february 1, 2017 - talentsprint · february 1, 2017 it ministry urges ... per the phased...

Current Affairs: February 2017

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February 1, 2017

IT Ministry urges tax incentives for PC manufacturers too

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

(MeitY) in its key recommendations for Union Budget

2017-18, has suggested differential excise duty regime

and tax exemptions to be expanded to personal

computers and servers. Ministry’s suggestions were as

per the Phased Manufacturing Roadmap, it had worked

out in consultation with the NITI Aayog. Retain differential excise duty regime and tax

exemptions granted for the manufacture of mobile handsets and tablets, under the impending

GST regime, to boost domestic manufacturing of electronic products.

Vampire star caught in the act by ASTROSAT

India’s first dedicated space observatory, ASTROSAT

has captured the rare phenomenon of a small six-billion-

year-old vampire star preying on a bigger celestial body.

The vampire star phenomenon is observed when smaller

star sucks material (mass and energy) out of the bigger

companion star, causing its eventual death. It is also

called a blue straggler as small star becomes bigger, hotter and bluer, giving it the appearance of

being young, while the ageing companion burns out and collapses to a stellar remnant.



Government Constitutes Task Force to prepare Action Plan for Next three

Olympic Games

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved

the constitution of eight members Task Force

committee for preparing action plan for next

three Olympic Games 2020, 2024 and 2028. It

has been given three months’ time to submit its

report regarding a comprehensive action plan

including short, medium and long-term measures for effective participation of Indian sports-

persons in the Olympic games. The members of Task force: Pulella Gopichand, Abhinav

Bindra, Rajesh Kalra, Om Pathak, Viren Rasquinha, S. Baldev Singh, Prof. G.L. Khanna and

Sandeep Pradhan.

Highlights of Economic Survey 2016-17

Union finance Minister Arun Jaitley tabled the Economic Survey

2016-17 in Parliament budget session. The survey prepared by chief

economic adviser in the finance ministry Arvind Subramanian. The

survey projects the economy to grow in the range of 6.75% to 7.25%

in fiscal year 2017-18 in the post-demonetisation year. It says that

the adverse impact of demonetisation on GDP growth will be

transitional.



Bombay Natural History Society launches climate change programme in Central

Himalayas

The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has launched climate change programme to

conduct study to assess the status, distribution and

conservation of Pheasants and Finches in Central

Himalayas. It is long-term monitoring project funded by

Oracle and facilitated by CAF-India. It will focus on their

conservation in the context of climate change with the

help of community participation. The Himalayas hold a

rich natural heritage with diverse flora and fauna enhancing the beauty of the region. Indian

subcontinent is home to nearly 62 species of finches and 50 species of pheasants, with several

species listed in ‘Globally Threatened’ category by IUCN. Both these groups are spread across

the Himalayas.

Finance Ministry to aid Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh for rail safety

The Union Finance Ministry has agreed to contribute

partially to a new dedicated railway safety fund named as

‘Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh’ in the upcoming Union

Budget 2017-18. The proposed safety fund will be utilised

for track improvement, bridge rehabilitation, rolling stock

replacement, human resource development, improved inspection system and safety work at

level crossing, among other things. The Finance Ministry is likely to grant a fresh infusion of

only Rs. 5,000 crore in the upcoming financial year out of the initial proposed corpus of Rs.

20,000 crore.



February 2, 2017

Economic Survey backs Universal Basic Income

The Economic Survey 2016-17 tabled in Parliament has

advocated for the concept of Universal Basic Income (UBI) as

an alternative to the various social welfare schemes in an

effort to reduce poverty. It suggests that a more efficient way

to help the poor will be to provide them resources directly,

through a UBI. It will be an efficient substitute for a plethora of existing welfare schemes and

subsidies. A basic income is a form of social security in which all citizens of a country regularly

receive an unconditional sum of money, either from a government in addition to any income

received from elsewhere. It is based on the principles of universality and un conditionality.

However, it forfeits other government aided benefits.

Union Cabinet gives nod to modify Scheduled Castes list in Odisha

The Union Cabinet had approved the amendments in

the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 to

modify the list of SC in Odisha. It also approved

amending the Constitution (Pondicherry) Scheduled

Castes Order, 1964 to change the name of the Union

territory to Puducherry from Pondicherry. In this regard, The Constitution (Scheduled Castes)

Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2017, incorporating the above changes, will be introduced in the



parliament. The amendment of SC list in Odisha makes inclusion of Sualgiri/Swalgiri caste in

the list as it is Sabakhia caste which is already in the list of SC in Odisha.

Labour migration rose to 90 lakh over last 5 years: Economic Survey

According to Economic Survey 2016-17, the inter-state

migration of workers in India has increased substantially

to 90 lakh annually between 2011-16 period compared to

the previous years. The estimate of labour migration in

India was based analysis of census data of 2011 and

railway passenger traffic in the unreserved category and

new methodologies including the Cohort-based Migration Metric (CMM). It is first-ever

estimate of internal work-related migration using railways. The inter-state labour mobility

average was between 50–65 lakh people in the 2001-2011 period.

Researchers Discover Oldest Human Ancestor

Researchers have discovered microscopic sea animal

Saccorhytus, the earliest known ancestor of humans along

with a vast range of other species. The exquisitely well

preserved fossilised traces of this 540-million-year-old

creature were discovered. This balloon-like sea is the earliest

known step on the evolutionary path that led to fish and

eventually to humans. Saccorhytus is the most primitive

example of deuterostomes, a category of animals which are common ancestors of a broad range

of species, including vertebrates (backboned animals). It was about a millimetre in size and its



body was symmetrical. This is a characteristic inherited by many of its evolutionary

descendants, including humans.

India, Russia holds high-level consultations on counter-terrorism

India and Russia have held high-level consultations on

counter-terrorism issues in New Delhi. Both sides

shared views and assessment on the threats posed by

increasing terrorist activities including India’s concern

on state-sponsored, cross-border terrorism. The Indian

delegation was led by Preeti Saran, Secretary (East) in

the Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) while the Russian delegation was headed by

Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Oleg V. Syromolotov. Both sides shared views and assessment on

the threats posed by the scourge of terrorism, including state-sponsored, cross-border terrorism

faced by India.

Government clarifies Beti Bachao Beti Padhao has no provision for cash transfer

component

The Union Ministry of Women & Child Development has clarified that Beti Bachao Beti Padhao

(B3P) Scheme has no provision for

individual cash transfer component. It has

warned the unauthorised

websites/organisations, NGOs,

individuals that are distributing forms in

the name of cash incentives under B3P Scheme. It also has mentioned that it is illegal and

serious matter as there is no cash incentive associated in any form. Government’s clarification



came following reports that certain unauthorised sites, organisations, NGOs and individuals

were found distributing forms in the name of cash incentive under the scheme.

Income Tax Department launches Operation Clean Money

The Income Tax Department (ITD) launched

Operation Clean Money (Swachh Dhan Abhiyan), an

e-platform to analyse large cash deposits made during

the demonetisation window (9 November to 30

December 2016). Under it, e-verification of large cash

has been done using data analytics for comparing the demonetisation data with information in

ITD databases. In the first batch of the operation,around 18 lakh persons have been identified in

whose case, cash transactions do not appear to be in line with the tax payer’s profile. It

comprises account-holders whose deposits did not match their incomes, as per data with the IT

department, will be alerted on their e-filing portals.

February 3, 2017

SAARC programming committee meeting held in Kathmandu

The two-day meeting of SAARC Programming

Committee was held in Kathmandu, capital of Nepal. All

eight members participated in the meeting. This was the

first senior level meeting of Association since

postponement of 19th SAARC Summit in November

2016 after four nations Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh



and India had requested for it following escalation of tension between India and Pakistan over

the issue of terrorism. The Programming Committee is the lowest level mechanism in SAARC

after the SAARC Standing Committee, which is held at the foreign secretary level, and SAARC

Council of Ministers held at foreign minister level.

Scientists confirm existence of lost continent lies under Indian Ocean

Scientists have confirmed the existence of a ‚lost

continent‛ under the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. It

is left over by the break-up of the super-continent

Gondwana, which started about 200 million years ago. The

discovery was based on study of Zircon, a mineral found

in rocks spewed up by lava during volcanic eruptions which is too old to belong to Mauritius.

The lost continent is just a small piece of island that probably broke of when Africa, India,

Australia and Antarctica split up and formed the Indian Ocean. The scientists found zircons on

the island of Mauritius that are three billion years old. These remnants are too old to belong to

Mauritius as it has no rock older than nine million years old.



Government of create five special tourism zones to boost tourism: Budget 2017-

18

The Union Budget 2017-18 has announced that Government will set up five Special Tourism

Zones in partnership with States. These five special

zones will be anchored as Special Purpose Vehicles

(SPVs) that will be set up in partnership with the

States. In this budget, government has allocated Rs.

1,840.77 crore to the Tourism Ministry, Rs. 250 crore

more in the 2017-18 fiscal. To boost the image of India

in the international travel market Incredible India 2.0

Campaign will be unveiled across the world the financial year 2017-18. 959.91 crore has been

allocated for the Integrated Development of Tourist Circuits around specific themes under

Swadesh Darshan scheme.

Cabinet approves Introduction of The Indian Institutes of Information Technology

(Amendment) Bill, 2017

The Union Cabinet has given its approval for

introduction of The Indian Institutes of Information

Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2017 in Parliament. The

amendment Bill has provision for the inclusion of

Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and

Manufacturing (IIITDM), Kurnool along with the other

IITs in the Principal Act. With this, IIITDM Kurnool will become fifth Member as a Centrally

Funded IIIT. IITDM Kurnool inclusions will make it an institute of National Importance with



the power to award degrees to students. Its academic session had commenced in two branches

of study in 2015-16.

Toxins in litchi fruit may kill children

Scientists from US and India have found that

consumption of litchi fruit on an empty stomach

can result in very low blood glucose level and

acute encephalopathy leading to seizures and

coma, and causes death in Children in many

cases. Litchi fruit contains the toxins hypoglycin

A and methylene cyclopropyl-glycine (MCPG). Its consumption and skipping evening meals

causes very low blood glucose level (less than normal 70 mg/dL) and acute encephalopathy in

children.

February 4, 2017

NITI Aayog launches India Innovation Index

The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog

and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) jointly launched

India Innovation Index. Besides country’s first innovation

index portal was also launched. The index has been jointly

developed by NITI Aayog, DIPP and CII in consultation with

World Economic Forum (WEF), World Intellectual Property

Organization (WIPO), Cornell University, UNIDO, ILO,



OECD, UNESCO, ITU etc.

Government introduces alternative funding mechanism of electoral bonds:

Budget

The Union Government has announced two measures in the Budget 2017-18 to bring in greater

transparency in funding of political parties. These

include capping cash funding by a single anonymous

donor to Rs. 2000 (one tenth of the current limit of Rs

20,000) and introduction of the electoral bonds. It will

take effect from 1 April, 2018. The finance bill lays out

the way ahead for capping cash funding and sale of

electoral bonds by proposing amendments in the section 13A of the Income-Tax Act, 1961 and

to Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.

Mahila Shakti Kendra will be set-up at village level: Budget

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his

Budget Speech 2017-18 announced corpus of

Rs 500 crore for setting up Mahila Shakti

Kendras in the 14 lakh ICDS Anganwadi

Centres at village level. These kendras will

provide one stop convergent support services for empowering rural women with opportunities

for skill development, employment, health, nutrition and digital literacy. The budget allocation

for the welfare of Women and Children under various schemes across all the Ministries the has

been increased from Rs. 1,56,528 crores in 2016-17 to Rs. 1,84,632 crores in 2017-18.



