delhi. The Minister of State, C.R. Choudhary inaugurated the conference. The conference was held mainly to deliberate on issues including incubation facilities and making regulations easier for budding entrepreneurs. ii. The discussions were centered on four main themes related to key components of the startup ecosystem:

1. Governance reforms to be undertaken by states for start-ups. 2. Incubation facilities in India and role of state governments in developing these facilities. 3. Role of state governments in setting up funds for start-ups. 4. Making regulations easier for Start-ups.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Shri Suresh Prabhu is the present Minister of Commerce and Industry.

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6. Kochi to Host Coastal Shipping and Inland Water Transportation Summit i. Kochi will host the fifth edition of the „Coastal Shipping and Inland Water Transportation Business Summit 2017‟. The summit will be an initiative to explore the immense potential of coastal shipping and waterways as well as an effort to build a shared commitment and decipher the role that each stakeholder will have to play in integrating the coastal and waterways transport infrastructure. ii. Kerala Governor P Sathasivam will present the India Seatrade Award for Excellence in Coastal Shipping & Inland Water Transportation.

7. FM Constitutes GoM to Monitor IT Challenge in GST i. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi to monitor and resolve the IT challenges faced in the implementation of GST. ii. The GoM will be assisted by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN). Besides, a Committee on Exports has also been constituted under the convenorship of the Revenue Secretary Dr.Hasmukh Adhia to look at the issues of export sector and to recommend the GST Council suitable strategy for helping the export sector in the post-GST scenario.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 The Committees have been set up in pursuance of the decision taken at the 21st Meeting of GST Council held in Hyderabad.  GST Council is headed by Finance Minister of India, Arun Jaitley.

8. London- World's Top Financial Center i. London retained its crown as the world‟s top financial center in a ranking that surveys industry professionals, extending its lead over New York and Hong Kong despite ongoing uncertainty about the implications of Brexit. ii. The U.K. capital fell only two points in the latest Global Financial Centres Index published by Z/Yen and the China Development Institute, the smallest decline among the top 10 centers. New York held on to second place. In Asia, Hong Kong leapfrogged Singapore into third place.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Theresa May is the PM of the United Kingdom.  London is the capital city of the UK

9. Government Launches Hackathon to Promote App Ideas i. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) launched a nationwide Hackathon „OpenGovDataHack‟ to support and showcase potential ideas/talent from inner India.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY SEP 17 CURRENT AFFAIRS ii. As part of the start-up eco-system development program, the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) have collaborated to conduct the Hackathon at Jaipur, Chennai, Noida, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Hyderabad, and Surat.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad is the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology.

10. RBI to Introduce Rs 100 Coin to Mark MG Ramachandran‟s Birth Centenary i. As per the notification of Finance Ministry, the Reserve Bank of India will introduce 100 rupees coin to mark the birth centenary (hundredth anniversary) of AIADMK founder Late Dr. M G Ramachandran. ii. On the obverse, the face of the coin will bear Lion Capitol of Ashoka Pillar in the center with Satyamev Jayate inscribed below on it in Devanagari script. It will also bear the rupee symbol and denominational value of 100. iii. On the reverse side, the portrait of Dr. MG Ramachandran will be in the center. The standard weight of the coin will be 35 grams.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 RBI Headquarters in Mumbai.  The 24th Governor of RBI is Dr. Urjit Patel.

11. Turkey Signs Deal to Buy Russian S-400 Missile Systems i. Turkey has signed a deal with Russia to buy S-400 missile defence systems in its first major weapons purchase from Moscow, according to the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan. ii. The accord for the surface-to-air missile defence batteries is Ankara's most significant pact with a non-NATO supplier.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Turkey is a NATO member since 1952.

12. Bharti Airtel, SK Telecom Team up i. Telecom services provider, Bharti Airtel and SK Telecom of Korea have announced a strategic partnership under which Airtel will leverage the latter's expertise to build advanced telecom network in India. ii. SK Telecom is Korea‟s largest telecommunications company. The two companies will also collaborate on an ongoing basis to evolve standards for 5G and Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV).

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 SK Telecom was established in March 1984.

