Exclusive December 2017 GA Refresher for IBPS Clerk MAIN · PDF file · 2018-01-05The report was released by Centre for Economics and Business Research, ... World Bank provides loans

www.bsc4success.com www.bscacademy.com mailto:[email protected]

Exclusive December 2017 GA Refresher for IBPS Clerk MAIN

Banking & Economy

Fifth Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement, 2017-18

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Dec 06 has decided to maintain status quo and

keep its key interest rate, the repo rate, unchanged at 6 per cent in its fifth bi-monthly policy review of the fiscal year.

The RBI retained its GDP projections for the year at 6.7 per cent with risks evenly balanced.

On inflation outlook, the RBI projected that it would be in the region of 4.3% to 4.7% in Q3 and Q4 this fiscal.

To Read More: CLICK HERE

Bank of India gets Rs. 2,257 cr from govt

State-run, Bank of India has received capital infusion of Rs. 2,257 crore from the govt.

The bank has received infusion of Rs. 2,257 crore from the Govt of India on Dec 29, in the form of Common Equity Tier-1

Capital, which is being kept as Share Application money and would be alloted after due procedure/ conditions for allotment.

The govt had on Oct 24 unveiled a Rs. 2.11 lakh crore two-year roadmap for strengthening NPA-hit public sector banks,

which includes re-capitalisation bonds, budgetary support and equity dilution.

IDBI Bank gets ₹2,729 crore from govt

Public sector IDBI Bank has received capital infusion of ₹2,729 crore from the govt towards preferential issue of equity

infusion of IDBI bank during the fiscal year 2017-18.

KKR Gets RBI Nod to Start India's 1st Foreign-Owned ARC

US buyout giant KKR & Company has become the first foreign investor to fully own an asset reconstruction company (ARC)

in India as it received approval from the Reserve Bank of India.

The New York-headquartered investor, one of the most aggressive investors in financial services, plans to deploy a major

chunk from its record Asia fund for buying troubled assets in the country, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the

matter.

Small savings schemes’ interest rates cut by 20 bps

The govt slashed interest rates on small savings schemes, including NSC and PPF, by 0.2 percentage point for the January-

March period from the rates applicable in the previous quarter.

Senior Citizens Savings Scheme - 8.3%;

PPF & NSC - 7.6 per cent

KVP - 7.3 per cent and mature in 11 months

Girl child savings scheme, Sukanya Samriddhi Account - 8.1 per cent

Term deposits of 1-5 years will fetch a lower interest rate of 6.6-7.4 per cent, to be paid quarterly, while the five-

year recurring deposit is pegged at 6.9 per cent.

Bank of Baroda signed MoU with Poorti Agri Services Private Limited

Bank of Baroda has entered into MOU with Poorti Agri Services Private Limited enabling farmers to purchase agricultural

commodities such as fertilizers, pesticides, seeds, etc. provided by them.

It is an online order and platform for rural change which is known as "Poorti".

http://www.bsc4success.com/

http://www.bscacademy.com/

mailto:[email protected]

https://bsc4success.com/fifth-bi-monthly-monetary-policy-statement-2017-18/


Poorti is a well-known company that provides multi-party mobile commerce platform for easy order by farmers to farmers,

fertilizers, pesticides and seeds with loans given by banks.

Govt inks Loan Agreement with World Bank

The Union Govt has inked Loan agreement with World Bank for $40 mn IBRD Credit for “Uttar Pradesh Pro-Poor Tourism

Development Project”.

The project size is approximately $57.14 million, of which $40 million will be financed by World Bank, and remaining

amount will be funded out of State Budget for 5 years.

Pluto Exchange launches India’s first bitcoin trading app

Cryptocurrency dealer Pluto Exchange announced the launch of India’s first mobile application for transacting in virtual

currencies.

The Pluto Exchange mobile app offers a solution to the coordination problem between payment processors, financial

gateways and banks.

Bharat Verma is the founder and Chief Executive of Pluto Exchange.

SBI gets nod to raise ₹8,000 crore

The country’s largest lender SBI and its board had approved raising ₹8,000 crore through various sources, including masala

bonds, to meet Basel III capital norms.

Masala bonds are rupee- denominated specialised debt instruments that can be floated in overseas markets only to raise

capital.

State Bank of India (SBI) had time till Mar 2018 to raise the funds.

Banks in India have to comply with the global capital norms under Basel III by Mar 2019, three months later than the

internationally-agreed time frame, by Jan 2019.

India to become fifth largest economy in 2018

According to '2018 World Economic League Table' report, India is set to overtake the United Kingdom and France to become

the world’s fifth largest economy in 2018.

The report was released by Centre for Economics and Business Research, an economics consultancy based in Britain.

India currently ranked seventh will overtake UK and France to become the world’s fifth largest economy in 2018 and further

move to third spot by 2032.

Paytm becomes India's first payments app to cross 100 mn downloads

India's largest mobile-first financial service platform, Paytm becomes India's first mobile payment app to cross

100 million downloads on Google Play Store in the second week of December 2017.

Paytm is going to become a mobile-first financial services company, which offers banking, lending, insurance, and payments.

IRDAI permits Indian, foreign insurers to open offshore business at GIFT IFSC

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has issued regulations for insurance firms to carry

out offshore business from Gujarat-based GIFT International Financial Services Centre (IFSC).

This is for the first time in India, foreign insurers have been permitted to open IFSC Insurance Offices (IIO) at GIFT IFSC,

which has been notified as foreign territory by the Govt of India.

It would also be allowed to undertake Domestic Insurance & Reinsurance business in line with the provisions of IRDAI

regulations.

Govt, World Bank ink loan agreement

The Union Govt, Tamil Nadu Govt and the World Bank have signed $318 mn dollar loan agreement for the Tamil Nadu

Irrigated Agriculture Modernization Project.

This loan is provided by World Bank’s lending arm International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has

maturity of 19 years with 5-year grace period.

Govt Mint launches first home-grown high purity gold reference standard

India’s first home-grown high purity gold reference standard, the Bharatiya Nirdeshak Dravya (BND-4201), was launched at

the India Govt Mint, Mumbai.

BND-4201, which is the reference material for gold of ‘9999’ fineness (gold that is 99.99 per cent pure), will be beneficial to

the consumers and public at large to ensure purity of gold.

Quikr acquires HDFC's digital, realty units in all stock deal

India's largest mortgage lender HDFC has sold its realty brokerage business HDFC Realty and its digital real estate business

HDFC Developers which owns HDFC Red to online classifieds player Quikr.

The all-stock deal will see HDFC pick up around 3.5% stake in Quikr for the two businesses, according to sources, which

have collectively been valued at about Rs 357 crore.





The deal will value Quikr at little over Rs 10,000 crore or about $1.6 billion, as compared to the $1 billion valuation it got

when it last raised capital in 2015.

BPCL SBI Card offers 70 litres of free fuel every year

SBI Card and Bharat Petroleum have announced the launch of the BPCL SBI Card, claimed to be the ‘most rewarding fuel

co-branded credit card in the country. The card is launched on the Visa platform.

RBI puts United Bank of India on corrective action plan

The Reserve Bank of India has directed United Bank of India to raise capital, diversify credit portfolio and take cost control

measures as the state-run lender is under severe stress with high sticky loans.

RBI places Bank of India under prompt corrective action

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has initiated "prompt corrective action" (PCA) measures against state-run lender Bank of

India in the view of its high non-performing assets (NPAs).

According to the RBI’s revised PCA framework, banks with weak balance sheets may be subject to, among other things,

resolution processes such as amalgamation, reconstruction, winding up, or mandatory actions such as restriction on

management compensation and directors’ fees.

Other PSBs placed under PCA so far include Indian Overseas Bank, Dena Bank, Corporation Bank, Central Bank of India,

IDBI Bank, UCO Bank, United Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra and Oriental Bank of Commerce.

World Bank provides loans of $125 m for STRIVE project

The World Bank committed $125 million (around ₹800 crore) loan to India for the STRIVE project for skill development.

The operation (Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement) aims to improve access to quality and market-driven

vocational training as well as apprenticeships.

India ranks 5th in list of countries with highest NPA levels

India has the highest level of non-performing assets (NPA) among BRICS countries and is ranked fifth on a list of countries

with the highest levels of NPAs. The only countries ranked higher than India on the list are Greece, Italy, Portugal, and

Ireland. At 9.85 percent, India’s NPA ratio is over 400 basis points higher.

YES Bank, EIB to co-finance $400 mn for clean power projects

YES Bank and the European Investment Bank will co-finance $400-million funding for renewable power generation in the

country.

The new financing programme will streamline financing for a range of renewable energy projects being built and operated by

leading Indian corporations and private sector developers.

CCI clears IndusInd Bank-Bharat Financial merger

Fair trade regulator CCI has approved the scheme of amalgamation between IndusInd Bank and Bharat Financial Inclusion.

The scheme remains subject to the receipt of approval from the RBI and regulatory approval including approvals of the stock

exchanges, Sebi, the National Company Law Tribunal and respective shareholders.

AU Small Finance Bank joins hands with Sahaj e-Village

AU Small Finance Bank has signed an MoU with Sahaj e-Village for extending its banking service in remote areas through

Business Correspondent Agent (BC) model.

With this MoU, AU Bank will be able to further foster its mission of financial inclusion and greater customer outreach.

RBI imposes Rs 5 cr penalty on Syndicate Bank

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 5 cr on Syndicate Bank for non-compliance with its directions

on "Cheque Purchase or Discounting, Bill Discounting, and Know Your Customer (KYC)" norms.

Govt to bear Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) charges on transactions up to Rs.2000

Govt will borne Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) charges on transactions up to Rs. 2,000 made through debit cards, BHIM

UPI or Aadhaar-enabled payment systems (AePS). The move will have an impact of Rs 2,512 crore (Rs.1,050 crore in FY

2018-19 and Rs.1,462 crore in FY 2019-20) on the exchequer.

OBOPAY gets a pre-paid instrument license from RBI

OBOPAY has secured a license for Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) from the Reserve Bank of India to operate a semi-

closed loop wallet in the country.

RBI imposes Rs 3 crore penalty on IndusInd Bank

The Reserve Bank has imposed a penalty of Rs 3 crore on IndusInd Bank for deficiencies in regulatory compliance.

A monetary penalty of Rs 30 million on IndusInd Bank” has been imposed for non-compliance with the directions on Income

Recognition and Asset Classification (IRAC) norms and contravention of regulatory restrictions pertaining to non- fund

based (NFB) facilities.

RBI imposes restrictions on Corporation Bank





The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed certain restrictions on Corporation Bank on carrying out banking activities as

its share of bad loans rose sharply.

WPI inflation jumps to 3.93% in November

Inflation based on wholesale price index (WPI) accelerated further to 3.93% in November due to a sharp rise in

onion prices and costlier seasonal vegetables.

It was 3.59% in October this year, and 1.82% in November 2016.

Paytm unveils 'PaytmKa ATM' partner outlet for banking operations

India's largest digital bank Paytm Payments Bank has unveiled 'Paytm Ka ATM' outlets that allow customers to open Saving

Accounts and deposit/withdraw money from their bank accounts.

It is the only bank providing zero balance accounts and zero charges on digital transactions.