Government notifies new rules for medical devices

The Union Health Ministry has notified new rules for

medical devices to remove regulatory bottlenecks

and ensure availability of medical devices for

patients. Under the new rules, manufactures will not

be required to renew licenses periodically and

submission of applications and grant of licenses will

be done online. The new rules have been framed in conformity with Global Harmonisation Task

Force (GHTF) framework and conform to best international practices. Under it, medical devices

are classified as per GHTF practice, based on associated risks, into Class A (low risk), Class B

(low moderate risk), Class C (moderate high risk) and Class D (high risk).

India signs $201.50 million Financing Agreement with World Bank for TEQIP III

The Union Government has singed Financing Agreement for

IDA credit of $201.50 million with World Bank for the ‘Third

Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme’ (TEQIP

III). The agreement was signed by Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary,

Department of Economic Affairs and Junaid Kamal Ahmad,

Country Director, World Bank India. The aim of the TEQIP III programme is to enhance quality

and improve efficiency of the Engineering Education System. The objective of agreement is to

improve Engineering Education sector in 8 states viz. Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar,

Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan and UT of Andaman and Nicobar

Islands.



World Wetlands Day is observed on February 2

The World Wetland Day (WWD) is observed every year on 2 February to raise awareness about

the value of wetlands for humanity and the planet. Significance

of Day: This day marks the date of the adoption of the

Convention on Wetlands also called as Ramsar Convention on 2

February 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar. 2017 Theme:

‚Wetlands for Disaster Risk Reduction‛. It seeks to raise

awareness and to highlight the vital role of healthy wetlands in

reducing the impacts of extreme events such as floods, cyclones

and drought on communities, and in helping to build resilience.

India, Sri Lanka signs MoU to construct new multi-ethnic tri-lingual secondary

school

India and Sri Lanka have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to construct a new

multi-ethnic tri-lingual secondary school in Polonnaruwa

District of Sri Lanka. The MoU was signed by of India’s

High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Taranjit Singh Sandhu

and Secretary to the Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Education

Sunil Hettiarachchi. The School will be constructed using

Government of India’s grant of 30 crore rupees. It will

provide opportunities to Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim students to learn in a multi-ethnic, multi-

cultural environment.



February 5, 2017

Railway Ministry, Italy’s FS group sign MOU for technical cooperation

The Union Ministry of Railways and Italy’s public sector

rail company Ferrovie Dello Stato Italiane Group (FS

Group) has signed MoU for technical cooperation in rail

sector especially in the area of safety and modernisation.

The MoU comes in the backdrop of emphasis given

Railway Ministry on safety in railway operation. The Railway Board has been directed to

collaborate with the international experts to identify the best practices for rail safety. Under the

MoU, cooperation areas identified includes safety audit of Indian Railways and measures

required for enhancing safety in train operation.

World Cancer Day is observed on February 04

The World Cancer Day (WCD) is observed every year on 4

February across the world to raise awareness of cancer and to

encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. The theme

(tagline) between 2016 and 2018 WCD is ‚We can. I can‛. It reflects

on what everyone can do to raise awareness of cancer and asks to

take pledge and action in fight against cancer. Special three-year

campaign for the World Cancer Day 2016-2018 seeks to explore

how everyone- as individuals or as a collective – can do their part to reduce the burden of

cancer globally.



Indian Navy launches underwater harbour defence and surveillance system

Indian Navy has launched an Integrated Underwater

Harbour Defence and Surveillance System (IUHDSS) in

Mumbai, Maharashtra to enhance the security of

valuable naval assets against asymmetric threats. It was

inaugurated by Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, Flag Officer

Commanding- in-Chief, Western Naval Command. It is

second IUHDSS to be installed in India, after first was installed at Kochi, Kerala in

August 2015. IUHDSS is designed and developed by Israeli Aerospace Industries ELTA for

surface and sub-surface surveillance of the harbour.

NASA’s Juno spacecraft completes fourth flyby of Jupiter

NASA’s solar-powered Juno spacecraft completed

closest flyby of Jupiter mysterious cloud tops for the

fourth time. All eight of Juno’s science instruments

were switched on during the flyby. During its closest

approach it was roughly 4,300 km above Jupiter’s

cloud tops and travelled at a speed of about 208,000

kmph. Currently, Juno is locked in a 53-day orbit around Jupiter. It is expected to perform three

dozen flybys over the next one and a half years. During its flybys, Juno probes beneath the

cloud cover of Jupiter and studies Jupiter’s auroras to learn more about its origins, structure,

atmosphere and magnetosphere.



Single-dose Zika vaccine works in animals

According to recent study, an innovative vaccine made

from genetic material protected lab animals from the Zika

virus in experiments. A single, low dose of the vaccine

shielded mice exposed to Zika five months after the shot.

Even monkeys exposed five weeks after they were

innoculated were also not affected by the virus. The new

vaccine is based on a modified version of genetic material called messenger RNA (mRNA). It is

designed to pass under the radar of the immune system and enter directly into human cells.

World’s smallest pacemaker unveiled in US

Scientists for the first time have successfully implanted

world’s smallest pacemaker dubbed as Micra Transcatheter

Pacing System (TPS) in a patient in United States. The

pacemaker about size of large vitamin capsule is for

patients with bradycardia, a condition characterised by a

slow heart rate, usually fewer than 60 beats per minute.

TPS provides the most advanced pacing technology. It was recently approved by the US Food

and Drug Administration. It is one-tenth the size of a traditional pacemaker and is the only

leadless (wireless) pacemaker approved for use in the US. It can be delivered through a catheter

and implanted directly into the heart.



February 6, 2017

President opens Rashtrapati Bhavan's annual 'Udyanotsav'

President Pranab Mukherjee opened the annual

'Udyanotsav' of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The highlights

of this year's 'Udyanotsav' include two new varieties of

roses named after the President Pranab Mukherjee and

his late wife Suvra Mukherjee; Vertical Gardens and Air

Purifying Plants which absorb toxins from polluted air. The two varieties of roses named

'President Pranab' and 'Suvra Mukherjee' were developed by Pranabir Kumar Maity and Ashok

Kumar Maity of Pushpanjali Rose Nursery at Jakpur, West Bengal. The Indian Rose Federation

issued a certificate after trials in January 2017 and the roses were subsequently planted in the

Mughal Gardens.

Govt forms panel to improve India’s Haj policy

The Centre has formed a six-member committee to

give a report on ways to improve India’s Haj policy

and also look into issue of subsidy to the pilgrimage

in light of 2012 Supreme Court order on gradually

reducing and abolishing it by 2022. Former Consul

General of India (CGI), Jeddah, Afzal Amanullah has been appointed as convener of the high-

level panel, Union minister of state for minority affairs (Independent charge) Mukhtar Abbas



Naqvi told reporters in the Capital. The panel will examine implications of various directions of

the apex court with regard to the existing Haj policy, and suitable amendments in it.

Sanjeev Sanyal appointed principal economic adviser in Finance Ministry

Government appointed noted economist Sanjeev Sanyal as

Principal Economic Adviser in the Ministry of Finance. The

Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved

the appointment of Sanjeev Sanyal, former Global Strategist

and Managing Director, Deutsche Bank, to the post of

Principal Economic Adviser in the Department of Economic

Affairs," an official statement said. He has been appointed in a pay scale of Rs 67,000-79,000 for

a period of three years. In 2007, Sanyal was awarded the Eisenhower Fellowship for his work on

urban issues and was also honoured by the Singapore government at the World Cities Summit

2014.

Bihar introduces third gender category in school exams

For the first time since the Supreme Court recognised

transgender people as a third gender in 2014, as many as

18 students in Bihar have been allowed to appear for the

Board exams conducted by the Bihar School

Examination Board (BSEB) under the third-gender

category. The exams for Class 12 begin on February 14

and for Class 10 from March 1. According to board officials, 10 third-gender students will be

taking the Class 12 exams and eight would be writing the Class 10 exams. So far, the BSEB did



not allow students to take Board exams under the ‘third gender’ category because the

examination form specified only two categories, male and female.

Anand Kumar Gupta takes over as director commercial at NTPC

Anand Kumar Gupta has taken over the charge as director

commercial at NTPC. As director commercial, he will be

responsible for the activities relating to commercial,

international and domestic business development and

consultancy business of NTPC. He also headed business

development department of NTPC and plant operations &

maintenance at power stations.

Iran bars US wrestlers from Freestyle World Cup event

Iran banned US wrestlers from participating in the

Freestyle World Cup competition this month in

response to President Donald Trump’s executive

order forbidding visas for Iranians. The decision

marks the first action taken by Iran in response to

Trump’s executive order banning visas for seven

Muslim countries. Earlier this week, Iran said it would take retaliatory action.



February 7, 2017

International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation is observed on

February 6

The International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital

Mutilation (FGM) is observed every year on February 6 to

raise awareness of the practice of FGM and work towards

its elimination. It is sponsored by UN, and the theme is

‚Building a solid and interactive bridge between Africa

and the world to accelerate ending FGM by 2030‛.

Neurocalyx calycinus plant possesses medicinal values

Scientists from Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and

Research Institute (JNTBGRI) have confirmed the multiple

therapeutic properties of Neurocalyx calycinus, a medicinal plant

endemic to the southern parts of Western Ghats and Sri Lanka

The therapeutic properties of the plant were discovered based on

traditional knowledge of Cholanaickan tribe, (one of the

particularly vulnerable groups in Kerala) used it to treat

inflammations and wounds.



HRD ministry to set up NTA to conduct exams for higher, secondary education

The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRB) will

soon set up a department – National Testing Agency (NTA) to

conduct examinations for higher and secondary education. NTA

will be the single authority that will conduct entrance tests for all

higher institutions like JEE, NEET, NET and other prestigious

exams. Establishment of NTA will free CBSE, AICTE and other

agencies from conducting various exams and enable them to focus on their core areas and work

on improving the quality of education.

Union Government launches Measles Rubella vaccination campaign

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has

launched Measles Rubella (MR) vaccination campaign in the

country at Bengaluru, Karnataka. It is largest ever in any

campaign against these two diseases will start from five

States/UTs viz. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Goa

and Lakshadweep covering nearly 3.6 crore target children.

The MR campaign is largest ever vaccination campaign aimed to target around 41 crore

children across the country against two diseases.



Assam Government launches Chief Minister Samagra Gramya Unnayan Yojana

Assam Government has launched Chief Minister Samagra

Gramya Unnayan Yojana (CMSGUY) to bring about

paradigm shift towards holistic development of villages in the

state. The scheme is a mega mission aimed at bringing in

revolutionary changes by doubling the farm income in the

State. As per Situation Assessment Survey (period from 2002-03 to 2012-13), the farm income in

Assam was recorded only 0.88% as against national average of 5.2%. The scheme has financial

outlay of Rs. 30,000 crore and will be implemented in all the villages in Assam in the next five

years culminating in 2021-22.

February 8, 2017

Lok Sabha passes Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill, 2017

The Lok Sabha has passed the Payment of Wages

(Amendment) Bill, 2017 to enable employers to pay wages to

workers through cheque or directly crediting to their

accounts. The bill will replace the Ordinance promulgated by

the President in December 2016 to amend the Payment of Wages Act, 1936.

Method of payment of wages: Earlier, under the parent Act employer can pay his employee’s

wages either by cheque or by crediting it into his bank account after obtaining his written

authorisation.

Permit the employer to pay an employee’s wages: (i) by cheque; or (ii) by crediting them into



his bank account or (iii) in coin or currency notes. It removes the requirement of obtaining prior

written authorization for payment of wages by cheque or through a bank account.

