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My Dear Aspirants,
Greetings to all of you! “What we think we become” said Gautama Buddha. We all have dreams. To turn dreams into reality it takes a lot of determination, dedication, self discipline and hard work.
We at VETRII IAS Study Circle are committed to provide the right guidance, quality coaching and help every aspirant to achieve his or her life’s cherished goal of becoming a civil servant.
The class room coaching at VETRII IAS Study Circle is meticulously planned to equip the aspirants with all the relevant facts and fundamentals of the subjects. Further the VETRII IAS Study Circle Study material aim to support the candidate by providing the most relevant study material in a comprehensive manner.
Wishing You All The Very Best !!
M. SHUNMUGAM DIRECTOR Vetrii IAS Study Circle. TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS IRC JAN 2018
CONTENT
SL. NO TITLE PAGE NO
1. Important Days 1 - 4
2. International 5 – 11
3. National Affairs 12 - 19
4. State Affairs 20 - 26
5. Important Index 27 - 27
6. Schemes 28 – 32
7. Awards & Honours 33 - 37
8. Appointment 38 - 41
9. Economy 42 – 46
10. Military Exercises 47 - 48
11. Science & Technology 49 - 52
12. Sports 53 - 55
13. Summit s 56 – 59
14. Tamilnadu 60 - 62
15. General Knowledge 63 - 65
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IMPORTANT DAYS
125TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF SATYENDRA NATH BOSE – JANUARY 1, 2018 :
Indian physicist from Bengal specialising in theoretical physics. He is best known for his work on quantum mechanics in the early 1920s, providing the foundation for Bose– Einstein statistics and the theory of the Bose– Einstein condensate. A Fellow of the Royal Society, he was awarded India's second highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan in 1954 by the Government of India. The class of particles that obey Bose–Einstein statistics, bosons, was named after Bose by Paul Dirac. He was born on January 1,1894.
• 2018 to be oserved as National Year of Millets to boost production of the
nutrient-rich millets.
PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIWAS – JANUARY 9, 2018 :
The ‗Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas‘ is being celebrated annually across the country on 9th January.
The day commemorate the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to Mumbai on 9th January 1915.
ARMY DAY 2018 – JANUARY 15, 2018 :
The Army Day 2018 (70th edition) has been celebrated on 15th January in India.
The day is celebrated to pay homage, salute to the courageous and brave Indian soldiers who
have been sacrificing their lives for protecting the country.
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NATIONAL YOUTH DAY – JANUARY 12, 2018 :
National Youth Day has been celebrated on 12th January in India on the birthday of social reformer, philosopher and thinker Swami Vivekananda. To capitalize on the demographic dividend of young India, to capture the vibrancy and fresh perspective of youth and to pledge to accomplish the goal of New India.
The Theme of the Festival is Sankalp Se Siddhi
NDRF RAISING DAY – JANUARY 19, 2018 :
The National Disaster Response Force has been celebrating its 13th Raising Day on --19th January.
The NDRF was raised on 19th January 2006, as a specialized force capable of responding to any type of disaster in the country and abroad. It is strategically deployed across the country as per the vulnerability profile.
NATIONAL GIRL CHILD DAY – JANUARY 24, 2018 :
The 2018 National Girl Child Day (NGCD) is celebrated in India -- 24th January.
The National Girl Child Day (NGCD) is celebrated with an aim to raise awareness about sex ratio levels and promote the empowerment of girls.
INTERNATIONAL CUSTOM DAY – JANUARY 26, 2018 :
The International Custom Day has been observed across the world -- 26th January. The slogan for International Custom Day 2018 is “A Secure Business Environment for Economic Development”. The CCC has later renamed as World Custom Organization in 1994 which is an intergovernmental organization.
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NATIONAL VOTERS DAY – JANUARY 25, 2018 :
The National Voters‘ Day (NVD) is observed every year by India on -- 25th January. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has celebrated the 8th National Voters‘ Day 2018
Theme: „Accessible Elections‟ across the country.
INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY – JANUARY 27, 2018:
The International Holocaust Remembrance Day has been observed all over the world on -- 27th January.
Theme: ―Holocaust Remembrance and Education: Our Shared Responsibility‖.
ANTI-LEPROSY DAY – JANUARY 30, 2018 :
Anti-Leprosy Day being observed on -- 30th January.
The day, observed every year on the Martyrdom Day of Mahatma Gandhi, remembers his selfless efforts and care for the people affected by leprosy.
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OTHER IMPORTANT DAYS
January 1 World Day of Peace. January 4 World Braile Day. January 10 World Hindi Day January 25 Nationl Tourism Day January 29 World Puzzles Day. January 30 Martyr‟s day.
Jan 18-24, 2018 is announced as Girl child Week by Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to celebrate the girl child and spread awareness on gender equality.
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INTERNATIONAL
SAUDI ARABIA AND UNITED ARAB EMIRATES INTRODUCE VAT FOR FIRST TIME :
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which have long lured foreign workers with the promise of a tax-free lifestyle, plan to impose a 5 per cent tax next year on most goods and services to boost revenue after oil prices collapsed three years ago.
Value-added tax or VAT: It will apply to a range of items like food, clothes, electronics and gasoline, as well as phone, water and electricity bills, and hotel reservations.
INDIA-PAKISTAN NUCLEAR LIST EXCHANGE :
India and Pakistan on 1st Jan 2018 exchanged 27th lists of their nuclear installations. This was done through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad.
Aim : To prevent both sides from attacking such facilities.
WORLD FIRST COUNTRY TO LEGALISE EQUAL PAY :
From January 1, 2018, a new law has come to force in Iceland, under which it has become illegal to pay men more than women for the same work. Iceland has thus becomes first country in the world to legalise equal pay.
Iceland has been ranked as world‟s most gender-equal country by World Economic Forum (WEF) since past nine years.
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HIMALAYAN HYDRO EXPO 2018 :
Organized by : The Independent Power Producers‟ Association Nepal (IPPAN) and Event Management Services began at the Exhibition Hall of Bhrikutimandap, in Kathmandu, Nepal. The expo was inaugurated by Bidya Devi Bhandari, President of Nepal. Hydro power related products and services are displayed in the Expo. Seminars, discussions and competitions are conducted for students.
CHINA BUILD NAVAL BASE : China is planning to build its second foreign naval base in Pakistan according to a South China Morning Post (SCMP) report. After Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa in Indian Ocean , this is the second one. The base in Djibouti was formally opened in August 2017. China‘s naval base in Pakistan will most likely come up in Gwadar on the southwestern coast of Balochistan, Pakistan. From Indian perspective, this news holds strategic significance, as Gwadar is located at a short distance from Chabahar port in Iran.
Chabahar Port : It is being jointly developed by India and Afghanistan. Chabahar port is to be utilised as trade corridor for Indian exports to Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan.
BBIN MOTOR VEHICLES AGREEMENT :
Under the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA), Bangladesh, India and Nepal agreed on text of operating procedures for passenger vehicle movement (Passenger protocol) in sub-region. Decision in this regard was taken at meeting of High-level officials of three countries held in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The passenger protocol agreed upon is document detailing procedures for cross-border movement of buses and private vehicles for transport facilitation in sub region. It will be signed by three countries after completing necessary internal approval processes in their
government.
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GLOBAL CENTRE FOR CYBER SECURITY :
Launched by : World economic forum (WEF) A new Global Centre for Cyber security headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The centre will become operational from March 2018.
Objective: To safeguard world from hackers and growing data breaches — especially from nation-states.
ASEAN-INDIA COMMEMORATIVE SUMMIT :
The ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit was held in New Delhi to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of sectoral dialogue between two sides.
Theme: “Shared Values, Common Destiny”.
THAR LINK EXPRESS AGREEMENT EXTENDED :
The agreement of Thar Link Express, second solitary rail service between India and Pakistan was extended for three more years i.e. till 2021. It was set to expire in March 2018, but has now been extended to January 31, 2021. About Agreement: The agreement to link the two countries by rail service through Munabao- Khokhrapar link was signed in 2006 to facilitate people-to-people contact.
Thar Express : It links Jodhpur (India) and Karachi (Pakistan) via Munabao (Rajasthan)- Khokhrapar (Sindh province) border crossing and carries only passengers.
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SKYREV360 : India and Lao PDR have signed civil aviation cooperation agreement for providing SkyRev360, a comprehensive e-data gathering, invoicing and collection system. The agreement was signed between Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Lao Air Traffic Management, Department of Civil Aviation under the Government‟s Make in India initiative.
Objective: It helps to eliminate inaccuracies errors and delays for better revenue management with less manual processing.
SMART GRID PILOT PROJECT :
India-Japan Smart Grid Pilot Project was inaugurated in Panipat, Haryana by State Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in the presence of Japanese Minister Keniko Sen to solve the various complications faced by the power distribution sector.
