DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 15 JAN 2018

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 15 JAN 2018

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

SHARED BY: WWW.DAILYGK.IN

1.      NITISH KUMAR LAUNCHES SCHEMES WORTH OVER RS 200 CR DURING VIKAS SAMIKSHA YATRA

i. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar launched schemes worth over Rs.200 cr during his state-wide “Vikas Samiksha Yatra” and lays foundation stones for more than 100 projects.

i. Nitish Kumar visited Rohtas and Bhojpur districts for the “Vikas Samiksha Yatra”. He inaugurated 257 schemes worth Rs. 222 cr, at a village in the Jagdishpur block of Bhojpur.

iii. He also visited a village under Amethi panchayat of the Sanjhauli block of Rohtas, which is the first panchayat in Rohtas to become ODF.

2.      ISRAELI PM BENJAMIN NETANYAHU IN INDIA

i. India and Israel have agreed to enhance co-operation in the areas of agriculture, science and technology and security.

ii. Benjamin Netanyahu, who is the 2nd Israeli PM to visit India after Ariel Sharon, was accorded a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan. The first one took place when PM Narendra Modi visited Israel in July 2017, becoming the first Indian leader to visit the Jewish state.

3.      BIKANER CAMEL FESTIVAL 2018 IN RAJASTHAN

i. The Bikaner camel festival was held in Rajasthan. This festival is celebrated every year in Rajasthan to honour camels. The festival 2018 started with a procession of camels adorned with decorations and folk artists.

ii. Both Indian and foreign tourists participated in the festival. The procession was held from Junagarh fort to Karni Singh stadium. During the festival, camel dances, camel races, camel rides etc. were also held. The camel festival was organised by the Department of Tourism, Art and Culture.

4.     INDIA CONTRIBUTES USD 50,000 TO UN YOUTH ENVOY'S OFFICE

i. India has contributed USD 50,000 to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres's Office of Envoy on Youth to help with its mission of involving young people in the world body's goals.

ii. The contribution is voluntary with no strings attached and is in addition to the regular payments India makes to the UN's general and peacekeeping budgets.

5.      7TH EDITION OF ‘RASHTRIYA SANSKRITI MAHOTSAV-2018’ BEGINS IN KARNATAKA

i. 7th edition of the Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav, under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme, began in Karnataka. This event will continue till January 20, 2018.

ii. This event is being organised by Union Ministry of Culture. Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers and Parliamentary Affairs, Ananth Kumar and Union Minister of State for Culture (I/C) and Environment, Dr. Mahesh Sharma inaugurated the Mahotsav at Gandhi Nagar and Bengaluru.

iii. This Mahotsav will be various forms of art performances from classical and folk, music and dance, theatre to literature and the visual arts. A handloom and handicrafts-utsav is also being held at the event.

iv. Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme was launched by PM Narednra Modi on October, 31 2016. This programme aims to celebrate the idea of unity in diversity by promoting engagement amongst the people of different States/Union Territories and thereby strengthening people-to-people bond. Under this programme, Karnataka is paired with Uttarakhand.

6.      WEF RANKS INDIA 30TH ON GLOBAL MANUFACTURING INDEX

i. The World Economic Forum has ranked India at 30th position on a global manufacturing index - below China’s 5th place but above other BRICS peers, Brazil, Russia and South Africa.

ii. Japan has been found to have the best structure of production in the Geneva-based WEF’s first ‘Readiness for the future of production report’ and is followed by South Korea, Germany, Switzerland, China, Czech Republic, the US, Sweden, Austria and Ireland in the top 10. Among BRICS nations, Russia is ranked 35th, Brazil 41st and South Africa at 45th place.

7.      IDFC BANK, CAPITAL FIRST TO MERGE IN SHARE SWAP DEAL

i. IDFC Bank and Capital First has approved a merger of Capital First with IDFC Bank. Pursuant to the merger which is subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals, IDFC Bank will issue 139 shares for every 10 shares of Capital First.

ii. The deal values Capital First - owned more than a third by private equity firm Warburg Pincus - at Rs. 938.25 a share based on the two companies' price and giving the company a market value of Rs. 9,278 cr ($1.46 billion), Reuters calculations showed.