CBDT signs four unilateral Advance Pricing Agreements

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) under the Department

of Revenue, Union Ministry of Finance has entered into four more

unilateral Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs). These four APAs

are related to Manufacturing, Financial and Information

Technology sectors. They cover international transactions such as

Contract Manufacturing, Software Development Services and IT Enabled Services. With this,

the total number of APAs entered into by the CBDT has reached 130. It includes 122 Unilateral

APAs and 8 bilateral APAs. In the current financial year (2016-17), total 66 APAs (5 bilateral

APAs and 61 unilateral APAs) were signed.

Scientists develop terahertz transmitter capable of sending data 10 times faster

than 5G

Scientists from Japan have developed terahertz (THz) transmitter technology, a next generation

system which can transmit digital data over 10 times

faster than 5G mobile networks. It will pave transmitting

digital data at a rate exceeding 100 gigabits per second

(gbps) over a single channel using the 300-gigahertz

band. The THz band is a new and vast frequency

resource expected to be used for future ultrahigh-speed wireless communications. The THz

transmitter achieves a communication speed of 105 gigabits per second using the frequency

range from 290 GHz to 315 GHz. These range of frequencies are currently unallocated but fall



within the frequency range from 275 GHz to 450 GHz. It paves way for faster downloads and

improve in-flight network connection speeds.

Nepal to host 4th BIMSTEC Summit 2017

The fourth edition of BIMSTEC Summit-2017 will be

held in Nepal. It was announced in the 17th session of

BIMSTEC Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) held in

Kathmandu, capital Nepal. In this meeting, delegates

of seven member countries reviewed the progress

made by BIMSTEC and recommended future course of

action to strengthen regional cooperation among the group. The importance of BIMSTEC was

highlighted during the BRICS-BIMSTEC Outreach Summit held at Goa in October 2016. In this

summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed his desire to promote BIMSTEC

and assured full cooperation it needs to move on.

FAO calls for International collaboration on wheat rust

The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), a

United Nations agricultural agency has called for

International collaboration on wheat rust to curb

threat to global supplies. According to studies

produced by scientists in collaboration with FAO,

wheat in Africa, Asia and Europe is increasingly threatened by fresh groups of wheat rust. The

studies have showed emergence of two new groups or races of both yellow rust and stem rust

in various regions of the world. They highlight urgent need for early detection and rapid action

to keep the wheat rust under control which spread rapidly over long distances by wind.



February 9, 2017

Union Cabinet approves Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan for

rural digital literacy

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved ‘Pradhan

Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan’

(PMGDISHA) to make 6 crore rural households

digitally literate by March 2019. PMGDISHA is

expected to be one of the largest digital literacy

programmes in the world. This approval comes in

line with the announcement made by Union Finance Minister in the Union Budget 2016-17.

Under the scheme, 25 lakh candidates will be trained in the FY 2016-17; 275 lakh in 2017-18; and

300 lakh in 2018-19. The outlay for this project is Rs. 2,351.38 crore to usher in digital literacy in

rural India.

RBI keeps key rates unchanged in 6th bi-monthly monetary policy review

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of

India (RBI) headed by RBI Governor Urjit Patel has kept the

key policy rates unchanged. It was central bank’s sixth bi-

monthly and last policy for the financial year 2016-17 and

overall the third by the MPC. All six members of the MPC

voted in favour of holding rates. Besides, RBI also changed its stance from accommodative to

neutral. It also lowered GDP growth forecast for the current fiscal to 6.9%. However the apex

bank expects a rebound in GDP growth to 7.4% in 2017-18.



Repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF): Unchanged at 6.25 percent.

Reverse repo rate under the LAF: Unchanged at 5.75 per cent.

Marginal standing facility (MSF): Unchanged at 6.75 per cent.

Bank Rate: Unchanged at 6.75 per cent.

Reserve Ratios Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks: Unchanged at 4.0 per cent of

net demand and time liability (NDTL).

Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): Unchanged 20.75 per cent.

Researchers develop battery powered by stomach acid

Researchers from MIT have developed a small battery

that runs on stomach acids and is capable of powering e-

pills to monitor patient health. The small system can

generate enough power to run small sensors or drug

delivery devices that can reside in the gastrointestinal

tract for extended periods of time. For this battery, researchers used idea of very simple type of

voltaic cell, lemon battery which produces electric current between the two electrodes stuck in a

lemon due to its citric acid. To replicate it, the researchers attached zinc and copper electrodes

to the surface of their ingestible sensor. The zinc emits ions into the acid in the stomach to

power the voltaic circuit.



Arunachal Pradesh becomes first NE State to implement e-Cabinet Solution

Arunachal Pradesh became the first state in the northeast to

implement e-Cabinet solution for the state cabinet members.

It is a powerful governance tool that will be used to

streamline its decision-making process. Using this system,

state cabinet members can access the cabinet notes before the

meeting. The e-Cabinet system is being implemented by the state department of Information

Technology and Communication. Entire business of the Cabinet can be conducted using the e-

Cabinet solution. It will help ministers prepare for cabinet meetings, conduct them and review

minutes, entirely without paper.

81st National Badminton Championship Winners

Sourabh Verma has won the men’s singles title in the

81st Senior National Badminton Championships

tournament. In the final match, held at Patna (Bihar,

he defeated Lakshya Sen by 21-13, 21-12 score.

Other Category winners

Women’s Singles title: Rituparna Das won the

Women’s Singles title by defeating Reshma Karthik by 21-12, 21-14 score.

Women’s doubles event: Duo of Aparna Balan and Prajakta Sawant won the title by defeating

the pair of Shikha Gautam and Sanyogita Ghorpade by 21-9, 21-11 score.

Men’s doubles event: Duo of Satwik Sai Raj and Chirag Shetty won the title by defeating Nand

Gopal K and Sanyam Shukla by 21-17, 16-21 and 21-16 score.



Mixed doubles event: Duo of Satwik Sai Raj and Maneesha K won the title by defeating the

pair of Venkat Gaurav Prasad and Juhi Dewangan by 21-14, 21-18 score.

Scientists successfully test male contraceptive on monkeys

Scientists from California National Primate

Research Centre, US have successfully tested a new

male contraceptive ‘Vasalgel’ that blocks sperm

flow on monkeys. Now it is waiting for human

trials. During the animal trials, the Vasalgel

contraceptive provided effective birth control in

rhesus monkey groups for more than one year. It

brings the prospect of an alternative form of birth control for humans. The trial use of Vasalgel

in groups of rhesus macaques has confirmed the previous preclinical trail findings in rabbits on

the efficacy of the new contraceptive.

February 10, 2017

RBI to set up committee on strengthening cyber security

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to set up an inter-

disciplinary Standing Committee on cyber security to examine

various threats and suggest measures to deal with it. The

committee will suggest appropriate policy interventions to

strengthen cyber security and resilience in a bid to strengthen

cyber security system. Review the threats inherent in the existing or emerging technology on an



ongoing basis. Study adoption of various security standards and protocols and also act as

interface with stakeholders. Suggest appropriate policy interventions to strengthen cyber

security and resilience.

Union Government not in favour of new law for CBI

The Union Government has turned down the recommendation of

Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee to come up

with a new law for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The

parliamentary committee has recommended replacing Delhi Special

Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946 which governs CBI.

Government stated that it might impinge on the federal structure of

the Constitution. Powers given to the CBI under the DSPE Act are not adequate considering the

pace of changing times as it has grown into a more dynamic agency specialising in prevention,

investigation and prosecution of crimes.

India to pitch Trade Facilitation in Services at WTO

India will make a presentation on the proposed Trade

Facilitation in Services (TFS) Agreement to World Trade

Organisation (WTO) Director General Roberto Azevedo and

India Inc. The global pact proposed by India to boost services

trade at the WTO-level aims to ease norms including those

relating to movement of foreign skilled workers and

professionals across borders for short-term work. The proposed services pact is similar to the

Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) in Goods adopted by the WTO Members in 2014 at Bali

Summit to ease customs norms for boosting global goods trade.



RBI to set up separate Enforcement Department

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to set up

separate Enforcement Department to effectively monitor

banks in case they violate regulations and speed up

regulatory compliance. The department will be operational

from April 1, 2017 i.e. the next financial year (2017-18). It

will mainly deal with the penalties imposed on banks for violation of norms. Currently, the

penalties are determined by the banking and non-banking supervision departments against

banks violating rules. The Enforcement Department will serve as centralised department to deal

with penalties imposed on banks. This will help RBI follow-up and maintain a record on banks

performance.

Union Cabinet apprised of MoU between India and France in S&T and Innovation

The Union Cabinet has been apprised of the signing of the

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of Cooperation in

the field of Science and Technology and innovation. The

MoU was signed between India’s Technology

Development Board (TDB), Department of Science &

Technology and France’s public Investment Bank

Bpifrance. The agreement will ensure exchange of best practices and setting up of coordinated

measures to foster technological exchanges. The exchanges under it will be through

collaboration between companies, organizations and institutions of France and India.



Union Cabinet apprised of India-Vietnam space agreement

The Union Cabinet has been apprised of the Framework

Agreement between India and Vietnam on cooperation in

the exploration and uses of outer space for peaceful

purposes. The Framework Agreement was signed in

September 2016. It will enable pursuing the potential

interest areas of cooperation such as space science,

technology and applications between both countries. The agreement covers cooperation in

remote sensing of the earth, satellite communication and satellite-based navigation; space

science and planetary exploration.

Surgeon Raghu Ram awarded 2016 B C Roy Award

Dr P Raghu Ram, President of Association of Breast Surgeons of

India was awarded prestigious Dr B C Roy national award for

outstanding service in the field of socio-medical relief for 2016.

The award will be conferred on him by President Pranab

Mukherjee on the occasion of the Doctors day observed every

year on 1st July. He is claimed to be the youngest surgeon ever

from the Telugu states (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) to

receive this award. The award recognises Dr Rams significant

contribution towards improving the delivery of breast health care in India.



Union Cabinet approves MoU between India and Senegal in Health and Medicine

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has

approved signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between

India and Senegal in the field of Health and Medicine. Both countries

will set up a Working Group to further elaborate the details of

cooperation and to oversee the implementation of this MoU.

The main areas of cooperation under MoU

Integrated Disease Surveillance.

Medical Research.

Hospital Management.

Emergency Relief.

Drugs and Pharmaceutical products and hospital equipments.

AIDS Control.

Traditional Medicine.

Any other areas of mutual interest.



February 11, 2017

India and UK sign MoU to ease restrictions on number of scheduled flights

India and United Kingdom (UK) have signed a

MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) to ease

restrictions on the number of scheduled flights

between the two countries. The MoU was formally

signed by Union Minister of Civil Aviation

Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju on behalf of India

and Lord Tariq Ahmad of UK during his visit to India. Limits on flights from key Indian cities

including Chennai and Kolkata have been scrapped, allowing for a greater range of flights for

passengers while providing a boost to trade and tourism for the UK and India.

Kerala’s Nilambur teak to get GI tag

Kerala’s Nilambur teak known internationally for

its superior timber quality and elegant appearance

will be added to the list of Kerala produces with

the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. In this

regard, IPR Cell of the Kerala Agricultural

University (KAU) with the support of the Nilambur Teak Heritage Society, the Kerala Forest

Research Institute (KFRI) and the Department of Forests have applied for GI tag. Britishers were

first to identify the superior and unique quality of teak from Kerala’s Nilambur plantations and

forests. Later, the region became the major supplier of quality teak in the world.