Aim: To make electricity distribution network smarter and disseminate Japanese technologies in India.
WORLD BIGGEST SMOG TOWER :
China has constructed Xian smog tower, an experimental air purifying tower touted to be the world‟s biggest at height of over 100 meters (328 feet)
Objective: To fight air pollution.
GLOBAL FORUM FOR FOOD & AGRICULTURE : The 10th edition of Global Forum for Food & Agriculture was held in Berlin, Germany.
Theme: “Shaping the future of livestock – sustainably, responsibly, efficiently”
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NATIONAL KNOWLEDGE NETWORK PARK :
India and Sri Lanka have signed 4 agreements for collaboration in the ICT(Information and Communication Technology ) sector, setting up of an e-office system and connecting of National Knowledge Network ( NKN) for collaboration among universities and academics.
Sri Lanka became first country to be connected to NKN through Gigabyte (GB) optical fibre network.
OFFICE OF ENVOY ON YOUTH :
India has contributed $50,000 to United Nations (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. The contribution made by India is voluntary with no strings attached. The Youth Envoy‟s works to raise international awareness and attention to youth issues among others.
Mission Aim: To promote engagement of youth and advocate for them across all the four pillars of UN‟s work
1. human rights, 2. peace and security, 3. sustainable development and 4. humanitarian action.
RIZHAO :
A new missile frigate was commissioned by the People‟s Liberation Army in a naval port in Dalian, China. The Missile frigate Rizhao is 140 m longand 16 m wide designed and made by China.
1ST WOMEN-ONLY CAR SHOWROOM :
Saudi Arabia‟s first motorshow for women customers was held in Jeddah.
Saudi King Salman had ordered an end to the ban on Women drivers by June2018.
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BEIDOU NAVIGATION SATELLITE : Two BeiDou-3 satellites has successfully launched by China to provide navigation and positioning services to countries along Belt and Road initiative (BRI) by the end of 2018. The two satellites were designated as BeiDou-3 M and BeiDou-3 M8 (26th and 27th satellites) in BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS). This was first launch of the BeiDou satellites in 2018.
China is planning to send 18 BeiDou-3 satellites into space in 2018.
PAKISTAN-SPECIAL WATCH LIST :
The United States has placed Pakistan on ―Special Watch List‟ for “severe violations” of religious freedom. It is only country to be put under the newlyformed list. As per US, Pakistan was placed in this list because it continues to harass its religious minorities, tolerates extra-judicial violence in the guise of opposing blasphemy.
INDIA JOINED AUSTRALIAN GROUP : India‘s entry into the group which aims to prevent proliferation of biological and chemical weapons, will ensure a more secure world. ―The Australia Group decided to admit India as its 43rd participant. India would like to thank each of the participants. Its entry would be mutually beneficial and further contribute to international security and non-proliferation. India‘s membership will help to counter the ―spread of materials, equipment and technologies that could contribute to the development or acquisition of chemical/biological weapons.‖
India joined the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) in 2016 and the Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) in 2017.
Wassenaar Arrangement: Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies is a multilateral export control regime.
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NEPAL BANS SOLO CLIMBING ON MOUNT EVEREST :
Nepal has banned solo climbers from scaling its mountains, including Mount Everest, in a bid to reduce accidents. 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.
China is issuing long-term visas to lure highly skilled people from abroad to work in the country. The union govt. has approved the agreement between India and Myanmar on Land Border Crossing. The U.N. Security Council has welcomed six new non-permanent members. They are Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Peru, and Poland. India and Saudi Arabia has signed an agreement to revive the option of sending Haj pilgrims through sea route for Haj 2018. Saudi Arabia allowed women to spectate a football match, part of an easing of strict rules on gender separation by the ultra-conservative Muslim country.
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NATIONAL AFFAIRS
KERAL NILAMBUR TEAK GET GI TAG:
Kerala‘s nilambur teak known internationally for ts superior timber quality and elegant appeareance will be added to the list of kerala products with the Geographical Indication(GI) tag. Britisers were first identify the superior and unique quality of teak from Kerala nilambur plantations and forest. Later the region became the major supplier of quality teak in the world.
About GI tag: GI tag is an insignia on products having a unique geographical origin and evolution over centuries regards to its special quality or reputation attributes.
BENEFITS OF GI TAG:
1. Legal protection to the products, 2. Prevents unauthorized use of a GI tag products by others, 3. Enhancing demand in national and international markets, 4. Help consumers get quality products.
GOLDEN PEACOCK AWARD :
Chola MS has been awarded the Winner under the Sector - "Insurance (General)", at the Awards presentation ceremony as part of the "Global Convention on Corporate Ethics & Risk Management" held recently at Hotel Inter Continental, Singapore. The other winners in this category include State Bank of India, ONGC Videsh, L&T Finance Holdings etc.
The Golden Peacock Awards were instituted in 1991 by the Institute of Directors (IOD), now regarded as a benchmark of Corporate Excellence worldwide, are presented annually to recognize the best Corporates through competition.
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INDIA‟S FIRST DIGITAL ONLINE ONCOLOGY TUTORIAL SERIES:
Designed by Tata Memorial Centre (a grant-in-aid cancer centre under Department of Atomic Energy, GOI)
LAUNCHED BY: Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Aim : To train doctors across country to educate them in early detection, prevention, palliation, rehabilitation and treatment of various cancers. Oncology literally means a branch of science that deals with tumours and cancers. The word ―onco‖ means bulk/ mass/ tumor while ―logy‖ means study.
22ND NATIONAL YOUTH FESTIVAL (NYF) :
Union Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports in collaboration with Uttar Pradesh Government at Gautam Buddha University Greater Noida organised the 22nd National Youth Festival (NYF) in New Delhi on the occasion of birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the youth icon of India. This is the first time that the National Youth Festival is being organized in National Capital Region (NCR).
Objective : To provide platform to bring youth of country together in attempt to provide them opportunity to showcase their talents in various activities.
Theme of 2017 NYF: “Sankalp Se Siddhi‟
The first National Youth Festival was held in 1995 ( Bhopal).
SFOORTI APPLICATION :
LAUNCHED BY : Union Ministry of Railways Objective : To track movement of freight trains over Zones / Divisions /Sections on GIS View. Even passenger trains can be tracked using it. It will help to monitor freight business along with comparative analysis of Zonal and Divisional Traffic.
SFOORTI - Smart Freight Operation Optimisation & Real Time Information
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SAKSHAM 2018 (SANRAKSHAN KSHAMTA MAHOTSAV) :
LAUNCHED BY : Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) under the aegis of Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.
Aim: To creating focused attention on fuel conservation through people centric activities and sensitize masses about conservation and efficient use of petroleum products leading to better health and environment.
RASHTRIYA SANSKRITI MAHOTSAV - 2018 :
7th edition of Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav -2018 under the Ek Bharath Shreshtha Bharat Programme began in Karnataka. Under this programme Karnataka is paired with Uttarakhand.
Aim: To celebrate the idea of unity in diversity by promoting engagement amongst the people of different states /UT‟s and thereby strengthening people-people bond.
NEW 9 SMART CITIES :
The addition of these 9 smart cities in the fourth round, the total cities picked up under Smart City Mission have reached 99. Under the scheme, each city will get Rs.500 crore (Rs. 100 crore per year) from the Centre for implementing various projects.
THE NINE CITIES INCLUDE :
1. Uttar Pradesh –Moradabad, Bareilly and Saharanpur, 2. Bihar Sharif (Bihar), 3. Silvassa (Dadra and Nagar Havelli), 4. Erode(Tamil Nadu), 5. Daman and Diu, 6. Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh) and 7. Kavaratti (Lakshadweep).
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WORLD WEALTH REPORT : India was ranked sixth in list of wealthiest countries with total wealth of US $8,230 billion in 2017 according to New World Wealth Report.
IMPROVE INDIA‟S TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM :
India and London government MoU signed between Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and ―Transport for London‖.
Aim : To improve the overall public transport system and also to promote the use of high capacity buses in India.
GLOBAL MANUFACTURING INDEX (GMI) :
PUBLISHED BY : World Economic Forum (WEF)
India ranked at 30th position among 100 countries on its Global Manufacturing Index(GMI). The index was released as part of WEF‘s first Readiness for the future of production Report which analysed development of modern industrial strategies and urges collaborative action.
MAITRE-2 BUS SERVICES TO CONNECT INDIA AND BANGLADESH :
A second passenger bus to Kolkata via Dhaka was started from Agartala, Tripura, to give a boost to the trans-border relationship between India and Bangladesh. The second bus service has been named Maitre-2.
UIDAI INTRODUCES „VIRTUAL ID‟ TO ADDRESS PRIVACY CONCERNS :
In a bid to address privacy concerns, the UIDAI has introduced a new concept of ‗Virtual ID‘ which Aadhaar-card holder can generate from its website and give for various purposes, including SIM verification, instead of sharing the actual 12-digit biometric ID.
