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01st January 2018 1. Bans Solo Climbing on Mount Everest i. Nepal has banned solo climbers from scaling its mountains, including Mount Everest, in a bid to reduce accidents. ii. The new safety regulations also prohibit double amputee and blind climbers from attempting to reach the summit of the world's highest peak without a valid medical certificate. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Avtar Singh Cheema was the first Indian to climb Mount Everest successfully.  Mount Everest is the tallest Mountain (by Elevation) in the world. 2. Israel Withdraws from UNESCO i. Israel has filed notice to withdraw from the UNESCO alongside the United States. Israel has blasted UNESCO in recent years the organisation's criticism of Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem and its decision to grant full membership to Palestine in 2011. ii. Israel was the member of UNESCO since 1949. Both Israel and the US have filed its own withdrawal notice in October 2017. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  UNESCO- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.  France's Audrey Azoulay- 11th DG of UNESCO, Headquarters- Paris, France. 3. Arunachal Pradesh Declared Open Defecation Free i. Arunachal Pradesh has been declared open defecation free ahead of the national deadline of October 2, 2019. The milestone was achieved after the state announced an incentive of Rs 8,000 in addition to the Rs 12,000-grant provided by the Centre for building toilets. ii. , Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Haryana were declared open defecation free states in October 2017. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Arunachal Pradesh CM- Pema Khandu, Governor- Brigadier BD Mishra. 4. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe Named ICCR Chief i. National vice-president of the BJP, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, who is also the member of Rajya Sabha has been appointed the President of Indian Council of Cultural Relations. ii. He will replace Lokesh Chandra, who had been appointed by the NDA government in October 2014 and has completed his three-year-term. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Maulana Abul Kalam Muhiyuddin Ahmed was the founder of ICCR.

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 Riva Ganguly Das is the Director General of ICCR. 5. Vidarbha Defeats Delhi to win for the First Time i. Vidarbha have created history by winning the Ranji Trophy for the first time in history with a thumping nine- win over Delhi at the stadium in . ii. Rajneesh Gurbani‘s 6/59, including a hat-trick and a century from Akshay Wadkarwere the key moments in Vidarbha scripting a fairytale . For Delhi, Dhruv Shorey was the star with a century. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam- Rajneesh Gurbani was declared player of the Match.

02nd January 2018 1. SBI Reduces Base Rate and Benchmark Prime Lending Rates Each by 30 bps i. The State Bank of reduced the base rate and benchmark prime lending rates by 30 basis points each, which will benefit nearly 80 lakh customers on the old pricing regime. ii. SBI revised down the base rate to 8.65 percent for existing customers from 8.95 percent, while the benchmark prime lending rates are down from 13.7 percent, to 13.4 percent. The one-year MCLR of the bank stands unchanged at 7.95 percent. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  MCLR stands for Marginal Cost of funds based Lending Rate.  SBI Chairman- Rajnish Kumar, Headquarters- , Established on- 01st July 1955. 2. 1st Draft of National Register of Citizens in Assam Released i. The citizen of Assam witnessed the release of the first draft of National Register of Citizens (NRC) containing the first batch of 19 million names of genuine Indian citizens in compliance with the Supreme Court 's orders. ii. Registrar General of India Sailesh released the document. The first draft has listed 19 million people out of the 32.9 million applicants from within the state as legal Indian citizens. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  The NRC was last updated in Assam way back in 1951.  Assam is the only state in the state that has an NRC. 3. Women & Child Development Ministry Inaugurated Online Portal NARI i. Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi inaugurated an online portal NARI in for the empowerment of women. ii. The portal will provide women with easy access to information on government schemes and initiatives for women. The portal summarises over 350 government schemes and other important information. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  NARI stands for National Repository of Information for Women. 4. Assamese and Manipuri Versions of PM Modi‘s Official Website Launched

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- JANUARY 2018 i. The Assamese and Manipuri language versions of Prime Minister’s Official website- www.pmindia.gov.in were launched. ii. Now the PM INDIA website is available in 11 regional languages namely Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu in addition to English and . 5. Saudi Arabia, UAE Introduce VAT for First Time i. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) introduced value-added tax (VAT). These are the first two countries in the Gulf which have introduced the VAT system. ii. The 5% levy is being applied to the majority of goods and services. Petrol and diesel, food, clothes, utility bills and hotel rooms all now have VAT applied. But some outgoings have been made exempt from the tax or given a zero-tax rating, including medical treatment, financial services and public transport. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  UAE Capital- Abu Dhabi, Currency- Dirham.  Saudi Arabia Capital- Riyadh, Currency- Saudi riyal. 6. Vijay Keshav Gokhale Appointed Foreign Secretary i. Senior diplomat Vijay Keshav Gokhale has been appointed the foreign secretary of India. He has succeeded S Jaishankar. ii. Mr Gokhale served as Indian Ambassador to China, Germany and as Indian High Commissioner to Malaysia in the past. He is at present secretary (economic relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs. 7. Pankaj Jain Assumes Charge as IIFCL Managing Director i. Pankaj Jain, Joint Secretary in the Department of Financial Services (DFS), has assumed charge as the Managing Director of India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL). ii. He will be holding additional charge of IIFCL along with his present position as Joint Secretary at DFS. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  IIFCL is a wholly-owned Government of India company set up in 2006.  IIFCL has been registered as an NBFC-ND-IFC with RBI since September 2013. 8. Indian Golfer Shiv Kapur Wins Royal Cup at Pattaya i. Indian golfer Shiv Kapur won the Royal Cup at Pattaya, which is his third Asian Tour title of 2017. The 35-year-old, who had just one win in almost 11 years till April 2017, has now won three times in last eight months. ii. This latest win marks Kapur’s fourth Asian Tour win and sixth international title as he won twice on European Challenge Tour also. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Shiv Kapur first won on Asian Tour in his debut season in December 2005. 9. Veteran Poet Anwar Jalalpuri Passes Away i. Noted Urdu poet Anwar Jalalpuri passed away at the age of 71 in . He suffered a brain stroke. ii. Anwar Jalalpuri is best known for his translation of shloks of Bhagavad Gita into Urdu verses.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Anwar Jalalpuri was a Yash Bharti Award recipient.

03rd January 2018 1. Centre Unveiled Contours of ‗Electoral Bonds‘ Scheme i. The Centre unveiled the contours of the ‗Electoral Bonds‘ scheme, which seeks to ensure the flow of clean money to political parties, without revealing the donors’ names. ii. As per the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, the electoral bonds will be a bearer instrument in the nature of a Promissory Note and an interest-free banking instrument. A citizen of India or a body incorporated in India will be eligible to purchase the bond from specified branches of the State Bank of India. iii. The bonds can be purchased for any value in multiples of Rs1,000; Rs10,000; Rs1 lakh; Rs10 lakh; and Rs1 crore. 2. Cabinet Nod to India, UK Pact to Improve Public Transport i. The Cabinet has approved the signing and implementation of the MoU between Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and ‗Transport for London‘ to improve public transport in the country. ii. The MoU is aimed at improving the overall public transport system, improve passenger services and promote the use of high capacity buses in India.  Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam- 'Transport for London’ is a statutory body established under the Greater London Authority Act, 1999 (UK) to improve public transport in India. 3. GAIL Commissions India's Second-Largest Rooftop Solar Plant in UP i. State-owned gas utility GAIL India Ltd has commissioned the country's second-largest rooftop solar power plant in Uttar Pradesh. ii. The firm has installed a 5.76 MWp (Mega Watt peak) solar plant at its petrochemical complex at Pata in Uttar Pradesh. The plant over the roofs of warehouses covers a total area of 65,000 square meters. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Tata Power Solar commissioned a 12 MW solar rooftop project in , Punjab which is India's largest rooftop solar plant.  GAIL- Gas Authority of India Limited. 4. Karnataka to Hold 'Largest B2B Travel Event' in the Country i. The Karnataka government announced that 'Karnataka International Travel Expo' (KITE) will be held from February 28, billing it as the "largest" B2B travel event in the country. ii. The aim of the event is to project Karnataka globally and attract tourist footfall, with emphasis on promoting the state's wildlife, luxury and adventure destinations, historical monuments and UNESCO world heritage sites. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Karnataka CM- Siddaramaiah, Governor- Vajubhai Vala.

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5. 171st Araadhanai Music Festival Begins in Tamil Nadu i. The 171st Araadhanai Music Festival of one of the Trinities of Carnatic music Saint Thyagaraja begins in Thiruvaiyaru, Tamil Nadu. The festival was inaugurated by Governor Banwarilal Purohit. ii. The main function of the festival is the choral singing of Thyagaraja’s five kritis in Ghana ragas. Over 1,000 musicians from all over the world are expected to pay homage to Saint Thygaraja during the course of the five-day festival. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Tamil Nadu CM- Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Governor- Banwarilal Purohit. International News 6. Six Countries Enter UN Security Council i. Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, Peru, Poland and the Netherlands formally joined the ranks of the non- permanent members of the United Nations Security Council to make a difference. ii. The UN Security Council has 15 members, including five with permanent seats who have the power to veto resolutions - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. The six countries who left the UN Security Council recently are Egypt, Italy, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  The UN Security Council held its first session on 17 January 1946 in London. 7. UNESCO Enters Turkey's Endangered 'Bird Language' in Intangible Cultural Heritage List i. The unusual and very efficient whistle language commonly called "bird language" used as a means of communication by villagers in remote northern Turkey entered the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. ii. UNESCO has accepted the "bird language" of Black Sea villagers as an endangered part of world heritage in need of urgent protection. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Turkey Capital- Ankara, Currency- Turkish lira, President- Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 8. State Bank Allows use of Chinese Currency Yuan for Bilateral Trade & Investment Activities i. Pakistan has allowed Chinese currency Yuan for exports and financing transactions. According to Pakistan, external affairs ministry, both public and private sector enterprises of Pakistan and China are free to choose Yuan for bilateral trade and investment activities. ii. As per current foreign exchange regulations, Chinese Yuan is an approved foreign currency for denominating foreign currency transactions in Pakistan. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Pakistan Capital- Islamabad, Currency- Pakistani rupee.  Chinese Capital- Beijing, President- Xi Jinping. Banking/ Economy/ Business News 9. India's GDP Growth at 6.5% in FY18, will Accelerate to 7.6% in FY20: HSBC i. As per the HSBC report, India's growth rate is expected to accelerate at around 6.5 percent in 2017-18 and is likely to improve further to 7.6 percent by 2019-20.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- JANUARY 2018 ii. The is expected as key sectors would revive from disruptions related to the implementation of GST and demonetisation. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  HSBC Headquarters in London, United Kingdom.  HSBC was established in 1865 to finance trade between Europe and Asia.  Present CEO of HSBC- Stuart Gulliver. 10. No Charges on Debit Card Transactions up to Rs 2,000: Finance Ministry i. Customers will not have to pay any transaction charges for payments through debit card, BHIM app and other payment made for up to Rs 2,000. ii. Union Cabinet had recently approved a proposal that government will bear the merchant discount rate (MDR) charges on transactions up to Rs 2,000 made through debit cards, BHIM UPI or Aadhaar-enabled payment systems to promote digital transactions. iii. The merchant discount rate (MDR) will be borne by the government for two years with effect from January 1, 2018 by reimbursing the same to banks. 11. HDFC Bank Partners with Rajasthan Govt. to Promote Startup Culture i. HDFC Bank has announced a partnership with Rajasthan Government to promote and nurture startups in the state. ii. Under this partnership, HDFC Bank will team up with the state government to provide end-to-end solutions like current accounts, credit cards and other solutions to startups under its SmartUp programme Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  HDFC Bank- India’s largest private bank by market capitalization  HDFC Bank Chairman- Aditya Puri.  Reserve Bank of India labelled HDFC Bank as ‘domestic systematically important bank’—in other words, 'too big to fail'. 12. SBI, NABARD Tie up to Promote Joint Liability Groups in Bengal i. State Bank of India and NABARD have signed an agreement with five NGOs in Bengal for the promotion of 2,500 joint liability groups (JLGs) in select districts of the State.  ii. JLGs are informal groups of 4-10 members engaged in similar economic activities and willing to jointly undertake the responsibility to repay loans taken by the group from a bank. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam- NABARD-National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development.  NABARD Chairman- Harsh Kumar Bhanwala, Headquarters- Mumbai. 13. RBI Bonds Scheme Being Replaced by 7.75% Savings Bonds Scheme i. According to the Finance Ministry, RBI Bonds Scheme has not been closed but the interest rate on such papers lowered to 7.75 percent. The 8 percent Savings Bonds Scheme, also known as RBI Bonds Scheme, is not being closed but is being replaced by 7.75 percent Savings Bonds Scheme. ii. These taxable bonds are meant for individual other than Non-Resident Indians with no maximum limit for investment.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Arun Jaitley is the Present Finance Minister of India.  R K Shanmukhan Chetty was the first Finance Minister of Independent India. Sports News 14. G Sathiyan Becomes India‘s Highest-Ranked Player in Latest ITTF Rankings i. G Sathiyan has become India‘s highest-ranked player in the latest International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) rankings. He surpasses his compatriot the legendary Sharath Kamal. ii. The current ranking of Sathiyan is 49. As for the women, Manika Batra is topping the world chart among Indians at 62th. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Thomas Weikert Germany is the present President of ITTF.

04th January 2018 1. India-Myanmar Land Border Crossing Agreement Approved i. Cabinet has approved the Agreement between India and Myanmar on Land Border Crossing. ii. It will also facilitate movement of people on the basis of valid passports and visas which will enhance economic and social interaction between the two countries. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Myanmar State Counsellor- Aung San Suu Kyi, Capital- Naypyidaw. 2. Sushma Swaraj Embarked on Tour of 3 Southeast Asian Nations i. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj left on a 5-day visit to three South East Asian countries – Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore. On the first leg of the visit, Ms Swaraj will reach Thailand and will hold an official meeting with Thai Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai. ii. During the visit to Indonesia, Ms Swaraj will co-chair the 5th meeting of India-Indonesia Joint Commission. In Singapore, the External Affairs Minister will inaugurate the Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas of ASEAN countries. She will have bilateral meetings with the leaders in Singapore. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Thailand Capital- Bangkok, Currency- Thai baht.  Indonesia Capital- Jakarta, Currency- Indonesian rupiah. 3. MoU between India and Israel on Cooperation in Oil and Gas Sector Approved i. Cabinet has approved the signing of MoU between India and Israel on cooperation in the Oil and Gas Sector. ii. The cooperation envisaged under the agreement will facilitate promotion of investments in each other’s countries, technology transfer, R&D, conducting joint studies, capacity building of human resources and collaboration in the area of Start-ups. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Israel President- Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister- Benjamin Netanyahu, Currency- Israeli new shekel.

