DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 5 JAN 2018

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 5 JAN 2018

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

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1.      GOA TO HOST 3RD EDITION OF SCIENCE FILM FESTIVAL

i. Goa will be hosting the 3rd edition of the Science Film Festival of India in January 2018. The festival, titled SCI-FFI Goa, is being organised by the state-based Vidnyan Parishad, Goa Department of Science and Technology.

ii. The competition aims to boost the culture of science films, all the films submitted should be related to science and technology.

2.      2. SUSHMA SWARAJ EMBARKED ON TOUR OF 3 SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS

i. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj left on a 5-day visit to three South East Asian countries – Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. On the first leg of the visit, Ms Swaraj will reach Thailand and will hold an official meeting with Thai Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai.

ii. During the visit to Indonesia, Ms Swaraj will co-chair the 5th meeting of India-Indonesia Joint Commission. In Singapore, the External Affairs Minister will inaugurate the Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas of ASEAN countries. She will have bilateral meetings with the leaders in Singapore.

3.      WORLD'S BIGGEST CLEANLINESS SURVEY 'SWACHH SARVEKSHAN 2018' LAUNCHED

i. The world's biggest cleanliness survey 'Swachh Sarvekshan Survey 2018' was launched in India by PM Narendra Modi. It will be conducted from the 4th of January to 10th of March.

ii. The cleanliness survey was launched in 2016 as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission. The main objective of Swachh Survekshan is to encourage large-scale citizen participation and create awareness towards making towns and cities a cleaner and better place to live in.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 4 JAN 2018

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 4 JAN 2018

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1.      CABINET APPROVALS ON JANUARY 2018

i. Cabinet approves Agreement between India and Myanmar on Land Border Crossing, Cabinet apprised of the MoU between India and Italy on cooperation in the field of renewable energy.

ii. Cabinet approves MoU between India and Belgium on Cooperation in the field of ICT&E, Cabinet approves MoU between India and Israel on Cooperation in the Oil and Gas Sector.

iii. Cabinet approves MoU between India and ‘Transport for London’, Cabinet approves setting up of new AIIMS in Bilaspur and Cabinet approves Rs 6809-cr Zojila tunnel project in J&K.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 3 JAN 2018

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 3 JAN 2018

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

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1.      CABINET NOD TO INDIA, UK PACT TO IMPROVE PUBLIC TRANSPORT

i. The Cabinet has approved the signing and implementation of the MoU between Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and ‘Transport for London’ to improve public transport in the country.

ii. The MoU is aimed at improving the overall public transport system, improve passenger services and promote the use of high capacity buses in India.

2.      CENTRE UNVEILED CONTOURS OF ‘ELECTORAL BONDS’ SCHEME

i. The Centre unveiled the contours of the ‘Electoral Bonds’ scheme, which seeks to ensure the flow of clean money to political parties, without revealing the donors’ names.

ii. As per the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, the electoral bonds will be a bearer instrument in the nature of a Promissory Note and an interest-free banking instrument. A citizen of India or a body incorporated in India will be eligible to purchase the bond from specified branches of the State Bank of India.

iii. The bonds can be purchased for any value in multiples of Rs1,000; Rs10,000; Rs1 lakh; Rs10 lakh; and Rs1 cr.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 2 JAN 2018

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 2 JAN 2018

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

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1.      SBI REDUCES BASE RATE AND BENCHMARK PRIME LENDING RATES EACH BY 30 BPS

i. The State Bank of India reduced the base rate and benchmark prime lending rates by 30 basis points each, which will benefit nearly 80 lakh customers on the old pricing regime.

ii. SBI revised down the base rate to 8.65% for existing customers from 8.95%, while the benchmark prime lending rates are down from 13.7 percent, to 13.4%. The one-year MCLR of the bank stands unchanged at 7.95 percent.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 1 JAN 2018