This will give the users the option of not sharing their Aadhaar number at the time of authentication.
GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES ONLINE CANCER DETECTION COURSE :
Union health ministry launched a seven-month online course designed by Tata Memorial to help non-cancer specialists detect early signs of the disease, especially in villages and smaller cities.
Intend: For physicians, gynaecologists, dentists and other health care professionals who are not
oncologists. It can play a crucial role in early detection and diagnosis of cancers.
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FIRST EVER KHADI HAAT IN DELHI :
On the mark of 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. The Khadi Haat was inaugurated by Union Minister of State Giriraj Singh in Connaught Place, New Delhi.
JAL MARG VIKAS PROJECT (JMVP) :
Implementation of the for capacity augumentation of navigation on National Waterway -1 (NW-1). The project will be implemented at a cost of Rs.5369.18 cr with the technical assistance and investment support of the World Bank. It is expected to be completed by March 2023.
THE PROJECT WILL COVER STATES 1. Uttra Pradesh, 2. Bihar, 3. Jharkhand and 4. West Bengal
ZOJILA TUNNEL:
The Zojila Tunnel will be situated at an altitude of 11,578 feet on Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway (NH-1A).
MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT : To provide all whether connectivity to strategically important Leh region in J&K which at moment is limited to at best 6 months because of snow on the mountainous passes and threat of avalanches. Ladakh region remains cut off from rest of the country during winter months due to heavy snowfall. On completion, it will be Asia‟s largest 2-
lane bi-directional tunnel.
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WORLD BOOK FAIR :
The nine-day World Book fair at New Delhi. The World Book Fair is organized every year by the National Book Trust and India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO).
Theme: Environment issues like climate change, global warming, and water pollution.
INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE FESTIVAL: 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).
The meeting was chaired by Union Minister for Science & Technology, Dr. Harsh Vardhan.
INDIA'S 1ST GARBAGE FESTIVAL ORGANISED IN CHHATTISGARH:
The Raipur Municipal Corporation in Chhattisgarh organized the three-day 'Kachra Mahotsav 2018'. It is India's first Garbage Festival.
Aim : To increase awareness, use the waste generated in the city creatively, and to
showcase multiple techniques for reusing things that are labeled as garbage.
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'ICREATE CENTRE' IN AHMEDABAD:
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. The two leaders also visited the startup exhibition at the venue and interacted with entrepreneurs and innovators.
―OPERATION DIGITAL BOARD‖:
The Cabinet Advisory Board of Education (CABE) has launched the ―Operation Digital Board‖ at 65th meeting of CABE held in New Delhi.
It has been launched on the lines of the ‗Operation Black board of 1987‘ which was started with the purpose of providing minimum education facilities to all primary school. The idea of Operation Digital Board is aimed at providing better digital education in all schools.
INTERNATIONAL BIRD FESTIVAL- 2018 :
The 2018 International Bird Festival will be held in the Dudhwa National Park, uthara Pradesh.
Purpose : To give it a distinct international identity besides highlighting its \traditional Tharu arts, culture, and heritage.
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TYPBAR TCV :
World‟s first typhoid vaccine clinically proven to be administered to children from six months of age to adults, and confers long-term protection against typhoid fever. Typbar Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TVC) developed by Hyderabad based Bharat Biotech for global use got its prequalification from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Typhoid fever is caused by bacterium Salmonella Typhi (S. Typhi).
SHORT NEWS:
Anwar Jalalpuri Prominent Urdu poet Anwar Jalalpuri who translated Bhagwad ‗Geeta into Urdu‘ has passed away. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) rolled out Aadhaar-based online verification of mobile connections for non-resident Indians, senior citizens above 70 years and physically challenged persons. 90% of the food grains and 20% of the sugar products will be mandatorily packed in jute bags. This decision will benefit farmers and workers located in the Eastern and North-Eastern regions of the country particularly in West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya and Tripura. World Bank projects India's growth rate in 2018 -7.3%. Niti Aayog provide rankings to the 115 aspirational districts. The Union Home Minister B. R. Sharma appointed a panel to recommend changes in the existing laws of playing of the National Anthem in cinema halls and public places. The Matunga railway station has figured in the ‗Limca Book of Records 2018‘ for having an all-woman staff. Election Commission (EC) of India has constituted Umesh Sinha committee to suggest changes to Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act. Madhya Pradesh state hosted the Annual Conference of Director
Generals of Police (DGP) and Inspector Generals of Police (IGP) 2018.
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STATE AFFAIRS
INDIA‟S FIRST FLOATING MARKET:
Kolkata became first metro city in India to get floating market which was inaugurated by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The floating market is located on lake at Patuli in South Kolkata which is 400 metres long and 60 metres wide.
Aim : To rehabilitate over 200 shopkeepers from nearby market that was demolished for the widening of Eastern Metropolitan Bypass (EMB) — an important road that connects the northern parts of Kolkata the eastern and southern tips. The lake has been transformed into the floating market similar to the one in Thailand.
EARLY WARNING DISSEMINATION SYSTEM (EWDS) :
India‘s first automatic Early Warning Dissemination System(EWDS) will be commissioned by March 2018 in Odisha. The EWDS is a first-of-its-kind automatic public address system in the country. The project is being implemented under National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project with World Bank‟s help.
Aim : To establish fool-proof communication system to address existing gaps in disseminating disaster warning up to community level.
ARUNACHAL PRADESH WAS OFFICIALLY DECLARED OPEN DEFECATION FREE (ODF) STATE :
Arunachal Pradesh has total 21 districts and it attained this major cleanliness feat under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan much before (one year and 10 months ahead) the national deadline of October 2, 2019.
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OPEN DEFECATION FREE STATES: Northeast state – 2 states. 1. Sikkim, 2. Himachal Pradesh, 3. Kerala, 4. Haryana, 5. Arunachala Pradesh.
32ND SURAJKUND INTERNATIONAL CRAFTS MELA : Haryana tourism department has announced that 32nd Surajkund International Crafts Mela, to be held at Surajkund, Faridabad, from 2nd to 15th February 2018. This fair was organized by Haryana Tourism and Surajkund Fair Authority in collaboration with Union ministries of tourism, textiles, culture and external affairs.
Theme state: Surajkund International Crafts Mela 2018 is Uttar Pradesh.
“24X7 GUDIYA HELPLINE”:
Himachal Pradesh government setting up of 24X7 ―Gudiya helpline‖ for reporting crimes against women. Under ―Gudiya helpline‟ initiative, three special crime cells would be set up, one each at Mandi, Shimla and Kangra.
ABOUT GUDIYA: ‟Gudiya‟ is a nickname given to the 16-year-old victim of rape and murder in Kotkhai town.
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FLAMINGO FESTIVAL :
The three-day annual Flamingo Festival was held at Pulicat lake and Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary in Sullurpet mandal.
ABOUT FESTIVAL: These festival is held every year to promote tourism in Pulicat and Nellapattu. Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary is one of the biggest habitats for some hundreds of pelicans and other birds. It is located about 20 km north of the Pulicat Lake on the Andhra Pradesh-Tamil Nadu border.
HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY (HRP) PORTAL: Haryana become first state in the country to launch High-Risk Pregnancy (HRP) portal. The portal will help in early identification of high-risk pregnant cases up to grass-roots level and ensures their timely referral to civil hospitals.
Objective : These portal will help in increasing pace of decline in Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Still Birth Incidence as morbidity and mortality is quite high in high risk pregnant cases if not managed timely.
INTERNATIONAL KITE FESTIVAL : The International Kite Festival started at Sabarmati River Front in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Nearly 149 foreign kite fliers from 44 countries are taking part in this festival. From India, around 96 kite fliers from 18 states and 290 kite fliers from Gujarat participate in this kite festival.
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COMMON MOBILITY CARD FOR BUS AND METRO RIDES :
Delhi becomes the first city in India to launch common mobility card for bus and metro rides. It was launched by Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. This card will come in to effect from 1st April 2018.
Objective : This card can be used at 200 Delhi Transport Corporation ( DTC) and 50 buses. This card also behaves likes a debit card.
PUBLIC CLOUD POLICY : Maharashtra became first state in country to unveil Public Cloud Policy that virtually mandates state government departments to shift their data storage onto cloud. The policy will result in additional private sector investments worth US $2 billion for cloud industry as government is one of biggest creators and consumers of data. Aim: To generate 5 lakh jobs in next five years.
KERALA GOVERNMENT PERMITS PRISONERS TO DONATE ORGANS : The Kerala government gave permission to prisoners in Kerala jails to donate organs to their close relatives. The period of admission in hospital will be taken as parole period for the prisoner. The hospital expenses will be taken care by the jail authorities. In the statement it is clearly mentioned that ‗no relaxation in prison term‘ for the prisoner performing organ
donation will be provided.