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 Bharti Airtel is Headquartered in New Delhi.  Gopal Vittal is the MD & CEO (India and South Asia) of Bharti Airtel.

13. Paytm Partners with NPCI i. Paytm Payments Bank (PPB) has partnered with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to launch a RuPay-powered digital debit card. With the PPB Digital debit card, customers will now be able to transact at all merchants who accept credit and debit cards. ii. Existing Paytm users need to complete a KYC process to become an account holder with PPB. Following this, they will be issued a free digital RuPay card.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 As a payments bank, PPB can take a demand deposit of up to Rs 1 lakh per customer, but it cannot undertake lending activities.  PPB launched its services in May 2017.  Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma owns 51 per cent stake in PPB while One97 Communications which runs Paytm owns the remaining 49 per cent.

14. PayU Ties up With IRCTC i. Payment gateway provider PayU has announced its collaborations with the IRCTC to provide users a safe and secure option to pay for rail tickets booked via the IRCTC website. ii. PayU will now be available as a payment option under the Multiple Payment Services (MPS) option on the IRCTC website at the payment stage of booking an e- ticket.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 IRCTC stands for Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation.  Shri Piyush Goyal is the present Minister of Railways.

14th September 2017 1. Shinzo Abe Gujarat Visit: India's First Bullet Train Project Inaugurated i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe laid the foundation stone of the 508-km long Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail in Ahmedabad. ii. The two leaders visited the Sabarmati Ashram after Abe‟s arrival in Gujarat. The Japanese Prime Minister is on a two-day visit to Gujarat. He will also attend the 12th Indo-Japan Summit. iii. About the Bullet Train Project in Brief-

1. It is 508-km long High-Speed Rail that will run between Mumbai-Ahmedabad. 2. The cost of the project is Rs 1,10,000-crore. 3. Once complete, the train which will have a top speed of 350 km per hour will reduce travel time between the two cities to around 2 hours from the existing 7 hours.

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4. The Project is scheduled to complete by December 2023 (Tentative). 5. The project is mostly on Japanese soft loan.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Tokyo is the Capital of Japan.  The Japanese Yen is the third most traded currency in the world.

2. Hindi Diwas: 14 September i. Hindi Diwas is an annual observance in India which is a celebration of the Hindi language. Celebrated on September 14 every year, Hindi Divas is an annual day celebration mostly sponsored by the central government of India. ii. The celebration of Hindi Diwas first began in 1949 when the Constituent Assembly of India had adopted Hindi written in Devanagari script as the official language of the Republic of India on September 14.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 September 14, 1949, marked the 50th birthday of Beohar Rajendra Simha, who made vital contributions to highlight the importance of Hindi and push it to be the official language of the country.

3. India‟s First Advanced Homoeopathy Virology Lab in Kolkata i. India‟s first State of art virology laboratory at Dr Anjali Chatterjee Regional Research Institute for Homoeopathy in Kolkata was inaugurated by Shripad Yesso Naik, Union Minister of State for AYUSH. ii. The laboratory, established at a cost of Rs. 8 crore is the only one in India for conducting basic and fundamental research in Homoeopathy for viral diseases like influenza, Japanese encephalitis, dengue, chikungunya and swine flu.

4. Karnataka, 1st Indian State to Approve e-vehicle Policy i. Karnataka is the first state to roll out an Electric Vehicle and Energy Storage Policy that looks not only at boosting sales of Electrical Vehicles but also setting up charging infrastructure and special manufacturing zones. ii. Karnataka is looking to attract investments to the tune of Rs 31,000 crore from companies looking at R&D and manufacturing of electric vehicles in the state.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Siddaramaiah is the present CM of Karnataka.  Vajubhai Vala is the Governor of Karnataka.

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5. Shinzo Abe Gujarat Visit: Complete List of MoUs Signed i. The Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe is on the Two-Day visit to India. In his first move, he has inaugurated the first High-Speed Rail Project of India that will run between Mumbai to Ahmedabad. ii. Here is the complete list of MoUs/Agreements signed during the visit of Prime Minister of Japan to India.