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 1 JAN 2018

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

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1.      ASSAM PUBLISHES FIRST DRAFT OF NRC WITH 1.9 CR NAMES

i. Assam State Government has published 1st draft of Supreme Court monitored National Register of Citizens. As per Supreme Court directive, draft NRC for Assam was to be published on or before December 31, 2017.

ii. Registrar General of India, Sailesh has stated that 1st draft of NRC contains names of 1.9 cr applicants. Names of these applicants have been verified out of 3.29 cr population.

iii. NRC application process in Assam started in 2015 with an objective to weed out illegal immigrants from the state. Assam CM, Sarbananda Sonowal has stated that all those individuals whose name did not appear in the draft of the NRC, may submit claims and objections against the same.

2.      NEPAL BANS SOLO CLIMBING ON MOUNT EVEREST

i. Nepal has banned solo climbers from scaling its mountains, including Mount Everest, in a bid to reduce accidents.

ii. The new safety regulations also prohibit double amputee and blind climbers from attempting to reach the summit of the world's highest peak without a valid medical certificate.

3.      JHARKHAND CM LAUNCHES “SAUBHAGYA YOJANA” TO PROVIDE ELECTRICITY TO ALL VILLAGES

i. Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das launched ‘Saubhagya Yojana’, aimed at providing electricity to all the 29376 villages across the state. Currently, 17.64 lakh households in Jharkhand do not have electricity supply. Under ‘Saubhagya Yojana’, all such households will get 24X7 electricity supply by December 2018.

ii. Jharkhand State Government is also putting efforts to provide electricity to cottage industries and agriculture. Under this scheme, above poverty line families would get electricity connection by paying Rs 500 (Rs 50 each month for 10 months).

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 31 DEC 2017

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 31 DEC 2017

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

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1.      NIRMALA SITHARAMAN LAUNCHES START-UP INCUBATION CENTRE IN MANGALORE

i. Nirmala Sitharaman has launched a start-up incubation centre called the Centre for Entrepreneurship Opportunities and Learning in Mangaluru, Karnataka.

ii. She has allocated Rs. 1.5 cr from her Member of Parliament's Local Area Development scheme for the development of CEOL. She represents Karnataka as an MP in the Rajya Sabha.

2.      BILATERAL MEETING BETWEEN EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER OF INDIA AND JORDAN HELD IN NEW DELHI

i. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Jordanian counterpart Ayman Al Safadi held a bilateral meeting in New Delhi and discussed deepening bilateral ties across multiple sectors.

ii. Mr Safadi discussed steps to set up a robust agenda for deepening and diversifying areas of cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, defence and security and people-to-people contact.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 30 DEC 2017

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 30 DEC 2017

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

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1.      INDIA SIGNS LOAN AGREEMENT WITH WORLD BANK FOR UP TOURISM PROJECT

i. An agreement for IBRD Credit of USD 40 Million from World Bank for “U.P. Pro-Poor Tourism Development Project” was signed between India and the World Bank.

ii. The programme duration is 5 years. The Project Objective is to increase tourism-related benefits for local communities in targeted destinations. The major districts under attractions in Uttar Pradesh are Agra, Vrindavan, Mathura, Barsana and Govardhan in the Braj region.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 29 DEC 2017

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 29 DEC 2017

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

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1.      PRESIDENT DEDICATED 4 PROJECTS TO ANDHRA PRADESH

i. The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, dedicated to the people of Andhra Pradesh 4 projects of the State Government at a function held at Velagapudi, Andhra Pradesh.

ii. The Projects were Andhra Pradesh Fibregrid Project, Andhra Pradesh Surveillance Project, Drone Project; and Free Space Optical Communication system. The President focused on the 24/7 hyper-connected world and the online presence of the government.

2.      INDIA TO OVERTAKE UK, FRANCE TO BECOME 5TH-LARGEST ECONOMY IN 2018

i. India is set to leapfrog Britain and France in 2018 to become the world’s fifth-largest economy in dollar terms.

ii. The Centre for Economics and Business Research consultancy’s 2018 World Economic League Table painted an upbeat view of the global economy, boosted by cheap energy and technology prices. India is currently in 7th place in the top world economies with $2 trillion.

iii. Top 3 Economies of the world according to the World Economic Forum are-

The USA ($18 trillion),

China ($11 trillion),

Japan ($4.4 trillion).