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E-RAKTKOSH WEB PORTAL : According to the Punjab State Health Minister Brahm Mahindra, the state has rolled out e- Raktkosh web portal in all the 45 government blood banks.The web portal provides the guidelines and streamlines the workflow of blood blanks and storage centers across the nation and interconnects all blood banks with a single network.In the next phase all 59 private blood banks of the state will be linked with the e-Raktkosh application software.
„UTSAVAM 2018‟ :
To rejuvenate traditional folk art forms of Kerala, will be held across the state. The festival, organised by the state tourism department, would be held in 28 venues in 14 districts with participation of more than 5000 artists.
The Ustavam will showcase various art forms, including Kolkali, Theyyam, Irulnritham, Ganabali, Pavkanaporatt and Kaakirinaatakam.
MANIPUR GETS WASTE MANAGEMENT PLANT TO PRESERVE GREEN COVER : The green cover of northeastern state of Manipur, a solid waste treatment plant has been set up at Lamdeng in Imphal West.
About Plant: The plant, set up under a state government initiative, is helping the state manage solid and industrial waste. The operations of the plant, which will treat, process, recycle and disposing solid waste of Imphal, has been handed to a private agency Eco Care Private Limited.
MAHARASHTRA ANNOUNCES 1% RESERVATION TO ORPHANS IN JOBS, EDUCATION :
Maharashtra Government has announced 1% reservation for orphans in government jobs and education. The reservation, termed parallel reservation, will be provided under the general category, which means the government won‘t need to increase its caste reservation quota that has already reached 52%.
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TELANGANA TO INTRODUCE SEPARATE BUDGET FOR FARM SECTOR FROM NEXT FISCAL :
The Telangana Government would introduce a separate budget for agriculture from the next financial year. The TRS government will also be providing investment support for the key sector to ensure that cultivators don‘t fall into debt trap. The government has decided to provide Rs 8,000 per acre per annum to farmers (for two seasons) as investment support for agriculture.
INDIA'S 1ST PARK FOR DIFFERENTLY ABLED INAUGURATED IN HYDERABAD :
Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister of Telangana K.T. Rama Rao inaugurated the park, which has speech therapist, physiotherapist, vocational training instructors for the differently-abled children.
This is the first such park in India. The park will benefit those differently-abled children, who want to move forward and thrive in life.
BANNED E-CIGARETTE : The Bihar Govt. has banned electronic cigarettes in the state.
E-cigarette: It is a battery run electronic device that tries to create the feeling of tobacco smoking. It works by heating a liquid to generate an aerosol that users inhale.
SHORT NEWS: Karnataka state government has received the approval for purchase of electric vehicles under Central government‘s FAME-India scheme. The Union Cabinet has approved for establishment of new AIIMS in which state under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) in Himachal Pradesh. Harstate govt. has announced a power tariff subsidy of Rs. 2 per unit for micro and small enterprises, under Enterprises Promotion Policy – 2015. The first draft of National Register of Citizens (NRC) has released for the state of Assam.
Music maestro A R Rahman named the official brand ambassador of Sikkim.
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IMPORTANT INDEX
INDIA RANKS 177TH IN ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE INDEX :
PUBLISHED BY : World Economic Forum
According to the latest global Environmental Performance Index (EPI) rankings released on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum meet in Davos, India is at 177th spot — down from 141st position two years ago — in the list of 180 countries.
LEADING COUNTRIES : 1. Switzerland, 2. France, 3. Denmark, 4. Malta and 5. Sweden
A new green index has ranked India the fourth worst country worldwide in curbing environmental pollution.
INDIA RANKED 81ST ON GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS INDEX :
PUBLISHED BY : World Economic Forum (WEF)
India has moved up on a global index of talent competitiveness to the 81st position. India has improved its position from 92nd last year. India was at the 89th place in 2016 on the index that measures how countries grow, attract and retain talent.
TOP 10 WEALTHIEST COUNTRIES :
1. United States (1st, total wealth held US $ 64,584 billion), 2. China (2nd, $24,803 billion), 3. Japan (3rd, $19,522 billion) , 4. United Kingdom (4th, $9,919 billion), 5. Germany (5th, $9,660 billion), 6. India (6 th, $8,230 billion), 7. France (7th, $6,649 billion), 8. Canada (8th, $6,393 billion), 9. Australia (9th, $6,142 billion) and 10. Italy (10th, $4,276 billion).
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STEEL PRODUCER REPORT :
REPORT PUBLISHED BY : World Steel Association (WSA).
India has overtaken US to become the world‟s third largest steel producer in 2017. India‟s crude steel production has grown by 6.2% to 101.4 million tonnes (MT) in 2017 compared to 95.5 MT in the previous year.
1. China has remained world leader by producing steel, 2. Japan is second largest global steel producer.
INDIA‟S WEALTH INDEX :
According to wealth index released on basis of data from fourth round of National Family and Health Survey (NFHS-4). 1. Delhi is richest state and Jain wealthiest community in the country. 2. Bihar is poorest state half of its households in the bottom quintile. 3. Rajasthan has most equitable wealth distribution with similar number of households in all
quintiles.
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SCHEME
MUKSHYAMANTRI KALAKAR SAHAYATA YOJANA (MMKSY) :
MMKSY to provide financial assistance to the literature and cultural artists of state was launched by Odisha Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik. The scheme is mainly for the welfare of literature and cultural artists of the state. It will provide monthly financial assistance of Rs.1200 to literature and cultural artists of state.
Male artist can get assistance under after attaining age of 50 years (earlier it was 60 years) and female artist can get it at age of 40 years (earlier it was 50 years).
MAHATMA GANDHI SARBAT VIKAS YOJNA (MGSVY)
MGSVY for the welfare of the downtrodden citizen across the state was launched by the Punjab Government.
Objective : To identify poor and distressed households which have been deprived of the benefits of the various welfare schemes. It will be on the line of Antyodaya principles (Antyodaya‟ means rise of the last person) and will be implemented in the state‟s rural areas.
E-SAMVAD PORTAL :
LAUNCHED BY : Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD)
Objective : To provide platform for NGOs and Civil Societies to interact with the ministry. Through it, NGOs and civil society can provide their feedback, suggestions, put up grievances, share best practices etc. This will help in formulation of effective policies and measures for welfare of women and children.
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ZERO BUDGET NATURAL FARMING (ZBNF) PROJECT :
To promote organic farming have been launched by Jai Ram Thakur (CM of Himachal Pradesh) in the state. ZBNF is set of natural farming methods where cost of growing and harvesting plants is zero. It is a farming practice that believes in natural growth of crops without adding any fertilizers and pesticides or any other foriegn elements. It is different from organic farming.
Aims: To increase agriculture produce and the income of farmers by the year 2022.
“TRACKCHILD‟ AND “KHOYA-PAYA‟ WEB PORTALS :
LAUNCHED BY : Ministry of Women and Child Development
Objective : To track missing and found children and also provides support for children in
trouble through the dedicated toll free number – 1098.
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“MUHAFIZ‟- SCHEME :
A major welfare initiative for providing institutionalized socio-economic security to workers in the unorganised sector of the Jammu and Kashmir state.
Objective : 3 lakh workers registered with Jammu and Kashmir Building and Other Construction Workers‟ Welfare Board (JKBOCWWB), will be provided accidental, life and disability insurance cover.
“Muhafiz‟ means “Guardian‟ in English.
NARI ONLINE PORTAL :
LAUNCHED BY : Women and Child Development Objective : To empower Women.
NARI stands for National Repository of Information for Women. The portal contains
information about schemes being run by both centre as well as the state governments.
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NANAJI DESHMUKH KRISHI SANJIVANI YOJNA :
Maharashtra Government has approved Nanaji Deshmukh Krishi Sanjivani Yojna to promote climate-resilient agriculture. It will be roll out in 2018-19 and continue till 2023-24. The scheme will be implemented in 5,142 villages across 15 districts.
Objective : To improve soil quality, develop foodgrain varieties which can sustain climate variations and effect necessary changes in the crop pattern as per the availability of water in a particular region.
INTEGRATED SOLAR BASED MICRO IRRIGATION SCHEME(ISBMI) :
Haryana govt has announced to implement the integrated solar based micro irrigation scheme (ISBMI) in all districts of the state and formed a committee under the Chairman of Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency(HAREDA).
Aim: To save electricity and water and will thereby prove to be economical for farmers.
SWACHH SURVEKSHAN :
The nationwide cleanliness survey was launched across India on 4th Jan 2018. It is deemed as the World‟s biggest survey, it will conducted in over 4000 cities with a population of more than 40 cr. Objective: To evaluate the achievements in the cleanliness level in urban areas.
