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Contents

Topic Page Number

MOU/Agreement Countries 3

MOU Industry/States/Others 3-5

Appointments and Resignations 5-8

Awards and Recognitions 8-12

Conference and Summits 13-16

International News 17-20

National News 20-29

State News 30-37

Finance and Banking News 37-42

Business News 42-43

Economy News 43-47

Science & Technology 47

Defence News 47-49

Sports News 49-50

Committees 50-56

Rankings of Countries 57-58

Rankings (Persons and Organisations) 58

Loans from Banks 58-59

Deadlines 59-60

Books and Authors 60

Obituaries 61-63

Nobel Prize Winners 63

Important Days(Jan-March) 63-65







MOU/Agreement Countries

India Myanmar 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.

India Russia Russia will assist India to set up a national crisis management centre in the country to

handle disaster and other emergency situations.

India Mauritius India will offer technical support and advisory services in implementing DigiLocker

service in Mauritius.

Myanmar Bangladesh For the return of over six lakh Rohingya Muslims who had fled to Bangladesh to escape

a violent crackdown by the Myanmar military.

MOU Industry/States/Others

Organizations/Institutions Purpose

Skill Development

Ministry

Maruti Suzuki They have signed an agreement to impart training to youth

and enhance their employment potential.

YES Bank European Investment Bank They will co-finance $400-million funding for renewable

power generation in the country.

Samsung India UNESCO MGIEP (Mahatma

Gandhi Institute of

Education for Peace and

Sustainable Development)

Partnership is to launch 360 video and virtual reality (VR)

content of two magnificent Indian heritage sites, the Sun

Temple in Konark, Odisha and Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar

Pradesh.

Samsung Axis Bank Smartphone manufacturer Samsung launched its Bill

Payments on its flagship payments service, Samsung Pay in

partnership with Axis Bank.

Allahabad Bank National e-Governance

Services Limited (NeSL)

Agreement for utilizing the latter s Information Utility

Services envisaged under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy

Code, 2016.

Federal Bank LuLu Exchange (Abu Dhabi-

based)

MoU is to leverage blockchain technology for cross-border

remittances

Sohan Lal

Commodity

Management (SLCM)

HDFC Bank and IndusInd

Bank

The tie-up is to improve the farmers access to post-harvest

credits at affordable interest rates

AU Small Finance

Bank

Sahaj e-Village MoU for extending its banking service in remote areas

through Business Correspondent Agent (BC) model.

Sahaj e-Village Limited is a venture initiative of SREI

Infrastructure Finance Limited (SIFL) that has been bridging

the digital divide between urban and rural India under the

flagship of NeGP of the Government of India.

Hike Messenger Airtel To embed its Total service on mobile phones under the

latter s Mera Pehla Smartphone programme.

Taxi aggregator Uber Ministry of Road Transport

and Highways

As part of its ongoing efforts to encourage road safety

awareness, Uber will be jointly promoting road safety

messaging on the Uber app and social media through Ministry







of Road Transport and Highways co branded materials and

mediums.

Mumbai Dabbawalas Paytm Payments Bank Paytm Payments Bank, a digital bank which provides zero

balance accounts and zero charges on digital transactions,

partnered with the Mumbai Dabbawala Association, the

pioneers of home-cooked food delivery.

HDFC Bank Rajasthan Govt. Under this partnership, HDFC Bank will team up with the state

government to provide end-to-end solutions like current

accounts, credit cards and other solutions to startups under

its SmartUp programme.

Indian Institute of

Corporate Affairs

(IICA)

India Post Payments Bank Under the agreement, IICA has been entrusted with the key

responsibility of capacity building of IPPB through training of

its officials/employees

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) and State Bank of India (SBI) jointly signed an

MoU with non-government organisations (NGOs) from West Bengal for financing of 2,500 Joint Liability Groups

(JLGs), or informal credit group of farmers.

National Small

Industries

Corporation (NSIC)

SME Corporation Malaysia For exchange of information and cooperation in areas such as

policies to aid development of small and medium businesses

(SMBs) in the two countries.

Axis Bank NGO Srijan The bank partnered through an initiative called Buddha

Fellowship Programme to help nurture talent for the

development sector.

AU Small Finance

Bank

Life Insurance Corporation

(LIC) of India

The bank will offer Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana

(PMJJBY) under the agreement.

Bank of Baroda Invoicemart Tie up is to discount invoices for MSMEs. Buyers and sellers

registered on the marketplace will now be able to access

funding from Bank of Baroda.

Yes Bank Amplus Energy Solutions The pact is for strategic tie-up to co-finance projects in the

solar energy space in India.

Federal Bank Hedge Equities Ltd Partnership for providing Portfolio Investment Scheme (PIS)

services to NRIs.

Punjab National Bank National Scheduled Castes

Finance and Development

Corporation (NSFDC)

They tied up to provide financial assistance for economic

empowerment of persons belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC)

families living below Double Poverty Line (DPL).

Paytm Payments

Bank

Induslnd Bank To introduce a facility to create a fixed deposit when the

customer balance exceeds Rs. 1 lakh at the end of day in

Paytm Account

Nearby Technologies Yes Bank To provide Aadhaar- enabled cardless and pinless ATM

service called PayNEARBY by which customers can deposit or

withdraw money at retailers place.

Punjab National Bank Action Construction

Equipment Ltd (ACE)

For augmenting tractors/agricultural implements financing to

the farmers across the country through PNB s branch network

Yes Bank Innovation Centre Denmark

India (ICDK India)

To bring fintech innovations and startups from Denmark to

India, and facilitate entry of Indian startups to the region.

Reliance General YES Bank A comprehensive bancassurance-corporate agency







Insurance agreement has been signed between the two.

Paytm ICICI Bank To jointly launch Paytm-ICICI Bank Postpaid , the most

seamless way to access interest-free short-term digital credit.

Karnataka Bank Boston Consulting Group

(India) Pvt Ltd

MoU for transformation initiatives of banks. Project - KBL

Vikaas – was launched for same.

Appointments and Resignations

Name Post Institution

Rahul Gandhi President Indian National Congress (With this, Sonia Gandhi s

19-year tenure as party president has come to an

end.)

Uma Shankar Executive Director Reserve Bank of India

Dr. A. Surya Prakash Chairman Prasar Bharati Board

Rajinder Khanna Deputy National

Security Adviser (NSA)

Vijay Keshav Gokhale Foreign Secretary of

India

India

He will replace S. Jaishankar

AB Mathur Central Government has appointed AB Mathur as the

interlocutor on their behalf to hold talks with the

United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA).

T S Tirumurti Secretary (Economic

Relations)

External Affairs Ministry, India

BJP s Sanyukta Bhatia will be the first woman to hold the Lucknow Municipal Corporation Mayor s post in 100 years

after the Uttar Pradesh Municipalities Act came into being in 1916

The Union Agriculture Ministry has roped in actor Akshay Kumar for television advertisements to promote the

government s flagship agriculture schemes like soil health card and crop insurance. Besides soil health card scheme,

the actor will promote Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bhima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, Paramparagat

Krishi Vikas Yojana and others.

Salil S. Parekh Chief Executive Officer

and Managing Director

Infosys

Vijay Rupani Chief Minister Gujarat

Nitin Patel Deputy Chief Minister Gujarat

Jairam Thakur Chief Minister Himachal Pradesh

Justice U.D. Salvi Acting Chairperson National Green Tribunal (NGT)

Michel Coulomb Head of Sales Apple has appointed him for its operations in India.

Narinder Batra President Indian Olympic Association (IOA)

Anandiben Patel Governor of Madhya

Pradesh

Om Prakash Rawat Chief Election

Commissioner (CEC) of

India

Ashok Lavasa Election Commissioner

(EC) of India







S Selvakumar Chairman and Managing

Director (CMD)

Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd

(SPMCIL)

Usha Ananthasubramanian Chairman Indian Banks Association (IBA)

She (MD and CEO, Allahabad Bank) has become the

first woman chairman of IBA

S Somnath Director Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)

Dilip Chenoy Director General Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and

Industry (Ficci)

Sudeep Lakhtakia Director General National Security Guard (NSG)

Ajendra Bahadur Singh Chief Staff, Western Naval Command

Vijay Kumar Managing Director and

CEO

National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange

(NCDEX)

Dilip Asbe Managing Director and

CEO

National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)

Sunny Verghese (Singapore-based

Indian-origin businessman)

Chairman Geneva-based World Business Council for Sustainable

Development

NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has been granted an extension of his tenure until June 30, 2019.

The Supreme Court collegium has recommended the name of senior advocate Indu Malhotra as the first woman

lawyer to be directly appointed as a judge of the apex court.

Actress Kajol, an active supporter of eradicating preventable deaths from hygiene-related issues, has become an

advocacy ambassador for a Swachh Aadat Swachh Bharat initiative.

Actress Dia Mirza UN Environment s

Goodwill Ambassador

for India

Hasmukh Adhia Finance Secretary India

Nirmala Sitharaman President Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA)

Shaktikanta Das India s G 20 Sherpa She is former Secretary, Department of Economic

Affairs

Dalveer Bhandari Judge International Court of Justice (ICJ)

Snehlata Shrivastava Secretary General Lok Sabha

RBI Governor Urjit Patel has been appointed to the Financial Stability Institute Advisory Board or the Bank of

International Settlement (BIS).

Mary Kom Ambassador Youth World Championships

Vikas Seth Chief Executive Officer Bharti AXA Life Insurance

Sudhanshu Jain Chief Financial Officer Paytm Payments Bank (PPB)

Sethurathnam Ravi Chairman Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)

Y.C. Modi Director-General National Investigation Agency (NIA)

Ira Joshi Director-General Doordarshan News

Ajay Bisaria Indian High

Commissioner to

Pakistan

Navtej Sarna Indian Ambassador to

the US

He was supposed to retire November 2017 end, has

been given a year extended.

Neelamani N. Raju Karnataka s first woman Director General and

Inspector General of Police







Kenneth Juster US Ambassador To India

S Y Qureshi Ombudsmen to

formulate the AIFF

Constitution within

eight weeks.

Tulsi Gabbard Chairperson World Hindu Congress 2018

Debjani Ghosh 1st woman President National Association of Software and Services

Companies (Nasscom)

Pradeep Singh Kharola Chairman and Managing

Director (CMD)

Air India

B.N. Sharma Chairman National Anti-profiteering Authority – which is under

the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act

Actor Trisha Krishnan UNICEF celebrity

advocate for child rights

She is the first actor from the South Indian film

industry to receive this honour, which was previously

bestowed upon Bollywood celebrities like Nandita

Das, Madhuri Dixit, Kareena Kapoor Khan and

Raveena Tandon.

AVPS Chakravarthi Ambassador World Packaging Organisation

Professor Abdool Karim Ambassador UNAIDS Special Ambassador for Adolescents and HIV

Hardayal Prasad Managing Director &

Chief Executive Officer

SBI Card

Neelam Kapur Director-General Sports Authority of India (SAI)

Indra Nooyi First independent

female director

International Cricket Council (ICC) Board

(She is PepsiCo Chairman and CEO)

Amitabh Bachchan Brand Ambassador Muthoot Group

K Sivan Chairman Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)

Music maestro AR Rahman Official brand

ambassador of Sikkim

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has been roped in by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation -BMC to promote

cleanliness in Mumbai as part of the Swachh Survekshan 2018.

Ellie Goulding Global Goodwill

Ambassador for UN

Environment

She is British singer-songwriter

Henrietta Fore (from US) UNICEF Head Appointed by United Nations

Kumi Naidoo (from South Africa) Secretary General Amnesty International

Audrey Azoula Head United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural

Organization (UNESCO)

Jerome H Powell Chairman Federal Reserve, central bank, USA.

Powell will replace Janett Yellen

Romanian Prime Minister Mihai Tudose resigned.

Viorica Dancila Prime Minister First Female PM of Romania.

Soumeylou Maiga Prime Minister Mali

Sauli Niinisto President Finland

George Weah President Liberia.

He is a retired footballer







Sebastian Pinera President Chile

George Weah President Liberia

Constantino Chiwenga Vice President Zimbabwe

Uhuru Kenyatta President Kenya

Borut Pahor President Slovenia

Emmerson Mnangagwa President Zimbabwe

Abdul Hamid President Bangladesh

Nicos Anastasiades President Cyprus

National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar retired from the post after completing

his five-year tenure in December 2017.

RESIGNATIONS:

Airtel Payments Bank chief executive Shashi Arora has quit the company after a recent controversy surrounding

India s largest telecom operator and its payment bank s alleged violation of rules on using Aadhaar for its electronic

know-your-customer (e-KYC) verification process.

Robert Mugabe, who ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980 and once proclaimed that only God will remove

me, resigned as president

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned

Awards and Recognitions

Award Name Person/Institution Extra Knowledge

India won award for putting high effort to combat Illegal Wildlife Trade

Veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal was conferred with V Shantaram Lifetime achievement award at the 15th

Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short and Animation Films.

Miss Supranational 2017 Miss Korea Jenny Kim

Miss India USA 2017 Shree Saini

Mr India 2017 Jitesh Singh Deo He is from Lucknow

Mrs India contest (21-34 years) Mayanka Patel

Mrs India contest (21-34 years) Poonam Gaur

Miss World 2017

Manushi Chillar India s Manushi Chillar won the coveted

Miss World 2017 pageant held in China,

17 years after Priyanka Chopra won the

title in 2000.

Miss Universe 2017 Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters She is from South Africa

Miss International 2017 Kevin Lilliana She is from Indonesia

Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace,

Disarmament and Development

Former PM Manmohan Singh

General Insurance Company of the

Year

Apollo Munich Health

Insurance Company

Veteran actors Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth and film director K. Raghvendra Rao have bagged the NTR National Film

Awards for 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Jnanpith award 2017 Krishna Sobti He is an eminent Hindi Litterateur

Rashtriya Bal Kalyan Award Anand Kumar President Ram Nath Kovind awarded this

year s Rashtriya Bal Kalyan Award to







Super 30 founder Anand Kumar for his

contributions in the field of teaching and

education.

Tata Literature Live! Lifetime

Achievement Award 2017

Girish Karnad

Best film at International Film Festival

of India (IFFI)

120 Beats Per Minute It is a French film, directed by Robin

Campillo.

3rd ICCR Distinguished Indologist

award

Hiroshi Marui He is a Professor from Japan.

2017 DSC Prize for South Asian

Literature

Anuk Arudpragasam He is from Sri Lanka. He won for the book

- The Story of a Brief Marriage

Mother Teresa Memorial Award for

Social Justice, 2017

United Nations High

Commissioner for Refugees

(UNHCR)

Time magazine s 2017 Person of the

Year

silence breakers The silence breakers — the women

behind this year s #MeToo movement

against sexual harassment in America

won the award

Vyas Samman for year 2017 Mamta Kalia For her novel Dukkham Sukkham

Mother Teresa Memorial award for

Social Justice

Actress Priyanka Chopra She has taken up the cause of fighting

for the rights of refugees and displaced

people as a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador

People for the Ethical Treatment of

Animals (PETA) 2017 Person of the

Year Award

Actress Anushka Sharma

First ever Smita Patil memorial award Actress Rekha Given for her contribution in the film

industry. National award-winning actor

Smita Patil passed away in 1986.

National Design Award G. Satheesh Reddy He is Scientific Adviser to Raksha Mantri

and Director General, Missiles and

Strategic Systems.

Yeraringan Award Prof M S Swaminathan

31st Moortidevi Award for 2017 Joy Goswami (Bengali Poet) It is the first time the award will be given

to a Bengali poet.

24th Crystal Award at the World

Economic Forum (WEF)

Shah Rukh Khan

Samudra Manthan – Caring

Organisation of the Year award

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust

UNESCO Award of Merit Srirangam Ranganathaswamy

temple in Tiruchirapalli, Tamil

Nadu

First Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Award

for Probity in Public Life

Bihar Chief minister Nitish

Kumar

First Ladies Award Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Titled the First Ladies awards, it was an

initiative of the Ministry of Women and

Child Development to honour women







who are the first to set a milestone in

their respective fields.

Ideal Chief Minister award Odisha Chief Minister Naveen

Patnaik

Yash Chopra memorial award Asha Bhosle She will be the fifth winner of the award.

US Documentary Grand Jury Award Kailash Satyarthi He got the award for his documentary,

titled Kailash .

Janakavi P Sawlaram award Actor Sudhir Dalvi

Grand Collar of the State of Palestine Prime Minister Narendra Modi In a special recognition of the Prime

Minister Narendra Modi s contribution

to relations between India and

Palestine, Palestinian President

Mahmoud Abbas conferred the Grand

Collar of the State of Palestine on him

after the conclusion of the bilateral

meeting.

Times Power Woman 2017 award Shabnam Asthana

Sahitya Akademi s Bhasha Samman Shesh Anand Madhukar He is Magahi writer

WHO s prestigious IhsanDogramaci

Family Health Foundation Prize

Vinod Paul

Geospatial World Excellence Award-

2018

Odisha State received award for successful IT

application for tracking of mineral

production, dispatch and value accrued

on real-time basis through its i3MS web-

based software

International Young Chef Olympiad

2018

Lai Jia Yi from Malaysia Olympiad concluded in New Delhi

Golden Peacock Award 2017 for

corporate social responsibility (CSR)

initiatives

Reliance Industries (RIL)

List of winners of Zee Cine Awards 2018:

Best actor male- Varun Dhawan for Badrinath Ki Dulhania.

Best actor female- Sridevi for Mom.

Best director- Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari for Bareilly Ki Barfi.

Best film- Golmaal Again.

Extraordinary franchisee award- Baahubali.

Global icon award- Priyanka Chopra.

Best script award- Nitesh Tiwari for Bareilly Ki Barfi.

Best music director- Amit Trivedi for Secret Superstar.

Best male playback Singer- Akhil Sachdeva for Humsafar.

Best action director- Sham Kaushal for Kaabil.







Grammy Awards 2018

Album Of The Year: Bruno Mars

Song of the Year: Bruno Mars , That s What I Like

Record Of The Year: Bruno Mars, 24K Magic

Best Pop Solo Performance: Ed Sheeran, Shape of You

Best Pop Vocal Album: Ed Sheeran, Divide

Best Dance Recording: LCD Soundsystem, Tonite

Best Music Film: The Defiant Ones

Best Children s Album: Feel What U Feel, Lisa Loeb

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media: La La Land

Producer of the Year, Classical: David Frost

63rd Filmfare Awards 2018

Best Film — Hindi Medium

Critics Award for Best Film — Newton

Best Actor In A Leading Role (Female) — Vidya Balan for Tumhari Sulu

Best Actor In A Leading Role (Male) — Irrfan Khan for Hindi Medium

Critics Award for Best Actor (Male) — Rajkummar Rao for Trapped

Critics Award for Best Actor (Female) — Zaira Wasim for Secret Superstar

Best Director — Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari for Bareilly Ki Barfi

Best Debut Director — Konkona Sensharma for A Death in the Gunj

Best Actor In A Supporting Role (Male) — Rajkummar Rao for Bareilly Ki Barfi

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female) — Meher Vij for Secret Superstar

Best Dialogue — Hitesh Kewalya for Shubh Mangal Saavdhan

Best Screenplay — Shubhashish Bhutiani for Mukti Bhavan

Best Original Story — Amit Masurkar for Newton

Best Actor (Male) in a Short Film — Jackie Shroff for Khujli

Best Actor (Female) in a Short Film — Shefali Shah for Juice

People s Choice Award for Best Short Film — Anahut

Best Short Film (Fiction) — Juice

Best Short Film (Non Fiction) — Invisible Wings

Best Music — Album Pritam for Jagga Jasoos

Best Playback Singer (Male) — Arijit Singh for Roke na ruke naina – Badrinath Ki Dulhania

RECOGNITIONS

Sixteen-year-old Mohamad Al Jounde from Syria was awarded the International Children s Peace Prize for his

efforts to ensure the rights of Syrian refugee children.