In the first phase, Paytm has started with 3,000 'Paytm Ka ATM' points in select cities including Delhi

NCR, Lucknow, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi and Aligarh.

SC extends Aadhaar linking deadline to March 31

The Supreme Court extended the deadline for mandatory linking of Aadhaar with various services and welfare schemes till

March 31 next year.

A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, in an interim order, also modified its earlier order

with regard to linking of Aadhaar with mobile services and said the deadline of Feb 6 next year for this purpose also stood

extended till March 31.

Inflation accelerates to 15-month high of 4.88% in November

According to recent data released by the Govt, Retail inflation accelerated to 4.88% in November on the back of quickening

food and oil price rises. Inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index was at 3.58% in October.

ADB lowers India’s GDP forecast for FY18 to 6.7%

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has lowered India’s GDP forecast for the current fiscal by 0.3 per cent to 6.7 per cent.

It has also revised downwards the gross domestic product (GDP) outlook for next fiscal beginning from March 2018 to 7.3

per cent from 7.4 per cent mainly due to rising global crude oil prices and soft growth in private sector investment.

India's economy to grow at 7.2 per cent in 2018;7.4 in 2019: UN

The UN said in its 'World Economic Situation Prospects' (WESP 2018) report that India's economy is projected to grow at

7.2 per cent in 2018 and 7.4 per cent in 2019.

'World Economic Situation Prospects' (WESP 2018) report released by the UN at the it's headquarters in New York.

Finance Minister Holds 5th Pre-Budget Consultation Meeting

The Finance Minister of India Arun Jaitley holds his 5th Pre-Budget Consultation Meeting with the leading Economists in

New Delhi.

The fiscal deficit as a ratio of GDP stood at 3.9% in 2015-16 and 3.5% in 2016-17 and is budgeted to be 3.2% for the Current

Financial Year 2017-18.

India INX gets Sebi go-ahead for listing of debt securities

BSE's India International Exchange (India INX) has received approval from the capital market regulator Sebi on the

framework for listing of debt securities.

India INX had approached the regulator in October for its approval on listing of debt securities.

SBI changes names, IFSC codes of around 1,300 branches

The country's largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI) has changed the names and IFSC codes of branches located in major

cities such as Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Lucknow, among others.

State Bank of India has changed names and IFSC codes of nearly 1,300 of its branches post the merger of its five associates.

The bank has close to 23,000 branches.

India's GDP growth to rise to 7.5 pc in 2018: Morgan Stanley

According to global financial services major Morgan Stanley, the Indian economy is expected to witness cyclical growth

recovery, with real GDP growth likely to accelerate from 6.4 per cent this year to 7.5 per cent in 2018 and further to 7.7 per

cent in 2019.

Axis Securities gets NCDEX membership

Axis Securities, a subsidiary of Axis Bank, has become the first-ever broking arm of a bank to take membership of a

commodity exchange by registering itself with NCDEX.

Venezuela launches new virtual currency, Petro

Venezuela has launched its own cryptocurrency called Petro to circumvent US-led financial sanctions.





The Petro aims to help Venezuela to advance in issues of monetary sovereignty, to make financial transactions and overcome

financial blockade.

Corp Bank launches RuPay credit cards

Corporation Bank has launched its RuPay Select and RuPay Platinum credit cards.

Corporation Bank’s RuPay credit cards are accepted at all RuPay-enabled 1.5 million plus PoS terminals and 80,000 plus e-

commerce merchants in India and all ICS Partner acceptance points (POS, e-commerce merchants) globally.

The humble ₹1 currency note turns 100 on Nov 30

The diminutive rupee 1 note is hundred years young on Nov 30.

The first Re1 note printed in England was issued on November 30, 1917 in India, with an image of King George V, the then

British monarch, imprinted on the left corner.

Core sector grows 4.7% in Oct 2017

Ministry of Commerce and Industry released the index of eight core industries.

According to the index, Core sector growth has grown 4.7% in October 2017, matching September 2017 growth, which has

been revised down from 5.2%.

The eight core sectors — coal, natural gas, crude oil, refinery products, cement, fertilisers, steel and electricity — had

clocked a growth of 7.1% in Oct 2016.

Govt Fixes Sovereign Gold Bonds Rate at Rs 2,952/gram

The Union Govt fixed 2,952 rupees per gram as the price of new series of sovereign gold bonds (SGBs).

The govt, in consultation with the Reserve Bank, has decided to offer a discount of Rs 50 per gram to investors applying

online and making payments digitally.

National News

Nirmala Sitharaman launches start-up incubation centre in Mangaluru

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched a modern start-up incubation center called the Centre for Entrepreneurship

Opportunities and Learning (CEOL) in Mangaluru, Karnataka.

She has allocated Rs. 1.5 crore from her MPLAD (Member of Parliament’s Local Area Development) scheme for the

development of CEOL. She represents Karnataka as an MP in the Rajya Sabha.

Environment Ministry launches Regional Project to Tackle Stubble Burning

The Environment Ministry approved regional project on ‘Climate Resilience Building among Farmers through Crop Residue

Management’ under National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC).

The first phase of the project was approved for Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan at cost of approximately Rs.

100 cr.

Govt launches Livestock Disease Forewarning–Mobile Application

The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has launched Livestock Disease Forewarning –Mobile Application

(LDF-Mobile App).

LDF-Mobile App was developed by ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics (ICAR-

NIVEDI), Bengaluru.

President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurates 100th Indian Economic Association conference

President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the 100th Annual Conference of the Indian Economic Association at Acharya

Nagarjuna University in Guntur of Andhra Pradesh.

India’s first pod taxi to follow US safety norms

India’s first pod taxi project has invited fresh bids for the strictest safety standards on the lines of those prescribed by an

American body after a high-level panel recommended.

The projected ₹4,000-crore pod taxi scheme is also known as Personal Rapid Transit (PRT).

The NHAI has been mandated to execute it on Delhi-Gurgaon pilot corridor (12.3 km) from Delhi-Haryana border to Rajiv

Chowk in Gurgaon on a PPP (public-private partnership) basis.

Environment Ministry launched Blue Flag pilot project

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Mahesh Sharma has launched ‘Blue Flag’ pilot project to

develop and enhance standards of cleanliness on beaches.





The ‘Blue Flag’ is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that a beach, Marina or sustainable

boating tourism operator, meets its stringent standards.

India's First Runway on 'Sea Bridge' to be Built at Agatti Airport

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been given a nod to extend Lakshadweep’s Agatti Airport, with this India is all set

to get its first runway on a ‘sea bridge’.

The AAI had earlier planned of linking two adjacent islands for the purpose of extending the runway.

Once completed, the runway will be long enough for ATR-72 to operate.

Modi to be first PM to attend World Economic Forum in 20 years

Narendra Modi will be the first Indian prime minister to attend the World Economic Forum summit in over two decades.

The five-day Davos Annual Meeting of Geneva-based WEF will begin from Jan 22, 2018.

Modi will be the first Indian Prime Minister at the Davos summit since 1997 when the then Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda

had attended.

Indian social entrepreneur and activist Chetna Sinha will be among seven all-women co-chairs for the event.

Govt launches e-HRMS

The Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions has launched the electronic-Human Resource Management

System (e-HRMS) on the occasion of Good Governance Day (Dec 25).

The e-HRMS was launched as a step towards the ease of governance and is in lines with Govt’s goal of minimum govt,

maximum governance.

Govt launches Ganga Gram project at Ganga Gram Swachata Sammelan

The Union Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation has launched ‘Ganga Gram’ project at the Ganga Gram Swachata

Sammelan in New Delhi.

‘Ganga Gram’ project was launched under the clean Ganga mission-Namami Gange Programme.

It aims for holistic sanitation development in villages on the banks of River Ganga.

NHAI creates National Highways Investment Promotion Cell

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has created National Highways Investment Promotion Cell (NHIPC) for

attracting domestic and foreign investment for highways projects.

DARPAN Project launched by Govt

The Union Ministry of Communications launched DARPAN (The Digital Advancement of Rural Post Office for A New

India).

DARPAN is Information Technology (IT) modernisation project aimed at realising financial inclusion of un-banked rural

population.

India's First design University Opens in Haryana

India's first and only design university, 'the World University of Design' opened its campus at Sonipat, Haryana.

The University is promoted by Om Parkash Bansal Educational and Social Welfare Trust of Mandi Gobindgarh, Punjab.

MEA launches SAMEEP

The Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) launched SAMEEP (Students and MEA Engagement Program) program.

It is an outreach mission that aims to take Indian foreign policy and its global engagements to students across country and

also to look at diplomacy as a career option.

India selected as Chair of Ad Hoc Committee of Kimberley Certification Scheme (KPSC)

India has been selected as Chair of Ad Hoc Committee on Review & Reforms to look into various issues pertaining to the

Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPSC).

India is selected at recently held KP Plenary Session in Brisbane, Australia.

Angola will be the Vice Chair of this Adhoc Committee and will work with India and other members of Committee on

reform issues related to changes in core document, expansion of scope of KP.

Other than this, India is appointed as the Kimberly Process (KP) Vice Chair for 2018 & Chair for 2019 in the last plenary of

KP held in Dubai in November, 2016. The EU will be KP Chair for 2018.

India’s First National Rail and Transportation University to come at Vadodara

The Union Cabinet approved proposal of Ministry of Railways to set up first ever National Rail and Transport University

(NRTU) in Vadodara. It aims to skill its human resources and build capability.

India to host meeting of WTO member countries on food security and other issues

India will host meeting of World Trade Organisation (WTO) member countries in Feb 2018 to muster support for food

security and other issues.





India took participation in the recently concluded World Trade Organisation (WTO) 11th Ministerial Conference (MC 11) in

Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Prez Kovind lays foundation of Allahabad HC Nyaya Gram project

The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, laid the foundation stone of the 'Nyaya Gram project' of the High Court of

Allahabad in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh.

India has largest diaspora population in world: UN Report

In 2018 UN World Migration Report, UN declared Indian diaspora as the world’s largest, with slightly more than 15.6

million people from India living overseas.

The report was released by International Organisation for Migration.

According to the report, Mexico has the second largest diaspora after India followed by Russia, China and Bangladesh.

Indian Railways plans to make all stations 100% LED lit by March 2018

The Union Ministry of Railways has planned to make all stations 100% LED lit by March 2018.

This is an eco-friendly measure to reduce power consumption.

It will conserve about 240 million units of electricity and help in saving Indian Railways about Rs.180 crore annually.

14th Inclusive Finance India Summit begins in New Delhi

The 14th Inclusive Finance India Summit began in New Delhi to build consensus on strategies and a unified vision for

achieving universal financial inclusion in India.

A book- 'Talking financial inclusion in liberalized India: Conversations with Governors of the RBI', edited by Prof. MS

Sriram was released.

NGT bans plastic items in Haridwar, Rishikesh

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed a complete ban on plastic items like carry bags, plates and cutlery in towns

located on the banks of the River Ganga like Haridwar and Rishikesh.

A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar also banned the sale, manufacture and storage of such items

till Uttarkashi.

The Green Tribunal also imposed ₹ 5,000 fine on those violating the order and said action will be taken against erring

officials too.