ISRO develops Telemetry and Telecommand Processor

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has

indigenously developed Telemetry & Telecommand

Processor (TTCP) and its productionisation will be initiated

with the help of Indian industry. The processor

development was undertaken up by ISRO as part of ‘Make

in India’ campaign to replace the expensive imported

equipment necessary for uplinking and downlinking to satellites. TTCP has been developed by

Bengaluru based of ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC). Besides, Spacecraft Checkout Group of ISAC

is responsible for testing it. It will be used by ISRO in Integrated Spacecraft Testing of Low

Earth Orbit, Geostationary Orbit and Interplanetary Spacecraft.

HRD ministry constitute sub-committee of CABE on issues of girl’s education

The Union Human Resource Development (HRD)

Ministry has constituted a sub-committee of Central

Advisory Board of Education (CABE) to look into issues

of girl’s education. It will be headed by Telangana’s

Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister

Kadiyam Srihari. It will submit its report to the Union government within one year. Examine

reasons for low participation of girls in education, including the socio-economic factors with

resultant gender bias and suggest ways to reduce gender disparity to achieve better gender

parity index.



Union Commerce Ministry approves Revenue Insurance Scheme for Plantation

Crops

The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry has launched pilot Revenue Insurance Scheme

for Plantation Crops (RISPC) for protecting the growers

from the risks such as pest attacks, yield loss and income

decline caused by fall in prices. It was announced by

Union Minister of State (MoS) Commerce and Industry

Nirmala Sitharaman in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

RISPC announced in September 2016 is improved form of

the Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) Scheme, 2003 which was closed 2013. It was launched for

protecting growers of plantation crops from twin risks of yield loss due to pest attacks, adverse

weather parameters etc. and income loss caused by fall in domestic and international prices.

World’s first Braille Atlas for visually impaired persons released in New Delhi

The Union Minister for Science & Technology

and Earth Sciences Dr. Harsh Vardhan released

the Special Edition of ‚Atlas for Visually

Impaired (India)‛ in English Braille in New

Delhi. This Braille Atlas has been prepared by

National Atlas and Thematic Mapping

Organisation (NATMO) under Department of S&T. It is world’s first braille atlas for the visually

impaired. In the Braille Atlas, maps are raised and embossed with simple point and lines

symbols to facilitate users to realize the location and area coverage easily in terms of

distinguishable shapes and textures. It is made using indigenously developed silk-screen



painting technology. The legend and reference is also placed on map in Braille script to navigate

map.

Government unveils first phase of Station Redevelopment Programme

Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu unveiled the

first phase of the ambitious Station Redevelopment

Programme. It is the world’s largest transit-oriented

development programme ever executed. As part this

programme, tenders are being floated for 23 of a total

of the total 400 A1 and A category stations selected

re-developing in the first phase. Stations being modernised in 1st phase: Lokmanya Tilak, Pune,

Visakhapatnam, Thane,Howrah, Faridabad, Jammu Tawi, Kamakhya, Secunderabad, Udaipur

City, Vijaywada, Chennai Central, Ranchi, Kozhikode, Bangalore Cantt, Yesvantpur, Bhopal,

Mumbai Central, Bandra Terminus, Borivali and Indore.

February 12, 2017

India ranks 43rd out of 45 nations in 2017 International Intellectual Property Index

India ranked low 43rd among the surveyed 45 nations in 2017

International Intellectual Property Index (IIPI). In this edition, India is

just above Pakistan (44th) and Venezuela (45th). The fifth annual index

was released by US Chamber of Commerce’s Global Intellectual

Property Centre (GIPC) in its report titled ‘The Roots of Innovation’.

This year the index includes 90% of global gross domestic product (GDP) and seven new



economies Egypt, Hungary, Kenya, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and Spain were

included. India scored a meagre 8.75 out of a total of 35 points, falling significantly behind the

median score of 15.39. Besides, the average score of India’s regional neighbours was 17.64.

Government to set up Defence Procurement Organisation

The Union Government is planning to set up a Defence

Procurement Organisation (DPO), new procurement body to

integrate and streamline the long and arduous process of

defence acquisitions. The DPO will be a vertical under the

Union Defence Ministry. It will simplify the defence purchase

procedure by integrating procurement processes. Government

has modified several times the Defence Procurement Process, which applies to all defence

capital procurements to bring in transparency and speed up acquisitions.

National Deworming Day is observed on February 10

The National Deworming Day is observed every year on

February 10 with main objective to combat parasitic

worm infections among preschool and school-age

children across India. This year it is third edition of the

observance of this day after it was launched in 2015 by

the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). The goal of the day is to deworm

all preschool and school-age children between the ages of 1-19 years in order to improve their

overall health, cognitive development, nutritional status and quality of life. On this day,

Albendazole tablets are given to all targeted children. This year for the first time, deworming

tablets were given to the private schools children also.



Pakistan’s naval exercise Aman 2017 begins in Karachi

The Pakistan Navy has kicked of its biannually-held

multinational AMAN 2017 naval exercise in Karachi,

Pakistan. 37 countries are participating in the international

event. Aman-17 is the fifth edition such exercise which

Pakistan has been holding biannually since 2007. Previous

exercises were held in 2007, 2009, 20011, and 2013, and

2016 respectively. The theme of AMAN 2017 is ‚together for peace‛. It is intended to devise

procedures and techniques against conventional and non-conventional threats. The naval

exercise aims at enhancing efforts to combating piracy and protecting international trade routes.

It is divided into two phases viz. Harbor phase and Sea phase.

Government constitutes inter-departmental task force to crack down on benami

firms

The Union Government has constituted inter-departmental task force comprising members of

various regulatory Ministries and enforcement agencies

to crack down on benami firms. It is first major post-

demonetisation move undertaken by Government for

unearthing black money from shell companies used for

large-scale money laundering and tax evasion. The task

force will be headed by Revenue Secretary and

Corporate Affairs Secretary to monitor the actions taken by various agencies. The involved

agencies will invoke the stringent Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016



against the shell companies and freeze their accounts and strike off the names of dormant

companies.

February 13, 2017

Senior IAS officer Ajay Tyagi appointed as SEBI Chairman

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has

appointed senior bureaucrat Ajay Tyagi (58) as the new

chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India

(SEBI). Mr. Tyagi will have tenure of 5 years or till the age

of 65 years or until further orders. He will succeed UK

Sinha whose term ends on March 1, 2017. His name was

recommended by the search-cum-selection panel headed by the cabinet secretary along with

some other candidates. Ajay Tyagi is 1984 batch IAS (Indian Administrative Services) officer of

Himachal Pradesh cadre. Prior to this appointment, he was Additional secretary (investment) in

the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, handling the capital market division.

Union Government plans to invest Rs.2,200 crore in electronic technology start-

ups

The Union Government is targeting an investment

of about Rs. 2,200 crore in start-ups working on new

technologies in the electronic sector under the

Electronics Development Fund (EDF) by 2019. This



investment aims at creating an eco-system to make India a global hub for electronics

manufacturing. Earlier, Government had approved Rs.681 crore as seed capital for building a

total corpus of over Rs 6,800 crore under the EDF meant to support entrepreneurship and

innovation in electronics and IT.

National Productivity Day is observed on February 12

The National Productivity Day is observed every year on

February 12. Besides, February 12-18 is observed as National

Productivity week throughout the country. The main

observance of day is organised by National Productivity

Council (NPC) for encouraging all stakeholders in

implementation of productivity tools and techniques with

contemporary relevant themes. 2017 Theme of National Productivity Week: ‚From Waste to

Profits-through Reduce, Recycle and Reuse‛. To mark this day, various workshops,

essay/slogan/painting competitions, training programs, debates are organized during the week

to spread the message of productivity.

AAD interceptor missile successfully test-fired

Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor missile

dubbed as Ashwin was successfully test-fired from

launching complex-IV of Dhamara Abdul Kalam

defence base off Odisha coast. The test assed missile’s

killing capability by intercepting a target, mimicking

an incoming enemy missile in mid-air. The success of test has boosted India’s position in the

exclusive club of AAD countries United States, Russia and Israel. The interceptor missile is a



7.5-metre-long single stage solid rocket propelled guided missile. It is equipped with a

navigation system, a hi-tech computer, inertial navigation system and an electro-mechanical

activator.

February 14, 2017

Government to come out with 2nd PSB recapitalization plan Indradhanush 2.0

The Union Government is planning to come out with ‘Indradhanush

2.0’, a comprehensive plan for recapitalization of public sector

lenders. Indradhanush 2.0 will be finalized by Reserve Bank of India

(RBI) after completion of Asset Quality Review (AQR) which is

likely to be completed by end of March 2017. It aims to clean up the

balance sheets of PSBs to ensure banks remain solvent and fully

comply with global capital adequacy norms, Basel-III. Besides, revised programme of

capitalisation will be also issued as part of it.

World Radio Day is observed on February 13

The World Radio Day is observed every year on 13th February to

celebrate radio as the medium for entertainment, information and

the mode for communication. 2017 Theme: ‚Radio is You‛. It is a call

for greater participation of audiences and communities in the policy

and planning of radio broadcasting. Significance of Day: It marks

global celebration of radio as a forum for information and

entertainment that helps to bridge communication gap for remote communities and



empowering people. It also provides an opportunity to honour radio’s importance to bring

communities together and promote positive dialogue for change. To mark this day, United

Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) organizes different

activities with broadcasters, organizations and communities around the world.

INS Sarvekshak becomes India’s first ship to go green

Indian Navy’s survey vessel INS Sarvekshak, based at the

Southern Naval Command in Kochi became the first naval

ship to go green by installing a solar power system on board.

It has innovatively deployed the zero-maintenance solar

power system, capable of generating 5.4KW electricity and

replacing the ship’s traditional 4.4KW emergency diesel

alternator. The solar power generating system has been installed by customising and installing

‘razor-thin, flexible’ solar panels on the canopy of its telescopic (retractable) helicopter deck. It

has light weight, extra-thin and flexible unbreakable solar panels imported from US along with

no-fume solid electrolyte batterie.

India to host counter-radicalisation conference with ASEAN

India is planning to host a conference on counter-

radicalisation with the Association of Southeast

Asian Nations (ASEAN) in October 2017. It will

provide common platform to countries for sharing

experiences and ideas on prevention of

radicalisation amid rise of Islamic State and other extremist ideologies. This conference will also

help participating countries to learn from each other’s best practices on promoting



deradicalisation. It will mainly deal with the growing IS threat and make effort to counter

radicalisation and misuse of religion by groups and countries for inciting hatred and terrorism

February 15, 2017

70th BAFTA Awards 2017

The 70th British Academy of Film and Television Arts

(BAFTA) Awards ceremony was held at the Royal

Albert Hall in London. This year the BAFTA awards

were conferred for the outstanding performances in

films and documentaries screened at British Cinemas

in 2016. La La Land won the most awards at the event, winning five and was also most

nominated in 11 categories.

Winners are

Best Film: La La Land

Best Director: Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Best Actor: Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)

Best Actress: Emma Stone (La La Land)

Best Supporting Actor: Dev Patel (Lion)

Best Supporting Actress: Viola Davis (Fences)

Best Original Music: La La Land

Best Original Screenplay: Manchester by the Sea

Best Adapted Screenplay: Lion

Best Cinematography: La La Land

Best Editing: Hacksaw Ridge

Best British Short Film: Home



Best British Film: I, Daniel Blake

Best Film Not in the English Language: Son of Saul

Best Documentary: 13th

Best Animated Film: Kubo and the Two Strings

Best Costume Design: Jackie

59th Grammy awards 2017

The 59th Annual Grammy Awards were

announced by the Recording Academy

announced at the Staples Center in Los Angeles,

California. The ceremony recognized the best

recordings, compositions, and artists of the

eligibility year from October 1, 2015 to September 30, 2016. In this edition of awards, British

singer Adele won the most awards in 5 different categories. She also created history by

becoming first artist to win the top three categories twice (for first time in 2012).