On the eve of Christmas celebrations, international sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik created the world s biggest sand

Santa-face with the message world peace on the Puri beach of Odisha.







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

consecutive year.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has reached a record high in terms of the amount of wealth owned by a single person. The

net worth of Bezos reached a whopping $105.1 Billion, as per Bloomberg s Billionaire Tracker. This ranks Jeff Bezos

as the richest person of all time.

Previously, the spot was held by Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who has been left behind by the Amazon genius for

the third time now.

The first all-women station in India, Matunga on Central Railway (CR) in Mumbai, manned by a staff of 41 women,

has entered the Limca Book of Records.

Ravi Menon, the Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), has been named the best

central bank governor in Asia-Pacific for 2018 by UK-based magazine The Banker.

Calicut University conferred honorary Doctor of Letters (DLitt) on actor Mohanlal and athlete P T Usha at a special

convocation ceremony.

Legendary Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee was presented France s highest civilian award, Legion d Honneur.

CEO of ICICI Bank Chanda Kochhar was named the most powerful woman in India as she ranked 32nd in World s

100 Most Powerful Women list by Forbes. This year s list is topped by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

With a net worth of $38 billion, Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) chairman Mukesh Ambani has topped Forbes annual

list of India s 100 richest tycoons of 2017. He is followed by Wipro s Azim Premji and Hinduja family.

Tata Power Solar has won Dun & Bradstreet – Everest Infra Awards 2017 under Infrastructure Project category for

commissioning India s largest solar project under Domestic Content Requirement for NTPC at Anantapur in Andhra

Pradesh.

The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam, the sacred shrine temple has won the UNESCO Asia Pacific Award

of Merit 2017 for cultural heritage conservation following the massive renovation and restoration work .

Indian short film The School Bag , which tells a story based in Pakistan, has won the Best Short Film Award at the

South Asian Film Festival of Montreal (SAFFM). The film is directed by Dheeraj Jindal.

Shri Harmandir Sahib also known as Golden Temple and the Darbar Sahib has been awarded as the most visited

place of the world. The holy Sikh Shrine is situated in Amritsar, Punjab. It is surrounded by a Sarovar which is fed by

river Ravi. Book of World Records, London Awards Harmandir Sahib as the Most Visited Place of the World.

India s Ambani family has topped the Forbes list of Asia s 50 Richest Families for the first time, with a net worth of

$44.8 billion.

Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan honoured with personality of the year award at the International Film Festival

of India (IFFI) in Goa.

India s foreign-language Oscar hopeful Newton bagged two wins at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in Brisbane,

with Rajkummar Rao winning the best actor, and writer Mayank Tewari and director Amit V. Masurkar grabbing the

best screenplay honour.

In a first, a woman has been inducted as a pilot in the Indian Navy. Shubhangi Swaroop, who hails from Uttar

Pradesh, will soon be flying Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft.







Conference and Summits

Summit Place Extra Knowledge

India will host a meeting of WTO member countries in February 2018 to muster support for food security and other

issues.

16th International Energy Forum Ministerial meeting New Delhi, India To be held in April, 2018

First summit of the International Solar Alliance India To be held in March, 2018

World Economic Forum Summit Davos, Switzerland

India-ASEAN business and investment conference New Delhi

Bharat Parv Red Fort, Delhi The prime objective of the event is

to generate a patriotic mood,

promote the rich cultural diversity

of the country and to ensure wider

participation of the general public.

National Meet on Grassroot Informatics- VIVID 2018 New Delhi Theme: Cyber Security and

Innovation

2018 International Conference on Unani Medicine New Delhi Theme: Integration of Unani

System of Medicine in Mainstream

Healthcare

First ever International Kala Mela New Delhi

7th India Energy Congress New Delhi

International Conference on DemetriosGalanos and

His Legacy

New Delhi

First Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) Parliamentary

Conference

New Delhi

Informal WTO Ministerial gathering New Delhi Will be held in March 2018

Meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education

(CABE)

New Delhi

3rd edition of the geo-political conference, Raisina

Dialogue

New Delhi

26th World Book Fair New Delhi Main Theme: Environment and

Climate Change

Asean-India Connectivity Summit (AICS) New Delhi Theme: Powering Digital and

Physical Linkages for Asia in the

21st Century

15th Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral meet New Delhi

Japan-India Act East Forum New Delhi

India-Australia-Japan trilateral meeting New Delhi

First meeting of 15th Finance Commission New Delhi

Shared Value Summit 2017 New Delhi

14th Inclusive Finance India Summit New Delhi

First Ever International Conference on AYUSH and

Wellness Arogya 2017

New Delhi

Bodhi Parva BIMSTEC Festival of Buddhist New Delhi

Global Partnership Summit 2017 New Delhi







International Conference on Sports Medicine and

Sports Sciences SAICON 2017

New Delhi

World Conference on Vedas, Vishwa Ved Sammelan New Delhi

First ever Nordic-Baltic youth film festival New Delhi

Island Development Agency (IDA) Meet New Delhi

Three-Day International Conference –

FIPSPHYSIOCON 2017

New Delhi

Global Clubfoot Conference New Delhi

21st World Congress of Mental Health New Delhi

World Food India 2017 New Delhi

1st Heli Expo India and International Civil Helicopter

Conclave-2017

New Delhi

India Disaster Response Summit New Delhi Jointly by the National Disaster

Management Authority (NDMA)

and Facebook

Asean-India business and investment summit New Delhi To be held in January 2018

36th International Geological Congress (IGC) New Delhi To be held in year 2020

Hindustan Times Leadership Summit New Delhi

Seminar on cyber security in the context of Indian

Navy

New Delhi

Global Conference on Cyber Space (GCCS) New Delhi Theme – Cyber4All: A Secure and

Inclusive Cyberspace for

Sustainable Development

12th North East Business Summit New Delhi

15th Asia Pacific Computer Emergency Response

Team (APCERT) Conference

New Delhi

South Asia Regional Training and Technical

Assistance Center (SARTTAC) Meet

New Delhi It was Interim Meeting of the

Steering Committee of the

International Monetary Fund

(IMF) s South Asia Regional Training

and Technical Assistance Center

(SARTTAC)

42nd World Congress of the International

Committee of Military Medicine (ICMM)

New Delhi Theme - Military Medicine in

Transition: Looking Ahead.

Consultative Workshop on New National Policy on

Biofuels

New Delhi

12th meeting of the Standing Committee of Inter-

State Council (ISC)

New Delhi

International Seminar on Indian Space Programme:

Trends and Opportunities for Industry

New Delhi

International Tourism Mart Guwahati, Assam

Regional Conference on Good Governance and

Replication of Best Practices

Guwahati, Assam

25th National Children Science Congress Gandhinagar, Gujarat The theme of the Congress was

Science and Innovation for

Sustainable Development







3rd Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of

AIIB

Mumbai, Maharashtra To be held in June 2018.

The theme of the meeting will be

Mobilizing Finance for

Infrastructure: Innovation and

Collaboration.

Indian Science Congress Imphal, Manipur To be held in March 2018

India International Seafood Show (IISS) Goa

Science Film Festival of India Goa The festival is titled SCI-FFI Goa.

Nobel Prize Series India 2018 Goa

32nd Surajkund crafts mela Faridabad, Haryana

Global Investors Summit Advantage Assam Guwahati, Assam

Kala Ghoda Arts Festival (KGAF 2018) Mumbai, Maharashtra Theme: Hara Ghoda

7th Annual India Golf Expo Bengaluru, Karnataka

International Plastics Exhibition, PlastIndia Gandhinagar, Gujarat

Kachra Mahotsav 2018, India s first Garbage Festival Chhattisgarh

International Conference on Wild Silk Moths Guwahati, Assam

Asia Steel International Conference Bhubaneswar, Odisha To be held in February, 2018

First International Dam Safety Conference-2018 Kovalam,

Thiruvananthapuram

(Kerala)

First ever international martial arts games Srinagar, Jammu and

Kashmir

To be held in October, 2018

India-Israel Business Summit Mumbai

India-UK Createch Summit Mumbai To be held in February, 2018

19th India International Watch & Clock Fair Samaya

Bharati 2018

Mumbai

International Dharma- Dhamma conference Rajgir, Bihar

18th All India Whips Conference Udaipur, Rajasthan

9th International Youth Sailing Competition Krishnapatnam Port in

Nellore, Andhra

Pradesh

100th Indian Economic Association conference Guntur, Andhra

Pradesh

3rd World Telugu Conference Hyderabad, Telangana

International Sweet Festival Hyderabad, Telangana

78th Indian History Congress Kolkata, West Bengal

India International Coffee Festival (IICF) Bengaluru, Karnataka

Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017 Hyderabad, Telangana Theme - Women First, Prosperity

for All

Skill Seeds International MSME and Startup Expo

2017

Hyderabad

20th International Children s Film Festival Hyderabad

International Symposium to Promote Innovation &

Research in Energy Efficiency (INSPIRE 2017)

Jaipur, Rajasthan

12th Biennial International Conference & Exposition Jaipur, Rajasthan







of Society of Petroleum Geophysicists (SPG)

Asian Bankers Association (ABA) Mumbai Hosted by State Bank, with the

theme of Asia s turn to transform .

1st Tribal Entrepreneurship Summit Dantewada,

Chhattisgarh

Sangai International Festival Manipur

First ever North East Development Summit (NEDS)

2017

Imphal, Manipur

Nobel Prize Series — India 2018 (Science Impacts

Life)

Goa

India s first Military Literature Festival Chandigarh

Organic World Congress – 2017 Greater Noida

International conference on climate change Kathmandu, Nepal

SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) summit Sochi, Russia

Ministerial meeting of the UN Security Council Japan

11th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial

Conference (MC11)

Buenos Aires,

Argentina

UNWTO/UNESCO World Conference on Tourism and

Culture: Fostering Sustainable Development

Muscat, Oman

Global Forum for Food & Agriculture Berlin, Germany

APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Summit

2017

Da Nang, Vietnam Theme - Creating New Dynamism,

Fostering a Shared Future

2017 UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial

Conference

Vancouver, Canada

International Energy Agency (IEA) Ministerial Meet Paris, France

23rd Conference of Parties (COP-23) to the United

Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

(UNFCCC)

Bonn, Germany India Pavilion at COP 23 was also

inaugurated there.

India s theme for COP 23 is

Conserving Now, Preserving

Future

World Youth Forum 2017 Sharm El sheikh, Egypt

International Conference on Ramayan Circuit and

Mithila-Awadh Relations

Janakpur, Nepal

ASEAN Summit 2017 Manila, Philippines

East Asia Summit 2017 Manila, Philippines

South Asia Economic Summit Kathmandu, Nepal

1st WHO Global Ministerial Conference on Ending TB

in Sustainable Development Era

Moscow, Russia The conference was themed

Ending TB in the Sustainable

Development Era: A Multisectoral

Response .

13th Asia-Europe Foreign Ministers Meeting Nay Pyi Taw,

Myanmar







International News

The UN has approved a $286 million cut in its annual budget for the next year, a 5% historic reduction in

spending .

The UN General Assembly has decided to mark the 100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela s birth by holding a high-

level meeting focusing on world peace ahead of the annual gathering of world leaders in September 2018. The

summit will be called Nelson Mandela Peace Summit .

The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved tough new sanctions against North Korea in response to its latest

launch of a ballistic missile that Pyongyang says is capable of reaching anywhere on the U.S. mainland.

For the first time, WHO will add gaming disorder to its International Classification of Diseases (ICD). The ICD — a

diagnostic manual that s published by the WHO — was last updated 27 years ago, in 1990.

World Health Organisation has declared Gabon a polio-free country , given the lack of new reported or suspected

cases in the central African country. Now the disease is endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan

China started trial operations of the world s biggest automated container terminal – the Shanghai Yangshan Deep

Water Port

China s domestically developed AG600, the world s largest amphibious aircraft, performed its maiden flight on 24th

December.

The world s longest glass bridge, located in China s Hebei province, was opened for the public.

Google will open a research lab focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Beijing — its first such centre in Asia -

Google AI China Centre .

Russia will create Independent Internet for BRICS Countries.

The word populism has been announced as Cambridge Dictionary s Word of the Year 2017. The dictionary defined

populism as political ideas and activities that are intended to get the support of ordinary people by giving them

what they want .

The Oxford English has come out with its Word of the Year, and it s a word called — youthquake. Oxford s

definition is as follows: A significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of

young people.

The online dictionary, Merriam-Webster has dubbed feminism its word of the year, meaning it is the most-

searched word on Merriam-Webster s website. Feminism can be defined as the theory of the political, economic,

and social equality of the sexes; organized activity on behalf of women s rights and interests.

British authorities have named Mount Hope as the country s new highest peak. Hope, which is sited in the part of

the Antarctic claimed by the UK, was recently re-measured and found to tower above the previous title holder,

Mount Jackson.

Saudi Arabia s Ministry of Culture and Information has announced that commercial cinemas would be allowed to

operate in the Kingdom as of early 2018. They will be re-opened after 35 years.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has announced the creation of a new virtual currency Petro in a bid to ease

the country s economic crisis.

US President Donald Trump has recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, breaking nearly 70-year-old US policy.

The US has become the first country to recognise the status of Jerusalem which is claimed as the capital by both

Israel and Palestine.

Australia has become the 26th country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage.







For the first time ever, a foreign nation has appointed a woman to be its ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia. Belgium has done this and the woman s name is Dominique Mineur.

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. The French government claims the ban is a world first.

French sailor Francois Gabart broken the record for sailing around the world alone, circumnavigating the planet in

just 42 days and 16 hours.

Switzerland unveiled the 52 million-Swiss franc ($52.6 million) project running from Schywz to the mountain village

of Stoos.

Norway became the world s first country to shut down national broadcasts of its FM network by completing its

transition to digital radio.

The central bank of Pakistan gave its green signal to using the Chinese currency, Yuan, for bilateral trade with

China. The decision came just a day after US President Donald Trump vowed to stop all aid to Islamabad.

Unesco has accepted the Turkey s endangered bird language of Black Sea villagers as an endangered part of

world heritage in need of urgent protection.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have introduced Value Added Tax (VAT) for the first time.

Israel has filed notice to withdraw from the UNESCO alongside the United States. Israel has blasted UNESCO in

recent years over the organisation s criticism of Israel s occupation of East Jerusalem and its decision to grant full

membership to Palestine in 2011.

A new law making it illegal to pay men more than women has taken effect in Iceland. The legislation makes Iceland

the first country in the world to legalise equal pay between men and women.

On the occasion of the 69th Republic Day, the Indian Mission in Nepal handed over 30 ambulances and six buses to

various hospitals and non-profit charity organisations.

In a bid to safeguard the world from hackers and growing data breaches — especially from nation-states — the

World Economic Forum (WEF) announced a new Global Centre for Cybersecurity. Headquartered in Geneva, the

centre will become operational from March.

Valletta, the capital of Malta officially named European Capital of Culture 2018. Valletta will share the title with

Leeuwarden, a city in the Netherlands.

Underwater archaeologists and divers in Mexico have announced that they found a passage connecting two

underwater caves, creating what they say is the world s largest flooded cave.

According to official data released, China s economy grew a forecast-beating 6.9 per cent in 2017, picking up steam

for the first time since 2010 despite its battles against a massive debt and polluting factories.

In an attempt to fight air pollution, China has constructed an experimental air purifying tower, touted to be the

world s biggest at a height of over 100 meters (328 feet).

India, for the first time, took part in a meeting of the international military cooperation departments of the

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Beijing, China, since joining the bloc last year.

India has extended a fresh financial assistance of USD 45.27 million for upgrading Kankesanthurai (KKS) Harbour in

northern Sri Lanka into a commercial port and strengthening the country s efforts to become a regional maritime

hub.

India has contributed $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.







The world s largest solar-thermal power plant has been given development approval by the South Australian

government. Construction on the 150-megawatt Aurora plant, to be built by utility-scale solar power company

SolarReserve, will begin in 2018 at an estimated cost of $509 million.

Iran has banned teaching the English language in primary schools, calling the subject a cultural invasion .

The United Arab Emirates has made a record by opening the world s longest zip line, measuring 2.83 kms in length.

Guinness World Records officials certified the zip line in Ras al-Khaimah.

Canada s Upper House of Parliament has passed a bill to modify the country s national anthem in a bid to make it

gender-neutral. The words thy sons command in the second line of the anthem will be replaced with all of us

command .

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the world s smallest rocket with the ability to put a

micro-satellite into orbit, following a failed attempt and several postponements over the last year.

Rwanda has become the first low-income country to provide universal eye care for its 12 million population.

Sri Lanka celebrated its 70th Independence Day (4 February 2018). It was on this day in 1948 that Sri Lanka, then

Ceylon, gained independence from 133 years of British colonial rule.

Nepalese tea has finally received an international trademark, over 154 years after cultivation began in the country.

Dubai International, DXB, has retained its position as the world s number one airport for international passengers

for the fourth consecutive year with annual traffic for 2017 reaching 88.2 million passengers.

Bermuda has become the first country to legalise and then repeal same-sex marriage, in what critics have called an

unprecedented rollback of civil rights by the British island territory.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the first Hindu temple in the United Arab Emirates

capital, which is home to a huge Indian diaspora.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz who inaugurated the prestigious

National Heritage and Culture Festival Janadriyah in Riyadh, at which India is the guest of honour country.

Dubai witnessed 15 percent growth in tourist arrivals from India in 2017, hosting 2.1 million visitors, retaining top

spot as the source market.

PM Narendra Modi visited the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Banos, Philippines and inaugurated

Shri Narendra Modi Resilient Rice Field Laboratory .

Ayodhya Mahotsav , depicting the cultural heritage of the temple town, would be staged in Seoul and Gimhe cities

of South Korea next year. In return, a Korea Festival will be held in Lucknow and Ayodhya.

India has pledged to contribute about USD 2.87 million to Afghanistan in its latest financial assistance to the

neighbouring country.

Developing countries will receive $540 million to continue their work in phasing out ozone-depleting chemicals,

according to UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

Fake news, a term heavily popularised by US President Donald Trump, has been named the word of the year by

Collins dictionary due to its widespread use around the world. It was found that the use of this word registered a

365 per cent rise in the last 12 months. Fake News - false, often sensational, information disseminated under the

guise of news reporting . Last year, term selected was – BREXIT.

US grants $500k to promote religious freedom in India, Sri Lanka

United Nations hosts first talks on use of killer robots in Geneva

A Curtain Raiser Event for the Founding Ceremony of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) was held in Bonn,

Germany.







Sarajevo Haggadah, the 14th- century richly illuminated Hebrew manuscript, which was brought to Sarajevo

through the efforts of Jews fleeing persecution in Spain, has been included in UNESCO s Memory of the World

Register.