E-SANSAD AND E-VIDHAN :
e-Sansad in Parliament and e-Vidhan in State Legislatures to digitize and make their functioning paperless.
Aim : To digitise and make available Parliament and state legislature documents, including debates, speeches, committee reports and questions on internet.
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NATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR CONTROL OF VIRAL HEPATITIS :
LAUNCHED BY : Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
A new scheme free treatment of Hepatitis C is rolled out by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare from the 2018-19 financial year. Significant number of people infected with Hepatitis C develop cirrhosis of liver or liver cancer, which are responsible for 3,99,000 Hepatitis C deaths annually across the world.
Aim : anti-viral treatment of Hepatitis C which will be provided free at all
government health set-ups. For this government has embarked budget
of Rs 600 crore for the next three years.
Hepatitis C : This is infectious disease caused by blood-borne virus hepatitis C virus (HCV) that primarily affects the liver.
“STREE SWABHIMAN INITIATIVE” :
LAUNCHED BY : Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeITY)
Aim : To create sustainable model for providing adolescent girls and women an access to affordable sanitary products by leveraging Common Service Centres (CSC‘s).
PRADHAN MANTRI VAYA VANDANA YOJANA (PMVVY)
Aim: To provide social security during old age, to protect elderly persons aged 60 and above against a future fall in their interest income due to uncertain market conditions.
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AWARDS
PARLIAMENTARIAN AWARDS :
Outstanding Parliamentarian Awards was conferred to five Members of Parliament by the parliamentarian Group. They are
1. Dr.Najma Heptulla: former Rajya Sabha MP - 2013, 2. Hukumdev Narayan Yadav: Lok Sabha MP - 2014, 3. Ghulam Nabi Azad: Rajya Sabha MP – 2015, 4. Dinesh Trivedi: Lok Sabha MP - 2016. 5. Bhartruhari Mahatab: Lok Sabha MP - 2017.
JANAKAVI P SAWLARAM AWARD :
Actor Sudhir Dalvi honored 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.
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75TH ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS :
The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards honored the best in film and American television of 2017.
WINNERS OF VARIOUS AWARDS:
1. Best Motion Picture Drama: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. 2. Best Motion Picture Musical/Comedy: Lady Bird. 3. Best Director in Motion Picture-Drama: Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water). 4. Best Actor in Motion Picture-Drama: Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour) as Winston Churchill. 5. Best Actress in Motion Picture-Drama: Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) as Mildred Hayes. 6. Best Actor in Motion Picture or Musical or Comedy: James Franco (The Disaster Artist) as Tommy Wiseau. 7. Best Actress in Motion Picture Musical/Comedy: Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird) as Christine ―Lady Bird‖ McPherson. 8. Best Actor in a Supporting role in Motion Picture: Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) as Officer Jason Dixon. 9. Best Actress in a Supporting role in Motion Picture: Allison Janney (I, Tonya) as LaVona Golden. 10. Best Animated Feature Film: Coco. 11. Best Foreign Language Film: In the Fade (Germany/France). 12. Lifetime Achievement Award: Oprah Winfrey.
GANGA JAMUNA AWARD :
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.
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31ST MOORTHIDEVI AWARD :
Eminent Bengali poet Joy Goswami will be given the 31st Moortidevi Award for the year 2017. The committee, headed by poet and scholar Satya Vrat Shastri, unanimously decided to confer the award upon Goswami for his poetry collection titled Du Dondo Phowara Matro. It is the first time the award will be given to a Bengali poet.
Du Dondo Phowara Matro: It is an autobiographical account of the poet's life featuring his close ones including a pet cat.
YASH CHOPRA MEMORIAL AWARD :
Bollywood playback singer Asha Bhosle will be given the 'Yash Chopra Memorial Award'. She will be the fifth winner of the award. The name of Asha Bhosle is in the Guinness World Records for recording over 11,000 songs in 20 different languages. The award will be presented to Asha Bhosle in February 2018.
Yash Chopra Memorial award has been instituted by the TSR Foundation of T.Subbarami Reddy in memory of producer-director Yash Chopra, who died in 2012.
GRAMMY AWARDS – 2018 :
60th Annual Grammy Awards, honoring 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. 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'. 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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PRIME MINISTER SHARAM AWARDS :
The Ministry of Labour & Employment announced Prime Minister‟s Shram Awards for the year 2016 to be awarded to 50 workers including 3 women employees. Shram Bhushan : 12 workers from SAIL, BHEL and TATA Steel Ltd. were selected. Shram Vir/Shram Veerangana Award: 18 workers from Naval Dockyard, Ordinance Factory, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam, TATA Steel, Hindalco Industries, Paradeep Phosphates Ltd., Brahmos Aerospace were selected. Shram Shree/Shram Devi Awards.
They were instituted in 1985 and are announced every year by Ministry of
Labour and Employment.
CRYSTAL AWARD AT WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM :
Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan honored with the 24th Crystal Award at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. According to the WEF, Shah Rukh Khan received Award for "his leadership in championing children's and women's rights in India". He received the award alongside Elton John and Hollywood actress Cate Blanchett.
CHEVALIER DE L‟ORDRE DES ARTSET LETTRES :
Indian Architect Aishwarya Tipnis has been conferred France‘s top cultural award for her outstanding commitment to preservation of French heritage in India in Kolkata.
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“SAMUDRA MANTHAN - CARING ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR” AWARD :
India‘s Premier Container Port Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) has won the ―Samudra Manthan - Caring Organization of the Year‖ award.
JNPT : It provides excellent facilities to their staff like medical insurance, residential township with school, transport service, canteens, rest rooms, recreation, sports activities and regular training programs on various key topics.
The award instituted by Bhandarkar Shipping aims to fuel healthy competition in the maritime sector.
SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI AWARDS :
The Sangeet Natak Akademi‘s Fellowships (Akademi Ratna) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards for 2016 given by President of India in New Delhi.
FOUR AKADEMI RATNA (FELLOWSHIP) : 1. Arvind Parikh, 2. Sunil Kothari, 3. Ram Goapl Bajaj and 4. R Vedavalli and 43 artists will receive the Akademi Awards.
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APPOINTMENTS
NEW DG OF NATIONAL SECURITY GUARD :
Sudeep Lakhtakia appointed as the new Director General (DG) of the 'black cats' commando force NSG. 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 who will retire from the post of NSG DG.
NEW CHIEF ELECTION COMMISSIONER:
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.
Other Election Commisioner: The government also appointed former finance secretary Ashok Lawasa as an Commissioner. Mr Rawat will take over the office from 23rd January 2018 onwards. Sunil Arora is the other Election Commissioner.
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ANANDIBEN PATEL NAMED AS NEW MADHYA PRADESH GOVERNOR :
Former Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel named as the new governor of Madhya Pradesh. 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.
NEW NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER :
The new National Security Adviser (NSA) -Rajinder Khanna is appointed.
• National Security Advisor (NSA): It is the chief executive of the National Security Council (NSC), and the primary advisor to the Prime Minister of India on national and international security.
NEW REAT CHAIRMAN :
• The Chairman of the Real Estate Appellate Tribunal (REAT) for Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands -- B Rajendran.
REAT : The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, the State government have to establish the Real Estate Appellate Tribunal for Tamil Nadu.
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ISRO NEW CHAIRMAN :
The Chairman of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) --K Sivan.
K.Sivan: Renowned Scientist K Sivan has been appointed as the Chairman of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), also as Secretary in the Department of Space and Chairman of Space Commission for tenure of three years. He succeeds A S Kiran Kumar. Currently, Sivan is serving as Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Trivandrum.
FIRST WOMAN LAWYER TO BE DIRECTLY APPOINTED AS A JUDGE :
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 apex court.
Indu Malhotra: She will be the seventh woman judge since independence to make it to the Supreme Court. In collegium system, the shortlisted candidates are scrutinized by a collegium of five senior-most judges of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of India before being cleared for appointment.
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VIKRAM SARABHAI SPACE CENTER NEW DIRECTOR :
New Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) -- S Somanath.
Somanath: He is known for his contributions to launch vehicle design, particularly in the areas of launch vehicle systems engineering, structural design, structural dynamics, and pyrotechnics.
NEW FOREIGN SECRETARY OF INDIA :
The new Foreign Secretary of India -- Vijay Keshav Gokhale.
• Earlier, Mr. Gokhale was serving as the Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). He also served as India‘s Ambassador to China, Germany and worked in Indian missions in Hong Kong, Hanoi and in New York.
T S Tirumurti appointed as the Economic Relations secretary in the External Affairs Ministry. Harjinder Singh appointed as the Chef De Mission for the 23rd Winter Olympic Games.
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ECONOMY
INDIA IS 5TH MOST ATTARACTIVE MARKET FOR INVESTMENTS :
India emerged as the fifth most attractive market for investments and theoptimism over global economic growth is at a record level, as per the survey of CEOs by global consultancy PwC.