8.      FEDERAL BANK TIES UP WITH HEDGE EQUITIES

i. Federal Bank has entered into a strategic partnership with Hedge Equities Ltd for providing Portfolio Investment Scheme services to NRIs. A formal agreement was executed in which Jose K Mathew (EVP & Head Retail Business, Federal Bank) and Alex Babu (MD, Hedge Equities Ltd) exchanged the MoU announcing the tie-up.

ii. Federal Bank is authorised by the RBI to issue permission letter to NRIs on behalf of the RBI to transact in secondary market.

9.      BSE'S INDIA INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE LISTS IRFC'S FIRST GREEN BOND

i. The Bombay Stock Exchange's India International Exchange listed the first bond on its Global Securities Market.

ii. The bonds issued by Indian Railways Finance Corporation are one of the highest credit rated bonds issued by an Indian corporate and has been IRFC's first foray into the Green Bond market.

10.  JOHNSON & JOHNSON PARTNERS WITH MAHARASHTRA GOVT. ON HEALTH INTERVENTIONS

i. Maharashtra’s mine workers who face an increased risk of tuberculosis will be part of awareness programmes on the illness, as part of a partnership that the Maharashtra Government recently formalized with Johnson & Johnson. Other interventions under the ambit of the agreement include hospital acquired infections and maternal and infant mortality.

ii. The collaboration would also look at infection prevention, diabetes, obesity and menstrual hygiene and support healthcare professionals and nurses in the State to develop skills in these areas.

11.  15TH JANUARY 2018: 70TH ARMY DAY

i. The 70th Army Day is being celebrated on 15th January 2018. The day is celebrated to pay homage and salute to the courageous and brave Indian soldiers who have been sacrificing their lives for protecting the country.

ii. Every year on this day, the ‘Army Day’ is celebrated to commemorate the day when General (later Field Marshal) K.M Carriappa took over the command of Army from General Sir F.R.R Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief in 1949 and became the first Commander-in-Chief of Indian Army post Independence.

OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS BASED ON TODAY’S NEWS

Q1.  WHICH BANK HAS ENTERED INTO A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH HEDGE EQUITIES LTD FOR PROVIDING PORTFOLIO INVESTMENT SCHEME SERVICES TO NRIS RECENTLY?

a)  Bank of Baroda

b)  State Bank of India

c)  Federal Bank

d)  Axis Bank

Q2. WHICH BANK AND CAPITAL FIRST HAS APPROVED A MERGER IN SHARE SWAP DEAL RECENTLY?

a)  ICICI Bank

b)  IDBI Bank

c)  Axis Bank

d)  IDFC Bank  

Q3. WEF HAS RANKED INDIA AT WHICH POSITION ON A GLOBAL MANUFACTURING INDEX - BELOW CHINA’S 5TH PLACE BUT ABOVE OTHER BRICS PEERS, BRAZIL, RUSSIA AND SOUTH AFRICA?

a)  44th

b)  32nd

c)  30th

d)  25th

Q4. FEDERAL BANK IS AUTHORIZED BY THE RBI TO ISSUE PERMISSION LETTER TO NRIS ON BEHALF OF THE RBI TO TRANSACT IN SECONDARY MARKET. FEDERAL BANK BASED IN?

a)  Kerala

b)  Andhra Pradesh

c)  Karnataka

d)  Tamil Nadu

Q5. WHICH COUNTRY HAS BEEN FOUND TO HAVE THE BEST STRUCTURE OF PRODUCTION IN THE GENEVA-BASED WEF’S FIRST ‘READINESS FOR THE FUTURE OF PRODUCTION REPORT’?

a)  USA

b)  Japan

c)  Germany

d)  South Korea

ANSWERS: 

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

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 14 JAN 2018

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 14 JAN 2018

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

SHARED BY: WWW.DAILYGK.IN

1.      'IRON FIST'- THE US, JAPAN JOINT MILITARY DRILL BEGINS

i. American and Japanese military forces have launched joint exercise named Iron Fist. The 13^th annual Iron Fist exercises kicked off in the U.S. western state of California.

ii. More than 500 U.S. Marines and sailors are partnering with about 350 members of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force to train in fire support operations and amphibious assaults.