4th India-Australia-Japan Trilateral Dialogue held in New Delhi

The 4th India-Australia-Japan Trilateral Dialogue hosted by India in New Delhi.

NITI Aayog launches ATL Community Day

The National Institute of Transforming India (NITI) Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission launched the Atal Tinkering Lab’s

Community Day in New Delhi.

It aimed at maximizing impact of Atal Tinkering Labs by extending innovation to children in community who do not have

access to formal educational institutions.

Railways introduces Online Bill tracking system for Vendors & Contractors

The Union Ministry of Railways introduced Indian Railways E-Procurement System (IREPS), an online bill tracking system

for vendors and contractors.

It aimed at enhance transparency in the processing and settlement of bills by increasing use of information technology.

7th International Ground Water Conference (IGWC-2017) held in New Delhi

The 7th International Ground Water Conference (IGWC-2017) held in New Delhi, India from Dec 11 to 13, 2017.

The theme of IGWC-2017 was “Ground water Vision 2030- Water Security, Challenges and Climate Change Adaptation”.

India to host 3rd Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of AIIB

India will host the 3rd Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) at

Mumbai on June 25-26, 2018.

The Theme of the Annual Meeting, 2018 will be “Mobilizing Finance for Infrastructure: Innovation and Collaboration”.

India’s first Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) to be set up in Andhra Pradesh

India’s first Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) will be coming in Andhra Pradesh.

EMC has been designed and developed for providing facilities and amenities for manufacturing mobiles and allied products.

First International Exhibition and Conference on AYUSH and Wellness sector inaugurated

The first International Exhibition and Conference on AYUSH and Wellness sector, AROGYA 2017 inaugurated by AYUSH

Minister ShripadNaik in New Delhi.

The theme of AROGYA 2017 is ‘Enhancing the global potential of AYUSH’.

NIC-CERT launched to prevent cyber-attacks on Govt utilities





The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) launched first NIC-CERT, a setup of National

Informatics Centre (NIC) to prevent and predict cyber-attacks on government utilities.

Union Govt launches new initiatives on Universal Health Coverage Day

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched ‘LaQshya’ Initiative and mHealth: Safe Delivery Application on

the occasion of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day.

UHC Day is observed every year on 12 Dec to commemorate first unanimous United Nations resolution calling for countries

to provide affordable, quality health care to every person, everywhere.

Govt nod must for electric bus supply under FAME India Scheme

Govt has made mandatory for Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to seek approval from Department of Heavy

Industry (DHI) before accepting any proposal to supply electric buses for availing incentives under the FAME India scheme.

Govt launches door-to-door campaign against TB

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched a door-to-door campaign for 15-days in the country for early

diagnosis, detection and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) to eliminate the disease.

It follows to government’s set target to decrease incidences of TB by 90% by 2025 and reduce mortality due to the disease by

95% by 2030 under the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP).

Union Govt will soon launch Khelo India Programme

The Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, RajyavardhanRathore announced that the ministry will soon

launch Khelo India programme for period 2017-18 to 2019-20 at cost of Rs 1756 crore. He also announced that year 2018

will be celebrated as the Year of Sports.

India to host 2023 World Cup, Champions Trophy in 2021

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), in its Special General Meeting, confirmed that India will be hosting the

ICC Cricket World Cup on 2023 and the ICC Champions Trophy in 2021.

This is the first time India would be hosting an ODI World Cup on its own.

India has previously co-hosted ODI World Cup on three occasions in the year 1987, 1996 and 2011.

ASEAN India Connectivity Summit (AICS) held in New Delhi

The ASEAN India Connectivity Summit (AICS) held in New Delhi from December 11, 2017 with the theme “Powering

Digital and Physical Linkages for Asia in the 21st Century”.

Its focus areas are Infrastructure, Roadways, Shipping, Digital, Finance, Energy and Aviation.

First SAICON 2017 held in New Delhi

The first International Conference on Sports Medicine & Sports Sciences “SAICON 2017” inaugurated by the Minister of

State (I/C) Youth Affairs and Sports Col. RajyavardhanRathore in New Delhi.

The 3-day conference was organized by Sports Authority of India (SAI).

The theme of the conference was ‘Scoring Goals in Sports with Science and Technology’.

India to achieve ‘electricity for all’ by early 2020s: IEA

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has said that not only will India achieve “electricity for all” by the early 2020s, but

will also be a major driving force in global energy trends.

The IEA’s World Energy Outlook Report 2017, re-launched in association with The Energy & Resources Institute (TERI) in

New Delhi.

India declared free from Trachoma, a bacterial infection of eye

India has been declared free from infective Trachoma which is a contagious bacterial infection of the eye. It causes inflamed

granulation on the inner surface of the lids.

India admitted as member into Wassenaar Arrangement

The Elite export control regime Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) has decided to admit India as its new member. The decision

was taken at two-day plenary meeting of grouping in Vienna, Austria.

India will be Arrangement’s 42nd participating state.

Mahesh Sharma inaugurates 'Bodhi Parva-BIMSTEC Festival'

Minister of State for Culture (Independent Charge) Dr. Mahesh Sharma has inaugurated the three days ‘Bodhi Parva:

BIMSTEC Festival of Buddhist Heritage’ in New Delhi.

Giriraj Singh Launches Public Procurement Portal for MSEs

A public procurement portal, ‘MSME Sambandh’, was launched by Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises Minister

(Independent charge) Giriraj Singh.

Kacheguda becomes India’s first energy-efficient railway station





Kacheguda Railway Station under the South Central Railway (SCR) has earned the unique distinction of being the first

Energy Efficient ‘A1 Category’ Railway Station on Indian Railways.

The station has achieved 100% energy efficiency by replacing 1,312 conventional lights with light-emitting diode (LED)

lighting, among other steps. It is situated in the heart of Hyderabad.

Taj Mahal named second-best UNESCO world heritage site after Angkor Wat

According to the Survey, The Taj Mahal, India's iconic ivory-white marble mausoleum in Agra, is the second best UNESCO

world heritage site in the world. The survey was conducted by online travel portal TripAdvisor.

India re-elected to International Maritime Organisation Council

India re-elected to Council of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) at an assembly of body at its headquarters in

London.

India was elected under category B that represents nations with largest interests in international sea borne trade.

India awarded Certificate of Commendation by CITES for its effort to combat illegal wildlife Trade

India awarded certificate of commendation for its effort to combat illegal wildlife trade by Convention on International Trade

in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The award was given to Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) for its efforts in conducting and coordinating species-

specific wildlife enforcement operation, codenamed ‘Operation Save Kurma’.

STATE News

25th National Children Science Congress held in Gujarat

The 25th edition of National Children Science Congress (NCSC-2017) was inaugurated by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay

Rupani in Gandhinagar, Gujarat from Dec 27 to 31, 2017.

The theme of the five-day NCSC-2017 is ‘Science and Innovation for Sustainable Development’ with the special focus on

persons with disabilities.

President Ram Nath Kovind Dedicated 4 Projects to Andhra Pradesh

The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, dedicated four projects to the people of Andhra Pradesh at Velagapudi, Andhra

Pradesh.

The Projects were Andhra Pradesh Fibre grid Project, Andhra Pradesh Surveillance Project, Drone Project and Free Space

Optical Communication (FSOC) system.

President inaugurates Andhra Pradesh Fiber Grid Project

President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated Andhra Pradesh Fibre Grid project, aimed at providing affordable high-speed

internet service to every household in the state at a nominal rate.

The project is also termed as Triple Play2 Services.

UP Govt launches Prakash Hai to Vikas Hai Scheme

The Uttar Pradesh Govt launched ‘Prakash hai to vikas hai’ Scheme, a free household power connection scheme for the poor

in the state.

It was launched to mark former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birthday i.e. on the occasion of Good Governance Day

(Dec 25).

UP govt has also launched Kisan Uday Yojana, a scheme for farmers in which existing 5 HP (Horse Power)/7.5 HP

submersible and coupling sets of farmers will be replaced free of cost.

The scheme will cover 10 lakh farmers by 2022 and will lead to 35% saving on power consumption.

Bengaluru becomes first city to get its own logo

Brand Bengaluru got its own logo with the tagline 'Bengaluru - Be U' (be you) is expected to build the city's image on the

global stage. The city is the first to gets its own identity badge.

The first two letters, B, E, and the last, U, of Bengaluru are in red, highlighting the tagline Be U.

The seventh and eighth letters (U and R) resemble the vowel, oo, in Kannada.

Maharashtra tops in GST collection in first five months

Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh are top contributors among states and Union Territories in the first five months since the

rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime in July 1, 2017.

Maharashtra tops SGST collections with Rs 18,701 crore.





Tamil Nadu is at the second spot with Rs 8,739 crore collection followed by Karnataka and Gujarat with SGST collections of

Rs 7,736 crore and Rs 7,375 crore, respectively.

The Central Govt has garnered Rs 30,224 crore as cess from July-Nov 2017 period.

Mumbai gets its first AC local train

The country’s first air-conditioned (AC) suburban train commenced its services on the occasion of Christmas Day.

This AC local was built in Chennai at a cost of Rs. 54 crore.

Karnataka’s Tirthahalli taluk under grip of monkey fever again

Karnataka’s Tirthahalli taluk has come under the grip of Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), also known as monkey fever.

Kyasanur forest disease or monkey fever is tick-borne viral diseases caused by Kyasanur forest disease virus (KFDV), a

member of the virus family Flaviviridae, which also causes dengue and yellow fever.

Bengaluru to host 7th International Coffee Fest

The seventh edition of the India International Coffee Festival (IICF) will going to be held in Bengaluru from January 16-19.

The four-day IICF 2018, being organised by the India Coffee Trust and State-run Coffee Board to promote the Indian coffees

globally.

IICF 2018 would be a precursor to the International Coffee Organisation’s World Coffee Conference being hosted by India in

Bengaluru in 2020.

Iranshah Udvada Utsav started in Gujarat

The 2nd edition of the Iranshah Udvada Utsav (IUU) has started in Gujarat on Dec 23, 2017.

It is a cultural festival of Parsi community.

32nd Indian Engineering Congress (IEC-2017) held in Chennai

The 32nd Indian Engineering Congress (IEC-2017) was held in Chennai, Tamil Nadu from Decr 21 to 23, 2017.

The IEC-2017 was organised by the Institution of Engineers.

Delhi ranks 7th in most expensive office locations list

According to the latest report by JLL India, Delhi ranked 7th in the most expensive office locations list.

With this, Delhi has emerged as one of the most expensive premium office locations in the world.

The top spot is again taken by Hong Kong followed by London (West), New York, Beijing and Tokyo.

Alphabet's X Labs to share FSOC technology for Andhra's fiber grid

A subsidiary of Google's parent company Alphabet Inc, X Development LLC will supply and deploy two thousand cutting-

edge Free Space Optical Communication (FSOC) links for Andhra Pradesh (AP) fiber-grid. FSOC is an optical

communication technology that uses light to wirelessly transmit data to telecommunication and internet applications.

Southern Command conducts major exercise, ‘Hamesha Vijayee’ in Rajasthan

The Southern Command of Indian Army has conducted major army exercise ‘Hamesha Vijayee’ in deserts of Rajasthan.