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4. Namami Gange Projects Worth Rs. 295 crore Approved by NMCG i. National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has approved five projects worth Rs. 295.01 crore. ii. Three projects pertain to sewage management in at an estimated cost of Rs 278.6 crore, one relates to sewage management in Uttarakhand at an estimated cost of Rs 4.68 crore and one project worth Rs 11.73 crore is related to ghat improvement works in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Water Resources and Ganga Rejuvenation Minister- Nitin Gadkari.  Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister- Uma Bharti. 5. Health Ministry and Tata Memorial Centre Launches India's First Digital Online Oncology Tutorial i. Smt Preeti Sudan, Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) launched the country‘s first digital Online Oncology Tutorial Series designed by the Tata Memorial Center in collaboration with the Health Ministry. ii. The oncology tutorial series aims to train the doctors across the country to educate them in early detection, prevention, palliation, rehabilitation and treatment of various cancers. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. Banking/ Economy/ Business News 6. RBI Initiates PCA Against Allahabad Bank i. The Reserve Bank of India has initiated 'prompt corrective action' (PCA) against Allahabad Bank over its high bad loans. ii. High net non-performing assets (NPA) and a negative return on assets (ROA) for two years in a row have prompted the action. The action would help improve its risk management, asset quality and profits. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  There are total 11 banks on which RBI has initiated PCA till date.  Allahabad Bank MD & CEO- Usha Ananthasubramanian, Headquarters- . 7. NABARD Sanctioned Rs 372.51 crore to Odisha i. The NABARD has sanctioned Rs 372.51 crore loan assistance under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) to Odisha towards irrigation and rural bridge projects for the last quarter of this fiscal. ii. NABARD has also sanctioned 14 Rural Bridge Projects under Biju Setu Yojana with RIDF loan assistance of Rs 242.34 crore. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  NABARD- National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development.  NABARD was established on 12 July 1982.  Headquarters- Mumbai, Chairman- Harsh Kumar Bhanwala. 8. Andhra Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank Introduces Desktop ATMs in Rural India i. The Andhra Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank (APGVB) has operationalised its first desktop ATM in Telangana. The mini-ATM within the branch premises will facilitate customers to withdraw small amounts.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- JANUARY 2018 ii. With these ATMs, there will be no need for separate ATM rooms, so there is no security issue. This initiative is the biggest under the SBI and among the best regional rural banks (RRBs). Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Andhra Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank Chairman- Narasi Reddy.  Currently, there are 56 RRBs operational in India. 9. IICA, IPPB Sign MoU to Provide Training on Payment Banking i. The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) and India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) signed an agreement for the training of employees of the latter in the area of payment banking. ii. Under the agreement, IICA has been entrusted with the key responsibility of capacity building of IPPB through training of its officials/employees besides providing research support by instituting Research Chairs in the emerging area of payment banking. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  MD & CEO of India Post Payments Bank- Suresh Sethi.  DG & CEO of IICA- Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh. Appointments 10. Rajinder Khanna Appointed Deputy National Security Adviser i. Rajinder Khanna was appointed the deputy National Security Adviser (NSA). He was the former chief of the country’s external intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). ii. Mr Khanna is at present officer on special duty (Neighbourhood Studies) in the National Security Council Secretariat. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  The National Security Council is headed by the prime minister.  It is the apex body on all internal and external security-related matters.  National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is its secretary.

05th January 2018 1. World's Biggest Cleanliness Survey 'Swachh Sarvekshan 2018' Launched i. The world's biggest cleanliness survey 'Swachh Sarvekshan Survey 2018' was launched in India by PM Narendra Modi. It will be conducted from the 4th of January to 10th of March. ii. The cleanliness survey was launched in 2016 as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission. The main objective of Swachh Survekshan is to encourage large-scale citizen participation and create awareness towards making towns and cities a cleaner and better place to live in. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Under the first survey, Swachh Survekshan-2016, 73 cities and all the state capitals were ranked. Mysuru had topped the list.  In Swachh Survekshan-2017, 434 cities and all the state capitals were ranked. Indore had emerged as the cleanest city.

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2. India Excludes Pakistan from a SAARC Initiative i. India has excluded Pakistan from the list of SAARC member countries with which it will be connecting its state- of-the-art National Knowledge Network (NKN) for sharing scientific databases and remote access to advanced research facilities. ii. The government has kicked off the process of appointing a telecom company that will connect and extend the NKN to research and education networks in six South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation member states- Afghanistan, , Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and . Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  NKN is a multi-gigabit pan-India network which facilitates the development of India's communications infrastructure, stimulates research and creates next-generation applications and services.  SAARC- South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.  The SAARC Secretariat is based in Kathmandu, Nepal. 3. to Host 3rd Edition of Science Film Festival i. Goa will be hosting the third edition of the Science Film Festival of India in January 2018. The festival, titled SCI- FFI Goa, is being organised by the state-based Vidnyan Parishad, Goa Department of Science and Technology. ii. The competition aims to boost the culture of science films, all the films submitted should be related to science and technology. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Goa CM- Manohar Parrikar, Governor- Mridula Sinha. 4. India‘s Gross Enrolment Ratio in Higher Education up by 0.7% i. The country‘s Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education has registered an increase from 24.5% in 2015-16 to 25.2% in 2016-17, according to the All India Higher Education Survey (AIHES) launched by Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar. ii. According to AIHES of 2016-17, Tamil Nadu has the highest GER in the country at 46.9%. Bihar has the least GER of 14.9%.  Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam- GER is a statistical measure for determining the number of students enrolled in undergraduate, postgraduate and research level studies within the country and is expressed as a percentage of the population. Banking/ Economy/ Business News 5. India GDP Growth Likely at 6.5% in 2017-18: CSO i. The Indian economy will expand by 6.5% in 2017-18, according to the new data of the government’s Central Statistics Office (CSO). It had released its first advance estimate for India’s GDP growth rate in the current financial year. ii. The economy had grown by 6.3% in the September quarter, after slumping to a three-year low of 5.7% GDP growth in the June quarter as the implementation of goods and services tax (GST) and demonetisation took their toll. The Indian economy grew at 7.1% in 2016-17.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Arun Jaitley is the present Finance Minister of India. 6. RBI Introduces New Rs10 Banknote in Mahatma Gandhi Series i. The Reserve Bank of India will shortly issue Rs10 denomination banknotes in the Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series. ii. The new denomination has the motif of Sun Temple, Konark on the reverse. The base colour of the note is Chocolate Brown. The dimension of the banknote will be 63 mm x 123 mm. Sports News 7. Meghalaya signs host city contract for 39th National Games in 2022 i. Meghalaya signed the Host City Contract with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) for hosting the 39th National Games in 2022. ii. The tripartite contract was signed between the IOA, the Meghalaya State Olympic Association and the state government. Meghalaya had successfully co-hosted the South Asian Games in 2017. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Meghalaya CM- Mukul Sangma, Governor- Ganga Prasad.

06th January 2018 1. West Bengal CM Unveils Official Emblem of West Bengal Government i. West Bengal Chief Minister unveiled the official emblem of the state government, which was recently approved by the centre. ii. The logo highlights the Ashoka emblem on the top with the theme of "" at the centre. Ms Banerjee has also contributed to the design of the emblem. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Keshri Nath Tripathi is the present Governor of West Bengal. 2. World Book Fair Begins in Delhi i. The World Book Fair started in New Delhi. Environment issues like climate change, global warming, and water pollution will be the main theme for this year’s Fair. ii. The annual book fair will see around 800 publishers from across the country in different languages. 3. Defence Ministry Clears Arms Procurement Contracts worth Rs2,420 crore for Navy and Army i. Defence Ministry has cleared contracts worth 2,420 crore rupees for Navy and Army which includes the procurement of P-8I Training Solution and Low-Intensity Conflict Electronic Warfare System (LICEWS). ii. The training solution accurately simulates P-8I aircraft and mission systems. It will help Indian Navy train and realistically rehearse for sophisticated missions involving P-8I aircraft. The procurement of LICEWS will be done from Bharat Electronics Limited for 470 crore rupees. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Bipin Rawat is the present chief of Army staff.  Sunil Lanba is the present chief of Naval staff.

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International News 4. Sushma Swaraj 3 Nation Visit: Co-Chairs Meeting of India-Indonesia Joint Commission i. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj who is visiting Indonesia as part of her three-nation tour, co-chaired the fifth meeting of the India-Indonesia Joint Commission with her Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi. ii. Both the countries agreed to work together for a balanced and sustainable trade by providing greater market access, both in goods and services. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Indonesia Capital- Jakarta, Currency- Indonesian rupiah, President- Joko Widodo. 5. Himalayan Hydro Expo 2018 Kicked off at Kathmandu i. The Himalayan Hydro Expo 2018 kicked off at Kathmandu, the capital Nepal. President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari inaugurated the exhibition. ii. The basic objective of Expo is to unleash massive hydropower potential of Nepal and bring all stakeholders under one roof. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Nepal Capital- Kathmandu, Currency- Nepalese rupee, Prime Minister- Sher Bahadur Deuba. 6. Iceland Becomes 1st Country to Legalise Equal Pay i. Iceland has become the first country in the world to legalise equal pay between men and women. In Iceland now it will be illegal to pay men more than women for the work. ii. Under the new rules, companies and government agencies employing at least 25 people will have to obtain government certification of their equal-pay policies. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Iceland has been ranked by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as the world's most gender-equal country.  Iceland Capital- Reykjavik, President- Guoni Th. Johannsson. Banking/ Economy/ Business News 7. TIHCL Gets RBI Nod to Operate as NBFC i. Telangana Industrial Health Clinic Ltd (TIHCL), a State government initiative, has got RBI clearance to register and function as a non-banking finance company (NBFC). ii. It will be the first State promoted and co-financing NBFC. It had won the SKOCH Platinum Award in September 2017 under the smart governance category in the MSME segment. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  TIHCL‘s Advisor and Director- B Yerram Raju. 8. Paytm Payments Bank, IndusInd Tie up for FD Facility i. Paytm Payments Bank has partnered Induslnd Bank to introduce a facility to create a fixed deposit (FD) when the customer balance exceeds Rs. 1 lakh at the end of the day. ii. Paytm Payments Bank customers can redeem their deposits instantly, anytime without paying any pre-closure or miscellaneous charges and can earn up to 6.85 percent annual interest.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Paytm Payments Bank MD and CEO- Renu Satti.  IndusInd Bank Chairman- R. Seshasayee, Headquarter- Mumbai, Owner- Hinduja Group. Awards 9. MAS Chief Ravi Menon Named Best Central Bank Governor in Asia-Pacific i. The managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Ravi Menon, has been named the best central bank governor in Asia-Pacific for 2018 by UK-based magazine, The Banker. ii. Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat was also given this award in 2011 when he was then MAS's managing director. 07th and 08th January 2018 National News 1. Bilateral Annual Haj 2018 Agreement between India and Saudi Arabia Signed i. According to the Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Saudi Arabia has given the green signal for India’s decision to revive the option of sending Haj pilgrims through sea route also. ii. The practice of ferrying Haj pilgrims between Mumbai and Jeddah by waterways was stopped in 1995. For the first time, Muslim women from India will go to Haj without ―Mehram‖ (male companion). Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Saudi Arabia Capital- Riyadh, Currency- Saudi riyal. 2. Indian Navy Signs MoU with Cochin Port Trust i. The Indian Navy has inked an MoU with the Cochin Port Trust (CPT), Kerala towards leasing of 228 metres of berths at Mattancherry Wharf for a period of five years. ii. The MoU has been concluded to cater for the futuristic requirements of the Navy with the sizeable increase in its fleet scheduled in the near future. This is the first time such an agreement has been signed between the Navy and CPT.  Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam- Cochin Port Trust Chairman- P.Raveendran.  Admiral Sunil Lanba is the present Chairman of Indian Navy. 3. Haryana Becomes First State to Launch High-Risk Pregnancy Portal i. Haryana has become the first state in the country to launch High-Risk Pregnancy (HRP) Portal. This portal not only helps in early identification of high-risk pregnant cases up to the grass-roots level but also ensures their timely referral to the civil hospitals for further management and by specialists. ii. This innovative web application has been designed to track every high-risk pregnant woman till 42 days after delivery. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Haryana CM- Manohar Lal Khattar, Governor- Kaptan Singh Solanki. 4. India‘s Second FTII to be Set up in Arunachal Pradesh i. Minister of State (I/C) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region Jitendra Singh announced that Arunachal Pradesh would get its first Film and Television Institute, being set up by the Union Government.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- JANUARY 2018 ii. This would be the second such one in the country. The first Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) was set up in . Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  FTII Pune Established in - 1960, Current Chairman - .  FTII is an autonomous institute operating under the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. Awards 5. Golden Globe Awards 2018: The Complete List of Winners The 75th Golden Globe Award ceremony was held in Los Angeles, the USA. ―Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri‖ dominated the 2018 Golden Globes, taking home four statues, including best drama, best screenplay, and acting awards for Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell in the drama category. Seth Meyers hosted the star-studded show. Here is the Complete List of Winners of Golden Globe Awards 2018- 1. Best motion picture, drama: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. 2. Best motion picture, musical or comedy: Lady Bird. 3. Best director, motion picture: Guillermo del Toro, ―The Shape of Water‖. 4. Best performance by an actress in a motion picture, drama: Frances McDormand. 5. Best performance by an actor in a motion picture, drama: Gary Oldman. 6. Best performance by an actress in a motion picture, musical or comedy: Saoirse Ronan. 7. Best performance by an actor in a motion picture, musical or comedy: James Franco. 8. Best motion picture, animated: Coco 9. Best motion picture, foreign language: In the Fade 10. Best television series, drama: The Handmaid‘s Tale, Hulu 11. Best performance by an actress in a television series, drama: Elisabeth Moss. 12. Best performance by an actor in a television series, drama: Sterling K. Brown. Banking/ Economy/ Business News 6. All You Need to Know About New Rs10 Banknote in Mahatma Gandhi Series i. The Reserve Bank of India has announced to issue Rs10 denomination banknotes in the Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series. The new denomination has the motif of Sun Temple, Konark on the reverse, depicting the country's cultural heritage. ii. The base colour of the note is Chocolate Brown. The dimension of the banknote will be 63 mm x 123 mm. Sports News 7. Philippe Coutinho Joins Barcelona, Becomes 2nd Most Expensive Transfer in World Soccer History i. Team Liverpool sold Brazilian football player Philippe Coutinho to Team Barcelona for 160 million Euros ($192 million). With this, transfer of Philippe Coutinho has become the 2nd Most Expensive transfer in World Soccer History. ii. World’s most expensive transfer is Brazilian football player Neymar‘s transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint Germain team in 200 million pounds in 2017.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  FC Barcelona President - Josep Maria Bartomeu  Based in - Barcelona, Spain. 8. Gilles Simon Wins Inaugural Tata Open Title i. Gilles Simon of France has lifted the inaugural Tata Open Maharashtra Tennis trophy. ii. In the summit clash in Pune, the unseeded French player defeated second-seeded Kevin Anderson in straight sets. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Maharashtra Capital- Mumbai, CM- Devendra Fadnavis, Governor- Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao.  Simon is ranked 89 in the world, while Anderson is ranked Fourteen. 9. Federer-Bencic Lead Switzerland to Hopman Cup Title i. Switzerland won their third Hopman Cup as Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic beat Germany's Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber in the deciding mixed doubles to secure a 2-1 victory in the final at the Perth Arena. ii. It was Federer's second Hopman Cup triumph after victory in 2001 alongside then world number one Martina Hingis. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  The capital of Switzerland is Bern.  The Association of Tennis Professionals was formed in September 1972. 10. Sports Minister Rathore Launches 'Khelo India' Logo i. The vibrant Khelo India logo, reflecting the freshness, agility and vitality of New India was launched at a ceremony by the Union Minister of State ( I/C) Youth Affairs and Sports Rajyavardhan Rathore in New Delhi. ii. The logo also conveys an impression of fitness and competitiveness. The three-stroke Khelo India logo, designed by Ogilvy India, has in-built modularity, allowing plenty of adaptability and flexibility into endless pictorial forms. 11. Elina Svitolina Wins Brisbane International i. Elina Svitolina secured her first WTA title in with a straight-sets victory in the Brisbane International final. Svitolina beat Belarusian qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich. ii. Nick Kyrgios moved a step closer to claiming his first ATP title on home soil with a semifinal win over defending champion, Grigor Dimitrov. He will face American Ryan Harrison in finals. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Elina Mykhaylivna Svitolina is a Ukrainian professional tennis player.  The Association of Tennis Professionals was formed in September 1972. Obituaries 12. NASA's Astronaut John Young Passes Away i. Legendary astronaut John Young, who walked on the Moon and later commanded the first space shuttle flight, has died at 87. ii. Young was the only agency astronaut to go into space as part of the Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle programs and the first to fly into space six times. He was the ninth man to walk on the Moon.