Kazakhstan is changing its name to Qazaqstan as part of a transition from Cyrillic to a Latin-based script. A national

commission will be set up to oversee the transition, which will be completed by 2025.

A female bottlenose dolphin named Nana , thought to be around 47 years old, has died at a Japanese aquarium

A five-ship Indian naval training flotilla, based in Kerala is on a visit to Sri Lanka to foster bridges of friendship

between the two countries and expose their trainees to foreign waters.

China unveiled one of the world s coolest library with more than one million books to readers. It is located in the

Binhai Cultural District in Tianjin, China.

China has unveiled Asia s largest artificial island-building ship.

China has launched world s first all-electric ship that can travel up to 80 km with 2000-tonnes cargo after a two-

hour charge.

China, which on its way to emerge as a Space Superpower, has claimed be the first nation to make contact with

alien life using the world s largest radio dish.

Guinea becomes new member of International Solar Alliance

Typhoon Damrey arrives in Vietnam

Nepal inaugurated a bridge built with India s financial assistance of USD 430,626 on the Kaligandaki river near China

border.

Nepal scraps 1200-MW Budhigandaki Hydroelectric project with China

Nepal Electricity Authority, NEA has signed a joint venture agreement with a Chinese company to construct 750

MW West Seti hydropower Project.

Scientists have developed the world s first artificial intelligence politician that can answer a person s queries

regarding local issues such as policies around housing, education and immigration.

The virtual politician, called SAM, was created by Nick Gerritsen, a 49-year-old entrepreneur in New Zealand.

Syria has officially signed up to the Paris Agreement, leaving only the United States as the only country to reject the

global climate-rescue pact.

The Saudi Ministry of Trade and Industry declared that Yoga has been listed under sports activities .

National News Russia s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin visited India.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is back in power for the sixth straight term in Gujarat and also it has won the Himachal

Pradesh Elections. With this, the party now controls 19 of the 29 states.

The Union Cabinet approved a Bill that makes instant triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat a criminal offence and a Muslim

husband resorting to instant talaq can be jailed for up to three years. This Bill will adjudicate all cases of instant

triple talaq across the country except Jammu and Kashmir.

At least 10 leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will be taking part in the 2018 Republic

Day celebrations as chief guests.

In a bid to give users timely updates from verified users such as celebrities and organisations directly from the

source, Google announced the launch of Posts feature in India.

The government informed the Lok Sabha that it had so far infused a capital of Rs 51,858 crore in Public Sector

Banks (PSBs) under its Indradhanush Plan since 2015-16.







Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ockhi affected Lakshwadeep, Tamil Nadu and Kerala to take stock of

situation, and met affected people. There he announced a relief package of Rs 325 crore for all 3 states and ex-

gratia assistance of Rs. 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased.

The government has approved setting up of a total 42 Mega Food Parks in the country to create modern

infrastructure for food processing.

The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi has approved setting up of National Nutrition Mission (NNM) with a three

year budget of Rs.9046.17 crore commencing from 2017-18.

India won the election to the Council of International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in Category-B which represents

the developing countries and countries with largest interests in international sea-borne trade.

Centre announced Rs 90,000 crore for improving roads and national highways in the Northeast in the next two to

three years to facilitate better connectivity.

The Government has decided to make additional market borrowing of only 50,000 crore in the remaining period of

the current fiscal year to meet expenditure.

Keen to strengthen bilateral relations even more , Israel s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived on a six-

day visit along with the largest business delegation that has ever accompanied an Israeli premier on an overseas

tour.

India has missed the 2017 deadline that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced for elimination of Kala Azar

(black fever) in his Budget speech last year. In fact, endemic blocks have increased from 61 to 68 in 17 districts of

Bihar and Jharkhand.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development has developed web portals TrackChild and Khoya-Paya to track

the missing and found children. The TrackChild Portal is implemented in association with various stakeholders

including Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of Railways, State Governments/UT Administrations, Child

Welfare Committees, Juvenile Justice Boards, National Legal Services Authority, etc. and the Khoya-Paya has been

integrated as a citizen corner on TrackChild portal.

Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi launched a web portal, NARI, which will provide

information on all government schemes for women.

Users can log on to www.nari.nic.in to access information on different programmes offered by various state

governments as well as the Centre.

Gandhi also unveiled a website for NGOs called e-SAMVAD, an interactive portal allowing NGOs to contact the

ministry and share their feedback, suggestions, grievances and their best practices.

Union Government has launched the Cyber Surakshit Bharat Yojna to strengthen cyber security. It will be operated

on the three principles of awareness, education and enablement.

Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot launched 100 accessible websites for Divyangs.

These 100 government websites are now divyang friendly.

The Centre has sanctioned projects over 10,000 crore rupees in the North East for better network connectivity. 2

MoUs have been signed to cover the uncovered areas in the North East including Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

The Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has approved the construction of 1.12 lakh more affordable houses for

urban poor under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).

Under PMAY(U), the government targets to provide houses to all urban poor by 2022. Currently, the shortage of

houses is pegged at 1.2 crore.

Later in the month, Ministry approved the construction of 5,45,090 more affordable houses for the benefit of urban

poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) with an investment of Rs. 31,003 cr with central assistance of Rs.

8,107 cr.







The go e e t has app o ed ₹ , o e fo p o idi g i te et o e ti ity to people i all g a pa hayats

under BharatNet project.

Centre released Rs 24,500 crore to compensate states post GST. Karnataka got maximum compensation from the

Centre at Rs 3,271 crore, followed by Gujarat (Rs 2,282 crore) and Punjab (Rs 2,098 crore).

The Centre has sanctioned 1250 crore rupees for the development of transport sector of Assam.

Home Ministry has released 167 crore rupees to nine states with international border for the development of

infrastructure in forward areas. States - Meghalaya, Punjab, Rajasthan, Bihar, Sikkim, Tripura, Assam, Himachal

Pradesh and West Bengal.

The home ministry has released Rs 174 crore to six states having an international border for development of

infrastructure in forward areas. States - Assam, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and West

Bengal.

The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved a new skill development scheme (Scheme for

Capacity Building in Textile Sector (SCBTS)), covering the textile sector s entire value chain excluding spinning and

weaving in the organised sector, from 2017-18 to 2019-20 at an outlay of Rs 1,300 crore.

Government launched project DARPAN - Digital Advancement of Rural Post Office for a New India in New Delhi.

DARPAN will provide low-power technology solution which will enable each of around 1.29 Lakhs Branch Post

Offices to improve the level of services being offered to rural customers. It is targeted to complete the project by

March 2018.

Ministry of Environment and Forests has launched a pilot project named Blue Flag for beach cleanup and

development. The objective of the project is to enhance standards of cleanliness and upkeep basic amenities at

beaches.

Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad launched first NIC-CERT, a setup of National

Informatics Centre to prevent and predict cyber attacks on government utilities.

With the motto to improve labour room quality, the government has launched LaQshya, a safe delivery mobile

application for health workers who manage normal and complicated deliveries in peripheral areas.

India has announced a development assistance of $25 million for Myanmar s Rakhine State, from where thousands

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

The centre s ambitious Ganga Gram Project, aimed at holistic development of villages situated along the bank of

the holy river, was launched in New Delhi.

A new LIGO gravitational wave detector to measure ripples in the fabric of space and time is set to be built in India

by 2025, in collaboration with universities from across the globe.

Madame Tussauds has debuted in Delhi, with 50 wax models of Indian and international celebrities. Waxworks of

Bollywood actors, sports stars, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and father of the Indian nation Mahatma Gandhi are

on display at the museum. The Delhi centre is the 23rd museum for Madame Tussauds.

An online platform, electronic-Human Resource Management System (e-HRMS), has been launched for central

government employees to apply for leave and access their service-related information.

Agriculture Ministry launched Livestock Disease Forewarning –Mobile Application (LDF-Mobile App).

Nirmala Sitharaman has launched a start-up incubation centre called the Centre for Entrepreneurship

Opportunities and Learning (CEOL) in Mangaluru, Karnataka.







To combat climate change, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has approved a regional

project on Climate Resilience Building among Farmers through Crop Residue Management under the National

Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC).

India will be establishing a Centre of Excellence in Information Technology (CEIT) at Al Azhar University, Egypt s

highest religious authority and one of the world s most eminent seats of Sunni Muslim learning.

Cyclone Ockhi hit southern Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Lakshadweep

Government of India increased the budget of Agricultural Education by 47.4% this year as compared to the financial

year 2013-14.

India s Kumbh Mela (held in Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik) has been recognised by UNESCO as an

intangible cultural heritage of humanity .

Centre offers Rs 2.5 lakh for every inter-caste marriage with a Dalit

With 19 countries ratifying its framework agreement, the International Solar Alliance (ISA) headquartered

Gurugram became the first treaty-based international government organisation to be based in India. Australia is

the 19th member to join ISA.

In the World Energy Access report released by the International Energy Agency (IEA), IES has said that India will

achieve electricity for all by early 2020s.

India has been admitted as the 42nd member of the Wassenaar Arrangement, a global export control regime.

Kacheguda Railway Station (in Hyderabad) 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 waste management system being implemented in Kerala s coastal town of Alappuzha, often called the Venice

of East , has been recognised by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as one of the five models

across the world for fighting the pollution menace.

A Public Procurement Portal MSME Sambandh was launched by the government for MSME in New Delhi.

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.

With an aim to bring foreign policy to the masses the External Affairs Ministry has come up with an initiative –

SAMEEP – Students and MEA Engagement Programme . Under this MEA officials will talk to students to help them

better understand foreign policy.

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 Union Cabinet approved the Ministry of Railways transformative initiative to set up the first ever National Rail

and Transport University (NRTU) in Gujarat s Vadodara.

India s first pod taxi project is going to get completed. The p oje ted ₹ , -crore pod taxi scheme — also known

as Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) — is a dream project of Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, and

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.

India has provided medical assistance worth about $1 million to Yemen in response to a request from the Yemeni

government.

Patanjali has been ranked as India s most trusted Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Brand by the Brand Trust

Report India Study 2017 and has been announced as the most attractive brand in India.







The Indian Navy in collaboration with the Sri Lankan navy successfully completed the second phase of the joint

oceanographic survey conducted off the South Western Coast of Sri Lanka.

The Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) under the aegis of Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas

has launched month long Saksham 2018 (Sanrakshan Kshamta Mahotsav).

The Union Health Ministry launched the nation s first digital Online Oncology Tutorial Series, which aims to train

doctors across the country in early detection, prevention, palliation, rehabilitation and treatment of various

cancers.

Union Information Technology and Electronics Ministry launched the Stree Swabhiman Initiative to ensure and

maintain perfect health for Women and maintain Health Hygiene. Under this initiative, Common Service Centres

(CSC) will provide access to affordable, reliable and modern (eco-friendly) sanitary napkins (menstrual pads) to

adolescent girls and women in rural areas.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has planned to set up a Social Media Communication Hub that would

help it keep a tab on trending news in districts and gather feedback on the Centre s flagship schemes.

People with autism, mental illnesses, intellectual disability and victims of acid attacks will now get quota in central

government jobs.

Government has sought views and suggestions of people from all walks of life to move ahead on the idea. The

government has launched MyGov platform where it invites citizens, members of civil society, journalists, students,

teachers, police officers, government employees, Parliamentarians, academics experts, bureaucrats, social media

influencers, think tanks and all other interested people to give their considered view on the subject.

Environment Minister Harshvardhan launched a 2.8 PetaFlops capacity high-performance computer system Mihir

in Noida. The system will be able to predict weather and climate accurately.

Union Minister of Earth Sciences Dr Harsh Vardhan dedicated India s fastest and first multi-petaflops

supercomputer to the nation in Pune.

The supercomputer named as Pratyush meaning the Sun, is established at the Indian Institute of Tropical

Meteorology (IITM), Pune.

Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar released the All India Survey on Higher Education

(AISHE) for the year 2016-17 in New Delhi. According to this survey, the number of students enrolling for higher

education in India saw a marginal 0.7 per cent increase in 2016-17.

India has excluded Pakistan from the list of SAARC member countries with which it will be connecting its state-of-

the-art National Knowledge Network (NKN) for sharing scientific databases and remote access to advanced

research facilities.

India and Vietnam released first ever set of commemorative postage stamps to mark the long-term friendly

bilateral relationships between the two countries.

India has offered to enhance rural connectivity in fellow Association of Southeast Asian Nations during the ASEAN-

India Commemorative Summit. PM Modi proposed the ASEAN countries declare 2019 as the ASEAN-India Year of

Tourism.

India has joined the Australia Group export control regime and has become the 43rd Member of that Group. It is an

informal forum which seeks to ensure that exports do not contribute to the development of chemical or biological

weapons.

Government announced the list of nine new Smart Cities, which have emerged winners in Round 4.

These nine cities are, Silvassa in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Erode in Tamil Nadu, Diu in Daman and Diu, Bihar Sharif in

Bihar, Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh, Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh, Saharanpur in Uttar

Pradesh and Kavaratti in Lakshadweep.







The Hindi Word of the Year as announced by Oxford Dictionaries for 2017 is AADHAAR . Aadhaar also becomes

the first Oxford Dictionaries Hindi Word of the Year.

For the first time, a vaccine conceived and developed from scratch in India has been pre-qualified by the World

Health Organisation.

The Rotavac vaccine, developed by the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech Limited last year, was included in India s

national immunisation programme.

Maitre-2 a second passenger bus to Kolkata via Dhaka is started from Agartala, Tripura, to give a boost to the trans-

border relationship between India and Bangladesh.

The I4Fund Call for Proposal was announced with the joint launch of the website and the unveiling of the brochure

by the two PMs (Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu). The India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological

Innovation Fund (I4F) was announced in July, 2017.

The Jewish community marked Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu s Mumbai visit with the launch of

Namaste Shalom , a regular monthly magazine on bilateral relations between the two friendly nations.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) decided to enable Face Authentication in fusion mode on

registered devices by July 1, so that people facing difficulty in other existing modes of verification such as

fingerprints, iris, and one-time-password (OTP) could easily authenticate.

According to National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4), recently released by the ministry of health and family

welfare, Jains are the wealthiest religious community in India. Delhi and Punjab are the richest states. Bihar is the

poorest.

The central government has advised the nation not to use a national flag made of plastic and asked all the states

and union territories (UTs) to ensure strict compliance of the Flag Code in view of the Republic Day celebration

ahead.

In major changes liberalising foreign direct investment in key sectors, the Union Cabinet approved 100 per cent

foreign investment in single brand retail trading (SBRT) and construction development and decided to open up Air

India for FDI up to 49 per cent.

In a major digital initiative to help plan the traffic flows and optimize freight operations, Railways have launched

Smart Freight Operation Optimisation and Real Time Information, SFOORTI, App for freight managers.

In an attempt to address security and privacy concerns around leakage of Aadhaar numbers and data, the Unique

Identification Authority of India introduced two new measures – virtual ID and limited KYC.

The virtual identity or virtual ID will be a random 16-digit number mapped to the Aadhaar number of a citizen, and

will come with an expiration date. The VID will not be duplicable by agencies performing authentication of Aadhaar

number, and hence will ensure safety of the Aadhaar number.

External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj and Bhutan s Minister of Foreign Affairs Lyonpo Damcho Dorji on

Friday jointly unveiled the Special logo for the Golden Jubilee celebrations in New Delhi and Thimphu through

video-conference.

In a first in independent India s history and a first for the Supreme Court of India, four judges addressing the media,

appealed to the nation to save their institution if they wanted democracy in the country to survive.

Airpocalypse II, a report by environmental NGO Greenpeace India shows Delhi to be the most polluted and Hassan

in Karnataka to have the cleanest air.

India has contributed an additional $1 million to the India-UN Development Partnership Fund earmarked for South-

South cooperation.







The Ce t e has eleased ₹ , o e to States a d u io te ito ies u de the spe ial assista e to s heduled castes sub plan till January end of the current fiscal.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the implementation of the Prime Minister s

Research Fellows (PMRF) scheme with an outlay of Rs 1,650 crore for seven years beginning 2018-19.

The central government has approved a project to abate pollution of river Sal at Navelim in Goa at an estimated

cost of Rs 61.7 crore.

In its Meeting held on 18th January, 2018, the GST Council had recommended reduction of GST rate on services by

way of admission to Amusement Parks including theme parks, water parks, joy rides, merry-go-rounds, go-carting

and ballet from 28% to 18%. These services hitherto attracted GST @ 28%.

Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched Green Good Deeds campaign. The

campaign launched by the ministry aims to sensitise the people and students, in particular, about climate change

and global warming.

Power Ministry launched a web-based monitoring system and a fly-ash mobile application. It will act as an interface

between producers and consumers. The ASH TRACK Mobile App will manage 200 million tonnes of fly ash by

tracking coal-based power plants situated within 100 km and 300 km from given location and availability of fly ash.

India has joined Ashgabat Agreement on the establishment of an International Transport and Transit Corridor

between the Iran, Oman, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Indian Railways all new 12,000 horsepower electric locomotive — being produced in collaboration with Alstom of

France and which can run at speeds of up to 120 kmph — would be rolled out in March when French President

Emmanuel Macron visits India.

The government has made Permanent Account Number (PAN) mandatory for any entity conducting financial

t a sa tio s of ₹ . lakh o more. Adding that an Aadhaar-like identity number is being developed for enterprises,

the government said PAN will also be used as a Unique Entity Number for non-individuals from April 1.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy under its scheme Development of Solar Cities has

approved/sanctioned 60 Cities including 13 Pilot and 5 Model Cities up to 12th Five-year Plan period.

The government launched the Start-up-India ranking framework to help the Startup India initiative to drive

economic growth of the country.

Laying emphasis on building infrastructure along the Indo-Pak and Sino-India borders, the government has

sa tio ed ea ly ₹ o e to the BSF a d the ITBP fo o st u tio of u ke s a d spe ial li ate- controlled

huts in forward areas.

On January 20, Mumbai airport (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International airport) created a new world record for

single-runway operations by handling 980 arrivals and take-offs in 24 hours, or almost one flight every minute!

Kerala, Punjab and Tamil Nadu were the top rankers in NITI Aayog s latest Health Index report which has, for the

first time, attempted to establish an annual systematic tool to measure and understand the heterogeneity and

complexity of the nation s performance in the health sector.

India first country to partner with Facebook on disaster response.

The ₹ u e y ote completed 100 years on 30 Nov, 2017, after the first note, which was printed in England, was

issued on November 30, 1917 in India. The note was launched because the silver used fo ₹ oi s as ei g used to ake eapo y o po e ts du i g Wo ld Wa I. Nota ly, he the ote as issued, ₹ as e ui ale t to . g of silver.

Since 1917 to 2017, there have been 125 different One Rupee notes that have been issued for circulation with

different serial numbers and signatures.







The Union Cabinet approved India s membership for European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), a

move which will help it obtain funding in various areas including services and manufacturing.

Government approved new scheme called Mahila Shakti Kendra and expanded the umbrella scheme Mission for

Protection and Empowerment for Women for a period 2017-18 to 2019-20.

Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2017 was held in Hyderabad between November 28 and November 30. This

year s Summit highlighted the theme Women First, Prosperity for All . Mitra , a made-in-India robot developed by

Bengaluru-based Invento Robotics, declared the start of GES 2017. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US First

daughter Ivanka Trump inaugurated the event by pressing a button on the bot.

