DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 25 JAN 2018

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 25 JAN 2018

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

SHARED BY: WWW.DAILYGK.IN

1.      PM MODI HOLDS BILATERAL TALKS WITH 3 ASEAN LEADERS

i. On the eve of the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit to celebrate 25 years of India-ASEAN partnership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had separate bilateral meetings with leaders of three ASEAN nations - Myanmar, Vietnam and Philippines in New Delhi.

ii. The PM first met his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc and held talks with on issues of mutual interest. Next, he met the Philipino President Rodrigo Duterte and covered a wide range of subjects. Myanmar's State Councillor Aung San Suu Kyi also met the PM later in the evening.

2.      NSIC INKS PACT WITH MALAYSIA’S SME CORPORATION

i. National Small Industries Corporation signed an MoU with SME Corporation Malaysia for exchange of information and cooperation in areas such as policies to aid development of small and medium businesses in the two countries.

ii. Besides, three other agreements were also signed between Indian and Malaysian entities to strengthen cooperation among smaller businesses in these countries.

3.      MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT & HIGHWAYS SIGNS MOU WITH IL&FS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF ZOJILA TUNNEL

i. An MoU was signed between National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation under the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, and M/S IL&FS Transportation Networks Ltd for construction of the 14.150 km long,  2-lane bi-directional Zojila Tunnel in Jammu & Kashmir.

ii. This would be India’s longest road tunnel and the longest bi-directional tunnel in Asia. The construction of this tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar, Kargil and Leh. The total capital cost of the project is Rs 6808.69 cr. The construction period of the project is seven years.

4.      CENTRE RELEASES RS 734.7 CR FOR 26 IRRIGATION PROJECTS

i. Union Water Resources Ministry released central assistance amounting to Rs 734.7 cr for 26 irrigation projects.

ii. Out of the total amount Rs. 734.7 crore, Rs 246.9 cr is for nine prioritised projects under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana for Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme works. Remaining Rs 487.80 cr is to be utilised for Command Area Development works for 17 projects.

iii. During financial year 2017-18, central assistance amounting to Rs 1152.52 cr has been released for 26 priority projects under the AIBP so far. Besides, Rs. 3318.85 cr has been released as state share from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development for 24 priority projects under the AIBP.

5.      GOVERNMENT TO INFUSE OVER RS88 THOUSAND CR IN 20 PSB

i. The government has announced 88,139 cr rupees capital infusion in 20 public sector banks, PSBs, during the current fiscal ending 31st March to boost lending and revive growth. IDBI Bank will get the most- Rs10,610 cr followed by State Bank of India 8,800 cr rupees.

ii. The 20 banks that will receive the capital infusion during this phase include Bank of India, UCO Bank and Punjab National Bank.

6.      INDIA RANKS 81ST ON GLOBAL TALENT COMPETITIVENESS INDEX

i. India has moved up on a global index of talent competitiveness to the 81st position in the report that was released in the first day the 48th World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Switzerland has topped the list.

ii. India has improved its position from 92nd in 2017 on the index that measures how countries grow, attract and retain talent. Among BRICS countries, China has topped with 54th position. Among the countries, Switzerland is followed by Singapore and the US.

7.      VODAFONE, FLIPKART TIE UP FOR 4G SMARTPHONES

i. Vodafone India has partnered with e-commerce marketplace Flipkart to provide a range of entry-level smartphones at an effective price of Rs999.

ii. As part of the tie-up, Vodafone has rolled out cash-back offers on the select range of entry-level 4G smartphone models available under Flipkart’s #MyFirst4GSmartphone campaign.

8.      INDIA RANKS 177TH IN ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE INDEX

i. India ranks 177 among 180 countries in the Environmental Performance Index) 2018, according to a biennial report by Yale and Columbia Universities along with the World Economic Forum. India ranked 141 in 2016 report.

ii. The report was released on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Switzerland leads the list, followed by France, Denmark and Malta.

9.      8TH NATIONAL VOTERS’ DAY- 25TH JANUARY

i. The Election Commission of India celebrated the 8th National Voters’ Day across the country on 25th January for enhanced participation of citizens in the electoral process. The National level function was held in New Delhi.

ii. The theme for National Voters’ Day 2018 was: ‘Accessible Elections’. President Ram Nath Kovind gave away awards for best electoral practices to District Collectors, Superintendents of Police and other functionaries involved in election management.

10.  PRODIGEE FINANCE GRANTED NBFC-ND LICENSE FROM RBI

i. Bhopal-based Prodigee Finance Limited has received Non-Banking Financial Company license from Reserve Bank of India. ‘ND’ stands for Non-Deposit accepting NBFC.

ii. Enterslice, a consulting firm specialising in NBFC registration had helped Prodigee Finance in the entire process. By attaining the NBFC licence, Prodigee Finance will now be able to extend loans to Small and Medium sized Enterprises as part of their services.

iii. Prodigee Finance is keen on providing SME loans as it believes that it will not only help borrowers who don’t have access to credit but will also boost the local economy.

OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS BASED ON TODAY’S NEWS

Q1. THE GOVERNMENT HAS ANNOUNCED CAPITAL INFUSION IN 20 PUBLIC SECTOR BANKS FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL. THE INFUSION IS OF?

a)  Rs64,473 cr

b)  Rs91,367 cr

c)  Rs88,139 cr

d)  Rs76,475 cr

Q2. NATIONAL SMALL INDUSTRIES CORPORATION HAS RECENTLY SIGNED AN MOU WITH SME CORPORATION OF WHICH COUNTRY FOR EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION AND COOPERATION?

a)  Indonesia

b)  Singapore

c)  China

d)  Malaysia

Q3. ON THE EVE OF THE ASEAN-INDIA COMMEMORATIVE SUMMIT TO CELEBRATE 25 YEARS OF INDIA-ASEAN PARTNERSHIP, PM NARENDRA MODI HAD SEPARATE BILATERAL MEETINGS WITH LEADERS OF THREE ASEAN NATIONS. WHICH AMONG THE FOLLOWING IS NOT ONE OF THEM?

a)  Indonesia

b)  Myanmar

c)  Philippines

d)  Vietnam

Q4. WHAT IS THE RANKING OF INDIA AMONG 180 COUNTRIES IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE INDEX 2018, ACCORDING TO A BIENNIAL REPORT BY YALE AND COLUMBIA UNIVERSITIES ALONG WITH THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM?

a)  145th

b)  156th

c)  177th

d)  171st

Q5. WHAT IS THE CAPITAL CITY OF VIETNAM?

a)  Phnom Penh

b)  Hanoi

c)  Vientiane

d)  Makau

ANSWERS: 

1 - C    2 - D    3 - A    4 - B    5 - C