LEADING COUNTRIES : 1. United States (46%) 2. China (33%) 3. Germany (20%) 4. Japan (9%) 5. India (8%)
INDIA TO GROW AT 7.4% IN 2018 :
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 countryamong the emerging economies.Due to demonetization and implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), India‘s economy slowed down a little bit to 6.7% in 2016. 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
projected a 7.8% growth rate for India in 2019.
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MAURITIUS LARGEST SOURCE OF FDI IN INDIA - RESERVE BANK OF INDIA :
Mauritius was the largest source of foreign investment in India (21.8 percent share at market value), followed by the US and the UK, according to a census by the Reserve Bank of India. 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.
1ST INDIAN BANK TO CROSS RS5 TRILLION MARKET CAPITALISATION :
India‘s most-valued lender HDFC Bank Limited crossed Rs5 trillion capitalization action for the first time, making it only the third Indian company to achieve this milestone. In intraday trade, the stock touched a fresh record high of Rs1,53.75 on the BSE, up 3.31% from its previous close.
INCOME TAX DEPARTMENT CREATE WEBSITE ABOUT QUERIES :
The Income Tax (IT) Department has launched an on-line chat service on its national website - - www.incometaxindia.gov.in‟.
• A customer support executive having expertise in tax-related matters helps the users in resolving their queries on-line. The facility is available on all working days from Monday to Friday between 10 AM and 6 PM.
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NEW RS.10 DENOMINATION NOTES :
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued new banknotes of Rs. 10 denomination in the Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series.
About Note: The new denomination has motif of Sun Temple, Konark on the reverse and the base colour of the note, Chocolate Brown. The dimension of the banknote will be 63 mm x 123 mm.
FACEBOOK LAUNCHES “MARKETPLACE” TO BUY, SELL GOODS IN INDIA:
Facebook has launched its ‘Marketplace’ to buy and sell used goods and services across categories such as electronics, entertainment, and housing in India. For used goods, it allows sellers to register by including details like price, category, location and images.
NABARD (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2017 :
Parliament has cleared the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Amendment) Bill,2017 to amend the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act, 1981. According to the bill the authorized capital is raised to 30000 Cr from 5000 Cr in future it may also increase with consultation of RBI.
At present, Union government has the 99.6% share in the bank rest with RBI.
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RBI ORDERED BANKS TO RECALIBRATE ATMS WITH Rs.200 :
Indian apex bank RBI orders all the banks to recalibrate ATM to install new Rs.200 for the more circulation of the denomination.
About Rs.200 rupees: RBI introduced New Rs.200 Note in 25th August 2017. Image on Backside Sanchi Stupa, Dimensions 66 X 146 mm², Colour bright yellow.
STATE BANK OF INDIA MAY CUT MINIMUM BALANCE LIMIT IN SAVINGS A/C‟S TO 1,000 :
India‗s largest lender SBI is planning to bring down the minimum balance limit for savings accounts to 1,000 from the current 3,000 balance in metros.
WORLD‟S FIRST BIOMETRIC PAYMENT CARD :
Bank of Cyprus has selected Gemalto, an digital security company to supply world‟s first biometric payment card for both chip and contactless payments. These cards will use fingerprint recognition instead of a personal identification number (PIN) to authenticate the cardholder.
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INSOLVENT COMPANIES LEVY MINIMUM ALTERNATIVE TAX :
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has announced to relax norms around levy of minimum alternate tax (MAT) for insolvent companies from financial year 2017-18. It is ruled by provisions enclosed in section 115JB of Income Tax Act, 1961.The purpose of the move is to make the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 more effective and minimise hardship faced by companies going in for insolvency resolution.
Aim: To bring Zero Tax Companies‖ into tax realm who do not pay any tax.
LOGISTICS EASE ACROSS DIFFERENT STATES ( LEADS) INDEX :
Gujarat has topped logistics ease across different states ( LEADS) index as per the report released by the union minister of commerce and industry Suresh Prabhu at the third meeting of council for Trade development and promotion on 8th Jan 2018. LEADS index is a perception based index of mobility of goods and efficiency of logistics chain.
• Punjab has acquired second position followed by Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Among the Union Territories, Daman & Diu occupied top slot followed by NCT Delhi and Chandigarh. As regards the hilly states, Tripura was on top followed by Mizoram and Meghalaya.
GLOBAL ECONOMIC PROSPECTS REPORT :
According to the World Bank‟s Global economic prospects report, India economy will grow by 6.7% during the current fiscal year, higher than 6.5% estimated by the Indian government. It further stated that GDP growth is expected to be 7.3% in 2018-19 and with this growth, India is set to regain the top spot in World‟s fastest growing economies.
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MILITARY EXERCISES
VINBAX-2018 :
The first military exercise (VINBAX-2018) between India and Vietnam was conducted at Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh as a part of joint training undertaken with friendly foreign countries by Indian Army.
VAJRA PRAHAR-2018 :
The Indo-US joint military exercise held at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Seattle in third week of January in line with the increasing military cooperation between both countries.
The last edition was held in Jodhpur in March 2017.
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IRON FIST :
13th Annual Iron fist joint exercises was conducted by US and Japan military in California, US.
COAST GUARDS OF INDIA, JAPAN ORGANISED JOINT NAVAL EXERCISE :
The biennial search and rescue exercise by ships and aircraft from the Indian and Japanese Coast Guards, to be witnessed by observers from 27 maritime Nation. The exercise, the eighth such in the series of „National Maritime Search and Rescue Workshop and Exercise,‘ will see ships and aircraft of Coast Guards from India and Japan, the Indian Navy and Air Force and National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) taking part.
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority of India (PFRDA) run Atal Pension Yojana (APY) has reached a subscriber base of 80 lakh. The 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. The union govt has finalized the scheme aimed at cleaning the system of
political funding in the country Electoral Bonds.
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
LAUNCHED BY : Indian Navy at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), Mumbai, Maharashtra.
It the third Scorpene class submarine built by MDL under ambitious Project 75 of the Indian Navy. INS Karanj has an overall length of 67.5 metres and height of about 12.3 metres. The first of these, INS Kalvari was commissioned in December 2017 and second, INS Khanderi is undergoing sea trials. Remaining 4 submarines will be inducted gradually by 2020.
• INS Karanj has been named after older submarine as per Indian naval tradition that was in operation from 1969 to 2003. It served country for 34 years and was also part of operations in 1971.
PROJECT- 75 : • In all, six scorpion submarines being indigenously built at MDL under Project 75 with help of French naval defence and energy company DCNS. These are diesel-electric attack submarines equipped with antiship missile. The first four submarines will be conventional, while last two will be equipped with the Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system, which will enable them to stay underwater for longer duration.
PARKER SOLAR PROBE :
To explore the sun‟s outer atmosphere, Parker Solar Probe is going to launch by NASA in 2018. It is NASA‟s planned robotic spacecraft to probe outer corona of Sun. It will perform its scientific investigations in a hazardous region of intense heat and solar radiation.
About Spacecraft: It is named after solar astrophysicist Eugene Parker. This is first time NASA spacecraft named after living person. It has been designed and built by Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.
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GOVERNMENT E-MARKETPLACE (GEM 3.0) :
LAUNCHED BY : Ministry of Commerce & Industry. GeM is an Online Market platform to facilitate procurement of goods and services by various Ministries and agencies of the Government. It has been envisaged as National Procurement Portal of India.
Aim: To enhance transparency, efficiency and speed in public procurement of goods and services and eliminate corruption.
ROTAVAC :
It is first Indigenously developed vaccine from India to be prequalified by World Health Organisation (WHO). Rotavac conceived and developed by the Hyderabad based Bharat Biotech Limited.
It protects against childhood diarrhoea caused by the rotavirus. It was developed under the joint collaboration between India and United States in area of medical research.
CYBER SURAKSHIT BHARAT INITIATIVE :
LAUNCHED BY : National e-Governance Division (NeGD) and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
Aim: To strengthen cyber security ecosystem in India in line Government‘s vision for a ―Digital
India‟. It will leverage the expertise of the IT industry in cyber security.
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SPT0615-JD : NASA scientists have discovered SPT0615-JD, the farthest known galaxy in the Universe. The image was captured by NASA‖S Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes.
PSLV C-40 ROCKET :
ISRO to launch 31 satellites in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh . It will be the first space mission of India in 2018. It will carry 3 satellites of India and 28 satellites from other countries. Indian Satellites contains 710 kg of Cartostat-2 series for Earth observation ,11kg Nano-satellite and 100 kg Microsatellite.