Government launched a new mobile app — UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) which

will allow citizens to access Government services on a single platform. App has been developed by SpiceDigital.

Under Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat Yojana, Madhya Pradesh has been made partner of Manipur and Nagaland.

Ministry of Human Resources Development has launched a Digital Signature campaign on Constitution Day

affirming faith in Indian Constitution and to generate awareness on fundamental duties enshrined in the

Constitution.

The Centre approved setting up of Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendras across 115 most backward districts of the

country for reaching out to rural women and facilitating skill development, employment, digital literacy, health and

nutrition.

The government has given the go-ahead for setting up India s first mega coastal economic zone (CEZ) at the

Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Maharashtra as part of a plan to develop 14 such industrial clusters to spur manufacturing

and generate jobs.

The Ministry of Finance increased the maximum age of joining the National Pension System (NPS) from the existing

60 years to 65 years under NPS – Private Sector (i.e. all citizen and corporate model).

Goa ranks top, Bihar at bottom of Gender Vulnerability Index released by Child development NGO Plan India.

According to a joint study by Assocham and EY, India is home to the largest number of malnourished children in the

world.

Railways has launched the main arch of the world s highest bridge on the River Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir s

Reasi district which will provide direct connectivity to the Kashmir valley.

The Inter-State Council, which is mandated to investigate and advise on disputes between states, has been

reconstituted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its chairman and six Union ministers and all chief ministers as

members.

According to a gazette notification, the Union ministers who will be members of the reconstituted council are

Rajnath Singh (home), Sushma Swaraj (external affairs), Arun Jaitley (finance), Nitin Gadkari (road transport),

Thaawar Chand Gehlot (social justice and empowerment) and Nirmala Sitharaman (defence).

Cabinet approved extension of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) as RKVY-RAFTAAR for fiscals 2017-18 to

2019-20.

The Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana – Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied sector Rejuvenation (RKVY-

RAFTAAR) will incentivise states in increasing allocations to agricultural and allied sectors to boost farm output.

The financial allocation of the scheme will be Rs 15,722 crore.

Power and New & Renewable Energy Ministry, launched the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana –

Saubhagya Web Portal.







World Food India 2017 - launched Nivesh Bandhu , an Investor Facilitation Portal. Karnataka was the focus State.

Chef Sanjeev Kapoor was named brand ambassador for World Food India s Food Street. Germany, Japan and

Denmark were partner countries to World Food India, while Italy and the Netherlands were the focus countries.

A Pan India scholarship program for school children called Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana has been launched by the

government to increase the reach of Philately. SPARSH (Scholarship for Promotion of Aptitude & Research in

Stamps as a Hobby)

Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed the world s highest motorable road in the cold desert of Ladakh.

Tata Steel has established India s largest Coke Dry Quenching (CDQ) facility, capable of handling 200 metric tonnes

per hour, at its state-of-the-art steel plant at Kalinganagar Industrial Complex in Jajpur district of Odisha.

The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) in its document called New India @2022 anticipated a

New India by 2022 that will be free from poverty, dirt, corruption, terrorism, casteism and communalism

The government made installation of FASTag, a rechargeable card that uses passive radio frequency identification

(RFID ) technology to debit toll charges automatically, mandatory for all four-wheel automobiles sold from

December 1.

The government has more than tripled the maximum amount that a central government employee can borrow

from the government to Rs 25 lakh, from Rs 7.50 lakh earlier.

India sets Guinness Record for cooking 918 kgs of Khichdi at the World Food India 2017 event.

The Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) opened its campus to an Israel Centre which is aimed at

becoming a bridge of academic collaboration between India and Israel.

India has pledged an additional USD 100 million towards the UN partnership fund, significantly scaling up its

support to sustainable development projects across the developing world.

Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Railways & Coal launched Grahak Sadak Koyla Vitaran App benefitting

customers of Coal India Limited (CIL) lifting coal through road mode.

Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi launched SHe-box (sexual harassment

electronic box), an online portal for registering complaint related to sexual harassment in non-government and

government organisations.

Unesco, the UN cultural organisation, has included Chennai in its list of Creative Cities for its contribution to music.

Chennai is the third Indian city on the list of UNESCO Creative Cities list after Jaipur and Varanasi.

Google Arts and Culture unveils its first lab experiment in India in Mumbai.

A new passenger train between West Bengal and Bangladesh, Bandhan Express, was flagged off by Prime Minister

Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina via video conferencing. The train will connect Kolkata

to Khulna in Bangladesh. This will be the second train to run between the two countries after Maitree Express that

runs between Dhaka and Kolkata.

Northeast to get India s first air dispensary.

Number of pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir limited to 50,000 a day, to avoid any

mishap.

WCD Ministry to hosted Hausala 2017 to Celebrate Child Rights Week from 16-20 November 2017.

The government has launched phase 2 of BharatNet to connect 1.5 lakh gram panchayats with high-speed

broadband by March 2019. Phase 1 of BharatNet set to complete by the end of 2017.

Railways to start 9-month upskilling exercise named Project Saksham for employees in January







The US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced $1 million to create awareness about

Tuberculosis (TB) to help India in its fight against the disease. The move would support Prime Minister Modi s

ultimate goal of securing a TB-free India by 2025.

World s first Sanskrit 3D film Anurakthi was among the main attraction in 3D category at the International Film

Festival of India in Panaji in Goa.

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar launched the Jai Kisaan App, a farmer engagement app packed with features

and functions to fulfill the needs of the farmers community in India.

The Eastern Railways has pressed India s first Swarna Rajdhani rake - Sealdah – New Delhi Rajdhani . Indian

Railways decided to upgrade Premium Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains under Project Swarna .

Tata Power Solar has commissioned India s first rooftop solar car port at Unity One mall in Rohini, Delhi.

Bombay Stock Exchange Institute Ltd. (BIL), has signed an MoU with DLT Labs in Mumbai to set up the country s

first state-of-the-art Block Chain Lab in an institution.

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has collaborated with app-based taxi aggregator Ola to launch the country s first

electric charging station at one of its petrol/diesel stations in Nagpur.

Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh has sent a proposal to United Nations for declaring 2018 as

International Year of Millets to raise awareness among consumers, policy makers, industry and research sector.

Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe arrived in Bengaluru on 4 day visit to India.

A biographical film on the Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) supremo and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal titled An

Insignificant Man was finally released on November 17, 2017.

The film has been directed by Khushboo Ranka and Vina Shukla.

A two-day Korea festival showcasing Korea s rich art, culture and heritage was inaugurated by Korea Tourism

Organisation (KTO) Executive Vice President Min Hong Min at the Ambience Mall in Gurugram, Haryana.

According to the state-wise analysis of state of women entrepreneurship in the country by Sheatwork, a knowledge

hub for women entrepreneurs, Tamil Nadu has the highest number of women entrepreneurs in India, followed by

Kerala and West Bengal

FROM BUDGET 2018: According to Union Budget 2018-19, the government will develop two defence industrial production corridors.

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the first corridor will link Chennai and Bengaluru and will

pass through Coimbatore and several other industrial clusters.

The Union Budget tabled by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has allotted Rs 771.54 crore for electrification of 881 km

of rail network in West Bengal.

The development of 800 MW advanced ultra super critical thermal power plant project got Rs 100 crore for next

year from the Department of Heavy Industry with a target to finalise the turbine design, as per 2018-19 budget

papers.

The union government has allocated Rs 5,252 crore in the Union Budget 2018-19 for railway projects in the state as

against the state s demand for Rs 6,500 crore.







State News

Andhra Pradesh

President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the Naval Maritime Aircraft Museum in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

featuring the maritime patrol aircraft Tupolev-142M, which served the Navy for almost three decades.

The Andhra Pradesh Government in association with the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace

and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) is planning to establish a centre of excellence for children with learning

differences as well as a gaming for e-learning hub . It will be the first of the its kind in India and in Asia-Pacific

region.

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

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu declared 2018 as Telugu promotion year.

The Andhra Pradesh Government and the Canton of Zurich have signed a letter of intent, to promote mutual

prosperity and development.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu launched the e-Pragati CORE platform, which will be a

common portal for all citizen services online.

The Andhra Pradesh Government and the NITI Aayog have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in

Amaravati to develop an online dashboard for the 115 most backward districts in the country.

The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to hold the first-of-its-kind, one-day Pelican Festival at the Atapaka

Bird Sanctuary on Kolleru.

Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh has been declared Open Defecation Free. It has become the second state in the North East after

Sikkim to achieve the status with the declaration of Upper Subansiri, Siang, and Changlang districts as officially

Open Defecation Free.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu inaugurated the World War II Memorial Museum in the state s

Changlang district bordering Myanmar.

Etikoppaka toys of Andhra, popularly known as Lakkapidathalu, have received Geographical Indication by the

Registration of Geographical Indication, categorised in class 20 of the toys category.

The Araku valley near Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh hosted the first edition of its Hot Air Balloon Festival.

Assam

In a bid to add more dynamism to Assam government s initiatives of financial inclusion and bringing all sections of

the people under the ambit of banking sector and cashless transaction, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal

ceremonially launched the Chah Bagichar Dhan Puraskar Mela 2017-18.

Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi released a postage stamp on legendary footballer Dr Talimeren Ao during his birth

centenary. Ao was instrumental in popularising football in Assam. He was captain of the Indian football team in

their first official match in the 1948 London Olympics.

The first ever Namami Barak festival was held at Silchar in Assam.

In Assam, Uruka was being celebrated on 13th January 2018 on the eve of Bhogali Bihu, the post-harvest festival.

Bihar

Bihar government has launched Safe City Surveillance Scheme for keeping the crimes against women in check.







Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar laid foundation stones for more than 100 projects worth Rs 700 crore in Nalanda

district as part of his state-wide Vikas Samiksha Yatra .

Bihar government has banned manufacture, distribution, sale, purchase, display, and advertisement of electronic

cigarettes in the state. Anyone violating the ban will attract a jail term of up to 3 years, the government notification

stated.

Sonepur cattle fair, considered as Asia s largest such, kicked-off in Bihar.

The Bihar government gave its nod for setting up a State Ayush Society to give a boost to alternative medicine in

the state.

Chhattisgarh

Jokapatha village, a tribal village in Chhattisgarh s Balrampur district has got electricity connection for the first time.

The village had been deprived of power supply since independence.

The Union Government sanctioned Rs 696 crores to eight Naxal affected districts of Chhattisgarh for three years

under its Special Central Assistance Scheme.

Delhi

Dr Ambedkar International Centre inaugurated by PM Modi in New Delhi.

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has launched a new scheme for the poor that will allow them to buy

meal for Rs 10 from the civic body s kiosks during the day.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu attended a ceremony at the Teen

Murti Memorial in Delhi to mark the renaming of Teen Murti Chowk as Teen Murti Haifa Chowk.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal launched a common card for rides on public buses and the metro. Delhi is the first city in

the country to have a common mobility card.

Mobile App 311 was launched by Delhi s Lt Governor Anil Baijal. It is a mobile application of the three municipal

corporations of Delhi (MCD) that was launched in a bid to enhance engagement of citizens in resolution of

grievances and improvement of civic services in the city.

The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, in collaboration with the Environmental Sanitation Institute and

Tata Trusts, has developed a Sanitation Park which was inaugurated in Delhi.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd installed the Nobel Memorial Wall at Rajiv Chowk metro station for the seventh

consecutive year.

The Delhi government signed a twin city agreement with the Seoul Metropolitan Government for strengthening

cooperation in the fields of e-governance, transportation, climate change and smart city.

Gujarat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a unique world-class hospital at the Swaminarayan Gurukul Vidyapeeth

Pratisthanam in Ahmedabad.

The Animal Husbandry department of Gujarat government has banned all voluntary animal care and non-

government organisations working under the Karuna Abhiyan to operate in residential areas during the Uttarayan

festival this year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on a visit to India, have

inaugurated the iCreate centre in Ahmedabad s Deo Dholera Village.

Gujarat has topped a perception-based index of mobility of goods and efficiency of logistics chain, closely followed

by Punjab and Andhra Pradesh.







Amaazia, India s first Cartoon Network branded amusement park, will open in Surat, Gujarat in the first quarter of

2019.

Haryana

Haryana Government launched the Bhavantar Bharpai —a scheme through which the state government would

compensate farmers for price deficit for vegetable produce.

Haryana (with 69 per cent score) has topped the list in the ease of doing business rankings, according to

government data. It is followed by Telangana (68.46) and Gujarat (67.74).

India s first and only design university, World University of Design opened it campus at Sonipat, Haryana. WUD is

India s first university dedicated to education in the creative domain.

The Haryana tourism department disclosed that Uttar Pradesh would be the theme state for the 32nd Surajkund

International Crafts Mela, which would be organized at Surajkund, Faridabad from February 2 to 15. Apart from all

other states, about 24 countries would also participate in it.

The Haryana government has decided to form a non-banking financial company (NBFC) — Haryana State Financial

Services Limited — to act as an in-house treasury manager for efficient management of surplus funds of State

public enterprises and autonomous bodies.

Haryana has achieved the distinction of becoming the first state in the country to launch high-risk pregnancy portal.

The Haryana government has launched the Gobardhan Yojana to provide for the sale of organic manure and cow

urine with an aim to benefit farmers.

The Haryana government announced lifetime monthly pension to the Hindi satyagrahis and those from the state

who were jailed during the Emergency in 1975, hiked financial assistance to veterans of the Second World War

(WW-II) and their widows, and provide 10-hour power supply to the agriculture sector.

Haryana first state to treat Hepatitis-C patients with oral medicine

Gurugram to have North India s biggest butterfly park

World s biggest toilet pot model was unveiled at Marora, popularly known as the Trump village , in Mewat region,

near Gurugram, Haryana on the World Toilet Day in a bid to create awareness towards sanitation and use of toilets.

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the International Gita Mahotsava-2017 in Kurukshetra,

Haryana.

Himachal Pradesh

Cabinet approved the establishment of an AIIMS facility in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, at a cost of Rs 1,351 crore.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur launched the Shakti app, which comes with a panic button, for women s safety

here. The app was developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) of the Himachal Pradesh government.

In a significant decision after taking over as Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Jai Ram Thakur announced setting up

of a 24×7 helpline, called Gudiya, for women. He said special women cells would be created in all three police

ranges in the state to deal with crime against women.

Himachal Pradesh hosted the International Lavi Fair at Rampur Bushahr in Shimla district. The 300-year-old Lavi fair

is an important trade event between India and Tibet.

Jammu & Kashmir

Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir is celebrating Losar Festival from today (19th December 2017).

Cleared the Rs 6,808.69 crore strategic Zojila Tunnel project to provide all-weather connectivity to Kargil and Leh in

Jammu and Kashmir which remain cut off from the rest of the country during the winter season.

First power plant under PM Ladakh scheme commissioned in Biaras Drass of Kargil in Jammu & Kashmir.







Jharkhand

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das launched Saubhagya Yojana , a programme that would provide electricity

to all the 29,376 villages in the state.

Karnataka

Karnataka s capital city Bengaluru has become the first Indian city to have its own logo. The logo was designed by a

design start-up and uses both English and Kannada alphabets.

The Karnataka government announced that Karnataka International Travel Expo (KITE) will be held from February

28, billing it as the largest B2B travel event in the country.

According to a survey conducted by Amazon India s Annual Reading Trends Reports for 2017, Bengaluru has

emerged as the most well read city in India, while Mumbai and Delhi stands at second and third position,

respectively.

The President of India Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the 88th Mahamastakabhisheka Utsav of Lord Gomateshwara

in Hassan district of Karnataka.

Kerala

India s largest floating solar power plant inaugurated at the Banasura Sagar dam in Wayanad district, Kerala.

The Kerala government came out with a new Ordinance raising the minimum age for liquor consumption from 21

to 23.

Kerala government launched She Pad , a scheme to distribute free sanitary napkins to girl students from classes VI

to XII in government and aided private schools affiliated to the state school board.

The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), common platform of 21 countries including India and geographically

bordering Indian Ocean, is to set up a Centre of Excellence in Kochi. hHeadquarters of IORA is located at Ebene,

Mauritius.

Lakshadweep

India is all set to get its first runway on a sea bridge soon, as the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been given a

nod to extend Lakshadweep s Agatti Airport.

Madhya Pradesh

As part of the Ekatm Yatra, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan flagged off a mobile museum,

showcasing various aspects of the life of Adi Shankaracharya, from the home of the saints mother near Kochi,

Kerala.

The Madhya Pradesh government launched a mobile application pollution metre to spread awareness against

pollution in the western part of the state.

Maharashtra

The country s first AC local left Borivali station for its maiden journey to Churchgate in Mumbai on 25th December,

2017.

Comprising about 24 per cent of the total cess collections of Rs 30,224 crore under the Goods and Services Tax

(GST) regime, Maharashtra and then Uttar Pradesh are the top contributors among states and Union Territories in

the first five months of the rollout of the GST regime.

Mumbai Metro One launched the first mobile security product, SecuCare app to make commuters more secure.

With the help of this app, a commuter can click pictures or make videos which will get directly transmitted to the

Central Security Control Room.







The Maharashtra government launched `Balasaheb Thackeray Shaheed Sanmaan scheme, under which family

members of martyrs would be provided jobs with the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC).

Railways Minister Piyush Goyal announced that the Railways will set up a coach factory in Maharashtra s Latur

district. The new coach plant will create an industrial ecosystem in the drought-prone region boosting shift from

agriculture to industry.

Maharashtra government has approved Ghodazari in Chandrapur district as a new wildlife sanctuary in the state.

The Maharashtra government has decided to set up a Transgender Welfare Board to protect their Constitutional

and human rights. This will make Maharashtra the first Indian state to have such a board.

The restored Royal Opera House, located at Mumbai s Charni Road, has received the Award of Merit from the 2017

UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. The building, which was closed to the public in

1993 and reopened in 2016, was restored by architect Abha Narain Lambah.

The Maharashtra government has set up a seven-member committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Home)

Sudhir Shrivastava to recommend ways to stop the custodial deaths.

Maharashtra government, in a bid to become plastic-free state from March 2018, has banned packaged water

bottles in Mantralaya and other government offices.

Manipur

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh inaugurated a two-day India-Myanmar media interaction programme in

Imphal.

Meghalaya

Meghalaya became the first state in India to operationalise a law that makes social audit of government

programmes and schemes a part of government practice after the state government launched The Meghalaya

Community Participation and Public Services Social Audit Act, 2017 .

Nagaland

President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the Hornbill Festival and State Formation Day celebrations of Nagaland in

Kisama.

Nagaland scripted history when it became the first State in the Northeast to launch Point of Sale (POS) facility for

electricity bill payment, where the mode of payment will be cashless.

Odisha

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

Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

The Centre has recognised Odisha as champion state for recording highest growth in exports during 2016-17.

Eastern India s first compressed natural gas (CNG) stations inaugurated at Chandrasekharpur and Patia in

Bhubaneswar, Odisha to supply CNG to vehicles.

CM Naveen Patnaik launched an online platform, Odisha e-Hospital Management Information System (OeHMIS), to

provide efficient and hassle-free health services to the public.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has launched the Mukhyamantri Kalakar Sahayata Jojana (MMKSJ) – an assistance

scheme for Artists in the state. Around 50,000 artists will be benefited from this.