3.      PRESIDENT INAUGURATED 100TH INDIAN ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE

i. President Ramnath Kovind inaugurated the 100^th  Annual Conference of the Indian Economic Association at Acharya Nagarjuna University in Guntur of Andhra Pradesh. The event will be held for 4 days.

ii. Indian Economic Association is a registered body of Indian economic professionals with an objective of providing a forum for debate and discussion of policy-oriented issues.

4.      SBI GETS BOARD APPROVAL TO RAISE RS 8,000 CR TO COMPLY BASEL III

i. According to the country's largest lender, SBI, its board has approved raising Rs 8,000 cr through various sources, including masala bonds, to meet Basel III capital norms.

ii. Masala bonds are rupee denominated specialised debt instruments that can be floated in overseas markets only to raise capital. Banks in India have to comply with the global capital norms under Basel III by March 2019, 3 months later than the internationally agreed time frame by January 2019.

5.      AGRICULTURE MINISTER LAUNCHES LIVESTOCK DISEASE FOREWARNING MOBILE APP

i. Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh has launched Livestock Disease Forewarning –Mobile Application. The app is developed by ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics, Bengaluru.

ii. Apart from early warning, the app will also provide information about clinical samples for the diagnosis in case of the epidemic so that immediate action can be taken in case of the epidemic.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 28 DEC 2017

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 28 DEC 2017

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

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1.      $318 MILLION LOAN AGREEMENT SIGNED WITH WORLD BANK FOR FARMERS IN TAMIL NADU

i. The Government of India, the Government of Tamil Nadu and the World Bank signed a $318 million loan agreement for the Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernization Project to promote climate resilient agriculture technologies, improve water management practices, and increase market opportunities for small and marginal farmers.

ii. The $318 million loan from the IBRD has a 5-year grace period and a maturity of 19 years.

2.      UTTAR PRADESH INTRODUCES NEW POWER SCHEME

i. Uttar Pradesh has launched a free household power connection scheme for the poor in the state to mark former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birth anniversary. The scheme is driven by government’s motto ‘Prakash hai to Vikas hai’ (the barometer of development is light).

ii. The government has also introduced Kisan Uday Yojana, a novel scheme for farmers. The scheme would cover 10 lakh farmers by 2022, would lead to 35 percent saving on power consumption.

3.      MHA DIRECTS NGOS TO OPEN ACCOUNT IN DESIGNATED BANKS INTEGRATED WITH PMFS

i. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs 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, 2010.

ii. These accounts opened in 32 designated banks will be integrated with central government’s Public Financial Management System. Its purpose is to provide higher level of transparency and hassle-free reporting compliance.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 27 DEC 2017

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 27 DEC 2017

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1.      VIJAY RUPANI SWORN IN AS CHIEF MINISTER OF GUJARAT

i. Vijay Rupani was sworn in at a grand ceremony in the State capital of Gandhinagar as the Chief Minister of Gujarat state. Governor Om Prakash Kohli administered the Oath of Office and Secrecy to 21 ministers including Mr Rupani and his deputy Nitin Patel.

ii. Along with Mr Rupani as CM and Nitin Patel as his Deputy, a total of 19 ministers 9 of them in cabinet rank and 10 MoS were sworn in.