6. Global Human Capital Index: India at 103, Norway Tops i. India has been placed at a low 103 rank, the lowest among BRICS economies, on the World Economic Forum's Global Human Capital Index. The list has been topped by Norway. ii. The list takes into account "the knowledge and skills people possess that enable them to create value in the global economic system" to measure the 'human capital' rank of a country. India is ranked lower than its BRICS peers, with Russian Federation placed as high as 16th place, followed by China at 34th, Brazil at 77th and South Africa at 87th place. The report measures total 130 countries.

Top 5 countries in the list are-

1. Norway 2. Finland 3. Switzerland 4. United States 5. Denmark.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 India was ranked 105th on this list last year (2016).  Finland was on the top in 2016 which has pushed by Norway to second place this year.  World Economic Forum (WEF) is headquartered in Geneva.

7. Force Motors, Rolls-Royce Power Tie up i. Pune-based auto firm Force Motors Ltd has entered into a non-binding joint venture agreement with Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG to produce engines for power generation and rail application and complete power generation systems. ii. The joint venture with Rolls-Royce will be the company‟s first step towards diversifying into the non-auto segment. In the joint venture, Force Motors will hold a 51% stake and Rolls-Royce the rest.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Rolls-Royce is a luxury car and aero engine manufacturing company that headquarters in the United Kingdom.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY SEP 17 CURRENT AFFAIRS

8. UN Chief Appoints Peter Thomson as First UN Envoy For Oceans i. The Secretary-General of UN Antonio Guterres has appointed the outgoing president of the General Assembly, Peter Thomson as the first special envoy for the oceans, seeking to galvanize efforts to protect the world's seas. ii. Peter Thomson played a leading role at the first-ever U.N. conference on oceans. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric announced Thompson's appointment. The former ambassador for Fiji (Peter Thompson) will promote action to implement the conference recommendations.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 The United Nations is Headquartered in New York, United States.

9. Sachin Tendulkar Launches Mission 24 i. Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar launched -Mission 24 for Mumbai's M east ward which is known to have one of highest slum population's in the city. ii. The project by NGO Apnalaya and Mumbai first plans to work along with the BMC -as the principal stakeholder over the next 24 months to improve the quality of lives of people living in M east ward of Mumbai.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Devendra Fadnavis is the Present CM of Maharashtra.  C V Rao is the Governor of Maharashtra.

10. Mahendra Pratap Mall Appointed IRCTC CMD\ i. Mahendra Pratap Mall was appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Ltd. ii. He is at present director (finance) in the same organization. The appointments committee of the Union cabinet has approved his appointment to the post for a period of five years, as per the order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 IRCTC was incorporated on 27th September 1999 as an extended arm of the Indian Railways.  Corporate Office of IRCTC is situated at New Delhi.

11. M Nagaraja Sarma, New CMD of United India Insurance i. M. Nagaraja Sarma has been appointed the chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) of the United India Insurance Co. Ltd. ii. Sarma is at present the general manager, Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd. He has been appointed the CMD for five years.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY SEP 17 CURRENT AFFAIRS

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 The Head Office of United India Insurance Co. Ltd. is in Chennai.  United India Insurance Company Limited was incorporated as a Company on 18th February 1938.  General Insurance Business in India was nationalized in 1972.

12. Vijaya Bank Bags Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar i. Vijaya Bank has bagged the first prize under the Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar (Region C) for the year 2016- 17. ii. President Ram Nath Kovind gave away the award to the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, R. A. Sankara Narayanan.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 Vijaya Bank is headquartered in Bengaluru.

13. Paris Officially Awarded 2024 Summer Olympics, Los Angeles Gets 2028 i. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has formally announced that Paris has been awarded the 2024 summer Olympics and Los Angeles has been given the 2028 edition. ii. There were no other candidates for either of the Games and the two cities had worked out a deal in advance. Paris, which has hosted two previous Olympics, will stage the event 100 years after its last Games in 1924 while Los Angeles will also organize its third Games after 1932 and 1984.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

 The president of IOC is Thomas Bach.  It is the first time the IOC has awarded a Games 11 years in advance.

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