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09th January 2018 National News 1. PM Modi Inaugurates 1st PIO Parliamentary Conference in Delhi i. PM Narendra Modi inaugurates the first Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) Parliamentary Conference in Delhi on the occasion of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. The day is celebrated every year to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community in the development of India. ii. It also commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from to Mumbai on 9 January 1915. In the Conference, the biggest delegation was from Guyana with 20 members of parliament and three mayors. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  This year a special regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to commemorate 25 years of partnership between India and the Association of South East Asian Nations Submit (ASEAN) is being held in Singapore.  Established in 2003, and sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India, the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is held from 7-9 January every year. 2. India‘s 1st Multi-Petaflop Supercomputer ‗Pratyush‘ Dedicated to Nation i. Union Minister of Earth Sciences Dr Harsh Vardhan dedicated India‘s fastest and first multi-petaflops supercomputer named ‗Pratyush‘ to the nation in Pune. It is established at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune. ii. It will be a national facility for improving weather and climate forecasts and services under the umbrella of the Ministry of Earth Sciences. 3. In a First, Delhi Government Launches Common Card for Bus & Metro Rides i. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal launched a common card for rides on public buses and the metro. Delhi is the first city in the country to have a common mobility card. ii. The card, which will function like a debit card, will be operational in all DTC and cluster buses from April 2018. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Transport Minister of Delhi- Kailash Gahlot.  Lieutenant Governor of Delhi- Anil Baijal. 4. Indian Railways Launches Transparent and Efficient ―New Online Vendor Registration System‖ i. Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO), the research arm of Ministry of Railways, has launched ―New Online Vendor Registration System‖. ii. Public access to the information, expeditious process completion with defined timelines, simplification of procedures, round-the-year services, availability of all related information on RDSO Website, constant monitoring at all levels, reduction in cycle timelines, regular updating of online data, user-friendly interface etc. are the hallmarks of the new system. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Research Designs & Standards Organisation headquartered in Lucknow.  Minister of Railways & Coal- Shri Piyush Goyal.

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International 5. World‘s Largest Ice Festival Held in China i. World‘s largest Ice Festival 'International Ice and Snow Festival' was held in Harbin, China. This is one of China’s coldest cities in the winter. It is the 34th annual Ice Festival in Harbin, north-east China. ii. It features sculptures of Moscow’s Red Square and Bangkok’s Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  China Capital- Beijing, Currency- Renminbi, President- Xi Jinping. Appointments 6. A R Rahman Becomes Sikkim‘s Brand Ambassador i. Music composer A R Rahman became the brand ambassador of Sikkim. The declaration was made by Sikkim CM Pawan Kumar Chamling. ii. Mr Chamling felicitated the legendary music composer during an inauguration of the 11-day Sikkim Red Panda Winter Carnival at Palzor Stadium in Gangtok. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Sikkim Governor- Shriniwas Dadasaheb Patil. Banking/ Economy/ Business News 7. Direct Tax Collections for FY 2017-18 Show Growth of 18.2% up to December, 2017 i. The provisional figures of Direct Tax collections up to December 2017 show that net collections are at Rs. 6.56 lakh crore which is 18.2% higher than the net collections for the corresponding period of last year. ii. The net Direct Tax collections represent 67% of the total Budget Estimates of Direct Taxes for Financial Year 2017-18 (Rs. 9.8 lakh crore). Gross collections (before adjusting for refunds) have increased by 12.6% to Rs. 7.68 lakh crore from April to December 2017. iii. An amount of Rs. 3.18 lakh crore has been received as Advance Tax up to December, 2017 reflecting a growth of 12.7% over the Advance Tax payments of the corresponding period of last year. The growth in Corporate Income Tax (CIT) Advance Tax is 10.9% and that in Personal Income Tax (PIT) Advance Tax is 21.6%. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Arun Jaitley is the present Finance Minister of India. 8. Gujarat Tops Logistics Performance Index Chart: Report i. Gujarat has topped the logistics index chart, according to a Report released by Union Minister for Commerce & Industry Suresh Prabhu in New Delhi. The chart is an indicator of the efficiency of logistical services necessary for promoting exports in particular and economic growth in general. ii. Among 22 states, Gujarat is followed by Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra on the index. iii. Among the Union Territories, Daman & Diu occupied the top slot followed by Delhi and . As regards the hilly states, Tripura was on top followed by Mizoram and Meghalaya. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Gujarat CM- Vijay Rupani, Governor- Om Prakash Kohli.

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Obituaries 9. World Champion Powerlifter Saksham Yadav Passes Away i. Powerlifting world champion Saksham Yadav died of his injuries after the road accident near Delhi. ii. Yadav had won a gold medal for the country in the 2017 powerlifting championship in Moscow, Russia. 10. Peter Sutherland, 1st WTO Director-General, Passes Away i. Peter Sutherland, the first Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), has passed away in Dublin, Ireland. He was 71. ii. Mr Sutherland became Ireland‘s Attorney General in 1981 and served as the European Commissioner for Competition from 1985 to 1989. He left the WTO in 1995. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Dublin is the capital city of Ireland.  Present DG of WTO- Roberto Azevedo.

10th January 2018 National News 1. Important Cabinet Approvals- 10th January 2018 i. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given the following set of approvals. The important Cabinet Approvals are given as follows- The Cabinet has approved- 1. MoU between India and Canada for cooperation in the field of Science & Technology. The MoU will provide a mechanism and help to foster scientific cooperation between R&D and academic institutions of India and Canada. 2. Implementation of CCEA decision on the closure of Tungabhadra Steel Products Limited. 3. Fixed term for Chairperson and Members of the National Trust- Cabinet approved the proposal to amend Section 4(1) and Section 5(1) of the National Trust for the Welfare of Person with Autism, Cerebral Plasy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999 to fix the term of the Chairperson and Members of the Board of National Trust for three years. 2. Karnataka Tops States with Investment Intentions of Rs. 1.49 lakh crore i. Karnataka topped all states with investment intentions of Rs. 1.49 lakh crore till October 2017, according to R V Deshpande, Karnataka Minister for Large, Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development ii. The investment was 43 percent of the country's total investment intentions. Karnataka has topped in FDI inflows and has performed well in exports, contributing about 40 percent in electronics and software services. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Karnataka CM- Siddaramaiah, Governor- Vajubhai Vala. 3. India's 1st All-Women Railway Station in Mumbai Enters Limca Records i. The Matunga suburban station on the Central Railway (CR) has found its way into the Limca Book of Records for having an all-woman staff.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- JANUARY 2018 ii. The achievement comes six months after Matunga became the first railway station in the country to be run by an all- woman staff. The station is being manned exclusively by women staffers since July 2017, a first on the Indian Railways. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Matunga station is situated in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Banking/ Economy/ Business News 4. Paytm Launches Investment Arm, to Invest $10 million i. Paytm has set up a new entity called Paytm Money Ltd that will offer investment and wealth management products and will invest close to $10 million upfront in the new entity. ii. Paytm Money is the fourth product from One97’s stable after Paytm Mall, Paytm Payments Bank and Paytm wallet. It will be available as a separate mobile application to users. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Paytm is run by One97 Communications Ltd.  Vijay Shekhar Sharma is the founder of One97 Communications. 5. Cabinet Approves Amendments in FDI Policy, Policies Further Liberalized i. In the financial year 2016-17, total FDI of US $ 60.08 billion has been received, which is an all-time high. The Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi has approved amendments in FDI Policy and further liberalized few of the policies of FDI. ii. Key Highlights- 1. 100% FDI under automatic route for Single Brand Retail Trading. 2. 100% FDI under automatic route in Construction Development. 3. Foreign airlines allowed to invest up to 49% under approval route in Air India. 4. FIIs/FPIs allowed to invest in Power Exchanges through primary market. 5. Definition of ‘medical devices’ amended in the FDI Policy. Government approval no longer required for FDI in Single Brand Retail Trading (SBRT) Extant FDI policy on SBRT allows 49% FDI under automatic route, and FDI beyond 49% and up to 100% through Government approval route. It has now been decided to permit 100% FDI under automatic route for SBRT. Civil Aviation As per the extant policy, foreign airlines are allowed to invest under Government approval route in the capital of Indian companies operating scheduled and non-scheduled air transport services, up to the limit of 49% of their paid-up capital. However, this provision was presently not applicable to Air India, thereby implying that foreign airlines could not invest in Air India. It has now been decided to do away with this restriction and allow foreign airlines to invest up to 49% under approval route in Air India. Construction Development: Townships, Housing, Built-up Infrastructure and Real Estate Broking Services It has been decided to clarify that real-estate broking service does not amount to real estate business and is, therefore, eligible for 100% FDI under the automatic route.

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Power Exchanges The extant policy provides for 49% FDI under automatic route in Power Exchanges registered under the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (Power Market) Regulations, 2010. It has now been decided to do away with this provision, thereby allowing FIIs/FPIs to invest in Power Exchanges through the primary market as well. 6. Flipkart's PhonePe Inks Pact with FreeCharge i. Flipkart‘s payments arm PhonePe has partnered mobile wallet company FreeCharge to allow the latter’s customers pay for transactions at PhonePe’s partner merchants. ii. According to the deal terms, PhonePe has now enabled its users to link their existing FreeCharge wallets to the PhonePe app. Once linked, PhonePe customers will be able to spend their FreeCharge wallet balance at all online and offline merchant outlets that accept payments via PhonePe. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Phone Pe Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Sameer Nigam.  CEO of Freecharge- Sangram Singh, Owner- Axis bank. 7. PNB Ties up with NSFDC for Assisting SC Families i. Punjab National Bank (PNB) and National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC) have tied up to provide financial assistance for economic empowerment of persons belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) families living below Double Poverty Line (DPL). ii. A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to this effect was signed between PNB and NSFDC. Under this tie-up, PNB would act as a channelising agent for the loan schemes of NSFDC. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  PNB Chairman- Sunil Mehta, Headquarters- New Delhi. 8. World Bank Projects India‘s Growth Rate at 7.3% in 2018 i. World Bank has projected India‘s growth rate at 7.3 percent in 2018 and 7.5 for the next two years. According to the 2018 Global Economics Prospect release, despite initial setbacks from demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax (GST), India’s economy is estimated to have grown at 6.7 percent in 2017. ii. India’s growth potential will be around 7 percent for the next 10 years. In comparison with China, which is slowing, the World Bank is expecting India to gradually accelerate. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  World Bank's Prospects Group Director- Ayhan Kose.  Jim Yong Kim is the 12th President of the World Bank Group.  World Bank Headquarters in Washington DC, USA. Appointments 9. Dilip Asbe Appointed MD & CEO of NPCI i. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has appointed Dilip Asbe as Managing Director and CEO of the organisation. ii. Prior to this, Asbe was CEO-in-charge of NPCI. He had come in place of AP Hota.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  NPCI is an umbrella organisation for retail payment systems in India.  NPCI's Registered Office is in Mumbai. Sports 10. Aditya Mehta Wins Kolkata Open 2018 International Invitation Snooker Championship i. Professional player Aditya Mehta won the Kolkata Open 2018 International Invitation Snooker Championship in the capital city of West Bengal Kolkata. ii. This is his third Kolkata Open title since it’s inception. In the thrilling final he defeated Englishman Professional Player Alfie Burden. 11. Anchal Thakur Bags Bronze, India's 1st International Medal in Skiing i. Aanchal Thakur made history as she won India's first ever international medal in skiing. The 21-year-old Manali resident clinched bronze in the coveted Alpine Ejder 3200 Cup. ii. The Championship was organised by the Federation Internationale de Ski (skiing's international governing body) in Erzurum, Turkey. She won the medal in the slalom race category. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO Exam-  Turkey Capital- Ankara, Currency- Turkish lira.

11th January 2018 National News 1. President Ram Nath Kovind Inaugurated 4th International Dharma Dhamma Conference i. President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated a three-day International Dharma-Dhamma conference at Rajgir in Bihar. ii. The inaugural session was chaired by Mr Kovind. The conference was attended by Sri Lanka‘s foreign Minister Tilak Marapana. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Bihar Governor- Satya Pal Malik, Chief Minister- Nitish Kumar. 2. UIDAI Introduces ‗Virtual ID‘ to Strengthen Privacy and Security of Aadhaar Data i. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has introduced a concept of 'Virtual ID' to further strengthen privacy and security of Aadhaar number holders. The Aadhaar number holder can use 'Virtual ID' in place of an Aadhaar number whenever authentication or KYC services are performed. ii. Aadhaar card holder can generate the Virtual ID from UIDAI website and give for various purposes, including SIM card verification, instead of sharing the actual 12-digit biometric ID. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  UIDAI Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Ajay Bhushan Pandey, Headquarters- New Delhi. 3. Ministry of Railway Launches SFOORTI Application

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- JANUARY 2018 i. The Ministry of Railways has launched Smart Freight Operation Optimisation & Real Time Information (SFOORTI) App for Freight Managers which provides features for monitoring and managing freight business using Geographic Information System (GIS) Views and Dashboard. ii. The major digital initiative is to help plan the traffic flows and optimize freight operations. Salient features of SFOORTI Application are as below: 1. With this application, movement of freight trains on Geographic Information System (GIS) view can be tracked. 2. Both passenger and freight trains can be tracked over Zones/Divisions/ Sections in single GIS View. 3. Comparative Analysis of Zonal/Divisional Traffic. 4. This app provides a Bird’s eye view of all Freight Assets in a single window. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  John Mathai was the first Railway Minister of Independent India.  Piyush Goyal is the present Railway Minister of India. International News 4. Jeff Bezos Becomes Richest Person Surpassing Bill Gates: Bloomberg Report i. Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon has become the richest man in the history, overtaking the wealth Bill Gates ever had to his name, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The Index showed that Bezos' net worth had hit USD 105.1 billion. ii. According to Forbes' tracker, most of Bezos' wealth comes from his 78.9 million shares of Amazon stock. According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the top 3 richest people in the world are Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. 5. South Korea, GCCI Sign MoU for Business Cooperation i. An official delegation from South Korea and the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) signed a MoU for co-operation between industries in Gujarat and the East Asian country, with a focus on automobile, defence and textiles sectors. ii. The main objective of the MoU is to help Gujarat-based small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to explore opportunities through joint ventures with South Korean firms, especially in areas of automobile, defence and textiles. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Gujarat CM- Vijay Rupani, Governor- Om Prakash Kohli. Appointments 6. IOA Appoints Harjinder Singh as 'Chef de Mission' for Winter Olympics 2018 i. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) appointed Harjinder Singh as the Chef De Mission for the 23rd Winter Olympic Games to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea in February 2018. ii. Harjinder Singh is at present the General Secretary in the Ice Hockey Association of India. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  IOA President- Narinder Dhruv Batra.