Losar Festival celebrated in Ladakh

The traditional festival of Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, Losar was celebrated to mark the beginning of New Year in

the Himalayan region.

The Losar is one of the most important festivals in this small ex-Buddhist kingdom.

Goa Celebrates 56th Liberation Day

Goa celebrated its 56th Liberation Day on Dec 19.

The state was liberated on 19th December in 1961 from Portuguese control after almost 450 years of colonial rule.

60 MW Tuirial Hydro power Project naugurated in Aizawl, Mizoram

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the 60 MW (megawatt) Tuirial hydropower project in Aizawl, Mizoram.

It is the first large hydropower central govt project to be commissioned in Mizoram.

With this Mizoram becomes the third power-surplus state in North-East after Sikkim and Tripura.

National Workshop on Role of Sakhi One Stop Centres held in New Delhi

National Workshop on Role of Sakhi One Stop Centres (OSCs) in Strengthening Multi Sectoral Response to Violence held in

New Delhi.

The workshop was organized by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) and was inaugurated by

WCD Minister Maneka Sanjay Gandhi.

Sakhi One Stop Centres (OSCs) scheme is being implemented by WCD Ministry since April 1, 2015.

World conference on Vedas ” Vishwa Ved Sammelan” held in New Delhi

Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the World conference on Vedas ” Vishwa Ved Sammelan” at the Indira Gandhi

National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) in New Delhi on Dec 15.

Meghalaya becomes India’s first state to launch social audit law





Meghalaya has become the India's first state to operationalize The Meghalaya Community Participation and Public Services

Social Audit Act, 2017. This social audit law makes social audit of govt programmes and schemes a part of govt practice.

India’s first compressed natural gas (CNG) stations for scooters opened in Bhubaneswar, Odisha

The Union Oil minister, Dharmendra Pradhan has inaugurated Eastern India’s first compressed natural gas (CNG) stations

for scooters at Chandrasekharpur and Patia area in Bhubaneswar, Odisha to supply CNG to vehicles.

22nd Conference of Asian Harmonization Working Party held in New Delhi

The 22nd conference of Asian Harmonization Working Party (AHWP) was inaugurated by Minister of State (MoS) Health &

Family Welfare Anupriya Patel in New Delhi.

Nasal foreign body removal device launched

Govt has launched Noxeno, a nasal foreign body removal device developed by start-up InnAccel Technologies Private

Limited, Bangalore.

Noxeno is first dedicated tool for anterior nasal foreign body (NFB) removal that allows doctors in any setting to quickly and

safely remove objects that people (mostly children aged 2 to 10 years) put into their noses.

President Ram NathKovind inaugurates Hornbill Festival in Kisama

President Ram NathKovind inaugurated 18th edition of the Hornbill Festival at the Naga Heritage Village in Kisama,

Nagaland.

The festival coincided with 54th statehood day of Nagaland.

Bihar Govt launches Safe City Surveillance scheme for Women Safety

The Bihar govt has launched Safe City Surveillance Scheme for checking crime against women.

The scheme aims to bring all major public places under watch of close-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and improve

overall crime control in the state.

Rajasthan becomes first in country to offer e-mail IDs in Hindi

Rajasthan has become the first state in the country to offer free e-mail address in Hindi to its residents.

Motorola sets up first Moto Hub in Chennai

Motorola Mobility, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lenovo has set up its first Moto Hub in Chennai.

The first Moto Hub in the city has been established at The Vijaya Forum Mall, taking the total number of outlets to 17 in the

country.

AadivasiMahotsav held in Raipur, Chhattisgarh

The two-day AadivasiMahotsav inaugurated by Union Tribal Affairs Minister JualOram and Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh

in Raipur, Chhattisgarh to display the rich and diverse tribal traditions of the central state.

India’s first mobile food testing lab unveiled in Goa

India’s ‘first’ mobile food testing laboratory enabling on-the-spot food safety tests was launched in Goa.

It was launched by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.

India, Israel open centre for floriculture in Tamil Nadu

India and Israel have jointly set up a centre for excellence in floriculture at Thally in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu.

It is first agro-technology development centre to be set up with Israel’s assistance in Tamil Nadu.

Ambedkar International Centre inaugurated in New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated an B.R. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi.

He also unveiled two statues of the Dalit icon at the centre in Janpath.

UP's Shamli Becomes 23rd District to be Included in NCR

Uttar Pradesh's Shamli become the 23rd district to be included in the National Capital Region.

Besides Delhi, there are at present 22 districts- 13 of Haryana, seven of Uttar Pradesh and two of Rajasthan in the NCR.

First National Training of trainers programme for Sendai Framework held in New Delhi

The first national-level training of trainers programme to sensitise various Central Ministries and Departments on utilisation

of Sendai Framework for developing action plans for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) held in New Delhi.

6th International Tourism Mart 2017 held in Assam

The 6th International Tourism Mart (ITM) 2017 was held in Guwahati, Assam.

It was inaugurated by Assam Governor JagdishMukhi, Chief Minister SarbanandSonowal and Union Tourism minister K L

Alphons.

Telangana to set up the world’s first IT Campus for differently-abled persons

The Telangana Govt is going to set up the world’s first Information and Technology (IT) Campus for differently-abled

persons (divyangs) in state capital Hyderabad.





On the occasion of World Disability Day (WDD), state Govt has signed agreement with Vindhya E-Infomedia Private

Limited to set up IT campus to focus on creating employment opportunities for persons with disabilities (PWDs).

Andhra Pradesh assembly passes Kapu Reservation Bill

Andhra Pradesh Assembly has unanimously passed Kapu Reservation Bill, 2017 to provide 5% quota in education and

employment. Andhra Pradesh already has 29% reservation for Backward Castes.

11th Annual MedTech Summit of BiodesignProgramme held in New Delhi

The XIth Annual MedTech Summit of BiodesignProgramme was held in New Delhi.

It was inaugurated by Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment, Forests & Climate Change Dr.

Harsh Vardhan.

International Storytellers Festival held in New Delhi

7th edition of International Storytellers Festival, Kathakar was inaugurated by Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs

KirenRijiju at Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi.

22nd Small Farmers’ Agri-Business Consortium held in New Delhi

The 22nd meeting of Board of Mangement (BOM) of Small Farmers’ Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC), chaired by Union

Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh, held in New Delhi.

Odisha CM unveils logo & mascot of Hockey World Cup 2018

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik unveiled the logo and mascot for the Hockey Men's World Cup 2018 at at Kalinga

Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

UN Women, Facebook inaugurates 'We The Women' event in Mumbai

UN Women in collaboration with Facebook inaugurated a two day event in Mumbai titled 'We The Women' to empower and

recognise the magnificent contribution of women in our society.

The event witnessed speakers from different walks of life including Textile and I&B Minister, SmritiIrani, Sakshi Malik,

Mithali Raj, Ekta Kapoor, Karan Johar and others.

Kerala's Alappuzha in Top 5 UN Clean City List

The waste management system being implemented in Kerala's coastal town of Alappuzha recognized by the United Nations

Environment Programme (UNEP) as one of the five models across the world for fighting the pollution menace.

U.P. becomes first State to endorse Centre’s triple talaq draft bill

Uttar Pradesh has become the first State to endorse the Central government’s draft bill that makes instant triple talaq a

cognisable and non-bailable offence.

The draft law, which provides for three-year imprisonment and a fine to a man trying to divorce his wife by uttering “talaq”

three times, got the State govt’s approval at a Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow.

International News

WHO to classify ‘gaming disorder’ as mental health condition

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is set to classify 'gaming disorder' as a mental health condition in its forthcoming

11th International Classification of Diseases (ICD).

11th International Classification of Diseases (ICD) will publish in 2018.

2nd India- Afghanistan air cargo route inaugurated

The second India-Afghanistan air cargo route linking Kabul to Mumbai was officially inaugurated at Hamid Karzai

international airport in Kabul.

The launch of second route inaugurated after the success of the first air corridor between both countries linking Kabul-New

Delhi.

World’s largest amphibious aircraft, AG600 takes off

China’s home-grown AG600, also known as ‘Kunlong’, the world’s largest amphibious aircraft took off from the southern

city of Zhuhai and landed after roughly an hour-long flight.

Its successful maiden flight makes China among the world’s few countries capable of developing a large amphibious

aircraft..

It has been designed and built by China’s state-owned manufacturer Aviation Industry Corp of China.

Trump signs $1.5 trillion tax overhaul into law





President Donald Trump has signed into law a $1.5 trillion tax overhaul package.

It is the first major overhaul of the nation’s tax laws since 1986, but far from the largest tax cuts in American history as the

president claims.

France to ban all oil, gas production by 2040

France's parliament has approved a law banning all exploration and production of oil and natural gas by 2040 within the

country and its overseas territories.

With this, France becomes the first country in the world to ban any new oil exploration licenses with immediate effect and all

oil extraction by 2040.

UK tops the Forbes’ rankings of best countries

The United Kingdom (UK) has topped the Forbes’ rankings of best countries in the world for business in 2018.

It is the first time this country has taken the top spot in the Forbes 12th annual survey after rising from 5th in 2016.

New Zealand ranked second overall for the third straight year, followed by Sweden and Canada.

India was ranked 62nd on the list.

UNGA adopts resolution rejecting US declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has overwhelmingly adopted resolution declaring United States of America

(USA) recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital as ‘null and void’.

The resolution was moved by Turkey and Yemen and was adopted with 128 countries voting in favour including

major political powers such as India, Japan Britain, France, Germany and 9 against it, while 35 abstained from voting.

Bharti Airtel to acquire Millicom’s operations in Rwanda

Telecom operator Bharti Airtel has signed an agreement with Millicom International Cellular S.A. (Millicom) to acquire 100

per cent stake in its Rwanda operation which operates under the brand name of Tigo Rwanda. Airtel at present operates in 15

African countries apart from India and South Asia.

Iraq Overtakes Saudi Arabia as Top Oil Supplier to India

Iraq overtook Saudi Arabia for the first time becoming India's top crude oil supplier in the current fiscal.

Iran was India's second biggest supplier of crude oil after Saudi Arabia till 2010-11 but western sanctions over its suspected

nuclear programme relegated it to the 7th spot in the subsequent years.

Gabon declared a “polio-free country”

The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared Gabon a “polio-free country”.

Polio is a highly-infectious viral disease which mainly affects young children and can result in permanent paralysis.

The disease is endemic now only in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

WTO's MC11 held in Buenos Aires, Argentina

The Eleventh Ministerial Conference (MC11) held from 10 to 13 Dec 2017 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The Conference was chaired by Minister Susana Malcorra of Argentina. WTO has currently 164 members state.

Google opens AI research lab in China, first in Asia

Google opens a research lab focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Beijing -- its first such centre in Asia. The centre is an

apparent move to rebuild Google's presence in China.

Google's search engine and many of its services -- including YouTube -- remain blocked in mainland China.

Norway becomes first country to switch off FM radio

Norway completed its transition to digital radio, becoming the first country in the world to shut down national broadcasts of

its FM radio network despite some grumblings.

The country's most northern regions and the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic switched to Digital Audio Broadcasting

(DAB).

Other countries like Switzerland, Britain and Denmark are due to follow suit in the coming years.