2.      INDIA SIGNS PACT WITH UK ON ILLEGAL MIGRANTS

i. India has signed an MoU with the United Kingdom to enable the return of illegal Indian migrants within a month of their detection by authorities abroad.

ii. Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju confirmed that the pact was signed by him and UK Minister of State for Immigration Caroline Nokes in Britain during his visit along with an Indian delegation.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 13 JAN 2018

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 13 JAN 2018

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

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1. 5TH BILATERAL MEETING BETWEEN INDIA AND MALAYSIA HELD IN NEW DELHI

i. The 5th Bilateral Technical Meeting on cooperation in the field of Traditional Systems of Medicine between Govt. of India and Malaysia was held in New Delhi.

ii. The Meeting had discussed the following agenda:- Establishment of Ayurveda Chair in University of  UTAR, Malaysia, The evaluation of safety and efficacy of combination Ayurvedic/ traditional products for clinical trials.

iii. Professional training in Panchakarma therapy for Malaysian experts in India, Safety evaluation of Ayurvedic products based on Good Laboratory Practices, Bilateral MoU between National Medicinal Plants Board, Ministry of AYUSH and Malaysia for Cooperation in the field of Medicinal Plants.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 12 JAN 2018

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 12 JAN 2018

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

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1.      UIDAI INTRODUCES ‘VIRTUAL ID’ TO STRENGTHEN PRIVACY AND SECURITY OF AADHAAR DATA

i. The Unique Identification Authority of India has introduced a concept of 'Virtual ID' to further strengthen privacy and security of Aadhaar number holders. The Aadhaar number holder can use 'Virtual ID' in place of an Aadhaar number whenever authentication or KYC services are performed.

ii. Aadhaar card holder can generate the Virtual ID from UIDAI website and give for various purposes, including SIM card verification, instead of sharing the actual 12-digit biometric ID.

2.      PRESIDENT RAM NATH KOVIND INAUGURATED 4TH INTERNATIONAL DHARMA DHAMMA CONFERENCE

i. President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated a 3-day International Dharma-Dhamma conference at Rajgir in Bihar.

ii. The inaugural session was chaired by Mr Kovind. The conference was attended by Sri Lanka’s foreign Minister Tilak Marapana.

3.      JEFF BEZOS BECOMES RICHEST PERSON SURPASSING BILL GATES: BLOOMBERG REPORT

i. Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon has become the richest man in the history, overtaking the wealth Bill Gates ever had to his name, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The Index showed that Bezos' net worth had hit USD 105.1 billion.

ii. According to Forbes' tracker, most of Bezos' wealth comes from his 78.9 million shares of Amazon stock. According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the top 3 richest people in the world are Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.

4.      MINISTRY OF RAILWAY LAUNCHES SFOORTI APPLICATION

i. The Ministry of Railways has launched Smart Freight Operation Optimisation & Real Time Information App for Freight Managers which provides features for monitoring and managing freight business using Geographic Information System Views and Dashboard.

ii. The major digital initiative is to help plan the traffic flows and optimize freight operations.

iii. Salient features of SFOORTI Application are as below: With this application, movement of freight trains on Geographic Information System view can be tracked.

iv. Both passenger and freight trains can be tracked over Zones/Divisions/ Sections in single GIS View. Comparative Analysis of Zonal/Divisional Traffic. This app provides a Bird’s eye view of all Freight Assets in a single window.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 11 JAN 2018

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 11 JAN 2018

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

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1.      CABINET APPROVES AMENDMENTS IN FDI POLICY, POLICIES FURTHER LIBERALIZED

i. In the financial year 2016-17, total FDI of US $ 60.08 billion has been received, which is an all-time high. The Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi has approved amendments in FDI Policy and further liberalized few of the policies of FDI.

ii. Key Highlights- 100% FDI under automatic route for Single Brand Retail Trading. Foreign airlines allowed to invest up to 49% under approval route in Air India. Government approval no longer required for FDI in Single Brand Retail Trading.

iii. 100% FDI under automatic route in Construction Development. FIIs/FPIs allowed to invest in Power Exchanges through primary market and Definition of ‘medical devices’ amended in the FDI Policy.

iv. Extant FDI policy on SBRT allows 49% FDI under automatic route, and FDI beyond 49% and up to 100% through Government approval route. It has now been decided to permit 100% FDI under automatic route for SBRT.

v. Civil Aviation: As per the extant policy, foreign airlines are allowed to invest under Government approval route in the capital of Indian companies operating scheduled and non-scheduled air transport services, up to the limit of 49% of their paid-up capital. However, this provision was presently not applicable to Air India, thereby implying that foreign airlines could not invest in Air India. It has now been decided to do away with this restriction and allow foreign airlines to invest up to 49% under approval route in Air India.

vi. Construction Development: Townships, Housing, Built-up Infrastructure and Real Estate Broking Services. It has been decided to clarify that real-estate broking service does not amount to real estate business and is, therefore, eligible for 100% FDI under the automatic route.

vii. Power Exchanges: The extant policy provides for 49% FDI under automatic route in Power Exchanges registered under the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (Power Market) Regulations, 2010. It has now been decided to do away with this provision, thereby allowing FIIs/FPIs to invest in Power Exchanges through the primary market as well.