Winners are

Album of the year: 25 – Adele

Record of the year: Hello – Adele

Song of the year: Hello – Adele

Best rap album: Chance the Rapper – Coloring Book

Best urban contemporary album: Beyonce – Lemonade

Best country solo performance: My Church – Maren Morris

Best rock song: Blackstar – David Bowie



Karnataka passes Bill to allow Kambala and bullock-cart racing

Karnataka Assembly has passed Prevention of Cruelty to

Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2017 to allow

kambala, the traditional buffalo race and bullock-cart

racing. The bill seeks to exempt kambala and bullock-cart

racing from the ambit of Prevention of Cruelty to

Animals (PCA) Act, 1960. Governor Vajubhai R. Vala

may refer the Bill to President for his assent as it amends central law. In November 2016, the

Karnataka high court had banned the kambala along with bull-cart race in the state while

hearing a case filed by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) citing animal

cruelty.

Reliance Defence signs warship repair pact with US Navy

Anil Ambani group led Reliance Defence and

Engineering Limited (RDEL) has signed a Master Ship

Repair Agreement (MSRA) with the US Navy to

provide repair and alteration services for ships of the

Seventh Fleet. With this, RDEL became first Indian

company (either public or private) to provide logistical

support to the US military within Indian territory. Under this agreement, RDEL will maintain

the vessels of US Seventh Fleet involving 100 vessels operating in the Indian Ocean. The signing

of a MSRA agreement is a follow-up to the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement

(LEMOA) signed between India and US in August 2016.



India’s first floating elementary school inaugurated on Manipur’s Loktak Lake

India’s first floating elementary school named

Loktak Elementary Floating School was

inaugurated at Langolsabi Leikai of Champu

Khangpok floating village on Loktak Lake in

Manipur. The first of its kind school aims to

provide education to drop outs students as well as illiterate adults. Currently it will provide

education to around 40 children from Class I-III by engaging two local teachers. It was opened

under the initiative undertaken by All Loktak Lake Fisherman’s Union with the support of an

NGO People Resources Development Association (PRDA). The school was established to arrest

the sudden high dropout rate of children living in the Champu Khangpok floating villages who

were rendered homeless due to the recent evacuation of phumdis.

DAE plans to develop uranium deposits in Meghalaya: Government

The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has planned to develop

large deposits of uranium found in Meghalaya to tap its potential to

generate substantial nuclear fuel for atomic power plants in the

country. It was announced by Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State

(MoS) in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), which looks after DAE, in

a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha. Uranium mineralization has been found over

a large area around Domiasiat, Lostoin, Wahkyn etc in the northeastern state of DAE’s Uranium

Corporation of India Ltd. (UCIL) already has made a plan to develop the uranium resources at

Domiasiat under the name of Kylleng Phendengsohiong Mawthabah (KPM) Uranium Mining

Project.



February 16, 2017

ISRO successfully launches record 104 satellites in single mission

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) created

history by successfully launching a record 104 satellites

in single mission. These satellites were launched on

board of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C37, on its

39th mission from Satish Dhawan Space Centre,

Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.’ Of the total 104 satellites,

three were Indian and remaining 101 belonged to international customers. India’s three

satellites included earth-mapping Cartosat-2 satellite (main payload) and nanosatellites INS-1A

and INS-1B.

FSSAI constitutes Panel on Food Fortification and Nutrition

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)

has constituted a Panel on Food Fortification and Nutrition to

identify critical nutritional gaps in the Indian diet in general

and also in specific target groups. The 11 member panel will

frame final regulations on fortification of foods and prepare

strategies to address malnutrition problem. The Panel will

identify critical nutritional gaps in the Indian diet in general and also in specific target groups

based on credible scientific evidence and diet surveys. It will review the standards required for

all suitable food fortifying vehicles in addition to healthy dietary intake of sugar, fat and salt.



IAF inducts indigenous early warning system NETRA

The Indian Airforce (IAG) has formally inducted the first

indigenously built Airborne Early Warning and Control

System (AEW&C) dubbed as NETRA. The AEW&C

NETRA has been indigenously developed by the

Defence Research and Development Organisation

(DRDO). It was unveiled at the 2017 Aero India

exhibition held in Bengaluru, Karnataka. AEW&C are airborne radar systems mounted on a

carrier jet for airborne surveillance system i.e. to detect and track aircraft, missiles, ships and

vehicles and provide command and control to direct friendly forces.

India joins UN network to halve maternal, newborn deaths

India has joined Network for Improving Quality of Care

for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, a global health

network focused on improving the quality of care for new

mothers and babies. The network is supported by World

Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations International

Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other partners. India is among nine countries that will be part of

the network. Other countries are Bangladesh, A Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi,

Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda. Under this network, countries will work to improve the quality

of health care facilities to mothers and babies. They will strengthen national efforts to end

preventable deaths of pregnant women and newborns by 2030.



Scientists develop Thubber, stretchable rubber material with high thermal

conductivity

Scientists have developed novel rubber like material nicknamed ‘thubber’ which has high

thermal conductivity and elasticity. It is an electrically insulating

composite material that exhibits an unprecedented combination of

metal-like thermal conductivity, elasticity similar to soft, biological

tissue. Thubber consists of a soft elastomer with non-toxic, liquid

metal microdroplets suspended within it. This semi-liquid state

allows the metal to deform with the surrounding rubber at room

temperature. When it is pre-stretched at room temperature, it stretches up to six times its initial

length. During this phase, liquid metal microdroplets form into elongated pathways through

which heat can easily travel through. At the same time, the material is electrically insulating.

IMF opens technical assistance and training centre SARTTAC in New Delhi

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has opened a

first-of-its-kind South Asia Training and Technical

Assistance Centre (SARTTAC) in New Delhi for

economic capacity building in South Asia. It will work to

support local member countries of South Asia viz. India,

Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka to

build human and institutional capacity and implement policies for growth and poverty

reduction.



Scientists discover 1970s banned chemicals in deep ocean fauna

Scientists for the first time have found high levels of

human-made pollutants, including chemicals that were

banned in the 1970s, in the tissues of marine creatures

dwelling in the deepest oceans of the Earth. These

chemicals were discovered after sampling amphipods

from the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana and Kermadec

trenches, which are over 10 km deep and 7,000 km apart. Researchers found presence of

extremely high levels of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the organism’s fatty tissue.

These POPs include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers

(PBDEs) which are commonly used as electrical insulators and flame retardants.

No need to stand if National Anthem is part of film: SC

The Supreme Court has clarified that there is no need

to stand inside a cinema hall when the national

anthem is featured as a part of a film, documentary or

a newsreel. This is second clarification issued by SC

on its November 2016 order, directing all persons to

stand up when the national anthem is sung or played in a cinema theatre. The apex court’s

clarification came after several applications were filed on the question, including from the

Kodungallur Film Society and the Conference for Human Rights. Earlier in December 2016, SC

had issued first modification to its order to exempt physically challenged or handicapped

persons from standing up when national anthem is played before film screenings.



February 17, 2017

Union Cabinet approves merger of SBI, 5 associate banks

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister

Narendra Modi has approved the merger of State Bank

of India (SBI) with five of its associate/subsidiary banks.

These five subsidiary banks are State Bank of Bikaner

and Jaipur, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of

Mysore, State Bank of Patiala and State Bank of

Travancore. The Union Cabinet also approved the introduction of a Bill in Parliament to repeal

the State Bank of India (Subsidiary Banks) Act, 1959 and the State Bank of Hyderabad Act, 1956.

Union Cabinet approves bill to amend Collection of Statistics Act, 2008

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister

Narendra Modi has approved introduction of Bill in

Parliament to extend the jurisdiction of the Collection of

Statistics Act, 2008 to Jammu & Kashmir. The

Amendment will be pertained to statistics under Union

(List-I) and Concurrent lists (List- III) in the Seventh

Schedule to the Constitution and Constitution (Application to Jammu & Kashmir) Order, 1954.

It will strengthen data collection mechanism in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. It will extend the

jurisdiction of the parent Act to J&K in respect of matters not reserved for the State as per the

1954 Order.



Government launches TAMRA Portal and Mobile App

The Ministry of Mines has launched Transparency,

Auction Monitoring and Resource Augmentation

(TAMRA) Portal and Mobile Application to ensure

transparent award of statutory Clearances for

mining operations The TAMRA platform was

simultaneously launched across 12 mineral rich states as a part of the Ease of Doing Business in

the Mining sector and to double mining contribution to GDP. The TAMRA covers block-wise,

state-wise and mineral-wise information of mines to be auctioned. It monitors various statutory

clearances and also highlights the additional resources generated through e-auction.

Union Cabinet approves establishment of Food Legumes Research Platform at

Amlaha

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved establishment of

Food Legumes Research Platform (FLRP) at Amlaha in Sehore,

Madhya Pradesh with Satellite Hubs in West Bengal and Rajasthan.

Cabinet approval confers FLRP an international status as

contemplated in Clause 3 of the United Nations (Privileges and

Immunities) Act, 1947. It authorizes the Department of Agricultural

Research (DARE) on behalf of Union Government in all matters regarding establishment of the

Platform. The FLRP will be established by International Centre for Agricultural Research in Dry

Areas (ICARDA) for meeting the emerging food security challenges.



CCEA approves contract awards for 44 small oil and gas fields

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)

has approved to award contract in 31 contract areas of

small oil and gas fields belonging to ONGC and Oil

India Limited (OIL) The contract areas include 44 fields,

28 inland and 16 offshore. The will be awarded under

Discovered Small Field Policy bid round – 2016. The

award of contract is expected to provide faster development of oil and gas fields and facilitate

production of oil and gas thereby increasing energy security of the country. These areas were

discovered long back but could not be monetized due to various reasons such as isolated

locations, high development costs, small size of reserves, technological constraints, fiscal regime

etc.

February 18, 2017

India ranks 143rd in 2017 Economic Freedom Index

India was ranked 143rd out of 186 economies in the

annual Index of Economic Freedom 2017 that

measures the degree of economic freedom in the

countries of the world. The index was released by

top US based Think Tank, The Heritage Foundation.

In this edition, India’s overall score was 52.6 points, 3.6 points less than scored in 2016 when it

was ranked 123rd. The Index of Economic Freedom ranks countries based on score ranging 0 to

100, with 0 being the least free and 100 the most free. The score is based on ten factors of



economic freedom, separated into four categories, using statistics from international

organizations like World Bank, IMF, Economist Intelligence Unit and Transparency

International.

RBI allows multilateral FIs to invest in masala bonds

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has permitted

multilateral and regional financial institutions (FIs) to

invest in ‘masala bonds’, rupee denominated bonds

issued by Indian entities. This decision will allow

multilateral agencies like Asian Development Bank

(ADB) and BRICS led New Development Bank (NDB)

to invest in these bonds. It also provides more choices

of investors to Indian entities issuing rupee-denominated bonds abroad. The Masala bonds refer

to rupee-denominated bonds through which Indian entities can raise money from foreign

markets in rupee, and not in foreign currency.