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7. Indian-Origin Businessman Sunny Verghese Appointed WBCSD Chairman i. Singapore-based Indian-origin businessman Sunny Verghese has been appointed as the Chairman of the Geneva- based World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). ii. He succeeded Paul Polman. Verghese, Co-Founder and the CEO of Singapore's agri-business group Olam International Limited, is the first WBCSD Chair from the agri-sector. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  WBCSD CEO and President- Peter Bakker. 8. Dr Sivan K Appointed New ISRO Chairman i. Noted rocket scientist Sivan K was appointed as the 9th chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He has replaced A.S. Kiran Kumar. ii. The appointment has been made for the tenure of three years. Sivan was the Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Kerala. Sivan joined the ISRO in 1982 in Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) project. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 ISRO was established in 1969.  Founder and 1st Chairman of ISRO- Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai, Headquarters in- Bengaluru, Karnataka.

12th January 2018  . Seshasayee, Headquarter- Mumbai, Owner- Hinduja Group. Appointments 8. V J Mathew Appointed Maritime Board Chairman i. V J Mathew was appointed Maritime Board Chairman. The decision in this regard was taken by the Kerala cabinet. ii.Mathew is the legal consultant of Vizhinjam International container terminal company and Indian Maritime Association Co-President. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Kerala State Maritime Development Corporation Limited is a fully owned Government Company incorporated on 06th December 1994. Obituaries 9. Nuclear Physicist and NIAS Director Baldev Raj Passes Away i. Baldev Raj, the director of the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru, and a renowned administrator of nuclear power technologies in the country has passed away. He was 70 years old. ii. Mr Raj had assumed leadership of the NIAS in 2014. Before that, he was president of research at P.S.G. Institutions (2011-2014). Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  For his contributions to studies of nuclear power and his administration, Raj was conferred the Padma Shri in 2007.

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13th January 2018 National News 1. 4th ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture & Forestry Held in New Delhi i. Agriculture ministers of ASEAN countries met for the fourth sitting in New Delhi. The topic of discussion was based on food and agricultural future developments. ii. On this occasion, Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh stated that India is committed towards the agenda set by United Nations and ASEAN countries have been working together for the prosperity of the agriculture sector as well. International News 2. India Signs Pact with UK on Illegal Migrants i. India has signed an MoU with the United Kingdom to enable the return of illegal Indian migrants within a month of their detection by authorities abroad. ii. Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju confirmed that the pact was signed by him and UK Minister of State for Immigration Caroline Nokes in Britain during his visit along with an Indian delegation. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  UK PM- Theresa May, Capital- London. 3. 'IRON FIST'- The US, Japan Joint Military Drill Begins i. American and Japanese military forces have launched joint exercise named Iron Fist. The 13th annual Iron Fist exercises kicked off in the U.S. western state of California. ii. More than 500 U.S. Marines and sailors are partnering with about 350 members of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force to train in fire support operations and amphibious assaults. Appointments 4. Anil Khanna to Head IOA Finance Commission i. Senior sports administrator Anil Khanna was named Chairman of the Finance Commission of the Indian Olympic Association, which also formed a four-member advisory committee. The advisory committee comprises Tarlochan Singh, GS Mander, S Regunathan and BS Landge. ii. The IOA also formed a Medical Commission and Games Technical Conduct Committee and nominated office bearers of IOA and National Sports Federations (NSFs) to the Committees. 5. Indu Malhotra Becomes 1st Woman Lawyer Directly Appointed for SC Judgeship i. The Supreme Court collegium has recommended the name of senior advocate Indu Malhotra as the first woman lawyer to be directly appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of India. ii. She will be the seventh woman judge since independence to make it to the Supreme Court. At present, Justice R Banumathi is the lone woman judge in the apex court. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  The first woman to be appointed as a judge of the apex court since independence was Justice M Fathima Beevi in 1989.

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Banking/Economy News 6. Retail Inflation Rises to 5.21% in December i. Retail inflation crossed the RBI‘s comfort level and rose to 5.21 percent in December on rise in prices of food items, egg and vegetables, dashing hopes of interest rate cut in the near future. ii. The retail inflation, based on Consumer Price Index (CPI), was 4.88 percent in November. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

 Mr Arun Jaitley is the present Finance Minister of India. 7. India, Top Borrower from China-Sponsored AIIB in 2017 i. India has emerged as a top borrower from the China-sponsored Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) with USD 1.5 billion worth of loans last year and USD three billion more in the pipeline. ii. India's Ambassador Gautam Bambawale met AIIB President Jin Liqun in Beijing and held in-depth talks on deepening India's engagements with the bank. Next to India,Indonesia has emerged as the second largest borrower with about USD 600 million loans. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  AIIB Headquarter- Beijing, China, Commenced operations in- January 2016.  AIIB President- Mr Jin Liqun.

14th and 15th January 2018 National 1. 15th January 2018: 70th Army Day i. The 70th Army Day is being celebrated today (15th January 2018). The day is celebrated to pay homage and salute to the courageous and brave Indian soldiers who have been sacrificing their lives for protecting the country. ii. Every year on this day, the ‘Army Day’ is celebrated to commemorate the day when General (later Field Marshal) K.M Carriappa took over the command of Army from General Sir F.R.R Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief in 1949 and became the first Commander-in-Chief of Indian Army post Independence. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Canara Bank PO Exam 2018-

 Chief of the Army Staff- General Bipin Rawat.

 The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces.

 The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army. 2. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu in India i. India and Israel have agreed to enhance co-operation in the areas of agriculture, science and technology and security. ii. Benjamin Netanyahu, who is the second Israeli PM to visit India after Ariel Sharon, was accorded a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan. The first one took place when PM Narendra Modi visited Israel in July 2017, becoming the first Indian leader to visit the Jewish state. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO Exam 2018-

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 Capital of Israel- Jerusalem

 Currency of Israel- Israeli new shekel Banking/Economy/Business 3. India contributes USD 50,000 to UN Youth Envoy's Office i. India has contributed USD 50,000 to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres's Office of Envoy on Youth to help with its mission of involving young people in the world body's goals. ii. The contribution is voluntary with no strings attached and is in addition to the regular payments India makes to the UN's general and peacekeeping budgets. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Canara Bank PO Exam 2018-

 Headquarters of UN- New York

 The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945.

 It is currently made up of 193 Member States. 4. WEF Ranks India 30th on Global Manufacturing Index i. The World Economic Forum (WEF) has ranked India at 30th position on a global manufacturing index - below China’s 5th place but above other BRICS peers, Brazil, Russia and South Africa. ii. Japan has been found to have the best structure of production in the Geneva-based WEF’s first ‘Readiness for the future of production report’ and is followed by South Korea, Germany, Switzerland, China, Czech Republic, the US, Sweden, Austria and Ireland in the top 10. Among BRICS nations, Russia is ranked 35th, Brazil 41st and South Africa at 45th place. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains Exam 2018-

 WEF was established in 1971.

 The WEF is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation.

 President of the World Economic Forum- Borge Brende. 5. Federal Bank ties up with Hedge Equities i. Federal Bank has entered into a strategic partnership with Hedge Equities Ltd for providing Portfolio Investment Scheme (PIS) services to NRIs. A formal agreement was executed in which Jose K Mathew (EVP & Head Retail Business, Federal Bank) and Alex Babu (MD, Hedge Equities Ltd) exchanged the MoU announcing the tie-up. ii. Federal Bank is authorised by the RBI to issue permission letter to NRIs on behalf of the RBI to transact in secondary market. 6. IDFC Bank, Capital First to merge in Share Swap Deal i. IDFC Bank and Capital First has approved a merger of Capital First with IDFC Bank. Pursuant to the merger which is subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals, IDFC Bank will issue 139 shares for every 10 shares of Capital First. ii. The deal values Capital First - owned more than a third by private equity firm Warburg Pincus - at Rs. 938.25 a share based on the two companies' price and giving the company a market value of Rs. 9,278 crore ($1.46 billion), Reuters calculations showed.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO Exam 2018-

 Chairman and MD of Capital First- V Vaidyanathan

 Headquarters of IDFC Bank- Mumbai

 Founder, MD & CEO of IDFC Bank- Rajiv Lall 7. BSE's India International Exchange Lists IRFC's First Green Bond i. The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)'s India International Exchange listed the first bond on its Global Securities Market. ii. The bonds issued by Indian Railways Finance Corporation (IRFC) are one of the highest credit rated bonds issued by an Indian corporate and has been IRFC's first foray into the Green Bond market. What is Indian Railways Finance Corporation? IRFC is a finance arm of the Indian Railway. S K Pattanayak is Managing Director of IRFC. IRFC was set up on 12th December 1986. Agreements 8. Johnson & Johnson Partners with Maharashtra Govt. on Health Interventions i. Maharashtra’s mine workers who face an increased risk of tuberculosis will be part of awareness programmes on the illness, as part of a partnership that the Maharashtra Government recently formalized with Johnson & Johnson. Other interventions under the ambit of the agreement include hospital acquired infections and maternal and infant mortality. ii. The collaboration would also look at infection prevention, diabetes, obesity and menstrual hygiene and support healthcare professionals and nurses in the State to develop skills in these areas. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO Exam 2018-

 Governor of Maharashtra- Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao.

 Chief Minister of Maharashtra- Devendra Fadnavis.

 Johnson & Johnson is US based company. Obituaries 9. Veteran Actress Charu Rohatgi Passes Away i. TV actress Charu Rohatgi, known for her roles in serials like 'Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon?' and 'Uttaran', passed away. ii. She reportedly passed away after a cardiac arrest. While Charu had played Parineeti Chopra's mother in the film 'Ishaqzaade', she had also starred in films like '1920: London'.

16th January 2018 1. India, Israel ink Nine Pacts on Cyber Security, Other Sectors

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- JANUARY 2018 i. India and Israel signed nine documents to further the cooperation. These include cooperation in Cybersecurity, cooperation in the field of Petroleum and natural gas, document for the amendment to the air transport agreement, cooperation in film co-production, cooperation in the homoeopathy medicines, co-operation in the field of space science, boosting investment, cooperation in metal-air batteries and cooperation in solar thermal technology. ii. The documents were signed in the presence of the two prime ministers. The two leaders also addressed a joint press conference. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO Exam 2018-  Prime Minister of Israel- Benjamin Netanyahu.  President of Israel- Reuven Rivlin.  The Israeli Shekel is the currency of Israel. 2. Rajyavardhan Rathore launches ‗Khelo India‘ Anthem i. Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore made the announcement during the launch of the official anthem and mascot of Khelo India School Games, beginning January 31. ―Now when an athlete wins a medal at Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Olympics, the coach gets incentive. ii. The video features India's eminent sports personalities such as Sardar Singh, Sunil Chhetri, Devendra Jhajharia, Baichung Bhutia, Pullela Gopichand, Leander Paes, Mary Kom, Akhil Kumar, Sakshi Malik and Saina Nehwal. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Canara Bank PO Exam 2018-  The anthem also aims to focus on brotherhood, equality, and solidarity in sports.  The government of India has approved Rs 1,756 crore for a period of three years for the revamping of 'Khelo India'.  Constituency of Rajyavardhan Rathore- (Rural), Rajasthan. 3. Digital launch of ‗I4Fund call for proposal‘ website at India-Israel Business Summit i. The ‘I4Fund Call for Proposal’ was announced with the joint launch of the website and the unveiling of the brochure by the two PMs (Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu). The "India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F)" was announced in July, 2017. ii. Under this, the Department of Science and Technology, India and the National Innovation Authority of Israel have established a 40 million US dollar Fund. 4. Exports rise more than 12% Riding on Engineering Goods and Petroleum Products i. The Country's exports grew by 12 point 36 percent in December 2017 to 27 point 03 billion US dollars on account of strong performance by sectors like engineering goods and petroleum products. ii. According to data released by Ministry of Commerce and Industry, exports have been on a positive trajectory since August 2016 to December 2017 with a dip of 1.1 percent in the month of October last year. Exports of engineering goods as well as petroleum products showed an increase of over 25 percent in December. 5. DIPP arm Launches Competition for College Students i. Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM), under the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), has launched a competition for college and university students to foster a culture of innovation and creativity in the youth.

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ii. The competition - IPrism - invites students to submit films on piracy and counterfeiting under two categories of 30 and 60 seconds. Another category in the competition is for a mobile gaming app on intellectual property (IP). Cash prizes of Rs 4 lakh will be given to the winning teams along with mementos and certificates. 6. Romanian PM Mihai Tudose Resigns after Losing Party Support i. Romania's left-wing Prime Minister Mihai Tudose resigned after losing the backing of his party due to internal power struggles, barely seven months after his predecessor suffered the same fate. ii. He handed in his resignation after senior members of the ruling Social Democrats (PSD) voted to withdraw their support at a leadership meeting. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Canara Bank PO Exam 2018-  Capital of Romania- Bucharest.  The Romanian leu is the currency of Romania.  President of Romania- Klaus Iohannis. 7. PM Modi Inaugurates Project Commencement of Rajasthan's first Oil Refinery in Barmer i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the project commencement of the Rajasthan Refinery at Pachpadra in Barmer district. This is the first oil refinery in the state. The 43,000 crore rupee project is a joint venture between HPCL and the Rajasthan government. ii. The refinery is expected to be operational in 4 years and the state will have an additional income of 34,000 crore rupees from it. The project is expected to generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains Exam 2018-  Governor of Rajasthan- Kalyan Singh.  Chairman of Indian Oil- Sanjiv Singh. 8. Indian Oil signs LoI with 2 Israeli Firms i. Indian Oil Corporation has signed Letters of Intent (LoI) with Phinergy, an Israeli start-up company, and YEDA, a technology spin-off company from Weizmann Research Institute, Israel. ii. The agreement with Phinergy will allow Indian Oil to work on adoption of advanced energy systems for the Indian market both for mobility and stationary industrial applications. This association could lead to the setting up of manufacturing units for these energy systems initially in India.