2nd UNWTO/ UNESCO World Conference on Tourism & Culture held in Oman

The second UN World Tourism Organization/UNESCO World Conference on Tourism and Culture: Fostering Sustainable

Development was held in Muscat, Capital city of Oman.

AIIB grants 1st loan to China to reduce dependence on coal

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) approved its first loan of USD 250-million-loan to China to reduce its

dependence on coal by over 600,000 tonnes annually by building a natural gas distribution network for villages.

India is the second largest shareholder with 7.5 per cent followed by Russia 5.93 per cent and Germany 4.5 per cent.

54th meeting of SAARC programming committee held in Kathmandu, Nepal

The 54th meeting of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) programming committee held at the

Kathmandu-based SAARC Secretariat in Nepal.





The SAARC is the regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union of nations in South Asia. Its member

states include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

World’s largest automated container terminal opens in China

China started trial operations of world’s biggest automated container terminal at Yangshan Deep Water Port in Shanghai, the

country’s commercial hub.

The terminal is located at south of Donghai Bridge, phase 4 of Yangshan Port and covers 2.23 million square metres and has

a 2,350-metre shoreline.

Mount Hope is crowned the highest peak on UK territory at 3,239 metres

Britain is a new highest mountain after new satellite data revealed the peak was almost 400 metres taller than previously

thought.

Mount Hope, in the British Atlantic Territory, was recently re-measured and found to be 377 metres taller than previous

calculations.

This takes it to 3,239 metres, meaning it knocks Mount Jackson, the current title holder at 3,184 metres, off the top spot.

Russia-India-China foreign ministers meet begins

Foreign Ministers of Russia, India and China (RIC) hold a trilateral meeting in New Delhi.

The meeting is expected to review global and regional issues of mutual interest as well as discuss trilateral exchanges and

activities.

FIFA Lifts Kuwait Football Ban

The International Football Federation, FIFA, has lifted a two-year suspension against Kuwait’s football association that has

prevented the country from participating in international tournaments.

The Silence Breakers named as Times Person of the Year for 2017

Time magazine has named ‘the silence breakers’ as its Person of the Year for 2017.

It was referring to those individuals, mostly women, who came forward this year with #MeToo movement to publicly expose

patterns of sexual harassment and assault by powerful public figures in United States.

Australia parliament passes same-sex marriage bill

The Australian Parliament allowed same-sex marriage across the nation, following a bitter and divisive debate settled by the

govt polling voters in a much-criticised ballot survey that strongly endorsed change.

International Solar Alliance becomes Treaty-based International Intergovernmental organization

The International Solar Alliance (ISA) became treaty-based international intergovernmental organization on 6th December

2017 with the ratification by Guinea as the 15th country.

ISA is first treaty-based international government organisation to be based in India.

The ISA is brainchild of India, jointly launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande in

November 2015 in Paris on sidelines of COP-21 of UN Climate Conference.

The ISA, headquartered in India, has its Secretariat located in the campus of National Institute of Solar Energy, Gwalpahari,

Gurgaon, Haryana. As of date, 46 countries have signed and 19 countries have ratified the Framework Agreement of ISA.

3rd DRC-NITI Aayog Dialogue held in Beijing

The 3rd edition of the Dialogue between the NITI Aayog and the Development Research Council of China, the DRC- NITI

Aayog Dialogue was held in Beijing.

International conference on Climate Change held in Nepal

The International conference on climate change was inaugurated by Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari in Nepal.

The conference titled ‘Resilient Hindu Kush Himalaya: Developing Solutions towards a Sustainable Future for Asia’ aimed

to draw attention towards adverse effects of global warming in Hindu Kush mountain range.

UAE and Saudi Arabia form new group, separate from GCC

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia have formed new economic and partnership group named Joint

Cooperation Committee, separate from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Saudi crown prince tops Time Person of the Year readers’ poll

Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been voted the Time magazine readers’ Person of the Year, despite

spearheading the continued bombardment of Yemen, leading to the starvation of its citizens.

The award goes to those who “for better or worse” influenced the year.

Russia banned from 2018 Winter Olympics

Russia was banned from the 2018 Winter Games by the International Olympic Committee over its state-orchestrated doping

programme, but clean Russian athletes will be allowed to compete under an Olympic flag.

ADB funds $580 million for Reliance’s Bangladesh power plant project





The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Board of Directors has approved debt financing and partial risk guarantees totalling

$583 million to develop the Reliance Bangladesh Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Power Project.

US withdraws from UN Global Compact on Migration

The United States has pulled out of UN Global Compact on Migration.

It has argued that Obama-era negotiated UN compact process deal contains numerous provisions that inconsistent with

country’s immigration and refugee policies and Trump Administration’s immigration principles.

UAE, UK, US and French Armies Hold Joint Exercises in Abu Dhabi

UAE Armed Forces along with the UK, US and French armies are participating in joint exercises in Abu Dhabi. The drill

code is named as “Flag4”.

South Korea, US launch largest air exercise

South Korea and United States have launched Vigilant Ace, their largest-ever joint aerial drills.

Vigilant Ace is annual US-South Korean drill designed to enhance their readiness and operational capability and to ensure

peace and security on Korean peninsula.

BIMSTEC Member States discuss draft text of Coastal Shipping Agreement

The first meeting of Working Group BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic

Cooperation) member countries discussed draft text of BIMSTEC Coastal Shipping Agreement.

IMF approves new $88 bn credit line for Mexico

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a new USD 88 billion credit line for Mexico, replacing the existing

line.

Sri Lanka formally hands over Hambantota Port to China

Sri Lanka has formally handed over its southern strategic port of Hambantota to China on 99-year lease.

Two Chinese firms managed by China Merchants Port Holdings Company (CMPort) and Sri Lanka Ports Authority will own

port and the investment zone around it.

Saudi Arabia lifts cinema ban after 35 yrs

Saudi Arabia lifted a 35-year-old ban on cinemas on Monday, prompting celebrations from film fans, directors and movie

chains eyeing the mass market in the Middle East.

Iran inaugurates first phase of Chabahar port

The first phase of the Chabahar port was inaugurated by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, opening up a new strategic transit

route between Iran, India and Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan.

The first phase of the Chabahar port project is known as the ShahidBeheshti port and it was inaugurated by Rouhani in the

presence of representatives of several countries of the region.

‘Populism’ is Cambridge dictionary’s ‘word of the year’

The word “populism” has been announced as the Cambridge Dictionary 2017 Word of the Year, based on the criteria that the

word should not only be the most searched-for words but is also reflected in spikes — occasions when a word is suddenly

looked up many more times than usual on or around a particular date.

Science & Defence

ISRO to launch 31 satellites in single mission in Jan 2018

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced to launch 31 satellites, including India’s Cartosat-2 series earth

observation space craft in a single mission onboard on Jan 10, 2018.

This mission will be combination of 28 nano satellites from foreign countries, including Finland, US and one micro and nano

satellite from India.

China successfully tested its first Photovoltaic road

China has successfully tested its first photovoltaic (solar) highway based on home-grown technology in country’s eastern

Shandong province.

With this, China becomes the second country after France in the world to construct a photovoltaic highway.

The photovoltaic highway is constructed using solar panels which have thin sheet of transparent concrete on top of them,

protecting the surface.

India Successfully Test Fires Indigenous AAD Interceptor Missile Off Odisha Coast

India successfully test-fired its indigenously developed Advanced Air Defence (AAD) supersonic interceptor missile, capable

of destroying any incoming ballistic missile in low altitude, from a test range in Odisha.





This was the third supersonic interceptor test carried out this year in which an incoming ballistic missile target was

successfully intercepted, within 30 km altitude of the earth's atmosphere by an interceptor.

ISRO, NASA jointly working Dual Frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging Satellite

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of NASA are jointly working on the

development of NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), a Dual Frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging

Satellite.

NISAR is a dual frequency (L & S Band) Radar Imaging Satellite.

NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission is a dual frequency (L & S Band) Radar Imaging Satellite.

China successfully launches remote sensing satellites of Yaogan-30 project

China successfully launched remote sensing satellites to conduct electromagnetic environmental probes.

As the third batch of the Yaogan-30 project, the satellites will conduct electromagnetic environmental probes and other

experiments.

Reservoir computing system developed to help machines

Scientists from University of Michigan in US have developed a new type of neural network chip using reservoir computing

system to improve efficiency of teaching machines to think like humans.

China successfully launches second Land Surveying Satellite, LKW-2

China has successfully launched its second Land Surveying Satellite LKW-2 (also known as Yaogan Weixing-32) into a

preset orbit from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert.

The satellite will be used for remote sensing exploration of land resources. It was launched on board of Long March rocket

series.

New scorpion species discovered in Tripura

Scientists discovered new scorpion species named Schaller’s wood scorpion (Liocheles schalleri) from at Trishna Wildlife

Sanctuary, Tripura.

It has been named in honour of celebrated wildlife biologist George Schaller who has studied wildlife across the world,

including the snow leopards of the Himalayas and central India’s tigers.

Offshore Patrol Vessel, ICGS Sujay commissioned

An Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) named ICGS Sujay recently commissioned into Indian Coast Guard (ICG).

ICGS Sujay is sixth and last in the series of six 105m OPV built indigenously by Goa Shipyard Limited for ICG.

New frog species discovered in Arunachal Pradesh

Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) scientist have discovered new frog species in the fast flowing streams in Talle Valley

Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) in Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh.

It is one of the five frog species discovered in India in recent times and the 59th in the world.

India, Sri Lanka complete 2nd phase of joint oceanographic survey

Indian Navy in collaboration with Sri Lankan Navy has successfully completed second phase of joint oceanographic survey

conducted off the South Western Coast of Sri Lanka.

The Indian side has handed over the survey charts to the Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy.

NPPA notifies prices of 65 essential formulations

The national drug pricing regulator National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has notified prices of 65 essential

formulations, including those used for treatment of diabetes, pain, infections and high blood pressure.

DCGI allows Indian firm to conduct phase-I trials for Zika vaccine

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted permission to Indian firm to conduct Phase-I clinical trials for a

Zika vaccine.

Zika Virus is vector borne diseases spread by Aedes egypti mosquito.

ZSI for first time compiles list of 157 alien invasive animal species

Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) for the first time compiled a list of alien invasive animal species, totalling 157. This number

excludes invasive microbe species.

Of the total 157 listed species by ZSI, 58 are found on land and in freshwater habitats, while 99 are found in marine

ecosystem.

Eighth planet in Kepler-90 solar system discovered

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has discovered the eighth planet circling Kepler-90, a Sun-like

star which is 2545 light-years far from Earth. It was dubbed as Kepler-90i.

SpaceX for first time successfully launches recycled rocket and spaceship





The US based private rocket launching company, SpaceX for the first time successfully launched used Dragon spacecraft

with a used Falcon 9 rocket.

The mission was SpaceX’s 13th of 20 under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA.

India-Maldives bilateral military exercise held in Belagavi

The eighth edition of India, Maldives bilateral military exercise EKUVERIN 2017 held in India in Belagavi, Karnataka.