The 12th International Film Festival on Art and Artist began in Odisha where Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik called

upon filmmakers to come forward to work on documentaries and biopics on the literary souls.

India s first plant to convert coal to synthetic gas is to be set up in Odisha under the supervision of state-run gas

transmission utility GAIL.







The annual Balijatra festival was inaugurated at the Gadagadia ghat in Cuttack on the banks of river Mahanadi.

Odisha government launched a scheme - Fish Pond Yojana - to boost fish production in the state with a budgetary

provision of 96 crore rupees.

The Odisha government will launch a massive vaccination drive to combat killer Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in 13

districts of the state.

Odisha government has launched a new scheme, Nabakrushna Choudhury Seccha Unnayan Yojana worth Rs 635

crore to provide irrigation facility to about 55,000 hectare of agricultural land across the state.

Punjab

Punjab Chief Minister launched Mahatma Gandhi Sarbat Vikas Yojana , to release benefits and aimed at the

inclusive growth of the distressed sections of the society.

Rajasthan

Fino Payments Bank has signed up Rajasthan government s Rajcomp as its corporate business correspondent to

give banking services to people in the state.

Japan has decided to offer a grant worth 8.4 million Yen for the construction of a vocational training centre for poor

women and youth in Rajasthan s Baran district.

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

—[email protected] (in Devanagari script) — will lead to millions of new users who are not comfortable with

English e-mail ids.

The third edition of international spice conference will be held at Jaipur, Rajasthan from February 4-7.

Minister of State (IC), for AYUSH, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik laid the foundation stone for Central Research Institute

(CRI) in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the Rs 43,129 crore big-ticket refinery project in Barmer

and said it will change the economic landscape of Rajasthan.

The Centre has sanctioned Rs 275 crore for establishing a Global Centre for Security and Counter-Terrorism in

Jaipur, Rajasthan.

Rajasthan government has launched Dishari — an educational mobile application that provides free study

materials for youths preparing for competitive examinations.

Tamil Nadu

India and Israel are coming together to set up a centre for excellence in floriculture at Thally in Krishnagiri district of

Tamil Nadu.

Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the Centre s plan to set up a defence manufacturing innovation centre

in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

India s Second Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) Established in Chennai. 1st at Punjab.

Telangana

The Telangana Government announced a move to set up an exclusive innovation hub on the lines of T-Hub for

women called WE-Hub, backing it with an exclusive Rs. 15-crore fund.

Telangana government will set up World s first Information Technology (IT) campus for persons with disabilities

that will focus on creating employment opportunities for them.

Internet for every household in Telangana by December 2018

Telangana created history by becoming the first state in the country offering free power to farmers 24 hours a day.

Telangana government s prestigious Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) has finally got the green nod.







Union Cabinet approved the establishment of an International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography in

Hyderabad by Unesco.

Telangana government has announced to launch a mobile application Urban Genie which will enable citizens in

urban areas across the state to find certified technicians and workers.

Hyderabad once again launched a drive to turn Hyderabad into Beggar Free city which was earlier put to halt

after rumors that the drive was initiated because of US president Donald Trump s daughter Ivanka Trump to the

city.

The Telangana government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Clean Authority of Tokyo in

connection with municipal solid waste incineration.

Telangana government has inaugurated country s first National Park for people with special needs in Hyderabad.

Trademark Hyderabadi dishes biryani, baghare baingan, and seviyan have all made their way into India postage,

with the Department of Post issuing stamps with photos of the same.

Telangana declared Urdu as the state s second official language. First official language is Telugu.

Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh s Shamli district has been included in the national capital region, taking the total number of districts

in the NCR to 23.

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

cognisable and non-bailable offence.

UP government has launched a free household power connection scheme Prakash hai to vikas hai for the poor in

the state to mark former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee s birthday on 25th December.

UP government has proposed a Gita Research Institute for the study of the Bhagavad Gita which will be set up in

Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.

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

Court of Allahabad in Allahabad.

The official Logo and tagline for Allahabad Kumbh Mela 2019 were released in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The logo

comprises of temples, seers, a kalash & a Swastika. The tagline for Kumbh Mela 2019 is Chalo Chalo Chalo, Kumbh

Chalo. It will be held in Allahabad.

A three-day international bird festival will be held at the Dudhwa National Park in Uttar Pradesh from February 9

with nearly 200 leading ornithologists expected to attend.

Agra Municipal Corporation has released a logo of Smart City Agra, showing the Taj Mahal and a peacock feather.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the long-awaited Mahesra over bridge at Sonauli-Gorakhpur National

highway (NH80). The bridge would connect Gorakhpur and other east UP districts to Nepal.

In Uttar Pradesh, State government in association with UNICEF launched massive door to door campaign DASTAK to

eradicate deadly Acute Encephalitis Syndrome and Japanise Encephalitis disease in the state. The war cry of

DASTAK is Darwaja khatkhatao, AES aur JE ko bhagao.

Uttar Pradesh cabinet decided to make India s first conservation reserve for black buck in Allahabad s Meja.

With an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 491 on the 500-point scale, Varanasi has become the most polluted Indian city

among 42 cities, according to data from Central Pollution Control Board. 2nd - Gurugram.

Uttar Pradesh tops in opening new PMJDY accounts after demonetisation.







Uttarakhand

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) reiterated its 2015 order banning the use, sale, manufacturing and storage of

plastic items in the pilgrimage towns of Haridwar and Rishikesh in Uttarakhand.

The Centre has sanctioned Rs 1,500 crore for three years to promote organic farming in Uttarakhand. This is in

keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi s vision of developing Uttarakhand as an organic state which he spelt

out during his visit to Kedarnath last year.

West Bengal

West Bengal Green University Bill 2017 for setting up an environmental studies university at Hooghly district. With

this it has become the first state in India to setup green university.

West Bengal Govt. a ou ed a life i su a e of ₹ lakh ea h fo pilg i s isiti g the state fo the up oming

Gangasagar fair, the second biggest pilgrimage fair after Kumbh.

The West Bengal government launched its official emblem, conceptualised and designed by Chief Minister Mamata

Banerjee. The state emblem – the Biswa Bangla logo with Ashoka Pillar of the national emblem – would be used

in all the official works and documents of the Bengal government from now on.

The ninth edition of Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival is set to host multifarious sessions on various critical issues in

the country after 70 years of its Independence. Theme - India @70 .

Kolkata is now witness to a floating market, the first of its kind across any metro. The market, as the name suggests,

will be located on a water-body with boats doubling up as shops.

The West Bengal government has negotiated with the World Bank to avail subsidy to buy 130 electric buses for

plying in Kolkata, Asansol and Durgapur. The World Bank has agreed to provide a subsidy of Rs seven lakh per bus.

West Bengal got GI (Geographical Indication) tag for rosogolla. Both WB and Odisha had applied for it. After this,

Odisha government has announced that it would apply for the tag for Odishara Rasogolla soon.

Finance and Banking News The World Bank announced that it will stop financing oil and gas exploration and extraction from 2019, seeking to

boost the global economy s shift to cleaner energy.

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) announced that India is the first country where the Bank has

committed more than $1 billion of financing.

The government has engaged private lender ICICI Bank to enable online payments at 470 mandis integrated with

national portal of electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM).

Ce t e has pu ped i apital of ₹ , o e i eak pu li se to a ks - Bank of India, IDBI Bank, Uco Bank,

Bank of Maharashtra, Dena Bank and Central Bank of India. These banks are kept under Prompt Corrective Action

(PCA) in last 10-11 months. The capital is provided to help them meet their equity requirements and enable them

to resume normal business.

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

launched at the India Government 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.

GOI has decided, Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) applicable on all debit card/BHIM UPI/ AePS transactions up to

and including a value of Rs 2000 will be be borne by government for 2 years with effect from 1 January, 2018 by

reimbursing same to the banks. MDR is the rate charged to a merchant by a bank for providing debit and credit

card services.







RBI placed Bank of India and United Bank of India under prompt corrective action (PCA) framework. BOI and UBI

became 9th and 10th bank respectively to be put under PCA in last 10 month. Also, this is the second time in four

years that UBI came under regulatory sanctions and be forced to take corrective measures for strains in financials.

RBI imposed a monetary penalty of Rs. 30 million on IndusInd Bank for non-compliance with the directions issued

by RBI on Income Recognition and Asset Classification (IRAC) norms.

According to Reserve Bank data, bad loans of Public sector banks (PSBs) stood at Rs 7.34 lakh crore by the end of

second quarter (September 30) this fiscal, a bulk of which came from corporate defaulters. However, on the other

hand private sector banks non- performing assets (NPAs) were considerably low at Rs 1.03 lakh crore by

September 30.

According to the Reserve Bank of India s (RBI) Financial Stability Report (FSR), gross non-performing assets (GNPAs)

might rise from 10.2 per cent of gross advances in September 2017 to 10.8 per cent in March 2018 and further to

11.1 per cent by September 2018.

The Reserve Bank of India s (RBI) Fraud Monitoring Reports showed that the scheduled commercial banks

including select financial institutions lost Rs 16,789 crore due to frauds in 2016-17.

RBI announced that overseas branches and subsidiaries of Indian banks have been permitted to refinance external

commercial borrowings (ECBs) of AAA rated public sector and private sector companies. Earlier ECB refinancing,

was so far restricted to only foreign lenders.

RBI increased limits for investment by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) for the January-March 2018 quarter by

₹ , o e i Ce t al Go e e t Se u ities G-Se s a d ₹ , o e i State de elop e t loa s SDLs . RBI has launched an SMS campaign and a missed-call helpline to warn people against scams like fraudsters

promising prize money from the RBI.

Helpline number – 8691960000. The missed call to this helpline number is returned with another call that provides

more information on steps to be taken in such cases.

Public sector Bank of Baroda has entered into an agreement with Italian bank UniCredit S.p.A. to acquire its 51 per

cent stake in Baroda Pioneer Asset Management Company, thus increasing its shareholding to 100 per cent.

OBOPAY, the global mobile payment solutions company, recently announced that the company has secured

alicense for Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) from the Reserve Bank of India to operate a semi-closed loop wallet

in the country.

US buyout giant KKR & Co 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

India s largest digital bank Paytm Payments bank has unveiled Paytm Ka ATM outlets that allows customers to

open Saving Accounts and deposit/withdraw money from their bank accounts.

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.

Yes Bank has established a Medium Term Note (MTN) programme to raise USD 1 billion (over 6,400 crore) by

issuing debt securities on private placement basis.

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company has started adoption of digital branch services through its offering Mosambee

to add depth and breadth to its service offerings.

The Financial Services Commission, Mauritius has opened its representative office in Mumbai, a move that will

further strengthen and deepen its partnership with its Indian counterparts.

Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company Limited has been awarded the prestigious Golden Peacock

Award for Risk Management for the year 2017.

Customers will not have to pay any transaction charges for payments through debit card, BHIM app and other

payment made for up to Rs 2,000 from January 1, 2018.







The merchant discount rate (MDR) will be borne by the government for two years with effect from January 1, 2018

by reimbursing the same to banks.

Public sector Allahabad Bank said the Reserve Bank has put the lender under prompt corrective action (PCA)

framework post an on-site inspection of high NPAs and negative return of assets for fiscal 2016-17.

Seeking to perk up public sector banks that have been hit by huge non-performing assets (NPAs), the government

announced plans to infuse over Rs. one lakh crore including Rs 80,000 crore through recap bonds and Rs 8,139

crore as budgetary support during the current fiscal.

The Central government has announced that the Payments Banks and Small Finance Banks will now offer social

security scheme Atal Pension Yojana (APY) to their subscribers.

Leading Public Sector Bank (PSB), Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

with National Housing Bank for implementation of the Rural Housing Interest Subsidy Scheme (RHISS) of the

Ministry of Rural Development. IOB is one of first major public sector bank to execute the MoU to implement the

scheme.

According to a census by the Reserve Bank, Mauritius was the largest source of foreign investment in India,

followed by the US and the UK.

State Bank of India (SBI) announced signing of a Information Utility (IU) agreement with National E-Governance

Services Limited (NeSL), the first information utility registered with the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India

(IBBI), to share financial and security information under IBBI (IU) regulation 2017.

India s most-valued lender HDFC Bank Ltd crossed Rs5 trillion market capitalisation for the first time, making it only

the third Indian company and first Indian Bank to achieve this milestone.

All the 14 designs of Rs 10 coin are valid and legal tender for transactions, the Reserve Bank amid reluctance by

certain traders to accept the coins.

India has emerged as a top borrower from the China-sponsored Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) with

USD 1.5 billion worth of loans last year and USD three billion more in the pipeline.

IndusInd Bank launched its new Sonic Identity, which is essentially a musical logo called MOGO , as part of its

branding initiatives.

To speed up retail transmission by banks of the central bank s cuts in the lending rate, the Reserve Bank of India

(RBI) said that it will link the Base Rate with the Marginal Cost of Funds-based Lending Rate (MCLR) from the next

fiscal.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) revealed that the estimated inflation for first half of the next fiscal would stand at

5.1 to 5.6 percent.

According to the report by BMI Research, a unit of Fitch Group, India s fiscal deficit is expected to come in at 3.5 per

cent of GDP in financial year 2018-19, as policymakers seek to promote economic growth by reducing the pace of

fiscal consolidation.

The Reserve Bank of India announced setting up ombudsman for addressing customer grievances in the non-

banking finance companies. RBI will start with deposit taking NBFCs and widen the scope to cover NBFCs with asset

size of Rs 100 crore.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided not to pursue a proposal for introduction of Islamic banking in the

country. Islamic or Sharia banking is a finance system based on the principles of not charging interest, which is

prohibited under Islam.

The Reserve Bank of India, RBI, has withdrawn the sale of Rs Ten thousand crore worth of government securities

under Open Market Operations, OMO.







RBI has asked co-operative societies not use the word Bank in their names as it violates the Section 7 of Banking

Regulation Act, 1949.

The RBI has decided to allow asset reconstruction companies to have higher holding than the 26 per cent cap set

earlier with regard to limits on shareholding of the post-converted equity of a borrower company under

reconstruction.

In August, the RBI had paid a dividend of Rs 30,659 crore for the fiscal ended June 2017. It was less than half the Rs

65,876 crore it had paid in 2015-16. Now, the Government has seeked Rs 13,000 crore of surplus lying with the

central bank.

Govt set Rs 10,000 min balance in bank accounts as rural poverty measure

Moody s Investors Service upped the long-term ratings of four Indian financial institutions by a notch to Baa2

following the upgrade of the country s sovereign rating to the same level. These are -- Export- Import Bank of India

(EXIM India), HDFC Bank, Indian Railway Finance Corporation Limited (IRFC) and State Bank of India (SBI)

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) announced that NRIs and PIOs are not required to link bank

accounts and other services with Aadhaar.

According to the Truecaller Insights report, the State Bank of India is the biggest bank by volume of SMSes, with 30

per cent of Truecaller users using it, followed by HDFC at 14 per cent and ICICI at 13 percent.

State Bank of India (SBI) has launched comprehensive digital service platform You Only Need One also known as

YONO which is a omni digital platform that offers just about everything related to financial services and lifestyle

products or services.

State-run lender Bank of Baroda launched digital Supply Chain Finance solution which aims to accelerate working

capital loan opportunities for the small and medium enterprises and large corporate clients.

Andhra Bank has launched a new scheme, Pattabhi Sitaramayya — Self Business Group (PS-SBG), for self-help

groups (SHGs) to encourage entrepreneurship.

Kotak Mahindra Bank (Kotak) has launched 24 hour accessible e-Lobbies Smart Banking 24×7 in the Mumbai

suburbs of Juhu and Powai.

India s largest private sector bank by consolidated assets, ICICI Bank, announced the launch of India s first voice-

based international remittance service to enable non-resident Indians (NRIs) to send money to any bank in India.

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Limited (ICICI Pru Life) has become the first life insurance company in India

that has implemented the Electronic – National Automated Clearing House (e-NACH) service of the National

Payment Corporation of India.

Private sector RBL Bank has set up an all women branch in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The women branch is a testament

to the bank s efforts in encouraging gender equality.

Paytm Payments Bank formally launched. It is India s only mobile first bank providing zero balance accounts and

zero digital transaction charges.

Currently, India has four Payments Bank including Paytm Payments Bank. The other three operational ones are

Airtel Payments Bank, India Post Payments Bank and Fino Payments Bank.

AU Small Finance Bank received approval from Reserved Bank of India (RBI) to operate as Scheduled Commercial

Bank. AU Small Finance Bank s name has now been included in the Second Schedule of Reserve Bank of India Act,

1934.

YES Bank is all set to launch a first-of-its-kind fintech survey. Called India Fintech Opportunities Review, the study

will cover India and a few major fintech markets in the world.







India Post Payments Bank will become operational in all 650 districts of the country by April next year. Two such

banks are already operational in Ranchi and Raipur.

Private sector lender Yes Bank signed an agreement with the government to provide Rs 1,000 crore financing for

food processing projects.

HSBC has pledged to provide $100 billion in financing and investment by 2025 to help combat climate change.

Private Sector, Federal Bank has obtained RBI approval to open representative offices at Kuwait and Singapore.

Canara Bank launched a digital library, a Canarites app, a field recovery mobile app, a retail loan (vehicle) –

tracking system, and a regulatory guidance tracking system.

IDFC Bank, MobiKwik and Net1 have partnered to launch a co-branded virtual prepaid card on the Visa platform to

customers of MobiKwik.

Emirates NBD, the UAE s second-largest lender, has started operations in India with an aim to invest USD 100

million capital into its Indian operations. Branch opened in Mumbai.

IndiaFirst Life Insurance (IndiaFirst Life) has launched an unique micro-insurance plan insurance khata targeted at

those in the informal sector and agricultural labourers with seasonal incomes.

Bajaj Allianz General Insurance has launched Pro-fit , a platform that will act as a one-stop solution to all the

health-record tracking needs of customers.

During the International Fraud Awareness week, Axis Bank in association with Mumbai Police has launched its

latest campaign #MuhPeTaala to promote safe banking.

Private sector lender Axis Bank has launched an instant international payment services using Ripple s enterprise

blockchain technology solution for retail and corporate customers.

The Royal Bank of Canada is the first Canadian lender to be added to the Financial Stability Board s list of global

systemically important banks, which are deemed too big to fail.

JM Financial Home Loans, a step-down subsidiary of Mumbai-based JM Financial, has received certificate of

registration from the National Housing Bank for carrying out housing finance activities.

Bi-monthly monetary policy The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) kept its key interest rate unchanged at 6 per cent for the fourth time in succession at its

final bi-monthly monetary policy review of the fiscal, citing concerns about the inflationary push by rising global crude oil

prices.

Current Monetary Policy Rates:

Repo Rate: Unchanged at 6%

Reverse Repo Rate: Unchanged at 5.75%

Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) Rate: Unchanged at 6.25%

Bank Rate: Unchanged at 6.25%

Cash Reserve Ratio: Unchanged at 4%

Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): Unchanged at 19.5%

RBI unveils new Rs 10 banknotes The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) unveiled banknotes of Rs 10 denomination under the Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series.

The new 63 mm x 123 mm notes are embossed with the signature of RBI Governor Dr Urjit Patel and have the motif

of the Sun Temple, Konark on the reverse, depicting the country s cultural heritage.