2.      IMPORTANT CABINET APPROVALS- 10TH JANUARY 2018

i. The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Shri Narendra Modi has given the following set of approvals. The important Cabinet Approvals are given as follows-

The Cabinet has approved- 1. MoU between India and Canada for cooperation in the field of Science & Technology. The MoU will provide a mechanism and help to foster scientific cooperation between R&D and academic institutions of India and Canada.

2. Implementation of CCEA decision on the closure of Tungabhadra Steel Products Limited.

3. Fixed term for Chairperson and Members of the National Trust- Cabinet approved the proposal to amend Section 4(1) and Section 5(1) of the National Trust for the Welfare of Person with Autism, Cerebral Plasy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999 to fix the term of the Chairperson and Members of the Board of National Trust for three years.

3.      PAYTM LAUNCHES INVESTMENT ARM, TO INVEST $10 MILLION

i. Paytm has set up a new entity called Paytm Money Ltd that will offer investment and wealth management products and will invest close to $10 million upfront in the new entity.

ii. Paytm Money is the fourth product from One97’s stable after Paytm Mall, Paytm Payments Bank and Paytm wallet. It will be available as a separate mobile application to users.

4.      KARNATAKA TOPS STATES WITH INVESTMENT INTENTIONS OF RS. 1.49 LAKH CR

i. Karnataka topped all states with investment intentions of Rs. 1.49 lakh cr till October 2017,  according to R V Deshpande, Karnataka Minister for Large, Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development

ii. The investment was 43% of the country's total investment intentions. Karnataka has topped in FDI inflows and has performed well in exports, contributing about 40 percent in electronics and software services.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 10 JAN 2018

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 10 JAN 2018

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

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1.      PM MODI INAUGURATES 1ST PIO PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE IN DELHI

i. PM Narendra Modi inaugurates the first Persons of Indian Origin Parliamentary Conference in Delhi on the occasion of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. The day is celebrated every year to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community in the development of India.

ii. It also commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to Mumbai on 9 January 1915. In the Conference, the biggest delegation was from Guyana with 20 members of parliament and three mayors.

2.      DEFENCE INNOVATION CENTRE TO BE SET UP IN COIMBATORE TO ASSIST SMALL INDUSTRIES

i. Defence Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman announced that a Defence Innovation Centre would be set up by CODISSIA in Coimbatore, to assist small industries in manufacturing components for the defence sector.

ii. Coimbatore District Small Industries Association is a trade organization based in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. CODISSIA will receive initial funding of Rs 20 cr from Union Defence Ministry for setting up the Defence Innovation Centre.

iii. CODISSIA will identify small and micro units as well as start-ups, that can manufacture components required for defence production. Decision to set up this Defence Innovation Centre has been taken in line with Central Government’s “Make in India” programme.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 9 JAN 2018

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 9 JAN 2018

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

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1.      GOVT PROPOSES ROLLING OUT E-SANSAD, E-VIDHAN IN PARLIAMENT & STATE LEGISLATURES

i. 18^th All India Whips’ Conference began in Udaipur, Rajasthan. The 2-day conference was inaugurated by Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Chemicals & Fertilizers, Ananth kumar.

ii. Among other things, rolling out of e-Sansad and e-Vidhan in Parliament and State Legislatures will also be considered during the course of the conference. e-Sansad and e-Vidhan are Government of India’s projects under Digital India, aimed at making the functioning of Parliament and State Legislatures paperless.

iii .Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs is the Nodal Ministry for implementation of e-Sansad and e-Vidhan projects. These projects would not only make the functioning of Parliament and State Legislatures participative, transparent, responsive, productive and more accountable but will also promote Government of India’s  ‘Go Green’ initiative.

2.      INDIAN NAVY SIGNS MOU WITH COCHIN PORT TRUST

i. The Indian Navy has inked an MoU with the Cochin Port Trust, Kerala towards leasing of 228 metres of berths at Mattancherry Wharf for a period of five years.

ii. The MoU has been concluded to cater for the futuristic requirements of the Navy with the sizeable increase in its fleet scheduled in the near future. This is the first time such an agreement has been signed between the Navy and CPT.