Indian Navy Conducts Exercise Naseem-Al-Bahr with Oman Navy

The 11th edition of Naseem-Al-Bahr (Sea Breeze) 2017 Naval exercise between India and Oman was held at Said Bin Sultan

Naval Base, Wudam in Oman.

The year marks 24 years of Indian Navy-Royal Navy of Oman bilateral exercises that has been a biennial feature since 1993.

MIT scientists create plants that can glow in dark

Scientists from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), US have found a novel way to induce plants to give off dim

light by embedding specialised nanoparticles into their leaves.

The purpose of this experiment was to make plant function as a desk lamp, powered by the energy metabolism of the

plant itself and not by electricity connection.

First Scorpene-class submarines, INS Kalvari inducted in Indian Navy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has commissioned scorpene-class submarine INS Kalvari into the Indian Navy in Mumbai,

Maharashtra.Kalvari is the first of the six Scorpene-class submarines.

INS Kalvari will be the first conventional submarine to be inducted into India Navy after more than 17 years.

ISRO developing compact launcher for smaller satellites

The Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) is developing small satellite launch vehicles to launch low-cost small

satellites.

Akash missile tested with indigenous radio frequency seeker

The Surface to Air Missile (SAM) AKASH was successfully tested with indigenous radio frequency seeker against target

UAV Banshee from Launch Complex-III at ITR Chandipur.

This was the first supersonic surface-to-air missile (SAM) with indigenous seeker that has been test fired.

India-Singapore ink Bilateral Agreement for Navy Cooperation

India and Singapore have signed the Bilateral Agreement for Navy Cooperation.

52nd Raising Day of BSF observed

The Border Security Force (BSF), the biggest border guarding force in the world, celebrated its 52nd Anniversary of Raising

Day.

Indo-UK combined military exercise held in Rajasthan

The third Combined Military exercise, ‘Ajeya Warrior- 2017’ between India and the UK held at Mahajan Field Firing Range

near Bikaner of Rajasthan.

Coast Guard conducts Regional Level Marine Oil Pollution Response Exercise

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has conducted the Regional Level Marine Oil Pollution Response Exercise named ‘Clean Sea-

2017’ at sea off Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Godrej Aero gets new contract for BrahMos missile airframes

Godrej Aerospace has won order from BrahMos Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. (BAPL) for supply of additional 100 units airframe fuel

management systems for BrahMos Air-Launched Cruise Missile.

The world’s fastest anti-ship cruise missile in operation, Brahmos is a supersonic cruise missile developed by BrahMos

Aerospace, a joint-venture between Russia’s Mashinostroyenia and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation

(DRDO).

RANKING & rEPORTS

Cristiano Ronaldo named 2017 Globe Soccer’s Best Player

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has been named Globe Soccer’s Best Player for the year 2017.

Real Madrid was named best club of the year and Zinedine Zidane was best coach.

Salman Khan tops Forbes India Celebrity 100 list

Bollywood star Salman Khan has once again maintained the top spot in Forbes India Celebrity 100 list for the second

consecutive year.





The Bollywood’s badshah Shah Rukh Khan and India’s cricket captain Virat Kohli took the second and third spot

respectively.

Priyanka Chopra is the only female celebrity featuring in the top 10 list.

India ranks 100th in Legatum Prosperity Index 2017

India ranked 100th among 149 countries on the list of prosperous countries released as part of The Legatum Prosperity Index

2017.

Legatum Prosperity Index is an annual ranking developed by the London-based Legatum Institute.

Economic Quality- 56th rank, Business Environment- 65th, Governance- 41st, Education- 99th, Health- 109th, Safety &

Security- 134th, Personal Freedom-100th, Social Capital- 82nd and Natural Environment- 139th.

India ranks 109th in mobile internet speed and 76th in broadband space

India ranked 109th out of 122 countries in Mobile internet speed and 76th out of 133 countries in broadband space in Nov

2017 Speedtest Global Index (SGI).

The Speedtest Global Index was released by popular internet speed testing service provider Ookla.

Norway (average speed of 62.66Mbps) topped the list in mobile internet speed followed by Netherlands (53.01Mbps) and

Iceland (52.78Mbps). Average speed of mobile data networks in India is 8.80Mbps.

Singapore (153.85Mbps) topped the list in Home broadband Countries followed by Iceland (147.51Mbps), and Hong Kong

(133.94Mbps).

Maruti Suzuki replaces SBI as 6th most valuable Indian firm

India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki became India’s sixth most valued firm, crossing India’s largest lender SBI.

Reliance Industries is the country’s most valued company with a market value of ₹5.8 trillion, followed by TCS, HDFC

Bank, ITC and Hindustan Unilever.

Indian-American senator Kamala Harris tops global thinkers list

Indian-American California senator Kamala Harris has topped the prestigious Foreign Policy magazine’s 2017 list of ’50

Leading Global Thinkers’ which also features US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley.

Raj Shah becomes first Indian-American to hold press gaggle aboard Air Force One

Raj Shah who holds a key position in the White House, gaggled with reporters on board US Presidential chopper Air Force

One, becoming the first Indian-American to enjoy the privilege.

Unesco recognizes KumbhMela as India’s cultural heritage

The KumbhMela has been recognized by UNESCO as an “intangible cultural heritage of humanity”.

The KumbhMela, held in Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik, represents a syncretic set of rituals related to worship and

cleansing in holy rivers.

APPROVALS & MoUs

Allahabad Bank Ties Up With NeSL

Allahabad Bank entered into an agreement with state-run National e-Governance Services Limited (NeSL) for utilizing the

latter's Information Utility Services envisaged under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.

Lok Sabha passes Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code Amendment Bill, 2017

The Lok Sabha passed the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill 2017 to pave the way for tightening loopholes

in existing code and to make resolution process more effective.

The bill seeks to replace an ordinance which was promulgated in November to prevent unscrupulous persons from misusing

or vitiating the provisions of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).

Parliament passes Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Amendment Bill, 2017

The Parliament has passed National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Amendment Bill, 2017.

The Bill extends deadline up to Dec 31, 2020 for relocating slum dwellers and Jhuggi-Jhopri clusters, regulating street

vendors, regularising unauthorised colonies, village abadi areas in NCT Delhi and calls for creating policy for farm houses

constructed beyond permissible limits.

Lok Sabha passes GST (Compensation to States) Amendment Bill, 2017

The Lok Sabha has passed the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Amendment Bill, 2017 paving the way for

an increase in the maximum rate.





The amendment bill increases maximum rate at which Compensation Cess can be levied from 15 to 25% on motor vehicle

which carry not more than 13 persons (mostly luxury vehicles ), including the driver and motor vehicles falling under

mentioned sub-headings.

The GST Council, in its 20th meeting in August, had recommended an increase of 10 per cent -- up from 15 per cent to 25

per cent -- in the maximum rate.

Parliament passes Indian Institute of Petroleum & Energy Bill, 2017

The Parliament passed The Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE) Bill, 2017 after the Rajya Sabha adoption.

The Bill establishes the IIPE at Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh as an institution of national importance.

SLCM ties up with HDFC, IndusInd bank for post-harvest credit

Agri service solutions provider Sohan Lal Commodity Management (SLCM) having operations across India and Myanmar

has tied up with HDFC Bank and IndusInd to provide collateral management services.

Amazon Buys Maker of Wireless Security Cameras Blink

Amazon, the Seattle, Washington-based eCommerce giant, has inked a deal to acquire Blink, the wireless security camera

company that launched in early 2016.

Samsung, Axis Bank tie-up to offer 'Bill Payments' on Samsung Pay

Smartphone manufacturer Samsung launched its 'Bill Payments' on its flagship payments service, Samsung Pay in

partnership with Axis Bank.

The new feature will enable users to pay their utility bills seamlessly via Samsung Pay's secure and convenient platform.

MHA directs NGOs to open account in designated banks integrated with PMFS

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed all NGOs, individuals and business entities receiving foreign funds

to open accounts in any of 32 designated banks, including one foreign, within a month.

The MHA order comes in exercise of the powers conferred under Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010.

Govt frame action plans for backward district programme

The Union Govt has drawn up action plans for backward district programme to improve socio-economic profiles of 115

identified “most-backward” districts including 35 affected by left-wing extremism.

Jharkhand with 19 has highest number of districts under this programme, followed by Bihar (13) Chattisgarh (10) and 8 each

in Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh.

Govt to roll out Condonation of delay scheme

The Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) is going to roll out the Condonation of Delay Scheme to provide a three-

month window for defaulting companies and their director to submit their annual filings. It will be operational from Jan 1 to

Mar 31, 2018.

UP govt signs MoU with South Korea

The Uttar Pradesh govt has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with South Korea to enhance cooperation in the

field of tourism, skill development, culture and farming.

India and Switzerland ink deal for Information Exchange

India signed an agreement with Switzerland that would allow automatic sharing of tax-related information from January 1,

2018. It aims to combat black money stashed abroad.

The agreement was signed by CBDT chairman Sushil Chandra and Swiss Ambassador to India Andreas Baum at the North

Block.

India & Germany signed agreement for Pare Hydroelectric Plant Project

A loan agreement was signed for providing additional funding of Euro 20 million for the Pare Hydroelectric Plant project,

under the Indo-German Bilateral Development Cooperation.

Parliament passes Indian Institutes of Management Bill, 2017

The Parliament passed Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) Bill, 2017 to extend greater autonomy to IIMs by restricting

government’s role in their functioning.

Lok Sabha passes Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property (Amendment) Bill, 2017

The Lok Sabha passed Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property (Amendment) Bill, 2017 to make it easier for

govt to acquire immovable property for “national security and defence purpose”.

The Bill amends the Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property Act, 1952 and changes rules for payment of

compensation.

Cabinet extends term of Commission to examine the issue of sub-categorization of OBCs

The Union Cabinet approved extension of term of Commission to examine the issue of sub-categorization of Other Backward

Classes (OBCs), by 12 weeks i.e. upto 2 April, 2018.





The Commission headed by retired Chief Justice of Delhi High Court G. Rohini .

Lok Sabha passes Central Road Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2017

The Lok Sabha passed Central Road Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2017.

It seeks to amend the Central Road Fund (CRF) Act, 2000.

India, Myanmar ink pact for socio-eco development of Rakhine State

India and Myanmar inked an agreement on restoration of normalcy and development of the Rakhine State, from where

thousands of Rohingya Muslims recently fled following incidents of violence against the community.

The pact was signed between Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Myanmar Deputy Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and

Resettlement U Soe Aung in Myanmar’s capital Nay Pyi Taw.

Parliament passes The Companies Amendment Bill, 2017

The Parliament passed The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2017 to strengthen corporate governance standards, initiate strict

action against defaulting companies and help improve ease of doing business in the country.

The bill provides for more than 40 amendments to Companies Act, 2013.

NITI Aayog to set up Methanol Economy Fund

The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog has planned to set up Methanol Economy Fund worth Rs

4,000-5,000 crore to promote production and use of the clean fuel.

Assam signs MoU with Isha Foundation to rejuvenate its rivers

Assam became the sixth state in the country to sign MoU with non-profit making and spiritual organisation, the Isha

foundation.

The MoU with Isha Foundation aims to conserve and rejuvenate the rivers of Assam.