While the base colour of the note is chocolate brown, it comes with other designs, geometric patterns aligning with

the overall colour scheme, both at the obverse and reverse.

The obverse side of the note contains a see-through register with denominational numeral 10 and the same in

Devnagari script.

It contains a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi at the centre, with the micro letters RBI , INDIA (in both English and

Hindi) and 10 . There is also a windowed demetalised security thread with inscriptions Bharat (in Hindi) and RBI.

Business News Bharti Airtel, the telecommunications service provider, has acquired a strategic stake in Juggernaut Books, a digital

platform to discover and read high quality, affordable books and to submit amateur writing.

Bharti Airtel entered into a definitive agreement with Millicom International Cellular S.A. under which Airtel

Rwanda Limited will acquire 100 percent equity interest in Tigo Rwanda Limited.

Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio Infocomm (RJio) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire specified assets of

debt-laden Reliance Communications (RCom) and affiliates, controlled by his younger sibling Anil Ambani.

Amazon has acquired a startup named Blink that builds wireless home monitoring systems, including connected Wi-

Fi home security cameras.

Apple announced that it has acquired song recognition company Shazam. The deal is worth $400 million.

Nod given to Bharti Airtel and Tata to merge Consumer Mobile Businesses (CMB) of Tata Teleservices Ltd (TTSL) and

Tata Teleservices Maharashtra Ltd (TTML) into Bharti Airtel.

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

Ride-sharing platform Ola announced that it has acquired Foodpanda s India business from Germany s Delivery

Hero in exchange for Ola stock.

Direct-to-home (DTH) operator Dish TV India Ltd has announced that that the company has received the final

approval from the government for closing its merger with Videocon d2h, the DTH arm of Videocon Industries Ltd.

The new entity will be called Dish TV Videocon Limited.

Carlyle Group has completed the acquisition of GE Capital s entire 26 percent stake in SBI Card, which is the second

largest and credit card issuer in the country.

To boost inflows of foreign funds into Indian capital markets, regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India

(Sebi) raised the investment limit for FPI in central government securities to over Rs 1.91 lakh crore from January 1,

2018.

India s largest mobile-first financial services platform, Paytm announced that its app has crossed the 100 million

milestone on Google Play Store in the second week of December 2017.

Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) has entered into a definitive agreement with digital classified

firm Quikr, to transfer its entire shareholding in HDFC Realty Limited, a real estate brokerage platform; and, HDFC

Developers Limited (which runs the HDFC RED platform) to Quikr.

The United Kingdom has topped Forbes rankings of best countries in the world for business in 2018 for the first

time, up from fifth last year. The UK is followed by New Zealand and the Netherlands, while India was ranked 62nd

on the list.

Technology giant Apple acquired a Vancouver-based mobile iteration platform, Buddybuild, with an aim to make it

easier for developers to create and iterate their apps for its platforms.

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has got the consent for acquiring controlling stake in fellow PSU Hindustan

Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL).







NBFC firm Capital First will merge with IDFC Bank, subject to subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals.

Facebook has acquired a biometric ID verification startup named Confirm that specialises in remotely verifying IDs

like drivers licenses.

Tech giant Google has announced the closure of a USD 1.1 billion deal with smartphone maker HTC, following

which the former is set to acquire the latter s design talent.

India s largest mobile-first financial services platform Paytm has announced launch of Paytm for Business app on

Android Play Store.

Facebook has launched its Marketplace to buy and sell used goods and services across categories such as

electronics, entertainment, and housing in India.

Paytm has announced that it has set up Paytm Money Limited , a wholly owned subsidiary of One97

Communications to build Investment and Wealth Management products for its users.

Chinese gaming and entertainment company AGTech Holdings Limited has entered a joint venture with Paytm to

launch Gamepind, a mobile gaming platform with social and casual games that include rewards.

Google has introduced a new app named Bulletin that allows anybody to submit stories for and about their

communities.

Trade between India and the US is estimated to have jumped substantially from USD 118 billion in 2016 to USD 140

billion in 2017, according to an advocacy group that aims to promote bilateral trade.

Popular mobile-based digital payment platform Paytm launched Inbox , a messaging service that will allow

consumers to chat with friends and family, and send and request money at the same time.

ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation) gets government nod for acquiring HPCL (Hindustan Petroleum).

Rs 10,000 Crore MoU signed between Govt of India & Patanjali

According to Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), provisional figures of direct tax collections up to October, 2017

show that net collections are at Rs. 4.39 lakh crore which is 15.2 percent higher than the net collections for the

corresponding period of last year.

The GST Council decided to raise Composition Scheme threshold to Rs 2 crore. The Council, which held its 23rd

meeting in Guwahati, decided that there will be no inter-state taxes and input tax credit for composition dealers.

Out of 228 items in the 28% tax bracket, 178 have been put into the lower tax category of 18%. It will be applicable

from 15th November.

Amazon India announced the launch of Amazon Saheli, a new pioneering program aimed at empowering and

enabling women entrepreneurs across the country to sell their products on the Amazon.in marketplace.

Amazon India collaborated with hardware accelerator HAX and crowd-funding community Kickstarter to

announce Startup C-Cube — a multi-level challenge for the startups that will commence in Bengaluru on

December 5.

Paytm has picked up a majority stake in CreditMate, a Mumbai-based startup that facilitates two-wheeler loans for

customers with no formal credit history.

Economy News The Reserve Bank of India s (RBI) weekly statistical supplement showed that India s foreign exchange (Forex)

reserves kitty increased by $1.20 billion as on November 24, 2017. The overall Forex reserves rose to $400.74

billion from $399.53 billion reported for the week ended November 17.

Asian Development Bank said that the economies of developing countries of Asia are expected to record a 6%

growth in 2017







Asian Development Bank (ADB) lowered its Indian GDP forecast for the 2017 to 6.7 per cent.

According to Fitch s December Global Economic Outlook (GEO), the global ratings agency reduced the growth

forecast for the fiscal year to end-March 2018 (FY18) to 6.7% from 6.9%.

According to the United Nations, India can achieve an 8% growth rate for the next two decades by promoting

investment and improving the living conditions of its people.

According to UN s World Economic Situation and Prospects 2018 report, Indian economy is likely to grow by 7.2%

in 2018 and go up further to 7.4% in 2019.

Global investment bank Nomura has predicted India s economy to register a 7.5 per cent growth rate in 2018

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

India s April-November fiscal deficit remained at 112% of full year s target — Rs 6.12 lakh crore — of the full year s

target of Rs 5.46 lakh crore.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley announced that despite the slowdown in 2016-17, as per the IMF, India was the

fastest growing major economy in 2016 and second fastest growing major economy in 2017 in the world.

According to rating agency Standard & Poor s (S&P), Indian banking sector has been classified under Group 5 . The

other countries in group 5 are Spain, Ireland, Italy, Panama, Bermuda, Poland, Peru, Qatar, South Africa and the

UAE.

According to a report by CARE Ratings, India has the highest level of non-performing assets (NPA) among BRICS

countries and is ranked 5th on a list of countries with the highest levels of NPAs. Greece topped the list.

India s GDP growth may rebound to 7.5% in 2018: Nomura

India Set To Be 5th Largest Economy in 2018, Overtaking UK, France, according to a report by UK s Centre for

Economics and Business Research (CEBR). China is likely to overtake the US as world s largest economy in 2032,

CEBR added.

According to a Sanctum Wealth Management report, India will overtake China to be the fastest growing large

economy in 2018 and the country s equity market will become the fifth largest in the world.

As per latest statistics, the banking sector posted a double digit growth of 10.7 percent year-on-year (YoY) growth

in December 2017, up from 7.2 percent in October last year.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank have commended the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for its

remarkable progress in strengthening banking supervision.

The government will borrow only Rs 20,000 crore extra in the last quarter of the current fiscal against Rs 50,000

crore announced in December, indicating an improvement in government finances that should calm fiscal worries.

India will set up a $350-million fund to finance solar projects.

According to the Economic Survey for the current fiscal 2017-18, the Indian IT industry grew 8 per cent to $140

billion (Rs 8,91,700 crore) in fiscal 2016-17 from $129 billion (Rs 8,256 crore) in the previous fiscal (2015-16).

India s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for 2018-19 has been projected at 7 to 7.5 percent as per the

Economic Survey 2017-18.

Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) has announced that the 8 per cent GoI savings bond is not closed but has

been replaced by 7.75 per cent scheme.

According to an HSBC report, India s GDP growth rate is expected to accelerate to 7.0 per cent in 2018-19 from 6.5

per cent in this fiscal and improve further to 7.6 per cent by 2019-20.

India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has predicted that India s gross domestic product (GDP) will grow at 7.1 per

cent in FY19.

World Bank has projected India s growth rate at 7.3% in 2018 and 7.5% for the next two years.







Rating agency Crisil revised upwards the outlook on 18 state-run banks to stable from negative and also

reaffirmed their ratings following the Rs 88,139-crore capital infusion by government.

According to the Economic Research Department of State Bank of India (SBI), the GDP FY18 estimates are likely to

grow at 6.5 percent compared to the growth rate of 7.1 percent in FY17.

According to Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, in line with the earlier official estimate of the country s GDP

growth in the last fiscal, India s gross domestic product during 2016-17 grew at 7.1 per cent.

According to State Bank of India (SBI) Ecowrap report, the gross value added (GVA) — the total value of goods and

services produced — estimate for 2017-18 is expected to trend higher at 6.3-6.4 per cent from the projected 6.1

per cent.

Parliament has passed the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Amendment) Bill, 2017 with the

Rajya Sabha approving it.

The Bill seeks to amend the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act, 1981. The Bill allows the

central government to increase the authorised capital of the Bank from 5 thousand crore rupees to 30 thousand

crore rupees.

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has successfully commissioned its refinery off-gas cracker (ROGC) complex of 1.5

million tonnes per annum (MTPA) capacity along with downstream plants and utilities in Jamnagar, Gujarat. The

company said that it is the world s first ROGC.

According to the estimate of national income for 2017-18 released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the Indian

economy is expected to grow at a slower 6.5 per cent in 2017-18 compared to the 7.1 per cent in 2016-17.

India Inc expects the country s 2017-18 economic growth to be above the 6.5 per cent-mark due to a favourable

base effect.

To make India attractive to cruise passengers and to promote cruise tourism, the Central Government has

exempted cruise tourists arriving with e-visas from the requirement of biometric enrolment for a period of three

years till December 31, 2020.

After years of no show on the global annual survey, for the first time, three cities from India have featured amongst

the top world order as a part of the Emerging World Cities group.

This was revealed in JLL s latest research entitled World Cities: Mapping the Pathways to Success, which shows that

amongst the Emerging World Cities category, Delhi and Mumbai are deemed Megahubs while Bengaluru is high

Enterprisers city.

ICICI Lombard General Insurance has launched a health insurance app – IL TakeCare in collaboration with Practo,

the leading healthcare platform. This one-of-its-kind solutions covers Outpatient expenses of all its customers.

Relia e I dust ies RIL e o e the fi st I dia o pa y to oss the ₹ -lakh crore mark in market capitalisation

as its shares touched a 52- eek high of ₹ . . The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) s India International Exchange listed the first bond on its Global Securities

Market.

The National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Ltd (NCDEX) unveiled India s first agri-commodity options in

guar seed designed as a hedge for farmers to safeguard against price risks.

India announced a national healthcare scheme for half a billion of its poorest citizens in a major giveaway to voters

in the final budget before a general election.

The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Shri Arun Jaitley launched CriSidEx, India s first sentiment

index for micro and small enterprises ( MSEs) developed jointly by CRISIL & SIDBI. CriSidEx is a composite index

based on a diffusion index of 8 parameters and measures MSE business sentiment on a scale of 0 (extremely

negative) to 200 (extremely positive) .







Reiterating its commitment to make the web a safer place for everyone, Google India announced its collaboration

with NCERT to integrate a course on Digital Citizenship and Safety in the Information and Communication

Technology (ICT) curriculum in schools.

The change of name of apex indirect tax policy making body Central Board of Excise & Customs (CBEC) to Central

Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) is likely to happen by April after the budgetary exercise gets Parliament

nod.

According to the Economic Survey 2017-18, Maharashtra s has come out to be one of the largest states in terms of

its economic size and prosperity gives it the largest share in India s exports and the goods and service tax (GST)

base.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed a fine of around Rs. 136 crores on search engine major

Google for unfair business practices in the Indian market for online search.

Singapore s DBS Bank lowered India s GDP growth forecast for 2017-18 to 6.6% from the previous 6.8%. In 2018-19

– 7.2%.

The government gave ex-post facto clearance to implementation of the Special Banking Arrangement (SBA) of

Rs10,000 crore for payment of outstanding claims towards fertiliser subsidy in 2016-17.

Asia Index Pvt Ltd, a joint venture of S&P Dow Jones Indices and BSE, has launched an environmental, social and

governance (ESG) index to measure the exposure to securities meeting sustainability investing criteria.

Eight core sectors grew to a six-month high of 5.2 per cent in September, helped by a robust performance in coal,

natural gas, and refinery segments.

The data furnished by the Comptroller General of Accounts (CGA) showed that India s budgetary fiscal deficit for

the first seven months of 2017-18 stood at 96.1 per cent — Rs 5.25 lakh crore — of the full year s target of Rs 5.46

lakh crore.

According to data of Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, India s

Gross Domestic Products (GDP) surged by 6.3 percent in the second quarter (July-September) Q2 of 2017-18.

According to the Japanese financial services major, Nomura s report, India s current account deficit (CAD) for this

financial year is expected to be around $40 billion, or 1.5% of gross domestic product (GDP).

The revenue department has announced that farmers do not need to quote PAN for cash sale of their produce up

to Rs 2 lakh a day.

The government has decided to increase the New Fund Offer (NFO) size of Bharat 22 ETF from Rs. 8,000 crore to Rs.

14,500 crore, to cater to the demand of retail investors and retirement funds.

Lauding India s increasing per capita income, World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva said she has no doubt that India

will be a high-middle income country by 2047 when it completes its centenary year of independence.

India s insurance regulator IRDAI has mandated all insurers – life and non-life – to link the Aadhaar number of the

policy holders to their policies. It further said that linking of Aadhaar number to insurance policies is mandatory

under the Prevention of Money-laundering (Maintenance of Records) Second Amendment Rules 2017.

Sidbi, Crisil to launch sentiment index named CriSidEx for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector

The Government of India launched the BHARAT-22 Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) managed by ICICI Prudential

Mutual Fund targeting an initial amount of about Rs.8,000 crore. This New Fund Offer is open till November 17,

2017. The Units of the Scheme will be allotted 25% to each category of investors.

According to data from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Wholesale Price Index (WPI), with the revised

base year of 2011-12, went up in October to 3.59 per cent from 2.60 per cent in September.







International credit rating agency Moody s Investors Service has upgraded India s bond rating for the first time in

14 years, saying continued progress in India s economic and institutional reforms will enhance its high growth

potential. It has upgraded India s bond rating to Baa2 from its lowest investment grade (Baa3).

Moody s Investors Service has upgraded the ratings of infrastructure government-related issuers (GRIs) NTPC,

NHPC, NHAI & GAIL to Baa2 in line with India s sovereign ratings.

Rating agency Standard & Poor s (S&P) maintained India s sovereign ratings at BBB-/A-3 with stable outlook.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country increased by 17 per cent to USD 25.35 billion during April-September

this fiscal.

Govt cuts small savings interest rates by 20 bps

The government has reduced the interest rates on small saving schemes, including National Savings Certificates

(NSCs), Public Provident Fund (PPF) and Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP), by 0.2 percentage point for the fourth quarter

of the fiscal (January-March).

The interest rate on the one-year time deposit has been lowered to 6.6 percent as compared to 6.8 percent in the

October-December quarter, whereas the 2-year time deposit will now fetch a lower interest rate of 6.7 percent from 6.9

percent in the previous quarter.

For small saving schemes, new interest rates (for January-March) are:

Public Provident Fund (PPF) – 7.6%

National Savings Certificates (NSCs) – 7.6%

Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) – 7.3%

Senior Citizen’s Savings Scheme of five-year period – 8.3%

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana for the girl child – 8.1%

Science & Technology Tech giant Google announced the launch of Files Go app that takes a mobile-first approach to freeing up space,

finding files faster and easily sharing them with others, even when offline.

NASA has announced the discovery of an eight planet orbiting Kepler-90, a star comparable to the Sun located

2,545 light-years from the Earth. With eight planets, the Kepler-90 system equals our own system in terms of the

number of planets orbiting a single star. Astronomers have yet to detect a system with more than eight planets.

Defence News The Indian Coast Guard on 29 November 2017 conducted a Regional Level Marine Oil Pollution Response Exercise

Clean Sea – 2017 at sea off Port Blair, capital of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The Indian Army s Southern Command, conducted exercise Hamesha Vijayee from December 16 till December 22

in the general area of Barmer and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.

The two-week long eighth edition of the Indo-Maldives joint military exercise, Ekuverin , came to an end at

Belagavi, Karnataka.

Indian Navy conducted the joint naval exercise Naseem-Al-Bahr with the Oman Navy. The exercise is also known as

Sea Breeze. The exercise was conducted in Muscat, Oman.







The Surface to Air Missile AKASH with indigenous radio frequency seeker against target Banshee has been

successfully launched from Chandipur, Odisha. With this success, India has achieved the capability of making any

type of Surface to Air Missile.

India has 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.

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has commissioned its sixth and final 105M Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV), ICGS Sujay

during a ceremony in Goa, on Dec. 20.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned India s first indigenous Scorpene-class submarine Kalvari into the

Navy at Mumbai s Naval Dockyard. The 1,565-tonne INS Kalvari is India s first new diesel-electric submarine in 17

yea s a d ill e follo ed y fi e othe S o pe e su a i es u de the ₹ , -crore Project-75 . Named after

the first Foxtort-class submarine, INS Kalvari was inducted into the Navy on December 8, 1967.

VINBAX -- Exercise among Armies of India and Vietnam held in Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. It is the first military

exercise between the two countries.

India has successfully test fired its indigenously developed intercontinental surface-to-surface nuclear-capable

ballistic missile Agni-V — the most potent and with the longest range in the Agni series – that can reach targets as

far as Beijing.

The Indian Naval Ships Nirbhik and Nirghat have been decommissioned at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, after a glorious

30 and 28 years respectively in the service of the nation.

The third indigenously-built diesel-electric Scorpene-class submarine, INS Karanj, has been launched at the

Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai.

The Pakistan Navy demonstrated its ability to respond to any aggression by conducting a test fire of a cruise missile

– Harba Naval Cruise Missile, which is a surface-to-surface anti-ship missile, from its newly commissioned Fast

Attack Craft (Missile), PNS Himmat, off Karachi in the North Arabian Sea.

Indian Coast Guard Ship C-161 was commissioned at Porbandar in Gujarat. The induction is a part of ongoing efforts

by the Coast Guard to strengthen coastal security.

Vijaya , the second offshore patrol vessel (OPV) built by the Larsen and Toubro Shipyard for the Indian Coast Guard

has been launched.

Vikrant, India s first home-made aircraft carrier, will be ready for induction by 2020. The Indigenous Aircraft Carrier

has been named Vikrant after the first aircraft carrier that India had — INS Vikrant, which was HMS Hercules for the

British Royal Navy before India bought it after it was decommissioned by the UK.