3.      BSES LAUNCHES ROOFTOP SOLAR SINGLE-POINT FOR APARTMENT COMPLEXES

i. BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd launched “Solar City Initiative”, aimed to maximise rooftop solar power use in south and west Delhi. Under this initiative, rooftop solar installations will be provided at a single point for the entire apartment complex unlike conventional method of having individual installations.

ii. This initiative has been launched in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development PACE-D and Indo-German Collaboration. Around 150 residential societies will be targeted in the first phase.

iii .From cosumers’ perspective, these installation may lead to monthly saving on bills of about Rs 750 for a period of 25 years

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 8 JAN 2018

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 8 JAN 2018

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

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1.      GOVT RELEASES AISHE 2016-17, TAMIL NADU LEADS IN GROSS ENROLMENT RATIO

i. Union Minister of Human Resource Development, Prakash Javadekar released All India Survey on Higher Education report 2016-2017.Among all states, Tamil Nadu topped in terms of Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education. Tamil Nadu recorded 46.9% GER.

ii. Gross Enrolment Ratio has increased from 24.5% in 2015-16 to 25.2 in 2016-17. GER is a ratio of enrolment in higher education to population in the eligible age group (18-23) years.

iii. Gender Parity Index too has improved from 0.86 to 0.94 for the corresponding period. GPI is a ratio of proportional representation of female and male.

2.      INDIA’S SECOND FTII TO BE SET UP IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH

i. Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region, Dr Jitendra Singh announced that Central Government will set up second Film and Television Institute of Indian in Arunachal Pradesh.

ii. This announcement was made by Mr. Singh while addressing ‘Indian Entertainment Industry: Global Leader in Making’ conference organised by Bharat Niti and South India Film Chamber of Commerce in Itanagar.

iii. Objective behind setting up FTII in Arunachal Pradesh is to tap the potential of India’s North Eastern region. FTII in Arunachal Pradesh would be second such institute in the country. The first Film and Television Institute of India is located in Pune.

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Monthly GK Capsules of Dec. 2017

Monthly GK Capsules of  Dec. 2017

Here is the new Monthly GK Capsules. This time we are going to share official PDF file of AAA-Bright Academy which contains Monthly GK updates of Dec. 2017. So if you are preparing for any Government, Bank, Railways, SSC Examination this PDF file is very helpful to you. All the best to all participants for the upcoming Examination.

To Download complete File CLICK HERE

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 7 JAN 2018

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 7 JAN 2018

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

SHARED BY: WWW.DAILYGK.IN

1.      WORLD BOOK FAIR BEGINS IN NEW DELHI WITH FOCUS ON ENVIRONMENT

i. New Delhi World Book Fair 2018 began on January 6 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

i. The main theme of New Delhi World Book Fair 2018 is ‘Environment and Climate Change’. The theme pavilion (made from environmental-friendly material like bamboo, cane and jute) highlights various environment-related issues like global warming, climate change, water pollution and other relevant matters.

ii. This fair is being jointly organised by the National Book Trust and India Trade Promotion Organisation. It is spread over 30000 sq m space and has more than 1500 stalls.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 6 JAN 2018

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: 6 JAN 2018

(DAILY NEWS INDIA)

SHARED BY: WWW.DAILYGK.IN

1.      DEFENCE MINISTRY APPROVES PROJECTS WORTH RS. 2420 CR

i. Union Defence Ministry approved procurement of simulated training solutions for Indian Navy’s P-8I long range maritime patrol aircraft and electronic warfare systems for the Army. Total cost involved in these deals is Rs. 2420 cr.

ii. Simulated training solution for P-8I will be bought from Boeing for Rs. 1949.32 cr. It will come along with 10 year comprehensive maintenance service.

iii. This training solution accurately simulates P-8I aircraft and mission systems and will thereby help Indian Navy train and realistically rehearse for sophisticated missions in a cost effective manner.

iii. The second proposal is for Low Intensity Conflict Electronic Warfare System for the Army, which will be procured from Bharat Electronics Limited for Rs. 470 cr.

iv. This system will provide upgraded communications infrastructure to Indian Army and will help to effectively deal with the advanced communications systems being used by terrorist groups.

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