Hindi Scholar and writer Surendra Verma selected for 2016 Vyas Samman award

Renowned Hindi Scholar, litterateur and playwright Surendra Verma

(75) was selected for the prestigious Vyas Samman 2016. He was

chosen for this award for his novel Kaatna Shami Ka Vriksha : Padma

Pankhuri Ki Dhar Se, published in 2010. Born on September 7, 1941 in

Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh He had started his career as a teacher and later

writing stories. His first play was Surya ki antim kiran sesurya kipahli kiran tak (From the Sun’s

Last Ray to the Sun’s First Ray`). It has been translated in six different languages So far he has

published fifteen titles of short stories, novels, satires and play. Some of them Mujhe Chand



Chahiyae, Surya Ki Antim Kiran Se Surya Ki Pahli Kiran Tak, Athwan Sarg and Qaid-e-Hayat

etc.

SC introduces Middle Income Group Scheme

The Supreme Court has introduced Middle Income

Group Scheme, (MIGS) a self-supporting scheme for

providing legal services to the middle and relatively

lower income groups. Under this scheme, middle class

people who cannot afford the expensive litigation in the

apex can avail the services of the society for a nominal

amount. MIGS is a self-supporting scheme that will provide legal services to the middle income

group citizens whose gross income does not exceed Rs.60, 000 per month or Rs. 7, 50, 000 per

annum. A case will be registered under the MIG Legal Aid Scheme and forwarded to Advocate-

on-Record/ Senior Counsel/Arguing Counsel on the panel for their opinion.

Edappadi K Palaniswamy sworn-in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu

Edappadi K Palaniswamy was sworn in as the 13th

chief minister of Tamil Nadu. He was administered oath

of office and secrecy in a simple ceremony held at the

Durbar Hall of Raj Bhavan in Chennai, state capital.

Along with Palaniswamy, 30 other ministers also took

oath, with the total strength of the cabinet at 31. Now

Palaniswamy will seek vote of confidence on the floor of the state Assembly. He is a senior

leader of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). At present, he



incumbent Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Edapadi constituency in the Salem

district in Tamil Nadu.

February 19, 2017

ISRO successfully tests largest cryogenic engine for GSLV Mark III rocket

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has

successfully ground tested India’s largest

indigenously developed Cryogenic Upper Stage

engine for GSLV Mark III. It was tested for full

10 minutes at ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion

Complex (ILPC) at Mahendragiri in Tirunelveli

district of Tamil Nadu. The C25 stage is the most powerful upper stage so far developed by

ISRO. It uses Liquid Oxygen and Liquid Hydrogen propellant combination stored at minus 253

degrees centigrade. The development of C25 cryogenic stage will provide ISRO capability to

launch 4 ton class satellites in Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), an altitude where

satellites revolve in sync with Earth’s rotation.

Indian Coast Guard Ship ICGS AYUSH commissioned

Indian Coast Guard Ship ICGS AYUSH was

commissioned at Kochi, Kerala by Vice Admiral AR

Karwe, Flag Officer Commanding-in- Chief, Southern

Naval Command. ICGS AYUSH is the 20th and the



last in the series of 20 Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) built by Cochin Shipyard Ltd. ICGS AYUSH is

fitted with state-of- the-art navigational and communication equipment including Integrated

Bridge System (IBS) and Machinery Control System (MCS). The ship is capable of undertaking

multifarious tasks such as surveillance, interdiction, search and rescue, anti-smuggling and

medical evacuation.

Indian Navy’s INSV Tarini inducted

Indian Navy’s second ocean-going sailboat INSV Tarini was

inducted at the INS Mandovi Boat Pool on Saturday in Goa.

INSV Tarini is a sloop built by Divar-based Aquarius Shipyard.

It is slated to be the platform for the Indian Navy’s first Indian

all-women circumnavigation of the globe expedition. INSV

(Indian Naval Sailing Vessel) Tarini has been built to a stock

design called called Tonga 56 by Van de Stadt, the Netherlands. It carries a suite of six sails,

including a main sail, head sails (Genoa and stay sails), downwind sails and storm sail.

Scientists develop high-quality graphene from soybean

Scientists from Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and

Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) have made

world’s strongest material graphene commercially more

viable by using soybean. They have developed a novel

‚GraphAir technology‛ which transforms soybean oil, a

renewable, natural material into graphene films in a single



step. Earlier, graphene was produced in a highly-controlled environment with explosive

compressed gases that required long hours of operation at high temperatures and extensive

vacuum processing.

Maharashtra Government approves cloud seeding project for 2017 monsoon

Maharashtra Government has approved Rs. 250 crore Cloud

Seeding Programme during 2017 monsoon season to produce

sufficient rain. Under this programme, weather scientists using

aircrafts will spray chemicals (silver iodide) over clouds clouds

hovering above Solapur district, a rain shadow region of

Western Ghats in the state. This will be the first controlled

experiment to quantify the extent to which clouds form water drops large enough to make rain.

This programme, coordinated by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, will be the first

controlled experiment to quantify the extent to which clouds form water drops large enough to

make rain.

NRAI gets highest WHO ratings for vaccine regulations

India’s vaccine regulatory body NRAI (National Regulatory

Authority of India) was given the maximum ratings by the

World Health Organisation (WHO) for vaccine regulations.

The ratings were given by WHO after completing the

assessment of the status of the NRAI system against WHO

NRA Global Benchmarking Tool and measured the maturity

of the system in India. India is one of the main players in the pharmaceutical industry

worldwide and often is referred as pharmacy of the world. India, as a large vaccine producing



country, is currently supplying several vaccines to the United Nations agencies (UNICEF, WHO

and PAHO)

February 20, 2017

Govt Cuts Tenure Of SEBI Chairman-Designate Ajay Tyagi By 2 Years

The government said that the tenure of the next

chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India

(Sebi), Ajay Tyagi, will ‚initially‛ be for three years. The

earlier order issued had said Tyagi’s term will be for a

period not exceeding five years or till the age of 65. A

government official said the latest order was issued to

clear up ambiguity on the length of the tenure. The new order said the term will be for an initial

three-year perio.

South Asian Speakers’ Summit starts in Indore

Speakers of six countries will deliberate on ways to achieve

sustainable development goals during a two-day South

Asian Speakers' Summit. The summit, was inaugurated by

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Saturday, will be

attended by presiding officers and delegates from

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives and

Nepal. It will conclude with the adoption of an 'Indore

Declaration' - laying down the outcome of the discussions and action points agreed upon by the



participants - at a closing ceremony. The summit will have a plenary session on 'Identifying

Resources for SDGs Implementation in South Asia: Opportunities for Parliamentary

Cooperation' on the inaugural day.

India bag silver medal at women’s Asian Rugby Sevens Trophy

India won the silver medal at the women’s

Asian Rugby Sevens Trophy having won five

matches and lost one. In the seven-nation round-

robin competition, India defeated Laos 22-7,

Philippines 12-5, Nepal 43-0 and Malaysia by 26-

12. On the second day, India defeated Pakistan

by 5-0 and in the last match were beaten by South Korea by 0-29. As per Asia Rugby’s

tournament statistics, Indian Hupi Majhi was one amongst the top three Try Scorers of the

tournament and Meerarani Hembram was the third highest in the conversions. The sterling

performance that this power-packed team of women has showcased at an international level

has made India proud. Tremendous potential for women’s rugby to grow heaps and bounds in

our country and make our mark globally.

SIB wins award for tech security practices

South Indian Bank (SIB) was awarded with ISO 27001:

2013 certification for its Information Security

Management System (ISMS). The certification process

involved an extensive audit, conducted by British

Standards Institution (BSI) against the criteria set out by

the ISO 27001:2013 standards on various domains of IT functions. The award demonstrates



SIB’s total commitment to benchmarking technology framework and processes with

international standards and commitment to long term vision for security best practices. SIB

already has received ISO 9001 Quality Management certification for its Credit Department,

Personnel Department and Data Centre. ISMS is set of policies and procedures for

systematically managing an organization’s sensitive data. Its goal is to minimize risk and ensure

business continuity by pro-actively by limiting the impact of a security breach.

Canara Bank inks MoU with HRD Ministry to start HEFA

Canara Bank has signed a memorandum of

understanding (MoU) with Union Ministry of Human

Resource Development (MHRD) to operationalise the

Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA). It will allow

MHRD and Canara Bank to jointly promote HEFA with

an authorised capital of Rs. 2,000 crore. HEFA is a special purpose vehicle that aims to give a

major push for the creation of high quality infrastructure and capital assets in premier

educational institutions. It will leverage equity to raise up to Rs. 20,000 crore for funding

infrastructure and development projects for setting up world class Labs in IITs/IIMs/NITs and

such other institutions. It will also mobilise CSR funds from corporates/PSUs which will in turn

be released for promoting research and innovation in these institutions on a grant basis.



February 21, 2017

Scientists claim discovery of Zealandia a submerged continent in Pacific Ocean

Geologists have claimed discovery of new geological

continent named Zealandia submerged beneath the south-

west Pacific Ocean. Zealandia is around 4.5-million square

km land mass and is 94% under water. Only its highest

points — New Zealand and New Caledonia are visible.

Zealandia is two-thirds the size of Australia and spreads out over 4.9-million-square kilometres

of continental crust. It was once a part of Australia. It is believed that it had broken off from

Antarctica about 100 million years ago, and then from Australia about 80 million years ago as

part of the breakup of super-continent Gondwanaland and sank beneath sea.

Barren Island: India’s only live volcano active again

According to scientists from Goa based National

Institute of Oceanography (NIO), India’s only live

volcano at Barren Island in the Andaman and Nicobar

has become active again. After lying dormant for 150

years, Barren Island volcano had erupted in 1991 and

since then it is showing sporadic activity. Now it is erupting in small episodes of five to 10

minutes. According to scientists, the active Barren island volcano is spewing smoke, ash and

lava once again. It is claimed that volcanoes is erupting the rising magma formed deep in the

mantle due to the melting of the subducted Indian Ocean crust.



Researchers develop first stretchable integrated circuit using an inkjet printer

Researchers from US based Michigan State University

have developed the first stretchable integrated circuit

(IC) made entirely using an inkjet printer. This elastic

material is made up of several materials fabricated from

nanomaterials and organic compounds. These

compounds are dissolved in solution to produce

different electronic inks, which can easily run through printer to make devices. Using the ink,

the researchers have successfully created the elastic material, the circuit and the organic light-

emitting diode (OLED). The next step is combining the circuit and OLED into a single pixel.

World Day of Social Justice is observed on February 20

The World Day of Social Justice is observed every year on

February 20 to recognize the need to promote efforts to tackle

issues such as poverty, exclusion and unemployment. To

mark this occasion, UN and International Labour Office had

organised several organisations to spread importance of

social justice for people. 2017 Theme: ‚Preventing conflict

and sustaining peace through decent work‛. According to UN, social justice means removal of

barriers that people face in the name of ethnicity, gender, age, religion, disability and culture.



GST council approves law to compensate states for revenue loss

The GST Council has approved a law to

compensate states for any loss of revenue from the

implementation of the new nationwide indirect

taxation regime. The meeting was held in Udaipur,

Rajasthan first time outside national capital. It was

headed by Union Finance Minister and attended

by representatives from all states. GST is a consumption based indirect tax levied on sale,

manufacture and consumption on goods and services at a national level. It will replace a

plethora of central and state indirect taxes. The Compensation Law provides compensation to

states that will incur losses because of implementation of the Goods and Service Tax (GST) in

the first five years.

February 22, 2017

India, Rwanda sign MoUs in innovation, aviation and visa requirements

India and Rwanda have inked three agreements in the

fields of innovation, aviation and visa requirements to

boost bilateral relations. These agreements were signed

in Kigali in the presence of Vice President Mohammed

Hamid Ansari and Rwandan Prime Minister Anastase

Murekezi during a business forum meet. Vice President

is the first Indian leader to officially visit Rwanda. He launched India-Rwanda innovation



growth programme. Bilateral air service agreement between two countries. Agreement for

exemption of visa requirements for diplomatic and service passports.