India successfully test-fired its short-range nuclear capable ballistic missile Agni-1 with a strike range of over 700

km from a test range off the Odisha coast. Weighing around 12 tonnes, the 15-metre-long Agni-I can carry payloads

up to 1,000 kg and is capable of hitting a target beyond 700 km. The missile is also capable of carrying nuclear

warheads.

Business tycoon Elon Musk s SpaceX has created history by successfully launching the Falcon Heavy rocket, the

most powerful operational rocket in the world, into outer space.

Indian and Kazakhstan - 14-day joint exercise Prabal Dostyk 2017 from November 2 in Bakloh belt of Himachal

Pradesh.

Indian and the Bangladeshi armies - an intensive combat exercise Exercise Sampriti at India s Counter-Insurgency

and Jungle Warfare School at Vairengte in Mizoram.

Indian and Myanmar armies - their maiden joint exercise IMBAX-2017 at Umroi Cantonment, about 25 km from

Shillong, the state capital of Meghalaya







An army training capsule on counter-insurgency/ counter-terrorism operations will be conducted in Patna s

Danapur Cantonment from November 13 to December 10.

Indo – United Kingdom joint army training exercise Ajeya Warrior 2017 will be conducted between the Indian and

United Kingdom Army from 01 to 14th December 1-14, 2017 at Mahajan field firing ranges in Rajasthan.

Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba visited Bangladesh to participate in the International Multilateral Maritime

Search and Rescue Exercise (IMMSAREX), the first ever operational exercise held under the aegis of Indian Ocean

Naval Symposium (IONS) in Bangladesh.

Defence of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Exercise (DANX) was conducted under the aegis of Andaman & Nicobar

Command.

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) conducted Multi State Mega Mock Tsunami Exercise 2017 along the entire East

Coast in 31 coastal districts across four states-West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and

Puducherry (UT)

Aiming to strengthen coastal security along the Odisha and West Bengal coastline, the governments of both states

will hold a joint security exercise Sagar Kavach in the Bay of Bengal

The Union Government announced on 3 November 2017 that an indigenously developed lightweight Glide bomb

was successfully tested in Chandipur in Odisha.

Indian Navy is likely to go with an advanced catapult-based aircraft launch mechanism (CATOBAR) from the U.S. for

its second indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC-II)

India successfully test-fired the indigenously-designed and developed long-range subsonic cruise missile Nirbhay

from an Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha s Balasore. It failed its last test in December 2015.

Science & Technology

NASA has launched Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk, or GOLD, mission to to study the dynamic

region where space and Earth s uppermost atmosphere meet. It is the first NASA science mission to fly an

instrument as a commercially hosted payload. The mission will fly aboard SES-14, a commercial communications

satellite.

India successfully launched its 100th satellite Cartosat-2 Series from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra

Pradesh s Sriharikota Island.

For the mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) used PSLV-C40 launch vehicle, which is carrying 31

satellites, including three from India and 28 from six other countries.

Taking prime minister Narendra Modi s Digital India initiative forward, a chat based job search mobile app

Empzilla , first ever of its kind in the country, is being launched that will do away with existing limitations of

employers and job seekers making selection process quick and cost effective.

MobiKwik, a issuer-independent digital financial services platform and mobile wallet announced the launch of

Magic – a digital platform for end-to-end corporate processes, rewards and reimbursements.

Technology Giant Google announced the launch of Datally App that will help users understand, control and save on

their mobile data.

NASA launched a next-generation satellite, called the Joint Polar Satellite System-1, into space designed to monitor

weather around the world and help improve forecasts.

Astronomers have discovered an Earth-sized planet, named Ross 128 b, outside our solar system which is expected

to be temperate and could be a comfortable abode for possible life .







The Space Kingdom of Asgardia has launched its first satellite - Asgardia-1. This so-called virtual nation is the pet

project of Russian scientist and billionaire Igor Ashurbeyli.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug Abilify MyCite in the United States with a digital

ingestion tracking system.

India is all set for the take-off of its maiden mission to the Sun by the year 2019. Indian Space Research

Organisation (ISRO) chairman AS Kiran Kumar said, Aditya-L1, India s maiden mission to the Sun, will be launched

in 2019 .

India has created history after it successfully flight-tested the world s fastest supersonic cruise missile BrahMos Air

Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) from the Indian Air Forces (IAF) front-line fighter aircraft Sukhoi-30MKI against a

sea based target in the Bay of Bengal.

It is 2.5 tonne supersonic air-to-surface cruise missile with range of more than 400 km.

BrahMos is a joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India and

NPOM of Russia.

Sports News

Tournament Winner Other Info South Asian Regional Badminton Tournament India Beat Nepal to win the tournament

ICC Intercontinental Cup Afghanistan Beat UAE

SAFF U15 Women s Championship Bangladesh Beat India

World Rapid Chess Championship Viswanathan Anand The Championship held in Saudi Arabia

for the first time

61st National Shooting Championships -

Men s 50-metre pistol national title

Jitu Rai Held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

Royal Cup Shiv Kapur Held in Pattaya, Thailand

Badminton Junior Nationals (U-17 & U-19

singles titles)

Aakarshi Kashyap

Commonwealth Wrestling Championship

(62kg women s freestyle category)

Sakshi Malik

Commonwealth Wrestling Championships

(74kg men s freestyle category)

Sushil Kumar

Joburg Open golf tournament Shubhankar Sharma

2017 Asian Kabaddi Championships India Both Indian men s and women s kabaddi

teams won.

Men s team beat Pakistan and women s

team beat South Korea to win Ch ship.

U-19 Asia Youth Cup trophy Afghanistan Beat Pakistan.

Senior National title – women s singles title PV Sindhu

Senior National title – men s singles title H.S. Prannoy

Asian Boxing Championships Mary Kom Held in Vietnam

National Women s Trap champion Shagun Chowdhary at the ongoing 61st National Shooting

Championship Competition

National Men s Trap Shooting title Manavjit Sandhu at the ongoing 61st National Shooting

Championship Competition







Panasonic Open India (Golf) Shiv Kapur

Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open (Golf) Aditi Ashok

Asia Cup Hockey Title (Women) India Beat China

ATP Challenger Tour Yuki Bhambri

IBSF World Billiards Championship Pankaj Advani Championship held at Doha, Qatar

IBSF World Snooker Championship Pankaj Advani Held at Doha, Qatar

World Weightlifting Championship Mirabai Chanu She became the first Indian woman in

over two decades to clinch gold at the

2017 World Weightlifting Championship

Asian Marathon Championship Gopi Thonakal He became the first Indian man to win

the Asian Marathon Championship

Ranji Trophy Vidarbha Beat Delhi

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Delhi Beat Rajasthan

Swedish Open Junior International Series

(Badminton)

Siddharth Pratap Singh

U-19 World Cup trophy India They defeated Australia.

They lifted the cup for the record fourth

time.

8th Hockey India Senior Women National

Championship 2018

Central Reserve Police

Force (CRPF)

U-19 Cooch Behar Trophy Vidarbha team

India Open Boxing Tournament M C Mary Kom

Maybank Championship Golfer Shubhankar

India Open final (women s singles) Beiwen Zhang from the

US

She defeated P. V. Sindhu

India Open final (men s singles) Shi Yuqi from China

Blind Cricket World Cup India Beat Pakistan

Hockey India Sub Junior (Women) National

Championship 2018 (A Division)

Haryana Beat Madhya Pradesh

Hockey India Sub Junior Men National

Championship 2018 (B Division)

Assam Beat Rajasthan

Premier Badminton League championship Hyderabad Hunters Bengaluru Blasters

Kolkata Open International Invitation

Snooker Championship

Aditya Mehta

Men s Hockey World League title Australia By beating Argentina. India won Bronze

by beating Germany.

The tournament was held at the Kalinga

Stadium, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

Ballon d Or Cristiano Ronaldo He won the Ballon d Or for a fifth time

Davis Cup France Beat Belgium

Brazilian Grand Prix Sebastian Vettel

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas







Indian Sports Honours

Sportsman and woman of the year for individual sports – Indian shuttlers Srikanth Kidambi and PV Sindhu

respectively

Sportsman and woman of the year in the team sports – off-spinner R Ashwin in men s and Mithali Raj respectively

Inspirational Honour – Tennis player Sania Mirza

Transformational Contribution to Sports award – Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra

Team of the Year – The Indian Women s Cricket Team

Indian Sports Honours is an initiative partnered by India skipper Virat Kohli and Sanjiv Goenka, in line with their vision to

support the development of Indian sports.

National Wrestling Championship

Two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, who was back on mat after the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games,

won a gold medal in men s 74 kilogram freestyle competition.

Sakshi Malik and wrestler Geeta Phogat achieved a gold medal each 62kg and 59 kg categories respectively of

women s wrestling.

Sports

M C Mary Kom and Sushil Kumar resigned as the national observer for Indian boxing.

India has become the first-ever team to register 300+ totals 100 times in ODIs, after posting 392/4 against Sri Lanka

in Mohali.

Khelo India, a programme strives to promote Sports for All as well as Sports for Excellence,will be launched at a

cost of Rs.1,756 crore. 2018 will be celebrated as Year of Sports.

BCCI announced that India will host 81 more home games in the 2019-23 cycle.

Virat Kohli became the fourth fastest Indian batsman to reach the landmark of 5,000 runs in the five-day format on

the opening day of the third and final cricket Test against Sri Lanka.

Captain Virat Kohli surpassed Brian Lara to set the record for most double centuries scored by a Test captain on the

second day of the third and final Test against Sri Lanka in Delhi.

Rohit Sharma became the first-ever player in ODI history to hit three double hundreds, slamming his third in the

Mohali ODI against Sri Lanka.

World youth champion Sachin Siwach has been named the Asian Boxing Confederation s best youth boxer of the

year.

Prithvi Shaw named India s captain for U-19 World Cup to be held in 2018 in New Zealand.

BCCI has appointed former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim as General Manager, Cricket Operations.

To promote football in India, the Premier League has forged a partnership with Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh.

Visually impaired swimmer Kanchanmala Pande scripted history by becoming the first Indian to win gold at the

World Para Swimming Championship, held in Mexico.

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

retirement from football.

Roger Federer has been voted BBC overseas sports personality of the year for a record fourth time.

India captain Mithali Raj was named in the ICC women s ODI team of the year while left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht was

the lone cricketer to find a place in the both the ODI and T20 Teams of the year announced by the world body.

World No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan won the women s singles title in Dubai World Badminton Superseries

defeating top Indian shuttler PV Sindhu, who had to then settle for silver.







India s men and women s hockey teams remained in the 6th and 10th positions respectively in the rankings

revealed by the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

India football team remained stagnant on the 105th position while Germany finished first to be named the Team

of the Year in the FIFA rankings released in December 2017.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the Tribal Sports Meet 2017, a first-of-its kind event in the

country to promote sports among tribals in Odisha. Patnaik also unveiled the logo of the event and mascot of the

meet Olly .

India will host the Senior Women s World Boxing Championships in 2018 and the Senior Men s World

Championships in 2021.

Delhi will host India Open boxing tournament from Jan 28, 2018.

Melbourne (city in Victoria, Australia) will host Golf World Cup in 2018.

The emblems of the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, respectively named Winter Dream and

Flight, have been unveiled in Beijing, China.

England women s cricketers won the Team of the Year award at the BBC Sports Personality show after their 2017

World Cup triumph.

Russia has been banned from the 2018 Winter Games by the International Olympic Committee. 2018 Winter

Games will be hosted by Pyeongchang County, South Korea.

The first ever International Wheelchair Cricket Tournament was organised in Nepal s Kathmandu. The tournament

has participation of teams from Nepal, India and Bangladesh.

FIFA lifted two-year ban imposed on Kuwait s football federation.

Shooting Excluded from 2022 Commonwealth Games going to be hosted by Birmingham, England.

Australia won the Ashes for the 33rd time after defeating England.

Vice President Venkiah Naidu conferred Badminton Association of India (BAI) Lifetime Achievement Award to 1983

World Championship medallist Prakash Padukone.

Celebrating the game, Football Delhi honoured the Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri, announcing his birthday to

be celebrated as Delhi s Football Day. Chhetri s birthday falls on August 3.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) appointed Vikram Singh Sisodia as the Chef de Mission for the 21st

Commonwealth Games to be held at Gold Coast in Australia.

Union Minister of State ( I/C)Youth Affairs and Sports Col Rajyavardhan Rathore has launched the vibrant Khelo

India logo, reflecting the freshness, agility and vitality of New India.

The three-stroke Khelo India logo, designed by Ogilvy India. The logo conveys an impression of fitness and

competitiveness.

India skipper and run-machine Virat Kohli has won the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC Cricketer of

the Year 2017 as the International Cricket Council announced the men s individual award winners of 2017.

Anu Kumar of Uttarakhand grabbed the first gold medal of the Khelo India School Games in 1500 metres at the

Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

Sharath Kamal beat top-seeded Anthony Amalraj to win the men singles title for the eighth time, equalling the feat

of Kamlesh Mehta in the 79th edition of the 11Even Sports Senior Nationals in Ranchi, Jharkhand.

Union Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore unveiled the mascots (Vijay the tiger and Jaya the black buck)

and launched the anthem Au khel a hahte hai hu …Khel ei hi asti hai….khel se a aad ho ge hu .







Indian all-rounder Yusuf Pathan has been suspended for five months for failing a dope test during a domestic match

last season.

Aanchal Thakur made history by winning India s first-ever international medal in skiing in Turkey.

G Sathiyan has surpassed the legendary Sharath Kamal to become India s highest- ranked player in the

International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) rankings, which also have an unprecedented nine players in the top-

100.

Former world silver medallist Sarjubala Devi representing Manipur claimed the gold in 48 kg category in the

National Women s Boxing Championships in Rohtak, Haryana.

Shooter Shahzar Rizvi won the Men s 10m Air Pistol Gold at the 61st National Shooting Championship (NSCC), at

the Karni Singh Shooting Range in Delhi.

Gilles Simon of France has lifted the inaugural Tata Open Maharashtra Tennis trophy. The tournament is India s

only ATP event.

Meghalaya signed the Host City Contract with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) for hosting the 39th National

Games in 2022.

Australia is going to host ICC World T20 2020. It was announced that Australia s largest stadium Melbourne Cricket

Ground (MCG) will host the final of both the men s and women s ICC World Twenty20 in 2020.

The Asian Champions Trophy 2018 will be hosted by the Oman Hockey Association in Muscat between October 18

and 28, confirmed the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF).

2018 ICC Women s World Twenty20 will be hosted in the West Indies from 9 to 24 November 2018

Sandeep Lamichhane has become the first cricketer from Nepal to land a deal an IPL contract.

The Indian men s football team have climbed three spots to be placed 102nd in the latest Federation Internationale

de Football Association (FIFA) rankings. 1st - Germany .

Brazilian World Cup winner Ronaldinho has retired from football, although he has not played a game since 2015.

South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has become the number-one ranked bowler in the MRF Tyres ICC Test

Player Rankings, after he helped his team to a 72 run victory over India in the first Test at Newlands.

Indian women s cricket team pacer Jhulan Goswami has become the first woman in the world to take 200 wickets

in ODI cricket. Goswami achieved the feat playing in her 166th ODI against South Africa.

India s leading squash player, Saurav Ghosal became the highest-ranked Indian squash player.

Young golfer Shubhankar Sharma was elevated from 193 to 72, a gain of 121 spots, in the world rankings making

him the highest-ranked Indian in the world.

The first Khelo India School Games concluded in New Delhi with sports powerhouse Haryana topped the overall

medal tally.

The 23rd Olympic Winter Games officially kicked off with a colourful ceremony at Pyeongchang in South Korea.

The Indian football team remained static at 105th in the latest FIFA rankings. India drew with Myanmar 2-2 at home

in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers during this ranking period.

Indian ace shuttler Srikanth Kidmabi has risen to the zenith of his career as he established himself as world number

2 in the latest BWF men s singles ratings.

Indian women s cricket team captain Mithali Raj bagged the Indian Sportswoman of the Year (Team Sports) award

at the Indian Sports Honours (ISH) event.

The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) has decided to name the Gate No. 3 and 4 of the Feroz Shah Kotla

stadium after the cricketer-turned-commentator , Anjum Chopra.







Women s Youth World Boxing Championship held in Guwahati. Mary Com is the Ambassador of 2017 AIBA youth

women s World boxing championship. Assam s famed one-horned rhino – Guppy – is the official mascot, and Make

Some Noise its anthem.

Basel, Switzerland will become the first city to jointly host the Badminton and Para Badminton World

Championships after it was awarded the 2019 edition of the Para event.

The second edition of World Gaming Festival (casino) will be held in Panaji, Goa from November 30 to December 4

Guwahati hosted the World Youth Women s Boxing Championship

Mairaj Khan crowned skeet champion at 61st National Shotgun C ship

India wrestler Ritu Phogat clinched a silver medal in the 48kg event in the Under-23 Senior World Wrestling

Championship at Poland.

Geeta Phogat wins gold at All India Police Championship

Prakash Nanjappa wins gold at Commonwealth Shooting Championships

Virat Kohli - top of the latest ICC Twenty-20 Rankings for Batsmen.

Sandeep Tulsi Yadav, who had also failed the dope test last year, has been handed a four-year ban by the Anti-

Doping Disciplinary Panel of the NADA.

France will host the 2023 Rugby World Cup

Spain s Rafael Nadal was presented with ATP World No. 1 award

The official mascot of the 2017 AIBA Youth Womens World Boxing Championship is Assams famed one-horned

rhino. The official mascot, anointed Guppy, is a female version of Assam s one-horned rhino.

The opening ceremony is scheduled to take place on November 19 at the Maulana Mohd. Tayebulla Hockey

Stadium.

Ankushita Boro, a young girl from Assam, has done India proud after winning The Best Boxer title in World Youth

Women s boxing Championship held in Guwahati.

The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) has named a gate of the Feroz Shah Kotla ground after former

India opener Virender Sehwag. The Gate No. 2 of the stadium, in Delhi, was named as the Virender Sehwag Gate .

Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah became the number one bowler in the latest ICC T20I rankings Player Rankings.

Pakistan to host ACC Emerging Nations Cup in April 2018

Hong Kong is set to become the first Asian city to host the Gay Games, after it won the right to host the Games in

2022, beating the likes of Mexico s Guadalajara and Washington DC.

25-time Grand Slam champion Martina Hingis has announced her retirement from professional tennis at the

conclusion of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore.

Adidas Football has unveiled the Telestar 18 official ball for the 2018 FIFA World Cup to be held in Russia.

India s star gymnast Dipa Karmakar has been conferred a D.Litt. degree from the National Institute of Technology

(NIT) Agartala.

M. S. Dhoni inaugurated his first global cricket academy in Dubai, UAE

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) imposed fine of Rs 52.24 crore on the Board of Control for Cricket in

India (BCCI) for anti-competitive conduct in the IPL Media Rights agreement.

UK s premier Southhall Football Club will jointly set up an international level football academy with Cordia

Institutes at its campus at Sanghol in Fatehgarh Sahib district in Punjab.