MMRDA signs MOU with DMRC for developing metro 6 corridor

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) ) has signed an agreement with Delhi Metro Rail

Corporation (DMRC) on Dec 20 to execute the Swami Samarth Nagar-Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Metro VI corridor with the cost

of ₹5,490 cr.

The DMRC is also implementing the Dahisar-D.N. Nagar Metro IIA corridor under the same model.

Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) in Telangana gets environmental clearance

The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) have

accorded environmental clearance for Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) in Telangana.

Govt inks MoU with Maruti Suzuki

The Union Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Maruti Suzuki India Limited have signed a Memorandum

of Understanding (MoU) to support Skill India Mission in automobile industry.

Andhra Pradesh inks MoU with Alphabet InC.’s X

Andhra Pradesh govt has signed an MoU with Alphabet InC.’s X (Google X) to bring Free Space Optical Communication

(FSOC) technology to India.

The FSOC project aims to provide high quality & affordable digital services through internet under state govt ’s Fiber grid

project.

Samsung, UNESCO partner for videos on Indian heritage sites

Samsung India has entered into a partnership with UNESCO MGIEP (Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and

Sustainable Development) to launch 360-degree videos and virtual reality (VR) content of two magnificent Indian heritage

sites, the Sun Temple in Konark, Odisha and Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

AP Cabinet approves pension for state's transgenders

The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet approved a scheme to provide a pension of Rs 1500 to transgenders above 18 years of age in the

state.

After Kerala and Odisha, Andhra Pradesh becomes the next state to sanction pension scheme for the transgender community.

Govt. approves Dish TV merger with Videocond2h

Dish TV India Limited (Dishtv), Asia Pacific’s largest direct-to-home (DTH) company and part of the Essel Group has

received the final approval for closing of the merger of Videocon d2h with DishTV.

Dish TV andVideocon d2h (Vd2h) reported separate revenue and EBITDA numbers which at a pro-forma level add up to

₹60,862 million and ₹19,909 million for FY17.

NGT bans plastic items along banks of Ganga

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed complete blanket ban on use, sale, purchase and storage of plastic items

such as carry bags, plates and spoons in towns of Haridwar and Rishikesh till upper areas of Uttarkashi along the Ganga

River in Uttarakhand.





It has also imposed Rs 5,000 fine on those violating order and also held that action will be taken against erring officials too.

Union Cabinet approvals

Approves North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme

The Union Cabinet has approved new Central Sector Scheme of North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme”

(NESIDS) from 2017-18.

It will be 100% funded by Central Govt to fill up gaps in creation of infrastructure in specified sectors in North east till

March, 2020.

Approves National Medical Commission Bill

Union Cabinet has approved National Medical Commission Bill, 2017.

The bill will replace the Medical Council, 1956 Act and enable a forward movement in medical education reform.

Approves Agreement with UNESCO on establishment of ITCOO in Hyderabad

The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography (ITCOO),

as a Category-2 Centre (C2C) of UNESCO, in Hyderabad, Telangana.

Approves continuation of National AYUSH Mission

The Union Cabinet has given its approval for continuation of centrally sponsored scheme of National AYUSH Mission

(NAM) from April 2017 to Mar 2020 with an outlay of Rs. 2400 crore over 3 year period to provide cost effective AYUSH

services.

Approves capital investment subsidy to industrial units located in North Eastern Region

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved Capital Investment Subsidy amounting to Rs.264.67

crore to four industrial units located in North Eastern Region (NER) including Sikkim.

Approves auctioning of 680 FM channels under Phase III

The Union cabinet approved auction of 683 private FM radio frequencies in 236 cities across country under Phase III of FM

radio privatization.

Approves Scheme for Capacity Building in Textiles Sector

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector (SCBTS) in

order to ensure steady supply of skilled manpower in the labour-intensive textile sector.

It will remain operational for three years ending in 2019-20 with an outlay of Rs. 1300 crore.

GAIL awards major contracts for Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga

The State-run Gas (India) Limited (GAIL) has placed orders for another 400-km natural gas pipeline project under ambitious

Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga (PMUG).

The ambitious 2,655 km long JHBDPL project also known as ‘Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga’ project originates at Jagdishpur

(Uttar Pradesh).

The main trunk of pipeline ends to Haldia (West Bengal) and Dhamra (Odisha).

The pipeline passes through Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha.

Cabinet clears bill criminalising instant triple talaq

The Union Cabinet cleared a bill that criminalises the Islamic practice of instant triple talaq, ahead of it being taken up in the

Winter Session of Parliament.

Instant triple talaq, or Talaq-e-biddat involves Muslim men divorcing their wives by mentioning the word ‘talaq (divorce)’

three times in one go, sometimes over email, WhatsApp messages or letters.

The bill is titled the ‘Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017’.

India, Morocco ink four agreements

India and Morocco have signed four agreements for cooperation in Water Resources, Road and Marine Sectors.

MoU on cooperation in the field of Water Resources;

Agreement to establish cooperation between Indian Maritime University (IMU) and Higher Institute of Maritime

Studies (ISEM) of Morocco.

Framework Agreement for Cooperation in Training between National Ports Agency (NPA) of Morocco and Indian

Maritime University (IMU).

Cooperation Framework Agreement between Institute of Training in Engines and Road Maintenance of Morocco

(IFEER) and Indian Academy of Highway Engineers (IAHE).

Govt planning to club two phases of Ken-Betwa River linking project

The Union Govt is planning to club phase I and phase II of its ambitious Ken-Betwa inter linking river (ILR) project.

The phases will be clubbed after Madhya Pradesh, one of the two beneficiary states, asked for such.

Uttar Pradesh is the beneficiary ststes.





The costs for first phase was estimated at Rs. 18,000 crore and second phase was Rs. 8000 crore.

Govt inks $250 million Loan Agreement with World Bank for SANKALP Project

The Union Govt signed US $250 mn loan agreement with World Bank for “Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for

Livelihood Promotion” (SANKALP) Project to support livelihood.

International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), World Bank’s financing arm will provide the loan. The

project will run till Mar 31, 2023.

Govt to set up 12 Special Courts to deal with cases against tainted lawmakers

The Union Govt has framed a scheme to set up 12 Special Courts for a year to fast-track the trial of criminal cases against

1,581 MPs and MLAs.

India, Australia call for ‘open’ Asia-Pacific zone

India and Australia hold their first ‘2+2 dialogue’ in New Delhi.

The dialogue highlighted need to maintain Asia-Pacific region as a “free” and “open” zone.

The 2+2 dialogue model between both countries include foreign and defence secretaries.

DCI and NHAI ink MoU to facilitate supply of sand for highways construction work

The Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) have signed an MoU for

facilitating the supply of sand for highways construction work.

ADB approves $346 million loan to upgrade Karnataka highways

Multilateral funding agency Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $346 million loan for highways upgradation

project in Karnataka.

Govt signs pact with German firm for sustainable urban

The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry (MoHUA ) has signed an agreement with German firm GIZ for technical

cooperation in the implementation of transport projects in Coimbatore, Bhubaneshwar and Kochi.

Health Ministry and Rotary India ink MoU for achieving immunization target

The Union Health Ministry and Rotary International India National PolioPlus signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

for intensive efforts towards achieving the immunization target.

George Kurien committee to look into Minority status for Hindus

The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has set up three members committee under the chairmanship of George

Kurien to study the matter to give minority status to Hindus in 7 states and one UT where their population is less than 50%.

According to 2011 Census, Hindus are in monitory in Mizoram (2.75%), Nagaland (8.75%), Meghalaya (11.53%), J&K

(28.44%), Arunachal Pradesh (29%), Manipur (31.39%), Punjab (38.40%) and one UT Lakshadweep (2.5%).

Govt sets up panel to address NPAs in the power sector

The govt has set up a high-level committee headed by NITI Aayog chief executive Amitabh Kant to address the problem of

stressed assets in India's power sector.

India and Cuba ink MoU for enhanced cooperation in Health Sector

India and Cuba signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for enhanced cooperation in the health sector.

Centre passes notification, allows NGT to form one-member benches

The Union Environment Ministry has allowed NGT Chairperson to “constitute a single-member bench” in “exceptional

circumstances”.

MP passes bill awarding death for rape of girls aged 12 or less

The Madhya Pradesh Assembly has unanimously passed DandVidhi (Madhya Pradesh Sanshodhan) Vidheyak, 2017 that will

see rapists of girls 12 years or below being hanged till death.

With this, Madhya Pradesh becomes first state where those convicted of such rapes will face the gallows.

The bill proposes death penalty or a minimum term of 14-year rigorous imprisonment or life imprisonment till death for

raping girls aged 12 or less.

Govt to constitute committee for drug pricing, new launches

The Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers will constitute multi-disciplinary

committee of experts for consultation on matters pertaining to implementation of drug price control order (DPCO) including

technicalities involved in pricing and new launches.

CBDT signs two Advance Pricing Agreements

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has signed two Bilateral Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) in November

2017. The two agreements are first ever Bilateral APAs with Netherlands.

Cabinet approves National Nutrition Mission





The Union cabinet has approved Rs. 9,046 crore National Nutrition Mission (NNM) to address stunting and under-nutrition

among children below the age group of three.

It will be rolled out in 162 backward districts in six States including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Chhatisgarh initially,

expanding further to 315 districts in the current financial year itself.

AppointmentS

Appointments Appointee

CEO and MD of Infosys Salil S. Parekh

Prasar Bharati Chairman Surya Prakash

President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta

India’s G-20 Sherpa Shaktikanta Das

Madras HC Judge Justice Satrughana Pujahari

DGOF and Chairman of Ordnance Factory Board S K Chourasia

Chairman of National Anti-Profiteering Authority (NAA) Badri Narain Sharma

MD & CEO of Aegon Life Insurance Vineet Arora

UN Environment’s Goodwill Ambassador for India Dia Mirza

President of Para Sports Foundation Sarvesh Tiwari

Next Ambassador of India to Turkmenistan Azar A.H.Khan

Chairman of PNGRB Dinesh K Sarraf

President of NRAI Rahul Singh

CEO of New Supply biz Vishal Bhatia

CEO and Managing Director of Infosys Salil S. Parekh

President of Kenya Kenyatta

Chairman of Prasar Bharati Surya Prakash

Director of National Institute of Nutrition R Hemalatha

BARC India Chairman Nakul Chopra

Congress president Rahul Gandhi

RBI Executive Director Uma Shankar

Air India CMD Pradeep Singh Kharola

Performance Director for senior Women’s Boxing Raffaele Bergamasco

Ambassador of India to the Republic of Peru M. Subbarayudu

General Manager of BCCI Saba Karim

Director General of National Cadet Corps (NCC) Lt Gen B S Sahrawat

Acting Chairperson of NGT Justice U D Salvi

Joint Secretary in Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory

Council (PMEAC)

Sumita Misra

Director of Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) Amardeep Singh Bhatia

CM of Himachal Pradesh Jai Ram Thakur

Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani

President of African Conservation Group Prince Harry

President of ICCR (Indian Council of Cultural Relations) Vinay Sahasrabuddhe

President of Liberia George Weah

DG of Narcotics Control Bureau Abhay





BOOKS & AUTHORS

The Crisis Within: On Knowledge and Education in India – GN Devy

Inside Parliament: Views From the Front Row – Derek O'Brien

India Turns East: International Engagement and US-China Rivalry – Frederic Grare

China's India War: Collision Course on the Roof of the World – Bertil Lintner

Cadres of Tibet – Jayadeva Ranade

Unstoppable: My Life So Far – Maria Sharapova

The Book of Chocolate Saints – Jeet Thayil

Conflict of Interest – Sunita Narain

Available Light – CP Surendran

Ashoka: Satrap of Taxila – Ashok K Banker

Loyal Stalkers – Chhimi Tenduf-La

Attendant Lords – TCA Raghvan

The Driver in the Driverless Car – Vivek Wadhwa with Alex Salkever

Life Among the Scorpions: Memoir of a Woman in Indian Politics – Jaya Jaitly

Gorbachev: His Life and Times – William Taubman

Ambedkar, Gandhi and Patel: The Making of India's Electoral System – Raja Sekhar Vundru

The Sixth Finger – Malayattoor Ramakrishnan

Awards

K S Chitra bags 'Harivarasanam' award

Veteran singer K S Chitra has been selected for this year's prestigious 'Harivarasanam' award.