Government launches SAATHIYA Resource Kit and SAATHIYA SALAH mobile

app for adolescents

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched SAATHIYA Resource Kit and

SAATHIYA SALAH mobile app for adolescents

as part of the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya

Karyakram (RKSK) programme. The kit and app

will help Peer Educators (Saathiyas) who are

introduced under the RKSK programme. The

Saathiyas act as catalyst for generating demand

for adolescent health services and also impart age appropriate knowledge on key adolescent

health issues to their peer groups. India is home to 253 million adolescents which is largest in

the world in terms of absolute numbers. Their health and wellness is utmost priority as they

are the critical mass of asset which in future will be the biggest demographic dividends to the

country’s economy.

Government announces expansion of rotavirus vaccine in 5 states

The Union Government has announced the expansion of rotavirus

vaccine in five additional states under Universal Immunisation

Programme (UIP). They are Assam, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh,

Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. The announcement comes after 38 lakh

children were vaccinated when the vaccine was first introduced in



four states – Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The rotavirus is one of

the most common causes of severe diarrhoea in children less than 2 years of age. It is one of the

biggest killers in children in India. It is responsible for nearly 78,000 deaths, 32 lakh out-patient

visits and nearly 9 lakh hospitalizations every year.

Government releases new format for recording, reporting road accident data

The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has released the

new format for recording and reporting road accident data. The

uniform accident-recording format has been drawn on the lines of

developed countries. It has been forwarded to all state police and

transport departments for adaptation and to furnish annual road

accident data. Police, transport department and other agencies rather merely putting blame on

driver, should consider factor in circumstances such as road conditions, visibility, signage and

weather that led to an accident first. The concerned authorities will have to furnish five-point

information regarding every accident, which will be monitored centrally.

Gujarat Assembly passes Aadhaar Bill, 2017

The Gujarat Assembly has passed Gujarat Aadhaar

(Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies,

Benefits and Services) Bill, 2017. The bill seeks to

empower the state government to use Aadhaar number

as the sole identifier for the delivery of various

subsidies and benefits in an effective and targeted

manner. By linking the Aadhhaar number with various schemes will help the state government

create a credible system to authenticate the identity of actual beneficiaries. As of now, Gujarat



government provides various subsidies and financial assistance to the citizens under 119

schemes using RTGS or through cheques.

MoU signed for welfare of Handicraft Artisans belonging to Scheduled Castes

The Union Ministry of Textiles and Ministry of Social Justice and

Empowerment have signed MoU to step up interventions for the

welfare and economic development of scheduled caste artisans. The

MoU was signed between Development Commissioner (Handicrafts),

Ministry of Textiles and National Scheduled Castes Finance and

Development Corporation (NSFDC), a CPSU under Ministry of Social Justice. Continuous and

extensive collaboration between NSFDC and Office of DC (Handicrafts). Assessment and gap

identification through popularising various schemes by holding awareness camps.

February 23, 2017

Government launches Bharat QR code

The Union Government has launched Bharat QR

code, a quick response (QR) code to enable digital

payments without card swiping machines. It is

world’s first interoperable payment acceptance

solution launched by Indian Government to move

towards less-cash economy. Bharat QR code has been

developed by jointly by National Payments

Corporation of India (NPCI), Visa, MasterCard and American Express under instructions from



Reserve Bank of India (RBI). It works as common interface for the MasterCard/Visa/RuPay

platforms and also facilitate acceptance of Aadhaar-enabled payments and Unified Payments

Interface (UPI).

Government launches Cyber Swachhta Kendra in New Delhi

The Union Ministry of Electronics and

Information Technology (MeitY) has launched

Cyber Swachhta Kendra in New Delhi for Botnet

cleaning and Malware analysis. It was launched

by Union Minister of Electronics and IT Ravi

Shankar Prasad as part of Union Government’s

ambitious digital India initiative to create a secure cyber space by detecting botnet infections.

Besides, minister also launched some cyber security tools. They are

USB Pratirodh: It is a desktop security solution to protect from USB mass storage device

threats.

AppSamvid: It is a desktop solution to protect systems by allowing installation of genuine

applications through white listing. It helps in preventing threats from malicious applications.

M-Kavach: It is an indigenously developed mobile application to address the security threats in

mobiles.



Shurhozelie Liezitsu sworn-in as Chief Minister of Nagaland

Shurhozelie Liezitsu (81) was sworn-in as the 17th Chief

Minister of Nagaland. He was administered the oath of

office and secrecy by Governor PB Acharya at a

ceremony in the state capital Kohima. He succeeded TR

Zeliang, who had resigned as the Chief Minister

following widespread protests over reservation to women in local body elections. Besides CM,

10 other members of the Council also took oath. His political career spans over four decades

since he was first elected to the state assembly in 1969 from northern Angami-I constituency

under Kohima district. He also has served the office eight times, holding different ministerial

portfolios, including education and planning. He was the Minister for Higher education till

2013.

National Biodiversity Congress 2017 held in Kerala

The National Biodiversity Congress (NBC) 2017

was held in Thiruvananthapuram, capital of

Kerala. The event is hosted by the Kerala State

Biodiversity Board. NBC is one of the significant

biodiversity mega events of the country. It aims to

identify practical, evidence-based case studies at

the regional level to support the plan of action. The

focal theme of 2017 NBC was ‚Mainstreaming Biodiversity for Sustainable Development‛. This

edition of the event had organised array of programmes including exhibition, conference,

capacity building workshops and Children’s Biodiversity Congress. National Biodiversity



Conference, governed by a national advisory committee comprising biodiversity conservation

experts was also held.

International Mother Language Day is observed on February 21

The International Mother Language Day (IMLD)

was observed across the world on 21 February to

promote awareness of linguistic,

multilingualism and cultural diversity. This year

it is the 17th anniversary of IMLD. The

observance of this day signifies importance of

mother language as the greatest weapon to express one’s feeling. Mother Language of one

country is the sign of independence of that country. 2017 Theme: ‚Towards Sustainable Futures

through Multilingual Education‛. The International Mother Language Day was instituted by

the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) by passing resolution 61/266 in 2007. The

resolution had called upon member states ‚to promote the preservation and protection of all

languages used by peoples of the world. Since 2007, it is observed annually by member states to

promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.

Government approves Phase II of coastal surveillance project

The Union Defence Ministry has given its nod to the

Phase II of coastal surveillance project to expand the

coastal radar surveillance network. It will strengthen

surveillance of over 7,500-km coastline of the country. The

decision was taken by the Defence Acquisition Council

(DAC), chaired by Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. It also approved proposal of



setting up of a shore-based intermediate engine repair facility for the Indian Navy’s MiG-29K

fighters at the Naval yard in Goa.

February 24, 2017

India-China first Strategic Dialogue held in Beijing

The first Strategic Dialogue between India and

China was held in Beijing, capital of China to

shore up bilateral ties. The meeting was co-

chaired by India’s Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar

and China’s Executive Vice Foreign minister

Zhang Yesui. The Strategic Dialogue mechanism

between both countries was agreed to during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to India

in August 2016. In the first meeting, both countries discussed all issues of mutual interest in

bilateral, regional and international domain. They also discussed issues of mutual concern and

interest including friction points.

Astronomers discover 7 new Earth-sized exoplanets that may sustain life

Astronomers from NASA (National Aeronautics

and Space Administration) for the first time have

discovered seven new Earth-sized exoplanets that

may be able to sustain life. The planets were

detected using NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope

and several ground-based observatories



including Trappist robotic telescope at La Silla, Chile. These exoplanets are orbiting dwarf star

named Trappist-1, which at 39 light years away. They could have some liquid water and maybe

supporting life. Of the seven planets, three are classified as TRAPPIST-1 e, f and g. These three

planets orbit in the habitable (so-called Goldilocks zone) where temperatures are suited to

surface oceans of liquid water.

CCEA approves doubling of solar power capacity to 40000 MW

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)

has approved the enhancement of capacity from 20,000

MW to 40,000 MW of the Scheme for Development of

Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects. The

capacity of the solar park scheme was enhanced after

considering the demand for additional solar parks from the States. The enhanced capacity will

ensure setting up of at least 50 solar parks each with a capacity of 500 MW and above in various

parts of the country. All the States/UTs are eligible for benefits under the scheme. Under this

scheme, smaller parks will also be considered in Himalayan and other hilly States where

contiguous land may be difficult to acquire in view of the difficult terrain.

CCEA approves $854.4 million investment for 900-MW Arun 3 hydropower project

in Nepal

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved

investment for the generation component of 900-MW Arun 3

hydropower project for an estimated Rs. 5723.72 crore ($854.4 million).

The project is located on Arun River in Sankhuwasabha district of



eastern Nepal. It is expected to be completed within five years from the date of financial closure,

which is planned for September 2017. The project is based on Run-of-River scheme that

envisages about 70 metre high concrete gravity dam and 74 Km Head Race Tunnel (HRT). It

also has underground Power House containing four generating units of 225 MW each on Left

Bank.

Union Cabinet apporves agreement between India and Poland for cooperation in

agriculture

The Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing of an Agreement between India and

Poland on cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied

sectors. Decision in this regard was taken by the Union

Cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi

in New Delhi. The agreement covers various activities in the

field of agriculture and allied sector including exchange of

information on the current situation in agriculture. It also includes exchange of information on

the phytosanitary conditions of crops, threats posed by harmful organisms and animal

infectious diseases.

Union Cabinet approves Air Services Agreement between India and Greece

Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has

approved the signing of Air Services Agreement (ASA) between India

and Greece. At present there is no ASA between India and Greece. The

delegations both countries in September 2016 had finalized the text of

ASA. The agreement is as per latest International Civil Aviation.



Under this agreement, both countries will be entitled to designate one or more airline. The

designated airlines of either country will have right to establish offices for the promotion end

sale of air services in the territory of the other country.

February 25, 2017

Sikkim becomes 22nd State to join UDAY

Sikkim became 22nd state in the country to join Union

Government’s Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana

(UDAY). In this regard, Central Government and the

state government have signed MoU for operational

improvement of Sikkim’s Power Distribution

Department. The MoU paves way to improve

operational efficiency of the Power Distribution department of the State. It will derive an

Overall Net Benefit of approximately Rs. 356 crores to the state. AT&C losses and transmission

losses in the state will be brought down through compulsory distribution transformer metering,

consumer indexing & GIS mapping of losses, upgrading transformers, meters etc.

CBEC launches mobile application for GST updates

The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has

launched a mobile application for Goods and Services

Tax (GST) to inform the taxpayers of the latest updates

on GST. The app has been launched inline Union

Government’s flagship Digital India initiative. It enables



taxpayers to be well informed of the latest updates on GST. Draft Law-Model GST Law, IGST

Law and GST Compensation Law Migration to GST-Approach and guidelines for migration

Draft Rules-Rules related to Registration, Payment, Returns, Refund and Invoice. FAQs

(Frequently Asked Questions) on GST Various resources on GST such a articles, videos etc.

Helpdesk/Email Contact.

Indian Railways unveils Antyodaya Express

Indian Railways has unveiled Antyodaya Express, a new

train for the unreserved passengers. It was unveiled by

Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu in New Delhi’s

Safdarjang station. The first Antyodaya Express is slated to

start between Mumbai (Maharashtra) and Tatanagar

(Jharkhand) and second between Ernakulam and Howrah. The facilities provided in Antyodaya

coaches are similar in first class coaches in line with purpose of antyodaya which means

upliftment of Aam Aadmi (common man). The coaches of train are fully unreserved LHB (Linke

Hofmann Busch) second class coaches with additional safety features manufactured at the

Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai.