GOLD AND ICON MISSION :
The two new missions named GOLD and ICON to explore the ionosphere, located 96 km above Earth‘s surface will be launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
GOLD : The Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission will be launched in January 2018. It will be launched in geostationary orbit over Western Hemisphere, about 35,398 km above earth. It will help in full-disk view of ionosphere and upper atmosphere beneath it every half hour. ICON : Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) will be launched later this year. It will be launched in low-Earth orbit (LEO) located at 560 km above Earth, like a close-up camera.
ICBM AGNI-V :
India test-fired its nuclear-capable Agni-V inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM), which has a strike range of over 5,000 km. The ICBM can reach the northern-most parts of China. Agni-V was last tested in December 2016, in what was described as the fourth and final experimental test of the three-stage ICBM.
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„CHARLIE-435‟ :
It is the state-of-art patrol vessel, equipped with modern navigation and communication system. The vessel will strengthen the coastal security between Chennai and Kanyakumari in the Eastern Coastal region.
MIHIR:
The name of the computer launched for weather forecasting in Noida—Mihir
Aim: To improve India‘s capacity in weather forecasting including Air quality forecasting at the block level, the High-Performance Computer (HPC) System named ‗Mihir‘ (meaning ‗Sun‘) was dedicated to the nation at the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) in Noida.
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SPORTS
INDIA WINS BLIND WORLD CUP 2018 :
The Indian cricket team won the blind world cup 2018 by beating arch-rivals Pakistan by 2 wickets in the final. Chasing a target of 308 runs in 40 overs at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in UAE, the Indian team reached there with 8 balls remaining.
1ST KHELO INDIA SCHOOL GAMES IS LAUNCHED BY PM MODI:
The first Khelo India School Games is launched by PM Modi at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. The Khelo India programme has been introduced to save the sports culture in India from the school level.
• Union government allotted annual financial assistance of Rs. 5 lakh per annum for 8 years. The Khelo India School Games are being held from 31st January to 8th February 2018 in New Delhi.
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BAHRAIN TO HOST FIRST-EVER “BABY OLYMPICS” :
Bahrain has announced plans to host the first-ever Baby Olympics‗ where two to four-year- olds will take part in the games in April. The Athletics competition will host three events: medley relay for four year-olds, a hurdles toddle for three year-olds, while participating two year-olds will cross a specially designed stretch of 15 meters in a freestyle race.
SARJUBALA DEVI CLAIMS GOLD IN NATIONAL WOMEN‟S BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP :
Former world silver medallist Sarjubala Devi representing Manipur claimed the gold in 48 kg category in the National Women‗s Boxing Championships in Rohtak, Haryana.
WOMAN PERFORMS 105-HOUR NON-STOP YOGA, ATTEMPTS WORLD RECORD:
Kavitha Bharanidaran, a Chennai resident, has attempted a new Guinness World Record for performing yoga continuously for over 105 hours.
Kavitha Bharanidaran, who took five-minute breaks after each hour, started doing Yoga continuously from 7 AM on December 23, 2017.
WTA AUCKLAND OPEN TENNIS TITLE :
Julia Goerges won the WTA Auckland Open Tennis title, in Auckland, New Zealand by defeating Denmark‟s Caroline Wozniacki.
Julia Goerges has won the Auckland singles title for the first time. This was her ninth
attempt to win the title.
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KHELO INDIA SCHOOL GAMES :
Vibrant Khelo India logo at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi was launched by Union Minister of State ( I/C)YouthAffairs and Sports Col Rajyavardhan Rathore.Three-stroke Khelo India logo has been designed by Ogilvy India. The logo design has been crowd sourced. It bears the colours of the national flag.The inaugural Khelo India School Games under the revamped Khelo India Programme will begin on January 31, 2018.
BRAZIL LEGEND RONALDINHO RETIRES FROM FOOTBALL:
The Brazilian World Cup winner Ronaldinho has retired from football. The 37-year-old, who also won the Champions League and Ballon d‘Or in a glittering career, has not played for a professional team since leaving Fluminense in 2015.
OLYMPIAN ASHWINI PONNAPPA IS „COORG PERSON OF THE YEAR 2017‟ :
Star Indian badminton player and Olympian Ashwini Ponnappa has been named ‗Coorg Person of the year, 2017‘ in a poll conducted by a news portal dedicated to Kodagu.
Ashwini, who won a gold medal in the women‘s double event of the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, was selected for the honour by www.coorgtourisminfo.com, Kodagu‘s first news portal, promoted by senior journalist P. T. Bopanna.
G Sathiyan India‘s highest-ranked player in latest International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) rankings. India's first ever international medal in skiing (in the slalom race category)- Aanchal Thakur.
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SUMMIT
4TH INTERNATIONAL DHARMA-DHAMMA CONFERENCE :
4th International Dharma-Dhamma Conference on ―State and Social Order in Dharma- Dhamma Traditions‖ was held at Rajgir in Nalanda district, Bihar.
Theme : The ideal state and just social order based on dharmic principles. Aim : To facilitate crosspollination of ideas and foster harmony at global level. The event was organised as part of commemorative events to celebrate Silver Jubilee (25) year of ASEAN-India Dialogue Partnership.
RAISINA DIALOGUE : The third edition of the geo-political conference – Raisina Dialogue was held in New Delhi. It was inaugurated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Raisina Dialogue is an annual conference held in New Delhi. It is envisioned to be India‟s flagship conference of geopolitics and geo-economics. The conference is held jointly by Ministry of External Affairs and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), an independent think tank based in India.
Theme: “Managing Disruptive Transitions: Ideas, Institutions and Idioms‟.
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WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO) MINISTERIAL MEETING :
It will be hosted by India in March 2018 in New Delhi. The meeting will be taking place after collapse of the WTO 11th Ministerial Conference (MC 11) held in Buenos Aires in December 2017.
Objective : To discuss ways to revitalise WTO to ensure predictable and transparent system of rule-making in the area of international trade.
CONFERENCE ON TRANSFORMATION OF ASPIRATIONAL DISTRICTS
It was held at the Dr.Ambedkar International Centre, in New Delhi by NITI Aayog. The conference focused on Prime Minister Narendra Modi‟s vision of a New India by 2022. Government officials such as Additional Secretary and Joint Secretary have been made officers in-charge for the transformation of districts initiative of around 100 districts.
INDIA TO HOST 16TH INTERNATIONAL ENERGY FORUM MEET
The 16th International Energy Forum (IEF) Ministerial meeting will be held in New Delhi. Global energy organisations, including the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries,international Energy Agency, will also be represented at the meet.
India had last hosted the IEF ministerial conference in 1996.
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INTERNATIONAL SPICE CONFERENCE :
The third edition of international spice conference will be held at Jaipur from February 4 to 7. Arancha Gonzalvez, Executive Director, International Trade Centre, Geneva, will inaugurate the conference which will be jointly hosted by the All India Spices Exporters‘ Forum and Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Theme: „Managing Disruptions through Transformation and Collaboration„.
1ST SCO MILITARY COOPERATION MEETING :
India 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. The meeting discussed issues of practical cooperation among SCO nations. This is the first meeting attended by India in the field of defense cooperation under the SCO framework.
About SCO: India and Pakistan were admitted in 2017 into the grouping in which China plays an influential role.
ALL INDIA WHIPS CONFERENCE :
18th All India Whips‟ Conference has been held in the Udaipur of India.
Purpose : To strengthen the Parliamentary Democracy, its institutions and ultimately serve people at large.
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INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON WILD SILK MOTHS :
The 8th edition of the International Conference on Wild Silk Moths -- Assam. The conference would help in increasing income of the people of the region who are involved with silk industry.
Organized by: The Central Silk Board and International Society for Wild Silk Moths.
WOMEN LEADERSHIP SUMMIT :
The 4th Annual Women Leadership Summit will be held at IIM-Bangalore. Organised by the student-run Women in Management Club (WIM) of IIM-Bangalore. Diversity issues prevalent to both men and women will be discussed during the summit.
Theme: ‗Redefining Power for a Newer Tomorrow‘.
INDIA-ISRAEL BUSINESS SUMMIT IN MUMBAI :
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. Later in the day, Mr. Netanyahu will attend the ‗Shalom Bollywood‘ event at the Taj hotel.
Namaste Shalom: A monthly magazine titled ‗Namaste Shalom‘ will also be launched to mark Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s Mumbai visit. The magazine is planned to carry forward the great initiative of Mr. Modi and Mr. Netanyahu to strengthen India-Israel relations.
• The 3rd Meeting of Council of Trade Development and Promotion has been held the city New Delhi. • The ‗Economic Democracy Conclave‘ at Thane, Maharastra.
• The 48th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF- 2018) was held in Davos, Switzerland. • The Thiruvananthapuram city hosted the International Conference on dam safety.
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TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS JAN 2018
TAMILNADU
TN LAUNCHES E-GOVERNANCE POLICY :
The Tamil Nadu government has launched an e-governance policy to provide various services digitally. Government services will be provided through service centres spread across the State and also through mobile apps. The policy also has guidelines to provide IT infrastructure for digital initiatives.