17th January 2018 National News 1. Israeli PM Netanyahu Inaugurate 3rd edition of Geo-Political Conference Raisina Dialogue i. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu inaugurated the 3rd edition of the geo-political conference, 'Raisina Dialogue'. PM Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj attended the inaugural session of the three-day event. ii. This year's topic of Raisina Dialogue is 'Managing Disruptive Transitions - Ideas, Institutions and Idioms.' This is the first time when any foreign head of state has participated in this dialogue.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Capital of Israel- Jerusalem.  Currency of Israel- Israeli new shekel. 2. BBIN Pact: India, Bangladesh, Nepal Okays Vehicle Movement Procedure i. Bangladesh, India and Nepal have given nod to operating procedures for movement of passenger vehicles in the sub- region under Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) motor vehicles agreement. ii. For seamless flow of passenger and cargo traffic in the region, BBIN motor vehicles agreement (MVA) was signed by the transport ministers of the BBIN countries in Thimphu, Bhutan in June 2015. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Canara Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Nitin Jairam Gadkari is the Minister of Road Transport and Highways. 3. 65th Meeting of Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) Held in New Delhi i. The 65th meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) was held under the chairmanship of Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar. The meeting' agenda was focused on issues related to school education and literacy. ii. At the meeting the National Assessment Survey (NAS) District-wise report card was released. The meeting was attended by Education Ministers of 20 States, representatives of 28 States and Union Territories. 4. Punjab Inks MoU with IOC to Set up Biogas, Bio-CNG Plants i. The Punjab government signed an MoU with the Indian Oil Corporation to set up bio-gas and bio-CNG plants in the state. The pact is part of the state's concerted efforts to find sustainable solutions to paddy straw burning, which has emerged as a major environmental concern. ii. The MoU with IOC was signed by Punjab Bureau of Industrial Promotion (PBIP) and Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) in the presence of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  V.P. Singh Badnore is the present Governor of Punjab. 5. Ministry of Petroleum Launches Saksham 2018 Campaign i. Saksham (Sanrakshan Kshamta Mahotsav) is an annual flagship event of Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) under the aegis of Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Govt. of India. ii. The event focuses on the active involvement of the Oil & Gas PSUs along with other stakeholders like State Governments, for creating focused attention on fuel conservation through people-centric activities. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Dharmendra Pradhan is the present Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas. 6. IWDRI-2018 Concluded Successfully in New Delhi i. The two-day International Workshop on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (IWDRI) successfully concluded in New Delhi. It had set the stage for taking the dialogue on resilient infrastructure forward at the global level.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- JANUARY 2018 ii. The Workshop was organised by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) jointly with United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). MoS (Home) Shri Kiren Rijiju delivered the Valedictory Address. The workshop was inaugurated by the Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman- India's fifteenth Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. 7. Sanjay Manjrekar Launches Autobiography, Titled ‗Imperfect‘ i. Sanjay Manjrekar launched his autobiography named ‗Imperfect‘, in Mumbai. The book ‘Imperfect’ was released by Dilip Vengsarkar, Sanjay Manjrekar’s first international captain. ii. The book was published by Harper Collins. Sanjay Manjrekar has played 37 Test matches. His first test appearance was in the Delhi Test against the West Indies. 8. Centre Sanctions Projects over Rs. 10,000 cr in North East for Better Network Connectivity i. The Centre has sanctioned projects over 10,000 crore rupees in the North East for better network connectivity. 2 MoUs have been signed to cover the uncovered areas in the North East including Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. ii. Telecommunication Minister Manoj Sinha has been given to upgrade the network connection in border areas. International News 9. India, Sri Lanka Sign 4 Agreements for Collaboration in ICT Sector i. India and Sri Lanka signed four agreements for collaboration in the Information and communication technology (ICT) sector, setting up of an e-office system and connecting of National Knowledge Network (NKN) for collaboration among universities and academics. ii. With the move, Sri Lanka has become the first country to be connected to India‘s NKN through a Gigabyte optical fibre network. The MoU for cooperation was signed by Union minister for Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad with his Sri Lankan counterpart, during his visit to Colombo. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Sri Lankan Prime Minister- Ranil Wickremesinghe, President- Maithripala Sirisena.  Currency of Sri Lanka- Sri Lankan rupee. Appointments 10. Vijay Kumar Appointed MD & CEO of NCDEX i. Market regulator SEBI has approved the appointment of Vijay Kumar as Managing Director and CEO of the country‘s largest agri-commodity bourse NCDEX. ii. Mr Kumar is a former chief business officer at NCDEX. The exchange's selection committee had picked his name for the MD and CEO's post from a list of 11 candidates. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Canara Bank PO 2018 Exam-  NCDEX was established in 2003. Business News 11. TCS bags over $690 million deal from M&G Prudential

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- JANUARY 2018 i. India’s largest IT services firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has signed an over GBP 500 million (USD 690 million) deal with M&G Prudential, the UK and European savings and investments business of Prudential plc. ii. Under the contract, TCS will digitally transform M&G Prudential’s business and deliver enhanced service for its UK savings and retirement customers. ―The value of this agreement exceeds GBP 500 million (USD 690 million) over 10 years and covers the support of over 4 million customer policies. Awards 12. Actor Sudhir Dalvi Gets Janakavi P Sawlaram Award i. Actor Sudhir Dalvi was honoured with the Janakavi P Sawlaram award at a function held in Mumbai. The award is jointly given by the Thane Municipal Corporation and the Janakavi P Savlaram Kala Samiti. ii. Well-known dancer Jaishree T was bestowed with the Ganga Jamuna award, which is instituted in memory of a popular song written by Sawlaram. Mr Dalvi featured on the famous TV show "Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi" and other Hindi serials. Sports 13. Ronaldinho Confirms His Retirement from Football i. Brazilian World Cup winner Ronaldinho has formally confirmed his retirement from football, more than two years since his last appearance as a professional report in Brazil. The 37-year-old former Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona star, a key member of the Brazil side which won the World Cup in 2002, last played in 2015 during a brief stint with Fluminense. ii. He spent five years with Barcelona between 2003 and 2008, helping the Catalans win the Champions League in 2006, after being awarded the Ballon D‘Or in 2005. Obituaries 14. Former Union Minister Raghunath Jha Passes Away i. Senior Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and former Union Minister Raghunath Jha passed away in Delhi. Raghunath Jha was Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise in the UPA government led by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. ii. He was elected Member of Parliament twice from Gopalgunj and Bettiah Lok Sabhaconstituencies in Bihar and was also the six-time legislator from Sheohar Assembly constituency of the State. 18th January 2018 National News 1. Israel PM Addresses India-Israel Business Summit in Mumbai i. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Mumbai during the final leg of his visit to India. Mr Netanyahu addressed the India-Israel Business Summit at the iconic Taj Mahal hotel in south Mumbai. ii. Later in the day, Mr Netanyahu attended the ‗Shalom Bollywood‘ event at the Taj hotel. A monthly magazine titled ‗Namaste Shalom‘ will also be launched to mark Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Mumbai visit. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  The capital of Israel- Jerusalem, Currency- Israeli new shekel.

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2. PM Modi, Netanyahu Inaugurates 'iCreate Centre' in i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and PM Benjamin Netanyahu inaugurated the 'iCreate Centre' at Deo Dholera in Ahmedabad. iCreate paves way for the two nations to jointly script new stories of success through innovation. ii. The two leaders also visited the startup exhibition at the venue and interacted with entrepreneurs and innovators. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Canara Bank PO 2018 Exam-  The capital of Israel- Jerusalem, Currency- Israeli new shekel. 3. Election Dates in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland Declared i. The Election Commission of India, Achal Kumar Joti announced dates for elections to the Assemblies of Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland. The CEC announced the polling for legislative assembly elections in Tripura on 18 February, while Meghalaya and Nagaland will go to vote on 27 February. ii. All the three states have 60 seats each in their assembly. The tenure of the Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland Assemblies expire on March 6, March 13 and March 14, 2018, respectively. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  1st Chief Election Commissioner of Independent India- Sukumar Sen.  21st Chief Election Commissioner of India- Achal Kumar Joti.  20th Chief Election Commissioner of India- Nasim Zaidi. 4. India Test-Fires Nuclear-Capable ICBM Agni-V i. India test-fired its nuclear-capable Agni-V inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM), which has a strike range of over 5,000km. ii. It was test fired successfully from Abdul Kalam island off the coast of the eastern state of Odisha. The ICBM can reach the northern-most parts of China. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  General Bipin Rawat is the present Chief of Army Staff. 5. Odisha CM Launches 'Mukhyamantri Kalakar Sahayata Yojana' i. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has launched the ‗Mukhyamantri Kalakar Sahayata Jojana‘ (MMKSJ) – an assistance scheme for Artists in the state. Around 50,000 artists will be benefited from this. The government has decided to give Rs 1,200 per month as artist assistance. ii. The CM confirmed that the government has also changed the eligibility criteria for availing MMKSJ. Under the new scheme, a male artist can avail assistance after attaining the age of 50 years instead of the existing 60 years. The age criteria for female artists have been reduced to 40 years from 50 years. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  SC Jamir is the present Governor of Odisha. International News 6. India Attends its 1st SCO Military Cooperation Meeting in Beijing

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- JANUARY 2018 i. India, for the first time, took part in a two-day meeting of the international military cooperation departments of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Beijing, China. An Indian delegation was led by Major General Ajay Seth. ii. This is the first meeting attended by India in the field of defence cooperation under the SCO framework. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  The SCO comprises of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan.  India and Pakistan were admitted in 2017 into the grouping in which China plays an influential role. 7. MoS RK Singh Attends ISA Forum in Abu Dhabi i. Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Raj Kumar Singh delivered the keynote address at the ministerial plenary session of the International Solar Alliance at Abu Dhabi, UAE. ii. A key development area for ISA Member Countries is solar capacity building. The International Solar Alliance is a treaty-based international inter-governmental alliance of 121 solar resource-rich countries or the sunshine countries lying fully or partially between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the UAE.  Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the President of the UAE. 8. North and South Korea Agree to Jointly March Under Unification Flag in Winter Olympics i. North and South Korea have agreed to march together under a single unified Korea flag at Winter Olympics in the South. ii. These are the first high-level talks between the two Koreas in more than two years. The Games will take place in February 2018 in Pyeongchang in South Korea. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  South Korea President- Moon Jae-in, North Korea Supreme Leader- Kim Jong-un. Appointments 9. Vice Admiral A B Singh Takes Over as Chief of Staff Western Naval Command i. Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, took over as Chief of Staff, Western Naval Command from Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh. ii. He was Promoted to Flag Rank in 2012. The Flag Officer was awarded Vishisht Seva Medal in 2011 and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2016 for his exemplary service to the nation. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Admiral Sunil Lanba is the present Chief of Naval Staff. Banking News 10. Bank of Baroda Partners with Invoicemart as a TReDS Partner i. Digital invoice discounting marketplace - Invoicemart has tied up with state-run lender Bank of Baroda to discount invoices for MSMEs. Buyers and sellers registered in the marketplace will now be able to access funding from Bank of Baroda.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- JANUARY 2018 ii. Invoicemart is a joint venture between Axis Bank Ltd and junction services ltd. Bank of Baroda had recently announced that it was stepping up its focus on supply chain financing. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Invoicemart CEO & MD- Kalyan Basu.  Bank of Baroda Chairman- Ravi Venkatesan, Managing Director & CEO- P.S.Jayakumar.  TReDS stands for Trade Receivables Discounting System. 11. HDFC Bank Becomes 1st Indian Bank to Cross Rs5 trillion Market Capitalisation i. India‘s most-valued lender HDFC Bank Ltd crossed Rs5 trillion market capitalisation for the first time, making it only the third Indian company to achieve this milestone. ii. In intraday trade, the stock touched a fresh record high of Rs1,53.75 on the BSE, up 3.31% from its previous close. Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) and Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) are the other two companies which crossed market capitalisation of Rs5 trillion.  Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam- HDFC Bank- India’s largest private bank by market capitalization  HDFC Bank Chairman- Aditya Puri.  Reserve Bank of India labelled HDFC Bank as ‗domestic systematically important bank‘—in other words, 'too big to fail'. Awards 12. ICC Award 2017- Complete List of Winners i. Australia captain Steve Smith has been crowned the International Cricket Council's Test Player of the Year for a second time, while Indian captain has been honoured twice in the ICC's annual awards. ii. It's the first time since 2011 that the winner of the Test Player of the Year Award was not also crowned the Cricketer of the Year. Kohli was the fourth-highest run-scorer's in Tests in 2017. Here is the Complete list of Winners of ICC Award 2017- 1. Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men‘s Cricketer of the Year - Virat Kohli (India) 2. ICC Men‘s Test Cricketer of the Year - Steve Smith (Australia) 3. ICC Men‘s ODI Cricketer of the Year - Virat Kohli (India) 4. ICC Men‘s Emerging Cricketer of the Year - Hasan Ali (Pakistan) 5. ICC Men‘s Associate Cricketer of the Year - Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) 6. ICC Men‘s T20I Performance of the Year - Yuzvendra Chahal (6-25 v ) (India) 7. David Shepherd Trophy for ICC Umpire of the Year – Marais Erasmus 8. ICC Spirit of Cricket - Anya Shrubsole (England) 9. ICC Fans Moment of the Year - Pakistan stuns India to win the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. 13. President Presents Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards 2016 i. President Ram Nath Kovind presented the Sangeet Natak Akademi‘s Fellowships (Akademi Ratna) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) for the year 2016 at a function held in New Delhi.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- JANUARY 2018 ii. The Sangeet Natak Akademi’s Fellowships and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards are recognised as among the most coveted national honours bestowed on performing artists as well as teachers and scholars of performing arts. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Sangeet Natak Akademi was created by a resolution of the (then) Ministry of Education, Government of India, dated 31 May 1952 notified in the Gazette of India of June 1952.  Sangeet Natak Akademi first Chairman- Dr P.V. Rajamannar.  Sangeet Natak Akademi Present Chairman- Shekhar Sen. Sports 14. Virat Kohli Named Captain of ICC‘s Test and ODI Teams of the Year i. Virat Kohli was named the captain of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test and One-Day International (ODI) teams of the year that included four other Indians as well. ii. He surprisingly pipped Australian skipper Steve Smith for the ICC’s Test team captaincy. The Test team also comprises and . Kohli was chosen to lead the ICC ODI team, which includes and Jasprit Bumrah as the other two Indians. Obituaries 15. Hall of Famer Jo Jo White Passes Away i. Basketball Hall of Famer Jo Jo White, a two-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics and an Olympic gold medalist, has passed away. ii. He was 71. White played 10 seasons for Boston, which drafted him ninth overall from Kansas in 1969.

19th January 2018 National News 1. Maharashtra Becomes 1st State to Unveil Public Cloud Policy i. Maharashtra has become the first state in the country that has come out with a public cloud policy, virtually mandating its departments to shift their data storage onto the cloud. This move has created a USD 2- billion opportunity for the industry. ii. The announcement was made by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the Maharashtra Technology Summit. The policy will result in additional private sector investments as the government is one of the biggest creators and consumers of data. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Maharashtra Chief Minister- Devendra Fadnavis, Governor- C Vidyasagar Rao. 2. India to Set up $350 million Fund to Finance Solar Projects i. As per the Power Minister RK Singh, India will set up a $350-million fund to finance solar projects as the country steps up efforts to achieve its ambitious target of adding 175 gigawatts (GW) in renewable energy by 2022.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- JANUARY 2018 ii. The announcement was made at an event organised by the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Installed renewable power capacity is currently about 60 GW, and India plans to complete the bidding process by the end of 2019/20 to add a further 115 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2022. 3. Centre, CII Ink MoU for Development of Logistics Sector i. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Government of India and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in the presence of Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu to enhance import and export performance. ii. The Centre has entrusted the task of integrated development of the logistics sector to the Department of Commerce. Appointments 4. Facebook Appoints its 1st African-American Member to Board i. Facebook has appointed outgoing American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault to its board, making him the first African-American to be on the board. ii. Chenault serves on the Boards of IBM and Procter & Gamble and is also a Harvard Law School graduate. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Facebook CEO- Mark Zuckerberg. 5. S Selvakumar Appointed CMD Of SPMCIL i. The government appointed senior IAS officer S Selvakumar as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd (SPMCIL). ii. Selvakumar has replaced Anurag Agarwal. The state-owned SPMCIL produces banknotes, coins, postage stamps, non-judicial stamps and other official documents. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  The four mints operationalized in Idia are located in Kolkata, Noida, , and Mumbai. Banking/Business/Economy News 6. WhatsApp Unveils Business App for Android i. Facebook-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp has rolled out a feature that connects small businesses with customers. Currently, only Android users can access the feature and they can avail of it through the latest update of the app. ii. The new feature will be available first in Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, UK and the US before being launched globally in the coming weeks. 7. Yes Bank Ties up with Amplus Energy Solutions i. Amplus Energy Solutions announced entering into a pact with private sector lender Yes Bank for strategic tie-up to co-finance projects in the solar energy space in India. ii. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed at International Solar Alliance pavilion at the World Future Energy Summit, Abu Dhabi. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  YES Bank MD and Chief Executive- Rana Kapoor, Headquarters- Mumbai.