'Harivarasanam' award was instituted by the Kerala govt.

Mamang Dai, Ramesh Kuntal win Sahitya Akademi award

Authors Mamang Dai and Ramesh Kuntal Megh have won 2017 Sahitya Akademi award for their work The Black Hill, a

novel, and Vishw Mithak Sarit Sagar, a work of literary criticism, in English and Hindi, respectively.

The Sahitya Akademi announced its annual Sahitya Akademi Awards 2017 in 24 languages on Dec 21.

Bengali poet Joy Goswami to get 31st Moortidevi 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'.

Tata Steel Joda Mine gets Golden Peacock Innovation Award

Joda East Iron Mine (JEIM) of Tata Steel has been honoured with the prestigious Golden Peacock Innovation Management

Award for the year 2017 for driving innovation in mines.

Mo Farah wins BBC's Sports Personality of the Year award

Sir Mo Farah was named the winner of the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award.

Satheesh Reddy conferred with national design award

G. Satheesh Reddy, Scientific Adviser to Raksha Mantri and Director General, Missiles and Strategic Systems, has been

conferred with the prestigious National Design Award.

Anushka Sharma is PETA’s ‘Person of the Year’

Newlywed actor Anushka Sharma has been named PETA’s Person of the Year by animal rights organisation People for

Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

Shree Saini crowned Miss India USA 2017

Shree Saini, a resident of Washington state and a student at the University of Washington, has been crowned Miss India USA

2017.

Prachi Singh, a 22-year-old medical student from Connecticut was declared the first runner-up, while North Carolina’s

Fareena became the second runner-up at Miss India USA 2017 pageant.

At the beauty pageant, cancer surgeon Kavita Malhotra Pattani from Florida was declared Mrs India USA 2017.

Prerna was the first runner-up while Ishwarya was declared the second runner-up for this title.





Swapna Mannam, 17, from New Jersey was crowned with Miss Teen India USA 2017.

Lucknow's Jitesh Singh Deo wins Mr. India World 2017 title

Jitesh Singh Deo from Lucknow bagged the Mr. India World 2017 title.

He will represent India at the Mr World competition.

The finale of the gala sponsored by Peter Engand, was held at Bandra Fort in Mumbai.

Abhi Khajuria from Chandigarh was the first runner-up and Mumbai's Pavan Rao, an actor, dancer and model, was named the

second runner-up.

Prathamesh Maulingkar, a model and entrepreneur from Goa, won the Mr India Supranatural 2017 title.

Vice President Confers Yeraringan Award to M.S. Swaminathan

The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu conferred 'Yeraringan' Award to Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, in Chennai.

Hindi writer MamtaKalia chosen for Vyas Samman 2017

Renowned Hindi scholar and writer MamtaKalia was chosen for Vyas Samman 2017 for her novel “DukkhamSukkham”.

Syrian boy wins Children’s Peace Prize

Mohamad Al Jounde from Syria has been awarded the International Children’s Peace Prize for his efforts to ensure rights of

Syrian refugee children Al Jounde set up a school together with his family in a Lebanese refugee camp that currently

provides 200 children with education.

Miss Korea Jenny Kim crowned Miss Supranational 2017

Jenny Kim, a South Korean beauty pageant titleholder, has been crowned Miss Supranational 2017 in Krynica-Zdroj, Poland

on December 1, 2017.

Sports

Viswanathan Anand wins World rapid championship

Indian Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand has regained the World Rapid Chess Championship after defeating Russia's

Vladimir Fedoseev in the tie-break play-off.

Anisa wins gold with new national record

Experienced Haryan shooter Anisa Sayyed won the women’s 25m pistol gold with a new record at the ongoing 61st National

Shooting Championship.

Saudi Arabia hosts world chess games

Saudi Arabia is hosting a world chess tournament for the first time nearly two years after the country’s top cleric issued a

religious edict against playing the board game.

Vijender Singh wins WBO Asia Pacific, Oriental titles

The legend of Vijender Singh continued to grow as the Indian boxing star outslugged his Chinese opponent Zulpikar

Maimaitiali in a close bout to retain the WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight title here on Saturday.

P V Sindhu won silver medal at the 2017 women’s singles at Dubai Badminton Super Series

Olympic silver medalist P V Sindhu has won silver medal at the 2017 women’s singles Dubai World Badminton Super Series

tournament.

Sindhu had won two super series titles at India Open and Korea Open, besides reaching the finals at Hong Kong Open and

World Championship this year.

Aakarshi Kashyap Wins U-17 & U-19 Badminton Singles Titles

India’s top-ranked junior shuttler Aakarshi Kashyap won U-17 and U-19 singles titles at Badminton junior Nationals in

Guwahati, Assam.

In Under-17 category, 16-year-old from Bhilai defeated Malvika Bansod in the final.

In Under 19 categories final, Kashyap has beaten Vaidehi Choudhari.

Sushil Kumar, Sakshi Malik Clinch Gold at Commonwealth Wrestling Championships

Double Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar clinched the gold medal at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship in

Johannesburg.

Another Olympic medallist, Sakshi Malik, who won a bronze in the 2016 Rio Games, also clinched a gold medal in the

championship.

2002 World Cup winner Kaka retires from football





Former AC Milan and Real Madrid midfielder Kaka, who lifted the 2002 World Cup with Brazil, announced his retirement

from football.

Real Madrid presented with the FIFA World Champions Badge

Real Madrid, made history once more, became the first ever five-time FIFA world champions in Japan.

SachinSiwach named ABC’s best youth boxer

World youth champion SachinSiwach was named the Asian Boxing Confederation’s best youth boxer of the year after

winning an online poll conducted by the continental body.

India Wins 9 Medals in Asian Archery Championships

Indian archers produced an impressive performance, grabbed three gold, four silver and two bronze medals at the Asian

Championships in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

MirabaiChanu wins gold at World Weightlifting Championships

India’s Saikhom Mirabai Chanu won gold medal at World Weightlifting Championships held in Anaheim, United States.

With this victory, MirabaiChanu became first Indian in over two decades to win the medal at the Championships.

IOA formally recognises Boxing Federation of India

The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) was recognised as a national body by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), which

removed the terminated Indian Amateur Boxing Federation(IABF) as its affiliate after months of indecision.

BCCI Lifts Ban On Rajasthan Cricket Association

The Board of Control for Cricket in India decided to lift the ban on the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA).It has provision

of keeping away the former IPL chief Lalit Modi from its functioning.

Shubhankar Sharma Wins Joburg Open

Indian Golfer Shubhankar Sharma claimed European Tour victory in the Joburg Open, in South Africa.

Saurabh Chaudhary claims Youth Olympics Games spot with gold

India's Saurabh Chaudhary qualified for the Youth Olympics Games with a gold medal and a junior world record in 10m air

pistol at the ongoing Asia Youth Olympics Games qualification tournament in Wako City, Japan.

Jitu Rai AndHeena Sidhu Win Medals at Asian Championships

Pistol aces Jitu Rai and Heena Sidhu bagged a bronze each to continue India's medal charge at the 10th Asian Championship

10m Rifle/Pistol in Wako City, Japan.

Australia beat Argentina 2-1 to win gold in Hockey World League Final

Australia beat Argentina 2-1 in the final of the Hockey World League Final (HWLF) to win gold in Bhubaneswar,

Odisha.Argentina beat India (who won bronze earlier) in the semifinals.

Hockey World League Final: India beat Germany 2-1 to win bronze

India defeated Germany 2-1 in the Hockey World League Final to grab the bronze medal at the event, in Bhubaneswar,

Odisha.

Kanchanmala Pande becomes First Indian to Win Gold at World Para Swimming Championship

Visually impaired swimmer KanchanmalaPande scripted history as she became the first Indian to win gold at the World Para

Swimming Championship, taking place in Mexico.

Cristiano Ronaldo wins fifth Ballon d’Or to equal Lionel Messi’s record

Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon d'Or for a fifth time to move level with rival Lionel Messi.

The Real Madrid forward was named the winner of France Football's prestigious award at a ceremony in Paris.He previously

won the award in 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2016.

Yuvraj Singh launches UNICEF-ICC's adolescent campaign

Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh will be promoting a UNICEF sports initiative for youngsters in South Asia, which will also

have the ICC's backing.

MujeebZadran becomes the first male International cricketer from the 21st century

Mujeeb-ur-RehmanZadran, a 16-year-old off-spinner from Afghanistanm, becomes the first male cricketer born in the 21st

century to play on the International stage.





Important days

Date Day Theme

Dec 25 National Good Governance Day

Dec 23 National Farmer’s Day (birth anniversary of

5th PM Late Chaudhary Charan Singh)

Dec 22 National Mathematics Day

Dec 18 International Migrants Day Safe Migration in a World on the Move”

Dec 16 Vijay Diwas

Dec 14 National Energy Conservation Day

Dec 13 World Violin day

Dec 11 International Mountain Day

Dec 10 Human Rights Day ‘Let’s stand up for equality, justice and

human dignity’

Dec 09 10 International Anti-Corruption Day “United against corruption for development,

peace and security”

Dec 07 Armed Forces Flag Day

Dec 05 World Soil Day ‘Caring for the Planet starts from the

Ground’

Dec 04 Navy Day

Dec 03 International Day of Persons with Disabilities “Transformation towards sustainable and

resilient society for all”

Dec 01 World AIDS Day ‘Right to health’

Obituary

Hindustani classical music exponent Pandit Narayanrao Bodas

France’s biggest rock star Johnny Hallyday

Veteran Bollywood Actor Shashi Kapoor

Actor, writer and filmmaker Neeraj Vora

Veteran journalist Sukharanjan Sengupta

Eminent scientist and ‘father of DNA

fingerprinting in India’

Lalji Singh

Renowned Bengali singer Jatileswar Mukhopadhyay

American author Sue Grafton

South African musician Robbie Malinga

Bugs Bunny animator Bob Givens

Veteran Bengali film actor Partha Mukhopadhyay

ALL THE BEST !!




Documents

Exclusive December 2017 GA Refresher for IBPS Clerk MAIN · PDF file · 2018-01-05The report was released by Centre for Economics and Business Research, ... World Bank provides loans