2.      MODI TO BE FIRST PM TO ATTEND WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM IN 20 YEARS

i. PM Narendra Modi will become the first PM in 20 years to attend the World Economic Forum’s annual jamboree of the global elite. The meeting will be held in Davos town of Switzerland.

ii. The 5-day Davos Annual Meeting of Geneva-based WEF will begin in January 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.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 26 DEC 2017

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 26 DEC 2017

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

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1.      ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY LAUNCHES PILOT PROJECT 'BLUE FLAG' FOR BEACH CLEAN-UP

i. To enhance standards of cleanliness on beaches, the environment ministry has launched a pilot project 'Blue Flag' for its clean-up and development.

ii. With the prime objective of enhancing standards of cleanliness, upkeep and basic amenities at beaches, the ministry has launched a pilot project, also striving for the 'Blue Flag' certification for such identified beaches.

iii. The 'Blue Flag' is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education that a beach, Marina or sustainable boating tourism operator, meets its stringent standards.

2.      STATE-RUN BANKS' NPAS TOUCHED RS 7.34 LAKH CR- RBI DATA

i. Bad loans of Public sector banks stood at Rs 7.34 lakh cr by the end of second quarter this fiscal, a bulk of which came from corporate defaulters, private sector banks' NPAs were considerably low. Moreover, for the recovery of the bad loans, the network of Debt Recovery Tribunals have been expanded to 39 at present, as compared to 33 in 2016-17, according to data furnished by the RBI and the government.

ii. The gross non-performing assets of the public sector and private sector banks as on September 30, 2017, were Rs 7,33,974 cr and Rs 1,02,808 cr, respectively. Among the major government-owned banks, State Bank of India had the highest level of NPAs at over Rs 1.86 lakh cr, followed by Punjab National Bank (Rs 57,630 cr) and Bank of India (Rs 49,307 cr).

iii. Up to end-September, among private banks, ICICI Bank had the most amounts of NPAs at Rs 44,237 cr, followed by Axis Bank (Rs 22,136 cr) and HDFC Bank (Rs 7,644 cr).

3.      UP GOVERNMENT SIGNS MOU WITH SOUTH KOREA

i. The Uttar Pradesh government signed an MoU with South Korea to enhance cooperation in the field of tourism, skill development, culture and farming.

ii. An agreement was signed in 2000 to develop Ayodhya and Gimhae as sister cities, following which a memorial was constructed in Ayodhya which is visited by a large number of tourists from South Korea every year.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 25 DEC 2017

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 25 DEC 2017

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

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1.      VICE PRESIDENT INAUGURATES CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS OF YOGA INSTITUTE IN MUMBAI

i. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has inaugurated the Centenary celebrations of the Yoga Institute in Mumbai. The institute was founded by Shree Yogendraji Mani Haribhai Desai, the disciple of Paramahans Madhavadasji in 1918. It helps spread yoga practices.

ii. According to Naidu practice of Yoga as a holistic way of life leading to physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.

2.      JAIRAM THAKUR WILL BE HIMACHAL PRADESH’S NEW CM

i. The Bharatiya Janata Party has named Jairam Thakur as legislature party leader in Himachal Pradesh, effectively making him the state’s next CM.

ii. The BJP’s central observer Narendra Singh Tomar announced Thakur’s name after a meeting of BJP?MLAs was convened, with all unanimously deciding in his favour.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 24 DEC 2017

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 24 DEC 2017

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

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1.      MEA LAUNCHED SAMEEP TO TAKE INDIAN FOREIGN POLICY TO STUDENTS ACROSS COUNTRY

i. With an aim to bring the foreign policy to the masses the External Affairs Ministry has come up with an initiative called SAMEEP - 'Students and MEA Engagement Programme'. Under this MEA official will talk to students to help them better understand foreign policy.

ii. The main objective of SAMEEP is to take Indian foreign policy and its global engagements to students across the country. Under this programme, all the ministry officers - under-secretary and above - will be asked to go to their hometowns, particularly their alma maters.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 22 & 23 DEC 2017

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 22 & 23 DEC 2017

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

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1.      INDIA'S FIRST DESIGN UNIVERSITY OPENS IN HARYANA

i. India's first and only design university, '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.

ii. The university is currently located in a sprawling lush green picturesque campus with the state-of-the-art infrastructure and world-class facilities. WUD is India's first university dedicated to education in the creative domain.

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