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8. India Ratings Projects Economic Growth at 7.1% Next Fiscal i. India Ratings and Research has projected the country‘s economic growth to improve to 7.1 percent in 2018-19 from 6.5 percent in 2017-18, buoyed by robust consumption demand and low commodity prices. ii. The projection is a tad lower than 7.4 percent growth estimated by Asian Development Bank and International Monetary Fund for next fiscal. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  India Ratings is a subsidiary of Fitch Ratings.  Brett Hemsley is Global Analytical Head for Fitch Ratings.

20th January 2018 National News 1. India Becomes 43rd Member of Australia Group i. India has joined the Australia Group export control regime and has become the 43rd Member of that Group. It is an informal forum which seeks to ensure that exports do not contribute to the development of chemical or biological weapons. ii. India has managed entry into Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), the Wassenaar Arrangement and Australia Group despite not being a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Australian High Commissioner to India- Harinder Kaur Sidhu. 2. Government Announces List of 9 New Smart Cities i. Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced the list of nine new Smart Cities, which have emerged winners in Round 4. ii. These nine cities are, Silvassa in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Erode in Tamil Nadu, Diu in Daman and Diu, Bihar Sharif in Bihar, Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh, Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh, Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh and Kavaratti in Lakshadweep. 3. INS Vikramaditya Formally Affiliated to Bihar Regiment i. Indian Naval Ship Vikramaditya, the Indian Navy's largest ship and its sole aircraft carrier was formally affiliated to the Indian Army's highly-decorated and battle-hardened Bihar Regiment and the Indian Air Force's No 6 Squadron. ii. The ceremony was held onboard INS Vikramaditya at the Karwar Naval Base, Karnataka. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Admiral Sunil Lanba is the present Chief of Naval Staff. 4. NDRF Celebrated its 13th Raising Day i. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) celebrated its 13th Raising Day in New Delhi. The Director Intelligence Bureau, Rajiv Jain was the chief guest on this occasion. ii. The meeting highlighted the disaster threat of country and important changes taken place in Disaster Management in India and across the world.

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Sanjay Kumar is the Director General of NDRF.  NDRF came into existence on 19th January 2006. 5. Arun Jaitley Launches National CSR Data Portal & Corporate Data Portal i. The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Arun Jaitley launched the National CSR Data Portal & Corporate Data Portal in Delhi. This initiative is a significant step towards driving accountability and transparency for corporate India. ii. The portals’ easy accessibility to the general public will ensure a high level of compliance and will also help in institutionalising and consolidating the CSR activities. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  R. K. Shanmukham Chetty was the first Finance Minister of independent India. 6. 4th India International Science Festival to be held in Lucknow i. The fourth edition of the India International Science Festival will be held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The decision to hold the Festival in Lucknow was taken at the first preparatory meeting for the 4th India International Science Festival (IISF). ii. The meeting was chaired by Union Minister for Science & Technology, Dr. Harsh Vardhan. The 1st IISF was held at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) New Delhi. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Canera Bank PO 2018 Exam-  The third in the series was held in October 2017 in . Banking/Business/Economy News 7. Mauritius Largest Source of FDI in India- RBI i. Mauritius was the largest source of foreign investment in India (21.8 per cent share at market value), followed by the US and the UK, according to a census by the Reserve Bank of India. ii. Singapore and Japan were the next two sources of foreign direct investment (FDI), reported the Census on Foreign Liabilities and Assets of Indian Direct Investment Companies 2016-17, released by RBI. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  Mauritius Capital- Port Louis, Currency- Mauritian rupee. 8. AU Small Finance Bank Inks MoU with LIC to Offer PMJJBY Scheme i. Banking finance company AU Small Finance Bank has signed an MoU with LIC to offer Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY). Under the MoU, LIC will give a life cover of Rs2 lakh in case of death to the customer at a nominal premium of Rs330 per annum. ii. The company has re-entered the housing finance segment. The company will also offer loans under government’s affordable housing and subsidy schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  MD and CEO of AU Small Finance Bank- Sanjay Agarwal, Headquarters- Jaipur, Rajasthan.  Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana was launched in 2015.

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Books and Authors 9. President Kovind Unveils Book on Self-Development in Delhi i. President Ram Nath Kovind unveiled a book on heartfulness techniques and principles titled 'The Heartfulness Way'. Kamlesh D. Patel is the author of this book. It is the fourth Global Guide of Heartfulness. ii. Joshua Pollock is the second author of this book. It was launched by Commerce and Industries Minister Suresh Prabhu. Obituaries 10. Iconic Cartoonist Chandi Lahiri Passes Away i. Famous Cartoonist Chandi Lahiri passed away after a brief period of illness, marking the end of a chapter in Bengal's history of the cartoon. Lahiri was 86.

21st and 22nd January 2018 National News 1. PM Modi Leaves for Davos to Attend World Economic Forum i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for Davos, Switzerland to attend the 48th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. He will lead the largest-ever Indian delegation comprising Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu among others. ii. The theme of the WEF Annual Meeting this year is 'Creating a shared future in a fractured world'. WEF 2018 will also see the largest ever proportion of women leaders including all co-chairs being women this time. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  The founder and Chairman of WEF- Klaus Schwab. 2. MEITY Launches Cyber Surakshit Bharat to Strengthen Cybersecurity i. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), announced the 'Cyber Surakshit Bharat' initiative in association with National e-Governance Division (NeGD) and industry partners. ii. Cyber Surakshit Bharat will be operated on the three principles of Awareness, Education and Enablement. Cyber Surakshit Bharat is the first public-private partnership of its kind and will leverage the expertise of the IT industry in cybersecurity. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Canara Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Ravi Shankar Prasad is the present Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology. 3. Sushma Swaraj Inaugurates Puducherry‘s 1st POPSK at Karaikal i. The first Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) of Puducherry was inaugurated by Smt. Sushma Swaraj, Minister for External Affairs at Karaikal. ii. The POPSK at Karaikal is the 60th POPSK to have become functional since the launch of the scheme in January 2017. It is the first POPSK to become operational in the UT of Puducherry. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Puducherry CM- V. Narayanasamy, Governor- Kiran Bedi.

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4. Telangana, Tokyo Body Sign MoU for Municipal Waste Incineration i. The Telangana government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Clean Authority of Tokyo in connection with municipal solid waste incineration in Hyderabad. ii. The two bodies exchanged knowledge in municipal solid waste incineration facilities and make an effort to realize human resource exchanges in view of technical cooperation in the future. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Telangana CM- K Chandrasekhar Rao, Governor- ESL Narasimhan.  Tokyo is the capital city of Japan. 5. India's 1st Garbage Festival Organised in Chhattisgarh i. The Raipur Municipal Corporation in Chhattisgarh organised the three-day 'Kachra Mahotsav 2018'. It is India's first Garbage Festival. ii. The festival aimed to increase awareness, use the waste generated in the city creatively, and to showcase multiple techniques for reusing things that are labelled as garbage. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Chhattisgarh CM- Raman Singh, Governor- Balramji Dass Tandon. International 6. Malta's Valletta Becomes Europe's Capital of Culture i. Valletta, the capital of Malta, was officially named European Capital of Culture 2018. Valletta will share the title with Leeuwarden, a city in the Netherlands. ii. Notably, the 'European Capitals of Culture' initiative aims to highlight the diversity of European culture and to increase the citizens' sense of belonging to a common cultural area. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Valletta is the smallest capital in the European Union.  It is located in a fortress and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 7. India Ranks 62nd on WEF‘s Inclusive Development Index i. India was ranked at the 62nd place among emerging economies on an Inclusive Development Index of World Economic Forum (WEF). In the report, China is on 26th position and Pakistan is on 47th. ii. Norway remains the world‘s most inclusive advanced economy, while Lithuania again tops the list of emerging economies, according to the report. India was ranked 60th among 79 developing economies in last year survey. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  The founder and Chairman of WEF- Klaus Schwab. Appointments 8. Om Prakash Rawat Appointed New Chief Election Commissioner i. Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat was appointed as the next chief election commissioner (CEC) of India. Mr Rawat is the 22nd CEC of India. He succeeded Achal Kumar Joti.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- JANUARY 2018 ii. The government also appointed former finance secretary Ashok Lawasa as an Election Commissioner. Mr Rawat will take over the office from 23rd January 2018 onwards. Sunil Arora is the other Election Commissioner. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  1st Chief Election Commissioner of Independent India- Sukumar Sen.  21st Chief Election Commissioner of India- Achal Kumar Joti. 9. Anandiben Patel Named New Madhya Pradesh Governor i. Former Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel has been named as the new governor of Madhya Pradesh. ii. She will replace Gujarat governor Om Prakash Kohli, who currently holds additional charge of the office of Governor of Madhya Pradesh. Ms Patel became the first woman chief minister of Gujarat. 10. Sudeep Lakhtakia Appointed New DG of National Security Guard i. Senior IPS officer Sudeep Lakhtakia has been appointed as the new Director General (DG) of the 'black cats' commando force NSG. ii. The officer is currently serving as a Special DG in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) headquarters New Delhi. He will take over from incumbent S P Singh. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  The National Security Guard (NSG) was raised as the federal contingency force to counter terrorists and hijack- like incidents in 1984. Awards 11. 63rd Filmfare Awards 2018: Complete List of Winners i. Bollywood came together to celebrate the industry's talent at 63rd Jio Filmfare Awards 2018, held in Mumbai. Superstar Shah Rukh Khan and filmmaker Karan Johar hosted the show. ii. Vidya Balan won her career's sixth Filmfare award for her performance in 'Tumhari Sulu'. Here is the complete list of winners of 63rd Filmfare Awards 2018: Sl Category Winner No 1. Best Film 'Hindi Medium' 2. Critics' Award for Best Film 'Newton' 3. Best Actor In A Leading Role (Female) Vidya Balan for 'Tumhari Sulu' 4. Best Actor In A Leading Role (Male) Irrfan Khan for 'Hindi Medium' 5. Critics' Award for Best Actor (Male) Rajkummar Rao for 'Trapped' 6. Critics' Award for Best Actor (Female) Zaira Wasim for 'Secret Superstar' 7. Best Director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari for 'Bareilly Ki Barfi' 8. Best Debut Director Konkona Sensharma for 'A Death in the Gunj' 9. Best Actor In A Supporting Role (Male) Rajkummar Rao for 'Bareilly Ki Barfi' Best Actor in a Supporting Role 10. Meher Vij for 'Secret Superstar' (Female)

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11. Best Dialogue Hitesh Kewalya for 'Shubh Mangal Saavdhan' 12. Best Screenplay Shubhashish Bhutiani for 'Mukti Bhavan' 13. Best Original Story Amit Masurkar for 'Newton' 14. Best Actor (Male) in a Short Film Jackie Shroff for 'Khujli' 15. Best Actor (Female) in a Short Film Shefali Shah for 'Juice' People's Choice Award for Best Short 16. 'Anahut' Film 17. Best Short Film (Fiction) 'Juice' 18. Best Short Film (Non Fiction) 'Invisible Wings' 19. Best Music Album Pritam for 'Jagga Jasoos' Arijit Singh for 'Roke na ruke naina' - 'Badrinath Ki 20. Best Playback Singer (Male) Dulhania'

Sports 12. India Defeats Pakistan to Win World Cup 2018 i. India beat Pakistan by two to win the Blind Cricket World Cup 2018 for the second time after a thrilling match at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, the UAE. ii. India conquered the modest target in the 39th over, with two balls to spare and eight wickets lost. For his brilliant all- round performance, Sunil Ramesh was declared the man of the match. Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-  The inaugural World Cup in 1998 was won by South Africa who defeated Pakistan in New Delhi to become the first blind cricket world champion.

23rd January 2018 National News 1. India-ASEAN Business & Investment Conference Held in New Delhi i. India-ASEAN business and investment conference held in New Delhi ahead of the landmark commemorative summit meeting on the 25th of January. In the conference, Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu stresses enhanced connectivity via land to strengthen trade ties. ii. Silver jubilee of India-ASEAN partnership is being celebrated in New Delhi on the 25th January with an unprecedented summit meet. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  ASEAN Secretariat- Jakarta, Indonesia.  The Secretary-General of ASEAN 2018 -2022 is H.E. Lim Jock Hoi.

2. Andhra Pradesh-Zurich Sign Sister State Agreement

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- JANUARY 2018 i. The Andhra Pradesh Government and the Canton of Zurich signed a letter of intent, to promote mutual prosperity and development. ii. This will bring the State of Andhra Pradesh and Canton of Zurich closer and ensure that a framework is created, which supports the exchange between both the parties. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Andhra Pradesh Governor- ESL Narasimhan.  Zurich is the capital of Canton of Zurich 3. AYUSH Minister Lays Foundation Stone for Homeopathy Research Institute in Jaipur i. The Minister of State (IC), for AYUSH, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik laid the foundation stone for Central Research Institute (CRI) in Jaipur, Rajasthan. This will be the third CRI under the aegis of Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH). ii. In his address during the stone laying ceremony, Sh. Naik stated that Ministry of AYUSH is determined towards a focused infrastructural push to Homoeopathy and other systems of AYUSH. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  AYUSH- Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy.  The Ministry of AYUSH was formed on 9th November 2014.