The policy includes a provision to allocate 0.5 per cent of the total funds in a financial year to digital initiatives. The allocation will be gradually increased to 3 per cent in the next five years.
TAMILNADU GOVERNMENT TO INTRODUCE AEROSPACE & DEFENCE POLICY:
The Tamil Nadu government is in the process of coming out with an exclusive Aerospace and Defence policy. The policy‘s objective is to achieve a 30 per cent share of the defence sector in India and creating high-end employment opportunities for around 100,000 people in the state. The development of Chennai Aerospace Park at Sriperumbudur is one such initiative to start with. The Chennai Aerospace Park is being set up in 250 acres in the first phase which will be expanded to 500 acres in the next phase.
DEFENCE INNOVATION HUB TO COME UP IN COIMBATORE :
A Defence Innovation Centre would be set up in Coimbatore by industry body CODISSIA to assist small industries in manufacturing components for the defence sector. The Defence Ministry would release Rs 20 crore as an initial funding to the Coimbatore District Small Industries Association (CODISSIA) to set up the innovation centre.
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UNESCO AWARD :
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K.Palanichamy received UNESCO Award of Merit awarded to the iconic Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple in Tiruchirapalli. The award of merit was awarded by UNESCO Asia Pacific region for thereconstruction activities undertaken in the temple without in the least affecting its traditional splendor and Vedic rituals. It is considered as one of the most important of the 108 main Vishnu temples (Divyadesams).
ARAADHANAI MUSIC FESTIVAL :
The 171st Araadhanai Music festival of one of the Trinities of Carnatic music Saint Thyagaraja begins in Thiruvaiyaru, Tamil Nadu on 2nd Jan 2018. This festival was inaugurated by Governor of TN Banwarilal Purohit.
SMART POLICE STATIONS INITIATIVE :
R.S. Puram Police station in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu has been adjudged as the best police station in India in SMART Police stations initiative of Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). SMART Police concept was announced by PM Modi at the 49th annual conference of Director General/Inspector General held in Guwahati in Nov 2014.
SMART POLICE STANDS FOR : 1. S-Sensitive and Strict, 2. M-Modern with Mobility, 3. A-Alert and Accountable, 4. R- Reliable and Responsible , 5. T-Trained and Technosavvy.
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TAMIL NADU LITERARY AWARDS 2018 :
1. Thiruvalluvar Award Ko. Periyannan, 2. Ambedkar Award Dr.George, 3. Bharathiyar Award Su. Balasubramanian, 4. Bharathidasan award Jeeva Bharathi, 5. Thiru V. Ka award Vai. Balakumaran, 6. Periyar Award P.Valarmathy, 7. Anna Award A.Subramanian, 8. Kamarajar Award Dinakaran, 9. Ki.Aa. Pe. Viswanathan Award Maruthanayagam.
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GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
IMPORTANT DEFENCE EXERCISE BETWEEN INDIA AND WORLD
1. Garuda→India‐France 2. Garuda Shakti →India‐Indonesia 3. Hand‐Hand→ India‐China 4. Indra →India‐Russia 5. Jimex→ India‐Japan 6. Malbar →Us‐India 7. Shade →Naval Forces of India, Japan and China 8. Surya Kiran→ India‐Nepal 9. Varuna →France‐India 10. Simbex→ Indian Navy with Republic of Singapore Navy 11. Ibsamar →India with Brazil and South African Navy 12. Konkan→ Indian Navy and Royal Navy of Britain 13. Ausindex→ Indian and Australian Navy 14. Indradhanush or Rainbow→ India‐Uk Air Exercise 15. Nomadic Elephant→ Indian Army Exercise with Mongolia 16. Ekuverin→ India‐Maldives 17. Mitra Shakti →India‐Sri Lanka
LAKES IN INDIA
Name of the Lake→ Location 1. Kolleru lake →Andhra Pradesh 2. Pulicat lake→ Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh 3. Hussain Sagar→ Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh 4. Ulsoor lake→ Bangalore, Karnataka 5. Sambhar lake→ Rajasthan 6. Pichola lake →Udaipur in Rajasthan 7. Dal lake→ Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir 8. Wular lake→ Bandipore in Jammu and Kashmir 9. Pangong lake→ Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir 10. Surajkund →Faridabad in Haryana 11. Rudrasagar lake →West Tripura, Tripura 12. Udaipur is known as the Lake City. 13. Pangong Lake is a transboundary lake. A major portion of the lake lies in Tibet.
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FIRST IN INDIA (FEMALE)
● Prime Minister —Indira Gandhi ● Governor —Sarojini Naidu (U. P.) ● I. P. S. —Kiran Bedi ● President of National Congress —Anne Besant ● Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission —Rose‐William Baithu ● Winner of Nobel Prize —Mother Teresa (for peace) ● Awardee of Miss World —Reeta Farhia ● Awardee of Miss Universe —Sushmita Sen ● Mayer —Tara Charian (Madras‐1957) ● Minister in Central Cabinet —Rajkumari Amrit Kaur ● Chief Minister —Sucheta Kriplani ● Parliamentrian —Radhabai Subbarayan (1938). • Judge of Supreme Court—Justice Meera Sahaib Fatima Bibi ● Chief Justice of High Court—Justice Leela Seth (Himachal Pradesh) ● Session Judge of the Counting —Anna Chandi (Kerala) ● Mountaineer who climbed (Conquered) the Mt. Everest —Bacchendri Pal ● Awardee of Norman Barlog Prize —Dr. Amrita Patil ● Literature who was awarded the Sahitya Akademi award—Amrita Pritam (1956) ● Honoured with ‗Bharat Ratna‘—Indira Gandhi.
Literary Awards 1st Indian to be awarded the Nobel prize in literature‐Rabindranath Tagore 1st recipient of Bhartiya Jnanpith award ‐G Sankara Kurup 1st recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award for English‐RK Narayan 1st person to receive Nobel prize for English literature‐Rudyard Kipling 1st Indian to receive the Booker prize (British citizen) ‐Salman Rushdie 1st Indian woman (and also first Indian citizen The Booker prize ‐Arundhati Roy 1st Indian to receive the Pulitzer prize (Reporting category) ‐Gobind Behari Lal
FIRST RECIPIENTS OF VARIOUS AWARDS Bharat Ratna 1st Indian to be awarded the Bharat Ratna‐C Rajagopalachari 1st Bharat Ratna Awardee to become thePresident of India‐ Dr. S.Radhakrishnan 1st person to be awarded the Bharat Ratnaposthumously ‐Lal Bahadur Shastri 1st Scientist to be awarded the Bharat Ratna -CV Raman 1st and only Industrialist to be awarded the Bharat Ratna‐ JRD Tata 1st woman to be awarded the Bharat Ratna‐Mrs. Indira Gandhi 1st sportsperson to be awarded the BharatRatna‐ Sachin Tendulkar
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Sports Awards 1st recipient of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award‐ Viswanathan Anand 1st woman recipient of Rajiv Gandhi Khel RatnaAward ‐Karnam Malleshwari 1st recipient of Dhyanchand LifetimeAchievement Award ‐Aparna Ghosh 1st cricket player to be awarded the ArjunaAward ‐ Salim Durrani 1st Indian recipient of International CricketCouncil's Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy‐Rahul Dravid
Discovery of Elements - Radioactive Elements
Element Discoverer Polonium Marie Curie Radium Marie Curie and Pierre Curie Actinium Andre Louis Debierne Thorium Jons Jacob Berzelius Uranium Martin Heinrich Klaproth Plutonium Glenn T. Seaborg, Edwin McMillan,
First Appointees of India 1st President- Dr. Rajendra Prasad 1st Vice-President -Dr. S Radhakrishnan 1st Prime Minister -Pt Jawaharlal Nehru 1st Home Minister -Vallabhbhai Patel 1st Railway Minister- John Mathai 1st Defence Minister -Sardar Baldev Singh 1st Finance Minister -RK Shanmugam Chetty 1st External Affairs Minister -Jawaharlal Nehru 1st Governor General (Indian)- C Rajagopalachari 1st Governor General(Independent India)-Lord Mountbatten 1st Chief Justice of India -Harilal J Kania 1st Chief Election Commissioner- Sukumar Sen 1st Chief Information Commissioner-Wajahat Habibullah 1st Central VigilanceCommissioner-N Srinivasa Rau 1st Attorney General M.C. Setalvad 1st Speaker of Lok Sabha G.V. Mavalankar 1st Cabinet Secretary N.R. Pillai 1st Chief of Army Staff Gen Rajendra Singhji 1st Chief of Air Staff Air Marshall-Thomas Elmhirst 1st Chief of Naval Staff -Vice Admiral RD Katari
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