Bet Dwarka Darshan Circuit in Gujarat to be developed under HRIDAY

The Union Ministry of Urban Development approved

development of 6 km long Bet Dwarka Darshan Circuit in

Gujarat under Heritage City Development and Augmentation

Yojana (HRIDAY). Decision in this regard, was taken HRIDAY

National Empowered Committee meeting chaired by Urban

Development Secretary in New Delhi. The circuit will connect famous Dwarkadish Haveli and



Hanuman Dandi (only temple housing Hanumanji and his son Makardhwaj) in Dwarka district

of Gujarat at a cost of Rs. 16.27 crore. There are two important water bodies along the circuit

viz., Shankhudhar Lake and Ranchod Talav. Under this project development works will be

undertaken along the circuit.

WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement comes into effect

The Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) in Goods of World Trade

Organisation (WTO) came into effect with its ratification by two-thirds

members of WTO including India. The TFA in Goods was adopted by

the WTO Members in 2014. It aims to streamline, simplify, standardise

and ease customs procedures and norms. It will help to cut trade costs

around the world. The TFA in Goods is the WTO’s first-ever multilateral accord that aims to

simplify customs regulations for the cross-border movement of goods.

India, Israel to develop MR-SAM missile system for Army

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a deal to

jointly develop a medium range surface-to-air missile (MR-

SAM) system for Army with help of Israel. The deal will be

executed by the Defence Research and Development

Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI).

The approved deal is for five regiments of the MR-SAM system, which consists of 40 units and

200 missiles. It has a range of 50-70 km. The system will be based on the older Barak system of

Israel, which is in use in India. It will be manufactured in India and will have an 80%

indigenous content.



February 26, 2017

PM Narendra Modi unveils 112 foot Shiva Statue in Coimbatore

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a 112-feet-tall Lord

Shiva statue on the occasion of Mahashivratri at Isha

Foundation in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The statue is

dedicated to Adiyogi, an incarnation of Lord Shiva who is

considered to be the first of yogis. It is made of steel and

weighs 500 tonnes. On this occasion, PM Modi also released the

book ‘Adiyoga: The source of Yoga’, which deals with yogic sciences. The Union Government

has allowed Tamil Nadu Government to increase the number of workdays under the Mahatma

Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) scheme in Tamil Nadu from existing 100

days to 150 days.

Union Government allows Tamil Nadu to increase number of workdays under

MGNREGA

The Union Government has allowed Tamil Nadu

Government to increase the number of workdays under

the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee

(MGNREGA) scheme in Tamil Nadu from existing 100

days to 150 days. The rise in workdays aims at helping

rural labourers, who are staring at job loss due to severe

drought in the state. Due to enhancement of the work days, 3 crore more man-days are to be



generated. Works like maintenance of other rural assets and desilting of waterbodies in rural

areas will be undertaken under the scheme. In Tamil Nadu, MGNREGA scheme is being

implemented in 12,524 villages.

India’s first hill station bicycle path inaugurated in Darjeeling

India’s first hill station bicycle path was inaugurated in

Darjeeling, West Bengal at an altitude of over 2,000

metres. The 20 km long cycle route runs through thick

pine forest and Senchal wildlife sanctuary, one of

India’s oldest nature reserves. The route starts from

near Jorebunglow, south of Darjeeling and ends at a small local First Hill Station Bicycle

Patheco-village resort in Chatakpur. Darjeeling is a popular tourist destination in India. It is

famous for its tea industry, spectacular views of Kangchenjunga, the world’s third-highest

mountain and UNESCO World Heritage Site and Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.

Former Nagaland CM Zeliang appointed as Finance Advisor to state government

Former Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang was appointed as

Finance Advisor to the state government He was appointed by

the Governor P B Acharya. This post will be in the rank of a

cabinet minister and will receive the pay and allowances

admissible to a cabinet minister. Zeliang had resigned from the

chief ministership on February 19, 2017 following protest of

the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) and Nagaland Tribal Action Committee (NTAC) due

his decision to hold elections to urban bodies with 33% reservation for women and violating

customary laws of Nagas.



Pakistan, Turkey sign 10 agreements to enhance bilateral ties

Pakistan and Turkey have signed 10 agreements and

MoUs to enhance their bilateral cooperation in various

fields. These agreements were signed during Prime

Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to Turkey. The agreements

were signed in the fields of hydrocarbons, information,

environment, forestry, exchange of financial intelligence

relating to money laundering and exchange of armed forces personnel. Both countries also

hosted the 5th Session of Pakistan-Turkey High Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC),

a framework for consultations at the highest political level between the two sides.

February 27, 2017

UBI ties up with IRCTC to launch railway booking facility

Kolkata-based United Bank of India (UBI) has

launched a railway ticket booking facility by having a

direct tie-up IRCTC. The facility was launched on

February 21. Post the introduction of this facility, UBI

customers can now book railway tickets seamlessly

through IRCTC website using the bank’s debit card.



Vivek Chaand Sehgal named EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2016

Vivek Chaand Sehgal, the 60-year-old chairman of auto parts

maker Motherson Sumi Systems Ltd, has been named Indian

entrepreneur of the year 2016 by EY, the consulting firm

formerly known as Ernst & Young. Infosys Ltd co-founder

Nandan Nilekani was honoured with a lifetime achievement

award for spearheading India’s Aadhaar project as head of the Unique Identification Authority

of India (UIDAI). Sehgal won the entrepreneur of the year award, based on a self-nomination,

largely on the track record he built over the last 17 years during which Motherson Sumi’s

revenue soared from Rs100 crore in 2000 to around Rs 35,000 crore currently.

Dena Bank rolls out RFID-enabled cards to serve valued clients better

Dena Bank has introduced RFID-enabled banking

cards whereby a branch/relationship manager can

identify a valued client entering a branch with the

card. Once the client enters the branch, complete

information about him/her will pop up on the

manager’s desktop. This will help the branch staff to take care of the customer’s needs and offer

services quickly without any delay. When the customer holding the Radio Frequency

Identification (RFID) card completes the transaction and leaves the bank branch, the system will

capture his/her exit, indicating that transactions have been completed.



Online payment of court fees introduced in Goa

The High Court of Bombay at Goa has introduced

online payment of court fees through e-payment

gateway in coordination with the Goa Government

and National Informatics Centre (NIC). The Goa

Assembly had last year amended the Court Fees

(Goa Amendment) Act, 2016 enabling e-payment of the court fees. The High Court in a notice

issued on its official website has said that e-payment of court fees would be available for it (the

High Court of Bombay at Goa), District and Sessions Courts as well as all subordinate Courts in

the coastal state. Presently, all the court fees are paid by way of impressed and adhesive stamps.

The notice mentions that to avail this service and for making electronic payment of court fees,

user must have internet banking account, debit/credit card of respective bank specified by

payment gateway website.

February 28, 2017

89th Academy Awards (Oscar Awards)

The 89th Academy Awards commonly referred

to as Oscars was held at the Dolby Theatre in

Hollywood, Los Angeles. The award presented

in 24 categories by the Academy of Motion

Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honouring

best films of 2016. Musical drama La La Land won the most number of awards totaling to six at



the ceremony after it was nominated into 14 categories. It was followed by Moonlight and

Arrival with each being nominated in eight categories.

Winners are

Best Picture: Moonlight.

Best Actress: Emma Stone (La La Land).

Best Actor: Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea).

Best Director: Damien Chazelle (La La Land).

Best Supporting Actress: Viola Davis (Fences).

Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali (Moonlight).

Best Original Screenplay: Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester By The Sea).

Best Adapted Screenplay: Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney (Moonlight).

Pests eat away India’s 35% of total crop yield: ICAR scientist

According to Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) scientist,

pests eat away about 30-35% of the annual crop yield in India. Such

large-scale crop-loss is having an adverse effect on the agricultural

biosafety which is paramount to food security of the country. Among

such pests, nematodes (microscopic worms many of which are

parasites) have emerged as a major threat to crops in the country. They have caused loss of 60

million tonnes of crops annually. They are causing loss of crops to the tune of almost 60 million

tonnes or 10-12 % of crop production every year. Indian farmers are still not fully aware about

these potential crop-destroyers.



India, ADB ink $375 million loan pact for East Coast Economic Corridor

India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed $375 million

pact for loans and grants to develop 800 km Visakhapatnam-Chennai

Industrial Corridor. It is the first phase of a planned 2,500-km East

Coast Economic Corridor. Earlier in September 2016, ADB had

approved $631 million in loans and grants for the industrial corridor.

The loans comprises $500 million multitranche facility to build key infrastructure in the four

main centres along the corridor — Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Amaravati, and Srikalahasti

(Yerpedu) in Andhra Pradesh. The first tranche of $245 million will finance subprojects to

develop high-quality internal infrastructure in 2 of the 4 nodes of the corridor —

Visakhapatnam and Yerpedu—Srikalahasti.

India, Germany ratify 2011 Pact on Social Security Investment

India and Germany have ratified a comprehensive Social

Security Agreement (SSA) to improve investment flows

between the two countries. The agreement was signed in

October 2011 and its instruments of ratification were

exchanged in February 2017. It will come into force from

May 1, 2017. The SSA establishes the rights and obligations

of nationals of both countries and provides for equal treatment and unrestricted payment of

pensions even in case of residence in the other contracting state. It also integrate the provisions

of the 2008 social insurance pact and is expected to reduce the operational costs of companies on

both countries active in either of the countries.



Haryana Government set up sex ratio monitoring dashboard in Panipat

The Haryana government has set up an online system called sex ratio

monitoring dashboard as part of the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’

Scheme to monitor the sex ratio in the Panipat district. The system will

have the data of child sex ratio collected from all villages every month

in the district by the state Health and Women and Child Welfare

Departments. The sex ratio monitoring dashboard as a pilot project has been developed in

association with National Informatics Centre. It will have the data on critical villages where

more attention was required towards skewed child sex ratio. It will help to take steps needed to

tackle the social problem of low child sex ratio.

FDI inflow increases by 18% to $46 billion in 2016: DIPP

According to data released by the Department of

Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), India attracted

$46 billion foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2016. It

shows that, India’s FDI grew by 18% in 2016 as

compared to $39.32 billion FDI inflows in 2015. The

main sectors which attracted the highest FDI inflows

included services, telecom, trading, computer hardware

and software and automobile. Bulk of the FDI came in from Singapore followed by Mauritius,

Netherlands and Japan.



India, Bangladesh ink MoU to provide financial assistance for development of

Sylhet city

India and Bangladesh have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the sustainable

development of Sylhet, a metropolitan city in northeastern

Bangladesh with financial aid from India. The signing of

MoU comes after Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar’s

visit to Bangladesh to discuss preparatory aspects of PM

Sheikh Hasina’s proposed visit to India in April 2017 and

other aspects of bilateral relations.

RAHAT medical project launched in Rajasthan

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje inaugurated a medical

project Rajasthan Heart Attack Treatment programme (RAHAT) to

provide people timely treatment during heart attacks in remote and

rural areas. She also flagged off RAHAT ambulance fitted with

equipment and trained paramedical staff required for treatment of

heart disease. With this, Rajasthan became the second state in the

country after Tamil Nadu to launch health programme against Heart Diseases. RAHAT project

was launched by Eternal Heart Care Centre Hospital, a private hospital based in capital city

Jaipur.

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