Banking/Business/Economy News 4. India, 5th Most Attractive Market for Investments: PwC Survey i. India has emerged as the fifth most attractive market for investments and the optimism over global economic growth is at a record level, as per the survey of CEOs by global consultancy PwC. ii. The US remains the top spot for global investment. Around 46% of global CEOs consider the US as one of the three most important countries for growth, followed by China (33%) and Germany (20%) at second and third places, respectively. 5. ONGC Acquires 51.11% Stake in HPCL i. The Public Sector exploration giant Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has got the consent for acquiring controlling stake in fellow PSU Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL). The transaction will be for Rs36,915 crore. ii. According to a statement issued by ONGC, it has entered into a share purchase agreement with the President of India for acquiring the shares of HPCL (representing 51.11% of HPCL). Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Chairman & Managing Director of ONGC- Shashi Shanker, Headquarters- Uttarakhand.  Chairman and Managing Director HPCL- M.K.Surana, Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra. 6. India to Grow at 7.4% in 2018: IMF

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- JANUARY 2018 i. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), India is projected to grow at 7.4% in 2018 as against China’s 6.8%, making it the fastest growing country among the emerging economies. ii. In 2017, India’s growth rate dropped to 6.7%. In its latest World Economic Outlook update released in Davos, Switzerland on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, the IMF has projected a 7.8% growth rate for India in 2019.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Managing Director of IMF- Christine Lagarde, Headquarters in- Washington DC, USA. Appointments 7. FICCI Appoints Dilip Chenoy as Director General i. Industry Chamber Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) has appointed Dilip Chenoy as its Director General. ii. He was awarded the Game Changer Award in 2015 and the Rashtriya Media Ratan Award in 2013. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Sanjaya Baru is the Secretary General of FICCI.  FICCI was established in 1927. Awards 8. Shah Rukh Khan Honoured with Crystal Award at World Economic Forum i. Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan was honoured with the 24th Crystal Award at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. ii. According to the WEF, Shah Rukh Khan received Award for "his leadership in championing children's and women's rights in India". Shahrukh received the award alongside Elton John and Hollywood actress Cate Blanchett. Sports 9. West Indies to Host 2018 Women‘s World T20 i. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced, the 2018 edition of the Women‘s World T20 will be hosted by West Indies in November 2018. ii. The three venues were selected by Cricket West Indies through a bidding process and have been ratified by the ICC. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  ICC Chief Executive- David Richardson, Headquarters- Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 10. Shuttler Siddharth Singh Wins Swedish Open Junior Badminton Title i. Young Indian shuttler Siddharth Pratap Singh secured his maiden international title, bagging the Swedish Open Junior International Series with a straight-game victory over Denmark‘s Mads Christophersen in the finals in Uppsala in Sweden. ii. Playing his first career final, Siddharth defeated Christophersen in a 33-minute match to claim the men’s singles title. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Canara Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Sweden Capital- Stockholm, Currency- Swedish krona. Obituaries

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11. Hugh Masekela, 'Father of South African Jazz' Passes Away i. Trumpeter, composer and singer Hugh Masekela, affectionately known as the 'father of South African jazz', has died after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 78. ii. He opened the 2010 FIFA World Cup Kick-Off Concert and performed at the event's opening ceremony in Johannesburg's Soccer City stadium.

24th January 2018 National News 1. Rapid Reporting System for SAG Launched on National Girl Child Day i. Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), Mr Rakesh Srivastava launched the Phase -1 i.e. the beneficiary module of the Rapid Reporting System (RSS) for the Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) on the occasion of National Girl Child Day (24th January). ii. It is a web-based online monitoring for the Scheme for Adolescent Girls in New Delhi. The URL for the portal is 'sag- rrs.nic.in.' Presently, MWCD is implementing the Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) in selected 508 districts across the country. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Canara Bank PO 2018 Exam-  SAG aims at empowering out of school adolescent girls of 11 to 14 years by improving their nutritional and health status, upgrading their skills.  Minister of Women and Child Development- Maneka Gandhi. 2. India to Host 16th International Energy Forum Meet i. The 16th International Energy Forum (IEF) Ministerial meeting will be held in New Delhi in April 2018. ii. According to the Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan, the meeting will be hosted by Government of India in New Delhi and co-hosted by the Government of China and South Korea. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  India had last hosted the IEF ministerial conference in 1996. 3. GoI, Uttarakhand, and World Bank Sign $120 million Loan Agreement for Water Supply in Uttarakhand i. The Government of India, the Government of Uttarakhand and the World Bank Board signed a $120 million Loan Agreement which will help increase access to improved water supply services in peri-urban areas in the State of Uttarakhand. ii. The $120 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and has a 5-year grace period. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Canara Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Jim Yong Kim is the 12th President of the World Bank Group.  World Bank Headquarters in Washington DC, USA. 4. Uttar Pradesh Diwas- 24 January

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- JANUARY 2018 i. Uttar Pradesh Diwas is observed on 24th of January. The Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu was the chief guest of the event (named Lucknow Utsav) organized in Lucknow. ii. The objectives of the Uttar Pradesh Utsav is to present and promote the rich cultural heritage, literary, artistic and craftsmanship. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Uttar Pradesh CM- Yogi Adityanath, Governor- Ram Naik. 5. 7th Asia Steel International Conference to be Held in Bhubaneswar i. The 7th Asia Steel International Conference will be held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha in February 2018. The announcement was made by Tata Steel, in association with the Indian Institute of Metals. ii. This major conference is held every three years and provides a platform for the exchange of knowledge on various aspects of the global steel industry. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Canara Bank PO 2018 Exam-  The last Asia Steel conference was held in 2015 at Yokohama, Japan. International News 6. World Economic Forum Summit in Switzerland Concludes i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned home after concluding his visit to Davos, Switzerland. During the visit, the Prime Minister delivered a keynote address at the plenary session of the 48th annual meeting of World Economic Forum. ii. He became the first Indian prime minister in two decades to join the world’s top business leaders in the Swiss resort town of Davos. iii. Mr Modi outlined climate change, terrorism and protectionism as three global threats. He also met his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau. The Prime Minister also held a meeting with Queen Maxima of the Netherlands. At the end, Mr Modi interacted with top global CEOs at the International Business Council event. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Capital of Switzerland- Bern, Currency- Swiss franc.  The founder and Chairman of WEF- Klaus Schwab. Banking/Business/Economy News 7. . IOB, NHB Tie up for Rural Housing Push i. Indian Overseas Bank has signed an MoU with National Housing Bank for the Rural Housing Interest Subsidy Scheme (RHISS) of the Ministry of Rural Development. The aim of the RHISS is to provide subsidy for housing loans taken by those living in rural areas for construction and modifications of their dwelling units. ii. The interest subsidy under the scheme is 3% for a loan amount of Rs2 lakh for 20-year tenure. Indian Overseas Bank has become one of the first public sector banks to implement the scheme. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Canara Bank PO 2018 Exam-  MD and CEO of Indian Overseas Bank- R Subramaniakumar, Headquarters- Chennai.  MD and CEO of the National Housing Bank- Sriram Kalyanaraman, Headquarters- New Delhi.

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8. . RIL Becomes India‘s 1st Firm to Cross Rs6-lakh crore Market Capitalization i. Reliance Industries (RIL) become the first Indian company to cross the Rs6-lakh crore mark in market capitalisation as its shares touched a 52-week high of Rs974.5. ii. RIL is owned 40% by its chairman Mukesh Ambani, making him the richest Indian with the personal wealth of $40.7 billion and the 20th richest globally, according to Bloomberg’s billionaire index. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  HDFC Bank is the first lender to cross Rs5-lakh crore mark in market capitalisation. 9. . NIIF Makes its 1st Investment, Partnered with DP World i. The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) has made its First investment. NIIF has partnered with DP World to create an investment platform for ports, terminals, transportation and logistics businesses in India. ii. The first close of the NIIF Master Fund took place in October 2017 with contributions from a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) and four Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs), viz., HDFC Group, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Life and Axis Bank. Appointments 10. S Somanath Takes Charge as Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre's Director i. ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) director S Somanath has taken charge as the new director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). It is ISRO's lead centre for launch vehicles. ii. He has replaced K Sivan who has joined ISRO as Chairman. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Canara Bank PO 2018 Exam-  VSSC had a small beginning in , Kerala on the south-west coast of India, in 1962. Sports 11. Lifter Rakhi Halder Creates New National Record i. Lifter Rakhi Halder created a new national record in clean and jerk to a gold medal in the 63kg women’s category in the 33rd Women Senior National Weightlifting Championships, in Mangaluru, Karnataka. ii. Rakhi lifted 128kgs in the clean and jerk for a total of 230kgs to create a new national record, bettering Karnam Malleswari’s feat (127kg) created in Athens in 1999. Obituaries 12. Ursula K. Le Guin, Best-Selling Science Fiction author Passes Away i. Ursula K. Le Guin, the award-winning science fiction and fantasy writer who explored feminist themes and was best known for her Earthsea books, has passed away at the age of 88. ii. Le Guin won an honorary National Book Award in 2014. Le Guin’s first novel was Roncannon’s World in 1966. Her book, 'The Left Hand of Darkness' won the Hugo and Nebula awards top science fiction prizes.

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25th January 2018 National News 1. 8th National Voters‘ Day- 25th January i. The Election Commission of India celebrated the 8th National Voters‘ Day across the country on 25th January for enhanced participation of citizens in the electoral process. The National level function was held in New Delhi. ii. President Ram Nath Kovind gave away awards for best electoral practices to District Collectors, Superintendents of Police and other functionaries involved in election management. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  1st Chief Election Commissioner of Independent India- Sukumar Sen.  21st Chief Election Commissioner of India- Achal Kumar Joti.  Om Prakash Rawat has been appointed as the next (22nd) chief election commissioner (CEC) of India. 2. PM Modi Holds Bilateral Talks with 3 ASEAN Leaders i. On the eve of the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit to celebrate 25 years of India-ASEAN partnership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had separate bilateral meetings with leaders of three ASEAN nations - Myanmar, Vietnam and Philippines in New Delhi. ii. The PM first met his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc and held talks with on issues of mutual interest. Next, he met the Philipino President Rodrigo Duterte and covered a wide range of subjects. Myanmar's State Councillor Aung San Suu Kyi also met the PM later in the evening. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Canara Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Myanmar Capital- Naypyidaw.  Vietnam Capital- Hanoi.  Philippines Capital- Manila. 3. Ministry of Road Transport & Highways Signs MoU with IL&FS for Construction of Zojila Tunnel i. An MoU was signed between National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) under the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, and M/S IL&FS Transportation Networks Ltd for construction of the 14.150 km long, 2-lane bi-directional Zojila Tunnel in Jammu & Kashmir. ii. This would be India‘s longest road tunnel and the longest bi-directional tunnel in Asia. The construction of this tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity between , Kargil and Leh. The total capital cost of the project is Rs 6808.69 crore. The construction period of the project is seven years. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Minister of Road Transport & Highways- Nitin Gadkari. 4. NSIC Inks Pact with Malaysia‘s SME Corporation i. National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) signed an MoU with SME Corporation Malaysia for exchange of information and cooperation in areas such as policies to aid development of small and medium businesses (SMBs) in the two countries.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- JANUARY 2018 ii. Besides, three other agreements were also signed between Indian and Malaysian entities to strengthen cooperation among smaller businesses in these countries. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Minister- Giriraj Singh. Ranks and Reports 5. India Ranks 177th in Environmental Performance Index i. India ranks 177 among 180 countries in the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2018, according to a biennial report by Yale and Columbia Universities along with the World Economic Forum. India ranked 141 in 2016 report. ii. The report was released on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Switzerland leads the list, followed by France, Denmark and Malta. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Canara Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Capital of Switzerland- Bern, Currency- Swiss franc.  The founder and Chairman of WEF- Klaus Schwab. 6. India Ranks 81st On Global Talent Competitiveness Index i. India has moved up on a global index of talent competitiveness to the 81st position in the report that was released in the first day the 48th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Switzerland has topped the list. ii. India has improved its position from 92nd in 2017 on the index that measures how countries grow, attract and retain talent. Among BRICS countries, China has topped with 54th position. Among the countries, Switzerland is followed by Singapore and the US. Banking/Business/Economy News 7. Vodafone, Flipkart Tie up for 4G Smartphones i. Vodafone India has partnered with e-commerce marketplace Flipkart to provide a range of entry-level smartphones at an effective price of Rs999. ii. As part of the tie-up, Vodafone has rolled out cash-back offers on the select range of entry-level 4G smartphone models available under Flipkart‘s #MyFirst4GSmartphone campaign. 8. Government to Infuse over Rs88 Thousand Crore in 20 PSB i. The government has announced 88,139 crore rupees capital infusion in 20 public sector banks, PSBs, during the current fiscal ending 31st March to boost lending and revive growth. IDBI Bank will get the most- Rs10,610 crore followed by State Bank of India 8,800 crore rupees. ii. The 20 banks that will receive the capital infusion during this phase include Bank of India, UCO Bank and Punjab National Bank. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Till now, 11 PSBs have been included under Prompt Corrective Action (PCA).

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26th and 27th January 2018 National News 1. Nation Celebrates 69th Republic Day i. The Country celebrates its 69th Republic Day on 26th January in Rajpath, New Delhi to be resplendently displaying the country's pride and glory. Heads of ten ASEAN countries are chief guests at Republic Day. ii. The family members of Corporal Jyoti Prakash Nirala (Posthumous) of the Indian Air Force (IAF), who died fighting militants in Kashmir valley, received India‘s highest peacetime gallantry award, Ashok Chakra. 2. Kolkata Becomes 1st Indian Metro to get a Floating Market i. Kolkata has become the first Indian Metro to get a Floating Market. The market will be located on a water-body with boats doubling up as shops. The market, located on the eastern fringes of the city, was inaugurated by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. ii. The aim is to rehabilitate over 200 shopkeepers from a nearby market that was demolished for the widening of the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass. The market will host at least 114 boats, each one accommodating two shops. 3. Punjab CM Launches Benefits under 'Mahatma Gandhi Sarbat Vikas Yojana' i. Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh launched the release of benefits under 'Mahatma Gandhi Sarbat Vikas Yojana' (MGSVY) aimed at the inclusive growth of the distressed sections of the society. ii. He appealed to the state's debt-ridden farmers not to commit suicide since his government was committed to the total implementation of its farm debt waiver scheme by November 2018. 4. India, Vietnam Release First-Ever Commemorative Stamps i. India and Vietnam released first ever set of commemorative postage stamps to mark the long-term friendly bilateral relationships between the two countries. ii. The stamp was released by AN Nanda, Secretary, Department of Posts. The two set of stamps released carry picture of Sanchi Stupa and Thien Mu Pagoda. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Vietnam Capital- Hanoi, Currency- Vietnamese dong. Banking/Business/Economy News 5. Small Finance and Payments Banks to Offer Atal Pension Yojana i. The Ministry of Finance has announced that "Payments Banks and Small Finance Banks" will offer social security scheme Atal Pension Yojana (APY) to their subscribers. It was done to strengthen the existing channels of APY distribution. ii. According to the Ministry, currently, there are 11 Payments Banks and 10 Small Finance Banks that have received the license from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to start their operations. About Atal Pension Yojana (APY) in brief-  The APY was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 9, 2015.  It is the first ever guaranteed pension product, open to all citizens between the ages of 18 and 40 years.

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 It provides a minimum guaranteed pension of Rs1,000 to Rs5,000 per month, after the age of 60 years, depending on the monthly contribution made by a subscriber. Appointments 6. Usha Ananthasubramanian Becomes 1st Woman IBA Chief i. Usha Ananthasubramanian, MD and CEO, Allahabad Bank, has been elected the first woman chairman of Indian Banks‘ Association (IBA). Usha was elected IBA Chairman for the year 2017-18 by its Managing Committee. ii. IBA Chairman’s position fell vacant following the superannuation of Jatinder Bir Singh. Rajnish Kumar, Chairman, State Bank of India, was elected Deputy Chairman of IBA for the year 2017-18. Awards 7. Padma Awards 2018 Announced: Full List of Recipients i. The President has approved the awards for 85 individuals, which includes 3 Padma Vibhushan, 9 Padma Bhushan and 73 Padma Shri. ii. In sports personalities, former India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and multiple world champion cueist Pankaj Advani have been conferred with the third-highest civilian award, Padma Bhushan. iii. The 2017 World Weightlifting Champion Saikhom Mirabai Chanu and former Asian Games gold medallist tennis player Somdev Devvarman have been conferred with the Padma Shri. The awards are announced on the eve of the Republic Day every year. Obituaries 8. Veteran Bengali Actress Supriya Devi Passes Away i. Veteran Bengali film actress and Padmashri awardee, Supriya Devi, passed away in Kolkata, following a severe cardiac arrest. She was 83. ii. Supriya Devi made her debut in the Uttam Kumar-starrer Basu Parivar in 1952. She was also awarded the Banga Vibushan - the highest-ever civilian award given by the Bengal Government, and a Life Time Achievement Award by Filmfare during their eastern India version of the award show.