Australian Open 2018

Men s Singles – Roger Federer (Switzerland)

Women s Singles – Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark)

Men s Doubles – Oliver Marach (Austria), Mate Pavic(Croatia)

Women s Doubles – Kristina Mladenovic (France),Tímea Babos (Hungary)

Mixed Doubles – Gabriela Dabrowski (Canada),Mate Pavic (Croatia)

Committees

Head of Committee Purpose

Amitabh Kant Panel to address the problem of stressed assets in India s power sector. Kant is NITI

Aayog s chief executive.

Narendra Singh Tomar

(Housing and Urban Affairs

Minister)

A 30-member central advisory council is formed by govt., which will play key role in

protecting the interest of consumers while advising government on implementation

of the Real Estate Regulation Act (Rera).

Dr. Kirti Bhushan The Delhi government under Dr. Kirti Bhushan set-up a nine-member expert

committee to look into the functioning of private hospitals and nursing homes and

recommend norms to be followed the clinics, including capping the profit margin on

medicines and consumables.

Umesh Sinha The Election Commission has set up a 14-member panel under Deputy Election

Commissioner Umesh Sinha to study how social media and other digital platforms

are used ahead of polls and make suggestions on how to adapt the Model Code of

Conduct to these changes.

B.R. Sharma The Union Home Ministry has appointed a 12-member inter-ministerial committee

to take a call on the playing of the national anthem in cinema halls and public places.

Arun Jaitley The government formed a ministerial committee headed by finance minister Arun

Jaitley to decide what to do with old, pre-existing projects in ports, which have

become unviable.

Yashwant Thorat Maharashtra government has formed a committee to study the feasibility of merging

financially weak District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs) with the Maharashtra

State Cooperative (MSC) Bank

Sushil Chandra Multi-Agency Group (MAG) will investigate the Paradise Papers on offshore financial

holdings, including a list 714 Indian individuals and entities.

M Vinod Kumar Panel has started a review of the laws governing goods and services tax (GST) to

remove any glitches.

CK Mishra Committee to formulate short and long-term measures to solve the problem of air

pollution in the Delhi-NCR region.

Nand Kishore Singh He will lead 15th Finance Commission. Commission is formed by the government to

recommend on the sharing of revenue between the Centre and states for a five-year

period from April 1, 2015 and will go on until March 31, 2020. (This Finance

Commission comes under Article 280 of the Constitution.)

Arbind Modi A task force under Arbind Modi for redrafting the 50-year old income tax law in sync

with the economic needs of the country.







Rankings

Index India’s Rank Other Information Global Prosperity Index 100 1st – Norway. [It is The Legatum Prosperity Index

2017 ]

Global Intellectual Property (IP) index 44 1st - USA

Global Talent Competitiveness Index 81st 1st – Switzerland

Environmental Performance Index

(EPI) 2018

177th 1st – Switzerland

Global Manufacturing Index 30th 1st – Japan

Index by World Economic Forum (WEF)

Global Democracy Index 21st 1st – Norway

In the list of cheapest country to live

or retire (survey by GoBankingRates

ranked nations)

2nd 1st – South Africa

In the list of wealthiest countries

(report given by New World Wealth)

6th 1st – USA

In terms of attractive market for

investments and the optimism over

global economic growth

5th 1st – USA

In the list of emerging economies on

an inclusive development index

62nd Norway is ranked first among advanced economies in

inclusive development.

Among emerging economies, Lithuania has secured the

first rank.

Global Climate Risk Index (CRI) 6 1st – Haiti

Business Optimism index 7 1st – Indonesia

Climate Change Performance Index

(CCPI) 2018

14 The top three rankings are unoccupied. 4th – Sweden

IMD World Talent Ranking 51 1st – Switzerland

Global Gender Gap index 108 1st – Iceland

Index is launched by World Economic Forum

According to a recent report published by World Steel Association (WSA), India overtook the US to become the

world s third-largest steel producer in 2018. 1st – China

According to a survey of Expedia Vacation Deprivation Report 2017, globally India has been ranked as the 5th most

vacation deprived country due to heavy work schedule, with 60 percent respondents corroborating with the view.

South Korea stood at number one position.

According to the World Migration Report (2018) , published by the International Organisation for Migration, a UN

agency, the Indian diaspora is the world s largest, with slightly more than 15.6 million Indians residing overseas. After

India, Mexico has the second largest diaspora.

The Indian government is the third most trusted government in the world, a survey by the World Economic Forum

(WEF) has revealed. The list is topped by Switzerland, followed by Indonesia, while India grabs the third spot.

Indians second-highest public bingers in the world. 1st – Mexico.

Binge Watching means the practice of watching multiple episodes of a television programme in rapid succession,

typically by means of DVDs or digital streaming.

India tops domestic air passenger traffic in September, China second: International Air Transport Association (IATA)







According to the Q3 2017 Salary Budget Planning Report , India s projected salary growth for 2018 stood the highest

in the Asia-Pacific region at 10 per cent despite a decreasing year-on-year pattern.

According to a report released recently by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD),

India has slipped from a rating of compliant to an overall rating of largely compliant as regards its meeting

international standards for exchange of tax information.

Union Agriculture Minister Radhan Mohan Singh announced that India has become the second largest fish producing

country in the world.

Rankings (Persons, Cities, Organizations and Others)

As per the report titled, Office Space Across the World 2017 , Delhi-NCR ranks at 84th position in the list of most

expensive office locations globally. With rental values almost as high as ₹ 430 per square feet per month, Delhi and

NCR is the most expensive office location in the country followed by Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai.

In the race to go digital, businesses judge India s Silicon Valley — Bangalore — the best host among 45 cities

worldwide. San Francisco came in second followed by two other Indian cities — Mumbai and New Delhi.

The posh Khan Market in South Delhi has been ranked as the 24th most expensive retail location in the world. The

top spot on the list was bagged by Upper 5th Avenue in New York, followed by Causeway Bay in Hong Kong.

Loans from Banks

From To Amount Purpose World Bank India $40 million The loan amount is for U.P. Pro-Poor Tourism Development

Project .

World Bank India $318 million The loan amount is 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.

World Bank India $125 million Credit is for the Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value

Enhancement Operation (STRIVE) Project

World Bank India $250 million Loan amount is for the Skills Acquisition and Knowledge

Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) Project

World Bank Inland

Waterways

Authority of

India (IWAI)

US $ 375

million

For Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP).

World Bank India $100 million To promote rural enterprises, facilitate their access to finance,

and create employment opportunities for youth, particularly

women, in selected blocks of Tamil Nadu

World Bank India $120 million To help increase access to improved water supply in the peri-

urban areas of Uttarakhand.

World Bank India $119 Million For the Odisha Higher Education Programme for Excellence &

Equity (OHEPEE) Project was signed with the World Bank.

Asian

Development

Reliance $583 million The loan is given to develop the Reliance Bangladesh Liquefied

Natural Gas (LNG) and Power Project







Bank (ADB)

ADB India $346 million To fund highway upgradation project in Karnataka.

ADB India $250 million To finance the construction of 6,254 kilometres all-weather rural

roads in the States of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh,

Odisha and West Bengal under the Prime Minister s Rural Roads

Program (PMGSY).

ADB India $20 billion Asian Development Bank (ADB) will raise annual funding to India

to up to $4 billion from existing $2.7 billion, from next year.

Period - 2018-22. So totaling to $20 billion

ADB India $500 million Loan to improve rural road connectivity in five states – Assam,

Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and West Bengal.

Brics New

Development

Bank (NDB)

India and

Russia

$400 million Loans will be used to rehabilitate the Indira Gandhi canal system

in India and to build a toll transport corridor connecting Ufa city

centre to the M-5 federal highway in Russia

Asian

Infrastructure

Investment Bank

(AIIB)

India $335 million The loan is to finance a 100-per cent electric metro rail project -

Bangalore Metro Rail Project?Reach 6 (R6) - in Bangalore.

NABARD Odisha Rs 372.51

crore

Assistance under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund

(RIDF) towards irrigation and rural bridge projects for the last

quarter of this fiscal.

Japan India Rs 2,587

crore

For Phase 3 (I) of the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage

Project

The union government and the World Bank signed a guarantee agreement for USD 98 million and grant agreement for

USD 2 million for the Shared Infrastructure for Solar Parks Project.

The UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Indian government signed a $168 million pact

to sustainably raise incomes and food security for tribal farming households in northeast India.

A Loan agreement and a Guarantee agreement for providing additional funding of Euro 20 million was signed

between India and Germany for the project Pare Hydroelectric Plant (in Arunachal Pradesh) under Indo-German

Bilateral Development Cooperation.

Deadlines/ Important Dates

What for Deadline/Date RBI has asked banks to provide doorstep banking facilities to senior citizens of more

than 70 years of age and differently-abled persons by

December 31, 2017

Indian Railways has decided to install Aadhaar-based biometric attendance system

across its zones and divisions by

January 31, 2018

Aadhaar and mobile number must be linked by February 6, 2018

In an eco-friendly measure to cut power consumption, the Indian Railways has

planned to make all stations cent per cent LED lit by

March 31, 2018

Deadline to paste price stickers on unsold packaged products to reflect new MRP

post GST

March 2018 (earlier it was

December 2017)

Roll out of BS-VI fuel in the national capital (Earlier the deadline was April 1, 2020) April 2018







Target of 100 per cent completion of installing bio-toilets in the Indian Railways

coaches (Earlier the deadline was September 2019)

December 2018

Completion of the work of installing bio-toilets in all passenger trains By March 2019

Seaplanes to Link Small Towns (The government is speeding up the process to

frame norms for the mode of transport, and has decided to allow them under the

regional connectivity scheme.)

before the 2019 general

elections

NBCC to redevelop 10 railway stations with amenities similar to airports 2020

Books

Book Author/s Other Info Veteran lyricist Gulzar has come out with his debut novel titled Two in English which examines the status of

refugees after the Partition.

Bollywood: The Films! The

Songs! The Stars!

Co-authored by S.M.M.

Ausaja, Karan Bali,

Rajesh Devraj and Tanul

Thakur

It is a coffee table book, which provides historical

insights, lesser-known facts and behind-the-scene

exclusives of the most iconic movies made in the history

of the Indian film industry.

Trivendra Ek Zindaginama –

Khairasain ka Sooraj

Nandan Singh Bisht It is a biography of Uttarakhand s Chief Minister

Trivendra Singh Rawat

The Way I See It — a Gauri

Lankesh Reader

Edited by writer and

sociologist Chandan

Gowda

It is a book containing selected writings by late journalist

Gauri Lankesh who was shot dead by some unidentified

men some time ago.

The Tall Man Biju Patnaik Sundar Ganesan Biju Patnaik was the former Chief Minister of Odisha.

Dilli Meri Dilli: Before and

After 1998

Sheila Dikshit Book offers an engrossing narrative about the journey of

India s capital city and its evolution over the centuries.

The Heartfulness Way Kamlesh Patel It is a book on heartfulness techniques and principles

Imperfect Sanjay Manjrekar The book is the autobiography of Sanjay Manjrekar. He

has played 37 Test matches.

Hisaab Kitaab Anjana Sukhani The book is a how-to book on household budgeting

Mere Sapnon ka Bharat Tarun Vijay It is a compilation of interviews of former Prime Minister

Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Even When There Is A

Doctor

Dr Yashwant Amdekar,

Dr Rajesh Chokhani and

Krishnan

Sivaramakrishnan

The book describes the role of an individual or parents in

improving their child s health.

PM Modi Pens Book Exam Warriors to Help Students Reduce Stress

Prime Minister Narendra Modi s new book – Exam Warriors – launched aims to help students breeze through their

examinations.

The book reportedly urges young students to tackle their examinations with zeal and energy. Modi has constantly

reiterated the fact the exams should be viewed as festivals in order to reduce stress, on his monthly talk show –

Mann ki Baat.







Obituaries

Name Profession Other Info Chaudhary Prem Singh Politician

Chandrasekhar Rath Odia literature

Madavoor Vasudevan Nair Kathakali maestro

Kalamandalam

Geethanandan

Ottanthulal artist

Lakshmi Devi Kanakala Telugu actor

Sudha Karmarkar Artist, Director He was veteran theatre artist, director, and

pioneer of Children s Theatre

Radha Vishwanathan Carnatic vocalist

Anwar Jalapuri Urdu Poet

Doodhnath Singh Hindi Author

Ananta Ojha Odiya jatra actor, director

Shrivallabh Vyas Bollywood Actor

Supriya Devi Bengali actress

Krishna Kumari Telugu Actress

Chandrashekhar Kannada actor

A.E. Manoharan Pop singer and actor He was popularly known as Ceylon Manohar

has passed away. He was best known for the

song Surangani.

Ava Mukherjee Bollywood Actress

Charu Rohatgi Actress

W. B. Rao Cinematographer

Banwari Lal Joshi Delhi s former Lt Governor

Ashok Mattoo Sports Administrator He headed the national boxing and hockey

federations at different times

Lalji Singh Scientist He is called the Father of DNA finger printing

in India

M V Pylee Educationist

Neeraj Vora Actor-director

Shashi Kapoor Bollywood actor Veteran Bollywood actor and the romantic

screen icon of the 70s and early 80s, Shashi

Kapoor who immortalised the line Mere Paas

Maa Hai , died this evening after prolonged

illness.

Leslie Harding Pde Author Former Meghalaya bureaucrat and renowned

Khasi author

Saksham Yadav Indian Powerlifting world champion

Baldev Raj Nuclear Physicist

Buddhadev Dasgupta Sarod maestro

NK Trikha Journalist

Gnani Sankaran Journalist







Anindya Sengupta Journalist

Shashikant Bhagwat Sports journalist

Gurcharan Singh Kalkat Agricultural scientist

Chandi Lahiri Cartoonist

Partha Mukhopadhyay Bengali Actor

Jatileswar Mukhopadhyay Bengali Singer

Rabisankar Bal Journalist and Bengali author

Adarsh Sen Anand Former Chief Justice of India (CJI)

Purabi Mukhopadhyay Rabindrasangeet singer

Adithyan South Indian music director

Ja Ra Sundaresan Tamil journalist and humourist

Sukharanjan Sengupta Journalist

Chintaman Wanaga Politician

Khagen Das Politician

Dinesh Nandan Sahay Politician He was first governor of Chhattisgarh and

former governor of Tripura

Raghunath Jha Politician Former Union minister of State for Heavy

Industries and Public Enterprise

Daljit Singh Doctor (Ophthalmologist) He was a surgeon, teacher, researcher,

activist, poet and later even a politician.

Justice V Khalid Judge Former Supreme Court judge and eminent

jurist

Justice Bhagwati Prasad Chief Justice Former chief justice of the Jharkhand High

Court

Abdul Mannan Hossain Politician

Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi Politician He was former Union Minister for Information

and Broadcasting.

Virendra Sanghi Journalist

Jagdish Mohan Hindustani vocalist

Kunwar Narain Hindi poet

Ashok Khal Veteran cyclist

Amritsar Govindsingh Milkha

Singh

Cricketer

Sreerupa Bose (Mukherjee) Cricketer Former India women s cricket team coach and

batswoman

Manu Sharma Hindi Author

Biju Phukan Assam Actor

Vettoor Purushan Malayalam actor

Abi Malayalam actor and mimicry artist

Thodupuzha Vasanthi Malayalam TV and film actress

Rita Koiral Bengali actress

Mangi Bai Arya Rajasthani Maand folk singer

Kirti Nidhi Bista Former Prime Minister of Nepal

Dina Wadia She was Mohammad Ali Jinnah s Daughter







Mansur bin Muqrin Saudi Prince

Sue Grafton American Author She was author and creator of the Alphabet

Series of mystery novels.

Robbie Malinga Musician He was a legendary South African musician.

John Young Astronaut First shuttle commander US astronaut

Jo Jo White American basketball player

Sulaiman Dik Abed South Africa all-rounder

Ursula K Le Guin American Novelist

Honsen Lyngdoh Meghalaya s noted philanthropist

Connie Sawyer Actress (American) Hollywood s oldest working actress

Hugh Masekela South African jazz musician

Vladimir Yankilevsky Russian painter

Dharmasena Pathiraja Sri Lankan filmmaker

Nobel Prize Winners

Award Winner For What

2017 Nobel Prize in

Physiology or Medicine

Americans Jeffrey C. Hall,

Michael Rosbash and Michael

W. Young

for their discoveries of molecular mechanisms

controlling the circadian rhythm .

2017 Nobel physics prize Americans Rainer Weiss, Barry

C. Barish and Kip S. Thorne

for decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and

the observation of gravitational waves .

2016 Nobel Prize in

Chemistry

Swiss Jacques Dubochet,

German Joachim Frank and

British Richard Henderson

for developing cryo-electron microscopy for the high-

resolution structure determination of biomolecules in

solution .

2017 Nobel Peace Prize International Campaign to

Abolish Nuclear Weapons

(ICAN) headquartered in

Geneva, Switzerland

for its work to draw attention to the catastrophic

humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear

weapons and for its ground-breaking efforts to

achieve a treaty-based prohibition of such weapons .

2017 The Sveriges Riksbank

Prize in Economic Sciences

in Memory of Alfred Nobel

American Richard H. Thaler for his contributions to behavioural economics .

2017 Nobel Prize in

Literature

British novelist Kazuo Ishiguro who, in novels of great emotional force, has

uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense of

connection with the world .

Important Days

January 2018

Date Day Extra Info 4 January World Braille Day

10 January World Hindi Day

12 January National Youth Day

15 January Indian Army Day







24 January National Girl Child Day

25 January National Voters Day Theme : Accessible Elections

26 January Republic Day

26 January International Customs Day

27 January International Holocaust

Remembrance Day

Theme: Holocaust Remembrance and

Education: Our Shared Responsibility

28 January 2018 World Leprosy Day

30 January Shaheed Diwas

31 January Raising Day of National Disaster

Response Force (NDRF)

Febrauary 2018

Date Day Extra Info

2 February World Wetlands Day Theme 2018: "Wetlands for a Sustainable Urban

Future"

4 February World Cancer Day Theme 2018: "We Can, I Can"

6 February International Day of Zero Tolerance for

Female Genital Mutilation

10 February National Deworming Day

11 February International Day of Women and Girls in

Science

Theme 2018: Equality and Parity in Science for

Peace and Development

13 February World Radio Day Theme 2018: "Radio and Sports"

20 February World Day of Social Justice

21 February International Mother Language Day

24 February Central Excise Day

27 February 2017 86th death anniversary of Chandra

Shekhar Azad

28 February National Science Day

March

Date Day

1 March World Civil Defence Day

1 March Zero Discrimination Day

3 March National Defence Day

3 March World Wildlife Day

3 March World Hearing Day

4 March National Security Day

8 March International Women s Day

9 March World Kidney Day

10 March CISF Raising Day

13 March Commonwealth Day







15 March World Consumer Rights Day

16 March National Vaccination Day

18 March Ordnance Factories Day

20 March International Day of Happiness

20 March World Sparrow day

21 March International Day for the Elimination of

Racial Discrimination

21 March International Day of Forests

21 March World Poetry day

22 March World Water day

23 March World Meteorlogical Day

24 March World Tuberculosis Day

25 March International Day of Solidarity with

Detained and Missing Staff Members

25 March International Day of Remembrance of the

Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic

Slave Trade

25 March 2017 Earth Hour

27 March World Theatre Day







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