28th and 29th January 2018 National News 1. Economic Survey 2018: Complete Analysis Economic Survey 2018 i. FM Jaitley tables Economic Survey in Parliament. ii. Economic Survey sees FY19 GDP growing 7-7.5% vs 6.75% in FY18. 2. India and Cambodia Ink 4 Agreements i. India and Cambodia signed four agreements in the field of cultural exchange, an exchange line of credit of $26.9 million, memorandum of understanding to cooperate in legal matter and an agreement on prevention of human trafficking.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- JANUARY 2018 ii. The documents were exchanged in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Cambodian PM Hun Sen following delegation-level talks between the two countries. New Delhi has agreed to set up a centre of IT excellence in Cambodia. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Cambodian Capital- Phnom Penh, Currency- Cambodian riel. 3. Himachal CM Launches 'Shakti' App for Women's Safety i. The Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Jai Ram Thakur launched the ‘Shakti‘ app for women‘s safety in the state. The app was developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) of the Himachal Pradesh government. ii. It would be available in both Hindi and English languages and would not require internet connectivity. The main objective of the launch of the app and the helpline is to fight crimes against women in the state. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Himachal Pradesh Governor- Acharya Dev Vrat. 4. India to Host Informal WTO Ministerial Gathering in New Delhi i. Trade ministers from various countries including Australia, Japan and Switzerland met for an informal WTO ministerial gathering in Davos, Switzerland. India was represented by Deepak Jagdish Saksena, ambassador and permanent representative to the WTO. ii. India announced that it will host an informal WTO Ministerial gathering in March 2018. The meeting would be held in New Delhi on March 19-20. Awards 5. Grammy Awards 2018- Complete List of Winners i. The 60th Annual Grammy Awards, honouring the best achievements from October 2016 to September 2017 were held at Madison Square Garden in New York City, the USA. James Corden was the host of the ceremony for the second year in a row. ii. It was Bruno Mars' night at the Grammy Awards held in New York, with the three biggest wins - Album Of The Year and Record Of The Year for 24K Magic and Song Of The Year for 'That's What I Like'. Here's the list of winners of the 60th Grammy Awards.  Album Of The Year: Bruno Mars  Song of the Year: Bruno Mars', That's What I Like  Record Of The Year: Bruno Mars, 24K Magic  Best Pop Solo Performance: Ed Sheeran, Shape of You  Best Pop Vocal Album: Ed Sheeran, Divide  Best Dance Recording: LCD Soundsystem, Tonite  Best Music Film: The Defiant Ones  Best Children's Album: Feel What U Feel, Lisa Loeb  Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media: La La Land  Producer of the Year, Classical: David Frost

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Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  The first Grammy Awards ceremony was held on May 4, 1959. Sports 6. Australian Open 2018- Complete List of Winners i. The Australian Open is a tennis tournament held annually in Melbourne Park, Australia. The 2018 Australian Open is the 106th edition of the tournament. ii. Roger Federer defeated Marin Cilic in the final. It was Federer's 20th Grand Slam title. In women's' single, Caroline Wozniacki became the first Danish player to win a Grand Slam singles title, defeating Simona Halep in the final. Here is the complete list of Winners of Australian Open: S.No. Category Winner Runner Up Roger Federer Marin Cilic 1. Men's Singles (Switzerland) (Croatia) Caroline Wozniacki Simona Halep 2. Women's Singles (Denmark) (Romania) Oliver Marach (Austria) Robert Farah (Colombia) 3. Men's Doubles Mate Pavic(Croatia) J. Cabal (Colombia) Kristina Mladenovic (France) Elena Vesnina (Russia) 4. Women's Doubles Tímea Babos (Hungary) Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) Gabriela Dabrowski (Canada) Timea Babos (Hungary) 5. Mixed Doubles Mate Pavic (Croatia) Rohan Bopanna (India)

7. Sandeep Lamichhane Becomes 1st Nepal player to Get IPL Contract i. Sandeep Lamichhane became the first cricketer from Nepal to land a deal an IPL contract. He was picked by Delhi Daredevils in the player's auction. The 17-year-old, the only Nepal player in the IPL auction, was sold at his base price of Rs 20 lakh. ii. The leg-spinner hogged the limelight in 2016 U-19 World Cup by becoming the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 14 scalps in six . 8. Tai Tzu Ying of Taiwan Wins Indonesian Masters i. The world no.1 Tai Tzu Ying of Taiwan has defeated Saina Nehwal in the finals of the Indonesia Masters in Jakarta. ii. Tai Tzu has now defeated the former world No.1 nine times in their last 10 meetings. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Indonesia Capital- Jakarta, Currency- Indonesian rupiah.

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30th January 2018 National News 1. First Ever 'Khadi Haat' Inaugurated in Delhi i. Marking the 69th Republic Day celebrations, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) have launched the first ever 'Khadi Haat' in the country. ii. The Khadi Haat was inaugurated by Union Minister of State Giriraj Singh in Connaught Place, New Delhi. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  KVIC Chairman- V K Saxena.  NDMC Chairman- Naresh Kumar. 2. Indian, Vietnamese Armies Hold 1st Military Exercise- VINBAX i. Armies of India and Vietnam have begun a six-day-long military exercise in Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. The exercise named ‘VINBAX’ is the first military exercise between the two countries. ii. Vietnam‘s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc was in New Delhi to participate in the India-ASEAN Commemorative summit and attend the Republic Day celebrations. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Vietnam Capital- Hanoi, Currency- Vietnamese dong. 3. Aadhaar is Oxford Dictionary‘s Hindi Word of 2017 i. Oxford Dictionaries has chosen ‗Aadhaar‘ as the Hindi word of 2017. The word gained popularity due to Aadhaar card, which was in news in 2017. ii. The announcement was made in the Jaipur Literature Festival. 4. India Cheapest Country to Live in After South Africa: Survey i. India is ranked second only to South Africa as the cheapest country to live or retire, according to a recent survey of 112 countries by GoBankingRates. The survey ranked nations on the bases of four key affordability metrics which are Local purchasing power index, rent index, Groceries index, and Consumer price index. ii. India's local purchasing power is 20.9% lower, rent is 95.2% cheaper, groceries are 74.4% cheaper, local goods and services are 74.9% cheaper. The top three most expensive countries in the survey are Bermuda (ranked 112), Bahamas (111), and Hong Kong (110). 5. International Bird Festival to be Held in Dudhwa National Park i. A three-day international bird festival will be held at the Dudhwa National Park, Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh in February 2018 with nearly 200 leading ornithologists expected to attend. ii. The purpose of the international bird festival is to promote eco-tourism in Dudhwa and to give it a distinct international identity besides highlighting its traditional arts, culture and heritage. Awards 6. 5 MPs Chosen for Outstanding Parliamentarian Award i. The Indian Parliamentary Group (IPG) headed by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan announced that five members of parliament (MPs) selected for the Outstanding Parliamentarian Awards.

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UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY- JANUARY 2018 ii. This includes, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad (2015), Trinamool Congress’ Dinesh Trivedi (2016), Manipur’s governor Najma A Heptulla (2013), BJP’s Lok Sabha member Hukumdev Narayan Yadav (2014) and five-time Rajya Sabha member Bhartruhari Mahatab of the Lok Biju Janata Dal (BJD) (2017). Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  The Outstanding Parliamentarian Award was established in 1995. So far 18 eminent MPs have received the award.  Chandra Shekhar of the Samajwadi Janata Party was the first member to receive this award. 7. to Get Yash Chopra Memorial Award i. Bollywood playback singer Asha Bhosle will be given the 'Yash Chopra Memorial Award'. She will be the fifth winner of the award. ii. The award has been instituted by the TSR Foundation of T. Subbarami Reddy in memory of producer-director Yash Chopra, who died in 2012. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Previous recipients of the Yash Chopra Memorial Award are Bollywood playback singer , and actors , , and Shah Rukh Khan. Banking/Business/Economy News 8. CRISIL Upgrades Outlook on 18 PSBs from Negative to Stable i. Rating agency CRISIL has revised its outlook on 18 public sector banks (PSBs) from ―negative‖ to ―stable‖ after the government announced bank-wise capital infusion and reform plans. ii. The revision in outlook is primarily driven by the government’s PSB recapitalisation programme for this fiscal (2017- 18). Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Ashu Suyash is the MD and CEO of CRISIL.  Gurpreet Chhatwal President of CRISIL.  It Headquarters in Mumbai.  CRISIL- Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited. 9. Paytm, Alibaba‘s AGTech Holdings Launch New Mobile Gaming Platform i. Mobile payments company Paytm and Alibaba Group-owned AGTech Holdings Ltd have formed a joint venture to launch 'Gamepind' a gaming platform aimed at mobile users in India. ii. AGTech Media currently holds 45% in the joint venture, and Paytm owns the rest. At the time of the signing of the agreement, Paytm’s parent company One97 invested $8.8 million in the venture for its 55% stake, and AGTech Holdings put in $7.2 million for its 45% stake. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group- Jack Yun MA, Headquarters- Hangzhou, China.  Paytm Founder- Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Headquarters- Noida.

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Appointments 10. Indian-American Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen to Lead USISPF Board i. Indian-American Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen has been elected as the Vice Chairman of the US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum. It is a new organisation set up to enhance business relations between India and the US. ii. The new representative body - US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) was set up to promote bilateral trade and work on creating meaningful opportunities that have the power to change the lives of citizens. The USISPF now has 31 board members.

31st January 2018 National News 1. India Ranks 6th in the List of Wealthiest Countries i. India has been ranked sixth in the list of wealthiest countries with the total wealth of 8,230 billion US dollars. The list was topped by the United States of America, according to a report by New World Wealth. ii. India was the best-performing wealth market globally in 2017 as its total wealth swelled from 6,584 billion dollars in 2016 to 8,230 billion dollars in 2017, registering a 25% growth. The top 3 countries on the List are- 1. The United States of America (64,584 billion US dollars). 2. China (24,803 billion US dollars). 3. Japan (19,522 billion US dollars). 2. Environment Minister Harshvardhan Launches PetaFlop Super Computer i. Environment Minister Harshvardhan launched a 2.8 PetaFlop capacity high-performance computer system ‗Mihir‘ in Noida. ii. The system will help the department in predicting severe climate-related calamities and warnings for fishermen. With the launch of the system, India has joined the elite 30 member group of countries which have this advanced technology. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Canara Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Union Minister of Earth Sciences Dr Harsh Vardhan has recently dedicated India‘s fastest and first multi- petaflops supercomputer named ‗Pratyush‘ to the nation in Pune. 3. INS Karanj- Third Scorpene Class Submarine Launched by Indian Navy i. Indian Navy launched 'INS Karanj', the third of the six indigenous Scorpene-class submarines. The submarine, equipped with superior stealth features and precision-guided weapons, has been built at Mumbai's Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited. ii. Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of the Naval Staff, was the chief guest on the occasion. The submarine has an overall length of 67.5 meters and a height of about 12.3 metres. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  The first Scorpene-class submarine was INS Kalvari.  The second Scorpene-class submarine was INS Khanderi.

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International News 4. Google Introduces a New App Named "Bulletin" i. Google has introduced a new app named "Bulletin" that allows anybody to submit stories for and about their communities. This is a free, lightweight app for telling a story by capturing photos, video clips and text right from your phone. ii. The app is made for contributing hyperlocal stories about your community. The application has been launched as a limited pilot project and is available in Nashville, Tennessee and Oakland, California. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Google CEO- Sundar Pichai, Parent organization- Alphabet Inc., Headquarters- The USA. Banking/Business/Economy News 5. Axis Bank Launches 4th Edition of ―Evolve‖ i. Private sector Axis Bank launched the fourth edition of ‗Evolve‘ in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. It is an annual multi- city knowledge series for Bank‘s small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) customers. The current edition of 'evolve' is titled as ―Transform your Family Business into your dream company‖. ii. It will empower the SMEs to understand the winning strategies and best practices that have helped some of the leading family businesses in India grow into the reputable enterprise. Static/Current Takeaway Points Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Axis Bank CEO and MD- Shikha Sharma, Head Office- Mumbai. 6. India‘s Crude Steel Production Rises 6.2% to 101.4 MT in 2017 i. India has overtaken the US to become the world‘s third-largest steel producer and the country is now looking to bag the second spot from Japan. Country‘s crude steel production grew by 6.2% to 101.4 million tonnes, MT, in 2017 compared to 95.5 MT in 2016, according to the report by World Steel Association. ii. Japan, the second largest global steel producer, witnessed a negative growth as steel output declined by 0.1% to 104.7 MT in 2017 from 104.8 MT in 2016. China remained the world leader by producing 831.7 MT in 2017, up 5.7% from 786.9 MT in the year-ago period. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Syndicate Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Mr Birender Singh is Union Minister of Steel of India. 7. Government Signs $250 million Loan Agreement with ADB i. The Asian Development Bank and the Indian Government have signed a 250 million dollar loan to finance the construction of over 6 thousand 2 hundred kilometres all-weather rural roads in 5 states viz Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). ii. The program is aimed at improving rural connectivity, facilitating safer and more efficient access to livelihood and socio-economic opportunities for rural communities through improvements to about 12 thousand kilometres Rural Roads across the 5 States. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Canara Bank PO 2018 Exam-  Founded on 19 December 1966 ADB has its Headquarter in Manila, Philippines.

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 President of ADB is Takehiko Nakao. Sports News 8. Melbourne to Host Final of 2020 World T20 i. Melbourne Cricket Ground will host the final of both the men‘s and women‘s World Twenty20 when the tournaments come to Australia in 2020. ii. It will mark the first time the tournaments are held as stand-alone events in the same year in the same country. The women’s final will coincide with International Women‘s Day (8th March). Static/Current Takeaways Important for Canara Bank PO 2018 Exam- Australia Capital- Canberra, Currency- Australian dollar. 9. PM Modi Launched 1st Khelo India School Games i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the first Khelo India School Games at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. ii. Talented Under-17 players identified in priority sports disciplines at various levels by a High-Powered Committee will be provided annual financial assistance of Rs. 5 lakh per annum for 8 years. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Canara Bank PO 2018 Exam-

 Union Minister of State ( I/C) Youth Affairs and Sports- Rajyavardhan Rathore. 10. Sharath Kamal Wins Table Tennis Nationals Championship i. Sharath Kamal beat top-seeded Anthony Amalraj to win the men singles title for the eighth time, equalling the feat of Kamlesh Mehta in the 79th edition of the 11Even Sports Senior Nationals in , Jharkhand. ii. Suthirta Mukherjee from West Bengal emerged the new women champion, beating Hyderabad Nationals winner Manika Batra. Static/Current Takeaways Important for Canara Bank PO 2018 Exam-

 Sharath Kamal is from Tamil Nadu.

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